Happy Holidays

I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays with their family and loved ones. This was the first year where I didn’t spend Christmas with my immediate family. Luckily for us, my fiance’s family came up to visit (with our godson in tow) so it was a fun and eventful long weekend. Before I go on vacation next week, I wanted to share some quick reviews particularly since I haven’t updated in a while.

So I’ve been around the Boston area for over 10 years and I just discovered L.A. Burdick for the first time (I kid you not). I realized after the fact that I’ve passed by the Newbury location numerous times but I never once bothered to step in. Last week, someone was kind enough to share the white chocolate mouse pictured below and I promptly went to the closest location to buy more to share with my other colleagues.

White chocolate mouse from L.A. Burdick

While I was there I also grabbed a box of snowmen as a present for a dear friend as well as some pastries for our visitors. My favorite pastries were the pistachio macarons but I have yet to try their hot chocolate. It’s on my list of things to try for next year since I’ve only heard good things.

Without further ado, are some snapshots and my thoughts on some recent purchases.

Forever 21 Elephant Ring Holder

 

The elephant is adorable but the gold paint on the two front paws hands can scratch off. The one I received in the mail had this issue so I went in store to find a better one since they are sold out online.

Forever 21 Bunny Couple Ring Holder

This is an adorable alternative to the Anthropologie bunny dish and half the price at $4.80. Unfortunately, it also sold out rather quickly online but I saw a lot of them in store last week.

For dog lovers, I also saw a weiner dog jewelry dish which was cute as well.

Elie Tahari Shirley flats

Elie Tahari Shirley flats in antique rose, size 7

I had these flats on my wishlist for a while and I purchased them once I saw that my size/color was back in stock. (They are pricey but Nordstrom is good about price adjustments so I took the plunge.) The bows on these flats actually remind me of Ferragamo flats. I found these flats to be comfy because they don’t have the binding elastic on the sides and back of the heel unlike other flats. In terms of fit, I personally found that they run true to size. I didn’t have to go up half a size as suggested on the website.

J.Crew Raindrop Lace dress

Raindrop lace dress in 00

I loved the fit of this dress when I slipped it on for size. I think I may need to save it for a special occasion. 😉

Banana Republic Striped Skirt and LOFT colorblock top

BR striped skirt in Petite 0

I was disappointed by the color of the skirt when it arrived since it wasn’t exactly as pictured online (beige stripes instead of white stripes). Nevertheless, I think it looks great on. The first skirt I received had a defect. There was a hole in the seam on one side of the skirt so it looked like it wasn’t sewed closed. I actually re-ordered the skirt at 40% off and I had no quality issues with the second skirt I received.

The LOFT top I purchased in Petite XS at 50% off. It’s a great layering piece but it’s definitely on the sheer side even with nude undergarments.

Banana Republic Dot Print Roll-Up Shirt

BR dot print shirt in Petite XS

Thanks to Annie for telling me about this shirt. The sleeves definitely look best rolled up.

Forever 21 Matelasse dress

 

I purchased this dress in both the black and champagne colors in size XS and I love both. They are definitely a great staple and the black is a nice simple LBD. Unlike many other Love 21 items these dresses were not too huge/swimming on me. I was originally on the fence about getting them at all because of the percentage of viscose (which can shrink in the wash) but I’m glad I did.

I paired the champagne version with a Banana Republic dupe of my Theory Gabe blazer. The BR wool blazer is shorter and has a more feminine cut while the Theory version fits like a boyfriend jacket.

Happy New Year!