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One item on my wish list for this year was a Michael Kors Jet Set Tote with all the multi-function pockets. This year has been the “year-of-the-tote” for me. They are big and roomy to fit as much, or little, as I want. 
Imagine my wonderful surprise during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale – Early Access period, where I not only found the beloved tote I wanted but in a gorgeous plum color. 
Meet my newest handbag, in a beautiful color for Fall…Jet-Set Travel in Saffiano Leather, Extra Large. 

Originally $328 (average price of a JC handbag), it’s Anniversary Sale price is $218. It comes in three colors: Black, Dark Slate and Iris.

No closure but… 

Lots of pockets..two cell phone pockets, one on each side as well as a zip padded center for a small computer or Mac Book. Just outside that is another slip pocket for an iPad. I added mine in so you can get a visual. Since my new computer is not Mac Book sized I will use the center to keep my wallet secure.

Functional and gorgeous…what more could a girl ask for? 
Have you shopped the Nordstom Anniversary Sale? I do have my eye on some Boots and a very impractical Leather Skirt I really don’t need, as well as a pair of Nike‘s I do need. 
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On the heels of the Tag Sale, Anthropologie had some major markdowns this week. The awesome Anthro goddess that is Roxy has all the details on this week’s sale. I found a lot of my wishlist on sale and must say that this Summer may be the Summer of Anthro for me. I’ve made more purchases and received more PAs than I can ever recall. Add this sale and I’m on fire at Anthropologie!

Here’s what I ordered. I’ll review when they arrive.
Madrona Linen Loungers – I have been looking for a pair of linen beachy pants just like these. I love that these have a foldover waistband. Not quite elastic but still very comfortable. I ordered a Petite Medium so I hope they meet my expectations.

Linen & Lace Tunic – Another summer item I’ve been looking for was a black linen dress. It is another one of those throw on and you’re out the door. The reviews state this is boxy and runs large so I ordered a Small. And don’t confuse this with the Lace & Linen Shift which is also black, linen, but longer.

Striped Terry Blazer, Orange – As of this writing, this blazer has not shipped and I’m worried it won’t. I placed my order pretty early so I really hope it ships as I’ve been eyeing this for a while.

Dewed T-Straps – I am always on the look-out for a great Summer sandal in brown. The heel has the most lovely etching and the shoe is all leather, except for the bling on top. Can’t wait to see these in person.

Keyhole V-Neck Tee, Mint- This was just a tag-along. I am always looking for comfortable tees to wear on the weekends in the Fall and Winter.

And a few more Anthro loves that I was able to purchase with my birthday discount while shopping at the Chelsea Market in NYC.
Effortless Eyelet Henley, Sz Small – I loved the White so much I purchased the black too. This is very comfortable and lightweight. I sized down to a Small without any issue. The eyelet detail in the back is just the cutest.
 
Reva Elephant Tunic, Sz Small – I saw this on Roxy and knew I had to have it. 
I have on a Small on the left and a Medium on the right. Though the Medium gave me a touch more length it was larger through the chest and waist. I liked the silhouette the Small gave me. This is silk but very thin with no lining. I’ve worn this several times already as it is easy to throw on with sandals or wedges. 
  

Pilcro Hyphen Relaxed Jeans, Sz 28, Dulcie – I originally tried on a 29, which is what the pic is below but they were really loose all over and I knew they would stretch out. The 28 fit better and even after wearing they do stretch out but not to the point of needing a belt or pulling them up every 5 minutes.

Stitched Dahlia Blouse, Sz Small – I really love the top of this blouse. The stitching and embroidery in the orange is beautiful. But that stupid tie is the worst! I knotted it, double-knotted it, tucked it in my jeans and it always came untied. It’s the most un-functioning tie I’ve ever met. Having said that, I love the blouse and it was the first purchase I wore immediately, while still in NYC. If I come up with a solution to the tie I’ll let you know.

And because we entertain a lot during the Summer, I ordered the Mason Jar Sippers with a birthday gift card I received. I think they’ll be a hit at our next party!

Have you grabbed anything from the latest Anthropologie mark-downs?
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I’ve liked the Janey Flats since they were introduced but they felt “fancy” to me. I usually wear heels when needing a “fancy” shoe and not a flat. After seeing the Printed Flats in Vanilla Multi, but what was really the Mai Tai print, in the catalog, I looked for them online during the last big roll-out a few weeks ago. They snuck in last week and were immediately sent to sale during the 40% off/Final Sale.

Here’s the stock pic. Notice the blues are more prominent in the print.
And here are mine. Not so “Blues-y”; more “pink-y”.

The lighter portion of the silk-cotton is more prominent at the front. You can also see the pattern doesn’t match up. That doesn’t bother me as this is a fabric and it would be hard to manipulate each piece to match on each shoe.

The heels are plastic and not leather. Not sure why I noticed as every pair of flats I own, except for my Louboutins, have a plastic heel; even the pumps/heels from various brands.

I took my normal size 7. There’s a little room at the heel but that’s nothing an insert can’t fix. A 6 1/2 is tight at the front.

I do like these I just wish they were bluer. Though these were Final Sale I am thinking of calling to see if they can’t do an exchange for a pair that has more Navy in the print. 
What do you think about the Janey Printed Flats? Anyone try these?
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I love that my birthday is smack-dab in the middle of Summer. The retailers are trying to sell off all the Spring and Summer items to prepare for Fall and I always find some amazing deals on higher end items. This year I found three things I’ve been lusting over FO-EVAH! All on Sale! 
First up is the Tory Burch Priscilla Pocket Tote Bag in Emerald. The color is actually a divine mint green and the leather is smooth and supple. I found this in-store at Neiman Marcus on sale and also was able to get an additional 25% off. It has handles as well as a detachable shoulder strap. 
 

Next is another bag I really wanted for Summer. I have my J Crew Brompton Straw Mini-Hobo which served me extremely well while in NYC. It was just the right size and survived getting completely soaking wet. I first saw the Chelsea Market Small Coal in Shamrock at Kate Spade online. I then saw it IRL at Nordstrom’s and while I loved the color I did not like how big it was. I though Small meant just that and not a giant Tote.

Well, about a month ago I saw the Chelsea Market “Mini” Coal in the same color. The Mini was smaller and $100 less. I decided to wait it out until the Anniversary Sale to see if I could get a better price on it. Two weeks ago, I saw it was on sale, at the same time the Small was on sale. Even with the 25% off sale that KS had the Mini was still cheaper, and the one I wanted so I bought it and LOVE IT! It comes in Orange as well but I love the mix of greens and blues on this one.

Of course, I couldn’t just let my birthday go by without some shoes, right? Last Friday, a new Tory Burch Boutique opened up at my mall. I walked in just to take a look around and found out some shoes were already on sale. What a way to get new customers. Open your brand new store and have some items already on sale!

I loved these Laser Cut heels when they first came out. There were variations of the Laser Cut on sandals, wedges and bags too. I couldn’t believe I had found a pair in my size. I tried them on and didn’t even notice the 110mm heel. I try to stay at 90mm (3 inches) or less but these were so comfortable right away the height wasn’t noticeable at all. There was also the same promo that was going on online last week so I was able to get 20% off of these and another pair of cute gladiator sandals, the Amalie.

No toe-cleavage as the Laser Cut is sexy enough.

I know retailers are gearing up for Fall, but for me, Summer has just started. I can’t even think about wool, cashmere, long-sleeves and boots right now. 
Have a Great Day!
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Summers are when we do most of our entertaining. We love to share our big backyard, outdoor living space and pool with our friends and family. On the 4th we had a few folks over and I made my amazing Big Red Ice Cream. If you’ve never had Big Red it’s a tasty Red Cream Soda unlike any other (see info here and here) and mostly found in the South. It goes great with BBQ and yummy in an ice cold glass bottle. 
Ingredients
– 1 quart Heavy Whipping Cream
– 2 cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
– 32-36 ounced of Big Red Soda
– 1 pint of frozen Strawberries or use Fresh Strawberries
– Milk
– Large mixing bowl

I start with adding the Big Red to the bowl first as it cuts down on the fizz. Then I add the remaining ingredients (Heavy Whipping Cream, Condensed Milk, Strawberries) and mix it all up so the Condensed Milk is not sitting at the bottom of the bowl.

I then transfer the mix to my Ice Cream maker. I have a cheapie one from Target that works well and makes about 2 quarts of ice cream. I add enough Milk so the mix reaches the fill line on the container. It usually comes out to about 2 cups. My mixer also stops when the ice cream is ready. Each mixer will be different.

All mixed up and ready for the freezer.

The finished product will come out more like Soft-Serve Ice Cream so I transfer it to another container and put it in the freezer until it’s time to serve. This hardens the ice cream making it easier to scoop.

Oh so yummy and ready to eat!

This is always a hit whenever I make it and there are never any leftovers for The Boy. I’ve had to start stashing some away in separate smaller containers just for him. If your ice cream maker yields less adjust the amount of ingredients. Honestly, the Big Red and Condensed Milk make it very sweet so cutting back on those items may not necessarily be a bad thing. 
Hope you had a great 4th!