Anthro Summer '11 Free Shipping Begins!

Anthropologie just sent out an email announcing free shipping thru July 15th on orders $150+ along with an Agua de Fresa recipe to keep you cool and hydrated for the summer. Hooray!

Also if anybody tries the agua de fresa recipe I would love to know!

Dressing for the California Beach Myth

The Lone Cypress on 17 Mile Drive

I had some fun with a visit to 17 Mile Drive, a pretty famous stretch of California road, known for it's gorgeous ocean views near Pebble Beach. The Lone Cypress tree I photographed above is 250 years old and apparently still going strong standing on it's little bit of rock above the Pacific Ocean!

Now - the California Beach myth is that when you're faced with sand and surf, you almost always think Southern California summer beach garb, yellow polka dot bikinis, tanned bodies, surfers and such.  The reality is a lot of Northern California beaches can be pretty darn chilly, windy and frankly nobody wants to get in the water to ride any of those frothy white waves, no matter how pretty they are.

Case in point, I am freezing my arse off at one of the beaches below, but do you see swimwear? Snorkel gear? Surfer dude in the background even the slightest bit of tanned skin? Nope.

Despite being a gloriously sunny day, it was pretty darn cold at this beach along 17 Mile Drive - nobody was going in the water. At 14 degrees Celsius and plenty of wind, I happened to be wearing 2 layers of light wool sweaters and a leather jacket, my beloved A.G. Stevie corduroy pants and I was still yearning for a hat and gloves!

So the reality check is:

On a truly hot summer beach day, by all means go all out O.C., Hawaiian Tropic, you name it.

But if faced with a sunny, yet chilly beach things to keep in tow:

1. Sunglasses and sunscreen - just like on a hot summer beach day. Just because it's cold doesn't mean the sun don't shine.

2. Layers - Lots of layers! Often once you get away from the shore it'll be a good bit warmer.

3. Windbreaker of some sort - I went with leather since biker gangs can attest the material really holds up well against the wind, but manmade materials could equally work. Wearing something like a fleece jacket or hoodie just really doesn't cut it; I saw many a girl shivering after making that choice.

4. Accessorize - toss gloves, hat, and/or scarf in your purse to add warmth as needed, clearly items which I felt in need of once I arrived.

Inspiration: All Saints

I just love this photo from All Saints - such a gorgeous way to showcase a full length gown against rustic background of a half-painted door and ladder with washed out colours.

Item of the Week: Nicole Miller Cutout Back Lace Sheath

Nicole Miller Cutout Back Lace Sheath Dress

The intricate lace pattern on this dress with amazing back cutout just make this dress beyond drop-dead gorgeous. Honestly, I really feel that the white lace in this case makes a bigger impact than if it were done in a more expected black lace.

$410 at Nordstrom

What I Love Now! - May Beauties

Supersmile Whitening System  - I wanted something fairly gentle to just remove any tea stains from my teeth. I have previously used Go Smile (rather pricey for what you get) and Crest Whitening Strips (messy and makes your teeth a bit sensitive) before, and I feel that Supersmile is definitely my favorite of the three. The whitening system includes both the toothpaste and accelerator - dab a bit of both onto a dry toothbrush, brush your teeth for 2 min and stains are removed! After using it 3 times, I really noticed a difference in my teeth. Personally, I don't feel the need to use this whitening system every single day and use it more like a treatment.

Revlon Matte Lipstick in 007 In the Red - I picked this up on a bit of a whim after seeing Lisa Eldridge's recommendation on how great Revlon's Matte lipsticks are. I didn't want invest a lot of money on a matte red lipstick as it's a colour that I wouldn't wear on a daily basis, but is definitely a nice to have. The ruby red colour payoff was amazing - though moisturizing lipstick this was not.

Philosophy Hope Oil-Free SPF 30 - With spring flowers blooming, it's definitely time to load up on SPF and lately I've been using this lightweight one from Philosophy. Usually sunscreen dries my skin out, but this one seems to be fairly moisturizing without being too heavy or greasy.

MakeupForever Eyebrow Corrector No. 4 - Essentially this is a gel that replaces a brow pencil. You do need a good angle brush to use this - I use MAC 266. A tiny dot of this goes a long way. But once it's on, it's about as budge-proof as can be and blends very nicely with my natural colouring.

Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream Fragrance-Free - My hands were wrecked and completely dried out and I quickly ran to this classic hand cream to be my lifesaver! I little dab on the backs of my hands before bed rehabbed my poor paws back to life.

Cloudy Day

View from San Francisco's Ferry Building. Love the rippling dark green waters.

Gorgeous chocolate dessert from La Mar. I actually ordered the Pie de Limon (Lemon/Lime Meringue Pie) and scarfed it down before realizing I hadn't taken a picture of it yet lol.

I think that's Treasure Island on the left hand side.

Leifsdottir Summer Sale

There seems to be an interesting pattern of Leifsdottir following Anthro's sale announcements. Leifsdottir just sent out a sale email announcing its Summer sale. However don't expect it to last too long as Anthropologie has already posted on its website that Leifsdottir will be sold exclusively through Anthropologie.com come this June.

Item of the Week: Cherry Detail Sandals

Michel Perry Cherry Detail Sandals

Aren't these totally adorable? Such a cute summer sandal that just made me smile. I just love the red cherries against the aqua blue and yellow "stems."

$373 at Matches

Anthro Tag Sale Announcement

Anthropologie just sent out this email announcing their tag sale. The details released include:

1) The list of stores opening early at 9 am (1 hour early)
2) Complimentary refreshments will be provided
3) Shoppers will need to show their Anthro card or a copy of the email they received to gain early entry


Well sweet readers, do you plan to attend the tag sale early in the morning in person?

Store Changes To SF Anthro

I managed to do a quick visit to the San Francisco Anthropologie after having not been there for quite some time.

I noticed that the original sale section (bottom floor) has gone from being a fairly nice shopping area with racks of clothes by size to a squished up "closet" space with newly built walls. Clothes were hung on top and lower racks and the general space seemed to be about half the size of the original sales selling floor. My guess is they wanted more floor space for non-sale items, but honestly the cramped quarters made for a rather poor shopping experience that discouraged any lingering, and the general feeling was chaos as girls had to squeeze in like sardines.

However, the good part is the store seemed to features shoes a good deal more. I spotted lots of shoes from Seychelles and a gorgeous pair of Maloles very similar to the navy pump one below, but it was navy and white stripes instead. Aren't Maloles shoes gorgeous? Just love the peekaboo bow detailing.

Alice + Olivia 'Bree' One Shoulder Dress

Alice + Olivia 'Bree' One Shoulder Dress

I am such a sucker for painterly colours on draped silk. I love the way the greyish/purplish blue bleeds out into yellow and then the pale white silk.

$495 at Nordstrom

Item of the Week: TokyoMilk Cosmetic Bags

Oceanic Dreams Cosmetic Bag

Bon Bon Cosmetic Bag

Marie Cherie Cosmetic Bag

These cosmetics bags with adorable butterflies are just gorgeous and perfect for spring! Definitely wishlisted.

$14 at TokyoMilk