Lilly Pulitzer Accesories on Sale

Until midnight tonight, Neiman Marcus has 30% off all home items (no coupon code needed). Quite a few Lilly Pulitzer items are included in the sale, including some that are relatively new. Since Lilly very rarely goes on sale online, this is a great deal! It looks like shipping is free from Neiman Marcus so even better!

Here are a few of my favorite pieces:

Printed Large Pick Me Up Pouch

I love these fun pouches that have some of the Lilly 5x5 drawings on them. They are great for travel, which is good because I have a few trips coming up this summer! All of the designs are cute but the Dripping in Jewels one is definitely my favorite!

Hotty Pink Resort Tote

I love this beautiful tote with the fun flamingo design. It's normally $138 but now it's on sale for $96.60! The colors are so pretty and this is great for summer!

Happy Hour Straw Wristlet

I love using wristlets and clutches when going out so it limits the amount of stuff I end up carrying (and inevitably prevents my husband from asking me to put his phone, camera, iPad, keys, etc.- does anyone else's husband do this or is it just mine?). The straw is perfect for summer and is a nice neutral. At $61.60, it is a no brainer!

Trunk Show Cosmetic Bag and Phone Wristlet

This is one of my favorite prints. I have this makeup bag and the Sloane dress in this print.

Colony Printed Cosmetic Bag

I know I need another cosmetic bag about as much as I need another hole in my head (I got ridiculously lucky and was able to buy one of the Lilly for Target makeup bags a week early!) but I just love the print and colors here. Maybe I will get it as a Mother's Day gift for my mother-in-law since I know she loves Lilly.

Our Patio!

I realize that this sounds silly to most people, but growing up in Manhattan, my family never had neither the need nor the space for patio furniture. We had a fire escape but you are not allowed to sit out on there or keep things on there. (Of course in the winter when you have company over, a fire escape doubles as a drink fridge. Don't ask me how I know this.) Therefore, in my mind, to some extent, having patio furniture was like the ultimate status symbol. When we moved to Germany, we had a small backyard area that was shared with the family who lived downstairs and in the house behind ours. It wasn't huge but it was big enough to hold a grill, a table and chairs, and a clothesline (very European! to this day, I don't put most of my clothes in the dryer). We bought two soccer mom chairs before a concert, and brought those downstairs along with a metal Ikea table. Our landlord had a hideous plastic white table with matching chairs down there that we sometimes used. I became obsessed with getting patio furniture. It was a Goldilocks endeavor. Everything was too big, too small, to expensive, too modern, too pink. We gave up at some point and just decided to put the money towards seeing Jimmy Buffett play in Paris. A decision we both agreed was the much wiser expenditure in the long run.

When we were apartment searching down here, my one big requirement was that it have a balcony or patio. After spending some time looking for the perfect furniture for it, we both kept coming back to this one. We bought it the other day while it is still on 15% off on Cartwheel and I combined it with a 10% off coupon that I got for forwarding my mail and I got it for an absolute steal! I'm not normally a huge fan of chevron stuff, but I thought this rug looked really cute with it so I went ahead and bought that too.

The whale pillow is from Kirklands. They also have an adorable reversible pillow with whales on it that I will probably go back for either this weekend or next weekend. I also want to get a cute sign to hang on the wall, but I am so thrilled with how it came out. We spent all last night sitting out there and playing Uno. If only it wasn't Passover, we would have loved to have some drinks out there. I told Terry he needs to get me these wine glasses for outside.

Thankful

I want to thank every one who commented on my previous post about my Nana and reached out to me. I was in New York for two weeks and most of my time there was spent in the nursing home. It was a very hard trip both emotionally and physically. It was very hard to see my Nana so uncomfortable and in pain.  My Nana is still on hospice care for now and I am grateful at least to have had a chance to see her one last time. (It sounds depressing, I know, but I am sure that the next time I go back home it will not be for a happy reason.)

Saying Goodbye

I apologize in advance for how rambling and not making sense this post may be. I am still trying to make sense of it all.


I am an only child and an only grandchild. Since 2002, I have had only one grandparent, my Nana. My mom's mother. She is one of the most incredible women I have ever known and has always been my biggest supporter and friend. I get more of myself from her than I do from my mother. If you look at pictures of my Nana from when she was my age, we are practically identical. My Nana has had many health problems in her life. Diabetes, thyroid disease, heart surgeries, bad knees- you name it, she's got it. My Nana unfortunately also has Alzheimer's and Dementia. Over the last decade, she has been on a steady decline and it has been incredibly heartbreaking to watch. First she would forget random things, then people, etc. She always knew who my mother and I were. Several years ago, she got up in the middle of the night to make herself a cup of tea, turned the stove on, forgot what she was doing and didn't light it, and just went to bed with the gas on. Thank G-d one of her neighbors smelled it and called security who were able to unlock her door and check on her and turn the stove off! At that moment, our lives changed in a big way. We could no longer say "oh grandma's just forgetful." Slowly things began to get worse. She could no longer communicate with people (she could not tell Russian and English apart and would get frustrated and start screaming when people did not understand what she was trying to tell them), then she started mumbling all together. Then she slowly started forgetting me. This was the most heartbreaking thing. When Terry and I got married, we knew we had to get married in Manhattan so that it would be a short cab ride from her apartment. No matter what, I needed my Nana there with me on my big day. After our ceremony, I went over to talk to her where she was sitting with her sister and aide and some family friends. As I'm standing there in my wedding dress, she tells me that it's time for me to grow up and settle down and get married. I wanted to both laugh and cry at the same time.

She has gone through a steady stream of home health aides and eventually required someone to be with her 24/7. After she fell and was hospitalized, she was admitted to a nursing home. Within the last year or so, the decline has only gotten worse. She stopped recognizing my mother. She could not get any visitors because any "new face" made her hysterical and she would scream and it would upset her and mess up her whole routine. She could no longer talk or move or feed herself. The last few times I went to New York to visit my family, I didn't even get to see her. The last time I saw her, my visit upset her so much and made her uncomfortable because she did not understand why this stranger woman was in her room or showing her pictures. I understand it's not her, it's the disease, but yea, it hurts. A whole lot.

My Nana used to be fluent in 3 languages. She is the woman who took me to McDonald's the first day it opened in the U.S.S.R.. The one who would pick me up at the school bus stop in elementary school and who would go to parents' days and school fairs when my parents couldn't make it. The one who took me on a trip to Vermont and to the Ben & Jerry's factory. The woman who I spent all my summers with back in Russia and who would take me to the bazaars in Uzbekistan for watermelon daily. The woman who saved up for years of her life just so she could buy me my wedding dress.

Even though she is still alive, for the past 1-2 years, my Nana has pretty much been in a vegetative state. Earlier this week, she came down with a bad infection and was rushed to the ER. She has been on strong IV antibiotics and fluids and constant care, but it is not enough. She is being transferred to hospice care tomorrow and I have an early morning flight to New York so I can say goodbye to her. The doctors are giving her a few days to two weeks at most. I can't think about this without starting to well up. The doctors think that she has meningitis which is doubly difficult for me to deal with. One of my college roommates passed away from meningitis, so I feel like I am being forced to relive the worst week of my life.

My mother has started making funeral arrangements, and everything is pretty much set (down to what outfit I will be wearing- thanks mom) other than the date. I hate having to do this. It feels so awful and wrong. The way people have been talking about her, it seems like she is already dead and she is still here. I want more time with my Nana but I know that even if she survives this, I will never get my Nana back. I want her to not be in pain anymore and to get to see my grandpa again.

Happiness is a new pair of bunny slippers

Fuzzy bunny slippers are one of my guilty pleasures in life. I have owned several pairs in my lifetime and gave them to my bridesmaids as part of their gifts. (I even wore a pair myself at my wedding during the reception. Few things in life are more comfortable than bunny slippers.)

When the company that sold my beloved Muffy and Fluffy (yes, I name things- I'm a chronic namer) went out of business, I was saddened because mine were starting to look a little bit ragged. So when a representative from BunnySlippers.com contacted me asking if I would do a review of a pair of their bunny slippers, I was so excited. New apartment means new slippers.

They arrived and they looked just as cute as my previous pairs.

 They are super soft and it kind of feels like I'm walking on one of those memory foam mats. (I love those things so much and if it was socially acceptable and physically possible to do so, I totally would carpet my entire house in them.) They have the cutest little ears that have wires in them which makes them slightly bendy. No real function here other than just to look so.darn.cute.

Please tell me you see those adorable little cottontails.

For size reference, I am a size 6 and the size small fit me great.

Bunnyslippers.com has plenty of other slippers to choose from if bunny slippers aren't your thing. I think that these Flamingo slippers are super fun (Madame- these seem right up your alley!) and so are the lobster slippers. 

For fans of Monty Python, they even have Killer Rabbit slippers!

Thank you to BunnySlippers.com for the adorable new bunny slippers and be sure to check them out for gifts for yourself or someone else.

FTC Disclaimer: I received the bunny slippers for review and received no other financial compensation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Cheers to New Beginnings

T and I moved last week to a place of our very own. This was insanely exciting and stressful at the same time. It was the first place that we were able to pick out together and we had been looking for an apartment for a while. Everything just seemed to be a little bit off. We were lucky when we found the complex we are living in now because everything just seemed to work out. (Also, one of the residents had a huge inflatable Santa Snoopy on the balcony that seemed to welcome us when we came in. That didn't hurt at all!)

I know it's not much at the moment, but here is our door! The door hanger has little LED lights in it that just don't photograph well at all. It was a combination thank you and goodbye gift from a sweet colleague in Germany that I miss a lot and I am so glad I was finally able to display it!

We got a slight discount on our rent for taking a third floor apartment, which seemed like a really great idea until it was time to move! At least it's a built in workout/fitbit booster. Speaking of which, the complex has a gym which is pretty close to the building we're in, so I have actually started going to the gym during the day. I'm just as shocked as you are by this. Let's see how long this lasts.

Our apartment itself is brand new and really nice but right now, it just feels so empty. We haven't received our items from our house in Germany yet, so we don't really have the things that make a house a home yet. Our household goods come tomorrow (G-d willing they will all be in one piece!) and I may hug my couch out of happiness. When we lived in Germany, most of our furniture either belonged to our landlord or was old hand me downs from Terry's bachelor days that was in such bad shape that it wouldn't even survive the move, so we got rid of most of it before we moved. The only things we have coming are our couch, wine table, hall table, and a couple of bookshelves. Currently, we are using a card table and folding chairs until we can get something permanent. (You know you're jealous!) I am excited to get new furniture and decorate the place, but I know that it will take a while.

I will leave you with pictures of my two favorite parts of the apartment right now- our built in desk that matches the kitchen and the kitchen itself. Seriously, look at all that space! Do y'all remember what my tiny kitchen looked like in Germany? I cannot wait to get my stand mixer and put it out on the counter now that I actually have enough space to keep my mixer in the kitchen itself.

I am just in love with this chair that I got at Target!

 

New York, New York, it's a wonderful town

The Bronx is up

And the Battery's down

Yes I am one of those sappy girls who is still obsessed with her wedding and looking at pictures 3 years later. And yet we still don't actually have a wedding album. I should probably get on that. But we got married in Battery Park City so this picture totally works.

 

So if you follow me on instagram or twitter, by now you've probably seen that I am heading back home to New York on Friday! I have not been back home since late June-early July and was feeling incredibly homesick. My brother-in-law had a Southwest credit that was expiring so he gifted it to me. To say I am excited is an understatement. I cannot wait. Even if my flights are ridiculously early in the morning and even if it is insanely cold in New York. At least I'll be home and will get to see my family and friends.

I am an only child so my mother has been going slightly crazy herself. She has taken the entire day off on Wednesday and has arranged a full day of mother-daughter bonding for us including hot stone massages and facials, shopping, dinner at an Italian restaurant I've been wanting to go to, and seeing Les Mis on Broadway. If no one hears from me after Wednesday night, just assume that my mother has me locked up somewhere and is not letting me leave. But I'm sure I will be a very well-fed hostage.

Other things I am looking forward to next week:
*Seeing my best friend for her 30th birthday (the timing of the trip could seriously not have been any better!)

*chestnut macarons at Laduree (My absolute favorite flavor and they are only available from late fall to winter. I already called to confirm that both locations in the city have them.)

*Shake Shack burgers (this is really kind of an obvious one here)
*brunch with a sorority sister I have not seen in forever at our usual spot
*enjoying the thrill that is public transportation (seriously I miss the freedom that comes with having an unlimited ride Metrocard in my wallet)
*shopping
*catching up with friends (I have plans for most every night that I am in New York!)

See you soon!