my how the mighty have fallen

I have been a loyal fan and follower of Coach for years. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for their keyrings and wristlets, and if you have been friends with me long enough, odds are you probably have received either a keyring or a wristlet from me as a gift. Like several other companies lately, I feel my love affair with Coach declining. More and more of the pieces that they make are just not me, and are getting louder and flashier by the minute. I received the latest Coach catalog a couple of days ago which focuses on the new Poppy collection. In it, Coach asks "Are you Poppy?" I can proudly say that no, I am not. Here's why.

The best way to sum up the fall collection is sequins. And then sequins. And just for good measure, some more sequins. Take for instance this Sequin XL Spotlight bag, $598.

Why, why, why does it need so many sequins? Is it starring all by itself in an off-Broadway show? $600 buys you a lot of sequins.

Looking for a pair of understated ballet flats for the fall? Walk straight past these babies then, if you can avoid being momentarily blinded by the neon colors. And even more sequins.

Shine Ballet Flats, $138

These shoes are adorable for your first day of school, if Green Eggs and Ham is on your class's required reading list. If you're any older than that, then just say no.

Don't call it a comeback, the eighties have been here for years, or so says this Nova Midtop Sneaker, $138.

I call this purse "Lisa Frank gone hardcore." Coach just calls it Evie, $198.

While there are some things on the Coach site that are quite lovely and blinding, I have to offer a big, loud, Le Sigh. Whatever happened to the days of a simple, solid color, well-made leather tote?

favorite things

Hope everyone had a good week and enjoyed better weather than us NYC people did. Rain ALL week. It finally stopped but only for a few hours apparently. I guess April showers don't actually end in April? I thought this week it would be appropriate to do an umbrella post. I don't like plain black umbrellas and love quirky, fun, colorful ones. I think they are a fun way to stand out from the crowd and can brighten up a dreary day. (I despise things falling out of the sky with a passion- rain, hail, and don't even get me started on snow.)

The first umbrella on this list actually is black, with a twist. The inside is blue with white clouds, based on a painting from one of my favorite artists, Rene Magritte. $35 from the Art Institute of Chicago shop.

Next is an anything-but-black umbrella from Vera Bradley. A few years ago, I was really into Vera Bradley and acquired a rather large collection. When it became trendier and turned into something that everyone and their mother started carrying, I lost interest and have since then started getting rid of my collection. However, I love the new Bali Gold print, and think that it is great for accessories, like this umbrella. ($28)

A fun, uber-girly one from one of my new favorite stores, SB Design Studio. ($34.95)

The umbrella I currently use: (don't have an actual picture of it, taken from the website)

A blue monogrammed A. Tierney. I got the children's sized umbrella at the sample sale which is about the same size as a regular adult umbrella, and got it monogrammed with a hot pink monogram on it. So cute! Available on the website for $18 plus $10 monogramming.

A pretty pink one from Coach. ($88)

A slightly more muted one from J. Crew. ($19.99)Lastly, I found these beautiful umbrellas on a Japanese site. They are attributed to French designer Atelier LZC. The company's site just brings up a white screen and I cannot find them online. However, they are just too pretty to not include. If you speak Japanese, or can figure out how to navigate the site, you can get them here for $38.18.

favorite things

Well ladies, it is time for my weekly favorite things post. In honor of my two keyfob giveaways this week, I will dedicate this week's post to various keyfobs and keychains.

I will start this off with a keychain that is very near and dear to my heart.


YES! That is a whale flip flop keychain from the company that makes my beloved whale flip flops! I nearly squealed when I saw that (ok, I did squeal, a little) and have to say that I absolutely NEED this and it will be mine. ($45 at Vineyard Vines)

Another great one from them is this Bloody Mary Fabric Printed Keyfob for $15.


Alcoholic beverages not your thing? How about an adorable laydbug key fob from New York's own A. Tierney ($10)? It does come in other motifs as well, but I am slightly ladybug-crazy so this is the one that makes me go "aaaaaaawwwwwwwwww."


Here is a cute and preppy one from Whitney Caroline Designs ($5)


If you are looking for an Easter gift for a lucky girl, I'm partial to this Bunny keyring from Coach ($38). As a side note, does anyone else really dislike Coach's new site layout?


I think that the cotton tail on the bunny's, um, tuchus as my Nana would say, is so cute and fun but I would probably get it dirty in, oh, 2.5 seconds.

I love the colors and simple elegance of this double flower keyfob from Kate Spade ($55).


Another fun summer one from Kate Spade is this boat steering wheel keyfob ($281).


I included it for two reasons, one because it is cute, and two, because can we just talk about the fact that it is actually $281?! Yes, that price is in U.S. Dollars...

In the market for something that you can actually afford? Shocking, I know. I love this Watch Hill Riff Tide ($22.50) from Kiel James Patrick. That Tiffany blue-esque background is seriously my favorite color.


A really cute one that I am in love with and am seriously debating is this Crab one Miss Priss ($16). My zodiac sign is Cancer the Crab, and while I never really paid attention to the zodiac at all, I have always found crabs to be adorable and have held a certain fondness for them.


Another fun crab one is this Crabs and Beer Bottles from Tucker Blair.


The idea of the alcoholic crabs just makes me smile. If you want to try to win a keyfob, you can enter here.

Since ~miller ribbons~ custom makes all of their key fobs, I do not have a picture of the one I want, but I have already decided that I will be ordering one that has a Tiffany Blue ribbon with white polka dots on it and my initials on it in red. I am also giving away 5 of these on my blog.

Finally, my last two keyrings on this week's post come from the one, the only, Tiffany.

First is this sterling silver palm tree key ring ($130)


and second is this Elsa Peretti initial keyring ($145)


I cannot ever justify spending that much money on a keychain, but looking is fun!

wear RED for women

Ok ladies, I have a confession to make. I hate Valentine's Day. It's actually a childhood trauma for me and I never got the point of the holiday. However, on February 15th, I had open heart surgery that saved my life, so I always get a little sentimental when I see all the heart stuff this time of year. (There was a very high chance that I was not going to survive the surgery and everyone told my parents not to get their hopes up and my healthy heart can have its first legal drink this year!) In honor of this and the fact that today is the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Day, I've decided to make today's favorite things post dedicated to all things heart-shaped and Valentine's themed.

To start things off is this adorable and not cheesy looking heart paperweight for $28 from Kate's Paperie.


Up next is a 2 pack thong set from Hanky Panky at Nordstrom.

For anyone who wants to try their luck, the Blue-Eyed Bride, is giving away a pair on her blog!

Next we have a tin of Valentine's Day Hot Cocoa from Crate and Barrel that turns pink! On sale for $1.95 now, it is a steal. The little tin is adorable and would be a cute extra to throw in someone's gift.


While we're on the subject of edibles, let's take a look at these dessert plates for $24.95 from Red Envelope. I don't know if y'all have picked up on this, but I'm a little obsessed with baking and love cute dessert plates and serving pieces, so I am a little in love with these plates that are made to look like conversation hearts.

If you think these plates are cute now, wait until you see how darling they look when they have some pink frosted cupcakes on top of them!

For the girl who loves her accessories, here are four adorable pieces:
The Coach Scribble Heart Neckerchief Scarf ($58)

The L. Erickson Wild Hearts Ribbon Headband, $32 at Calista Cove

Since every girl loves getting something in a little blue box, here is the Elsa Peretti Open Heart Pendant, $455 at Tiffany & Co.

Now I know what you're thinking- isn't the Elsa Peretti open heart a bit redundant and doesn't everyone and their mother already have one? Absolutely. However, I love the stone collection and these three little hearts are so adorable and the colors are great.
At $795, this is the priciest item on this week's list: the Silver Leather Marc Jacobs Love Clutch from one of my favorite stores, Plaza Too.

I tend to go for more conservatice pieces and this is not my style, but if you could make it work, this would be cute with a black outfit.

Lastly, is this Clinique Love Long Last Glosswear set for $25 from Nordstrom.

For four glosses, the price is great, and as a bonus, they come packaged in an adorable pink heart box that you can reuse afterwards. How cute would it be to mail someone cookies in that box? Ok folks, I'll stop with the baking talk now.