Urban Revisions

Urban Revisions tee (thanks Arlie!), Forever 21 skirt and shoes, Vintage
and thrifted necklaces and bracelets, Forever 21 cross ring

Random fact: the downstairs of my boyfriends house is covered with giant mirrors. Sometimes it can get to be a little much, having to stare at yourself while eating dinner perhaps, but for getting ready to go out it's actually pretty fabulous! I decided to take advantage of the giant mirror in his dining room for outfit pictures this weekend, and aside from the horrible quality of my camera, I think they came out kind of nice! Speaking of my camera, I desperately need a new one, preferably one that has a high ISO and is easy to use/understand - any suggestions?

This tee was gifted to me by the far-too-kind Arlie of Urban Revisions. I tried a while back to make one of these shredded tees of my own, and quit halfway through - it's sooo time consuming and painful on your fingers! So, priced at $38, these pre-shredded tees by Arlie are worth every penny! They come in black, white, gray, and lilac, and are completely reversible - you can wear the shredded part in the front or back! Arlie also makes other shredded tops, scarves, and jewelry, all at amazingly affordable prices. Be sure to check out Urban Revisions on Etsy! And keep checking back here - Arlie and I just *might* be working together to have a little giveaway on Breakfast at Saks in the next month or so! :)

Back in time

Tie-dye dress from festival vendor, Minnetonka sandals from TJ Maxx,
Vintage necklace and bracelet, Balenciaga bag

This past weekend, I found an abandoned bus and tried (unsuccessfully) to break into it, saw Smashmouth in a free outdoor concert and sang along with songs that brought me back to middle school, experienced Mike's Harder Lemonade for the first time (which is surprisingly delicious!), avoided food vendors advertising "Sidewalk Meat", and spent wayyyy too much time in various dive bars, as well as a few really nice ones. I'd consider it a weekend well done :)

Currently Craving: The long and short of it all

Stripe Maxi Skirt from Topshop; Pins and Needles Tap Short from Urban Outfitters;
Tribal Denim Shorts from Forever 21; Gryphon Mayan Miniskirt from Shopbop;
Nightcap Clothing Flamingo Skirt from Singer22; Soixante Neuf Ring from Singer22

Currently craving long skirts and short shorts. Preferably in pure white with ruffles or some type of colorful print. Oh, and I threw in that gorgeous Soixante Neuf ring because it reminds me of the one that was available at Forever 21 a few weeks ago that I missed out on... bummer! My shopping tip of the day is this: if you see something you love, and it's less than $5, ALWAYS buy it!! You can just skip your Starbucks fix the next day to keep your budget even :)

For whom the bell tolls

Hollister tank, Onceovertwice crochet bell bottoms custom-made by the lovely Jane
(thanks!), Minnetonka moccasins, Vintage Chanel backpack, Vintage necklace and ring

I wore this to the second show the BF and I went to during Jazz Fest this past week, where we saw the amazingly talented Stanley Jordan. Stanley Jordan quite literally played the guitar and the piano simultaneously - I wish I had taken some video to show you all! It was ridiculous, definitely not like anything I'd ever seen before! But I was able to sneak a picture of Mr. Jordan, which I have posted below - a nice break from looking at pics of me all the time, right? :)

And I can't go without waxing poetic about my new crochet bell bottoms!! When I saw these bad boys featured on Bleach Black, I knew my life wouldn't be complete without a pair (spoken like a true shopping addict!). Jane Oh of Onceovertwice hand crochets each pair of bell bottoms to the measurements you provide, so they truly fit like a dream. And coming soon, Jane will be adding bikinis, fringed dresses, and even more bell bottoms to her Etsy store, so be sure to keep checking back!

TJ Maxx Summer Fashion Finds

Mon Amie dress, $24.99 at TJ Maxx (compare at $44)

Today I stopped in TJ Maxx to pick up some shampoo (do you know they sell Jonathan, Rusk, and other hair care brands for less than half the price they are in salons? It's amazing!), and ended up with a cart full of summer dresses, tanks, and shorts - I can never go in there and come out with just one thing! TJ Maxx offers the same designer brands as department stores and boutiques, but for up to 60% less! TJ Maxx has their whole summer stock out right now, and it is good! Racks of bathing suits, coverups, sunglasses, sundresses, and hats greeted me when I first walked in, and of course I fell victim to their siren songs. I have pictured just a few things I tried on, but trust me, if I had unlimited funds I would've bought out half the store today! Be sure to check out your local TJ Maxx (find locations here) for the new summer designs out now!

Vasna Desire dress, $24.99 at TJ Maxx (compare at $42)

Aqua Blues romper, $14.99 at TJ Maxx (compare at $24)

Pure by Raw 7 shredded tee, $39.99 at TJ Maxx (compare at $128)

Jazz Man

American Apparel top, Current/Elliott jeans, Jeffrey Campbell clogs from Lori's Shoes,
Vintage Chanel backpack, Vintage necklace and bracelet

I wore this to go to the first night of Jazz Fest this Friday with the BF. We saw the Sauce Boss, who is described as having a "distinctive slide guitar sound, wrought out of his 53 Telecaster like a man beggin' for mercy, and slung through a 1948 Fender amp like a dark horse running through the night. [T]he Sauce Boss has a truly authentic sound that leaves you looking for something you thought you'd lost, but in fact you never knew you had." Yeah, I have no idea what that all means, but he handed out bowls of gumbo after his show, so I'm now a loyal fan!

And this was my first time out with the new bag! I love it, everything is so much easier when you have both hands free! Also, thank you all so much for your comments on the shopping addiction post, it's comforting to know that I'm in the presence of so many fellow addicts! We can quit whenever we want, we just choose not to... right?

Scott Free tees (and a giveaway!)

Scott Free is a collection of tees created by DJ/Designer Scott Cannon. Launched in 2008, Scott Free is a quickly gaining a reputation as one the most sought after brands in men's and women's graphic tees. Born in Los Angeles, Scott's graphic tee designs are influenced by art, music, and the fashion culture of LA. Made of luxurious supima cotton, rayon slub knits, modal, and ultra soft burnouts, Scott Free offers a distinctive fit, look and feel. You can check out the entire collection of Scott Free tops at ScottFreeCollection.com.

Scott Free is currently only available to purchase at Fred Segal, but you can enter to win a Scott Free tee of your own right now! Breakfast at Saks has teamed with Scott Free to give away the "Press Play" tee shown above! To enter, you must complete the following:

• Follow Breakfast at Saks on Google Friend Connect (upper right column of this blog) or Bloglovin'
• Follow @BreakfastatSaks on Twitter, and Tweet the following: "I entered to win a Scott Free tee at @BreakfastatSaks and so can you! http://bit.ly/cSGVvW"
• Leave a comment here with a link to your tweet and your email address (so I can contact you if you win!). You can tweet once per day, just be sure to come back here and leave a comment every day you tweet!

That's it! The contest will run for 2 weeks, so it will end June 26, and I will announce the winner the following Monday. Good luck everybody!

"I have an addiction, sir!"

Quick pic of my new-to-me vintage Chanel backpack... I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help myself. Shopping is a legitimate addiction! I've also recently acquired the vintage necklace and bracelet shown above, as well as these *amazing* sunglasses from Seventh Door. What are some of your recent buys? Help me feel like less of an addict!

Village Gate

Target maxi dress, Balenciaga bag, Vintage belt, Urban Outfitters sunglasses

This past weekend I went vintage shopping at Village Gate with my mom. Most of the building is filled with artist studios, but the first floor is home to two of the only real vintage shops in Rochester, Far Out Vintage and Ricky's Place. I always love going there because it is such a unique and inspiring spot, filled with artwork and color and light - so *not* typical of Rochester! But honestly, the pictures showcase it better than I ever could, so I'll let them do the talking!

And now, to announce the winner of the $100 gift card to Shopbop! I really loved all of your responses - it was so hard to pick just one! But in the end, the gift card will be going to...... Megan, of Mallrat Couture! Megan wrote this awesome poem I have to share with you all:

What's in a name?...
Elizabeth and James;
from uptown chic
to downtown freak,
they've got you covered-
after you've discovered
their Hand Bar rings,
suede sandals perfect for spring,
you'll see my favourite-
I would wear it out every bit-
Triple Pocket Blazer covered in gold,
one look and you've got me- I'm sold!!

I love it! Congrats Megan, and be sure to come back here and let me know what you buy with your $100 gift card! And for the rest of you all, I have yet another amazing giveaway coming up, that you all must come back and enter - I'll be posting it later this week! :)

Blue Life Summer 2010

Blue Life is the new in-house label over at Planet Blue, one of my favorite online shopping destinations. Created by Planet Blue’s owner Ling and head buyer Jen, Blue Life fills the niche of bohemian chic basics, with pieces that fit seamlessly into just about any summer wardrobe! Having both grown up in beach communities, Ling in Hawaii and Jen in Malibu, these ladies have the summertime look and feel down to a science.

I posted just a few of my favorite pieces from the Blue Life Summer 2010 collection, including the Lace Tank Top (shown above) and the Departure Tee (last picture below) but there is a whole lot more to see of this collection at Planet Blue - including a sick pair of lace bell-bottoms! Also be sure to follow Planet Blue on Twitter @ShopPlanetBlue to stay in the loop!

Currently Craving: Southwest/Boho/Cowboy Style

Margo Morrison Turquoise Necklace; Jeffrey Campbell Azteca Clogs from Singer22; Las Jewelry Oxidized Bronze Longhorn Ring from OakNYC; Stolen Girlfriends Club Cable Knit Shorts from I Don't Like Mondays; Jeffrey Campbell Diego Painted Platforms from Free People; WPQ Paisley Shorts from Pixie Market; Black Label Vintage Navajo Belt from Planet Blue

What do you call this kind of style? Southwestern? Native American? Bohemian? Well, whatever it is, it's all I want to wear this summer! Put me up in some cute short shorts, a pair of super high wooden platforms, and some turquoise jewelry, and I'll be set for these never-ending 90 degree days.

And in other news, I got a job! I'm the new Rochester Fashion Examiner over at Examiner.com. I'll be writing about fashion news, mostly pertaining to upstate New York, but if you want to check it out, my site is here. And feel free to comment with any news stories you'd like me to cover!