Tippi Dress Love! APB for Tippi Dresses 0, 2, and 8.

Happy Wednesday!  Remember Mompos Monday?  Well...yesterday was Tippi Tuesday! Not only that, Anjali of Goldenmeans and I were twins.  Right down to Black Shoes and Topper for the Tippi Dress. See the always lovely Anjali HERE.  So yesterday was actually Tippi Twins Tuesday!

It seems I started a wave of love for the Tippi.

Reader Sharon is looking for the Tippi Dress in a 0 or 2.  Please if you have any info or have seen this dress, even if you are not sure of the size, contact me at lauramartinsemail@yahoo.com.  Or Sharon at chloiecat9@gmail.com.  Thanks for your help!

Jesspgh of Consume or Consumed is looking for a size 6.  Please contact me at lauramartinsemail@yahoo.com or Jess at jesspgh@gmail.com.

Anyone who needs a size 8 can contact me.  I have a lead to a reader that has one in her posession.  She can return the dress and place it on a 24 hour hold for you.  You can email me at lauramartinsemail@yahoo.com. 
Thank you to Mich for the tip on some sizes that may be available at the Austin Anthro Store. She definitely saw a Size 4 yesterday, and possibly a few larger sizes.  512-236-9301 Style # size 4 is 20050183.

Tippi Dress - by Anna Sui - Anthro Orig $268 Sale $140 - May 2011
All Along Knit Jacket in Black - by Cartonnier - Anthro Orig $88 Sale $50 - Feb 2011
Quilted Patent Ivy Stem Print In Black - by Orla Kiely AW10 - PerriBerri Orig $495 Sale $278 - April 2011
Butterfly Cuff - by Jessica Kagan Cushman - Max and Chloe $170 - March 2010
Pears on Sterling - Etsy Shop Polished Two $9 - May 2009

I found myself mesmerised by the miniature, shadowed village that circles the ruffled tiers. The Silk Print is amazingly soft, and the dress is fully lined in more Mint Silk. It feels like wearing a WISP.  The breeze picked up the delicate layered skirt and it rippled like water.  Absolute heaven to wear! I felt pretty in this dress.

Check HERE as often as possible for Pop Back's of the Tippi Dress. Or call CS for a store search on

style #20050183.  DO NOT do a charge/send.  This dress may already be sold out.  Call the store yourself and have them ship the dress.  Contact me if you need help locating one.  lauramartinsemail@yahoo.com

I may have to try my Black Crinoline Slip underneath next time. I honestly didn't think this dress was me.  Truth is, I could eat this dress up as if it were Pistachio Ice Cream.

I planned to remove my All Around Knit Jacket to photograph the whole dress, but it was too cold at 6:30 AM.  

Tippi Dress - by Anna Sui - Anthro Orig $268 Sale $140 - May 2011
All Along Knit Jacket in Black - by Cartonnier - Anthro Orig $88 Sale $50 - Feb 2011
Camden Wedge in Black- by Jambu - Zappos Orig $123 Sale $98 - May 2010
Quilted Patent Ivy Stem Print In Black - by Orla Kiely AW10 - PerriBerri Orig $495 Sale $278 - April 2011
Butterfly Cuff - by Jessica Kagan Cushman - Max and Chloe $170 - March 2010
Pears on Sterling - Etsy Shop Polished Two $9 - May 2009

The Tippi Dress screams to be the center of attention.  Nothing but Black all the way around would do.  Since Spring is in the air I reached for my Camden Wedges by Jambu.  Every time I grab for these, I smile at the use of my Son's name in a pair of shoes.  These sandals are one of the most comfortable pair in my closet.  They give me 2 platform inches, and are entirely man made with the look of patent leather.  The closure is easy Velcro. 

Shop the Camden Wedge on sale HERE in Black or Bronze

Tippi Dress - by Anna Sui - Anthro Orig $268 Sale $140 - May 2011
All Along Knit Jacket in Black - by Cartonnier - Anthro Orig $88 Sale $50 - Feb 2011
Butterfly Cuff - by Jessica Kagan Cushman - Max and Chloe $170 - March 2010
Pears on Sterling - Etsy Shop Polished Two $9 - May 2009

Now for some real Patent Leather.  I don't think I formally introduced my new Patent Ivy Bag in Black by Orla Kiely.  This is the big Sister to my very small Patent Ivy Bag in Ivory.  When I purchased it I truly wanted the Deep Violet version.  Perri Berri's online product page didn't specify color and the image was of the Violet Bag.  So I was very disappointed that Perri Berri shipped the Black version.  I attempted to contact them 3 times and was completely ignored.  Their return policy states that the customer pays for shipping.  That's fine, but not if the retailer sent the wrong item. Very poor customer service in my opinion.  So I have removed their link from my side bar.  I know several Readers have used said link to purchase OK products. I refuse to ever purchase any product from them again. 

Luckily, it turns out I do love the Black version.  But that doesn't excuse Perri Berri's poor customer service.

Tippi Dress - by Anna Sui - Anthro Orig $268 Sale $140 - May 2011
All Along Knit Jacket in Black - by Cartonnier - Anthro Orig $88 Sale $50 - Feb 2011
Quilted Patent Ivy Stem Print In Black - by Orla Kiely AW10 - PerriBerri Orig $495 Sale $278 - April 2011
Butterfly Cuff - by Jessica Kagan Cushman - Max and Chloe $170 - March 2010
Pears on Sterling - Etsy Shop Polished Two $9 - May 2009

Does anyone remember my Butterfly Cuff by Jessica Kagan Cushman?  She makes those crazy bracelets with the silly messages on them.   Anthro carried this cuff several years ago. When it hit sale I was broke. I tracked the cuff down a year later using Shop Style.  I found it at Max and Chloe.  Unfortunately, not on sale. You can still buy this cuff and many other JKC styles HERE.  Tell me what you think of The Turachula Version HERE.  It's amazingly light and comfortable for a cuff.  It also stays pushed up on my forearm.  There isn't a better choice for the Tippi Dress.

Last but not least are my Pear Earrings from Etsy Shop Polished Two.  Did you check out the link to her collection of $9 to $12 earrings? Was there a particular pair you liked? So cute!

Anthro Sister Tippi Dress Love,  Laura (lauramartinsemail@yahoo.com)

Two Unfavorable Closet Space Wasters in a Favorable OOTD

WooHoo!  I hit Post number 50 today in just two months of blogging.  I am stoked!

I was out on the RiverWalk at 6 AM.  It was gorgeous and cool. But, the Heat Wave continues.

I re-styled today's OOTD last night.  The dress I might have worn once.  I don't like the cut, but the print is lovely. Although the fabric is rayon.  $118 seems a bit much for what it is. The sale price even seems a lot, considering I'm just not that into it.



Peppercorn Dress - by Maeve - Anthro orig $118, sale $60 - July 2009

So what do you do with a dress that you don't like that much?  Cover it up with a long bright Cardi that you don't like much either. 

Wallah!  What do you get?  Two unfavorable closet space wasters in a very favorable OOTD.  Both were on my "to sell" list. Since, removed from the list. Another great example of how to shop your closet. 

Above and Beyond Cardi  - by Tabitha - Anthro orig $128, sale $70 - July 2009

The Park Employees must have thought me a strange one for standing with my head almost in the Arbor.  I just kept smiling as they slowly drove past. 



Camden Wedge in Black - by Jambu - Zappos orig $123, sale $98 - May 2010

Shop the Camden Wedge at Zappos in Black or Red Patent Leather, or
Bronze Metallic Leather here.

The Camden Wedge has gone up in price since I purchased my pair on sale in May.  I just mentioned my son Camden the other day, didn't I?  Just checking to see if everyone is awake.  And no I didn't buy the shoes for the name.

Jambu's, formerly known as J-41's, are Jeep created, and trail rated.  I feel confident I won't slip, tip, trip, flip or turn an ankle.

Did you know?  If you are a Zappos VIP customer, and your shoe order does not fit, Zappos will ship(overnight) an additional pair of the same shoes in another size. You will not be charged for shipping or the additional shoes. In fact, they will do this as many times as it takes to get the same pair of shoes to you in the correct size. Just make sure you return the original pair ASAP.  Free returns too. 

Sepia Crocus Bag - Dark Stem Shiny Laminate Tote - by Orla Kiely - Anthro $178 - June 2008

 My very first and very favorite Orla Kiely bag from Anthro. Still loving it after 2.5 years.

Let's not forget about the jewelry. 



Orange Agate and Purpurite with Copper Chain - Etsy Shop fleurfatale $38 - June 2009

See me wear this necklace in a another OOTD here. 

Shop fleurfatale on Etsy here.

Natural stone is my favored choice when it comes to jewelry.  Etsy has an unlimited supply of lovely shops to browse for the perfect piece.  

iPhone Home Button Earrings - PowerBook Medic $14.95  - Jan 2010

Shop my iPhone Earrings, Tie Tacks, Cuff Links and more here.

A work friend sent an image of these in an email.  All it said was "guess what these are?"  I had no clue, but I pretended like I knew.  I said "Wow, where can I get them?"  My iPhone was sitting on the desk right under my nose, and I couldn't ID these Home Button Earrings.  Both Heidi D. and I purchased them immediately.  They are a conversation piece to say the least

 Shell Spiral Ring - Aprosio and Co. Italy - Anthro orig $178 sale $80 - July 2009

Shop more Aprosio Jewelry from Anthro here, and here.

OK!  The ring is interesting.  But I wouldn't purchase this at full price.  Did you get a load of the price of the clip on Earrings that match in the link above?  Is Anthro nuts?  But then, all jewelry from Italy will be overpriced. France too.

I was ready for an Anthro sale this morning.  I haven't purchased anything from the last two sales.  So I was a bit miffed to learn last night that there would be no new mark downs.  One good reason to pay attention to Kim at Anthroholic and Roxy at EA. Also where you can check out the Anthropologie Collective Blog Awards info and vote for your favorite blogs.

What do you think of my 2 unfavorable items as a now favorable re-style?

Any thoughts on how I could put these items to better use?

Should I have just stuck with selling them as planned?

My sticking point last night was with the shoes.  I had several pairs that I could have gone with. 
Did I do OK with the Jambu Wedges?

Hope everyone is indoors and out of the Southern CA heat today. As for everyone else, how is your weather?

I am waiting patiently for your comments.

Anthro Sister Love, Laura (lauramartinsemail@yahoo.com)



A Leifsdottir Butterfly! Here is MY OOTD!

I was checking out Lisa...Respect the Shoes in her Yellow and Gray for the day, and finally figured out what OOTD stood for. I hadn't had my cup of Montana tea yet. It took 11 days to get that one through my thick skull. Hee-hee!

My leggings have an LL Cool J thing going on. I finally got busted! One of our hard core cyclists came through the Lobby as I was taking photos at 5:30 am this morning. I was all nonchalant. It was bound to happen eventually.

I love doing the OOTD, but I don't like explaining to others what I am up to. It sounds so stupid. "I BLOG my daily outfit" just doesn't sound meaningful to most people. WELL TOO BAD!

It's all about Leifsdottir, Athleta, Allison Dayton and Chan Luu today. I was on an Athleta kick last Summer while I was running.

Lets pull each item out one at a time. Because as you all know I am all about that. Lisa really respects the fact that I know everything about each item I own. It's an OCD thing.

Out of the box first is this stunning Dark Gray Leifsdottir Applique Butterfly Cardi. Looks more Brown to me. But that is the color description.

I fell in love with this the minute I spied it at Nordstrom.com in 2009. Waited for ever for it to hit sale. Snagged it! I wear this Cardi more than any other in my closet. Unfortunately I got caught on something at some point, and had to hand stitch a very large hole and several appliqued Butterflies back on under the arm in the back. Luckily it's hard to see.

I am considering Anthro's Choose Your Path Cardi to replace it part time.

Next is Athleta's Santorini Dress. Athleta has great easy care products that are suitable for street wear too. The fabric is fast drying and has plenty of give for a great fit. I love this simple tank dress with tie back.

They also make swim wear from this same pattern. I have a tough time finding suits that fit. They have every style and pattern of Tankini, Bikini, swim skirt, boy short etc. with bra cup suits too. And bra cup athletic wear. And the YOGA line-up is impressive.

Next are Gray Leggings from UO.

Urban Outfitters, Anthro and Free People are my suppliers for great Leggings and Tights. I pick up a dozen or so at the end of every Season.

I have 4 pairs of J-41's now known as Jambu. I managed to snag these Troy Wedges from Athleta last Summer.

They run big, so size down 1/2 size. They are back again this year and available at Athleta and Zappos. If you need to do a lot of walking or standing, J-41's are the shoe for you. They even make heels. I have the Black pictured in the background. These are Jeep designed and trail rated. But very stylish as street wear. You won't tip over or sprain an ankle in these strappy, bungee corded platforms.

Now for one of my favorite Orla Kiely Handbags from the AW09 Collection. I spied this poly-coated vinyl and leather bag on sale at Garnet Hill for $199. The original price on Orla Kiely's site was near $400. So I snagged it fast. Then Garnet Hill dropped the price to $150 a few days later and credited me $50. How cool are they.

This next item is why I love real stone jewelry! By Allison Dayton for Athleta. This hefty Rose is carved from a solid chunk of Green Turquoise on a string of hand stamped Sterling Beads from Thailand.

I can Dress this Necklace up or down. It's just incredible. I DO NOT regret paying full price for this gorgeous piece. Besides, it sold out before ever hitting sale.

You should all be familiar with Chan Luu. Anthro has featured her items in the past.

The most well know is likely this embellished Sparkling Skies T from the Winter 2009 Anthro Catalog.

I ordered it on sale. It was originally $118. YEP! $118 FOR A T SHIRT!

Scarves, handbags, jewelry, and even embellished T shirts are among many of her talents. She is most known for her Wrap Bracelets.

She also belongs to a consortium of European Designers that includes Chie Mihara, Coclico, and Argila to name a few.

I stole a page from DEA.

This is a faceted Turquoise Bead 4 times Wrap Bracelet on Waxed Linen. You can find these at Athleta, Zappos, and occasionaly Gult Fuse. You can also find these for 1/2 the price on Etsy. Not made by Chan Luu though. This bracelet gets better with age. I have applied leather protector to keep it looking nice and protect it from dirt and water.

I love my 9/80 work week. This is my long week, so it's tough to make it through to Friday. But then next week I work 4 days, with a 3 day weekend. YEAH!

So who shops Athleta besides me? Anyone love Chan Luu?

Did you guys recognize the Sparkling Skies Tee from Anthro by Chan Luu?

Love and Athleta Hugs today, Laura