Category

Accessories

jewelry, hats, scarves,

October 29, 2013

Bespoke post review – Crisp + OOTD

This month’s Bespoke Post Box of Awesome is “Crisp.”
Technically this box is usually Tim’s box but I’ve taken a few of the items from his box this month and wanted to share and review.

Bespoke Post Review Crisp

First, a little bit of background on Bespoke Post’s “Box of Awesome”

Bespoke Post operates a lot like JewelMint does in the sense that you have the option to skip a month but it’s mixed with a set box of curated style and discounted products like Birchbox or Ipsy.

Each box has a strong theme to tie the items together whether that’s coffee (link to Tim’s review)  from the Bespoke Post “Roast” box or getting a closer shave with the Shave set. Each Bespoke Post box is $45 and includes products that are often worth way more than that. Like JewelMint, you DO have to remember to skip a box but you will get an email reminder as well as information about that month’s box.

There are definitely some Bespoke Post boxes that are more unisex than others (if Tim hadn’t bought the Bespoke Post Roast I would have … oh wait … I think I started him on this subscription so I may very well have paid for that box!) But the intended audience IS men. You can take a look through past “boxes of awesome” here.

On to the review of Bespoke Post “Crisp” box
and my Outfit of the Day (OOTDOOTD Outfit Of The Day)

My favorite from the box is a scarf “exclusively made for Bespoke Post by vintage-inspired clothing label Gilded Age, this scarf captures the perfect mix of rugged and refined so you can go from yard work to a night out and anywhere in between.” It retails for $119 and it is a 17″ Wide Scarf. Solid charcoal chambray on one side and Striped charcoal/white on the other side with 3″ long tassels. “Yard work” seems a little far fetched but maybe that’s because I grab the cheapest scarf I own so it can get all sweaty if we’re talking yard work…

To me this scarf looks very much like something that would sell at Madewell or Fossil but even better quality and my first thought when I saw it was that it looked like it came from Anthropologie. The scarf’s style is a bit laid back but still a classic style given that it’s chambray. The material is excellent and you can see the quality in the details like the sewn edge and how they’ve added the tassels. I expect that this scarf will last a very long time.

Gilded Age Chambray Scarf from Bespoke Post Crisp Box Review

Pictured above: Gilded Age Chambray Scarf, Lands End cashmere cotton blend sweater (this sweater was also Tim’s – accidentally run through the dryer so it shrank, sleeves rolled up so it didn’t look too baggy on me), Kohl’s Sonoma life + style red velvet ankle pants, Ugg leather and shearling Antora metallic pewter ballet flats, faux diamond bezel earrings from Curacao, and barely in the picture, the new hair donut bun.

Don’t worry guys, my photo doesn’t doom this scarf into the girly category. I should probably take a photo of Tim wearing the scarf too. It does look fairly unisex and how you tie it can be an important factor in how it looks on. (Photo of the scarf on a dude over at Dappered in case I don’t get around to photographing it on Tim.)

My next favorite item in the Bespoke Post box was the Microfiber Sheet from Declan. (Show in the first picture at the top.) It had a printed chambray pattern on it and it’s EXCELLENT for wiping down electronics. Even better than my last microfiber cloth (which Tim accepted as a consolation after I grabbed this one from his box.) Declan has a lot of great patterns on their website. Again, good quality product… I keep thinking that if they made them square they would nicely double as pocket squares for Tim.

And the last thing I took from Tim’s box was the Men in Cities Card Holder Wallet.  I’m very basic when it comes to my wallet. Less is more. Small is better. I want to be able to throw it in my purse and find it but also be able to throw it in a pants pocket quickly. And with women’s pockets being even smaller than mens, a tiny wallet is a must. I haven’t migrated my stuff over to this gray leather wallet yet because it’s just a hair smaller than my current wallet but more importantly, I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the couple of keys that hang off the current wallet…. so Tim might get this wallet back for that reason alone. I’m not sure yet. I’m not even sure I can buy yet another of the wallets I have been using for the last 5-ish years. I asked for one for Christmas one year and got two of the same thing … I kept the second and upgraded to it after much abuse of the first one. And I’ve not seen a lot like it so even without the keys, this Men in Cities card holder wallet may be my best bet. (I’ll try and post a photo soon of the two side by side.)

The one item Tim is for sure getting from this box is the Charcoal Striped Socks from Mack Weldon. There’s no way they would fit my feet! 🙂 And he needed some more nice dress socks anyway. These are nice and they appear to be a good quality. We’ll see how they hold up and if they can beat out the golden toe socks he owns.

The box also came with Carmex Lip Balm + Lotion which neither of us will use (he’s allergic to one ingredient, I react to another.)

Anyway – another great box from Bespoke Post Box of Awesome!

Like what you see? Sign yourself (or your man) up for a Bespoke Post Box!
http://bespokepost.com/r/1c10f6
(full disclosure this is an affiliate link though it’s Tim’s account)
coupon code “WINGMAN? should save you 25% off your first box!


October 16, 2013

Win Diamond Earrings!
Gem Source Inc. • Lexington KY

It’s not often that my job and my love of clothing and accessories overlap, but today they do. One of the clients I’m consulting for is running a giveaway … for a pair of diamond earrings!
I figured my blog readers might be interested in this so I’m posting it.

Win Diamond Earrings Gemsource Contest Oct 2013-500x500

Win Diamond Earrings!

GO STRAIGHT TO THE CONTEST:
https://www.facebook.com/GemSourceInc?sk=app_152045414852131

If you have questions, more contest details can be found here: http://www.gemsourceinc.com/blog/October2013-diamond-earring-giveaway/

Contest ends October 22, 2013

Full disclosure, I’d say this probably counts as an ad according to the FTC. Even though I’m posting this because I think my readers might like to win. I won’t get compensated for it based on pageviews etc. My contract doesn’t even include anything about this blog. And I didn’t ask before posting it here BUT they are a client of mine. 

(Comments have been closed on this post due to the number of spammers commenting. If you need to contact me about this post, please use the contact form on the contact page.) 🙂

October 2, 2013

OOTD – Military green pants, leopard ballet flats, fedora –
October 2 2013

Just a quick photo of what I wore today – Military green pants, leopard ballet flats, fedora.OOTD - Military green pants, leopard ballet flat, fedora October 2 2013

Most of this outfit is actually from Kohl’s. I’m a little addicted to shopping there lately. I seem to find more pants that fit me there than anywhere else I seem to go for some reason and I’m not sure why. Really a fan of the Sonoma Life+Style and Apt. 9 brands when it’s coming to pants. Also not loathing crops and capris like I used to … and I’m not sure why.

  • The pants are Apt 9 “Skinny Crop jeans” in military green that I bought on clearance. I like the studded detail on the pockets. I had gone looking for the zippered front accent full length version but didn’t find them and ended up spotting these.
  • The necklace and earrings I wrote about in this post. Mega clearance jewelry haul.
  • The fedora (hat) is also from Kohl’s. It’s the Apt 9 Ribbon Straw Fedora in tan (no longer available) – they still have the black and white versions in clearance. I’ve had this most of the summer but didn’t blog about it before. I bought a similar style hat from ebay that’s a little lighter because this one is just a little too much on a 90 degree day (I should do a hat post.) 70 degrees outside and this one is great. Also this one is crushable so it bounces back from being abused – thrown in cars, bags, I think I sat on it once…
  • The Leopard ballet flats are Lauren Conrad from Kohl’s. I bought them around Christmas 2011 (!!! ack) and have almost worn them out. They have been so well loved that I have had to glue one of the soles back down on the toe of one of the shoes. Honestly, leopard ballet flats should probably be a wardrobe staple so I need to find a good replacement. I’ve loved that these had comfortable elastic on the heel. (Open to suggestions on replacements!)
  • The basic black t-shirt – I have two that are identical (and I’m not sure which one I wore now that it’s in the hamper.) One was some brand I had never heard of but was nice, soft, thin but not too thin and a little drapey. And the other I ran across at Walmart for about $5 – it was identical to the $20 no name that I liked so much and really I haven’t been able to tell the difference between the two. What I got was either this or this from Walmart but I also have a dark purple t-shirt from Ann Taylor Loft that’s pretty much the same fabric and I think that is the Ann Taylor Loft everyday t which is less than $10 at the moment.
  • My bra is my “last resort, need to do laundry now” bra so it’s digging into my shoulders a little and I just noticed you can actually tell that in the photos. Oops… You don’t need to tell me I need a different bra than what I’m wearing in these photos – I already know.

September 25, 2013

Kohl’s clearance jewelry haul
& some DIY jewelry remixing

You know how Kohl’s sends you those $10 off coupons sometimes? Well I’m sometimes a sucker for clearance costume jewelry.
Three necklaces and two pairs of earrings for about $16!!
But wait, there’s more!

Kohls clearance jewelry haul Sept 2013

The Dana Buchman earrings I turned into three sets of earrings. They were a bit over the top as it was with three gems and each with one gem is more wearable as daily wear.

DIY jewelry remixing from Kohl's clearance jewelry

The Lauren Conrad necklace lost the tennis charm and turned into a necklace and bracelet set using the spare charms from the Chaps earrings.

Chain from Lauren Conrad necklace and charms from Chaps earrings - DIY jewelry remixing from Kohl's clearance jewelry

What I made out of them looks similar the Gojana Chloe small necklace which sells for $55

(But I like mine better.)

Kohl's remixed necklace from Lauren Conrad necklace & Chaps earrings

Chaps clearance hoop earrings at Kohls

Lauren Conrad necklace chain meets Chaps earring charm - made into a bracelet

I left the gold and silver 3-tier necklaces as they were.

So what is that… 3 necklaces, 4 sets of earrings and 1 bracelet for $16?
Or $2 each piece! Now that is what I call budget shopping!

And yes, I have worn each of these several times already at the time of this post.
🙂

July 5, 2013

JewelMint July 4th Sale –
+ StyleMint + ShoeMint + IntiMint

Jewelmint and all of the “Mint” family sites are running a 50% off sale items deal right now.

mintsider_secondary_4th_of_july_sale_070513

Also, if you buy two items you get free shipping. On sale + 50% off + free shipping (assuming you order at least two things) so it’s an amazing deal.

They’re probably hoping you can’t resist picking up something for full price as well. I think all of the “Mint” companies are a little on the high side since I can get similar quality costume jewelry at a locally owned store near me for about $15 apiece full price. But I stay subscribed, click “skip month” each month when I get the notice and watch for specials and have been able to pick up some really nice pieces when they’ve either gone on sale or they run a promo.

I’ve been somewhat interested in buying something from ShoeMint and StyleMint but kept putting it off.

What I ended up ordering from JewelMint, StyleMint  & ShoeMint today:

Jewelmint stylemint shoemint promo deal order July 2013JewelMint’s Trove Hoop earrings are normally a $29.99 down to $10 on sale. They look like a good wardrobe staple and I don’t often see good two tone jewelry. Customer live chat said they aren’t a heavy earring so here’s to hoping that that’s correct.

I’ve had my eye on the ShoeMint Hejsa neon pink sandal for awhile but again didn’t think they were worth the $80. At $31.99 PLUS 50% off they are just $15.99 – yeah no brainer. Neon and neutral!! Yay!

Same went for the Stylemint Broderick T in Lilac Rose (another hot pink) normally $29.99 and only $11.50 on sale. This one I debated for a little longer because of fit and because it looks like it could be sheer. A shirt that isn’t worn still isn’t worth $11.50 but I thought it was worth the risk. Their return policy looks like it involves a restocking fee so you hit a point where something is not worth returning. I guess if it doesn’t fit I’ll throw it in a giveaway (I plan on doing another giveaway soon so keep an eye out here and don’t forget to subscribe via bloglovin’ or other rss reader.)

There were no sale items from IntiMint available in my size so I just skipped that one.

All in total I spent $37.48 including free shipping for a pair of shoes, shirt and earrings.

I’ll be doing reviews when I get them in here. I was having a hard time coming up with reviews of the StyleMint shirts in particular so hopefully I can help people out on that front by sharing some video on that when I get it in.

Oh one last thought. I hadn’t realized that Jewelmint had started doing something similar to Birchbox where your purchases build points towards a jewelmint credit aka freebie. Granted at my snails pace that might be awhile. 🙂

Jewelmint credit screenshot July 2013

Have you bought anything you loved from the Mint stores lately?
JewelMint + StyleMint + ShoeMint + IntiMint