$$$

tonight is another outing to the music factory in uptown charlotte! boy, a few people he works with on this, pretty girl, her hubster, and i are going to see the barenaked ladies, woohoo! a couple of weeks ago, you may remember we went to the counting crows concert, which was quite the experience, body paint included...this go-round, we plan to be a bit more tame, i have a 10am flight in the morning, boy has to be at a soccer tourney in SC by 9am, so we will need to reel it in just a wee bit.

needless to say, all this past talk about shoes, shopping, food, and travel, my favorite barenaked ladies song is...can you guess?




if i had $1,000,000! (are there enough 0's?!)

what would you do if you had $1,000,000? i may be all, "helloooo tiffany! eat your heart out audrey hepburn!!" or "ohhh you wee little african kitties here is some food and good will!" or "here mr. investment banker, take my moola and make it multiply!" or i may just put it all in my tiny little semi-nonexistent bank account and just let it sit there and try to forget about the dancing 0's as i fall asleep at night..what about you?


xo marysue

make a list

and check it twice!

i am about to leave you kitties for somewhat of a month long road trip...have i ever told you what i do? i work in fashion, only i work on the wholesale side of the business...i sell clothes - hence my obsession with all things i can't have until 6 months from now!  with fashion comes markets, in spurts, to places i both love and not so much love...first up is NYC, we will be there through the 3rd of august working furiously to debut........................

SPRING 2011!!! 

can you believe? spring already! i mean, we are in the dead heat of summer, i'm practically wetting my pants waiting for fall, and here i am launching the spring collection for BB Dakota. phew! talk about a whirlwind..

now, you guys know i need to travel with assertiveness and tact, with all this travel must be some level of organization - since i will be representing only BB Dakota (yes there are other brands that i represent) that is what i will mostly be wearing...i decide i need to pack light since it is only a 4 day trip and i only need one outfit per day. long hours standing on your feet on none other than cement floors, smiling, chatting, catching up with old besties...then scurry off to dinner! more than likely you are walking, since there are no cabs to be had outside of the Javits Center...and before you know it, its midnight, you have to wake at 7am and start all over again..it's exhilarating!

so here is my packing list, deviated a little from what i originally thought about bringing - i raided the sample closet here - and put some new things together..my carry on, yes people carry on whenever you can, it's a billion times easier! will consist mostly of yummy, mushed up tees that fold into nothing, silk tanks that will greet the city breeze, jean shorts, and light twill pants...of course the shoes will take up most of the room..

photos shopbop, solestruck, net-a-porter

 

 

i easily have 5 outfits here and could mix and match to make more, when you pack for your next trip, think about the wearability of something, make it work back to more than one thing, you will save space, i promise!!

ps: you will be proud to know that i will NOT be purchasing the hairbrush...thank you for all of your generous emails telling me in the most polite way - DO NOT BUY THE HAIRBRUSH!! I REPEAT, DO NOT BUY!!

xo marysue

hairy and lloyd

is it bananas to spend $170 on a hairbrush?
what if it's made of boar bristles? still bananas, huh?

mason pearson brush via instyle

here's my thing, if you tell me it's worth it and i need it...more than likely, i'll get it. this brush has won many awards and has been around for longer than i have, and yes, it's price tag is $170 and up...now there are cheaper options, but i've tried that, i've gone the l'oreal cheap and unsatisfying route, upgraded to the sephora look a like, which i have to admit, am satisfied with, but at the end of the day, is it the real thing? nah..it's like a rockin' knock off, great for the moment, until someone asks if it's real, then do you lie? meh, sometimes, but often, i just push right past the question avoiding the, "um no, followed some guy off of canal street, into a back room, feared for my life, then met his wife and kids, handed him a $20 and scat out of there"...but why get the knock off when you can save your pennies and get the real thing? 

while i have been making pledges to boy daily, "i will not buy a pair of shoes until september!" "i will cook more dinners!" "i will work out more!" i may as well add this one to the list..."i will not spend $170 on a hair brush...yet. instead i will save! then donate to a good cause, because i feel badly for spending $170 on a brush, then save again, then buy shoes..." oh the woes the hairbrush brings to mind!!

if you are out there, and own a REAL DEAL mason pearson brush, is it really worth it? is it true i will have it for the rest of my life? then pass on to my daughters for them to have for their lives?


xo hairy sue (hehe)

hot diggity

question for you: when you think of july, what do you think of?

do you think of sweltering heat? cool swimming pools? flowy dresses and flat sandals? no make up and the smell of suntan lotion? cookouts and cold beers with friends?

well, when i think of july, i think of hot dogs. lots of hot dogs. it's fair to say that this july i have not yet had my fill of hot dogs (i have 4 days left as of right now) but every chance i have had to have one, i indulge. i thought this would be the perfect time to fill you in on a little shack, literally, called Brooks. in one word- hotdogheaven. the hot dogs here are just right, soft to bite into, small enough to get a full bite, flavorful, and a $buck.80!

 brooks

hot dawg from brooks

one of the many rivals to brooks is the penguin. commonly called The Bird, the penguin has been around longer than baby jebus. boy and i have had one, albeit a great one, experience here. there were tall boys involved, lots of fried bits, and of course hot dogs. the winky dink dog (one of the most popular) has pimento cheese along with other accouterments...this dog was good - it was big, hard to get everything in one bite, and fell through the bottom of the bun, tear :'(

the penguin

hot dawg from penguin

in conclusion, for my next life challenge, it will be a road trip with my partner in crime to west virginia...to find the face behind this creation.


one last question for you (or maybe 2):
when was your last hot dog? and what was your favorite?


xo marysue

gilt-y pleasure

new sales starting.
hands are sweating.
body shakes.
can't breathe.
could possibly run to the bathroom and see my breakfast again. (ick please no)
everything around me goes black.
point.
click.
fill in information.
review.
submit.
deep breath.
2nd day shipping? no thanks.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ORDER pops up, sigh, relief spreads, do i want to keep shopping? i'll pass, happy with my purchase for the day. 

alex wang will be knocking on my door soon enough...thank you good lord above!!!

alex wang

 i don't know what it is about these sales, the girls behind the madness of gilt groupe have outdone themselves, nabbing some, if not all, of the biggest designers to date. the accessories sale that popped up for alexander wang today at 12noon had my name written all over it, along with about a million others i'm sure. since i have no way of affording, and no business buying, some of the luxury goods (ahem, enter this bag) at full retail, this is the next best thing, i am completely obsessed with gilt. 

if you haven't tried it, you should...or maybe not - because then that would mean you wouldn't be able to stop..are you ok with that?


xo marysue

eat up chickens

restaurant week has been going down in the queen city this past week and will end this sunday.

last night boy and i wined and dined with pretty girl and her hubster at this cozy mountain lodge-ish place, Noble's. we all agreed it was the place to come back to in november when it was chilly outside so we could enjoy the burning embers in the bar's fireplace and take in the woodsy smell when you walk in the door.

Noble's Restaurant, Charlotte, NC

i've always wanted to try this place and thought restaurant week would be the perfect time to try. after getting a hard time from the old school bartender about my age, "yes i'm over 21...yes i'm sure...may i please have a tequila?" (yes i enjoy a stiff drink, don't judge me!) he eyeballed me, while boy eyeballed him, then proceeded to give a pretty hefty pour to each of us, bourbon for boy, patron for me. pretty girl and hubster got there, they had cocktails, and we sat, an hour after our initial reservation - plus for Noble's - flexibility, me likey.

service was relaxed, they took their time making sure to be synced as they placed each dish on the table, wine was fabulous (plus), food delish (plus plus)- there was snapper, flounder, and lamb on the table plus lots of bread, meats and cheeses, and desert...YUM (super plus).

definitely a place to go back to, great for date night or a casual dinner at the bar. needless to say, we closed the place down - and this morning boy and i went for a run, i was a little under the weather...what's the saying? one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, FLOOR?

yeah people...TGIF!


xo marysue

ahoy there!

Photo: Shopbop

this look is from shapbap, so much more fun to say than shopbop right?! their email blast today focused on price conscious outfits that are wearable for multiple occasions.

one of my favorite transitional looks of the moment, even though this won't be wearable until, ohhh, october here in the south, but to me, it's the perfect fall concert outfit, brunch then walking the streets outfit, and even better, a great 'oh, just lounging around the abode and i always look this fabulous, don't you?' outfit.

the shirt is the perfect swimsuit cover up, the overalls will be classic with one of boy's linen button downs, and the clogs will be great with over the knee socks, shorts, and a classic oxford or off the shoulder tee, multipurpose - that's how i like my outfits!


xo marysue

wish in one hand

"again with the shoes?!" you must be saying...and the answer is yes. more shoes. only these fall into a totally different category which is, the boot.

when i think of the perfect over the knee boot (which if you haven't bought yet for fall, you must) i think of my old roommates rustic "oh i found them somewhere in italy years ago" black leather, over the knee boots. i had the guilty pleasure of being about to borrow these whenever i liked - perks to sharing shoe sizes. i became obsessed, wore them every day, even fell asleep in them one time, possibly due to being over-served, but loved them, accepted them, even tried to trade for them, but nothing worked. these were her babies, not mine..

until i found these...by joseph...of course at an obscene cost, which i will not be purchasing, gulp, unless the gods above decide boy and i should win the scratch off ticket contest in the near future.


these boots are the epitome of chic, rounded toe, clearly over the knee, exposed burnished silver zip, and tight fitting to the leg - there's nothing more annoying than slouchy over the knee boots, what's the point? one look at these on lustful net-a-porter and i was a goner...falling to the floor, convulsing, foaming at the mouth, zooming to see the fibers of suede, and then in virtual window shopping fashion, slipping my feet into them and zipping them up, over sheer tights with hearts on them and a soft cashmere tunic or a belted stolen oxford from boy's closet....



xo marysue

if you like pina coladas

on days where it's over 100degrees here, i wish i could blink and be in the breeze here..



even though this weekend i may not be able to physically go to a tropical island, i can at least feel like it! this weekend is the annual carribbean festival in charlotte. there will be steel drums, shaved ice, meat on a bone or stick (whatever you prefer, im sure) and brewskies, yahoo!

welcome to the islands mon

xo marysue

THANK YOU!

THANK YOU KITTIES FOR MAKING KITTY GOES TO CHARLOTTE A DAILY VISIT!


now...is it 5pm yet??

xo marysue

tutu-torture!

in a follow up to yesterday's post about the pure barre class, i have little to tell you other than, a.) it was amazing, 2.) i sweat more than i did that morning in crossfit, and d.) i can't move today. i can barely lift my water glass..ouchie


xo marysue

rock and a hard place

ok kitties, here's the thing. it's the middle-ish of the month and i have been a shopping fiend these past few weeks. boxes have come almost daily and i can't seem to stop...what is it about hot july weather that makes me long for fall but at the same time want nothing more than a day at the beach?

enter the above boots

while catching up on everyone's posts from today, i came across this pic from olsens anonymous (you know you want to click on it, i'm not the only girl who obsesses over them, there are others..i hope?) anyways, ashley is wearing the real deal (balmain, maybe 2 seasons ago?) which are no longer available, HOWEVER, sam edelman, a king of mid-priced shoes, made these, for the second season, because they were in such demand. after checking nearly every google result i found them...only now that they are in my cart, in my size, with no shipping charges, i am caught wondering...do i need these?


......................................................think think think..................................................................




of course i do, who am i kidding?!

with just a point and click they can be mine, but in order to think through my purchases and try to not be the compulsive shopaholic i have been lately, i am going to think about it...for at least the rest of the week, then on monday, if i feel i need them, and they are there (they are selling like hot cakes, its grueling writing this) i will get them

deal?


xo marysue

schmorganize

ever feel like your jewelry looks like this?

(ick! i say, so messy!)

wish it would look more like this?

(oohhh)

(aahhh)

(ooooh!!)

i'm a personal fan of the above methods for storing/organizing my jewelry. i feel like i have droves of jewelry, all begging to be worn, piled on, mixed and matched, wanting to meet new friends. i have been more adventurous with mixing metals, necklaces, wearing only one earring, loading up on rings, you know the drill...but the one rule stands, before leaving the house, take one piece off and put it back!

now, to the organizing...you've already become an expert when it comes to cleaning out your closet and now you can clean out your jewelry drawer/pile/closet/bag/box too. currently, my jewelry is very organized, i need to be able to see everything so i can remember i have it and wear it! wear it! wear it! if there is one thing i don't do enough of, it's rotating my jewels. i've come up with the best tips i can think of to help you deck yourself more easily in the mornings, if you have any ideas yourself, i'd love to hear them!

1. desk organizers - these are the perfect way to store rings, watches, and stud earrings, if the boxes are big enough, this is also a great place to put your bangles

2. cork boards - the perfect place for your necklaces. pretty way to display your goodies for all to see, and makes for easy clean up, all you need are some thumbtacks (i like clear) and a wall to hang the board on. some cork boards are covered with fabric which also makes for a pretty display

3. ziploc bags - i have organized boy's entire office with ziploc baggies. you can see everything, they are compact, and they are sturdy for most things they are storing. these are great for your bangles, watches, rings, or stud earrings (i don't think chains would work here since they may get tangled)

4. toothbrush holder - great for your dangly earrings, hang your favs on a pretty holder and never misplace them (see? we are saving moneys too by using what we have!)

5. paint roller - possibly my favorite idea that i have yet to put into practice. my go-to wrap bracelet company chan luu uses these for displays and i must have been a fool to never go out and purchase these! GREAT for all bracelets and easy to store

6. tie rack - if you need a sleeker way than a big cork board to organize necklaces, this is the thing for you, easy to see everything, a cinch to mount, and your man will like it too, that's if your necklaces aren't taking up the whole thing already :)

try these tips and i promise you will be out of the jewelry tangled mess you are in today!

xo marysue

jenna lyons = goddess

Helloooooooo JCREW fall 2010 lookbook, can you say droolface?! loving all of the furry poufs and the wispy hair-dos.

check out fashionista's spread on too cool for school worthy jenna lyons here

xo marysue

bippity boppity boo

woohhoo!! thanks to shopbop for the shout out to bb dakota's reeder blouse! this is my favorite piece from fall in all of the colors, can't wait to wear it with leather leggings and leopard booties. check out all 8 looks from shopbop's top stylists


xo marysue

a one, a two, three..

i've never been a dancer, well, i take that back, i can boogie on the dancefloor better than anyone but when it comes to the light of day, sober, and with an audience, i've never been a dancer.

but tonight, with my newish found mirror image - pretty girl lives in nyc, has distance romance, marries man who lives in kitty nc, and moved in January to be with new hubby, we have basically been leading parallel lives for god knows how long, and now we are finally on the same page in kitty city!

while eating thai last week, we saw the new pure barre that had just opened in charlotte. 'we must go!' we both said in unison, so one week later, here we are...i have my leotard, leggings, leg warmers, headband, and wristbands, what else does a dancer need?! kidding, i just have a tee shirt and leggings, but the image was fun right? i think i would look something like this..





xo marysue

lip smacking fun

over the weekend we met the family of this food blogger. once past the meet and greets we sat down for a big home style birthday meal at EAT! in hilton head sc. there were food and drinks galore, lots of conversation, and fun facts learned. although a little overwhelmed at first, i found out there a many things that cross over between the german/korean culture and the american culture.

1. everyone loves a big hug hello and goodnight
   
2. fashion is universal, whether it's a pretty floral frock or turquoise blouse
3. cornhole is the BEST family game to play (while drinking of course)
   
4. where there's food, there's family

between the delish mashed watermelon vodka drinks (recipe coming soon), green bean salad, bbq chicken, and crepe breakfasts there was lots of conversation, which included hand motions and some translation, as well as loud laughter and running about in the neighborhood...but best of all there was lots of LOVE!

to read more about the weekend, and see all of the food that was digested, hop on over to juliesmeltingpot


xo marysue

senso magic

i had almost forgotten about these pretty little things until the lightbulb went off in my head (and my bank account)...good thing these are shipping on or before today...meaning they will be knocking at my door any day now! woohoo!

xo marysue

TG(aga)IF!

after playing in this fun and shabby chic store yesterday afternoon, boy and i had a short social visit with his cousin and then popped it in neutral. with 9 hours (can you believe?) of rest under my belt, i was wide awake when my phone started buzzing this morning, as i scroll through the emails already darting in from every angle of cyberspace i see, work work work, shopbop, gilt groupe, daily candy, work work work, fedex, work, wait...did i see FEDEX?!?!?! it's true, gaga has officially been delivered. get ready charlotte, gaga is taking the place by storm and her concert isn't for another 2 months

in other news, this afternoon boy and i are headed down to hilton head for the weekend, unlike the july 4th weekend, this one will be action packed - for one, there is a birthday, for two the entire clan will be in attendance - mom, dad, sister, sister's husband, brother, brother's girlfriend, and oh yeah, no big deal, but we are all going to get to meet boy's brother's girlfriend's family! did you follow all of that? and did i mention they flew in from germany and cali?! if there is one thing i am looking forward to it is working the lines of communication, hand signals, body movements, and head nodding...this should be filmed for abroad students: how to communicate when first landing in a foreign place


will fill you in on monday - enjoy your weekend!

xo marysue

quote of the day

"What most people need to learn in life is how to love people and use things, instead of using people and loving things."

I wake up to quotes from Arina everyday, most are motivational, some are insightful, some funny, and some are just over my head..but i like this one that popped into my inbox this morning

xo marysue

mr jones

last night we went to woodstock, no bonaroo, no SXSW, no wait...we went to the music factory in charlotte to see counting crows! it was so fun, we went barefoot, laid out a blanket, drank tall boys, and swayed to the music.

we sat behind a very entertaining group who had decided to bring face paint, you know the kind that comes in little pots all connected? well, god only knows what pills they were popping or they were drinking (something clearly stronger than our call-a-cabs from wet willies) because these flower children were swaying to the music and drawing on each other like little kitties, and it looked something like this..





and THEN blondie came over and asked if i was ready for my body art, sure! i said, why not?




little did i know, this morning after i woke up and had scrubbed in the shower, the evidence was still there..hopefully the girls took the day off from work today, otherwise the face paint would be pretty telling of what their night looked like.

xo marysue

the boat is turning

photo: 5 inch and up

some people wish to see the wall of china...i wish to wake up and see a wall of shoes.

so, within the past 6 months there have been multiple moves...nyc to charlotte, uptown charlotte to southend charlotte, and now southend charlotte to, well, southend charlotte..while boy has officially nested in his new abode, i felt it was time for a refresher...so, the other day, i asked landlord betty (no that's not her name, but fun huh?) if there were any other spaces available. she said, "well, sure! take yer pick." so i picked a quaint, cozy, little studio right down the hall. with a great cutout above the bed looking over into the kitchen/living area, it is perfect for perching at any time, whether it's by me, boy, kitty, or the overflow of guests we often find ourselves entertaining and mostly overserving...oopsiee

anyway, way too cool big brother is going to make me a wall of shoes modeled after the one above, which ps, i gasped when i saw this post on 5 inch and up's blog...for the love! with all of the travel coming up for me and boy, he volunteered and i gladly accepted!!

in other news, boy and i are going to see counting crows tonight, yippeee! the festivities will start at 6pm sharp, first heading to a slushie bar (YUM) then over to see the dread locked crows, what more could you ask for on a wednesday night in summer?!

xo marysue

gaga for gaga

you may be a shopaholic if you find yourself moving to a smaller apartment in the same building in order to fund your addiction.

ahem, for some people it's alcohol, for others it's drugs, flipping light switches, or racing cars...for me it's online shopping. since moving to kitty city and practically living in front of my computer throughout the work day, i have no other choice, it's my outlet, my happy place, my addiction. i may be on intervention in a few weeks, so be on the look out, good news is, i haven't been going to any sketchy hotels to talk to a camera.

besides, who can resist that rush of blood flowing through your finger tips as you push the 'process order' button? as you choose your size, color, study the pictures provided to imagine it on your body? hell, practically reach through your computer screen to grab it and put it on a hanger next to last week's purchase in your closet?! ok slowwww down kitty...

today's purchase was none other than for the monster mama herself...according to stubhub and the fedex man (who knows my name and knocks on our office door daily, oops) 2 tickets to see gaga in september will be in my grubby little hands in no more than 3 days time...the thought!

now just the waiting game until september 18...geeze, what am i going to wear??

xo marysue

womp womp

remember this post?

well, sad news folks. it closed. can you believe? if you listened close enough to your speakers you can probably hear my heart beginning to break a little. the closing of ratcliffe on the green is kind of a slap in the face to all of the kitty city locals, it was one of the few local farm to fork places where you could count on the freshest vegetables, yummiest seafood, and friendliest wait staff, and now, they are all gone. probably working at one of the bajillion steak houses that line the streets of uptown...why can't we get behind the local restaurants in kitty city and support them? how can i make it happen/spread the word? i eat as local as i can, as often as i can, but it just doesn't seem to be enough lately, restaurants here and there are all going out of business..left and right, it's frightening! what does that mean for all of the other local businesses?! oy vey...i'm spiraling into a saddened frenzy, where will the next local eatery open to save me from the mickey d's of the world?


xo marysue

dreamy cottage in the catskills...

Before...all it takes is a girl, some determination, and a hammer!

Ahhhhh-fter...

Photo Credits: Trevor Tondro for The New York Times

is this big enough to have tea for two?! maybe a nap after in the little loft?

this little 9x14 cottage in the catskills has taken on quite the transformation into what i think is every girls dream of shabby chic. to think that all it took were her little hands, a stone path crossing over a creek, and $3000 to make this into her dream place to perch for the warmer months...sigh, a girl can dream right?



xo marysue

wishful thinking

shape shiftr top, f21 headband, jeffrey campbell back off boot

well, kinda...not really...now that i am in the south it's the most bizarre thing to see fall goodies start coming into stores. when i was in nyc, it didn't seem to phase me, in fact, i was probably that girl buying the cashmere sweater fresh out of the box when it was 104 degree outside in july. i admit it. im an addict, what more do you want from me?!

on my favorite almostasgoodasinstantgratification shoe site solestruck i found these beauties in the 'what's new' section. while i am still making kitty perch next to the door in case the ups man comes earlier than expected with the pre-ordered senso moneys, i am having to bite my lip and make myself think twice about these boots. 'it's june for pete's sake!' i tell myself, 'it's 100 degrees out there, a jungle, you'll melt if you wear anything but sandals and barely there dresses'

these boots are almost as delicious as the acne oxfords i lusted after this last season, while the acne shoes are now sold out, i may have to devour these sooner rather than later...and wear them with the shape shiftr shirt and my leather leggings...and top it off with this STEAL of a headband from f21! only a dolla fifty...that's like, well, $free.99

love it!

xo marysue

rainbow bright

remember this little gem of a character?? she was always so fun and colorful - always ready to brighten anyone's day, i loved how well she seemed to get along with my little pony and later on, the happy family known as barbie, ken, and kelly. jogging my memory of rainbow bright, was this delicious looking cake below i found while catching up on my blog reading...




Amanda, author of i am baker, is constantly infusing her crafty baking skills into fun shapes, artistic cookie icing drawings, and in this case, a rainbow bright cake! one look at this little yummy monster and i am sold, questions start racing through my head..'when can i make this? if i make it, i need to make sure to have people around so i don't chow down the entire thing..better yet, is this a way to get boy to eat his fruits?!'

with all of the farmers markets going on in town i think there would be no better time to purchase everything necessary for this refreshing fruit filled cake smothered in whipped cream this weekend and practice next week.

will keep you posted!!

xo marysue

morning after..

so, it's the morning after celebrating a long weekend, and i'm feeling, well, a little deflated. i have to admit, after relaxing all weekend, laying in the sun, eating anything in reach, and catching up on much needed sleep, it's back to the real world for most of society...except for those pesky fresh out of college kittehs who live at my building and will be laying out again today..pshh

anywho, what better way to ring in a short week (yay!) than with a relaxed summer outfit? it's just the thing to perk you up and keep you cool during the hottest days of the year.

today, i'm wearing an oversized tank, layering bra top which you can read about here, and high waist denim shorts, gifted from citizens of humanity.



you can re-create this look to suit your comfort level, you know, if you don't want your goodies hanging out, by using a bandeau top instead of something sheer, or even another tank underneath the oversized top. if you aren't into the high waist-ness that is taking over for summer/fall2010, you can easily opt for your everyday denim shorts or other twill bottoms. this top i'm wearing today was a great deal from needsupply, if this isn't the look for you, there are tons of other options...even stealing your bf's fav tee or cut off tank, anything goes...it's summer!!

xo marysue

i heart topshop

fall2010 topshop lookbook favorites.

everyone have a happy 4th! wear your red white and blue and eat some watermelon, yum!!


xo marysue