You can't always get what you want...

I'm on the hunt for a variety of items for sorority recruitment and I have mere days to find them. Thus, on both Sunday and yesterday I went in search of the aforementioned items. Sadly I did not find the clothing I needed. Apparently navy dresses are not in style. It goes without saying that I found plenty that I did not need but now either desperately want or guiltily own.

First up was Anthropologie. I was hoping to find a dress in the sales rack. Instead I found 3 dresses at full price that I am determined to own and then a fourth online. The one I love the most is the 'Cupcake Shift'. It is a bright coral and utterly irresistible. I love that it has pockets! Sadly, the price is a bit steep for a solid color cotton shift. I'm hoping that the price drops but if not, I might just have to suck it up. The second dress is a pretty purple print and the third is a solid mustard yellow with buttons and detail down the front. To be perfectly honest I'm not entirely sure about the mustard yellow on my skin but it's a cute dress and I'll certainly buy it if it goes on sale. The last dress which I've only seen online is a navy colored dress with kimono like stylings. Since I'm actually looking for a navy dress, I might end up buying that one.

After lusting after dresses in Anthropologie, I headed over to MAC. Now I don't quite get all the hype over MAC cosmetics. I once bought the foundation powder compact and I hated it. MAC products tend to be way too heavy for my taste and I often think their staff look like drag queens. For foundation I now use Bare Escentuals and I highly recommend it. The only MAC products I still use are the eyeshadows. They simply have a wider variety of colors that almost any other company and I love the ability to make your own palettes. I picked up a pretty metallic green to change it up a bit and a light brown that matches my skin tone for blending. I don't buy makeup that often so I'm excited to try my new stuff out.

Adding to the collection

The summer might be fading fast but my feet are going to stay in warm weather mode for as long as possible. Especially since my DV by Dolce Vita 'Olive' sandals just came in the mail. They're super cute on and I'm glad I went for the 9 because I tried the 8.5 on in store and they were super narrow. Sadly the 9 are a bit long but I can just tighten the straps and they're fine.

I also stopped by Payless while my friend took care of some stuff at the bank. I really shouldn't go in there because I always walk out with at least one box. I just can't help it. The shoes are so cheap and the styles have improved so much in the last few years. This time was no different and I am now the somewhat guilty but still proud owner of a pair of purple suede-ish, tie-front, peep-toe heels.The great thing about Payless is that because the shoes are so cheap, you can afford to take a chance on something super trendy. This shoe is exactly that, trendy, and I'm not sure how I'll wear it but I like it and at $25 that's a good enough reason.

Meet my future husband(s)...

I think my vision of the ideal man is pretty standard. I want him to have a great sense of humor, be kind and respectful, know how to be romantic, be intelligent but not snobbish about it, have ambitions and the drive to make them come true, and treat me like his better half. And since we're talking about my ideal man you can throw in good looks and a sizable bank account. The part that might not be as standard is that I want my man to have style. I'm not talking about putting on a button up and trousers. Any guy can do that. I'm also not talking about the guys that buy designer everything because Sevens jeans do not equate style if you don't know how to wear them. Instead, I'm talking about a man who is effortlessly chic. What would be the point of me looking fashionable when my counterpoint walks beside me looking like a slob? I want a man who can look truly comfortable in a three-piece suit but then turn around and make jeans look chic. In fact, I can be more specific. The picture above is from The Sartorialist. It is of two men in Paris. Both men are stylish but in two very different ways. The man on the left wears a hodgepodge of different accessories but manages to make it look cool but not too done. The guy on the right wears a suit without making it look stuffy. Find me a guy who could pull off both looks and I'd marry him in a heartbeat.

I'm just not that into you...

I hate making returns but it's the understood consequence of online shopping. I have a tendency to hoard to-be-returned items and only deal with them once they threaten to take over my entire room. Of late the results of my online scouring have been underwhelming so I've been forced to concern myself with the matter of refunds and exchanges.

The first to go back was the Nieves Lavi dress from Shop Bop. I originally purchased it in a size medium. It arrived and it was immediately clear that it was huge. I exchanged it hoping that once it actually fit that I would like it. No such luck and now it is on its way back.

The second item going back are the Bombay heels from Max Studio. They were gorgeous online and in person. However, when I went to wear them for my friends wedding the buckle on the right heel broke. I suppose it is fixable but I don't want to pay full price for shoes that I have to fix 20 minutes after taking them out of the box. Once I get my lazy butt to the post office they too will be headed back and thankfully with a full refund despite it having been longer than the 20 day return policy allows.

Lastly, I'm returning one or both pairs of the Madison by Dolce Vita heels. Neither pair fits extremely well. The 8.5 is the perfect length but is tight in the toe box. The 9 is great as far as width is concerned but too long. I love them and I've wanted a pair of nude heels for so long but I hate the idea of buying shoes that don't fit me perfectly. I'm going to strut around the apartment a bit more with both pairs and see how it goes. Maybe the 8.5 will stretch a bit or perhaps with a heel grip the 9 will work. Otherwise it's adios to both.