Tory Burch

Hey All! So my lovely friend Barbara asked me about my best flats that I recommend for work. I was quick to recommend Tory Burch. I have a wider foot and Tory Burch shoes are good for wide feet and also (most importantly for a flat) is that they are comfortable! Plus and most importantly - if you are going to wear a flat, it better be a cute one. These fit the bill.

I like Tory Burch shoes for several reasons. I feel like they are a great value for the money, they are super fun, and they last a long time. They are good investments. I like the shoes. I feel Tory Burch's clothing is over priced and her bags are just OK but the shoes are great. Don't buy the ones without the gaudy gold emblem on the front - that's half the point of buying Tory Burch! I love the emblem.  These sandals will carry you through summer. Great with a maxi dress!

If you can't afford Tory Burch right now, save up. DO not, I repeat, DO NOT buy the GUESS brand fakes or something trying to be Tory Burch. Until you get the real thing of anything, don't buy a lesser fake. (This goes with everything.)

Also, Tory Burch has sales so just wait and get a discount! Neimans is having a sale right now on Tory Burch and you can get some cute ones for a great price!

Love these wedges!

I have two pairs of the flats - black and red. The red ones are suede and do get dirty easier than the regular leather. I love them though. What I love about these shoes is the variety of colors and textures in the leather you can buy.

With the shoes with the cinched back, I need a half size larger than I usually wear - otherwise the back of the shoe can pinch a little bit.

I love these for work or traveling when you have to be on your feet a lot.

I have these and they are super chunky and fun! This is the "Jodie" sandal.

I bought these on sale at Neimans this week and they are SO comfortable!!

These flats below are my next conquest. Love the gold on gold. 

Like I said, remember to try on a half size larger if you are getting the cinched flat and hold out for a sale. If you are patient, you can get a great pair for a good price. Also, the suede shoes get dirty pretty quick so if you are going to wear them a lot, the plain leather will be the best for longevity. 

The reason I like Tory Burch shoes though is even if you pay retail, you are getting a really well made product for the price point. 

XO

Rachel

Maxi Dresses!

So every summer I seem to have a go to outfit and OH MY GAWD this summer it's maxi dresses. I am obsessed. Maxi dresses are flattering on every body type and even though I have shed my summer pounds, I love the dresses because I wore them last summer when I HADN'T shed my summer pounds. The point is, they are cute and flattering at any  weight but make sure the top is fitted. You do not want to look like a balloon or a tent. Stay away from tent dresses that flare out. Fitted top + loose bottom = great maxi dress.

They are so easy to wear - you can dress them up or down. I love wearing them on dates because I like to feel pretty and girly and you can bring along a cardigan or jean jacket to pop over them if you get chilly! My favorite part of my body is not my legs and I am perpetually white so I like having long maxi dresses. I think long ones are the cutest anyway. Here are a couple home shots of me - ironically right before dates! I got the blue one at Express and the gray one from the ARC but the Target tags were still attached.

My tips are maxi dresses:

1) Don't buy expensive ones. It's not worth it. Maxi dresses are generally made out of the same material with expensive ones and less expensive ones and they aren't like an amazing pair of pants where there is tailoring you pay for. There is no reason to spend a lot on a maxi dress. Target has some super cute ones. In fact, Target is my favorite place to buy maxi dresses. They are $30 and under. My favorite maxi dress I got on sale at Express and I wore it to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field and got it caught in the escalator. Good thing I didn't pay $300 dollars for it.

2) Wear them different ways! Try a jacket over top or add some bulk with a fun scarf. You can wear a maxi dress a ton of different ways by accessorizing it.

3) If you wear open toed shoes with a maxi dress, make sure your toes look good. This is important every single day. If you toes are not done, don't even consider wearing open toes shoes. Seriously. It's important and I can't stress enough how people notice.

4) Don't go overboard with the hippie thing when wearing a maxi dress. Keep it classy. If my dress is kind of hippie, I don't do hipping hair and jewelry. Keep a rule of threes. Don't do threes. If you have hippie style dress and hair, don't have hippie jewelry. This is just my opinion but keeping two out of three like two browns and a black or two blacks and a brown - this plan works great for me.

5) Make sure the top fits. Some maxi dresses are too loose around the top. If you find a super cute one but needs some more support around the bust line, it's really inexpensive for a tailor to do it.

6) Maxi dresses can be kind of shapeless so try adding a belt. It's super cute.

Here are some maxi dresses I like:

XO, 

Rachel

Never Underestimate the Power of the Right Shoes...

Catching Up!

Hey All! First off - my apologies for being MIA! It's been a busy and productive last couple weeks.

A couple weeks ago, my Mom and I flew to Milwaukee for an overnight doll show.

We fit a lot of fun into that trip. It's always nice to catch up with our customers in person! There was a fun luncheon on a historic hotel - the Pfioster Mansion. I loved Milwaukee and can't wait to go back.

The day after we came back, our doll friends Michael and David came through town and we took them out for a fantastic lunch at Sushi Den. I had one of my favorites - sashimi!

That weekend my Mom and I had a chance to check out the YSL exhibit at the Denver Art Museum. OMG. It was amazing. My cousin from Nashville is visiting right now and I am going to take her because she loved fashion. Before my Mom and I went to YSL, we went out for SASHIMI! They also had a AWESOME seaweed salad. 

The next day, my friend Alyson and I went to Bluefin for...SASHIMI!

Monday of this week my cousin Sara and I had reservations at Fresh salon for a spa day and they somehow messed up our reservations...but told us AFTER they took off our polish so I gave myself my own pedicure right in the chair. 

I have really been into stacking things next to my new Michael Kors two tone watch and someone came in the antique store and sold me these fun bangles which I am loving!

This post was kind of rando but I have had lots of requests for posts which I can't wait to do so stay tuned. Have a wonderful rest of your weekend Lovers!

XO

Rachel

The Treasured Scarab

 

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit The Treasured Scarab on 25 East Dakota Avenue. I am the new marketing manager for Antique Row and I have been making a point to visit every store on Antique Row to see what we have to offer as an organization.

This charming Victorian bungalow is full of antique and collectible jewelry from Victorian times to the sixties. Specializing in Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco, Nouveau, Indian & Mexican jewelry.

If you want something unique and wonderful, this is the store for you. The owner, Sryma Sotiriou sat down with me and we chatted a bit about her business and vision. Syrma has been on the same block for 31 years - she is one of the few dealers that has been on Antique Row since the early years and has survived with the changing times. She has been in her current location, a stunning little house since 1989.

Right as you step in, you know you are in a special place. Her store is decorated with amazing pieces of Denver history from the couture vintage clothing, to Native American jewelry, to amazing Victorian engagement rings priced from 3k-10ish. Awesome price point!

I spent a couple hours pouring over her jewelry - some making my heart skip a beat. She has everything you could ask for and also there is something in every price range. If you are looking for a gift or for something for yourself, this place is perfect.

"When I was a child and my Mom and I would go to department stores, she always knew where to find me. I would be at the jewelry counter with my face pressed against the glass in awe of the amazing things". Syrma recalls with delight.

Syrma has always had a passion for jewelry and it was evident because she was decked out with beautiful bangles and tennis bracelets - and she didn't know I was coming. That's jewelry passion right there. You wear it to wear it...because you're fab!

I splurged and picked up an amazing Christian Dior bakelite cuff on the left that she had - I couldn't leave without it. I wore it the rest of the day.

I asked Syrma what inspires her and she said it's a combination of the thrill of the hunt, the history associated with the pieces she finds, and helping people find something that means something to them.

Syrma goes to NYC and Europe several times a year finding treasures. I highly recommend this store for a gift for yourself or someone special. She also has a whole section for men!

I lusted after pretty much everything in the Native American case.

If you visit, tell Syrma "Rachel sent me!"

XOXO,
Rachel

Monday Motivation

Love this!

XOXO, 

Rachel

Polish Police

My Mom and I got manicures this week and I don't know WTF those ladies used as a base coat because both our manicures started peeling THE NEXT DAY. I was pissed. I took it all off because I can't stand picked off/peeling nail polish. I think I am obsessive over it from working in jewelry. You have to have pretty hands. I liked it though - but now I obsess over it - like when a chalkboard gets wiped off but there is still a speck of chalk. It's a problem. No polish is always better than nails all raged over so last night I grabbed my acetone and I said to myself, "Ehh, I'll just have naked nails for a couple of days..." and then I quickly realized I was hallucinating because I hadn't eaten dinner, snapped out of my haze and picked out my most recent polish purchase - OPI's "Steady As She Rose".

 

It's from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection. Most the other colors were gross looking but I actually fell in love with this. I wanted something simple and clean.

I LOVE it. I am a light skinned girl and this color is like a light pink/pastel/lilac color that is perfect for spring and summer. I love opaque polishes and light ones but on my skin that literally glows in the dark, I look dead. This is probably my favorite polish right now. One coat looks awful, two looks better and if you have time, three coats looks best. 

This looks gorg. I used 3 coats and a good base and top coat. You need to take your time and if you do, you can have a decent manicure that definitely gives the Asian ladies a run for their money! I still recommend getting a professional manicure/pedicure once a month (when I worked in jewelry I went every week but that was a business expense) to get rid of excess skin and then do your own polishes in between. Always buy a decent product. They aren't that much more than the cheap stuff and totally worth it. 

 

It’s a versatile mainstream color, but thanks to that pretty lilac-leaning hue and dreamy dusty quality, just a touch unusual too. What do you think? 

XOXO, 

Rachel