Spring 2018 Wishlist

Despite the chilly temperatures, I feel like spring is just around the corner. Of course any time is good time for shopping, but I especially like evaluating my needs when the seasons turn; spring/summer and fall/winter are the two big ones for me. When I shop, I rarely (very very rarely) buy something right away. Usually I'll windowshop and fill up my cart/basket but then not check out. Partly the reason for this is that I prefer to buy things when there's a sale going on, or some sort of discount code or other promotion. But the other reason is because I want to make sure that I really want/need whatever is in my cart! The more expensive the item, the more likely I am to let it sit and see how I feel in a couple of weeks, months, even years (although years is a bit risky haha!) So it makes a lot of sense that when I'm shopping for the upcoming warmer weather, I start early!

The top item on my wishlist right now (and not precisely related to the weather) is the Holland Heart watch by Kate Spade. How cute is this watch! I love the hearts, the rose gold, the pink, the beige leather strap... It has a 33mm watch face which is a bit larger than I prefer my watches to be, but for something this beautiful I'm willing to make an exception. The design of it feels very romantic and old-world, like a stained glass window or mosaic. But it's not on sale (and yes, I'm stalking it on the websites of several retailers) so I'm still waiting. I'd be really sad if it sold out before I find a deal on it though, so who knows, I may throw caution to the wind and purchase it full price!

Until a few days ago, also on my wishlist were the Michael Kors Bristol Floral Applique Leather Crossbody and the Return to Tiffany Silver Bead Bracelet with Rubedo Heart. However fate smiled upon me and I managed to acquire both this past weekend! Each deserves its own post, but for now I'll say the bag I've been stalking since January and the bracelet I've been hunting for 2+ years. Happily, each is just as wonderful as I dreamed!

I also have a less item specific wishlist; I'm really wanting to find the perfect pair of pale pink jeans, a pink jacket, some nude pumps and possibly a pair of summer sandals in a brown leather. I thought I had found a good candidate for pink jeans on Nordstrom's website, but alas my size sold out before I got around to placing an order. I guess they were really popular! Waiting for sales/codes has its pitfalls and sometimes the thing you're waiting for slips away. 

These jeans by Wit and Wisdom

 might be good, although they're not as slim at the ankle as I want and they're cropped... however, if I order them in regular rather than petite, the crop might end up looking normal on me! Nordstrom does have other pink jeans, but I have a mental block to paying more than $70 for jeans (and they'd have to be REALLY special for that to happen). Usually I pay around the $35 for jeans, although occasionally my bargain hunting skills are so epic I might be able to snag a pair in the $20-something range. When I was younger I used to buy really really cheap denim from Forever21, but I was never comfortable! For someone who wears jeans as much as I do, I came to realize it's worth seeking out better quality denim. But I still try to be thrifty and catch them at a steep discount! 

I did however order two pink jackets and two pairs of pumps! I can't wait for them to arrive so that I can try them on and see how they look on me (and probably more importantly, how they feel). 

I have a wonderful packable down jacket in black by Uniqlo that I bought 4 or 5 years ago and I've worn faithfully ever since. I take it out as soon as there's a slight chill in the air and I'm usually wearing it well into spring because I hate being cold. A black jacket is great for fall and winter, but it's a little boring for the spring when I'm in the mood for lighter colors. This packable down jacket by Via Spiga caught my eye because of the gorgeous color. My only hesitation is how flattering it'll be. Black is popular for a reason- it's so slimming! A puffy down jacket adds bulk even if you're thin as a rail (which I am not), and to also wear it in a light color like this is a risky move. But I figured I'd order it and try it out. If it looks horrible on me I'll return it having gained the knowledge that a pink down jacket isn't meant to be for me.

I also ordered this bomber jacket by BB Dakota for the same reason as the Via Spiga- the color looks perfect on the screen. This one is clearly much more lightweight than the puffy down jacket, but I don't actually have any light jackets like this and if it looks cute and fits well it would fill a gap in my jacket options. Alas I had to order it in an extra small because all the smalls were sold out, so I'm a little worried about how it'll fit. But I figure better to order it and try it on and know, rather than wait for the extra smalls to sell out too and then always wonder if it could've worked out. I think lightweight bomber jackets are on-trend for this year too, although I don't really pay much attention to what's popular. I prefer to wear what flatters me and suits my taste!

 The Whitney pumps from Naturalizer are also on their way to me. Nude shoes are a closet staple. There's nothing like a nude heel to lengthen the leg and instantly improve your proportions. I have two nude heels already; both are excruciating. The first pair I bought 8 years ago and the heel height is very wrong (4 inches), the toe shape is wrong (they pinch and rub something fierce) and overall they're impossible to walk in (I wobble like a baby giraffe). My second pair are better- lovely 2 inch heel and  almond toe. However, pregnancy made my feet grow by half a size. Bummer!

Last in my cart were the Saffy Block Heel Pump by 1.State, which I decided to try out after seeing Amie from ChaseAmie talk about them in her video here. I don't usually like shoes with a pointed too (I prefer the cuter almond toe), but she gave a very glowing review of how comfortable and flattering these were so I decided to give them a try. I went for the black rather than the nude option due to my uncertainty about the shape, but if they're wonderful I might check out the nude as well.

Overall I've got a lot of goodies on the way to look forward to! The interesting thing about modern retail is that order things online is like taking an item to the dressing room- sure you can try to shop smart by knowing your shoe size or paying attention to size charts and your measurements when looking at clothing, but there's no substitute for trying something on. It feels a touch wasteful when one thinks about the shipping back and forth and all the packaging materials, but it's kind of the name of the game! Many retailers carry a much wider variety of items online than they do in their stores, so in many cases buying online is actually the only option! Although I do shop a lot online due to my preference for petite size clothing which is often only stocked online and also due to the fact that with a young child I just don't have the free time to spend hours walking around a mall, I try to minimize my waste by only ordering things I'm genuinely interested in and trying to make sure that I get the right size. When looking at clothing I pay a lot of attention to fabric description and care instructions. I zoom in if possible to see if I can get a good look at the fabric and construction of items, and many times I've deleted clothes from my shopping cart because the item looked cheap or poorly made when zoomed in!

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