Tag: West Elm

Hits and Misses

Sadie1 Comment

I’ve been on a little bit of a wallet lock down lately between buying holiday presents and saving for some bigger purchases, but here are a few recent yays and nays for me.

Hits

Sadie Dishes- Toms Avalon Slip Ons

I always have a pair of “commuting shoes” that are lightweight flats that keep me comfy to and from work and keep my high heels from getting unnecessarily worn down. They get a decent amount of wear so I try to pick something inexpensive because they typically last about six months. I recently replaced my last pair of classic Toms with these Avalon Slip-Ons. They are a most substantial version of the classic that fit more like the classic Vans style sneaker slip-ons that are making such a big comeback right now. I love them! They are metallic, a.k.a. neutral, and the sole is a lot more cushioned and supportive than the classic Toms. Winner!

Sadie Dishes- Athleta Sports Bra

I’ve been between favorite sports bras ever since Nike retired the style that I like. (Isn’t that the worst!?) So I was excited to try this new silhouette from Athleta because they billed it as “high impact.” I don’t think this is my new absolute favorite, but it does provide some advantages that I’ve been looking for. Chief among them- it has decent support, and pretty good all around coverage in the front (no excessive cleavage which is kind of a foreign concept for me) . What you can’t see in the above picture is the back has a cool design. It’s a great option to pair with some of the skimpier strappy work out tops.

Sadie Dishes- Hits and Misses

This season it seems like every sweater is oversized and kind of sloppy. I was having trouble finding sweaters that are work appropriate, so I was happy when I found this mini cable knit sweater from Ann Taylor. It’s a great light/mid weight, and it’s very easy to pair with a pencil skirt or slacks for work. I think the mini cable knit adds a little bit of interest and gives you more of an “outfit” rather than just wearing a plain merino sweater.

Misses

Sadie Dishes- Hits and Misses

I ordered this shirt online during one of Ann Taylor’s sales. I was really excited about it because I have several draped/ruched long sleeves that I love and wear all the time. This one- not so much. It was not flattering on me. It accentuated my bust which is like bringing sand to the beach, and the draping just looked awkward. This might help add curves where there are none, but I am all set in that department. I wanted to love it but it’s a return for sure.

West Elm‘s customer service: Ugh. I hyped West Elm a lot in my gift guide posts and I’m a big fan of their general aesthetic, but this holiday season I had a lot of trouble with them. I ordered several items for multiple people on my gift list several weeks before Christmas, all had delivery dates well in time for Christmas. Long story short, two items ordered on December 5th and with a delivery date of December 18th showed up several days after Christmas. And one item that showed up just in time on Christmas Eve was monogrammed incorrectly and required returning. This fiasco included several calls to the customer service line, several promises for Christmas delivery that were not kept, with no attempt at accommodation just a lot of the word “sorry.” Was I offered compensation or discounts for any of these late or incorrect items? No. They simply shifted blame to their shipping operation. At the end of the day, due to no planning fault of my own, I was down three presents on Christmas day and it seemed like West Elm could care less.

Anything you’re loving or returning right now?

Gift Guide 2015: Part 5

SadieLeave a comment

Today we’re brainstorming gifts fir the couples on your list.

Kitchen

Bouchon Bakery

Depending on the culinary skills of your recipient, a fancy baking mix with a pretty mixing bowl and/or spatula is a fun and useful gift. For “fancier” baking mixes, I look to Williams Sonoma. It will look great paired with some of their seasonal or standard accessories like whisks, spatulas, cookie cutters, baking tins, or mixing bowls. If your recipients are already pro bakers or chefs, you might want to replace the baking mix with some premium ingredients like fancy vanilla extract, salt, olive oil, etc. and a tea towel. If you want to show of your culinary skills, consider making your best cookies and packaging them in gift worthy containers that they can reuse.

West Elm Bowls

Depending on how full you think the recipients kitchen cabinets are, I think it’s fun to gift a small set of pretty bowls, mugs, or a serving platter. It’s great to find unique items in boutiques and specialty kitchen stores, but if you want a short cut I think West Elm, Crate and Barrel, Pottery Barn, Sur La Table, and Williams Sonoma all have good options. If you can spare a few days, most of these retailers have personalized serving trays as well!

Home and Car

Address Stamp

A personalized set of notepads for the kitchen counter or a custom address stamp is a thoughtful and useful accessory for most households. As we know from my post on personalized gifts, Paper Source is my go-to for my stationary needs. You can pair this with a calendar a bottle of wine for a more substantial present.

faufurPB

I think one of the most thoughtful ways to gift is to upgrade something that gets a lot of use. One of these things is a throw blanket because, 1. people tend to accumulate  cheaper fleece or those sweatshirt blankets, and 2. blankets wear out over time and it’s nice to get a fresh one. And God forbid I have a blanket that actually compliments my living room (don’t forget, faux fur, like metallic, is considered a neutral if you’re from New Jersey)! This is another thing that you can get from your favorite home boutique, but I also like the options at Pottery Barn (above) and West Elm. And if it’s a family with young kids or pets, do them a favor and go for something machine washable.

AmazonEcho

My brother cannot stop talking about the Amazon Echo and apparently Oprah agrees with him. It’s basically Siri on steroids. It’s a speaker, it answers questions, and it can even turn your lights on and off (if you get the right light bulbs). Plus they are apparently adding functions every day. It’s a little pricier, so it’s for the people you really like.

Frost Guard

If you’re game to gift something extremely practical, take a look at the Q. QVC sells this thing called the Frost Guard. It’s a windshield cover that is perfect for those in colder climates. Instead of spending time cleaning off your frosty, snowy windshield, you just take off the Frost Guard and get on your way! This is great for people who park outside, and have to rush off to work in the early mornings! Pair with other cold weather accessories or some hot chocolate mix for a bigger present.

Experience

Tickets to a show or sports events, or a gift card to a restaurant is the perfect alternative to a material gift. The trick is catering to their interests and making it convenient for them logistically. Here are a few ideas:

Thanksgiving Tablescape

SadieLeave a comment

I’m a firm believer that the Thanksgiving tablescape really adds to the day. Sure the company and food can be great, but there’s something magical about a well set table. In other news, have I mentioned that Martha Stewart is my spirit animal?

You can obviously go a few different directions with the color scheme, but my parent’s dining room has gold metallic walls, so I like to stick with warm metallics and natural tones. Here are some items I’m thinking about at the moment (not all at once, but some combination of the below). Keep in mind, I’ll be adding flowers and possibly gourds or other natural elements.

Table Linens

I’m working with a large medium stained wooden table, so I usually opt for a runner and placemats instead of a tablecloth. I crocheted a million placemats in fall colors a couple years ago, but I’m always looking for a new runner.

NateBerkusrunner

This Nate Berkus table runner from Target is my natural and metallic theme all in one!

gold-jute-table-runner

A Crate and Barrel Gold Jute table runner is both subtle and flashy at the same time.

beckett-natural-linen-table-runner

A Crate and Barrel Natural table runner would be a great backdrop for fun candle holders and is definitely seasonless.

Lighting

I like to have different levels of candles on the table. It creates a warm picturesque glow, and allows you to turn down the main lights a little bit.

cratebarrelcandle

I have been stalking these Crate and Barrel taper candle holders. They are a great modern take on taper holders.

CB2votive

A few of these little CB2 Rose Gold votive holders would be great scattered around the middle of the table.

mercury-tealights-rose-gold-o

These West Elm Mercury Glass tea lights had me at mercury glass.

Crate Hurracaine

We have a couple hurricane candle holders similar to these from Crate and Barrel, and I think they would be great with a natural colored (unscented) pillar candle, and maybe even some dried acorns or fall type things…

One More For the Road

napkinrings

I really love these horn napkin rings from West Elm.

Do you have your tablescape ready to go?