My Shopping Weekend: Vintage Florals for Spring, Cheap Accessories, More Shoes

Despite the fact that weather here insists on dropping below 60, it is indeed spring. And I indeed continue to work on my spring wardrobe. Here a bring you a few recent acquisitions.

First, I won an auction for a vintage Saks dress from a favorite eBay seller--because it's really adorable and because a like the ideas or florals for spring as recently seen on the runways. (Check out, for example, the odd shapes and crazy colors and patterns of Balenciaga.) The dress and jacket got (which fit me like a glove) are bold, but in a cute '60s shape. Both items have amazing rhinestone studded buttons, and the dress is finished with a blue velvet belt. The cropped jacket I'll wear on it's own over a t-shirt and jeans (once they get back from the dry cleaner. I'm sure these have been packed away in some old lady's basement in California for a couple decades.) The blond model below showcases all the item sold by the Timeless Vixen eBay store. They post new fantastic vintage dresses and suits every Friday and all auctions start at $24. And they often make a mint, many items going for upwards of $200. (This outfit set me back $118.)


I'm also thinking bold jewelry for spring. (But, then again, I'm always thinking bold jewelry.) Check out this necklace below--an eBay steal for $2.25. I can't wait to wear this.



My problem collecting clutches just won't go away. I got this red woven clutch (leather doesn't seem very springy to me) with a lucite handle for $9.99.



My loyal readers know I've been really loving all the yellow in the stores this season, but I often lament that I look like crap in yellow. I think it would be fine on my feet, however. I'd recently purchased a pair of uncomfortable yellow camper pumps from Zappos that I had to send back. I still had some Zappos gift certificate left over from my birthday, and in a total impulse purchase on Friday night I bought these super yellow pumps by Volatile. They arrived yesterday and I really love them. (They don't look quite as yellow in person as they do online.) Cheapy Jr. is not a fan of this shoe. When I test drove them yesterday he kept insisting I take them off--until I pointed out that they are the color of a DHL truck. Then they were good. (The boy loves delivery trucks. Me too.)

Zappos Shipping Update and Customer Reviews

I mentioned below my surprise at the Zappos free-but-not-overnight shipping. Soon after I wrote that post, however, I got an e-mail from my friends at Zappos telling me that they would indeed ship my shoes overnight.

Perhaps it's because I'm a good customer. Perhaps it's my close proximity to the UPS Worldport. Perhaps they read my blog.

Whatever the reason, the shoes were on my porch on my birthday! The Camper Helena pumps were really adorable. I loved the look of them; I loved the color; I loved the heel height. There was a comfort issue, however, and they are already back with my friends at Zappos, refunded. (I'll go back to the drawing board with my BD gift certificate, don't you worry, fellow shoppers.)

There is a lesson to be learned from this purchase (besides that Zappos does still indeed ship overnight for free): Always read the customer reviews. I did read them, but chose to ignore them--I wanted to try the shoes anyway. The reviewers were right, however. They did really cut into my foot where the leather dipped on the instep. I will live and learn and shoe shop again. But I'll remember to listen to my fellow shoe consumers.

Zappos No Free Next Day--What's Up?

My lovely mother-in-law gave me a $100 gift to Zappos for my upcoming birthday, so I just bought the yellow Camper Helena pumps I'd had my eye on.

I had a little surprise at checkout, however. Free shipping, but no free overnight shipping! I was excited about ordering my shoes today so they'd arrive at my door on Monday, which is the actual date of my birth. Now they'll show up on my porch while I'm on vacation. When did this no-more-free-overnight-shipping situation happen?

Endless still has free overnight--I wonder if that will last. (Piperlime has free shipping, but not free overnight shipping.)

Fellow shoppers, close-to-instant online shoe gratification may be becoming a thing of the past. Say it ain't so!

Saturday Afternoon--The Gap and Anthropologie

Sometimes I think I'm in a shopping rut, that I should find some new stores. But the familiar relaxes me, and I needed some Saturday afternoon Material Girl time, so I headed to my favorite Gap location which is just a few stores down from Anthropologie.

I wanted to hit The Gap to try on the colorful khakis. And I love the pink ones. They were sold out in my size, but I tried on the yellow just to test the fit. I've been in a yellow mood recently even though I'm certain it's a color I should never wear. In pants, though, it wouldn't reflect in my face and might not be bad. The Gap's colorful khakis for spring, however, only come in regular length in store. I'll purchase a pink petite pair online. (The light blue is nice, too.)

I did come home with this white jacket from The Gap. But it's weirdly shaped and I'm taking it back. (It looks much better on the model than on me.) Anthropologie does the nautical jacket thing in a much more flattering shape.














I also bought this top at Anthropologie (which I'm wearing right now) only in a really flattering rosey red color, not the yellow pictured, although I really dig this tumeric shade (just not on me).


To satisfy my sudden jones for yellow, I've been searching for a shoe. Last night I found one on Zappos.


This is the Camper Helena in in Banana/Cuarzo and I decided I must have them. I have a pair of Campers in the Helena style in green sans instep cutout and they're a favorite--cute, unexpected color, and very comfy. I wore them walking around New York during a 12-hour work day over the summer and my feel felt fab. These may be my birthday present to myself. (Although, fellow shoppers, we should treat everyday like it's our birthday--as long as we're easy on the cupcakes.)

P.S. I wore my new You by Crocs wedge boots (mentioned in my last post) while shopping and they were great.