adore me

A few months ago, Adore Me contacted me for another product review (I love these people :)  I've been a member since the last time I reviewed a set of lingerie for them, and I have bought a few pieces here and there on my own.  This time, I was on the lookout for basic nude t-shirt bra and panties to wear on the road trip (because prissy lace lingerie is always fun, but for three months on the road I needed something practical).  I specifically wanted a set that was convertible to strapless, so I chose the Brigitte set (unfortunately, the set I really wanted was sold out in my size--one of the only downsides of ordering from such a small boutique site is that they seem to sell out of everything so fast, but that's only really a problem if you're as incredibly indecisive as I am).  Because the Brigitte isn't really meant to be worn without straps, I also cashed in one of my credits for the Elana set to cover my bases.

When I received the set late last week, I was amazed at how comfortable it was!  I've never owned a genuine t-shirt set, and it was so powdery soft it was like being covered by a cloud.  It also fit me like a glove, which always helps.  My biggest concern was that the set would be invisible underneath a basic white tee, which I imagine will be a staple of my road trip wardrobe.  Sure enough, it was!

There is a lot to love about Adore Me.  My favorite thing is that when you buy five sets you get one free, which definitely appeals to the bargain-hunter in me :)  Besides, at $39.95 per set (and sales and deals to spare!), it's practically a steal.  Even better, Adore Me offers free shipping AND free returns and exchanges, which is such a relief, especially for the first few purchases when you're not sure about sizing.  There are also gift cards available, and items preselected for a variety of occasions, in case floundering fellows are looking for ideas. The newest section of the site (at least, I don't remember it being there last year) is the swim section!  With summertime rapidly approaching, now would be a good time to head over and check out their collection (everyone gets 20% their first purchase, which is clever, because once you're sucked in you'll never want to leave)!

When shopping for bras and panties, you can organize your search by shape, size, color, or style.  The only thing that I was wishing for when I was searching was an actual "search" function so that I could look specifically for "strapless" (although I suppose that could also be fixed by simply adding strapless sets to the list of styles).  This would be my only (very minor) complaint as far as navigating the site was concerned (and it only came up because I was looking for something very specific--usually I'm happy to browse).  I joined the site because I saw enough there that made me think I would want to keep coming back on a regular basis (and sure enough, I do), but if you're not ready to commit to the monthly "skipping" you can also purchase as a pay-as-you-go customer--nobody gets left out!

If you do decide to check them out, click HERE!  Not only will you get 50% off (that brings your first set to $20!), but I'll get a free set!  Here's to friends who help friends buy fancy underwear :)

Happy shopping!

life lately: preparation

1/2/3: a typical evening

4/5/6/7: playing music

8/9: setting up the tent!

wanderlust wednesday: switzerland and france

When I was a senior in high school, I was lucky enough to be able to take a two-week class trip to Switzerland and France.  It was the first time I'd ever traveled internationally (Canada doesn't count), and it was that trip that planted the seed of wanderlust in my mind.  Unfortunately, it was so long ago that I don't really remember specifics about what we did, but here is where we went:

We flew into Zurich and then took a bus to Lucerne, where we spent two days walking through the streets, going on a boat ride, and relaxing in a field of daffodils on a hill (until we were asked to leave by the person who probably lived there... dumb American kids...).  From there we went on to Gruyeres, which I remember LOVING.  It was a quaint little cobblestoned village on a hill, where we sat in a cozy wooden lodge and had the most incredible cheese fondue for dinner.  From there we went to Geneva, visited the Palace of the Popes, and ate crepes.  We took a day trip to Monaco and Monte Carlo, where we got our first glimpse of the sensational cerulean sea, and then it was on to Nice, where we lounged on the beach, had very memorable gelato, and wandered through the streets in the warm evening.  We visited a few big, beautiful estates--Chartres, The Palace of the Ladies, Chambord, and finally, the magical Mont St. Michel.  We visited Normandy on Easter Sunday, which was very moving, even for someone who isn't generally "moved" by military history (that'd be me).  And finally, our bus pulled in to Grand Paris.

Our first night in the city, we walked up to Montmartre and spent the evening strolling through the winding streets (and being sketched by adorable elderly French ladies).  The next morning we hit the ground running, visiting Notre Dame, the Louvre, Versailles, and ending the trip with an evening cruise along the Seine, watching the sun set and seeing the lights come out.  It was magnifique. And then it was all over! We got back on a plane and flew back to the States, where I went back to high school.

in which i introduce blueberry sal (and wear clothes)

(dress: tjmaxx; trench: h&m; heels: charlotte russe; purse: urban outfitters; scarf: vintage)

Here's another outfit for another week!  This is what "my style" is slowly morphing into.  Classic colors, prints, and silhouettes... simplicity at its best. The big news for me is that I bought a car last weekend... say hello to Blueberry Sal! (I tried to take a picture of her sitting in the driveway without the messed up cars from the garage next door fouling up the shot... didn't really work out, but you get the idea :)

...and then K and I celebrated with champagne (and the big delicious salads that we have literally been eating every single night for the past three weeks--lettuce, mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and balsamic vinaigrette = perfection). On this date next month we will be watching my youngest brother graduate from my Alma mater (Boston University), and then we're off!  Excitement mounts!

in which i've got polka dots a-plenty

I wore this outfit a few days ago but didn't post it because I didn't have anything to say.  Truth be told, I still don't, but there is no use in letting it languish in my drafts.  I've secretly sort of been wanting to chop off my hair, but I can't commit to the idea.  It makes sense in my mind to do it before the road trip, but I'm worried that I will hate it and then I'll never want to look at my trip photos.  Which is ridiculous, but that's the way my mind works right now.

I'm kind of on auto-pilot at this point.  K and I are slowing chipping away at our pre-trip to-do list (there is so much to do!) and the fact that it is so difficult to extricate ourselves from the tidy little life we've been living is part of the reason for my last post.  I'm thinking I will probably have to buy a car before we leave, and we're looking around to see if we can maybe secure an apartment in advance of our departure as well (because as much as I love traveling, I also love to have a nice home base to return to when I'm done).  There will be a lot going on when we come back, and it would just be nice to have all of that sorted out to make the transition as seamless as possible.

I'm such a planner.  I've spent months and months planning this trip and now that I can't plan any more (everything that can be booked is booked, everything that can be mapped is mapped) I'm starting to plan for life post-trip.  Where I want to live, what I want to do, who I want to be.  It will be nice to hit the road and start living in the moment again... right now my every focus is on the future.