{1st anniversary card on great, thick stock paper from my best-friend-since-3rd-grade, Lisa - so perfect for me and Steve, and befitting my tongue-in-cheek, macabre aesthetic as autumn commences!}In typical fickle New England fashion, the weather went from almost 90' last week to a brisk 50' this evening. I'm fighting off a cold, which always happens at exactly this time of year, so I spent the day and night drinking water with Emergen-C, lounging around, organizing odds and ends around the house, and taking an extremely satisfying 25-minute speed trip to T.J. Maxx. I don't go that often, but when I do (usually solo), I always have a great time. I generally follow the logical lay-out and do a loop around the handbags, then scarves and belts, then shoes, and finally a rapid dart through the clothing and home goods. I fill a cart with things that initially spark my interest. By the time I'm done with my laps, I put back extraneous items, editing my cart down based on the questions, "Do I adore it/is it a great deal/will I use it a lot?" Maxx trips usually involve consulting my Moleskin notebook, where I keep a wish-list for the season to help me stay focused and avoid gratuitous spending.
This was my cart in the first ten minutes. I really liked the big, structured camel satchel on the far left, but I always gravitate toward structured camel satchels, especially if they have gold or brass studs. I decided to forego this one because something in me is always trying to subconciously stock up on versions of my much-loved Michael Kors bag. The next purse is by B. Makowsky. This one was actually pretty lust-worthy. It was a deep silver, with black and yellow-gold-toned trim. I thought it would go well with the mixed-metal jewelry and black clothing I favor, but ultimately, $150.00 is more than I would spend on a bag I wasn't even looking for at T.J. Maxx. The emerald-green snake-print envelope was intriguing, and at a ludicrously low price - let's just say a Chipotle dinner would set you back more - its appearance belied its cost. I actually sort of regret not snapping it up and might go back tomorrow for it. Might. The BCBG snake-print ballet flats didn't make the cut, either - I am simply not a ballet flat kind of gal, wish as I might that I could be. 
In the end, I took home some real treasures, clearly indulging my craving for subtle shots of animal print. The leopard scarf is fantastic - I'd been looking for one like this forever, with alternating spot size/pattern and a soft, thin texture - an ideal piece for the transitional temperatures. The palette is flattering and versatile. I'd also been seeking a perfect animal-print accent belt. Everything - the scarf, belt, light-nude/cream wedges and the amazing leopard wedges - was Jessica Simpson, which I didn't realize until I got home. While I'm not a fan of her as an artist or really a human at large, I have to admit, the girl does damn good accessories. Her wedges are insanely comfortable; I have the same ones in a darker dove-gray and didn't even have to break them in. These are really going to help tie my work warddrobe together and move seamlessly through the season. 
This beautiful Kate Spade china was all over the bridal magazines last summer (in green) when I was getting married. I'm not often drawn to flatware or kitchen-y accoutrement, but I loved this so much. My BFF Liz sent us two of the flat soup dishes in the platinum, which I absolutely adore. Since we might never acquire the whole set, I've used the bowls for other purposes, such as storage for candy, matches, and most recently, as a shiny display for some of my favorite chunky metal pieces of jewelry.
We finished out the night with delicious, peppery Cornucopia-style wedge salads with blue cheese dressing, cukes, red onion, and the last of our summer tomatoes - I'm so lucky to be married to such a chef - followed by steak and Swiss chard. Steve was grossed out by my hasty Columbia Crest wine selection and drank Scotch instead. I just smiled cluelessly in response; it seemed undignified to admit that I had sacrified a few dollars' worth of tannens in order to scoop up multiple leopard accessories. My bad!
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