And here are some of those things…
MZ Wallace Medium Metro Tote | yes, I want this bright yellow “daffodil” color. A non-diaper diaper bag?
Salt Strap in Duke (sold out) | I’m sort of mad at myself for giving into the hype on this one (these straps were featured in the NYT along with No6 clogs as the Brooklyn mom uniform *eyeroll* – although it was actually a good article, and addressed how we find our “communities” via our wardrobes), and believe me, I’ve looked (with help from a friend) for a suitable AVAILABLE alternative, but this one just stays in my head. The shoulder straps on my Marsell bag I carry all the time are worn out, and beyond repair (they’ve already been re-glued and have come apart again) and the longer strap it comes with is much too narrow to be comfortable on my shoulder. I’ll probably end up getting this one by Marc Jacobs instead…but man, I really love the salt straps.
Maria Tash earring – I have this one from when I got the third piercing in my right ear and love it mostly because of the thread through post; it never moves and I don’t worry about it coming loose or falling out. Right now I’m wearing my Melissa Joy Manning huggies I’ve worn for many years, a pair of simple, very small thin 14k gold J. Hannah loop earrings I bought via slowre, an ear hook by Kristen Elspeth and a staple stud earring by Kathleen Whitaker. I worry all the time about the staple stud and I’d like to replace that with something that I don’t have to worry so much about falling out. Oh, and I NEVER take my earrings out. I still love the safety pin earrings also…
Tumi belt bag – I’ve long been searching for a LARGE belt bag with LOTS of functional pockets. Tumi never lets me down, although I do wish this was available in nylon instead of leather. I would wear it crossbody, and I envision something like this being very functional when the baby comes.
Raquel Allegra maxi dress | I just love this. Sigh.
This denim skirt and white denim trousers were on my wish list for spring/summer before I found out I was pregnant. They can wait. As can these Robert Clergerie shoes:
I will be wearing my Birkenstock sandals all summer I’m sure, and from what I’ve heard, your shoe size can change after pregnancy, so I’m not buying any shoes for a while. Not that I need any, of course.
So, those are just some of the things that have caught my eye recently, things I want, but probably will never buy. A girl can dream though, right? It’s a fun diversion.
Anything catching your eye lately?? What are looking for?
Those Maria Tash earrings! I’ve always had 5 small diamond studs, sleep in them, don’t change them out. I’ve wanted to update them, but could not find anything that i LOVE. I love love love that you introduced me to yet, another designer that I didn’t know I needed to know.
so glad to help 🙂
it’s worth a visit to ylang23 if you’re ever in the area, they have a great selection of maria tash, and also lots of other single earrings.
and the place i got pierced in bishop arts had a small selection (that’s where i got my triple stud) but i forget the name…I’ll try to think of it for you…
i mean, not in bishop arts. in deep ellum. ugh. still can’t remember the name – she works in a tattoo parlor
Thank you for the suggestions of earrings. I have multiple holes, and only wear small hoops that are secure. I have a pair of Secure Hoops that I got as a gift more than a decade ago, and I love them and never remove them. I would love to have something similar for my other holes, but I haven’t found anything I like. I need to wear real gold or my ears itch.
me too!! i am so sensitive to metals, i can only wear gold. not a bad problem to have ultimately, but it means i can’t buy “cheap” earrings!!
Oh my god I love the RA dress and the white denim, like, to pieces. Oof. Want so much, and I don’t often want clothes these days!
Last year I bought very little – I did a summary post about it all a couple weeks ago. I suppose the most recent was a pareo to go to Hawaii in?
lisa, both of those items would be AMAZING on you!! i can see you working each into your wardrobe 🙂 especially that RA dress. i’d have to cut off 6 inches from the bottom of that one!
i loved your year-end recap post – i keep meaning to do one of those…
Thanks for the strap hookup! I love these and use many bags where I interchange my straps. I have a few of the MJ straps and snapshot bags but also use those straps on my Lo & Sons laptop/briefcase bag at work as well as on my smaller MJ laptop cover. The straps also work on some of my other purses.
Regarding the MZ Wallace Metro – I have had several in medium (currently have one and sold the other). I love the bag but I wouldn’t recommend as a diaper bag as the straps are slippery and short so may not stay well on the shoulder. May be good if hooking the bag to the stroller. I mainly carry mine hand held or in the crook of my arm (I use for the gym). Their Sutton bag in Large may be more practical for carrying as you can carry different ways including crossbody. I have the Sutton too but in the small size and find it very practical and quite roomy. There are also more pockets on the inside of the Sutton – the Metro has one pocket and a transit card slip pocket but it does it come with a pouch. The Jimmy bag also looks practical if length is needed (not sure how long a changing pad is). Anyway I am a huge MZ Wallace fan, very well made and fun.
Prada makes non-leather bum bags in different sizes with various styles (pockets, etc). Not cheap but I use my Prada one much more than all my others (I used to work for Prada for a long time). The straps are very comfy too, wide and soft. Their material (tesstuto) is much more durable than nylon also. Matches for exercise as well as with even business attire. Usually found in the men’s area as is unisex.
do you like your MJ straps? I will probably end up with one of those instead of the salt strap, just because i don’t want to wait until the end of march, and i’m sort of frustrated they couldn’t deal better with demand knowing that they were going to be in the NYT. i get it…but still…frustrating!!
i had an mz wallace bag a while ago and remember the straps were slippery. good point. but that bright yellow!! i am SO DRAWN to it, i can’t get it out of my head.
(edited to add – i see they have a medium sutton in daffodil on mzwallace.com!!)
i keep looking at prada tesstuto bags at the real real, but they are still rather expensive. i’ll look over on the men’s side too. i do also love the gucci canvas waist bags. I always wanted an old school gucci bag because the logo was my initials (GG) haha!
I had never heard of the Salt straps before — but have been eyeing some from Clare V. that have a similar vibe!
Do you have any thoughts on where to get piercings done? I had my ears pierced as a kid but they’ve since closed up, and I’ve been wanting to get them re-pierced! But for some reason picking a place feels loaded — I live in NYC and there are a few trendy piercing hotspots, but they’re expensive and feel like overkill for simple lobe piercings…
I also owned an MZ Wallace Metro and I’ll echo what Tania said above — the strap length is not the easiest to negotiate, and they are slippery!! Other than that, it was a great bag, so maybe you could find a workaround. I also love that daffodil yellow!
I seriously love that strap, but…SHOPPE?
I CANNOT help but do a Steve Martin “SHOP-PAY!” at it and close the website.
I’m way too old to be 43, what is wrong with me. Where did I lose my whimsy?
Henh. The straps are pretty rad.
I AM THE SAME WAY!!!! I am opposed to extra unnecessary letters or z when there should be an s. Like “yogurtz” or “bangz” – absolutely real places that offend me for their names…
Oh! thanks for reminding me to check clare v…those are appealing as well, i may go with one of hers instead of MJ
as for piercing places…i just went to someone with a friend who she already knew. And this person also does piercings for the jewelry place i posted that carries maria tash (ylang23.com) – that may be a good way to find someone? that place hosts her for piercings once a month or so, i’m not sure what the charge is for piercing, but it could be comped by the store if you buy an earring?
I’d look around and ask at jewelry stores you like and see if they can recommend someone. are you near catbird??
Grechen – if you’re feeling really crazy about that strap (I agree they are super cute), there is one on eBay for a ridiculous price:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Salt-Duke-Handbag-Shoppe-Salt-Strap/153358159685?hash=item23b4dbcf45:g:cIwAAOSwJFBcQnBT:rk:1:pf:0
*NOT my listing, I’m just an avid eBayer 😛
OMG!!!!!!
THAT PRICE. when you said ridiculous i was hoping for good ridiculous not bad ridiculous LOL
that is so insane, i hope no one buys it….
thanks for that bit of diversion though 🙂
I’ve always wanted a logo gucci bag too (the flat style with the different compartments) & I’m not even a logo girl!
I love my MJ straps. In fact, I use the straps much more than the bags they came with (you can buy the straps individually too as you know). Very comfy and flattering (lies nicely on the body as the clip part rotates). I have three (2 came with the bag and the 3rd was bought separately on sale from Bloomie’s): a black with pink/red striping, a black with gold stripes/silver stars and a camo. I use the camo the most followed by the star/striped – looks good even when it clashes.
One more thing – the strap clips are on the larger side so doesn’t hook to all my bags, definitely need to try on with your bags to make sure it fits. I do mix the metals, since the strap stands out, doesn’t matter if it’s a gold/silver mix.
The shoe size thing can be real – after 2 pregnancies/babies close together, my feet went up a full size and never went back. I had to replace my ENTIRE shoe collection. It sucked. Don’t buy shoes!
I agree! Lisa, with your hair, you’d look fab in that dress.
The Maria Tash earrings are gorgeous! I see a lot of hers I love on Instagram.
I recently had several piercings done at a tattoo/piercing parlor and I was very happy. It wasn’t cheap, which is probably good, but something I learned is that there is an Association of Professional Piercers. She gave me a flier for aftercare that the APP distributes. Here’s a link so you can find someone: https://www.memberleap.com/members/directory/search_bootstrap.php?org_id=AOPP
I was thinking the same thing – HOLY CRAP!!!
My daughter, Rachel, that serves in the Peace Corps in Colombia, had Mochila bags made for me and her sisters for Christmas by her friends that are part of the Wayuu tribe of indigenous people. It’s interesting to me that SALT is selling these straps, which are essentially Mochila bag straps, for such a high price. I sent the NYT article to Rach and asked for her opinion. She has very strong feelings resulting from her experience in working with and getting to know the female artisans, that they are usually paid a pittance for their work and often taken advantage of by the group that sells their work. It would be much more equitable if the women were able to directly sell their own goods online, but as my daughter pointed out to me, they have no WiFi, no internet, no computers nor the capital needed to purchase them or even the supplies for such projects.
We want to do good as we purchase these artisan goods, but the picture we have is not complete. An interesting topic, perhaps, for a future post?
when i first saw those salt straps i looked at the wayuu mochilla bags hoping to find some similar straps somewhere, but never could…bags abound, but just the straps seem to be under the exclusive purview of salt. and no, they probably don’t pay the artisans as much as they could given what they charge for the straps….maybe i’ll contact them and try to get more info.
that’s generally why i avoid companies like this, that use “artisan” labor and sell “luxury” items; it feels exploitative. i think leah wrote about this with regard to noonday collective? yes, there’s the added cost of advertising, importing, shipping, etc., that salt has to bear, but i think a 50/50 split with the artisan would be fair. and i doubt that’s happening. but i don’t know that for sure.
You’re so right; it feels exploitative. Maybe because it is? The added cost of overhead for Salt seem like they’d be fairly minimal, but I’d seriously doubt that they are even close to doing a 50/50 split.
I’d love to read Leah’s article. Do you have a link, or the name of her blog? Thanks, Grechen, for listening.
Thank you!! This is such helpful info <3
Thanks Grechen! Maria Tash has such nice stuff, I actually just popped into their store last night to check it out in person. Soooo nice! Yes, I’m near-ish Catbird. Never been to the store actually, but I’ll have to check it out : )
i can’t find leah’s article now…maybe she’ll chime in and post a link? her blog is stylewise-blog.com
🙂
Thanks, Grechen! As soon as I saw the name of the blog my foggy mind said “Bingo!” 😉