Madewell...

Part of the charm of Atlanta is that you can go to one section of the city and find women clad in nothing but designer clothing then go 10 minutes across town and be surrounded by the most extreme of indie/hippie/artsy fashion. Yesterday, my friend and I decided that a few hours at the pool were plenty and packed it up for a mini-adventure. What started out to be a hunt to the industrial warehouses that actually sell scraps {she's going to build me my dream coffee table....AHHHH!!!} turned into a drive all the way through the city ending up in Virginia Highlands at a quaint little Indian restaurant. I'll admit it, I've never had Indian food, but I've always wanted to try it. She played the gracious hostess role and picked everything out and ordered for us and I must say, this well traveled friend knew exactly what she was doing. Insanely delicious is all I can say. We started the meal out under an umbrella at a table on the sidewalk to be able to do some people watching, but the rain just wouldn't allow it. So after we decided that wearing drenched clothing isn't necessarily the best way to savor a meal, we packed it up and went into curry land with Bollywood movies playing.

Anyway, I think our whole mini-adventure really inspired us to go shopping. So we popped in the car and five minutes later, we found ourselves amidst a sea of people in Lennox Mall. I mentioned that I felt like I did when I was 13 and would hang out with friends at the mall on a Saturday. Except this time was a little bit different. We cruised the aisels of Crate and Barrel with jaw drops over several pieces of furniture only to later find ourselves in the china department. Even though I was surrounded by some REALLY big rocks on left hands, I didn't mind because I was actually looking for myself. No registry involved, just a purchase from my account. My dinnerware is old and tattered and quite frankly I'm completely over the style. So, I'm pretty sure I've picked out what I want and who knows, maybe I'll pull a Carrie and actually register for myself simply because I'm not getting married anytime soon. Hey, we single girls deserve nice things too!!

And I'm babbling.

Anyway, we were actually on a hunt for some wardrobe updates for my friend. She asked me several times to play personal shopper for her. "I'll pay you to do it." Ummmmm, ok!!! But it was all in good fun because I've never actually done that as a job. Believe it or not, the pressure is a lot higher than you would think. I mean, this is a job. I don't do jobs half way. In fact, if it isn't completely perfect, the job is not complete. You'ld think that shopping for someone would come fairly easy for someone who could outshop pretty much anyone. However, its a bit more daunting of a task than you think. Shopping for yourself is quite easy. You see something you like, you try it on, you buy it. Simple as that. Not quite so when shopping for someone else. Unless they completely covet your style and want you to buy them exactly what you would buy for yourself, you have to dig a bit deeper. To elaborate, my friend leans more to the Anthropologie/hippie chic side. I, however, am more of a J.Crew kind of girl. So it is going to take some time to figure her out.

One thing we did agree on was the incredible feeling you get when you walk into the new Madewell store. Holy moly, this place is amazing. To share some of the things I literally had to restrain myself from buying...

I know I'm a little late in the game here, but this fall, I will be purchasing the sharp black blazer to incorporate into my wardrobe. I think its one of those staples that just keeps on giving.
Their jewelry has this industrial feel to it, but there are always slight little touches that add a kick of femininity to it for the perfect mix.
This bracelet is just sheer perfection. Simple and can be worn alone or paired with other bracelets.

Loving this outfit concept!! That sweater is the pefect weight for summer time. Even though it gets rather hot here, we spend most of our time inside where its cool. I ALWAYS have a cardigan on hand with me...ALWAYS!!
And since I've been spending quite a lot of time at the pool, I've been hunting for a nice hat. Pretty sure this one would do the trick!



Just a little side note about Madewell. They have the most INCREDIBLE collection of T-shirt type basics. This picture does the shirt no justice at all.