A Picture Can Be Worth a Thousand Words

Love these new Lilly ads.

An Even Better Deal

Just a little update...Bird Dog Bay is actually offering 30% off with the code TCP ! Offer is good until September 9th. I'm actually considering doing some (really) early Christmas shopping with these prices!

Preppy Princess Giveaway Winner Announced!

Time for the Virtual Launch Party Winner! Using my trusty random number generator, I have selected comment number 19...G who was "trapped in Virginia catching up on Mad Men on the DVR and wishing [she] was there!" Send me your contact info, I'll pass it along to the fabulous Preppy Princess and she'll get your tote and notecards right out to you.

But, I feel that there must be an honorable mention for the excuse for nonattendance from Miss Ladybug's Picnic. I'm sorry, but hospital visits involving toddlers? Yeah, that's probably the best excuse of the night. So I've got a little something to send your way, too.

Thanks again to all who attended, whether in person or in spirit!

Oh What a Night!

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to Citizen to help us celebrate last night! It was really a great time, and I had so much fun meeting everyone. A huge thank you goes out especially to Farrell at Bird Dog Bay and Mary at Skirt PR for all of your hard work. You did a sensational job! I think you two should do all my party planning from now on.

The weather cooperated nicely and the roof deck at Citizen was perfect. There were fun drinks and great shopping.* We also raised a pretty good chunk of change for the Junior League of Chicago, which thrilled me. It couldn't have turned out better.

But the fun isn't over just yet. All three websites (Bird Dog Bay, Tucker Blair, and Salmon Cove)are giving 20% off with the code "TCP" through 9/9 /08. So if you didn't get a chance to pick up a little something last night, visit one of the websites and buy yourself a little treat.




*Shocking development of the night: Mr. TC did more shopping that I did! It's true! With no encouragement from me, he picked up this tie and this belt, both of which I had previously written about wanting to get for him. (Not that he read it). I'll turn that boy into a preppy yet. Me? Well, I may or may not be the proud owner of one of only two lobster headbands currently in existence from Tucker Blair. Look for them to be available on the website in about six weeks. Love it.

Launch Party Giveaway!

Tonight's the big night!! I hope you're all ready to celebrate the official launch of ThirdCoastPreppy.com (and do a little shopping) at Citizen. All the details are here. I can't wait!


I know some of you cannot, not matter how much you might long to, be at the party tonight. The Preppy Princess feels your pain, and since she is likewise stranded far from the Third Coast tonight, she has kindly offered to help us celebrate virtually with a giveaway!



Comment to this post no later than midnight on Wednesday, August 27, 2008, and tell us what you're doing tonight instead of attending Cocktail Wishes and Khaki Dreams. We'll pick a winner from the comments, and the lucky winner will be the recipient of one of the Preppy Princess's Hamptons totes, which are very cool, and tucked inside the tote will be a box of Boatman Geller Starboard note cards. How fabulous is that?

Looking forward to seeing you all tonight!!

Monday Code Round-Up

Today is the last day for free shipping at Three Chickadees. There is no minimum purchase or discount code required. Simply select "Free First Class Shipping" at checkout.

Lauren Nicole is having a big Labor Day (how is it Labor Day already?!?!) sale. Save 15% through September 1, 2008. Use the coupon code laborday during checkout to recieve the discount.

Design Her Gals is celebrating their third anniversary, and if you buy one stationery item, you can get a second for free! Use the code THREE at checkout. Offer good through August 31, 2008. I'm working on a new Gal for my sidebar...to be unveiled after Labor Day!

Links to Look At

It's Friday afternoon. You stopped working hours ago and are just waiting for the clock to strike five. Here are a few things to check out while you count down to the weekend:

Sharp Lily features one of the cutest pairs of wellies I've ever seen.

You can win a fabulous Keeks & Brie headband by commenting here.

Nostalgic for the summer home you don't own? Read this tongue-in-cheek essay by Timothy Noah for Slate.

Searching for the perfect gift for someone? Check out The Gifting Gumshoe. She has tons of great preppy gift suggestions.

If you're on the Third Coast this weekend, Jake has a big summer sale with merchandise from all three locations consolidated in the Southport boutique. It's not the preppiest shop in town, but they have a great selection of denim.

Happy weekend, everyone.

Shoes, Redux

My madras kicks that I ordered from J.Crew on last Sunday? Arrived at the TCP Compound last night. Right size, correct price, delivered in four days. Looks like our friends at the Crew are getting their act together at long last!

I thought that my forgetfulness busy schedule had saved me from spending money on the Bonanno monogram sandal sale. But no. The sale is now extended through September 14, as part of their annual Bonanno's or Barefoot Sale. All sandals are $20 off, but the Emma monogram sandals are an additional $20 off, for a total $40 of savings. Now, if you plan to order a pair, you should know that it takes a really, really long time to get your shoes. So order away, just don't order them if you simply must have them for Bitsy's party next weekend.

You will pass through several emotional stages while awaiting your Bonanno's, including Excitement (Yay! I can't wait to wear them!); Impatience (Are those freaking shoes ever going to arrive?), Forgetfulness (What shoes? Wait, did I order something?); before finally arriving at Acceptance (The shoes will arrive when they arrive.). But when they do finally appear on your doorstep, you will fall in love all over again and have tons of fun when people ask, "Are those your initials on your shoes??" in incredulous tones.

Sigh. I wish I knew how to quit you, Bonanno's.

TCP in the News!

I hope that you're all getting excited for next week's big launch party, Cocktail Wishes and Khaki Dreams!

Metromix is talking about it today, and so is the Chicago Sun-Times. Me? I'm starting to plan my shopping list of what I'd like to pick up from Bird Dog Bay, Salmon Cove, and Tucker Blair*.

The link above has all the party details, I hope to see you there!

*Are you aware that Tucker Blair is going to expand into headbands and flip flops soon??? So. Cute. I need the headband with the lobsters!

Every Girl's Crazy About a Sharp Dressed Man

Over the weekend, I was flipping through some of Mr. TC's magazines because, hello, have you seen the Tom Brady cover of Esquire?? I also perused GQ and found a great feature on the resurgence of the penny loafer. It doesn't seem to be online, although you can view a couple of fantastic slide shows... Plaid Men, featuring Mad Men's John Slattery in some sharp suits; The Timeless Style of JFK, Jr., and Trad and True. Very nice. It's great to see a return to the classics in menswear. Well played, GQ!

But getting back to the penny loafer, GQ isn't the only one who is heralding its return. Gentry Style has a great blog on it, coming out in support of that preppy staple, the Weejun. I had a pair of penny loafers back in the day (avec penny, bien sûr) and have always loved the look. Will you be buying a pair this fall??

Lilly Kids Sale at In the Pink

In the Pink is offering an additional 25% off everything in the Kids Sale Section with discount code 0820. I have a feeling that my not-yet-born niece is going to be the recipient of all my girl-shopping urges. Because, really, this stuff is too cute:

Astor Dress, $67.20

Karleigh Seersucker Top, $38.40

Brie Bubble, $46.80

The Cure for a Summer Reading Hangover

I'll admit it...I like fluffy chick lit as much as the next girl. All summer long I've been indulging in frothy reads with covers that look shockingly similar and seem to prominently feature either (a) shoes, (b) shopping bags, or (c) jewelry. But now that back to school time is upon us, I'm looking to read something a little more substantial. I found a new summer reading list online (this one is from Miss Porter's School), and I think I'm going to use it as a starting point. You can check out the entire list here, but here's a sampling:


The Choice Texts:

9th Grade
Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre
Lorene Carey, Black Ice
William Golding, The Lord of the Flies
Gish Jen, Typical American
Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees
Jamaica Kincaid, Annie John
Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
James McBride, The Color of Water
Esmerelda Santiago, When I Was Puerto Rican
Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath
Elie Weisel, Night
Banana Yoshimoto, Kitchen
Thorton Wilder, Our Town

10th Grade
Sherman Alexie, Reservation Blues
Dorothy Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina
Julia Alvarez, How the García Girls Lost Their Accents
Octavia Butler, Dawn
Octavia Butler, Kindred
Edwidge Danticatt, Breath Eyes Memory
Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex
Lucy Grealy, Autobiography of a Face
John Howard Griffin, Black Like Me
Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner
Gish Jen, Mona in the Promised Land
Maxine Hong Kingston, The Woman Warrior
Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake
Denzy Senna, Caucasia
Jeanette Winterson, Oranges are not the Only Fruit

11th Grade
Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark
Louise Erdrich, Love Medicine
Doris Kearns Goodwin, No Ordinary Time
Doris Kearns Goodwin, Wait Until Next Year
Nora Oja Keller, Comfort Woman
Sena Jeter Naslund, Four Spirits
Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar
Philip Roth, The Human Stain
Eric Schlossler, Fast Food Nation
Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin
John Updike, Rabbit Run
Amy Tan, The Joy Luck Club
Richard Vasquez, Chicano
Edith Wharton, Ethan Frome
The Autobiography of Malcolm X

12th Grade
Charles Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit
Malcolm Gladwell, Blink
Nadine Gordimer, Jump and Other Short Stories
Steven Jay Gould, The Mismeasure of Man
Graham Greene, The Quiet American
Milan Kundera, The Book of Laughter and Forgetting
Chang Rae Lee, Native Speaker
Ian McEwan, Saturday
Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon
V.S. Naipul, The Enigma of Arrival
V.S. Naipul, A House for Mr. Biswas
Caryl Phillips, Crossing the River
Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
Tom Stoppard, Arcadia

I've italicized the books I've read previously, just ask if you want a review. I feel like a former English major should have many more books in italics, so I'd better get cracking!

Lilly Shift on Sale

I know some of you are crazy for Lilly shift dresses... this adorable Lilly Pulitzer Caroline Shift Dress with Lace is on sale right now at Bloomingdale's.

Kate Spade Sale

Rue La La! has a kate spade boutique today through August 20th. If you aren't a member, just drop me a line and I'll send you an invite!

Things seem to be going fast, so check it out soon!

Planes, Trains, and ... Shoes

The Chicago Air and Water show has finished, and not a moment too soon! More than one nap this weekend was interrupted by the screaming jet engines buzzing our house. Mr. Blue Angel, if you could keep it to the lakefront next year, I'd certainly appreciate it, k thnx bai!

And, we survived our Day with Thomas! It was a huge hit with TCP Toddler...although at first, I think he was almost totally overwhelmed by the Thomas-ness of it all. There were a few attractions that he was a little too young for (he isn't yet two, so the bouncy house with the big kids was a little rough for this mama hen) and a few attractions that we steered him away from (we said no, thank you, to temporary tattoos!), but overall, I would definitely recommend it if you have a little one who loves Thomas and trains. And just an FYI, the event itself was free admission, the only cost was for the ride on Thomas himself. (Although I'm not sure how one could attend and NOT ride Thomas, especially if you have kids who are old enough to know what's going on).

And now on to more exciting things, like shoes. After we returned from Thomas, TCP Toddler and Mr. TC took naps. But I felt that my quiet time was much better spent shopping. I haven't ordered anything from J.Crew in ages, due to the spectacularly bad website redesign that we have all discussed to death. But. I had a rewards card. And a code for 30% off (EXTRA30). So I picked up these for free:

Cute, huh? So this is A Test for J.Crew. Ordered Sunday afternoon, August 18. We'll see if when they show up.

Even more exciting footwear news is the "Above & Beyond Anything We've Ever Done Before, SALE" at Bonannos.

EMMA CLASSIC MONOGRAM SANDALS SALE

Aug 17th - 24th

Reg $140.00, This week $100.00. (never to be offered again)

Available via:On-Line: www.SBsandals.com, Toll Free: 866-313-FEET(3338), Walk in: Stuart Boutique

I was able to resist the siren song of the sandals earlier this summer. But this time? I don't know if I will be so strong!

Big Day. HUGE.

What? What is this momentous occasion? Why, it is the visit of Thomas the Tank Engine to the Illinois Railway Museum this weekend.

We're taking TCP Toddler on Sunday, and it is going to blow. his. mind. We're talking about a child who is learning his numbers by reading them off the sides of engines. He has a brochure that lists all the engines (it came with one of his toys) and he PORES over it, sitting there at the table like an old man with the Wall Street Journal. If you live on the Third Coast, and have a preschooler, it might be worth the drive to Union, Illinois. I'll be back with a full report (and probably a few new engines!) on Monday.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Romantic Brooks Brothers Images

Have you seen the new Brooks Brothers' fall ad campaign? Don Draper himself couldn't have done a better job. The Diary of a Park Bench is full of nostalgia, yet still somehow modern. Click on the link above to view the Flash slide show, and see if you don't want to buy something from Brooks by the end. And what's even better is that the campaign is part of a new partnership between Brooks Brothers and the Central Park Conservancy and its Adopt-A-Bench program. Looking good and doing good.

And while we're on the subject of Brooks Brothers, check out their tutorials on Elegant Scarf Knots here. I'm thinking about adding some scarves to my fall wardrobe, and these tips are just the thing to make sure one ends up looking more like this:

and less like this:

Fall Classics at Janie & Jack

Apparently, the cooler temps these last few nights have put me in the mood for fall clothes. We aren't there yet, but you can feel it. It's coming, and soon. I for one can't wait.

Janie and Jack (or Jane and Jackie, as my adorable grandma refers to it!) never disappoints. The quality is fantastic, and the style? Well, see for yourself. Duffle Coat, $88

Glen Plaid Pants, $38 Tipped Cable Sweater, $42

Fair Isle Zip Cardigan, $48

Don't worry, girl mamas, I didn't forget about you...

Fair Isle Cardigan, $48

Plaid Button Jumper, $48

Polka Dot Raincoat, $52

Plaid Rainboot, $32

Preppy Kids Shop at Baby Gap

Baby Gap has heard my plea for cute boy clothes sans obnoxious appliques...the new fall collection is full of argyle, tartan, and embroidered pants. Love it! Here are some of the highlights:

Tartan Plaid Windbreaker, $29.50

Rugby-striped Vest, $29.50

Olive Green Embroidered Flat Front Pants, $34.50

Of course, it goes without saying that there are also super cute girl options. To wit:

Hooded Argyle Sweater Dress, $49.50

Striped Cable Knit Sweater Dress, $39.50

Well Played, Design Her Gals

Just got word that TCP fave Design Her Gals is now offering their gals in six different skin tones. I know that sometimes preps have a reputation for being intolerant of anyone who doesn't have a perfectly WASP background, and while we all know that isn't true, it's still nice to see a preppy company including all the shades of the rainbow.

Best of all, the promo code SKINTONE will get you 25% off all DHG products now through August 18th.

School Supply Shopping for Big Girls

I don't know about you, but this time of year makes me want to go shopping for school supplies. I crave three-ring binders, new pencils, and highlighters. Maybe it's because I spent an inordinate amount of time in school before reluctantly joining the working world. Maybe it's because I like to shop for everything and everything. Whatever the reason, here are a few things on my imaginary TCP School Supply List...

I think I need this little Silver Revere Bowl for my paperclips from See Jane Work (avec pink paperclips, of course).

I own these Vera Bradley highlighters. Love them! (I may or may not have been one of those girls who highlights more text than she leaves blank.)

Clipboard and file folders from Whitney English. I'm using a Madras Pink set right now, but these Baroque Floral Brown sheets would be ideal for fall.

This iomoi paperweight is perfect for making the piles on your desk look organized.

I'm a binder girl. I always organized my class notes in three ring binders, and even now I put recipes, or my Junior League info, or pages I tear out of magazines with decorating ideas, into binders.

These binders from Carolina Pad and Paper are perfectly preppy. But if you want something a little smaller to fit in your tote, the Mini Binders (only 7x9) from Russell + Hazel would certainly do the trick.

Finally, my school days always included lots of, um, extracurricular note passing. I know I'm not alone in this. For a grown up version of the carefully folded loose leaf paper, check out the new Carrie and Tuck line from Boatman Geller. Each note tote includes all the essentials for on-the-go correspondence (sheets of paper, folded cards, envelopes, etc.) I'm loving the kelly green set.
School supplies after leaving school. All of the fun, none of the homework!

Cocktail Wishes and Khaki Dreams: ThirdCoastPreppy.com Launch Party!

Everyone, I am thrilled to announce The Official ThirdCoastPreppy.com Launch Party! We have a sensational evening planned, and I would love to see all of you there! There will be shopping (Bird Dog Bay, Salmon Cove, and Tucker Blair... only the best!) and cocktails, plus the event will benefit the Junior League of Chicago. What better way to celebrate the end of summer? Here are all the important details:

When: August 26, 2008 from 5:30 pm 'til 8:00 pm
Where: Citizen, 364 West Erie, on their roof deck
What: A fantastically preppy party for a great cause

I hope to meet you there!

Mad for Mad Men

Thank goodness I just got a sale code emailed to me, because my brain is completely devoid of blogging topics at the moment. I watched the entire first season on Mad Men on demand over the weekend (that's 13 episodes, people), and it left me unable to contemplate anything other than the extent of Don Draper's madonna-whore complex, how it is even remotely possible that a woman can be ignorant of her pregnancy until she is in labor, and whether I could possibly get my hair to look like Betty's, and if so, whether it's really just too period.

So until my mind returns to the 21st century, I leave you with a code for In the Pink...and it's a good one. Take 40% off the entire summer collection with the code 0812.

Three Chickadees Sale

Big sale at Three Chickadees...Save 25% off of all retail orders placed now through Tuesday, August 12, 2008! Simply enter discount code "WOW" at checkout to receive 25% off your total order.

R. Nichols Tote

Love these totes from R.Nichols, don't you? If the drawings look familiar, it's because they are done by the same artist who did the American cover of the popular French Women Don't Get Fat. The totes range between $28 and $24, and come in a variety of designs, but I think the pink and green Eiffel tower is my favorite.

Charlie + Sarah = Love

Thanks for all the birthday wishes yesterday. I was totally feeling the Internet love! Warmed my decrepit old heart.

One of the coolest kids* I know has alerted me to a fabulous etsy store that I just know you're going to love. Charlie and Sarah is self-described as "English boarding school meets Gossip Girl." Nice. And they feature both kids and adult sizes, which makes me happy, given my continuing dismay at the tiny boy clothing departments at most major retailers.

Some of my personal favorites:

They have some great totes, bibs, and onesies too. Right now, check out the back to school special, two shirts for $50, includes kids and adults short and long sleeve applique shirts. Pick up a pair. Blair Waldorf would.

*who totally needs to start updating her blog again, btw.

Wise Words

In honor of my birthday today, here's a little article from the Telegraph about mutton dressed as lamb. In the immortal words of Carrie Bradshaw, it's about time that ladies my age started coverin' it up.

I'll be taking the rest of the day off for a little lunching, a little shopping, and a little celebrating. See you tomorrow!

Vera Bradley Sale

Through Sunday, August 10, you can get an extra 10% off all sale Vera Bradley bags. Use the code TENOFFSALES08.

I actually did a little shopping at a Vera retailer over the weekend and checked out the new patterns. I thought that a few of them were much cuter in person than online. In particular, the Puccini print was much more muted and attractive than I first thought. I just got a new laptop and have been checking out the VB laptop cases. Cute, huh?