On My Radar

Looking forward to springing forward! The picture is stoppable, so all you have
to do is click the item and you are on your way to product info!

On My Radar

All this cold and snow has me daydreaming of long, sunny, tropical days. So while we are elbows deep in winter, let your imagination and these summery picks take you away!

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Get the Look

Monochromatic is back in the best way possible. I love this polished, casual look for the office or for weekend pursuits. Click the items in the collage for more information.

A Drybar & Bluemercury Holiday

Everyone loves to be pampered  and now is the perfect time to treat yourself and the ones you love to a little something special this holiday season. No one knows the joy of simple luxuries better than the ladies behind Drybar and Bluemercury. Seriously any item from either store is a guaranteed home run, slam dunk, sure to be their favorite, "OMG I LOVE THIS" type of gift.

I'll be picking up plenty of Drybar blow out gift certificates for some of my gal pals, and hopefully receiving a little Bobbi Brown goodness and a luxurious Laura Mercier brush in my stocking. Speaking of stocking stuffers, this nail polish duo from Deborah Lippmann is so good you'll be tempted to keep it for yourself to wear to all your holiday soirees.  For the skincare enthusiast, Kiehls greatest hits collection is sure to be a winner. And for your sister that is so hard to shop for, the Big Hair Don't Care blowout kit is perfection. 

For any of these items pictured or for even more great gift ideas, head to Bluemercury and Drybar to put the happy into your holiday. While it is the thought that counts, thoughts of blowouts and beauty items are a lot more fun! 

*I was contacted to write this post, however all gift picks, suggestions, and opinions are my own

For the Fellas

Shop right from the image! Click the item and you're on your way!

This gift guide, and person, is always the hardest to shop for in my opinion. Guys typically buy themselves whatever they are pining after, and there is only so many gift options before you go straight to clothes. It's tough, but that doesn't mean we can't rise to the occasion and give them something they'd actually want. 

 If you're trying to splurge on him or really spoil him, try a classic chronograph watch or digital camera with wifi. For the stylish or plain clueless man, a gift card to Trunk Club is an extra handy gift. For the guy on the go, a great weekend bag, functional backpack, and this funny pouch will send him off in style. Got a guy that likes to take of himself? Try these Jack Black products (a boyfriend favorite) and a shave kit from Harry's. Is he into things he can wear? Try a great team logo toboggan, novelty socks, great slippers, throwback kicks, or my personal favorite a tee commemorating a favorite childhood movie. If he's all about gadgets a portable speaker, charger, record player, or remote control helicopter are all sure to please. And yes all adult men love those freaking remote controlled helicopters.

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On My Radar

This week's "On My Radar" post is a little different since next week is my 29th birthday (how the eff did that even happen?). Honestly, I haven't put a ton of thought into what I would want, but if someone were to ask me any of the above lovely items would be just dandy.

I love the classic look to this trench style wool coat, I would have it forever. Two words: tortoise headphones. I would live in this comfy, dreamy, perfectly striped Calypso shirt. A classic bangle is high on my wishlist, and a clic clac is so the way to go. Amy Poehler would keep me in stitches, a great gift in itself. Yup I want long stemmed wine glasses so I can pretend to be Olivia Pope, so what. A drool-worthy tote is something you can never go wrong with. Pretty gilded coasters would be absolutely lovely on my coffee table, and would actually make me want to use a coaster. You don't even want to know what I would do for a Nespresso machine. I once had one in a hotel room and no joke had three espressos each morning... it was interesting. I'm so drawn to these pumps. I think the combination of leopard and gold makes them so sexy, and so not me but man do I love them.

Luxe For Less

Chanel, Dior, Valentino, Cartier, Philip Lim, OH MY! Ok not really but there are some really amazing, budget-friendly items out there that will give you that luxe look for a lot less. I'm all about investing in your wardrobe, but while you save and pinch those pennies, don't forget to treat yo' self to the occasional designer inspired piece. What I really like about these picks is that they are all of fairly good quality and avoid the dreaded "cheap" designer inspired looks (you know exactly what I'm talking about). So go ahead and enjoy some quilted leather without breaking the bank, you deserve it.  xoxo

shoes can be found here, bangle can be purchased here

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SHOPBOP Friends & Family Sale

You HAVE to check out the Friends & Family Sale going on right now at Shopbop! For three days only, you can take 25% off your entire order! It's the perfect time to buy those boots you've been holding out on, that leather jacket you'd kill for, and distressed jeans that give you the perfect amount of edge. For your viewing pleasure, I have supplied you with my picks for the sale below. Enjoy!

The 5 Shoes You Need

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You Need This: Rack It Up

Today I wanted to share my new favorite sale shopping tool, Rack It Up. I'll be honest I'm not a great bargain shopper. I almost never keep tabs and monitor items so see if prices have dropped, and don't check my promo folder for sale alerts in Gmail either. So unless I stumble across something online, chances are I miss the sale or that coat I dreamed took its half priced self to live with someone else. In short, I miss out on sales and deals ALL THE FREAKING TIME!

Enter Rack It Up to save the day. This amazing site allows you to grab items from your favorite stores online and organizes them in your "closet." Simply install the RackItUp button to your browser and click on it when you find an item you like (from their extensive list of retailers). When you add items to your closet, you can add qualifiers to the item such as size, color, but most importantly when the item goes on sale or when it is discounted by a certain dollar or percentage amount. Once you add the item, you sit back and wait for Rack It Up to send you emails when the items you've selected go on sale. How is easy is that?!?

Rack It Up also allows you to follow your friends or other stylish members so there's always new pieces to add to your closet! Gone are the days of missing out on a fresh mark down on those boots you've been obsessing over. Another great thing to note is that it's not just for clothes and accessories, but things for your home like decor and furniture too! Rack It Up takes the work out of sale scouring and frees up more of your time so you can do more of the things you actually like doing. Search for me, Ali Bentolila in the members tab and follow along so we can score some great deals together!

I was not paid or compensated by Rack It Up for this post, I just like the concept and site that much!

Weekend Links: Labor Day Sales

It's finally Fri-Yay (are you guys sick of that yet?!?)! I am so looking forward to a long, lazy weekend. This Friday's links is all about the great sales going on for labor day. So get ready to shop because there are some amazing deals out there!

Anthropologie is having 20% off sale items 

Baublebar is offering 50% off select styles

Take 30% off all full priced styles at C.Wonder

Enjoy 40% off final sale items at J.Crew

Take an amazing 40-60% off everything in stores and online at J.Crew Factory

Don't miss 50% off new fall styles at Loft

Get 15% off everything at Furbish Studio with code ENDOFSUMMER

Up to 40-50% everything at Old Navy

Enjoy the long weekend, and I apologize in advance to your credit cards. xx

Loyal Follower

Instead of creating my weekly "On My Radar" post highlighting my wishlist items, I though I would share the things I buy time and time again. When it comes to skincare, I will always restock Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion and Fresh's Sugar Lip Treatment when I run out. Broken record here, but Drybar's Detox dry shampoo is purchased every few weeks without fail (it really has changed my life). I'm an Apple loyalist and yes I'll be purchasing the iPhone 6 this fall no matter how "cool" Droids become. I've gone through several Longchamp bags over the years and I still love their bigger totes as a carryall, you can fit so much and they are extremely light. Every few years I get a new pair of aviators (prescription) and use they them daily. While I love statement jewelry, you'll most likely find me with my tiny gold chain bracelet and small pendant necklace on over anything else. Last, but certainly not least, ballet flats. I live in these shoes and like to have multiple pairs to rotate.

What are some of your can't live without items? It's so interesting to find out what others categorize as must haves!

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Get to know LIKEtoKNOW.it

If you follow bloggers on Instagram then I'm sure you have come across people tagging, talking about, and using LIKEtoKNOW.it. This is pretty funny, but until I became part of the rewardStyle network I didn't quite grasp the concept or power of this amazing service. In a nut shell, LIKEtoKNOW.it is a way to shop your favorite Instagrams.

Gone are the days of seeing those killer "outfit of the day" posts and wondering where they got a certain item, or begging for product info in the comments section. LIKEtoKNOW.it has simplified and streamlined the process of getting all the information you need. Simply sign up for LIKEtoKnow.it, like a photo on Instagram with a www.liketk.it link, then receive ready to shop product links right in your inbox.

If you haven't signed up yet now is the perfect time to do so (you know to get a jump start on some amazing fall outfits!). So like away, and happy shopping!

Drop Everything

 

This year's Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is so so so good! So far I have bought a Clarisonic for the boyfriend (he's a believer) and a pair of leopard pumps that are already sold out! Thins have been going fast online, so if you see something you like you better hop to it! The makeup exclusives and athletic wear are total steals! While boots and accessories are seriously marked down. Round it all up with the most perfect go with anything Michele watch and a leather moto jacket and you are on your way to one helluva closet!

Has anyone done any shopping at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale yet? Would love to you what you have scooped up!

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Steal Her Style

cardigan (similar) // tank // jeans // watch // sandals // bag

Has anyone else noticed that Kristin Cavallari has really great style lately? She was always a trendsetter with her short layered hair and signature choker on Laguna Beach, but lately she has got it going on. Kristin always looks effortlessly put together and chic, dare I say almost Lauren Conrad status. I love this simple, neutral look she wore while traveling. It's comfortable without being sloppy, and really functional for air travel. I tend to stay away from white pants during travel, but that's just my experience of spilling and being spilled on talking. I like this look for a casual night out, running errands, or even hopping over to brunch. A versatile look like this with a few closet staples will take a gal far!

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