Coffee Break: Julia Perforated Handbag

103 Comments

1. I just want to share something happy: I have a friend that I’ve really gotten close with in the last year. She’s just a warm and wonderful person, and such a great addition to my life.

   She’s getting married and just asked me to be a bridesmaid! I really wasn’t expecting it, and feel almost sheepishly pleased. She is truly one of the kindest and most loving people I know, and beloved by so many people. I’m so excited and motivated to be the BEST BRIDESMAID EVER.

   The bonus: her fiance asked my husband to be a groomsman! We’re so excited to be part of the wedding.

   1. That’s so fun! I’ve actually never been a bridesmaid – I was the first one of my close friends to get married. I’m sure I’ll be sick of it by like, the third time, but I would also be psyched to be the best bridesmaid ever :)

      1. It will be my first time, too. :)

         And I should correct my post: “I have a friend *who* I’ve really gotten close with.” Whoops.

   2. This post made me smile. That’s wonderful news! Enjoy the honor.

   3. Wow, that is so sweet! I wish I were the one you got close with b/c then I could be the one that invited you to be MY bridesmaid b/c I would be getting MARRIED! YAY!!!! And Kat, this is a very classy bag and I totaly love Ivanka Trump. She is down to earth and has a Penn Degree and is MARRIED already and I am not. She even has had children and has a tuchus smaller then me. FOOEY!

      But, back to reality, I have NOT yet met prince Charmeing; the closest I get now is Benjamin, who stopped by here on his way to the Amtrack train to DC. He say’s I should still come visit to see the Cherry blossom’s, but there was alot of SNOW today in DC!!!!! I said how could I visit with Snow? He left me with a cookie from Crumb’s and said that I should think of him when I eat it. I told him if I eat it, alot of peeople will think of him b/c it will be on my TUCHUS all summer and I will NOT be abel to wear a bikini. He said that he would marry me even if my tuchus was bigger then the bridesmaids. And I said that is why bridesmaids usueally have bigger tuchuses, so that the groom will not want to chase the bridesmaids.

      Anyway, he remains a posibility, and now David has resurfaced. He now wants to date me b/c he knows my birthday is coming and he wants to make sure he is there in case I am loneley. I said Myrna is 2 years younger then me and she also needs a guy, so David offered to find one and doubel date. I then said I would have to check with Willem b/c he has been presseing hard to be exclusive with me even tho Dad and Grandma Leyeh question his root’s. They say alot of peeople in Belgum were realy not from Belgum at all but from across the border. They would NOT say what theymeant, but I know what they meant. Willem offered to bring me over to meet the family so he can’t be bad. The family also I can tell are very anxius to meet me b/c they want Willem to be MARRIED and for me to start beareing him children. At least someone is interested in me. YAY!!!!

   4. I have loved being a bridesmaid the few times I’ve done it. I’m glad to hear that you’re excited, since I’ve heard so many people on here complain about it. Have fun!

   5. How fun! Expecially since your husband will be in the wedding too!

   6. Sounds like fun!

2. Does anyone know if the “Factory Sleeveless Ruched Dress” http://factory.jcrew.com/womens_clothing/new_arrivals/dresses/PRDOVR~A0114/A0114.jsp?color_name=black is basically the same as the J Crew Camille dress?

   I’m obsessed with my Camille but would like it even more if it was cheaper and had pockets, like that Factory dress.

   1. I was really disappointed with my purchase at the JCrew factory. Like you love your Camille, I adore my Emmaleigh dress under my suits and I was like why not try the factory version for cheaper. Sadly I just don’t think it was worth it. The material was much thinner and the cut completely different, I ordered in the same size but the factory was much tighter. Unless it’s way cheaper I’d hold off and save the $ you would have put towards the factory version and just wait till it goes on sale on the regular website.

      1. Okay. I’ll buy one more at the regular site instead of three more from Factory.

         1. I dunno, that was just my take on it. It could have been just that particular style and the Camille factory version could be just fine. I just wanted it to work so badly!

            I was reading somewhere that the majority of major retailers have separate manufacturing plants just for their outlet products that are purposefully not as well made, which bothers me because the outlet versions aren’t exactly cheap either! But I feel like Jcrew factory is more upfront with it being different that the regular products.

            1. R3tt3s had quality complaints about the No. 2 at Factory, and it’s even harder to have a dress fit than a skirt that I should just buy the one that is working out so well. I just wish it had pockets!

3. Immediate TJ: I am looking for a vacation spot for me and my SO in mid-August (me and everyone else, but the date can’t change, unfortunately). Leaving from LA/SFO, 10 days, not too hot (Israel), not too cold (Patagonia). He’s from a Western European country, so preferably not there, as that’s just going home and we’re going for Christmas hopefully. Looking to spend under $2k including flights each.

   1. Do you like tropical vacations? If so, Hawaii is wonderful and very doable on the budget, and so convenient from CA. Alaska would also be a great choice if you like natural scenery and/or wildlife and is definitely within the budget if you stay in modest hotels. I’m not a big fan of Europe in August, but Scandinavia would be great weather-wise. Not sure about the budget though and Europe is such a haul from the west coast. I think you could maybe also do a week in SE Asia on that budget (although the last time I was travel daydreaming and looked at flights from SFO to Bangkok the flights alone were $1,800 so I’m not sure).

   2. Hawaii?

   3. Banff. Yellowstone/Grand Tetons. Seattle/Cascades. 10 days is a really awesome amount of time to explore a national park type trip, and under 2k including airfare is going to be a struggle to get to Asia.

      1. +1 for Yellowstone/Grand Tetons.

         Also, consider Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake. That area is stunningly beautiful!

         1. Also +1 for Glacier and/or Yellowstone. I’m also a big fan of the badlands in MT and ND, but that would be driving to other end of the state.

            Helena, MT has some beautiful views, as does Great Falls, MT (other side of the park from Kalispell and Flathead). Bozeman has the Museum of the Rockies, and Butte has mining and old copper baron type attractions.

            It will be warm in August (like 80s and 90s during the day), even in MT, but its not humid, and will cool down at night. And if you have someone who is used to Europe, I think this will be a nice change – it’s the American version of ancient castles.

   4. Are you only looking at international locations or also considering places in the US?

      If you’re considering places in the U.S. then have you considered places in the Pacific Northwest (eg. Seattle, Portland, or Vancouver, B.C.). One of the most relaxing trips I had was to the San Juan islands. I spent a few glorious days hiking, kayaking, reading while overlooking the ocean and just sitting out drinking wine and watching the sunset. You could even combine a trip to the San Juan’s with a visit to Seattle.

      http://www.visitsanjuans.com/

      1. +1 for San Juans, with side trips to Vancouver, BC and Victoria.

      2. +1 for San Juans, with side trips to Vancouver, BC and Victoria.

      3. San Juan Islands is a wonderful place to visit!

   5. I wanted to suggest Japan, but it probably won’t fit in your budget.

   6. Unless you have a ton of credit card points or airline miles, unfortunately you might not be able to get very far internationally with a $4k all inclusive budget. Flights to Australia, Europe, Asia and even South America are usually at least $1.5k each at a minimum.

      For international destinations, I might look at Mexico (might be dicey) or some place in central america (like Belize) or perhaps some place in the Bahamas. Canada would probably be doable too.

      For domestic, second all the recommendations for Hawaii, although it’s not extremely budget friendly. National park tour or Alaska (cruise) are good ideas. Major east coast cities might be really hot in August but what about Maine coast?

      1. The Maine coast is wonderful in August – although it is peak tourist season so plan to spend $200 a night for a fairly basic hotel room (at least in the Bar Harbor and Kennebunkport areas – the less touristy places might be a bit cheaper). In my opinion, you could easily spend 10 days in Maine alone with a week or so on the coast (Bar Harbor/Acadia are must-dos and there a lot of nice coastal towns between Portland and Bar Harbor) and then a few days inland near Baxter St Park, Mt, Katahdin and the Moosehead Lakes Region. If you want a more expanded New England itinerary, Portsmouth NH, Newport RI and the city of Boston are also great.

      2. That seems really high estimates for plane tickets. I’ve done numerous flights to South America, Asia, and Africa for under $1000 (normally more like $600-800) from the east coast. Are flights from California that much more expensive?

         1. Nope, flight to Asia/Pacific should be cheaper from there. Sounds like someone doesn’t know much about deal scouting ;)

         2. If you have flexible travel times you can get under $1000 to these places, but August is peak season for both US and international travelers and tickets are very expensive then unless you’re going somewhere where August is really the off-season. If you are locked into a 2-week window in August and want to fly on Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon you are unlikely to do much better than $1500 for Asia/Australia/south America – I can’t speak to Africa but it generally seems more expensive. I paid $2500 to go Tahiti in August and the tickets were going for around $1400 in May. Deals and promotions don’t do much good if you have specific dates.

4. Another quick TJ:

   For posters with kids in daycare – is it possible to ask potential daycares how many kids at the facility have vaccination exemptions?

   1. Every daycare I looked at required that children be vaccinated to attend and did not allow for exemptions. I definitely would ask about this prior to enrolling.

   2. You can definitely ask. They’ll most likely just direct you to their policy and/or give a general indication of how common it is.

      It will probably also depend on your community. I didn’t really bother asking because non-vaccination is extremely common where I live.

      If it’s something that’s important to you, then you should also ask about their vaccination policy for their staff.

      1. This. You can definitely ask what their vaccination policy is when looking at different daycares. And then depending on what the policy is, ask for more information about the policy for staff, and how much info you can have about the current rate of vaccination in the center. They might not want/be able to give you specific numbers, but it is definitely reasonable to ask and to take this into account in making day care decisions.

   3. This is probably a dumb question but if your kid is vaccinated does it matter if the other kids there aren’t? I’d imagine that if a kid got small pox, yours wouldn’t because s/he had the vaccine. No?

      1. I was curious because of infant care: infants who can’t yet be vaccinated in the same facility with toddlers who have exemptions. I honestly am not sure if it’s an issue at all, but it came up in some discussions I had over the weekend and I thought I’d ask the Hive.

         1. I think it is an issue – I have a friend of a friend whose infant daughter caught whooping cough before she could be vaccinated. It’s sad because whooping cough (which can be really serious and occasionally even fatal, I think) was basically totally eradicated due to vaccines but it has made a huge resurgence due to so many people deciding not to vaccinate. Not trying to scare you but its something I would definitely take seriously. The recent resurgence of previously wiped out diseases like whooping cough and measles scares me & I don’t even have kids.

            1. Yeah, this is exactly what I was afraid of. :(

         2. Thank you for replying. I learn so much reading this blog! It never even occurred to me about infants that were pre-vaccine age.

      2. Vaccines aren’t 100% effective, so there’s always some risk even if you’ve been vaccinated.

      3. Yeah, infants aren’t fully vaccinated for against diseases for a long time. So, if you start taking your infant when he’s 8 weeks old, then he has no immunity from those diseases until he’s had the full round of shots (normally, until he’s 1 or so).

         Likewise, there are some infants with certain allergies or other medical complications that can’t have vaccines for legitimate reasons.

      4. Vaccines are not 100% effective. And, as anonattorney mentioned, infants may not have had a particular vaccination yet (or may not have had the full dose if it’s given in a series of shots) and a small percentage of children may not be able to receive vaccinations for one reason or another. This is why “heard immunity” is so important.

      5. Exactly. There is a small population for whom vaccines just don’t take. So if your vaccinated kid is playing with an unvaccinated kid, your kid is still at risk. I read a very powerful story about a kid who was vaccinated for whooping cough but still ended up getting it after a playdate with an unvaccinated family. She will probably have permanent lung damage as a result.

         1. This is the story. http://becomingsarah.com/index.php?/becoming_sarah/comments/1474/

         2. I got the measles when I was 18 months old, then I was vaccinated just to be sure as kid, when I was PG, they test for that and asked me why I had never had a measles vaccine. I told them I not only had that, I actually had the measles. After I had my son, they vaccinated me again. I was tested a few years later…

            Still not immune.

         3. Same here, proper measles shots as a kid, second round for college, no immunity when pregnant, more shots afterwards, but still no immunity.

         4. I got measles as a tot and have now had shingles twice but insurance won’t pay for the vaccine because I’m not at the target age. Ugh.

      6. Eyeroll. Nobody is getting smallpox.

         1. No, just permanent lung damage from whooping cough!
            Get your kid their f***ing vaccines.

   4. I asked. Our daycare does not give exemptions, due to the health of other children, risks to pregnant mothers dropping off/picking up, and because they are affiliated with an elder care facility (there is a focus on inter-generational activities) so it’d be a risk to their elderly patients who come into contact with the kids.

      1. That is a policy I support 100%. The decision not to vaccinate doesn’t just affect one family – a place like the daycare center you’ve described is the perfect example of how many people could be affected by one case of measles or whooping cough. Bravo to your center for a sensible and science-backed policy – I can only hope it’s the norm.

         1. I sadly don’t think it is the norm, or at least not in my area. I’ve surveyed a few of the good daycare facilities in my price range, and so far I think all allow exemptions. My state allows exemptions for health and religious reasons, but I think the religious exemption is pretty squishy. My area also has a disproportionate amount of people who choose not to vaccinate. Ugh.

         2. Seriously. I do not even get the anti-vax thing. Good on your daycare.

            Addendum. All I can think about when vaccines/evolution/climate change/fad diets come up in my life is a bumper sticker one of my scientist friends has: “SCIENCE. It’s true whether you believe it or not.”

            1. I think the jury’s still out on science.

            2. Beads.
               Bees?!?
               BEADS!
               BEADS?!?

            3. THAT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS. I love you zora. And Gob.

            4. Science – even if you don’t believe in it, it believes in you.

      2. I asked as well – our center does exemptions on a case-by-case basis, but the director told me that they haven’t had anyone ask in years. In California, some preschools are required to report their compliance rate – http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/immunize/pages/immunizationlevels.aspx. It’s not 100% accurate (at least according to my school, depending on how strict they are with providing paperwork right on time). The other thing to ask about is flu shots – our school encourages but doesn’t require flu shots for the staff, and that always made me a little nervous before the 6 month mark.

         1. Good point on the flu vaccine – our center’s policy is that anyone who is eligible for it must take it. Infants under a certain age can’t receive it, so they won’t kick out an 8-wk old for not getting it, but as soon as you’re able to receive it (barring egg allergies) you must take it.

         2. Thanks for the link, I didn’t realize that information was available!

5. My boyfriend and I have had some discussions lately about general wedding concepts. We want to keep it as small and low budget as possible. I thought of having maybe 3-4 people per side in the wedding party. BF said he was fine with that, but ideally he would like only 1 person per side. He has a huge group of friends and thinks it would be really tough to choose only a couple for the wedding party, but that people would be more understanding about being left out if we only had 1 person per side. I have a very small group of friends, almost none of whom are local, so I think they would be understanding about being left out, but I’m not exactly sure about that. I would hate to send a message to anyone that they weren’t important enough to us to include in our wedding. I’m not sure I have strong feelings about the wedding party (or weddings in general) either way, but it just seems a bit odd to me to only have the MOH and best man. Thoughts?

   Also, I was very close to my grandmother, and she left me her engagement ring when she passed. The center stone is a bit smaller than I would like (a little over 1/2 carat, and I’d like something around the .8 or .9 mark), but the setting is lovely, and BF asked if I wanted him to use that ring. Has anyone replaced a center stone with something larger? I was planning to get myself a pair of diamond studs for my upcoming 30th. Is it possible to use the center stone as one of the earrings? Thanks, all.

   1. How much does it cost to have extra attendants? I know it costs more for the attendants but does it cost that much more for the happy couple? How much money do you save by cutting attendants, and paying for them as guests instead? Do you both need to have the same number? Is there another way to include people?

   2. I don’t think it’s odd to have just MOH and best man. I’ve been to several weddings where that was all they had. I think usually it’s to prevent any hurt feelings–there were a lot of cousins/good friends, so rather than having a massive wedding party or having to exclude anyone, they just picked their one sibling or one super close friend and that was that. I had one friend who did that who did let several other close friends know that if they wanted to hang out the morning of the wedding and get hair/makeup done (or just hang out while bride had it done), they were welcome.

      1. That sounds like a great way to handle it. I was a friend’s only attendant, but they were older and it was a very informal wedding. I like the idea of inviting others to be a part of thing. Honestly, the commenter above notwithstanding, I think most people would be relieved.

      2. That’s what we are doing. Some close friends are doing readings as well which is a nice way of making them feel included without the rigamarole of attendant duties.

   3. Congratulations!!!!

      I had a one-person bridal party and it was AWESOME. So much less stress. My girlfriends didn’t have to buy dresses, etc, they just came as loved guests. I wish I had really set something up for them to come visit while I got ready though- I threw out a casual invitation and they thought I would be ‘busy’ (for the record- I was ready 2 hours ahead of time with everything but my dress and bored out of my mind.) I think if I’d done it again, I would have specifically invited them over for drinks and mani’s or something.

      I’m currently wearing my grandmother’s ring- it’s about .6-.7 carats with small diamonds on each side, set in platinum. Lovely, and honestly, I appreciate the subtle size and nature a lot more because I worry less when I travel and/or am just out and about. Consider maybe getting a more statement wedding ring, etc, but for us we took the money he would have spent on a ring and used it to have a honeymoon right after our wedding.

      1. We did the same thing – one attendant (sibling) each. I had a big group of close girlfriends that I would have wanted to have as bridesmaids, and my DH didn’t feel like trying to “match” my number. We could have had uneven sides, of course, but ultimately it was so much less stress to just keep the bridal party intimate (and frankly, it was cheaper too – smaller rehearsal dinner, fewer gifts, etc.).

         I did have a brunch the morning of the wedding for my close girlfriends and female family members, right before I did hair/makeup at the venue. It was very sweet and I enjoyed seeing all of my girlfriends on the morning of the wedding. It worked because they were staying nearby so it wasn’t like they had to schlep all the way out to the wedding location twice in one day.

   4. We had one each. It was a mutual decision, and I don’t think it’s odd at all. It definitely kept things simple and costs down. We both have extended friend groups without clear definition.

      However, if you want three and he wants one, then do that. The sides don’t have to be equal.

      Also, you know your friends, but ours were fine and dandy with just being able to show up and celebrate at the wedding without having to do the formality of bridesmaids/groomsmen.

      1. Ugh, that’s me. Name didn’t fill.

   5. Thought: practice not borrowing tomorrow’s problems. You can each have however many or few attendants as you would like, but neither of you needs to decide this until after you’ve set a date.

   6. I think you can do whatever feels right for both of you. Remember that you don’t need to have the same number or even have any at all, unless you want to.

      1. +1 for just not having the same numbers. It’s fine!

         1. Yup. I hate the mentality that attendants have to be matched sets. They’re people, not decorations! My FSIL is currently mulling over what to do because the groomsmen are on the short side and the bridesmaids are all tall. I told her nobody would care, and you certainly don’t have to couple them up at any point.

   7. we had zero attendants and that was perfect for us.

      should I ever get married again to current guy, I would advocate for the same. Or maybe use our opposite-gender siblings (we each have one.)

      I went to a wedding recently that had like 20 people standing up front – bridesmaids and groomsmen, junior bridesmaids and groomsmen, flower girls, ring bearers, officiant…just seemed to take focus away from the bride and groom, to me.

      1. We aren’t having any either. I’m planning on inviting my sisters and closest friends hanging out while I’m getting ready or for breakfast on the day of.

      2. I had my brother and my best friend stand up for me. It was perfect.

   8. My two cents. I am also having only one attendant, my brother. My fiance will have his brother only as well. I think my friends are relieved to just come as supportive guests.

      As for the ring I was in your boat exactly. We used my grandmother’s diamond which is a little over .5 carat. At first it seemed small to me but now I love it. Newly engaged it was harder because people would ask to see my ring and then look quickly and not say anything. Now that time period has passed and I’m just pleased to have it for sentimental reasons.

      A jeweler can easily transfer the stone but I’d recommend a pendant rather than earrings as it may be difficult to find a match. My jeweler said that my grandmother’s ring was single cut, which I guess was standard for that time. Most diamonds today are double cut for more brilliance.

   9. I’ve been a bridesmaid nine times. I loved it every single time I was able to stand up with my darling friends. When I got married, however, we had no attendants. We wanted it to be just us standing together. However, I had my closest friends stay with me the night before and while I got ready ready that day. I still bought them little gifts. I treasured having them with me.

      A close friend called and told me that she was only going to have her sister stand with her, but that if they would have had more than just one on each side, she would have loved to have me be a bridesmaid. I thought that was a very sweet thing to do. Your friends will understand, especially if you just explain what you are doing.

6. Ok so maybe I’m being petty and over-sensitive but I just got a text message invite from a friend in a group text and she added “feel free to bring your significant others”, knowing that out of 7, only one is married (and doesn’t go anywhere without her husband) and the rest of us are single. I know this is minor but it just seemed so insensitive to me – maybe I’m just a little raw today…

   1. It sounds like your friend was trying to be inclusive of anyone who may have a new SO she isn’t aware of yet. Honestly I don’t find it insensitive at all.

      1. This. It would have been much worse to say, “Married Friend, feel free to bring your husband and if anyone’s dating anyone, you can bring him/her, too.” I think I would do my best to avoid taking offense in this situation.

      2. Ditto. Or any SOs that you aren’t aware of yet.

   2. Ditto. Or any SOs that you aren’t aware of yet.

   3. You ladies are right. I’m smarting from yet another breakup (hadn’t been dating long but still after this continually happens, it starts taking a toll) and I guess I’m a little over-sensitive today

      1. I’m sorry that you’re going through a breakup. It definitely does take a toll on you, and I can completely understand being a little over-sensitive to things like your friend’s text, when all that’s running through your mind is “breakupbreakupbreakupsinglesinglesingle.”

   4. I would guess she probably didn’t think about it that hard, and didn’t mean anything by it, and that you’re being a little over-sensitive. But you are totally entitled to your feelings, and I am right there with you, I would have a twinge of “Ouch” at that message. I totally know what you mean, it’s just this feeling of, “thank you for deliberately reminding me that I am single, completely unnecessarily, that’s just super fun for me” … it’s okay to be a little over-sensitive and to have feelings. I support you and send you internet hugs of sympathy.

   5. Ugh I feel the same way lately. I asked a few of my friends with small children what they wish they had the time to do and have made a list and am going to do the ones I want. But I totally know the feeling. I choose to not be with a jerk or loser in hopes of finding something better and that is the reason I am alone for now. I know that in my heart but I am certainly self-conscious about it sometimes because I think people think something is wrong with me. Anyways, I feel ya. Not your friends fault but I commiserate on the shudder after I read the text. It would be worse if you were the ONLY one on the text without one though! At least you’ve got a single posse!

7. Tips for staying focused on challenging, yet mindless and tedious, tasks? I usually do some variation on the Pomodoro method (20 minutes on and lap of the building, 10 minutes on and 3 minute tea break, or something) but I just cannot even today. And yet I have mountains of work to do on a fairly tight deadline. I can’t keep working for but so long, or I honestly start to feel so overwhelmed by the sheer amount of crap I have to do, that I think I’m in danger of bursting into tears. Help.

   1. Can I suggest breaking things down into tiny steps? I don’t know exactly what you’re working on but when I feel overwhelmed and on the verge of tears because of my workload, I write down exactly what I need to do (including the minutia), put on some music (if you can focus with it) and start tackling each task.

      1. This, exactly. Music makes things easier and, while I often do it as a form of procrasitination, it really does help to make things manageable when I write every-single-thing I need to do down. It helps me prioritize and lay out a game plan. For example, complete tasks 1-3 before I get another break, complete tasks 1-5 by COB, complete 5-8 by noon tomorrow, etc.

         Sometimes work can feel really overwhelming, but you can totally do this (without even crying).

   2. It depends on the task. If it’s something tedious that requires repetitive, minor things then I like to listen to a podcast to keep myself entertained. If there are a lot of things to process, I set mini goals for myself like reviewing 50 pieces then taking a 3 minute break to come here and read the comments.

8. I need buy some riding boots but the selection is so overwhelming I don’t know where to begin. I’ve started on Zappos before and just end up giving up because there are so many choices. Anyone have any they swear by? I usually always have boots with heels but I wore some snazzy sneakers on my non heel day and the bar my friends and I went to turned us away because I had sneakers on. We all had jeans and sweaters but ….it’s time. I feel like they have to be on sale somewhere right?

   1. DSW? Can you get to a store? I just like to go in there and try all the things on!

      1. this is what I do when I buy boots. I go here and I’m always happy.

   2. Try Amazon instead of Zappos. I find that it’s easier to navigate their smaller inventory. Once you pick boots, narrow by free amazon shipping, your size and color and made of leather. Since you’re looking for a deal, amazon also let’s you pick a discount percentage. Make sure that the ones you select have free returns too. Good luck.

   3. also limit your search to brands that you like… if you have heeled boots by certain brands/designers, use that as a starting point for your search.

   4. Don’t know if you’ll see this, not sure if there is a certain style/color you’re looking for, and they aren’t on sale… BUT I bought the Sam Edelman Penny riding boots in brown this winter and I love them. Super comfortable for full days of walking around, and I like that they have a nice shape but are somewhat simple compared to other riding boots I’ve seen with more details/accents. I bought them a little tight (slightly uncomfortable on the top of my foot as I have a high arch) and they broke in perfectly. I bought them at Nordstrom, not sure if they are sold elsewhere.

9. Looking for the best place to stay in Vegas in August if we want to be on the strip with a good pool. It’s so hard to tell and while I have walked around most hotels, I never go into the pool area. It’s for my sister’s birthday so I want to make sure we get it right!

   1. I really liked Planet Hollywood’s pool, although it’s been a couple years since I’ve been there.

   2. what do you consider “good”? relaxing? scene-y? this website has some details about each pool along with pictures/video: http://www.vegas.com/pools/

      Caesar’s has a huge pool complex with lots of pools of various temperatures, including an adult only pool but no “pool club” with a party scene (MGM Grand has a pool club, I think a couple other hotels including Cosmopolitan do too). Caesar’s is not my favorite hotel though. I think Wynn/Encore would be good if you want to spend that much. Mandalay Bay is also really known for their pools and they have some waterpark-like things, including a lazy river.

   3. venetian.

      1. We like the Mirage, it’s nice enough to be nice without being really spendy, I like the palm trees and waterfalls.

         We stayed at Wynn/Encore, the room was nice but the Mirage one bedroom suites are just as nice for less $$, IMO. Didn’t care for the pool at the encore.

      2. Venetian has a spa which might be nice for your needs.

10. Ok, ridiculous story. Fiance and I bought a badass new frontloading washer and dryer off craigslist a couple of months ago for a VERY small fraction of what they cost in store. We thought we got an amazing deal from this really trustworthy couple that had an extra set in storage. Get them home, wait a week to set them up because we’re lazy, and quickly realize the washer shakes like nobody’s business. We’re so mad and embarrassed because we got had. Did I mention we’re also lazy? So instead of making an appointment with a repairman, I continue to use the washer for three months. I just didn’t run it when I wasn’t home, and stopped the cycle when it started shaking. Not terribly convenient, and you should have seen our housecleaner’s face when I asked her not to run the laundry when she left. Anyways, today, we finally got around to having someone look at it, and it turns out that there were just these stabilizing pins in the back that we didn’t know to remove when we installed it.

    So I think there are a couple of lessons to be learned here, not the least of which is that there are these big orange things in the back of your washer that you need to take out before you run it. That lesson cost me an $85 service fee, so I figured I’d pass it along! My faith in Craigslist has been restored though, and for that I am thankful.

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