Made in the USA Labor Day Sales

Support the red, white, and blue strength of American workers and make a pledge to buy one thing that is American made this weekend. Or go patriotic and buy only American made this weekend.

Here's a list of amazing Labor Day sales going on this weekend where you can pick up something that's made in the good 'ol USA! I'll update this list if I come across anymore made in the USA deals.


Alex and Ani - Free shipping until 9/2. Code: TREAT

All American Clothing Co. - Free shipping on all orders over $50

American Apparel - 10% off in store purchase by signing up for emails. Ends 8/31

Bullet Blue Jeans - Save 20% off all jeans and free shipping. Does not apply to Sunday jeans. Code: BB20

Earnest Sewn - Save 25% off everything! Ends 9/2. Code: LABORDAY25

Ella Moss* - Save 20% off your purchase until 9/2. Code: LABORDAY Search "Made in the USA" to find great items. The Tabitha Stripe Dress is insane and I'm sad I'm not wearing it this very second.

Elle Lauri - Save 40% all summer items. Code: SUMSALE13

Hanky Panky - Save up to $40 in the end of summer sale.

Heidi Merrick - FLASH SALE! Sign up for the listserve to get access.

James Jeans* - save 30% until 9/2. Code: JJLABOR13 (unsure if all clothes are made in USA, but all jeans are made in the USA)

Joe's Jeans* - Save 30% off fall items until 9/2. Code: LABORDAY (Skinny Coated Jeans are made in the USA)

Julie Bee's - Save 50% off shoes! These are one of the few American made women's shoes companies. Do NOT MISS THIS.

Karen Kane* - Save 25% off all items, plus additional savings on Labor Day Specials. Code: LABORDAY  85% of Karen Kane pieces are made in the USA.

Made Collection - get an extra 10% off your entire order. In addition to 20% off summer sale. Code: LABORDAYUSA

MIUS Collection - Save 20% off everything until 9/2. Code: LABORDAY20

Nordstrom* - Save 40% off select shoes until 9/15.  Munro, New Balance (some models), Sbicca, and Athena shoes are made in the USA.

Norton's USA - Save 25% off all clothing and accessories until 9/7. Code: ENDSUMMER

Sparkly Soul - Save 20% on all headbands (they actually stay put during a workout) until 9/2. Code: LABORDAY

Splendid* - Save 20% off select dresses, tees, and shorts ends 9/2. The High Neck dress is perfect for layering right through the fall.

The Union Boot Pro - Save 30% off on all Made in USA work boots until 9/4. Code: LdyS42xD

Three Dots - Save an extra 15% off all sale items until 9/3. Code: LDSALE

Tradlands - Save up to 20% on Volume 2 by shopping the preview at Huckberry

Trina Turk* - Save an extra 20% off sale items. Search for "Made in California" to find great pieces including the Bellingham Dress.

*Please note - note all items produced by this company are made in the USA. You might have to look at the individual item's description to ensure it is made in the USA.

Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce

The secret ingredient in our third annual pig roast: Jack Daniels of course!  

I've made it known that the hubs is a massive fan of Jack Daniels here, here, and here. Plus, who can forget my go-to summer drink concoction - the Jack and Coke slushies.  For those keeping track I made two more batches of slushies during last weekend's pig roast. 

The hubs received such high praise on his BBQ sauces during last year's pig roast that he decided to make even more for this year's roast.  When he was putting together his plan for more sauces he told me that he needed more mason jars for storage. Little did he know I was way ahead of him and I had already come up with a plan for storing all the BBQ sauce he could make. 

While I might not be a fan of single barrel Jack, I do acknowledge that the bottle is gorgeous. Truth be told, I've been hoarding empty Jack Daniels bottles since the hubs and I moved into our house. I was hoping to throw the hubs an enormous Jack Daniels themed party for his 30th birthday this summer and I knew I needed to store bottles in advance.  The hubs threw me for a loop when he didn't want a party, but I wasn't about to let my hoarding go to waste! 

Prior to storing anything in an old Jack Daniels bottle you've got to get the label off (if you're so inclined) and make sure the bottle is squeaky clean.  I've stripped enough labels off of glass bottles in my day to give you this tip - wait until the paper label is COMPLETELY SOAKED prior to even trying to remove it.  The water logged adhesives are much easier to remove and more often than not you can peel off the entire label in one large piece. If you find a lot of additional glue residue on the outside of your bottle after you've gotten the label remove just gently use a steel pad to buff it off. Gently is the key, you don't want to scratch the glass. 

In addition, I bought a baby bottle brush to get the inside of the bottles squeaky clean. Honestly, wish I could have video taped the hubs facial expression when he saw a baby bottle brush on the counter :) Hilarious. 

Now, we used the larger 1.75 Liter bottles for ice tea and the every day 750ml Jack Daniels bottles for BBQ sauces.  Once the bottles were stripped, cleaned, re-cleaned, and dried the hubs filled up each bottle with its BBQ sauce.  A last minute funnel purchase made that process infinitely easier. On the day of the pig roast we pulled the bottles out of the fridge about an hour before the party started in order to apply the labels.  We dried the bottles off and applied these cool chalkboard sticker labels I picked up from Crate and Barrel.  I was beyond excited to find out that these labels are made in the USA.  It also meant I got to break out my chalk board marker, which is always a good time. We didn't apply the labels while the bottles were refrigerated because I wasn't sure if the labels would stick in the fridge. 

We popped in a simple bottle pourer in each bottle and everything worked like a charm. We found extra wide bottle pourers at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and we utilized those for the thicker sauces. 

True story - after the party I told the hubs he had to start drinking more Gentlemen Jack and Single Barrel because those bottles were my absolute favorite!  The other 750ml bottles were Tennessee Honey Jack and green label.  It's more "cost effective" for the hubs to buy his standard Black Label Jack in the larger sizes :)

The finished product! 

I know this might seem sort of silly to go over, but I'm a firm believer that presentation matters. I can't even count how many people told me at the pig roast that this was the coolest idea they'd ever seen for holding BBQ sauce. It's so simple and that's the beauty of it! 

The very first photo shows what is left of our Honey BBQ supply. It also shows how well the chalkboard label held up after getting tossed around during the pig roast.  The chalkboard marker needs to get damp first in order to wipe off so it held up a lot better than plain old chalk. 

As for next year's pig roast - expect even more BBQ sauces and more quantities. The hubs had four additional sauces in smaller mason jars because he thought those particular sauces were not standard fare and didn't expect people to use them.  BIG mistake! The extra smokey sauce received the second most requests for the recipe. The only one asked about more was the Bay BBQ sauce, which is an Old Bay infused sauce. 

Oh, and there may or may not have been a splash of Jack Daniels in a few of those BBQ sauces.  His whiskey sauce recipe, which oddly enough the final product is not pictures, indicates, "add Jack to taste."  I once again had to remind him that his Jack Daniels taste threshold might differ from others. 

American Classics: Leopard Print

Top Row (L-R) Edith A. Miller Baseball Tee (on sale!) //Karen Kane Sheath Dress (Peplum version) // Elle Lauri 'Carmen' Top // Joe's Jeans 'The Skinny in Painter Leopard' 

Bottom Row (L-R) Munro 'Jerrie' Flat (on sale!) // J.Crew Skinny Printed Calf Hair Belt // Lauren Merkin 'Louise' in Leopard Fabric 

My fascination with leopard print has been growing over the past year. My mother-in-law is an animal print addict and for years I've shied away from anything leopard print because I didn't want her to think I loved it and open the door to yet another leopard print fleece throw blanket (or the one with a giant white tiger on it, still trying to figure out how to make that "work" in my house).  In-law shenanigans aside, I've been itching to bring a little bit of fashion's new neutral into my closet.

I initially thought an accessory would provide the perfect amount of leopard neutrality for my life and when Made and Worn discovered that J.Crew's skinny calf hair belt was made in the USA my fascination with leopard print quickly escalated to a reality.  Since then I've been hooked on finding more leopard print pieces that work for my life - budget wise and made in the USA.

If you're in the market for leopard print, but you don't want to spend big bucks well then you're in luck. J.Crew belt is $68. That Edith A. Miller Baseball tee is $49.  You know how big of a baseball fan I am, so that's gonna happen. Those Joe's Jeans are only $55 on 6pm.com. Those are three trends in one - printed denim, leopard print, and colored denim. That Karen Kane sheath dress is on sale for a mere $78. Finally, that Elle Lauri 'Carmen' Top is perfect for layering with a blazer this fall and it's only $84.

If you're willing to spend over $100 on leopard then you can't go wrong with those Munro 'Jerrie' flats. Currently on sale for $124, which actually puts them in the realm of reasonably priced shoes. Last, but certainly not least is the gorgeous Lauren Merkin 'Louise' clutch. Even that baby is on sale for $160 which also puts it on the cheaper side for a high-end clutch!

And you thought buying made in the USA items would only yield boring and expensive separates. Think again!

How about you - how are you getting on board with fashion's new neutral leopard print?

Pig Roast

Saturday the hubs and I hosted our third annual pig roast. We had the best weather mother nature could have provided. I'm fairly certain the only individuals who didn't have a good time were the turkey and pig that were roasted :)

40lbs of pig. I ate zero pieces. I'm not a pork person, unless its in bacon form. 

The party prep actually began Thursday evening when the hubs applied a homemade rub to the 16lb turkey.  He cooked the turkey Friday night on the grill, carved it, and then I was able to heat up the meat Saturday once guests started to arrive. 

I can't have a party without making red velvet cupcakes! I also tried something new and made pound cake cupcakes with a light sugar frosting. The hubs actually hid the cupcakes because he wanted all of the pound cake ones for himself! He told me later, "you nailed the frosting on that one."  Marital bliss I tell you.  

I re-use old Jack Daniels 1.75 liter bottles and made two batches of sweet tea, a batch of unsweetened tea, and pink lemonade. Throw in a massive dispenser of cucumber water and guests were able to have a few non-alcoholic beverages. Although I did see more than one person add vodka to their sweet tea :) 

The "rules" for our pig roast is pretty simple - we provide the meat, some drinks, and a few desserts. Everything else is up to the guests.  I had a panic attack the morning of the pig roast and made more pasta salad than one person should ever make and I learned my lesson from that. Next year I'm really only making one batch of cupcakes and that's it! 

Over the course of the day we had 60+ people at our house from 1:30pm - 11pm. People brought their kids, grandkids, and dogs and there was only one epic meltdown that lasted for all of fifteen seconds. I had a pack of party-favor bubbles for the kids and let's just say that bubbles are my new best friend.  Little kids were so well behaved that parents were friending each other on Facebook to setup future play dates. 

The food was absolutely amazing. The hubs outdid himself again this year. In addition to the pig and turkey the hubs also cooked a 10lb brisket on the grill Saturday and a plethora of hamburgers and hotdogs. His beloved Weber grill might be on the smaller side, but that baby can go all day and then some. The hubs actually had a schedule that detailed which meat product was cooked and in what order that way he could maximize his grilling surface and partying time.  

I've got to give a thanks to all of our friends and family who came by the party. We have incredibly talented friends and the food they brought was amazing. We had two massive pans of homemade Mac and Cheese, an heirloom tomato salad that was to die for, macadamia nut cookies (the hubs also hid a few of those for later in the day), green bean casserole, Texas caviar, German style potato salad, guacamole,  and more good eats than I'll ever be able to run off in my lifetime.  Plus, unbeknownst to us one of the hubs's spouses came prepared with 8 bottles of rum and provided a rum tasting. Turns out the guy is a liquor distributor and quite the rum fan.  Dinner and a show! 

I was actually a bit sad on Saturday morning because a few members of my family had to cancel last minute for health reasons. I was really looking forward to being back in the red head majority, but you can't take your health for granted so it was better for them not to come.  After the last guest left Saturday night and the hubs and I gave the house a quick once over we looked at each other and realized how blessed we were. I started the day off a bit sad and ended up having a great time and a belly full of amazing food and brews. It was an awesome day. Jax and Jewels were even well behaved when they were running amuck in the yard after the last dog left. 

The most amazing thing happened during the pig roast - I put my camera down! I took a few photos of things pre-party, but once people started showing up I put my camera down and only picked it up to take a picture of the pig. I don't have a single picture of a person or pet from the party! 

I'm saving a major piece of our pig roast for its own post because the hubs went out of this world with his BBQ sauces. There will be a full recap on just sauces later in the week. Seriously, the sauces were the talk of the party. 

I hope you and yours had a great weekend! 

New York State of Mind

Made in the USA: Trousers: Theory (love these in navy) // Blazer: Alex Lane via Bluefly // Necklace: Kris Nations c/o Modestics // Nail Polish: Essie 'Chinchilly' 

Imported: Top: J. Crew // Watch: Movado ("borrowed" from the hubs)  // Shades: Ray Ban // Shoes: Goodwill 

Thanks to Modestics for deciding that my love for my home state was bigger than anyone else's and for gifting me with this amazing Kris Nations necklace. It's not only made out of recycled metal, but it's made in the USA (California to be exact). 

I'm a massive fan of the current state jewelry trend that is sweeping the nation. I love that I can still claim my "home" as New York even though I forfeited my NY driving license in 2005. Also a big fan that every NY necklace I've seen just shows NY state. Those pesky islands have been left off the proverbial map :)

I kid, I kid. NYC I love you! 

Maryland driver's license notwithstanding I believe there are a few traits that will keep me eternally a New Yorker:

• My proclivities for all-black ensembles. 
• The ferocity in which I defend my beloved New York Giants and Yankees. Also the hatred I have for the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots. #sorrynotsorry
• The velocity in which I can win almost any argument. Once I get going you might not get a word in edge wise because I can out fast-talk a speeding informercial announcer. 
• My full-blown crush on Jon Stewart. I have only one celebrity crush and it is for that man. The hubs is cool with it. 
• My GSD attitude; I refuse to be outworked. 

The main reason for all this NY talk is my family is coming in to visit this weekend. Back to being in the ginger majority and not getting any crap for how I pronounce my vowels. I was actually asked last weekend at the grocery store if I was foreign because of my "accent." 

How about you? Do you still live in your "home" state? If you moved away which state do you consider home? 

American Classics: Black Leather Bag

1. Baggu 'Oversize Tote' // 2. Clare Vivier 'Basket-Weave Leather Simple Tote' // 3. Corrente 'Harrison Tote' // 4.  Rebecca Minkoff 'Basketweave M.A.B. Mini' // 5. J.W. Hulme 'Legacy Messenger' // 6. Lotuff 'Zipper Satchel #9' //

When I went to NYFW in February I was inundated with a plethora of fashionable items that I don't think my mind will ever be able to fully digest. And I went to one day! My mind can't even imagine going back, but with Fashion Week right around the proverbial corner my mind is wandering.

One thing that did stick out in my mind was a serious need for a day-to-night bag. You know what I'm talking about - the magical Mary Poppins, yet fashionable, bag that can hold a cell phone, charger, tablet, notebook (the actual paper kind!), Bobble, wallet, keys, makeup bag, flats, Canon, etc.  The bag that can do all of this and still look structured.   Yes, I'm in need of one of those bags!

The 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Satchel caught my eye time and time again at Fashion Week. I believe this was when the bag really had its coming out party because it fit the bill for a bag that could survive from 7am to 3am. Not a typo!


Two things I hated about the Pashli Satchel:

1. The PRICE. $895. Ouch. That hurt. That's a Canon lens. Okay, maybe not an L lens, but it's close to a nice piece of glass.

2. It's made in CHINA. Are you kidding me?!?!?!?! Thanks Shopbop for actually listing the country of origin when most other retails would simply list, "Imported." That's not a sarcastic thanks at al1.  It was after this search that I realized other classic black bags I coveted were also made in China. Alexander Wang 'Rocco' hurt the most. Not sure why, but for some reason I was hoping an expensive bag would be made somewhere other than China.

With this hurt in mind I set off trying to find a classic leather bag that happens to be made in the USA.  Thankfully, I found plenty. My favorite six are above and you know what - every single one of them costs less than the Pashli Satchel.

Now, investing in a classic leather bag is a pretty penny. I don't care how you beat around the bush, but this purchase is going to hurt your bank account.  That's where the following formula is key:

Cost Per Wear 

Example: You spend $15 on a shirt at some store. You wear it 3 times. It shreds.

Cost Per Wear: $5

I always keep the cost per wear lower than $5, unless it's a special event purchase. If I can drink the cost per wear at Starbucks, I'm somewhat okay with that decision.  The cost per wear has to be at minimum $5 or I will not even consider purchasing the item.  This is how I keep overly trendy pieces out of my closet because more often than not the cost per wear is much higher than $5.

Let's take the most expensive made in the USA bag on my list - the absolutely stunning Lotuff 
Zipper Satchel #9 which prices out at a hefty $890. To get a cost per wear of $5 or less I'd have to carry that bag for at least 178 times.

178 days. That's NOTHING in purse days. Classic purses have one of the lowest costs per wear of any item of clothing as long as you're a responsible individual and you take care of your purse. Added bonus of a high quality purse - it'll always fit! Weight gain, weight loss, old, young, whatever this bag is going to get you through life.

Lotuff bags also come with a lifetime guarantee against material and workmanship defects. What other bag comes with a lifetime guarantee?  The J.W. Hulme Legacy Messenger bag does! And it has a zippered pocket for an iPad. The perfect blend of fashionable and practical. The shape is timeless and classic.

The remaining bags don't come with a lifetime guarantee, but they're still phenomenal in my mind.  I wish every Rebecca Minkoff bag was made in NYC, but for now I'll take one of the amazing Basketweave M.A.B. Minis. It would be the perfect soulmate to my studded M.A.B.

The Harrison Tote bag from Corrente might be my favorite shape out of the group. I'm a sucker for a structured bag and I'm smitten with this bag's clean lines. The fact that it has both a drop handle and a detachable longer strap is always a win/win. It's currently on sale for $395 which means it's in the competitive ballpark of many bags from Kate Spade, Coach, Marc Jacobs, etc, except this bag isn't made in China like those other bags.

Finally, if you like simple tote bags I present two options so you can't go wrong.  The Clare Vivier Basketweave Tote bag is so simple, yet so unique with it's pattern. It's pretty utilitarian, but it would work for everything you could throw at it - even a yoga mat! Another tote bag is the aptly named Oversize Tote by Baggu. At $240 this bag, which is made in NYC, is the least expensive out of the group. To get a cost per wear of under $5 you'd have to carry this bag a measly 48 times. You're probably going to go holiday shopping at least 48 more times in your life and what better bag to handle the mall craziness.

Your move imported bags. Your move.

How about you? Any classic black bags catch your eye? Any other made in America bags I should add to my proverbial wish list? Let's just say all of these bags are on my Christmas list.

Cast Iron

The hubs and I are romantic saps when it comes to traditions and every year we exchange the customary anniversary gifts. There were concert tickets for our paper first year, egyptian cotton sheets for our second anniversary and so forth. However we were both stumped when it came to picking out something for our iron anniversary. We could have gone the standard route and purchased cast iron cookware, but I was randomly searching one day and came across this cast iron statue. 

It's perfect!

Backstory: last summer the hubs came home and proclaimed, "I think we should have gargoyles made modeled after Jax and Jewels. Wouldn't it be awesome to see Jewels as an evil gargoyle?"

After pricing out said statues I told the hubs that such a purchase would have to come out of his personal savings account.  When I found this little, yet heavy, guy I thought it was a perfect compromise.

Although, now the custom gargoyles idea has been brought up again!  Honestly, who could think of Jax as an angry gargoyle? There isn't a mean bone in his body.

On another note, I can't even imagine the weight of a life-size statue of Jax! That would be a exceptionally heavy garden gnome.  Honestly, this thing looks just like Jewels, but she wanted nothing to do with posing next to it. 

What do you think? Should I tell the hubs to put in an order for gargoyle statues? Or would that take our Boston obsession a tad too far? 

American Classics: Nail Polish

Top (L-R): Orly 'Haute Red' // Essie 'Ballet Slippers' // RGB 'Oxblood' // OPI 'Black Onyx'

Bottom: Zoya 'Evvie' // PRITI NYC 'Cherry Ingram' // NCLA 'Poolside Party, All Eyes On Me!' // Seche Vite 

I made a pledge to myself to wear something made in the USA every day. Some days that's more challenging than others, but when in doubt I can always turn to my favorite nail polishes to get me through the day.

I'm a slight nail polish hoarder. The hubs would challenge my parameters for "slight," but that's neither here nor there.

While I might be intimidated by wearing the color red, that intimidation doesn't carry over into my love for all red nail polishes. Orly's 'Haute Red' is my absolute favorite and that's saying something from someone who owns ten different red shades. I have problems.

Essie's 'Ballet Slippers' is such a classic that Queen Elizabeth's hairdresser asked for a bottle in 1989.  I don't know if the Queen wore the polish, but I know I did on my wedding day. I never let a Target trip go by without stalking the Essie nail polish section.

I know some folks are intimidated by black nail polish and to you I say get over it! The hubs is not a fan of the look, which means I paint my nails black the moment he's out of the house or the nano second he's in the dog house :) I guess my repressed emo teenager self is still alive and well.  I love the depth of OPI's 'Black Onyx.' There is no denying that my nails are black when it's on!

Now, I know you're thinking that nail polish is smelly and potentially bad for you. Actually things, have improved significantly over the last few years and I'm happy to report these nail polishes are among the safest out there.

This RGB 'Oxblood' is not only "Five Free" but it's also cruelty free.  Fall is my absolute favorite season and nothing screams "FALL" like a deep burgundy nail polish. The RGB colors are rich, bold, and adored by Rachel Zoe.

I first heard about Zoya nail polish during their annual Earth Day promotion a few years ago. They ran a crazy deal where if you mailed them in some of your old chemical-laden polishes they'd send you free healthy ones from their own line, in addition to recycling the chemical polishes in a responsible way.  Zoya was the first nail polish I ever heard of that was vegan friendly. I've been hooked ever since. I'm not going to lie, but I've purchased Zoya for all of my friends in their own names because a polish that names every shade in a female's name is awesome in my book.

PRITI NYC ups the ante and goes "Five Free" in addition to being vegan friendly, non-toxic, non-carcinogenic, and 100 percent biodegradable. These polishes are advertised as being safe for both children and moms-to-be, which means I'll be including bottles of these polishes with every baby shower gift I give from now on.

NCLA is also "Five Free" and never tests their products on animals. In addition to being a safe polish, the brand is known for it's bold colors and designer collaborations. Think California living for your nails.

Look, no matter which brand you go with for nail polish make sure you do yourself a favor and top off that hue with Seche Vite. I've tried other top coats, but that is the only top coat that gets the job done and then lets you get on with your day mere minutes later. You can do your nails at night, top them off with Seche Vite, and not have to worry about ruining your glossy nails with the imprint of your sheet as you sleep.  This top coat isn't "Five Free" but since it's not coming in direct contact with my nails I'm still using it :) It is free of formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), so I guess it is better than a few other makeup items (gross!).

How about you? What are you favorite nail polish brands/colors?

Casual Summer BBQ

Made in the USA: Striped T-shirt: Venley by Youth Monument // Tank: American Apparel // Shorts: Lucky Brand (beyond old, have had them since high school) // Belt: Chicago Belt Company c/o (20% off with code SUMMER) // Shades: Oakley 'Sweet Spot' // Bag: Luciana Verde via My Habit // Shoes: Sbicca 

Truth be told I enjoy any occasion that calls for dressing up more than I probably should, but there is something to be said for a fun, casual, summer BBQ. The hubs and I are usually prepared for just about anything any time we go to someone's house for a BBQ. Yes, we're that couple that has a change of clothes in the car and I mean more than one change of clothes (kids with water guns get me every time). 

We're also that couple that uses any BBQ as an excuse to bring our cornhole boards and baseball mitts with us. There may or may not be a deflated beach ball in the backseat of my car at this very moment. 

And there are always at least 5 hair ties in my bag/purse/glove compartment. 

Always.Be.Prepared. 

Absolute favorite summer moments - chasing a chubby Boston Terrier around a field in four inch sandals. Naturally they were wedges, otherwise I would have been barefoot. Thank goodness those babies are incredibly light and comfortable. Also thankful for smelling like BBQ because that tends to the keep Jax a bit interested and eager to come back to me. 

Oh hey, is that a kid's picnic table? I could steal food from them and get away!

What do you prefer - casual BBQ or fancy soirée? As much as I love getting dressed up there's just something fun about an impromptu game of tag with a bunch of kids. I think that's the real reason the hubs and I get invited to so many BBQs is because all of our friends know I'm going to run around like a crazy person with their kids. Or it's because the hubs shows up with brisket.  It might be the brisket. 

Everlasting Love

Back when I shared a few OBX vacation photos I didn't include the one above.  It's weird, when I first took it I thought almost nothing of it because I didn't even know those people. Just some random people I saw on the beach (no, I'm not a creeper).  I just thought they were adorable because they were all by themselves on the beach and having a good time. 

The sappy romantic in me thought - there's hope for us!

Total confession, but I find it to be absolutely adorable when elderly couples are affectionate with each other.  That old "A Diamond is Forever" commercial with the elderly couple holding hands while walking in the park ... gets me every time. 

Off to celebrate six years of wedded bliss with the hubs this weekend.  Potentially trying to recreate one of our favorite wedding photos. I'm really hoping that weight/wrinkles we've gained over the past six years isn't too apparent. I looked at a few wedding photos the other day and thought, "man I wish my arms still looked that good!" 

The hubs is like George Clooney; he gets better with age! 

Have a great weekend everyone. 

American Classics: Transitional Lace and Leather Skirts

Top Row (L-R): Robbi & Nikki 'Lace Panel Miniskirt' ($40)  // Wayf 'Embroidered Lace Skirt'  ($58) // Nanette Lepore 'Cotton Candy Lace Pencil Skirt' ($278) 

Bottom Row (L-R):  Karen Kane Black Faux Leather Pencil Skirt ($69) // Eva Franco 'Lucy Skirt - Bombshell ' ($216)  // Amanda Uprichard 'Seamed Leather Knit-Back Skirt' ($248)

People! Fall is coming by the second! I know, you're thinking, "really, it's the first week of August... calm down ginger."

However, this week's installment of American Classics highlights six amazing skirts that you can buy now, wear now, and continue to flaunt when the temperatures dip. The easiest way to wear any of these amazing American made lace and leather (or faux leather) skirts this second is to add a simple tshirt or sleeveless blouse and throw on a pair of sky-high heels. Once fall/winter rolls in add on the tights, cropped jackets, booties, and heavy accessories.

Before you think you can't add any of these pieces to your closet - check out those prices! That Robbi & Nikki blue skirt is only $40. I'd give up my coffee addiction to save enough dollars to snag that skirt. I'm shocked that the Wayf skirt is only $58 and flabbergasted that the Karen Kane faux leather skirt is $69.  Yes, three amazing pieces all made in the USA for less than $69 each. And you thought buying American was more expensive!

Now, if you have been saving up a few dollars to splurge this fall, then you can't go wrong with the Nanette Lepore lace skirt. The flash of neon pink is sure to attract a few eyes. I love the Amanda Uprichard leather skirt not only for the leather seams, but more importantly for the knit back. That design is going to hold its shape a lot better than a full leather skirt.

Finally, my dreams are now haunted by that Eva Franco Lucy skirt. It's vegan leather with spice. It's got shape and is going to move when sauntering around in 4+inch stilettos. I'm certain that it contains magically powers and will render my big butt sleek. Seriously, I'm smitten.  The only thing I can say negatively about that skirt is that Eva Franco also made it in dress form and Amazon has it on sale. Dress or skirt. That's a tough decision.

That's it! Six fantastic lace/leather skirts that are perfect to wear now and you'll want to reach for them again and again this fall. Best part is that they're all made in the USA.

What do you think? Are you a fan of lace or leather in the summer heat? Or are they strictly fall/winter materials in your book?