Style – Page 10 – Della Bites

Brand Crush—Minnetonka Moccasin

January 8, 2016July 24, 2016 Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

My Sheepskin Hardsole Slippers. If they look “lived in” it’s because I rarely take them off in the winter.

For the last year and a half, I have been pretty deeply obsessed with Minnetonka Moccasins. My first pair were Leopard Kiltys, which I bought on clearance at my work, and I’ve been a fiend ever since.

*My first ever pair of* Minnetonkas, *purchased Summer 2014: the Leopard Kilty Moccasin*

I first heard about the brand through Sherri Dupree-Bemis’ Instagram. She is a huge fan—in fact, she has even been featured on their blog! When I discovered that my work carried them, I knew I had to try them out. I love moccasins, but the pairs I had owned in the past were poor quality and didn’t hold up. Quality is a hallmark of Minnetonka—these things have been a hit for 70 years for a reason.

*Sadly, these ABM collab Thunderbirds have recently sold out. Thanks to the amazing customer service team at Minnetonka, I actually ended up with the last turquoise pair in my size!*

In addition to their Eisley feature, Minnetonka is becoming know for its kickass collaborations. Last year, they teamed up with Elsie & Emma of A Beautiful Mess to create two whimsical styles of their signature beaded Thunderbirds. They also currently have a line with high-end retailer Opening Ceremony featuring blinged-out slippers and moccasins, as well as Minnetonka for Hello Kitty (not exactly my jam, but cute nonetheless).

*This ribbon style isn’t available on their site anymore. It came in this tan color and navy blue, and now I’m kicking myself that I didn’t get the navy as well!*

Beyond quality, another hallmark of Minnetonka is their pricing. My jaw was on the floor when I saw how inexpensive these things are. An average pair of moccasins will run you from $38.95-$49.95, and that’s for genuine suede! They also have an array of other leathers that they use to craft their shoes. AND they have free shipping on all purchases over $65 (and free shipping promotions throughout the holidays!)

Free gift with purchase last fall!

Faux-suede fringed clutch w/ gold foil logo!

Minnetonkas are an awesome way to incorporate fashion-forward footwear into your life without breaking the bank or destroying your feet. The mocc motto is “comfort over everything”.

DSW & Modcloth, among other stores, sell Minnetonkas, but now I almost always go straight to the source to buy mine. Not only are the prices unbeatable, but the customer service is speedy and incredible.

*Classic Fringe Hardsole Boots—people freak out over how cute these things are*!

**As a (basically lifelong) vegetarian/flexitarian, I struggled for a long time with the decision to include animal products (leather, suede, etc) in my wardrobe. It just didn’t seem right. I could just be whistling Dixie, but to me, buying one pair of leather moccasins that will last years as opposed to a cheap pair of textile moccs that I’ll replace annually seems to have a smaller environmental and financial impact. The jury is still out on the impact of man-made materials (pleather, PVC), and since I avoid meat primarily out of concern for the environment (with a helping of concern for animal welfare, of course) I take a more traditional route when building my wardrobe.

Going Green

October 8, 2015July 24, 2016 Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

So, as I may have mentioned here before, my fiancé and I try to be as environmentally conscious as possible. That means conscious choices such as recycling ALL the things, trying not to buy packaging that isn’t recyclable (or reducing the amount of packaging we buy in general), composting, making ample use of our garbage disposal, and using a water filter instead of buying bottled water.

However—that’s not what this post is about.

In addition to being “green” I happen to also love the color green. It’s my spirit color. My eyes are green. My birthstone is peridot. My teen bedroom was painted sage and my furniture was lime. I still default to green when purchasing everything from notebooks to throw pillows. I’m trying to be a little bit more neutral and mature in my decorating palette…but who said anything about my accessories?

My tuition refund from school has been processed (speaking of green!), so I decided to treat myself to a few presents before I have to do boring stuff with the money, like pay off my credit cards and save for my wedding.

Pack on Track Backpack in Kelly Green

I’m not a huge Modcloth shopper since my store buys from a lot of the same vendors that Modcloth does. However, we don’t carry Herschel Supply Co. goods. I think their minimalist style is so fantastic—it’s no wonder hipsters everywhere have glommed onto the trend.

I previously blogged about my Rebecca Minkoff dream backpack, the MAB. It is wonderful and will probably be buried with me, but I live in New England, so in the winter leather + outdoors = devastation. I knew I was going to have to get a second backpack that could stand up to a little snow. Finding this bag for 30% off on Modcloth, PLUS my Ebates cash back was a sign from the retail gods.

A word about Ebates: I had seen the commercials and was as skeptical as anyone. I blew it off for a loooong time. But my former boss who, like me, was addicted to shopping, told me that it has been an amazing resource to her, and to check it out. It’s literally free money, you guys. Just set up a (free) account, shop your favorite sites through Ebates, and then they send you a check (or a direct deposit) of a percentage of whatever you spend online shopping. That’s….it. Even 1% back on a small purchase is pennies that you wouldn’t have otherwise had. I highly recommend the service!

Solange x Puma Word to the Woman

Praise this. I slept on the last Solange x Puma collection, so when she released “Word to the Woman” I had to snag a pair. It was SO hard to choose a color/style, but in the end, I had to follow my heart and go with the green. It was just my luck that Nordstrom, which carries the shoes, offers free shipping, AND has 6% cash back on Ebates right now!

Screen Shot 2015-10-08 at 9.13.39 PM — images via Saint Heron (click through for link)

Now if we could get Solange to release more music…that would be a real treat.

Thanks for letting me share my current obsessions! I will be checking the mail obsessively for the next week!

—DellaBites

Remember that time I had a blog?

September 23, 2015March 23, 2017 Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

The month of September has been a whirlwind! I started full-time school again, so I’m busy 6 days a week. As a life-long dilettante, the adjustment has been difficult for me. Things finally seem to be falling into rhythm, and I’m confident that I will be able to drop a mic on this semester in December.

A week and a half ago, I suffered a *very mild* head injury/concussion at work. It was nothing serious…an evening bag fell on my head. As in, those little clutches you carry to a wedding? Yeah, most embarrassing injury ever. My head still hurts though. There’s a huge tender spot, like a bruise I can’t see, that kills every time I touch it. But other, more positive stuff has happened recently, such as:

I went to go see Chelsea Wolfe. I mentioned that I was going in my “July & August faves” post, but man, was it a show. I am the WORST at going to concerts, as in, I want to fall asleep pretty much as soon as the opener comes on. However, I’m so glad I fought through my yawning and perked up for Chelsea Wolfe. She destroyed. She did a ton of new stuff, so we recognized almost every song. Fig bought ALL of her albums, plus a sick hat, at the merch table, so now I’m positively rolling in Wolfe-goods.

Less than a week later, I got the unbelievable pleasure of seeing the formidable Dengue Fever in concert! I never would have thought I could dig music with Cambodian lyrics so much, but I am so down! Nimol put on the vocal performance of a lifetime. It might be one of the top 5 shows I’ve ever been to. We were so close to the stage!

Now that the cooler weather has begun to arrive, this little jerk has become ten times more cuddly. Hanging out with us all the time, curling up with us on the couch, crawling under the covers and cuddling with us in bed…it’s sublime. I truly never thought I could be a cat person, but here we are, almost 2 years later, and I love her more every day.

Oh, and this other thing happened this month…

I bought my wedding dress! This isn’t it, but this was one of the runners-up. I can’t believe how fortunate I was to find such a beautiful gown for an absolute steal. It was everything I wanted: stark white, plain, and ON SALE. Music to my ears. Now we just have to do things like “set a date” and “book a venue”.

Of course, no outfit is complete without shoes. My fiancé is almost imperceptibly shorter than me. He doesn’t mind if I wear heels, but out of respect/embarrassment, I chose flats. And what could possibly be more me than Keds for kate spade new york?

Keds for kate spade new york champion glitter in silver

My weddings colors are black and gold, but I plan on wearing all white and silver/white gold in contrast to the décor. So, I splurged and got these. I saved megabucks on the dress, so why not spend an unnecessary $80 on sneakers? Seems totally reasonable, right?

Anyway, just checking in with the blogosphere! I have a ridiculous minestrone recipe to share this week, and I’m excited to start sharing all of my wedding progress when it, y’know, eventually starts happening.

–DellaBites

Stormy Saturday

August 15, 2015July 24, 2016 Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

We’ve got thunder & lightning tonight in Massachusetts! The rain actually sounds kind of beautiful from the comfort of my warm, dry house. Since I’m stuck inside for the evening, I figured I’d share some of my favorite things from this past week.

My coworker brought back the Sonora from Mexico for me. That’s some hot sauce devotion, people.

Unusual Collections

Everyone collects something. Books, records, designer duds, handbags. We all have our vices. Mine is hot sauce (and definitely all of the other things previously mentioned). I’m actually missing a few of my go-tos in this picture (namely, sriracha & Frank’s buffalo wing sauce). Since we don’t eat meat in our house, you must be wondering, “Chelsea, how can you possibly use this much hot sauce?”

See, I will literally put hot sauce on anything.

Um, put that shit on EVERYTHING. Eggs. Avocados. Burritos. Rice. Macaroni and cheese, even! There is no food that can’t be raised to perfection with the addition of hot sauce. I can’t wait to try out the Green Dragon I impulse-bought at Trader Joe’s yesterday. Enchiladas verdes are happening soon.

Pickle. Flavored. Popcorn.

I’m honestly amazed this bag even made it home with us. I opened it before the AC even kicked on in the car. It is AMAZING, in a mildly-disgusting-but-still-delicious way. Fair warning, you have to LOVE pickles to be into this. Fans of ranch may also apply—all about that dill life.

Lucky Brand

Because I do actually think about things other than food occasionally. My work got in a huge shipment of Lucky Brand goods, and it has been a struggle not to max out my credit card buying ALL the things. So far, these two tops, as well as some solid black tops for work, have come home with me (and been worn by me in the past two days). I might have to do a post where I model all the stuff I end up getting. Here’s hoping someone comes through for my birthday on Wednesday!

Click the image for the image source and product link!

The Rebecca Minkoff MAB Backpack

Happy birthday to me! I snagged this in the RM gated sale last week for $98! Mine is in “charcoal” (a very light gray that photographs almost white) smooth leather, not the black pebbled. Many thanks to Grandma for footing the bill (though she’d be horrified if she knew I spent her birthday money on a single bag). I’ve been looking for a chic backpack to take back to college, and this is just the one! The print on the inside is completely adorable and the bag is roomy enough to fit a laptop and books.

image via google images (via billboard, apparently)

Alabama Shakes, Sound & Color

So I actually bought this album in April, but we saw Alabama Shakes perform on Conan the other night and I was reminded of the fact that Brittany Howard is a QUEEN. The new album is everything a sophomore album should be—grounded in the band’s aesthetic, but more refined and mature. If you don’t own it, I feel bad for you, son.

Watch Alabama Shakes perform “Gimme All Your Love” here!

Thanks for letting me share my recent obsessions!

–DellaBites

Owning the floor just like she owns my heart.

Stylin’ On ‘Em

August 14, 2015 Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

Good evening, all! Lately, I’ve been in complete get-shit-done mode. We’re streamlining our department at work in preparation for the busy fall season, my home is starting to come together inch by inch, and my financial aid picture for returning to college is looking considerably less grim. And, as a person who is about to graduate and get married (ew, so traditional), I’ve been thinking a lot about the personal style I want to carry with me into this new frontier of adulthood.

I consigned clothing both Monday and Friday. The first place I went to paid me $19 up front for 6 items of my clothes, which is insane, because I brought two baskets of well-maintained garments. We all know how much of a brand ho I can be, so I was discouraged that they accepted a sundress from Target, but not myriad garments from places like J.Crew and Urban Outfitters. The second consignment store follows a different buying model, and I’ve had a lot of success over the years selling to them. They donate unaccepted garments to charity, so either way, I win.

There are two reasons for the wardrobe pare-down. One is that my 24th birthday is fast-approaching, and the urge to cultivate a more professional and adult wardrobe is real. With each day that I age, neutrals become more appealing. Neutrals are everything—essential to creating an all-seasons wardrobe. I feel like my personal aesthetic has been completely schizophrenic over the years. From October to April I live in Banana Republic sweaters, skinny jeans, and boots (i.e. Webster’s definition of “basic”). The rest of the year, I exist in this space between bohemian, retro, and preppy that lacks cohesion. I still don’t feel like I fully know who I am as a dresser—just part of the process of growing up.

The second reason is minimalism in my home, which has been admittedly less than successful. You see, the only way to declutter is to NOT immediately replace clothes that you just got rid of with new, higher-end clothes. I was actually able to reduce the number of drawers I was using for clothing. They are now anal-retentively reorganized by category, and I’m making tiny signs to hang on the drawer pulls because my life is a sad parody of a Pinterest board.

Styling/redecorating my house has been such a challenge, but it seems like Michael is finally coming around about it. He is very open to any and all changes I make to communal areas, but his office and studio are sanctuaries that I barely feel allowed to enter, much less rework entirely. In the past week, I feel we’ve made a lot of progress.

This is the “after” picture of our entryway (or at least the :to be continued”). On the left is the door to our bedroom, on the right is the hallway to the front door. I don’t have a “before” picture, and be grateful—it was truly horrible. There was a tall cabinet whose top was not only broken off and balanced on top, but was covered in random clutter (including, but not limited to, 5 year old Christmas cards and coffee cup sleeves). There was also an (ugly) table lamp up there, which has been moved to the bedroom and awaits a new shade. The 4 ft or so of wall above was bare with an old nail sticking out. I replaced the cabinet with a small vintage bureau that my dad thrifted for me, a standing lamp with an updated shade, a wall calendar of vintage advertisements, and record covers as hanging art. The records I found used 2 for $1 at Newbury Comics, and I couldn’t be more excited to represent Linda Ronstadt and Elton John in my living room. I painted the clothespins turquoise as a fun pop of color against the hideous wall, which has to remain this tortured beige for the time being. Boo.

Chelsea, Michael, and Della, for those wondering about the letters.

The entry-way joins this cozy reading corner, which I created earlier in the summer…

top: Whitney Houston’s debut album, center: naughty vintage “pulp fiction” literary postcards right: a painting we received as a gift from New Orleans

…this budding gallery wall, hung this week…

..and this area, which I “finished” last week by finally hanging my Sherri’s Ink art print, my Man Ray photo (cut from a calendar!) and our “engagement photo”, which will be replaced once we have a real one taken.

My living room is about 70% finished (and by finished, I mean in a state that I can live with until I afford to do a proper overhaul) and it’s super encouraging. I’ve been spending a lot of time in this room because it feels so much more put-together than the rest of the house that it’s became a calming oasis.

As always, thank you for letting me share my progress. It’s no Happy Handmade Home yet, but it’s getting there.

-DellaBites

Seventies Vibes

August 6, 2015August 5, 2015 Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

Although neither my curly hair or curvy bod has ever really been in compliance with the decade’s aesthetic, I have had a life-long love affair with both the music and the style of the 1970s. Perhaps it was the bellbottoms’ comeback during my childhood or the cultural takeover of the flatiron. Either way, the natural, easy-breezy vibes of the seventies are as sweet and enduring as a Carly Simon song.

I tend toward the preppy when I dress, but I took my center-parted Farah Fawcett hair and my flares out to the grocery store to get ingredients to make a lasagna (exciting stuff, I know. I’m too sick to do anything fun). Enjoy my RBF (resting bitch face). Also—I put on a few pounds on vacation from all of my fiancé’s aunt’s amazing Portuguese cooking…can you tell?

*moccasins/Minnetonka, jeans/Banana Republic, top/Loft, bag/Kelsi Dagger BK

Old School Js Like Beyoncé’s Fiancé

July 10, 2015March 23, 2017 Chelsea Harper1 Comment

Friday, I’m in love…with Etsy. I had seen this post on Pinterest which made me long for a Feyoncé shirt to call my own. Luckily, I located this shop that hooked me up with a great tank (it is July, after all).

The following photo, which was something of an outtake is the only one in which you can see my fakey-fake ring that I’ve been wearing to numb the pain of my real one not being back from the jeweler.

Mani is Essie's Lilacism. I want to write a love song to this nail polish. — Mani is Essie’s Lilacism. I want to write a love song to this nail polish.

The fake ring is kind of a wacky story. As a kid, I spent a lot of time at my grandmother’s house. She and I are pretty close. One day, snooping through her jewelry box, I found this ring and snagged it, thinking it was the prettiest thing I’d ever seen. I kept it for years, through various moves, truly thinking it was my grandmother’s engagement ring, deeply ashamed of having swiped it. My old job was located next to a jeweler—they tested the ring to discover that the diamond was a fake but the gold was real (although low-quality and not worth much). I developed theories about the ring. Was she given a fake? Was it a replica of her ring from the sixties? How did this fake engagement ring find its way into the back of a tiny drawer in my grandmother’s jewelry box?

When I finally got engaged for real, I went to tell the news to my grandmother. I decided it was a good time to come clean about my thievery at least a decade prior. Instead of being mad, she thought it was hilarious—apparently the ring had been my aunt’s…and no one had known that it wasn’t real! Drama! My aunt has been divorced for probably nearly 20 years, so it’s water under the bridge, but it’s still fascinating that this little bizarre artifact found its way into my hands. My grandmother laughed again and told my mother, “Imagine if she’d made off with a real diamond!” It was kind of a cute family moment.

My actual engagement ring is my mother’s from the nineties. We’re having the diamond reset into the ring (it was removed to be weighed & graded), and having the ring dipped by some sort of magic/alchemy to be white gold instead of yellow. It’s a marquise cut with tiny chip diamonds along the sides—my totally unique dream ring. But for now, I’ve got my fakey to help everything feel real.

In any case, thanks, Etsy, for making my engagement dreams come true, Mom, for saving her ring to pass down to me, and Grandma/Aunt Michelle for helping keep me sane while I wait for my ring for another week.

top/Etsy Tees Store, jeans/Banana Republic, cluth/Rebecca Minkoff, shoes/Seychelles

First—lemme take a selfie.

June 27, 2015February 11, 2017 Chelsea Harper2 Comments

“Selfie Saturday” is kind of a thing on Instagram. It certainly hasn’t achieved the ubiquity of #throwbackthursday or anything, but I’ve been known to post a gratuitous and appropriately-hashtagged weekend selfie on occasion. I thought that today I’d participate, but in a way to allows me to discuss my own lifelong issues with my body and self-image.

I started this blog to post my recipes & interior decoration, but since I work and take a summer class, I haven’t really had the time to make good on that mission statement. These outfit posts have been a low-maintenance way for me to practice using the WordPress interface and to get into the habit of sharing my life.

Sharing requires both vulnerability and honesty, and I don’t think I could continue to post pictures of myself in good conscience without revealing that they are a celebration. Even a year ago, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to make images of my body public. I have recently lost weight—not much, but enough that clothes have begun to fit me differently and I feel healthier and more secure. The first time I could button a pair of size 4 pants, I nearly died of incredulity. I have never, by definition, been overweight, but I have carried anywhere between 10 to 20 extra pounds of weight like a security blanket for years. Finally, though, I was able to settle into a routine of activity and eating that my body responded to positively. I also began taking anti-depressants, which seem to only have aided me in my body’s process of finding its equilibrium.

I struggle with the fact that I feel so much better thinner, because I have battled various eating issues my whole life, and my way to cope was to embrace body positivity. I’m finally at home in my own skin, because my body has found a weight that is healthy for it. Not because I’m “skinny”. However, there’s a certain guilt that comes with that. I almost feel disallowed from having insecurities. But I also won’t apologize for letting myself love my body. The goal of body positivity is to get to a place where you love yourself and don’t dwell on self-loathing and criticism fostered by socially-constructed ideas of beauty. It’s hard out here for girls, even if they *do* fall within the parameters of Western ideals of beauty. But that’s another topic for another post.

These pictures, these clothes I never thought I’d wear—they celebrate me letting go of more than a decade of negative thoughts. It feels so great not to feel shame.

**top/Gap, pants/Gap, shoes/ZIGIsoho** Just a simple work outfit. I wore Keds instead of platforms earlier though (like a normal person).

Report-ing for Duty

June 25, 2015June 26, 2015 Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

Today I gave my final oral report in my seminar! It took me all morning to prepare (since I was busy fighting off panic attacks about it). From all appearances it went really well. Probably because I fueled up with this beforehand:

I actually took of photo of my boyfriend’s plate, since mine was covered in unattractive hot sauce splatters. This sort of thing is a pretty typical brunch for us. I tend to make a lot of “deconstructed” sandwiches because my boyfriend isn’t a big bread-eater. However, even he is weak to the powers of the pretzel bagel. Bless its existence.

Once I felt that my report was adequately ready for the voyage to school, I took a quick study break and made Fig take pictures of me. He was more than happy to acquiesce, but rather offended that I wouldn’t be posting his ever-artful “Hipstamatics” to the blog.

I had so many books and devices to carry that I had to pack my weekender to get them all to school. It actually looks like a somewhat reasonable bag in these photos: be not fooled. The thing is bigger than my torso. I could probably fit inside it. The bag was so heavy that the straps were showing a little distress…I’ll have to be kinder to it in the future. My shoulder is still feeling the pain. It was worth it to get to publicly geek out about Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and feminism. For a grade. Now I just have to write 10-15 cogent pages about it. *skull emoji*

I even hammed it up and read Sexton’s “A Curse Against Elegies” aloud (I occasionally show evidence of my brief affiliation with my high school’s drama department—sue me). The following photo (which Fig said I’d hate and wouldn’t post) might be evidence of that:

top/Michael Kors, cords/Gap, shoes/Steve Madden, bag/French Connection — **A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do–and sometimes, that’s matching her lipstick to her shoes.**

top/Michael Kors (scored on clearance for practically nothing!), cords/Gap, shoes/Steve Madden, bag/French Connection

Life-Swap

June 24, 2015June 26, 2015 Chelsea HarperLeave a comment

I took a few half-days at work this month so that I could take a night class. I have just enough time in between to drive home, eat lunch, and change before heading back out on the road.

As I’ve previously mentioned, my dress code at work (which I must admit is pretty permissive compared to other dress codes I’ve had to observe) is primarily black, so on “school days” I do a mid-day outfit switch so that my pasty skin can soak up some Vitamin D. I’m for-reals medically deficient, so it’s been a balancing act between getting adequate sun exposure and practicing “safe sun.” And playing in the sun is a lot more fun than swallowing the bright green horse-pill supplement that I have to take.

So grateful to have a big wooden porch this summer.

I noticed a funny thing when I looked at these photos this evening. Both my work-appropriate outfit and my life outfit today featured Madewell & Keds. Where’s my endorsement deal, universe? I could totally be a spokeswoman for tiny adorable sneakers. I’m almost 5’8″, so flats and sneaks are more of a way of life than a fashion choice. #tallgirlproblems, right?

The rest of my evening will be spent finishing off last night’s Vinho Verde, watching Orange Is The New Black instead of working on my research, and then eventually capitulating to my education, making an irresponsible cup of night coffee, and sucking it up. Schoolwork can be tedious, but that minor annoyance is exponentially exacerbated by procrastination, something at which I excel. Here’s hoping I get inspired by the feminist muses to thoughtfully analyze elegiac poetry!

I'm not really sure what my mouth is doing here, but when your curl game is strong, you gotta to document that shit. — I’m not really sure what my mouth is doing here, but when your curl game is strong, you gotta to document that shit.

top/Madewell, shorts/Banana Republic, shoes/Keds, bag/Kelsi Dagger BK, sunnies/vintage (aka the ones I wear in every picture), earrings/Kate Spade

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