10 things i need for spring...

Breath a collective sigh of relief with me readers, March is here. We survived the dreaded doldrums of February. The official beginning of Spring is just a few weeks away, and it really can't come soon enough. My first east coast winter has been long and cold, and I am so ready to retire my tights and boots. It is still a bit too chilly for head-to-toe Spring wardrobing, but now is definitely the time to start shopping around for the key items you want to update your look, and perhaps infuse some of them into your end-of-winter-wear. Being a realistic person, I know that I probably won't end up purchasing all the "essentials" I need to stay au courant this spring, but even having a few of these will help my old staples feel fresh. From a white blazer to a washed silk blouse to a pair of menswear-inspired tassel flats, these are the 10 pieces I most want for my Spring 2011 wardrobe.

{cool video} J. Crew goes to Italy...

This is a cool peek inside the design process over at J. Crew, and part of a series of videos that will be appearing on the J. Crew site.

I seriously can't get enough of Jenna Lyons.

tis the season... for sale shopping!

...And I'm looking to Madewell and J. Crew this time around. These brands (along with Gap, Banana, etc...) are especially notorious for their end-of-season deals, and this month is no exception. (Note above that on some of these items, the sale price isn't showing up (those jeans are $39.99!), so be sure to click through to the company's site.) Now is the perfect time to invest in transitional pieces that you can layer into your winter wardrobe right away, and wear long into the spring season as well. Think crisp blazers, easy silk blouses, and skirts, skirts, skirts. And by the way, how amazing would that Fireworks skirt look with the striped top and one of those blazers!? Say it with me now, just for good measure, pattern mixing forever!

{color craving} i say we put mustard on it...

As I declared in a post last week, Tully and I are mad for mustard. Ok not mad really, especially since that sounds so incredibly cheesy, but we're definitely into it these days. Tully recently purchased a super-soft crew-neck sweater from J. Crew in the most perfect shade of mustard, and a similar piece has been on my to-buy list ever since. This deep, rich shade of yellow is a perfect pop of color in a winter ensemble, and will also transition nicely into your spring wardrobe, mixed with florals and navy-and-white stripes. (*Note that the title of this post comes from a ridiculous Saturday Night Live skit we're obsessed with, called "Meeting." Look for the gigantic turkey sub.)