Urban Outfitter's Epic Roadtrip

I can't stop reading about the cross-country adventures of best friends/cool girls Cassie Coane and Clara Balzary on Urban Outfitter's blog. I have an extremely romantic view of road trips, despite my relentless carsickness and fear of driving, and few things sound better than jumping in the car and seeing where the wheel takes me.
The girls are going from Los Angeles to New York, with fantastic stops along the way. So far, they've stopped in the Grand Canyon; Marfa, Texas; and New Orleans, all places I've always wanted to visit.If you haven't read Urban Outfitter's blog, you're really missing out. I don't know who's behind their computer, but the writer has a quirky personality and the kind of taste in pop culture you would expect from someone who works at a store like UO. From point-of-view of an addicted shopper and computer geek, I think the importance of social media for retail brands should not be underestimated.

Read more about my thoughts on the relationship between social media and the retail industry on Ypulse!

Working Girl

I have a favorite store in my college town, and for the past four years, I've stopped in often. Often enough that the manager started recognizing me. Last month she mentioned a job opening and asked if I would be interested in applying. Because anything that involves getting paid for looking at clothes all day is pretty much the job of my dreams, I, of course, sent in my resume.

Long story short, this week I started a full-time job in retail (where I'll have a chance to dip my Pierre Hardy x Gap wedges in visual merchandising, a little bit like one of my favorite bloggers Ascot Friday). I love writing and I definitely plan to continue, but I love that this position will open up opportunities for other careers in fashion.

This doesn't mean I'll stay in Missouri, but it does mean that I'll have some additional experience (and extra money in savings!) when I move to a city where the cost of living is double what it is closer to home.

Besides, if being the next Amy Astley doesn't work out, being the next Jenna Lyons sounds pretty fantastic.

Flower Power

I've been fawning over Gap's new floral skirt for a month now, but after spotting it on Lucky's Cute Outfit of the Day girl, I know I have to make it mine. I'll buy it a size smaller than usual so that it will sit snugly on my waist just like the magazine's adorable fashion news writer.

There's not a lot I love more than floral prints with striped patterns, but when you add platforms to the mix, like both Lucky and Gap did, I'm head over... heels.

San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair)

Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving for a few days in San Francisco. I'll be speaking at Ypulse's conference about youth marketing (and signing books! So fancy!), but I'm staying a few extra days to explore the city with my parents.
If you have any suggestions, from shopping to sightseeing, we're pretty much without a plan. Our hotel is in the Union Square area. So far, I know I want to go to The Curiosity Shoppe, Barneys, and Bell Jar (how can you not love a boutique named after one of the greatest books ever written?). Oh, and the Golden Gate Bridge.

I've been obsessively reading Legal Style (pictured above), one of my favorite Bay Area style blogs, in hopes that I'll pack appropriately for the famously unpredictable weather.