Favorites Friday

I've been absent, I know. Work is been too busy and I haven't found an ounce of time for anything. So let's get back into it with a Favorites Friday. Here are some of my favorites for Spring.

White Pants: I had the perfect pair last summer from Banana Republic, however, I washed them and failed to take out the hot pink Post-It note out of the pocket. Basically, I now have a pair of pastel pink pants, which, unless you are in Kindergarten, I haven't found to be a flattering color. This pair from GAP look to be perfect to wear with wedges through the Spring & Summer months.

Essie in Sugar Daddy: Until recenlty I thought that the only time I could pull off nail polish was if I went to get an actual manicure. I found this perfect color that I can put on myself and not see any mess ups. And to be honest, the consistency is really nice so it actually looks perfect right off the bat.

Loreal Sublime Bronze AirBrush: I am Norwegian and German which translates to: one white ass chick. So I fake it through the warmer months with self tanner.  I usually try a couple of them each year and this is the first one. I prefer the sprays because it doesn't leave a thick layer subject to streaking and also provides a more even look. This one also doesn't stink.

Bright Flats: Just picked up this pair from Target last week and I love them. Teal is the perfect color combo to pink, yellow, red, camel, brown,  black, white, pretty much everything. We all know my love for flats. Here is the pair for you to show off your cute pedicures too!

Aviators: I love Aviator sunglasses. I will take them any day over the big plastic version (not that they look bad) but to me, Aviators look chic and sexy and especially on those days at work when I have a big meeting and am looking fly, just putting them on gives me Instant Confidence. True Story. I am actually on the hunt for some new ones. I have a pair of really nice D&G aviators that have gotten bent while in the hands of a little toddler girl I know... so must get a new pair! Might just stick to the originals this time....

Tina Fey: I have been on the Tina Fay bandwagon before there was a bandwagon. I've always admired her talent, wit, and ability to hold it down in a boys club. As soon as I heard she was putting a book out, I knew I had to get it. Just ordered it on Amazon and I can't wait to start reading it this weekend.

What are your Spring essential Favorites?

Bathing Beauty

It's April which means there is about one more month before I will be at the pool. One month to update my swimsuit collection. I am a simpleton when it comes to bathing suits. I stick to solid color bikinis that look good on my fair skin- black, brown navy... however this year I feel like venturing out of my comfort zone. Maybe throw in a little print or different style of bathing suit... I haven't worn a one piece since I was about 10- scratch that 16 when I was a lifeguard and wore a red Speedo (this was during the Baywatch days).

This summer I will be taking Miss S to swim lessons. So my question is, is it appropriate to wear a bikini while I take her to the mommy & me class? Should I wear a one piece for that purpose only? I am a huge proponent of the bikini, however, maybe I need to tone it down? Here are some cute styles I saw at J.Crew, which is always known for their swimwear quality.

Always a sucker for sear sucker!

This is my favorite. Love the ruffles, love the Navy- Surprise!

A little outside the box, but I just love ruffles!

Perfect for a BBQ, 4th of July or a vacation in Cape Cod

A simple one piece with of course, ruffles.

Had to throw a striped one for good measure. I like the straps on this one.

Clearly you see I am simple when it comes to bathing suits. I like classic styles and cuts that will look good for a long time.

Spring Fling

The weather on the west coast has been horrendous. It sure as heck does not feel like Spring, maybe a bit more like January. It was my Birfday on Saturday. It also poured all day long. Hubbs and I had a date night where we participated in a little Happy Hour and then tried a new French bistro. I then enjoyed some awesome carrot cake cupcakes that Hubbs picked up for me, my favorite. I somewhat followed the March Madness games but realized I was going crazy calculating possible outcomes. I am hovering towards the top of the pool, but we all know how quickly things can change. 

I did make it by the Gap Friends & Family Sale and picked up little S and Hubbs some gear. Oh, and I got a belt.  I bought Miss S some Spring clothes, but really it's hard to think about Spring when there is a forecast for torrential downpours for the next 10 days. Some things that I am vying for Spring, when this weather clears up.

This looks like black but it's navy.Nothing more chic to me than Navy. I prefer it over black any day.

These look like the perfect Spring staple to wear with skirts and my favorite-cropped pants!

Fashion Foot Fix

I have been having some foot issues. Particularily with my left foot and my heels are contributing to the problem- GASP! I've been ignoring this for awhile now because my feet still looked pretty (I have pretty feet, if I must say) so I just chalked the problem up to the actual heels but the truth is, each pair seems to enhance my problem. No matter if it is a cheap pair or nicer pair, at the end of the day, it's not fun. I have even been oblivious to the fact that I have altered my walk to help alleviate the pain. Again, this I am just finally realizing really isn't normal.

If I wear flats, my feet are much better, I whizz around with no worries, and especially, no ghetto limp. My mom pretty much put an intervention on my ass the other day, mandating that I wear more flats so the problem does not get worse.

I guess... if I have to. The truth is I love wearing flats, my issue is just finding the right pants to work well with them. Skinny jeans have definetly helped me in this area, however, I still don't have many "flat friendly" pants that LOOK GOOD. My  new favorite pair of pants are black cropped skinny jeans from GAP. I wear them all the time, with heels and with flats, they look so chic to me. Very Audrey Hepburn.

GAP just introduced some new cropped skinny styles that I can't wait to try out. And in case anyone is wondering, my shopping ban goes out the window on this factor because this is for the health of my feet. Here are some styles I am itching to get. They look to be super universal.

Cropped Slim Trousers in Flint Gray.

Cropped Skinny Trouser Jeans

Disclaimer: I wear heels probably 4 out 5 days a week at work. This problem is making me change up my work fashion game by reducing my heel days down to 3. I wear flats on weekends.  At this point I can't give up the style and look of heels, I just like them too much. Let's try baby steps, and then go from there.

Monday Morsels

Going into the new year my goal was to really follow a budget. After cleaning out my closet I realized there were things that I could really work into my rotation that have been sitting neglected for a long time. Of course, there were plenty of things I purged too. So I have been staying away from the stores, but that doesn't mean I haven't been looking online.  There are so many things I want/need for Spring  that I might just have to chip away at them slowly so I don't blow my budget in one fell swoop.





This looks like the perfect dress  from The LOFT for an upcoming March day wedding I will be attending. With a belted cardigan, tights and heels, it could be the perfect Winter to Spring transition dress.

Another floral number. This skirt from The Loft looks like it could be super universal and could go with many different colors.



I don't really think I need to say why I want this Kate Spade purse. It speaks for itself.

 

I am a trench coat junkie. I wear mine into the ground and my current one is on its last leg. This version from the GAP looks perfect for upcoming Spring downpours.

These bad boys from Nine West would look great with Spring pencil skirts and dreses all the way through summer. Just wish there was a peep toe to show off a cute pedicure.

Is it Weird...

That I want these outfits that I saw in a GAP Kids ad?

Seriously? How cute are those pastel jeans with the ballet flats?

I wonder what their largest size goes up to....

The Cat Makes a Cameo

So, yesterday I mentioned it was freezing but I still decided to wear a skirt and brave the elements. I was determined to take some decent shots of my outfit because I had to show off the tights I ended up wearing. I picked them up on sale at, where else, GAP because I wanted some polka dot tights. It wasn't until I was driving to work and looked down and noticed that the dots were actually hearts! I instantly felt like I was 5, 6 or even 7 when I wore  white tights with red hearts (which I always loved).
Maybe that is why they were cheap, either way I received countless comments on them from my coworkers. All seemed to like them (or at least told me that).

When it came time to taking my pics last night, Peppermint Patty, our kitty was hell bent on making an appearance in every shot... however she wasn't exactly making the classiest of cameos... I have to teach her a thing or two about being a bit more lady like.

Umm... where did my pinkie finger go? Oh, right-my pocket.



Cardigan: Target
Top: GAP
Skirt: Banana Republic
Tights: GAP
Heels: Jessica Simpson
Watch: Burberry
I was wearing a skinny black belt too, but it kept sliding around so I took it off halfway through the day.

Maxi-mize

I have been seeing a lot of long skirts lately, which I wasn't so sure about because I automatically think of an old American Eagle long denim skirt I wore back in college and I shudder just picturing it. I since then have eliminated the "maxi skirt" from my wardrobe, even if they looked comfy, I couldn't get past the grade school teacher look that I always thought they threw off. It wasn't until I saw this pic of Olivia Palermo (one of my style icons) on a Glamour blog this morning that I realized I just might have to score one this Spring.

Closet O' Mine

I am on vacation until next Tuesday. I couldn't be happier... but I am finding myself with so much time. Time to make coffee, breakfast and brush my hair 537 times if I so please. Time to file my nails after I trim them rather than dash to work with unfiled razor sharp claws. Time to look through the ol' closet o' mine and realize there is a crap load of clothes I have been hanging on to that I keep thinking I just MIGHT wear when/if I get pregnant again one day and need something nice and roomy in the first trimester, or for a special night of going out which doesn't happen often enough, or maybe for a trip to Palm Springs for lounging by the pool, because heck I only wore it once on our Jamaican honeymoon and the dress wasn't on sale for the love of... you get the picture.

I worked in a trendy boutique in college very similar to Anthropologie. While working there I accumulated a lot of higher end labels (for me) that I don't even wear now, yet it was when I was really poor in college... makes sense right (My commission paid for the threads)... So a new little consignment shop has opened up close by and I want to bring in some of these things that I have never gotten rid of because they were kind of worth something....to someone? I have some Free People tops, Michael Stars, a Betsey Johnson beaded sweater which I think was like $250, a Prada purse, a Diane Von Furstenberg dress, etc. etc. All of these items don't fit me right anymore nor do I care for their more "loud" style. And btw... aside from Kate Spade, DVF is my favorite designer, so it really saddens me to part with this dress, however it was a gift and is a light purple gray and sherbert orange striped dress. On my fair skin it looks capital H- Horrendous.

Back to this tanget. With all of this time on my hands, I will be dropping off these more valuable purged items to this consignment store this week and giving the rest to Goodwill. But because I will now have so much more room in my closet... do you think I can work this item in?

This little number is one of the new Spring arrivals at Bannana Republic.

Plaid Business

Folks, I love things plaid. It is up there with tweed, sear sucker and cashmere. During the colder months I inevitably bust out plaid a lot. Plaid scarves, plaid pajamas, plaid pea coats, plaid skirts, plaid blazers, and of course, plaid shirts. Just last week I wore plaid two days in a row. So of course I couldn't help but incorporate more plaid into this short week before Christmas.

Here is a casual office look. Damn, I really need to get away from taking pictures with my Blackberry. My Canon and Nikon are feeling neglected and cheated. However, being a busy working mommy, I am all about convenience....

Cardigan: J.Crew
Plaid Shirt: Old Navy
Belt: GAP (old)
Legging Jeans: GAP
Boots: Entienne Aigner

Martha Stewart's Long Lost Cousin

I read a lot of awesome blogs that are written by people that have the following sweet skills:

1) Great sense of style...every.stinking.day

2) Culinary expertise when it comes to crafting the best recipes ever

3) Ability to take an object like say, socks, and take a photo of said socks with a special angle and lighting where now the socks look all exciting and stuff

4) Home decorating suaveness (is that a word?). This area is a component that I am completely lacking. As we are totally in the midst of house hunting, I have no desire or clue to decorate the shanty bungalow we are living in currently. However, I do hope to decorate our future new house with inspiration from many of the design blogs I read as well as pages from Potter Barn. Duh.

5) Craftiness. Again, not an area that I am strong in. Never been good with being patient enough to construct, build, create things. Although, I really wish I could. I am impressed on end of the cool things some of you out there are able to create out of balls of twine, toilet paper holders and bobby pins. Okay, not exactly those items, but you get what I am saying. Having a toddler makes me really want to get more crafty. While I know my way around the sewing machine, sort of, I think it would be cool to take up sewing. Maybe aprons to start... But this would require me to get a sewing machine first...

Basically, after reading awesome blogs all the time I begin to feel like Martha Stewart's inferior long lost cousin Fran, from West Virginia. No offense to those in West Virginia. I am sure it is a lovely place.

To finish off this productive post, check out my new scarf! I really love it for the color, how soft it is and the fact that it is freezing around here.

Winterizing

I have been inspired by many blogs out there focusing on using clothing they wore through the spring and summer and working them into their fall/winter wardrobes. Today I decided to Winterize this cotton GAP skirt that I wore throughout the warmer months with wedges and flats and breezy tops.

A closer shot of my argyle socks. I like argyle.



What do you think? Am I pulling it off?
Blazer: Express
White Tee: GAP
Necklace: GAP
Skirt: GAP
Tights: Hue
Socks: GAP
Boots: Nine West
Belt: Alfani?

Take it Back Tuesday

The other day I remembered back to a pair of shoes I purchased during one of my first visits to New York City. I had some time to kill by Rockefeller Center, and I wandered into the Nine West store. They were running some sort of "Buy One Get Second Pair 50%" deal. I quickly found one cute pair of black patent driving mocs, and for some reason I was drawn to another slightly different pair. Maybe it was being in the Fashion Capital of the World that made me go for them, but I did. They were white, patent leather, point toe shoes with KITTEN HEELS! Now separatetly, those are not bad, but when combined....not so good.   However, I purchased them anyways, traveled back home and tried them on with some of my clothes and to my horror realized I looked like Cousin Eddie in National Lampoon's Vacation. Remember these bad boys?

Yep, I was pretty much wearing the same exact thing. I was too embarassed to even show Hubb's so I made a bee line to the nearest Nine West store and quickly returned them. I don't know what triggered that thought. Have you ever had horrible judment when making purchases? You get caught up in the moment and later wonder what the heck you were thinking?

Stylish reading

I have been considering the Kindle, Reader, Nook, etc. until I saw that these existed. Now I am convinced that reading has never looked so good.