a few favorites

some of my favorites from 2009

2009 is coming to an end. it was a very good year. there were a few setbacks and some bumps in the road but life is a learning process. i feel like i've learned a lot and grown into myself a little more. i launched this blog which i hope will get better in the next year. it helped me get comfortable in my own skin. i think i'd forgotten how important fashion, style and beautiful clothes are to me. so to all of you that read my little blog...thank you and happy new year!!

lovely blogger award

the lovely dea at the dea diaries nominated me for my first ever blogger award! I'm supposed to reveal seven random(and hopefully interesting)facts about myself. I must still be in vacation mode because this is proving to be extremely difficult.

1. my parents forgot my sixteenth birthday. seriously. it was like living my own personal version of sixteen candles except hunky jake ryan did not come to rescue me from my nightmare. in their defense they bought me a car a few months earlier but a happy birthday would have been nice.

2. i modeled as a child. this probably explains why i hate having my picture taken as an adult(ironic for someone that relies on self pictures everyday for their blog)

3. i hate chipped nail polish. this means that i do my nails at least twice a week. it drives doug insane because he hates the smell of it.

4. three of my four kids were "natural" births, meaning no drugs. this was not by choice. the longest i've ever been in labor is 10 hours. they usually come so quickly that there is no time for any drugs. i'm sure it was super painful but thankfully i've blocked it all out:)

5. i am the youngest of four but my brother closest to me in age is sixteen years older than me. my other two siblings are eighteen and twenty years older than me. i basically grew up as an only child.

6. i went to spain when i was 15 with my school. we were eating lunch at a sidewalk cafe and someone swiped my friends purse off the back of her chair. i was the only one that saw it, so i chased down a thief on the streets of madrid. he took one look at a screaming american and dropped her purse and walked away. what was i thinking?

7. i have nine tattoos. i still like most of them but there are a few that i regret. fyi:it is really difficult to convince your teenagers that tattoos are not the best idea when you have a bunch of your own.

merry christmas!

twas the night before christmas.

christmas eve...heading out for dinner.

henry got a snuggi for christmas...he looks thrilled.

out with my best girls and i'm over the moon happy in my new rodarte for target dress!!

i hope everyone had an amazing holiday! i can't believe how quickly time has passed the last few days. to be honest i've had such a great christmas that i forgot to grab my camera to capture a lot of those moments. one of my best friends was here from memphis and we had such a great night out on the town(note to self...the next time the bar tender tells you it's 1/2 bottles of wine night...RUN!!). i had a fantastic christmas eve with my kids and the love of my life and we had a quite day christmas day at home with kids playing dj hero and eating and sleeping and eating some more:) these are just a few of the captured moments.

christmas is hard for me. my first marriage imploded during the holiday season and try as i might to move on a little bit of that sadness has always lingered. this year i tried really hard to stay in the moment, to allow myself to feel those tiny moments of sadness and pangs of regret, but mot to dwell on it. next year my oldest will be off to college it won't be the same so i really want to enjoy this. i did! this year wasn't without a little stress but it was the best christmas that i've had a long time. tonight i'm sitting here eating the last piece of my mom's amazing sweet potato pie and i know that i am truly lucky. merry christmas!

carrie on

this makes me ridiculously happy...happier than it should. i know there are some that hate or are indifferent to carrie and crew but i cannot freakin' wait!

weekend update

a quick outfit shot

me and the honey

it is nearly impossible to get teenagers to pose with their parents

and not look miserable. i think we did okay:)

details:

necklace~anthropologie

babydoll dress~ f21

grey textured tights~hue~macy's

grey cardi~express

nude patent leather shoes~steve madden

hello all! i hope you had a wonderful weekend. we had a jam packed weekend filled with family, friends and lots of good food. it was a ton of fun, but i am soooo tired. these photos were taken saturday night at doug's mom and step dad's house. it's a kind of casual get together but i really enjoy dressing up for the holidays, even on days where get a little snow and heels aren't the most practical idea i've ever had.

the dress is from f21 twist parisian collection. the top is jersey material and the skirt is a silk like fabric. there is an attached crinoline which provides a really cute extra detail. i love the slightly abstract polka dot print. it is a babydoll dress which i feared would either be a little too cutesy or make me look pregnant! however, i found the dress pretty flattering. i added more definition to the waist by belting it. the tights are a grey open weave texture. they didn't keep me very warm but i think they looked super cute with the dress. i'm sure you must be getting tired of these steve madden shoes, but in all honesty they are probably the best shoe purchase i've made in a while. they really work with just about everything in my wardrobe.

did anyone else set their alarms for 3 am to get a first look at the rodarte for target collection? i missed out on the anna sui line and i was determined not to miss this one. i ordered several things. they are pure perfection online and the early reviews i read were mostly positive. i am a bit concerned that i didn't size up enough(damn that junior sizing!!) and one of the dresses i ordered is already sold out online. i'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything fits, although all of the christmas goodies my neighbors have dropped off today probably have helped but i'm not a girl to turn down homemade fudge, cheesecake squares or rice krispie treats:)

i'm not sure how much posting i'll get to do this week but i hope your holiday prep is going well.

blue christmas

details:

striped rugby sweater~the gap

jeans~target

necklace~anthropologie

blue shoes~steve madden

friday..wow!!i can't believe how exhausted i am. i've paced myself this holiday season but i really need a night off to lay in bed, catch up on all the magazines and books that are stacked on my night stand and drink a decadent cup of hot chocolate. but, on of my best friends is coming into to town today and tonight we are grabbing a few happy hour cocktails, tomorrow night we celebrate christmas with doug's mom, step-dad and siblings and sunday we are having an office party. so, it seems like i won't get much rest this weekend.

today i really opted for comfort. these wide leg jeans are the most comfortable jeans i own. this gap sweater is so warm and cozy. the stripes remind me of the prepster days of my youth. i decided to pile on all shades of blue by adding the necklace from anthro and the blue suede shoes. have a happy friday!!

every rose has it's thorn

details:

v neck sweater~target

cream and black floral skirt/necklace~f21

polka dot tights~american eagle

shoes~harajuku lovers~nordstrom

seriously...i'm loving forever 21 these days(i pretty much love them all the time). i have found some fantastic skirts from their twist collections. this skirt is so cute and really well made. my one complaint is that the crinoline rides up a bit and it's a little on the short side. i have been looking for the polka dot tights that have been popping up all over the blogosphere. i was actually looking for some that were a little more sheer. these are more of a mesh with polka dots. i found these while christmas shopping for my daughters. i had a coupon so they'll do for now. i found this sweater in target. it is super soft. i bought it a few sizes up because i wanted it to be more on the slouchy side. to add a little spice i paired the look with these funky suede harajuku lovers shoes. after looking at the pictures i'm not sure if i like them with this outfit.

i'm finished shopping for christmas!! i can't believe i'm finished. i started wrapping gifts last night and i'm hoping that all the wrapping will be done by sunday. my last christmas related chore was sending out the christmas cards. i put those in the mail this morning. i have to pat myself on the back for being so ahead of the game. tonight it's cookie baking time...yum!! have a wonderful thursday!

sexy eskimo?

details:

sweater~the gap

cropped pants~anthropologie

leopard print peep toes~aldo

socks~target

on no she didn't....yes i did! i paired my norweigan, artic looking warm wool sweater from the gap with a pair of blue cropped pants. you may have noticed that if i'm not wearing jeans i rarely wear pants. i'm not sure why. i guess i just have a hard time finding a pair that i feel are really flattering. dress pants scream business casual to me and khakis scream suburban soccer mom so what's a girl to do? i've been dying for a pair of matchstick cords from jcrew(and i've heard that they are marked down more in the store than online) but i've yet to find the time to make my way to jcrew. it was my intention to pair these pants with boots but i wanted to funk it up a bit so i brought out the peeptoes. i got a few strange looks at panera this morning but you know what i won't say anything about your crocs if you don't say anything about my leopard print:) if i had to describe this look i'd say it was sexy eskimo.

i wanted to say thank you to all the posters that left such sweet comments yesterday. i really appreciate it.

one hundred

details:

floral sweater~f21

skirt~anthropologie

crinoline~anthropologie

footless tights~target

shoes~steve madden

wow...one hundred posts! i wasn't aware i'd reached the one hundred post mark until i got ready to post yesterday. yesterday's outfit was so lackluster-jeans and turtleneck and one hundred posts demands a bit of a celebration...no? nothing says p-a-r-t-y like crinoline. i built this entire look around what is basically an under garment and i'm in love! i got this skirt on sale at anthro. there were some reviews that were not very positive but i love it. i love that the material of the skirt is light weight, almost sheer and banded with grosgrain ribbon. it has a real vintage quality to it that i love. the sweater is from f21 twist parisian collection. the rose print is really sweet and the little lace rosette at the shoulder gives it a whimsical vibe. i love the contrast between the light colored skirt and the black tights with the nude patent leather shoes. the footless tights gives the look a modern punch. i didn't want to look like i was going to vintage costume party. this morning doug asked me why i was so dressed up. i think every now and then you need to dress up for yourself.

i'm practically done christmas shopping..this is unheard of for me!!! tonight we have my son's band concert and i hope to start wrapping gifts. happy tuesday!!!

i love sam cooke

today is the anniversary of his death. i thought i'd post a little something to help you enjoy your friday!

casual friday

details:

elodie cardigan~anthropologie

owl necklace~anthropologie

skinnies~f21

ruffle bib oxford~the gap

boots~j simpson~nordstrom

friday, what took you so damn long? this has been an exhausting and extremely long week and even though we will have a busy weekend i'm so happy to see it get here! it is super casual friday at work. there is nothing going on and as soon as i finish some filing i'm outts here. i have a few things to pick up before heading home. i have some family in town from maryland to see my cousin graduate from uc this weekend. she's graduating with her masters in criminal justice. she works in a forensics lab. that's right... she's a csi. how freakin' cool is that!? we're going out to dinner tonight to celebrate.

because i have to be in the filing office, i opoted for super casual and comfy today. i bought the elodie cardi when it went on sale. i love how other bloggers have styled it buttoned up and belted but when i tried it out this morning i looked a bit lumpy. i opted to pair it with this femine twist on the standard pinstripe oxford. i also wanted to wear my favorite owl necklace from anthro. i've never seen it on the website but they still have it in stores. i'm officially in love with these boots. yesterday i got a ton of compliments on them. they are super comfy and give me the height in the heel that i love. happy friday everyone!!

more flight of the swans

my lovely flight of the swans dress was featured on chicisimo. i could wear this dress everyday!

come on boots, start walkin'

details:

turtleneck/tights~tj maxx

skirt~f21

belt~f21 from another dress

boots~jessica simpson~nordstrom

goodness! the week is almost over. i've been super busy this week trying to finish up my christmas shopping. i was hoping to have it finished by the weekend but i don't think it's going to happen. we're also having doug's dad, step-mom and his brothers, sister and their families over on saturday, so i've been trying to get everything ready for that. i've been allowing myself an extra few minutes for sleep which doesn't give me time to take photos in the morning. in the evening, i've been cooking, shopping and heading to the gym so no time on then either. honestly, it's been so cold and windy that i've been sticking to my winter uniform of jeans, a sweater and boots. midwestern winters don't always allow for cute(or interesting outfits). sometimes you just need to be warm.

i bought these boots last night...i know i was supposed to be crossing other people on my list but they were on sale and i've been looking for a pair of black leather boots. i thought i was going to jump on the over the knee boot bandwagon but when i tried a pair on last night i realized they just were not me. i think i bought this skirt last summer at forever21. i love the colors in it. it also came in a bright green,grey and black. i'm kicking myself for not getting it in the other color too!it's a little big now so i added the belt to give it that high waisted look. i usually wear a white button down with this skirt but it's freakin' freezing today. i'd forgotten about this turtleneck but it works perfectly with this skirt. the black tights have a floral pattern going down the side of the leg. i'm not sure you see that in the pictures.

in other news...last night's glee! seriously, rachel's solo...that kiss!! and now it's gone until april. damn you american idol!

seven swans a swimming

detail of the dress and part of our christmas tree

the new glasses

details:

dress~anthropologie~flight-of-the-swans dress

turtleneck~the gap

cropped cardi~abercrombie

tights~old navy

shoes~steve madden

glasses~optical4less

i did it. i brought home my lovely flight-of-the-swans dress. i'm in love! i feel like i should be wandering the streets of paris having a grand adventure. alas, i'm at work and later 'll be taxiing the kids around. anyhoo, i love this dress!! i tried to dress it down a little for work by wearing the black turtleneck underneath it. i bought this cardigan a million(or more likely 5 or 6)years ago at abercrombie. the sparkle was calling out to me from the storefront and i braved the obnoxiously loud music and obnoxiously loud teens to nab it. i still love it to this day. the cardigan over the dress and turtleneck makes it look a little more casual. i'm also really loving the light colored shoes with black tights. i know it's a small change but it's not something i would typically do and i'm glad i stepped out of my style box. i'm also wearing my new glasses. i bit the bullet on the "nerd" frame trend. the are a bit reminiscent of my 80s look but i still like them. the rest of my family...not so much. d thinks they're a "fashion girl" thing and the kids looked at me like i was insane, although my son said i looked pretty(i love that kid!).

i'm so happy for the weekend. no big plans, just time to veg out and watch season 3 of dexter. have a happy weekend!

*i may post better pictures later*

blah!

anthropologie's flight-of-the-swans dress originally $298 on sale for $149.95

it was bitterly cold, rainy and windy this morning. i have major cramps(tmi..i'm sure) and feel totally blah! the only thing that made me want to get out of bed this morning was this lovely little frock. it went on sale yesterday. i called the store and they have one dress left and it's my size!! it must be fate. i'm returning a skirt i bought two weeks ago which makes me look "stumpy" according to my daughters. the horror!!! after work i get to make my exchange and take my sweet flight of the swans dress home...where i will collapse on the sofa with a cup of peppermint tea, a stack of magazines and a heating pad.

too old for a mini?

details:

dress~sabine dress~anthropologie

tights/belt/bow necklace~f21

sweater~express

boots~aldo

skeleton key necklace~anthro

i stalked this dress until it finally went on sale. i ordered it online since they don't carry petites in the stores(what's up with that?). i love it but i think that maybe it's a wee bit short. in my head i always see that sign in the opening montage of what not to wear that says "no mini skirts after 35". yikes!!! who makes these rules anyway? oh well...i love it. it's cold and raining here and the bright block of orange gives me a good dose of happy on this dreary day. i don't think you can tell from the pictures but the tights have a little bit of texture to them. and even though i'm wearing three different shades of gray i think it works. yesterday i was all about that giant ring and today i'm all about this necklace. have you seen those swoon worthy ads from tiffany featuring their skeleton key necklaces? good grief i'm dying for one of those, however, they are so not in the budget. when i saw this necklace at anthro with the vintage key and the sparkle i knew it would make an adorable and suitable stand in for the budget busting tiffany necklace.

has anyone seen the movie an education? i'm thinking of seeing it today after work. i used to go to matinees all the time but i haven't treated myself to one lately. a cold and rainy afternoon seems like the perfect time to duck into a small theater and loose myself in a movie. happy wednesday!

i'm blushing

details:

tiered ruffle skirt~target

turtleneck~the gap

jacket~f21

tights/white button down~old navy

boots~jessica simpson

jewelry~f21

i saw this skirt in target and loved everything about it-the blush color, the tiers, the ruffles!. then i did something i do a lot, i brought it home put it in my closet and forgot about it. it started popping up on fashion blogs and i thought it was super cute. it finally dawned on me that i'd already purchased it. it is definitely time to give my closet an overhaul! in the past few weeks i've seen this styled in a lot of different ways and i pretty much love them all. i decided that simple was probably best for me. i knew i was going to pair it with a black turtleneck. i added the button down underneath. in years past i would have never layered this way but i kind of love the look of the white collared shirt underneath the turtleneck. it's december in ohio so tights are a must at this point. i originally put on a pair of pumps but at the last minute decided to wear these boots. i got the them a few months ago and have never worn them. they're kind of an awkward height. they're too tall to be booties but not tall enough to work with jeans tucked in to them or maybe my legs are just too short. i think the fact that i'm wearing the black tights makes them look a little less awkward. it was a cold this morning so i added this jacket. it also gives the silhouette a little more definition which i need. but my favorite thing about this outfit is the jewelry. i freakin' love this ring!! it reminds me a little of the ring samantha had in sex and the city.

there's not much on the schedule today. there are a few little decorating touches that i need to do, but i may wait and do that this weekend. this evening i'm going to work out, make a fire in the fireplace and read! have a wonderful tuesday!

stockings are hung by the fire with care

details:

dress~the limited(four years old?)

sweater/tights~f21

necklace/belt~anthropologie

it's monday....again! i was happy to see monday come this week because it means the kids are back in school for a few weeks. yesterday we got our tree(yay!!) and i put up some of the decorations. i'm hoping that by tonight the house will be completely decked out in it's christmas finery. this is the earliest i've ever decorated. the holiday season is hard and stressful for me. i think it's that perfectionist streak. i want everything to be so perfect that i inevitably set myself up for failure. this year i'm trying to be more zen about it. but, i figured the having the tree and the decorations up will help my stress level because it's one less thing i'm trying to cram into the next 25 days. since this is our last christmas at home together before the kids start scattering for college i want to really be "present" (no pun intended) and enjoy everything.

i've been in jeans(mostly) since last week so i wanted to dress up a bit. this dress is from the limited from a few years ago. i think i bought originally it to wear to a wedding. i love this rich purple color. there was another sort of silvery taupe color that i also really liked. if i'd known how much wear this dress was going to get i would have bought it in the other color too. the blues and purples in this cardigan pick up the color of the dress perfectly and of course it's keeping me warm on this freezing cold monday morning. i love this necklace from anthropologie and couldn't resist the urge to wear it today. i can't tell you how much i love these crochet tights. they add so much personality to an otherwise safe outfit. after work i have a few errands to run after then it's home to get the rest of my christmas on!

toy soldier

details:

military inspired coat~f21

skinnies~f21

boots~aldo

beret~h&m

i've finally come out of my turkey/sweet potato pie induced coma and managed to roll myself off the sofa. seriously, i can't imagine feeling a pang of hunger for at least a few days. d sent me a text asking me if i wanted to him for dinner tonight after he gets off work. can you imagine? my stomach is still full from yesterday and he's already thinking about dinner! today i got to sleep in and it was divine. no getting up at the crack of dawn black friday madness for me. i've been alternating between episodes of law and order and a say yes to the dress marathon. in the last hour or so i decided to run up to target(i hope it's not super busy). it's finally cool enough to wear my new coat. it does not disappoint! can you be in love with a coat? i threw on these skinnies from f21 and some brown boots and it's out the door. did anyone get up early to hit the sales? how did you do? happy friday!!

*i'm still trying to figure out the settings on this stupid camera! sorry for the blurry images*

happy thanksgiving!

details:

dress: rachel roy

cropped cardigan: bebe

tights: target

shoes: charles david

hello!! i can't believe how long it's been since i posted! my camera finally died...totally and completely. this little camera that i have does not take the best pictures(even with a little editing) but it will have to do for now. did everyone have a lovely thanksgiving? we had my family over for dinner. i spent wednesday and thursday running around like a chicken, or should i say turkey, with it's head cut off! i cooked up a storm and everything turned out wonderfully despite all of my doom and gloom predictions, which i make every year. we ate, we laughed, we drank a little and then of course we ate some more. i plan to spend most of tomorrow lounging on the sofa watching the law and order marathon and napping. i should probably throw a workout in there somewhere but i think that's being a little ambitious.

the day was incredibly busy. i planned on trying to get some proper shots of this great rachel roy dress(i got on sale plus the friends and family discount last week!!) it's the first time i've ever purchased anything from her collection and i am really pleased with both of the dresses i picked. one of kids managed to get this shot of me at some point during the day. the colors, the print and all the little details make this a really great dress. i'm hoping to get some better shots of it soon. have a wonderful day!

i am so thankful for finding love, the health of my family, a wonderful home filled with laughter and good food.

wishing for... and a few recent buys

i should have an outfit post for you later(yay!!). i thought i'd show you some of the lovelies i've been stalking on line. the air is beginning to chill so i've become obsessed with coats. i noticed this lovely on the forever 21 website a few days ago and it was love at first sight. maybe santa will put this under the tree for me.

of course he may think i've been naughty and that i don't deserve it because i bit the bullet and bought this adorable coat(in the navy color) already. it is seriously cute. i can't wait to wear it. and it was only $45(ish) so how could i refuse. because f21 aren't made for heavy duty cold and because i'm always freezing and tend to do lots of layers, i bought it in a medium so that i can fit my thicker sweaters underneath when it gets really cold here.

if you have seen anything on the rachel roy site now is the time to buy. from now until nov. 23 if you use the code "rrfriend" you get 30% off your entire purchase. i nabbed these two adorable dresses to wear for the holiday par-tay season. i can't wait to get them! as of now i'm officially on a "no more personal shopping" ban until after the holidays. what's on your christmas list?

technical difficulties

my camera finally went kaput!
this writing thing is insane. why, oh why, did i sign up for this?
not feeling very inspired but i hope to back before the end of the week.

the old(ish) lady and her shoes

details:

top/necklace~anthropologie

sweater~wal-mart

jeans/skinny belt~f21

shoes~steve madden

happy friday!!! this morning i woke up to beautiful and sunny day. it was one of those mornings where you feel like anything is possible. the office will be quiet today so i'm doing casual again.this morning it was all about the shoes. i love, love, love these nude patent leather pumps from steve madden.. i decided to wear these super skinny jeans from f21 to show off my shoes. i really like the zipper detail at the ankle. this top with a bubble hem is from anthropologie. i love all the bright and vibrant colors in this top and it gives a little bit of coverage to some of my "problem" areas. the shirt is sleeveless so a sweater was a must. this cute teal cardigan is a wal-mart find and was a whopping $9 so of course i bought it in three colors. i added the skinny belt to give my waist some definition and at the very last minute decided to wear my anthro necklace.

tomorrow night i'm having dinner with a group of girlfriends at a great restaurant and sunday i may try to squeeze in a pedicure but other than that we don't have anything big planned for the weekend. have a great weekend!