a good sermon should be like a woman's skirt

"a good sermon should be like a woman's skirt: short enough to arouse interest but long enough to cover the essentials"

ronald knox

details:

sweater~ ?? purchased from some small boutique in chicago 5 yrs. ago

skirt~f21 (strapless dress worn as skirt)

jacket~bebe

shoes~ guess~ tj maxx

reading other blogs has sparked my creativity in terms of finding new ways to put looks together. i bought this dress to wear to wedding last fall and i love the colors in it. but, it has been laying in a pile of things i need to take to the seamstress to be altered. i decided to tuck in the bustier part an wear it as a skirt. i feel like fuller skirts are much more flattering to my figure. this one has a little crinoline so that it gives a little swish when i walk(yes, I feel a little betty draper-ish in it). i bought this sweater in chicago about five years ago. the lurex threads give it a little texture and that little bit of sparkle looks better on my skin tone than it would if this top was a solid brown. it's short sleeved so i added the jacket to keep warm(it's only supposed to be 59 degrees today). i really love the challenge of mixing patterns in a way where it all works so i added the leopard print peep toes. i consider animal prints to be neutrals. all the tones in the shoes work with the colors in the skirt without competing with them.

yesterday

details:

pencil skirt~victoria's secret

wrap blouse~anthropologie

tights~target

cardi~f21

shoes~baker's

mondays..ick! try as i might to be optimistic i hate them. i wasn't going to post because i didn't really feel like myself yesterday. i think that comes through in how i looked or maybe it was just how i was feeling about myself. sometimes you can try to hard and come across forced. i never want to do that. on most days i strive to look like "me" -quirky with a dash of style and a hint of trendy. i'll take not looking like a "hot ass mess" as the kids would say. i don't know i guess this rambling post is to say i felt a little off yesterday and wasn't going to post the pics because i feel like you can tell i'm not really comfortable in my own skin. i decided to post in an effort to be honest with myself more than anything else.

...wearing stripes with plaid is easy

"once you can accept the universe as being something expanding into infinite nothing which is something, wearing stripes with plaid is easy"

~albert einstein

details:

striped oxford shirt~f21

plaid skirt~thrifted

cardi~elle collection at kohl's

tights~old navy

belt~bebe(a million years old)

boots~nine west~tj maxx

today is one of those fall days i've been wishing for. the air is crisp, the sun is shining, and it's cool enough for layers. my twelve years of private school have made plaid a part of my dna(even though we only wore plaid skirts until eighth grade and then we had to wear these horrible grey polyester skirts). fall for me means plaid and lots of it. i found this cute little skirt at a thrift store. it was originally priced at $4 but everything was half off that day so, yes, i took it home for a whopping $2! the funny thing about this outfit is that i'd put these boots and this belt in a pile of stuff to give away. i bought these about four years and never really liked them at the time. i thought the boots were too flat and once i purchased another pair of brown boots these were relegated to back of closet. in an attempt to organize a few weeks ago put them in the give away bin. after reevaluating my closet i thought maybe i would give them another shot. they work perfectly with this skirt. and the belt, it has to be at least eight years old. i can't remember when the oversize belt buckle thing was the "it" accessory. i loved the colors of the stones in this belt and hung on to it forever. i was ready to throw it out but reconsidered. i think it gives a little twist to this pretty standard preppy look. i also tried to get some shots of my jewelry. you can see my cute owl necklace and the awesome knot bracelet from f21. this outfit needed a sweater or jacket. i couldn't really find what i was looking for so threw this cardigan on at the last minute. i love that color doesn't match perfectly and is a little off but i'm not really loving this sweater either. oh well, at least i'm warm today!

* i think my camera is on it's last leg. any suggestions? i would love a dslr but i'll take recommendations on a good little point and shoot.

weekend fun

details:
boyfriend jeans: express
hoodie:target
polo:express
faux leather jacket/booties:f21

why does it seem like the weekend is never long enough? this weekend i did the usual-cooking, groceries, and laundry-as well as hang out with my daughters for a bit. sunday we hit the mall before heading to the movies, and i may have gone a little bit crazy with the shopping. i'll have some great things to show in the next few weeks from my shopping binge. for this outing i wore my favorite boyfriend jeans. i love this trend but knew i didn't want to spend a ton of money on it. i found the perfect pair at express. they were ridiculously cheap. these are the jeans i change into practically every night when we take henry out for his walk. i paired them with a tissue thin white hoodie under an express polo. the finishing touch is my faux leather motorcycle jacket and peep toe bootie from f21. my daughters thought i looked okay so they let me leave the house with them:)

we went to see a matinee showing of the new fame. i am not a fan of remakes, especially when the original was so good. i remember watching the movie and the television show and thinking that i could become a singer or dancer(until i realized that i possessed none the required talent to realize this dream). the new movie was very light on plot and character back story. i enjoyed the singing and dancing. it did remind for a split second what it was like to be that young when everyday was filled with possibility. i did have a great time bonding with my girls. they will be gone for college soon so i'm really treasuring the time we have left. i even let my oldest drive home!

TGIF!

details:

plaid top~f21

skinny jeans~joes jeans

boots~aldo

cardi~express

this has been a really long week. we don't have any real plans but i haven't been so happy to see the weekend in really long time. i woke up this morning to more rain and cooler temps. the outfit that i'd plan to wear just seemed like too much work today. at the very last minute i grabbed what was clean and ironed and rolled out the door. this shirt was one of my first fall purchases. i love the plaid but the ruffles give it a girly flair. these are my trusty skinny jeans and steve madden boots. i threw on the grey cardigan as i was headed out of the door because it was a little cooler than i'd anticipated. have a lovely weekend!

"weekends don't pay as well as weekdays but at least there's football"

s.a. sachs

pink is the color of romance

details:

floral babydoll dress~thrifted

footless tights~target

jean jacket~bebe

gladiator sandals~charles david

pearls~f21

i went through a "pink" phase a while back. i confess i wore lots and lots of pink. i still love the color pink but i've tried to wear it more sparingly now because i feel like it can look a little juvenile. i don't usually have that much luck thrifting but on an outing with my mom a few years ago i found this adorable baby doll dress. for a fleeting second i thought it may be too cutesy, even for me, but for $7 i couldn't leave it behind. in the past i've styled this in a much more conservative way but i was feeling a little funky this morning so i thought i'd try something different. i'm really loving the look of footless tights these days. i think it is unexpected, especially when paired with this dress. pearls are classic and once again add a little balance to the shoes and the jean jacket. when i came downstairs this morning d told me i looked pretty which was kind of unexpected because i thought he'd hate the tights, so i'm going to file this one in the win column.

"pink is the color of romance and a friend tells me that the girl with the pink dress at the party is the one selected for each dance"

alfred carl hottes

it's not the heat...

details:

dress~old navy

jean jacket~bebe

shoes~bcbg from endless.com

headband~anthropologie

charm bracelet~express

cameo ring~f21

it's the freakin' humidity!! it was already 68 degrees and swampy when i woke up this morning at 6:30. i was sweating as i got dressed. it is grey and gloomy and sticky and the last i wanted to do was get up and get dressed. this old navy dress is a few years old and i loved it so much that i bought it in another color. the color is sort of fall-ish..no? i bought this cute headband at anthropologie a few weeks ago and threw it on today to give this boring outfit a little...i don't know..something fun. this jean jacket is a stretch denim and is a million years old. i think it's the perfect shape to play off the volume of the dress. the platforms are bcbg go to shoes for height and comfort.

delicious autumn!

details:

top~ anthropologie

jeans~joe's jeans-skinnies

boots~??~ tj maxx

necklaces~assorted f21

today is the first day of fall!!the weather is not really cooperating. it's about 70 degrees and humid as heck but i was determined to wear something fall-esque today. i found this top on sale at anthro. i love embroidery and there was something about this top that really appealed to me even though it's not really my style. i love that the elastic waist provides a bit of shape and makes this a much more flattering top than it would have been if it were a little more breezey. i bought these joe's jeans a few years as the skinny jean first started to take off. i immediately regretted the decision because i thought the look was going to be a fad and i also gained weight which meant that i'd purchased a ridiculously expensive pair of jeans that i couldn't even fit into anymore. they are now a perfect fit and i love the way they look with boots. i have a feeling they will play a major part in my fall/winter wardrobe, especially once it starts to get cold. i bought these boots at tj maxx. i'm not sure of the brand. the cognac color and stacked heel makes them perfect for wearing with jeans or with skirts. this isn't the most creative outfit i've ever put together but i think it's pretty good for a balmy first day of fall.

on another note: gossip girl- vanessa is such a sweet and beautiful girl. why can't they find her a guy that's really into her and not using her? it saddens me to say this but i'm a little bored with chuck and blair. and where was my little moppet jenny? and....dan with georgina! scandalous! it makes me feel a little dirty but i can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

"delicious autumn!my very soul is wedded to it, and if i were a bird i would fly about the earth seeking successive autumns"george eliot

when in doubt wear red

details:

red bubble dress-f21

animal print sweater/leggings-target

black patent leather belt-taken from another dress

gold bangles-purchased from street vendor

shoes-steve madden wedges

ususally mondays are dreadful. i've been working on being a little less "debbie downer" about my life. are there certain things that i would like to change-absolutely! but, in the grand scheme of things my life is pretty great-i have healthy family, happy(most of the time) children and a beautiful home. in honor of my celebratory mood i decided to throw in this red dress. it's been hanging in closet for probably a year, maybe longer. it was one of those things that i bought without trying on and when i got it home i wasn't thrilled with the way it looked. so there it hung looking so sad and teasing me with its vibrant color. last night i was putting clothes away and decided on a whim to try it on again. in an effort to make it more figure flattering i added a belt. first a wide one but i think this skinny belt defines my waist a little more. people are going to notice you wearing red so you might as well add an animal print cardigan too. after belting the dress, it was a little short for work so i went with leggings instead of tights because i think they're a little unexpected. i have another pair that i'll probably wear this week. i think the wedges instead of heels make it a little more "daytime".

"when in doubt wear red"

bill blass

*i didn't take pictures until after work and grocery shopping so i think it looks a little wrinkled but i still really like the outfit

sunday morning rain is falling...

the perfect way to relax on a rainy sunday morning after a very busy weekend! have a happy and relaxing sunday.

happy anniversary!

last night d and i celebrated our six year anniversary with dinner and a show at playhouse in the park. i can't believe it's been six years. i know it's totally cliche but he is my best friend. he makes me laugh every single day and my heart still skips a beat when he enters the room. i am an infinitely better person for knowing him, loving him and being loved by him. i adore you!

love me, love my dog...

details:

scottie romper~anthropologie

spectator peep toe platforms~steve madden

belt~f21

cardigan~bebe

i fell in love with this romper when i got the fall anthro catalog. so cute and perfectly impractical, which means that i absolutely had to have it! thankfully the birthday money meant that it didn't put a huge dent in the budget. i knew that it would be perfect to wear to the wiener dog race. scotties are not as cute as doxies but it was the closest i could find. it was huge hit! these platforms are the most comfortable shoes ever. i decided to wear them to give the outfit a pop of color.

it's a dog's life!

henry and his proud papa!

struttin' our stuff on fountain square

henry getting his game face on.

and in race #5 wiener#27 weighing in at 13.5lbs. henry "longfellow"

he may have finished second in his heat but he's always number one in our hearts!

cincinnati is known for lots of things, some of them good and some not so good. but, one of my favorite things is oktoberfest-the beer, the brats, the world's largest chicken dance- it represents the beginning of fall to me. for the last three years they have included a wiener dog race to kick off the event. this gives adults the opportunity to dress their wiener dogs up in hot dog costumes and practically OD on the cute factor. after a disappointing race last year we are proud to announce that our little henry finished second in his heat.

feel it coming in the air, hear the screams from everywhere...who gon' run this town tonight?

i was part of the first generation of hip hop. i clearly remember the first rap album i ever bought-nwa- and my parents reaction to it. it really was a revolution. over the years i fell out of love with rap. i don't really understand or listen to any of the rap artists today unless they have a huge crossover hit that is like fog... impossible to escape(lollipop by lil wayne..anyone?) jay z is one of the few artist that i love to listen to. he mixes his lyrics brilliantly with other styles and musical influences. i've been listening to his new cd, the blueprint 3, non stop since it came out. he's coming to our fair city on oct. 10 and my girlfriends and i got tickets! i'm so excited. i know it's going to be a phenomenal show but the big question is...what does one wear to hip hop concert these days?

if your heart is a volcano...

details:

top~blustery bouquet blouse~anthro

jeans~ almost famous~tj maxx

shoes~bebe

necklace~f21

ughhh... allergy season is a bitch! i really wanted to be more creative this morning but between the benydryl induced haze of last night and the sneezey/itchy/watery eyes of this morning, i wanted to be comfortable more than anything else. these jeans are my favorite because they are long enough for heels but not so long that i have to wear my highest heels to wear them. this top was one of my birthday gifts. i think a top with polka dots and hearts could have been a little to precious but because the pattern is a little abstract it works. the neckline is super flattering as well. i love this necklace. it reminds me of those plastic link necklaces in jr. high that you added all of the crazy charms..i wonder if i could still find one of those on ebay?

"if your heart is a volcano, how shall you expect flowers to bloom?"

~kahil gibran

bits of lovliness....

happy wednesday!

...there is invariably something odd about women who wear ankle socks

details:

blouse~beaming flora blouse anthro

jeans~mossimo~target

cardi~f21

shoes~bebe

socks~target

i was so thrilled to see the ankle sock make a comeback in the jcrew catalog. although many may find that this not exactly the most wearable trend but i was willing to give it a try. i also came across the the lovely katy and her blog, kansas couture(which is fantastic and you should go check it out right now if you haven't), and she has a post where another blogger requested that she give this look a whirl. she created her own interpretation of a jcrew/socks with jeans outfit. well, this is my attempt to recreate the look.

yesterday, i was killing time(and my budget) in anthropologie and i discovered several things i'd been watching were now on sale! i tried this blouse on when it first hit anthro earlier in the summer and completely dismissed it because i didn't think the fit was very flattering. i think i must have tried on the wrong size because when i put this on yesterday i loved it. i was thinking of pairing it with a jacket but it supposed to warm up here today and i thought i would be too hot. i bought these shoes from bebe a few years ago. have you noticed that i have an obsession with metallics, especially when they have that sort of crackled and aged finish. this outfit may be a little casual for work but since i'm only in the office for a few hours today i wasn't too concerned. i'm not sure it's a look that everyone will like but i think it's kind of cute.

"one of the few things i have learned in life is that there is invariably something odd about women wear ankle socks"

alan bennett

the old country act 1

todays shoes...

one day i will learn to take really good pictures, i promise. these are the jessica simpson peep toes that i'm wearing today(pictured with another outfit) which have become a wardrobe staple.

the earth laughs in flowers

you can sort of see the shoes in this photo:)

details:

cardi~express

cami/cocktail ring~f21

skirt~anthro

shoes~jessica simpson

lately i've really been scrambling in the morning. the things i put together in my head are not really translating. i'm dying for fall and as usual cincinnati weather is not cooperating. yesterday it was sweltering 88 degrees. today temps are supposed to be about the same so new cute fall outfits for me. at a loss at what to wear i grabbed this skirt. it is one of my old favorites from anthro. i've loss about twenty pounds since i bought it so the skirt is a tad big and a little too long. i tucked in a babydoll cami and grabbed a belt i had from some random dress to add some color and to hold up the skirt, of course. i bought these jessica simpson peeptoes because they were drastically reduced and i couldn't just leave them in the store. i never thought i would wear them as much as i do. they are sort of a pearlized nude color that really works with just about everything i own and making them well worth the whopping $20 i paid for them.

"the earth laughs in flowers"

~ralph waldo emmerson