happy halloween

henry doing his best to be a scary ghost!

i have a confession...i'm not a huge fan of halloween. i hated it as a kid but somehow managed to muster up a little enthusiasm for it as a parent for the sake of my kids. i'm a bit relieved that they've outgrown the need to trick or treat. that being said i can never resist the urge to dress up my adorable pooch in a costume. last year he was a devil(completely fitting for him), the year before that he was a bumblebee and this year a scary, scary ghost! have a safe and happy halloween!

spotted

details:

dress~twelve by twelve~f21

cardigan~bebe

tights~old navy

shoes~harajuku lovers~nordstrom

i would really like to press the restart button on this day. i don't do well with change to my daily routine and this morning was a bit hectic. i hate starting the day feeling frazzled. there was an argument with one of the girls about wearing something of mine that she hadn't asked permission to wear as well as forms that should have been given to me last night that i had to rush and fill out-something i hate to do! on top of that my son was wheezing this morning, any sign of a probable asthma attack scares the crap out of me and d and i had a minor disagreement. work was a madhouse as well. i'm so happy that today is friday!!

i've posted this dress before. it is one of my favorites from f21. this time i paired it with tights and a cardigan. there was a slight drizzle this morning so i nixed my plan to wear my blue shoes again and went with these mary janes from harajuku lovers. i love gwen stefani's l.a.m.b line but it's a little out of my budget. i'm currently stalking a pair, waiting for them to go on sale. i think i styled it a little better this time.

i also wanted to say a huge thank you to my followers. i started this blog mostly for myself but it's really nice to know that someone out there finds me interesting enough to stop by and check out my little corner of the blogosphere. have a lovely weekend!

blueberry hill

details:

cardigan~the gap

footless tights/tank~target

skirt~f21

shoes~steve madden

necklaces~multi layer chain necklace~f21

necklace~anthropologie

today was all about what i could put together to wear these shoes again. lately i've really been trying to think of ways that i can wear some of favorite pieces from summer into the fall. it's so funny that if i buy something in the summer it always gets labeled as summer in my brain. anyway, this was one of favorite summer skirts. i love the way the bands of color create the colorblock effect and of course it has that brilliant cobalt blue in it. in an attempt to make it not so matchy matchy i added the white tank under the black cardigan, left it unbuttoned and added a skinny black patent leather belt. i love the anthro necklace and i added this pearl and chain necklace to it to up the statement quotient. of course this morning D asked me where i got my Mr. T starter kit...ahh boys sometimes they really don't get it do they? my favorite footless tights and my new favorite blue shoes complete the look. i love how this look came together based around these shoes. and yes, i'll probably be wearing them again tomorrow.

*looking at the pictures(taken this afternoon)im'm not loving the way the white tank looks or more specifically how my chest looks in the white tank*

feeling blue

details:

caplet~f21

t~shirt~target??

jeans~almost famous~tjmaxx

shoes~steve madden

things have been so busy this week that i haven't been able to post any outfit photos. this morning a stayed in bed toasty and warm until the last possible second, which was a huge mistake because nothing, in terms of outfit, was coming together. i try to plan out at least a few options for the next day so i'm not scrambling and so that i have time to take my pictures in the morning. nothing morning i was drawing a blank. i knew i wanted to wear these fantastic new shoes from steve madden but it's not like i could face the world in just a pair of blue suede pumps. sometimes simple really is better. i grabbed these jeans-the distressing makes them a little casual for work but it should be a pretty simple day. the tissue tee is a few years old. i'm pretty sure i got it at target. the thin long sleeves make it perfect to wear with this caplet from f21. there's nothing fantastic about today's look..well the shoes are a bit fantastic, but some days i'm happy i made it out of the house looking decent:)

featured on weardrobe

i'm not speechless that often but today when i logged into weardrobe and checked out the featured page...there i am. wow i'm speechless! for those of you not familiar with weardrobe you should go check it out. it allows you to upload pics of yourself and catalog your clothes. they have articles and it's a great way to get ideas from other great and stylish bloggers.

happy birthday r!!!

my kid is 18..today!!! happy birthday kid! i can't begin to tell what an awesome human being i think you are. you changed my life in all the best ways. i'm starting to tear up and i don't want to post anything too mushy so i'll just say being your mom rocks my face off!!

mad for plaid

details:

plaid tunic/dress~ miley cyrus~wal-mart

faux leather/faux fur vest~target

black boots~jessica simpson~macys.com

grey knee socks~? borrowed from my daughter

happy monday!! i had a fantastic weekend. friday night i went out with two great friends and we had a wonderful time. it was one of the nights i used to have all the time when i was living in the city but they same harder to come by in the burbs. we had great food and conversation, amazing sangria. there was an art show and a little harmless flirting thrown in the mix as well. it was the perfect way to decompress after a somewhat hellish day. my daughter's birthday is today but we celebrated on saturday night. i can't believe my baby is freakin' 18! where did the time go?

even though my allergies are killing me, i was ready to hit the ground running this morning. i'm a little ashamed to admit that this tunic is from the miley cyrus line at wal-mart. i liked the drop waist and i thought the pink/black plaid combination was cute. i intended to wear it with tights but i didn't like the way the boots looked with tights. can i talk about how much i love these boots for a minute? seriously, the fact that i always seem to be attracted to jessica simpson shoes disturbs me a little, but these boots were exactly what i was looking for. they're tall, just a little slouchy and have a cone like heel. i think they're my new favorite boots. since i didn't want to wear the tights i grabbed these grey knee socks out of one of my daughter's dressers at the last minute. the vest from target pulls the whole look together without looking like i tried too hard(i hope). i have a ton of running to do after work today. for some reason the kids have a packed schedule this week so i wanted to be comfortable and pulled together at the same time.

check it out

marion featured me again on chicisimo. thank you!! check it this great blog that features bloggers from around the world.

i never promised you a rose garden

details:

dress/jacket~f21

footless tights~target

neckalce~anthropologie

sandals~charles david

it is a gorgeous day here! the temperature is back up in the high 60s. i was feeling a little sassy this morning, so i thought i'd wear red(i'm not sure why it looks so pink in the pictures). i bought this dress a few years ago at f21. i love, love the print! the last time a wore it i styled it in a much more lady like kind of way-cardigan, pearls Aden slingbacks. for whatever reason this week i'm really enjoying mixing the girly with a little bit of an edge(or as edgy as a suburban mom can get). the pattern of the dress really pops when paired with the black leggings. the dress is backless and a little too much for work so i threw on my fav faux members only jacket for coverage. i bought this same necklace for one of friends for her birthday a few months ago. i loved it and it looks great on her. i noticed on anthroholic(any anthro fans should check out her blog) that it was on sale, so i bought one for myself! i love it! i hope it's not floral overload. i'm going to take my son to see where the wild things are tonight and do a little mother son bonding:) have a glorious wednesday!

water lillies

details:

dress~ giverny dress~ anthropologie

cardi~mossimo boyfriend cardigan~target

tights~hue textured tights~macys

shoes~bcbg t strap platforms~endless.com

i seriously swooned over this dress in the fall anthro catalog. i love the colors and the abstract print reminds a little of monet's water lillies. it finally went on sale and it was mine! once it finally arrived and i tried it on i didn't love it immediately. it was a little long and the gathering at the top hit me in a funny and not particularly flattering place. i made a quick fix by twisting the straps under my bra straps to raise the top up to where it looks best on me. i'll have to take it to have it hemmed and the straps shortened but i'm now in love with it. embracing my new love of the colored tights i couldn't wait to wear these textured tights from hue. i spent a little more on these then i usually do on tights but they look great and i think it's a worthy investment. i paired the look with my favorite boyfriend cardigan from target. i really like the mix of the floral pattern with the stripes. this is the perfect outfit for a beautiful fall day.

it's monday and i'm back!!!

details:

skirt~dress worn as skirt~nataya from local boutique

turtleneck~old navy

black motorcycle jacket~f21

black suede booties~f21

sunnies~lenscrafters~armani

good grief! it seems like i haven't posted in forever. between d's flu, keeping track of the girls schedule, shuttling my son back and forth to my parents house, work, etc...i was exhausted. i ended up taking two days of from work to regroup. everyone is home and healthy and things in our household are back to normal.

this weekend i finally got to see the september issue! it didn't open here until last weekend and things have been so hectic that i couldn't squeeze it in until yesterday. i loved it!! it was nice to see the personality behind the iconic bob and sunglasses. you know the phrase "if looks could kill"...yeah i think that i would die if anna shot me one of her withering glares. grace coddington is amazing. the shoots she creates are really works of art. it made me wish that i'd really had the confidence to go to new york and be a part of the fashion world when i was younger. it was really what i wanted but for whatever reason i didn't think it could be my reality. anyway, if you haven't seen it you should. i'm also looking forward to seeing where the wild things are with my son. i think i'm going to surprise him and take him one afternoon when he gets home from school. d told me he's never read where the wild things are! how can that be? where the wild things are, where the sidewalk ends and the giving tree are some of my favorite children's books and he hasn't read or been read any of them. i'm stopping to get him a copy on the way home.

the dress i'm wearing as a skirt today is one of my favorites. it has kind of a 20s feel to it. i wore this dress with the most amazing hat to the kentucky derby maybe eight years ago. i had a blast. the asymmetrical hemline and the sort of shredded ruffles on one side make it kind of quirky and interesting. the boots and the motorcycle jacket are the perfect contrast to the romance of the skirt. i've been a lot about who i am and what my style is lately. over the weekend a friend paid be the nicest compliment. he told me i was classic, continental and a little bit quirky..in a good way. i guess i'm still basking in the glow of that compliment. have a happy monday!

suit up

details:

jacket~twelve by twelve~f21

turtleneck~the gap

skirt~f21

tights~old navy

shoes~steve madden wedges

necklace~f21

"think of me as yoda, but instead of being little and green I wear suits and I'm awesome."

barney stinson on how i met your mother

there was a big meeting at my office today so i needed to wear something a little more "professional" than i usually do. this outfit is my version of a suit. this jacket from forever 21 is so fantastic that i bought it in black and ivory. i usually wear it to dress up jeans but this morning i thought it would work well with my "suit". are you ever shopping and your eye goes to something and you can't tell if your drawn to it because you love it or hate? that was this skirt. i was fascinated by it for some reason but i didn't know if it was because i thought it was great or really ugly. when i tried it on the fit was more flattering than i thought it would be, so it ended up in the yes pile. i still wasn't unsure about what would work with it. when i got it home it looked really good dressed down a bit with a t-shirt, jean jacket and some funky boots. today, the tights and turtleneck give a more conservative twist...well, conservative for me. i never wear necklaces over turtlenecks but i've been dying to wear this jeweled collar but i've had a hard time styling it. because it's all black it looks like embellishment on the sweater. the metallic in the skirt and the sparkle of the necklace add a little bit of glam to this unseasonably cold(seriously...45 degrees..wth !!?!) and rainy day.

grey expectations

details:

grey sweater~ twelve by twelve~f21

orange boyfriend t~target

skinnies~joes jeans

belt~old navy

necklace~anthro

boots~nine west~tj maxx

ughh.. i'm not feeling very creative in terms of..well anything really. i have a list of things to do and projects to complete and i'm feeling a bit overwhelmed so finding something creative and fab to wear was very low on the list of priorities. i opted for comfort today. i have a bunch of filing and clearing out to do at work so jeans were a must. i didn't pick another grey sweater intentionally but i love this sweater/jacket. it's warm, cozy and the paillettes give it a little bit of sparkle. i paired it with an orange boyfriend t because i love the way grey and orange look together and it looked a little drab with the plain white t i originally had on this morning. the orange t also looks a little better with my favorite owl necklace. today's look is nothing spectacular but it gets the job done.

monday, monday

details:

sweater~f21

belt~taken from another dress

skirt~sidestep skirt~anthro

boots~tj maxx

i've been in love with skirt since i saw it the first time in anthropologie's catalog. it finally went on sale! they sold out in my size online but i was lucky enough to snag this one in the store. i found this sweater in f21 when i was shopping with my daughters the other day. it is so soft. the waist is banded so it will look great paired with jeans but the collar and sleeves are what really sold me. i was hesitant to pair the top with the skirt because i thought it would look a little drab then i remembered that i had this red belt from another dress that i rarely wear. it gives the perfect dose of color to the outfit. today is one of the perfect fall days-a little cool but sunny-and while i've really been enjoying the look of tights and leggings i thought that i'd better enjoy going out with bare legs as much as possible before the cold gets here. because d is sick and holed up in our bedroom i'm trying to stay out as much as i can. i didn't really have any shoes that i had access to that would look good with this outfit. the boots were at the bottom of the stairs so i decided what the hell! they definitely give a more casual vibe to this look.

jay z and a homecoming

details:

jacket~f21

Leggings~express

blouse~bebe

Shoes~aldo


details:

dresses~f21

shoes~bakers

accessories~borrowed from mom



well, we found out on friday that d has a mild case of the swine flu..yikes!! we cancelled our plans friday to attend a surprise party for his uncle(obviously) and i spent friday evening dropping the kids off at my parents house and cleaning every surface in the house. the good news is he doesn't seem to be getting any worse but he still has a fever and feels like utter hell. saturday night the girls had homecoming so i spent most of the day getting them ready for the dance. i was prepared to stay home but doug insisted that i go the concert. i had a blast. i had no idea that n.e.r.d was the opening act so i was psyched when i got to see pharrell and his group in addition to jay z. the show was amazing and my girlfriends and i had a great night out. i forgot to take my camera but the picture above was taken after the concert. my daughters picked out the final outfit. i wasn't so sure about the sequin leggings but i guess i didn't look to crazy:)

basic black

details:

sweater dress~ tj maxx

snakeskin print leggings~tj maxx

shoes~harajuku lovers~nordstrom

silver cuff~f21

i'm so happy it's friday. a rainy and gloomy friday but i'll take it! it's very rare for me to wear all black because i love color so much. when i was cleaning out my closet i realized that i didn't even own the essential lbd. in the last two weeks i've purchased two of them. i stumbled across this one at tj maxx. it's a perfect option for fall/winter. the sleeves and the neckline give it a little bit of drama. i can definitely wear this with boots or dress it up with heels. these leggings are not like anything i would typically buy but they work really well with this dress. the simplicity of the dress tones them down a bit. my fair city finally has a nordstrom! it took me a week but when i finally made it in there it was love at first sight with these shoes. actually it was love at first sight with the entire shoe department but i exercised a little self control and only purchased one pair. they are super comfortable. i had on a little black beret but took it off because i felt it looked a little too costume-ish. overall i really like this outfit. i feel kind of artsy and creative.

we have a busy weekend planned-the girls are going to homecoming, a birthday party tonight(for d's uncle) and the jay z concert on saturday! i'm looking forward to hanging out with some friends and having a good time. have a lovely weekend!

ketchup and mustard

today's inspiration~kate spade fall campaign ad

details:

sideswept sweaterdress~ anthropologie

red tights~express

black bow belt/scarf~F21

leopard peep toes~aldo

floral coat~ banana republic

it's been a busy week. i can't believe it's thursday! the post for yesterday never happened:( it's written but the photos never got uploaded so hopefully i can do that at some point today. at some point in my shopping binge i made my way over to anthropologie. i was actually looking for a specific skirt to try on but they didn't have it in stock yet so i spent some time browsing the sale section. i've been looking for a lovely yellow frock and i'd seen this one online but i was shocked to find one left in the store in my size..a gift from the shopping gods..no? i have mixed feelings on sweater dresses. i love them on other people but i've never found one that looked that great on me. i love that this has the softness of a sweater dress with out all the cling. this outfit was inspired by the recent fall ad campaign for kate spade so i knew i was going to wear red tights. i opted for the leopard print shoes because (1) i'm trying to break them in before the concert on saturday night and (2)the made the look a little funkier than a solid black or metallic shoe might. i have fallen hard for the look of a cinched waist. this faux leather bow belt is a little bit tough and a little girly all at the same time. i found the belt and the scarf while taking my daughters shopping for their homecoming outfits. i can't tell you how much i adore this coat from br. i can't remember how long i've had it (5 yrs?) but it is one of my favorites. the shape is kind of 50s/60s but the print is modern.

ask not what you can do for your country...

"ask not what you can do for your country. ask what's for lunch"

orson welles

details:

tweed jumper~the gap so old i can't remember if i bought it at the gap outlet of the gap

plum velvet eden blazer~j crew

brown fishnets~ target

leopard peep toe pumps~aldo

jewelry~f21

hair flower~anthropologie

*this was wednesday look. i was finally able to upload the picture*

today i kinda feel like a proper lady. a modern spin on the "ladies who lunch" look. so far this week none of the looks i've planned in my head have translated very well. i was at a loss this morning. i love this jumper. it's a little blair waldorf...no? i wanted to come up with a new way to style it. i bought this jacket during my shopping binge last week. i've been lusting after it since i got the fall catalog and they marked it down. so you see, i really had no choice but to buy it. i think the jacket and the shoes which blend rather than match gives the whole look a much more modern twist than the cardigan and brown boots i usually wear with it.

i die...

details:

turtleneck~f21

skirt~anthropologie(5 or 6 years ago)

tights~betsey johnson~tj maxx

faux fur vest~f21

shoes~jessica simpson

i really love the look of the fur vest made popular by rachel zoe. she can really work the oversize look but i thought that a vest the size of the ones she usually wears might overwhelm me. i searched everywhere for the perfect one. of course i found exactly what i was looking for at f21...duh. the warm shades of brown, the perfect cropped length and the $23 price...yes please! i was immediately drawn to these tights because of the sweet little flowers on them. it was an impulse buy and i had no idea what i was going to pair them with. i stood in the closet this morning with these tights on and tried to pair them with several different skirts and dresses before deciding on this skirt. it is made of tulle and different kinds of ribbon. for whatever reason i always considered this a "summer" skirt but when i put it on over the tights i realized it works for fall as well. i realize that anthropologie is a little pricey and i can't remember whether or not i paid full price for this skirt but it doesn't really matter because i have never regretted one purchase from that store. they sell things that will work in your wardrobe forever. my favorite gold belt from old navy and my jessica simpson peep toes finish off the look.

in other news, the september issue didn't open here last weekend..boo! so no fun girls night out for me. i would've had to cancel anyway because my oldest daughter ended up going to the er on saturday. she woke up, stretched, heard a loud pop in her neck and couldn't move. i was with my son at the barber shop and d was out with his brother. one of my other daughters ended up calling 911 and we met them at the hospital. it was all quite dramatic. she's fine. it ended up being a severe muscle spasm but it scared the crap out of me. of course that started me thinking about her going away to school and what could happen to her there. the thought of her leaving is starting to terrify me a bit. i know she needs to go away-to get out of this city particularly- but i don't think it's going to as easy for me to let go as i thought it would be.