sweet carolin(a)

no this is not the dress but if i had an unlimited budget it would be! it's a little bit sweet and a little bit sassy. sadly, even a pre loved one is way out of the budget. a girl can dream can't she?

yesterday

details:

jacket~f21

blouse~walmart

jeans~target

shoes~steve madden

yesterday was another long and busy but fun day!

i think i'm finally ready to confess my reason for the lack of posting and general whining about long days and exhaustion. i'm getting married...in 98 days! or at least that's the plan. i've been keeping it to myself because right now we are extremely worried about the budget. due to some unforeseen events our budget was gutted and now we are scrambling to put together a plan b. so there it is. i'm getting married on may 1.

yesterday after work i met up with a friend that also happens to own an amazing catering company. the plan was to talk menu, etc and then head out for dinner. we had a wonderful time putting together a great menu. she needed some work clothes and an outfit to wear out dancing so she enlisted my help as her personal shopper. we had a blast putting different looks together. then we had a fantastic dinner, a great bottle of wine and talked about everything from food to men to the inappropriate conversation two employees of f21 were having while we were in he dressing room(i won't go into details but when did it become okay to talk about kinky sex at work?). it was a great night!

i didn't think this outfit was anything special but i got a ton of compliments on it yesterday:) the jacket is another one of my favorite f21 finds. i love the sparkle in the threads. the blouse was a late night walmart find. i'm pretty sure that it's almost 100% polyester so it can feel a little icky on the body. i almost didn't buy it but ultimately the print, the slight old lady vibe and the$5 price won me over. these wide leg jeans are the only jeans that are comfortable for me to wear all day.

today it's off to the gym and dinner with the future in-laws tonight. do you have any big weekend plans? have a wonderful saturday!

shades of blues and greens

details:

dress~h&m

tights~?

cardigan~the gap

booties~steve madden

pearls~target

pocketwatch necklace~f21

hello!! i hope everyone is having a fantastic week. i can't believe it's thursday. the week has flown by in a nanosecond. i've been super busy and getting home later and later. i usually try to take my pictures in the morning but there hasn't been enough time to get them done before work either. somedays i wish i had a clone...or a wife to help me out:)

today promises to be another long day so i dressed mostly for comfort. i love this dress! i can't wait until it warms up so that i can wear it without a cardigan because the sleeves are the best part of it. the colors are so soft and dreamy. i'd planned on wearing mustard yellow tights today but when i pulled them out i realized they were footless! i haven't had a pedicure in months and it's freezing so the footless tights were a no. i actually think i like these teal tights a little better anyway. to give my beloved nude patent leather pumps a rest i broke out the nude patent leather booties. i'd forgotten how much i love these and i think they make the rest of the outfit a little funkier. i layered a few neckalces threw on a cardigan and it was out the door.

tonight is project runway and burn notice! does anyone else watch burn notice? good grief...i have the biggest crush on michael weston;) have a happy thursday!!

date night

details:

top~anthropologie

necklace~anthropologie

cropped cords~the gap

cardigan~f21

patent leather pumps~steve madden

the kids are spending the weekend with my parents! thanks mom and dad for the mini break. doug works on saturdays so i had the house all to myself!! that rarely happens. i took advantage of my free time by lounging around the house, reading magazines, surfing the internet and of course i played my glee soundtracks as loud as i wanted while cleaning;)

tonight we are going to our neighbors house for drinks and dinner. i wanted to wear something a little casual but kind of flirty too. i really like the combination of the mint color with mustard yellow. i hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

spot on!

details:

satin short trecnch~f21

ruffled skirt~target

leopard spot hoodie~rodarte for target

turtleneck~old navy

boots~jessica simpson

tgif!!! this week has been so hectic i'm so glad it's friday. the kids didn't have school today and that messed up my whole morning schedule. instead of hitting the snooze button, i turned the alarm off! i woke up late...very late!! i didn't really think about what i was wearing i just grabbed some stuff and prayed to the fashion gods that i wouldn't look a hot mess. i'm not a fan of hoodies in general but when i saw this leopard print one among the rodarte goodies i decided to buy it. i like it. it's a little sportier than my usual style put i think it's fun. everything else you've seen before. i will say i can't wait to wear this target skirt in the warmer months with a pair of sandals for a night out. i love the ballet pink color. all the black and the animal print keeps the skirt from being too cutesy.

project runway...anyone? any favorites yet? i don't know all the designers names yet but i adored the plaid/punk dress! i would so wear that. i was happy to see nina and michael kors and guest judge nicole richie. small confesion..i love nicole richie. not necessarily my favorite designer(although i kind of liked his dress even if the judges weren't crazy about it) but definitely my favorite personality is anthony!

i have a ton of paperwork to finish and a meeting at 2:30 and then i'm done! i can see myself in bed and asleep by 9 because i'm exhausted. have a happy friday and a wonderful weekend:)

purple haze

details:

dress~rachel roy

cardigan~express

tights~american eagle

shoes~harajuku lovers

necklace~f21

happy almost friday!!! i had such a good time last night with my firend e. we laughed, we talked, we ate yummy indian food and drank martinis...it was fantastic! however, i woke up feeling not so hot-spicy food and alcohol..enough said. because of exams my kids had late arrival which meant i lounged in bed until the last possible minute. i really had no idea what i wanted to wear today. then, i remembered this dress. i wore it on thanksgiving but i feel like i neglected it a bit. i didn't really try to style it, i just threw it on in a panic about 20 minutes before people were supposed to arrive. i'll admit i didn't give it much more thought this morning. i thought solid tights would be too predictable so i decided to wear the polka dot ones. i was also worried that the print of the dress, the polka dots and the colorblock shoes would be a little bit busy but i'm happy with the way everything looks together. i love this necklace from f21 but i think i've only worn it one other time. it reminds of an anthropologie necklace.

we've been eating too much junk food lately. mainly because my schedule has been so hectic. tonight i'm going to cook a healthy dinner and settle in to watch the season premiere of project runway. i'm hoping this season will be better than the last. i was completely underwhelmed last season. it wasn't that the designers were less talented(although some of them were not very good). i think it was just missing a bit of a spark. i'm hoping that because they're back in new york we'll see more nina garcia and michael kors and less random guest judges. have a lovely thursday!

pink lady

details:

fair isle sweater/cords/chambray shirt~the gap

faux fur collar~ taken off an old sweater

nude patent shoes~steve madden

wow, i don't think i've worn an entire outfit from the gap since tenth grade! last night i tried to plan out what i was going to wear but the outfit i put together in my head didn't work in real life. as a result i was scrambling around trying to figure out something to throw on. this is what i came up with. the sweater is the same one i wore with my rodarte dress but in a different color. and yes, i will totally buy multiples of something if i really like it, especially if it's on super clearance:) i've been lusting after a pair of cords since the jcrew matchstick cords made their debut in the fall catalog. i never made it in to buy them(and i can't buy pants online because i'm always worried about the fit) so when i ran across this hot pink pair i had to have them. apparently chambray/denim shirts are making a comeback. i think for my dad and men of a certain generation they never really left:) i love how ruffles on this one make it a little girly. i added the faux fur collar on a whim after seeing it in the closet as i was getting my coat.

don't let the sun in these pictures fool you...it's cold! but i'll take sunny and cold over dreary and cold any day. i'm having lunch with my mom today, followed by a short meeting and dinner this evening with one of my best friends from high school. the plan is to change before going out but just in case i run out of time i think this look is good for dinner and drinks at a favorite indian restaurant. have a happy wednesday!

busy bee

details:

babydoll top~f21

skinnies~f21

turtleneck~old navy

boots~jessica simpson~nordstrom

i promised myself that i'd be more frequent about my posting but i've been slacking. yesterday was a long day and time just ran out. doug and i had an impromptu date night and i finally got to see up in the air. i loved it!

today promises to be another long day. doug's car is in the shop which means i'm doing all of the shuttling today:( there's work, one of the girls has a doctor's appointment and another needs a ride to and from work...not to mention figuring out dinner and some work to once i get home...i'm exhausted just thinking about it.

with that being said i'm dressing for warmth and comfort today. this top has been seen on here before and it is one of my favorites. last time i paired it with my wideleg jeans but today i thought i'd try the look with skinnies. i like the way it looks with the black turtleneck underneath. it's reminiscent of a pinafore...hmmm do little girls even wear those anymore?

grandma chic

details:

swiss dot dress~rodarte for target

fair isle sweater~the gap

tights~hue~anthropologie

owl necklace~anthropologie

wedge shoes~steve madden

fur~vintage

yesterday was a snow day! the kids didn't have school, i called into to work and doug worked from home. it is kind of nice to be snowed in with your family. i mostly lounged, drank coffee and tried to make a dent in the stack of magazines and books on my nightstand. i always think that the first day of a snowfall is a little bit magical. today it's back to the daily grind, although it's a friday! today's outfit is built around another rodarte dress. it reminds me of a polly flinders dress i had as a kid-i'm sure that reference totally dated me. does anyone even still dress their kids in those dresses? one of my all time favorite color combinations is pale blue with red. i knew right away i wanted to pair this dress with red tights for the winter but i needed something to pull the whole thing together. then i found this sweater the other day at the gap. i said i wasn't going to shop this month but honestly they are having a huge sale and this sweater was an additional 40% off. it ended up being something like $9! i think it does a great job of marrying the reds and the blues. it also makes the outfit a little less "girly". once again i belted the cardigan to make it less bulky and give me a little definition in the waist. it's like 15 degrees here today and i braved the cold to take outside photos! it wasn't too bad. these were taken on our front porch and i'm sure the neighbors now think i'm insane:) i know that there are people with some strong opinions about fur. would i buy a new fur coat? probably not, but my mom found this vintage one for me at a thrift store and i fell in love with it instantly. it kind of reminds me of the one carrie wore in sex and the city. i don't wear it very often because it seems a little over the top(even for me) which is a shame because i really love it and it's soooo warm.

doug's dad and stepmom are in town so we'll have his family over tomorrow night. we're doing a homemade pizza buffet! i've been dying to see up in the air. i'm hoping i can convince my honey to brave the cold for dinner and amovie tonight. other than that no big plans for the weekend.

pretty in pink

details:

floral dress~rodarte for target

cardigan~banana republic

black tights/patent leather belt~?

nude patent pumps~steve madden

cameo bracelet~f21

the snow is gone, although we're supposed to get 6-7 inches tomorrow. i wore this super cute rodarte dress a few days before christmas out with my girlfriends. can i tell you how much i love this dress?! i think i should have purchased the black one as well. one of my daughters told me it looked a little spring-ish for winter. sometimes in the middle of winter, when you haven't seen the sun for months, you need to bring the pretty! today i have it paired it with a pretty pink cardigan and black tights and my favorite steve madden shoes. i think these shoes were one of -the best purchases i made last year. i love cameos-or as my kids call them "jewelry with the creepy ladies head on it". I found this hot pink cameo and pearl bracelet at f21. it's one of those things i wish i could pair with everything in my wardrobe and it was under $8...yay!!

how are you dealing with the cold weather?

freezing!

details:

chunky black turtleneck sweater~old navy

plaid shirt~f21

jeans~almost famous~tj maxx

boots~target

coat~f21

bag~rebecca minkhoff~gilt

just when i was feeling all sassy mother nature goes and slaps me in the face. bitter cold-i don't like it but bring it...snow not so much!! i have a confession a few winters ago we had a terrible ice and snowstorm during which i took i really bad fall that left me with a mild concussion. that incident has left me with a fear of snow and ice. i hate coming out in the elements! there wasn't that much snow(maybe 3 inches) but that combined with the threat of black ice and freezing temperatures certainly dialed my sass level down a notch.

this is what i look like when i'm trying not to kill myself by slipping on a patch of black ice. these boots are the closest thing i have to snow boots. i love the plaid flannel and the rubber bottoms mean no slips:) the jeans are comfy and of course cuffed to show off the plaid. my office is freezing so i put on this black sweater for extra warmth. as soon as i finish my paperwork i'm rushing home to a cup of peppermint tea and some magazines(at least until it's time for me to get dinner ready). happy tuesday!

new year, new decade!

details:

cardigan~forever 21

skirt~ forever 21

necklace~ anthropologie

skinny belt~ forever 21

shoes~ leopard peeptoe~aldo

nude fishnets~ hue~macy's

hello!!! wow i didn't mean to take such a long break but in all honesty i've been enjoying doing nothing for the last week. which means that my outfits have consisted of yoga pants, t-shirts and my favorite old over sized sweater(because it's freakin' freezing in our house!). no inspiration there:) on my little vacation i did manage to take down the christmas tree/decorations, clean out my closet and see sherlock holmes(which i loved!). today is my first day back at work and even though there isn't much going on i wanted to dress up a bit because i'm meeting doug for lunch when i get off. i can't believe this entire outfit came from f21:) i love the soft minty color of this sweater. the details give it a vintage vibe and it's super soft. this skirt has been hanging in my closet for a while-funny what you find when you can actually see things in your closet- it has some sheen to it but i love how it looks with this sweater. i'm in love with this mustard colored belt but thought it looked a little random until i added the necklace from anthro which in addition to adding a vintage feel, it has all of these soft, lovely colors. since it's freezing i p[probably need to have on opaque tights but i wasn't really feeling the way they looked so i brought out the fishnets and the peeptoes..note to self:check the forecast before leaving the house in 4 inch open toe shoes..we're supposed to get snow today so getting to my car after work may be a little treacherous in these shoes:)

a new year(and a new decade) has me feeling a bit reflective but very optimistic. typically, i don't do well with resolution but this year i'm going to put it out there and see what happens.

1. i want to let more joy in and to really "be" in those moments and not get so stuck in my head.

2. surround myself with more positive people

3.be kinder to myself-i am my own worst critic! i really need to cut myself a little bit of slack

4. spend less and save more..what it could happen:)

i'm sure there are a few more kicking around in my head but i'm going to need to do this in baby steps.