in recovery

                                            details:sweater&cords~gap/blouse~f21/shoes~steve madden/vest~f21



Hey All!! I think I've finally recovered from the holiday! I seriously was in a turkey induced haze until Friday afternoon and I'm 100% sure that I consumed my body weight in pound cake and pecan pie. I hope you all had a wonderful time with your friends and family:) I'm so excited to get the Christmas decorations up but at the same time I'm overwhelmed at the thought of dragging them all upstairs from the basement.

This afternoon, I took my youngest daughter to the Cincinnati Art Museum to see the Wedded to Perfection exhibit. It's a collection of wedding gowns, photos and other documentation going back 200 years. It's a wonderful exhibit that runs through January, so if you're in the area I suggest you check it out and it's free! I managed to get this pics of my outfit right before it got really dark. I wish I'd gotten better ones because I really love how this came together. I bought these pants on super clearance last year but I never really wore them because I hated the length. This morning it occurred to me to fold and press a hem in them. I love them at this ankle length! Such a simple fix, I'm not sure why it took so long for me to figure out. You've seen this plaid blouse a few times and every time I wear it, I'm amazed at how versatile it is. Or, maybe I've become used to looking weird and it doesn't really bother me anymore:D

I had a date night with the hubby tonight:) So, it's been a long day. I'm off to bed. Have a lovely and relaxing Sunday!

november sky

                                details:dress~f21/cardigan~anthropologie/vest~f21/tights~walmart/shoes~bcbgirls

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! Friday night I went to a little girls night get together at my neighbor's house and Saturday I drove up to my daughter's school to see her bff Aaron perform in a one act play. Sunday was spent lounging around and trying to get the energy to tackle the Thanksgiving to do list. My hubby has to work on Thanksgiving{boo!} so we are having our big traditional meal on Wednesday night. Thursday my parents are coming for breakfast and I will spend the rest of the day in a food coma, napping and watching the dog show:)

The main tasks of the day including cleaning and list making but I gave in and braved the grocery store this afternoon. To say that it is unseasonably warm is an understatement. 70 degrees in Ohio at the end of November is unheard of but somehow bare legs didn't seem right! I paired on of my favorite dresses from the summer(even though I don't think it made an appearance here) with a pair thick cotton tights and sandals.I loooove all the wooden beads at the top. I should have taken off my neckalce but I really just threw this on to run to the store. It's a sundress so I layered the cardi over it and topped it off with this great faux leather vest. Seriously, it was so warm the vest came off in the car...what the heck Mother Nature!? I've had wear red lipstick on my list of things to do for awhile but I was afraid it would be too bright. I bought this tube of Maybelline figuring if I hated it I would only be out $7. I gotta admit I'm totally diggin it. What do you think? Are the red lips a bit much? I only have on a little bronzer so my face looks a little bare:(

 This is the first time I've tried to take photos in the evening and I'm sort of in love with the way the sky looks this time of night.

I'm off to make sure I have everything I need and no additional trips to the grocery are needed{I always manage to forget one thing on the list. I'm not sure how because it's written down!} and then it's making crusts for the pies. Have a wonderful evening!

a little romance

details:cardigan&belt~anthropologie/blouse~victoria's secret/skirt&necklace~f21/jacket~vintage/scarf~mom's

Guess what? Tomorrow is Friday!!! Things have been a little busy at Casa de Choas lately. I think I go months at a time believing that I have everything under control and everything is being managed and then a week later it all catches up to me and I feel overwhelmed! I say overwhelmed but I mean that in a good way. There are some exciting things that are happening in my life(a little early to talk about them but I'll let you know soon) and there's also some excitement over the start of the holidays. I know it sounds silly because we've been together for so long but I'm super excited for our first "married" Christmas:)

I had a meeting today. I needed to look professional and creative. I was very nervous but this is what I came up with. I love the softness of the pale colors and the chiffon blouse and skirt paired with dark gray tights. I'm kind of bummed I couldn't get better pictures but I was freezing my buns off! It's a little bit romantic-which I love. I'm not sure how professional I looked but since I loved it I felt completely comfortable in my abilities.Yesterday I was finally able to make a fire in our fireplace for the very first time on my own! I think I need to make another one and settle in with a cup of (decaf) coffee{thanks to yesterdays late afternoon cup of joe I didn't fall asleep until 4 am..boo!} Have a wonderful evening.

ps-I am so behind in blog reading and commenting. I'm going to try to catch up tonight:)

seeing spots

details:dress~h&m/jacket&bag~f21/clogs~steve madden/scarf~street vendor

I knew it wouldn't last. The sun and the glorious warm weather has disappeared. I bought this dress a few months ago. It's one of those things that has the potential to go very bad! I wore it out to a dinner to celebrate my mom's birthday. But, I've been stumped as to how to wear it more casually. I wore this over the weekend. I almost didn't post these because I have a fashion-y kind of thing tomorrow and I'm tempted to wear this exact same outfit but I fear I may freeze my buns off because this dress is super sheer! 

How was your weekend? I finally got to see Morning Glory{loved it!}, made some yummy strawberry scones and cooked bacon in the oven for the first time. Doug laughed at me when I called it heaven on plate. but seriously, how have I missed the boat on the baked bacon!?

Have a lovely evening!  

hello, weekend

details:sequin shrug~f21/blouse~tucker for target/jeans~converse/shoes~seychelles

Friday, where have you been? This feels like the longest week ever! I was supposed to spend the weekend in Memphis but a sick kid trumps girly bonding when you're a mother. My friends daughter wasn't feeling well yesterday and it's gotten worse over night so our road trip is hold:( I'm bummed but what are ya gonna do?

Nothing cheers a girl up like a sparkle! Am I right? This little sequin shrug is way old. So old that I'd given it to my daughter. She left it behind when she went to school so I reclaimed it:D It was the perfect topper for my new Tucker for Target blouse. When this collection was released, I wanted one of everything. I exercised some self control and bought two tops. The other day I wandered into Target and found this top on the sale rack. It was $7.98!Score!! I wish I'd taken these pics at a different time so you could see the jeans a little better-but seriously I'm not gonna complain that it's a sunny 70 degrees in November. They're a light denim{something I haven't worn since the 80s} and a little distressed. They were another Target sale pick. Of course when I got them home they were too small! I'm happy to see they now fit perfectly:)

I thought I'd be spending my weekend with good food and my girlfriends. Since I'm on my own I'm off to stuff my face with some sushi and go see the new Rachel McAdams movie(because in my head we are totally friends!)

Have a happy weekend:)

nothing special

details:dress and cardigan~anthropologie/shoes~jessica simpson

I think this extremely warm weather is messing with my head. I worked out all of these outfits featuring sweaters, tights and layers but because it's been about 70 degrees all week! This has left me struggling to find something...anything to wear. Getting dressed this morning was a struggle. Our bedroom looks like a tornado hit it. I must have tried on seven or eight different outfit combinations and nothing worked. I decided to go with what always works-a dress and a cardigan. It's nothing exciting but at least I managed to get dressed and leave the house. I've also learned after flats all week I'm struggling in these heels today.Boo! Thankfully cooler temps will be returning next week{yikes!!did i just say that!?}and I'm hoping my creativity returns with it.

My son came home from school today and announced he had a band performance...TONIGHT! Thanks for the heads up bud! Ugh...I hate these kinds of lat minute announcements that require me to shuffle the entire night's schedule. In other news, one of my best friends and I are headed to Memphis to visit another friend. I'm excited to have a girls weekend away but I'm dreading the whole packing thing! I swear I'm the world's worst packer. I'm so indecisive and tend to bring as much of my wardrobe as possible.  

heartbreak warfare

details:cropped blazer&pearl bib necklace~f21/concert tee/jeans~thrifted/shoes~seychelles

Welcome to Tuesday! The weather is gorgeous!! I'm trying to savor all of the sunshine while it lasts. That being said I was absolutely dragging this morning! I think I may need some kind of vitamin supplements. I have the hardest time starting the day even after I've had my morning coffee.

As a result this is a less than spectacular outfit post. This is an "I have to get out of bed but I really don't feel like getting dressed" outfit. I've been living in these jeans since I rediscovered them lurking in my closet. The baggy fit is perfect for days when the thought of squeezing into a pair of skinny jeans is unbearable. They also don't require that I wear super high heels(like my flares) so I can be pretty comfy in them all day. I'm not really a t shirt girl. I have some that I work out in and some very unattractive ones that I wear to bed but I generally don't buy tees{mostly because I have some mom jiggle that looks best with structured tops}. I do have this tee I got at the John Mayer concert went to this summer. {And, yes, I love John Mayer. I realize hipsters think he's lame and his behavior lately has rated four out of five stars on the Kanye West scale of a**hole-ry, but yeah I love him.} So it was this super soft concert tee and a cropped blazer because I am feeling so lazy and I'm not in the mood to wear clothes! I added the f21 pearl bib necklace to class it up a little:D

I took my son to get his flu shot today. He was complaining that his throat was sore. We get and the doc says he has strep:( Poor baby! He's happy because he gets to stay home until Thursday and he gets to put off his flu shot for another week. I'm off to check on my kid and figure out dinner. See you on the flip side:D

hey miss american girl

details:trench~gap/sweater~izod/jeans,bag&jewelry~f21/shoes~kate spade

The weekend was cold and gloomy. Of course this week indian summer will hit the Queen City and we will have temps in the 70s...ah Mother Nature you are soooo indecisive!

Anyway, I wore this Friday night to a pub with my husband. I loved it so much I wore it again on Saturday to run a few errands:) This trench is probably close to ten years old. I think I've worn it once but I had the good sense to hold onto it. One example of when my hoarding serves a greater good!When the husband saw me Friday night he told me I looked like a sexy spy;) speaking of the hubs...he came home one day and told me he had a surprise from Costco. I was expecting 200 hundred rolls of paper towels or a six month supply of tater tots. It was this sweater. Sweet..no? I have a feeling that a version of this outfit-skinny jeans, ladylike shoes,and a sweater-will be in heavy rotation on ye old blog. For some reason I felt effortlessly chic{a little bit classic american style mixed with a touch of european cool}. It must have been the trench coat;)

Hope your Monday is treating you well!
*post title taken from this counting crows song..enjoy

birds of a feather

details:sweater~f21/feathered perch skirt~anthropologie/shoes~f21

This skirt is the perfect example of an impulse buy. I fell in love with this skirt the moment I saw it. I knew it was coming home with me. But, I gave no thought as to how it would fit into my wardrobe. It doesn't. Staying at home requires a much more casual look than I'm used to wearing. The trick once again is to dress it down a little. The slouchy sweater makes it a little less frou-frou. I love the fact that it kind of slips off the shoulder. A little bare shoulder never hurts;) {yes mom,I know it's cold and I promise I'll wear a jacket today}

It's going to be a cold weekend here so I doubt we'll do much. The kids want to see MegaMind so we take in a matinee tomorrow afternoon when Logan is finished with her SAT. I know she'll do well but could you send out a few positive test taking vibes her:) Any big weekend plans?

Have a happy Friday! 

call of duty

                                                  details:dress&belt~anthropologie/cardigan~target/boots~jessica simpson

So, this morning I had jury duty. Once upon a time, a long time ago, I thought I would be lawyer and somewhere in the back of my brain I still harbor fantasies about going to law school. I was kind of excited because I'm dorky like that. After checking in and waiting around for about an hour we were finally ushered into the courtroom. The case has been continued...LAME!

What does one wear to report for jury duty? A sweater dress of course! Comfy, cozy and perfect for standing around waiting for the wheels of justice to (slowly)move. The cardigan has sequin stripes across the front. Hmmm...I need to take better detail pictures:(

Have a happy Thursday!

victor,victoria(n)

details:jeans~thrifted/blouse~vintage-etsy/shoes~seychelles

Hey there! How's your week going?Mine..ick! I'm going to try to stay positive so I'm not going to go into details. At some point I need to run to the grocery to figure out something to make for dinner but I've spent most of the day in the house. The kids and the husband were home from school/work Monday and Tuesday. It's nice to have the house to myself today and enjoy the silence. Yesterday was spent in yoga pants and sweatshirt. Today I wanted to shower and make myself look a little bit decent.

I sort of fell in love with this blouse from etsy seller gogo vintage. The hard part was trying to figure out what to wear with it. I didn't want it to look like a costume. I think the easiest thing is to keep it relaxed and casual. Baggy boyfriend jeans and my favorite metallic shoes keep it super easy and the perfect thing for a trip to the grocery store.

On an entirely different note....we have so much halloween candy left over! I think I'm going into sugar shock. I have also discovered that I have no willpower:( Doesn't every meal need to be followed with a snickers and reese cup chaser? 

the weekend in pictures

We had a very busy weekend! 

I did all of the bouquets and a few arrangements for my brother-in-law's wedding on Saturday. 

                                          I wish I could wake up to room full of flowers every day.

                                                     Some of the finished bouquets

 We used these arrangements on the sign in table, the gift table and a few other places in the reception venue.

 Their rehearsal dinner was a costume party. I was Miss Scarlett in the library with a candlestick.

 Getting ready for trick or treaters on Sunday in my orange Anthro skirt and my ivory and black f21 cardi.

                                                Henry dressed as a ladybug:)

                                                            Happy Halloween!

                                                            Posing with my daughter

                                                          Dancing with my hubby:)

It was an amazing and exhausting weekend!

six

Today marks six months of wedded awesomeness! I love you sweets:) You are the cheese to my macaroni.