So THIS is what February feels like...

It was cold this weekend. Colder than it has been since, I don't know, last winter or something. You know, when it was ACTUALLY WINTER, and not this bizarre will-it-won't-it winter tease we've had so far this year.

(Not that I'm complaining, or anything, because I like the warmer weather, but seriously...MAKE UP YOUR MIND, ALREADY, GEORGIA!!)

So, because it was cold, I figured it was as good a time as any to counteract the winter temperatures with spring colors. Flawed logic...it works for me, every time.

(Do you know what else works for me, every time? Totally copying my outfit from Kendi...)

 Tank Top: Old Navy

Cardigan: Gap (outlet)

Jeans: Levis (from TJ Maxx)

Shoes: Cole Haan

Scarf: Land's End Canvas

A walk in the park...

I know that this warmer than normal winter we're having should have me worried about the general state of the environment, and it really kind of does, but that hasn't exactly stopped me from enjoying it at the moment.

A picnic in January? Don't mind if I do...

And...what I wore for the picnic, because not all of us can pull of the Rapunzel t-shirt/hooded sweatshirt look. And every time I don't actually get dressed, I always seem to run into one of the other mothers from the neighborhood. And we wouldn't want that, of course...

T-shirt: Gap

Sweater: Gap (outlet)

Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Cole Haan (Off Fifth outlet)

Catching Up

I am still working my way through the last couple of weeks of blog posts in my feed reader, but I will get there. Even if I'm not commenting on the posts, I hate leaving them unread...it's part of the anal retentive side of my personality, I think. So, I keep trying.

I had even managed to pull the number of unread posts under 100 on Tuesday evening, while watching The Bachelor episode that I'd DVR'd, but then...

Well, then I started The Hunger Games. And it is so good. And now I have to read all three books before I can do anything else. Because that's how I operate.

So, maybe I'll see you all again after the weekend?

Shirt: Gap

Sweater: Gap

Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Cole Haan

Necklace: Banana Republic (outlet) 

Never happy?

Last week, we had a nice little overnight freeze that killed off the one plant I have on my back porch that I've managed to keep alive for longer than a month because I wasn't expecting the freeze, so I didn't get the poor guy in before it happened. It was so cold, the temperature inside our house had dropped to 61 in certain rooms, because we had the thermostat set on 63.

Cold. Yuck.

But yesterday? It was 71 outside. And our house was 76 degrees as a result. The only way to cool it down at all would have been to turn on the AC. In November. Which is definitely not happening.

So, if you need me, I'll be over here, wilting away in the heat, like the delicate little flower that I am. And if you want to come back next week, I'll be sure to complain about the icebox I'm living in when the temperatures return to normal levels.

I'm sure you can't wait...

T-shirt: J Crew

Sweater: BCBG

Cord Leggings: Gap

Shoes: Cole Haan

Bracelets: Mango Tree


Don't forget, eShakti is offering $20 off of any order through the end of the year, when you use the promotional code NOTAHOBBY0811.

The discount code is not case sensitive. Only one gift certificate can be used per order. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. This cannot be combined with any other offer / discount that may be active during this period.


Also, you can find my post about the skirt the company sent me to review here.

Star of the Show

We are getting family pictures taken this weekend, and the only advice we received from our photographer on clothing choices was 'no white'. Which, while helpful in the slightest of ways, was not really helpful at all.

Obviously, I want us all to match. And even more obviously, I don't want us all to match too closely. And even though my husband got a new sweater for the occasion, I'd rather not shop for these pictures if I don't have to. We're shooting for a purple/black/gray color scheme, based around the most ridiculously adorable striped sweater dress that my daughter owns and a pair of gray motorcycle boots that my sister-in-law bought her for her birthday, and I have to scour my closet tonight for options of my own. Should be a good time. Or not.

Tomorrow's lunch break may end up being a frantic trip to the mall to find something that will work. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, I guess.

Although, really, what I end up wearing probably won't matter in the end. I'm just going to be upstaged by a two-year old, anyway...

T-shirt: Forever 21

Jeans: TJ Maxx

Shoes: Cole Haan

Bracelet: Kohls

Who is ready for Christmas?

I love Halloween. I swear, I do.

I love costumes and candy and I'm starting to recognize the fun in creepy decorations. I love It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and I love that Brigid is now old enough to curl up on the couch next to me so that we can watch it together. I love that we were able to take her trick-or-treating this year, and she was old enough to understand that chocolate is AWESOME!

And I definitely love that while she's old enough to appreciate the holiday, she is still young enough for me to eat all of that awesome chocolate she collected, all in the name of being a responsible parent.

Toddlers only need so much candy, after all. Helping her eat it is the least I can do, right?

But Christmas...well, it will always be number one in my heart. Christmas music starts November 1st, and runs through January 1st. Christmas decorations go up as soon as I can get the Halloween decorations down. And Christmast shopping is basically a year-round event in my life.

So, I get very, very excited when Style Lush posts the annual Holiday Gift Guide, because anything that offers a collection of amazing gifts at under $25 each is kind of perfect, in my book. If you're looking for gift ideas for anyone in your life, you can probably find something awesome on this list. Just at first glance, I see about 8 things, at least, that I want to send my husband the link for...

(And item #3 on the Style Lush list? The scarf? I can TOTALLY vouch for how amazing it is, as you can see below...

I absolutely plan to ask for it in green this year!)

T-shirt: Gap

Scarf: Land's End

Jeans: MICHAEL Michael Kors

Shoes: Cole Haan

Channeling SJP?

It's Monday, which means you should head over to Two Birds for Inspiration Monday! Today's look is courtesy of Sarah Jessica Parker:

This is, by far, one of my favorite inspiration looks, because it is absolutely perfect for spending the day running around with Brigid, which is exactly what I did when I wore this to the zoo for the ridiculously fun Boo in the Zoo this weekend.

And if that's not the longest sentence ever typed, I don't know what is...

Hope you all had an equally fabulous weekend!

Tank Top: Target

T-Shirt: J Crew

Sweater: Alfani (via Macys)

Jeans: MICHAEL Michael Kors (via Macys)

Shoes: Cole Haan

Gameday!

In honor of my beloved alma mater's first college football win of the season (don't even get me started on the state of things so far...we should be 3-0 right now, instead of 1-2...that's all I'm saying...), I thought we'd go with a little game day attire today.

(Steve and I took Brigid to a small festival in our area on Saturday morning. I wore this, Steve wore a Notre Dame jersey, and Brigid wore a cheerleading outfit. All morning, we had people directing pro-ND sentiments our way, which I thought was fun. Steve, on the other hand, mentioned that he was tired of acknowledging the cheers every 10 minutes. 

Then maybe we shouldn't dress like such homers the next time we are in public, dear...) 

Win or lose, I love my Blue and Gold...

(And here is where I admit that we did, in fact, name our cat Rudy. After the movie. It's only fitting that he make an appearance in the pictures, huh?)

T-Shirt: ND Bookstore

Cardigan: Target

Shorts: Ann Taylor (outlet)

Shoes: Cole Haan

Someone needs a haircut...

The problem with my neighborhood is that everybody is too friendly. And everybody has kids, so everybody is always outside, and you never know when you're going to be expected to carry on a conversation with some random person that you can only identify by what flag they have hanging from their front porch or what their landscaping looks like.

And while this isn't really a terrible problem to have, it does mean that I feel guilty taking Brigid out to play without doing my hair first.

Luckily, I am immune to guilt these days...

Tank Top: Target

Sweater: New York & Co

Shorts: Ann Taylor

Shoes: Cole Haan

Dog Days...

Random story of the day: My little* dog, Peyton, is such a neurotic mess that she can't stand being separated from us for longer than five minutes at a time, especially if she thinks we may be having fun without her. And while I usually find it funny that she has to be right on top of us, this has started to become a problem when Brigid's bedtime rolls around.

See, we always keep B's door closed because we don't want the cats to get in there and make themselves comfortable in the poor kid's crib. Cats shed, and it's kind of gross. And if we leave the door open for any period of time, they will come in and hide under the crib, until they can make their move.

They are sneaky little things, my cats.

So, at night, Steve and I head upstairs, with Brigid in tow, and confine ourselves to her bedroom for a good hour at a time, while B gets a bath, and we all dance to Gaga for awhile. And Peyton CAN'T STAND IT!

But...well...she's found a way around all of this, because, it turns out, Peyton can open the door. Granted, it's a lever knob, and B's door does open into the room, so all the dog is doing is doing is pulling down on the lever and leaning, but still...

My dog can open doors. And she's gotten really good at it, too.

They're readying themselves for a takeover, I can feel it. We're outnumbered by the animals, and they're going to win. If I disappear from this space any time in the future, at least you'll all know what happened to me.

Unless she also knows how to type, too. Then you'll never even know that I am gone...

*It should be noted that 'little' is a relative term here. Yes, she's smaller than our 50lb dog, but she's getting pretty close to the 30lb mark, herself, so she's a little tubby. Someone needs to stop eating two different dinners every night, I guess...

Tank: Target

Cardigan: Macy's

Jeans: Michael Kors

Shoes: Cole Haan

Tiger, Take Two

This outfit is for my favorite Australia-based blogger and her Auburn Tiger of a husband...because apparently, navy blue and orange is my new go-to color combination.

Really, though, I've had this skirt for a month or two now, and it's super comfortable, but I never wear it because I can't find a top that I like with it. Nothing looks quite right tucked in, and given the flowiness of the skirt, I needed something a little more form-fitting than your basic t-shirt or tank top.

Then I picked up this tied t-shirt from the J Crew sale a couple of weeks ago, and my new favorite outfit was born.


At least until my next new favorite outfit comes along, anyway...

Worn to work last Friday:

T-shirt: J Crew

Skirt: H&M

Shoes: Cole Haan (Off Fifth - Saks outlet) 

It's always worth a try...

When I was at the Banana Republic outlet back during the 4th of July sales, I came across this dress. Even though I didn't think it would fit properly (something about blousy tops on dresses can look a little off on me sometimes...), I'm always looking for easy-to-wear summer dresses, so I decided to try it on anyway. And wouldn't you know...I loved it.

And now I have it in gray and pink.

This has been happening to me a lot, now that I think about it. Something that I don't think will look good on me when I see it on the rack ends up becoming one of my favorite pieces once I try it on. So much for learning to trust my judgment, I guess.

Worn running weekend errands:

Dress: Banana Republic (outlet)

Shoes: Cole Haan (Off Fifth - Saks outlet)

Guess who calls the shots around here?

It's Inspiration Monday over at Two Birds today, and we're looking to the always fashionable Sienna Miller for ideas...

I've always loved Sienna's style, but it's never really translated well in my life, because I'm a little too traditional to be able to pull off the bohemian look. My mind just doesn't work that way, I think.

But I thought I'd give it a try today. And so I did...

But, as it turns out, Brigid doesn't like the feeling of crocheted vests, or she just doesn't like vests, or she just didn't like me in general today, because the moment I picked her up to get her out of her crib this morning, she immediately pointed to my shoulder, shook her head, and said 'NO'. And then she did the exact same thing about five minutes later.

So, yeah. Opinions. She has 'em.

And I changed. Because she always wins.

Kids...

 

Worn to run errands today:

Shorts: Gap (outlet)

T-Shirt: J Crew

Shoes: Cole Haan (Saks outlet) 

Stripes

After a couple of weeks off, I'm back for Two Birds' Inspiration Monday posting! I've kind of missed playing along, because I like to be pushed in a direction that I wouldn't normally take, and finding inspiration in another person's outfit can be harder than it looks.

This week's inspiration? The Project Runway hostess herself, Heidi Klum:

 

(Speaking of PR, is everyone else as excited as I am that the new season is starting soon? I need me some Tim Gunn in my life, you know?)

Now, if this isn't the most mom-friendly outfit, ever, I don't know what is. It would have been perfect for our weekly trip to story-time at the library...if I hadn't decided to keep my recovering fever baby home for the day, instead of risking spreading the disease to a roomful of unsuspecting toddlers. But I wore the outfit around the house, which totally counts for this, right? And I really liked it, so it will make a showing out of the house at some point, I promise.

Top: Banana Republic (outlet)

Jeans: Gap

Necklace: Banana Republic (outlet)

Bracelets: Mango Tree

Shoes: Cole Haan

Inspiration: Diane Kruger

Today's inspiration from Two Birds is the easy-peasy style of Diane Kruger (who has been dating my make believe boyfriend Pacey Witter for several years now, a fact that I won't hold against her, because she's ridiculously adorable...):

One thing I've learned from this week's inspiration? I really need to get a skirt like the one Ms. Kruger is wearing in this picture, because I absolutely love it. Anyway, I decided to reverse the color palette, because I like to play fast and loose with these things.

(Also, because the closest thing I have to the skirt above is the pink one I'm wearing below, but whatever...)

(Also #2, I've included the heels I wanted to wear with this outfit, as well as the flats that I ended up wearing with this outfit, because the heels weren't conducive to my big plans of hitting up Target with my daughter and running around in the backyard for awhile...)

(Also #3, happy Monday!!)

T-shirt: J Crew

Skirt: J Crew (outlet)

Flats: Cole Haan

Heels: Steve Madden

Necklace: Calvin Klein

Casual Monday

I've been remarkably lucky with my work schedule since Brigid has come along, as my company allows me to manage my full-time schedule over four days instead of five. I was using Friday as my flex day, but due to a scheduling change on Steve's part, I've shifted my off day from Friday to Monday. And I am kind of looking forward to it, actually, because Monday's are terrible, terrible days. And now I get to spend them at home.

WIN!

On a completely unrelated note, do you ever get dressed and think, 'I don't think my mom wore something like this when she was my age...'?

Sometimes, I think I am younger in my mind than I am in reality. I have a hard time reconciling the two, you know?

T-shirt: INC (from Macy's)

Skirt: J Crew

Shoes: Cole Haan

Just Say No.

What is it about Mexican restaurants that make me want to overeat like there is no tomorrow?

Never mind, I already know the answer to that. 

Because it’s the chips. The baskets upon baskets of warm tortilla chips, that magically refill themselves just as you’re starting to see nothing but crumbs. Those stupid chips get me every time. And when you add queso to the mix? Well now, don’t mind if I do…

Note to self: Skinny jeans do not make you eat less food, as logical as you think that might seem. You will eat just as much, you will just feel really, really miserable on the drive home. Please plan accordingly next time.

Worn Thursday (5/19) for SiL's birthday dinner

Top: Banana Republic

Jacket: Kenneth Cole

Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Cole Haan

Sunday at Augusta

Steve and I spent Sunday at Augusta National for the final round of the Masters (I know, I've talked about nothing else for a week, now, but I promise, this is the end!!), and that golf course? It's gorgeous. But, it's also crazy hilly, and I can barely walk this morning after traipsing all over the place for twelve hours yesterday. We got there around 7:30am, before they even opened the gates, and about 30-45 minutes later, we were finally inside. We set up our chairs on the 18th green, hit up the merchandise shop, checked out the practice range, ate a quick snack, and headed to the 1st hole to see the first golfer tee off.

There was more wandering, as Steve and our friend Jim (who've both been to Augusta before, for practice rounds) showed me the course, and I made them stop every time we passed a bathroom, because the early morning start required coffee, and coffee does not get along well with my bladder at all. More wandering, more wandering, then we dropped Jim off in the grandstands at the 15th hole, while Steve and I went to track down my favorite golfer for a couple of holes. After four or so holes, I had thoroughly creeped myself out by being that person who was constantly standing there every time he passed the ropes, so we headed back to Jim at 15 for a couple of golfers.

Steve and I left, again, to hike all of the way back to the front of the course, so we could get our picture taken by the official Augusta photographer, because cameras are not allowed inside during tournament days, and I needed photographic evidence of the day, for crying out loud. Then, we walked back to our chairs at 18, where Steve left me to go join Jim back at 15, because the leaders were still only on the front nine. After a few minutes of sitting there by myself, I was bored and needed a water refill (90 degrees, people, and not a cloud in the sky. It. Was. HOT.), I went and tracked down my favorite golfer again, as he was finishing up on 16, and followed him for the last couple of holes. I briefly considered grabbing his butt as he was teeing off on 18, because I was that close to him, but I refrained. I am the model of restraint.

Besides, I kind of liked the place, and I would like to be allowed back in sometime soon. And I'm not entirely sure Steve would have left to bail me out of jail, if it had come to that. The finish was pretty amazing.

Also? I'm kind of hooked on golf, now. This southern thing might actually get to me, after all...

Dress: Banana Republic Outlet

Shoes: Cole Haan

Hat: Target

Outside!

We spent this weekend at my in-laws' house, and since I was without all of my normal camera equipment on Saturday, I enlisted my husband's help in photographing my outfit.

Of course, after spending the day at a flea market/playground/playing with my mother-in-law's new puppy, we were left with very little daylight, but we made the best of it. I tried to get Brigid to pose with me, because we were wearing matching skinny jeans, and a toddler in skinny jeans? Quite possibly one of the most surprisingly adorable things I've ever seen. She would have none of it, though.

However, when we were done with pictures? And everyone else was getting ready for dinner? And I had neither camera nor camera phone on me? Brigid took me back outside, stood in front of the garage doors, and smiled sweetly, while I took pretend pictures of her for ten minutes.

She's a trip, that kid...

Saturday:

Outfit 26 of 30

Blouse: Banana Republic

Sweater: Lands End Canvas

Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Cole Haan 

Sunday:

Outfit 27 of 30

Sweater: Banana Republic

Jeans: Express

Shoes: STEVEN by Steve Madden

Scarf: Lands End Canvas

A Weekend Post?

Oh, look...guess who's all caught up?!?!?

Friday was a quick change kind of day, with my at-home-with-Brigid outfit during the day and my date-night-with-Steve outfit for the evening. This, of course, gets me back on the 30x30 track after my sick day a couple of weeks ago, which means I won't be stretching this challenge out any longer than I have to. Also? It means that skirt Steve bought me for my birthday can be worn sooner rather than later. And the boots that I bought yesterday?* Same goes for those.

Outfit 17 of 30

Blouse: Banana Republic

Jeans: Michael Kors

Shoes: Cole Haan

Necklace: beach market in Florida

Outfit 18 of 30

T-Shirt: J Crew

Skirt: Club Monaco

Heels: Nine West

*Yes, I know that shopping is not part of the challenge.  But I had two $10 reward certificates from DSW, plus $5 off for my birthday, plus they were running a $15 off $49 purchase, plus free shipping.  Really, they were paying me to shop.  How could I refuse?