Sugar & Spice

Okay, more like Sepia and Dusty Blossom but you get the point. This has to be one of my new favorite color combinations, I can see it looking great with white denim this summer. I love how the embellishment on this tank works with a cardigan. This is one of my favs the Maya Cardigan , which is designed to be closed. I hate covering so much of the embellishment but the dusty blossom pink was my favorite tone match to the "cinnamony " color.

On a completely unrelated note, today my Nook arrived....yay. I have been waiting anxiously for my backordered Christmas present and have been cursing at (well, not really) every thing that has taken me away from starting a book today like showering, feeding my kids, running to the grocery store but now I am off to read Shiver.

Tissue Garland Tank-J Crew

Maya Cardigan-J Crew

Matchstick Jeans-J Crew

Ballet Flats-Old Navy

J Crew New Arrival Updated

FYI: The new J Crew arrivals are now online that I tried on here (with the exception of one cardi). I am updating the links/names ALSO it turns out the layered tank I thought I purchased was actually the new Ruffled Henley Tank that looks almost identical to the Layered Ruffle Tank that I thought I had purchased.

Boden Maxi Dress-Hmmmm....need your help

I was pleasantly suprised to see my boden package in the mail this morning already. I know we have all been anxious to see the Maxi Jersey Dress in real life. This dress is much brighter then the pictures reflect although it is a great color combo and the dress itself is very well made and the jersey fabric is thick enough to not be see through in the light (at least I don't think it will).Well, here it is layered with a white tee and ummmm, I am not sure. First mistake, I ordered this in a regular length instead of long. I did this because Maxi Dresses are usually so long already and I didn't want to trip over it. Obviously, I did not have to worry about that. I also sized down on this one  (UK 10, US 6) so it is a little bit tight around my chest but since I am FAR from busty, that is not that big of a deal.

So what do you think? I am not sure it all that flattering on me. Am being to hard on myself and it is it great as is, should I exchange it for a longer size, or should I return it altogether since there is no shortage of Boden items on my wishlist? Keep in mind this is a $98 dress.

p.s. I have no idea why my feet look mangled here, really I have very normal feet

J Crew, I am sorry I doubted you.....some Spring Line Reviews

Ever have those days when your coloring is off, your dark circles refuse to be covered and you gained at least five pounds overnight? Well that was me today but I was determined to go to the larger Anthro store today (some reviews on that tomorrow) and I wasn't 100% sold on anything because of "the yuckies" so I put my items on hold so I could see what may be next door at J Crew but I wasn't holding my breath at all. The new spring line hasn't seemed that promising and I was pretty sure I'd be able to resist. BOY was I wrong!!! They had just  gotten their Spring shipment in today and it was beautiful (and packed) in there! Most of these items aren't online yet so I will give you item numbers:

**UPDATED with online names and links**

Scalloped Zipper Cardigan -$98 Style #23423, color HST

I fell in love with this sweater as soon as I saw it on the floor styled with a puffy mini skirt and a tank. I love the two chunky zippers (only the inside one actually zips), the ruffle and the touch of silk. It is very lightweight and is made of 80% Pima Cotton, 20% wool with the decoration being 100% silk. I found this to be TTS, I grabbed a Medium.

Neopolitan Cardigan-$88 Style #23061 Color VDU with the Ruffled Henley Tank-$39.50

This print coordinates with all the great J Crew colors. It has the dusty blossom, light pink, the cinnamon and a hint of slate and navy. They also had a pencil skirt in this pattern that was beautiful! In the picture I am wearing a Medium but I ended up sizing down to a Small because I typically wear my cardigans open, it is 100% Merino Wool. You can see the coordinating skirt on Anya of Simply JCrew here

I also sized down to a small on the ruffled henley tank which I really fell in love with IRL. This is the Whisper Pink.

Tissue Garland Tank-$45 Style #23337 Color SEP and Ella Embellished Cardigan-$98 Style #24946 Color SHA (shadow)

This tank is so much fun and came in some fabulous colors. If I remember right there was light pink, dark gray, bright coral, white and this color which they had styled with a pale pink cardigan. I sized down here also, this is a Small and it is a really fun piece and I love that it isn't sheer/thin.

To me this cardigan was the love child of Fifi and Rosette.  It is 100% cotton with the embellishments being a cotton/silk blend, It is really light weight and has a looser boxy shape. I stuck with a Medium because I thought I may want to button it at times.

Here is a picture that shows the tank embellishment better (and their dirty mirrors):

Cotton Papillion Blouse -$78 Style #22816

I thought this was a fun little blouse and it fit TTS. It is machine washable but can't imagine having to iron all the oragami butterflies.

I really wish I had tried on more to show you the bright colors they had everywhere. Not nearly as boring as the look books had promised. The lightweight cashmere cardigans were fabulous and I loved the color selection, there were some GREAT dresses and skirts, they just were going to clearly be too short for me so I didn't try them on. They also had some military style (including camo) jackets. A big thing I heard discussed throughout the store was that almost everything in the store was cotton which is great for SAHM's and for vacationing. The only silk they had were a few left over Frances cami's.

Polka Dotted Monday

Today is another crazy busy Monday. First I got to work in Chase's Kindergarten classroom and now I have to do some vacuuming, floor cleaning and counter/cabinet wiping in order to meet our other adoptions worker (yes, we have two of them plus our social worker) at 3:00. T-Ball practice is at 4:00 and then we have to leave at 5:30 to get to one of our required adoption classes............whew. I am tired just thinking about it.

Luckily, everything today is casual so one outfit will last me through the day if I want it to. I had on my juliet heels but flats just seemed more practical with everything going on. And although I have been dressed for hours, obviously the toddlers are not but they look so darn cute and comfy.

Top- DownEast Basics

Flutter Bow Cardigan- J Crew

Weekend Jeans-Old Navy

Flats-Old Navy

I postponed my trip to J Crew and Anthropologie this weekend when I saw that they had added the in-store promo 0f 30% off all sale items to the online (promo code EXTRA30). I plan on going to Anthropologie tomorrow or Wednesday so be on the look out for some reviews. In the meantime here is what I picked up on final sale from J Crew. I was good and kept the total low.

Roses and Ruffles Tank:  I am just a sucker for ruffles and roses done in knit. I had tried it on in store and liked it so I scooped it up for just $20.99

Jackie Cardigan: A Jackie also for just $20.99, how could I pass that up. All they had left in my size was the light pewter (now gone) but I am sure it will get put to good use all the same!

Here Comes the Sun...do dah do dah....

Saturday we finally saw the sun again! I realize that I did not take any big color risks here and I feel a little like a soccer mom in this but I loved it all the same. I think it looked better IRL because some of the details and coloring are harder to capture in a photo.  I wanted to pair this cardigan with a bright color (like Papaya) but my new whisper pink suede Juliet's arrived in the mail that morning (I found on eBay for $29.99) so I switched to the rolling ruffles tank instead.

Cardigan-Boden

Tank-J Crew

Distressed Boyfriend Khakis-Old Navy

Shoes-J Crew

Sunday I had planned on finally wearing my pleated lawn skirt from J Crew but I ended up being pressed for time so I threw on my new Boden dress and a necklace and I was done. I love items that make a statement on their own without having to worry about accessories....perfect for my crazy life!

Dress-Boden

Necklace-?

Shoes-J Crew

Johnnie Boden, I think I love you.......

About 30 minutes ago, there was a knock on the door and guess what the FedEx man brought me??? My Boden order (well, the first one... since I ordered more last week). As most of you know, I have been a wee bit excited/anxious about this package. In fact, these are all items I pre-ordered back in November. I have never ordered from Boden before so I was worried about the sizing and (of course) the typical "I have built this up in my head too much what if I don't like it" probelm.  So I had to try on and photograph everything immediatly which is why I have a messy ponytail, the necklace on I wore today and zero lipstick on. While you are at it, try to picture me tan.

**Boden runs a lot of percentage specials so if you are thinking about placing an order, register for a catalogue and see what they email you for discounts, I got this order at 20% off with free shipping and my second order was 15% off with free shipping as well**

Smart Knitted Dress in green-$138 UK Size 12 Long, US Size 8L

This dress is amazing on. It is so comfortable and it is beautifully made . You aren't just paying for the design, the quality is great. It is a light sweater knit and comes with an attached sweater knit slip to make sure there is no sheerness in the light. The cut is very slimming and doesn't hug the bad spots.

I consider myself a size 8 in anything that hugs my hips. I found this dress to be very true to size. I also ordered it long since I am 5'9" and prefer dresses to hit at or below my knee whenever I can.

Rose Cardigan in Light Blue Melange -$88 UK Size 10, US Size 6 and

the Embellished Jersey Vest in Navy Batik- $58 Size 10, US Size 6

This tank screams vacation to me and it is really light, flowy and easy to wear. The embellished neckline makes it even more special and even though it is a looser cut, it does have shape at the sides of the waist/hip which is a rarity.

The cardigan is such a pretty spring/summer color and it will go well with jeans or a dressed up with a skirt. It is vey feminine and the embellishments are done very well. It is a light Merino Wool and I can see it getting a lot of use in my wardrobe!

Textured Cotton Shift in watermelon stencil-$118 UK Size 12L US Size 8L

This particular colorway is not for the timid, and I see it looking great with a denim jacket but for quick photo I just threw on a basic white cardi. Don't ask me what I was thinking with the pose. Boden really does a shift well. It was tight going on but once it was in it's place, the fit was perfect. I sometimes run into problems with shift dresses not fitting my figure and adding bulk to my waist and hips. It may be partially due to the fact that this is a "long size" so it hit my waist in a better spot, but whatever it was, I likey.

Again, I went with my true size when a dress is fitted on the hip, an 8. There are some great, more subtle prints in this dress as well. I also really liked the neckline on this dress, very femine and the material has a very nice weight.

Favourite Crew Neck Cardigan in Sealion Leopard-$74 UK Size 10, US Size 6

I had missed out on the J Crew ocelot cardigan and had been looking for a great "leopardish" print that wasn't a typical animal print and this fit the bill perfectly. I am kind of a snob when it comes to the quality of my cardigans. It is not like I need them to be cashmere (in fact I prefer my every day cardigans not to be) but I like the material to be soft and keep a shape. Sounds simple enough but I find a lot of the inexpensive ones that I like with cute designs are stiff after the first washing. Where was I going with this thought? This cardigan has both, a cute print and a great quality.

I love the playful design of this cardigan. The extra large print and the knotted ribbon on the buttons keep me from feeling like I am trying to look like some type of sexy cougar. This is just an issue I have with animal prints and my age. It is a fitted cardigan but the material and cut keep it from bunching and giving rolls where I sure don't need them. The buttons are a little tough to button but I doubt I'd button it all the way up normally, I just didn't have a shirt on underneath so I kinda had to.

Hopefully, these reviews help all you other Boden newbies out there. I couldn't be happier with the quality and sizing of their items. So what is still on the way? This beautiful maxi dress which I grabbed at 15% off + free shipping before it went on backorder:

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

Today I decided to draw inspiration from the lake forming in my backyard (okay, it is really just a big puddle) and I added a touch of nautical to today's outfit. I am ready for the rain to go away, luckily that is supposed to be tonight.

I am thinking of a trip to J Crew and Anthro tomorrow for some fitting room reviews since my hubby has a coaching clinic for T-Ball. I am curious to see what is left on the sale rack at J Crew with the extra 30% off and the Anthropologie next door to it is much larger then the one I visited last week and will hopefully have more of the new arrivals. Just depends if I am feeling strong enough to resist temptation. Has anyone found any good deals on their J Crew sale rack?

Shrug-Banana Republic Winter '07

Top-DownEast Basics

Jeans-Banana Republic

Shoes-Style & Co for Macys

Bag-Nine West

Necklace-Steinmart

Here is a closer look at the shoes. High heeled oxfords, gotta love 'em!

A (not very pretty) Week in Review

Okay,this was Saturday's post that I hadn't put up. I even titled it "Don't hate me because it is beautiful outside" and wrote:

Yes, I am wearing flip flops, it is still in the 70's here. I grabbed this quick snapshot as I ran out the door yesterday for a picnic at the lake followed by the playground (which is why I have on flip flops. Sand with flats don't mix well. Sorry about the poor lighting and yes, the mirrors are really dirty in my bedroom. Cooper loves to hide in the closet (insert joke here) so his handprints and colored on it with an orange crayon  which left wax lines everywhere. I am sure one day I will miss that when they are all grown up......hmm.....maybe not.

So then what happens from my good weather bragging? Back- to- back storms bringing lots of rain and wind. I know, we So Cal girls are spoiled, I don't mind a little rain (since it is a novelty here) but four straight days of hard rain and wind.....makes me super lazy and stir crazy. So, even though I have been getting dressed and taking some snap shots, I haven't been posting any. Here is a recap of my uninspired week!

Monday

A little light rain (which I love) so I dressed in wintery colors and ran a few morning errands. This outfit was inspired from Amy's look from here

Top, Cardigan, Jeans-The Loft

Belt-Old Navy

Tuesday

First really stormy day. Dressed for extreme comfort and a morning run to Old Navy. Weather got nasty and knocked down a large part of our Eucalyptus tree, blocking the whole street and missing my neighbors parked car by inches (no exaggeration). Salvaged evening by watching Coraline and having a pizza party in our living room with the kids.

Dress-Shade Clothing

Possibilies Cardigan (knotted up)-Anthropologie

Wednesday

Getting really tired of the rain and wind. Plus my whole front yard is covered with cut up pieces of our tree. Got the bad weather blues and dressed that way since I only left the house for carpooling.

Wrap Cardigan-Layers Clothing

Jeans-Lauren Conrad for Kohls

Kady Boots-Target

Thursday

Still raining, everything is flooding but my kids rooms are actually clean from being held hostage by the weather. Can you tell how exited I am about the rain now? My shoes were on my feet for about an hour, the rest of the day was just fluffy socks! Really hoping my Boden order will arrive to cheer me up and remind me of warmer days. Does anyone know how Boden ships (i.e. UPS, USPS, Fedex, etc)?

Cashmere V-Neck Cardigan-Ann Taylor

Bed of Roses Tee-the Loft

Weekend Jeans-Old Navy

Hope your weeks are all going well! Check me out on Kim's blog along with some other Anthroholic followers!

Anthropologie Reviews.... and a bust

So today warranted a rushed trip to Anthropologie. Why? We'll get to that later. They didn't have the main new arrivals in yet that I had hoped to find but there was still a lot of goodies I had been spying online. If you notice behind me in the pics, there is a red wagon. In that red wagon is two toddlers who love the echo in Anthropologie's dressing rooms and are yelling loudly. This is why my trip was rushed.

Through the Clouds Tank-$68
This a simply beautiful tank. The fit is flattering, easy, and the details are perfectly done. I can see this being dressed up or down and getting years of use. Online they just have an ivory color, which was beautiful IRL. I ended up going with a pale blue/grey but it was a close call. This is a medium.

Zig Zag and Zinnias Tee -$68

I love, love LOVE this tee. It is easy fun and unique. The flowers are a little heavy but don't seem to pull the neckline down. This is a Medium

Dress that I can't find the name of but did take a pic of the tag:
On sale for $89.95. They just had two size 6's left. I am seriously considering running back for it...what do you think. Is it just cute or really cute? Maybe I just like it because it is flattering.

Recital Cardigan-$88

At this point I was really rushing so I didn't wrap this perfectly but this is an adorable cardigan. This is a Medium. It is lightweight and will be great for Spring and Fall. I am keeping this one on my wish list for sure!

Snowscape Tank -$69ish on sale. no longer online but there were plenty in my stores sale section.
This is a size 6 and still seemed too big on me. Didn't have time to grab another size. It is pretty IRL but did not live up to my expectations. Also, the color wasn't as ivory/pink as I thougt it would be and for me, it draped too low. I have seen it look great on others like Kim

And here is what I wore to Anthropologie today:

longsleeve-Shade Clothing

Ice-capped Blouse-Anthropologie

Old Navy Weekend Jeans

Apt 9 pumps from Kohls

And here is the bust (and why I was at Anthro). My lacemaker skirt arrived and the size 8 had the same bunching problem as the 8. It wasn't too tight and I promise those aren't fat rolls. I had read in the reviews that peole were having the same problem but I had hoped the larger size would work but alas it didn't. The lining just seems to be cut wrong (or just doesn't like my curves) and it had to go back but I was prepared this might happen and had a great time spending the credit (again)

Blooms Print Dress

et me start off by saying this dress is really beautiful. The colors are amazing, the fabric quality is amazing and it is a beautiful statement piece. That said, mine is going back. The problem is, I really wanted it as a tunic. I have been stalking some great tunics like this one and this one and when I saw the Blooms Print Dress I hoped it would fit the bill.

However, this is really meant to be a dress. A very well made dress that just does not work as a tunic and is too short on me (5' 9") to wear that way. It is too nice for the park much less doubling as a beach cover up. I am sad to see this one go back because it really is a beauty. My only complaint is that it has a very straight cut waist and with that fabric it isn't as flattering as on the online pics. If I stand just right, the waist dips in like online and it looks perfect but if I took a picture like that, I would feel a little dishonest! This is a size 6, what I usually wear in Loft blouses.

Roses and Blooms

Today was a day to be grateful for what you have. Some of our friends from church just had their eldest daughter pass away. I don't want to imagine how hard that is. I just wanted to be home today and cuddle in bed with my kids, keeping them safe and close. They, of course, had other ideas on how they wanted to spend their day.

This is what I wore. I love the viscose tango tank , it has the best fit. Also, I also wore my merino rose corsage cardigan that I snagged during the extra 20 (which is going on again). I didn't really think I cared that much about this sweater but once I put it on, I really loved it and am so happy I found one in the vintage rose color.

So, that was the rose, now for the bloom. I have been avoiding the Loft during my shopping break and then I cam across this dress on Gigi's blog.....uh, oh........

The Blooms Print Dress. I just love the bold print, the navy with lime green AND orange, the necklace detailing around the collar. I am in trouble. Did I mention everything is 25% off right now (Promo Code SAVE25). Tomorrow I will post some IRL pics for your opinion on the fit.

I couldn't get a good read on the fabric online so I had to go see it in person. It is a rayon/cotton blend with a good weight (mid) and a slight sateen/silky feel. It has a hidden side zipper that does not buldge at all and it is lined.

Tone on Tone Inspired

This morning after my shower, I saw this email from Anthropologie:

fell in love with these outfits:

and threw on my own as I rushed out the door for errands! Tomorrow I'll do a little better (promise)

Shirt-DownEast Basics

Cardigan-The Loft

Jeans-Lauren Conrad for Kohls

Belt-Banana Republic

Kady Boots-Target

Rushing, Boden and some styling help

I overslept a little today and when you have four kids to get ready, it can get a little stressfull. Have I ever mentioned that I hate being late? I just can't do it so todays outfit was a little (okay, a lot) rushed. Good news is that we all still got to church on time to get our regular row and all there were no signs of bed head.

Dress - Downeast Basics

Necklace-J Crew

Boots-Steve Madden

After church, I was ecstatic to see an email that my Boden Spring Preview order had shipped! Yay! This is my first time ordering from Boden but after seeing all the adorable styles that Dinagideon sports from there I had to give it a try, Plus, their Spring Line is amazingly droolworthy. 

Another note, remember the lacemaker skirt that I tried on here ? It is on sale now for $69.95. Hypothetically speaking, If someone were to buy this skirt with her credit (that isn't really shopping is it?) what do you think would work well this skirt?

Fields and Fields of Flowers

I am feeling back to normal today, just in time to go back to work this afternoon (yucky) and tomorrow. This morning I had to run take care of all the errands I didn't do yesterday and here is what I wore. The cardigan and pants were eBay finds from awhile back that I haven't worn. Thanks to the closet clean out, I remembered they existed and was able to build an outfit. I love the embroidered appliques on this cardigan, they are so well placed and add just the right touch of whimsy.

Anthroplogie cardigan by Field Flower

Tunic/Shirt-Target

Pants-The Loft

Shoes-Mootsies Tootsies

Oops, I almost forgot to point out the adorable Anthropologie earrings that Sara suprised me with (and that I need to gushingly thank her for). Aren't they just the perfect addition?

We All Wear Masks.......

I had big plans for today, unfortunatly I spent most of it lying in bed instead with the yuckies. I did want to feel a little productive so I managed to clean out my closet and have two trashbags worth of stuff to get rid of it. I don't know how it all fit since I still have no extra space in there. I blame todays closet project on AudreyBella  look at her new closet here, I am so envious!

Talk about a great way to face the fact that you may have a slight shopping addiction. Do you realize that even after I got rid of a bunch of stuff, I still have 61 cardigans; not including the lounging ones that get folded?  I also need a better shoe storage solution....and new closet doors...... 

I filled up my J Crew shopping cart last night and was feeling weak this morning but now I feel recommitted to my January shopping ban.

This is how I looked most of the day, sans facial mask,as I hid in my room as much as possible to try and resr. My sweet little Cooper did manage to find my camera and snap this lovely photo of me while my mask was drying. How sweet of him.

For the 30 minutes I was dressed to pick up the older boys from school and grab milk, here is what I wore:

J Crew Luxe Tux Tee

J Crew Merino Flutter Bow Cardigan

Pants-The Loft on final sale for $6.78 (whoop....whoop)

flats that have been missing in my previously messy closet for two months-Report