You only get the day........

Yesterday was a run around in the day, make dinner and run back out at night kind of day. One of my friends was having her baby shower and what better way to get away with shoving  politely eating mass amounts a little bit of cheesecake then to hide your bloated belly under the tango tank? I have to admit, sitting next to her while she opened baby girl clothes made me a little sad. I love having four boys but I can't wait to have a little girl to dress up (don't gasp, she will most likely be a grand daughter).

I wish I took a picture of how I dressed up my daytime outfit for the event but my camera decided to hide. Luckily I found it this morning in the laundry room (a.k.a. my garage).  I wish it had at least had the common courtesy to do a few loads while it was stranded out there. Anyways, I am sooooo ready for the three day weekend....whoot....whoot.....anybody have any great plans?

 Here is the Polyvore........

Day & Night by modestlyme featuring J Crew

Items in this set:

JCrew-Viscose tango tank (light grey heather), $50

Women's sweaters - cotton - Jackie cardigan - J.Crew, $62

Old Navy Womens The Weekend Jeans, $35

Women's Apparel: 323 Martin sexy flare textured pant: martin pants by..., $79

Seychelles Kick Up Your Heels in Black, $92

Who Needs a Jungle?

I had a hard time capturing how cute this top really is in a picture. Especially since the beginning of a ginormous headache was hiting me. I despise headaches that lay you out! Don't they understand that mommies just do not have the time for them??? My kids go into a weird panic mode when daddy says I am "off limits". They will find millions of ways to sneak into my room, truth is.....it warms my heart.

Back to the Animal Asymmetrical Ruffle Button Down Shirt (geesh that is a long name), I really love this top and it is a great substitute for J Crew's giraffe print that I missed out on. The material is polyester done right, it is really smooth and soft and it hangs really well!

Cardigan- Merona Collection for Target

Top-Loft

Lean Boyfriend Jeans-Loft

Shoes-Target

On Lockdown....again

Okay ladies, I am on potty training lock down again. This is just not going well. With me other two boys as long as I waited until they were three, it was a pretty quick and painless process. This time around, there has nothing quick or painless about it. Christopher (2 and a 1/2) will go on the potty just for fun but doesn't relate the need to the "duty". Cooper (now 3) however, loves wearing big boy underwear but has never gone on the potty no matter how often he sits on it.....uggghhhh......I really hoped to have this all behind us (excuse the pun) before summer vacation started!

On to the better stuff, here are some recent OOTDs. My heather ice Victoria RuffleTissue Cami that had been backordered finally arrived. I can see why so many JCA's love this tank. I grabbed mine in a Medium but I think I will size down on the next one I order (because yes, I will be getting more)

Cardigan-Banana Republic

Victoria Ruffle Tissue Cami-J Crew

Skirt-Gap

Shoes-Banana Republic Outlet from eons ago

Here is what I wore to work Friday night, I felt a little guilty because everyone wanted the tank (which isn't Loft) but whatta ya do?

Jacket- Loft

Ruffle Shell-Banana Republic

Denim Capri's-Loft

Necklace- J Crew

Vera Sandals-Banana Republic

And lastly, here is what I wore for the Loft's Summer Style event on Saturday. Not for the faint of heart but I had fun mixing the patterns and it sure was an attention grabber! Oh and if you like this cardigan.....grab it. They flew of the racks at our store in the chocolate!

tank-Target

dress-Loft

Cardigan-Loft

Short Necklace-Loft

Long Necklace-J Crew (in store)

Simply Three

So for tonight's Open House at my oldest son's school I decided to try out one of yesterday's Polyvores. I was two pictures in when my wonderful teenager told me that this top makes me look wide. He is fired... at least until tomorrow so this is the best picture you get.

Jaspe Sequined Slouchy Sweatshirt-J Crew

Double Serge Pencil Skirt in Bronzed Twig- J Crew (off eBay)

Shoes-J Crew

Here is what I wore the other day to work, it was my (not so mini) Cooper's third birthday so I was a little rushed to get out the door but I managed to get a full day of Birthday celebrating in before I had to go.

Cardigan, Top and Jeans-Loft

Shoes-Mootsies Tootsies

And lastly here is the birthday boy himself, rockin' some Mini Boden and 3D chalk glasses. The SA at Nordstroms told me that all the Mini Boden will be part of their half yearly sale coming up, just a little FYI!

Ways to Style your Jaspe Sequined Slouchy Sweatshirt.....

For those of you who (like me) broke down and bought the Jaspe Sequined Slouchy Sweatshirt, here are some fun styling ideas from off of Polyvore. If you don't have one yet, you may want to take advantage of J Crew's Insider Promo (20% off all orders of $150+, use code SUMMER):

Untitled by Lilac Cupcake featuring J Crew tops

Sequins & Spots by modestlyme featuring J Crew

More Sequin Jaspe love by modestlyme featuring Seychelles shoes

Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Wearing 12/20/09 by My4Boys featuring UGG Australia shoes

5/8/10 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

A Wrinkled Tale.......

A few of you had asked about my new tailored linen pencil skirt . I am sorry I didn't get you a before picture, with company in town I didn't take many OOTD pictures but I couldn't resist snapping an "after" photo of this skirt. This skirt has a truly beautiful fit and I love the color. I finally got a chance to wear it to work the other day and after 20 minutes in a car each way, 4 hours of standing (not even sitting) and then sitting down for a quick lunch THIS is what I ended up with.

I know linen wrinkles very easily but this seems pretty extreme. What do you think?

Here is what I wore to work the other day. I know you all mocked me for my 90's Seattle grunge look with the long sweater but tough...I wore it anyways ;) And since it was the sentencing day for Chelsea and Amber's killer, I made sure to wear my Chelsea's light bracelet to show my support.

Sweater-Loft (Lounge collection)

Dress-Loft (Holiday '09)

Necklace-Loft

Shoes- Bandolino

In the Navy

I thought this title was appropriate for a former Navy Brat! I wasn't sure how I'd like these two pieces together but I really did. The embellishments of the zig zag zinnia tee coordinated perfectly with the embellishments on the blooming lattice cardigan, like they were meant to be together ;)

My best friend and her family are arriving in town this morning for a few days so I may not be getting back to your comments for awhile or posting on your blogs (forgive me).

And here is the Polyvore. I actually picked up this cardigan NWT off of eBay for less then the current retail price, love it when that happens:

in the navy by modestlyme featuring Old Navy jeans

Items in this set:

Blooming Lattice Cardigan, $88

Zigzags & Zinnias Tee, $68

Old Navy Womens Blue Jet The Weekend Jeans, $13

Bandolino Adiva, $69

Reese Witherspoon And Hair. Reese Witherspoon. Medium Blonde Straight...

Jas-pe (adj.) given a veined and spotted appearance imitating jasper.

So, it cooled down just enough yesterday to get away with wearing my new Jaspe sequined slouchy sweatshirt. It is such an easy piece to wear and no need for accessorizing. I can't wait to see what all the other JCA's do with this piece. For me it just screamed messy pontail, cuffed jeans and heels.

This is the end of the day shot so my lipstick (and sanity) is gone but the shape of this sweater did not change or stretch through the sleeve pulls and toddler tugs. It is very well made (and better be for the price). I honestly can't put my finger on why I love this sweatshirt and I am sure some of you may think I am crazy for this one......

See it here on Dina , Summerilla, Gigi and Slastena . I got mine in my true size, Medium. It is big but I feel it was meant to be so I didn't size down. However,  I also love the way it looks tighter on Slastena.

Jaspe Sequined Slouchy Sweatshirt-J Crew

Lean Boyfriend Jeans-Loft

Vera Sandals-Banana Republi

Rainbow Sherbert

Yesterday was about color, for me at least! I have made it my mission to infuse a little more creative color combinations at work. Unfortunatly the colors didn't show up as well in this picture as they did IRL. I have a lilac Jackie Cardigan under the jacket and the chinos are a pretty blue with a hint of gray.

Here is the Polyvore. The necklace and flower pin are recent in-store purchases from J Crew and the sequin tank is from the Loft but it is an in-store only colorway so I used a different one in the Polyvore. Everything else is accurate.

Sequins and Chino by modestlyme featuring Banana Republic shoes

Items in this set:

Women's sweaters - cotton - Jackie cardigan - J.Crew, $62

loft sequin accent tank, $45

Boyfriend Wash Jean Jacket: Women's Jackets: LOFT, $70

LOFT: Marisa Lean Boyfriend Chino Pants, $60

Shoes & Handbags: Vera woven high heel sandal: shoes sale | Banana..., $100

Speaking of color, look at this beauty I picked up straight off the loading dock.....

It is so much prettier IRL, I couldn't resist. Bright Pink, olive green, 100% silk.....oh my! It has the same colors as my Boden flop but this one is actually flattering (imagine that). I am loving my employee discount ;o)

Swim Suit Giveaway Winner........

Work, Shopping and Mother's Day...'Ole

My first weekend at the Loft was great, I still have to get the swing of things but already I can tell it will be a lot of fun! Here is what I wore the first night:

And here is the Polyvore. I switched out the belt for one that matched my shoes and I wore my light pewter Jackie.  I had always intended to I was just too lazy busy when I made the Polvore to search for that color Jackie.

First Day by modestlyme featuring Bandolino shoes

Items in this set:

Dresses - Medallion Shift, $80

Scalloped zipper cardigan #23423 - heather stone, $98

Lean Boyfriend Jeans: Women's Jeans & Denim: LOFT

Bandolino Women's Hollyn Sandal at ShoeMall.com - Free Shipping, $70

Double Wrapped Studded Belt: Women's Belts & Handbags: LOFT

So now for my Friday trip to J Crew where I didn't get the one item I was looking for. As many of you know from the JCA blog (or as Gigi would say, the Mothership) I have been desperately searching for the Neapolitan Pencil Skirt in a size 8. I did a store wide search, scoured the site for pop backs every day, called numerous stores based on JCA tips and did another storewide search with no luck. Finally, I gave up. So when I went to my store on Friday and saw a bunch on the rack I almost resisted the urge to check out the sizes as to not break my heart all over again. Luckily, I looked because there it was in my OWN store. An 8 that was returned.

I also drank the crewlade from Dina, Sumerilla and HeidiG and picked up the Jaspe Sequined Slouchy Sweatshirt which was WAY out of my budget and my belief on what you should ever pay for one article of clothing. What can I say? It really is great on and was impossible to leave behind. I also grabbed the skimmer pants (which are so very flattering) in violet dust and the bling bling cardigan in wild mushroom ( I am so recreating the catalog look, you know the one with the gray sequin tank) and I found a lilac jackie on sale. The SA talked me in to trying out the Tailored Linen Pencil Skirt in the wet peat colorway. This skirt is so flattering and classic. It runs a little smaller then other J Crew pencil skirts and it is a little shorter. I bought the same size as I always do but the cut was higher and more curve hugging then my others. I also picked up the natural covered pearl necklace and this cute little flower pin. Here is a snapshot of my loot:

 I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day, I know I did. My husband got me a bottle of Donna karen's Cashmere Mist and they took me out to have carrot cake at Nordtrom's Cafe (ever tried it? It is amazing!!!). Here is what the kids and I wore, I traded out the sunshine skirt for the Neapolitan of course!

Mothers Day by modestlyme featuring GAP

Stencil Me In

I have been drinking the Crewlade lately and making purchases on items that I had vowed to pass on. This morning I am going to pick up the watercolor pastiche pencil skirt they have on hold for me (on sale in stores) that I swore I didn't need since I had the sunshine peonies skirt already. But, the trip is the perfect excuse to check out the new arrivals

For my shopping OOTD (really the first part of the day but OOTFPOTD seemed too long) I dusted off my Boden Textured Cotton Shift dress after seeing Dinagideon in hers. The colorway I purchased is really bright so I decided to mute it down a little with khaki.

Jacket-Banana Republic

Dress-Boden

Double Wrap Studded belt-Loft

Shoes-Bandolino

And here is the Polyvore:

Shifty by modestlyme featuring J Crew jackets

Tonight is my first official work shift at the Loft, and I have a fun outfit in mind that I will share tomorrow....wish me luck!!

A Giveaway to Make Swim Suit Season (a little) Easier

I don't know how it is in your neck of the woods but here in Sunny So. Cal we are climbing up to the 80's which means the dreaded "getting your winter booty that you hid in long pants back into shape for the beach" time.

No big secret, I am taller. Not amazon tall, just 5'9" have a hard time finding tops long enough tall. For me, one pieces are just a big no-no. They never fit me right , unless they are meant to pull at me like a rubberband so that the only way to be comfortable is to slouch like a humpback. A lot of tankinis are too short or they ride up exposing the dreaded spare tire, muffin top....you get my drift. I gain my weight in my mid section so the last thing I need is a tankini riding up and drawing attention to it, as if even the tank could not possibly contain my tummy flab.

Last year, after hearing rave reviews from friends, I tried out DownEast Basic's swim line and it did not disappoint. So for this GIVEAWAY, I am going to offer you what I grabbed from this summer's swim line. First up, the Oceanside Tank in Hot Pink. It is hard to tell from this picture but the chest portion is actually two layers with two straps. This gives extra support and security (no wardrobe malfunctions here) but also makes for a really cute design element. I chose hot pink because, well, pink looks so good with a tan! I love how it also has ruching on the sides which is slimming and helps define the waistline. The length  is perfect and guess what? It stays there! I found the top TTS, mine is a Medium.

Since I like to mix and match bottoms I had plenty that would coordinate with this tank so I opted for a swim skirt. I mean, the odds of me NOT spending most of the time with a swimskirt on while I chase after the toddlers is very low and I couldn't resist the femine details of the Malibu Swim Skirt in the taffy pattern. I found the sizing in the skirt a little different. If you wear the skirt up at your natural waist it fits TTS. This makes the skirt really short which is fine, it's a swimsuit afterall and it is like an adorable ruffly bottom. To make it longer (like in the picture) it is worn lower at the hips. I have curvy hips, for me the medium (my normal size) hit a little too tight here to be super flattering. If you have some extra padding here that can be, let's say er...squeezed... like me then you may want to size up one to wear it lower.

So, now that I have told you about my new swimwear I guess you'd like to know how to win one for yourself.

GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES-three chances to win!!!


1. This giveaway is open to anyone who hasn’t won a DownEast Basics blog giveaway on THIS blog within the last 90 days.

**for each possible entry, leave a seperate comment so they they will be counted as individual entries (versus one)**
2. Visit DownEast Basics website and let me know what your favorite swim item is. Make sure to leave your name and email in the comment (if they aren't accessible through blogger).

3. For a second chance to win, become a follower and let me know in a seperate entry. If you are already a follower, let me know that too :)

4. Become a DownEast Basics Facebook Fan and leave a comment letting me know. If you are already a fan, let me know that too!


**last day to enter is Monday, May 10th at 6:00pm. Winner will be announced the following day**

Let's Hear it for the Weekends!

I hope you have all enjoyed your weekend. This was my first weekend off in what seems like forever and I made sure to soak up some sun, enjoy my Nook (reading Eat, Pray, Love), and caught up on a little closet organizing!

I have always loved this ombre skirt but have been bad at coming up with new ways to wear it. Because it is linen, it wrinkles quickly and has a laidback feel so I thought I would play that up with a nuetral motif. I ended up liking the nuetral feel so much that I ditched the pop of color in the coral necklace and wore large gold earrings instead. I picked up these shoes at Macy's during the F & F promo before I left. For me, they are the perfect "tiptoe in" to the gladiator trend.

Here is the Polyvore for this outfit:

Ombre! by modestlyme featuring Bandolino shoes

Items in this set:

Women's Apparel: Slubby open cardigan: cardigans sweaters | Banana..., $70

Women's Apparel: layering tees | Banana Republic, $21

Women's skirts - pencil - Ombre pencil skirt - J.Crew, $88

Bandolino Women's Hollyn Sandal at ShoeMall.com - Free Shipping, $70

Amazon.com: B. MAKOWSKY Tempe E/W Shoulder Bag: Shoes, $190