And the winners are......

First up, the winner of the Amanda Metallic Leather Large Wristlet is.......

Next up, the winner of the Betsy Johnson necklace is.....................

Congrats ladies and thank-you ALL for your wonderful comments! Now that you are out of "lurkdom", stay in touch!!

Getting around the dark and what happens when I blog

For today's post, I decided to use my work attire to show how I consistently get around the dark dress code. Of course my hair is covering the best part of the Ruffles and Roses tank but hopefully you will forgive me. I did a navy cardigan and black pants and then accessorized with cognac shoes and belt.

Cardigan -The Loft

Knit Tank-J Crew

Leather Woven Belt-Banana Republic

Jackson Pants-Banana Republic

I had received a question on how to start introducing bright colors into a dark wardrobe. I am not an expert but here is my humble opinion. Start with pops of color near your face. Whether this is bright earrings and a necklace or a bright top, it is the best way to get used to it and get the benefits of what a bright color can do for you. A bright color with dark pants and jacket goes a long way but don't be afraid to mix up your dark colors. Black pants doesn't mean you need a black cardigan, that will actually draw more attention to the bright color. For example pairing a bright blue top with a charcoal gray cardigan can help nuetralize the blue.

And now for a perfect example of what happens when I am blogging:

Christopher got into my purse and tried out my lipstick, thank goodness it was a nuetral. Cooper just wanted to be in the picture. Once the adoption goes through I will be able to give you a picture of what our adorable little red headed terror looks like, ti'l then you can see his big ole grin. While we are talking about this cutie, I will answer another question about the adoption. We are adopting from this country, Christopher has lived with us most of his life as our foster son and I couldn't imagine not adopting him once his mother lost her rights. That said, I have developed a strong bond with his mother through everything and I will continue to let her be in his life as long as it remains healthy for him.

More answers:

Shiver, I personally loved it! It had all the charm and romance of Twilight (the first book not the whole series) and it was an easy and enjoyable read. If you liked Twilight, you'll like Shiver. Who am I kidding? Who likes Twilight, it's a LOVE thing!

My Peep Toe Flats and necklace from here: the shoes were actually from Target and the necklace was from Brass Plum at Nordstroms from six years ago.

My Birthday? It's on the 13th....tomorrow!

Some J Crew Fitting Room Reviews

So yesterday I headed to J Crew to spend a little Birthday money from my parents (funny how I still sound like I am a teenager). The gift of shopping is my favorite present and I was really good at only spending what I was given (pat on back) but as I left the SA says the dreaded (and equally beloved) words " Our new collection will be here next Wednesday"......now I have a whole new line to check out and drool over....how much self control can one girl have?

Printed Palmera Ruffle Cami (Size 6) and the Merino Larkspur Cardigan (Medium)

This picture doesn't really do it justice but I really liked this top ( I am pretty sure I am in the minority here) but I just didn't like the price tag. I also wish it was cotton instead of silk I will be on sale watch for this top though. I wasn't, however, impressed with the cardigan at all. I just didn't like the shape or lack there of. Maybe it is just the fact that it is too long for a crew neck cardigan, but whatever it was...it was a no go for me.

Cotton Papillon Blouse:

This top was in the sale section in my store but is still full price online. I have loved this top since I originally tried on here but this was a 4 and was snug on my shoulders and they didn't have any 6's left. I figured I'd go home and order it online but then I saw it was still full price...ugghh. Luckily I called CS and they honored the price for a one time exception (they post it on your profile) so it was like a birthday bonus!

Scalloped Petal Top (6)

I really loved the scalloped petal top, it is sold out online but there were plenty in our Fashion Valley store. Unfortunately but the cardigan had all the problems for me that Sumerilla mentioned here .

Chiffon forget-me-not Cardigan (Size Medium)

This cardigan is really beautiful even at it's high price tag. I just couldn't see it holding up in my life style (picture kids picking flowers off it) so I had to pass.

Silk-linen Ruffle Cardigan (Medium) and the Sunshine Peony Pencil Skirt:

I really loved this cardigan (this color may be in store only), it has a vintage charm to it IRL and I think it would look great belted. I have been drooling over the sunshine peony pencil skirt since MMM told me she had gotten it over the Neopolitan. I copied her and did the same.This is a size 8 and it is a nice lightweight and casual material. I can't wait to pair it with my ocean breeze jackie.

Ruffled Spring Celosia Cardigan (Small), Dahlia Bead Tee (Medium) and Ankle Stretch Toothpick Jean (Sz 29):

I really liked all three of these items. I had passed on the Celosia cardigan before but when the Spring colors came out, this one needed to be mine! I did size down on this one though. The tee fit TTS and was very cute and the jeans fit like a glove, a latex one and were really cute. I liked the ankle length, it goes well with both heels and flats. But since I had a 40% off coupon for Banana Republic, I decided to pick up jeans there instead.

Dotted Jaquard Pencil Skirt (Size 8)

This skirt is so stunning if it weren't for the fabric it would have been mine. However I could not justify the price for the amount of times (or lack of) that I would be able to wear it.

Belted Beach Tunic (Medium):

The kids had worn me out in the dressing room by the time I tried this on so I never got to the belting part but it was very comfortable and flattering.

Lazy Days and more answers!

Yesterday was a lazy day and like Amy, I also have a lazy day uniform. Weekend Jeans, a knit tee or tank with a long cardigan. I have no idea why the color of this cardigan refuses to show in pictures but it is a pretty butter yellow.

sweetheart exposed seam cardigan-Banana Republic

silk brulee tank-J Crew

Old Navy Weekend Jeans

And here is what I wore today, and yes I am in the J Crew dressing room so I will post some reviews for tomorrow!

Linen Top-Target

Chino Vest-Banana Republic

Vintage Matchstick Jeans-J Crew

Shoes, Apt 9 for Kohls

Now for some more answers......

Work/Macy's/Temptations/Handbags: I work in the handbag/watches/fashion jewelry section which has not been a huge temptation for me, my weakness is clothes and luckily that is on a different floor. I usually buy a handbag and then wear it for at least a year before switching to a new one. I have never been a handbag junkie which, I know, seems strange. I do see some beautiful bags but the price tags keep me from buying them too often.

The DARK dress code? I hate it but I take advantage of the little loopholes like being able to wear a light color or pattern as long as it has a dark cardigan or jacket with it and the freedom to wear any color accessories. I also refuse to shop around the dress code. I shop for what I want even if that keeps my work wardrobe limited.

Have I considered working at J Crew instead? Of course I have but the closest J Crew is 30 minutes away (without traffic) so I never applied. I have been in talks with The Loft. Their discount is 50% off for employees but I it would make it really hard not to shop it all away.

Cool versus Warm Colors: I always ignore rules that restrict me as to what I should wear. Okay, well not always since you don't see me in mini's and tube tops but that is more of a personal and religious choice. There are definitly colors that look better on me then others but I don't rule out any colors. For some really great advice on color analysis you should check out these posts from Cardigan Empire

Do I ever just wear yoga pants or sweats: I do-I just wear them in the evenings and mornings until I get ready for the day. I used to wear yoga pants almost every day after my third son because it was the first time I wasn't working, then it turned into never wearing make-up on the weekdays and just throwing my hair in a wet ponytail. It was a slippery slope because it was so easy to not . At some point I was worried about ending up on What Not To Wear. It is rare to have a day where I don't have anywhere to go or to not have someone unexpected stop by. I surely don't dress to the nines every day, I just found a casual look that still looks put together. That said, the second I walk in the door I wear slippers so even when I am dressed  at home, I still will have fuzzy feet.

Do I plan my outfits the night before? I often plan my kids but rarely my own, I am just not that organized. I may have pictures in my head of some outfits that I want to try out during a week but it just depends on my mood each day what I actually put on.

Adoption Status: We have about 3 to 5 months left in the process. Hopefully closer to three :o)

What I Wore and...some answers

First up, here is what I wore yesterday. It is still cold here so I needed comfy and warm for the daytime. I paired my Zig-Zags and Zinnias tee and the Small Packages Cardi with my old faithful Banana Republic jeans and "seen better days" flats.

And here is how I changed it to work attire for the dark dress code (boo) at the last minute. The jacket covers most of the charm of the top but I was feeling lazy and well, it's just that simple, laziness wins sometimes. I can't help but "Arrrrrr" at my kids each time I wear this jacket, it makes me feel like a Pirate.

\

Jacket-The Loft

Jackson Pants-Banana Republic

I will try to address your questions on each post this week so bear with me!

Skin Care: I have been using Meaningful Beauty by Cindy Crawford for 4 or 5 months now, my only infomercial purchase ever. It doesn't work any miracles but my skin looks better and I am happy with it!

Hair: My hair and I aren't often on speaking terms, it never listens to me but it is probably because I don't give it enough attention. I am cheap when it comes to my hair, I color it myself, rarely get a hair cut and I use plain ol' Pantene. What I do do (picture my 14 year-old laughing hysterically because I said do-do) is  wash and blow dry my hair every day and then I use large hot rollers all over for body. Now because I have busy mornings with lots of kiddos with places to go and things to destroy this process can get spread throughout the day. Sometimes the hot rollers don't go in until nap time but to me this is my essential step. Even if I end up throwing my hair in my favorite "go to" style,the messy ponytail, it still looks more put together.

Fostering and Adopting: We have been foster parents for going on three years now and for us it has been a wonderful experience. However, we are not licensed directly with the county, we are with a private agency called Angels Foster Family Network  and they are a lot of the reason it has been such a great experience.If you are considering fostering, a highly recommend you look for a private agency. Our agency works with infants and toddlers so that they get that critical bonding they need at that early age. We only have one placement at a time and they are an amazing support system that you just don't get from the county workers. This is no way a knock at county workers, because of budget cuts they have tremendously heavy case loads and can only do so much.

We have had three foster sons and with two of them we fought hard to help them get back to their families because they had wonderful homes to go home to. Thankfully, not all kids are removed for reasons you'd imagine. However with our other foster son now (who was actually placed with us twice) we knew it was better that he didn't go back home and luckily everyone agreed on that, even his mother. He will be our first adopted child. I want to adopt again but would like to help an older child (by older I mean between 4 to 8) but it may take me awhile to get my husband on board for another!

----------------------

Hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday, if you missed last weeks premier of Parenthood trust me it is amazing. I wouldn't call it a family show by any means (it is geared to adults) but it is a hilarious take on many aspects of being a parent and has an amazing cast! It is on tonight 10/9 c

Two Giveaways in One Spot

Next Saturday is my Birthday and last week I reached 100 folIowers which is still crazy to me. I am just a stay at home mom who loves clothes.  So to celebrate each "milestone", there are there are the two prizes, and two chances to win.

The first winning entry will receive:

This Amanda  Metallic Leather Large Wristlet by Coach. I just love this clutch, from it crackled leather finish to the gold with silver undertones and lets not forget the pleated ribbon trim embellishment.

The second winning entry will receive:

This playful Betsy Johnson necklace. I love Betsy's designs and this necklace is the right mix of quirky and unique without being over the top! 

So, how can you enter?

1. Become a follower and leave a comment letting me know. If you are already a follower, no worries, just a leave a comment telling me ;o)

2. Leave me a second comment either letting me know something you'd like to see more of (or less of) on this blog OR feel free to ask me a question and I will make sure to get you an answer!

**Deadline to enter is midnight (pacific time) on Friday March, 12th. Winners will be announced Saturday, March 13th**

Wishful Thinking

I am ready for Spring but yesterday it was raining. So I rebelled and dressed for Spring anyways......positive thinking can change the weather, right?

Yesterday they found the skeleton of another girl, Amber, who has been missing from a neighboring town for a little over a year. Chelsea helped to find her and it was just another example of how she is changing the world just like she'd always hoped to.

Crumpled Jacket-Banana Republic

Fallen Petals Tee-The Loft

Pleated Lawn Skirt -J Crew

Suede Juliet Heels-J Crew

Thank-You For Wearing Yellow today

 You will be missed in this life and we are all looking forward to seeing you in the next.

This is a terribly unflattering picture but this is what I wore during the day today to honor Chelsea's spirit!

And here is how I wore it tonight at work. It was tricky with the dark dress code but I have a butter yellow long cardigan on under the jacket and a darker yellow and cream scarf.

Don't Forget To Wear Your Yellow!

Here is your reminder Dinagideon :o)

Every day this week the kids in our town have been wearing a different color at first to show their hope in the search and now to honor her memory. Tomorrow is Wear Yellow Day because of Chelsea's Peer Counseling group (she was in with my niece)  "Yammy Yellow", and the general aura of sunshine-ness that she always exuded!

I think it is important that we focus on the memory of what a wonderful, funloving and caring person she was, not just the tragedy that now surrounds her.

Some OOTD's and I need your opinion

My J Crew order arrived yesterday and although I spent most of the day in sock monkey jammies and fuzzy slippers, I did manage to pull it a little together in time for carpool. I LOVE the new pale coral color on this tuxedo ruffle painter henley and it will go perfectly with a summer tan when I get one.

Today, I tried out the Evie RuffleTop in Ivory. I am still not 100% sold on this one. I was able to get a great deal on it ($19.99) without it being a Final Sale so I am tempted to return it but I think I will hold off. The silk is REALLY thin making it very sheer and it has a lot of sheen to it so it felt a little too fancy for my jeans. That said, I like the design and the fit so I may hold onto it for dressier occasions.

Now for the part where I need a little help, I fell off the reasonable and sparingly shopping wagon yesterday at Banana Republic. With everything going on I decided a little retail therapy with a 40% off any one item coupon was acceptable. I have four of these coupons, one for each Wednesday in March so if I buy one item each time I will get a great deal and I am a woman who can have self control.....right? Problem is, I am not the only fan of their new line and it is flying off the shelf and their website. So when I went in to the dressing room yesterday, I casually asked about the washed leather motorcycle jacket which was no where to be seen but had been in a lot of ads.  TheSA explained that they had one left the day before but now it looked like it was gone and it had sold out online.

Well now I wanted it even more of course and was mad at myself for not looking closer at it last week. Then I proceeded to love all four things I tried on which presented a problem since my coupon was only for one and since I am now a deeper thinking shopper I needed to pick one thing. Okay, the chino vest it is BUT then I hear the words, "wait I found the jacket, it had been on hold do you want to try it on?". So of course now I can hear the choir singing and the jacket has a glow and is saying "I am the best jacket ever". I try it on and it fits perfectly but the price tag is high since it is a leather jacket. Believe it or not I have never owned a leather jacket in my life, I hate the price tags. But here I am with a coveted leather jacket in my size, last one around AND I have a 40% off coupon. I wanted to think this one out but the coupon was only good for that day so I brought it home and I am still at a loss of what to do.

Pros: Great quality, nuetral color, classic style, 40% off and my Birthday is next week

Cons: Even with 40% off it still costs a lot, have never worn leather before will have to get used to it

What are your thoughts?? Is the splurge justified or should it go back?

Wear Yellow for Chelsea

As I am sure most of you may know, they found the body of Chelsea today. Our entire community is heartbroken and our prayers go out to her family and all of her friends. My niece was a close friend of hers and they were peer counselors together. One of the young girls at church that I have a great friendship with was also her good friend. They had been on the same track team together for three years and often ran together. I had just stopped by her house to check on how she was doing when the news broke that no one wanted to hear.

The kids at her school had organized different colors to wear each day to represent different qualities of Chelsea. Friday is Wear Yellow Day and the push is on to keep this symbol of the light she brought to everyone. So no matter where you are, near or far lets all try to wear yellow on Friday in Chelsea's honor.

Minty Deliciousness

As promised, here are some IRL's of Banana Republic's Silk Ruffle Front Top. I can not say enough about how much I love this top. Hopefully they will restock them online soon but there were plenty still in more store. The color is gorgeous and I love the fit. There is just the right amount of ruffling. I can't wait to find more ways to style it! This is a Medium and it has a very relaxed fit. I tried on the small and it fit closer to my waist and hips but I figured since I would wear this more often casually I was more comfortable with the looser fit and the small would not have withstood any shrinkage and that was not a risk I was willing to take!

Also, I wanted to mention that they gave me an amazing coupon pack in store when every Wednesday in March I can get 40% off a regular priced item. Making my wishlist now!

Here it is styled for work, I paired it with some black pants and a J Crew cardigan that I believe only was in store. I really like the pairing of the mint color with J Crew's shadow.

Next up, how I wore it casually today. I had to be out the door by 7:30 with all the kids dressed and ready so there was no time for styling or accessories. You know it is a great top when you can throw it on with jeans and a military jacket and still feel like a stylin' momma!

Thank-you for all your prayers for Chelsea, they made an arrest this morning but until she is found, there is always hope.

Going Banana(s)

Before I get to today's post, I just want to ask for your prayers and help (if you are in the area) for Chelsea King and her family. She is an amazing kid from our town (Poway, CA) who went missing yesterday afternoon after going out for a run. I can't even begin to imagine what her family is going through. The search efforts have been amazing but at this time they still have no leads as to what has happened.

On a MUCH lighter note, this morning we had a planning meeting for a mother/daughter fashion show that I am "MC-ing" and this is what I wore. Those who do not have daughters, get to borrow them for events I guess :o)

Ruffled Collier Top-J Crew

Jackie Cardigan-J Crew

Vintage Matchstick Jeans-J Crew

Afterwards, I ran to Banana Republic to get a pair of black pants, they just have the best cuts for my body type. I have not been very impressed with BR lately but that has changed as of today. I had to dart in and out quickly before afternoon carpools started but there are some beautiful pieces. In store they are offering 30% off of all tops so I couldn't resist picking up this beautiful silk tank which I am guessing will fly off the shelves:

Silk Ruffle Front Top (not showing online yet) in this beautiful mint color. I WILL be wearing this tomorrow and will post some IRL pics.

I also picked this necklace up with a whitish clear bead versus purple in the pic off the clearance table. The clearance jewelry is an additional 30% off as well bringing this down to under $19.00.....whoop, whoop!

Seeing Spots

It is almost Friday.....yay! This morning I headed out to Old Navy to take advantage of the Fundamentals Sale and stock up on some things for the boys. If I do say so myself, I showed incredible restraint and was able to walk through the womens section without grabbing anything but a casual cardigan for lounging. I am saving my shopping for a well deserved trip to J Crew for my birthday coming up next month.

Quick Note: The Weekend Jeans were well stocked in our local store and are $19.99 this week. Here is what I wore today:

Layered Ruffle Tank (on sale now): J Crew

Favourite Crewneck Cardigan: Boden

Denim Pants: The Loft via eBay

Juliet Shoes: J Crew via eBay

And here is what I wore later for date night. The strange thing about the weather in San Diego is that it may be warm enough for skirts and dresses but my legs sure aren't tan enough.

Jackie Cardigan-J Crew

Scattered Petals Tank-J Crew

Skirt-Kohls

Belt-J Crew

Shoes-Kohls

Speaking of shopping at J Crew, have you taken advantage of the 20% off knits and tees sale? I have a long wishlist but behaved and picked up just two things:

Tuxedo Ruffle Painter Henley 

and I finally caved in and got the Evie Ruffled Top in Ivory while it was marked down to $19.99, for that price how could I resist. See it on Gigi here.

Stickin' Around

I have now survived my oldest son turning 14 and returning to public school to finish 8th grade. He has been in an independent study program for the last year so it is a huge adjustment for all of us not to have him home most days. He is loving being back so that is a huge positive.

I even lived to tell that I had TWO dreaded trips to the DMV yesterday with both of the two year olds.  A combined wait time of three and a half hours with only two attempted prison breaks and no melt downs (from the little ones at least) was pretty impressive plus I only broke a sweat once.

On to some OOTD's. In the first one I was running late getting ready for church and this is just what the end result was after throwing clothes through the air. Not perfect but it has potential.

Cardigan-J Crew

Rolling Ruffles Tank-J Crew

Sirt-Merona for Target

Belt-Kohls

Shoes- J Crew (Juliet's)

And here is today's OOTD. I am not lopsided nor do I have a growth on my side. The way I was standing with my purse somehow caused me to droop. The outfit was much cuter in person.....really, I promise.

Cardigan-The Loft

Tissue Garland Tank-J Crew

Weekend Jeans-Old Navy

Lastly, here are some fun shots of two of my boys on the velcro wall, why didn't they have these things when we were kids?

Neapolitan anyone?

Today I am getting ready for my oldest son's birthday "get together" tomorrow. What better for a teenager's party then pizza's,  rootbeer, junk food and homemade icecream cake? So in honor of the cake I will be making throughout the day, I wore my neapolitan cardigan. This print is a really great blend of colors and I am seriously considering grabbing the skirt as well (but not to wear together) but am having a hard time justifying having two items with the same pattern. What do you think? Do you own multiple items in your favorite prints?

Neapolitan Cardigan-J Crew

Tank-J Crew

Vintage Matchstick Jeans- J Crew

Pumps- J Crew

I am not a fan of the dark!

Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike the dark to work dress code at Macy's? Did I ever even mention that I still work there? So why have I neglected to post any work OOTD? Simply because I hate having to wear dark colors, I am much more of a color or light nuetrals gal which is funny because I don't know when that really happened since all black was my uniform in my single lady days.

We didn't end up at the zoo my two older boys thought a Nerf war in the front yard would be a much better way to spend the day so I was overruled! Since I was in my grubbies all day doing laundry and organizing, work attire is all I have to offer you today!

Jacket-Anthropologie from eBay

Zoey Tank-J Crew

Black Jeans-Vera Wang 

Tiered Crystal Libretto Necklace-J Crew

Now onto the fun stuff, my top Summer Boden picks!

Funloving Floral Dress-$98

Bijou Cropped Cardigan - $88

Hepburn Shirt-$58

Fizzy Spot Top- $38

A little taste of summer.........

We are having a little bit of a winter heat streak in San Diego so why not pull out the white jeans in February if it's going to be 77 degrees out?  The kids have the week off so I think we will take advantage of the weather and head on out to the zoo tomorrow before they drive me crazy.....hope you all are having a great week!

p.s. have you checked out Boden's Summer line here? I don't find it nearly as irresistable as the Spring Line but there are some great pieces. I'll share some of my favorites tomorrow!

Tango Tank-J Crew

Cropped Cardigan-Old Navy

Weekend Jeans-Old Navy

My (not so) Triumphant Return

Sorry for the unexplained absence- we had a bad stomach flu in the house that started with me and worked slowly through three out of four of the kids and ended (hopefully) with my hubby. Needless to say, I have not been on the computer checking my favorite blogs and you would not have wanted to be exposed to my outfits of the day which consisted of yoga pants and my husband's t-shirts with a messy ponytail.

I am finally getting to leave the house a little now that everyone is on the mend. I don't have anything fabulous to share with you (sorry) but here are two OOTD so I don't say "hello again" with nothing to offer.

Cardigan-Boden

tank-J Crew

Jeans-Banana Republic

Cardigan, Tee and Jeans-the Loft

Shoes-J. Crew

I am looking forward to catching up on all your blogs and even though I didn't have the energy to respond to all the great comments, I have been able to read and appreciate them ALL!!!