Bowman V-Neck (briefly)

Today has been a real doozy.  Despite not getting much sleep last night (not on account of the baby, just woke up not feeling well followed by the onset of insomnia) I got everyone showered, dressed and out the door so we could scope out the schools book fair a few minutes before my big boys had to head to class.  Unfortunately the librarian wasn't happy to see early customers (maybe she didn't recognize me from the past 3 years I've volunteered to run the registers) We arrived at the book fair at 8:25 and were informed that it wasn't "open" until 8:40.  Seeing that the shelves were stocked and ready to go, I asked if we might be allowed to just look around so my older two could tell me the books they wanted me to buy them once the fair was underway.  Thinking this would be no big deal, I was pretty surprised when I was told there weren't any exceptions and that we needed to wait out in the hallway - and to that tune she closed the door swiftly behind us and called down to the office to inform them they shouldn't be letting parents in for the book fair before 8:40.  Um. SHEESH! Graham (who is clearly very, very two) melted into a puddle of tears and screamed for new books the entire way back to our van.  That pretty much took the wind out of my sails - and I took my throbbing head and sobbing toddler back home where I changed out of my cute new top (which btw is wonderfully soft and stretchy and has awesome ruching detail) and spent the entire morning pouting.

Wearing 5/24/12 by janrussell

By afternoon I was ready to face to world again...mainly because I needed chocolate milk and to sign up for our pool membership and swim lessons.  Choosing to leave the house wasn't a good move on my part.  While signing up at the pool, Sawyer managed to tip my (huge-honkin' city mini) stroller completely backwards with Graham and Campbell seated in it (Unscathed! Thankfully!)  Graham threw another fit when he realized we were just signing up and not actually swimming at the pool.  And the store I quick ran into for chocolate milk didn't sell chocolate milk.  Good times.

Maybe I will bust out the Bowman V-Neck again over the long weekend - it's such an adorable piece, it deserves better.  Like a trip to Target! Alone!

No Resolutions, Just an OOTD

Happy New Year! I'm not exactly sure how I made it through most of 2010 without a pair of burgundy tights...I can't seem to stop wearing them since buying my first pair in December. I wore this simple dress from Banana Republic to church this morning - but Graham fell asleep on the way, and I ended up staying in the car with him the entire service. Poor little guy was exhausted, and I promise we didn't let him stay up until midnight ;)

Frances Plaid Cowlneck Dress
Kohls Simply Vera Tights
Target Kady Boots

OOTD - Delicate Drafts (not the current weather conditions)

It's freezing here in PA, and the wind is anything but delicate, it's knock over your trash cans strong.

I was so happy when my Target finally had this lace tank that Jessica posted about awhile ago. It's a pretty layering piece and definitely qualifies as delicate and drafty itself ;) The cardigan is precious, I love, love, love the pocket and collar detail, and the gray color is tinged with lavender. Super soft and comfy, just what you need on days as cold as this one!

Anthropologie Delicate Drafts Cardigan
Target Racerback Lace Tank
Banana Republic Ultimate Skinny Jeans

Target Kady Boots

OOTD - Hiking Ruffles

Today I am cold, tired, and overwhelmed by what I still have to get done in time for Christmas. I'm hopeful that the weekend will give me a chance to cross lots of things off my shopping list, wrap lots of things already purchased from my shopping list, and not buy anything for myself so that I don't end up on the naughty list ;)

Anthropologie Hiking Ruffles Cardigan

H&M Striped Tee

Banana Republic Ultimate Skinny Jeans

Target Kady Boots

En{trench}ed

I was so excited to see that my Anthro order was "out for delivery" this morning - mostly because I couldn't wait to get my hands on the Puckered Plaid Trench. I'm sure by now you've all seen better pictures and reviews of this beauty, but I just had to add my consensus...it's SO CUTE. I absolutely love how the hem swings out, it feels so gloriously girly. I don't usually like my figure in double breasted coats, but this one works. I was scared of the collar, but it's really not overwhelming in person.

I went with a 2P and the fit is perfect.

And here is what was on underneath the coat. My almost indecently short skirt from Banana Republic paired with Anthro's Curlytop Cardigan and Daisy Chain Tights (which btw are wonderfully warm).

OOTD - Friends in Lofty Places

I love that Debye of Modestly Styled, Modestly Me puts together fabulous sets featuring goodies from Loft. I feel like she is my own personal shopper! When I saw her Polyvore pairing this shell and cardigan together, I was instantly sold on both! Loft Grosgrain Cardigan

Loft Mini Cheetah Print Shell

Banana Republic Cord Skirt

Target Mossimo Supply Co. Kachiri Leather Americana Boots - Taupe
MARC BY MARC JACOBS 'Classic Q - Baby Groovee' Satchel - Currant

Happy Weekend!

OOTD - I wish the sun would shine through

Today the sky is dark and it's pouring buckets in PA. Oridinarly sweatpants are what I feel like wearing on dreary days, but then I remember how the hems drag in the puddles, and kick muddy splatters all over the back of my pants.

I've been thinking about recreating this look from the J. Crew catalog for a few days now, and since I know a lot of you scored the Shine Through Button Up yesterday (I got a price adjustment - whoohoo!) I thought I'd pull mine out yet again.

Here was the Polyvore I made

Slate Blue & Army Green

And ta-da!

Special thanks to impossibly sweet Kathryn for helping me procure this cute pocket watch locket from Oh Hello Friend I love it and so do my boys who always want to "check the time" when I am wearing it :)

Graham Dalton is One + OOTD

My baby boy is ONE today! I can't resist sharing some favorite shots that my friend Mindy took of the birthday boy. He is the love and light of our lives!

Happy Birthday

Graham Dalton!

We'll be celebrating with cake and presents later tonight. For today I decided to break out my new J. Crew Tweed Atlee Skirt and recreate the look I saw at my local store. They had this skirt paired with a plaid button down in more feminine colors, but this is one of the few plaid shirts I own, so I had to make due. They also had it layered with a puffer vest which I thought was just the cutest idea, and since I own oh, I dunno, ten of them, I had no problem finding one to incorporate in the outfit.

Calvin Klein Puffer Vest (purchased at Macy's a couple of years ago)
Banana Republic Plaid Shirt (purchased in the Spring)
Anthropologie Triple Buckle Belt
J. Crew Donegal Tweed Atlee Skirt
Target Mossimo Presta Wedge

Cute as a {military} Button

One of the big trends for Fall is military inspired pieces. It's a departure from my usual sugary sweet style, but when Banana Republic emailed me a promotion for 40% off two items, I decided to give the military mini skirt a try. I bought both the green and herringbone in 00P and intended to only keep one once they arrived. My good intentions were no match for how cute the skirt was, though!

J. Crew Cardi, chiffon tiered tank, bracelet
Banana Republic Military Mini (utility green)
Target Kady Boots

ROYGBV - Blue OOTD

I love wearing anything blue, from baby to navy. Today I decided to bring out some old Ann Taylor Loft pieces for a casual Saturday at the soccer fields. Both of my older boys had games, and it was a hot 90 degrees outside - I baked out there for 4 hours!

Loft top & capris
Banana Republic Wedges, via Ebay (love them so much I bought a tan pair too!)

And while we are on the subject of blue...I had a moment of weakness when I saw the Clinton Trench pop up on Anthro's website in navy. I know that beige is more traditional for a trench, but the navy feels more me. Color can be a powerful persuader!

OOTD - Looping Lanes, Who?

So, kind of embarrassing, but this is a third outfit in a row that was completely inspired by Spiffy. Hopefully, she's flattered and not freaked out by my enthusiasm for her cute choices ;) What can I say? We have the same body, so what looks good on her, is a safe bet to order online!

The Bayside Dress from Anthropologie is so ridiculously comfortable, it reminds me to add more jersey dresses to my closet. And I know the Looping Lanes Belt is supposed to be the holy grail of belts, but personally I can't stop reaching for the Tiny Twines. I wear it at least a couple of times a week, and it's one of the rare belts that fits me both high and low on my waist.

There's something not right with my Looping Lanes.... I wore it to breakfast on Saturday, but it kept being all weird on the one side???

Croup & Keeper!

Yesterday was pretty much the longest day, ever. My 8 month old woke up at 1am and gave me the scare of my life. He was barking like a seal and struggling to get a breath. Yes, I've read all about The Croup, and yes it rattled around somewhere in my delirious mind - but so did severe asthma attack, allergic reaction and choking on his brother's lego. Watching him gasp and gag, I panicked. My husband woke up and panicked too, our hearts stood frozen together as we rushed him to the hospital. He needed oral steroids and a nebulizer treatment. After several hours at the ER and a follow up at his pediatrician later that morning, we finally had our little guy breathing better - thank goodness!

At home, Graham was tired from the long night and clingy from his low fever - so I sat with him pretty much all day. At some point it dawned on me that my Dagmar Dress was going to be delivered, and so I kept my ears perked up for the truck. Except by 3 o'clock it still hadn't arrived. So I called over to UPS and they informed me that despite having arrived at my nearby distribution center the day before, it wouldn't be delivered to me until Monday.

Honestly, after the night I'd had, it was the least of my worries. So imagine my surprise when at 7:30pm my son discovered an Anthro box at the front door. My UPS guy *always* delivers to the side door. I have no idea when it got there, or why the tracking system wasn't updated, but I was happy for the bright spot, just the same.

Here is the Dagmar Dress (size 0)

I think it's pretty adorable with the Hallowed Halls Oxfords

I don't know if you can tell from the comparison pictures, but the waist of the Dagmar is a couple of inches higher, thus making the pockets sit higher, and the overall length just a smidge shorter then the Two Wheeler. Also, the bodice is a lot more fitted on my frame, while the Two Wheeler was definitely large on top. Color wise, the blue is a better fit with my complexion and hair, but that is the only category the Two Wheeler "wins" in for me. I really shouldn't keep both, and when my clothes are big on me, they make me feel big in them...so I'm keeping the Dagmar. I love it and have restored hope that I can try shirtdresses from Anthro in the future (I've never posted the picture of myself in the Reed Shirtdress - it was that bad).

Finally, here is a quick OOTD that was completely inspired by Erin over at Designer Me

I'm not sure why, but wearing the Night Skating Top with white pants had never occurred to me, until I saw her in this cute look and knew I wanted to recreate it!

We had Spaghetti for dinner that night, and amazingly my white pants survived ;)

Going to Great Lengths

Today I'm wearing my J. Crew 5" Chinos (center) and I have to say, I think I might be a short-shorts convert.

How about you? Are you a NO shorts, bermuda length, 7", 5" or confident in 3" kind of girl? I haven't had any luck at Old Navy or J.Crew finding the 7" in-store (maybe they are online only?), but the shorts I've recently had hemmed seem to fall around that length. I prefer the extra coverage when I'm going to be sitting in public. I'm pretty sure looking at these comparison pictures, that I'll never buy another pair of bermuda's again.

No matter what the inseam, I'm still not a shorts every day girl. Which is why I was so excited to receive my Banana Republic Busted Boyfriend Chinos in the mail today.
LOVE THEM! I could not believe how perfectly they fit when I tried them on, and you don't even notice the "destroyed" areas, it's very, very subtle. I am wearing th 00P for reference, so keep vanity-sizing in mind if you decide to order ;) Not bad at 40% off, either. I love all the promos Banana Republic has been offering lately!

Easy OOTD, Tricky Blogger Template

I am having major blogger angst at the moment! Can anyone help me before I get a hammer and smash my computer screen? For some reason all of my information that used to be in the right-hand column of this blog is now at the bottom of the page and I can't seem to fix it! SO FRUSTRATING!!! I go into my toolbar to add/arrange page elements and everything is shown where it should be - on the right hand side. I click save, I click apply to blog, and then there it is still on the bottom! I don't get it? What happened, and how do I get it back???? Can anyone help me?

Here is what it looks like when I go into add/arrange page elements

but as you can see from my blog, all of the archives/followers/labels/etc. are now on the bottom. Banging my head.

.....moving on to much more simple things.....my outfit of the day is as easy as it gets! I recently bought this tee from Banana Republic and I adore the pretty detail - it really dresses up your basic white tee.

I can't find it online, but my store had tons, so yours probably does too ;)

Banana Republic Tee (very similar here)
J.Crew Broken-In Chino (old)
J. Crew Grosgrain Wedge Flip-Flop

OOTD - Deeply Rooted

I'm glad I grabbed the Deeply Rooted Henley when it hit the sale - it arrived yesterday and it's adorable! The fit is comfy and roomy, except for the sleeves, which are somewhat snug in comparison. I layered a cami underneath, because the v-neck does dip on the low side. I'm off on errands and then to Harrison's last baseball game of the season tonight - no gardening on the schedule ;) Anthropologie Deeply Rooted Henley

Lands End Canvas Heritage Cardigan (XXS/Coral Blush)

Anthropologie Tiny Twines Belt

Banana Republic Denim Skirt
Aldo Stakoe Flats
Urban Outfitters Beaded Disc Posts

Rah Rah...AHA!!!

Polyvore is giving me fits. When I click to embed on my blog I get a message saying "undefined" over and over again? Has this been happening to anyone else? Anywho, below is a set I came up with using a recently purchased tank from Banana Republic. The candy stripes reminded me of Anthropologie's Sweet Shoppe Dress The dress, while impossibly cute, is not very practical for my lifestyle.

While I was happy with the above Sweet Shoppe alternative, I'm even more tickled to have come up with this combination! It was a total lightbulb moment when I was trying on tops with my new Rah Rah Rumba Skirt - check out Cat's review of the skirt - she always does a thorough job with the details. And I really hope she bought it, so I can see what cute outfits she comes up with, too!

Better with Bows OOTD

Everything is cuter when it has a bow on it - agreed?

Anthropologie Pearly Glow Tank
Banana Republic Cotton/Cashmere Crewneck Cardigan

Ann Taylor Loft Trousers
Merona Maribel Peep Toe Wedge Shoes

Forever 21 Bow Ring

Swarovski Bow Earrings

I wore these earrings for my wedding!

I love my new Pearly Glow tank - I know this tiered style has been popular for awhile now, but I personally have nothing like it in my closet (I think this is due to be enormously preggo last year and missing out on the trend!) I love that this one has the big bow on top. The sheerness of the tank hasn't been an issue for me at all, but the neckline is a smidge lower cut then I normally go for. I think a cami would kill it, so I'm just keeping an eye to make sure it doesn't get shimmied down throughout the day ;) The whole family is headed to Harrison's school this morning for his "Writers Celebration" and I'm glad I have somewhere to trot off to in all my bows!

An Almost OOTD

Today's outfit was inspired by krameymartin - no one looks as cute in a coral cardigan, as she does! I love how she paired hers with her green striped dress, and knew I wanted to put those colors together, sometime, too. I am not very intuitive with mixing colors, but I can copycat like no other ;) Which brings me to my next point of inspiration! The ever adorable Ginger Girl wore this Banana Republic necklace on her blog earlier in the week, and I couldn't scout out my own store quickly enough to see if they still had one! Once again, I don't have a real eye for costume jewelry, and I wouldn't have looked twice at this piece if I hadn't seen Pamela looking so cute with it on!

I was excited to complete the outfit with my new Miss Trish for Target seahorse sandals, which made me feel ready for The Hamptons! In the end, something about this look felt too Summery for our barely Spring temperatures today. I ended up changing, but I know I'll wear this soon. I love how it all came together! Lands End Canvas Heritage Cardigan

Ann Taylor Loft Striped Tee (old)

Old Navy Linen-Blend Wide-Leg Trousers
Miss Trish for Target Seahorse Flat Sandals

How I know I'm Old, and an OOTD

Normally, I receive the catalog from LL Bean and recycle it without even cracking the pages. But today I had a few minutes to myself at the bus stop, waiting to pick up Harrison, while Sawyer and Graham were at home with my mom. I had grabbed the mail, and was flipping through catalogs, when I spotted this cute little sweater.

I know I'm old, not because I like something from LL Bean other then their Wicked Good Slippers, but because I don't really care what anyone else is going to think when they see me wearing this...

Harborview Cardigan

This cardigan reminds me so much of a sweater I had in...wait for it....kindergarten! Seriously, I can't resist it, it makes me feel so nostalgic!

Here are a couple more cute, preppy pieces to consider

Coveside Canvas Skirt

Coveside Canvas Shorts

Piper Cork-Wrapped Wedge Sandal

And finally, my OOTD was totally throw on and go. I had a field trip to the farm with Sawyer's preschool class, and when they sent home a letter reminding us to wear appropriate footwear, I ran straight to Target and picked up a pair of their Liberty of London rainboots. They are a size too big, but I bought them anyway. I wasn't going to risk stepping in cow p** in anything else ;)

Button Up - Forever 21

Ultimate Skinny Dark Wash Jeans

Liberty of London for Target Poppy Print Rain Boots - Pink