Dotty

No outdoor pictures today due to the once again freezing temps.  That's fine though because I feel the need to get a little more wear out of my wintery clothes before I pack them up.  Don't get me wrong, I'm still 100% all-in on the colorful spring ahead, but I hate putting winter clothes away without having worn them at least once, know what I mean?  I decided to pull out a pair of boots I haven't worn yet this winter, which is for shame because they're great!  I paired them with a seasonless polka dotted dress ($15 from H&M just a few months ago!) and a very fall-toned mustard cardi.

Polka dot dress: H&M

Mustard cardigan: J Crew

Gold watch: Michael Kors

Cinnamon spice belt: J Crew Factory (recent)

Brown tights: Talbots

Brown Boots: Bare Traps via DSW

Don't mind the light in this one, it's just my halo...

Feather earrings: Aldo

I obviously mixed brown and black in this outfit, which I know is a faux-pas in some circles but I really don't have a problem with.   They're both neutrals so it works for me!  Are you a fan of black and brown together?  How about black and navy?  Gray and tan?  I used to be a little wary of those combos, but I really think all neutrals can go together as long as it's not haphazard.  Basically my theory is that it all goes as long as it doesn't look like you thought the items were the same color when you pulled them out of your closet only to realize, in the harsh fluorescent lighting and drab wall coloring of a standard office building, that you, in fact, put on one brown shoe and one black shoe.  That's a problem.  And is also why I rarely buy the same shoes in different colors - it's a dangerous game.

Updated to add: I forgot it's Leap Day!  I feel like I should do something extra or special today - are you doing anything exciting?  Happy Leap Day everyone! 

I'm outside!

Check it - I finally managed to take an outdoor picture and not get frostbite for going outside without a coat!  Spring is in the air my friends, I can feel it!  Excuse my squint and weird smile - guess I'm not used to looking at the sun these days.

Cream blazer: Talbots

Orange bow-sleeve top: Anthropologie

Necklace: Banana Republic

Rose gold watch: Michael Kors

Black pants: Gap

Black and white bow flats: Dolce Vita via Amazon

Here's the anthro shirt close up without a jacket:

It's cute but the fabric is kind of cheap and thin and it sags in a weird way - it's definitely a cami underneath type of situation.  I got it on a really good sale and I liked the color so I kept it, but if I could do it again, I'd probably return it and just try to make one using some tutorials I found on Pinterest.  One pin I found gives pretty sparse instructions to: "cut two rectangles. sew a tube on top of both. pull ribbon/fabric through and knot. sew sides up."  Because I'm a simpleton when it comes to sewing instructions, this would inevitably turn into me creating some sort of abomination that could scarcely be called a shirt, so I searched for something a little more robust and found this ridiculously adorable top with great instructions.

original source & on pinterest

This shirt is slightly different because it doesn't have the chiffon cap/flutter sleeves, but it's not a noticeable difference at all and it's probably doable for a master seamstress.  Also, this one only has the bow on one side, but it seems like it would be pretty easy to add it on both.

I haven't made a full-on apparel item for years, but this seems simple enough even for me.  Are you big into DIYs or homemade clothing?  I love seeing these amazing projects that people come up with - that's why I love the blog world, it's so inspiring!

Madness

Well, the Oscars are over.  Were they everything you hoped for?  No surprise that The Artist basically swept the top categories, and I predicted the supporting role winners (yay Christopher Plummer!), so nothing exciting from my perspective.  As far as the clothes... I was underwhelmed.  There was a lot of white and nude - not the splash of color I was hoping for.  Other than Gwyneth's cape (which I actually liked the dress underneath, but why the cape?) and Milla Jovovich's Elie Saab (woo hoo, I really wanted someone to wear it!  But why did she pick white out of all of those fabulous colors available???), there wasn't anything overly exciting.  Many were okay, but nothing to write home about, and some were downright bad.  Angelina's black gown was predictable, Emma Stone's neck-eating bow was... strange (although the color was lovely), Sandra Bullock's dress was ill-fitting and looked like one of those spider-y alien fetuses from Alien was trying to latch onto her waist, and both Rooney Mara and Viola Davis's gowns didn't really flatter their chests.   And let's not even talk about J.Lo's abomination - what in the name of God was going on there?  I'm secretly pleased though because I really can't stand her.  I actually think Glenn Close's tuxedo jacket and dress was my favorite, but again - why the drab color?  I would have picked something brighter!  Overall: the show was boring as usual, and the clothes didn't make up for it this year.  Oh well, maybe next year.


I have to admit that I didn't watch that much of the actual awards... I got really caught up in the "Killer Sunday Marathon" on Lifetime.  Yeah, I watched the Craigslist Killer, Untouchable: The Drew Peterson Story, and the Capture of the Green River Killer.  Maybe not such a good idea before bedtime (lights on all night!), but I couldn't help myself.

Speaking of excellent television programs, it's officially less than 4 weeks until Mad Men is back on the air.  Are you as excited as I am???  To start off the countdown properly, I used the show as my outfit inspiration today and pulled out a classic pencil skirt in a bold and feminine color and added a dash of animal print.

Black blazer: Victoria's Secret via MJR Sales

Cream ruffle blouse: French Connection

Red pencil skirt: The Limited

Black skinny belt: The Limited

Leopard print pumps: Jessica Simpson via DSW

Black zipper ribbon bracelet: J Crew (old)

Cream & gold bangles: Forever 21

Black & gold bangle: J Crew

I couldn't really decide which shoes I liked best with this outfit, so I took a few additional photos with some other options that worked well.  Above was a classic leopard print pump.  Next I tried leopard print flats, which I also liked and work well for constant walking/being on your feet.

Leopard flats: American Eagle

Finally, I tried snow leopard print heels, which I love with almost any outfit really.

Snow leopard print heels: White House Black Market (old)

Closer up:

Several of the pieces in this outfit have been featured in other posts on the blog.  I wore the red pencil skirt for Valentine's Day here, the leopard flats here, and the cream ruffle-neck shirt here.

You'll also notice that I'm not posting the cost of each item anymore - that's mostly because I don't think it's really helpful for anyone to see that I spent $15 on something 2 years ago and because I honestly don't remember some because many of the items in my closet are over a year or so old - I keep almost everything!  Instead, I'm going to round up my monthly purchases and what I spent in a separate post every month.  That way the items I'm posting about are current and the prices are actually what I paid.  The purpose of this is twofold: (1) to help me keep track of my spending, and (2) to help show anyone who happens upon my blog (hello!) that you can buy nice items without breaking the bank.  I've heard people say so many times "I wish I could afford J Crew" or "Banana Republic" or whatever, but if you shop smart, you can shop there!  Even staples that seem expensive can be really affordable.  The black blazer in this post, for example, only cost $17!  I promise, it can be done!

Have a great Monday!

Oscar Sunday

Personally, I find awards shows pretty boring almost across the board - Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Grammys, Emmys... they're all long, drawn out, and the people who deserve to be nominated/win often don't.  However, I still watch almost all of them (at least partially) because I can't resist the clothes.  I can't wait to see what everyone's wearing this year!

I like to daydream about what I would wear if I were invited to the Oscars... Hey, it could happen.  I might pick a gold sparkly dress like one of these:

seriously, how amazing does claire danes look in this???

anne hathaway

Seems like a solid choice, especially if you're nominated - nothing wrong with paying homage to the little shiny guy you're hoping to take home, right?

If I was going this year, though, I would definitely pick something from the Elie Saab Spring 2012 Couture show - the whole collection is amazing, and I really hope someone wears it tonight, although I really hope it's someone I like!  I would probably wear this coral color in the far left style:

source

I just love the peach color and the floral accents on the full gown.  So beautiful.  It was hard to narrow it down to one though because the whole show was fabulous - just look at the progression of how the colors came down the runway:

source

So.beautiful.  I love the greens, especially that gorgeous green and white floral, obviously the peach is amazing, and that blue is gorgeous too.  The colors are perfect for spring, and I love all the lightness and floatiness (is that a word?  sure, why not?) of these gowns.  I wish there had been a few additional yellow choices because I love the color but those gowns weren't my favorite from the whole show.  But I suppose when I'm a rich and famous actress, I can ask Mr. Saab to just go ahead and make me one of other gowns in any color I want, right?

Anyway, back to the actual point of the Oscars... the gossip films being nominated!  I've seen a few of the movies this year, and I'm honestly surprised at some of them.  Moneyball?  Really?  The Descendants?  Really?  And I'm sorry, but I just cannot get on board with that girl from ABC Family's resident pregnant-teen show Secret Life of the American Teen being nominated for an Oscar.  Really???  Have you seen that show?  No offense if you like it (I get down with ABC Family too - Pretty Little Liars and Make it or Break It, anyone?) but I tried watching it once for about 30 seconds and the acting was so painful that I had to turn it off.  This coming from someone who doesn't mind the acting in Make It or Break It!

I digress.  I think Jean Dujardin is the favorite for Best Actor, which I like even though I haven't seen it - I honestly don't think Brad Pitt, George Clooney, or Gary Oldman deserve Oscars for their films this year (I like all 3 of them, but those movies were not Academy Award performances, seriously).  I hope Viola Davis wins for Best Actress - she was really great in The Help regardless of whatever historical inaccuracies plague the story.  I have a feeling The Artist will win Best Picture and Best Director, although I really liked Midnight in Paris too, so I'm glad that's in the running.   I really hope Christopher Plummer wins for Best Supporting Actor (love him and The Sound of Music!) and I like Melissa McCarthy (more just because she's awesome than anything) or Jessica Chastain for Best Supporting Actress, but I have a feeling Octavia Spencer will win.  I haven't seen any of the films in the Cinematography or Animated Movie categories, so I have no idea there.  Beyond that, there's really nothing that interesting as far as I'm concerned, which is why I really only watch the last 30 minutes or so (plus the red carpet pre-shows!).

Anyone going to an Oscar Party tonight?  I've always wanted to host one of those... maybe next year!  If you are, have fun and enjoy an extra crudite for me!

Well then

Ahem.  I guess I got a little ahead of myself by obsessing over the warm weather, because winter is bitch-slapping me back to reality with our little snowstorm here.

It's that really gross, slushy snow too.  No matter, I decided to wear my coziest attire today and my plan is to just keep pretending spring is only a few days (hours?) away.  And it's Friday, which is always a good thing.  Here's what I'm wearing for casual Friday today.

Black Turtleneck: Old Navy (old, $10)

Striped Cardigan: Old Navy (old, $20)

Jeans: American Eagle (old, $25)

 Arm Party!

Frosted gold bangles: Banana Republic Factory ($8)

Brown leather braided bracelet: Banana Republic ($10)

Tan leather wrap bracelet: Nordstrom ($6)

Gold Watch: Michael Kors (gift)

Triple row gold beaded bracelet: Francesca's ($12)

Tan driving flats: Michael Kors via Marshall's ($20)

Brown camp socks: my hubby's

 I have absolutely no plans this weekend, which means I don't have to do anything but still feel like I should get millions of things done - anyone else ever feel that way?  My plans are to play around with the tripod I FINALLY received so I can take better photos at home and do a little work on the blog.

I'm also possibly taking a day trip to New Orleans next weekend, so I think I'm going to swing by the library to pick up a copy of A Streetcar Named Desire for some inspiration (play and/or movie - I haven't read or seen it!).   I've never been to NOLA, so I'm looking for recommendations!  Several friends have said we definitely need to stop in at Cafe du Monde for a beignet, so that's definitely on the agenda.  Any other suggestions???

It's Wednesday

That's about all the excitement I can muster for this day.  I'm feeling better though, so that's always good.

I've been hesitating to wear this top because I really wanted to wear it with black and that seemed to boring to be blog-worthy, but then I decided that every outfit doesn't have to be the perfect combination of colors and layering to be special.  This outfit is special because I love this top, and sometimes that's good enough.  I actually do think it would look great with colored items too (and I plan to wear it accordingly in the future), but I really wanted to wear it with black and white so it would stand out.

Lace Top: Banana Republic Factory ($13)

Cardigan: Gap ($15)

Black pants: Gap (really old)

Hot pink bangle: Talbot's ($8)

I found this top at Banana Republic Factory a few months back, but it was something like $60, which I thought was way overpriced for (a) a simple cami with a lace stripe and (b) a factory store.  So I didn't get it - sadface.  But then I went back a few weeks later and happened to find ONE left on the clearance rack, and it had a teensy makeup mark on the shoulder (people are slobs, seriously), so I got the damage discount and ended up paying like $13.

I love a good deal, especially on something you responsibly force yourself to pass on the first time - it's like the universe rewarding you for being so practical!

Baths

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I'm sick.  Blerg.  Since the only thing I want to do is lay in a bath filled with warm, bubbly water up to my neck while reading trashy mags, allow me to litter today's post with the best bathtub porn I could find.

How outrageous is this - an infinity pool in your own freaking bathroom???  I'm in!

source & designer Pepe Calderin

And how about a fireplace in the bathroom?  I could go for a fireplace in every room of my house, to be honest.

source & designer William Hefner

Another amazing fireplace situation.

source & designer Xstyles bath

I could probably be persuaded to forgo the fireplace if I could have this instead:

source

This one is just beautiful - I love the windows, openness, and brightness in the whole space.

source

I absolutely love the colors in this bathroom - it's so bright and cheery!  And the tub = love.  You'll notice a theme in the next few photos - I'm a little obsessed with the clawfoot.  I could lose the statue in the corner though... I'm not a bathtime exhibitionist.

source

Ahhh, so serene!  How could you not be relaxed in a bathtub like this?

source

These polka dots are SO cute!  And all the white... ugh I just love it.

source

This one is a little more rustic than I prefer overall, but this is beautiful for that style, and the colors are so calming and lovely.

source

And, finally, another beautifully clean and serene space.  I love the side table too - just imagine all the fun and relaxing entertainment you could bring to the bath without the risk of it becoming soggy (books! magazines! wine!  Words With Friends!!!)

source

And now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a woefully inadequate bath in my shower-plus-tub abomination.  At least I still have the trashy mags part covered.

Vive Italia

I'm pretty sick today, so I'm going to make this a mostly wordless Monday post.  By way of a short introduction, my hubby and I did our Italian dinner and a movie night date this weekend and I was feeling very inspired by Italy's vintage romance vibe, especially courtesy of these photos:

source

source

source

source

I was immediately smitten with this last one and its creamy shades of cappuccino, cream, peach, and pistachio, so I used it as inspiration for my date outfit.

Caramel cardigan: J Crew ($25)

Pistachio ruffle lace top: Ralph Lauren via Lord & Taylor ($15)

Cream pleated skirt: Anthropologie ($35)

Tan belt: J Crew ($12)

Tan loafer pumps: Nine West ($40)

Peach floral barette: J Crew Factory ($6)

Excuse the awkward no-arms pose, I wasn't intending on wearing the cardigan, but it was freezing outside!

.

Dinner was spaghetti and meatballs, spinach salads with feta, red wine, and macaroons for dessert!

We watched Frederico Fellini's "8 1/2" after dinner (no, not the really sexually weird movie 9 1/2 weeks, that's totally different), and it was interesting, although perhaps a poor choice for my travel-weary husband, who kept falling asleep despite his best efforts to convince me that he was enthralled.  Ah, c'est la vie - it was still a great night.

And now I'm off to drown myself in cough syrup and fantasize about this workday quickly coming to an end... Happy Monday!

Here Comes the Sun

Ahem.  I intended to post this yesterday, but I got a little carried away perusing J Crew's 30% off sale, and I pretty much wasted the whole morning on that.  My bad!  Nevertheless, the sentiments are the same because all I can think about is the beautiful weather and the impending spring!  Apparently all I have to do is whine a little bit (okay, a lot) and then the weather will become unseasonably nice!  It was almost 50 degrees yesterday and the sun has been shining all day today even though it's a little chily.

On top of that, it's the weekend, and weekends are the best thing ever, right?  I didn't do anything exciting last night except pick up my hubby from the airport late, so I just went with a casual outfit for the whole day:

Navy gingham top: J Crew Factory (love this, but it wrinkles like a mofo in the washer)

Rust cardigan: J Crew

Gold giraffe necklace: J Crew Factory

Long gold discs necklace: Daisy Fuentes at Kohl's

Watch: Michael Kors

Belt: J Crew Factory

Jeans: Mossimo at Target

Leopard flats: American Eagle

As a side note, a big part of my style/shopping strategy is budget-oriented, so I'm thinking of adding in the cost I paid for what I'm wearing, and doing a feature post every month of my budget and what I buy every month.  Hopefully this is interesting and helpful to someone else too, but I think it will definitely help me evaluate my spending and more realistically see what I need in my closet (likely answer: nothing).

Tonight my hubby and I have a low-key date planned (dinner and a movie, Italian style!), but I'm still planning on getting a little more dressed up just to make it special, and I'm hoping to make it outside for photos before the sun runs away again.

And with that, I'll leave you to your Saturday with a little something that makes me happy any day of the week:

Have a great weekend!