2013. crazy clutch lady.

vermont jacket by paige. ella moss dress. vintage clutch. nine west wedges.

i am unabashedly crazy about clutches. men will never understand why women carry purses with no straps or handles. sometimes i don’t understand myself when i take one to the grocery store and end up sticking it like a newspaper under my armpit because i lack free hands.

i bought my first clutch in college; it was an oversized lavender leather via spiga found on deep discount at tj maxx. then i got into thrifting beaded evening clutches and anything else that enchanted me. on saturday morning, i found the ombre-embroidered bag for five dollars and thanked my lucky stars. she’s the perfect spring and summer clutch, and i can’t wait to pass her on to my future daughter (way in the future, mind you).

i wish i could sew a similar clutch but i lack the tremendous patience and needlepoint skills. however i can do one thing— carry it.

the look | similar jacket | similar dress | similar shoes

2013. orange crush.

merino boyfriend sweater by j.crew. pintuck silk tunic by alice + olivia. paige verdugo leggings. lotta from stockholm clogs. pendleton canyonville tote.

if you asked me ten years ago, “do you like orange?” i would have said, “ew.” if you asked me five years ago, “do you like orange?” i would have said, “sure.” if you asked me now if i like orange i would say, “YES!” it’s definitely a color i wear more and more over time.

after i wore the blouse to work, i found ink smudges on the placket from the rubber stamps i use to check my kids’ assignments. fortunately the stains came out with woolite and a teeny dot of dawn soap. yes, i put dishwashing liquid on a silk blouse. orange makes me brave.

the look | similar sweater | similar blouse | similar jeans | shoes | bag

2013. not so neutral.

maison scotch sweater. splendid sweatshirt. verdugo leggings by paige. sidewalk wedges by madewell.

usually when i engage in “tone dressing”, i wear blue from head to toe because blue is my favorite color. on sunday i broke out my best beiges and they all happened to match.

michael calls this sweater “that sweater” i.e. he isn’t a big fan of it. sometimes i wish he would refer to our candy bowl as “those candies”— consequently i could have them to myself. until then, at least this sweater that sweater is mine for keeps.

the look | sweater | similar sweatshirt | similar jeans | similar shoes

2013. first dates.

striped crochet jacket by zara. soft joie tank. verdugo leggings by paige. tory burch reva flats. allibelle mohawk clutch.

remember that old movie with drew barrymore called 50 first dates? i saw part of it on cable and quickly got the gist: woman loses memory but falls in love again each day on a date with her husband.

sometimes i can’t believe that michael and i have been together for over eight years. it doesn’t seem like a very long time, and from conversations we’ve had with friends (single and married), that’s a good thing. you want to find that person you can take on 50 or 100 or 500 first dates.

thank you M for being my first date on saturday and buying us sushi. i hope i see you again soon. :o)

the look | similar jacket | similar tank | similar jeans | similar flats

2013. two girls.

maison scotch sweater. silk striped tee by j.crew. skyline skinny skinnies by paige. pour la victoire boots.

see that chubby puggy? she turned five this month. michael says she can go to kindergarten in the fall. i wish!

sophie is a funny creature. she’s perpetually hungry, fiercely loyal, and always affectionate. she can detect the UPS truck from a few blocks away. she sheds hair like crazy (almost all fawn pugs do) and our vacuum cleaner fills up with her fur. but we love her anyway.

happy birthday sophie! thanks for being so gosh darn cute and making a cameo occasionally.

the look | sweater | similar blouse | similar pants | similar boots

2013. brown hare.

stitched cardigan by madewell. joie rancher tee. verdugo leggings by paige. rebecca minkoff doll boots and bombe bag.

the older i get, the more comfortable i am wearing what i want and what i deem beautiful. i know this cardigan is sort of oversized and kind of shapeless; its color resembles beatrix potter’s bunny family. at some angles, it makes the upper half of my body look huge.

but i like it. at thirteen, i worshipped fashion magazines and wanted to resemble the models. at thirty-one, i understand there are rules and trends but you don’t have to follow or adopt any of them. if i wake up one morning and want to dress like a brown hare, more power and more carrots to me.

really— more carrots. this was my grocery shopping outfit.

the look | similar sweater | tee | similar jeans | similar boots

2013. collard blues.

soft joie tee. verdugo leggings by paige. tory burch reva flats. eclectic ornaments necklace. hervé chapelier mini bag.

whenever i have a wardrobe brain freeze, i put on jeans and a fancy tee— fancy meaning it doesn’t have any holes, my college logo, or food stains on it. soft joie tees are my favorite because they drape in a flattering way, and i can wear them with anything.

i bought the necklace from rae of eclectic ornaments last summer. i missed out on the original anthropologie necklace, but i loved the hydrangea version offered by rae. she also makes them in other colors like yellow, pink, and red. check out her shop if you’re craving a layered necklace of your own.

the look | similar tee | similar jeans | similar flats

2013. bistro girl.

express tricot sweater (thrifted). high rise jeggings by paige. zara heels. allibelle mohawk clutch.

on friday night, we went to a french restaurant for michael’s birthday. the weather wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t cold either— i opted for a boxy sweater instead of a blouse and coat. nothing beats a cheap sweater made chic!

the magical heels are making their first blog appearance. i bought them on a shopping date with tanvi last year. their names are fred and george weasley. okay, maybe not fred and george… more like padma and parvati patil. either way, they’re super cute, and i should take them out more often.

the look | similar sweater | similar jeans | similar heels | similar bag

2013. joie de vivre.

soft joie tee. high rise jeggings by paige. pour la victoire boots. pendleton canyonville tote.

oh, hello! welcome back to our regular scheduled programming (or blogramming). after spending most of my vacation using all the tissues in our house, i was ready to take on the world. i got a haircut, sang along to my favorite pandora stations, cleaned the house, and felt great. i wore this outfit yesterday to the grocery store.

santa brought me a B.A.B. (big awesome bag). you know i love pendleton and patterns. i guess he does, too. :o)

the look | similar tee | similar jeans | similar boots | bag

2012. gold toes.

cardigan by halogen. pintuck silk tunic by alice + olivia. high-rise jeggings by paige. metallic flats c/o wanted. earrings from adelante boutique. missibaba tote from etcetera, etc.

my taste in jewelry is bipolar— i like simple, elegant sort of pieces and things i call “intriguing” that others may label as glitzy or strange. i bought these earrings over the summer because i loved the colors, shapes, and mixed materials. the good thing is that michael likes them, too. the bad thing is that my hair usually hides them.

i’ve been a busy bumblebee this week preparing for our winter break. today my kids and i made hot cocoa with marshmallows and watched the polar express. tomorrow we’ll host our families for a little craft and a lot of finger foods. send some napkins and wet wipes our way!

the look | similar sweater | similar blouse | similar jeans | similar flats

2012. a penny saved.

cavorting canines dress by maeve. skyline skinny skinnies by paige. italian scarf. pour la victoire boots.

this is what i look like when i find a long forgotten dollar in one of my pockets. if i write anymore, i feel as if i will ruin the priceless photo. that’s all for today. :o)

the look | similar dress | similar pants | similar scarf | similar boots

2012. wool blends.

betsy sweater by j.crew. free people tunic tank. skyline skinny skinnies by paige. pour la victoire boots. missibaba tote from etcetera, etc.

howdy! old man winter decided to visit this week with highs in the 50’s-60’s and lows in the 30’s-40’s. we’re not sure how long he will stick around, but i’ll take cold weather while it lasts. yesterday i wore the outfit to school along with my green j.crew coat. michael said i resembled our christmas tree.

speaking of christmas trees, i didn’t realize that real trees are so thirsty. we water our tree every other day. it keeps almost all of its needles, and sophie has no interest in it whatsoever. i feel fortunate because we have friends who “gate” their tree from pets. so far, so good, sophie. :o)

the look | similar sweater | similar tank |  similar pants | similar boots

2012. pep in my step.

polka dot peplum tee from target. high-rise jeggings by paige. pour la victoire boots. rebecca minkoff bombe bag.

i usually stay away from peplum tops because they look awkward on my body (height + long torso + shortened blouse = odd), but as you can see, i haven’t given up on the trend altogether. i found the adorable shirt while shopping for advent calendar goodies for michael. a cute fiancée counts as a present, right?

when michael was little, his mom bought him advent calendars with chocolates behind the doors. i came home from target and told him that he could not, better not, under any circumstances come into the dining room while i assembled his calendar. after i packed up everything, i realized that i created a countdown (numbers backwards) instead of a traditional advent. that’s what i get for being bossy.

the look | tee | similar jeans | similar boots

2012. comfy cozy.

express tricot sweater (thrifted). skyline skinny skinnies by paige. frye boots.

every fall and winter, i find an outfit that i can wear several days in a row simply because it’s comfy cozy and i’m comfy lazy. a few weeks ago, i threw away my old leggings and bought two pairs of ponte knit pants on sale at nordstrom rack. i chose paige and joe’s— both pairs fit like a dream. they feel like j.crew’s pixie pants but have longer inseams (good for tall girls).

i found the sweater at the thrift store. i used to own this sweater— well, not this exact sweater because some lady wrote her name on the tag, so it’s definitely not mine. the year was 1992, middle school monopolized my days, and express churned out chunky cotton sweaters in solids and stripes. my mom bought me three of them, and i wore them constantly.

then i remember seeing one of the science teachers at school in my sweater. i thought, oh my god, a teacher has the same sweater as me, and oh my god, do teachers go to the mall?!

what was the best sweater from your youth?

the look | similar sweater | similar pants | boots

2012. raspberry rush.

stitchview cardigan by madewell. soft joie tank. verdugo leggings by paige. miz mooz clogs.

on saturday, M and i finally went to see ben affleck’s new film argo, and we loved it. the movie has great, suspenseful cuts— you feel terrified one minute and relaxed the next. if you haven’t seen it, we highly recommend it!

i usually wear jeans and cardigans to the movies because of the chilly temperatures. i paired the cheerful sweater with an equally bright top and reluctantly shared a bucket of popcorn with M as big as both our heads. all in all, we had a perfect afternoon.

the look | cardigan | similar tee | similar jeans | similar shoes