Thin Mints

Hi there! This is Friday night's outfit... an old friend was in town so we had a girls night out. There was wine. A lot of wine. In fact, in the interest of full disclosure: I was a little drunk when I took this photo upon returning home. There may or may not have been a two-hour-nap needed today in order to restore equilibrium.
I had to do some self-convincing to leave the house like this. The blouse is a brand-new thrift store acquisition and a radical departure from my usual style. But I like the bold pattern and 70s color palette. The shorts are another pair of these, just in olive drab this time, and the shoes are my beloved wedges. The total effect is slightly "naughty Girl Scout." The pattern on the shirt, especially, makes me feel like selling Thin Mints.

Patterned silk blouse: Banana Republic, thrifted
Olive-drab linen shorts: Gap
Brown & silver platform wedges: Mossimo/Target (see them better here)
Lobster necklace: gift from my sister

Where: dinner and lots of wine with girlfriends.

Doesn't matter if you're black or white

(...to quote the late, great Michael Jackson.)
I put a little bit of effort into getting dressed today, just because it's Friday. You don't really need a reason, do you? Actually, this outfit is super comfortable. I got this stretchy jersey skirt (and this purple one) at Old Navy for a steal recently, and I love them. Like skirty pajamas. If there was such a thing.

Polka-dotted blouse: Allen B for JCPenney
Black camisole: don't know
Black stretchy jersey skirt: Old Navy
Black-and-white wedge espadrilles: Naturalizer
Octopus necklace: gift from my sister (see it better here)
Yellow rubber watch: swag from my husband's old job

Where: Daycamp dropoff, bank, tons of work from home.

Ocean

I'm pretty sure I wore almost this exact outfit on vacation. Oh well. You're allowed to repeat every few months, right??
I adore this color, it makes me think of the sea. So I paired it with my lobster necklace. Even though I spent the entire day running errands and doing housework, looking down at my dress still made me smile.

Turquoise jersey dress: Target
White cardigan: Target
Beaded "peacock" sandals: Chinese Laundry
Lobster necklace: gift from my sister
Yellow rubber watch: swag from my husband's old job

Where: Daycamp dropoff, K-mart (ugh, ours is grody), gas station, bank, thrift store, Homegoods, Michael's, town offices (twice), bakery, market, daycamp pickup, laundry, sewing new curtains, work at home. Phew.

Blousey

Sunday's outfit! We were having some friends from out of town over for dinner. (I made carne asada with homemade salsa. Yum.) I was feeling a little muffin-toppy — if that's not a word, it should be — so I pulled out this new purchase, a blousey floral tank. I like the combination of orange and maroon in the pattern, and the looseness was great so I could eat a lot.

White cardigan: Target (I have two, so this isn't the same as Saturday's stretched-out version!)
Orange-and-maroon floral tank: Kohl's
Jeans: Calvin Klein lean bootcut (sadly, these are too short so can only be worn rolled-up)
Bronze ballet flats: Target

Where: Having friends over for dinner.

P.S. If you didn't notice yesterday, please look at the window in the background. Someone with four legs and claws got a little excited at the arrival of the UPS truck and shredded my side-window curtain. Now it's all horror-movie-you-can-see-into-my-house-at-night around here. I've got to get sewing.

Play ball!

Hello! I'm a few days behind. This is actually what I wore on Saturday, to go to a minor-league baseball game here in town. I know I'm wearing yellow and not red, but this outfit always seems a little patriotic to me. Maybe it's the pinstripes on the shorts. Anyhow, the game was great; it was the first time the little man had seen a baseball game in person and he was smitten. He got hotdogs and popcorn and a baseball signed by the mascot. It was wonderful. And it didn't even matter that the game got rained out in the fourth inning. However these were perhaps not the most practical shoes for running to the car in the mud.

White cardigan: Target (looking a little stretched out; I keep forgetting to replace it!)
Yellow petal-trim tank: Old Navy
Navy pinstripe shorts: Dockers
Navy-and-white wedge espadrilles: Naturalizer (the sisters to these)
Yellow rubber watch: swag from my husband's old job

Where: Baseball, baby!

Weekend Wedding

This weekend my husband and I made a 1000 mile whirlwind tour to go to his brother's wedding. The ceremony and reception took place in Southie so needless to say, I was excited. Of course the only thing I know about Southie is Good Will Hunting. And yes, it is kind of like that. The wedding was in a reception hall above a bar and pretty low key. The bride and groom looked happy. The dress code varied from a long ball gown to jeans and a t-shirt. I have no idea where I fell in the spectrum other than I am in LOVE with my new Lilly Pulitzer shift dress that I found at...wait for it...T.J. Maxx. SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!! It might not have been the most flattering dress in the world because it was so straight but honey badger don't care because the pattern! Oh the pattern. Turquoise, yellow and black koi fish? Yes, please! I will need to work a little harder at Zumba to make this dress fit better because of late I've been slacking and well, it shows. We have another wedding at the end of July and hopefully this dress will work better for me. And again, it's another 1000 mile (that's round trip total) but it's all worth it.

The Wear:
Dress: Lilly Pulitzer (from T.J. Maxx!)
Shoes: Franco Sarto

The Where:
Wedding in Southie (our waitress even had a thick Irish brogue!)

Bows and ruffles

I don't have all that much to say about my outfit today... it's a weird day today. Rainy and grey, and I've felt like I've had my head underwater all day. I could really use a nap. Ah well. Maybe tomorrow will be better!

Ruffle tank-top: Lauren Conrad
White cardigan: Target
Jeans: Levi's Curve ID bootcut
Purple bow ballet flats: Payless
"Moonstone" teardrop pendant: Target

Where: Errands and ... you know what, I can't even remember.

Colorful

I never would have thought of pairing coral and purple until I read this post at academichic. But I like it! I wore this to the beach to meet old high school friends who were in town. We chatted while all the kids played in the sand. (I have to say, I was far and away the most colorfully dressed there. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that. Leave it to high school to bring back insecurities about not fitting in!)
After the beach the little man and I went out for lunch at a local diner. We were doing great until it was time to come home... which is why when I took this photo, there was an Epic Meltdown happening very loudly in the next room. This is the only photo (of the four I took) in which there is not a dog cowering at my feet due to all the screaming. Such a glamorous life I lead.

Coral v-neck t-shirt: Ann Taylor
Purple jersey skirt: Old Navy
Studded thong sandals: Target
Wooden bead "luau" necklace: local jewelry shop

Where: Cleaning the house, beach with friends, diner lunch, epic toddler meltdown, swim lessons.

New favorite dress

I had an early doctor's appointment this morning and wanted to look cute but comfortable. This dress is my new favorite. I really wish they made it in more colors so I could buy a dozen!
(There was a brown cardigan involved here at one point - no joke, I put it on the counter to take this photo and it fell into the dog's water bowl. So the dress stood alone for the rest of the day. It looks better that way anyhow.)

Tan stripe jersey dress: Target
Ivory/gold ballet flats: Aerosoles
Petrified wood necklace: From a trunk show in Boston many years ago

Where: doctor's appointment, taking a "day off" to play with my son in the yard, farmshare pickup, library.

The Suitable Alternative to a Suit

Thankfully, I work in an office where I do not have to wear a suit very much, if ever. Although I like wearing skirts and dresses, and suits are flattering, they are just too much effort. They are stiff and uncomfortable and I feel like I should be in court. Well, if I am wearing a suit, I usually am in court so yeah. There you go. Tonight we have our big board meeting and I might have to say something so this is my quick fix for a suit. Because it's a 174 percent humidity, I am not going to wear a suit. Instead, I am wearing a light white blazer with a full skirt as a suitable alternative. The skirt is actually brown and white but the damn iPhone makes it look black and white. It's comfortable and cool and I don't look completely frumpy in it. Frumptastic, maybe but not frumpy.

The Wear:
White summer blazer: Merona
Brown tissue tee: J. Crew
Brown and white full skirt: Willi Smith
Pink shoes: Mossimo

The Where:
Daycare, work, lunch with coworker, daycare, Co-Op, home, board meeting.

Of stripes and florals

Sunday brought two outfits! I know, it's fascinating stuff. It was a gorgeous day - sunny and cool in the morning, warming up later.

Striped dolman top: TJ Maxx
Tan cargo pants: Old Navy
Ivory/gold ballet flats: Aerosoles
Yellow rubber watch: swag from my husband's old job

Where: laundry, groceries, work at home.

Later on I hosted a Father's Day cookout at our place. I didn't get to take my picture until after everything was over, but this dress was perfect: casual and cool. And I have to say, I adore the waistline because I can eat as much as I want and not have to worry about sucking in my gut.

White floral dress: Old Navy
Beaded flip-flops: can't remember

Where: cookout at our house

Glorifed Jammies

For some reason the little fella woke up at 4:40 a.m. and didn't feel much like falling back asleep. On top of that, I had some GI malfunction and felt pretty much like bleck. And for an extra special cherry on top, because I'm generous that way, the significant other left for a conference for the week. So needless to say, I did not feel like dressing in anything more than glorified jammies. Oh, and for a little something special, I didn't have enough time to do my hair so I put it back in headband. I look a bit like those Irish Step Dancers with the fake curly wigs. But hey, I'm half Irish. It comes naturally.

The Wear
Cardigan: Merona from Target
Dress: Old Navy
Shoes: xhiliration
Necklace: Superhero Jewelry
Headband: Etsy shop which is not longer available
Engagement Ring & Wedding Band

The Where:
Airport, daycare, work, ophthalmologist, work again, daycare again, home.

Shorts

Hi. Here's a Saturday post. Yeah, I've been a little MIA this week; sorry about that. But here's the thing: I wore shorts a lot this week. Not the cute kind, either - the kind you wear with just a t-shirt and sporty sandals and get all sweaty in. I've spent the past few days pulling kids up hills in wagons, putting on bug spray, and getting covered with mud, food, and who knows what else. They were happy days, for the most part, but not particularly photogenic.
I'll make a little confession: I kind of hate how I look in shorts, usually. I don't like my knees - unless I am wearing some kind of heel, and then I can accept them. So it follows that I'm okay with shorts as long as I wear them with heels. Sadly, heels don't really work for the pulling-wagon and bug spray kind of days.

Black-and-white striped shirt: Kohl's
Steel grey linen shorts: Gap
Black-and-white wedge espadrilles: Naturalizer

Where: Groceries, work at home, general Saturday stuff, hosting a cookout.

Socialite

Let's pretend for a moment that I really am a socialite and I am constantly being covered by my local paper's society section. Ok, stop laughing. I think if I were, this would be my go-to outfit. I feel very confident and comfortable. I'm business but relaxed (much like a mullet.) I'm indoors at the office and out by the water. It works for a Friday afternoon lunch and an evening for drinks by the bay. So there. I'm actually happy with what I'm wearing for a change. Cha cha cha!

The Wear:
Blouse: NY & Co.
Dress: Old Navy
Shoes: Mossimo

The Where:
Work, lunch with husband, pick up the boy, boy brought home to stay with babysitter, out for happy hour with work colleagues.

That 70s hoedown

I am kind of "meh" about this outfit that I wore last night... I think it might be the shirt. I love this shirt so much on the hanger but on my body it just falls flat.
Anyhow, I had a meeting and no time to get dressed so I seem to have gravitated towards a 70s/hoedown sort of look. Yeehaw! I think the outfit has a little potential, though - a belt to cinch in the waist may have helped a lot. But otherwise, sadly, I think it's Strike Two for this shirt.

Tan gingham shirt: Old Navy
White tank: Kohl's
Wideleg trouser jeans: Lauren Conrad
Yellow platform clogs: Target
Lobster necklace: gift from my sister (see it better here)
Yellow rubber watch: swag from my husband's old job

Where: casual evening meeting.

Eat, Nap, Love

Sometime in the last week, my husband and I watched Eat, Pray, Love. I had no interest in reading the book and honestly I never planned on watching the movie but when nothing else was on the other 873 channels, E, P, L was our only hope. And honestly, it wasn't that bad. I loved the scenery and locations. If my hypothetical publisher wanted to pay me to go eat a ton in Italy, get all centered and sh*t in India, and then lounge or be a guru's assistant in Bali, you probably wouldn't have to twist my arm too hard. However, I'd need to bring my son and husband. And perhaps my cats. And the dog. So my hypothetical trip finding myself and relaxing actually wouldn't be too relaxing because I would be trying to keep the boy out of the Roman fountains and trying to keep the dog from killing too much livestock.

What the heck does any of this have to do with this outfit? This is my effort at being all yoga zen relaxed today. The tunic is long and soft, the dress underneath is a cozy jersey and honestly feels like a nightgown (wait, am I wearing a nightgown at work?!) and the shoes are the most comfortable flats ever! No really, ever! I'm not sure if I've been totally zen today but at least I'm making the effort. Ommmm....

Oh, and I changed it to Eat, Nap, Love because I'm all about naps and not that there is anything wrong with prayer but I'm more familiar, at least I was, with naps.

The Wear:
Tunic: Merona from Target
Dress: Old Navy
Shoes: Mossimo
Necklace: Superhero Jewelry

The Where:
Home, Work, and the gym but I won't be wearing this to Zumba. Such a shame, no?

Graduation

I wore this last night for my youngest cousin's eighth-grade graduation. A few things:
1. This is not the outfit I planned to wear. When I put on the clothes I'd planned, they just looked all wrong. And I had exactly zero time to figure out what to do about that. So I grabbed this dress and these shoes, and crossed my fingers.
2. I took this photo at the end of the night, so I hope that helps explain all the rumpling...
3. I bought this dress in the summer of 2010. Hopefully that help alleviate any suspicions that I was trying to duplicate "the" blue dress... I had mine first!
4. I am officially old. I couldn't believe the outfits some of the eighth-grade girls were wearing! Kids these days...

Royal blue wrap dress: Old Navy
White camisole: Costco
Nude pumps: Franco Sarto
Small starfish necklace: Target

Where: Driving, toddler-wrangling, graduation-attending... all in the rain.

Everybody, Everywear: Itty Bitty Lace

Actually, I do have a very nice white lace shirt which would be cute with something; however, a lot of my clothes are in storage while we sell our house and I am afraid that shirt is one them. Sigh. So instead I am wearing a hint of lace to add color to this rather brown ensemble. It's actually one of my favorite camisoles which I purchased before going to Taiwan where I knew it would be steamy hot. Now that I am in cooler climate, I wear my camisoles under shirts for modesty (oh my!) and as I am here, to add a hint of color (despite the photo, it's more of a olive or pear color) and texture (lace.)

I find myself inspired by two themes of late: 1950's and 1960's fashion and the west. I am embracing outfits which flatter my curves because let's face it, I cannot really hide them. I plan to invest more time in thrift stores and looking for belts to cinch in my waist. On the other hand, I love the western look and if I could get my hands on a great, but reasonable, pair of cowboy boots, I would be pleased. These boots are the closest I can get to cowboy and this full skirt makes me think of a square dance, although I hated them in middle school!

The Wear:
Brown tissue tee: J. Crew
Camisole (with lace!): Elle by Kohls
Skirt: Willi Smith
Harness boots: White Mountain

The Where:
Work, telephone hearing with clients, Co-Op for rice milk for the boy, home

The Easter Bunny Meets Miami Vice

I am sure that there are days where my coworkers look at my outfits and think, say wha'? This might be one of those days. For some reason, I couldn't locate a short sleeved white shirt so instead I decided to go with a long sleeved pink tissue tee. Yes, I was in a hurry. No, I did not lay my outfit out last night. So sure, it is thrown together a bit but what the hell. If the Easter Bunny and Don Johnson from Miami Vice picked out an outfit, I'm sure this would fit the bill.

The Wear:
Blazer: Merona
Tissue long-sleeved tee: Merona
Tank: Banana Republic
Skirt: J. Crew
Shoes: American Eagle.

The Where:
Work, meeting with client, home. I will be changing into jeans for book discussion group.

Monday, Monday

In highly unusual circumstances, I am not spending a good chunk of today crawling on the floor as usual. I know!
I don't have a ton to say about this outfit, really. It's on the cooler side today but it's finally sunny again. Woohoo! Of course the entire weekend was pretty much lost to rain, but I'll take whatever nice weather I can get.
We have a graduation to attend tonight so I may have another outfit later. Or not. We'll see. I'm unpredictable like that.

Brown cardigan: Ann Taylor
Coral and brown sundress: Old Navy
White camisole: Costco
Brown harness boots: White Mountain
Giant starfish necklace: self-made at bead shop

Where: work at home, errands, lunchtime meeting, more work at home.