OOTD: Ikat To The Rescue

Happy Monday!

I hope all of your weeks started out a lot better than mine did. After spending a lovely weekend in New York with my friends (thanks girls!), it was a little rough to come back to my ever present to-do list.  At least I escaped the snow. All you poor East Coasters, I am feeling for you!

I have previously whined about my ongoing love-hate relationship with J. Crew, but I have to admit that J. Crew sure does a mean pencil skirt. J. Crew's Ikat Pencil Skirt is a prime example. I love, love, love it! It was just the thing to help perk up my mood as I dragged myself out of bed this morning.

Skirt: J. Crew Ikat Pencil Skirt; 4 (2010; $60 on sale)

Blouse: Anthro ?; 4 (old, old, old; ?)

Tights: Nordstrom Rack Hue; Black S/M (2010; $10)

Shoes: Seychelles Veronica T-Strap; Black-multi, 6 (2010; $90)

Necklace: Anthro ? (Old; ?)

Watch: Tissot (2009; Xmas Gift)

 Tuesday has got to be better, right?

-J

Pretty Pretty Polish

Happy Friday Everyone!

While J is eating everything in sight in New York this weekend I will be here in Seattle enjoying the gray rain. My Mom is flying in for a visit on Sunday though so she will surly brighten up my day (okay, that was incredibly cheesy but I had to continue with the weather pun).

So, I am quite the nail polish junky and have been since college. Aside from all my classes and work I still managed to have quite a bit of free time back then and I became rather compulsive about having perfectly painted nails. In college it was longer nails painted in a french manicure, which I was actually quite good at doing myself, and today it is short nails painted with fun colors.

Here are some of my favorites:

The following two photos, my nails and J's, are polishes from Julep which is a Seattle based nail parlor, I mentioned it before when showing my mustard polish. Although those of you who don't live in Seattle will have to order polish online I think it's worth the investment because they have fantastic colors and they manage to stay on my nails for 5 days without any chips (this is considered a long time for me, my nails usually chip after 2!!).

Yoko

Stella

I also love OPI polishes and I originally saw these two colors on a blog that I'm sure many of you are familiar with called Infinite Whimsy. The blogger got a manicure and layered these two colors and it looked fantastic. I couldn't find them in a store so I ordered them online. One warning, the glitter polish took about 15 minutes to remove so don't try to do so as you are dashing out the door to work!! Note: the photo doesn't do the Bring on the Bling justice, it is fantastic and very blingy (that's not even a word)!!!

OPI: Glitzerland

OPI: Glitzerland with Bring on the Bling on top

Finally, aside from the Julep polishes, which are difficult to come by, my favorite polishes are Essie. These polishes can be found at beauty supply stores and even at Target and JCrew. I think they just make the most delightful colors and they are always coming out with something new and fresh yet still somewhat classic. Here are some of my favorites.

From left to right:

Van D'Go, Mint Candy Apple, Lilacism, Fondola Gondola, Foot Loose, Turning Heads Red.

And there you have it my friends. Hope you have a lovely weekend and happy polishing!! Let me know what your favorite colors are, I'm always looking for something new!!

g

OOTD: No Beribboneds About It!

Happy Friday everyone!

Ok, ok. I know its not actually Friday. But today is my "Friday" for this week. I worked a half day, and now I am about to head off to the airport because this girl is heading to The Big Apple!

I try to make it out to New York twice year (Winter & Summer) and I have visited at least once every year over the past several years. The trip isn't so much about New York, as it is about food (and my lovely friends who reside there).

Out of pure coincidence (read: obsessive planning) my trips just happen to coincide with a little foodie event called Restaurant Week. Whoot! This weekend will be spent shopping, bad movie watching (hello, No Strings Attached) giggling, and, best of all, eating! My girlfriends and I have too-many-to-possibly-squeeze-in-both-time-wise-and-stomach-capacity-wise reservations at numerous fancy shmancie restaurants. You can all bet that I will be packing my strethcy pants!

Anyways, on to my OOTD. I wore this outfit on Monday. I actually bought this skirt on one of my trips to New York...

Cardigan: Anthro Beribboned Cardigan, S (2010, $50 on sale)

Skirt: Anthro Scalloped Dots Skirt, 4 (2010, $50 on sale)

Shoes: Anthro Waiving Grains Pumps, 5 (2010, $148 but now on sale for $80)

Blouse: Anthro ? Blouse, 4 (2008, $68)

And a shot from the front....

Necklace: J. Crew (2009, $20 on sale)

And a close up, for good measure....

Nail Polish: Julep's Halle ($7.25, buy here)

I wont be posting over the next several days, but G should have you covered. If you are really nice (read: pour on the guilt) I bet you can get her to do her long promised post on nail polish. That girl is the Queen of Polish!

I hope you all have a great weekend! Catch you all on this flip side!

J

Pie...Oh My!!

Good Afternoon.

It has been ages since I've posted...sorry. I do have an exciting post today and it doesn't involve clothes, it involves food...even better!! On Monday evening J and I visited High 5 Pie, a new cafe devoted completely to pie, of both the sweet and savory variety. As a side note, I left the gym early, cutting my workout short, to meet up for pie...this somehow seems counterproductive I think. Anyway, we decided on a Mixed Berry Pie and they had it available to bake at home, which was great because we were going to watch The Bachelor that evening ( I can't believe I admitted that). We also picked up a pint of vanilla Bluebird Ice Cream, a local ice cream store around the corner. Aside from a baking mishap, user error, the dessert was delicious and aside from the severe lack of parking, not our error, around High 5, I would definitely recommend going if you live in the seattle area. The store is absolutely adorable, decorated in a minimalist vintage style with lots of mint green and buttercream decor.

Photos of their adorable mint green espresso

machine plus a photo of the interior, sorry it's

blurry, thanks for nothing iPhone!

Hope you all make it through the rest of the week!

G

OOTD- Mustard and Macchiato

Sigh. This is my least favorite time of the week. Instead of relaxing and enjoying the last quiet moments of my weekend, I start to stress over my to-do list for the upcoming week. I waste a good 1/3 of my Sunday worrying about the start to the work week. That's a good chunk of my weekend! I need to break this habit! Any tips?

As for this Sunday, I spent the last 3+ hours running around Seattle buying random items that I have been meaning to get for ages (2nd laundry hamper, light bulbs, dish soap, closet hooks, boyfriends Christmas present, etc). I have been looking for a good boot storage solution for awhile, and I found an under the bed storage bin at Target (yay!) only to get home and find that it didn't fit under my bed (boo!). How can a bin meant to fit under a bed not fit under my bed!?!?! Ugh. A. N. N. O. Y. E. D.

Anyways, on to my outfit from yesterday. I took my new Machiatto Jumper out for a spin. I loved this dress the minute I saw it online and I could not wait to get my hands on it. But it never made it to my store, which is odd because my store usually gets everything. So once this jumper hit sale, I tracked it down at a store in California and had it shipped to me. And since I saw the movie with G, I had to incorporate my mustard cardigan she not so secretly covets.

 

Dress: Anthro Macchiato Jumper, 4 (2011, $70 on sale)

Cardigan: J. Crew Femme Cashmere Cardigan, Honeycomb S (2010, Xmas gift)

Tights: Anthro Plaid Tights, S/M (2010, $10 on sale)
Shoes: Anthro Rensselaer T-straps, 6 (2010, $80 on sale)
Belt: Anthro Three Beacons Belt, S (2010, $34)

See this weeks Anthroholic Reader Outfits where I submitted the following picture! Several other ladies also submitted outfits featuring this dress. So check it out that post for alternative styling options.

And I continue to be amazed about how much wear I am getting out of the Kirklees Sweater Coat! To think I was worried that I would not wear this coat enough to justify buying it.

Alright, I am of to stress out over my to-do list relax and enjoy a nice dinner and watch another episode of Breaking Bad (I am obsessed!).

Cheers!

J



OOTD- The decision to keep this skirt was an easy one!

Happy Thursday end of Thursday!

Sorry for my little absence. I got side tracked by that little thing called life. Ah well, that happens.

But I am back, and I bring to you my OOTD from yesterday.  G and I both tried this skirt on before it went on sale and we both loved it.  I had planned to pick it up in the blue color scheme, but by the time I got around to tracking it down I had missed out.  I decided to take a chance with bold color which is a bit outside of my comfort zone. Not because I don't love the color (I do! I really really do!), but more because I am afraid I will run out of ways to wear it. That's the problem with bold clothing. You can really only wear it so many times within a period of time around the same group of people. You know what I mean?

Skirt: Anthro Easy Keeper Skirt, 4 (2010, $80 on sale)

Sweater: Nordstrom Halogen, Purple S (Old old old, ?)

Belt: Anthro Three Beacons Belt, S (2010, $34)

Shoes: Antho Renesselar T-Straps, 6 (2010, $80 on sale)

Ring: Vintage (2009, Gift)

And here are some different views... OOTD- The decision to keep this skirt was an easy one!

I really like the way this outfit turned out. I felt like I was channeling Joan from Mad Men... very curvy. I just hope that I can come up with enough combinations to shake it up and make this skirt worth it.

Have a good night! G and I have plans to try out this place this weekend... um, can you say yummy!?!?

PPOTD: Happy Birthday

Just a quick post to announce that Maple, my lovely little sheltie, is 1 today and since Justyn set the precedent a few months ago for wishing our dogs happy birthday on our blog I am following suit.

Happy Birthday Maple!

Maple is seen here sporting her Christmas gift 

from my mom....her new jewelry says 99% angel....right.

Have a good week!

G

OOTD- Comfy & Cozy for a Rainy Saturday

Oh boy! Anyone else thrilled for the three day weekend? My brain has refused to switch from holiday mode to work mode. It is already the middle of January. It is soooooo not the holidays anymore!
Anyways, I plan to make the most out of this three day break. I have lots of places to eat, lots of TV to catch up on, and even a movie of two thrown in. I do have a Plan B, should my ambitious plans fail to materialize. Plan B involves never leaving the house and watching hours and hours of trashy TV. Not sure which plan will win yet. The couch is looking mighty comfy right about now.

Anyways, on to today’s outfit. I actually managed to get out of bed, exercise, shower, watch last week's episode of Top Chef, and throw together a cozy outfit all before 1pm. Not bad for a Saturday!

As mentioned previously, I have always had a little thing for J. Crew's cashmere. This year I was lusting after both the honeycomb color, which I got for Christmas (thanks, Sis!) and this henna color. I had a couple of Christmas gift returns, and I used the cash to buy this lovely sweater. It is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo soft! I just keep hugging myself.

Sweater: J. Crew V Neck Cashmere Cardigan, Henna S (2011, $118 at 30% off )

Blouse: Anthro Beneath The Surface Shell, S (2010, $50 on sale)

Pants: AG Stevie Cords, Wine 27 (2011, $75 on sale)

Boots: Anthro Martingale Boots, 6 (2010, $80 on sale)

Ring: Fake Vintage Owl Ring (2010, $12)

And one from the back... my hair is getting so long!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Mustard obsession continues...OOTD

Good afternoon!

A quick OOTD.  Nothing special, just a casual outfit, but I mostly wanted to show my shoes!!!
 

Shirt: Anthro Spring 2010

Sweater: Target Winter/Spring 2010

Jeans: Banana (long, long ago)

Bracelet: Morano Glass, gift from my friend Emily on her trip to Italy; 

Tiffany and Co. Charm bracelet

Shoes: Target....ages ago.

I love these shoes so much and I am more afraid each time I wear them thinking about the day when they finally bite the dust.  They aren't anything special (read: expensive or fancy) but, I mean, mustard shoes aren't exactly easy to come by and I believe I have made my obsession with this color very clear.  I will be on the lookout for a replacement and hopefully these shoes hold up for a while longer.  

My friend Gabby requested a nail polish post so stay tuned for that!

Have a lovely evening.

G

OOTD: Waiting for Snow

So Seattle is supposed to get some sort of Snowpocolypse event tonight. Last week they were projecting up to 8 inches in Seattle... but as we got closer to the event the estimated inches keep dropping. Something about an air mass shifting more North than originally anticipated (for full in depth details visit Cliff Mass's weather blog here)... Anyways it looks like snow, or at least any significant snow, is out. Booo!

Ah well, I am sure we will have plenty more opportunities this Winter... it is an El Nina year after all.

On to today's outfit. I totally copied this from an Anthroholic reader submission posted yesterday (thanks for the inspiration!).  I love this dress, but I have always limited it to early summer or fall. This was a great way to warm it up.  I felt warm and cozy all day as it continued to merely threaten to snow outside.

Dress: Anthro Reed Shirtdress, 4 (Feb. 2010, $60 on sale)

Cardigan: United Colors of Benetton Wool Cardi, Navy S (Old Old Old, ?) 

Belt: Three Beacons Belt, S (2010, $38 Sold out Online but should still be available in stores) 

Tights: Anthro ?, S/M (2010, $18)

Shoes: Anthro Renesslar T-Straps, 6 (2010, $80 on sale)

Have a great night!

-J

OOTD: Pretty Pink Shells

Happy Monday Readers!

Was it just me, or did today just fly by! After getting off to a disappointing start (where was the snow we were promised?!?) things started to pick up at work. But I was excited for the day to end cause I had plans to meet up with G and our friend Patti for dinner!

I love this skirt, but I have had a hard time putting an outfit together. I scored it months (maybe 7) ago off of eBay, but until this morning I had never made an effort to really style it. But I woke up determined, and this is what I came up with. Not too bad! There are deff things I will do differently next time (ummm, accessories anyone? And maybe a less lumpy blouse... darn ruffles!), but overall I like it.

Sorry for the poor photo quality. Guess Eric is not much of a photographer. No worries, my tripod and remote should be here any day now.

Skirt: Leifsdottir Conch Shell Pencil Skirt, 8 tailored down (Anthro 2009, $80 on eBay)

Cardigan: J. Crew Jackie Cardi, Blush Stone S (2010, Xmas gift)

Blouse: J. Crew Ruffle Shell, White 2 (2010, $21 on super sale)

Shoes: Cole Haan Violet Air Pump 90, Nougat Patent 5 (2010, Xmas gift) 

Belt: J. Crew Skinny Belt, Pink S (2009, Xmas gift)

And a close up...

I am off to crawl in bed and cuddle with the Beagles!

Cheers!

J

OOTD: A Casual Friday Beneath the Surface

Happy Saturday Readers!

As you are reading this post bright and early on this fine (I am going to guess...) drizzly Saturday morning, I am already up and about getting my ass kicked in tennis. I, rather ambitiously, signed up for a 6 week tennis set on Saturday mornings at 8:45am. Hrm. Lets see how this plays out...

Anyways, I just wanted to share my outfit from yesterday. Friday's are casual in my office, so I turned to my trusty pair of Paige trousers. My mom bought these for herself way back in the day  2007 and decided she didn't like them. I (gleefully) agreed to give them a home, and they have been my trusty go-to "fancy" jeans ever sense.

I picked up the Beneath the Surface Shell after it went on sale in early December. I had tried it on during our weekend shopping excursion to the Bellevue Anthro, but the $98 dollar price tag made me pass. Two short weeks later it hit sale (along with the Wily Sweater) and I eagerly snapped it up. 

Overall, I really liked my outfit. I felt colorful all day long.

Blouse: Anthro, Beneath the Surface Shell, 2 (2010, $50 on sale)

Cardigan: J. Crew, Jackie Cardigan, S (2010, $68 buy other colors here)

Jeans: My Mom's Closet, Paige Denim Trousers, 27 (2007, Free)

Shoes: Anthro Waiving Grain Pumps, 5 (2010, $148- now on sale for $80 if you can find them)

Belt: Old as Dirt

Necklace: Anthro ??? (2009, ?)

I wish you all a happy, restful weekend. Mine will be spent catching up on work which I failed miserably to get done during the week. I am always soooooooo unproductive the first week after a vacation.

I am also hoping to sneak in some time for photography. I have to put my new camera to work!

Pretty...ugly??

Good Afternoon and Happy Weekend!!

First up, my outfit from a couple days ago.  I have mentioned in prior blog entries that I have a tendency to sometimes pick things that may either be great or ugly...it is sometimes difficult for me to tell.  This dress in particular is one such item.  I am not sure if the pattern is terrible or actually a little cool.  A friend at work told me it was a thumbs up but, to be honest, I'm still not quite convinced.

Dress: H&M

Belt: Anthro last fall

Boots: J Crew Winter 2008

Ring: H&M

Second, I have tried a couple different types of curling irons/methods to get the Hollywood curls but have never come close.  My sister introduced me to the blog Cupcakes and Cashmere, which I am totally in love with, and Emily, the blogger, did a how to entry about her hair, which has that effortless Hollywood look.  I tried it and here are the results.  Not sure it is worth the extra 15 minutes in the morning or the numerous burns I have on my fingers but it looked pretty good. All the instructions are here!


Finally, I was genetically predisposed to be obsessed with hair products.  You see, my mom has been using the most fantastic shampoos and products in general forever so when you're five and already using Aveda there is no turning back!!  I recently got this shampoo called Big, made by Lush.  If you haven't ever used Lush products I would highly recommend trying some of them out.  They are handmade and all natural and fantastic.  This shampoo is amazing and you only need to use a tiny bit so I foresee that it will last forever and when coupled with this conditioner, American Cream, it leaves my hair feeling soft, full, and smelling great.  This combination of products are quite possibly the best I have ever used!!

I have a problem with word economy, clearly.  Have a lovely weekend!

G

OOTD- Nautical Stripes Pre Spring

Happy Thursday Readers!

Is there some nautical themed outfit rule out there that says you can't wear nautical till Spring has sprung? If so, I sure don't know about it cause yesterday I was all nautical from the waste up. But it was raining, so maybe that justifies it???

This is what I had planned to wear to work. Except I never made it to work due to some annoying basement leak that our landlords felt needed to be fixed that very second (even though it has been leaking for over a year!). Due to some poor communication, I ended up unexpectedly stuck working from home.

Ah well. I am lucky that I can work remotely and be just as productive.

On to my outfit... I could not resist this little pullover! I know horizontal stripes are tricky and almost always make you look wider (and I admit this top probably does add some width) but I just fell in love. It is such an easy style to pull off. It will be perfect for those mornings where I have "nothing" to wear and just long for comfort.  Plus it is thin enough to easily tuck into bottoms. I expect to get a lot of mileage out of this top.

Boots: Anthro Martingale Boots, 6 (2010, $90 on sale)

Pants: Nordstrom Rack Black Skinny Pants, 26 (2010, $30)

Sweater: Anthro Monthly Meet-Up Pullover, Neutral S (2011, Buy for $78 here)

Necklace: Anthro Gilded Impatiens Necklace (2010, $30 on sale)

Watch: Tissot from Switzerland (2009, gift from rents)

And here is how I would have paired it with a navy blazer to make it a little more appropriate for work. Clearly I failed to Windex my mirror. I am going to get on that riiiiiiiiggggggtttt now! Maybe.

Blazer: Anthro Blazer by Idra, Navy 4 (2008, $20 on super sale) 

Alright, I have some Windexing to take care of.

Cheers!

J

A little bit of nothing...

Good Evening Readers!

Okay, I know, we’ve been basically the world’s worst blogging duo these past two weeks.  The excuse: we’re lazy, we decided we’d rather eat over the holidays than look cute (oh, maybe that’s just me) and, most importantly, we were traveling, as J mentioned below.  J was off seeing the world, which angers me too much to even discuss but I, on the other hand, was off seeing the Great White North aka Alberta…jealous huh??  Now, many of you may not have heard of too many people who have been to Northern Alberta…and for good reason…it is, to put it delicately, not the most desirable place to live on the planet.  My Mom’s husband is working on a project up there, hence their residence in such a god forsaken place, and my dear mom had her hip replaced a couple weeks ago and therefore could not travel, so my sister, Kara, and I went to her.  We had a great time, ate too much food, watched WAY too much TV, laughed, made our Christmas morning meal of eggs benedict and generally had a lovely visit.  My sister and I ventured out into the town of Slave Lake on only a few occasions, to go to Magic Scissors (ahhhhhhhh) so my sister could turn her pink/white/orange highlights into some semblance of normalcy and we also went to a local pub so my she could have her first legal drink in North America…the girl lived in Europe for a year so it was a little uneventful.  Now that I’ve given you my life story here are some photos, not of Alberta!

Sunset in Seattle two days ago...it was beautiful and I was 

messing with some features on my new iphone...thanks Dad!

I am obsessed with the color Mustard, therefore totally jealous of J's new cashmere sweater.  I guess this nail polish from Julep will have to do.  The color is called Stella and all their fantastic and unique nail polishes can be purchased here!

Finally, for dinner tonight I made a quiche.  I love quiche…LOVE.  I often forget how much I love it until something reminds me, in this case a trip to a coffee shop this weekend, and I was inspired to make it.  They have really good pie crust dough in the freezer section at Trader Joes, if you are lucky enough to have one close, although any premade crust will do unless you are inclined to make it yourself….I never am.  Anyway, I put whatever I am feeling like that day in the quiche, today it was spinach, eggplant, roasted red peppers, and tomatoes.  I put all the veggies on the bottom and then put some cheese and top it with 6 eggs which I have scrambled with a little bit of milk or cream.  And then kind of mix it all around just a little with a fork and top with more cheese.  I bake it for 30 minutes at 400.  So simple, yet so rewarding and here is the finished product!

Have a lovely week and we’ll be back to blogging more faithfully, we promise.

G

OOTD: Honeybee

And we are back!

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and a happy New Year. Sorry for the lack of posting, but G and I took some much needed vacation time abroad. I was in a very cold location so my outfits were nothing to blog about (black puffer jacket, black leggings, black boots, and a hunters hat).

But we are back now... so stay tuned for a regular programing.

On to today's OOTD...

I have long coveted J. Crew's cashmere collection, often stopping by to "pet" the sweaters. They are so wonderfully soft, and the color selection never disappoints. But I could not stomach the price tag on a student budget. To be honest, the price tag is still hard to take on a working professional budget too.

I added the cashmere femme cardigan in honeycomb to my Christmas wish list. Given all of J. Crew's Christmas sale promotions my sister was able to grab one for me at a discount (thanks, Sis!). I just can't get enough of this sweater, and have worn it twice in the last 4 days.

I just ordered a tripod and remote for my camera so better quality pics coming soon... I promise!

Cardigan: J. Crew Cashmere Femme Cardigan, Honeycomb S (2010, Now $118 here)

Top: Nordstrom Rack  Splendid Tee, S (2010, $15)

Skirt: Anthro Mimetic Skirt, S (2010, $50 on sale)

Tights: Madewell Spot Tights, M/L (2010, $10 on sale)

Boots: Nordstrom, 5 (2006, ?) 

Watch: Tissot, Switzerland (2009, gift from parents)

Necklace:Several years old, can't remember the details

A close up reveals that I really, really need to Windex my mirror.

I will do that as soon as I post this (or at least before I take my next photo set...)

That's all for now... I am going to crawl in bed and watch the season premier of Biggest Looser. I am still jet lagged, so I am ready to crash!

Have a good night!

J