some city views: Copenhagen

Scandic Palace Hotel, Copenhagen

Here is a snap of our window view onto Raadhuspladsen and of our hotel room. We were here the first two nights. The Palace Hotel dates from 1910 and is an interesting combination of old-fashioned and modern (beautiful old windows, scary 1910 elevator/modern decor & sleek (if dark) bathroom). There are two doors to the rooms - you open the old, original ones and behind is a new modern one that accepts a key card.

ATL + Diamonds {and I mean *Diamonds*}

Hello from Denmark!

It has been quite a whirlwind so far... we have done so much in our first three days! Despite the unusually hot and sunny weather I've toted along a Jackie (or ATL look-alike) every day - good for cooler mornings and evenings, and easy to throw in a bag.

And here are some shots of just a sample of the amazing diamonds and jewels... nothing like a little sparkle!

KIWI smiling feet

I saw these at my local Rite Aid yesterday and thought I'd give them a try:

I'd never seen them before, but maybe they've been around awhile and I've just missed them.  They were on promo for around $3 or so, I believe, for one set.

While they aren't totally "invisible" (you can see the little bit of raised plastic around the toe thong) I'll be walking around in such squishy comfort, I don't think I'll mind.  It really isn't that noticeable.  Perfect for the flat thong sandals that have no cushion at all!

I'm going to take them along on my vacation and see how they do.  Speaking of which, after today (technology permitting) I will be posting from Europe for a couple of weeks.  Next stop - Copenhagen!

Steve Madden Seeri in Gold and new pedi - OPI "Florentine Fuchsia" on toes

Happy Weekend!

xoxo

Mossimo One Shoulder Tank in Gray

Gigi alerted me to this one... I think I would have passed right by this rounder had I not seen her IRL pic.

Love, love, love:  the Target Mossimo One Shoulder Tank in "gray" - sort of a mushroom-y gray, as Gigi called it.  I cannot believe this is priced at $14.99.  It is definitely one of those pieces that looks much more expensive.  The ruffle detail is right on, and the ruching is perfect.  I may have to go back for this in lavender too.  I haven't found this online but there was a full rounder at my store of gray, lavender, and black.  This is a Small, which is what I usually wear in their tops.

The tag says 016053308  TANK/GRAY/240951 and it is 100% rayon.

I don't know where I am going to wear this yet but Hubby gave me an enthusiastic "You can wear it anywhere!" today.

elsapel of portland

Here's my new bag from elsapel... I had never heard of this brand but they have the cutest things!

After a quick trip to the website on the tag on my bag I uncovered some really cute styles in adorable fabrics.  What I couldn't find was any "where to purchase" info.  I bought mine at Macy's... it was priced at $55. and marked down to $41.25.  Great deal as it is exactly what I was looking for... a sturdy, easy-clean, carry-on tote with a secure zip top, in a large size that just about maxes out the airline's dimension limits.  

Somehow in all my totes and bags I didn't have exactly the right thing this time.  When I checked out, it rang up $27.50 - they are running lots of additional percentage off promos - and just in time I remembered an old giftcard from Christmas in my wallet so this baby ended up costing me $5.11 out of pocket!

I learned from the site that this is the Mr. Owl Weekender from the Woodlands collection, Fall 2008.  This was the last one, but they also had a couple of the Glow Weekenders.  I also love the Sparrow Me collection and the Diggity Dog print.  They have four great collections for Spring, too, which may be easier to find.

OOD 6.25.09

Here's today's Polyvore:

running errands by sparrowsandsparkles featuring Louis Vuitton bags

The earrings are different but have similar colors and also are from Anthropologie.

I ran errands all morning with my 4 yr old son while his sisters were at a playdate.  We managed Walgreens, stopping by the nail place to schedule an appt, Nordstrom Rack, the mall (thanks to a stroller and a big Auntie Anne's cinnamon pretzel), Nordstrom cafe for lunch, AND Target.  I am exhausted but I think I may get the little guy to take a nap this afternoon.

I found a great tote bag at Macy's on super sale from a brand I hadn't heard of... I'll try to get a post up on that soon!

kate spade now at endless

I've posted before about how much I like ordering from endless.com (free overnight) and also on the cuteness of kate spade...

well, now you can get kate spade at endless!  

pic from endless.com

Now if they would just start carrying Lilly and Tory...

Happy Thursday

xoxo

A Conversation Overheard in a J Crew Dressing Room...

OK this is not verbatim, but here's the gist:

Person 1: "What size are those?"

Person 2:  "They're a 6.  No.  Wait... they're a 4."

Person 1:  "You should get them."

Person 2:  "Why?"

Person 1:  "Because they're a 4."

J Crew's Denim, J Crew's Picture

I will admit I have had similar internal thoughts and we can obviously all see that J Crew and other retailers understand this psychology!  I am working on getting over the number tags sewn on to clothes... especially since I am shrinking so quickly (not really... just my clothing size) and I know that it doesn't mean anything.

I remember years and years ago I had a good friend who was trying on clothes at another retailer and the sales associate told her that the pants she was trying on were so fabulous and she should get them and wear them inside-out because they were a size 2!

From what I've seen and heard it seems like most people are frustrated with vanity sizing and would just like to have some consistency so that we can order confidently online, not try on three different sizes in-store, and maintain the same size season-to-season if our scale hasn't changed.  I'm thinking if a retailer could do that it might actually help their sales.  Wouldn't that make sense?  There is a discussion going on over at JCA on J Crew sizing today and I am interested to see what pans out with the company!

Happy Wednesday!

xoxo

The Packing Process... Getting Started!

So, I have most of my outfits picked out and am living with these little piles for a couple of days to make sure everything's working.  

Back in the day I was a very light packer - I usually went with just a carry-on many places.  But that was before the days of Polyvore and Blogging and now I kind of want to take along lots of my recent outfits and finds, like they were so many little friends.  Never mind that there might possibly be some fabulous things to buy in Europe.  We are going out to buy another suitcase today.

The days of the carry-on only was also three children ago.  Now I pack for four in addition to a little help and guidance for the Hubs.  The kids' piles are just starting... so many cute outfits for the little ones you know, and most of the photos will be of them.  I just can't wait for all those European photo ops with my little cuties.  My girls are soooo excited to see the Eiffel Tower!

Anyway, I am starting early, because my last two big packing trips were not quite perfect... in 2008 I packed everything for our California trip... except not one single pair of underwear for myself.  On the upside, I now have Mickey and Minnie and Tinkerbell in my underwear drawer.  And this last trip to Florida, I did forget toothbrushes and booster seats.  Luckily, easily replaced.

Back to my packing project... I hope everyone is starting out a great week!

xoxo

Going Greek {with Korres}

I've found my new summer lip wear! On Saturday, I stopped by the Korres section in Sephora. I remember them from a few years back... I tried some samples with olives or rose or some such ingredients but never really got into the line. But now, with the nice big display at Sephora, I was really able to check out this brand. With ingredients like cinnamon, guava, thyme honey, and wild rose, there's lots more I plan to try.

Korres has its roots based in the oldest homeopathic pharmacy in Athens, Greece and is the result of a collaboration between a pharmacist and chemical engineer (they got married too!). They produce earth-friendly, people-friendly products that include lots of natural ingredients and leave out things like sulfates and petrochemicals. Many of their products score "0" or "low hazard" on EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. I would like to see them come out with a definitive stance against animal testing.

First off: Face Primer. I've tried a couple of primers but some of the ingredients seem to scare me a little... parabens and silicones and all that. Love this! My face feels soft but not greasy and my foundation has been looking fresher longer.

Next: Love Your Lips Collection. Love, love, love. This set includes three Cherry Full Color Glosses and a Lip Butter. The gloss colors are all beautiful and just different enough to make it worth buying the set. They have just the right amount of shine and sparkle for me and don't feel too sticky. They don't have that fake cherry taste - they contain cherry oil! And the Lip Butter... wowzie. Love this! Butter is right. Just smooth, soft and buttery. Not too heavy and not too flavored. Perfect.

The colors in this set are Light Pink 11 ("sheer milky pink"), Beige Pink 32 ("pink champagne shimmer") and Nude 33 ("sheer pinky beige"). The lip butter in this set is the Pomegranate version.

And last, I tried a lipstick: Mango Butter Lipstick SPF 10. Again, a winner. I bought Natural Purple 25. I never thought I would own a lipstick with the word "purple" in the color description, but trust me, it isn't purple. They describe it as "plum brown" and it is a perfect neutral that just deepens the shade of my lips and is perfect for my coloring.

I remember reading a while back that if you can go organic or natural on just one thing in your make-up bag, make it your lipwear because you do end up, well, sort of eating what you put on your lips throughout the day. I've been buying natural balms like Burt's Bees and more recently Yes To Carrots, but now I feel like I'm glamming it up a bit more with my Korres.

Happy Monday everyone!

xoxo

J Crew July Catalog Picks

Here's my list... what's on yours?

After seeing the libretto and symphony necklaces on Petunia's blog I'm just dying to try them on!  I've already purchased the dress in khaki and tank in slate (wearing today, actually!)  and just love the cocodrillo print!  Ema blogged on the skirt recently and then I saw the cardigan online... who couldn't use another cardi?

July Catalog Picks by sparrowsandsparkles featuring J Crew

Another Take on the Ruffle Tank {+ the Garden Dress and Ann Taylor}

Yes!  I got it too.  I first saw this sweet ruffled tank (I'm obviously not ruffled out yet, how about you?) on Ema's blog and knew it was a must-have.  Since then I also read Gigi's review and knew to be careful on the sizing.  I tried on the XS first (I usually wear S or 4 tops) and the fit was fine but I tried on the S and just felt more comfortable in it, so went with that.  It seems to fit me similarly to the rolling ruffles.  Interestingly, it is priced at $44 in the July catalog, while tagged $35 in-store and on the site.  The same thing happened with the rattan clutch - I wonder if they decide last minute to lower some prices.

J Crew Slub Cotton Shirred Ruffles Tank in Slate - $35.

I also purchased the Garden Dress in a Khaki color not shown on the website.  I just love this!  Please pardon the wrinkledy ruffledness in the IRL.  I just threw it on over my jeans to get a quick snap.  I immediately envisioned this with a black cardi and black sandals and love it that way... I think lavender and blues may work well too.

J Crew Garden Dress in a Khaki/Stone color - $68.

My third apparel purchase for yesterday was at Ann Taylor... I haven't been to the regular Ann Taylor for ages but I was looking for a simple silk shell to wear under my J Crew Crocodile Jacket (never found one) and was enticed by the sale rack of dresses.  I found this one (the Pintucked Wrap Shirtdress) at a huge markdown and thought it was very fun.  I don't own a single shirtdress, and something about the collar, wrap front, roll-up sleeves and full swingy skirt really appealed to me.  It also has pockets.  Fun for under $30!  Again, in the IRL just thrown on over my jeans for a pic:

Ann Taylor Pintucked Wrap Shirtdress in Black - regularly $139., on sale for $29.88

if you un-roll the sleeves, they are 3/4 length

During my shopping trip I also picked up the J Crew July catalog (hooray!) and tried on Nordstrom's exclusive Dior scent Escale a Portofino.  It's citrus & cyprus and I love it!  Reminds me a little of Aqua di Parma which I wore years ago.  I think  I may like it better than Prada's new citrus scent... it seems lighter and a little fresher to me... so if you like fresh, citrusy perfumes - try this one out next time you're at Nordies!

Happy Friday!

Score!

There's nothing like finding a specific item you've been searching for sitting right there in front of you on a little round table in the middle of Nordstrom's Salon Shoe Department.

So... for the last 2 or 3 weeks I have been searching for the Tory Burch Reva espadrille in gold... I could only find it in silver on Tory's site and a couple others, and the gold was long gone in my size on nordstrom.com and Neiman's website.  My Nordies never got them.  So today, I was out shopping at a different Nordstrom and decided to cruise through salon shoes... and there she was... but would they have my size?  ...and then I picked up the shoe and noticed the markdown... the salesman told me they had just been marked down TODAY.  That's just about one hour before I had the lovely display shoe in my hot little hands!  And, yes, they had my size.  So, happy shoe score today:

Tory Burch Reva Espadrille in Gold Metallic, regularly $165.00, on sale at Nordstrom for $109.90

I also purchased two new arrivals at J Crew and a fabbie little black shirtdress on Final Sale at Ann Taylor and will post on those soon!

Happy Wife... {you know the rest}

Alright, I missed last night's episode and was searching online to find out what happened (still haven't seen it), when I came across RHONJ's Teresa's website.

Teresa just cracks me up.  Love love love her.  And I think I need this tee:

tee & pic from www.teresagiudice.com 

Green Lobsters in a Sea of Pink {hello, again, LL Bean}

So on Monday, I had a couple hours to myself and instead of running off to the Crew or Anthro or Target, I stayed home and thoroughly cleaned my laundry room and the inside of my car... ahhh... it really is nice to have all the clutter GONE!

Anyway, while cleaning out the car I found many interesting things... (oh, and kids: no more entire boxes of goldfish smuggled into the backseat for the 15 minute drive to ballet class, OK? Thanks.) and one of them was this LL Bean catalog, obviously not brought into the house with the more interesting mail one day. And oh my, have you looked at LL Bean lately?

I don't remember scenes like this in years past... it just makes me want to sit outside amidst fresh flowers and votives, all fabbie in pink and green (I'll be the girl on the left, you choose your outfit!) and toast my girlfriends with icy lemonade (or whatev) on the start of summer!

I cannot get enough of this pattern:

Large Canvas Tote $44

LLBean's Tote, LLBean's picture

Haven Skimmers $64

LLBean's shoes, LLBean's picture

Juniper Skirt $49

LLBean's skirt, LLBean's picture

Happy Wednesday everyone!

OOD 6.16.09: The Maxi

Well, it appears I've been on a Loft kick lately.  Today is the third piece from my little shopping trip the other day: the "Maxi Dress with Twist Strap" in black, which is the only color I've seen.  It's your typical maxi, but I really love the gathered band around the empire waist and the twisty straps.  The fabric is smooth, soft and stretchy.  The length is perfect for me in a size 4 and I am about 5'4 1/2" tall.  Shall we call it 5'5"?  I think I make it with the 1/2" heel on my sandals.  

This is the dress I bought the Jeanna sandals for, so of course I am wearing them, and I threw on an ATL cardi in a soft somewhat-Tiffany Blue color.  Easy dressing!

OOD 6.15.09: ATL Tiered Knit Skirt

OK, with all the end-of-the-school-year craziness, I'm a day behind... but here is a Polyvore for yesterday!  I never got around to snapping an IRL.  

OOD 6.15.09 by sparrowsandsparkles featuring Jessica Simpson shoes

This Tiered Knit Skirt comes in Black (mine), Saddle Brown, and Deep Blue and is currently on promotion for $24.50, online and in-store, from its regular price of $39.50.  It's made out of a slightly slubby (if you look closely)  t shirt-y material, so is lightweight despite lots of fabric.  I did size down to an XS in this one.  I think it will be great for hot summer days and travel.

ATL's skirt, ATL's picture

Happy Tuesday!  RHONJ tonight!!

Good Morning! {with a kick}

If you like darker roasts, give this one a try:

Tony's Organic Espresso Noir: "Velvety crema, good presence in milk, rich vanilla, brown sugar finish."  

Now, if I could just make those pretty designs on top of my cup!

Happy Sunday!

OOD 6.13.09: New Jeannas + Old Stuff

I just had to wear my new Jessica Simpson Jeannas today... I will no longer be just walking by JS shoes.  The thin strappy black patent, the gold hardware, the lightly padded footbed... love it.

Everything else I've had for quite a while... I just threw something together quickly for a day of shopping, haircut (yay, don't have to do my hair this morning), groceries, kindergarten birthday party, and hopefully taking care of some things around the house.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend.

J Crew leopard camisole (can't remember the name), J Crew outlet Jackie, Target necklace, ON jeans, JS "Jeanna" sandal in black

Shoe Delivery Day!

I've said it before, but endless.com seriously rocks!  I don't know how they deliver so quickly... I ordered yesterday afternoon and when I came home from school with my kids, there was this nice big box sitting on my front porch (free delivery no less, and 6% cash back through ebates):

First off, the Jessica Simpson "Jeanna"... I've never purchased JS shoes before, but I saw these at Nordstrom yesterday after I found a fabulous black maxi dress at ATL (not online; review to come!) and then saw a girl walking through the mall looking fabby in a black maxi with some sort of gold/black (I think) flip floppy shoes.  I thought it was just the cutest look.  And when I felt the shoe I noticed a slight padding on the footbed that seemed like it would be quite comfy (and they are!).

Next, why I really ordered... the comfortable Clarks "Rode"... I've never bought these before either.  I tend to go for looks over comfort when it comes to shoes, but with the Europe trip coming up (with three small children) I've been slightly panicked over finding some good supportive walking shoes (how old do I sound?).  Anyway, I slipped on some similar Clarks at Nordstrom Rack and they were heaven on my feet so I ordered these to wear when my feet are sore from wearing unsupportive cute sandals and ballet flats running around on those old sidewalks:

Third, the Steve Madden Seeri.  I have these in leopard patent and love the simple classic look.  I haven't been able to find the gold Tory Burch Reva espadrilles in my size, and I wanted to make sure I had something simple, relatively comfortable, and gold metallic for the trip (plus if I ordered these, I would get $25 taken off my purchase) so here they are:

I hope everyone has a great weekend!