Happy Halloween!

I have on: Petit Bateau dress (bought in Paris this past summer), J Crew Brewster boots in black, Forth & Towne woven belt in black, patterned tights from Target, feathered sparkly witch hat (last year's)

close-up of the fabbie hat (and I wear these J Crew earrings every chance I get)

Happy Halloween!

xoxo

OOTD 10.29.09 {featuring the Steve Madden Intyce}

I think this may actually qualify as two OOTDs.  I got dressed from a Polyvore I made yesterday, snapped some pics, then changed my mind.  I only changed out the green cardi for a black jacket (and the bag) but it's a totally different look.  Today is my first day wearing my new cognac Intyces.

J Crew cashmere cable cardi, Forth & Towne white shirt, ON jeans, SM Intyce boots, F21 necklace, Marc by Marc Jacobs Dr Q Lil Riz hobo in "Grape Juice"

same as before but with a Banana Republic jacket in black (last year's)

...and I finally squeezed in a manicure, thank goodness.  This is OPI's Give Me Moor from the Espana collection:

xoxo

The Prada Saffiato and Tessuto

This handbag may just be pushing my current top pick, the glam and ladylike Dior Panarea Medium Tote, to #2 on my handbag wish/dream-list.  To me it just has that simple, classic, timeless look , while still seeming fresh and different.  Check google images and you'll find it being worn around town(s) by  Demi, Sienna, Penelope, and more with everything from floaty dresses to boyfriend jeans & a tank.

The Prada Saffiato and Tessuto in Burgundy -  $1550.

Do you have a current handbag crush??

xoxo

Mango Barbequed Chicken {Super Easy Crockpot Recipe}

I'm making this super easy barbequed chicken for tonight and thought I'd share. I've made it lots of times and it's always turned out great. The recipe is adapted from Sandra Lee's Semi-Homeade Slow Cooker Recipes.

You need:



chicken (2 - 6 breast halves)
1 onion (I like yellow, Walla Walla or Vidalia)
1 16 oz bag of frozen mango chunks
1 bottle of barbecue sauce (honey or spicy honey for me)

You can also add 1/4 cup of dark rum according to the book, but I haven't tried it.

Cut the onion into thick slices and put them in the crockpot.



Put in the chicken and mango and pour the barbeque sauce over everything (if you use rum, mix it together with the sauce in a separate bowl first).


Cook on HIGH for 4-6 hours. Stir a little every now and then.


This is great with sides like mashed potatoes or cole slaw. Tonight we're having deli macaroni salad and wheat rolls from a local bakery. Very easy weeknight dinner!

xoxo

OOTD 10.27.09: Amber + Butterscotch

So last night I actually got back to playing with Polyvore and put together an outfit for today.  I am finally wearing my sparkly J Crew earrings in Butterscotch that I won on Marisa's blog giveaway, and brought out the Amber Maya again.  Last minute I switched from wide legged jeans to boyfriend jeans and from the Tory Burch Amys in Brown to Revas in Black, and added a wool scarf in black.

10.27.09 by sweetteainseattle featuring J Crew

Items in this set:
7 For All Mankind jeans - Charlize flared Soho dark - Berties Clothing Shop...
Women: Women's V-Neck Shelf-Bra Camis - Bright White
J.Crew Heirloom flora earrings, butterscotch
Women's Merino Sweaters & Cardigans - J.Crew
Louis Vuitton - Damier Canvas Speedy 30 - eLUXURY

Happy Tuesday

xoxo

shoes.com {15% off code}

Today I received a catalog in the mail from shoes.com with the code 15holiday to take 15% off your entire order, ending December 14th.  shoes.com has some great brands including Frye, Uggs, Steve Madden and Sofft.  

Please note, on the catalog it states that "some brand restrictions apply" and for more info to visit the site but I couldn't find any information on which brands those might be when I checked it out.

xoxo

Boot Review! {Steve Madden's Intyce in Cognac}

They just arrived.  Love this boot!

I sized up 1/2 a size.  Usually I wear an 8 1/2 and I went with a 9 after reading some reviews on endless.com.  My heel does move up a little bit in the back when I walk but I really like to have my tall boots a little roomy - especially if there is no side zipper - otherwise I start to feel a little claustrophobic.

One interesting note, the right boot is just slightly bigger than the left one.  A little longer and also wider at my foot.  I did check and they both say size 9.

The boot is a little stiff around the top of the foot/heel but not enough to be a bother to me - maybe because I sized up.  It is very roomy in the ankle area and the leather has a wrinkly, slouchy, grainy look to it.  The buckle at the side is adjustable.

The color is gorgeous!  I've mentioned before how I tend to buy colors to wear that I've used to decorate my house - and I did notice looking at my pics that they kind of match my floors.

Here are some snaps:

xoxo

Boden Spring Picks

Did I really just say Spring? OK, I know it sounds crazy.  But you know the world of fashion designers - they must look quite a bit ahead and they aren't waiting 'til the last minute to let us know what they're up to! 

I was just reading Dina's blog My Superfluities and she is showcasing some really cute items she found on Boden's Spring Preview.  I just had to hop on over to the site and take a look.  Here are my picks (none of these items will be available until sometime in January):

(btw my new boots should be arriving tomorrow so I will be right back to Fall shortly!)

Boden Spring 2009 Picks by sweetteainseattle on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
Boden Embellished Flats in Navy, $118
Boden Butterfly Slingback, $118
Printed Tunic-WA254-Tunics & Kaftans at Boden, $88
Boden Cardigan, $74
Boden Embellished Jersey Top, $58

xoxo

New Boots {and an endless.com promo}

I've always been happy ordering from endless.com.  They're easy to shop, ship fast and free, and run great promos.  Currently (on select items) if you spend $125, $25 is deducted from your total (+ 6% cash back through ebates). No code needed.  So... I've got these on the way (they also come in black):

Steve Madden "Intyce" boot in Cognac - Regularly $139.95, $104.90 with markdown + promo

Steve Madden's boot, Nordstrom's pic

They are quite a similar style to these gorgeous Loeffler Randall boots, which will run you $695.00:

Loeffler Randall's boot, Neiman Marcus' pic

I should have my new boots on Monday, so review coming next week!

btw, H1N1 has hit our area hard! My oldest made it through and is back at school and my youngest is home resting and handling it well.  Stay healthy out there and have a great weekend!

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Tory Burch Sale

So minutes ago I saw a tweet that there were Reva markdowns on the Tory Burch site ... and just went online and looked around and placed an order for the Reese in gold metallic:

Tory's shoe, Tory's pic

I have the Reese in Cricket Green and love it (bows AND tassels - what's not to like?) and the only pair of gold shoes I have are espadrilles, so I now have some great gold flats for Fall on the way.  If you are looking for some TB shoes, check out the site.  They also have the Romy marked down, but no Cognac in my size, so just the Reese for me today.

Also, Eddie Bauer has a free ship with no minimum code ending today: HOLIDAY9 - and Garnet Hill and Ballard Designs are both offering click-through email discounts at the moment (20% and 15% off respectively), so if you like either of those companies (it feels like half my house is from Ballard, so I definitely do) sign up for their emails!

xoxo

Delightful! {and Sparkly!}

Thank you so, so much to the generous Marisa over at According to Moi.  The J Crew earrings I won in her recent giveaway arrived today and I am on Cloud 9.  They are gorgeous!  As you might imagine, I am already thinking about what will be my first outfit to feature these sparklers:

xoxo

Fall Color

Just had to snap a couple pics of the amazing Fall color in my yard right now.  Usually in Seattle we are either gray or bright green... but this time of year these day-glo oranges and reds are just amazing!  Happy Fall!

xoxo

The Ruby Reta {another Target shoe review}

The Merona Collection Reta in Ruby #096040438 - $32.99

Well I noticed this shoe a week or two ago and thought it was awfully cute but wasn't quite sure. Then the other day I'm reading my Shop Smart magazine and there they are:

and I decide I must get them - I even know what I want to wear with them.

So Sunday I ran to Target and it took me a while to find them but there were 3 pairs left, plus 1 pair in black. I would usually just buy the 8 1/2 but they didn't have one so I tried on the 8 and the 9. The 9 was way too big and the 8 actually felt fine. Now that I have them home with some little foot pads in them (and you need them - even though it says they have a cushioned footbed, they felt very hard on the balls of my feet) - I am glad I got the 8. They feel perfect! Love the suede + patent + slight platform combo. The color is beautiful.

Like the Cranberry Valdas, I think this is another versatile shoe, though I obviously won't wear them as much as I would a flat, given my lifestyle. But here's is what I'm thinking first - this wrap sweater dress in lt. gray, also currently at Target:

This is the Small in Green and I don't have tag info as I didn't buy it but I think it was around $29.99. Also came in Lt. Gray and Black.

Oh and don't forget about Sephora's Friends & Family (code FF2009). I just ordered my mom a Clarisonic brush set (love mine) for her birthday and I wasn't sure the code would apply - but it did! So I saved $39 and got free shipping too... and go through ebates for your 4% back!

Happy Monday!

xoxo

OOTD 10.17.09: The Versatile {Cranberry} Valda

If you have any reservations about this cute little flat in this raspberry hue, let me just tell you I've found it goes with soooo much in my closet.  I love it with browns, camel, grays, and even J Crew's amber and mustard-y colors.  Would be great with navy too.  Colorful shoes or handbags are the easiest way I know to add a little splash of interest to my usual basic everyday jeans/white tee shirt/cardi or jacket combo.

the Valdas with an assortment of J Crew sweaters

And I wore them for the first time last night for a casual dinner and football-watching with friends:

Target pointelle tie cardi in brown, ON tee in white, Vigoss jeans, Nordstrom pashmina, Valda flats

I also ran out this morning to buy another fabbie Target shoe that I decided I just had to have.  Review coming soon!

xoxo

OOTD 10.16.09: black + gray + pink

The pics are a little dark... not a lot of natural light in the mornings these days!

Ann Taylor black leather jacket (ages ago), Target ombre knit dress (last year), black leggings (Copenhagen but like all the rest), TB Revas in black w/gold logo, pink pashmina from Nordstrom - gift from Hubs a few years ago

xoxo

{Tusind Tak!}

"Tusind tak!" is "Thank you!" in Danish (Hubby is from Denmark) and I've always liked the phrase because it's like 'thousand thanks'.

This post is quite delayed but I was given the Kreativ Blogger award again by two wonderful bloggers who I wanted to mention in a separate post - JCAUNCMOM at Crewsing Thru My 50s (thank you so much for your kind words!!) and LIZPOMS at my favorite things (thank you, thank you!). They both have great blogs that express lovely outlooks on life. If you haven't already, you should definitely check them out!

just a random picture because the flowers on my nightstand right now are sooooo pretty

So here are 7 (rather random) things...

1. I've lived in Ohio, California, Montana, Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri, Thailand, and Washington State, and have traveled through a bit more of North America, Europe and Asia, and once to Australia and South America.

2. I dream of moving to Austin, Texas. I've never been to Austin, Texas.

3. I once met John Grisham and he gave me advice on law school. I did not go to law school.

4. My first major was economics and I ended up with a degree in political science.

5. I have an M.Ed. and have taught for Head Start, in an inner-city program for at-risk children, and in a special needs classroom in the public school system.

6. I don't like to have anyone else do my laundry or ironing. I usually have a big ironing pile.

7. I arrange my daughters' closets by rainbow color - Red, (Pink), Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple, - with White first and Brown/Black last. That's not weird, right?!

Happy Weekend!

xoxo

A Quick Target Stop = New Shoes & Gloves

OK so I had an extra 45 minutes the other day without kids and what better way to spend it than a quick trip to Target? (laundry really does wait)  I needed a few household things but for some reason decided to swing through shoes just in case.  I have been looking for that cute little suede Valda flat for weeks and weeks but in my store it pretty much sold down to just-one-pair in not-my-size and my size was sold out online in the cranberry and black.

I was happily surprised with rows of Valdas in both of those colors.  Yay for replens!  So if you've been looking for this popular and elusive shoe, check to see if your store has been restocked too.  I haven't checked online so I don't know about that.  They aren't as comfortable as Revas, but hey, they are $170.05 less.  I took my regular size.  Gigi reviewed them here. 

Mossimo Valda in Cranberry $24.99

Then I thought of my freezing hands the other night at soccer practice.  I have a couple pairs of cashmere gloves in fun colors but wanted a pair of classic black leather and was really happy to find these.  I think I've been on a quilting kick lately since I've been admiring and/or dreaming of the Christian Dior Panerea bag nearly daily now.  And I also remember the Chanel saleslady telling me how quilting helps the leather hold its shape better so I brought home these.  They are lined with a knitted acrylic and the leather is really as super soft as any Reva (or dare I even say Chanel bag!) you could pick up. Soooooffft!

Merona Gloves Black/AAM57 $17.99

Oh, and I also got this great green glass soap dispenser.  Gotta love Target.

Friday! Yes!!  Hope everyone is getting ready for a great weekend!

xoxo

OOTD 10.15.09: Brown + Melon + Blue

J Crew cable turtleneck in brown, Target tank in melon, Target necklace, ON jeans, Uggs in brown, blue pashmina from Paris, Louis Vuitton Damier 30

Happy Thursday everyone!

xoxo

The Rain Has Started {and these boots will see me through}

We've had such a gorgeous Summer and a lovely start to Fall, but it's time.  The rain was absolutely pouring last night and has been on and off all day - really quite dark and dreary out there.  So today my Burberry rain shoes came out and I expect that they will have one of the lowest costs-per-wear of any item in my closet soon.

I'm just doing a snap of the boots.  I ordered them from Bloomingdale's last year which I can't really recommend since the shoe box arrived torn/squished as they just slipped the box into a plastic bag and sent them on their merry way (they also did the same thing with a Marc by Marc Jacobs handbag so until I hear they're taking a little more care with shipping I'll order elsewhere).

Otherwise I just have on my blue Juicy velour + a blush colored Petit Bateau tee (LOVE these!) I bought in Paris this past summer along with much more PB for my little ones.  I needed to be comfy as it is a crazy busy day and I also spent an hour at the orthodontist getting clear braces put on my lower teeth.  Yes, I've had them before (long, long ago), but apparently "as we age" our teeth can move so I'm looking at a good nine months of going through this again.

Since they're just lower, they won't be showing up in any pics.  Since they're clear, I've been instructed to avoid a few things that I really like: curry, tea, red wine, and.... coffee...  Yeah, that's not going to work out.  So I'll be sipping my coffee through straws.  Would it be tacky to do that with red wine too? ;)

I hope everyone is having a lovely Wednesday, whatever your weather!

xoxo