OOTD 11.29.10

It is chilly in the Pacific Northwest! Brrrrr.... so yesterday I wore this Old Navy jacket - I have a pea coat I purchased there last year too and I've really been impressed with the construction and material of this type of jacket for the price. There is a little light blue in the plaid on this so I pulled out a pashmina I bought years ago on my first trip to Paris. I'd really like my Cole Haan Air Talia gray suede booties with this, but I was just cold... and just going to volunteer at school... so went with the Uggs.

Old Navy Wool Blend Peacoat, pashmina, ON tee, Joe's jeans, (worn with gray Uggs, Anthropologie earrings, Stella & Dot necklace)

Here is a pic to show length of the necklace. I plan to layer with another necklace or two when I figure out which ones. It can also be doubled.

Stella and Dot packages so nicely. Here's how the necklace arrived:

Stella and Dot Signature Clover Necklace - Gold

from the pic on the website it looks like the little "clovers" are linked and moveable, but the ones on my necklace are fixed.

...and nice attention to detail, with the little heart at the clasp:

Hope everyone's having a great week!

xoxo

Pine Scented Candles {+ snow!}

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! The day after always starts the Christmas season for me and the lovely snowfall we had around our area has definitely made things feel very Winter festive.

Right now I'm loving this pine (with a bit of cedar and clove) scented candle (limited edition) I recently bought at Target...

I've also been burning Mrs. Meyer's orange-clove. These are around $7, and while they look a lot smaller than the Caldrea candles I've been buying lately, they actually have a 25 hour burn time compared to the 28 or 29 of the Caldrea.

So with these candles glowing, I am getting started on the Christmas decorating... pics of that to come eventually... I also have a great broccoli pecan casserole I've been meaning to post, along with a couple Stella & Dot reviews.

...and... I'm sure you all know it is cybermonday and many online retailers are offering some great promotions right now (in-store too): 40% off at Loft and Ann Taylor, 25% off at CWDKids, 30% off at Grandin Road, some big markdowns at Net-a-Porter, free monogramming and free shipping on some items over at Pottery Barn (just ordered a small velvet stocking for our puppy to match the kids' stockings... less than $10 monogrammed and shipped!)... to name a few... (if anyone hears of an American Girl code, please let me know!! :) )

If you're shopping, don't forget to go through ebates. Many sites are offering double cash back today (6% at Ann Taylor, 8% at BR, 3% at JCrew for example).

I'd love to know if anyone has scored any great deals!

xoxo

Happy Thanksgiving!

xoxo

Two LOFT F&F Buys {Sequin Tee + Faux Fur Trimmed Vest}

I wore this outfit this weekend when we took our three little ones to a children's play and then an early dinner out. The Sequin Slub Tee is a recent Loft Friends & Family purchase... the only other thing I bought on the promo was the Faux Fur Trimmed Vest. Pic of that toward the end of the post.

J Crew outlet cardigan in pale pink (this past Summer), Loft Sequin Slub Tee in Slate Gray, Loft skirt (last year), black tights, J Crew Brewster boots in black, Anthropologie earrings (different from Polyvore, but similar idea)

the sequins look pretty shiny here, but I like that they are rather matte irl

And here is the Faux Fur Trimmed Vest... I've actually worn it twice already and the second time wore it belted with a navy long sleeved tee under... I really prefer it belted (which is how they have shown it on the Loft website). Here I just have it on with a gray tee from Old Navy and jeans:

After I wore it I had left it on a bench in the bedroom and every time I walked by kept thinking it was our cat Lesley:

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

xoxo

OPI Bogota Blackberry {+ what do y'all think of those lights?}

This morning I went for a long overdue pedicure and chose OPI's Bogota Blackberry... not as dark as my current mani ( Black Cherry Chutney) but still a pretty, rich, ruby/burgundy hue. Both polishes were packaged together, along with Brisbane Bronze, in a little mini trio I either purchased or received as a giveaway at Ulta awhile back... but hadn't gotten around to wearing yet. I really like them both.

So, while I'm thinking about polish and nail salons... I'm wondering what people think about those UV lights many places have you put your hands and feet under while your polish is drying. I used to sit there under the lights, wondering if it was really drying my nails any faster, and then I started thinking: exactly what kind of UV light is this? Surely different than those tanning beds, right? But if it's drying my nails, what is it doing to my skin? Now, I know we are exposed to light and all sorts of things all the time but if I can eliminate one little potential hazard, why not?

pic from dukeandthedoctor.com

And then I heard something about it on the news and started doing a little research. I recently found this article which explains the devices and potential/possible risk. This article explains how it only works on certain topcoats (more expensive ones that contain a certain kind of acrylic polymer). And here's what the New York Times had to say.

So now, I opt out of the lights and I really cannot tell any difference in the dry time.

Has anyone else been hearing about this?

xoxo

Garnet Hill {flannel jammies!}

I've ordered from Garnet Hill occasionally over the past several years, my favorite thing being their kids' flannel pajamas. They are currently on promo for $34. (regularly $44.) and I just placed my order for three pairs of super cute Christmas jammies (shhh... this is the one present they get to open early on Christmas Eve... though they may have caught on by now...). So Christmas morning, my three will be sporting the happy green Holiday Sheep version:

pic from garnethill.com

These are made of German cotton flannel and modacrylic, which Garnet Hill explains is inherently flame-resistant. I avoid buying jammies with flame retardant chemicals and usually opt for snug fitting ones or Hannas. While trying to figure out exactly what this modacrylic is, I came across this, where the author discusses flame retardants and mentions Garnet Hill's flannel pajamas.

The promo lasts through December 7th, while supplies last.

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

OPI Black Cherry Chutney

pic from echemist.co.uk

After a few weeks polish-free I felt like a nice dark Fall/Winter color... so today had OPI's Black Cherry Chutney put on for my manicure. From 2008's India collection, this is one of those nearly black purples but with a little bit of a red sparkly shimmer in the light.

inside

outside in natural (very gray day) light

I'd love to hear if you have a favorite dark polish for Fall!

Happy Monday :)

xoxo

Gap Give + Get {minnie edition}

So far I've found only one little sale top for myself (the Gap lipstick print blouse in purple... OOTD coming soon) but at GapKids my girls found lots to buy with the Give + Get coupon. They put together these outfits yesterday and we also found my oldest's new warm winter coat. This G+G ends tomorrow, so I am thinking I may be adding a couple more things for an online order too. The kids' range is just so adorable right now. And, oh my, the toddler girls' is too too cute - but I just can't squeeze them back into 5Ts.

Embellished tulle skirts in silver and blue galaxy, Turtleneck tops in icy pink and heather gray, Chiffon ruffle cardigan in true black, Sparkly belt in silver, Furry hoodie in heather gray

we bought the gray hoodie - different than pictured in Polyvore... I don't see this online now

Happy Saturday!

xoxo

OOTE 11.6.10

I wore this the other night for a family dinner out. I did change out the suede TB Sophies for something a little more practical as it was pouring rain. The necklace was a Forever21 find from a few months back... I didn't keep the tag but I do believe this one was only $4.99.

Loft cardigan, J Crew Serengeti tank (a couple years ago), Joe's Jeans, Tory Burch Sophie wedges, F21 necklace

close-up of the F21 necklace

It has a little bit of everything!

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Veterans Day

Near the end of the war in 1945, my grandfather was in a B-17 flying above the rooftops of Holland... sometimes at just 100 feet... dropping food which helped save thousands of starving men, women and children. (There were some chocolate bars in those packages too.) He was in his early 20's and had a baby at home he had never met. The pilot of the plane was only 19.

photo from 100thbg.com

photo from rafmuseum.org.uk

I am sincerely thankful to him and all of our veterans for their service to our country past and present.

photo from 100thbg.com

I found this quote from a man who was nine years old when he witnessed the food drops:

"It is surprising that such a short episode in 1945 has had such a sweeping effect on one's life experience. It might be difficult to believe from someone who hardly survived starvation and enemy occupation, but I sincerely consider myself to have been privileged to have been through the whole story, from the beginning to the finale.

I experienced deep darkness. I experienced the full significance of rescue, liberation and freedom. Therefore I am able to understand what Happiness and Luck in Life really mean. I am a privileged man. And I shall never forget."

--Frans Cayeaux (originally published in the newsletter of the British Manna Organization)

xoxo

{pet pajamas}

Well, I went nearly 9 months without buying our puppy a single article of clothing, but of course Target did me in. Here is Winnie modeling his new jammies... only $4.99 for these cuties. The tag says "PETS HOLIDAY" so they look to be seasonal. He did bite off both decorative buttons shortly after these pics, so I'd recommend removing them if you have a chewer.

pet pajamas (dogs only) #083091425 $4.99

Win is wearing size Small (he's about 7 lbs)

"Woof!"

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo

Today's Target Find {Mossimo Fairisle Sweater Wrap}

the back

I bought the Mossimo Supply Co. Juniors Wrap Sweater Coat (I'd call it a vest) a little over a week ago and wore it yesterday for a soccer game and taking care of things around the house. It does "shed" so I probably won't wear it with all black again. The detailed knitting on this has a beautifully handmade look and I'd guess it were much more expensive than a $30. Target find. I purchased the Espresso but also saw it in gray with black, gray with brown, and cream. The website has a promo on this where you buy one, get one at 50% off. If they'd had that in store, I probably would've gotten the cream color too.

Mossimo Sweater Wrap in Espresso/261679 (size Medium), ON turtleneck in Black, Mossimo ponte leggings in Black - I added brown Uggs for the soccer game

Happy Sunday!

xoxo

Nordstrom Shopping {Fire Chiffon Tunic}

I was going to wear this outfit to the Marc Cohn concert tonight, but sadly found out yesterday that it was cancelled. So, I wore it anyway today for a couple hours at the office, getting my hair highlighted (which I changed from highlighting to all over color in my natural color (dark!) ), and a little shopping.

I wasn't planning on wearing the tunic and scarf together, but I had them both in my hand when a Nordstrom SA walked up to me wearing them. I liked the look, so here it is! She also showed me these great BP tanks that are very long in length... perfect for leggings. The tunic is sheer and definitely needs a layer underneath.

Fire Square Neck Chiffon Tunic in Grey , BP Tunic Tank in Olivine, Rubbish Infinity Scarf in Twine, Mossimo Ponte Leggings in Black, Banana Republic Reade Moto Boot in Black

In the afternoon it was bright and sunny and pretty warm, so I took off the scarf. Here you can also see the results of my time spent with the colorist. At school pick up, other moms noticed right away, but not one of my children said a word. When I asked them (at separate times) if anything was different about my hair, all three said "It's straight.". But really, it is a big difference!

The hems really aren't so uneven. I think it's just a combination of the way I've pulled down the tank and how I'm standing.

close-up of print and the square neckline

Friday tomorrow!

xoxo

Nordstrom Shopping {Rubbish Infinity Scarf}

The Half Yearly (Women and Children) Sale began *today* so I made time for a quick run through Nordstrom this morning and although I didn't find any sale items I had to have, I did buy a top, a tank, and this Chunky Cabled Infinity Scarf from the juniors department.

Rubbish Chunky Cabled Infinity Scarf in Twine

also available in Black, Cloudy, and Seagate

Last Winter I tried to get this doubled looped look with regular scarves, and - while it's do-able - this type of circular scarf definitely makes it easier. Nordstrom's November catalog was in my mailbox this afternoon and I noticed that the scarf I just purchased this morning is shown on page 66, though it is not mentioned in the details below the pics.

from Nordstrom's November 2010 Catalog, p. 66

Is anyone else shopping the sale or finding any great deals? I'd love to know!

xoxo