I am so excited that Spring looks are hitting stores. Good bye snow, hello bright colors and fun flirty outfits. The last few seasons, I haven't been that impressed with The Limited - gasp... not impressed by my one time fav store? I know right... but I think some of their new looks hit it out of the park - and I can't wait to update my closet with these lovelies...
First up... I love party dresses. Who doesn't need a couple of fun dresses littering their closet. You never know when you might be invited to a drop everything and go fancy party. And this dress is my number one want.
It totally reminds me of a more attainable version of this dress.
Which despite what a lot of critics say - I love. And I'm a sucker for a LBD (little black dress). I think this dress could be totally dressed down - through a sweater or jacket over it and no one will know it's a one sleeve number.
Next up...
So very Audrey or Grace. Over the years, I have made a conscious effort to pick classic elegant (My motto - what would Audrey wear) over trendy. Elegant you'll grab five years from now out of your closet, trendy will be sent to the Goodwill after a year. I can't find this skirt on their website. Disappointing. But I will stake it out at the store.
I've been big into mixing it up recently. Dragging out my teal sweater over a dress. Adding a pop of color with shoes. So how cute is this? I love the dress (saw it in the window display a month ago and wanted it then) and the little sweater - super adorbs... Plus this is really easy to wear anywhere - work, bridal shower, baby shower, you name it.
Ok this one I'd need to try on. I'm short and too much on the bottom makes me look - well shorter. But I love this skirt, ruffles and all. I am all about crazy skirts with understated colors on top. The belt is super cute too. I think I'm in love.
Another very wearable look. Actually I think I have all of this in my closet. Yellow and white scarf - check. Yellow sweater - check (actually it's a short sleeve cousin to this from The Limited last summer). Black pants - hello what Audrey Hepburn fan wouldn't own a half dozen pair of classic black pants.
What I love about this is I'm 90% sure it's the dress a few pictures up with a sweater over it. Anything I can mix into multiple looks is a huge plus. Unlike some looks with a dress used as a skirt - you totally can't tell and could pull it off on your own - without the help of Photoshop.
Anyway - I need to get ready... busy day. But kudos Limited. You won me back. And PS your bridal collection has gotten a lot better - you've come along way from two bridal gowns. Some of the dresses look a tad bridesmaid but I guess that's to be expected. But I love how costs effective it is!
So first... let me say I think this song is beyond annoying (does that make me old?)... Anyway, totally fits the post... so we'll go with it.
So, I have another secret... I'm also a hair product junkie. But I'm the most low-key hair product junkie in the world. My normal routine would be something like this - buy some fabulous new product promising "incredible volume" "super model height" or "big hair", wash hair, sit around for 10 minutes with towel on my head, put product in hair, flip head over and blow dry. Brush on the way to work in car. One of my irrational fears is that any future child of mine will have Taylor Swift curls. Not that I don't love her hair but can you be low-maintenance with curls? All my wavy/curly hair friends seem to beg to differ. I wouldn't have the first clue how to do curly hair. I have visions of days filled with straightening irons, curling irons and hot rollers. Seems like an absolute nightmare. Is straight hair dominant - I'll have to Google this?
Anyway... back on topic...
Needless to say, I'm massively disappointed in all so-called volume products. My hair is still stick straight and baby fine. Thank God I have a lot of it or I'd look like one of those people on What Not To Wear - the before where their hair is a scraggly mess.
It's not like I want hair like this...
or this....
But a little volume would be good.
My bathroom cabinet is testament to products I've tried and who have failed... these fallen comrades range from high-end to drug store basics. And the one thing they have in common? They don't cut it when I don't have someone professional do my hair. And since I'm not a Real Housewife... that doesn't happen very often... or at all.
So this week at CVS when I was supposed to by buying a birthday card, I ended up buying these. Specifically the John Frieda root booster and a mousse. I've tried it for a week now and I'm pretty impressed. I'm doing my normal routine and I actually think my hair looks like a little bit (dare I say) bigger? Elated! And it last almost all day. I do feel like my hair feels a bit stiff especially at the roots but a small trade off. I might even try to curl my hair one day.... well maybe not... we don't want to put in too much effort.
Any tips for volume (other than hours with a brush, rollers and hair dryer)?
On another side not - did any of you read the January Glamour (since I have so many magazines I'm a month behind)? Well they did this article on how natural is in. I got super excited thinking - heck yeah my hair routine is finally in style (I love when 60's straight is in because I can do that with no effort). Well the entire article is for you curly/wavy hair girls. It basically said don't touch your hair and let your natural texture show... I showed it to a wavy hair friend and she said it's not possible that her waves wouldn't look like the article's model if she just washed and went. They did have a small call-out box for my fellow straight hair ladies. Their tip to get waves was laughable... simple spray some texturizing spray into your hair and scrunch while you dry. News flash Glamour - that would do absolutely nothing to my hair. I might get one bent hair if I was lucky. To get anything resembling a curl, I have to load my hair with product, sit with hot rollers for practically an hour, take them out, don't touch any tight little curl on my head, maybe touch up with a curling iron and spray with hairspray. Within in twenty minutes of all of this, the curls will have fallen out to mediocre looking waves. So massive fail to Glamour on that article. Usually I love them though so no hard feelings.
Since I haven't done any book reviews or recommendations recently. I thought it might be nice to tell you what I'm reading/read this past week. I'd love to hear what you're reading as well since I am always on the hunt for a good book.
1. My Name is Memory, Ann Brashares - This was really good. Surprising me actually because I read her last adult fiction book and thought it was barely ok. Apparently this is the first in a line of three books and I cannot wait to find out what happens next.
3. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith - Somehow I missed this in high school and book club has ignited a passion in me to read a bunch of classic books "you should read". I wasn't a huge fan at the beginning - it just sort of dragged along - but I'm over halfway through and hooked. I read Angela's Ashes a long time ago and this reminds me of that (although I guess it's the other way round since this came first). Same premise - poor family growing up in NY trying to make ends meet.
4. The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog and of his Friend Marilyn Monroe, Andrew O'Hagan - Ok I had heard a ton of good things about this but I got close to halfway through and just wasn't loving it. I couldn't get into it at all. The dog has somewhat interesting stories but spends half his time spouting off philosophy... I ended up returning it unfinished.
So that's my list so far. I'll try to keep you updated.
I have been obsessed with glitter and sequins this season. So shiny and sparkly and fun! The thing is if it's hard to find capes... it's even harder to find glitter and sequins done right. Everything I found looked too young, too dance costume, or too expensive... What's a girl to do?
And magazines aren't helping my obsession (see below for proof - sorry the images are so darn blurry - but camera phone and trying to take a quick photo at lunch -- obviously doesn't make a good blog post!).
How cute are those heels? I want a pair of sparkly shoes so badly!
Well I did finally nab an awesome Loft cardigan with a sequin trim. Love! And I have an old pink Express cardigan with sequins on it - I mean the thing is circa 2004 and still looks amazing. It pays to take care of your clothes people! But that was the extent of shimmery entering my wardrobe.
I figured I'd try to find a perfect nail polish instead. Cheap. Easy to change if I don't love it. And I love nail polish colors. I will try anything at least once (which is crazy funny because in high school when it's perfectly acceptable to wear randomness on your fingers all I wanted was baby pink)... anyway I digress...
I looked high and low for glitter nail polish. But didn't love anything I found. Either they didn't have a color I liked or it wasn't enough shimmer... But this weekend I solved my dilemma. I found China Glaze Fairy Dust. It's basically clear polish with glitter in it so you can turn any of your polishes into a glitter polish with an easy top coat of this stuff. I tried it Friday and maybe a royal mess of my nails (too rushed trying to go out and get the perfect mani)... but I tried again and although not perfect (as evident by the photo below) it looks pretty darn good. I layered Fairy Dust over China Glaze in Avalanche for a cool grey with sparkles - perfect for all this cold winter weather. I'm in love! Let me know what you think!
Avalanche is the left and Fairy Dust is on the right.
I can't wait to try Fairy Dust over all my fav colors to see the results! And now I'm a happy camper until I can find some awesome glitter shoes... Just a word to the wise before I sign off - the girl at the beauty store talked me into a base coat... ok unless you have more patience than I do - totally not worth it. I think that's why my nails didn't work out Friday. It took forever to dry with three coats (base, grey, glitter)... augh. I don't keep polish on long enough to worry about it. It worked perfectly fine with a nice solid coat of grey and a light coat of Fairy Dust on top. Happy Painting!
I am in absolute love with capes this season. I keep hoping and praying one will turn up at Loft, Limited or Old Navy (surprisingly or not ON is a great place to find trendy winter coats) but no such luck. So I'm stuck lusting after this one... that's crazy out of my price range and green...
I stopped watching Gossip Girl this year. I just couldn't keep up and I need the extra night of no TV to do other things. But I still heart Blair and her chic updated Audrey Hepburn looks. This green cape and yellow shoes are simply delish. source: www.thelovecollage.com.
Do you know how hard it is to find pictures of capes? Apparently the only places that remotely sell them are stores that charge more than my mortgage payment for one. And when I do a Google search - all I get is crazy things like Halloween costumes, examination bibs for doctor's offices and other non-relevant information.
