To Be a Princess

MY VACATION OUTFIT:
SKIRT - Kimchee & Blue
WHITE TANK - Old Navy
BLACK CARDIGAN - Motherhood
MULTI WEDGES - Cynthia Vincent for Target
PINK SCARF - Made by my Mom

"Mommy, I want to be a princess!"  That's what Princess Sparkles said while watching the Royal Wedding (on replay of course, I would've never made it until 3am - though maybe Sparkles woulda if given the chance).  I replied in the oh-so-cliche way, "You're my princess."  And she looked at me and said, "No mommy, I have to find a prince."  I chuckled and gave her a kiss.

Meanwhile, Pigtails fell asleep on a bathrug at the foot of the shower.  She was that wiped out from waking up earlier than usual (which meant Camo and I woke up early too).  Oh well, at least she's getting in her morning nap at 8am :)

Nothing could really dampen my mood.  I'm off on a one night vacation with Camo to celebrate my birthday.  We're going to go wine tasting, beer tasting, have a quiet meal where we don't have to take turns taking the kids out, and maybe I'll even get to read my book!  Yay!  I can't wait.

Anyway, better finish packing everything up for the girls' trip to see Fair Isle and Henley!  It's so nice to have family around so Camo and I can go away for a night to relax and have fun.  Makes me feel like a Princess!

Floral Dress and Denim Vest

FLORAL DRESS - Old Navy
DENIM VEST - American Eagle
BLUE SNAKESKIN CUFF - Made by my Mom
PINK WEDGES - Seychelles

Living with Princess Sparkles is sort of like being on a game show...all the time.  She loves to ask me questions about everything like, "Why don't birds eat sand?" "Who does that shovel belong to?" "Where are my dolls?" "Why don't I have lemon (phlegm) in my mouth?"  Most of the time I can answer her questions, though every once in a while she stumps me.  I do appreciate her curiosity, though not so much when I'm trying to jog with the two of them in a stroller in the blazing heat!

Here is the dress I bought yesterday from Old Navy for $5.99.  I was so excited because although it was in the clearance section, it didn't have a sticker on it.  I was gonna leave it cuz I really don't pay full price for anything, but my best friend, Plaid, made me take it up to the register just to check.  I'm so glad I did because when the lady told me how cheap it was I felt like I had hit the jackpot!

Anyway, I wore it out to my birthday dinner with Camouflage (though I paired it with a gray cardigan instead of this vest since we ate outside).  Camo and I don't exchange gifts because he knows I like to shop and buy my own things.  I appreciate that about him, because that way he/me always gets me exactly what I want.  No question about it, shopping is always my favorite gift!

My Birthday Suit

MINT GREEN JEGGINGS - Flying Monkey
BLACK TOP - Mimi Chica
BLACK STRAPPY WEDGES - Colin Stuart
AWESOME WHITE CUFF - Made by Mom for my bday!

Okay, it's not my real birthday suit, but what I decided to wear on my birthday.  These are my new Flying Monkey jeans that Fierce got me from Anonymous.  She somehow convinced me to go small, so they're pretty darn tight (hence the loose black top).  I'm still trying to figure out if I can wear these jeans with something else besides white and black.  Any ideas?

I've had a great day so far.  Got to go shopping with my bestie, Plaid.  Started off by returning most of the Target dresses (phew, glad that's off my credit card!), then checked out Forever 21, Old Navy and H&M but only got a floral dress for $5.99 and a navy gingham shirt from Old Navy!  Guess I must be out of practice with that shopping thing.

Later I had lunch with my mom, Fair Isle and stepdad, Henley.  About to head over to see my friend Stripes.  Then gonna end the bday with a dinner date with Camo.  We're going to try a new Asian fusion restaurant.

Anyway, birthdays are always special, though I do find myself reflecting on my life and getting a little emotional.  But luckily, it's been a good year!

"One Lovely Blog" Award

Today I got up early and rushed to get the girls out the door  for preschool when suddenly I realized... Princess Sparkles is on spring break (okay, it wasn't suddenly but THREE people had texted me that morning to see if we wanted to hang out and all mentioned spring break and then a light bulb finally went on in my head). 

Wanting to not "mess up" my routine (which basically consists of a morning run), I decided to pull out the double stroller and go for a run with my cousin, Leopard, who I hadn't seen in quite a while.  Leopard had offered to push one stroller, but unfortunately I only had an umbrella stroller and that would so be a mistake to jog with.

But let me tell you about another mistake.  Pushing a double stroller (NOT a jogging one, despite the brand being "Baby Jogger") with two girls, stuff (including LOTS of snacks and waters) and plenty of stuffed animals.  It only weighed about, I don't know, 80 lbs!!!  Somehow I managed to finish the 4-1/2 mile jog but I must've been burning more calories than usual since the entire way back all I could think about was eating a huge cheeseburger!

Anyway, GretchTM awarded me the "One Lovely Blog" Award, which I am so very honored to receive.  Her blog is fantastic, she has such a classic, simple style that I wish I could replicate.  Thank you so much, Gretch!

I have to post 7 random things about myself, so to keep it interesting and in the fashion theme, I decided to tell you what I love about each of these dresses I bought today (YES I BOUGHT 7, but I had to entertain the girls somehow, so OF COURSE I took them to TARGET!!!  And since they won't let me try stuff on without going nuts, I decided to buy ALL these dresses, try them on at home, then return the ones I don't want).  So do me a favor and let me know which are your favorites, okay?

1. I love to wear black, especially in family photos, because it's always flattering even when I forget to suck in my stomach!



Alice Temperley for Target



2. I have an obsession with stripes and would pretty much buy anything (yes, anything) in this pattern.



Libertine for Target



3. My sister, Polka Dots, didn't realize she had so many polka dot clothes until I gave her the blog nickname.



Zac Posen for Target



4.  A skinny red belt is one of my favorite accessories (I have 2!) because it gives just the right pop of color.



Jonathan Saunders for Target



 5. I love animal print and own a pair of cow boots (not to be confused with cowboy boots - hope they make a comeback!)



Rogan for Target



6. If I had to pick a favorite "uniform," it would be a plaid shirt and jeans (followed closely by shorts and boots).




Luella Bartley for Target



7. I always love the bohemian look.  It's probably my favorite style in the magazines and I wish I wore it more.



Jovovich-Hawk for Target



So here are the blogs I'd LOVE to pass this award along to:

Tara at This Life, Redefined, Lei at White Sky Project, Mrs. J at Watch Me Dress, Rosy of Raindrops on Rosy, Claire of My Little Life, Sunny Days and Starry Nights, Andrea Grace of Always Say Grace, Jane of Love Makes the Girl, Emily of Tinfoils Tiaras, Sophie at Country Girl Does Norfolk, Ashley at Free Honey, Jenn of The Suburb Experiment, Khla at Next Happiness, Heidi at Heidi-and-Seek,  and Lacy at Uphill & Smiling.

The Perfect Freelance Job

PLAID SHIRT - Old Navy
BELL BOTTOM JEANS - J Brand
RED BELT - Thrifted
BLUE/RED/PINK HEELS - Charlotte Russe

NAIL POLISH:
NYC - Fuchsia Shock Creme (111A)
SALLY HANSEN HARD AS NAILS - Strobe Light (200)

Today I had a lunch meeting with a friend, Flannel, who offered me a freelance writing gig!  I can't tell you how excited I am.  It's been tough since having kids to try and work, because the truth is (and though I never imagined I'd be doing it) I love staying home with my girls. 

Yes, most of my day is spent cleaning up after them, chauffering from school to classes, cooking dinner, folding laundry and diffusing tantrums.  But the thought of NOT being with them makes me sad, so I sort of let go of my dreams.
 
When Flannel told me that I could write AND stay at home, I burst out laughing.  No I'm kidding, but I was thrilled.  I'm writing a script for an animated series, which hopefully (if I do a great job) will turn into writing more scripts for animated shows. 

I decided to wear something casual to lunch (so I didn't look like I was trying to hard...though I totally was).  I wore Fierce's bell bottom jeans and a plaid shirt.  To give me a little confidence boost, I wore my sky high heels (thanks, Fierce, Fedora and Fancy for the early birthday present!) and put glitter on my nails to add some sparkle.

Anyway, nothing gives me more confidence than being offered an awesome job that gives me almost everything I could ask for!  And the best part?  Princess Sparkles and Pigtails can watch the show and might even think I'm the coolest mom ever!

Happy Easter

GREEN DRESS - Sonoma (Thrifted, thanks Mom!)

BLACK CARDIGAN - Motherhood

STRAPPY GREEN CLOGS - Charles David

EARRINGS - Forever 21

BELT - Forever 21

"Mommy!  Mommy!  I want to see what Santa Claus brought me!"  This is what Princess Sparkles exclaimed early this morning.  Early.  I had mentioned a few days ago that if she behaved well then maybe the Easter Bunny would pay her a visit.  When she asked me who the Easter Bunny was, I told her he was kind of like Santa Claus.  She got that.

Here is an amazing dress Fair Isle thrifted for $1.  YES!  You saw that correctly, $1!!!  It did look a tad old fashioned at first and we were thinking of turning it into a skirt, but then decided to widen the straps and turn it into a halter (okay, I just came up with the idea but my mom did all the work).  I really love it!

Anyway, hope everyone has a HAPPY EASTER and Santa Claus brings them lots of goodies!

High Waist Jeans

TURQUOISE SILK TANK - Banana Republic (Thanks, Fierce!)

HIGH WAIST BOOTCUT JEANS - 7 For All Mankind (Thanks, Fierce!)

GREEN(ish) CLOGS - Charles David

SUEDE FRINGE PURSE BELT - Thrifted (Thanks, Mom!)

SILVER AND TURQUOISE - Vintage (Thanks, Mom!)

SQUARE SCARF - Missoni

I was feeling "skinny" today and decided to squeeze myself into another pair of Fierce's jeans (okay, really I've been wearing them around so they've stretched out some... Which sorta reminds me of when I was a kid and I'd save all my money to buy a pair of Guess jeans, then I'd lay down while watching TV and slowly inch the zipper up after each show). 

These are the high waist ones.  Yes, high waist as in totally trendy, though terribly intimidating.  Here is what I know to be true... 

High waist can suck you in like a girdle.  Plus! 

You still got to spill out somewhere.  NOT plus!

Anyway, as long as I can shove a shirt in and balloon it out to hide the spillage I'm okay. 

Fair Isle has been thrifting again and so she gave me some great new belts (thanks, Mom!).  Check out the REAL silver and turquoise belt layered with this amazing suede fringe belt purse!  I'm also wearing a square MISSONI scarf tied around my wrist (and I have an additional NEW one which I'm planning to giveaway next week as a THANK YOU for supporting my blog!  I really hope you'll enter!).

I'm planning to go on a dinner date with Camouflage tonight.  I doubt I'll wear these high waist jeans.  You can only eat so much in a girdle before you get the other kind of spillage.  Wink, wink...And I'm planning on having dessert.

a picnic, flowers and the nom-nom truck



STRIPED SHIRT - Forever 21
GRAY CARDIGAN - Mossimo
BLUE JEANS - J Brand
FEDORA - Eugenia Kim for Target
RED SHOES - Born

Today I had a miracle happen.  I managed to squeeze into a pair of jeans Fierce gave me.  Of course for her they were too big (that's why I inherited them), but for me, they're smaller than my "normal" size.  So that made me feel good.  I know I've mentioned this before, but I really don't like when people say they lost the baby weight from "breastfeeding" (I'm just jealous).  I mean, who does that?  I run a lot.  And it still took me over a year to get close to my pre-baby weight.  And I'm still 5 lbs. away.  Anyway, today I went with the jeans and t-shirt look.  I gotta say, I love stripes.  They always make an outfit look put together.

Camouflage took the day off so he could go with me to Princess Sparkles' preschool for a picnic.  Pastor Pleats kindly agreed to watch Pigtails since we weren't supposed to bring siblings.  We brought a blanket to sit on, had lemonade, a bagel and potato chips.  It was a lovely little get together and Princess Sparkles enjoyed showing us around the place.

Afterwards Camo and I had about an hour to ourselves, and since we had just eaten, we decided to go to the nursery to pick out some flowers.  I love flowers, though I seem to have a real talent for killing plants.  Good thing we have sprinklers!

For lunch we walked the girls over to a local parking lot to eat at the nom nom truck.  There were lots of other trucks too, so not only did we order 2 banh-mi sandwiches but a shrimp po-boy, some french fries with tahini sauce, and an italian ice.  (I know, here is where you're thinking, well, maybe that's why she's having trouble losing those last 5 lbs.  But I can't help it, I LOVE food!!!)

 

Finally, we hung out in the back yard, blew bubbles, planted plants, sipped drinks, and played.  It was a really wonderful day.  Hope you had a wonderful day too!

3 Ways To Wear a Yellow Lace Skirt and a Sunshine Award

YELLOW LACE SKIRT - Chetta B (Thrifted - Thanks, Mom!)

ARGYLE SWEATER - Old Navy

WHITE TANK - Bebe

SHOES - Korea

BLACK/GRAY STRIPED SHIRT - Thakoon for Target

GRAY BELT - Forever 21

BLACK STRAPPY WEDGES - Colin Stuart

RUST/GOLD SILK TOP - Ella Moss (Thanks, Fierce!)

CREAM/GOLD/GREEN WEDGES - G-Series

Today I'm feeling like a fashion bad-ass.  I dunno why, maybe it's the neon yellow lace skirt (I know, doesn't really look neon in the pictures!) and matching nail polish.  Or the 2 sunshine awards (Thank YOU, Fash-uh-nee-stah and GretchTM!).  Or the lashes (I put on some fake ones and they always make me feel glamorous!).  Whatever it is, it totally affected the clothing I chose and the poses I did.

RULES FOR THE AWARD:
Thank the person who gave it
Write a post about it
Pass it on to 12 bloggers

I decided to do this "3 Ways To Wear a Yellow Lace Skirt" in honor of the SUNSHINE AWARD bestowed on me by the always fabulous Fash-uh-nee-stah and the extremely stylish GretchTM!  Thank you, girls, for the honor!  

I would like to give this award to: Tiffany at BREAKFAST WITH TIFFANY, THE CAT HAG, Melissa at WRITE IT IN LIPSTICK, Bonnie at GLAM KITTENS LITTEBOX, Mary at STYLEFYLES, Gracey at FASHION FOR GIANTS, Vanessa at BIG GIRL. LITTLE BUDGET. TINY TOWN, Maya at SOCCER MOM STYLE, Nnena at STAR-CROSSED SMILE, Kimberlee at OUR LIFE. UNEDITED., Melyssa at BEAUTINIQUE, and DEAR GIRL.

I was reading in a magazine that Tim Gunn suggests wearing neon colors with gray or brown.  So I decided to try it.  The first look is one I copied from the magazine where the model was wearing an argyle sweater with a similar skirt.  I decided to pair it with the shoes I bought in Korea a few years back.  The second outfit I did was a striped black/gray shirt.  Yes, I decided to mix prints.  Told you I was feeling like a bad-ass!  Finally, my last outfit was a rust shirt so kindly given to me by Fierce (you can see more pieces she gave me here).  And the shoes are the ones I wore for my wedding 5-1/2 years ago!!!

So like I was saying, I had MAJOR FASHION ATTITUDE.  However, each time I finished shooting photos I would get a little FASHION BUZZ KILL when I'd come into my room and see Pigtails.  Unfortunately, I think maybe she too was feeling like a FASHION BAD-ASS...

Anonymous Venice

 

SUEDE SKIRT - Thrifted (Thanks, Mom!)

BLACK CARDIGAN - Frenchi

WHITE TANK - Bebe

TURQUOISE NECKLACE - Gifted from Hawaii

JUTE & RAFFIA BELT - Forever 21, Gifted from Fierce

MULTI-COLORED WEDGES - Cynthia Vincent for Target

Yesterday while my mom, Fair Isle, and stepdad, Henley, were babysitting Princess Sparkles and Pigtails I decided to make the best use of my time by running down to the shop, Anonymous Venice, with my friend Fedora.  Fierce recently took a job there, so we wanted to check out the clothes.  I mean, when you got a babysitter, what's more productive than that?

I know, no shopping for 6 more days (not that I'm counting...okay, I'm totally counting).  So I didn't.  I did try stuff on though.  I mean, how could I not?  They had some fabulous jeans :)  Fedora and I rocked some great jeans (some on sale for only $25!!!) and really cute off the shoulder shirts, you know, the 80's kind with pictures of things from our childhood.  Sooooo cute.  And you can't go wrong with Fierce (my most fashionable friend) telling me what to wear and how!

Don't worry, I didn't buy anything.  But I will... in 6 days.  I even got asked out on a date by a nice young homeless man playing a guitar.  He really made my day.  Almost as much as trying on jeans and rock n' roll shirts with Fierce and Fedora!

 

PHOTOS (top lt, clockwise):
Fierce and Mohawk work it. 
Fierce helps Fedora dig through sale goodies.  The view of Venice Beach.  The Anonymous Venice storefront.

Swimsuits, Hats and Lots of Sunscreen

Princess Sparkles, Camouflage and Pigtails

The spring wildflowers near the beach

Over the weekend our family took a quick 10 minute drive down to the beach.  It's funny, it's so close yet we rarely go down there for fun (though I do go down there to jog with Pigtails, but that's not fun). 


My beach gear:
Bucket hat - Made by my Mom
Sunglasses - Betsy Johnson
Running Shirt - Target

Here is what I wore to the beach.  Yes, I've become THAT lady, the one I used to think was crazy wearing her huge hat and sitting under the umbrella.  I'm just hoping when I'm 70 I'll look 50.
The girls had such a great time.  Princess Sparkles just wanted to sit in the water and let the waves hit her.  And Pigtails, she wanted to dash straight into the water, get really wet, then lie in the sand. 

Oh yeah, now I remember why we don't go down there that much.  It's a lot of work for Camouflage and I.  You have to find parking (NOT EASY), lug everything down to the sand (NOT EASY), put sunscreen on everyone (REALLY NOT EASY), then make sure they don't drown (").

Anyway, here are some bathing suits that I would've worn...if I wasn't afraid of the sun :)

From top left (clockwise):

Love-Struck Bikini - Forever 21 ($10.80 top, $9.80 bottom)

Splendid Marcel Reversible Bikini - Nordstrom ($57 top, $47 bottom)

Beach Escape Monokini - Forever 21 ($19.80)

Sara Sliding Halter Bikini - Victoria's Secret ($18 top, $16 bottom)

Below:

Embroidered Eyelet String Bikini - Old Navy ($19.50 top, $19.50 bottom)

Rainbow Crochet String Bikini - Old Navy ($19.50 top, $19.50 bottom)