Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Mad for Plaid

Hi all!  I am writing this a few days early and scheduled it to run today so I'm still deep into Disney as you read this.  Hope your week is going well!  

When I was a teenager and in my early 20's I didn't wear tons of patterns...except plaid. One of the biggest fads of my late teen years was wearing button up plaid shirts.   Hot, right?!  Um, NO...old pictures I have found of myself wearing such concoctions prove it was indeed NOT HOT at all.  =)   I can even remember for Sadie Hawkins my Senior year my date and I both wore baggy blue jeans, button up plaid shirts and Abercrombie baseball hats...the horror!  I should go dig that picture up...you'd die laughing.  What's done is done and I can't change the past, but ever since then, I have carried with me a little fear of plaid.  I've mentioned it before on my blog.  I have owned it and worn it since then in small doses but I still tend to think back to the days of the big baggy button up shirts and cringe every time I think about putting it back on.

When I saw the Tartan Boucle Blazer in the Anthropologie catalog last fall, I think my small fear of plaid was cured a little.  I realized that plaid can be totally cute if worn the right way.  I was able to score this cute blazer when it hit sale in December and I have to say, I love it!  I have only worn it twice now but see it being a staple dress-up piece in my closet for years to come.  I mean look how plaid has stood the test of time...all the way back from my high school days (and long before) to now.  Timeless!  


What I Wore
Tartan Boucle Blazer-Anthropologie
Tiered Tank-Old Navy
Trouser Jeans-Banana Republic Factory
Cleary Heels-Anthropologie (I bought these at Endless)
Renegade Cluster Necklace-Stella & Dot
Sea Drop Earrings-Anthropologie
Ring-Forever 21
Bangles-Gap Outlet

Are there patterns you steer clear of?  I love most patterns now and try to embrace most of them (not all, but most).  A little pattern makes your wardrobe more fun I think!  





Sunday, March 25, 2012

Packing for Disney!

Hi everyone!  Hope you're having a great weekend!  I was busy running around all day yesterday getting things ready for our trip today.  Trips are so much fun, but take so much prep work!   A few weeks ago I received an email from a blog reader names Sandy (hi Sandy!!) asking me if I had any tips for what to wear to an amusement park.  We've gone to amusement parks several times with our kids over the years so I have a pretty good idea of what works best for me now.  I thought since I was headed to an amusement park myself this week now was the perfect time to answer her question.

 First off, I thought I'd share with you my packing list for our trip.  On travel days I just wear comfy clothes so no need to really plan ahead for that, but for the three days we spend at the parks, I want to make sure I'm ready to go. I've decided to try to pack light so I'm wearing the same boots and coat the whole time.  No need for multiples right?  There's also a possible glitch in the plan...or is there?  The forecast keeps changing it's mind.  Yesterday morning it said there was 60% chance of rain on Monday.  I checked again an hour ago and now it only says there's a 20% chance of rain.  What to believe?  Because I certainly don't want to be stuck in the rain unprepared, we will be packing the rain gear along with everything else.  Luckily the temperatures won't be too cold with highs in the 60's while we're there so at least we won't be freezing to death!

All that taken into account, here's what I have decided to pack:
Disneyland/California Adventure Vacation Packing List

Disneyland/California Adventure Vacation Packing List by jennifoundinmycloset featuring skinny fit jeans

(Click on the set to see a closer view)

I've pretty much worn all of these outfits before...tried and true is what I like to stick to when I know I'll be away from home.

So for trips to amusement parks I would follow these tips:

1. Number one rule is: NEVER wear anything super expensive.  Your brand new super expensive whatever it is...ya, leave it home.  So many things could go wrong to ruin something you're wearing...don't risk it.

2. Wear comfortable shoes.  I am all about wearing heels on a day-to-day basis.  I wear heels all the time....even to the park with my kids.  I'm THAT mom.  However, I refuse to wear any sort of heel at an amusement park.  Period.  I can't even imagine!  Every time I've been to an amusement park I've seen women walking around in 4 inch heels.  What the what?  WHY???  You also always want to wear shoes that you've worn before...DO NOT wear shoes for the first time at an amusement park.  You are asking for a blister or 2...or more.  Wear shoes you are comfortable in and won't be bothered by throughout the day.  I will often times wear open-toed flat sandals or my Toms in the summer, or flat boots if I'm going in the winter.  It's the most comfortable way to go.  I also always have bandaids in my purse in case someone happens to get a blister for some reason.  You just never know!

3. Wear materials that are washable and move easy.  I wear mostly cotton tops when I go to amusement parks.  I want to be able to wash it quickly if need be (if a child spills a drink on me or something).  I would never wear a nicer material top to Disneyland such as silk...there's too much risk involved!  Another tip I have is to wear darker colored bottoms such as a dark denim jeans.  As you can see above that's all I'm planning on bringing.  Just think about all the times you sit down somewhere when you're at an amusement park (rides, picnic tables to eat, benches to watch parades, etc)...if you have on dark bottoms it just helps hide every little mark that may get on your pants after sitting down over a hundred times in a day.

4. Layer, layer, layer!  When I go to an amusement park in the winter, it's all about layers.  We get to the park early in the morning when it's still chilly out, stay all day, and then don't go back to our hotel until around 9pm most nights.  You'll be hitting a range of temperatures throughout the day, and layering is how to attack that issue.  I almost always wear a tank or short-sleeved top under a cardigan when we go to an amusement park.  On this trip I will also be wearing a coat everyday.  I may feel like removing the coat at some points but that'll be ok because I'll still have a few layers on underneath to keep me warm.  In the summer months, of course, this tip is obsolete. =)

5. Don't wear jewelry that will get in the way.  I feel naked without wearing jewelry so I still wear it even if we go to an amusement park...I'm just more particular about what I wear.  I never wear any really nice, expensive jewelry (my Tiffany items) in case it happened to fall off or break. I also try not to wear bulky pieces...they will only annoy you and get in your way.  Long, chunky necklaces are a no-no!  Chances are they'll get tangled up in something at some point and may snap.  Stick to daintier pieces.

6. Wear bright colors.  I purposely chose to wear some brightly colored cardigans on this trip because I want my boys to be able to recognize me and notice me quickly in a crowd.  Every morning as we head to the park we'll have a quick discussion about the color of the cardigan mommy is wearing that day to help them recognize and remember.  Most likely I won't be wearing my coat during the majority of the day so this works out well.

So those are my tips for what I like to wear to an amusement park.  Overall I think people tend to dress down (a lot) when they spend the day at an amusement park because they are concerned about being comfortable.   I personally think you can still be comfortable while looking cute!   Sweats and tennis shoes may be comfy, but they're just not cute (outside the gym).  Just saying.  Chances are you'll be taking lots of pictures at a place like Disneyland so you might as well look cute for posterity's sake! =)

Well, I better go finish packing so we can hit the road.  Have a great week!  See you soon!






Friday, March 23, 2012

Spring Ahead!

The first week of spring has been good to us Nor Cal folk...my boys have loved all the sunshine we've been having!  We've spent two afternoons in a row at local parks enjoying the good weather.  Sadly this fabulous spring weather is on it's way out and some rain is suppose to be rolling in.  Good thing we're skipping town and heading to Disneyland!!!  My next two days will be spent doing laundry, packing and preparing...we're super excited for our vacation.

When I think of spring I immediately think of floral patterns so I decided to break out some floral on the first day of spring this week:


What I Wore:
Alstroemeria Tee-Anthropologie
Eunice Cashmere Cardi-Anthropologie
Rock Star Jeans-Old Navy
Miz Mooz "Siri" Knee-High Boots-Endless
Ricochets Necklace-Anthropologie
Gleaming Pillars Bracelet-Anthropologie
Baroness Bliss Teardrop Earrings-Ruche
Flower Bud Ring-J Crew

I picked up this cardigan on sale a few weeks back when it hit 2nd cuts.  I had been planning on trying to score the yellow motif when it hit 2nd cuts but when I saw my size was still in stock in the lilac motif as well, I decided to go for it.  So glad I did.it's gorgeous and so soft!  And it's cashmere...score!  I see it being well used for years to come.

 Stay tuned to see what I'll be packing in my suitcase for our three days at Disney next week.  I'm still working on my packing list, so it's not quite ready to share yet.  Soon though!

Here's to a happy weekend ahead!  


Wednesday, March 21, 2012

What I Wore: Last Day of Winter

It's that time again...time to wave goodbye to winter.  YAY!  I'm not a huge fan of cold weather so every year when spring arrives I get pretty excited.  I need to be a little more open-minded about the cold weather I suppose, now knowing I will be facing some pretty frigid temps in the mid-west next winter since we're moving out that way.  Making a mental note now...learn to like the cold.  Wish me luck with that one.  =)

On the last day of winter I decided to go simple and classic...black, white and red is as classic as it comes:

What I Wore:
Striped Sweater-Target
AG Stevie Ankle Denim-Anthropologie
Kachiri Boots-Target (Winter 2011)
Necklace-Nordstrom (OLD)
Earrings-Banana Republic

We bid farewell to our last visitors this morning so it's back to reality for a few days at least.  Next up...we're headed to Disneyland!  I'm in the middle of trying to figure out what to pack...stay tuned for my packing list and outfit ideas for an amusement park vacation later this week.

Did you check out the Anthro sale this morning?  There was another large round of sale items to temp us all.  I was thrilled to see this cute top hit sale as I really liked it when I tried it on last month in the store:


It just might be on it's way to my front door step as we speak.  Maybe. =)

How is everyone doing with their March budget??  I am happy to say that I am on track so far.  I was over budget for a bit, but due to a few items not working out for one reason or another, I'm back to being under-budget.  Woo-hoo!  I just might make it after all.  Wish me luck!

Hope you all have a great day!



Sunday, March 18, 2012

(Last) Sunday Best

Happy Sunday everyone! 

 We have another round of visitors with us this weekend so we've been on the go and having lots of fun.  My boys are having a blast with their baby cousin, Asher.  Yesterday we headed into the city again and took them to Pier 39 for lunch, walked through Fisherman's Wharf, toured a "Pirate Ship" as my boys called it, and enjoyed some YUMMY ice cream treats at Ghirardelli Square.  That place never disappoints!  We managed to get back into the car and head home just as the rain started to pour so it was good timing. 

Between all the recent rain and having tons of company this past week, I haven't snapped too many outfit pictures.  I did manage to grab one last Sunday after church I though so I thought I'd post that today:

 
What I Wore:
Floral Frappe Top-Anthropologie
Liquid Acres Skirt-Anthropologie
Belt-J Crew Factory
Tights-Gap Outlet (OLD)
Chiseled Wedges-Anthropologie
Baroness Bliss Teardrop Earrings-Ruche
Necklace-can't remember where I got this! =) It's old.
Strung Palms Bracelets-Anthropologie
Flower Bud Ring-J Crew

I'm off to get ready for church...have a relaxing day!


Friday, March 16, 2012

How to choose GREAT pieces to add to your closet


It's the age-old question for most women...how do you choose what to add to your closet?  If you're really trying to be picky about what you purchase you have to set out some criteria for yourself.  Like I mentioned at the beginning of the month, I am trying my hardest to really use my current closet more, shop less, and remix, remix, remix.  If I make a purchase I only want to buy things that are stand outs, things that I can easily remix, things that I can get good use out of and things that are unique.

Like many, my closet is full of lovely things to choose from each morning.  When one has a hobby of shopping you start to accumulate quite a few things.  I'm like a collector.  A collector of clothes.  And here I always prided myself in not "collecting" things.  Jokes on me.  =)  My collection holds many things...some things I should still probably get rid of, some things I wear over and over, and some things I'm not totally in love with but keep because I know I spent good money on it and feel like I should find a way to make it work.  Those are the kinds of pieces I'm trying to avoid purchasing anymore.  

  As I was browsing Anthropologie recently I came across a cardigan that I just love and feel like it fits all the criteria I've mentioned above.  



It has fabulous colors that can easily match multiple colors, it has stripes which are always fun and something I'm comfortable with, and it has a really cute flower detailing (that continues onto the back) that makes it stand out from other cardis.  I thought I would put this cardigan to the test and try to mix and match it with multiple things using Polyvore.  I wanted to see how and if I could make it work with what I already have in my closet.  The rule I had for making these sets was that I could only use things I already owned so I could get a good idea of how I would really wear it.  Here's what I came up with:

Look #1: Everyday Cute & Casual

Australe Cardigan/Twisted Ascot Tee/Toothpick Ankle Denim







Look #2: Sunday Best


Australe Cardigan/Sidebent Tank/No. 2 Pencil Skirt-Spicy Gold





Look #3: Date Night


Australe Cardigan/Glimmer Graph Shell/ AG Stevies-Sulfur Plum/Chiseled Wedges







Look #4: Summer Days 

Australe Cardigan/Sunrise Shirtdress/Lemon Stick Wedges






Four outfits, four totally different looks, only one cardigan.    Love! I've convinced myself this cardigan is a must-have in my wardrobe and can't wait to give it a go. I hope it hits sale soon because at $118, I'll definitely be waiting for a price drop.

So what special items are you waiting to add to your closet right now?  Do you struggle with how to choose what you purchase?  How do you pick??

Hope you have a great day!



Thursday, March 15, 2012

The rain has arrived...

Hi everyone!  Wow, it's been almost a week since my last post...time sure flies when you're having fun!  We've spent the past 4 days with our out-of-town family members that came to see us.  My sis-in-law, bro-in-law and their 5 kiddos came to pay us a visit...this house was definitely hopping! My kids were in heaven having so any cousins around...they loved it.  We spent lots of time in San Francisco touring around, had a date night out with just the adults on Monday, enjoyed lots of X-Box gaming and had lots of fun just hanging out around the house.  We were sad to see them go.  Now it's time to clean up the house, catch up on laundry, and prepare for our next set of visitors that are coming this weekend...another of my husband's brothers, his wife and baby are coming to see us now for a few days.  Apparently if you tell everyone you're moving away from the bay area, they'll come to see you before you leave!  =) 

So I don't know how the weather has been where you are, but the rain has finally decided to roll on in here in Nor-Cal.  It's been super dreary here the past two days and there's not much sun in sight until next week.  I haven't snapped an outfit picture for a few days but found a few from last week (when we still had some sun) that I haven't posted yet so I thought I'd share this one with you:

What I Wore:
Tie-Back Tank-Anthropologie
Cardigan-Target
Always Skinny Jeans-Gap
Boots-Urban Outfitters
Costa Collection Necklace-Anthropologie
Enameled Bracelet Set-Anthropologie
Flower Bud Ring-J Crew

This tank has been such a versatile piece in my closet...it mixes and matches so well with tons of different colors.  Love it! 

So we're T-minus 10 days until we leave for our Disneyland vacation...the kids are getting super excited!  It'll be our last big west-coast vacation before we move.  I need to start thinking about what I plan on packing...I'm trying to wait a few more days to see what the weather forecast looks like first.  I received an email from a blog reader the other day with a great question about what to wear when you're at an amusement park...how timely!  I plan to do a post next week about what I plan to take with me to wear to Disney so stay tuned for that.  If anyone has any great Disney tips for me I'd love to hear them!  I've been to Disneyland quite a few times but there's always something new to be found it seems!

One more thing before I go...totally random, but I just had to share.  Have you seen this?


I picked this up last week when I was at the Commissary for just $6.99.  Bargain!  I LOVE it!  It's so handy and helpful in the kitchen to have an automatic soap dispenser.  Totally recommend this fun little toy!  

Hope you have a great day!










Friday, March 9, 2012

Lets Talk Jeans

Do you have a favorite brand of jeans?  I'm always curious to hear what brands people have found to fit them best.  I have a few brands in my closet right now that I turn to on a regular basis...I love my Always Skinny Gap jeans, my American Eagle jeggings are super comfy, I have some Banana Republic Skinny jeans from a few years back that I still grab every now and again, and I am a huge fan of my J Crew Factory Toothpick ankle denim (the retail version doesn't fit as well I think...weird).  However, my all-time favorite jeans are the AG Stevies Ankle leggings.  I love them!  I have them in 4 colors now, they're that good.  I wish I could find them in a dark denim!  I've only ever seen them come in the regular length in the dark denim which is too long on my shorty legs.  I need them in an ankle length to make them work for me.  

The AG's are made from the most soft, wearable denim ever.  They are fabulous.  The downside, however, is the hefty price tag.  I've only ever paid full-price for one pair...I've been able to score the rest at around half-off or more.   I just can't stomach full price on a regular basis for these.  When I saw Piperlime carried a few new colors of the my beloved AG's a few months back, I started stalking the site for a deal on the gorgeous "Sulfur Sun" light yellow color.  I had been saving up a bunch of my rewards points for something special and finally I was ready to pull the trigger.  Then they sold out of my size.  So sad.  My size always sells out of everything first, I swear!  I checked back a few times to see if there had been a restock...no such luck.  A few weeks passed, and I decided to check again.  Low and behold they had ONE pair in stock.  Woo hoo!  With a discount code and my rewards points in hand I pounced on that one pair and was so happy to receive them at my front door step a few days later. 

 I pulled them out this week for the first time and paired them with a very neutral color top to stick with a pastel color palette.  You know me though, can't go ALL pastel.  I threw in something bright at my feet just for fun:


What I Wore:
Volante Tee-Anthropologie
AG Legging Ankle Denim-Piperlime
Colorblocked Oxford Heels-Anthropologie
Triptych Hoops-Anthropologie
Bracelet-Silpada Jewelry (gift)
Ring-Forever 21

Tell me what your favorite brand of denim is...I'd love to hear!  

Before I go, I thought I'd leave you with a little something sweet to get the weekend started:

Raspberry Cream Pie


I made this for a "Pie Party" I went to the other night.  It was SOOOOO good, if I do say so myself.   The recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman...she rocks.  Just in case you feel the need to make one too, you can find the step by step instructions and recipe HERE.  No pressure.  =)

Have a great weekend!


Wednesday, March 7, 2012

A little nip and tuck...

First off, thanks for all the well wishes on our upcoming move!  It was so fun to hear that a handful of you are actually from the mid-west yourselves!  I loved reading all your great tips...keep 'em coming! =)  We are in the process of trying to figure out when we'll head back to look for housing and whatnot so I'll be busy with lots of research about everything Ohio in next few months I'm sure!

So if you read my blog you know I have a serious love for Anthropologie.  It is by far my favorite clothing store.  I do however take notice of other stores, believe it or not!  One online store that I like to browse often is Ruche.  They offer cute, mostly affordable clothing, shoes, accessories and more and release new inventory all the time.  While not everything they offer falls into my particular style box, often times I can find pieces that would fit into my wardrobe nicely, at a less expensive price than I might find myself paying at Anthro.  One particular item I found recently (and I think I mentioned it before in a previous post) was this cute top:


Don't you just love this gorgeous color? It's what caught my eye as I was looking online. I ended up ordering it in the smallest size it came in (size small).  When it came I loved the color even more and really loved the style.  However, it was SUPER blousey on me.  I decided to keep it anyway and tried it out one Sunday with a pencil skirt.  After church I snapped a picture (that never made it's way onto this blog) and realized that even tucked in, it just looked a little too sloppy.  I ended up taking it to my tailor to get it altered.   I had them take it in through the body and the sleeves a bit.  I picked it up a few days later and when I tried it on I found the fit to be spot on!  I love the tailor.   All this cute top needed was a little nip and tuck and now it's perfect!

I pulled it out and wore it last Friday night when hubs and I went out on our date:


What I Wore:
Earrings-Francesca's Collections
Ring-Forever 21

Total keeper.  It's a great piece that can be dressed up or down, worn alone or layered and goes with a ton of different colors.  Score!

By the way, sorry for the spotlight on my face...the sun was setting and just happened to be right on me apparently!

Another item I'm loving right now at Ruche is this dress:

Dress



It's called the North by North Ruffle Dress.  It's a little too short for my liking to wear as a dress but since I'm well acquainted with the tailor now I thought it would be fun to have it altered into a tunic length top.  I'd love to wear it like this:

North by North Ruffle Dress--turned tunic

North by North Ruffle Dress--turned tunic by jennifoundinmycloset featuring cropped capri pants

What do you think?  You think a little altering could be an easy fix for this piece too?  Do you ever buy clothing with the intent to alter it?

Hmmm...I'll have to think on it.

In the mean time, hope you're having a great day!  Thanks for stopping by!







Monday, March 5, 2012

OOTD and a New zip code.

Hi all!  How was your weekend!!!  I had a good one...we had lots fun on Friday (celebratory date night...I'll explain below), I was super productive on Saturday (cleaned out and organized a ton) and just relaxed on Sunday. Good all around.  

First up I wanted to share what I wore to church yesterday...


What I Wore:
-Thousand Carat Pullover-Anthropologie
-Cap Sleeve Tee-Shade Clothing
-Skirt-Shabby Apple
-Crossroads Belt
-Tegu Platforms-Anthropologie
-Necklace-Old Navy (old)
-Earrings-J Crew Factory
-Bracelet-Twisted Silver
-Bangles-Anthropologie
-Ring-Forever 21

I hadn't thought to pair this sweater with a skirt before...I now have plans to pair it with my Peppering Skirt in the future too!

So I mentioned above that hubby and I got out on Friday night for a little celebration.  What we were celebrating??  Well, on Friday afternoon I got the phone call I had been waiting for...finally!  I have loved living back in CA these past 5 years and will miss the bay area dearly, but I couldn't be more excited that we now know where we are headed next.  Drum roll please..............................................................................

Ohio!!!!!!!

And yes, we are thrilled!  Neither hubby or I have lived in the mid-west or the east before so this will be a whole new ball game.  I'm excited to explore a whole new part of the country and see some sites that I may not have otherwise seen anytime soon.  So in less than 4 short months we'll say goodbye to lots of things and people that we love, and hello to our new home in Ohio.  It'll be bittersweet.

Even though I'm changing zip codes my blog won't change much...minor adjustments in the hair department I'm guessing...my hair may now be a bit flatter in the summers (hello crazy humidity) and I may soon be sporting a lot more layers and closed-toe shoes/boots in the winter (snow anyone??) I even started to wonder to myself today if the way I dress here in CA will look odd to those in OH?  Do we dress the same?  Are trends just as popular there as they are here?  And don't worry, I've already looked up my closest Anthropologie...one will be 40-ish minutes away one way and another will be a little over an hour another way.  Do-able.  I hear there's some serious shopping to be had in Columbus...that may become my new favorite big city.  =)

So anyone know anything great about Ohio?  Specifically the Dayton area?  Do tell!  I'm trying to wrap my head around everything I can think of to prepare myself.   

I will say I've glanced into my closet a few times this weekend and realized what I may be missing for the big move...I'm thinking I see a pair of these in the near future:



And perhaps a pair of these as well for all that snow:




Heaven help me!   I think I can, I think I can...


So here's a question for all your cold-weather state people...what else am I going to need to survive the cold?  I have actually lived in snow before (I lived in Utah for 5 years) but it's been a while.  It'll be like starting over again after living in warmer climates these past 9 years.  I'd love to hear any advice you have!

Hope your week gets off to a great start...happy Monday to you!