What I Wore Wednesday 4/27/11

Here's a look at what I wore this past week. I'm linking up to Lindsey's blog over at the Pleated Poppy with lots of other ladies who are also taking the challenge to make their outfits a little fun and exciting.

Wednesday, 4/20/11

Work and an evening with my family.

Top: Jcrew

Jacket: Lord and Taylor

Skirt: Talbots

Heels: Clarks

Belt: Jones NY

Earrings: Jewelscapes

Thursday, 4/21/11

Easter Break began today. Started working on a scrapbook and did lots of chores.

Top: Target

Jeans: Loft (thrifted)

Slippers: Acorn

Earrings: Local shop

Necklace: Allora Handmade

Friday, 4/22/11

Welcomed my sister in law home from college and attended a Good Friday service at our church.

Top: Gap Outlet

Cardigan: Target

Belt: Jcrew

Jeans: Gap

Flats: DSW

Earrings: Tracies Trinkets

Saturday, 4/24/11

A very quiet day, celebrated my cousin's birthday.

Tee: Target

Jeans: Levis

Shoes: DSW

Bag: Gussy Sews

Necklace: Lisa Leonard Illuminate

Earrings: Lisa Leonard

Sunday, 4/25/11

Lovely Easter! Attended morning service, greeted at the second service. Enjoyed liner at with my clan and dessert with my hubby's family.

Dress: Target (run don't walk. It's on clearance in stores for around 20 bucks). It does run big, but with a belt I didn't mind. This may be one of my best purchases this season. Fully lined, lacy dress, great color.

Cardigan: Old Navy

Belt: Target

Shoes: DSW

Earrings: Surf and Sand

Necklace: Jess LC

Monday, 4/26/11

Great day at the outlets with Katie and evening with my family (the car trouble is fixed)

Top: Banana Republic

Cardigan: Jcrew Factory

Jeans: Levis

Shoes: DSW

Petal Drop Necklace: The Pleated Poppy (my Easter gift hidden in an egg. My husband bought this as soon as he heard me obsessing over the Show and Tell feature on the Pleated Poppy's blog)

Posy Pin: The Pleated Poppy

Earrings: Local shop

Tuesday, 4/26/11

Back at work, visited with the wonderful Paige.

Top: Liberty of London for Target

Jacket: Banana Republic

Skirt: Jcrew Factory

Shoes: Naturalizer

Belt: Jcrew

Earrings: Tracies Trinkets

Observations: 

I had a zit all week just below my lip. You can see it's flare up at the beginning of the week and steady decline throughout. I could have photographed myself from the other side, but alas, couldn't keep the camera steady with the other hand.

Baby pink and navy may be one of my new favorite color combos.

 Sunday was the first day of no stockings for 2011. Likely not ready to do this for work yet, but it was a comfy weekend look. And I will stay this pasty for the entire summer. That's a promise.

The hair is gettin' loooong (for me anyways) and is getting a much need cut and color this weekend.

Spring colors are everywhere!

Stylish Blogger Award

 I was awarded the Stylish Blog Award by Dawn at Creative Cain Cabin. 

She has great style and an amazing way of coordinating her accessories (especially the ones she creates herself). And she always leaves the sweetest comments over here. 

Rules:

Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this.

Share 7 things about yourself.

Award 7 recently discovered great bloggers; and contact these bloggers and tell them about the award.

Things about me:

1. I usually read at least 4 books at a time 

(1 fiction, 1 nonfiction, 1 faith, 1 audio)

2. I love watching reruns of House, NCIS and Law and Order. 

And can watch episodes over and over.

3. I've always been crafty and have vivid memories of selling lanyard keychains off the back of my parents' boat.

4. I love old photographs and love stumbling across ones I haven't seen before, especially those featuring my parents and grandmother.

5. I love PBS documentaries. And Antique's Roadshow. After each appraisal I announce (either to my husband or an empty room) if I would keep the item or let it go.

6. I wake up very late on Saturday mornings, usually no earlier than 11 AM if possible.

7. I adore a great handbag and am still on the endless quest to find the.best.one. Currently I'm sporting a Kate Spade outlet find, but I also love me a great Vera Bradley or Tignanello tote.

I'm awarding Paige at This Little Life the stylish blogger award because she is the most stylish person I know. She was the first person I knew who wore a flower pin and had the guts to mix patterns. Plus she has the best collection of jackets. And she's always put together, especially as an expectant mother. 

Easter Blessings

Rarely do people name Easter as their favorite holiday. Usually Christmas tops the list and birthdays are the highlight for many.  I'm partial to Thanksgiving, but I'm not sure why. The food's not my favorite and I don't cook. I think it's because, for our family, it's been since Easter that we've last gathered.

Let's begin by realizing that Easter in my family meant being dressed in our finest (bonnets, gloves, and tights) and apparently my brother was forced to wear bunny pants. He has since accused my mother of dressing him like a child of the '20s from Boardwalk Empire.

On a serious note, Easter is surely my parents' favorite holiday. Every single Easter for the past 30 years my parents have worked with converts to their church and Holy Saturday is a celebration of baptisms, confirmations and communions. My parents and their team spend a full year instructing these new believers about doctrine and dogma and share stories of faith and belief. And Easter is a day of new life for these new Christians.

I've always admired the dedication my parents have had to this group of men and women. I admire it more because in my recent shift to a new church they haven't tried to convert me back. They've just sat back and listened to my stories. And I am praying especially for them this Holy Week, as it's their final year working with RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) after lots of prayer and thought.

And this year my husband and I are attending our first Easter services together in our church. So very exciting, so wonderful, so different from where I was a year ago.

So I'm thinking Easter may become one of my favorite holidays, too. For the joy of new life, the joy of faith and belief, the joy of bonnets and bunnies, and the joy of Christ's promise of salvation.

Many Easter blessings to all of you!

What I Wore Wednesday 4/20/11

Here's another week of outfits as part of the What I Wore Wednesday link up over at the Pleated Poppy.

Wednesday, 4/13

Work and dinner with an awesome friend.

Jacket: Anthropologie

Top: Loft

Skirt: Jcrew Factory

Tights: Jcrew

Heels: Aerosoles

Belt: Jcrew

Earrings: Jcrew Factory

Thursday, 4/14

Work and dinner with my inlaws

Knew this cardigan would be versatile!!!!

Top: Michael Kors

Sweater: Jcrew Factory

Scarf: Jcrew Factory

Pants: Van Heusen

Shoes: Michael Kors (first day of open toe!!!)

Belt: Jcrew

Earrings: Sueann Shirzay

Flower Pin: NY and Co (gift from my mother in law)

Friday, 4/15

Work

The hunt for a navy skirt is over! Grew out of my go-to one, I went in search at the local Savers and found one for 4 bucks. Can't beat it!

Top: Tommy Hilfiger

Skirt: Nordstrom (thrifted)

Jacket: Brooks Brothers Factory

Tights: Kohl's

Shoes: Easy Spirit

Belt: Target

Posy pin: the Pleated Poppy

Necklace: Allora Handmade

Earrings: GlitzGlitter

Saturday, 4/16

Worked an information session and relaxed at home.

The jacket was once part of a suit, but alas, it's gone the way of the go-to skirt mentioned above.

Top: Target

Jacket: Banana Republic

Belt: Jcrew

Pants: Calvin Klein

Shoes: DSW

Flower: Forever21

Necklace: JessLC

Earrings: Surf and Sand

Sunday, 4/17

Church, met with a scrapbook client, visited with my inlaws.

Comfy and springy.

Top: Eddie Bauer

Sweater: Marshall's

Jeans: Dockers

Shoes: Bare Traps (DSW)

Necklace: Allora Handmade

Earrings: Lord and Taylor

Monday, 4/18

Woke up to news that I won a gift certificate from the Pleated Poppy. I did dance around the apartment singing "I won! I really won!" to no one but myself. Made for a great monday.

Very busy day at work, enjoyed a really quiet night at home.

Jacket: Talbots Outlet

Top: Anthropologie

Pants: Van Heusen

Shoes: DSW

Earrings: Jewelscapes

I bought these earrings just for this top last year and get soooo much use out of them!

Tuesday, 4/19/11

Celebrated a coworker's upcoming wedding at work and recruited in the evening.

Also had time to squeeze in a visit with my family. 

Top: Ann Taylor

Jacket: Loft

Belt: Jones NY

Pants: Style and Co, Macy's

Shoes: Dr. Scholl's

A little awkward accessories shot, sorry!

Earrings: Local shop

Necklace: Lisa Leonard Word of the Year

Flower: Forever21

Thanks so much to my loyal WIWW commenters and to all you who stop by...you all make Wednesdays a day to look forward to. And thanks for all the inspiration.

a poppy by any other name...

would never be as sweet as the delightful creations by Lindsey over at The Pleated Poppy. 

I love supporting handmade, but especially love when the artisans are as delightful as Lindsey is. 

Check out her blog (and of course her shop) and see what all the fuss is about. I'm linking to her blog with other ladies who are showing off their Lindsey loot.

My favorites are her posy pins. When I ordered my first batch this past year they challenged me to be a little bolder with the color choices I wear. And since then they've become a wardrobe staple. Some drab outfits have been saved by my husband reminding my to "add one of those flower pins."

Now they live on top of my dresser in one of my favorite depression glass bowls.  They add some extra color to the room and when they're out, I remember to wear them.

Favorite ways to wear 'em?

Piled high on a sweater:

To brighten a scarf:

To make a cardi more exciting:

And keep a sweater shut:

And of course, don't forget to wear your petal drop necklace with your posies!

These necklaces are totally adjustable and coordinate with your flowers.

 And can be dressed up or dressed down

And love layering short beaded necklaces with a petal drop.

And those ruffled scarves - just perfect!

Thanks to Lindsey, I wear mustard yellow all the time and love it.

So enjoy wearing your posies, petals and ruffles...they make for a brighter day!

Simple Pleasures

I tend to waste my days off sitting around, surfing the web, watching reruns of Law and Order, you know the drill.

This week I decided to embrace the simple pleasures of a quiet day.

A fantastic pot of tea. 

Teapot, gift from miss Paige as a wedding shower gift, mug from here.

A little springy decor added to our space.

I have always wanted Lenox's Chirp china. I opted for the less expensive, outlet obtained place mats.

What's your favorite spring simple pleasure?