Friday, April 30, 2010

Friday Favorites - 4/30/10

Jen's Favorites:

Whaaaaat! How gorgeous is this!

I was thoroughly impressed. Skillz.

I LOVE THIS OUTFIT THANK YOU IS THIS A RUN-ON SENTENCE KIND OF HUH

I pretty much love everything about this picture - definitely coveting the teeny tiny necklace.
Kate's Favorites:

I love this. If I looked half as gorgeous as any of these girls...

Grey Gardens: squicky, disturbing, awesome.

Holy cow I love this dress!

Not directly fashion-related, but it's definitely personal style - I love it! But first I guess I'd need an iPhone? :-P

Can anyone lend me 135GBP?

Daily Outfit - Jen 4/30/10

Don't tell my podiatrist that I didn't wear my boot. It's funny. Those doctor folks really know what they're talking about. My foot is sore and swollen. Is there a prize for being an utter genius?

The weather is pretty cold here - highs in the low to mid 60s. Whatever! I'm a wimpy Texan. The upside is that I get to layer and wear pretty scarves and boots (err... boot)! Neener, neener, neener.



Blazer: Tulle
Dress: Old Navy (clearance!)
Belt: Gap
Tights: Target
Boots: No idea. They're that old.

What I Brought

To Korea, that is! Because I am insane, I thought that my trip would be the perfect opportunity to challenge myself and remix my clothes. I probably (definitely) should have sat down and planned my outfits, but instead, I opted for the brilliant strategy of standing in my closet and pulling random articles to take. Ya know, since that has always seemed to work in my favor.

Peacoat: Nordstrom Rack // Blazer: Tulle

Cardigan: H&M // Sweater: Martin + Osa

Dresses: Old Navy (clearance!)

Silk blouse: Urban Oufitters // Cuff-sleeved Blouse: Banana Republic

Purple cardigan: Tulle // White cardigan: Newport News

Tanks: Old Navy (clearance!)

Gray skinny jeans: Nordstrom Rack // Bootcut jeans: Martin + Osa // Skinny jeans: Nordstrom Rack

Sneakers: Saucony // Boots: Really old

There you have it. I know the shoe situation is pretty pathetic, but I had to be practical. I'm supposed to wear my gorgeous boot while I'm in Korea, but I brought my right foot shoes because I am, apparently, a terrible patient. Don't be a dummy like me. Listen to your doctors, people.

Wish me luck!

Daily Outfit - Kate - 4/29/10

OMG, y'all. OMG.

Wednesday night I went to TJMaxx for some black flats, and I left with a skirt, an apron, and three awesome throw pillows.

I'd dragged a bunch of items into the fitting room, and was disappointed in each - too short, too big, to long, too small. You know how it goes. Then, of course, the last thing I tried on was The Skirt. And I was immediately smitten. <3!



I love this thing! It's my first full-length skirt since, like, 9th grade (except for my wedding dress, I guess, which was *definitely* after 9th grade :-P). And I love how drapey the cotton fabric is, and the interesting texture detail, and how it sort of tickles my ankles as I walk. I love the color and the slightly flared shape.

I love - feel free to laugh at me - it's Talbot's.

Yup, I've done it again.



So twirly!



Also, I think it makes me look much leaner in real life than in photos. Just in case you were wondering.



Skirt: Talbot's, via TJMaxx
Tee: GAP
Cardigan: Target
Earrings and Necklace: Mumsie!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Closet Craving: LLBean Casco Bay Windbreaker



I know, that seems really weird and random for a Closet Craving, doesn't it? But here's the thing: sometimes you just need practicality. Sometimes you're standing at the train platform at 8:15 in the morning and it's raining sideways and all you want in the entire world is a decent jacket. Sometimes there's just a fine mist in the air and you really wanna ride your bike but it's just a bit too damp out. Sometimes you're taking an impromptu weekend trip to Kirksville and you're in "throw a change of underwear and toothbrush into your purse and go!" mode and you think it'll be a bit chilly.

Sometimes you just need a supercute, casual, sturdy windbreaker.

Daily Outfit - Kate - 4/28/10

I got home superlate last night and could barely bring myself to pause for the camera before crawling into my PJ's. So:



I don't know if it's the sort of western-y vibe of this dress, or what, but I always consider it sort of a "workhorse" item. Doesn't require a lot of thought while I'm wearing it, and there's almost no effort involved. I love pairing the pink + brown plaid with my orange flats and orange copper jewelry, though! :-)



Wow those pics are yellow. Can we just pretend I live in Springfield? :-D

Dress: Old Navy
Tights: Hellmart
Flats: Dillards, circa 2006ish?
Necklace: Mumsie
Ring: booth at Maple Leaf, 2009 (wow I'm getting a lot of wear out of this piece lately!)
Earrings: Twisted Silver

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Daily Outfit - Kate - 4/27/10

Disclaimer: The following hairdo is the result of the tail-end of a large gust of wind. I am not, nor do I have any plans to, buy stock in Aquanet or move to the deep South.

Amen.



Today was one of those days where I pretty much just ran around my bedroom grabbing random objects I <3, and throwing them on my body.

Luckily, it worked.

Ever have those days?

This picture would be great if I were ever running for PTA officer:

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), the dog park doesn't have a PTA. I'm in the clear, for now.



Cardigan: Target
Tee: Marshall's, like 40 million years ago
Jeanskirt: Levi's, from Goodys in Kirksville (hey same trip as that black polkadotted dress!)
Earrings: Mumsie
Ring: Booth at Maple Leaf, fall 2009
Scarf: Booth at the Gypsy Caravan, spring 2009

Monday, April 26, 2010

Dear Jen

When things get tough, the tough get going. And in my case, the tough things were work. And I'm tough too. So I got going. To work. For like a million hours last week. Which is why I wasn't here. (Which you already know, 'cause we've been talking over email, but I'm also saying it in this open letter, for posterity or something).

As long as I'm writing an open letter...

Dear Trader Joe's:

I have been a loyal customer of your establishment for nearly two years now. However, I have recently been very disappointed in the company's choice to discontinue the delicious baba ganoush-like eggplant spread, which I

Oh wait. Open letter to the wrong audience. I also need to try and replicate that baba ganoush on my own.

My point is, you rock. THANK YOU for carrying the blog last week. On a broken foot. Walking uphill both ways. With a little Korean baby on your back.

Have an awesome time in Korea! Imma miss youuuuuuu! When are you coming back? And can you arrange a (long) layover in St. Louis?

<3
Kate

Daily Outfit - Kate - 4/26/10

Aaaah! It feels good to be back! Dontcha hate it when life pulls you out of your routines?

To celebrate a return to routine, I'm wearing...


polka dots! I've had this dress in my closet for - no kidding - 5 years (I remember 'cause I bought it juuuust after Jeff and i got together) and IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'VE WORN IT. I don't know what to tell ya. I'm a crazyperson.

I also just put in a lasagne for dinner, and while cleaning up the post-lasagne kitchen, I rinsed the half-ful spaghetti sauce jar, not the empty one.

That's pretty indicative of this past week. Just in case you were wondering.



Can I just say also that I LOVE this Tiffany's bracelet? It doesn't get as much wear as it used to - I wore it or the matching necklace almost every day during college - but every time I wear it now it makes me so happy. So nice and substantial and pretty and happy!

Dress: Goody's in Kirksville
Tee: thrifted, originally Target
Cardigan: Target, spring 2010
Flats: Born, summer 2008
Earrings: yard sale
Bracelet: Tiffany & Co.


(I love mixing accessories from yard sales and high-end jewelers. True. <3.)

Daily Outfit - Jen - 4/26/10

Am I not the most glamorous woman you have ever seen in your entire ding dang dong life? I mean, it's like I was just born with this gift. This face. This style. You can't learn it.


What you can do is look directly into the sun, cause your eyes to water and blur your vision, quickly look away to avoid burning your corneas, and voila!




Shrug: Nordstrom Rack
Tank: Old Navy (clearance!)
Jeans: Nordstrom Rack
Belt: Gap
Necklace: Gift
Shoe: Steve Madden via DSW

Dear Kate

I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I am leaving for Korea Wednesday morning, and the bad news is that I lied about there being bad news. Sure, my posting the next couple of weeks will be sporadic, but you get a Korean baby out of this. Win-win!

So, packing. Packing, packing, packing. It's a biatch! My initial plan was to look at some of my better outfits from the fall and to stick them in my suitcase. Then I changed the plan to procrastinate-panic-pack-the-night-before. Like how my brain works, eh?

Until this afternoon, I was fully expecting to pack only left shoes, and I think that bummed me out and resulted in this lack of motivation. BUT GUESS WHAT. NO, GUESS. My podiatrist said that I am miraculously healed! Ugh, I lied. I just wanted to pretend for a second. What he really said is that I can officially put away the crutches. I still have to wear the horrific boot, but he did say that if I need to go somewhere fancy, I'm allowed to wear tennis shoes. I'll take what I can get!

You know what would be really fun? Perhaps a giveaway of a fun Korean souvenir. Just sayin', folks. Juuuust sayin'.

Yours,
Jen

Friday, April 23, 2010

Daily Outfit - Jen - 4/23/10

Deja vu? I guess it's not exactly the same, and I have to give myself some credit. I haven't worn this since January! (golf claps)




Cardigan: Target
Tanks: Old Navy (clearance!)
Jeans: Martin + Osa
Flat: Steve Madden via DSW

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Daily Outfit - Jen - 4/22/10

Today was gross and rainy, so no pretty sunny pictures. This outfit is the result of my looking through my wardrobe and asking myself, "what pieces have I never put together?" Voila!




Cardigan: Target
Tank: Target
Skirt: Old Navy (clearance!)
Flat: Steve Madden via Nordstrom

Closet Craving: Linen Western Shirt


Martin + Osa: $79.50

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Daily Outfit - Kate - 4/21/10

Is it immediately apparent how tired and worn down I am?



Good. Let's call it a fashion statement :-P



Hangin' in there. Dangling. With a bit of copper and some lovely white beads.

Shirt: Old Navy, 2008
Skirt: Sears, 2008
Belt: Kimchi Blue via Urban Outfitter, 2010 (side note - isn't kimchi supposed to be, like...orange?)
Shoes: Umm...Macy's? Dillards? 2008
Earrings: mamma mia

Daily Outfit - Jen - 4/21/10




Shrug: Nordstrom Rack
Blouse: Target
Belt: Gap
Jeans: Martin + Osa
Flat: Seychelles via Nordstrom

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Daily Outfit - Kate - 4/19/10

Yesterday was another first for me - first time wearing a scarf as a belt!



Definitely a beginner's attempt, right? This is one of three scarves I thrifted last weekend in Kansas City, and I broke my "wash thrifted stuff before wearing" rule just for it - I figured there were enough other layers between me and the scarf to protect me from the ickies ;-)

Anyway, I LOVE this scarf.



But I think it would've worked better if it were just a bit wider, don't you? It's a relatively small square, so I had to roll it rather tightly to prevent it from going all loosey-goosey on me.



I love that necklace :-)

Dress: Old Navy
Skirt: thrifted, originally The Limited
Shoes: Softspots
Scarf-as-belt: thrifted, vintage
Necklace: mummy
Earrings: Twisted Silver


PS>See, Mom? My head DOES turn the other way! :-D

Daily Outfit - Jen - 4/20/10

There is nothing at all creative about what I wore today, but I felt really great in it - and that's saying something, considering the fact that I am not in jeans.






Cardigan: Martin + Osa
Tee: Old Navy (clearance!)
Necklace: Thrifted
Skirt: Old Navy (clearance!)
Belt: Gap
Flat: Tory Burch via Nordstrom

Monday, April 19, 2010

Closet Craving: Women's Tall Faux-Leather Boots

Why, oh, why is this not available in my size? Cruel, cruel world.



Old Navy: $19.99 (seriously!)

Dear Kate

Girl! GIRL! Next week I leave for Korea. For 2 1/2 weeks. That is cuh-razy. So, really, what shall I bring back for you? Jewelry? A shirt with a phrase written in Engrish? A little round Korean baby? YOU TELL ME. I WILL HOOK YOU UP.

I feel like I haven't bought clothes in a while, and I've been trying to wear the staples in my closet in different ways. It is hard, Kate. How do people do this everyday and just know what to throw together? I have panic attacks* and anxiety and frustration and general wardrobe suckage. It really does make sense that celebrities hire stylists.

I get my foot x-rayed next Monday. I cannot wait for the doctor to give me the greenlight to wear shoes that are not flats. Yes, you read that right. I want to wear something other than flats! Breaking my foot has made me into a new woman. It's also made Jarod into a new woman. I've never seen him do more loads of laundry or "cook" more meals in my life.**

Bring on the outfits, cutie patootie fafootie lalootie!

Yours,
Jen

*I am sometimes prone to exaggeration.
**Do you think people will cry about the gender stereotyping? Only the ones without a sense of humor, right?

Daily Outfit - Jen - 4/19/10

Mondays are not so fun. Dressing fancy, or more accurately, attempting to dress fancy helps.






Cardigan: Target
Top: Nordstrom Rack
Belt: J. Crew
Skirt: Old Navy (clearance!)
Flat: Steve Madden via DSW
Necklace: catbird in Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Dear Jen

I'VE GOT IT.

And you'll just have to wait and see.

:-D

<3
Kate

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Closet Craving: Julia Embroidered Duvet Cover & Sham

Okay, it's not technically a closet craving, but holy gorgeousness.


Pottery Barn: $129.99

Daily Outfit - Jen - 4/16/10

I felt springy from the waist-up!






Cardigan: Tulle
Brooch: Thrifted
Tank: Old Navy (clearance!)
Jeans: Nordstrom Rack
Flat: Steve Madden via DSW
 
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