argyle sweater in green. life is good.

Argyle in cardigan form.

And a fake oversized gold watch that may or may not reliably keep time.

And some dark uber-flare jeans.

(Basketball-for-belly is optional.)

jeans & cardigan: gap. shoes: american eagle. watch: target. pink tee: vintage (translation: hand-me-down).

 What I've just given you, my friends, is a failproof recipe for dressing like a free-spirited study-hall-frequenting prepster chick, sans nerd glasses and freshly woven daisy crown. And, really, isn't that the look we're all going for?

Answer: Yes, yes it is.

Speaking of going for stuff, I could really go for a vacation to the Virgin Islands right now. Either that or a glimpse of the sun. One or the other, really, I'm not that picky. What, no sun in sight? I guess it's just you and me then, Expedia...us and the large glow-in-the-dark orb I carry at my belly these days. Y'know, for emergencies.

Happy Monday.

related stuff (maternity & regular):

More Gap...

we all live in a greenish-blue submarine...

 sandals: don't recall. skirt: gap. shirt: gift. watch: target.

So, solids & color-blocking are hot now. Which is great--who doesn't love color, especially in big chunks? It's like eating a milkshake with enormous hunks of butterfinger in there. Which, actually, is a point of contention between my adorable husband and myself. He prefers his milkshakes to be smooth, flavored ice cream. Me? I want them to be a crunchy, chunky food group.

I know. It's a huge marital compromise when we have to share a milkshake. Frankly, it's a miracle we've made it almost ten years together. But there are solutions to every problem, and this obstacle in our marriage is no different: Fortunately for us, we both firmly believe that sharing ice cream is for wimps, and we get our own.

Problem solved. Not to brag, but I think we're masters in diplomacy. It's a shame we're not in politics. And also a shame that politicians don't deal in ice cream.

So. Solid color-blocking. Awesome and all, but this girl [Editor's note: Two thumbs pointing backwards at myself] loves prints. Solution? Block together prints of the same color. Which, when that color happens to be a greenish blue like what dominates this ensemble, doubles as a costume for a walking piece of seaweed. Total win-win. 

 Happy Monday.

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More Asos...

stripes + plaid = a glorious day to be alive & dressed

 shoes: forever21. skirt: american eagle outfitters. shirt: don't recall. cardigan: gap. necklace: gift. watch: target.

 This outfit was extremely comfortable and functional. I mean, look--I could even talk on the phone in it. (Because usually I wear stuff that doesn't allow for that kind of elbow-bendage or something? Please...)

Hey guys, it's Friend Friday! Today's topic is: goals, dreams, & aspirations. Aside from being able to decide what's for dinner every night (default: quesadillas. Guess how often we eat those guys?) (You may or may not have nailed it with "at least three times a week." I'll never tell), I have fairly simple aspirations. 

1. Fess up - if you could do anything professionally what would it be? I've always had a dream of being a librarian. But lately I wish I had a natural knack for interior design. What a dream job that would be.

2. What draws you to this? Beautiful spaces are inspiring to me, and I'd love to be able to actually create those. Combining and balancing color, texture, pattern, layout...it's all so awesome when done right.

3. When did you first start dreaming about this ideal? Maybe a year or two ago. But...I think I've gone off the wrong track in answering these questions again. That's a dream of something I would love to do but don't necessarily have the talent/ability to do it. So. Wee clarification.

4. What's holding you back from going all in? Oh, let's see: my shortage of taste, vision, ability, and skill, just to name a few. And, when I'm not basking in the view of beautiful spaces, really, being a mom is my #1 thing. And, bonus, I can be "successful" in momhood even if my house looks like a pigsty or is a throwback to the 90s or is a one-room-dirt-floored shack. As long as there are fresh homemade sweet rolls available on occasion. So.

5. Sometimes the first step is the hardest... what's one step you can take now on the way to realizing your dream? I enjoy home design blogs and magazines and books. I enjoy fiddling around in the building I'm lucky enough to call home. And I can bake sweet rolls while doing it. I think I'm probably living my dream.

Happy Friday!

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More Miu Miu...

in which a girl waxes poetic about her knitwear...

 shoes: saltwater sandals. skirt: kohl's. shirt: vintage/hand-me-down. watch: target. necklace & flower clips: gifts.

The sunlight randomly went all pinkish-crazy with me in the photo below... Meh. It's sunlight. It can do whatever the heck it wants, and what are we mere mortals going to do about it?

 So, do you have a knit skirt?

Ohp. Oops. Someone once facebook-statused (yep. verb.) the fact that, at work, they walked into someone's office and started in on asking about a work project without a "hi" or "how's it going" or "good morning" and didn't realize until later how rude that was and how lame they felt.

Color me rude and lame, but only temporarily, because...HI! How's it going? Good? Good.

Now. Back to knitwear.

I only have one knit skirt, myself. I've got plenty in cotton and denim and cuorduroy and even some wool blends, but only one down-on-the-farm-meat-and-potatoes kind of knit skirt. This thing is stretchy. It's comfy. It's versatile. It's cashe. It's not too lightweight or too heavy but is the perfect middlegroundweight. It's, in a word (plus two), awesome to wear.

The only prob is that it's a little faded, a little worn, a little aged. So in the "does-this-skirt-make-me-look-rich" department (and who doesn't open up conversations that way? I mean, c'mon), we're coming in about last place. Panting. With a sprained ankle and mud-splattered cheeks. I don't even know if its skin-hugging would fare much better in passing the age-old "does it make me look fat" test. But the beautiful truth, my dear readers, is that this simple knit skirt has won my heart. And during summertime, my heart calls the shots, with authority surpassed by none 'cept the Body Thermal Index Regulator Organ, whatever that may be. Maybe the spleen? Yep. Prolly that.

Annnd, for those of you still with me (gold star for all 1 of you), a little outtake for your viewing pleasure. I call this one "The Armpit." Lovely, I know. You're welcome. And I'm sorry. And it wasn't me. And I'll pay you back...

Happy Thursday.

Want this look? Seriously. Get yourself a knit skirt today and be happy for the rest of your life. Shop below (remember, you can lop off a maxi skirt if you want, and depending on the knit, you might not even have to hem it!)...

More Express...

a plaid skirt and a long-winded bit o' nothing

 shoes: cato brand. skirt: american eagle. belt: husband's. shirt: vintage/gift. bracelet: forever21. watch: target. earrings: hawaii.

I feel like I have nothing to say lately. 'Cept late at night, when my husband's trying to sleep, and I remember everything that ever happened to me...ever...and it comes bursting out of the dam we call my mouth. THEN I have stuff to say. And, lucky for him, it's suuuuper interesting and funny and insightful. Like play-by-plays of how each kid reacted at the dentist's, or how many packs of gum our toddler threw in the grocery cart, or how I finally lost that one toenail I knew I was going to lose.

As you can imagine, he's riveted to my every word during the course of such conversational fodder and probably bemoans the fact that in just a few short hours I'll run out of stuff to say and we'll have to go to sleep.

And if you can't see the sarcasmic slime oozing out from your computer screen, I just don't know what to tell you. Until 11 p.m., that is. Then I'll give you an earful.

Happy Friday!

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More Roberta Chiarella...

sometimes i don't WANT to make lemonade...

 shoes, belt, & bracelets: forever21. skirt: thrifted. skirt extender: a slip shop. shirt: j.crew. watch: target. necklace: don't recall.

I apologize for this ensemble. Not much thought went into it or the pics. Why? Read on...

So, apparently a sprinkler pipe in our yard has been broken for a little while. Because our guest bedroom, which I went in yesterday to prepare for my parents' arrival at our house, had flooded. Not super badly (heaven knows plenty of people around here have it much, much worse in the flooding department this year), but enough that our only option was to pull up the carpet and borrow about 14 enormous fans to try to dry everything out.

Guess what smells worse than wet carpet? You might think "a gassy dog" or "dairy farms" or "burnt coffee cake batter" (don't ask), and those things are very, ah, aromatically disturbing. But the answer I'm looking for is actually "very very wet carpet." Bingo. I know this first-hand. Look into my tired, bloodshot eyes and see my wrinkled nose and believe.

Sighhhh... Our house flooded big-time two years ago while we were on vacation, and my husband and I have since had a knee-jerk aversion to water. This recent indoor swimming pool brings back all sorts of memories.

You know, sometimes we come to a crossroads in life, where the decision made will affect the rest of our lives. This is one of them: from here on out, I'll hydrate my children, and lawn, with hand-poured teaspoonfuls of gatorade. If you need me, I'll be out front, watering our square foot of grass.

Happy Thursday...?

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More J.Crew...

the 1st part is lame...and it goes downhill from there...

I apologize in advance for this post. Any shred of creativity and humor I once may have had has been zapped by UV rays and chlorine. They need to make a sunscreen for THAT kind of protection, if you ask me. C'mon, scientists. BE somebody.

 shoes: converse brand. shorts: american eagle. shirt: forever21. necklace & flower clips: gift. watch: target.

 This crown braid? Yeah. Awkward. I took it out because it's too weird, and I can't concentrate knowing that I look like a lopsided pinhead. Not to offend the lopsided pinhead population out there...I'm sure you're all very capable crown-braiders.

So, here's the deal, guys. I love this top, but I'm finding it hard to style differently. This is the case with several of my 30x30 shirts, actually. In cooler weather, it's easier for me to change things up by layering differently. But when it's hot, like it is now (not complaining, here. just, y'know, stating facts), the last thing I want to do is layer stuff just so it looks different on the ol' blog.

[Editor's note: So we've come to that, have we? "Ol' blog"? Ouch. Like Ol' Yeller...didn't he die at the end?]

So. This top is like an outfit unto itself. I don't really know what that means, actually, despite the piece of embossed cardstock somewhere in my house that says some PhDs think I know 4 years' worth of something about the English language. (Suckers.) Basically, if I wear this top, it doesn't really matter what else goes with it, because it's bold and detailed and can't really be paired with a non-neutral bottom like plaid because...ouch on the brain and on the eyes.

Speaking of pained brains: "apparently" you're "not" supposed to eat "crappy" foods "late" at night every "night" if you're "trying" to lose tummy "flub." [Editor's note: Admit it...you're a huge fan of an overuse of the arbitrarily placed quotation mark, aren't you?] Guess who's going to actively embrace her tummy flub? That's right. Me. Because some things are totally worth a romantic m&m snack by TV-light.

Happy Tuesday.

Click below for similar style...

More Converse...

not to brag, but I'd be an AllStar de-motivational speaker.

shoes: cato brand. shorts: american eagle. shirt: vintage. jacket: gift (talbot's). watch: target. necklace & belt: forever21. earrings: hawaii.

When we first got married, my husband wanted to be an inventor. His two “best” ideas (ahem… debatable… but you didn’t hear it from me) were: (1) a toaster hooked up to a conveyor belt that would serve you toast in bed, and (2) a snow shovel that sent out a laser beam in front to semi-melt the snow before the shovel blade got to it.

Needless to say, he never quit his day job.

What can we all learn from this sad story? Merely this: sometimes you CAN’T be anything you want to be. I think it’s a disservice to teach kids otherwise. Take today's outfit, for example: my brain envisioned a sassy, slender, sophisticated ensemble when I put this together. What my camera envisions is a hot sloppy mess.

But here's the deal [Editor's note: Geesh, sounding a little defensive, aren't we? Why yes, yes we are]: It's lace day at Everybody, Everywhere. I neither own lots of lace nor like it in large quantities on me. So. What you see is a little lace trim on a lightweight cotton shirt and some crochet-lace peeptoe wedges. Balanced with some masculine tweed and random turquoise. And when I say "balanced," I of course mean "for some reason I dreamed last night that these would all work together. Right before I dreamed that my husband was frantically in charge of his work's Sub For Santa...in June."

Do with that information what you will.

Happy Tuesday.

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More The Limited...

what I wear when I don't want to get dressed

Disclaimer: I almost didn't get dressed today at all. We're talking about my being that weird-flannel-pants-lady headed out to the mailbox at 3 p.m. You know the type; surely your neighborhood has one. And why was I so close to that abysmal mentality? Because I didn't want to get "dressed" for this blog.

 shoes: thrifted. jeans: vintage (american eagle). shirt: utah state university. cardigan: gap. necklace: forever21. watch: target. earrings: hawaii.

 THEN I remembered that this blog is to document what I wear in my, a stay-at-home-mom's, normal everyday life. So here you have it. Alma mater tee, unmatched cardigan, some camo wedges, and hardly any accessorization or makeup. Judge me. But man I'm comfortable. And it's a step up from flannel pants. A 2" step, sure, but a step nonetheless...

 And also, it's Friend Friday! Today's topic is: What I pack to take on vacation. Having just come back from such a trip, these questions were easy-peasy for me.

1. When it comes to packing for vacation what’s your mantra? Less is more. And also: Be prepared. Those two are kinda hard to combine, especially when packing for a family of 5. But still. I try.

2. What are your must packs? Toothpaste, diapers & wipes (welcome to the life of a mother), and at least 1 pair of jeans, no matter where I'm headed. I should probably say "deodorant" or something reassuring here, too, in case any of you want to vacation with me sometime. Unfortunately, I make no guarantees about that...

3. What are you happy to leave behind? The computer, oddly enough. And a clean house to come home to. I think I get that from my mom--the house has to be tidy before I can leave.

4. Any packing secrets that help you get everything into one suitcase? I choose layering pieces that can go either warm- or cold-weather. Like lightweight cardigans, jeans (that can be cuffed), short sleeves. I don't skimp on clean underwear, though. I'll gladly wear a dirty tee twice before I double-dip on the undies.

5. Beach reading… what are you taking with you to read in the sand? Whatever light reading I'm into. "Mental bubble gum" books that I don't have to think too hard to read and that I can easily hold up with one hand. Hello, convenience of the Kindle.

Happy Friday!

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More Topshop...

Not hugely original or inspiring, but it's what I'm wearing. So.

 shoes: head over heels. jeans: kohl's. belt: thrifted. shirt: gap. cardigan: j.crew. watch: target.

Knock knock.

Who's there?

Pinky.

Pinky who?

Pinky who lives in a pack of diapers!!!

[enter hysterical pint-sized laughter]

Repeat. Including the hysterical laughter. Repeat some more. Repeat as a monologue when the adult party refuses to "answer the door" anymore. Repeat to siblings, repeat to barbies, repeat to strangers and neighbors. Repeat over ice cream, repeat over vegetables, repeat over strawberries dipped in powdered sugar. Repeat repeat repeat.

You all want to come to my house now, don't you, and befriend and swap jokes with my 2-year-old. I just know you do. My husband and I can't figure out why she loves this joke so much, other than the fact that she made it up herself. (No kidding. I mean, the punchline is clever and all...) (Oh. Wait. Nope. No it's not.)

Love it or not on the 10-milionth go-round, I'm afraid Pinky is here to stay.

Happy Thursday.

p.s. If you happen to meet up with diaper-dwelling Pinky, please pass on this message: no.one's.home.

p.p.s. I know my ensemble is winter-esque and unapplicable to many of you in warmer temps. But, despite the sunshine outside, it's downright chilly around here, and I spent my pre-dressed morning goose-bumpily all over. So. Warm & cozy it is.

Want this look? Rewind (or fast-forward) to November, then shop below...

More MICHAEL Michael Kors...

layered like an onion. a 1-layered onion, sure, but an onion nonetheless...

 shoes: steve madden. dress & necklace: forever21. belt: kohl's. shirt: eddie bauer (?). watch: target. flower clip: downeast basics. earrings: hawaii.

My brain is still on vacation. And by "vacation" I of course mean "absent and/or scattered and/or eating cotton candy." Remember those one posters from the 90s, "this is your brain, this is your brain on drugs"? I don't actually remember more than that on the posters, 'cept eggs were involved somehow. And maybe bacon.

Speaking of...my husband loves bacon. Personally, I could live without it, mostly because whenever I cook it, my house reeks of 1-, 2-, and 3-day-old bacon stench. Which, if you've never experienced it, isn't something to live for. Unless you're my husband and son. Then, by all means, feel free to build a life's motto around the wrinkly crinkly strips of meat-speckled-fat somehow. And I'll stitch your words onto a pillow. After I learn to stitch.

Know what I don't need to learn anymore? This: despite their festive and brightly colored plastic coverings, hot glue guns are not kidding around about the "hot" part of their name. Three blisters later, this girl's got herself some serious Life's-Lessons-turned-Motivational-Speech fodder. Bring on the auditoriums full of impressionable youth; they'll learn from me and believe. Booyah.

Happy Wednesday.

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More Forever 21...

magic 101: illusion of an hourglass on a box

I can breathe again!! Oh, how glorious are sinus-clearing meds and the resultant cleared sinuses. But mostly the meds.

 shoes: unionbay. pants: gap. shirt: ana. headband: borrowed from a belted shirt from downeast basics. watch: target.

I kinda feel like a pirate today (can you guess in which pic I'm audibly saying, "arrrrgh, matey"? It's super subtle, so take your time...). And also? I have a super square torso and no hips to speak of (a.k.a., I'm a human refrigerator box), but I like the illusion of feminine form that the pleating on this shirt creates. So I'm a feminine pirate, all right? Sue me. It's not like it's totally unheard of. (Pirates of Penzance, anyone?) 

Today I'm packing for our family trip to (shhhhh) Disneyland, a 12-hour drive in ideal conditions (i.e., no traffic or potty stops), meaning it will take us at least 20 hours. The kids still don't know the purpose; they just know that we're going to California. We're not exactly what you'd call world travelers, as evidenced by the questions I've fielded this weekend. Questions like:

"Do they speak the same language as us in California?"

"Can we watch one movie on our long drive? Will we be able to finish it before we get there?"

"What kind of food do they eat in California? Can we take some fruit snacks in case we don't like it?"

"Can we visit the Atlantic Ocean on our way home from California?"

"I don't want to go on a long car drive. I'll just ride my bike and meet you there."

I.Can't.Wait. to introduce our kids to the magical place that is D-land. I'm prob more excited than they would be, if they knew.

Never fear, though, friends. I have some magnificent guest posters lined up for your reading enjoyment while I'm gone. And I'll be back next week...unless I decide my life would be more fulfilling as a guide on Pirates of the Caribbean. After all, I'd fit right in, as you've seen...

Happy Monday.

Ahoy thar! Want this look? Check out the stuff below... (no, seriously, do it. there's a funny surprise...at least, I think it's funny.)

More Zigi...