Friday, November 30, 2012

Fashion Friday...an OOTD, a few weekend outfit ideas and my latest fun fashion find!

Happy Friday!

Can you believe it's the last day of November?  CRAZY!  The past few months have FLOWN by for some reason...time flies when you're having fun I suppose!  This weekend we have lots going on including game night with friends tonight, and hosting my oldest son's 9th birthday party tomorrow afternoon.  I would like to think my husband will finally put up the Christmas lights outside tomorrow sometime so we don't look like the only scrooges on the block, but since he has to work in the morning and go to a church meeting in the late afternoon tomorrow, I'm not sure that's going to happen.  I've already threatened to call my friend's gardener to have him do it but hubby assures me he wants to do it himself.  We shall see. =)

Oh, and thanks to those who participated in D.A.S.H. yesterday!  It was fun to see what deals and steals others have recently gotten.  I love finding a great deal!

For Fashion Friday today I have a few things to share...up first is an outfit I wore this week that came together by shopping my closet:


See Polyvore Set for this look HERE

Field Game Cardigan-Anthropologie
Floral Tank-J Crew Factory (OLD)
Jeggings-American Eagle
Miz Mooz "Kelsey" Boots-Piperlime
Necklace-Stella & Dot
Frutta Earrings-Anthropologie
Rachel Multitexture Bangles-Nordstrom (BP)
Marc by Marc Jacobs "Henry Chrono" Watch
Ring-Forever 21

That tank is one of the first things I ever purchased from J Crew Factory.  I used to wear it all the time!  Perhaps too much...I think I got a little tired of it.  Now it's like a new shirt all over again though.  I knew I'd want to pull it out again sometime!  =)

Next up, you asked and I'm listening!  I received several requests for outfit ideas so here are a few more comfy, cute looks that would be great options to pull out of your closet for whatever it is you're up to this weekend.  Who knows...I may wear one of them too (I've actually already worn one of them this week)!  All items used in these looks can be found in my own closet...some are newer items and some are quite old.  Shopping your closet and rediscovering an item in a new way really can be fun!

Look #1

J Crew Factory Sequin Striped Sweater/ Gap Always Skinny Jeans/ DV by Dolce Vita "Lujan" Boots



Look #2

Floral Still Life Pullover/ Gap Skimmer Legging Jeans/ DV by Dolce Vita "Pilar" Booties/ Hello Fab Hot Pink Link Necklace



Look #3

J Crew Wildcat cardi Look


Last but not least, I couldn't help but point out this amazing new item I found at Banana Republic this past week:



Now when I saw it online I wasn't totally impressed (it comes in both "black" and "camel heather" by the way).  When I saw it hanging on the hanger in the store I was a little more intrigued.  When I put it on, however, I LOVED it!  


It's quite an expensive item ($140 full price, $115 on sale online now) and I have no intention of pulling the trigger for that price (way too much in my opinion), but I will be keeping my eye on it for an even better sale!  I have some coupons and a rewards card I might use towards it if the deal is eventually good enough. In my experience, Banana Republic has great quality clothing that holds up for years and years.  I have items in my closet from over 10 years ago that I pull out every now and again from Banana and they still look great!  They produce great, classic pieces.

So there you have it...lots of fashion talk this fabulous Friday!  

What do you have planned for the weekend?  Are you dressing up for anything fun and exciting?  Or just hanging close to home?  What do you think of my Banana Republic sweater find?  Have you tried it on?  
Do tell!

Whatever you have planned, I hope you have a great weekend!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Welcome to D.A.S.H.(Deals and Steals Hop)

Welcome to D.A.S.H.!!!  Today is the big day...ready to get the scoop on deals and steals galore?  You've come to the right place!

I am always on the lookout for a great fashion deal and love to hear about what others have found so I've teamed up with Sheaffer at Pinterest Told Me To, Alison at Get Your Pretty On and Shannon at Wine Taste Girl to bring you D.A.S.H.!


Take a look below at what deals I've recently found and then hop on over to Sheaffer, Alison and Shannon's blogs to see what lovelies they're excited to share!  

This fall I have found some fabulous deals that are just too good to keep a secret! I've already shared a few in past posts, but some are just so good, they're worth mentioning again.  Others are brand new deals I've recently found that you can still get in on too! 

Let's get started:

from Nordstrom
$49.96 (reg $99.95)--HALF OFF!


Seychelles are my absolute favorite brand of shoes/sandals.  I have never found a pair I didn't find to be super comfortable which is a BIG deal!  These cute sandals went to HALF price during the Black Friday sale week and are still at the same price if you're interested!  I believe they're still fully stocked in most sizes, and are also offered in a black colorway.  I love this particular color because it's a great warm neutral that can be used year round with bare legs or tights.  Perfect for the mid-west!  They are on my way to my doorstep as I type and as soon as they arrive I plan to wear them like this:

Calla Asymmetric Dress/Kulfi Strands Necklace/Seychelles "Two Birds" Sandals


2. Mossimo Skinny Cords
from Target
$22 (no longer online but still in stores...I just saw them today at my local Target!)


This deal is one I've mentioned a few times before...it's one I actually found through another blogger, Deborah from I Dream of Anthropologie.  I have come to love this find SO MUCH and wanted to make sure you knew about them too!  I personally think these cords feel every bit as good on as my much more expensive AG Stevie Ankle denim.  At a fraction of the cost. I couldn't afford NOT to stock up!  I picked these up in multiple colors this fall.  Here's how I sported the purple pair a few weeks back:


Sweater-Forever 21
Mossimo Skinny Cords-Target
Lagniappe Necklace-Anthropologie
DV by Dolce Vita "Lujan" Boots-Amazon
Marc by Marc Jacobs "Henry Chrono" Watch-Piperlime
Tribute Bracelet-Stella & Dot
Strung Hoop Earrings-Anthropologie
Sparkling Dome Ring-Forever 21

Seriously people, $22!  It's insane!  If you haven't already tried these on, RUN to your nearest Target ASAP! =)

from The Limited
$22.45 (reg $44.90)--HALF OFF!


Looking for a little bit of sparkle and shine and a side of peplum too?  This top is for you!  I picked this cute top up for 50% off the other day and can't wait to pair it with jeans and a cardi for date night! The top is sheer so it needs to be layered, but it was just too cute to pass up...I love it!  Check in stores and online for promo pricing...The Limited has sales ALL THE TIME so always look for the best deal.   Never pay full price!  Here's how I might wear this cute top...just need to wait for the cardigan to go on sale:

Seared Chevrons Cardigan/ Sparkle Dot Tee/ AG Stevie Ankle Color-mint


from Nordstrom
$44.47 (reg $88.95)

(comes in multiple colors)

Last but certainly not least, are these cute ballet flats that I've adored from afar for months now.  Every time I walk through a Nordstrom I look for them in the shoe department and wish they were already in my closet.  Lucky for me, they are on a killer sale right now and for only $44 I finally made these flats mine!  I've adored the cap toe look for a long time but have just never found the perfect shoe to sport it but Vince Camuto knows their stuff.  Not only is this shoe fantastic in the looks department, as my sis-in-law would say, Vince Camuto flats feel like butter on your feet!  Sounds good to me!  I ordered these in my regular Vince Camuto size, an 8.5 so I'm crossing my fingers they're a good fit. 

Here's an idea of how to wear these cute flats with an everyday look:

Poppy Peasant Top/Gap Always Skinny jeans/ Vince Camuto "Fawna Flat"


So there you have it...four great deals and steals to be had!  

What great deals and steals have you found lately?  We'd love to hear!  All you have to do is link up below. The more, the merrier...everyone loves a bargain!

We only have two rules:
1)  Please link to a specific post (not just your blog home page).
2)  Please either grab our D.A.S.H. button or put a text link back to one or more of our four blogs.


Now it's your turn! Link up below with your fab deal!!


Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Anthropologie Black Friday Pick-ups

Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us, it's time to go through the loot and see what damage has been done!  I did pretty good actually...I'm happy with what I was able to accomplish and feel like my boys are going to be thrilled come Christmas morning with what Santa brings them.  Of course I couldn't pass up picking up a few pretties for myself as well with all those sales everywhere!   
I had a few requests from readers to share my Black Friday finds so without further ado, here's what I ended up getting from Anthropologie the week of Black Friday (both online and in-store, all on sale) to add to my closet:



AG is my favorite brand of denim and when I can grab them on sale PLUS an extra 25% off, I'm all over it!  I'm loving both colors!  



My best friend tried this on when she came to visit me a few months ago and I was totally surprised by how much I liked it on!  It's much cuter on than it is online or even on the hanger.  It's soft and cozy and is SUPER comfy.  All those colors make this a super versatile piece...you can mix and match with so many colored bottoms!  This was way overpriced at full price in my opinion but with 25% off the sale price it was a little more manageable.  



I've loved this since the first time I saw it online...you know me, I'm a sucker for a cute cardigan! And again, with an extra 25% off the sale price I love it even more! 



I simply adore this dress (classic Anthro) and have been waiting for what seems like FOREVER for this to go on sale (ok, it was like 3 months, but still!)  When I went to order this last week I all of a sudden realized it came in petite lengths so I went with the XS-Petite.  The regular length was a little long on me...it would have been doable but I'm hoping the shorter length will hit me right at my knees instead of past it towards my calves.  I can't remember the last time I was trying for a shorter length...usually I'm trying to look for extra length on a dress!  This dress really wowed me in the dressing room...love it!



I was so excited to score this cardigan for under $40 with the extra 25% off sale that I actually ordered it in yellow AND pink.  I'm still undecided about the pink.  I need to try it out with some things in my closet first before I decide whether or not to keep it, but the yellow is a keeper, for sure.  I really like the shape of this cute cardi!



A few months ago I ordered a navy bubble necklace from one of those flash deals on Facebook you see every now and again.  Turns out the store I bought it from decided not to fill all the orders. So I was out a navy bubble necklace and am still out the money I paid for it.  BOO!  I'm not a fan of dishonest people.  So to fill the void of the navy bubble necklace that never showed up, I picked up this cute necklace on sale from Anthro instead.  At least I know if it gets cancelled I'll see my money again some day!

And that wraps up my Black Friday weekend haul from Anthro.  I was happy to get a few price adjustments in addition to these fun items.  A little money back never hurts!  I did actually also score the cutest scarf on sale for about $11 but can't find a picture of it online.  I spotted it a few months back in the Cincinnati Anthro store and have been stalking it for sale ever since.  Don't you love it when you can get such a great deal on cute things!?!  Bonus!

Did you Black Friday shop at Anthro?  What did you get? Did you stick to sale items like me or did you splurge on the full priced items with the extra 20% off?  Let's hear it!

Remember to check back bright and early tomorrow morning when I'll be participating in the D.A.S.H. linky party (Deals and Steal Hop).  Get those latest deals and steals you've gotten out and ready to share with us all!  You can read more about it in my last post HERE.

Have a great day!

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

NYC Trip recap...a blog hop announcement...and an OOTD!

Hi all!  I'm back!  

We had a great trip to NYC and enjoyed so many fabulous things!  We packed a ton into 5 days and were completely exhausted by the end, but it was so worth it.  Here's a recap via Instagram...I took lots of snapshots!

1. View of the Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry

2. 9/11 Memorial-North Tower Pool
          3. My little guy making friends with the NYC locals at the parade

4. Me and my boy 

5. Family Picture at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!!!
6. Spiderman...we were really THAT close!!!

7. View of the World Trade Center buildings from the Staten Island Ferry

8. Found my favorite...Jamba Juice!  I miss these!  Come on Ohio, we need some!
9. My sis-in-law Hailey and I at The Today Show taping!  We'd been up all night!
 
 10. Doughnut Plant.  Enough said.

11. A little rough housing on the subway. =)
12. View of the Empire State Building from the Top of the Rock. AMAZING!

Some of the highlights included visiting the 9/11 Memorial, taking my kids to FAO Schwartz (yes, they danced on the BIG piano!!!), having my first Sprinkles cupcake (strawberry and salted caramel were to die for), having front row seats to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade (AMAZE!!!), enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with family, shopping Black Friday sales in the city all night long with my awesome sis-in-law Hailey (we left at 11pm and returned home about 11 hours later...there is nothing like Black Friday in NYC), stopping by the Today Show taping and making it on TV!!, taking my kids to see Santa at Macy's in Herald Square, enjoying a Jamba Juice!!!!, and just watching my boys enjoy spending time with their cousins.  I'm so glad we made the trek out.  

So it was back to reality bright and early yesterday morning.  Only a little over three weeks until Christmas break starts though so we have that to look forward to at least.  We'll be staying home this year for Christmas so it will be a nice and relaxing holiday.  Did you get all your Christmas shopping done over the past few days?  I can't tell you how many emails I've received from stores since Thursday...my inbox has been insane!  I'm sure you can all relate.  If it's not one thing on sale, it's another.  It's enough to confuse me to death!  I did pick up some things in NYC while we were out and about, but still had some things to get my boys when we got home so I used my old standby, Amazon, yesterday to fill in the gaps.  I think this elf is just about done helping Santa out for my crew.  I still have some gifts to get the parents and hubs though...working on it.  All in all I feel like I've seen better deals in the past on toys but I managed to get a few good scores.  As for clothes, there were some pretty good deals to be had!  I MAY have managed to add a few fabulous items to my closet from a few places. =)  I made it to the 5am opening of the Rockefeller Plaza Anthropologie (GORGEOUS STORE and fabulous staff that early in the morning!!!)  and was a little underwhelmed by their 20% off full price sale. I'd honestly rather wait for the real sales to kick in down the road (when things are more like 50% off).  It was a nice gesture I suppose.  I did manage to grab a few sale items with the extra 25% off both in-store and online that I'm sure you'll be seeing here on the blog soon though!

So before I forget, I wanted to tell you about a fun blog hop I'll be a part of this week...you'll definitely want to check it out!!  The party will start this Thursday morning, November 29th.  Mark your calendars!!!

The blog hop/linky party will be called D.A.S.H. which stands for
Deals and Steals Hop!

 It will be all about the deals and steals we've found lately and how we used them or plan to use them!  I love a great deal so I'll be showing off some of my latest and greatest finds I've added to my closet.  I want to see what you've found too so be thinking of what you can share and link us up to!  Who doesn't love a great deal!?!

The lovely ladies that will be participating in this fun hop are (left to right):

Sheaffer at Pinterest Told Me To
Alison at Get Your Pretty On
Me at Found In My Closet
and Shannon at Wine Taste Girl


Go take a peek in your closet and see what fabulous deal or steal you've come across lately and get ready to share it with us all on Thursday!!!

I'll leave you with an outfit I wore last week on our vacation...



See my original set idea for this outfit on Polyvore HERE

What I Wore
Thousand Carat Pullover-Anthropologie
Mint AG Stevies-Anthropologie
Miz Mooz "Kelsey" Boots-Piperlime
Lagniappe Necklace-Anthropologie
Bracelet-Twisted Silver
Marc by Marc Jacobs "Henry Chrono" Watch-Piperlime
Tribute Bracelet-Stella & Dot (worn with watch)
Sainte Chappelle Earrings-Anthropologie
Pop Stone Ring-Banana Republic

I wore this the morning of the Thanksgiving Day Parade and layered my white puffer jacket from Banana Republic over it (see above Instagram picture).  It all kept me cozy and warm in the 40 degree weather!  

I hope you had a great holiday week!  Out with the old and in with the new though...we put our Christmas tree up last night and I'm loving it!  Bring on Christmas!


Have a great day!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

DownEast Basics Guest Stylist plus a few Thanksgiving Dinner to Black Friday Shopping Outfit Ideas

Happy day before Thanksgiving everyone!!!

First up, I wanted to share some exciting news with you...I was asked to be one of three guest stylists on DownEast Basic's blog this week! Check out how I styled their cute Bedford Skirt:


Head on over to DownEast Basics' blog HERE to see what cute items the other two guest stylists used to create some great head to toe looks with.  You can also keep up with all the latest and greatest DownEast news on Facebook HERE.  Psssst...did you know all clothing is 30% off right now online?  HURRY!!!

Check the DownEast Basics blog later this week to see some of my current favorite DownEast items!


So with Thanksgiving just a day away now the obvious question is...what should I wear?  =)

Many of us will go straight from Thanksgiving dinner to your nearest Target or Toys-R-Us since so many stores are now opening on Thanksgiving night.  Here are some outfit ideas that can take you right from the dinner table to the nearest shopping mall...dressy enough, yet casual all in one:

#1


Flared Shawl Cardigan/ Silk Shine Tee/ Always Skinny Jeans



I'm in NYC with my hubby and boys spending the holiday week with family so I'll be taking a few days off from the blog.  Tomorrow we're planning on taking a boat ride to see the Statue of Liberty, visiting the World Trade Center memorial, stopping by the 34th Street Macy's for the kids to mail their Santa Clause letters, and if we have time, hopping over to FAO Schwartz to drown ourselves in toys!  Lots of fun to be had here in the city.  We got started out on the right foot by having dinner at Shake Shack tonight...it was so YUMMY!   Thursday morning we'll be going to the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade, and Friday, of course, will at least partly be spent shopping till we drop.  Can't wait!!

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving!
And may Black Friday shopping be ever in your favor! =)