Tuesday, April 28, 2009

All I want for Mother's day...

It is my first official Mother's Day and I feel like it's kind of a big deal! We carry these babies for 9 months, go through grueling labor and then we are the ones up late at night when the baby is crying! We deserve a special day, so I have certainly put some thought into what I would like to do to celebrate.

It would be amazing to spend a day in bed with Mimosas, Gossip Girl reruns and naps in between. But, since that probably isn't going to happen I would gladly accept any of the gifts listed below.

My husband does a wonderful job of picking out jewelry. One Christmas he gave me the most fabulous pair of earrings. They were gold circles with tiny gold chains linked in between and from them hung a pink feather. So unique and beautiful and I just loved them. Unfortunately, I have an affinity for losing just ONE earring. So, I was left with a singleton of this perfect accessory. The brand of the Earrings is Citrine By The Stones, and luckily they still have many beautiful things to choose from. I am coveting these Horn Earrings with gold shell accents. They are perfect for summer with a white dress and a beautiful tan! At $95 they aren't terribly expensive and I love the unique color and shape of them.


As a mom, I am a little bit camera happy. Poor little guy, always has a camera in his face. But, down the road I know I will be happy that I captured so many wonderful moments in his first year of life. Well, now there is another way you can capture all of your little ones laughs, milestones and precious moments. It is called the Flip Video Ultra , a pocket sized camcorder that holds 60 minutes worth of material. Small enough to fit in your purse or your husband's pocket, you can take it anywhere so that you will never miss an opportunity to record when your baby says his first word or takes his first steps! The best part...it's only $150 and it can upload video right onto your computer with a convenient USB port that is attached to the camera.


I have a handbag problem, there is no doubt about it. They never go out of style and they can make any outfit look good. I have also found that I don't really love carrying a baby bag. They are too big and often when I am with my baby I am just running a quick errand and I don't need that big of a tote. I just need something to throw a few toys, a burp cloth and possibly a diaper in. I came across this wonderful Tory Burch tote that has short straps as well as a long shoulder strap that is great for a mom who needs to be hands free! I am also obsessed with Orange-such a perfect pop of color for summer. It is not cheap, at $535, but can you put a price on being a great mom?!


I wish all the mom's out there a very Happy Mother's Day! May it be filled with peace and quiet and a little pampering.












































Wednesday, April 22, 2009

My current obsessions...

I have many loves of my life...my husband, my baby, and of course clothes and makeup! Here are a few things that are currently getting my motor running!


I am a huge lipgloss fan, and typically I am a Chanel girl. But, I was ready to try something new and I am glad that I did, because I came across Lancome's fabulous product!!! It is Lancome's Color Fever Plumper. The thing I love about it is the texture (smooth and not too sticky) and it's light enough to put over your favorite lipstick if you want to. It gives you a slight plumping/tingly sensation, but not like some of the other plumpers out there. The applicator is a flat sort of fan shape that makes it easy to apply and it doesn't go on clumpy. My favorite color is called "puckered" It is a super light pink with lots of sparkle. It's perfect for a mom like me when you are just running errands or going to the pool! At $25 it's not the cheapest gloss, but it's well worth the investment!

I was so pumped to find that Maxi dresses were back again this summer. I was pregnant all last summer and they were really my saving grace-both for fashion and comfort. Even though I am not prego, I still love a Maxi dress for those hot summer nights or to throw on for lunch and shopping with friends. My current obsession is Gypsy05's organic cotton maxi dress. They are super, super soft cotton and come in solids or some of their styles have slight tye-dye fabrications. They start at about $100, but they are really well made and you won't see every other girl wearing them (unelss you live in LA-they seem to be a celeb fave)! The only drawback-some of the styles are dry-clean only due to their dying process.

Well, you know I love myself an Olsen twin. Those girls know how to take basics and make them look great! So, you can only imagine my excitement when Ashley Olsen was photographed wearing my new fave, Alternative Apparel's burnout tank!!! At $32, this perfectly long, perfectly weathered looking tank is a must have for every stylish girl this summer. I find myself always going to this tank, whether it is with my skinny jeans or yoga pants it can look great casual or dressed up. They are super sexy and have just the right length so that they don't shrink up in the wash. My 3 favorite colors are washed black, white and mushroom. Perfect neutrals to match everything in your wardrobe! tip: Normally their tees run big, but I found the tanks ran small. I sized up to a medium, when I normally take a small.

My bargain pick of the week: Aveeno's skin brightening daily scrub. It is a super light exfoliator that smells wonderful and you can use it on a daily basis! I have tried other exfoliators, and sometimes I feel like I am scrubbing my skin off. This is super light and leaves your skin feeling soft and refreshed. At $7.49, this is a beauty bargain! Available at any drugstore























































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Oh Boy!!!!!

As a mother of a baby boy, I am constantly in search for cute things to dress my little guy in. I go to Target (my home away from home) hoping to find some inexpensive cute things. I always find things for myself there, so I WANT to be able to find things for my baby as well! I enviously meander through the girls department. SO many cute things! Darling leggings with little tops to match, the cutest sun dresses, and a gazillion little tops and shorts. Then I get to the boys "corner", which is literally about 4 racks compared to the 50 in girls. I sheepishly pick up the awful onesies with cheesy sayings, and I flip through the "Pooh and Friends" rack-which is really only appropriate for a JC Penney Photo Shoot. It's truly depressing...

This forces me to do some major research both online and in-stores. I have a few go-to's where I know I will always find cute things.

I am absolutely in love with Paul Frank's Small Paul line. They make the softest supima cotton onesies and little leggings that all coordinate. It's great basics with a twist. The images on the onesies aren't over the top, and I found the leggings are perfect enough for my baby who has really long legs!



If you are into organic clothing-which I have just recently become a huge fan of. You will love a line called Speesees. It's really unique, brightly colored onesies, jumpers, coats, you name it. I love the jumpers, they have a kangaroo pocket in the front and the legs are a bit flared at the bottom. They take basics and give them a fun, colorful twist!
http://www.speesees.com/





a line that I am obsessed with is called Kicky Pants. Literally the softest clothing I have had my baby in. They use bamboo cotton that holds up amazing and feels so wonderful and cuddly. When our baby was really little these were the items I always went to because of their softness and great quality. You can't purchase directly from their site, but they do have a store locator on the website so that you can see who in your area carries the line.

If you want great quality clothes for your little guy to play in, I have had wonderful luck with Mini-Boden. A company out of the UK. They only sell online and through catalogs, so you won't see every other baby at playdate wearing the same outfit! Their toweling all-in-one is a must for summer. It's terry cloth with a hood and perfect to wrap your little guy up in once they are done in the pool! I have found that they do run long and run true to size. Order quick though, items go fast!
http://www.bodenusa.com/






lastly, a must have for every baby boy (or girl) are Trumpette socks. Since boys do not have many options as far as accessories go, socks and shoes are what I have invested in. Trumpette makes a 6 pack of socks for $25 that look like little tennis shoes! They come in bright primary colors and go great with all your baby boy clothes. My other favorites are the camoflauge set. They are in pastel colors, which I found I used a lot when he was really little because we had so many light colored outfits for him. For girls they make a sock that looks like a Mary-Jane shoe or a Ballet Slipper. These are perfect for gift-giving as welll!
If you have any other great ideas, please post them!































































Monday, April 13, 2009

Put away your sweatpants and break out your skinny jeans!

As much as I would like the skinny jean/long top/sandals look to go away, I am afraid to say that it is here to stay for spring and summer. No matter where you go, that is the look that stores are offering. The good news is, your bargain-hunting gal found the PERFECT PAIR OF SKINNY JEANS!

As a denim buyer, I was afforded the opportunity to try many different brands of premium denim. Through this process I learned that price is not necessarily definitive of how the jean is going to fit. Shopping for denim is a very LONG and somewhat tedious process. It may take a couple trips to different stores to find the fit that is perfect for you!


I happened to stumble upon these perfect jeans on a recent trip to Nordstrom. As a former employee of Nordstrom, I always feel at home there. I love Brass Plum, their Juniors department. Although I am not a "junior" per say, I always seem to find great layering tanks, inexpensive and trendy sunglasses and great accessories. I was certainly not intending to find this perfect jean sitting right in front of me!

But, there it was. Super dark, just the right amount of stretch, and no trendy stitching or fading. I was apprehensive...would this jean fit my post-baby body? Would I be able to fit my thighs into a junior size jean? Would I cry at the sight of my toosh in the 3 way mirror!!!!!!???? Ahhhhh...it was worth a shot, I had to try them.

I went into the fitting room with my "old size" and one size up. I tried the bigger ones on first. To my delight they were actually to big in the waist and I just knew that after a day of wearing them that I would be hiking them up all day long. Then I slipped on the smaller size. It took some effort to get into them, and a few knee bends to feel comfortable, but once I got them on, THEY WERE PERFECTION! Not too low, not too high. Super flattering in the front and back. I could wear them with Boots, Flats, High Heels...the possibilities were ENDLESS! The best part was the price, are you ready for this? $68!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe my eyes, these jeans were certainly meant for me!









It! Jeans "Rising Starlet" $68 at Nordstrom!













http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2941457?Category=&Search=True&SearchType=keywordsearch&keyword=it+jeans+in+All+Categories&origin=searchresultsearch=True&SearchType=keywordsearch&keyword=it+jeans+in+All+Categories&origin=searchresults









Sunday, April 12, 2009

Blogger Virgin

My Husband and I were lying in bed after a LONG Easter Sunday and I started thinking...I need to start doing something creative, something that gives me joy and something that I can share with other Mom's who feel the same way I do!  Out of all this brainstorming, and surfing the net comes my blog.  

I am a stay-at-home mom, and I love what I do, but I miss the independence of my career and the rewards that career brought.  Not that seeing your baby roll over or hearing their laugh for the first time isn't rewarding, it's just that I feel I want something MORE than that. something for ME~ is that wrong? 

So, begins my journey in sharing with the world all the things I am passionate about.  I am not quite sure how this blog will be organized, but I am sure that I will share with you all the things I love, things that make my life easier and things I feel are special and unique.

I look forward to this journey!!!!

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