What's in the box?! What's in the box?!

Not Gwyneth Paltrow's severed head, friends.

Boom.

I did the damn thing and bought that purse I mentioned awhile back. The price tag was a little hefty for the girl that prefers to shop Target...ahem, the clearance racks at Target. However, when my $19.99 purse from H&M looked like it was going to bite the dust, I decided it was time to see if greater cost equaled better quality. 

So basically this is like an expensive experiment. A fashionable, expensive experiment.

P.S. if you were curious (and why wouldn't you be?) my H&M purse suffered from failing hardware but was able to recover after minor surgery. 'Twas the hole in its body that ultimately did it in.

To watch, to wear, to listen, to geek

Hello, hello! Happy weekend! Can you believe we are just a few weeks away from Christmas? We are seriously slacking on the gift thing around these parts. I finally sat down and made a list of who we have left to buy for and what we're buying. That made me feel a little less jumbled and overwhelmed...but then I thought how we still need to take our Christmas photo and order our cards, and how we have a few social engagements coming up where we'll need to find a sitter and I got a little overwhelmed again. I know, I scare easy.

So here's something I haven't done lately--shown you random things that I like!

To watch:

What's more Christmas than Mariah Carey, am I right?



Full disclosure: I was a big Mariah Carey fan in the 90s. Like I may or may not have done a gymnastics routine to this song in the 6th grade talent show. Also to be noted, that song has the words "sweet ecstasy" in it and my friend and I were explicitly told that we had to edit the song to exclude that kind of foul language (my words, not theirs). Total badass, right? 



To wear:

The boots that I got last Christmas kicked the bucket (you get what you pay for, delia*s $39 boots!) and since I have decided that I cannot go a winter without boot, I bought these on sale at Younkers last week (but I'm still not willing to pay over $100 so $52 it is, Mia boots!). I don't know if they still have them since the shoe department looked like a war zone when I went but it looks like Piperlime has them if you are so inclined.

from Piperlime

To listen:

I know everyone and their mother has heard Little Talks but I like this song too...



To geek out to:

One of Joshie's friends sent me a link to this. Related. 

to eat, to listen, to wear

Happy weekend, friends! This weekend is the World Food Festival in Des Moines. We've never had the chance to attend so that may find its way on our agenda. I know the whole point of a festival like this is to try food from other cultures but quite frankly, if we go you'll probably find me at the Filipino food stand because I know that I like it. Stick with what you know and you'll never be disappointed, kids.Yup, that's how I do.

To eat:

I have every intention of making these dark chocolate chip and sea salt cookies this weekend. I've really been into the whole salty and sweet thing (salted rice krispies, salted fudge brownies) so hopefully these will live up to my expectations.


To listen:

I like this version of Bon Iver's "Skinny Love". I'm just such a sucker for a piano and a pretty voice.



To wear:

So now that I'm officially growing my hair out...I think. I decided to see if I could pull off a sock bun. And I did for approximately 3 hours. Hooray. I used this youtube tutorial.

to listen, to watch, to wear

Happy weekend! We have a lot of fun plans this weekend including a kids birthday party, breakfast with my former roomies-and-always-friends and a little get together with our pals to cheer on the Hawkeyes for the big Iowa/ISU game. Now, let me let you in on a little secret. I was not a Hawkeye fan before I met Joshie. Nor was I a Cyclone fan. I was a Bulls fan. Yeah, super not even relevant to the conversation, right? Let me just say that beyond cheering for my high school football team (grr-rah, rah, rah, Tigers!) football just didn't exist in my house. But I have tried to embrace and embody all the Hawkeyeness that I can as the wife of a die-hard fan. I've done such a good job of playing the part that whenever I hear someone say that they are an ISU fan, I think to myself, hmmm, that's too bad. I also have this same reaction when I figure out someone has a cat. Just really unfortunate, isn't it?

To listen:

Lana Del Rey. I'm really liking this song. Josh has been listening to her for a good long while. What a cool kid.



To watch:

Did you know Sesame Street parodied Outkast's Hey Ya!? I was watching it with Dexter on Netflix. Well played. Sesame Street, well played.


To wear:

I rarely ever enter giveaways on blogs. Partly because I'm too lazy to curate a collection on X website to enter and partly because I don't fancy myself lucky enough to win. However, I spotted this one on Kendi Everyday and couldn't resist because I was feeling terribly desperate as I was rummaging through the pit of despair that is my closet trying to figure out what to wear to work. I've never purchased anything from Ruche but I entered their dresses for a year giveaway. If you're feeling lucky or just saddened by your closet like me, you can enter it too here.

Summer satchel

I've kind of been on the big bag wagon for a few years now. I'm not one of those girls that hauls their life around in their purse though. In fact, I'd like to consider myself a minimalist. Wallet, cell phone, iTouch, pack of gum, lip gloss, pen and coupon holder that also has a small notepad, (the coupons in said holder rarely get used because I am one of those girls that hauls expired coupons all around town). I do from time to time have a miscellaneous amount of Dexter's things in my purse, a diaper, wipes, a shoe (yup, just one) and a bib.

I have two small purses that come out of the closet for ceremonial occasions, mostly weddings. They're my tiny bags that say "look at you all dressed up, big girl, you fancy."

Which leads me to my search for a summer big bag. If there was ever a season where I think I ought to be one of those girls that hauls her life around with her it would be right now. Farmer's Markets, BBQs at friends' houses, traveling to see family, trips to the park. So when I spotted the Baggu bags here I thought those look fun and big to boot. I landed on the cobalt duck canvas bag since I wanted the option to wear it as a crossover bag and I'm pretty pleased. It's quite spacious and I'm pretty sure there would be plenty of room for Dexter if he ever wanted to tuck in next to my lip gloss.

And thus concludes the story of the 2012 summer satchel.

This will be my next pair of shoes

Josh and Dexter both got a pair of Toms last Christmas and in my quest to be that disgustingly cute hipster family, these shoes shall also be mine. Mark my word, Toms. I'm coming for you.

from here

The only outfit I own

I have been living in my red jeans and striped top. I am like the girl from Seinfeld that wears the same dress every time Jerry sees her. The thought crosses my mind that perhaps I should skip the outfit this week because surely everyone has noticed that I am wearing the s!*# out of it because they are RED pants so they don't exactly scream discreet and forgettable. But I'm in love and you can't reason with a girl in love. And so I wear this outfit--again--and there is a little pep in my step and a tiny grin on my lips. Well, not in this particular picture since I was concerned that someone would walk in the bathroom while I was taking a picture of myself and it would be an awkward encounter with nervous giggles. But take my word for it, there's a lot of pep and grin going on.

A few happy things

These pants, boots and stripes.

This baby clapping as I laid him down for bed last night. He's in his carseat in this photo, but do you honestly expect me to take a picture of him right before bedtime? Please.

This treat.

This calls for pink shoes!

 

It was 60 degrees today. In January. In Iowa. More, please.

P.S. I originally purchased these shoes as part of my Jem costume for Halloween years ago. I've been torn about if/when I should add them to my "real" closet, #firstworldproblems

P.P.S. The answer to my dilemma appears to be yes/when it is unseasonably warm where you live.

Raise my glass 8.18.11

Last year, I started to do "Raise my Glass" posts, toasting all the things that I'm very pleased about. That lasted like two weeks, as evidenced here. I decided that I'm going to try to resurrect them though since I have thoroughly convinced myself that you are dying to read about all the things that are making my happy list.

H&M $10 jeans- I went on a little shopping trip up to Minnesota with my gal pals last month and found a pair of jeans for $9.95. I am now planning to be buried in them. H&M, won't you please set up shop in Iowa?

Hello, roommates. See you in four years for our next trip! Haha.

Emma Stone-I really like this girl. Easy A has been airing on Starz a lot and I've definitely enjoyed it all 18 times that I've seen it. It's my new Mean Girls and Emma Stone is just hilarious. I won't say she's my new Lindsey Lohan because we all saw how that went down, am I right?

Cool drinks- Joshie hooked me up with this lovely concoction this weekend.

It's a homemade iced coffee. A very sugary iced coffee. It was delicious and perhaps the best thing that happened to me on Saturday. The best thing that happened to me on Sunday was my Mango Tango smoothie from Fuel over in West Glen. Yum. Josh got a Blueberry Blitz and it was equally amazing.

P.S. Have you ever noticed how smoothies always have fancy schmancy names? Caribbean Sunset, Peachy Panther, Orange you Glad I didn't say Banana? Does that make them even more delicious?

P.P.S.Let's see how many times I can reference Mean Girls on this blog.

It's time to put pregnant things away

I would like to lose the gelatinous belly that comes after childbirth and fit into either of these dresses by summer. So it's time to put pregnant things away. Goodbye, sweet Oreos, I will miss thee.


Dresses from here.

Bandwagon

I've finally purchased my first pair of skinny jeans. Always late to the party, I believe I'm about two years give or take behind this trend.

What's up with my claw hand?

Stripes or solids

I have spent much of my life admiring other people's fashion sense and being envious of their style. Despite this, I continue to spend my hard-earned dollars perfecting a very no-frills (read: boring) wardrobe, that consists primarily of jeans and solid colored shirts. However, this spring/summer I decided to spice things up a bit and ended up purchasing many striped items of clothing and when I say many I actually mean only. Apparently, I now only purchase striped articles of clothing.

Gray striped cardigan from TJ Maxx

3/4 sleeve yellow striped shirt from Urban Outfitters

Blue striped tee from Marshall's

Pink striped scarf from TJ Maxx

What have yahs Wednesday

1. The last few times we've been to the movies, Josh and I have seen previews for the film "Where the Wild Things Are" which is based on the popular book from our childhood. Josh is super excited about this but I can't recall what the book was about. Wasn't it mostly illustrations? I know that I definitely have it packed away at my dad's house along with my Berenstain Bears and Mercer Mayer books so perhaps I'll have to go digging through storage.

Pic from here.

2. I think this is the best purchase I've made in a long time. An alternative to my usual summer uniform of solid colored, short-sleeved cotton tees and denim capris. Plus, it has pockets! Who doesn't love dresses with pockets? My sister-in-law, Dawn would be so proud!

I bought it here.

3. I was listening to my old Fiona Apple CD when I was playing Josh's sous chef and helping with the potato salad this past weekend. Man, I totally forgot how much I loved Fiona Apple in high school! I used to listen to that CD everyday. I wonder what Fiona is up to these days?

Pic from here, taken from her infamous video and song from the 90s "Criminal" (rumored to be about an orgy-yikes!). Josh said my parents probably were kind of worried about me since her music was a little dark. I told him they probably weren't that worried considering I alternated between her CD and Hanson's-ha.

What have yahs Wednesday

A quick list of things I think you should know about.

1: Listen to this now! I know this isn't new but Lora and I are going to see them among many other bands in Austin, TX for the 2009 ACL festival an I can't get enough.



2: I heard a fact the other day that was pretty shocking to me. Did you know that fewer than 10% of blind Americans can read braille?

3: I might be on the tail end of my graphic tee days but until I feel it is necessary to stop wearing them you will see me in them. I saw this one and am considering adding it to my collection.