Quick OOTD

Here is my outfit from today. It was a fairly casual day at work. I went with an old standby (this skirt has definitely been a work horse since I got it a couple of years ago) and paired it with my new Daisy Lace tee from J. Crew.

Top: J. Crew
Cardigan: J. Crew Jackie
Skirt: Anthropologie
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Dansko
Necklace: Gift from my grandmother


I have a headache, so I'm off to watch New Girl and then I think I will try to get to bed early. Have a great rest of the week!

Stripes and my new bag

I finally found the perfect bag for my trip next month. I followed all of your leads and searched a lot of different websites before stumbling on this beauty from asos.

Of course, after looking at all of the pictures of the bag and deciding that it was "the one," I went to add it to my cart and saw that it was sold out. What a bummer! Luckily, I emailed myself the link and when I went back a couple of days later to look at it and pout about it being sold out, there was one in stock! It arrived on Friday and I love it. It is the perfect size (can easily hold my ipad, kindle, camera, sweater, wallet, etc.) I like that it is structured, but in a soft, relaxed way. It looks like there is a tan one in stock right now - here's the link in case you want to stalk it: Pieces Flana Leather Shopper

This is my outfit from yesterday. I took Kaitlyn (my "little sister" through Big Brothers/Big Sisters) to see The Hunger Games and out to lunch. She was so excited. When I picked her up, she gave me a card. On the inside, she had written "Happy hunger games! May the odds be ever in your favor." We both had a great time and even though she loved the movie, she was eager to point out all of the differences between the book and the movie. She loves reading, which makes me very happy.













Top: J. Crew factory
Cardigan: Anthropologie
Jeans: AG
Shoes: Dansko
Necklace: Etsy
Bag: asos

Trouser Cords

Thanks for all of the great suggestions/advice you guys gave me on my last post. A new travel bag is currently on its way to me (my very first asos order!). Once I get it, I will show it off and do a quick review. I'm still on the hunt for some comfortable, supportive, stylish shoes for the trip. I've been checking out the suggestions you shared and doing a little online research:) We'll see what I end up with in the next couple of weeks.

This is an OOTD from last week. I woke up that morning to snow (obviously, the pics were taken later in the day, when the sun was shining bright), and I really felt like wearing something easy and warm. These J. Crew trouser cords from a couple of years ago were perfect. They are my go-to pants when I need something cozy, but still office appropriate.

Top: Anthropologie
Cardigan: Loft
Pants: J. Crew
Shoes: Dansko
Necklace: Gift (This is the last time you will see this necklace. Unfortunately, it bit the dust a couple of days after these photos were taken.)

Honeymoon

Guess where I'm going next month?


PARIS!!!! This trip will be a belated honeymoon for Ben and I. We are so excited! We went to Paris 8 years ago when we first started dating, so I think it's fitting that we will visit again for our honeymoon. The first time around, we visited in winter (just before Christmas, in fact.). I'm excited to see Paris in the springtime! Since we got all of the touristy things out of the way on that first trip, I am also looking forward to a low-key, relaxed vacation. I can't wait to just roam around, drink lots of coffee, eat lots of pastries, and shop. Speaking of shopping, I could use some help. I am saving my pennies for the trip, but there are a few things I need ahead of time.

My pre-Paris shopping list: 1) Jeans (already ordered), 2) bag, 3)shoes

Jeans

I needed a simple pair of jeans -skinny/straight fit, dark denim, and most importantly, not cropped/ankle length (I LOVE ankle length, but that is what all my current jeans are -I need a little variety:). I used to only wear Joe's jeans, but after buying some AG Stevies from Anthro, I knew it was time to switch it up. I found these AG Adriano Goldschmied Priemere Skinny Straight jeans on 6pm.com for a great price. Fingers crossed that they fit:) Btw, I HATE those shoes they paired with the jeans.

So, I (hopefully) have the jeans covered. Here's where I need help:

Bag

I need a nice, big, slouchy-ish bag for the plane and for carrying around the city. I want something big enough for my ipad/wallet/phone/etc. and for my camera and maybe a water bottle or something. I want to be able to throw in whatever I need for the day, but I don't want it to be huge or uncomfortable. This bag is the Transatlantic bag from Anthro. I like it, but I don't know if I love it, plus I'm not sure if the color really goes that well with most of my wardrobe. It would also be great to find something a little cheaper.

Do you have a brand or bag that you love? Where should I look?

SHOES


Lastly, I need some shoes (well, of course, I am ALWAYS in need of a good pair of shoes:). Seriously, I need some stylish shoes that can survive a lot of walking and provide a lot of support to my feet. Since I have plantar fasciitis, any pair of shoes that I wear for a long period of time has to have a lot of arch support and it has to be sturdy. If I know I'm going to be on my feet a lot at work, I wear my danskos (above). They are great for that purpose, but I don't think they will work for lots of walking, numerous days in a row, plus I would love to find something a little more stylish:)

Any suggestions?

I really, really don't want to end up wearing tennis shoes. Help!

Bathroom updates

Since I barley got out of my PJ's today, and have to outfits to show you, I thought I would show off our new bathroom instead. It is still not totally finished. We need to finish the trim and have some cabinet doors/mirrors made, but the majority of the work is done.

Pretty much everything is new. We painted the ceiling and walls, put up the wainscoting and trim, crafted the built-in shelves, put a new sink/faucet in (and even moved the plumbing around), put the tile floor down, installed 2 new lights, moved the electrical outlet to a different part of the wall, installed a new fan, and I'm sure there is a lot I'm forgetting. This project started out as a simple paint job and it snowballed from there. I am SO happy with how it turned out! All of the updates make having a teeny tiny bathroom not so bad:)

Built-in shelves, new sink, new shower curtain


I think the floor is my favorite part!

New sink with vintagey porcelain/chrome faucet

New light fixtures (one above the sink and the other above the shower)

Here are a few other random home decor related things!

I saw this Orla Kiely print in the window of a paper store close to my office. I purchased it, not really knowing what I was going to do with it (it was a large piece of paper with the bigger print on one side and the smaller print on the other). I'm not totally convinced that it looks good in this frame, but I am going to leave it for a few days and see what I think.



I posted about this lamp a few weeks ago. By the time I got around to buying it, it was on clearance. Score!



This is one of my Valentines day gifts from Ben. It looks perfect sitting next to the new lamp.

Kites and Constellations

Happy (almost) Friday! What are you ladies up to tonight? Ben is hanging out with a friend tonight, so I am catching up on blog reading, watching all the shows that he hates (like New Girl), and eating lots of chocolate:)

This is my outfit from last Sunday. It was a beautiful day, so we decided to take the dogs to the park to hang out for a bit. We still have a lot of winter/rain to get through this year I'm sure, but that early taste of spring has me thinking about picnics, flowers, and bike rides! Fall is my favorite season and winter is a close second (I LOVE tights/layers/etc.), but around this time every year, I start longing for a little sunshine and warmth.










Top: J. Crew Daisy Lace tee
Cardigan: Anthropologie Kites and Constellations cardi
Jeans: Joe's
Shoes: Seychelles

Purple

Happy weekend ladies! I had another long week at work. After being sick last weekend and then going in early and staying late at work pretty much every day this week, I was so ready for the weekend. I enjoyed sleeping in today, lazing around all morning browsing the internet, and lots of chai tea:) I have a much-needed massage scheduled for tomorrow morning then I think I will make my way to a yoga class. Do you have any other stress-relieving/relaxation suggestions for me?

This is the casual/comfy outfit I wore today. I suppose I was feeling very purple today!






Top: J. Crew
Pants: Pilcro cords via Anthropologie
Shoes: Seychelles
Bracelet: Anthropologie Astrological Maps bracelet

I also want to share my new favorite beauty product with you, Origins liquid lip color. This stuff is wonderful! I ordered it as a ride along (to get free shipping) and I love it. It is not at all sticky, the color is vibrant (but not shiny/sparkly), and it has a nice minty smell.