Purple Sky

I wore this outfit on Monday. I discovered this skirt in the anthropologie sale room a couple of years ago and it has served me well! My favorite thing about it is the zipper that runs all the way down the front.

Cami: J. Crew
Cardigan: J. Crew
Skirt: Anthropologie
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Dansko
Necklace: Botanical Bird Purple Sky Necklace




Botanical Bird is one of my favorite ETSY shops. The pieces are cute, affordable, and well-made. I have always been super happy with my purchases (very fast shipping, great customer service, etc.). Here are a few items from Botanical Bird that are currently on my wishlist:

Vintage Squirrel Locket:



La Roja Red Rose Necklace:



Little Bird Cage Neckclae:

Valentine's Celebrations:)

Ben and I celebrated Valentine's day on Sunday. We went out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Torro Bravo. We both ordered the tasting menu, so we got a nice variety and we got to try things we normally would not have ordered. We love trying new food, so it was perfect! We had so much fun!

This is what I wore (not the best picture, I could have at least smiled!):

Dress: Anthropologie (purchased about 3 years ago, made by Deletta. It is the perfect LBD!)
Tights: Hue
Shoes: All Black

I carried the Hobo International "Libby" bag:


This is the cutest little thing ever, but it does not hold a lot. For me, it's perfect for going out because I don't like to take a lot with me. I adore the chain and the closure and I like that it can be worn cross-body.


Last night, we had a relaxing night at home. Ben is a really good cook and he enjoys cooking, so probably 85% of our dinners are made by him, including last nights dinner. We had an amazing goat cheese/spinach/carrot/current salad. I saw this post on Farmer Jo's blog and I knew that we needed to try it! Yum! The goat cheese toppers turned out really well.

Isn't Ben a sweetie? Just look at these heart shaped, onion and leek tarts! Mmmmmmm!

And for desert, made from scratch chocolate souffle, with homemade whipped cream! ♥

TECO

I wore this outfit to work last week. This is one of those dresses I knew I had to have the moment I saw it. I love the print, colors, and pleats! You can pair pretty much any color with this dress, but for some reason, I usually go with some variation of purple:)

Dress: Anthropologie Southward Stop Dress
Cardigan: J. Crew Jackie (I told you, I'm well on my way to having every color of this classic cardigan)
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Dansko



This is how I wore the dress a few months ago for my Birthday (The purple tights and bare arms are a bit much for my office, so this is a non-work outfit option for me):


Dress: Anthropologie Southward Stop Dress
Belt: Anthropologie Snakebite
Tights: Hue
Shoes: Chie Mihara Teco


These were the first pair of Chie Mihara shoes I purchased. I found them on sale at Ped shoes (here is the product information, although they are now sold out). Aren't they beautiful?!?!





If you haven't already, you must check out the new Chie Mihara spring/summer 2011 collection. Here are a few of my favorites:

The IONA:

The LOVELY:


The AVAGAR:



Now, I'm off to dream about shoes and go out to dinner with my sweetie! Happy Valentine's Day:)

Cupcakes!!!

I spent the afternoon hanging out with Kaitlyn, my "little sister" through Big Brothers/Big Sisters. I have been volunteering with Big Brothers/Big Sisters for about two and a half years, and have been matched up with Kaitlyn the whole time. She is 10 and is very sweet, compassionate, and outgoing. We have started establishing traditions and making Valentine's day cupcakes is one of them!


I put off becoming a "big sister" for quite some time because I thought that it would be too time consuming. Since signing up 2 1/2 years ago, I have not regretted it once. I hang out with Kaitlyn 2 or 3 times a month for a couple of hours each time (very do-able, even with a busy schedule). It has been, and continues to be, a wonderful experience for both of us:)


Funny Kaitlyn story: A few months ago, I picked her up from her house. A little bit later, as we were driving to our destination, she exclaims, "Oh yeah, I have to show you something! You are going to LOVE IT"! She grabs her little pocket book, unzips it, and pulls out a hamster!

Finishing school, gray edition

When the finishing school skirt first came out, I wasn't very impressed. It wasn't until I actually tried the skirt on, and laid eyes on the gorgeous pleats on the back of the skirt, that I realized how awesome it is. I love the rust color, but the gray was calling my name!

Check out JG's wonderful post about her finishing school skirt here and see how LC styled her's here!

Top: Anthropologie
Cardigan: J. Crew (Jackie, of course)
Skirt: Anthropologie Finishing School Skirt
Tights: J. Crew
Shoes: Dansko
Necklace: Anthropologie Pessinus Garden necklace



The best part of the skirt:


I am soooooo happy that tomorrow is Friday. Have a wonderful day!