Suburban Style: December 2011

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Chandelier Tree- great idea I can take no credit for...

Yesterday, I came across this picture on pintrest an thought to myself "now that's how you decorate a chandelier"

photo from http://pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com//

I followed the link to Pearls Handcuffs and Happy Hour and checked out this post. Turns out that this is a super easy DIY project that even I can do... and it cost a whopping $9.96 thanks to the Michael's holiday blow-out sale I hit yesterday during lunch.

If you are keeping track, thats:
$2.49 for 1 nine foot garland
$2.99 for the wreath
1.99 for the cranberry garland I dismantled (cheaper than buying individual picks in the floral section)
2.49 for the ribbon (with plenty left over for gift wrapping)

That's actually a savings off the $12 price tag on the original post (already super cheap!)

And here it is...

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

...better than yesterday

As promised, I went home yesterday scrapped most of what I was wearing. This morning, I an feeling a little better about myself. Please forgive the quality of the camera phone pics... I leave for work at 6 am, and just couldn't deal with downloading from my camera this morning, as you can see- the bed isn't even made yet.

The biggest impact, I actually did my hair- a little curl with a 1" iron does wonders for my spirit and hides the kinks from yesterdays bun. I stuck with black and white (a preggers's best friend...) and jeans, just with better detail.

The pattern of the shirt helps down-play the bump. (I LOVE my bump, but everyone who sees me knows its there, there's no reason to highlight it.) The cardigan has a little ruffle detail to make it more interesting than most black cardigans. The skinny jean is getting a little tough to pull off, but I'm down to 3 pairs of jeans- well, 2 after yesterday- so I have to do what I can. Lastly, red croco pump- love this shoe to pieces- they dress up everything and are super comfortable. Nine West Gwendle pump in red patent croco $59.95 at DSW

here is yesterday and today side by side:

Any moms or moms to be with tips on how to dress without looking like you are wearing a tent?

Monday, December 5, 2011

Clothes-tastrophe

Ok, I am going waaaay out on a limb, the whole point of a blog about fashion, decor etc is to share fabulous ideas. But, a friend told be once that if more women shared the hardships and pit falls of being a woman, life would be a little easier for all of us. In that spirit I am going to show you what happens when sleep deprivation and pregnancy hormones collide. A momentary stumble in the closet of a girl who is trying to be anything but... well... this:

Mistake #1- the maternity jean. I've been pretty lucky, I've been able to wear my regular jeans (with the help of a BellyBand) and lots of my own clothes through most of my pregnancy. But now, at 6 1/2 months pregnant, and with a 2 year old who won't sleep in her own bed- I gave in to the perceived comfort of a maternity jean. Frankly, they are too big to start with, and the grow as the day goes on. Plus they require constant tugging at the waist- always a good look...

Mistake #2- the fake necklace shirt... these had a moment... a while ago... and although never really my taste, this might have been a more reasonable article of clothing when the friend who lent it to me was pregnant. It is not any longer. And moreover the justification for putting it on this morning (it is long enough to cover the elastic waistband on my maternity jeans) doesn't really matter when the jeans keep falling down.

Mistake # 3- the hair. Insult to injury, I've actually had pretty cute hair all weekend thanks to a great tutorial from The Small Things Blog, This is not the cute hair. This is hair that is washed and thrown in a bun so I can still get to work on time even though I snoozed (twice)

Honestly, I love the sweater, and often, its very flattering- but this outfit does it no favors...

Soooo there you have it. My clothes-tastrophe. A Monday morning gone horribly wrong. You can go read something else now- I still have to go to the grocery store and to pick up my daughter looking like this! But in the spirit of forgiveness and growth- I'm not wallowing in it any longer... I will, however lay out a cute outfit tonight- in case its another tough night, and post a pic of that tomorrow so you can see if I did any better.

'Tis The Season...

I hate to brag, but I am this close to being done with my Christmas shopping. So for all of you Last-Minute Lucy's here is my 10 fav gifts to give... under $50.

7" Silver Polka Dot Bowl- I love this super chic bowl for cut flowers or a fruit arrangement, plus its always a treat to give a gift worth way more than you spent! $39 One Kings Lane for 2 days only (while they last)

Archipelago Botanicals boxed candle in Pomegranate Citrus- delish brightly scented candle, and pomegranate is oh-so "in" $24.50 at Amazon

Just Being Audrey A picture-book biography of actress Audrey Hepburn- because it's never to soon for a girl to obsess over the greatest fashion icon of all time. $11.89 Anthropologie

Yuletide Traditions Plates- cheerful appetizer or dessert plates without the typical Christmas tree motif. $24.99 Cost Plus

Vintage Style Aprons- make baking more fun, and be perfectly accessorized for your dinner parties. 29.95 Sur La Table

Wallet bottle opener- ever been stuck without one? TRAGIC! Made for a man, but great for a fun girl too- credit card sized bottle opener fits in a wallet (always handy) and can be personalized for $10 more. 19.95 Red Envelope

Christmas Stocking Chocolates- This San Franciscan purveyor of artisan chocolates is a staple for well over a decade. I love LOVE their burnt caramel chocolates, and these festive designs make them perfect for gifting. But be sure you check out all the flavors They'll ship nationwide. $20 Recchiuti Confections

Succulent Drop earrings- I've mentioned her before- but I love Kris Nations Jewelry, and these earrings make a great unique gift without breaking the bank. Sale Price $45 Kris Nations Jewels

Flour Sack towels- this is COMPLETELY suburban, and against the whole philosophy of this blog, but the holidays bring out my domesticity, so here goes: I love to wrap baked goods in dish towels and give them to my neighbors or co-workers. I think baked goods are the ultimate gift for those people you want to acknowledge, but don't know well enough to shop for, and I love wrapping that serves an actual purpose. (Plus that old-fashioned feeling of a flour sack towel tied with ribbon.) This chirping rooster is just the vintage feel I am going for. $4 at Amazon. (ps- Trader Joe's sells great boxed bread mixes, I like to sugar the pan to give the breads a nice sugary crunch.)

Cashmere scarf- an absolute classic that never fails to please. I love the hounds-tooth both because its trendy without being trendy, and because I love all things hounds-tooth. $14.99 for two days only at Zulily.com, while supplies last

Happy giving! And yes, I know, second holiday post in a row. Full disclosure: there will be more. I LOVE the holidays!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Haul out the holly...

My husband just spent the better part of the evening schlepping all our Christmas decoration up the from the garage, and I was greeted with 32 years of holiday. Hooray!

Although I never part with anything Christmas related, I have created some very specific rules around what goes on display- simply put, it has to be red or gold. No silver bells and no green- unless its pine scented. The only exceptions being our actual tree decorations- our tree is like a scrap book and I'd take the memories over the department store perfect tree anytime.

I was looking through the decorations and mulling over the dress your space philosophy. I've mentioned it before, but I love the idea that thoughtful decor would reflect the same taste as a great outfit. Well, consider this dressing your space in reverse... and check out these great holiday duds inspired by my fav decorations, and with an eye towards your budget, nothing over $100.

ps... can we have a moments pause for that red handbag from DSW? $35- really?! I'll race you to it.