It's All In The Jeans

I'm a total jeans girl- I wear them everyday.  And while I do like to splurge on designer jeans- I like a great pair for cheap too.  Years ago a girlfriend of mine turned me on to American Eagle Jeans.  Great fit- they wear well and are under $50 (easy to find them as low at $29.50) Here are a few of my favs

Original Boot Cut $49.50

Straight Leg $39.50

Trouser Jean $49.50 (I adore them in white!)











Here's a tip- join the AERewards club, and get some great perks- I got a free t-shirt of my choice the month of my birthday- but thats not on the list...

 

• 15% off the month of your birthday at AE, Aerie and 77kids when you share your e-mail.
• Kids score a gift in any 77kids store on their birthday.
• Free Aerie Bras: Buy 5 Bras Get the 6th Free. Every time.
• Members-Only Sales and Events

Plus 15% off for every $100 you spend. 

Spring Accessories

To temper yesterdays encouragement to spend- here are a few great spring accessories for pocket change.  A quick wardrobe update- $10 or less.

Way to rock your inner eight year old- Daisy Chain Headband $4.95 at H&M

The thing about wayfarers is that I already wore them the first time around- but these in blush pink seem fresh and new.  I hear my inner hipster calling...
$7.50 WetSeal

I love a brooch added to a cardigan or blazer- and this mint color is totally on trend for spring. 
$9.90 from Zara

I saved the best for last- I LOVE this filigree bracelet from Forever21.   It screams "hooray, the sun is out!"  $4.50.  Yep- enough left over for an ice cream cone.

Start the week with a splurge.

Uusally I like to find deals under $100 (under $50- even better!!) but there are some amazing splurge items today, at higher prices than I usually conscider.

Bruno Magli "Kelsey" Mary Jane on My Habit $175, regular price $350.  Shoes are an easy call for a splurge- especially a shoe like this that is NEVER going out of style.  Spending a little more on a shoe means it will be more comfortable and will wear longer.

A white dress is a summer essential- my lovely husband shrunk my go-to white dress, so I am in the market for a new one.  I love the neckline on this one, and the nipped in waist/ shorter hem line combo is really flattering. Shoshonna Pleated Cotton Ruffle Sheath on Gilt.com $149 regular price $340

Color blocking is a huge trend- we have all heard it.  I love this top because it is "on trend" without being "trendy"

Sarah Block Silk Top by French Connection, $118 on Amazon- this is not really a sale price, BUT- sign up for fashion news from Amazon and you get 20% off.













Enjoy your monday splurges.  Just think of all the money you save the rest of the week!

meanwhile...

Ok, I've been radio silent while I walk, eat spicy food, do jumping-jacks and pretty much anything else I can think of to get this baby out.  But since she's not budging, I thought I'd go ahead and introduce a new idea I've had.  For the little while, I'm going to use this as a online shopping round up- my fav things at the best prices, keeping in line with the Suburban Style philosophy- that the cutest trends in home, fashion and beauty should still be accessible to a mom in a minivan.  Sales don't last forever, so to avoid missing out- hit the subscribe button or follow me on Bloglovin'.  Enough chatter- here are today's best steals.

Tuscan Storage Coffee Table- I am all about adding storage space, and when it comes in this beautiful rustic elm finish- I love it even more.  $560.95 on Joss&Main

My favorite coats are the ones I buy when it's too late in Spring to wear them- that's because as the weather heats up, the prices come down, and I get super cute fall styles at screaming deals.  I love this "Ganache and Golly" coat with faux fur and velvet trim from Modcloth.  I'd really consider it at full price- $164.99, but on sale for $49.99, how can you go wrong?
 

Brightly colored denim is HUGE for Spring (does that mean the 90's are vintage?!)  but I'm not sure its a look that is going to last more than one season.  I love to buy trendy items like this from a few trusted, less expensive stores.  Old Navy has skinny and flared styles of colored denim, I love this pair of slim flare in "Blue Moon" easy to try at a whopping $25. 







Happy Shopping- let me know your thoughts on the new format!

Spring Dress Round-up

They're here!  They're here!  It's Spring dress time and even though Winter just hit Northern California- I am so ready.  True, I am still an incubator, but with any luck (and a little help from the Stork and the Spanx Fairy) I'll be wearing some of these by Easter!

This year, with the new baby and the time off etc. budget for a Spring wardrobe is extra tight, so I'm forgoing Anthropologie *sniff* and sticking with some more economical options.  Frankly- Old Navy and Target have really stepped it up the last few seasons... and I already sang the praises of the Jason Wu for Target collection.

So, without further ado- some of my fave Spring dresses.  Chic, easy to wear, (ahem) slimming and under $40

Navy striped dress with lemon yellow belt: $24.99 at Target

 
Navy Surpliced Linen Dress: $29.80  Forever 21

Navy (seeing a trend?) Flower Printed Tie Waist Dress: $34.94 Old Navy

Ruffle Front Jersey Dress: $19.50 on sale now at Old Navy

Kimono Style Chiffon Dress: $34.95 from H&M

So much to love!

Jason Wu at Target this Spring!

Do you know why the Super Bowl starts at 3?  So you have plenty of time to shop the Jason Wu collection at Target!!  Available nation wide on February 5^th (yep- Super Bowl Sunday) each piece of Jason Wu’s collection of modern classics is available for $59.99 or less.  And if you haven’t seen them yet- they are amazing!  Check out a few of my favs:

This trench makes April Showers look appealing!

Cream dress with black petticoat- so Audrey!

Spring-tastic shoulder bag with a great Mod shape

 And subtle color blocking in red, white & blue

 











I might take my giant bump down to Target and buy my self some baby weight loss inspiration!

...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?

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. 

Fur Real

... or more accurately faux fur real.  I am so in love with the fur trend that comes out in fall- it makes me feel like Doris Day sipping cocoa next to a fireplace.

But, from a practical standpoint fur creates some challenges.  The first is ahem financial- not only can I not justify coat that costs as much as my mortgage, but I always run the risk of anything from a sucker to spit-up getting ground into what I'm wearing.  Then, there is the issue of proportion- a curvy girl in a fur piece can tend to look a little... Sasquatch-y.  Lastly, I hate looking like I rushed out and bought a trend, and while fur (real or faux) is timeless- many of the styles I'm drawn to smack of this weeks fashion mags.

So I've gathered a collection of my fav, mostly faux, fur pieces.  Reasonably priced (under $200), body skimming (to avoid "bulk") and each with a touch of retro.  Eat your heart out daycare moms!

Fur Real by substyle featuring a faux fur trim coat

Fur dress
$75 - modcloth.com

ONLY fur cardigan
£48 - houseoffraser.co.uk

Faux fur trim coat
$170 - topshop.com

Fake fur vest
$105 - warehouse.co.uk

Helene berman
$46 - theoutnet.com

Zara fur heel boots
$159 - zara.com

Star by Julien Macdonald teal bag
£39 - debenhams.com

Abercrombie Fitch knitted shawl
$98 - abercrombie.com

Lipsy Snowflake Fur Earmuffs - Lipsy
£10 - lipsy.co.uk

My new love...

I was at my Target the other day, and I saw something...

...could it be?  No... YES! Tucked away in the jewelry- doubtless hidden by someone who intended to come back for it was... my new Missoni scarf!

Here's the glamor shot

I love LOVE it for Fall, the warm neutrals with gold thread woven through are screaming Autumn and although today I am wearing it with a tank (we are enjoying an 85 degree Indian Summer day here on the West Coast) it is light enough to easily layer over a sweater when things cool off. 

Bonus- the infinity scarf design is  easy to wear.  I am forever trying to tie my scarf like a Parisian- do French women take classes in how to tie scarves?   



My weekly visit to Target paid off!  Word is there will be sporadic replenishment of the Missoni collection through out the month of October, so if you are kicking yourself for missing it- there is hope!

The best dressed bump

I was wandering a bookstore this weekend, and found Bump It Up: Transform Your Pregnancy into the Ultimate Style Statement by Amy Tara Koch

It started out as something to read on the couch while my in-laws are in town, but it sort of hooked me.  With my first pregnancy, I didn't give pregnancy fashion much thought.  I was so thrilled to be pregnant I wanted to wear maternity clothes (hormones...)  After my daughter was born, I looked back an my pregnancy with the clarity that only time can bring.  It was pretty awful.  I gained over 40 pounds (OMG- did I just admit that?!) and lived in denim maternity capris and bulky tops.  That's not quite true... my mom took me shopping early in my pregnancy and got me a couple of really cute things to wear to work and some events I had.  But, when left to my own devices, I was a disaster!
This time, I am determined to rock the hot mama look.  (Frankly, the first step has been not rocking so many hot fudge sundaes.)  But, not as easy as I thought... this book had a couple of tips that I had already discovered, and a few I hadn't thought of.  Here are a few of my favs.

The Bella Band by Ingrid & Isabel
One of the thing I liked best about this book is that it encourages you to wear your own clothes, so this is the only product I''ll call out.  The Bella Band is a super stretchy tube of fabric thats fits over the waistband of your pants or skirts.  Thanks to an assortment of these darlings I'm almost halfway through my pregnancy and I am still wearing my own pants (so much cuter than anything with an elastic waist!) They come in a rainbow of colors so you can coordinate them to your outfits (they look like a layering tank) although in many cases they don't show at all.

Long "wife-beater" style tanks
My daughter was born in late summer, so I sadly went through a very hot pregnancy without these.  This time I can't get enough- I'm wearing them by themselves on warm Indian Summer days and under cardigans and blazers when it's cooler.  Most everyone has them, but if not, they are pretty cheap ($6 at Target right now) and come in great colors.  They show off the cute 2nd trimester bump, and if they are long enough stretch out my short round torso.

Accessorize:
Seems like a no brainer, but they call it "baby-brain" for a reason.  It frankly never occurred to me that a strategic accessory choice could distract from my size.  I at a point, I tried to shrink more than shine.  This time I am going the opposite route.  I put away my dainty jewelry, and moved my statement pieces to the front.  I got a fedora too.  Also belts- this has always confused me in pregnancy... belt above the bump?  below?  Turns out, both are right- but the book helped me figure out when.

Wear Heels:
This is one to do as long as possible.  36 weeks into growing a human, it's not always possible to wear heels.  Also, balance is a huge issue in pregnancy.  But a decent wedge, or kitten heel can go far to make a girl look a) smaller and b) pulled together. 

So far, it must be working.  Yesterday my husband said to me- "you are so much cuter this pregnancy" sweet! 

Thomas Paul Flash Sale

Today on Haute Look, New York fashion designer turned furniture visionary Thomas Paul is showing in an invite only flash sale- use this link as your invitation to view.  Great classic lines in big, bold prints and with the most modern color pallets.  This is a great change to embrace the "dress your nest" philosophy.  Here are some of my favs... and what I'd like to wear with them.

Dress your nest by substyle featuring plunging neckline tops

Zimmermann cutout dress
850 AUD - zimmermannstore.com

Mulberry print cocktail dress
$850 - mulberry.com

French Connection cotton dress
£69 - mylabel.co.uk

Missoni plunging neckline top
$552 - theoutnet.com

Flower top
$15 - kohls.com

Hobbs floral jacket
£179 - johnlewis.com

Tory Burch low heel boots
$495 - net-a-porter.com