Virtual Shopping Carts

I prefer to shop online for convenience, time and because it suits my analysis paralysis problem quite well.  Things either wait for me to make up my mind or disappear.  I’m a big believer that what is meant to be will be, so if something vanishes before I decide to click and enter my credit card info, so be it.  Ironically, I shop in quite the opposite manner in person.  I’ll either stomp out in frustration very quickly or buy something that might not be what I was looking for just because it’s there.

So I thought it would be fun to share what’s in my train of virtual carts today:

At Stella & Dot – the Madeline Pearl Necklace.  I love pearls, freshwater, cultured and of course, the luxurious natural sea varieties as well.  I finally decided that I’m a grown-up, and it’s not my fault (well… maybe it is, but I’m forgiving infant me for taking too long to come out) that I was born roughly 9 hours too late for the pearl to be my official birthstone.  So… I’m claiming it as my gem of choice and that’s that.

I love that this scattered strand can be looped as many times as it suits me, and it’s unlike any of the other pearl necklaces in my possession.   Besides, a new friend is having a party, and that’s way more than enough justifying the purchase, right?

Sticking with the baubles theme, I still don’t have a bangle from Alex and Ani.  I like the idea of the paw print, but the weirdness at the bottom of the design has kept me from completing the purchase.   I am seeing more and more of their bangles around, and I am drawn to them, but even with the modest price point, I want it to be just right, you know?

And what is with the bottom of the design?  It reminds me of siamese twin sheep or something.  (See?!  I just don’t think this is the one for me, but none of the others leap out either.)

 

Next up, I have a couple of shirts in a cart at Talbots.  I have a gift card there, and I’ve nearly spent it several times, but I just can’t seem to find something I can’t live without.  Maybe one – or both? – of these shirts will do the trick?

The blouse on the far left has a sorta’ seahorse motif, and the floral on the near left is definitely bigger and bolder than my norm for a blouse, but I like the colors and find I enjoy feminine touches in my work attire now that skirts and dresses simply are not functional.  Talbots is definitely my favorite button-up shirt source; I think almost all of mine have their label inside, and they last forever.  My very favorite long sleeved Talbots denim shirt is at least 15 years old and still looks no worse than “broken in.”

Then at 6pm, I have these NYDJ crops.  I wore my green cord skinny jeans earlier this week, and with highs near 70 and humidity above that, it’s time to retire them until fall.  Anyone out there familiar with NYDJ?  Wouldn’t the left-most Talbots top and these jeans be a great almost year-round casual work outfit – with much more practical shoes?!

I never wear heels with ankle pants to work.  In fact, the only way I wear heels to work is in boots, and even then, they are 2″ or lower.  I was caught needing to till – steer the back end of a ladder truck – last week and even in practical flats, as I climbed down, I missed my sturdier footwear.

I also need a couple of new sports bras and tanks, but even with some great sales online, I haven’t gotten there yet.

And speaking of boots, of course I have a pair in a cart at Zulily!  These Johnny Ringos are full of springtime happiness, aren’t they?  The next few months are going to be challenging at work, because I love me some bare feet in the summertime, and I definitely can’t do open toes at work.  My feet sweat, and I don’t love capris – my summer bottom of choice – with boots either, but see above…  there are days when I miss my boots if I don’t wear them.

Sigh.  Queue Tammy Wynette’s “Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman…” (aka: her legendary hit Stand By Your Man).  My male co-workers are required to wear safety boots, so they don’t have my flexibility – or the dilemma!

Do you have anything in any shopping carts?

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day

Happy Thorsday, little friday, thankful thursday, last board meeting as president, May Day…

The deer have eaten my rose bushes – and everything else that ever was green – so there are no raindrops on roses and I’m allergic to kittens, but there are still plenty of favorite things to make me smile.

Not everything is a cause for celebration.  The girls’ blog talks about another hurdle we’re trying to cross.  I am very grateful that Sis is okay, but my spirit is broken.  I’ve lost faith in some people, and in my own ability to keep my dogs safe, but full disclosure…  I did buy a new pair of PANK trail shoes earlier this week, so not all hope is gone.

Ebb and flow is the way of life, but this afternoon, I received one of the greatest compliments of my life.  A teenage girl, about as typical as they come (angst, challenges authority, heard moaning, “I hate my life” and the like regularly), greeted me brightly and then opened her arms wide and we hugged.

And hugged.  And held on.  And whispered things I won’t share.  Growing up can be hard, and I think she really knows not only is she the only one ever, but her parents aren’t the only adults who care deeply about her.

Neither of us are overtly affectionate, which only made the moment all the more precious.

And sometimes, being honored is inconvenient.  That’s all I’m going to say about that for now, but has anyone else ever thought, “Oh, what an honor — I just wish the timing was better”?

The sunshine and roses will be back soon.  In the meantime, I’ll take a rainy day hold tight and sway with a young friend every single time.  A resilient dog with plenty of kisses and sassy demands for a walk – even in the rain, even after being attacked – makes the world a better place too.

And yeah, I do sing “My Girl” to the furgirls, along with “You are my Sunshine.”

What lifts you up or puts sunshine on a cloudy day for you?

 

Discuss… Most Famous Books Map

 

Right off the bat, I disagree.  Do you?

Given current events, I’d argue that Flowers in the Attic is the most famous book set in Virginia, but certainly the ones that resonate most with me are the books by Marguerite Henry about the ponies of Chincoteague.

What about your state(s)?

Bits and Bobs

Yet another week where life turned on its ear, but it’s all good stuff.  I have a great opportunity for work and was reminded again that not only did I accidentally land in the right job, but I have the best friends ever.   Instead of asking me how I could put them in such a position, they’re excited for me and while I don’t take their support for granted, I know they always have my back.  (So there’s your Thankful Thursday moment, even though I doubt any of you will actually read this on Thursday.)

And no, I didn’t forget Thorsday… never will, even when I can’t manage to get a post up.  I have a question for you over on the girls’ blog…

I’m already sipping my Sleepytime Throat Tamer tea, so I’m not in a state to give you a well-organized list of things I’ve found online this week or any such cool thing, but here are some bits and bobs you might find interesting:

• No, I’m not sick.  Dangitall, my allergies found me.  I’ve been battling itchy, “weak” eyes for several days, my nose is all goobered up (sorry… over-sharing seems to be my theme for the day), and now, there’s been enough “drip” that my throat is sore.  WAH!
• And no, I can’t take allergy meds.  Like wee Gretchen Greer, my body just doesn’t respond well to some drugs.
• I finally got you a decent photo of my hair color.  I don’t know what it will look like on your monitor, but I’m happy, the Knight is happy, and nearly everyone who has bothered to comment has been quite positive.

• Because it’s Thorsday (as I’m composing this), we need a gratuitous doggy photo.  Enter Ellie, the unofficial canine representative in the JLC.  She’s such a sweetheart!
• I’m sure I had more to say, but my tea is working and my brain is not.

What’s new with you?

 

Coffee with Friends

This post was inspired by Back Home Blue.  Those of you who click over will see first-hand that the JLC really does have some of the most delightful women in the world!  She’s droll, sweet, confident and sometimes sassy, and she’s also a podunk native with the cutest Yorkie-boy terrier.  I hope you’ll love her – and Knox (the dog) – as much as I do.

The premise – as I understand it – is I’ll post as though we were hanging out, chatting over coffee, tea or whatever, just a couple of friends catching up on life.  I might even let you use one of my favorite mugs – blue, in honor of sweet Sarah of BHB!

If we were having coffee (tea, a glass of wine, whatevs), I’d tell you…

• Evidently, I don’t look in a mirror much during the day, because I’m really not sure what color my hair is, but I like it.  In fact, I think it kinda’ matches the furgirls, from back in the day before Sissy started fading out to not quite white.
• Sometimes, you don’t know how precious family and traditions are until you have to skip one.  While we missed going to the farm because I had a migraine, it was nice to have a good chat with my aunt this evening and know that we were missed too.
• I have a rather disgusting fondness for Reeses Pieces eggs.  They’re roughly twice the size of regular Reeses Pieces, so that means more peanut butter yumminess.
• Maybe I’d serve Tazo Zen, a lemongrass and spearmint green tea.  I have some every single day, plain.
• I’d ask you to click and give a free book to a child, because reading is as natural to me as breathing and it breaks my heart that not all children have access to books.
• And after a while, I’d get restless and ask if you’d like to go for a walk… or maybe shopping.  Does hair color change what colors I can wear around my face?  I mean, I know it makes my eyes pop…

What would you share?

Stress Awareness Month

So I stumbled across the fact that it’s National Stress Awareness Month.   That’s almost funny, given that it seems nearly everyone I talk to is under more stress than usual.

Here’s my take on it…  Stress is inevitable.  Life is going to continue to throw us curve balls, so the only thing we can do is have a plan for how to handle it.  I used to worry constantly, but at some point I realized that Mary Engelbreit knew what she was talking about.

I’m a woman of action.  Despite being a philosophy student, somewhere along the line, I decided that if I can’t do something about it, there’s no point in worrying about it.  That changed my stress level significantly.

As for stress management, I have the two best stress busters in the world.  It’s hard to stay wound up when the furgirls greet me so enthusiastically and want nothing more than for me to pay attention to them and to lace up my running shoes and head out with them for still more stress reduction in the form of a walk or a run.

What stresses you?  How to do you relieve that stress?

Hair-brained

So, I had a regularly scheduled hair appointment last night.  I think I’ve been using the current stylist about a year, maybe more.  I trust her, we have a friendly rapport and I told her I was too blonde and something had to give.

Neither of these photos are accurate.  The top left selfie was at 10  pm last night, after my appointment.   The right photo was taken outside in cloudy conditions, and is too orange.  There is a copper glow, but not THAT much!

We arrived at this hue after a lengthy discussion.  That’s one of the things I like about my standing, Friday evening sessions.  She’s a night owl engaged to a musician, and I am not in a hurry to get to anything, so there’s time to strategize before the work starts.   I had gotten too blonde for my liking (see here), but I also didn’t want to just glaze it on back to my natural blah brown.  Interestingly, on my laptop, the photo on the right is representative of the auburn highlights my natural color gets when I spend a lot of time in the sun in the summer.

Neither photo includes any make-up.  Maybe Easter family time will yield some good photos.

Have you ever made a wild swing in your hair color?  Any advice for the new redder me?

ON inspiration

While I don’t shop Old Navy much – even though we do have one in podunk – I do often like their outfit looks for inspiration.  Here are some that inspire me enough that I might either actually purchase what’s in my cart or toodle into town and see what I can see.  Because I’m a little lazy – it is Sunday, after all – more information can be found at Outfits We Love.

What about this strapless dress (I don’t wear strapless much because despite custom fittings and great expense, I don’t own a strapless bra that actually works) with a pink cardi or denim jacket?  With a peplum cardi and nude sling-back kitten heels for the League annual meeting/dinner?  (Think garden-party, not business and definitely not cocktail attire.)

If I vow not to remove the cardi no matter how hot I might get, dare I wear a regular bra?

See…  I REALLY want a soft floral dress, and this is the only one I’ve found that isn’t garish, doesn’t have mis-matched seams, and I have high hopes it would fit (unlike the Vineyard Vines beauty I whined about for a whole post), and even if it doesn’t, I can invest a little in alterations.  Heck, should I buy two and have my tailor make 1″ or wider straps?

Next up… neither the shorts, nor the hat.  But I love the blouse (and it IS a different print than the dress above), and I own plenty of other jean options that would be work appropriate.  I also have a beloved pair of minty crops that would be very happy with said top.

Oh, I do like hats, but not indoors, and I don’t know that I could wear one all day long even if I was so inclined.   Anyone else get a headache from headbands, even if they aren’t too snug?  My head sure is getting fussy in its old age.

Then, there’s this number.  I want the whole outfit, minus the boots.  Much as I love boots, for some reason, those are awful to my eye.  And no, I can’t explain why after years of hating “camo” I’m suddenly drawn to that and what I call Army green.  I confess to having a pair of leggings in a very similar pattern.  I’ve always had a thing for coral, and I was stealing Daddy’s oxford shirts as a cover-up and just to float around in on hot days long before it was trendy.  I’m pretty sure I’d wear the dress with a pair of cropped leggings to work.  I intend to stock up on cropped leggings and wear some of my shirt dresses this spring.

To be clear, I like boots and bare legs, but I just don’t know about ankle boots in the warmer weather.  I have worn ankle boots and tights with dresses in the cooler months, but it’s not my favorite look there either.

And since I have an awesome pine green twill “utility” jacket, can I justify this trendy piece, even at Old Navy prices?  I will need jackets all summer long, as the office at work stays quite cool to offset the ambient temperatures in the shop area…

Last but not least, someone remind me that I don’t wear scarves in the summer and I already own a bushel and a peck.  However, I don’t have a lovely natural background with bright florals, and see above…  I do anticipate being COLD in my own office for the next 6 months…

Where do you find your inspiration?

 

Do-over

Sadly, I can’t even remember everything I put in the lost post.  However, I do know that I had blogged about the latest Chewy delivery, so we’ll start there.

It’s another Sissy-friendly product!  Before Sissy’s extensive allergies were diagnosed, they ate – and loved – EVO kibble, so it was exciting (for me) to see an EVO treat that is Sissy-approved.  (For those not accustomed to my Sissy-centric vocabulary, that means basically no land animals, no corn products at all.)  Despite some “expert opinions” that insist dogs don’t like variety, my girls’ reactions to new treats suggests precisely the opposite, and while there are no photos (in part because the treats are Gretchen-sized and also because they were excited and thus, no photo opportunities presented themselves), the girls LOVE the new to them herring flavor of the Wild Cravings.

(Now… how weird is that?!  The post/draft is gone, but the “media” I uploaded was saved.  Go figure.)

They are training treat sized for Sissy and most dogs, but for Gg, they’re just the right size for a snack, although the round shape does seem to break in the package, so there are Gg training treat bits too.  If your dog likes fishy treats – and you don’t mind fish breath – give these a try!  There are other flavors and a cat variety too.  Thanks, Chewy!  I’ve truly lost track of how many months in a row you’ve offered Sissy-approved options for us to try, but I do know that the past couple of months, there have been at least TWO options on the list of products for your bloggers to review.

Courtesy of CAbi

In a drastic shift of topic, this blog’s media library suggests that I also FINALLY shared my CAbi purchases.   It was basically this very look, but with darker ankle jeans and some in and out of fire truck friendly metallic flats.  If you click on that link, it will show you the top in more detail – sure to be a three-season favorite for years to come – and the grey-yellow jacket, which I had to be all but held down and forced into, because I can’t wear yellow.

I am a CAbi fan now.  All-day comfort, machine-washable, and I wasn’t too over-dressed at work but I was perfectly poised for an important League meeting after work.  I look forward to actually being able to attend a show and add to my “collection” soon.  I have my eye on several other pieces that should work well in my very casual work environment and with my general preference for … not too casual attire.

Sorry the selfie is so washed out.  The walls in my office are actually a lovely, light tan, but with the lighting and the light-colored jacket…  Yeah.  Anyway, it proves that I can wear yellow, strategically.

Another new love is my most recent Lilly Pulitzer purchase.  I found the wristlet at the register, and while my Lifeproof encased iPhone 5 doesn’t fit in the little interior phone spot, it does sit happily inside the case.  There’s no coin zipper, but my large checkbook-wallet holds coins, so this is the perfect grab-n-go for me.   I had a terrible time choosing which print I wanted, but given how much I hate to change bags, there’s no chance I’ll go back for another.

Courtesy of Lilly P

It’s significantly smaller than my previous go-to wristlet, which is a plus for me.   While the previous trusted friend served me well for at least two years, it was really too large to really be a wristlet.  I mean… if you can’t dangle it from your wrist without discomfort, it isn’t really a wristlet, even if it has the strap.  And best of all, it’s printed PVC, so it’s easy to keep clean and it’s lightweight.

I’m pleased enough that I’m pondering the Lilly P iPad Smart Cover too.  I found a “previous season” print on a discount website for significant savings, so what’s not to love?!  (The shipping, but anyhoo… it’s still a great deal.)

Have you had any great finds lately?

Hide and Seek?!

For the second time, a post I set to publish later didn’t.  Last time, I found the draft when I got home and hit publish.  This time though, I’ve looked in drafts, trash… everywhere, and can’t find it.  Time wasted.  Thoughts lost.  Pout.

I’ll try again after the taxes.