Jason's homecoming: the official outfits

Yes, you read that correctly, I did say outfits. First, lets start with the ones you chose.



"Ode to Joy" was my final pick! Both dresses are beautiful and very well made, but as you may (or may not) be able to tell, "Soda Fountain In Grape" (left) hung on my top half sort of awkwardly. It just made me look very boxy. So it was returned to the swell folks at ModCloth (who I am still not being paid or compensated to endorse).

But, after aaaalllll that: I just found out the other day that there's a high chance that the boys will be coming home in the evening! >>palm. forehead.<< As soon as Jason said "night time ETA," I had a flash back to August when I was still job hunting (and had an interview at Sephora). I wandered into Banana Republic because even though I couldn't afford anything I wasn't in a buying mood, I just always love being in their stores. Until I saw these: dark wash boot cut jeans.


My inner spender starting screaming, Let me out, let me out! But their $79.50 price tag made me stop and think: did I want new jeans? Or did I want to pay the Internet bill this month? Since at no point did my blog black out in August, I think you know what I chose. Back on the rack they went. {insert whimper and sniffle here}

Fast forward to yesterday. Now with the evening arrival of my husband, I asked my mom and if could swing by BR while we were out and about since I could finally afford those jeans I was in a very buying mood. Imagine my delight when they were marked down to $49.50! So, here's the new homecoming outfit.




(i know it's bad luck to open an umbrella indoors, but you have to appreciate how cute the whole thing is.)

Outfit Details
Jeans - Banana Republic
Top - Nordstroms
Boots - some random little shoe place in North Carolina
Trench - Target
Umbrella - Burberry (Smartbargains.com)
Gloves & scarf - Target
I'm telling you people, after standing around at three a.m. in the middle of March (and with the crazy freak weather we're having here), we are going prepared! Hot chocolate, Irish coffee, hot cider, blankets, pillows, board games--you'd think we were preparing for a natural disaster (or a really crazy and cold tailgate)! Today I plan to do my grocery shopping since I'm off (and order the tiramisu!) and start preparing for--what's looking to be--a slew of house guests in the days leading up to the arrival.

But everyone has been informed that when Jason arrives, they all get an eviction notice. Hehe...


- Grocery Shopping
- Have duvet dry cleaned
- Make chocolate covered strawberries
-Purchase mirror for bedroom
- Mop, sweep, & vacuum like crazy
- Paint other foot stool
- Find cold weather alternative for homecoming outfit
- Hit up Tuesday Morning & Dollar Tree for some cheap fall decor
(see my fall decorating bonanza parts one, two, and three here).

Homecoming: The Outfit(s)

Well, I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one having issues choosing a dress for Jason's homecoming. Many of you were also torn and often left votes for two or three dresses! But after tallying up your comments, these two landed neck and neck.




Being that they're fairly affordable, I ordered them both to see which one looks best on me and with the shoes I purchased. Oh right! I didn't show you my glitter shoes!






Outfit details:
Top: Victoria's Secret - Capris: Anchor Blue - Shoes: Marry Ann by Enzo Angiolini - Purse: Prada - Sunglasses: Banana Republic - Mani/pedi: OPI Queen of Everything - Friends: James & Aubrey, flown in from Texas

Aren't those shoes fun?! They glitter in the sunlight like crazy. Everywhere I went I was asked where I bought them (Nordstrom's). As Carrie Bradshaw says, "I try not to play favorites with my shoes..." but these have definitely stolen my heart. Thankfully, I think they will work with either homecoming dress, which was something I had in mind when I purchased them. They are super lightweight and they have only a 2.5-inch(ish) heel which makes them comfy and very wearable--a good thing since homecomings can be a lot of waiting around looking pretty.

This week I'm having my hair done, and while I was attemtping to go red, I've decided it's really not for me (I blame it on watching too many episodes of "Mad Men" and "True Blood"). But I've decided I definitely like myself in the deep browns. So hopefully a nice trim (more like a cut, my ends are horrendous) and new color will help inspire the look for the big day! ♥

We interupt your regularly scheduled program for GLITTER!

So, when did shoes become part of "all that glitters?!" I was looking for some shoe inspiration to help me better decide on a homecoming outfit (seems I'm not the only one who likes all those dresses!) and I soon found myself swooning over the styles that are out there right now!



Think pink baby!
BP Platinum "Jet" Pumps, $80



"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Toto..."
J. Reneé "Gabriele" Pumps, $90



Oui, oui, monsieur!
J. Reneé "Parisa" Peep Toe Mule, $90



Sparkle, sparkle!
Enzo Angiolini "Sully" Platform Pumps, $90



All that glitters is gold.
Martinez Valero "Zeta" Pump, $150



Subtlety is an art form.
Via Spiga "Opal" Pumps, $200



Go bold or go home!
Stuart Weitzman "Avalon" Pump, $355
And these were just what I found at Nordstroms! Macy's is carrying a few pairs that are making me oogle in lust as well. With my current love of all things metallic (hello? my lamp and tray for the master bedroom) is it any wonder that I'm loving them in my wardrobe too? I even purchased metallic nail polish from Sephora and am seriously digging the effect! You'll have to wait for an outfit post to see the combo though! ;) And stayed tuned, because I have a feeling one of these pair of shoes will be coming home with me today and helping me make the final decision on my homecoming outfit!

Homecoming: The Outfit (help!)

In case you haven't checked your calendar lately, we're nearly 80% done with Jason's deployment! (Cue the fireworks and patriotic music!) You've all been so wonderful getting me through this thing. Between the identity fraud and the lawyers, trying to sell our house and eventually putting it back up for rent, my job hunting, drama with so-called friends and the like, it's been a rough summer! However, there's always a silver lining in everything.



Yes, we're still dealing with the identity theft issues, but at least now we have a legal team on our side (we're gonna get you, you little bastard!). Our house never did sell, but we have a renter in it again who's busy making it her own (we just gave permission for her to paint the master bedroom). I finally found a wonderful job with fabulous hours and a great team to work with (hallelujah!). And I've learned that sometimes friends are just a reminder of your past that need to be remembered nostalgically. After all, a windshield is bigger than a review mirror for a reason: you're supposed to spend more time looking ahead of you than behind.

But enough of my pearls of "wisdom." Let's get to the fun stuff: the homecoming outfit!! I asked Jason what he would like me to wear and his answer (of course) was a trench coat, heels and lingerie! Well, I'm sure he and the rest of the unit wouldn't mind that, but I'm a bit more modest (but only a bit)! Besides, I have the other boys coming home too and they'll be getting lots of hugs as well.



So, to humor my husband but to be a little more people friendly, I started looking for trench style dresses. And I found a few others I liked along the way. Now I need your help! My readers have never steered my wrong in helping me pick out my outfits, especilly for my military events!

Work your magic readers!
















Which dress would you choose if you were going to see
your husband for the first time in seven months??

All photos courtesy of ModCloth. I have not been compensated or paid to endorse this brand--I just love 'em! ;)

Potato/tomato

Ever since I posted my photo for the "Mad Men" competition and giveaway (still plenty of time to enter, and you can enter more than once!), my inbox has been flooded with e-mails! From how I do my make-up and take care of my skin, to how I stay in shape, and asking for more outfit posts like I used to do, you've all had some great things to say and ask! I'm trying to get back to everyone one by one, and I may do a little series that answers all the questions I got.

But, in the meantime, I will give you something many of you have been asking for--another outfit post!


This is definitely a more vintage-esque outfit. I like the way it reminds me of Rosie the Riveter. I'm headed out for some sight seeing today with my mom, step-dad, and step-sister. I wanted to pin my hair up because we're going to be doing a lot of walking around! I also love the way this top fits me. The last time I wore it, I had to wear a wasit cincher underneath it. But not now!

Outfit Deatils
Top: Pin Up Girl Clothing - Jeans: Levi - Shoes: Keds Spright Wedges in Tomato - Earrings: potato pearls, gift from Jason ♥ - Hair ribbon: white gift wrapping ribbon - Mani/pedi: OPI Cosmo-Not Tonight Honey!

Mad About Giveaways (Mine!)

**THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED!**

Okay, so I've never asked any of my readers to do this before, but I need your help winning a contest! Yes, it's a little on the silly side, but the pay off for you is nice (and me too, who am I kidding?). Here's what's up.

I'm throwing my hat in the ring to win a walk-on role for AMC's "Mad Men!" You can check me out here! Naturally the selection process begins with viewers voting for their favorite. I think you know where I'm going with this...

I NEED YOUR VOTES! :) :) :)



Don't you want to vote for me??

What's in it for you? A prize! If you help me, I'll help you. Isn't that how the world works? For every vote you contribute, you'll receive an entry to win a $100 gift card to a retailer of your choice! It had been confirmed that you can vote more than once! So even if I don't win, you still do! Pick your poison: Home Depot? Banana Republic? ModCloth? Etsy? As long as I can buy a gift card to it, you can have it!

THE OFFICIAL RULES

Contest Closes: September 6, 2010 at 11:59 pm (ET).

Who Can Enter: Anyone with a valid mailing address and a retailer who offers gift cards.

Prize: A $100(USD) gift card to the retailer of your choosing. If store is local (as in not local to San Diego County, CA, USA), their website must have a "purchase gift card" option with a $100 denomination choice.

How to Enter: Visit my photo on the AMC/BR Mad Men Casting Call website (click here or above) and click VOTE. Then come back here and let me know in the comments section that you voted. I am trusting everyone to be honest here! I will be able to tell if I only have 40 votes but 100 entries.

Winning: One (1) winner will be selected using Random.org on September 7, 2010.

Banana Republic, AMC, the "Mad Men" brand and all parent, subsidiary, and affiliate companies in no way have anything to do with, sponsor, or endorse this contest.

Thanks in advance for humoring me,
and good luck to all who enter!

And, in case anyone out there is wondering...

Outfit details: Dress: Banana Republic Outlet Store (bought back in 29 Palms, this is the first time I've worn it!) - Heels: Anne Klein - Vintage brooch: Etsy - Earrings: Potato pearls, gift from Jason ♥ - Nail polish: OPI Vodka & Caviar - Martini glass: gift from the "Sex and the City 2" premier

Oh, and spread the word for me, will ya? ;)

skipping ahead

I feel kind of bad for cutting off the wrap up on Oregon (we really did have a fantastic time, I love my new cousins, and Jason and I are seriously considering moving up there once he retires), but there's just so much going on right now that I don't want to get any further behind than I already (feel that I) am. So, here's a peek and quick catch up of what's been happening in the Nut Shell:

- We FINALLY got Jason's signing bonus and have officially paid off all our credit cards. Yay!

- We (obviously) didn't end up going to San Francisco as planned--the horrible, awful travel agency had to be threatened with being reported to the Better Business Bureau before they returned any of my phone calls and emails, and by that time we told them to shove it and refund our money. Steer clear from Seagull Vacations!

- The Thanksgiving decor-and-project-a-thon is in full swing and I have been busy busy busy! A big fat post on that to come!

- We visited a local estate sale warehouse where I went a wee bit crazy--but OH did it pay off.

That's all for now--I have to get back to a project outside before the sun sets and it gets too dark to see out there. But stay tuned because there's a lot happening with your nutty hosts! ;)

I leave you with an recent outfit that I loved, and have just dubbed "Pretty in Pink." I went super romantic with natural pink make-up, a renaissance style blouse, and curls.



Outfit Details: top - Charlotte Russe; jeans - American Eagle; shoes - Söfft; earrings - Maurice's; purse - Louis Vuitton

october 26 & 27

Monday we had our sights set on the Oregon Capital building. Sad to say, it kind of blows. I was shocked to find out they had zero information on the Oregon Trail (which, according to my grandma, my great-great-great grandmother came cross-country on). However, I did learn more about volcanoes, tidal waves, and the different types of rocks found in Oregon than I ever cared to know. At least it was pretty.



Tuesday, I got to spend some time with my "new" cousin, Amy. She married my cousin Chris four years ago (only five months before Jason and I were married) but this was the first time we were getting to meet and hang out. Come to realize, Amy and I have a lot in common! Silly things too like, we've both broken our right ankle, and I broke my left wrist while she broke her middle finger on her left hand. We both love antiques, DIY projects, old houses, and number of other things that had us marveling. (Interesting fact: Chris and Jason are only 12 days apart, and we were married just days before their son was born).

Anyhoo, I was happy to find out that everyone in Salem seems to love antiquing! So that's where we went Tuesday afternoon along with my Aunt Patti, Grandma, and one of Patti's daughters.



Outfit of the day: vintage grey jacket - etsy; "Harry Potter" scarf - American Eagle; grey tights - Hue; shoes - Söfft; vintage brooch - etsy.

We visited some amazing shops (and sadly passed up many more) but I was able to snag a few goodies that fit nicely into my suitcase!



Clockwise from top: Ball Mason jars--the old fashioned blue ones ($5 & $8), grey felt hat with netting ($10), vintage tartan print ($12), vintage children's records ($3 each).

I was SO thrilled to see the mason jars, especially as the only ones I can find in our area of California tend to be pricey. I'm going to use them around the house and I may even start asking Amy to ship me some if she finds any (if you're reading Amy!).

The grey hat was shamefully an impulse buy as it just looked incredible with my grey jacket. I plan to clean it up and embellish it a little more, but at $10 she was in lovely condition.

The tartan gentleman happened to be hanging on a wall and was shouting at me to buy him. He's dressed in the Wallace Clan tartan. Jason happens to be a huge fan of William Wallace and everything "Braveheart" so home the picture came with me.

And last but certainly not least, my records. I think all the ladies were giggling at the sight of a 25 year old tearing through a collection of children's records, but so many of my favorites were residing amongst the boxes. And at $3 a piece, I wasn't about to let some of the classics go unpurchased. I came home with "Winnie the Pooh & the Blustery Day" (my all-time favorite "Winnie the Pooh" story), "Alice in Wonderland" (my second favorite Disney movie, next to "Sleeping Beauty") and "Peter and the Wolf," which is a record I can remember listening to as a small child. I loved how all of the animals were a different instrument. I can't wait to get them on my record player!

All in all, a rather successful day!

need your opinions dear readers

So we take off Saturday morning and I am having a hell of a time figuring out what to wear on the plane! We all know there's that unspoken "rule" about airplane-chic, but we also know that nowadays an ensemble has to be security gate friendly as well. Thankfully, we're only in for a two hour flight which makes the ability to wear something a little more chic and not have to worry about much discomfort.

I had been planning on wearing my grey jacket with grey tights and black shoes for the flight. However, the shoes have buckles on them which makes for a struggle to take them on and off to walk through security. The whole jacket-dress combo may confuse the security guards and the last thing I want to do is have to flash a Travel Security Agent or be taken off to some little room because I refuse to remove my jacket (which is actually being worn as a dress). Plus, I wear a vintage brooch on the lapel and that's sure to set off alarms unless I unfasten it and send it through the x-ray machine. Quite an ordeal to start the trip, wouldn't you say?

Therefore, I've come up with these outfit alternatives and I'm needing your help deciding on which one I should wear.

Outfit #1

Black bow cardi with jeans, faux snake skin slip-on pumps (I can do airports in heels), grey jacket (worn as a jacket), and pearls to accessorize.



Outfit #2

Grey chinos with layered tees, grey knit sweater (which is a little longer than bolero length), and choice of shoes. The shoes directly correspond with the combination I layer the tees in. If I wear white on top of brown, it takes on a grey hue and looks fabulous with my faux snake skin heels. If I wear brown on top of white, the colors match perfectly with my Ugg boots. The sweater would also be accessorized by a vintage brooch and I'd wear my diamond earrings to top it all off.



If it makes any difference, right now Oregon is experiencing highs near 60-degrees F (or 15-degrees C), and lows near 40-degrees F (or 4-degrees C), and no rain for the day we arrive. However, both Friday and Sunday are calling for about an 80% chance of rain, so I'm not expecting that prediction to stick!

So what do you think?

birthdays & baseball

What a weekend! I'm still exhausted and I think I could nap the day away! But I knew I had to do a blog post about my parents' 50th birthday party first--not to mention our baseball game on Sunday (Go Padres!! We won!!).

The party had a wine theme; these were the centerpieces we concocted.



Labels made by yours truly.



Orchids floating in purple water.



Sir Winchester greeting the guests. He was a gift to my mother from Stephanie and I one year for Mother's Day.



The eight layer birthday cake was topped with chocolate pirouettes, cream puffs, and crushed Heath Bar candy bar. I stayed far away from it, and I was quite proud of myself!



Late in the evening, Jason and I dancing with twins Emily and Riley.



Riley loved the band!





And Jason loved Riley! If you look closely you can see him kissing her little head. She was just about to fall asleep, as he was rocking her to a slow song by the band.



Emily escaped the night branded by my signature staple: red lipstick!



Sunday was the baseball game. We had a lovely lunch at The Tilted Kilt in downtown San Diego, then climbed the thousand stairs up to the nosebleed section for our seats (hey--the tickets were free! We weren't going to complain!) Ever wondered what I drive around in? That's my little blue car behind me!





It was hot up there, but we had a great time!



Outfit Details (Saturday): top - Old Navy; jean capris - Anchor Blue; shoes - Spright wedges by Keds in Tomato; mani-pedi - OPI Vodka & Caviar.

Outfit Details (Sunday): top - Pin Up Girl Clothing; jeans - Banana Republic; jacket - from high school; shoes - Spright wedges by Keds in Tomato; purse - eBay; sunglasses - Target; mani-pedi - OPI Vodka & Caviar.

lovelies

I have a bunch of pictures for you to gawk at today! Yesterday on the Fedora Lounge, I came across a thread about the everyday vintage woman. Pictures of real people during the thirties and forties; many of us even had family pictures we could share. I wanted to share my favorite one with my readers.



This gorgeous lady is my grandmother circa 1944. This is my most favorite picture of her ever. It's one of those manually colored photos, which I think makes everything look even more beautiful (it's also why it's in a bigger format--I want you to be able to see the details).

Also yesterday, Jason and I went to the outlet malls. I was in need of some bottoms for an upcoming baseball game we're going to. I've been corresponding with Fleur de Guerre for help on my outfit, as well as taking advice from Super Kawaii Mama.

This is the outfit I've decided on for the game.



The top is from Pin Up Girl Clothing, and the bottoms are from the Banana Republic Outlet. They are the most comfortable pants ever! Plus, they give the illusion of being high-waisted, which I can't really pull off. In reality, they sit about an inch or so below my belly button. All that's missing are my red Ked wedges, my red polka dot purse (from eBay), and my white wide brimmed hat.



I got very fortunate when buying the Keds. They were $40 off and they only had two sizes left--an 11 and a 6.5. Hurrah for little feet!

Today we're off to do some grocery shopping and run some errands. We need computer paper so I can start practicing my cursive hand writing! I've downloaded some old fashioned practice sheets from a teacher's website. They look interesting to say the least!

Here's today's hair and outfit:



Another success with my sponge rollers!



Outfit Details: sailor pants - American Eagle Outiftters; top - Banana Republic Outlet (I like the nautical feel to the tie); shoes - Rampage, from eBay; mani color - Vodka and Caviar by OPI.