Peter Pan Paillettes sweater for Saturday night

***Peter Pan Paillettes sweater by Corey Lynn Calter:  Anthropologie, here
Jeans:  AG Adriano Goldschmied
Pumps:  Seychelles
Clutch:  Banana Republic
Headband:  J.Crew

It's Saturday night, and I have no reason to dress up other than wanting to look cute for my husband and 3 boys!  I've missed  blogging very much!  You didn't miss much during the days I was traveling for business... 2 out of the 3 outfits were repeats. 

I have serious love for this pretty sweater.  I love anything baby pink (shocker I know) and I adore how sweetly retro it feels with the Peter Pan collar.  It feels almost ballet-inspired as well, so I went with a bun and headband to go along with that theme. 

Hope you are having a good weekend!  Thanks so much for visiting. 

***Update:  After wearing this sweater for a few hours, it stretched out completely!  I had purchased a size medium to begin with, and I don't know what I was thinking.  I guess I thought it would give me more length.  But I returned it for a small, and it fits much better.

Navy suit + French hen

Navy lightweight wool blazer (size 6): Banana Republic, here
Martin fit navy lightweight wool pants (size 6 Long): Banana Republic, similar here
Silk boy shirt in French hen (size 6):  J.Crew, fall 2012
Red suede heels: Banana Republic Mad Men Collection, fall 2010

I almost didn't post this outfit.  I mean, let's be honest, a pants suit isn't exactly lighting the world on fire with excitement.  But the spirit of this blog is meant to show what a 30-something mom in the corporate world wears to work on a daily basis.  Sometimes that means a suit.  I actually appreciate the no-brainer that a suit can be on days that are busy, and it certainly is a very professional look. 

So I know that one of my main reasons to read other blogs is to determine sizing on certain items that I haven't gotten around to seeing IRL.  It really helps me to decide what size would be best for me if I'm ordering the item online. For that reason I'm going to start posting the sizing of all of the items I'm wearing.  Hope it helps!

I'm traveling for work for the rest of the week, so I am not sure if I will be posting any OOTD's.  If not I will post something on the weekend.  I hope you all enjoy the rest of your week!  Thanks for visiting!

Soft azalea + snakeskin print

Shrunken shawl collar cashmere cardigan in soft azalea:  J.Crew, 2008
Wool No. 2 pencil skirt in snakeskin print:  J.Crew, fall 2012
Taupe ruffle silk top:  J.Crew, 2010
Brown tights: J.Crew, fall 2012
Heels:  Mojo Moxy, DSW

I must admit, I originally bought this skirt based mostly on price.  It got marked way down, and then an extra 30% off.  But it really grew on me, and now it's one of my favorites.  I love that it's neutral enough to pair with every color, and the fit is great.  I find that I can sometimes be blinded by a good sales price only to get the item home and have a "what was I thinking?" moment.  Thankfully this skirt doesn't fall into that category.

Hope everyone is having a great Monday!  Thanks for visiting.

Giant love for J.Crew's Giant Bow Sweater

Giant bow sweater:  J.Crew, holiday 2012
Skinny jeans:  Express, so old
Intyce boots in black leather, Steve Madden, here

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!  We spent the morning cleaning frantically for another showing... one good thing about selling the house is it has never been so clean.  Afterward my husband and I desperately needed some caffeine so we took the kids out to shop and grab Starbucks, and this is what I wore.  I bought the giant bow sweater on popback right before Christmas.  At first I was concerned because it seemed so short...I measured it against the Tippi sweater and it's a good 2 inches shorter than that.  For sizing reference, this is a size small, which is my normal J.Crew size.  After I got used to the shorter length I kind of fell in love.  I mean, I know the giant-ness of the bow was too much for some ladies.  But for me, being a lover of all things kitschy and cutesy, it is perfect.  And how fun does it look with plain old jeans and boots?  I think it is so much fun!  I topped it with my wool crepe shawl collar blazer:

Wool crepe shawl collar blazer:  J.Crew Collection, fall 2012

I have gotten a lot of use out of this fun, bright blazer.  It was a good purchase for me. 

By the way, this is my hair au naturale...air dried, with a little Bumble & Bumble hair tonic and serum.  It has some natural wave but not much frizz...I kind of like it.  Thanks for reading!

Glen plaid + festival blue, and mixing old and new

Glen-plaid blazer with sash:  Ann Taylor, old
Wool No. 2 pencil skirt in festival blue: J.Crew, fall 2012
Polka dot ruffle top:  J.Crew, 2009
Black boots:  Ann Taylor

These early morning photos with the blinding sun shining in my eyes are just not flattering.  Eeps!  But I wanted to show you this OOTD because I like when I wear the older items in my cloest.  It reminds me time and again that I don't always need something new.  It's such a tempting time of year, with all of the post-holiday sales beaconing, isn't it?   I actually feel a little guilty and shopped out right now. 

What about you?  Are you shopping out are do post-holiday sales not your thing?

Review: Double-cloth slim trench in brilliant colbalt

Double-cloth slim trench in brilliant colbalt: J.Crew, here
Navy pinstripe super 120's pants:  J.Crew, 2010
Booties:  Enzo Angiolini
Pink cashmere scarf:  T.J. Maxx

I look half asleep in this picture, which is kind of how I felt all day.  First day back to work and school after a two week break is always a little tough.  I bought this gorgeous coat during one of J.Crew's recent promos for a steal...$169.99 + 30% off, which is the price right now too.  So if you are in the market for a new coat, I LOVE this one, even more than the Double-cloth metro coat, which I reviewed here.  I am going to keep both coats, because I tend to tire of wearing the same coat all winter and I like that the metro coat is longer.  But for an everyday coat, this one is really wonderful.  First let me address the warmth issue:  Many bloggers had noted that this didn't seem like the warmest coat in the world, and it doesn't have thinsulate like the metro coat.  However, I wore this coat today, when the high was only 32 degrees and I had a very thin shirt on underneath.  I was in and out of my car all day and I wasn't a bit cold.  So it's definitely warm enough for my everyday needs.

Another complaint was that this belt is too short to wrap around the back of the coat and tie, or tie in a knot in front.  That is probably true.  But again, I had no problem with this, as I think it looks much more chic to belt it as it was meant to be belted. 

On the sizing front:  I ordered a 6 Tall.  Some ladies thought the length of this coat was a bit short, but the Tall length is pefect for me, with trousers, and I am just shy of 5'10".  The 6 Tall is totally roomy enough for a sweater underneath, but not too bulky at all.  It fits pefectly except for being a bit big in the hip area.  That's ok with me.

One more feature I will address: The color.  This blue is divine, so bright and saturated.  I LOVE it and I think it will look great with many different colored scarves.  I know a lot of ladies loved the carribbean pink as well.  I didn't see that color in person, and since I have the metro coat in vintage berry, I thought the blue was the better choice.  If you are a fan of blue, this coat is gorgeous.

Hope this review helped!  This coat is a steal right now, with the extra 30% off it comes to $119.  The original price was $350, so that is close to 65% off!  Thanks for reading.

Tartan for New Year's Day

Navy schoolboy blazer:  J.Crew, 2010, this year's version here
Perfect shirt in tartan:  J.Crew, holiday 2012
Skinny jeans:  Banana Republic, 2009
Willow riding boot in deep cognac:  Banana Republic, fall 2012
Green bubble necklace:  J.Crew, fall 2012

Happy New Year everyone!  Hope 2012 was a great year for you, and 2013 even better!  I have so enjoyed reading my favorite fashion bloggers' favorite purchases and/or outfits of 2012.  What a great idea for a blog post!  I really wanted to put something similar together myself, but with traveling back from Florida and cleaning the house for a showing today (!!!) there was no time.  But I did have time to snap a quick photo of my New Year's Day outfit!  I figured I'd get at least 1 wear of my new tartan shirt as it's still appropriate to dress festively for New Year's Day, right?  I grabbed this shirt on popback last week.  After seeing it on literally every single one of my favorite bloggers, I of course felt the burning desire to jump on the tartan bandwagon!  I can see why all of you ladies love it...it's really fun, and I'm so glad it popped back in a size 6.  I probably would have loved it in a 6 Tall...but that wasn't an option.  That's ok.  Such is life for a giantess.

Any New Year's resolutions out there?  I usually hate resolutions because I never stick with them and end up forgetting what I resolved to do by May.  But this year my resolutions include being a more organized mom, trying at least 1 new recipe a week, and expanding my blog content/quality.  Not too terribly out of reach, right?  I already have all the boys' bags, coats, gloves, lunchboxes, etc...out for tomorrow morning, so I'm off to a good start!  I'm still having a bit of trouble wrapping my head around the fact that Christmas break is over, but I'm sure it will be nice to get back on schedule. 

Thanks for reading!