what made me sick

these two little sugarplum fairies and the gorgeous bride all have strep throat!

they passed it on to me and i've got a sinus infection to boot! i had a blast last weekend at tiff's wedding and now we all have strep! i worked from home yesterday and now i'm back to work. hopefully i feel well enough to make it to our holiday party tonight. i want to wear my new glitter shoes!

sickface

today's look:

sporting a creepy half smile, sunday's blowout (from being a bridesmaid in a wedding), lovely dark circles under my eyes (still tired from said wedding, not to mention sick with strep throat) and my new land's end scarf!

on hold

still recovering from a sunday night wedding. i had too much fun, and now i am sick. be back soon!

i never met a ruffle i didn't like

when i first saw this shirt online, i thought, 'well. there's a ruffle i don't like'.

then a few weeks later, i saw it in store, and don't know what possessed me to try it on. i thought it was ugly. but something in me cannot resist a ruffle. at all. it is a sickness. i had to try it on.

i loved it. unlike other ruffled tops, this one somehow doesn't add bulk. it is incredibly lightweight and the straps are interesting. they can be worn sort of off the shoulder, or on the shoulder, like the picture.

i was trying to wait until i came up with an exciting outfit for the top, but ended up just throwing it on with a black cardigan and jeans on friday at work.

i went shopping in annapolis with my mom later in the day and i was cold, so i switched to my land's end skinny cords and tried adding a long sleeve t shirt under it.

it looked a little weird, but i liked it!

and it happened again....

the surprise package thing.

got a box today at work. i have a hook up at kiehl's. so this was a next to nothing box o' goodies.


two bottles of the best conditioner ever, the matching shampoo, and creme de corps, basically one of the best lotions on the market. and it is even better since it cost almost nothing.

i tweeted about this yesterday, but i have to share it again. i got this fortune in a cookie last night:

if you can't make out the words, it reads: good clothes open many doors. go shopping.

did that take out man deliver the cookie to the right girl or what?

a commenter on yesterday's post mentioned a glitter belt at forever 21 that is very similar to the j crew belt. she's right! for $4.80, you can have a little piece of glitter in your life too.

the forever 21 version:

the $24.50 j crew belt:

happy shopping!

its like drunk dialing, only boxes arrive in the mail...

do you ever buy things online and then forget about it until the box arrives? clearly i have a shopping problem, because that happens to me all the time. i even buy things at stores and then forget all about it for days.

usually, the forgotten items are little trinkets, but they add up! five $20 bargains...equals $100 that i probably shouldn't have spent.

case in point: this little belt that i picked up at j crew yesterday (because it matches the shoes).


with the teacher discount, it was only $22. not a big deal right? except i'd forgotten that earlier i ordered this scarf (in the pine/rich red plaid) which was only $19.50 (with a coupon code and free shipping). BUT, i'd also ordered these stirrup leggings from nordstrom.com because i thought they'd be cute with tunics.....

they were only $22, but ugh. all those little items add up.

hi, my name is miss mindless, and i have a problem. i am a shopaholic and i want to quit.

now that it as been cold for all of two days, i am dreaming of sunshine

in january, the boy and i are going to a wedding in florida. it happens to fall over president's day weekend, so we are staying until tuesday night and will spend two days at the beach. we aren't sure yet what beach we will go to, the wedding is in winter park and we will probably drive to the atlantic coast since we can get there in about 1.5 hours. i found a cute b&b in melbourne beach that i am hoping the boy decides to book. hint, hint, i know you are reading.

it will only likely be in to 70s, not real beach weather, but you can bet i will be laying out there in my bathing suit pretending it is the height of summertime. i am planning on using one of my favorite wedding gifts in preparation for this trip; a gift certificate to everything but water for a new bathing suit.

this gift is a special one because it came from my godmother. every birthday from birth to age 15, my godmother gave me a new swimsuit or two. i have always been a water baby and serious swimsuit collector, and my godmother started my collection. i actually still own a few suits she gave to me (no, they don't fit anymore, but i can't let them go). for my wedding, she gave me a gift card to buy a new swim suit. it is so silly, but i cried like a baby when i opened it. my godmother did a reading at our wedding and though she lives in texas now and i don't get to see her very often, we have a special bond and i think about her every time i ever wear a bathing suit. a little weird, but sentimental and special nevertheless.

i have my eye on this ruffled suit. it should camouflage some of the winter blubber, right?

i also love the bright print of this tankini

it will be so nice to leave winter behind in january, if only for a few days!

post-holiday holiday

i had a wonderful thanksgiving. we ate at my mom's and then went to the boy's family dinner for round two. we missed out on going to my dad's, which stinks, this is the first time i a LONG time that i didn't see my dad and grandmother on thanksgiving. i won't let that happen at christmas!

this morning, i trekked out to lansdowne, virginia for a short stay at the lansdowne resort with my fabulous travel writer friend johnica reed. so far, it has been wonderful. we had lunch at one of the restaurants at the golf club here and then went to their spa, spa minerale for facials and some relaxation. after a huge dinner and too much wine, we are off to bed in our suite. tomorrow, we are headed back to the spa for some more pampering and then to off to tour some of loudon county's wineries!

happy thanksgiving!

dress love

the obamas at the white house state dinner.

dress love. so chic, so glam and so perfect.

and in a j crew cardigan and rachel roy skirt earlier that day:

i love that we've got such a stylish first lady.

bows gone wrong

it is pretty obvious that i LOVE ruffles and bows. anything girly and i'm happy.

i am hoping that santa brings me these adorable little earrings:

the ring is also adorable

while still being a bit ridiculous...

but the necklace takes the cake

totally out of control, and a little ugly. but for some reason, i still want it.

maybe i'll settle for the hair pins...

would you wear any of these items?

my hypothetical holiday table

i won't be hosting any holiday dinners this year, but no reason not to think ahead to next year...right?


i love gold accents, so it is fitting that i picked a china pattern with gold:

i cannot wait to use this china fori will need some big gold chargers:

here are some adorable martini glasses that i MUST have on my table:

how fun, right?

i think gold flatware could be fun as well...

and how ridiculous would it be to have a tartan tablecloth? so holiday and festive, right? i am clearly nowhere near scottish, but i love tartans at christmastime.

i also love this 12 days of christmas tablecloth from williams-sonoma

i have have this centerpiece i've been dreaming up in my head for years (creepy i know) that involves a gold (probably spray painted) birds' nest and golden eggs, lots of candles and a few other items.

what are the absolute must have items on your (real or hypothetical) holiday table?

make up free monday

today is another makeup free day. i was running late this morning, and it was either make up or make my meeting. the meeting won out. so, today is no make up and super fuzzy hair. oh well!

i am wearing a tj maxx jersey dress that was $9.99 with black leggings, boots and this scarf from target. it is not as perfect as my steven alan infinity scarf, but pretty darn close for a fabulous price. babysis is getting one in her belated birthday box. i wll not post her birthday box contexts yet since she reads and i want her to be a little surprised!

remember how i said i needed hobo gloves while working at my desk last week? i was not joking.

i am that cold right now. my office is about 55 degrees. it might be warmer outside. i don't care how crazy i look.

and for laughs, here is me with jacob at the new moon party.

i know i am nuts, and i don't even care.