Shades of Citrus

 

Pants: Madewell, Tank Top: J.Crew, Sweater: Ann Taylor, Shoes: Marc Fisher,
Bracelets: Simon Sebbag and Ralph Lauren

My parents came to Minneapolis this past weekend to visit, which basically meant three full days of nonstop eating. It was a great, fun, relaxing visit — that's the good news. The bad news is I probably won't be wearing these pants again anytime soon since they probably don't fit after the aforementioned face stuffing. Which is a major bummer, since I spent forever hunting for the perfect yellow jeans, and I've been waiting and waiting to wear them until I deemed it to be summery enough (i.e my legs wouldn't freeze because these pants are super lightweight and people wouldn't be blinded when my legs were brighter than the sun). My mom, good sport that she is, snapped these photos for me after dinner in Stillwater, this great little antiquing town in Minnesota. Dinner included several martinis, so it didn't take much convincing. In contrast, my dad stood around awkwardly facing the other direction and steadfastly pretending that he had no idea who I was. Needless to say, he's not a big fan of style blogging, especially when he gets roped into participating in it. But I can say that with absolute certainty that there's no way he's ever going to read this, so no worries about me calling him out. 

Style Matchmaker

 

Dress: Jason Wu for Target, Blazer: Nine West, Belt: Ann Taylor, Shoes: Franco Sarto,
Sunglasses: Kate Spade, Watch: Michael Kors, Earrings: Francesca's, Bracelets: J.Crew

My poor, pale legs are relishing the brief taste of spring/summer weather we've gotten this week. Although truth be told, I didn't realize just how pale they were until I put them on full display in this dress. Like so pale that I am the majority of the white of this red, white, and blue outfit. I half expected people to yell, paper, snow, A GHOST! when they saw me. But I've been dying to wear this Jason Wu for Target dress ever since I snatched it out of someone's hands the morning of the launch, and nothing, not even freakishly pale legs, was going to stop me. It's so ladylike and retro and just all-around chic (none of which are adjectives I would typically use to describe myself), that I just couldn't resist it. And as an added bonus, I already had this skinny red belt hanging in my closet. It's like they were made for each other! Clothing-and-accessories matchmaker, that's me. Probably skills I should add to my official résumé . . . or start applying to my dating life. 

Lazy Mondays

  

Jeans: Democracy, Sweater: J.Crew, Leather Jacket: Trouve (Nordstrom),
Shoes: Kenneth Cole, Necklace: Eddie Bauer, Sunglasses: Kate Spade

Monday is always the hardest day for me to get dressed. It's also the hardest day for me to even get out of bed, so I'm guessing there's some correlation. You'd think I'd come back from a lazy weekend re-energized and perky and ready to take on the world, but if you thought that, you clearly don't know me. My usual enthusiasm level most Mondays ranges somewhere around sloth-like, so summoning the energy to wake up, let alone put on real-person clothes (i.e. NOT my Northface fleece pants) is like trying to run a marathon. Throw in the fact that I've been sick for the past week or so and my body's main purpose lately seems to be making me cough up a lung, and it's a wonder I made it out of my robe this morning. So truth be told, this outfit probably isn't my best work. But it's easy and comfy, and that's all I can really ask for on a Monday. Plus I really just wanted was a chance to show off these new sunglasses, which make me feel sort of like Beyoncé. Round sunglasses and a Baby Bjorn are that girl's new favorite accessories. I mean seriously, all I need is a newborn, a thriving career in the music industry, a rapper husband, and about a bajillion dollars, and she and I could practically be the same person. 

Spring Brights

Blazer: H&M, Blouse: Twenty8Twelve, Jeans: Hudson, Shoes: Ivanka Trump, Watch: Michael Kors, 
Earrings: Simmon Sebbag, Sunglasses: Michael Kors, Bracelets: Simmon Sebbag and J.Crew

I can't count the number of people who told me yesterday, "You're so bright and colorful!" Little did they know that this was the toned-down version of the outfit I originally planned to wear. The first pair of pants I put on were electric cobalt blue jeans, and since the combined effect of those pants and this blazer nearly blinded me in the dim light of my bedroom, I decided it was best not to unleash the combo on the rest of the world. It was actually for the best in more ways than one because it gave me a chance to wear these bright blue pumps instead. Even though I tend to air on the side of the brighter the better, this was a pretty good compromise. And unlike most of my morning compromises — usually between me and the snooze button on my alarm — this one was successful. 

Easter Egg Hair

 

Jeans: Gap, Sweater: Vince, Shirt: J.Crew, Booties: Nine West, Necklace: Anthropologie,
Bracelets: Lucky Brand, Sunglasses: Michael Kors, Watch: Michael Kors

At about the same time every year I come down with some type of spring fever that results in me wanting to aggressively clean out my closet or buy an entirely new wardrobe consisting only of dresses or chop off all my hair. I can usually talk myself out of most of these things — with the exception of the closet cleaning, which always starts out with good intentions and ends with everything I own piled on my bed and me sleeping on the couch. This year it was pink highlights. I've been obsessed with the idea of getting pink/rose gold highlights for weeks, and finally followed through on it. And I love them — the pale pastel pink is exactly what I was going for and subtle enough that I don't look like I'm trying to emulate Avril Lavigne. I was a little worried about the timing since I did it right before Easter. Showing up with pink highlights is practically asking someone to say, "Your hair looks like an Easter egg!" which more than one member of my family did. But on the upside, no one sang "Beauty School Dropout" or directly compared me to Frenchy from Grease, so I'd say Easter was a success.