5.27.2014

To The Max

Today definitely called for a knit, maxi skirt. After a beautifully sunny Memorial Day weekend, it is only fitting that we have an awfully stormy work day Tuesday.

Hope you had an enjoyable holiday weekend. 

Best,

H. 


Here's the look:
Shirt: Old Navy, from the great deals a couple of days ago. Find similar here.
Skirt: TJ Maxx, very old
Sandals: Madden Girl, last year. Find similar here. 
Umbrella: Mini Totes. Find similar here. 
So this rain is real, not just for photographing purposes.
So I am thinking of going gray. Yeah, I want to see what I would look like. I told my mom this and she said, "No way! You can't go gray while I still color my hair. What will people think." She kills me sometimes.

Silver and turquoise necklace and matching bracelet are both Ralph Lauren; watch, Fossil; can't remember where I got the cross and bead bracelets and ring.

I don't think that I am afraid of this snake; now others, that's debatable. 


Earrings are a gift from my niece. They're from Egypt.

5.21.2014

Woman Can Not Live On Bread Alone

Here's another embarrassing find from Old Navy. This 3/4-sleeve shift dress was also $0.97. Yes, your eyes are not in need of a check up...less than $1. You know how they say a lady should never share her age; or a lady should never kiss and tell? Is there anything written about what a lady should or should not do when it comes to finding bargains? Because this lady tells everyone who asks or wants to listen.

I am not embarrassed to say how much something costs or share where I found something. On the contrary, I can instead over share and want others (especially my friends) to get the bargains too. I say this ALL. THE. TIME-- it's about prioritizing. It's picking between a sandwich at Panera (or 1/2 sandwich, 1/2 soup combo) and an INC blouse on the clearance rack at Macy's or a button-down at the Gap or in this instance, a shift dress from Old Navy. It's deciding not to go out to lunch with your co-workers because you have your eye on a pair of wedges at TJMaxx that will get that awesome, yellow clearance label on Wednesday (that's when they mark down, traditionally). 

Yep, I'm all about prioritizing when it comes to my closet. You know what the Great Book says, {woman} can not live on bread alone...she needs to have something (on sale) to keep her warm. I know. I know. It doesn't really say that in the Bible nor is it the correct meaning, but I believe that Jesus has a sense of humor.

Happy Wednesday!

Best,

H.
Here's the look:
Shift dress: Old Navy
Shoes: Tommy Hilfiger
Necklaces: chloeandisabel. Find here chloeandisabel.com/boutique/heidir


Don't always like to take full-body selfies but my photographer was not in the mood to take pictures today.


I love these two necklaces together.

5.20.2014

Green on Tuesday

After church last Sunday, I opted for the mall instead of Sam's Club. Now, the mall next to our church is nothing to write home about, but at least it has some of the stores I like (Macy's, Old Navy, Charlotte Russe to name a few). So the hubster and the kiddos dropped me off and off they went to Sam's Club to purchase...you know, I don't even remember what they got. I guess I was still on my shopping high when they picked me up 30 minutes later. That is all the time I need. A girl can do a lot of damage in 30 minutes...and this girl is a dangerous pro!

I went to one store: Old Navy--mainly because I had a gift card to Banana Republic (in our neck of the woods, having a Banana Republic in the mall is like asking for a small miracle...but we have no problem getting a Dollar Tree, a Family Dollar or an all-you-can-eat anything buffet) that I wanted to use.

I tried on a few items, and the attendant asked me if I tried on shorts; I don't normally wear shorts unless they resemble capris. I said no and why. I found out that Old Navy has a promotion that if you try on shorts, they will issue you a $5 coupon to use on of a purchase of $35 or more. Heck, for 5 bucks, I'll try on shorts and that's what I did, but I didn't like them enough to buy them.

But what I did end up getting (along with other cute items) are these pants below. Guess how much? I'm almost too embarrassed to type the digits...$0.97. Yep, not a typo. I got them for less than $1. 

I AM GOOD!

I asked the sales associate the reason for the drastic mark down. Answer: winter clearance. Winter clearance? Not in my book...I mean, closet.

I'll share other items that I snagged.

Happy Tuesday.

Best,

H.
Here's the look:

Cardigan: Cable and Gauge. Find similar here.
Blouse: Alfani. Worn before
Pants: Old Navy. Find similar here.
Sandals: Bandolino. Find similar here




Pants have a light textured pattern that's hard to pick up on camera.


Try to ignore the "parting of the seas" which are my gray hairs. Time for a touch-up!
Earrings are from my boutique at chloeandisabel.com/boutique/heidir. I have my Tresor key charm (also on my boutique) paired with my Sabika row choker.



A close up of my Tresor key charm




5.18.2014

Chambray & Chains on Church Sunday

I think that I have finally recovered from chaperoning my son's 8th grade field trip to Washington, DC. I was in a group with 6 boys and 4 moms (including myself). We definitely had strong parental representation in my group. Unfortunately, the trip did not include shopping for jewelry, tasting wine or sampling sushemi. What it did include was sightseeing, A LOT of sightseeing. And being a DC virgin, I walked around in awe like the rest of the tourists. Come on, we all know what they look like. I am sure that I could have taken more than the 10 or 15 photos I have on my iphone, but I am also sure that if I would have done that, the boys (and moms...I was the only newbie) in my group would have ditched me somewhere between the Cannon House and the Rotunda. And I definitely did not want to risk that since I was running on a very low battery, figuratively and literally

But I digress....Have I ever mentioned how much I love chambray shirts? Lightweight, versatile and figure-flattering...at least I think so. 

Hope you're having a splendid Sunday!

Best,

H.
Okay. I swear that these pants were ironed. But you know linen...if you cross your legs or sneeze a little too strongly, you get a wrinkle or two. I love linen, but I hate how fast it wrinkles.

Here's the look:
Chambray: American Eagle. Find similar here.
Pants: Super, super, super old, TJMaxx
Wedges: Madden Girl, a couple of summers ago

Chains are a mixture of Sabika, chloeandisabel and generic. Love them all together.


Long chain and tresors decorative key charm on my website at chloeandisabel.com/boutique/heidir



5.15.2014

Rainday Thursday

OMG! Enough already. My hair CAN. NOT. TAKE. THIS. All I am asking for is 24 hours of moisture-free hair and clothing. We are half-way through May and it seems fitting to say, "April showers have not brought May flowers but more May showers!" Or maybe I should say, "Rain, rain go away and don't come back another day." Basically this weather has turned me into a whiny child. But, wait...kids LOVE the rain. So, I'm a grumpy old lady.

I guess I need to just stop and smell the roses...oh, wait...they haven't bloomed yet.

Best,


H.

This is what LL Cool J meant when he said, "Mama Said Knock You Out." This is definitely a mama said knock you out ring, and I LOVE IT! This is the blush glass cushion cut ring. You can find it through my boutique here. And as a side note, I did meet LL a couple of years ago and even got my picture snapped with him. He is gorgeous!
Here's the look:

Blouse: T.J. Maxx, super old
Skirt: Maurices two years ago
Shoes: Franco Sarto


With my mama said knock you out cushion-cut ring, I am wearing my feather& cabochon long pendant necklace. Find here


5.12.2014

Blue & Green & Everything In Between

My kids have talked me in to having a vlog...a video blog or video log to showcase my chloeandisabel jewelry. They told me that this is the best thing for me to do if I want people to become interested in the brand. This makes sense because sometimes it is difficult to see jewelry dimensions when they are flat on paper. I am sure that there will be some sort of monetary exchange for their services. But, I know this: they are definitely smarter than they pretend to be. Sure, they can't turn on a toaster or "boil water," but they know how to produce and edit videos. So, I will keep you posted on that.

Hope you have a good work week!

Best,

H.
I don't mean to be frowning in these pictures but the sun was right in my eye. Time to invest in sunglasses?
Here's the look:

Shirt and skirt: jcp
Cardigan: J. Crew factory
Sandals: Nine West, last year. Find similar here. 



Bracelet: chloeandisabel organic link toggle bracelet. Find on my boutique here: chloeandisabel.com/boutique/heidir. Ring: chloeandisabel brilliant crystal ring. Find also on my boutique.

Mint ball necklace: groopdealz
Branch necklace: chloeandisabel. Find similar on my boutique








5.10.2014

Soccer, Staff Meeting and Shopping

So much for the sleeping til 8 a.m. (I know, for some of you this wouldn't be considered "sleeping in") on a Saturday. But we had to be out on the soccer field by 8:30 a.m. Well, technically, my 11-year-old son had to be on the field while I could have remained in bed. But that would have given me the distinction of bad mom, or worse yet, worst soccer mom of the year and undeserving of the SUV I drive. For some reason, the game seemed longer than usual today...longer than AYSO's regulation time. But in the end, the score was 3-3. Perfect for AYSO!

After the early morning wake-up call, I headed to the animal hospital for our monthly Saturday staff meeting. Sometimes, I feel like I am a broken record when it comes to reminding staff about on-hold calls and wait time, and making sure that emails are accurate...one extra space or character may result in a client not getting his/her information. I also had the staff take a 5-minute personality quiz. Basically, the results of the test (super unofficial and definitely not endorsed by ANY psychologist) characterize the test taker as either a lion (take charge), otter (talkative), golden retriever (people pleaser) or beaver (slow, perfectionist). Even though it's a silly, little test, the staff thought that their results were on target. I came out a lion.

Even though Mother's Day came last week in my home, I still had to get my mom a gift. My mom has been very supportive of everything I have done...even though she may be cynical at times, she is still supportive. She will definitely love what my boys and I picked out for her. I will share with you soon.

Mother's Day gift for mom? Check! 

While we were out, I made a quick trip to jcp (so unnecessary and impulsive) to see what kind of bargains they had on a Saturday. Here is what I picked up. 






Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Best,

H.

5.04.2014

Running Around, The Other Woman and a Little Midnight Romance

It's not what you think. Honestly. This is just going to be a recap of some of this weekend's events and of course... outfits.

I spent most of Saturday running errands with my boys. And finding the perfect pair of Adidas for my teenager was top on the list (you should know that Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona wears Adidas...why do you think he's such an awesome soccer player?). After hitting four different shoe stores, he finally found a pair...of course not before one of the "employees" at one of the shoe stores (where we DID NOT make a purchase) said to him, "Oh, you're looking for Adidas? Hmmm, you know, not many people are wearing Adidas these days, buddy." Seriously? This is your sales pitch? This is your strategy for earning your commission? Telling people that what they want isn't popular is your secret sales weapon?  Or is this Chapter 4 of Marketing 101: Reverse Psychology, What to Say to Customers When There is Inadequate Inventory? If it is, you need to return this book IMMEDIATELY!

Those who know me, know that I am not a huge planner when it comes to family vacations and/or leisure activities. And in every family, there is at least one planner, and in my family, I'm it. As of today, no family vacation is planned yet.  Last night, my friends texted to see if I wanted to go see The Other Woman with them. And without any hesitation, I texted back, "I'm game." See, no plans. I do much better when other people make the  plans. I have not seen a chick flick (or any flick) in so long, and wow, did I enjoy it. I think I laughed at 95% of the lines and scenes. This could either be because the movie was really funny, or I was really, really desperate for a night out with girls! Maybe a mixture of both.

When I got home from the movies, I was treated to wrapped packages from my hubby and boys. So I leave for two hours, and I come home to presents? I should do this more often. This is typical of my family. No, not the random gifts, but thinking it's a certain day when it's not...like Mother's Day. After telling them several times that Mother's Day is next Sunday (NOT this Saturday!), I opened the packages. They did well...Ralph Lauren's Midnight Romance mixed with chocolate hearts from Dylan's candy. I have worn Romance in the past but not Midnight; it has a sexy, sweet smell and is as delicious as the chocolate hearts that accompanied it.

Since yesterday was apparently Mother's Day in my house, what will next Sunday be? 

Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Best,

H.
Running errands and the movies
Jacket: Sears, super old
Shirt: Calvin Klein
Pants: Old Navy, couple years ago
Sandals: Guess


Statement ring: chloeandisabel.
Link bracelet: Brighton
Watch: Michael Kors

Ring: Pave North South Ring in yellow, chloeandisabel. You can find it on chloeandisabel.com/boutique/heidir

Heart pendant necklace by chloeandisabel. Find here.

Mother's Day gift on Saturday. Love my boys!


Bangles: all chloeandisabel


This is becoming one of my favorite pieces. Find here.


5.01.2014

Three Shades of Purple

I never read Fifty Shades of Grey, but friends have shared with me (unsolicited of course) different versions of what happened throughout the erotic romance novel. When the novel came out, I remember my then 11-year old, who is a definitely a bookworm (only in the reading sense, not necessarily studying), asked me if I were going to get the book. He told me that it seems to be popular with moms...at least this is what he had heard on morning television. At the time, I think I may have said to him, "Really? That's interesting. I haven't read a good book in a while, maybe I'll get it or download it on our (FAMILY) Kindle." 

Well, that was the end of that idea. 

The more I learned about it on E! or... ET or... Access (apparently I watch a lot of entertainment news), the less I wanted to read it. Why bother? I already know what it's about. And besides, I stopped my subscription to Cosmopolitan when my kids started to read. I did not want them coming to me as I prepared breakfast or dinner and asking, "Mom, do you want to learn how to get a healthy, sexy vagina?" Seriously, an actual article title on front page; or "Mom, do you want to learn the 50 kinky sex moves?" Another actual front-pager. I was not ready for these types of conversations; so I traded in my Cosmo subscription for a more respectable magazine with naked people on the cover, National Geographic. Naked indigenous people on the cover of NG is totally fine. I'm okay with that. 

But what I can admit is that today's OOTD was inspired by a book I never read. I was definitely in a purplish mood today and so was my office mate, Heather. Funny story. Heather shared with me today that her mom did read my blog, but when she discovered that Heather wasn't going to be featured every time, she stopped reading it. I don't like to disappoint...Heather's mom, if you are reading this today, please scroll down to see Heather who also wore purple today. 

Hope you're getting ready for the weekend.

Best,

H.



Ignore my wrinkles and just focus on the beautiful crystal pave hoop earrings found here.

Love my Brighton with my c+i.

Purple "reigns" in the office today.
P.S. Heather, please share today's post with your mom.