Flings, Pop-Ups and Family

I've been M.I.A. since last Monday and all for good reason...crazy busy. 24 hours isn't enough! Not nearly enough!

And neglecting this blog isn't something I want to do; mainly because it provides me with so much self-gratification and reflection.

I went to a jewelry "fling" on Friday, and the hostess surprised all her guests with some designer goodies...Clinique, Estee Lauder, Lancome and Lilly Pulitzer just to name a few. Jewelry, make-up and make-up accessories, what could be better? The jewelry is great but adding make-up to the deal (mixed with some white wine) is definitely better.

And as another added bonus, I met new ladies with the same passions (addictions), and rediscovered ladies I knew but never really had an opportunity to chat with. My conclusion: we are all cut from the same cloth...the one that is bedazzled and sometimes runs a size smaller than what we want, but we rock it anyway!

I hosted my first pop-up for chloeandisabel on Saturday. I had such a great time with all the ladies who came. When the jewelry is nice, it sells itself. You can tell a lot about a woman by the type of jewelry (if any) she wears. This is preliminary research; when I've formulated a thesis, I'll be sure to share with you. And I may ask you to be part of my field study.

Sunday, of course, was spent with the family, as it should be. It's a sad state of affairs, when all you got is a couple of hours on a Sunday to spend with the family, but this is the brutal reality of working for a living, or as Huey once said (I think circa '82 ), "I'm taking what they giving 'cause I'm working for a livin'." Smart man. 

I hope you have a productive week.

Best,

H.

Scenes from Friday

I guess you can tell which goodie I chose.

Scenes from Saturday. Multi-strand Torsade. Find here.  In the background, the multi-chain bib necklace, find here and the pearl and crystal drops long necklace. Find here.

This is the gorgeous pearl and spike drama necklace. Find  here. I wore this piece today mixed with one of my Sabika crosses. Find the look here. This is becoming to be one of my go-to pieces.

Scenes from Sunday

Orange Crush

One of my very favorite R.E.M. songs is Orange Crush, not because of any supposed political or war references it may or may not make, but because of its upbeat tempo...the song makes me want to get up (another R.E.M. song on the album Green by the way) and move.

When I wore this outfit, it made me want to sing Orange Crush all day, but because I am pretty much tone deaf and deaf to everything else related to vocal acuity, I settled for reciting the words to the song over and over in my mind...and I would occasionally hum them. I am sure that my office mates thought I was choking.

On that note (pun intended), have a terrific work week.

Best,

H.

Entire outfit is old, except the jewelry and shoes.
Blazer: jcp, last year.
Skirt: sears, last year.
Shirt: no name
Shoes: Franco Sarto

Oval necklace: Erica Lyons
Cross necklace: no name
Stretch bracelet: chloeandisabel. Find here.

Palm Sunday Patterns

What a beautiful day to celebrate Palm Sunday or what we refer to in the Coptic Church as the Lord's entry into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday is one of the seven major feasts that the church celebrates. Beautiful from start to end.

Today was extra special because my sister and her family (sans brother-in-law who is on-call) came to celebrate with us. When I saw my nephew I told him that I had to take some pictures with him. The color of his sweater is so cheerful and perfect for a day like today. Surprisingly, he didn't react and say things like, "Are you kidding me? You want me to be IN your blog?" or "Heidi, I'm not really into that kind of stuff?" or "What kind of teenager do you think I am?" Nope, none of that. Instead he easily said, "Sure." Such a sweetheart. So, my 14 year-old snapped some shots of the both of us.

Yes, I took my camera to church. Everyone takes their camera to church on a feast day. Why? To take pictures of the procession of the cross; to get some innocent shots of toddlers waving palms and accidentally poking the eyes of people to their right and left; to capture a packed house (relatively speaking) which is very representative of feast days.

Hope you had a blessed Palm Sunday and ready to start Holy Week.

Best,

H.

Blazer: jcp, old. Find similar here.
Shirt: Ralph Lauren. Find similar here.
Necklace: groopdealz
Earrings: Sabika. Find here.

Bracelets on left wrist: groopdealz
Watch: Michael Kors
Bracelet on right wrist: Gift from my friend
Purse: B. Makowsky. Find similar here.
Shoes: Tommy Hilfiger. Find on 6 p.m. com. here
Skirt: Grace Elements

In the church yard.

Love all these colors.

Don't mind the dumpster in the background. 

Look how cute and stylish my nephew looks!

Here is his look:

Sweater: Tommy Hilfiger. Find similar here.
Khakis: American Eagle. Find here.
Shoes: Clarks Desert Boot in Beeswax leather. Find here.
Glasses: Ray-Ban Clubmaster Frames. Find similar here.

Oh, Snap!

I bought this skirt a couple of weeks ago, and finally found the occasion to wear it...a business trip to Pittsburgh. I love the side snaps, and I kept them snapped the entire time...I'm not that daring enough to unsnap. The temperature was just right for my knit blazer that I bought last year from Macy's.

Pittsburgh meeting went well, but I am tired.

Hope you had a wonderful workday Wednesday.

Best,

H.

Side snaps. Blazer has a very fine neon stripe.

So I love my chloe +isabel pearl and crystal drops long necklace. Here I have it doubled up. Love!

I love this necklace paired with my Sabika earrings.

Blue Paisley and Dead Orchids

Crazy winds today! I wanted to get a couple of shots, but it was too darn windy. I should have worn my hair in a bun or ponytail, but with this fierce wind, the nape of my neck would have been too cold.

Speaking of fierce winds, we had a house blessing this Saturday, and our priest and his wife came in with this lovely white, silk orchid arrangement (pictured below). I love orchids, especially when they cooperate and LIVE longer than three weeks.

And you would think that since this orchid plant is synthetic (pictured below), it would live forever. Correct? Not the case. After this picture was taken, I placed the plant on the hood of my car (in order to take a couple of more shots),and the next thing I heard was CRASH! BANG! SMASH!The wind killed my synthetic plant, and the ceramic base broke into several, sad pieces. Such a tragedy!

Luckily, neither my priest nor his wife know that I have this blog, so in their minds and hearts, their orchid plant will live forever in my home...and in this photo.

Best,

H.

Here's the look:
Cardigan: no name. Find similar here.
T-shirt: Bisou Bisou; very old. Find similar here.
Pants: Ellen Tracy. Find here.
Pumps: Franco Sarto. Find here. 

Link Necklace: T.J. Maxx
 Bracelets: grandma's gold bangle; chloe+isabel's rhinestone and chain link. Find here.

Pink and Black

Here's a recap of the past couple of days:

• Meetings at both the nonprofit and the animal hospital
• Staffing concerns at both the nonprofit and the animal hospital
• Changes in procedures at both the nonprofit and the animal hospital

On a completely different note, our church welcomed the addition of another member with a baptism today. 

Happy Sunday!

Best,

H.

Here's the look:
Blazer: Calvin Klein. Find similar here. 
Skirt: Worthington via jcp. Find similar here. 
Shirt: A.N.A. via jcp. Super old but I love the side ruffle. I have it in silver too.
Pumps: Tahari. Find similar here. 

Do you see the "green" behind me? It's grass!

I am all about jewelry appreciation. Here I have my Sabika softer side fun choker mixed with my chloe + isabel pearl and crystal spike drama necklace. Find here and here. And my finger candy is my chloe +isabel baquette and stone stackable duo rings. Find here. 

I don't normally like to photograph my backside, but I wanted to show the cute peplum on this blazer.

Guest Fashionistas

I think I have said this before, but I not only work with smart, beautiful and well accessorized women (very important), but they also happen to be forward thinking, creative and down-right doers. How can you not want to work and surround yourself with people like that?

Today, I'm highlighting Leah and Emily. When I saw Leah this morning, I had to stop what I was doing (getting back to superintendents who confirmed their attendance to a luncheon with the secretary of education, seriously) and take her pictures. I know, an interesting way to start the work day. I get distracted by shiny things. What I do appreciate is that I work with great sports who are not only tolerant but empathetic...when it comes to my addictions. How many people do you know would let you reach across a board room table to touch their statement necklace? Not many. I think sometimes they think if they just let me stare for a little bit and maybe touch, I will go away. And I usually do...after I take their picture.

If I had Leah's blue eyes, I would wear shades of blue every single day. Leah can definitely wear a crisp, pinpoint collar...I just love the way it looks underneath her teal cardigan. She paired this look with a bracelet from groopdealz and choker/earring combo from Sabika. She also has another necklace (can't really see here) from a local designer who uses vintage materials to make new items. Leah's style is definitely classic with some modern edge. Beautiful!

When I saw Emily, the first thing I said to her was, "This outfit is so blog-worthy; can I take your picture?" And Emily, too, being a good sport did not say no. I didn't have a chance to take her picture in the office because we had to run off to a meeting in another county. But, being the persistent photographer and blogger, I had the perfect opportunity while waiting to meet with the superintendent. No time like the present. These pictures also don't pick up Emily's beautifully styled hair.

Emily's look is definitely edgy with some classic touches. I love her peplum top (Worthington via jcp), pencil skirt (the back is definitely AMAZING...should have captured the back, Worthington via jcp), flea market necklaces and rock-star boots (from Payless, circa 2012). This is a great black and white look. Gorgeous!

Hope you work with beautiful, smart and well-accessorized women--I know I do!

Best,

H.

Tight-less Tuesday

One word to describe the weather today: G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S! It looks like I will officially retire the hose, leggings, stockings and tights for the next 6 months.

Hope you're having a "tight-less" Tuesday!

Best,

H.

Here's the look:
Cardigan: Cable and Gauge.
Shirt & Skirt: Macy's (old)
Shoes: Franco Sarto
Jewelry: chloe+isabel, groopdealz, brighton

Necklaces: Find here. 

chloe+isabel

chloe+isabel

Earrings: chloe+isabel