In Full Bloom

When I last left off it was the eve of the Royal Wedding and I was going off the royal tracks with excitement.  Suffice it to say I stayed up all night Thursday watching it unfold, tweeting with several of you, and texting back and forth with one of my top Canadian girlfriends. It was a mixture of tiaras, tea cups and tears over at the bird (oh and possibly 15 mini cream puffs, but who's counting?).  Friday morning found me a hot mess, trying to work and still buzzing from all the royal festivities...shockingly so were several of my clients.  It was a royal kum bah yah.  Someday I will stop saying royal, but not exactly sure when that will be.

I think it's safe to say at this point that the neighbors think I'm whacked due to round the clock laughing and crying.  That could work in my favor regarding keeping them off my deck, so pardon me while I go let out a cat call to keep the stigma alive.

Okay I'm back.

Anyway I awoke Saturday morning determined to get more unpacked and organized.  This of course meant I abandoned ship and headed straight for Free People.  Procrastinator C at the helm.  What was supposed to be a return resulted in the most spontaneous yet delightful purchase I've made in some time:  hot pink slinky ruffled dress.  I wore that mother to church yesterday morning, then straight out to brunch afterward getting stopped along the way all day.  Brace.

~Free People Dress, J.Crew Tissue Hoodie and Vest, Brandy & Melville Bag

Matt Bernson Studded Sandals, Target Sunnies~

Let's take a moment to discuss:  gorgeous color, bottom portion so full you have to

gather it to ascend/descend stairs a la Scarlett O'Hara (or at least in my mind), 

fringe bag swinging in the wind + paper thin layered hoodie + military vest =

a marriage of multiple styles culminating in favorite new outfit.

Fresh off meeting one of my fave teachers ever we celebrated with brunch at a fave spot,

sipped cocktails called 'sonic smash' and made a pit stop at the chocolate shop.  

Okay I window shopped to maintain some semblance of the 98 day shred.

Said fave teacher, John Piper, and me with me third grade panic grin.  

Humor me, okay?  It was a moment.

Speaking of moments let's all go have a bunch of them so Friday gets here QUICKLY.

I need a nap.

In the sheer giddy of it all I forgot to show more of the dress details.  You can find it here and it also comes in white and navy which are just perfect.  The fabric is super soft and great for summer because yesterday was 85 degrees and I swirled around all over without breaking a sweat once.  In my mind I see it layered with a pullover type sweater and my Joie combat boots...kinda can't wait to try that one out.

Happy Monday everyone!

The Grass Is Always Greener

Do you ever just feel like you're going on about your day...do de do de do de do when wham! (not george michael) you get hit between the eyes by the sheer incompetence of those around you?  I often find myself wondering how on earth it is that people are employed.

Take for example my recent run-in with Verizon.  I have what they call the Triple Bundle:  phone, internet and television.  One would think that when you transfer service all 3 pieces of that TRIPLE BUNDLE package would automatically be activated at the new residence, no?  Oh it transferred all right.  For 2 days until someone over there in Verizonland decided to change the status of my order from 'complete' to 'pending' causing only the phone service to go dead.  Why?  No one knows - isn't that interesting?  Three hours and five different departments later, apparently no one over there is 'authorized' to change that one little word back to its appropriate status - COMPLETE.  Someone took the authority to eff it up, but no one wants to man up and take the authority to make it right.  At least not for 24 to 48 hours.  Why?  Who knows?  No one - that's who.  So in the meantime I'm trying to recruit without a phone.  Effective, isn't it? It's like being at a standstill in the dark.  Everyone knows where the switch is, but no one who can reach it will turn the bloody thing on.  Good grief.

~J.Crew Military Vest, Free People Tank & Tube, Siwy Hannah Denim, Brandy&Melville Bag, 

J.Crew Ballet Flats, PANYC & Motif56 Bracelets, Target Sunnies, Random Necklaces~

Speaking of dark:  the electric company decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and just kill the power to my old apartment rather than transferring it back into the owner's name as has been done since, oh, the dawn of electricity. Oh no that would be too much like, say, proper procedure.  Instead I am now without wheels and a prisoner in my own home due to the fact that my car is parked in the garage that can't be opened because the garage door opener is, you guessed it, electric and on the same account as the one they gloriously (dripping with sarcasm) turned off!  Even better?  There is apparently a rash of electric company switch turn-ons this week so they can't get the account reactivated - and my car out of the garage - until...wait for it...MONDAY.  Pardon me while I spontaneously combust.

Excuse me stranger?  Can I get a ride?  Is that a moth in your hair?  Oh, no thanks.

Can someone please turn the lights back on?  I'm just trying to keep moving forward and avoid lingering in my former, well put together and much loved abode where everything had its home, was organized and wonderfully decorated.  A place where I could get in and out of the garage with ease.  Those were the days.

Onward and upward, my friends.  I smell Friday and a nice long NAP.

Remember This: Eugenia Kim for Target Pt. 2

I'm sitting here eating a Curly Wurly aka gift from heaven (remember the WigWag my Canadian amis?) and thinking about having a cocktail at 1:30 in the afternoon.  You know what that means?  It means it's long weekend time my friends - at least for those of us in the US.  Most of you have probably already long checked out, but here in the West we're only on the verge.

Just in time for the sun (she silently dares the weather) here is my second post featuring the amazing Eugenia Kim for Target.  If you're out and about this weekend why not stop by and treat yourself to one of her amazing hats...you've gotta keep that sun out of your eyes after all.  Uncertain as to whether I'll do a post on Monday, if not I'll see you Tuesday! 

Here are some pictures of her Mint Green Straw Fedora with Black and White trim - still available online too!

The day we took these pictures was perfect for a hat.  I never really noticed until now, but the pastel contrast would have made this an ideal Easter photo.  The full outfit shot gives you an idea of just how versatile these hats are.

They are perfect for a breezy kind of day just like the one we had here.  Aside from the minty green color, the striped ribbon detailing is my favorite thing about this one.

Here it is from the side.  Just a nice little flip up in the back to add that extra pizazz.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!...and don't be afraid to treat yourself to this shoe either.  Was out doing some work for a client the other day and had a few minutes to spare, so ran into Payless Shoes and almost fell on the floor and cried when I tried these on.  So cute and virtually painless in price!  JACKPOT

Outfit Details:
Fedora - Eugenia Kim for Target, Sweeping Ruffles Shirt by J.Crew, Denim - Lucky Brand (mine are 5 years old and they don't make them anymore, but this pair looks close), Hampton Studded Clog by alice + olivia for Payless

You Can Leave Your Hat On: Eugenia Kim for Target Pt. 1

I've been sick for 6 weeks and I'm basically over it.  I don't mean I'm over it as in getting healthy over it; I mean my patience has worn thin over it.

I've been on lockdown in my house all week with the exception of one handbag extravaganza outing Thursday night so after a day of tying up loose ends at work, last night we decided to get out for a little while to get some fresh air.  To say I'm in no mood to mess with the hair is an understatement.  Making every effort to hurry before wandering back under the covers, I slapped on one of the new Eugenia Kim hats I snagged at Target shortly after the line launched.  Snagged is a word I use nonchalantly here because the truth is I basically stalked those hats down in multiple Targets early in the morning for days on end until the right ones were entered into my collection.  At one point I think I owned all but one in the entire collection - it was a mess - but Eugenia Kim is no joke.  She makes a mean hat.

When we left the house the Chef got a picture of me in front of my crazy neighbor's truck.  That guy loves his truck and now I'm kinda starting to love it too.  He glued little skulls on either side of the rear license plate - not decals, but actual 2 inch little skulls with green eyes - and hand-painted the back in red white and black stripes with one of those little paint brushes you use in 4th grade art class.  No jokes.  I seriously wish I could show you the skulls, but for privacy's sake I don't want to show the guy's plate.

Anyway, here's shot one of EK's Plaid Straw Fedora with blue trim.  Can you see the giddy in my eyes?  I'm not sure if it's because I'm standing in such close proximity to the truck or because I'm so thrilled with the hat.  Maybe both.  Oh, and I'm also a hypocrite (confession cleanses the soul?) because I've been ripping on the fedora as dead in the water and overused and overdone for the past 2 years.  Now I'm eating a foot sandwich as one (the hat not the foot) that I love and plan to wear all summer appears on my head.

 Before my neighbor could come out and rip me a new one for standing by/touching his baby aka the truck, we drove over to the beach.  Now you will get the full magnitude of fun this little chapeau can bring to an outfit...

Cute or what??  It's straw so it's really breathable and your head doesn't feel like a sweat fest under the hat.

Here's a close-up...see that funky little parrot on the side?  People LOVE him!  So do I!!

There, that's a clearer picture for you to see both the parrot and a side view of the hat.  I'm really happy I jumped off the fedora hating wagon because this hat is saving me from many a bad hair day right now.  I'm giving all the credit to Eugenia Kim because I was a hater until I saw her line.

I'm still pretty sick so don't know if I'll get to Pt.2 of Ms. Kim til next week, but I'll do my best for tomorrow or Sunday before the Lost Season Finale (pins and needles people!).  Is anyone going to get off that damn island alive??

Hope you have a great weekend!  And no I'm not flicking the bird...some sand got stuck on my lip - oops!

Outfit details:  Fedora - Eugenia Kim for Target, Button down tunic - Converse One Star, Denim - Siwy Hannah (these ones aren't the cropped style, but I have that pair also and they're basically the same only differing in length), Sandals - Matt Bernson Barracuda