Philly Art Museum and J. Crew OOTD

The nice thing about having people visit is you get to take them to do touristy things in your own town that you don't usually think to do. First off, let's look at the Outfit Of The Day:

// J. Crew Vintage Cotton Tee in Weekdays //

// J. Crew Factory Claire Cardigan //

// Thrifted Bootcut 7 For All Mankind Jeans //

// Thrifted polka dot scarf //

// Stella and Dot Renegade Cluster Bracelet //

And here I am at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 

They had a special exhibit of Korean art.

This is from the famous scene in Rocky where he runs up the art museum steps.

And now, a few paintings that caught my eye.

Thomas Eakins

 

Renoir

Van Gogh

Picasso

This one was especially cool. I know enough about Modern Art to get thoroughly weirded out by it, but this one caught my eye instead of turning my stomach. First is an up close view of the painting. 

And then from across the room.

Hope you enjoyed my stylish Philly art tour as much as I did!

May 20, 2014 OOTD

I checked my weather app this morning before getting out of bed and saw it should be a sunny 72. Awesome. I had a cute outfit with shorts I had put together previously in my Stylebook so today is the perfect day for it. 

// J. Crew Mixed Prints Tee //

// J. Crew Factory 5" Chino Shorts //

// J. Crew Factory Stone Bracelet //

// J. Crew Factory Marley Cap Toe Ballet Flats //

May 19, 2014 OOTD

I recently tried out this great app called Stylebook and it's awesome! I've been cataloging my wardrobe and putting together outfits. So much easier than looking through piles of clothes for a match. I know, I know, I should hang everything up or fold neatly in my dresser. In a perfect world, that would happen. Not so much mine. Anyways. I just picked up these cute floral shorts on my last trip to J. Crew Factory. 

They were marked down to $12 so I couldn't resist. But I wasn't sure what I could pair with them. Fast forward to my Stylebook epiphany, voila!

Perfection!

// J. Crew Factory Two-Pocket Chambray Shirt //

// J. Crew Merino Tippi Sweater in Lilac //

// J. Crew Factory 5" Printed Stretch Chino Shorts in Fresh Kiwi //

// J. Crew Double Tassel Necklace //

// Stella and Dot Renegade Cluster Bracelet //

// J. Crew Factory Square Stone Bracelet //

It's not quite the shade of Radiant Orchid, but it'll do!

Radiant Orchid: Pantone's color of 2014

2013's color of the year, Emerald, was a symbol of growth, renewal and prosperity. For 2014, Radiant Orchid evokes creativity and encourages originality. 

In Pantone's press release earlier this year, they stated that for fashion, "Radiant Orchid’s rosy undertones radiate on the skin, producing a healthy glow when worn by both men and women. A dazzling attention-getter, Radiant Orchid permeated the runways during the spring 2014 fashion shows and is already making its way onto the red carpet. Fashion designers featured in the PANTONE Fashion Color Report Spring 2014, including Emerson by Jackie Fraser-Swan, Juicy Couture and Yoana Baraschi, are incorporating Radiant Orchid into their spring collections and variations of this hue will carry into men’s and women’s clothing and accessories throughout next year."

Here's a stunning dress by Oscar de la Renta:

And here are some items that are a bit more in my price range:

J. Crew Crinkle Boy Shirt in Orchid Plaid

J. Crew Collection Featherweight Cashmere Cardigan in Neon Orchid

J. Crew Cleo Suede Loafers in Radiant Orchid

J. Crew Ava Suede Pumps in Radiant Orchid

J. Crew Mixed Gems Necklace in Iced Orchid

Banana Republic Fuchsia Stripe Ponte Flounce Dress

How about a little Radiant Orchid nail polish?

I kinda think they're going overboard here though...

Try to incorporate some Radiant Orchid into your wardrobe this year, be it head to toe or just a flash with a scarf or eyeshadow. 

J. Crew Review and OOTD

I had an early morning doctor's appointment today and what makes you feel better than a little retail therapy afterwards? Ah, it was glorious! So many beautiful new arrivals and I tried on a boatload of them. J. Crew has had so many good sales I couldn't rationalize buying any full priced items today but I did do a number on the sale section. Here's a sample of what I ended up with. 

Top: Vintage cotton cap-sleeve tee in dark cognac ($29.50 on sale for $19.99 and additional 40% off in store) 

Skirt: Maxiskirt in stripe in black and champagne ($75.00 on sale for $59.99 with additional 40% off in store)

Necklace: Stacked flowers necklace in red currant ($55.00 on sale for $29.99 with additional 40% off in store)

Here are some other outfits I tried on that I'm adding to my wish list:

Sleeveless drapey top in cove floral ($98). I'm wearing a size 6 here as usual but I might size down. There was a bit of extra material around the waist. I really liked the sleeves and the pattern.

Crocheted lace tank ($68). I really liked this one. I'm wearing a medium here as I usually size up in J. Crew's tees and tanks. I just like a little extra room around the waist in those styles. I will definitely be getting this one when it shows up on sale.

Stripe back-zip dress in ivory navy ($128). Really cute! The little bit of extra material at the waist didn't bother me as I thought. My hips being my largest feature, I usually try to minimize them but the cut actually worked well. Notice the exposed back-zip? Love it!

Maxi tank dress in stripe in heather blueberry ($110). The lighting in the dressing room is highlighting every curve here, but it was actually very flattering and under normal lighting would probably hide any imperfections well. I wish it was a down-to-the-floor maxi, but I can deal. I will be adding to my wardrobe soon :)

How to lead a charmed life

I lead a charmed life. Impossible, you say? Well, it is possible. Not because we have more money than we need or because our cars don't break down. Not because our house never needs repair or we have no debts. Not because my toddler never has a tantrum or my husband never forgets my favorite flower. The reverse of those statements and more are all true but each day I wake up and choose to live in the moment and be thankful for all the good that is in my life. 

It's really easy to go through your day comparing everything to the perfect life that you want to have playing simultaneously in your head. Nothing will ever live up to that fairy tale and you'll feel disappointed all the time. You imagine the perfect Mother's Day. Breakfast in bed, smiling children, flowers from your husband. They wait on you hand and foot all day, telling you how glad they are to have you in their lives and what a spectacular job you do each and every day. But it doesn't happen like that and you inwardly grumble at the scrambled eggs with a shell in it, eating at the dining room table instead of bed. The kitchen's a mess and you just know you'll have to clean it up. The kids are fighting and you just want some quiet. 

By comparing everything to that perfect day you had in mind (which you didn't mention to anyone, by the way so how are they to know what you wanted?), you missed that your kids helped dad with the eggs, hence the shells. You also missed the smile your husband tried to give you across the table where he sat so overwhelmed with joy with you and the kids. That they're a perfect combination of the two of you and he loves every aspect of them. And the kids are fighting because they both wanted to sit next to you. 

No one's life is perfect. No one is immune from having crappy things happen to them in life. But you have control over your reaction to them. What is your focus? Is your focus on the problem, the mess, the debt, your unfulfilled expectations? Or can you put that aside and find something you can be thankful for? When you focus on something, it becomes larger and clearer while things in the periphery become smaller and more inconsequential. 

It's a reaction you have to chose every day, sometimes multiple times a day. But making that choice will enable you lead a charmed life.