Happy Birthday to me!

Forty years ago, I made this plate.



(Kind of wish it had a piece of chocolate cake on it.)

So today I turn 45, which feels both impossible and exactly right. I hated my 20s (so much wasted opportunity and time), my 30s were the years I was figuring out this whole sharing-my-life-with-another-being thing and coming to terms with the fact I was never going to have a fancy high-powered career like so many of my prep school and Ivy League classmates. My 40s have been more about grappling with outward appearances -- trying to change my body, updating the way I look and present myself to the world -- and more importantly, about learning how to be a good friend. I've had so many girlfriends come in and out of my life: work and school friendships that fizzled over time and distance, ones I gave up on purposefully, women I still love and miss and yet don't make the effort to get back in touch with.

So I've been working very consciously to keep the ones I have now, an assortment of amazing, funny, smart women from all different parts of my life. They're so kickass, in their own ways: Cheryl has the biggest heart of anyone I know, Kris is my favorite well-dressed tomboy who is relishing/exhausted by being a new stepmom to three pre-teen boys, Jill knows the good dirt on everyone *and* exactly the right thing to do in any social situation, her daughter L is one of the unexpected great joys of my life, Jessie makes me laugh and think harder than she probably knows, Pat is wisdom personified, Donna is both old-school Polish and thoroughly modern, Amanda awes me with her crackling wit, Kate is one of the most determined and focused people I know, Alyssa makes me wish I could do my 20s over again this time with her guiding me through it, Lori is absolutely unafraid to let herself look silly.

And those are just the ones I know offline; my online life is also rich in friendships with amazing women, bloggers and FB friends and LJ nerds and so forth. For many years, my online friendships were stronger than my offline ones, but now there is more of a balance. I love and appreciate all of them, and all of you.

ANYWAY.

Birthday. Me. Let's get back to the important stuff. ;-D



I had to do some things involving getting dressed up for the first few days of my staycation (BOO!) but from today forward I plan on living in my jeans and casual outfits.

However, none of the outfits will involve THIS jacket.



I did not think the color description "neon coral" would be as literal as it was, nor did the photo on the Gap site do it, um, justice. This thing was so bright you could see me in the dark from a half-mile away. Horrible.

And a very big bummer, because the fit and quality of the jacket was excellent. Damn you, Gap!

P.S. The pants were all terrible looking on me too. Ah well.

+++++

My real birthday present is the next few days; I got two free nights at a gorgeous casino-hotel over in New Buffalo, our favorite vacation spot. Hubby is joining me tonight and taking me out to dinner, then I am spending tomorrow poking around my favorite shops in the area, and gambling and whatnot, before heading back on Friday morning. To say I am looking forward to it is an understatement; I'm trying to pace out the things I need to do so I don't leave too early, but I have a feeling I will be in the car by noon.

I am really looking forward to poking through the Sawyer Garden Center. I am out of my beloved jams; the frog jam and the triple berry were both amazing, so I will see what else they have to try. Plus there is just so much to look at and photograph there!

We've been there in the summer...



...and the winter...



...so I am dying to see what spring looks like. Given that it is the western shore of Michigan, my guess is tulips. Lots and lots of tulips. CANNOT WAIT.

I will also be making stops at the local brewpub to try a sampler flight and have the greatest ham sandwich of all time.





The last day will be a stop at Dreier's Meat Market to stock up on all things ham. I blame them for my ham obsession; prior to eating theirs, ham was just something we ate on the holidays. Now I realize how much I was missing. Insanely good.

I won't have my laptop but I will fill you in on my adventures when I return. Be good while I am gone!

P.S. I hope I never get so old that I don't love my birthday. Because it rocks.

Birthday Stuff I Want

Like I said, I may have killed my impulse shopping habit, but I still like and need to to shop. In a way, it's like dieting; even though I eat less or better food, I still need to eat. I just have to be smarter about it: track what I am spending, make a plan before shopping, and decide if I want to save up for something good or blow it all on small, cheap meals/items.

Hunh, maybe it is EXACTLY like dieting.

Angie at YouLookFab had a great post listing the 4 implicit categories on your shopping list. They were:
1. Wardrobe holes
2. New trends
3. Replenishment items
4. Unexpected delights

This has been very helpful as I have been sorting through what I think I want versus what I need. My birthday is next week, and I am hoping for some gift cards so I can do a little guilt-free shopping. In preparation, I've been doing some online window-shopping, and using these categories has been helping cull away items I added just in the heat of the moment (the "ooh, pretty" impulse items) and winnowing it down to only things that fall into one of these categories.

Sejour roll-sleeve twill jacket. I tried this on at the store, and fell in love. I've really liked my Old Navy lined anorak that I have been wearing like crazy this winter, but the black is kind of faded and dusty and it feels like a lot of coat. This is much trimmer and fitted, and the back flap is longer at the bottom, perfect for sitting and for keeping my butt dry when it rains. I hesitate on the color -- it comes in black, red/orange, olive/khaki and this bright purply-cobalt blue -- but the blue continues to be my top choice. It was the most flattering one when I tried it on, but I usually buy neutral outside jackets because my clothes are so colorful. I think I might have to go for it anyway; it's so pretty and I have a feeling I am going to need a casual coat this spring (I don't have one at all. Sad, right?)

This is a wardrobe hole and a replenishment item, and the color would tip it into the unexpected delights too.

A new spring purse is also on my wishlist. I am bananas about my Longchamp tote bag (I use it for my laptop for work), and I want the small version for a purse; I like the casual look of it, and the nylon means it's easier to carry around when the weather is bad. (I have a weird feeling we are going to be in for a wet spring this year; I don't know why.)

Initially I wanted the dark eggplant "bilberry" color...

...but if I go for the blue anorak, it doesn't work. So I am considering brown or slate. This one I will buy in the store, after I have purchased the jacket. I'll need to put the colors up against each other before I make a final decision.

This would be a wardrobe hole, and an unexpected delight.

The last item on my Nordstrom wishlist is a pair of Kut from the Kloth jeans. I love my boyfriend version, and Kut from the Kloth is just a better brand for my body than NYDJ is (NYDJ is too stretchy.)

Thing is, I don't really need another pair of jeans; my various Dreamers from Old Navy are all still doing fine. I just really want a nice pair of jeans, in a soft, expensive denim.

They're just an impulse purchase, so the only way I will get them is if I have anything left over on a gift card and my Nordstrom bucks. Dang those categories for making me realize where these don't fit! ;-)

I am also looking for a dressy clutch/mini-purse to replace my faux-Chanel. Lucky for me, quilted mini purses are all the rage right now; I just need to find the right one.

This Rebecca Minkoff is a strong possibility. It comes in emerald, tan, mint and a weird red, but I think the black will last me much longer and prove to be far more versatile.

This one is pretty much a nicer duplicate of my old purse, but I don't like the gold studs.

It's a wardrobe hole, but none of these are right yet. The search continues!

A new pair of flats is also on my wishlist, this time at Zappos. I am torn between the pink and the yellow. Mustard is my go-to fun color, but the pink is so unexpected and different for me.

The cap toe makes this a new trend category item, and the color puts it into unexpected delight. Especially if I go with the pink, as I am leaning. They're Clarks, so I am 95% sure they are super--comfortable, and will last for a long while. (I won't order any shoes until I figure out the coat and purse above, and the pants below.)

As long as I am showing off my Zappos wishlist, aren't these awesome? Angie linked them the other day.

It is highly unlikely I would ever buy these -- too pricey especially for something in such a short-lived trendy color. But I do love a good heeled Oxford!

The last item on my shopping list are some colored pants. Aside from my blackberry cords, I haven't seen any colored pants that I want; most are too casual in their cut. My ideal pants would be the Gap modern bootcuts in aubergine, mushroom, and maybe a nice ivory, but Gap stubbornly will not fulfill my personal fantasy of giving me real pants I can wear to the office. So I am trying to warm to the existing colored pants trend, as it is. Maybe I can make ankle pants work? They're better than cropped, at least. Gap was having a 30% off sale last week, so I placed an order to try some different options.

If I keep one of these, I will be surprised and impressed. But I figured I might at least TRY them on, right?

The bright skinny pants have all been disastrous on me, so I am hoping a paler look is better. Bless you, these are "straight khakis" not skinnies. I do hope these work out; Vivienne just did a great set of pink jeans options that I loved.

Lots of bloggers have been extolling the virtues of these skimmer pants, and I would like a cropped pair of white pants for summer, so...we shall see.

Sometimes I like to kid myself that my legs are long and slender like this. Reality will show me otherwise when these get here. I am such a sucker for olive.

A coral jacket. C'mon.

That's like a wardrobe basic, for me. Right? Right? :) Fine, file it under Unexpected Delight. It will be mine.

It will be interesting to me to come back to this post in a month or so and see which if any of these I ended up getting. I've looked back at other Stuff I Want posts, and my purchases end up being pretty few. (Except the Blazer post; three of those have become closet staples.)

My hair is bouncin' and behavin'

I dub Day/Night 1 of the Night-Shower Experiment a success.



All I had to do was brush it in the morning. !! Apparently bed head is a good look for me. I did make one mistake in letting it air dry the first night; it was a little flat on the top of my head, which a good volumizer and a quick blow would have fixed. I will work on that.

I also liked the outfit; the pants are a grey pinstripe, so it's not as all-black as the photo would indicate. You guys know me, I'm not a all-black person so it feels like when I do wear it, it packs a punch. The turquoise Blogger Necklace helps soften it up around my face, too, which I need.

The shoes are Circa Joan & David kitten heels from several years back. Shopping Friend will remember them; they're the first "heels" she convinced me to buy! When the pointy-toe look faded the last few years, I tucked them into the back of my closet, but now that it is making a comeback -- and frankly I needed the kitten heel height for the pants, and these were all I had -- I pulled them back out. They've held up well; guess spending a few extra dollars on quality shoes instead of Target/Payless cheapies pays off.

Speaking of spending, this is now following me around the internet.



The two-tone brown booties are the ones I was talking about the other day, and the wedge casual booties on the left are a fabulous find from Angie at YLF. Now that I can wear jeans a few other days besides the weekend, and I do have a good number of said jeans with long hems for heels, I think I can justify a fun bootie like that.

I may scrap the fall/winter purse idea for another year -- since none are jumping out at me as The One -- and go for some solid bootie additions instead.  And maybe a smart daytime clutch -- it's very on-trend, and the only clutches I have are summer woven ones.

Dammit, the ads win again.

More Purse Options

First, can we talk about how creepy/tempting/jarring it is to see your most-recently-viewed items from Zappos and Nordstrom appearing in ads on other sites? My usual MO for my daily internet walkaround is that I skim through my Google Reader, catching up on my fashion, news and friends' blogs and websites, opening up links in new tabs as I see something that catches my eye or that I want to comment on. Then I go through the new tabs more closely, checking out deeper links to recommended shoes/purses/whatever. If an item really interests me, I might save it to my shopping bag or wish list. Then I close up the tabs and go to my personal daily sites: Facebook, Twitter, new sites, etc.

Later that day or the next day, all of a sudden there are the shoes I had randomly linked to showing up under my Lexulous and Slingo games on FB, or on the side frame on YLF, or really, anywhere on any news sites. This last week, it has begun to feel like that Rebecca Minkoff bag is stalking me!

Now, I know it is all done with browser cookies, and the sites that have these ads need to make money to survive, but sometimes it feels very Big Brother-y. As well as extremely tempting (as all well-done ads should be); even though I decided not to go with the oxblood bag when I saw it in real life, the continued appearance of it everywhere I go on the internet has created several moments of doubt.

Dammit, the ads are working.

So I won't be surprised when the following bags appear in the corners of my non-fashion sites this next week. I am considering one of these for my new fall purse. What do you guys think?

Fossil Maddox satchel, in chestnut. I like the shape, and I can easily untie that twee-looking key from the strap. The color seems a bit off; I was hoping for something more brown and fewer yellow undertones. But the Espresso is too dark.

Fossil Maddox Bucket, in cordovan. LOVE the color, and I adore the bucket shape; I would have snapped up a Coach Legacy one if the leather had been better. I just wonder if the strap is too short and how it would look on the shoulder.

Michael Kors Uptown Astor Medium Crossbody Satchel, in Bordeaux. LOVE the way it looks as a crossbody, and as a satchel in the hand; the versatility would be ideal for work.

I need to touch this one before deciding; the feel of the leather and the width of the bag could knock it out of the running.

The Rebecca Minkoff Mac Daddy. The lure of the internet ads keeps hope alive!

Cole Haan Crosby - Woodbury bucket bag. Everything about this bag is perfection...except the color. Neither the Tango Red or the Woodbury brown are appealing to me. But I will keep my eye out in case Cole Haan does this in other colors.

Seeing them all like this, it's the Michael Kors that is highest on my preference list. I will try to track it down at the store to see it in person.

Any others I should consider?


P.S. You know I love a good bootie/shootie but I am very picky about adding new ones to my collection. My Franco Sarto Deers are still going strong in their 4th winter season, and my black Naturalizer cuffed booties are celebrating their 3rd birthday this winter. I didn't find a good new brown one to add last year, but I think I have now.

LOVE the reasonable heel, the simple cuffed style, and most of all the smooth two-tone brown leather. Amazing. I can't believe it is a Munro; that brand always looks so stodgy and orthopedic when I see their displays at Nordstrom. This is not stodgy at all, but classic and minimalist. The reviews are all very positive. Hmmmm, it's expensive but it might be worth it. Heck, maybe I should give up the bag search altogether and just get the booties!

Purse Problem

I have absolutely LOVED my Rebecca Minkoff purse that I bought at the beginning of this summer (April, to be exact). It's a nice medium size, holds everything I need, has a front pocket for my keys and work badge, 2 inside pockets for my blackberry and iPhone, and the chestnut and silver chain contrast is just amazing.







But I want a new purse for the fall/winter, and I really want to get one in that oxblood/burgundy color that is so hot right now. My other criteria is that I want another one in this medium size; I have enough oversized bags to get me through many winters, and a daytime clutch is just not practical for my lifestyle. All I want is a medium oxblood bag, and I have been looking high and low for one.

Ta-da!

Same Rebecca Minkoff bag, but in the color I want. At Zappos right now.

So do I get it, or find something in a different style?

Clutter I can enjoy

I am not a fan of clutter. It's almost at phobia level: I can't watch Hoarders, I can't be in people's homes if they have too many tchochkes and clutter on their shelves, I don't go thrifting or antiquing because there is just too much stuff, and worse, it's usually dusty and grimy or *shudder* sticky and grimy.

So it was a wonderful delight when I wandered into an antique barn yesterday and found the prettiest clutter I had ever seen.



Everything was cleverly styled, dustfree and inviting. This shelf of perfectly organized milkglass vases was only the beginning of the colorful store.

Not to be outdone, there was another shelf of jewel-toned milkglass pitchers.



The teal one was my favorite, of course.



Even the furniture displays were attractive, and had some hidden gems tucked around them.




I remember that phone so well! I always hated calling people who had 9s and 0s in their numbers because it took so long to use those. Nowadays I don't even know my best friends' numbers; I just plug them into my contacts list and select their names.


My very favorite part were the single-color displays. So, so pretty!!!


Blue



Pink



Orange



Green



Red


Yellow

Yellow is my favorite, closely followed by the pink. Which one is yours?


I might have to go back and buy some colored vases. Hmm, hunh, yep.

Blazer Craze-r

You guys, I am obsessed with blazers right now.

Maybe it was the rousing success of my striped blazer this summer, or that I need to wear more suit-like outfits at meetings at work, but all I am buying these days are blazers. This fuschia one is on its way to my house now, courtesy of Gap, a 30% off sale, and a fistful of $10 reward certificates I had collected. 

This royal blue one is traveling with it. Hope they both work out! I love a good punch of color.

I was so crazy about Ally's striped jacket with the shirred sleeves I went tip-toe-ing through the Karen Kane site and spotted this lovely clay one. A rich brown hue gets me everytime. I am resisting buying it, for now.

This one I picked up during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale for half the price. Love the leather trim and the moto styling. I also got a purple pencil skirt that I am going to ROCK with it.

I'm heading out for a well-earned beach vacation starting tomorrow, but once it's fall I think I know what I'll be wearing. Even better, these will work well through the winter too.

What's catching your eye (and wallet) for the fall?

Ready for vacation

I am starting to see comments on the internet lamenting that we are nearing the end of summer, which I am steadfastly refusing to acknowledge. Since we are childfree, we don't live and die by the school calendar; to me, August is late summer, and judging by how long we keep the air conditioners going in the office, that extends well into September. So as far as I'm concerned, summer still has a lot of weeks left in it.

That said, I am starting to regret planning our week-long summer vacation for the 3rd week of August. I want to go NOW. I want to be tan, and on the beach, and relaxing with my feet up on a porch reading a book, and playing with Babyfriend, and grilling with Hubby, and eating ice cream with my girlfriends. Now. NOW, not in nearly 3 weeks.

When I was a kid, we went on two major vacations every summer: a week in July and two weeks in August. As an adult, we can't take that much time, but next year, I definitely will be looking into taking two separate trips, one early in the summer, and one late. I am beginning to see the logic in my parent's plan.

I want to see these things again.












She's so much bigger this year!









Yeah, I am ready for vacation. How about you?