Sad Panda

Today's news just made me very sad today.  I have a special place in my heart for Beantown, thanks to many visits there, my childhood bestie living there for several years, plus a summer stint in Cambridge, across the "Smoots" Bridge.  I also had friends and coworkers running the Boston Marathon, and while I'm relieved to hear they are OK, we know others are not. 

Sending out prayers and love to the first city I ever visited that I did not want to leave, and to where I hope to return someday soon.




Image:  I shared this from Boston, MA's FB page.  I think they'll be OK with sharing the love here, too.

April (Snow) Showers

As I write this post, I can hear the sweet, springtime sound of:

a)  little birdies chirping in the budding trees
b)  dudes revving their motorcycles a couple blocks away along the lake
c)  warm breezes amid a thunderstorm
d)  my neighbor's snowblower

Yeah.  D.  Well, actually, sort of C, too.  Because not only did I wake this early morning to a mix of sleet and snow, but the day welcomed me with a couple bursts of lightning and a clap of thunder.  In a heavy snowfall.

So, while the rest of you are posting pics on Facebook of sunny 70 degree skies (New York) and neatly trimmed, green baseball fields (Virginia), I shoveled my front walk for like the 23rd time this winter, er, spring.

The down coat and wellies are back, after maybe 2 fleeting days of lightweight jackets and something other than boots.  Eh.  It's the Upper Midwest.

And while I'll spare you the latest wintry not-so-wonderlandy vista, I will share this with you...

Back in January, when we are supposed to get pounded with snow...  well, we got pounded with snow.  About 14" when all was said and done.  This happened shortly after the TGT/Jason Wu collab, and I had just received the gorgeous Robert Rodriguez party dress in the mail.  Holiday festivities were over, so where in the heck was I gonna wear this stunner?

You bet.

I was trying the dress on upstairs and happened to check out the ensuing storm and got this weird idea that...  gee, wouldn't it be awesome to run outside into about 8 inches (and rapidly counting) of snow and...  I don't know...  get a picture of this insane mash-up?  So, that's me, measuring the fluffy stuff, in my cocktail dress.  And Tretorns.  (My coworker - who's got some fashion opportunities of his own - commented that the boots and dress don't pair well and that I looked like an extra for Fargo or Grumpy Old Men...  I think they go together perfectly and it's just as NYC as Fargo, so there.)

Just goes to prove that you can always find an excuse to wear something, no matter the weather, or the sad excuse for a season.  And while I'd love to kick winter across five Aprils (extra credit to anyone who gets that ref), I guess there's really no reason not to trot out the summery frocks.  Just be sure to pair them with your wellies and you'll be all good.

Wellie + Good

If you recall from my last post, I was all excited that Spring was just around the corner.  I could trot out that pretty blue satchel, along with some new jackets I acquired and other stuff not made of wool and down.  

Yeah.  Scratch that.

I woke up this fine, mid-March morn to yet another snowfall.  Yet another slow walk to the bus, trying to remember where the glare ice lay under a deceptively safe looking 3" of fresh snow.  While getting pelted by more snow flying sideways into my face.

April is, like, 2 weeks away.  Heck, the first "day of Spring" is closer than that.  However, instead of tulips and green grass and a bunch of robins carousing around in the yard, this is what the equinox will look like:

Good luck with that egg hunt, Easter Bunny.  Feels like a whole lotta December to me.

Thank goodness, then, for my wellies.

One of my very early posts sang the praises of my ol' Aerosoles boots.  Today, I'm still having a love affair with boots, just a different kind.  I own about 8 pairs of these things...  Hunters, Missoni for Target, and the oft-worn Tretorns.  And, like the Aerosoles, I swear by these things.  Actually, these have catapulted themselves to first place.  Why?  Because, they help me contend with this:

#1:  Good morning, where do you think you're going?

#2:  The ubiquitous and dreaded, "Had to park next to an ice-mound with a moat."

#3:  The sidewalk obstacle course...  it's either the lake or the black snow.  (Mmm...  bet you want to scoop up some of that snow and eat it, huh?)

#4:  Regular winter street slop.  With a thin sheet of ice smirkingly hiding another frigid, gasoline-stale beer-I don't know what else-infested lake.

No matter the crap weather, my wellies (and the socks I pair with them) keep my tootsies warm and dry.  OK, maybe they're a little chilly on days when it's -10 degrees outside and the bus is taking forever to show up.  But, hey, I'll take it.  While I watch my fellow commuters inch around deep puddles, I stomp through them with gleeful abandon like some kid.  Those notorious mountains of slush?  Eh, big deal.  When the bus drops me off not at the sidewalk but in front of a 3 foot mountain of snow?  Bring it!  Even when my wellies sink about a foot into the pile, I'm all good.

So, yeah, I own an exorbitant amount of rubber boots.  But given that they'll get worn for about 4 months straight in winter & spring, I think it's a pretty good investment.

Here's a few shots of me an' my BFF's.  Usually worn with a skirt (I hate pants).  The fugly track pants are reserved for days when it's in the single digits and below...  such as, apparently, tomorrow morning.  Up here, frostbite prevention trumps, yes, fashion.  (I did venture out for 3 blocks in -20 degree windchill with the skirt and bare knees...  I survived, but it's not recommended).

Are you a wellie lover?  What's your indispenable winter commuting gear?  Are you somewhere like me, cursing out that groundhog and hoping the weather will get above freezing soon?







Images:  my own
Weather:  Mother Nature's bad attempt at humor

Spring is here?

It's March!  Never mind that there's a solid 3-4" of snow all over the place.  And the newest winter storm prediction?  Well...  apparently this is the snowiest month of the year up in these parts.  Admittedly, it's right around this time that our sanity is severely tested.  Spring is so close and yet...  Yeah.  Mother Nature loves messing with us during this month (and April, and sometimes May).

However, instead of crying and heading back into hibernation, I take solace in all the lovely pastels gracing my daily slew of retailer emails.  Lilacs, sky blues, and sunny yellows are starting to shove the heavy winter hues aside.  And I'm all for it.  

This week's pick is a satchel from Banana Republic:

Isn't she purty?  Looks pretty roomy, too.  Plenty of space for the typical haul, plus a pair of ballet flats, a cardigan, and whatever else I decide to cram in there.

What new arrival has you dreaming of al fresco brunches, tulips, and temperatures above 35 degrees?  Strappy sandals?  A great pair of shorts?  Anything in a Spring pastel color?  Which one?

Come Monday, I may be plodding through a fresh pile of snow, but I'm determined to start trotting out some of my transitional weather clothes.  Sure, the wool turtlenecks and skirts will get a few more rounds, but I'm more than happy to mix in shorter sleeves and colors straight from those PAAS easter egg kits and 80's Bonne Bell magazine ads.

Happy almost Spring :)






Image:  Banana Republic

Special delivery!

Anyone wanna guess why I'm so giddy?  I'll give you a hint...  it sure isn't the piles of white stuff in the backdrop.  After doing some snow shoveling, I'm more than ready to shovel a few of these treats into my mouth.

Who's with me?  And what's your favorite "flavor?"  Does it bring back any memories of GS camp (complete with mosquitoes and silly songs) and badge-covered sashes?

Now I gotta dig up my Brownie pin.  Happy Friday :)

Denim Musings for Spring

While winter rages on for some of us, most retailers are in full-on "Woo-hoo, it's Spring!" mode.  Never mind that my car's tilted at a 10 degree angle, the right side propped up on about 6 inches of what was once freshly fallen snowflakes and is now a weeks-old rocky formation of frozen snow, slush, ice, dirt, sand, and probably a present left by the neighborhood dog.

Anyway, among the swimsuits, sundresses, and strappy sandals up for purchase, the parade of denim shorts has begun as well.  While there are a few cute options, I'm still "SMH"-ing at a few items.

For example, Revolve loves a brand called One Teaspoon, who has a whole line of jean shorts in different colors but the same style.  The style being this:

Really?  I don't care if it's plaid, has leopard spots, or comes in classic blue.  Still looks like...  something I wouldn't wear.

Shopbop is fully on the jean shorts train as well.  This pair from Alice + Olivia runs maybe a wee bit short for my old gams, but I like the simple, tailored cut:

On the other hand, this style doesn't seem to fall in the "flattering" category:

Is it 1993 and I missed the memo?  It's not so much the length, but the boxy-a$$ cut.  I mean, check out the back:

Just seems like if you want to accentuate a large bottom, this is the way to do it.  And most chicks I know are trying hard not to do that.  If I'm going to don a pair of these things, I might as well fire up my Deee-Lite CD on my JVC "boombox."

For those of us not basking in 70 degree weather (and this currently includes South Carolina, where I used to work), here are some longer options that still make me wrinkle my nose like I just passed a dead skunk on Interstate 77.

It's like you're wearing short-shorts, but with pants.  Tight leather pants:

Rear view.  It perplexes:

I dunno.  Maybe it's perfect for the club.  Like, the one I will probably never set foot in.


And these just seem like there's one zipper too many:

I guess this works if I want to get in a street fight.  All that metalwork can hurt, you know, when you want to knee someone in the gut.  But the massive number of spiky shoes on the market seems like a more effective weapon.

Well, you'll have to let me know if you like any of these offerings.  I'm sure they work for some people, and wouldn't it be boring if we all liked and disliked the same stuff?  This was a good lesson my grandma taught me.  And I carry it, as well as her memory, close to my heart.  Are you adoring the crazy frayed Daisy Dukes?  By all means, have at it!  I'll stick with my CoH Ava's.

Getting away from the denim, how's the whole Prabal Gurung for Target working out for those of you who shopped the collab?  I've now tried on all the shoes and clothes I ordered.  I'll give a report on that shortly, but I can tell you some stuff didn't make the cut.  What was your experience?  Keeping that dress?  Returning the shorts?  Shoes too large?

Do share.  Til then, I'll be enjoying temperatures above the single digits and some sunshine.  And dreaming of the day it'll be warm enough to wear shorts.  40 degrees isn't so far away after all...








Images:
#1 - revolve.com
Remainder - shopbop.com

Next Up!

Sorry, everyone - it's been a really crazy January and February, and it hasn't been the good kind of cray.  Fortunately, things are starting to calm down, and that means I can get back into my regular routine.  Including shopping :)

And right in time to post about the latest Target collab, right?  Prabal Gurung!  Convenient, yes.  Done on purpose, no (really!).  Here in Minneapolis, it's sleeting outside this fine, gray morning.  I don't feel like braving the roads til Winter Storm Orko (what is with these names, anyway...) passes through town.  However, that's OK.  Because yours truly once again stayed up into the wee bar-time hours to wait for the online store to go live.

Here's what I ended up throwing in my virtual cart:

Love the color of these wedge heels.  Gotta wonder if they'll be TTS.

This dress is very pretty, yet simple.  Great for a Girls' Night.

OK, these will probably be a disaster on me.  But I'm willing to take the risk.

Originally, I didn't really notice these.  But I think they're kinda cool and would brighten up my usual work uniform.  Now let's see if I can handle the 4" heel!

And I caved and got the First Date dress, like probably every other gal.  It was one of the more heavily rotated items during the marketing campaign.

So those are some of the things I pounced on, while more sane people were stumbling home from the local bars (I said sane, not sober).  I am going to have to wait til tomorrow to see what stuff looks like IRL.  Already hearing skeptical wonderings from my fellow 2AM shopper friends about material quality, fabrics, and whether anything will actually fit.  Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Did you shop this collaboration?  What did you get?  Gonna hit the stores or sitting this one out?  Let me know.  Meanwhile, I'm going to enjoy this period of calm, make some hot cocoa, and watch the snow and/or sleet fall.  Hey - and speaking of snow, if you're on the East Coast, I hope you're not completely buried in the white stuff.  Are you able to trek out to Target, or are you absolutely snowed in?

And did anyone make it to NYFW??  I'd love to hear any in-person reports!




All images:  target.com