A Few New

After seeing this amazing look on Salt Style, and reading the bottoms were from my weekly go to for all that is toddler, I rushed to Target and snatched the last pair of these pants in my size.

Get them before they are sold out for $27.99!!

This great Cuff and earring pair from Banana Republic for an upcoming gala in the city to benefit St. Jude's

This fitted vest, in my favorite color that I have been searching for every fall (at 40% off with those nifty Wednesday coupons Banana gives out)

Some super cute and preppy polos for my handsome tot

Wedding Bells

On our 4 year wedding anniversary today, I love looking through our album and remembering that amazing day at the amazing Oheka Castle. In an interesting twist of fate, I am attending a luncheon and fashion show hosted by a client at Oheka Castle on this very day. (Also fitting as my Dad is the one who suggested Oheka as our wedding venue, and really loved the history of the estate.)

My hubby is pretty much the nicest person I have ever known. His ability to calm me, make things seem better when they are most bleak, and how great he is with our little Tucker are all just a handful of reason hes is great. Here are some of my favorite photos from that day.

Dad

This is a very hard week. Very suddenly Tuesday morning my dad passed away, unexpectedly, in 10 minutes. I am heartbroken, and while I do not like to discuss this with even close friends, I feel broken inside. My dad is part of why I developed such a love for fashion so many years ago- after a good report card or high test grade, he would pick me up from school, and take me to the Americana to shop. We would pick out sweaters at Ralph Lauren, earrings for my mom at Tiffany, and the extra special bag purchase from Prada for a particularly special occasion. My dad bought me every piece of jewelry I own, commented on the shoe choices I would make in relation to the dress I paired with them, and never missed a chance feign surprise when I showed him my latest purchase (immediately after which he would ask how much it cost).

Tucker looks so much like my dad when he was young, I ache that he will not get to see him grow up and enjoy trips out on the boat as a boy. Not much helps right now, but I'm glad I have so many pieces of him and great life long friends (all of who my dad knows) around me.

In Review: Polish

Getting a weekly manicure is a must. Even when I was home on maternity leave, I managed to squeeze in a 20 minute mani session most weeks. It makes me feel clean and put together to have a fresh coat of polish on my hands (especially since most days, I cannot keep away from picking my cuticles and creating unsightly gashes around my nails).

Between washing baby accessories, changing diapers, pounding a keyboard and furiously washing my hands, polish gets abused by day #3 following my visit to the nail salon. Gel looks great til about day 5, but come week #2, I cannot wait to rip it off and get a new color. Traditional polishes look great but just don't stay put for an entire week of work. The new solution I was dying to try: CND Vinylux. It is amazing!!!

My favorite part is it goes on like regular polish, dries fast without any UV light, and comes off with standard remover (no soaking or scraping). By day #7, it was still intact and shiny. My favorite color is Dark Lava ( a deep burgundy) and I also bought Faux Fur (akin to Essie's Mink Muff) which i cant wait to try next week. I highly recommend giving this a try if you're a busy working mom, or just a fashionista who hates a chipped mani.

Belted In

I love belts, and often add them to my outfits (around the waist, over a dress, on top of a peplum hem). I also love the look of a skinny belt as a subtle accessory adding some color to an otherwise monotone ensemble. Today I threw a svelte leopard belt over my navy top, and was very pleaded with the result. I then met a friend for lunch near my office, and made a break from my usual Lean Cuisine midday meal in favor of a commercially distributed salad with bread and full-fat dressing. I felt fine afterwards, not enormously full, but satisfied.

Two more hours of sitting at my desk, a few sips of water, and the afternoon haze set in. Suddenly lunch occupied every ounce of room in my midsection, and my formerly cute skinny belt was now like a taught string on a ham hock, sucking in the oozing flesh. I had to lose it immediately. Hiding in the privacy of my own office, I unbuckled the belt and threw it into my bag like a lead iron. Some looks are better left for days spent standing up, not eating, and not breathing that much either.

Hair-Inspiration

Hair cuts are just another aspect of the usual maintenance required in being a working mom. But they are also fun. I tire easily of most hairstyles and am always in search of something (small) I can do to change it up a bit. I have thick, wavy hair (which I sh-alack down constantly) so not every style would work. I covet girls with thin, straight hair that can air dry and look perfect. The below is my current inspiration, and while of course I'd prefer to have her face as well, I'd settle for now for her hair. What do you think about this for a new, low maintenance mom cut?

A Fresh Start

Do you ever have those days where you look at your closet, and want to throw out almost everything you see? I won't say I wanted to purge all my clothing today, but I wanted to completely ditch half my shoes and start over. While toe shapes continually change (2000 was all about pointy, eventually that turned to rounded, then came almond, and now we enjoy all 3 on the retail shelves) it can be hard to keep up with my taste that changes as well.

When my husband sees the giveaway bag filling up, he always sighs and imagines an onslaught of purchases to replace the fallen soldiers. However since we spent the last nearly 12 months as a single income household (with yours truly serving that role) I have learned to live leaner, but no less lavishly when it comes to style.

Come fall, I am sick to death of open toe shoes and want nothing more than to wear boots, booties, and patent leather pumps. Luckily I have stocked up on these essentials over the years from brands that can weather the changing styles (and subway commuting of years past). A trip to the shoe repair, a new pair of soles, and some lustrous polish, and my Prada patents look like new. A few pairs from Target peppered into the collection this year to balance my cravings have helped freshen the shelves without flattening the budget. Since now, of course, I am buying shoes for mini feet as well.

A Few New

The sight of a garment you have been lusting after, marked down, in your size, with an additional percentage off, is quite a rush. One that helps mitigate the stress of the first full week of work since May.

Christina of the Style Mogul sporting the new jacket I snagged at Ann Taylor for $100 off!

This shirt-dress, (perfect with riding boots), I scored with 40% friends and family

Clinique's lipstick in Twilight Nude is the prefect sheer plum for fall (a lipstick can really change an outfit)

A classic striped button down (which goes with everything) for less than $35 at J.Crew Factory

Office Instagrams

Some things that brighten my work days....

My stiletto tape dispenser and floral stationary

Cobalt blue resin beads and a black and white print from J.Crew

Louis!

And having finally gotten my very own office is also a nice bright point these days!

Splurge or Save

Single:

J.Crew pump, $350.00

 Tied down:

Target Merona Collection heels, $29.99

I call this 'single', or 'tied down', since the single me 5 years ago would surely spend my full paycheck on the 'splurge' option, whereas now, the married, mother me is thrilled to score a stylish pair for less than the cost of a case of diapers.

Summer in Clips

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here is a recap of this mom's summer in a few images