Lesson Learned-"I'm lovin' it" Style

Today I had to return a library book to the Lake Oswego library. It was overdue. I kept waiting for an opportunity to go that way, since I did not want to waste gas on a single errand so far away. But nothing came up and I realized that every day I didn't go I was racking up overdue fees. So today I went.
We passed a park and I took note of the fact that it wasn't raining and thought perhaps we could stop there on our way back. Letting Charley run around and play would redeem the trip a little. Later down the road we passed a McDonald's with a big play place. Charley noticed it too.
I thought since it was lunch time and we don't have a play place like that by our house, we might as well go there. You know to redeem the trip.
So after the library stop we hit the McDonald's. Let me just say that when a mother is saying things like, "You have to eat two more french fries drenched in ketchup before you can go play in the play place," it's a rough life.
After the nuggets had been gnawed on, orange soda spilled and playtime thoroughly enjoyed, it was time to go.
"Charley, time to go home. Come down the slide now please."
"No! Hee, hee, hee!" Gleeful, rebellious giggling ensued. After me standing at the bottom of this colorful structure for awhile trying to coax, bribe and threaten my daughter down, I realized I was going to have to go up.
Now the way up was not a simple set of steps like the one shown here, or even a ladder, but this was a crazy angled back and forth set of floating stairs-for lack of a better description. You climbed up on one and turning and ducking you went up the other-sort of like an over/under thing that went vertically. Did I mention it's made for little kids and is therefore scaled down to little kid size? But I'm flexible, I could do it. It wasn't that it was difficult or complicated, it's that it made me look and feel ridiculous. Also, did I mention I was wearing a skirt? A mini skirt no less! It was mostly grammas in the room who were very impressed with my physically being able to do this. However, there was one dad to whom I wanted to say, "Dude! Come on, I know this is probably the most entertaining thing you're going to see all day, but don't be a perv and make me uncomfortable! Please look away!"
Anyway, all in all I have to say I think I retrieved my kid in the most ladylike manner that the situation would allow. Plus I was wearing leggings so that's one reason to be thankful it's cold outside I suppose.
Okay, so I get it now. I know why we wear the grubby sweats and the workout clothes. It's because we have naughty, sinful children.

The Anthro Results:

Okay, so the items that I was leaning toward-and that you all seemed to be rooting for as well, were snatched up either in the color I wanted or the size I needed-in a day! So I went into the store to see what I could find. Ironically-no serendipitously-I ended up buying back the original skirt that I had returned (hence the merchandise credit). It was now half off the original price, so that along with not one, but two other tops were inducted into my wardrobe yesterday. It all looks something like this:

Except this is in the moss green color that they were out of online-they had it in the store!

This cream top isn't the exact one I got...I couldn't find a picture of it, so this will have to suffice for visual aid. The one I bought has a big flower protruding (yes protruding) in an offset manner from the stomach region of the shirt and it ties around the waist. Sounds weird I know, and normally I'm not for drawing attention to my stomach region, but it works. I can't explain it-clearly.

And this is the skirt that started everything. My lovely Gramma bought it for me for my birthday. It's called a denim trouser mini skirt-but it's not a really mini, maybe it's because I'm so short, but it comes to my knees. However, I just couldn't bring myself to wear it due to the price so after it sat in the bag in my room for a few weeks, I returned it for in store credit. I'm happy to see it has been redeemed so to speak. I know have the original skirt back plus TWO other tops!

And just for drooling's sake (I know how much you all love to drool) I'm posting this necklace which I fell in love with. The big round crystally beads in the middle are greenish in color-more so than they appear here. Anyway...can't have it all right? (sigh)
But just in case next time you see a shooting star, you can't think of a thing to wish for...remember this necklace.

See it worked for her!
Although she might want to wish for some clothes first next time...

Little Help?

Calling all Fashionistas! I need a little advice here. I have had an Anthropologie gift card burnin' a hole in my purse (so clearly, now I have to get a new purse) for months! This is a tough one. I'm not normally so indecisive, well actually yeah, I am-NO, I'm not! It's just that I love everything in the store, literally. I LOVE it. I want to see, touch, smell and try on everything (it's a genetic disorder) in the store. To make it worse, they not only have clothes, which I love, but they have home decor items, which I also love. Soooo, in an effort to reign myself in, I've decided to post some items I really like and see what you all think. I'm only looking at sale items (for obviou$ rea$on$) but still will probably only be able to pick two items. So of the following, what are your top two favorites?

I love this one. It looks so comfy. I love the length and the ruch detail. But it also came in a moss color that I liked better, but of course, they were out of my size in that color...

This cute little number could work so well year round, especially in the fall with browns and in the spring with white (whites?).

This looks comfy and warm. Nice n' heavy for cold days, but a little tailored so I wouldn't have to feel like a total blob just to be warm...I could wear this pretty much anytime, even to the park and not feel like it would surely get ruined with little kid grime since it's not made of the pretty, fragile, delicate, dry clean only fabrics that scream out to the little kids' grime "Please get on me!" It's a washable fabric, it would fool the kids' grime.

I don't actually love this one, I just love the thought of wearing this around my mom as the asymmetrical-ness would drive her batty! She would shake her head and cover her eyes. Then she'd peek out and twitch and then she'd try to fix it and when she'd realize that it was in fact on "right" she'd lose it. She'd scream and banish me from her sight.

Now this is sweet. It could also work year round, good for layering under cardigans as well as ala carte in the summer (not totally ala carte, I'd wear pants or a skirt or something).


Okay, so I cheated on this one. It's not on sale...it would eat up my entire gift card...but look how pretty! I'm in love with the color...not too yellow, not too orange, not too burnt...not too chimney, not too arugula...

Again...full price, but...

And this baby looks oh so sweet...feminine, soft spoken, modest-you know, like me!

Now this one's "off the hook" for lack of a better term. The problem is, I think this sweater thing is 5'8" and I"m like 5'3" so...unless I want to have a train behind me or dress up as the witch from Snow White...it's not gonna fly, though it kinda looks like it could make you fly...

Then there are boots...let's be honest, I'm dreamin'. My gift card would barley make a dent in the price of these babies, but these red ones give me a physical reaction that I thought my readers might enjoy also. Hey it doesn't hurt to look, right?

But these boots, these are my chosen ones. You know how sometimes you'll be reading a magazine (okay, flipping through, looking at pictures) and you'll see several different makeover options, even though you're not about to makeover your bathroom, you choose your favorite anyway? This is like that. These boots are the ones I choose.


These last three are rugs...beautiful, thick, wool rugs. We have a rounded, espresso color, leather sectional that I think any of these would look gorgeous with. No more playing it safe. The rug doesn't have to be neutral, it can be an art piece, the focal point.

So talk to me already! I'm dyin' here! What do you think?