I’m not sure how it happened, but I have accumulated quite a collection of printed pants in the last few months. I like what the printed pants add to my wardrobe, making it very dynamic. It’s always easy to pair printed shirts with jeans or dress pants, but I find it more challenging to build an outfit around printed pants. These wonderful printed pants are my first purchase from Madewell. I also don’t really pick a color theme for my outfits, but I ran with the blue in this one (you may recognize the blue purse, as I wore it during my many days and nights out in London last year, orignal post here). Believe it or not, the blues were not all the same shade, but they appear that way in these pictures.
Outfit – Madewell pants (on super sale at the location in South Coast Plaza, only $17!); Old Navy shirt; H&M sweater; Rebecca Minkoff purse; Betsey Johnson shoes; iSee glasses from GlassesUSA; Necklace from Southwark Cathedral (London); Mimi Boutique zipper bangle; Wendy Brandes ring; Suki Bijoux rings; Michael Kors watch
FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Although this is a sponsored post, the opinions, pictures & content of this post are strictly my own.
There have been quite a few celebrations in the month of March and beginning of April. I did actually intend to post about these seperately, but they just came up so quickly that the photos started to pile up. I finally grabbed sometime over the weekend to put together some collages of past weekend events. Here are the events pictured: 1. The opening of the new PlaySpace at Plaza Bonita Mall at the beginning of March; 2. My sister’s 40th birthday celebration at Chuck E. Cheese; 3. Our family’s annual Easter picnic; 4. My brother-in-law’s birthday get together at Famous Dave’s in Vista.
I’ve worn this dress in a previous outfit post (here), and it’s one of my favorites. There’s quite a bit of subtle mixing going on here: the dress is made of a sweatshirt material, the shirt is sheer (I love the layered pan collar), the tights have a textured pattern and the boots are suede. It was only fitting that the bag had some opposing patterns to it as well. This is my first Bodhi purse, and I got it for such a great deal at DSW (it retails for $298, but I got it for only $41). I think the total cost for the outfit is about $150, including the shoes and bag. Someone asked me once how I shop, if I do it by outfit or by bits and pieces. I pick a lot of great standout pieces that I want to showcase, but I also shop for great basics that will integrate well with everything else in my wardrobe, making the cost stretch even more. My wardrobe is definitely a mixed bag, but I think that’s my style.
Outfit – Juicy Couture dress; Bisou Bisou shirt from JCPenney; Hanes argyle textured tights; Bodhi New Layfayette purse; Nine West booties; Lucky Brand glasses; Kelly Evans Designs vintage button ring; Suki Bijoux vintage typewriter ring
FTC Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Although this is a sponsored post, the opinions, pictures & content of this post are strictly my own.
Here is another product that I just had to try after I saw the pattern from afar: Maybelline’s Color Show Fashion Print Nail Stickers. The print is called Metal Prisms, and I bought them because they reminded me of the pyramid studs that I love so much. Being a fan of Sally Hansen’s Salon Effects nail strips (original post here) and after my friend Janice tried the Jamberry Nail Shields (post here), I was eager to try another easy to apply nail product. These nail stickers were definitely easy to apply: it took me only 30 minutes to apply both hands. My only worry was that they are not actual nail polish strips but simply stickers, so I added a top coat in the hopes of making them last longer. These nail stickers are meant to be used for a night out and were not meant to wear for longer than a day or two: I applied them on a Saturday and really tried to make them last until the following Saturday, but they barely made it. For the price point of $9.99 and because they are stunning, I would definitely wear them to a wedding, on a date with my hubby or a night out with the girls.
Yes, it’s true! This past Saturday, Dominic and I ventured into South Park yet again. Can you tell I love that neighborhood? This time, I got some great pictures of The Grove at Juniper & 30th, which we visited during the South Park Wild West Walkabout (posts here and here). I really went back to The Grove to buy an adorable bird print blouse by Everly, similar to a blouse that I bought from ModCloth recently. I didn’t quite understand the concept of the store when I first went during the Walkabout because it was full of people and I couldn’t get around like I would have liked. But because we went during a regular non-event weekend, I got more of a sense of this fantastic space. It’s much bigger than I remember and there is quite a bit going on at The Grove: it’s a book nook, clothing boutique, kitchen shop and creative space all in one. They even have sewing and knitting classes. I picked up the blouse that I wanted, and a couple of things for Dominic as well (a story book and a cute little toy dump truck).
The clothing area. The blouse I bought is just past the mirror (outfit post to come!).
Look how large the space is, perfect for sewing and knitting classes!
Dominic found goodies for himself, too.
The bathroom/fitting room, way cute!
Afterwards, we had a delicious dish of ice cream at The Daily Scoop, then we walked around a bit more, of course heading back over to Bad Madge, Make Good and Junc Life & Style. I want to send a big thank you to Jeffrey, owner of Junc Life & Style for your kind words on your Facebook page about my post (I wore my hat when I went in on Saturday)! We didn’t have dinner planned, so we picked up a pepperoni, sausage and mushroom pizza at Mazara Trattoria. My husband has fallen for said pizza and we are now in plans to have a sit down meal there soon. We devoured that pizza before I remembered to take picture of it for the blog. All the more reason to go back!
Lemon Custard ice cream in a waffle bowl. So. Yummy.
What a deal: $22 for these beauties at Bad Madge (the Everly blouse from The Grove is underneath)!
Dominic has been an excellent little boy this week (he’s already such a great kid, he’s just been extraordinary this week), so we rewarded him with a superhero outfit from So Childish. He wore the cape and mask for the rest of our walk and posed next to the yarn bombed bike in front of Graffiti Beach. Heads were turning as we walked around South Park and Dominic asked, “Mama, why is everyone looking at me?” I explained, “It’s not everyday they see a superhero walking around!”
Depeche Mode’s newest offering Delta Machine came out last Tuesday, and I snapped up a copy of the deluxe booklet version straight away. As would any avid fan, I had very high hopes for this album, even after hearing “Angel” on YouTube during that early preview and then their first single “Heaven”. I had mixed feelings about both songs, mainly because of the tempo. Is a slower tempo song the right choice as a first single? “Heaven” grew on me after some time and I now enjoy the song. It’s got a bit of that soulful gospel feel to it, a bit like “Condemnation” without being so much like an anthem.
It wasn’t until after I heard the album a few runs through that I read the booklet and saw that Dave Gahan had quite a bit of contribution to the songwriting this go around. In fact, he wrote one of my favorites called “Broken”. I kept trying to find that “Depeche Mode sound” that I’ve come to know and love, and I think four songs embody that for me from Delta Machine: “Welcome To My World”, “Broken”, “Soft Touch/Raw Nerve” and the newest single, “Soothe My Soul”. Other than “Welcome To My World” each of these songs seem to reach back and bring a little of some old Depeche Mode forward.
When I heard the song and read the lyrics to “Welcome To My World,” all I could think was “How very ‘Fifty Shades’!” In fact, I could actually hear that song on the soundtrack to a “Fifty Shades of Grey” movie. Check out these lyrics below (uh, Christian Grey anyone? I think so):
And if you stay awhile
I’ll penetrate your soul
I’ll bleed into your dreams
You’ll want to lose control
I’ll weep into your eyes
I’ll make your visions sing
I’ll open endless skies
And ride your broken wings
Welcome to my world
I’ve read a critique that the lyrics to “Welcome to my World” are a bit dramatic, but it fits right in with the music. It has a slow and sexy drive, not at raw as “Wrong” from Sounds of the Universe, but just as groovy. It has that beckoning and tempo building that I’ve come to like in their later endeavors.
As stated above, my third favorite song is “Broken” written by Dave Gahan and Kurt Uenala. I feel like Dave has stepped up his writings skills and has developed a sound that fits right in with Depeche Mode’s constantly developing sound. It’s very ethereal and quite lovely, giving me the same feeling musically as “Precious” from Playing the Angel.
“Soft Touch/Raw Nerve” comes in as a close second of my favorite songs. This is one that will sound fantastic in concert because it was meant to be played in a large arena over booming speakers. The lyrics are easy to sing aloud and will be fun to sing along with Dave live and should have fans dancing in the aisles in concert.
Finally, “Soothe My Soul” is the song that I have been waiting to hear from my Basildon boys. This is Depeche Mode incarnate. This is “I Feel You” mixed with “Personal Jesus”, “It’s No Good” and “World in My Eyes”. This song sent shivers down my spine because I knew this was that new Depeche Mode song that I was looking forward to. Great song, and great choice for the next single. Oh, and have you seen the video? It kind of reminds me a bit of some Recoil footage from “A Strange Hour in Budapest”. Very sensual, check it out below.
This album has got me so excited for their concert in September (by the time this posts, I should already have tickets). If/when I hear these four songs live, I will consider anything else as icing on a very damn good cake.
Now that our son is four, I’m looking forward to a very busy summer. We can finally hit the large resort parks without worrying about whether or not Dominic is going to have fun because we know he’s at that perfect age where he can run around and just enjoy himself. Now, I just have to think of my own comfort while chasing our crazy little boy, and these shoes by Dansko are going to be the perfect solution. I originally thought that Dansko just made professional shoes worn in the healthcare industry, but I’ve come to realize that they have an entire of line of women’s shoes including stylish clogs, flat and heeled sandals, sporty shoes and boots. I have been living in these Jovie sandals from their Vista Collection these last two weekends, so I know that they will definitely allow me to keep up with my son (and sometimes my niece) in style and comfort. I’ve been wearing them with shorts and jeans, but I found that because of the pewter color, they go great with dresses of any length.
Outfit – French Connection dress (old); Retro 7 hat from Junc Life & Style; Urban Outfitters clutch with Clutched & Covered cover; Mimi Boutique zipper bangle; Michael Kors watch; Wendy Brandes Teenie Genie necklace and @ ring; Suki Bijoux rings; iSee glasses c/o GlassesUSA; Jovie sandals c/o Dansko
Check out their full line on their official website at Dansko.com and don’t forget to like them on Facebook as well!
FTC Disclosure: I received free product and was asked to review the product in return. Although I did receive free product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.
This post is really part two of last week’s South Park Wild West Walkbout post. In addition to the good eats, great atmosphere and even better company, CC (Pink Candles at Ridgemont High), her daughter TC, and my son Dominic allowed me to indulge in a little retail therapy while in South Park. I mentioned all of the places in this post when I went with CC and Darlene to Eclipse Chocolate Bar & Bistro a couple of weeks ago, but I just watched longingly as CC did most of the shopping (original post here). This time, I broke a bit of my Lenten service and bought a couple of lovely little things to satiate this aching I’ve had all month-long. Geez, I just made shopping sound a bit sultry, didn’t I?
Our first stop was Bad Madge & Company, curator of lovely vintage things. I first heard of the production company prior to the actual shop when I covered Shimmer’s VIP event earlier this year (post here). In my previous visit, I spied the purse in the picture below (which is a close up of one of the collage pictures above). I had hoped that it would still be there when we returned a couple of weeks ago, and not only was it still there, but it was on sale for half off! If those boots in that picture above on the left were in my size, I would have bought those, too. I found a fantastic wool coat for only $10. Alas, it was just too big and would probably cost a fortune to alter, so back it went. But Dominic found a little treasure box of plastic figurines and picked a little pilot to bring home.
Next we sauntered over to Make Good where we spotted some very cool jewelry pieces made from bicycle parts and notebooks made from 33 LP record sleeves. Because my camera had a bit of a hiccup, not pictured were some equally awesome bookmarks also made from record sleeves. CC is going back to purchase ones that were made from the Synchronicity album by The Police. I thought about a DIY using some album covers, I just don’t have the heart to do it on any of my album covers. I think I would pass out first!
My last purchase of the evening was made at Junc Life & Style, which was that awesome little Retro 7 studded fedora pictured below. Oh, that hat is going to get much wear in the next few months (I’ve already worn it in an outfit in my next post). I literally drooled over it the last time we were in there and hoped and prayed it would be available. CC made sure to bring it to my attention that it was still there. When I turned to see it, I made a beeline for it and made sure I snapped that baby up! What’s not to love? The combination of mixed media materials like straw and cloth make it wearable all year, and the studs have my style written all over it, but so does the store itself. I wish I had known about this store before because I would definitely have bought Dominic that Johnny Cash onesie.
Next on our retail rendezvous was Graffitti Beach. I absolutely loved the all of the visuals in the store. The crochet-covered bike, faucets with glass droplet wall fixtures, cassette and album photos on canvas, the faux deejay set end table and old school camera and joy stick made my head literally dizzy from uber-coolness. I think I looked more at the fantastic wall art, furniture and jewelry (some were made from drum cymbals, in one of the pictures below) more than I did the actual clothing. That begs a return trip at the very least, doesn’t it? I remember some t-shirts and ties that looked like circuit boards, and that reminded me that I need to take my hubby back out there because we do have to go back to Graffiti Beach, as well as Crow Thief (handcrafted menswear).
Our final stop was at The Grove at Juniper & 30th, which is directly next door to The Daily Scoop. Call it laziness, but I think it was because evening had fallen and we were full of delicious ice cream that I didn’t get a chance to snap any pictures while we were outside or inside The Grove. But it’s a wonderful hodge-podge of arts, crafts, books, clothing and accessories. As you know, I’m still obsessed about bird print items, and I found a rack full it. I finally bought a bag from The Cambridge Satchel Company recently from Bloomingdale’s in patent leather navy (which is now sold out), so I’m already looking at things to go with it. That list includes a cute little navy bird print shirt from The Grove, so I think that definitely solidifies the fact that I will be making a trip back. Oh South Park, you have bewitched me with your retail goodness!
After my recent post about John Taylor’s book, Into The Pleasure Groove (post here), I thought I would put up the rest of the pictures from my little photo shoot. As I type this, I realize that I actually have more CDs and cassettes that I failed to include because I have either misplaced them or they are stored someplace else that I can’t get to. I also have a backpack and t-shirt from the Seven and the Ragged Tiger tour, the Notorious tour programme, t-shirts from the 78-03 reunion tour and Astronaut tour and a football jersey from the Red Carpet Massacre tour. I also have a special edition of the Red Carpet Massacre CD set. Whew, this was quite a feat. I can’t imagine doing inventory on my Depeche Mode collection!
Photo 1 (top), albums all on vinyl: The first Duran Duran album, apparently with John Taylor’s signature on it (I didn’t know it when I bought it); the second release of the first Duran Duran album (with Is There Something I Should Know); Japanese import of Nite Romantics (includes night versions of Planet Earth and Girls on Film, plus Fame and Khanada); Rio; Seven and the Ragged Tiger; Arena
Photo 2: The Singles Box Set 81-85; The Reflex in a fold-out poster sleeve; Sing Blue Silver DVD; Astronaut DVD and CD; Ordinary Day cassette single; No Ordinary EP cassette single; Too Much Information cassette single; Duran Duran – Greatest The DVD; Notorious CD
Photo 3, singles on vinyl: Is There Something I Should Know; Union of the Snake; The Wild Boys; New Moon On Monday; Some Like it Hot; Skin Trade
Photo 4, tour programmes: Seven and the Ragged Tiger tour; 78-03 Reunion Tour; Astronaut The Tour
Photo 5: The full Astronaut tour autographed poster
I wore this outfit when I went to brunch my food blogger friends a couple of weeks ago (original post here). I actually wore different boots at that time because I thought they would get wet from the recent rains here in San Diego. I’m always afraid to mix prints because I just can’t seem to get them quite right. I do better when I stick to the same color family, especially blacks and whites. The necklace I’m wearing is another Suki Bijoux special: it’s a vintage Girl Guides whistle (Girl Guides in England are similar to the Girl Scouts here in the US). I loved it when I saw it on Facebook, and Suki was able to retrieve them from the boutique where she was originally supposed to sell them. She had similar one on Facebook, but I’m SO glad she was able to sell this one to me!
Outfit – Talbots hooded cape; H&M sweater; American Rag denim leggings; Vince Camuto boots; Elaine Satchel c/o Mimi Boutique (won from one of their Facebook contests); Honeybadger glasses from BonLook; Suki Bijoux “Recoil” ring, typewriter ring and Girl Guide whistle necklace; Wendy Brandes ring
