Five years and counting

On Friday my husband and I celebrated five wonderful years together, so we celebrated the best way I know how - with a huge party for family and friends!  We had an amazing time and with the exception of the weather Saturday night (torrential downpours and what felt like million mile per hour winds!) everything ran smoothly. :)

My honey brought me irises - my absolute favorite!

It was also the first time I left Peanut with a babysitter (that wasn't related to me at least) and I was so good - I didn't call and bug her at all!  Although knowing he would be asleep the whole time and the restaurant was a whopping 1 block away totally helped!


As for the dress?  I ended up saving one of them for my son's birthday since I decided they were more day appropriate and went in the complete opposite direction:

Dress - Rachel Rachel Roy, Bracelets - Coach, Shoes - Steve Madden

Fun with shoes

I took a little break today to play in my closet.  This time last year I was super pregnant, so it has been 2 years since I have worn some of my spring beauties!  Of course, I ended up wearing two of my tried and true pairs anyway. :)

My hot pink booties 

Cardi - JCrew, Dress - Target, Belt - Calvin Klein, All shoes - Shoe Dazzle

and my oh-so-loved red pumps! 

I can't wait to start going through my spring clothes - I haven't seen some of that stuff since 2009 - it will be like shopping in my own closet!

The party never stops

Hello everyone!  So I am back in super party planning mode.  Shocking, I know. :)  On Saturday I will be celebrating my 5 year anniversary with my wonderful husband and we have a huge party planned for all of our family and friends.  I can't wait!  Then, on top of that, I am also planning a Cinco de Mayo party for 200 as part of my mommy group event planner gig.  Phew!  How is it I am more busy now than when I was working full time?


Speaking of parties, I went to a fabulous one to celebrate my Aunt and Uncle's Anniversary.  It was a surprise party and my cousin did such an amazing job planning it!  I was so excited to wear a silk dress - definitely not child friendly!

Dress - Betsy Johnson, Tights - HUE, Shoes - Shoe Dazzle

Ramblings of a newly appointed housewife

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments yesterday!  Once I got over my initial sadness, I realized that I am actually super excited to be able to stay home with my sweet little nut and I'm very lucky to be in the position to do so!  


I wore this outfit on Sunday.  I was so glad it was nice out because after looking at all the beautiful full skirted dresses online, I couldn't wait to wear one that was already in my closet!

I really wanted to take outdoor shots, but when we went out for our walk, it was so windy we had to hold on super tight to the stroller - and my dress!!  So back indoors we went.  Hey, at least it was a warm wind.... I'll take what I can get!

I have been all about my red shoes lately - they seem to go with everything!  Maybe I'll wear them in every outfit this week...  yes, I think I will! :)

My son is now trying to plug his pacifier into the outlet - I must go before he figures out how to get the safety plugs out...

Bittersweet

Today is a very bittersweet day for me.  I just finished drafting my resignation letter for the job I have been at and loved since 2004.  Even though I have been thinking about leaving since I first held my son in my arms, it only became real when I began typing.  Through my job I met two of my best friends, worked with super talented musicians, and had amazing students.  I loved my job so much which is not something everyone can say.  However, with my husband's crazy work schedule, I know that at this point in our lives, the most important thing is for my son to have one parent at home and I do love my new job of housewife and mommy.  


Phew - ok, thank you for letting me get that off my chest *wipe away a tear*.


Now, onto my outfit-

Tee - Target, Jeans, GAP, Shoes - Shoe Dazzle, Bangles - Coach 

It's basically a tee shirt and jeans, but the rose print and red heels make it a bit more girly.

Check out the cutie patootie in the background!  He's rocking his Yankees track suit. :)

Prim and Proper

I feel very prim and proper in my outfit today.  It started out simple with a button down and my oh-so-loved jeans, but it is still ridiculously cold and windy here so I threw on my (one and only) cashmere cardi.  

Cardi - Brooks Brothers, Blouse - Calvin Klein, Jeans - Express, Shoes - Calvin Klein

I feel very put together in this outfit - like I am ready to do a business deal, which is good because I had to go to the restaurant I am throwing my 5th anniversary party at to discuss the menu.  Being the super anal party planner I am, I had to make sure they got every last detail right, which included me adding things not usually on their menu, so we had to bring the chef in on our meeting.  Hey, if you don't ask, you don't know, right?  :)

 

The woman I am working with asked me if I was a professional party planner - perhaps I missed my calling! lol

So wearable

One of the best things about making your own clothes is that they are made exactly the way you want them and have the perfect fit (well, when I do it right at least.. lol).  This Pendrell blouse I made is no exception!  I love wearing it and love the print even more!  I wore this yesterday when it was 58 degrees, and today it is snowing!  So much for Spring being here...

Hopefully the roads aren't too bad - I'm supposed to get my hair done today.  I haven't had it cut or colored since November!!  That's right, even when your sister is a hairdresser, it's still hard to make time to go!

So for those of you who asked if I was growing my hair out - the answer is yes - because I don't have time to maintain a short cut!  lol

Freshly Picked

 Guess what?!  Today I am being featured at one of my favorite sites Bon Bon Rose Girls as their freshly picked rosebud!  I am so excited!! Thank you so much ladies. :)

Jeans - Express, Cardigan - JCrew, Tank - JCrew, Shoes - Franco Sarto

So I am wearing my skinny jeans yet again - I can't help it!  When I think about my plans for the day and the fact that the weather is still not so nice, I go for old faithful every time.  Is there a challenge out there where you remix one pair of jeans a bajillion ways?  If so, I'm in! :)  

Today's outfit is all about function - we have a morning play date, an afternoon meeting with the president of my mommy group (next party I'll be planning? Cinco de Mayo!), and dinner with some local moms and their kids.  After being cooped up in the house all week, Peanut and I are looking forward to getting outside!!

I hope you all have a fun and fabulous Friday!  Don't forget to check out my feature here!!!

It might as well be spring

I am totally ready for spring (aren't we all?!)  So today, since I was stuck inside with a sick Peanut (an ear infection - poor kid!)  I decided to just go for it!  After I got dressed, I totally felt like I was channeling a bit of fifties style with my cardi, capris and ballet flats. 

Whenever I dress in all classic pieces, I always try to wear them in a way that is fun and fresh so that I don't look dated.  

Cardi - Target w/hand embroidery, Tank - Banana Republic, 

Jeans (rolled up) GAP, Shoes - B. Makowski

For this look, I made sure to wear bright colored flats, and I embroidered a cheeky little Vegas gal on my sweater -what shakes up a classic piece more than that? ;) 

How do you like to mix up your classic pieces?

Party like a rockstar

The other thing I did this past weekend?  I went to see my FAVORITE band of all time - Bon Jovi!  This of course opened up a fabulous opportunity to channel my inner rocker chick.  

Blazer - JCrew, Tank - Calvin Klein, Pants - Calvin Klein, 

Shoes - Converse, Earrings - Betsey Johnson

And I love a chance to play with my makeup!

I went with Hubby and two of our friends and we had the best time!!  The band played for three hours straight and it's the only concert I can go to where I know the words to every song. :)

It was so nice to get out with friends and be "Kelly" instead of "Mommy"  for the night.  It totally re-charged my batteries! 

The sweetest sound

Yesterday was an amazing day.  At first I thought it would be great because it was a holiday and my husband was off work, but then something even better happened:


My son said "Mama".


I have never heard anything sweeter in my life.  

Cardi and top - gift from MIL, Skirt - Express, Tights - HUE, 

Shoes - MJM warehouse, Leg in left corner - Peanut ;)

Yes, I know that he probably doesn't know what it means, but that's ok with me.  I now know what that sweet little voice sounds like when it calls my name. :)


Plus, I was getting real tired of him only saying Dada all the time!!  lol


I wore this outfit out to dinner.  I love that my old clothes are fitting again - it's like getting a whole new wardrobe!  I last wore this skirt here and am finding that it is quickly becoming one of my favorites, which is funny because I think I wore it once in the years I had it before I got pregnant!

So the weather has started warming up (it was 55 degrees today!) but there is still so much snow on the ground!!  Check out the snow pile behind me - it's huge!!

Blazer - Modcloth, Shirt - GAP, 

Jeans - Express, Shoes - Converse

I wore this outfit over the weekend when I was out running errands with my family.  I bought this blazer back in September and just got around to wearing it!  It's a sweatshirt material so it's super comfortable but it has a pretty ruffle detail so it's still a bit fancy.  I also love the fact that it's asymmetrical!

This week has been another crazy week of party planning - everything seems to finally be coming together! I am so excited for the event.  So far there are 460 people coming!  It's going to be a PJ party theme so we are going to set up a tent for story time (reading Good Night Moon of course!), we have a pillow pit for the kids to jump in a la No more Monkeys jumping on the bed, a tunnel with shining stars to crawl through and even a face painter!  I cannot wait to share the pictures!!

Time to share!

Thank you all for making me feel better about my muslin faux pas - I actually got 7 hours of sleep last night so I am feeling much more "with it" today!!  Good thing too, because I have two meetings scheduled - I have a training session for my new position this afternoon and tonight I am hosting the party planning committee at my house which of course means making a batch of brownies from my favorite recipe! 

So speaking of silly things that are done in a sleepy haze, I would love to know - what crazy things have you done when running on empty?  Please share!   

Now onto the clothes - Today's outfit is very simple, with options for day and night.  Here is my day look:

 And my nighttime meeting look:

I even have my pink legal pad ready to go!

Blazer - JCrew, Top - Tucker for Target, 

Jeans - GAP, Shoes - not shown because I'm wearing slippers ;)

I am also planning on cutting my fashion fabric for my swing dress (you know, in my spare time.. lol)  Hopefully I will be able to remember all my alterations!

Oh no she didn't

Sorry for the lack of posts (again) this week - I am still playing catch up!!  I hope everyone is having a good week - mine has been SUPER busy!  I was asked to join the organizer board of my mommy group (there are over 500 members!) and I am now the new head of event planning.  YEA!!  I am super excited as this role is right up my alley. :)  My first task?  Finish organizing the Winter Festival for around 800 people that is in 18 days!  No pressure or anything... lol  

Jacket - Marc New York, Scarf - Modcloth Sunnies - Modcloth, 

Sweater (next pic) LOFT, Pants - GAP, Shoes - Bella Moda

Hubby and I finally got to spend some time together with Peanut this weekend so we headed outdoors for a long walk - the weather had warmed up to a whopping 45 degrees!

I was even able to take my jacket off for pictures without freezing to death!

I really wanted to show all of you my finished muslin this week as well, unfortunately, in my sleep deprived deluded haze, when I was cleaning up my sewing area on Sunday, I accidentally THREW IT OUT with other scraps.  I can't believe I did that!!!  

I know what you're thinking -

Oh no she didn't

Yes, yes I did.

I really need to get some more sleep. ;)

Cabin Fever

Well, it's snowing.  Again.  I am so ready for spring or a vacation (preferably somewhere warm and sunny with umbrella drinks)!  I'm glad I live in an apartment building so I can at least have play dates without having to go outdoors!  I will be going to other mom's apartments to play the rest of the week though - I'm still recovering from Monday's party!  lol

Top - M by Marc Bouwer, Pants - GAP, 

Belt - Made by Natasha, Bracelet - gift from cousin in South Africa

I wore all black today to highlight the amazingly fabulous belt I recently purchased from Natasha of Required 2 be Inspired.  I absolutely love it!  :)    To keep with the wild thing theme, I wore a bracelet my cousin got me when she was living in South Africa - it's hand carved with the "Big Five" animals.  So cool!

Hope you are all staying warm today!

The best laid plans

So yesterday I hosted a potluck dinner party for 6 mommies and their kids.  I had the whole thing planned to be held in my building's club house, which has a huge space for kids to play, a kitchen and a dinner table.  I figured it would be easier to have it here instead of my apartment.  

You know there's a huge twist coming, right?

But first, a look at my outfit - I bought these tights months ago and finally found where I put them!  I love how the outfit is pretty basic but the tights add a touch of sass.

Ok, here comes the twist -  

Yesterday MORNING - that's right, I got half a day's notice - we received a letter informing us that our building would be closing the clubhouse effective immediately for 3 months of renovations.  Uh...what?!  I was told "no problem" when I asked to use it!  

So I had a few hours to do some extreme toddler proofing in my main room (the kids ranged from 6-18 months), dig out my huge folding table from the storage closet and get my apartment dinner party ready!!  Oh, and finish cooking all the food I had to make!

Cardi - gifted, Tank - Banana Republic, Skirt - Express, 

Tights - Charlotte Russe, Shoes - Calvin Klein

The kids had a blast and all the moms had a great time so everything worked out and the party ended up being a success but it was a LONG day.  Not to mention an even longer night of cleaning up flung macaroni and cookie crumbs ground into the carpet!  Ah, another glamorous day in mommyhood. :)  

And no, I didn't wear the shoes the whole time - I switched to my slippers after everyone arrived.  I'm not completely nuts! ;)

Mommy goes casual

Today I really wanted to just put on a PINK sweat suit and call it a day.  I just didn't feel like getting ready this morning!  Maybe it's all this snow and sleet and whatnot we have had lately.  Peanut and I have been stuck inside for days!  

However, I have a mommy event to go to this afternoon (finally we are getting out of the house!!), so I pulled it together and put on my version of sweats - my new cozy hoodie, my now fitting jeans and the new Converse sneaks I got for Christmas.  Just as comfortable as sweats but much more acceptable in public!

Hoodie - Victorias Secret, Tee - GAP, 

Jeans - Express, Converse - gifted

What is your go-to casual outfit?

It's a date!

On Sunday, my husband and I actually got to go on a date!  This will be number 3 in the past 7 1/2 months.  That's a sad statistic folks. :)

We went to my favorite restaurant of all time, Lighthorse Tavern.  Their menu is seasonal so it changes every 3 months, but I have yet to try something I don't like!

I was so excited to get dressed up.  As I'm sure you have noticed, I never pass up an opportunity to wear a skirt!

I just finished making the skirt this morning and was so excited to wear it out!  I was so proud when my mother in law, who was a seamstress, asked me where I bought my skirt and was shocked when I told her I made it myself!  Best compliment ever. :)

Sweater - Ann Taylor, Tank - Calvin Klein, Skirt - self made, 

Tights - HUE, Shoes - Shoe Dazzle, 

Jewelry - Judith Ripka and Pandora

Of course, in true mommy fashion, Peanut spit up all over it as soon as I got home - good thing I only work with machine washable fabrics!! lol

THAT skirt

On Saturday we went to my friend's daughter's 3rd birthday.  It was Peanut's first kids birthday party!  We had a great time and Peanut was super helpful with the cupcake pinata.  It had ribbons to pull on to open it and my son's an expert puller!  I wore my new Victoria's secret hoodie which I got the best deal on - $150 marked down to $30!!  I paired it with "the" skirt.  You know the one - the lace Target skirt that has been everywhere on the blogosphere. :)  I bought it a while ago and held off wearing it for a while but it was the perfect comfortable-chic skirt for the occasion!

And, of course, I had to pile on my Judith Ripka jewelry - this particular friend is my JR partner in crime.  Whenever she is on QVC we are madly texting back and forth!  We can't always buy, but we love to look and admire!  Her jewels are my weakness.  Well, that and shoes.

Hoodie - Victoria's Secret, Tank - Banana Republic, Skirt - Target, 

Tights - HUE, Boots - Bass, Jewelry - Judith Ripka

Peanut's first art museum

On Monday my sister in law and I took Peanut with us to the Museum of Modern Art.  There was an exhibit of Andy Warhol's motion picture work and I love his paintings so we thought it would be interesting to check out.  We had such a great time and Peanut was so good.  He loved staring at the paintings and found the Warhol exhibit fascinating.  What Warhol did was film people's faces while they did mundane tasks such as brush their teeth, eat a sandwich, or simply stare at the camera.  When they were all up at the same time it was pretty neat.  It was like we were peeking in at their everyday lives without them knowing - quite voyeuristic.   

Shirt - gifted, Necklace - F21, Jeans, GAP, 

Shoes - Calvin Klein, Bracelet - Pandora

After the museum we stopped by Mood Fabrics to pick up some faux fur for a vest I'm working on.  I know this seems silly, but whenever I'm there, I cross my fingers that I'll run into Tim Gunn.  I have a bit of an obsession with Project Runway and just adore him!!  No luck this time but perhaps one day... :)