Bye April

290 more days to go...

Good-bye April...another month down:) How exciting for me..and it's also the weekend..doubly exciting. Spring/Summer season means easily thrown together outfits to me. A simple cotton tank dress, a draped linen pullover, and a wooden clasp belt...toss on a bucket purse and some espadrilles and voila, ready to go.

Tonight, a casual dinner party with good friends; tomorrow, a bachlorette party that involves some pole dancing, and Sunday, a romantic dinner with my hubby at our favorite restaurant in Queens Village...(an endless possibility of fun outfits this weekend).

Small Packages

291 more days to go...

Good things come in small packages....at least that's what I've been told since forever. I've always known that it was something my friends and family would tell me to make me feel better about being so short and small. Just like when I was told the reason mosquitoes love to bite me must be because I'm so sweet. Nobody wants to say it sucks to have short legs or that I just have bad luck with bugs. But being small has some big pluses. I can always wear heels but will never tower over my tall husband, smaller clothing = less carry on luggage, I can hide easily, and squeeze amongst the tiniest spaces (which really comes in handy every now and then).

I've come to accept the fact that I will never be six feet tall or be able to wear exaggerated wide legged pants. Instead, I get to wear sky high stilettos and short mini-dresses. This Leifsdottir sweater dress even comes complete with a bow.

Put together

292 more days to go...

I finally came around today...cleaned up, got dressed, took the early train to work, worked out, mowed the lawn, made dinner, and did dishes. This never happens. It must have been the full moon, wait..that was last night. Ever have one of these days that makes you think about all that you can accomplish if you just did it? Well, now I'm exhausted...but at least I thought I looked really cute today:)

Creature Comfort

293 more days to go...

I did not want to get dressed today. In fact, I didn't want to shower (didn't), comb my hair (didn't), or get out of bed (had to). I found my most comfy pair of cargo pants, circa 1999, and decided it would be the only thing I'd be comfy in today. +10 year cotton pants should definitely not exist in anyone's wardrobe...but they are my one thing that I just can't bring myself to toss out (that's a lie, there are lots of things I can't bring myself to toss out).

So, I'm happy with my decision to dress a bit like a homeless person today until about lunch time. I was in the restroom when I noticed that there are about a hundred holes in my pants, worn out, ripped, giant holes. How embarrassing. I wondered if that was why people were avoiding me today. Kept my jacket on for the rest of the day. Lesson learned: If I can't shower, brush my hair, or get out of bed...I shouldn't leave the house.

BTW...Lost was a rerun tonight?!?!? WTF?

(I heart Baby Porter)

Rainy Days and Mondays

294 more days to go...

Rainy days and Mondays, two things that go together that I wish didn't. Kinda like partying and hangovers, or pork and beans (I literally can't swallow a bean...tastes just like sand to me). I know that April showers are suppose to bring May flowers, but what's up with the frigid cold? Since I can't find my trusty rain boots, flats are a must for today's downpour. Lots of layers should help with the chills.

one droopy mood

296, 295 more days to go...

Saturday started out great at a brunch date with Garnette. How quickly the mood changed with disappointing food, sudden clouds and rain, no one's feeling good, and a bout of depression settling in (at least the flowers looked amazing). With my new found upset-ness, I managed to cancel all my plans for the night and wound up laying around the house, sulking non-stop til I passed out...waking up Sunday morning, it was still dreary and cold (outside and inside). I managed to cancel all my plans this morning as well. Finally decided to get outside, run some errands, and eat (disappointing food, again). In the end, I sat in the movie theater with Nick and got lost in the world of Kick Ass. Apparently, a little (or a lot) of violence was just what I needed to kick my droopy mood:)

Friday Night, Lights Out

297 more days to go...

Dear Fridays, you never come soon enough and then you're gone before I know it.

Back in the days, I loved getting all dolled up and hitting the town on Friday nights. Lately, (more like for the past five years), I LOVE getting off work, grabbing a quick bite to eat near the train station, coming home, getting into pj's (there's a song involved), and hitting the bed...all before 10pm. In my defense to all those judging me right now, we did stay out late last night downtown. The newly minted Dr. Teagan made an amazing dinner for us yesterday. (Thanks Teagan, we love you!). And there's another bachlorette party tomorrow night, so really, I'm just saving my energy.

My very old, LGD (little green dress) is super comfy and completely functional: it has huge side pockets that can hold just about anything. In fact, it's so old and so comfy, I'm wondering if it could possibly double as a nightie. Night, Night:)

Easy Breezy

298 more days to go...

Happy Earth Day! Looks like Mother Nature has decided to join the celebration by giving us a beautiful breezy Spring day. I didn't get a chance to participate in any local Earth Day celebratory events (it is a Thursday after all), but hopefully will get to this weekend.

The silk wrap around ruffle print top was the same color as today's sky and the white blossoms reminded me of the fluffy clouds up above. Perfect for frolicking around such a lovely day.My sole pair of Prada pumps were m.i.a for a while due to someone's very bad puppy (when our little one is bad, I say she's Nick's, but when she's good, she's our's). A millions thanks to Paco, the best cobbler in Philadelphia (Villa's Shoe Repair), who made them look practically new again this week.

Flower Power

299 more days to go...

What?!?! I broke the 300 day mark...wooohooo! I've read in many articles that you should reward yourself once you've reached certain goals because it encourages you to keep going. This seems like the perfect time to give myself a little gift:) But don't worry, my mini achievement is prize enough to keep me going for a while longer.

So, as you can see, I've been really into bright, saturated colors this week. And it's obvious that I love floral patterns. So today, it's not a surprise that I went with a happy blue and green spring garden blouse and some strappy sunshine-y heels:) Here's to the next hundred days!

In Living Colors

300 more days to go...

Since it's Spring, a girl (like me) can't help wearing all sorts of bright colors and fun floral prints. Not that there's anything with a black and white motif (I'm always a big fan) but something about wearing colors just makes me feel more lively:) The pixelated roses on this skirt makes me feel like I'm in an old Nintendo game. Now if only these flowers can give me fire power like those in Super Mario Bros, traveling the crosswalks of Philadelphia would be way easier.

All tied up

301 more days to go...

I like to imagine that the start of the new week is a bit like a 'reset' button. You know, like if I didn't wake up as early as I should have last week, I would definitely start this week. Or if I didn't get quite as much done at work as I should have, it would all get done plus more this week. So this week, I think I should do those two things+probably a bunch of other ones as well. Here is when things start to go wrong...I make a long to-do list and before you know it, I'm all tied up and nothing gets done. (totally couldn't get up early this morning...oops)

My gauzy green wrap-around shirt has always been one of my favorites. Hopefully it will be the only thing that keeps me all tied up this week.

Aaahhh Spaaa

302 more days to go...

This is my kind of Sunday. Spending some time at the spa, lounging around in soft, comfy clothes, then coming home and laying on the couch for the rest of the day. I mean, really, is there any other way to spend the end of the weekend?

A Short Decade

304, 303 more days to go...

Friday. One of my best friends in high school, Julie (along with her husband), arrived in Philly tonight for our first visit together in over 10 years. 10 Years! Seriously, I can't believe that I am even old enough to be saying this. I can say that the good thing is we look exactly the same as we did in high school only with lovelier lady lumps...and by lovelier, I mean bigger:) After a dinner party with a group of good friends, great food, and some fancy drinks (thanks, Hamza), the two of us talked til past 2 in the morning. We use to talk a lot in class, seems like that hasn't changed a bit.
Saturday. After only about 4 hours of sleep, I woke to Nick getting ready for his golf date with Julie's husband, Clint. They hit it off right away...I guess they would have had to considering us ladies ignored them to catch up with old times. A decades' worth of gossip and giggling takes lots of time and energy. So we continued our catching up in bed, at brunch, perusing the flower market, driving around Philly, and walking the dogs. Girls really like to talk. Since I couldn't find the time to shower in between all this talking, I threw on a comfy V-neck sweater (it was so chilly outside), jeans and loafers and thought I managed to look pretty decent:)

Belting it out

305 more days to go...

Every girl has an accessories drawer (or box or bag), basically a container of things you've thrown in together because you don't know what else to do with it. I was going through mine this morning and found an elastic blue belt I had forgotten about. I remember buying this belt at a yard sale held by a local theater (The Stagecrafters Theater) for twenty-five cents.

Funny thing is, my sister has the exact same belt she bought in LA. Now how did that belt end up in Chestnut Hill and how did it end up in my wardrobe for only a quarter? No complaints from me.

In Print

306 more days to go...

Nothing like a colorful print to brighten your day. After a bit of a hectic start to the week, I am back to myself. No longer running around like a headless chicken....a headless chicken breaking things.

I have to say that I am starting to wonder why I use to always pull on a sweatshirt when pulling on something like this is just as easy but looks way more appropriate (for being in public)....hmmmm some food for thought. There I go, thinking about food again.

A little Blue

307 more days to go...

A little blue top and a little blue bracelet (complete with a little sparkle) makes for an easy outfit. Finished off with jeans and I'm ready for day two of hell (crazy busy work week).

On Neutral Grounds

308 more days to go...

Manic, panic, insanic....wait that last one isn't really a word, is it? Today was not just another manic Monday, it was a bit of 'everything I touch' breaks kind of manic Monday. Good thing it's over and good thing I made it. My neutral subdued palette of a wardrobe was the most calming part of my day. Big fluffy bed, here I come.

SnapShot Weekend

311, 310, 309 more days to go...

Where does the weekend go? Even when it's not busy, regardless of how much stuff you get done(or not), they just never last very long. This weekend I was having a moment...a very lazy, uneventful moment, and I've come to really, really enjoy these moments.

Friday night, I caught up with an old friend over dinner at Dmitri's in Filter Square. Liz is the owner and creator of Betty's Speakeasy and Tasty Buttons. They won Best of Philly:Best Cupcake this past year so of course I couldn't resist going to the shop and eating a bunch of award winning cupcakes...(and fudge, and cookies, and peanut butter sauce...all tasted a bit like heaven). I'm not sure if you're noticing a trend here, but basically, I think I'm just slowly gaining weight. I hadn't realized just how much time I was taking from shopping and now that I have that void to fill...

Saturday, laid on the couch for about 12 hours watching some really bad movies. Finally was forced to get showered and dressed for dinner with the hubby. It was one of the best dates we've had this month, and we've had a LOT of great dates. I tried the whole 'tights with denim shorts' look. I think it looks better on celebrities but at least my legs were warm.

And today, Sunday, included a baby-filled Brunch at Corey and Melissa's, walking around Rittenhouse with Nick, and playing with the pups. Like I said, I'm having a lazy and relaxing moment....ahhhh.

In Full Bloom

312 more days to go...

Spring is in full bloom on our street...all the trees are flowering, gardens are spilling over with colorful variety, even the lilacs are painting the air with their sweet scent. In order to match my nature, I wore a light cotton skirt with bright pops of floral painted on. It looks a little apron-ly but oh-so-happy...and on a day like this, can anyone be anything but Happy:)

Wedded Bliss

315, 314, 313 more days to go...

Monday...Rehearsal Dinner...Traditional Moroccan Style. There's something so foreign about eating with your hands off the same plate as everyone else...but it sure does make for funny conversation:) Garnette and Hamza wore traditional Moroccan tunics (they looked so regal), while I wore a tank and swingy skirt (it was about 100 degrees outside...and inside)


Tuesday....Garnette's Big Day!!!

Wedding day and stress seems to go hand-in-hand. Although there were a few moments of (almost) catastrophic meltdowns, all crisis were averted. The bride wore a short Nicole Miller gown with red patent leather stilettos from Valentino. The rest of us tried to look good for her:)

Introducing...Mr. and Mrs. Hamza Mir...

Nick and I wore a little something from our wedding to celebrate love and marriage and all that other good stuff. Nick wore his Hugo Boss suit and I wore my Giuseppe Zanotti gold crystal heels. I forgot how uncomfortable they were and eventually changed into flats:(

(the cake was insanely good...chocolate with cappuccino buttercream)

After the big night ended, Nick and I headed home to our pups, all of us exhausted. As we were driving home, I told Nick that I loved today so much because I absolutely LOVE witnessing True Love. He took my hand and replied that we got to witness True Love everyday:)

Wednesday: Did we skip spring? It went from Winter to Summer within a week. I am not ready for the heat wave. The good news is that I'm not pasty white (not that there is anything wrong with being pasty white:))

Sunday.

316 more days to go...

Easter flowers...I still don't know why people give special flowers on Easter but I don't oppose the idea. I thought that maybe we needed some Easter flowers in our home too so I went to Robertson's Flowers in Chestnut Hill (my favorite flower shop) and found the biggest bouquet I could find. They are absolutely gorgeous and instantly make my headache go away.

We are celebrating today by having dinner with Garnette and Hemza's family, who just arrived to the US from Morocco. Tomorrow is the start of Garnette's Wedding Week! Hurray! I think this also marks the beginning of wedding season 2010. Couldn't find a tart pan so I made banana cupcakes with peanut butter frosting topped with chocolate shavings....mmmmm.

My Corey Lynn Calter dress with the Turkish lantern print reminded me of Easter eggs so I found it to be appropriate for tonight. But after stuffing myself with the massive amount of Turkey and sides, I wished I had worn jeans and a roomy tee (kinda like everyone else).

Happy Easter:)

Friday. Saturday.

318, 317 more days to go...

Friday. The weekend has arrived! A silky blue lingerie-inspired dress should do the trick. I do have a big date with Nick after all: sharing ice cream in the park and eating medium rare hamburgers out of a paper bag afterward. Who says married couples aren't romantic? :)

Saturday. Oh, the dreaded tax deadline is slowly creeping up. I've declared today as Tax Day in the Yang-Iott Household. So it's going to go like this: get up (check), think about taxes (check), head to yoga (check), eat lunch (check), think some more about doing taxes (check), walk the dogs (check), laundry (check), Taxes? Since there were no more chores that we would rather do besides taxes, it eventually got done. The rest of the day involved me just lounging around on the bed in my nautical striped shirt and sand colored tie waist shorts.

Happy Saturday:)

Thursday.

319 more days to go...

What a beautiful day. All my complaints about the crappy weather and everything else is officially over, at least for now:) Today I got to wear a lightweight lace shift dress, an olive short-sleeve tie-waist cardigan and nude colored python leather pumps. The heel is tiny, only about 2-3 inches, so it was ideal for walking around town in. And in this weather, I could walk all day. I love falling in love with Spring.

Cardigan from Banana Republic, Lace shift dress from Forever21, Leather Pumps from Giuseppe Zanotti, Beaded necklace from H&M