goldenpig

Does this count as an essential? ;)
At least you don't have to worry about wet knees if you have to garden in the rain.
Maybe I should try something like this for the boys' pants. They all have holes in the knees, maybe I should patch them with Ziploc bags!

http://www.someecards.com/life.....m-topshop/

I got these both 40% off at Banana Republic. What do you think? Are either of these keepers, or do I have sale goggles on? I am showing both open and zipped, although I almost never wear my jackets zipped up. ETA--not really styled how I would wear them, just thrown over my other outfits.
White braided leather jacket--size S
Tweed moto--size 6

ETA: Tweed moto has been returned. Added some more styled pics with the white leather moto. The only one i like is with the olive tee. I think this is a return too, right? It doesn't seem to be playing well in my closet.

Ok which silver sandal do you think I should keep? Have bought both but I think I can only justify keeping one. I already have the Munro Abby in black and bronze (14) and they are super comfy sandals. Trying to decide between a third Abby pair in silver, or the Paul Green metallic Cayanne sandals that Angie posted about. When I tried them both on at the store, people were commenting how great the Cayannes looked on me and that they looked more special than the Abbys. The Cayannes are surprisingly relatively comfy for 3 inch heels. But the Abby are only 2.5 inch and even more comfy. The Abbys are all day on call at the hospital (lots and lots of walking) heels whereas the Cayannes might be more of an all day at the office/doing procedures (lots of standing and short distance walking) pair. Pro for the Cayanne is that it has a zipper whereas the Abby has a Velcro closure (which may eventually wear out). And I think it looks a little edgier. But the negative is that my ankles are so skinny that there is a bit of a gap/flowerpot effect. Pic 12 was with my usual size 7.5 which was too big around my ankles, so I sized down to a 7 (funnily though I had to size up 1/2 size to an 8 in the Abbys). Even with the smaller size Cayannes there's a bit of a gap, more so on the right (see 11). And it's more expensive than the Abby, although I used a Nordstrom note to bring the price down. Oh and I tried the Cayannes with a bronze/gold toned outfit and it didn't seem to work as well as the bronze Abbys, so it really is more of a silver toned sandal. Which one do you think looks better on me? Thanks for your help!

ETA: added more pics of the Paul Green styled (18/19) and comparison of Paul Greens and Josef Siebels. Actually it's no comparison. The heel height is lower on the JS but is actually less padded/comfy feeling and the toe box is narrower. Also unlike the PG's, the strips on the JS are not attached to each other so they do this weird skin-revealing thing when I put them on. All I could think of was "mummy shoes". Worth a try, but back to Zappos they go!

So, I decided to keep the Cayannes. I love the style and they way they look. They're a lot more edgy than the Abbys. And compared to the Josef Seibels they are actually more comfy. In fact one of the other doctors in my practice has a pair of Cayannes too, I just found out. But I'm keeping the silver Abbys too, at least for now. If I don't reach for them in the next few months I'll return, but I'm pretty sure I can use them for days when I'm going to be doing a lot of walking either for work or MOTG. As for those who think three pairs of one shoe is too much, you would be appalled at my shoe closet. I have five pairs of Okalas, and routinely have two to three pairs of each shoe in different colors! When I find something that works I stick with it!

The Marimekko for Target collection just launched today:
http://www.target.com/c/marime.....1_4_3_2016|E1|T:Templ

Here's the look book:

http://www.racked.com/2016/3/2.....ok#6388517
https://corporate.target.com/a.....-look-book

Anyone else stocking up? Last time I tried these Target designer collections including Missoni and Jason Wu, a lot of stuff sold out immediately, so I'm ordering a bunch of different prints and sizes and will return whatever doesn't work out. I refuse to fight crowds in-store. I ordered some swimsuits and cover ups for me and DD, so maybe we can do a little matchy matchy at the pool this summer! And some tableware for home. I'm most interested to try those palazzo pants! Of course, this could all be a bust (I ordered stuff from the Altuzarra for Target and returned it all, it was really poor quality and fit), but I love Marimekko prints and I figure beachwear doesn't have to be the best quality.

Just for fun! What bags are you currently lusting over? Can be anything from recent/planned purchase to dream bags, practical to fantasy.

I have been wanting to get an oxblood colored bag. I have a red Fossil tote that is very old and beat up that I still use. I would love to replace it with this Burberry tote. Love that there is just a hint of the Burberry check peeking out from the sides. Love the mahogany color. It is quite expensive though and I'm not sure if it would be big enough to hold my laptop. There's another oxblood leather tote from a company called Dagne Dover that makes very stylish and functional totes with lots of organized compartments. The leather one is vertical and $495. There's a cheaper coated canvas horizontal tote for $255-$265 (13 vs. 15 inch), I like the bright blue color (they do also make an oxblood color). Undecided about which size or style would fit my needs, and not sure it's worth the price (love the leather version but $495 is still pretty expensive...). What do you think of these bags?

And then there's the Hermes Birkin and Kelly. I love the style and classic shape. Yes I know they're ULTRA expensive. They often get a negative reaction from people who think you're a celebrity copycat or gold digger. And they're impossible to get. A girl can dream...

What's on your wish list?

What do you think of these Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses? I have a 20 year old Banana Republic wrap dress (9) and a Maggy London black and white faux wrap dress (7-8). I've been wanting for a long time to add a DVF wrap dress to my collection, but have had bad luck in the past with them not fitting right with my apple shape. I think the belt tends to cut right across my belly. Unfortunately I'm at my highest non-pregnant weight in a while--I am done nursing for the first time in almost 8 years, but because of that my weight has crept up about 10 lb and it seems to be all in my apple belly! I'm actually 1st trimester pregnant in 7-8, but I think my belly is even bigger now! Since I don't think it's going away anytime soon (I'm working on it, but it's slow going), I think I'm just going to have to live with it. These two DVF dresses, the blue leaf print in 1-3 and the chain print in 4-6, were on sale so I got a good price on them. What do you think of them? The black and white one is very similar to the Maggy London that I already have so I would only keep it if it's better than the one I have. I like the patterns, and the color of the blue dress. I don't love the side views, but I don't think I can do much better at this point given the realities of my post-three babies body. Which DVF dress do you like better, or should I give up on my dream of a classic DVF wrap and return both?
ETA: the chain print does come in a smaller print if you think the print is too large.

Hi! Wanted to get your opinion on a couple of red dresses. I'm looking for something to wear to upcoming holiday parties (DH and I usually have holiday parties at work). Do you like either of these dresses?

The first one is a Maggy London sheath. It's size 8 (the 6 is backordered). I don't think I'd want to go any tighter than this anyways though. The second is a Taylor fit and flare. I have size 6 and 8 here. The 6 is very fitted and a little snug around the waist. The 8 has more breathing room at the waist, but I worry that the bodice looks a little too loose and wrinkly. I think I prefer the print placement of the size 6.
1-3. Maggy London sheath, size 8.
4-6. Taylor fit and flare, size 6.
7-9. Taylor fit and flare, size 8.

DH strongly prefers the second one--he thinks the lace detail on the sheath is too frou-frou. DD likes the first one because of the lace. I think the fit and flare is more "me" (plus it has pockets!), but the sheath is maybe more grown-up looking. I just realized that the fit and flare just went on sale, so I can get a price adjustment. I could keep both if you really like both, but they are kind of similar looking so if you have a preference let me know. The theme of my work holiday party is "Winter Wonderland"--would either of these dresses work? Any ideas for toppers--maybe a black or a white faux fur shrug? And do you think I could wear either of these to work later? Thanks so much!

I was so excited to get the chance to meet Angie and over 30 other Fabbers at the Epic Seattle Shoptember Ingefest! I was only able to attend on Saturday from breakfast to lunch, but what an action-packed few hours it was! I brought the three kids with me by myself to Seattle (crazy, I know!), and they had fun meeting Angie and the other Fabbers for breakfast. (Thanks Ruth aka bj1111 for keeping DS1 and DS2 entertained and Deb for letting DD steal your croissant!) It was great finally meeting people in person, some who I immediately recognized from their WIW pics, and others from their usernames. Inge was kind enough to share delicious Belgian chocolates with all of us. Then my college roommate who lives near Seattle brought her family including 4 kids (!) and whisked my three kiddos away to the Aquarium so I could have some kid-free time to shop!

Greg took some group pictures and pics of us walking down the street. Then Anna took an intrepid group to a consignment store and her favorite designer stores, while I joined Angie's group and went to Nordstrom and All Saints. It was amazing to watch Angie in action. She managed to help all of us with suggestions and advice and yet kept us all moving and on time to meet for lunch. It was so fun to shop with a group of fashion savvy girlfriends and hear the chorus of "oohs" and "aahs" when someone tried on a winner, and also to get expert advice from the group when something seemed off. When I was having trouble finding tops to work with my apple shape, Aida wisely reminded me "it's not you, it's the clothes!" I must have paraded around in front of Angie and the others with 15 different pairs of boots and flats, but in the end with their help I got exactly what I needed--comfortable and fashionable black flats and black moto booties!

I also loved seeing other Fabbers try on items that were perfect for them. Like Kari's emerald green wrap blouse (the color is great for her hair and coloring), and the black snakeskin moto jacket. Watching Angie artfully arranging the cowls on the jacket while Kari was wearing it was like watching a master sushi chef in action--it looked so perfect when she was done! She's also very diplomatic in her assessments--she never makes you feel bad about your body, instead saying "I preferred the other jumper you tried earlier, it's less clingy" or "I think this other pair would work better with your slim ankles".

Angie also was great at making very specific recommendations for everyone. For example, Kathleen (aka K.period) asked "What one piece should I look for that I'm missing in my closet?" and without missing a beat Angie said "Ankle check pants--here's one to try on, and there's another one at Loft that might work if these don't." Then she handed me two asymmetric hem sweaters that she picked out for me "for the next leg of your style journey." And she added, "and they'll go perfectly with your black moto ponte pants." I think I only posted one WIW with those. How does she keep track of everyone's closet and style (and aspirational style) so well?! And of course she was right--they were perfect for my slightly edgier UWP MOTG persona. I bought the Vince Camuto sweater on the spot (so did Kathleen--looking forward to being sweater twins!). The other Eileen Fisher sweater poncho I tried was a petite and wasn't available in my regular size, so I ordered it to ship to my house. 

Then the group headed over to All Saints and there were many lovely things there too. I tried on two draped black dresses. I got a lot of helpful advice on the fit and sizing from the peanut gallery (everyone was sitting on a bench and commenting on outfits as people emerged from the dressing rooms).  The first one was very pretty, but it had double thigh high slits. It felt a little too exposed and I kept trying to pull it down--it felt like I had somehow caught the front hem of the dress in my underwear after going to the bathroom. Not an appropriate look for either work or MOTG! The other one was less "indecent", but still felt edgy, and the draping worked with my apple belly, so I got that one. I think I can wear it for both work and for MOTG with leggings, especially with my black moto booties! 

Then I saw Ann (aka Dashielle) and Sveta trying on this gorgeous eggplant colored cocoon coat with darker contrast sleeves and I just had to try it on too. It was a very unusual looking coat and a new silhouette for me--I kept asking if it was too big, because it was so round in the middle, which as an apple is normally not an area I like to emphasize. I had bought a purple cape at NAS, but haven't worn it because I was concerned that the cape was too impractical to use when carrying purses, the kids, etc., so I was thinking of returning it. This All Saints one is much more expensive, but I also think it will be much more useful than the cape, because it has sleeves and is longer length to work with dresses. And it looks more avant garde/edgy, which is the style direction I'm inspired by right now. So with the encouragement of Angie and all the rest to push my style envelope, I went ahead and got it!!! It's a gorgeous plum which goes well with my deep autumn coloring. And the unusual shape and the contrast sleeves make it more interesting. Hope you all like it on me! (And I hope Dashielle or others end up getting it as well!). Anna said she liked the coat on me when I was modeling it at lunch, so it's great to know I have the "Anna seal of approval"!

I am so glad I had the chance to meet and talk with so many lovely people! Everyone acted like old friends even though many of us were meeting for the first time. And there were so many fun moments, like seeing unexpected twinnies like Aida and Sveta in their cream sweaters and matching plaid skinnies, or me and Suzanne (aka Ambergreen), who both did black and white matchy matchy--me with striped skirt and bag and her with houndstooth sweater and booties...so AWESOME!, or Jenava making a grand entrance at lunch with her beautiful baby bump and husband in tow, or meeting THE Inge of Ingefest, and Claire my fellow Arizonan (I grew up there), and too many others to list in entirety. I wish I could have stayed longer and participated in the dinner and cocktail party. But considering the damage done to my credit card in just a couple hours, it's probably good I didn't have more time to shop! ;) Anyways, I have a great new fall mini-capsule for my edgy side. I am totally hooked on YLF meetups now and can't wait to do it again! Thanks so much Angie for organizing this and for all your help...it was wonderful spending the day with you and all the other Ingefest Fabbers!

1-2. WIW. Target black zipper top, Vince Camuto striped tube skirt, Brahmin striped satchel, Kate Spade zigzag stripe bracelet, and Kate Spade trench (though it ended up being so warm I didn't need it!)
3-4. The kids all wanted to match each other and match me with the striped theme.
5-7. Angie and the kids at Urbane.
8. Thank goodness I had help from my tablemates Ruth and Deb at breakfast to keep the kids entertained!
9. Check pants twinnies Aida and Sveta.
10. Denise (cocolion), Sveta, Mary, me, Aida and Claire.
11. Shoe shot!
12. Anna and others walking down the street.
13. The master at work.
14. Taking Nordstrom by storm.
15. All Saints.
16. Claire tries on a moto jacket.
17. View of the market.
18. Angie and me.
19-23. Lunch bunch at Steelhead Diner.
24. Jenava's grand entrance.
25. Matchy matchy black and white pattern fraternal twins Suzanne (Ambergreen) and me--houndstooth and stripes.
26. The black and grey contingent--Ruth (bj1111), Suzanne, Kate (Rabbit) and me.

My loot!
27-28. Vince Camuto asymmetric hem grey pinstripe sweater
29. Vince Camuto Haila black snakeskin D'Orsay flats--to replace my pointy black flats which were getting very worn.
30. All Saints Leena black draped dress (can't link in the finds for some reason) http://www.us.allsaints.com/wo.....ena-dress/
31. Ugg Riley black moto bootie (comfy and fleece lined!)
32-36. All Saints Klein contrast eggplant cocoon coat
37. Eileen Fisher asymmetric hem ash/black poncho--ordered in my size

After seeing so many fabbers rock these Rag and Bone pajama jeans,  I thought I'd give it a go. I normally wear a size S-M, 28-29 (27 in Gap). These are a S. Did I pick the right size? I thought they would be a lot slouchier than this, but going back over the other peoples' posts I realize that it wasn't as baggy looking as I thought. They are very soft and comfy--they are sweats printed to look like jeans, after all.

Oh, the funniest thing was I asked 6 year old DD what she thought of these pants, and she said, "They look kind of sketchy. They look like they have bird poo all over them" (because of the faded white spots and faux oil stains). LOL! Out of the mouths of babes!

Keep or return? Thanks!

ETA: Thanks everyone for your wise advice! I went ahead and went to the Intermix store to try on the medium size. They didn't have the same Miramar wash, but they had a different wash (Sheffield, which is darker, and a white
wash too). The medium seemed way too baggy for my taste, especially in
the rear view, so I am going to keep the small. I also liked the original wash the best. I really don't like that the Sheffield has the outline of a pack of cigarettes in the rear pocket. And the white wash one just looks like a dirty pair of stained sweats. So, sketchy bird poo it is! I took some pics of them pulled a little lower around my hips (sorry, didn't mean to do highwater style in the first pics! I guess I'm just used to having to hike waistbands above my apple belly!) and you all were right, I think it gives it just the right amount of slouch. And I'll make sure not to put it in the dryer, thanks for the tip! Looking forward to ripping the tags off!

ETAA: I also tried on the shorts version and love them. I found them on sale at Rag and Bone so I placed an order. I'm also going to try a size up on the shorts because while it's comfy in the S and I like how it looks, I'm not sure if it's supposed to be so form fitting. I don't usually like to have a big gap in the legs, but it looks a lot baggier on the catalog model.,

1-11. Miramar wash, size S
12-15. Sheffield wash, size M
16. Miramar white sweatpant, size M

17-19. Miramar shorts, size S

You know I'm dedicated to fashion when I brave NAS with 3 kidlets in tow! I only had 45 minutes to shop before I had to take all three of them to swimming lessons (by myself, since DH is away), so I called in and asked the SA to pull all the items I was interested in and she was nice enough to get me a big dressing room. Thought you'd enjoy the funny pics of my shopping trip--not exactly a relaxing pampering experience! #4 about sums it up, LOL. Actually they were really good and let me try on everything and I made it out of there with all the items I linked below in time for their swimming lesson! I still have some stuff on order, so not all of this may stay once I have other things to compare. But I'm pretty happy with what I ended up coming home with...what do you think? K/R on everything, honest opinions welcomed!

1-4. My little shopping assistants.
5. The rack.
6. Rag and Bone grey racerback tank. Size M. Not 100% sure how useful this would be, but it's very soft and silky. Waiting to see how it looks with the R&B knit moto jacket.
7. Chelsea28 Black lace inset blouse and camis. Size S (forgot to take a pic of the S cami, the M cami in 11 was too big). I ended up buying both the cream floral and black floral camis, but may not keep the black floral cami if I keep the black blouse.
8-9. Equipment plaid sweater, size S. Diane von Furstenberg navy lace pencil skirt size 8. OMG I love this outfit. Can I justify keeping TWO lace pencil skirts?
10. Munro Abby black slingback bootie. I've been wanting a pair of black cage sandals or peep toe booties, but all the ones I can find have really high heels. This one is low enough that I can wear it all day at work, and really comfy. And on NAS sale! I know it's not as fashion forward as the high heel versions, but what do you think of it? Actually I sized up half a size from the ones in the pic (that one is 7.5 which is my usual size, but I went up to an 8 so my heel wouldn't hang off the edge)
11-13. Paige grey plaid skinny jeans. Had to size up to a 29. I've got another pair of teal plaid ones on order (Jolt) so I'll compare the two. And Halogen foiled sweatshirt, sized up to M. It was hard to concentrate on shopping when the kiddos were making such silly faces!
Thanks for looking and for your comments!