Outfits Of The Yesterdays (Catching Up + Easter + Four Outfits)

 ♫: The Recipe - Kendrick Lamar (ft. Dr. Dre)

Ah, so, where were we? I hope ya'll had a great Easter! It has been a busy past few days around here--between more travel, celebrating a job well done with Husband and some good news for him (hooray, so proud!), listening to my dad give a hilarious live analysis of Mad Men, stuffing myself full of my mom's delicious sugar cookies, and celebrating Easter with my fam...it was fun, but I am happy to be home again. I've always been a little bit of a homebody at heart, shh. Don't tell.

So time for some picture vomit. I've finally downloaded Instagram (uh huh), and I have also been trying to take more snapshots of my everything (riiiight), so the snapshots below are a hodge podge of iPhone, point & shoot, and new camera shots from whenever I remembered to pull out them all out.

It is a fine line, after all--it's like those people you see at concerts, nodding their heads to the beat of the music but tweeting/texting while doing so. In fact, they're doing it the entire time. Are they actually enjoying the experience, or are they enjoying the fact that they should be enjoying the experience, but they're so busy telling someone else how much they're enjoying it that they're not really enjoying what they should be enjoying at all? Right?

And to think, there's a reason why my extravagantly ambitious and industrious leap towards being a fortune cookie fortune writer never panned out. I know I sometimes use too many descriptors, can never stay focused, and worry too much about what others are doing...but can't they just make the fortune cookie bigger? In bed! Ha ha ha ha ha.

 Ooo-kay.

 My lucky numbers are always shut up, sad-face:

{clockwise from top left: dinner at the edge restaurant in the four seasons denver, outfit for that night, neon maxi skirt + blazer, flatness of Wyoming, funny-easter-bunny}

{a sparkly, colorful line-up}

{kitty!}

{the back of my favorite hoodie & what I wear whenever I'm not feeling well, hitting the gym, and/or going to the grocery store late at night: a comically badass, tatted, gun-toting marilyn.}

{he plays angry birds alllllll the time and it still took him forever to get the swim trunks out of the tree}

{twin sister + her husband + their dog}

{Husband + me + not our dog}

{our one and only attempt at a proper family photo}

{diane von furstenberg alba two mini dress in daffodil (available on sale in more colors here!) (and a cheaper option at ASOS), rivka friedman mina bracelet, forever 21 mint bangles}

Jacket: Nordstrom, old (similar at ASOS, on sale) (similar at F21) (& another option at F21)
Top: Ann Taylor, old (similar at Shopbop) (similar here) (similar at Banana Republic)
Shorts: Topshop, old (similar by winter kate) (similar by Tibi) (similar at Zara)
Necklace: Forever 21, old (similar here) (similar here)
Pumps: J Crew Valentina Pumps (similar here, coral no longer available) (similar here) (similar here) (similar under $75)
Bag: Lanvin Sweet Dora Crossbody (similar here) (similar under $200) (similar here)

Top: Sanctuary, old (similar here, on sale) (similar at ASOS)
Shorts: Topshop, old (similar here) (similar under $100) (similar under $30)
Shoes: J Crew Valentina Pumps in Weathered Rose (buy them here) (similar here for $100)
Bag: Marc Jacobs iPad Case in Coral (buy it here) (similar by Kate Spade) (similar at Mango for under $50)

Blazer: ASOS, old (similar by Alexander Wang) (a cardigan option here) (love this lace blazer at The Limited)
Cardigan: J Crew Perfect Mix Tape Cardigan in Henna (buy it here) (similar at Forever21)
Top: J Crew, old (buy it here) (similar here)
Belt: J Crew, old (similar at Express) (similar at ASOS for $11)
Necklace: J Crew, old (similar here)
Skirt: Forever 21 (buy it here) (longer, a-line option at Anthro)
Bag: Chloe Metallic Marcie in Gunmetal (similar here) (similar here) (similar under $200)
Shoes: J Crew Perfect Patent Pumps, old (similar here by Nine West) (similar here) (similar here)

Jacket: Alexander McQ for Target (similar at Zara) (similar here)
Cardigan: J Crew, old (similar here) (similar at F21)
Top: Modcloth, old (similar here) (similar here) (similar here under $50)
Belt: J Crew, old (similar at Banana Republic)
Skirt: J Crew, old (similar here) (similar here)
Shoes: J Crew Mona Pumps in Wild Berry (buy them here) (similar by Nine West in "pink suede") (similar at ALDO)
Bag: Lanvin Happy Mini Pop in gold python (similar by Lanvin here) (similar under $100) (similar under $100)

Outfit Of The Yesterday (And Just When It Seems That The Game Is Hopeless, We Rearrange Some Things For A Dose Of Dopeness)

♫: Dose of Dopeness -Kid Cudi

I immediately fell in love after spying the little Zara jacket that I am wearing below (you know, as in love as one can possibly be with an inanimate object--and we haven't even been on our second date yet!) (Or as my South Dakotan Norse brethren always say: sometimes when ya just know, ya know...ya know?) because of its divine little Burberry Prorsum Spring RTW 2011 leanings:

 (style.com)

The Burberry version is a million times more fierce, but unfortunately it is also a million times more expensive.

And sometimes, I just like my dates to be cheap and easy:

Jacket: Zara, recent purchase (but no longer online) (similar at F21) (similar at GAP) (similar here)
Top: Grey Cotton V-neck T, old (similar at GAP)
Belt: Miss Selfridge (similar at Kohl's) (and a fun option at Topshop)
Skirt: Zara (buy it here) (similar at F21)
Pumps: J Crew Valentina Pumps in Coral (similar here) (similar here) (similar at Zappos)
Bag: Diane Von Furstenberg Harper Day Clutch (similar here by DVF) (similar under $200) (similar under $100)
Nail Polish: Chanel Black Pearl (buy it here)

Outfits Of The Yesterdays (It's The Magical, Mystery Kind)

♫: 40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Just a quick little update today with three outfits from last week. ♥

Contrasting cap-toed flats and shoes have been an emerging trend lately, and I will admit that when I first spied them I wasn't exactly in love. Like these Lanvin flats--freaky birdie beakies, anyone?

But they can be a fun way to work a bit of color into an outfit, like these flats from Ann Taylor. They are really comfy, too--and if you're interested in them for yourself, they run true to size:

Blazer: Nordstrom's, old (similar at Forever 21) (similar at ASOS + take 10% off w/ code "SPECIAL")
Top: Ann Taylor, old (similar at Ann Taylor) (similar here, under $50)
Pants: Madewell, old (similar at Topshop) (similar here) (similar at Forever 21)
Necklace: Topshop, old (similar at Ann Taylor)
Ring: Forever 21, old (similar by Vince Camuto)
Flats: Ann Taylor Elizabeth Flats (buy them here) (similar here for under $100)
Bag: Valentino Aphrodite Satchel (similar here) (similar here) (similar here)

While the Jason Wu craze has mostly died down from last weekend (did you guys grab anything from his Target collection launch?), he has without a doubt been one of my favorite designers to watch for the past handful of years. My favorite season from him so far has been from his Fall RTW 2011 collection, and I took a teensy bit of inspiration in my next outfit from this look right here:

(kapow! via nymag.com)

But you'll have to forgive me, as my fierce fancy lace mask is at the cleaners.  Also--I kind of miss Martin & Osa:

Vest: Kohl's, old (similar here at LOFT) (similar at Bluefly) (similar at GAP, on sale)
Cardigan: Martin + Osa (similar by Three Dots) (similar here for $34.99) (similar at Target)
Lace Top: Zara, old (similar here) (similar at Forever21)
Skirt: ASOS (buy it here) (similar here) (similar by Kate Spade)
Belt: J Crew (similar at Ann Taylor) (similar at ASOS for $11)
Bracelet: Rivka Friedman (buy it here)
Rings: Rivka Friedman (similar here)
Clutch: Proenza Schouler PS1 Pochette in Neon Coral (buy it here) (similar by Reed Krakoff) (similar by Coach) 
Shoes: Christian Louboutin Piou Piou Patent Pumps (buy them here) (similar at ASOS, under $50)

And last but not least--2011 was if anything The Year Of The Blouse, and it looks like 2012 is going to be more of the same. While I love a good silk blouse, I love a funky necklace even more--they can be a great way to give a simple top or dress a little bit of pizazz.

I grabbed this chain harness from Topshop two weeks ago, and while it's currently sold out online, there are a few options over on Etsy if you want something similar for yourself. Love.

Blazer: Nordstrom's, old (similar at Forever 21) (similar at ASOS + take 10% off w/ code "SPECIAL")
Top: J Crew Talitha Blouse (buy it here) (similar here + take 15% off w/ code "UOLOVESU")
Pants: ASOS (similar here) 
Necklace: Topshop, no longer available (similar-ish here) (similar on Etsy)
Shoes: L'Wren Scott Tropical Maryjanes (buy them here) (similar by Marc Jacobs) (similar by Nine West)
Bag: Chloe Paraty in Rosewood (similar here) (similar by Rebecca Minkoff)

Outfit Of The Day (Espoused By A Blouse!)

Why, hello there! How was your weekend? Mine was nice, thanks. Having family in town means doing lots and lots (and lots) of running around, so I'll be back here in a bit with a more lengthy update!

On to the outfit--one of my favorite recent trends has been the silk-blouse-phenom. They are incredibly easy to dress up (and dress down) and look elegant while still being very comfortable to wear. I love the trench flaps on this grayish-greenish-brownish one by Ann Taylor; it gives the blouse a bit more of a structured shape. If you like it for yourself, however, consider sizing up as it does run really small through the chest--I actually sized up two whole sizes and I probably could have gone up two more, as I can see that the buttons are still pulling a teensy bit in these pictures.  This also has a lot to do with me eating a lot of REALLY, REALLY GOOD cupcakes at the 230328743290 weddings I've attended in the past 2 weeks not wearing the right bra here, either. This blouse is definitely for the non-cupcake loving flat chested.

(Fashion bloggers: they have jiggly-puff-cupcake-boob problems just like you do.)

But all in all I do really love the blouse; especially paired with a bright skirt, smart blazer, and fun necklace, even if I do have to wear it buttoned down until I de-puff from all of the recent, tasty celebrations:

Top: c/o Ann Taylor Silk Trench Shirt (buy it here) (similar style here) (and here)
Skirt: Zara (buy it here) (& a pencil skirt style here) (and here + take )
Belt: J Crew (similar style here) (and here for $21)
Jacket: J Crew Library Blazer (buy it here) (similar style here) (and here at ASOS) (and here on sale for $49.95!)
Bag: Lanvin Happy Mini Pop Python Bag (buy it here) (similar style here) (and here by Tory Burch) (and here, on sale for $35!)
Shoes: Alexander Wang (similar style here by Giuseppe Zanotti) (and here by Nine West) (and a pretty pump version here)
Necklace: Topshop Chain and Tube Necklace (buy it here)
Sunglasses: Prada Baroque Round Sunglasses (buy them here)

(Currently listening...)