Dear Mom

I often see posts from a mom to their baby chronicling their milestones each month. I thought I would turn it around and have James write me about his eighth month. These are things I don't want to forget! Hope you don't mind a "baby post".

Dear Mom,

Hey, so wow, I'm 8 months old. Can you believe it? I know, me either. Things were a little dicey there at the beginning, weren't they? I thought I would send you this note to remember my fabulous 8 month-ness, since I have noticed you have barely touched my baby book. No, no, I'm not judging. We've been busy. I just don't want you to forget any of my excellent stats.

I'm tipping the scales at almost 23 lbs. I know you would want to note that, since its the answer to the second question everyone asks you. (1. How old is he? 2. Wow, how much does he weigh?) You're welcome. I've noticed you can only carry me in your left arm...whats up with that? Might want to start lifting on the right side in the evenings. I think my growth is slowing down a bit so maybe we can start to get a little longer life out of my clothes. I'm rocking 12 and 18 month sizes, meaning you are pretty much out of luck on having any more cute teeny tiny gifted clothes for me to wear. Looks like we'll be hitting the mall (you're welcome on that too, seems to be one of your hobbies). I have been in size 4 diapers for a while, so hopefully you are getting some cost breaks on those, though oh how we chuckle when we see that the baby pictured on the box looks as old as a kindergardner, running with a backpack on and whatnot.

Listen, I'm sorry that I keep waking you up around 5 AM. I know its not really night and its not really morning either. But its just the perfect time for a little snack, you know? And you and dad are right there with that little bottle. Sure, I'll snooze a bit more but I get why you are so groggy when we wake up at 7. My bad. Other than that, I'm loving the early bedtime. I know dad hates putting me down right after he gets home from work, but you better believe when I am rubbing my eyes like crazy that I mean business. And I know I am napping very sporadically. Its just that, we're having a great day you know, and then I"m napping which is not really as fun as hanging out. So I like to get up after just an hour. Just long enough for you to relax before you hear my trademark squawks on the monitor. Those days when I only nap for 37 minutes? Oh, well I just feel like partying just a little harder. Besides, its fun to see you run in soaking wet when I interrupt your shower. Heh.

Really liking the current menu lineup. Those pureed blends you are whipping up are choice. My faves are the sweet potatoes and peaches, but as evidenced by my physique, I'm pretty cool with whatever you dish up. Lets see, right now we're having 3 7 ounce bottles a day (morning, 1PM, 6:30PM), plus my snackity snack bottle at 5AM if I feel like it. I would love to see my solid meals go up to three a day from two. Lets make that a priority in the next week or so, shall we? Just circle back with me to make sure we're meeting our goals and putting our best foot forward. Ooh, one thing. Those puffs? Whats the deal with those? I mean, so far I am thinking its a little game you are giving me, where I push them all off the table...but then I think something else should be happening? Cause you will put them in my mouth sometimes. Hmm. I don't get that deal. Lets table that until next month. Table, get it? I'm here all week.

The view from sitting is so much better than laying on my back all the time. I mean, the world is my oyster. Tearing apart your magazines, screeching at the top of my lungs, shaking my rattly fishy, gnawing on that old remote control. Life is pretty good around here. And hey, there's no hurry in crawling or all that activity. I see my peeps moving around, but it looks like a lot of work. You and me, lets just chill on the rug and read some books, you cool with that? That will give you a good vantage point to catch a glimpse of my two new pearly whites. Man those things are really a bummer to work through. I hope thats the end of that. I only need two teeth, right mom?...Mom?

We've been running together with that new stroller. Good for you. I mean, its not that much faster than our walks, but we get just enough speed to feel the wind ruffling my little hairdo. So nice to be outside, I love seeing those trees. Summer has just been the perfect time to appreciate the finer things: my natural rubber binky, learning to give open mouth kisses, holding a sippy cup upside down so the water dribbles out, splashing at the splash park, ripping your glasses off your face, oh the little joys in life. I am betting there is so much more good stuff to come, right?

We're really having a good time, the three of us. We're figuring things out together, I think. Its OK, I'll school you if need be. But I see the smiles you and dad have as I giggle when you chase us down the hall. Thats the good stuff.

8 Months already? No problem.
Love ya, JB

New JCrew: A couple new arrivals

Please excuse the sloppiness of this post, but I wanted to get a few pics I snapped up of some new items I spotted at the B&M store today. The store I visited was still getting their shipment so there were just a few pieces I hadn't seen before, but hopefully these will be helpful. I didn't try any of these on because I am trying to focus my shopping on things that will actually work in my lifestyle, and all of these are a bit more dressy or edgy than what I am looking for right now. Looking forward to seeing new things online (hopefully) tomorrow!

Item 49774, $128. First was the origami mini in a red/pink satiny fabric. This isn't my style, but the fabric is pretty. It seemed a little holiday to me? Or something...




Item 47714, $178. Next is a red dress...not sure if this is the anticipated "red dress"?? Again, this is not my style. Not to be negative, but this dress did not look good in person. The fabric looks cheap, sheer, and wrinkly. Collar looked like it wouldn't lie right. The dress honestly looked like something you might see on a goodwill rack. Part of it was the neck buttoned up and the lack of steaming, but it looked so sad on the hanger. Very bright red.





Item 51425, $138. Next was a brown plaid pencil skirt with a small coin pocket. Inside it had a "No. 2" label, so I think it is the same cut as many of the other pencils this season. This had a very classic look to it, almost old school. MIght look pretty with a rich purple or pink color.




Item 49396, $138. Plaid Wool Cafe Capri. Had the same weight and cuff as the new wool cafe capri, I really liked the colors in this plaid. Very pretty and lots of styling options.




Item 48821, $72. Last was the Perfect Fit Gingham shirt in Artillery Fatigue (awesome color name). I usually avoid these shirts because they are not great on me, but two things changed my mind...the color is really great on this--lots of versatility, good weight on the fabric, I can imagine wearing it with tons of things. Seems like it has more "crispness" than previous perfect shirts, nicer looking and more put together. Also, it comes in Tall! Wahoo...I love the longer fit of Tall tops, so I ordered this to check it out. I think it would look great with navy, black, and brown but also with pinks, oranges...




Sorry there are no pics on a real person but I wanted to offer this glimpse of what I saw...anyone have anything on their wishlist from their new rollout?

New JCrew: Couple of Factory Items

In celebration of the approaching weekend, I wanted to talk about a few Factory items I had in my last order as well.

Factory Imperial Tee:
Sorry for the faceless photos but my eyes were closed:) Sizing on this is pretty true. I ordered the Large as that is my "go-to" top size for now. The VNeck is good for me, although I almost feel like it could be a little deeper, sometimes when Vs are not deep enough the body of the shirt can ride up a bit. Length is good too, not skimpy. The Feel on this is nice too--the Slub cotton, not tissue, so it holds its shape well and a bit less sheer than it could be. For price, I got this on promo plus 20% off so it was a pretty good deal. I really try to not buy graphic tees these days since they fall apart and the crewneck is not right on me, but a Vneck with a single color design should work with a lot in my closet.

I think the printing looks a little more faded in photos than it does in person.


Not pictured: Factory HipSlung Cords
I noticed that they added these cords a little while ago. I really like the HipSlung denim fit for a basic jean silhouette, so I tried the cords. I ordered the dark charcoal in my current jean size, and they fit snugly well. I know they will stretch out so that is perfect for me. I think one thing to note is these do not have stretch spandex in them, so they will relax more like a jean rather than spring back to shape like the current bootcut and toothpick styles (the matchsticks are the same non stretchy blend). So I think these will be a little less polished, but more of a casual pant. The length was standard on these, good for flats for me but wouldn't really work for heels.

Hope this is helpful! Have a great weekend all!

New JCrew: Solong Tunic Sweatshirt

For a while I have been wondering why JCrew does not have more long, tunic-length options. These days there is a trend to wear leggings and skinny jeans/pants, and even their famous Minnie pant fits in this category--yet they don't have many tops or sweaters that hit below the butt to wear with them. Each year they have a couple sweaters that fit this mold (Long Alpaca Open Cardigan from last year, for example) and they seem to sell quickly. I would love a Merino chunky sweater coat, or even cashmere, and I am sure customers might be willing to pay for it. Similarly, they could do a tunic length Perfect Fit Tee as a great layering piece in fall/winter.

The Solong Tunic Sweatshirt caught my eye for this reason...I also just generally need more casual type clothes these days.

Sizing:
I ordered the Large to avoid clinginess, I would say right now I am almost always a Large in tops. However, I found the sweatshirt to hang on me a bit and was baggy under the arms, I might try the Medium but I want to make sure its not tight around the booty area. I'll have to look into it. I would say you might be OK sizing down for a fitted look , or your usual size for a slouchier feel.

Feel:
Very cozy, definitely thicker than it appeared online. I would say the web images make it look more like a thick slub Tshirt material, but it was definitely a heavier fleecy feel--I would say its very similar to the Jaspe weight on the Jaspe sequined sweatshirt from a while back, a midweight sweatshirt material. Good drape but not too thin at all. Would be great for layering or with a cozy scarf.

Color:
An oatmealy gray...not too exciting but a warm color that isn't too "workout" looking.

Price:
Pretty good for a longer piece in a heavier weight at $78, especially if you can get it with a promo. I really picture getting a lot of wear out of this if I can find the right fit.







What do you think? Would you consider the Solong Tunic?

Target Missoni: Coming Soon

Oh dear. Now that my Target trips are at least once a week (Ella's Organic Kitchen baby food, Wheat Chex, new Sippy cup) I will be eagerly awaiting the new line of Missoni at Target. Look at the great colors and stripes!







Word is the collection hits September 13. I would love a cosmetic bag or that fabulous blanket!

New JCrew: Hacking Jacket

I am a sucker for color, blazers, Fall, things that are long, and wishful thinking, so I ordered up the JCrew Hacking Jacket with the recent Cardholder promo.

Sizing:
I ordered 3 sizes to try in this blazer. I am still working on figuring out my current size at the same time as trying to get my pre-baby body back. Its definitely a moving target. My previous size for blazers was 6 or mostly 8. I ordered the 8, 10, and 8 tall in this jacket. I usually try to grab tall versions if I can because I have a longer torso and like to have the length to balance proportions. I would say this blazer runs true to size and definitely does have a longer length as advertised, but I didn't find it too long. I am 5'9" though to keep in mind. I loved the longer sleeves and body of the Tall version, but I think I would pick my bigger size 10 for buttonability. If you are between sizes and like to layer, I would say select the larger size. This means I probably need the 10 Tall, the only size I didn't order, go figure.

Feel:
The wool is a little scratchy. It feels thicker and stiffer than the schoolboy, but not uncomfortably so. The sleeves have striped lining and the jacket has an acetate lining that feels ok on. Honestly it was too hot for wool so I didn't have it on long to feel! It also felt a bit "old JCrew" in that it was a colorful fun take on a classic. I could see this with a great scarf this fall, and would be really excited to wear it.

Color:
I decided to go all out and ordered the Vibrant Flame. This color is BRIGHT. It is also fabulous. Of course, it turned out to be really hard to photograph. I mean, I look like I am radioactive. I am going to try and get a better photo in daylight, but the true herringbone is like a deep red orange woven with a orangey pink. The underside of the color is like a fawny gray brown. Note: it is not as bright as these pics. But man, knowing it photographs this way means don't wear where you might look like a traffic cone next to others in a group shot...?

Price:
I love this jacket and can see wearing it often with jeans, cognac boots, or navy. But I need a sale I think. Even with 20% off I feel like it is too steep and I know it will come down. Fingers crossed!

Size 8 Tall (little more length):


Size 8 Regular Length of Sleeve/Body:


Size 8 Regular:


Size 10, Buttoned:


Back of Collar, Popped:


Attempt to Capture Color:


What do you think of the jacket? I will post a color shot tomorrow in daylight!

A New Addiction

Hello friends!

Have you heard of this new (ish, maybe I am behind the times?) website, Pinterest? Oh my goodness, I am totally hooked. Basically it is like a web bulletin board, a journal, a stack of post-its, and a million "Save Image As"favorites all rolled into one.

Behold my Pinterest home page...


In a nutshell, Pinterest is a place you can collect images from the web quickly and into Boards or categories you create. Right now I have Boards for the home, Baby Stuff, Wedding Planning, and just other marvelous things. I was always trying to drag images onto my desktop when I loved something, or worse, keep Firefox tabs open endlessly so I wouldn't forget to "followup" on a certain lovely item of the day. Now I can track them all--Pinterest has a simple plugin that is on the top of my browser now so I can "Pin It" whenever the mood strikes me.

I had to signup for a Pinterest invitation and wait for an email, but let me know if you are interested in an account and I will see if I can send an invite your way!

I'm back off to Pin til midnight...

Happy Weekend!

This guy...


is keeping me very busy! But I have to say, the smiles he gives make it all worth it.

What are you all up to this weekend? My in-laws are coming this evening to love on JB and we will hopefully get to grab dinner out and get some projects done around the house. I'll be posting more over the next couple weeks, stop back and say hello!

Back to clothes for a minute...

I may have a closet of clothes I haven't worn in months, a plastic tub slowly claiming the maternity clothes I no longer need in my hallway, and a daily wardrobe of yoga pants and hoodies (and bleary tired eyes..)...BUT that doesn't stop me from appreciating some new offerings debuting this spring.

First, Boden is launching a Limited Edition line. I haven't ever bought anything from Boden before, but I think I need this darling top for spring...


I am also really intrigued by the launch of BHLDN, a new line from those behind Anthropologie specializing in all things wedding and occasions. The pieces look beautiful and unique...great to see a new point of view for this kind of market! They have a starter website here and there is some GREAT info on Anthroholic, which you can find here. They are offering everything from wedding dresses, party dresses, shoes, stationery, hairpieces, housewares, etc etc. So so pretty!


For now, back to my yoga pants...but a girl can start to dream, can't she? Hope you all are well!!

Happy. New.

He's here! Our new beginning came a bit early when James arrived on December 21. We have had a great couple cozy weeks getting to know the little guy and introduce him to family and friends all while the magic of Christmas and a blizzard cocooned us.

More to come soon, but wanted to let you all know what we have been up to! Happy New Year!