Rainy Days

I know we all have to deal with rain, but here in Nashville we're on day two of nasty weather. More expected tomorrow. Hurray. And my children are already out of school for Thanksgiving. So, we're doing a lot of this . . .

And, we'll be leaving soon to go see this . . . 

I know you're jealous. But, I've actually heard it's good. I'm sure I'll be seeing the Muppets soon too.

So, I'll just leave you with some things that have inspired me lately. These color combinations by J. Crew are insane (in a good way) . . .

A very talented person is working on something for me, and I gave her these two pics (among other things) for inspiration. Can't wait to see what she comes up with!

And this little malachite box on eBay has my wheels turning. 

Isn't it pretty? Don't let the photo fool you. This is a trinket box - tiny. Like two and half inches long tiny. Fits in the palm of your hand tiny. And it's about $50. Yeah, I'm wanting something to hold my remote control. Real malachite in that size would cost hundreds. Necessity is the mother of invention, so I'm working on something right now. I was inspired by Danika of Gorgeous Shiny Things and her faux malachite lamp:

Hopefully, I'll come up with something that slightly resembles malachite anyway. We shall see. If it turns out the least bit decently, I promise to share photos. Wish me luck. Have a great week!

The Look for Less

Okay, my blogging has really been lagging lately. I apologize again. Summer is just getting all hectic on me, my cable/internet connection has been out, and I'm trying to finish a book, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (you must read it if you have not. I'm almost done and I can't wait to read the next one!). Anyway, I digress. I've hit the mall a couple of times in the past week while my kiddos have been in their respective camps and found some pretty good deals that I thought I would share with you.


First up, the bohemian look. Have you seen the cute tunic/caftan type tops at J. Crew with all the ethnic details?

Flower mosaic embroidered tunic from J. Crew - $78

Well, I found this similar style the other day at JC Penney - yes, you read that right - for $20 (I looked on the website and now it's $17.99)! I thought it was a pretty color and a pretty good deal so I snagged it. Now, obviously it's not exactly the same, but for an almost $60 savings and a similar look, I thought it wasn't bad. It also has an ombre effect (gradually getting darker at the bottom) which is a nice detail.

Please excuse the photo. JCP's photos wouldn't load so I made my son take this picture. He's 5 and didn't really understand what I was doing or why I interrupted his Wii game.

Next up, a sort of Anthropologie-esque look combining two of their popular themes right now - flowers and stripes.

Painted Hillside Tank - Anthropologie - $78

Claude's Retreat Tank - Anthropologie - $78

Nell Tank - Anthropologie - $48

Here's the tank I found again at JCP (I know, I usually don't shop there, but I gave it a shot) in the Juniors' department for $14.99.

Lastly, I found some cropped white jeans (seen in photos above) at Ann Taylor Loft for 50% off today. They were originally $54.50, so I got them for $27.25 (plus tax, of course). A similar pair at J. Crew (seen below) cost $98.

Cropped Matchstick Jean - J. Crew - $98

Not bad, huh? Happy summer sale shopping!

The Look for Less

While scrolling through some blogs yesterday, I ran across this super cute tunic that Blueprint Bliss included on a post about Mother's Day gift ideas.

It's the Yellow Spade Tunic from PB & Jellie, and it's only $20!! In disbelief, I went to the website to check it out for myself, and there it was. After consulting my husband, I promptly ordered it for myself for Mother's Day. Nothing like buying your own gift (although to be fair he already bought me flowers and let me get the house painted).

PB & Jellie had several other reasonably priced adorable tunics to choose from including the Gigi Quatrefoil for a mere $35.

Seeing these reminded me of some other tunics I've coveted before. Don't you think they bear a striking resemblance to this?

The Classic Kurta in Jemina Verbena by Roberta Roller Rabbit for $70. True - they're not exactly the same, but for a $50 price difference, who cares? And I love me some Roberta Roller Rabbit fabric, but if you're going for the tunic look without breaking the bank, I'd go (in fact, I did go) with the PB & Jellie tunic.

Another popular style right now that I found for less is the boyfriend short.

This version is available for 50% right now (through Mother's Day) at New York & Co., making them just $14.97.

At J. Crew, their boyfriend shorts are also on sale but for $39.50 (albeit on a sexier looking better-styled model and with a few more color choices). But if you're looking for the same look especially in khaki or gray, the NY & Co. and J. Crew versions are very similar.

I'm off to get my hair cut and colored tomorrow after a slight flood-related delay earlier in the week. Can't wait. I hope everyone has a very happy and relaxing Mother's Day weekend!