January 4, 2015 by gn0mel0ver

Building A Snowgnome

Oh the joy! In my secret heart of hearts was a dream that I did not think I could even dare to close my eyes to think of. It involved my children playing in the snow. In our yard. Building a snowman.

It doesn’t seem like a big dream, but there it was in my heart of hearts.

So when my husband woke me up on New Year’s Eve excitedly exclaiming that it was snowing, I thought I was still dreaming. It was still dark outside, and it did not seem real.

But it was. In Southern California, it snowed.

We woke our kids up and told them to quickly get dressed in warm clothes and shoes. And we all traipsed outside to play in the snow in the dark. Our silhouettes were lit by the streetlamps and Christmas lights twinkling on the street. It felt surreal and I understood how Harry Potter must have felt when Hagrid greeted him in the lighthouse that very first night.

Anything seemed possible.

My kids built a snowman with my husband that I turned into a snowgnome.

He was much happier that way.

As one always is in a red pointy hat.

Did you build a snowman or snowgnome this season? Please tell me I am not the only one with a gnome hat or two.

*Outfit details: My sweater is one that I purchased from the flea market last month. I talked about it more in this post. Anthropologie has a cool cardigan out right now that is also reminiscent of an afghan or blanket. I also found this one on Etsy. If you can crochet, there are many different crochet cardigan patterns available for purchase there for around $3 so you could make your own. I was very lucky and only paid $30 for my sweater. The sleeveless chambray dress was an Anthropologie popback last year from Cloth and Stone (now sold out, similar shaped dress here).

*I shared this on The Pleated Poppy.

November 15, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

Tinamou Stitched Tunic

I had tried The Tinamou Stitched Tunic (now sold out, but the same designers made this gorgeous top more appropriate for winter) on over the summer. I fell in love with it, but because it was sleeveless, I put it in my wishlist and made myself forget about it.

By the way, did you know “Tinamou” is a type of bird? Each time I look up an unknown Anthroplogie word, it usually means “bird.” I think I have cracked ~~my head~~ the code.

Then one day, many months later, it popped back into stock after being sold out. I scored it for $20. The Mothers Jeans were a different popback at $8. Retail price for those was over $200. I knew I wanted to layer the fun tunic for the fall, so I paired it with a simple long sleeve tee from H&M.

The fun details on this top are so intricate and bright. There are black pompoms on the bottom. It is hard to tell because of my black pants.

I also wore my fringed booties. We took these pictures in a nearby park, because my husband had to get to work. But I wanted a picture of this outfit.

Winning.

These over the top neon hoop earrings are recently from Forever 21. They were less than $5 and they stole my heart. The neon bracelets garnered their own post a few months ago.

I wore this outfit to my son’s junior high school, because it was parents eat lunch with their kids day. I thought he would not want me to go.

I was right.

His exact words were, “Mom, I’m not embarrassed by you. Well, only a little embarrassed. But they play music at lunch. I don’t think you can control yourself.”

He knows me too well.

But I promised I would behave. And by behave, I meant not dance on the lunch table. It was a promise I have avoided making for years. Thankfully my husband did not hear me say it and therefore still does not know that I am capable of such actions.

To the vast relief of my son, we could not hear any music from our lunch table.

Phew.

It was a close one.

Have you scored any deals lately? If you have children, do you embarrass your kids? Do you dance to music in public? Do you keep unknowingly buying clothes named after birds?

September 5, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

It’s A Golden Age, Eyelet Believe

I purchased my Free People Golden Age Top last summer (previous post here) and I wear it all of the time.

It can be layered with almost anything.

I do not wear jeans a lot, but I had a chiropractic appointment that day and could not wear a dress.

Because of its open back, I decided to try the Golden Age Top with the Free People I Got My Eyelet You Top I scored recently at Nordstrom Rack. It paired perfectly together. I also wore my Free People eyelet bra so it would be cohesive.

The Eyelet Top has the faintest line of pink around the hems (it makes my heart surge with its sweetness), so I knew I wanted to wear pink and gold jewelry.

It might be the prettiest top I have ever seen and I cannot wait to pair it with a denim jacket in the wintertime. It is perfect with the Golden Age Top, though, because it has the most adorable tied back and that top really allows it to be seen. I think it would also look fantastic layered with this this sleeveless open back top.

A lady complimented me on my top that day and I had to tell her it was actually two different tops paired together.

Then I got embarrassed, because she probably did not care.

I tend to give too much information.

Speaking of information, I took both tops in a size medium.

Are you obsessed with lace and eyelet? Do you pair them together?

I cannot get enough of this pairing. Eyelet just want to spin!

And doesn’t that sound golden?

P.S. Sweet Heather from the blog, The Peacock Fairy is having a lovely Blog Giveaway and a moving sale in her Etsy store. Please don’t forget to check it out! : )

P.S. * I shared this on The Pleated Poppy!

*this post was edited using the App Afterlife’s Bloom Filter at 57%.

February 23, 2014 by gn0mel0ver

Shades Of Grey

No. Just a variety of shades of grey. Not a numerical shade of grey.

Ahem.

I got this dress from Nordstrom Rack last year in April. It is a good layering piece for the winter, because I think it is too short without tights. Not think. Know. Maybe even too short with tights. I may or may not have tested this theory in the mirror only to discover a massive hole high up in these tights. You never know what you are going to find when you perform that test. It ain’t for the faint of heart.

The turquoise necklace is from the fabulous store Simply Livly on Etsy.

The sweater is Anthropologie’s Matinee sweater that I scored on a popback for $30. It is sold out, but it might popback again or be available in a store by calling customer service. The boots are Anthropologie’s Cultivar boots.

Okay, now that that is out of the way, let’s talk hair. I had some girlfriends over to my house this week. What this means is when they arrived on time, I, of course, was running late. I was wearing this outfit. I had not brushed my hair yet. But some of my girlfriends insisted that it looked good.

I believed them.

‘Cause that makes my lazy heart sing.

One less step in the morning? Um, yes please.

But do you like my hair better up?

Who am I kidding? I still did not brush it for these pictures either. In fact, I left my house with bed head. It felt naughty and fun.

So, what’s the verdict? Should I do this again? Or this a strike against the lazy? Don’t worry, I would only do this once in awhile. The next day, I had to brush my hair again. Day two was too much even for this lazy girl. I won’t be burning my hairbrushes just yet.

Have you ever not brushed your hair and left the house? Or dressed entirely in one of your favorite colors?

Gnome Lover

Stumbling through life while still having fun

sleeveless

Building A Snowgnome

Tinamou Stitched Tunic

It’s A Golden Age, Eyelet Believe

Shades Of Grey