spring essentials.

i found myself reaching for the same things this spring season, and they happened to all come together in this outfit. pretty florals, white denim, and a military or surplus jacket.

i loved the cute ruffles on the sides of this tank top from Patty's Closet. the peachy-pink florals scream spring, especially when paired with white denim. these skinnys from Paige Denim fit like a dream and provide a fresh clean base to build an outfit around. this shirt-jacket was found during one of my rare thrifting attempts. i actually bought it for its pyramid studs (hiding under my hair) which i was going to use on a pair of DIY denim shorts...but i ended up wearing it. it became the perfect lightweight layer for chilly days. plus, it was perfectly worn-in, in a perfectly faded green.

what were you reaching for this spring?

yesterday was my birthday. mini-she got up early and made me breakfast (PB+J and greek yogurt with apples). my office was too funny - they celebrated by all eating one of my favorite things, a grilled cheese sandwich & fries + mochi ice cream. and, when i got home, mini-she again had dinner ready and an ice cream cake.

(top c/o Patty's Closet (808-625-6440); Paige denim; Lulu's shoes;

Sole Society bag; thrifted jacket)

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a muted palette.

when i saw this pretty colorblock infinity scarf from 9th & Elm, i knew i wanted to keep my overall look soft. the pastels and pretty lace detail lend a feminine vibe that seemed to be enhanced by a muted palette rather than bold colors. made from viscose, this scarf is incredibly soft and thin, and definitely substantial in size. and because it's lightweight, this is one scarf you can reach for throughout the year.

these JustFab signature skinny denims in this lighter wash, blue dream, worked perfectly for this muted look. (see the darker wash here. i'm constantly rotating between these two every week...so comfortable!) i finished off the look with this faded green military jacket for a bit of color.

will you be rocking a softer palette for spring?

or do you prefer bright and bold colors?

(colorblock infinity scarf in pink c/o 9th & Elm (buy); Nine West Shoes;

JustFab denim (buy) & bag (buy) c/o; thrifted jacket; top via local boutique)

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a floral dress.

who's ready for spring?

i know many of you [who are experiencing extreme winter weather] are. and even though it may seem like winter is dragging on, don't worry...spring will come. and you better be ready for it. i picked up this floral dress from Patty's Closet in anticipation of all the fun spring pattern mixes i know we'll be seeing. i'll admit that florals are not at the top of my list (i mean, i'd rather be rocking leopard!), but ones with a black base are certainly easier for me to wear. and bonus that this one has hints of radiant orchid throughout.

and speaking of spring, have you entered the totally awesome spring giveaway yet? you can win a $500 amazon gift card (or paypal cash); second winner gets $100. you can buy a lotta floral dresses with that! scroll down to enter.

i am really looking forward to the weekend even though rain is in the forecast. it's another busy one for us with mini-she's speech competition, a poi-pounding session, mini-he wanting to see the lego movie, and me wanting to get a good run in, but it's still the weekend.

what's happening in your neck of the woods?

(vintage ring; 9th & elm necklace)

(not a 9th & elm member? here's an invite)

(Patty's Closet dress c/o (808-625-6441);

thrifted jacket; nordstrom shoes)

skater dress.

yes, i'm still wearing red shoes.

have i convinced you that they go with everything?

spent some QT with mini-she this past weekend, lunching and shopping as girls do. been wanting to try this place that opened up near my office, so our first stop was fresh cafe. the food was delicious, but i was most impressed with the coffee. we spent the rest of the afternoon trying on swim suits for mini-she, and i happened to find this dress on the clearance rack at a local boutique. it was a good day.

have a productive and healthy weekend,

and i'll see you all after the color run!

best iced coffee i've had in a while.

turkey + cranberry sandwich on a croissant and chicken ceasar salad.

(dress via local boutique; enzo angiolini shoes; thrifted jacket)

try this look:

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shop INPINK

get 30% off with code: ROCKOOMPH30

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enter to win a $150 Kohl's gift card

a summer tank top.

we're dog-sitting bear while my sister is away, and while he's normally a spoiled house dog, he's now staying outside with foxy brown. i know he's miserably hot, because he's been loving the water and is right there every time i turn on the hose. i ended up putting a sprinkler on for everyone, but bear was such a sprinkler hog (see instagram clip). not even foxy brown

could get a paw in.

i'm guest posting over at Sisters Marie today showing you how to get the most out of summery items, like this beachy tank top, when fall comes around. check it out here.

mini-he was upset because bear kept hogging the sprinkler,

so i filled up a cooler and let him color the water

with food coloring. he was satisfied.

(hurley tank; aeropostale denim shorts; thrifted jacket;

etienne aigner shoes; efoxcity bracelet c/o; gorjana ring)

shop the look:

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back-to-school shopping?
check out these great giveaways:

$150 Old Navy gift card
$150 Target gift card

casual sunday.

april is shaping up to be just as busy as march.

we attended a party at the zoo this past weekend and also celebrated a family birthday (90 yrs old!). next weekend, i'll be participating in our local march for babies walk. you can visit my page here to read more about this cause and/or to donate if you wish. mini-she has a school banquet the following weekend, and i'm hoping to meet up with jackie when she comes to town the last weekend of this month. aand, let's not forget mini-he's

birthday coming up on the 16th.

i last wore these pants to a school reunion. this time i dressed them down by rolling 'em up and pairing them with flats. and to add depth to this outfit, i threw on my green jacket.

started off the day with mini-he's flag football game...

he pulled one flag, and there was no running involved. he just happened to be standing next to the kid with the ball!

we cooled down after the game by playing in the sprinkler.

then had lunch...butterfish bento.

and before we knew it, it was time for a birthday dinner

with family. who wants to ride with us?

mini-she bought these heart earrings for me (fundraiser at

school, $1); told me they were an early mother's day present.

when is mother's day?? haha.

(mossimo jacket; pants, local boutique; atienne aigner loafers via ideeli; gap pure tee)

(not an ideeli member? click here.)

shop the look:

hooded jacket + brussel sprout salad.

say you buy a jacket because it's better than or slightly different from the previous one(s) you purchased...but you continue to wear the previous one(s). is that still considered a quest to find the right jacket? or is it a jacket obsession? i originally wanted a green military/surplus parka and bought this one, but it wasn't olive green. so i got this one, but it's way too hot. then i found this one, but it's more like a shirt. well, this one came along...love, but it's camo. finally, i stumbled upon this one. it's green, hooded, lightweight, and has a drawstring waist. perfection? or perfect till the next one comes along?

i finally had a chance to make a brussel sprout salad since seeing recipes floating around the blogosphere. after a random google search for recipes, i took bits from a couple different ones depending on what i had in the kitchen, and whatever methods would be the easiest. scroll down for my recipe.

Brussel Sprout Salad

20-25 brussel sprouts

1/2 medium red onion

1/3 c grated parmesan (or pecorino romano)

chopped roasted almonds (or toasted walnuts)

dressing:

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

remove any bad leaves, cut off the ends, and soak in water.

for the dressing:

simply add all ingredients to a jar, cover, and...

thinly slice red onion and soak in water for 15 minutes.

slice brussels by hand (or mandolin slicer), chop almonds.

toss everything together and serve.

i forgot to take a good picture of the salad,
but here's one from my phone.
 i really enjoyed this salad. you could add cranberries for a little sweetness...add anything you want, for that matter. i'm thinking kale would make the ultimate "green" salad.

(mossimo jacket; nine west heels; juicy couture bag)

try these:

tigers and leopards.

happy monday.

the weather has been fierce here..rainy and windy, but i love it.

this week i'm planning our office christmas party,

chipping away at my christmas shopping, and

finishing the week off with wine night with the

neighborhood mamas.

i'm loving this super soft tee by la dision. never heard of the brand before, but i'm definitely am going to

keep my eye out for it.

how's your week looking?

rawr.

(lips: anastasia beverly hills hydrafull gloss in roxanne)

(la dision tee; pacsun bullhead denim; nine west boots, go jane jacket)