Weekend Window Shopping: Down With Winter.

21 days until spring. Three weeks and counting. Just saying. Just putting this list of spring-like things cheered me up quite a bit:

Friday #GoHugo

By request, I give you Chalmanzo Tater (or as Marianne called him, Cholenzo Tater, which doesn't even make sense? But fine.) May I present Cholenzo Tater:

Cabin Fever Shopping.

Help me. Not only am I still home sick but we got another snow storm last night and you guys? I JUST CAN'T EVEN. I'm done. I have spent way too much time pretend-shopping online. So, there's this Boden dress that I've posted about before LAST YEAR and they still have it and it's on sale but not on sale enough. It should be $15 by now! But ugh, it's so good:

Boden Milano Dress

Does anyone have this? Is it worth spending that kind of money on? They have a bunch of coupon codes but none of them work for me. Dammit Boden. I also like this blouse but it's also too much money. I need to get out of this apartment.

Thanks and Stripes.

I'm home sick with a cold today so this entry might be a little bit of a ramble. (Sneezing! Fun! Kill me!) Mostly I just wanted to thank you all for your excellent feedback regarding the Questionable Sweater. I think this comment best sums up my feelings:

It looks like you purchased a size too big... And obviously you don't LOVE it, you kind of like it. If you're questioning the purchase this much now, you will probably question it each time you pull it out of the closet.

Pretty much, yes. I like it but not that much and even though it sparks joy in my closet, it feels too big to me and I rarely am able to pull off heavyweight slouchy. Mostly it just feels sloppy when I try. So, easy decision to return it and I'm grateful for your comments.  I still do want an open cardigan, but I think I need to look for something in a finer knit that's a bit more streamlined. Something like this, maybe? If I had the means, I'd buy this one and wear it for the rest of my rich lady life. So nice.

Moving on, did you guys know that Everlane is now making a striped shirt? My kryptonite. I texted this to Marianne:

I wasn’t going to order it and then I started laughing and bought it because, stripes.

Hey, I like what I like and I wouldn't be me if I didn't at least try the fancy Everlane striped shirt. What would you guys think about me if I didn't? It comes in two striped colorways (and a weird blushy pink) and I ordered this one because it seemed more like spring:

Chips and Dimp?

I'm not sure what's going on with the model. She seems kind of...high. Anyway, it's a few weeks backordered but I don't mind waiting. I'll do a review when it arrives! Fingers crossed that this is the holy grail of striped shirts.

BUY THIS (Because I Already Did): Giles & Brother Hook Necklace.

Hey! Right now Piperlime is offering an extra 50% off of final sale items (and 30% off of sale items) with code SALEONSALE plus plus 6.0% cash back with eBates! (My referral link.) I immediately checked the jewelry and the Giles & Brother Hook Necklace is a final sale item! This brings the price down to $25-$33 depending on what color you get. I LOVE mine and totally think it's worth taking a final-sale risk:

Hooky goodness.

Mine is the rose gold but it also comes in gold. This G&B bracelet is beautiful too. Just saying. 

Goopy Spring Picks.

Spring Picks

A: The lip balm is only $15 which seems like a screaming deal paired with the rest of it.

L: You know what I keep thinking for spring? Petal pink and a $900 cuff!

A: $180 cut off shorts seems like my jam.

A: Wait! The $650 shell print shorts. So much sense to be made there.

L: I mean, who would just cut off old, worn in jeans when you could PAY for brand new ones!

A: Just the thing to wear with your $1,300 blazer.

L: Only if you're going to wear your unicor....? bir....? waaaav...e? sweater underneath it!

A: Um, yes? Yes! Totally. And some kind of ear jewelry thing. It costs a lot.

L: OH GOD TUXEDO JUMPSUIT YOU ARE MINE!

A: I will fight you for it with the one-shouldered jumpsuit! JUMPSUITS FOR EVERYONE.

L: But wait. Are there any expensive shoes we can pair with our jumpsuits?

A: $400 sneakers work for you?

L: Mother of Pearl they are cute. However, I maaaaaaaaaay prefer $1,000 Monique Lhuillier booties?

A: Too girly for me. But I'll take the $685 stack of books. Wait.

L: Obviously. But only if those books only matter because of their dust jackets.

A: Which reminds me...

Weekend Window Shopping: Things I Want To Buy. A Lot.

Not shopping is hard when it's disgusting and cold outside. Here are some pretty things that are tempting me in a bad way:

Friday #GoHugo: An Update.

An update from Marianne:

Chemo is DONE. Ten rounds over eight months. A total of:

15 doses vincristine
4 doses doxorubicin
6 doses cytoxin
4 doses ifosfamide
4 doses carboplatin
5 doses etopicide

So...Hugo is done, right? Not quite.

Currently Hugo has no immune system after his final round of chemo. He will mostly recover over the next week but will have a weakened immune system for a few months.

Next up are a set of scans, scheduled for next week. These will determine whether he can officially be finished with treatment.

Hugo still gets IV nutrition through his central line at night. We have been weaning him from it and he's down to 8 hours a night (from a high of 20). We have to get him off the IV and stable before his central line can be removed. His remaining kidney was taxed by chemo, leaving Hugo with an electrolyte imbalance (Fanconi Syndrome), so weaning has to be monitored closely. He also still struggles with eating and drinking enough.

Once the central line is out, life will begin to get back to the new normal. Hugo will get his first real bath in months, for starters. We are anxiously looking forward to him being cleared to get up-to-date on his vaccines. He will continue to have regular scans.

So, chemo is finished and we are definitely in the home stretch, but he isn't quite "done". Not yet. #‎gohugo

The KonMari Method: Conversations With My Socks.

Have you heard about the KonMari Method of tidying up your house? It's a big trend lately and I don't remember where I first heard about it, but Grechen, one of my favorite bloggers, has been applying the method so I decided to give it a shot too. For the uninitiated, the book is called:

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo 

The basic idea is to only keep the things that "spark joy." You start with your clothes, then books, papers, miscellany and finally mementos. As I read I realized that Marie Kondo is essentially giving her readers permission to get rid of the things that weigh them down. She encourages you to thank the items you’re getting rid of for the lessons they taught you, even if the lesson is that a particular color or style doesn’t suit you. It doesn't matter if it still has the tags on it, if it doesn't bring you joy you should accept the lesson and let it go.

Once you’ve purged the things that don't spark joy, you’re left surrounded by things you love and appreciate. Because you have less it's easier to find a place for everything and keep a tidy household. It sounded both simple and daunting and some of her suggestions are a little crazy balls (like, she wants you to empty out the contents of your handbag every single evening so it can have a nice rest) but as someone who anthropomorphized her toys as a child, the Shinto philosophy works really well for me. The guilt I felt while getting rid of things with memories and feelings attached was eased by being able to thank the items for their service. Basically, I was talking to my socks.

So far I’ve only tackled my clothing (and made a good start on books and papers) but an industrious morning produced five bags of clothes for donation (and one for the blog shop) and my closet and drawers are AMAZING right now. It's hard to take decent photos of a closet, but here's my before:

And now it looks like this:

I wish the pictures did it justice. There's a ton more room on the racks and the stuff in the storage bins is down by more than half. My dresser drawers were also a mess but I forgot to take "before" photos. The KonMari method advocates folding your clothes a specific way and stacking them vertically, which seemed insane to me until I did it:

I can see all my clothes at one time. No more messy stacks. And look at my happy socks:

I’m not 100% confident that I’ll be able to keep this up but it’s so…restful and Zen that I really hope I can. Just having less clutter in general calms me, so I'm planning on continuing until I've worked through all the categories. Are you doing the KonMari method? What's been your experience?

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): TOMS for Spring.

I used to think TOMS was a brand for bored teenage hipsters but then I bought a pair of the wedge sandals and thought they were great. I’d never bothered with the slip-on style but I always kinda liked them in theory, so when I received a metallic pair for my birthday I was happy to discover that I LOVE them. They’re more casual than a ballet flat but the metallic finish makes them seem sort of fancy (to me.) I highly recommend, though you'll want to go down half a size for the slip-ons.

TOMS runs pretty good deals and they're currently offering double cash back on eBates:

$5 off $25+ order with code SPRING15 or $10 off $100+ order with code FLOWERS.  Plus 10.0% cash back with eBates (and free 2-day shipping if you pay with Paypal. I love this option.)

Here’s what I have my eye on for spring, plus a homely pair of slippers since it’s still stupid, hateful February:

Goop, Translated.

L: I hardly ever pay attention to Goop, but her vagina steaming made me look. Let's play a guessing game about what each one of these things actually is:

A: Sex Bark: Organic fair-trade bark from a Mongolian tree that when chewed provides a 'transcendent coupling experience."

L: Moon Juice: Full-body, replenishing nature elixir which will bring your female form back into spiritual alignment when its your lady time. Made from responsibly harvested baby placentas.

A: Spirit Truffles: The ghosts of European truffle hogs are resurrected to sniff out phantom truffles which are served as an artisnal ectoplasmic foam atop a shot of wheatgrass juice.

L: I am guessing we are 100% correct.

A: I think it's pretty nice of us to translate this for all our readers. Goopy kind of sucks at explaining things the right way.

L: Words are our gift.

A: Namaste.

Weekend Window Shopping: VD Jewelry If I Must.

If I were to get jewelry as a gift for Valentine's Day, which I won't, here is some jewelry I wouldn't kick out of bed:

Friday #GoHugo

Soooooo, are you watching Grantchester? No? Because you should be. This is why:

Adrien: All The Color.

I know I've been annoying about how much I like the Banana Republic Gemma wrap dress (except that it needs to be ironed. Don't dig that) but it just works out really well for me and they keep coming out with interesting colors and patterns and it's everything I can do not to keep buying them. Two is plenty! I am good! It gets out of hand. I'd originally ordered navy and this purple color (intending on returning one) and while the navy seemed the more practical choice, I couldn't resist this color:

My scarf is an old one from Ann Taylor (same print as my skirt last week) but there are any number of beautiful and affordable leopard scarves out there. I'm wearing my wings necklace that my friend Tere made, but it's tiny and hard to make out in the photos. 

My boots are my Frye Tina Campus (discontinued, but I always suggest the Frye Jane instead) and my bag is one of my recent eBay rescues - a MBMJ "Mag Mag" in fool's gold. I'm wearing an old pair of reversible brown/back Spanx tights. Expensive, but they last forever. 

The last time I wore this dress I went with black boots and tights, but I love it more with chocolate brown. It's warmer, somehow. Closer, you say? Okay:

Someone polished those toes! Finally.

Where It's At: Reader Recs for Asian Sunscreen

Last week I posted a shout-out to a commenter living in Japan (we'll call her Ampersand) who'd previously recommended some Asian brands of sunscreen because the sunscreen over there is a totally different game than what we have in the U.S. 

Asian ladies take their sunscreen very seriously and the formulations are so much more elegant and sophisticated than most of what's available here. And lets face it - a good sunscreen is pretty key in staving off aging. I wear SPF 30 every single day but since I'll be adding retinol into my skin care I thought I should get something more serious.  I couldn't find her original comment so I asked for recs again and the help I got back was so freaking amazing that I didn't want it to get lost. So, with Ampersand's permission, I'm reposting it: 

Here you go young lady- I looked up stuff that you could order right off Amazon: (FYI totally not affiliated, just very enthusiastic about Japanese and Korean products.)

I was already into them before I moved here, but now that I have access to so many different brands, I can confirm; there is a definite standard of excellence, and you don't have to pay a lot to get it. (Although you can if you want to- some stuff is very expensive, especially Korean.)

(I've used the Shiseido Urban one- I actually didn't love it- (I'd go with the blue and yellow line if you really want) and/but these are just as good or better and waaay cheaper. (Plus half of them are Shiseido anyway, Shi's other lines.)

Don't let the small sizes fool you- a drop goes a long way, and a little bottle lasts forever. I live by the beach and slather the stuff on every time I get wet, shower or ocean, and only went through 1.5 bottles of Biore pink from May to October, so...(I use something different on my body though.)

non-tinted:

Biore Sarasara Uv Aqua Rich Waterly Essence 

Hada Labo UV Creamy Gel SPF50

Shiseido Senka Aging Care UV Sunscreen SPF50

or regular:

Shiseido SENKA | Sunscreen | Mineral Water UV Gel SPF50

Korean:

Its skin Smart Solution 365 Silky Sun Block

Innisfree Eco Safety Perfect Sunblock 

Tinted:

I've seen this in the local drugstore, but I've never tried it-( I wouldn't worry about the "beige" color if you are: generally the BBs and tinted sunscreens only come in 1 or 2 shades- even if they look a bit too dark in the tube, they adjust to your skin. And sunscreens even more so because it balances out/you don't get a white cast.)

KissMe Sunkiller BB Perfect Strong SPF50+

And like I said- look into all the Korean BBs and CCs and powders to put over your sunscreen. IMO they behave exactly like foundations, but also have (pretty amazing) skin care properties as a bonus, and they almost all have SPF, broad spectrum, and high numbers.

Not done yet ;)

....and because this is the way to properly get off Japanese sunscreen- a really good, and inexpensive oil cleanser (have you ever used an oil cleanser? Totally brilliant. - 1 or 2 pumps whisks every trace of ss and makeup- even wp mascara etc- off in less than 2 minutes. You don't even need a washcloth or cotton- just wash your face with it and rinse it off.) [ed. note: I do! I currently use DHC Deep Cleansing Oil.] I use the Softymo White- it smells like oranges, I love it.

If you're interested, get this while you're at it:

Hada Labo Gokujun Hyaluronic Lotion Moist 

(to be used after cleansing, before serums, creams etc) The Japanese call this "lotion" but US would probably call it a tonic...but it's not a useless-if-pleasant type tonic- it actually does something. Once you start using it, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. There are all different kinds within the Hada Labo line (and most brands carry lotion) - this is the standard one.

Great information, right? Thanks, Ampersand! I ordered the Hada Labo Hyaluronic lotion and the Shiseido Senka Aging Care UV Sunscreen pretty much immediately. I'm testing them out now and will post a full review next week! 

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): Poor, Poor Piperlime.

Poor Piperlime. They’re closing and all I can think about is the excellent deals that will eventually come from their demise. I’ve never bought anything but accessories from Piperlime, but the deals are often SO good. Right now they’re offering 25% off sitewide with code XOXOPL (plus 2.0% cash back with eBates.)

Not bad! This is the kind of code that should be used for something that you have wanted for a while that rarely goes on sale (and by “you” I mean me. Duh.):

CLARE V. Foldover Clutch

GILES & BROTHER Mini Pied-De-Biche Cuff

KATE SPADE NEW YORK Two Color Regal Plumes Scarf

LOEFFLER RANDALL Marit

MARC BY MARC JACOBS Ligero Bucket Handbag

BELLE BY SIGERSON MORRISON Vero

Von Trappin', Like We Do.

A: Thinking about becoming a nun? Gap has you covered.

1969 denim popover dress

Three-quarter sleeve pleated dress

A-line knit dress

L: I tell you what. You will make one foxy nun.

A: Like, Von Trappin' foxy?

L: Jawohl!! Maria would have an equal. I have to say, I kind of like the navy blue one and the gray one? Seem like they could be good staples!

A: I thought so too which is why I clicked on them but woe, the close-up pics. I'd have to do some pretty fancy accessorizing to not have them look dowdy.

L: I feel if they were made by a fancier retailer, the chances of the cut being good would be higher. But I feel like the Gap misses more often than they hit.

A: I can't even remember the last thing I bought at the Gap and it used to be a staple. I mean, that first dress. There's no excuse for that.

L: That first one is ATROCIOUS. It's for sad, misunderstood German artists.

A: It is the giant dad-shirt we wore in art class as a smock.

L: Yeah, that model can't even fake being happy about wearing that.

A: Her expression says, “’F’real? No, seriously. F'REAL?"

L: "You know this isn't going in my book."

A:  #moddleproblems

Weekend Window Shopping: Cute Dresses.

I want new dresses! Cute day dresses with patterns or stripes or even a good saturated solid color. I've been trolling the sites pretty hard, thinking ahead to spring...

Friday #GoHugo

Gerard Butler cannot believe it took this long for his #GoHugo moment. I can't apologize to him enough.

Shameless Self-Promotion!

Hey, just wanted to remind you guys about my other little blog, Rule #18. I just posted a review of a great Athleta top if you're interested!

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): Colorful Bags on Sale.

I've been trolling pretty bags, y'all. This is what happens when I can't shop. It's sad times. A lot of nice sale deals out there on some great spring color bags...


At Neiman Marcus 
(8.0% cash back with eBates)

MARC by Marc Jacobs Half Pipe Pebbled Crossbody Bag, Fresh Grass

sale price $166.00

Pour la Victoire Bijou Mini Crossbody Bag, Royal

Sale price $130


At Shopbop
(3.0% cash back with eBates)

Rebecca Minkoff Hudson Mini Cross Body Bag

sale price $159



At Nordstrom
(3.0% back with eBates)

Rebecca Minkoff 'Mini MAC' Convertible Crossbody Bag

sale price $97.49  (also in mint!)

Hobo 'Mara' Crossbody Bag

Sale price $92.46 



At Farfetch.com
(Extra 20% off with code x20feb15)

MARC by Marc Jacobs 'Luna' cross body bag

sale price $228.47

MARC by Marc Jacobs'Electro Q Lil Ukita' tote bag

sale price $387.77

Gwyneth. She's Just Like Us.

A: Gwyneth Paltrow steams her junk.

L: Maybe it was wrinkly?

A: The stars! They're just like us!

L: There's one Korean spa I have gone to in Koreatown where they force you to be naked (ladies only). They have a chair that they fill with herbs. They also make uterine cleanliness promises. I don't think they know it doesn't work that way.

A: I thought this was just an LA thing. Ladies there seem to like to bleach and steam their parts and pay lots of money for the privilege. Maybe I should move to California and offer to braise their bits. That will be one thousand American dollars, pls.

L: I want to know who it is they're trying to bleach and dewrinkle for. I assume it's men who've never seen what real women look like.

A: I really want to stop thinking about Gwyneth Paltrow's wrinkly vagina now. Thank you. Please.

L: They probably use eucalyptus.

A: People are going to find this by googling "Gwyneth Paltrow vagina." Bad people.

L: Maybe add in some ginger root? Ginger vagina.

A: This is a recipe for vagina tea.

L: Probably should add some lemon.

A: And comfrey?

L: Now let's not get silly.

A: *weeping quietly*

Adrien: Things In My Sephora Cart.

It would be more fun if this was "things I bought at Sephora" post but austerity measures are now in place and I have to be more careful about what I buy.  Generally when I'm interested in a beauty product I'll add it to my online cart so I don’t forget about it. This stresses Sephora right out and they send me passive-aggresive emails about how maybe I forgot that I meant to buy a bunch of stuff that’s in my basket? Just a gentle reminder? MAYBE GO AHEAD AND BUY THAT STUFF BECAUSE IT’S THROWING OFF OUR INVENTORY. I mean, when you have time.

So needy, Sephora. Anyway, sometimes I just like to put things in there for later consideration, you know? Here’s what’s hanging out right now:

CLINIQUE Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

This cleansing balm has a cult following and I am kind of over my DHC cleansing oil. It's fine, but I want to try the balm and see if it's really as amazing as everyone thinks it is. I'm so fickle. 

Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes

Marianne has been using this Tarte mascara and her lashes look incredible. I'm hoping if I use it my lashes will also look incredible but I think she just has incredible lashes to start with and what can you do. 

Shiseido Urban Environment Tinted UV Protector 

I'm going to start in on a regimen soon that includes a retinol product, so I thought I should get more serious about my sunscreen. This one by Shiseido gets good reviews, though I do remember a commenter last summer who recommended some interesting Japanese sunscreens. I can't find the post, so if you're reading this, link me again, please! 

Benefit Erase Paste

I have a sample of Benefit Erase Paste that I recently started using again and this stuff is really quite nice for dark circles. Why have I never just bought it? I should just buy it. I am a concealer junkie, y'all.

That's it! If you have opinions on this stuff please to comment.