Happy Holidays!

It's the might before Christmas and I'm running around like a crazy person, wrapping, baking, cleaning, you get the picture. But I wanted to take a moment and wish you a Merry Christmas. I love hot chocolate at the holidays! I just finished making it for my kids. I do have a receipe for a more "grown up" version of this traditional yummy drink. Just make the hot chocolate according to your normal reciepe, then add Bailey's Irish Cream and a tiny amount of perppermint scnapps. Then top with whipped cream and stir with a candy cane! Like Chrismas cheer in a glass. Thanks for visiting and I hope you'll continue in the new year!

Best In Shoe

These may be the best shoes I have ever worn. They are the Banana Republic Ashley Ballet Flat and retail for $98. The sole is synthetic but the uppers are all leather and they have a memory foam cushioned sole and a very slight interior wedger which gives them more support that totally flat shoes like the Tory Burch Revas. I have foot issues these days. A combination of bunions (gross I know) and athritis in one ankle caused by a long ago compound fracture have made heels harder than they were. I have long loved the look of J Crew flats but find them increasingly expensive for the quality and frnakly, not comfortable.  I love my revas but they are expensive and have zero support. These babies may ber perfect on every level. The price is quite reasonable for the quality and Banana is know for their promotions. I bought the beauties in camel and gold above yesterday for 40% off which came to $63 and since the 40% promo is still on in stores, I am thinking of running back at lunch for the leopard ones and maybe one other pair. They come in tons of fun colors too!

The Nutcracker



I love The Nutcracker Ballet. It's my favorite holiday tradition. We go every year with my daughter CMB and my sister and her son as well as my parents. it s special day and one we look forward to all year long!

 

 CMB and a friend!

 CMB and her cousin, CMO

 My parents with both kids

 CMB and I inside the Opera House and out!

A Trip to the Tree Farm!

We have a holiday tradition around getting our tree. We go to a tree farm in Half Moon Bay and cut it down together. This year it was cold and wet but we were not put off!

 

 

 CMB setting off in pursuit of the perfect tree

 

 This is my husband (DJB) and myself. Ever since we have had the kids, pictures of the 2 of us are few and far between

 

 MMB and CMB, still searching. It took longer than usual this year

 

 MMB

 

CMB and OPB introduce the winner!

 

Do you have a tradition around your tree?  Both my mom and sister have gone the artificial tree route but I just cant. To me the smell of a real tree and the adventure of picking one out is part of the holiday fun. 

A Big Boy Now

It's hard to realize my baby is growing up! He starting middle school this fall and I really see a difference in his confidence and independance level. This weeend he organized a whole group of friends in a pick up football game at the local high school. The all texted back and forth and rode their bikes to meet up and tehn home again. It was like a big boy playdate and I didn't talk to anyones mom to set it up. Then today, some of the same friends called and he went over to their house, walked in to town to see a movie, had ice cream and played video games in the acrcade before coming home. He has a part time job as an youth umpire for baseball and half of his "fun money" comes out of his own back.  He's turning into a responsible young man and I'm so proud!

Favorit Movie Time

Do you have a favorite holiday movie? One that your holiday season isn't complete if you don't watch?  For me that movie is "Its A Wonderful Life". I know it's old and kind of cheesey but I adore it.  I have it on DVD and watch it at least once. during the season. Sometimes on Christmas Eve after the kids go to bed. It always makes me feel good. How about you? Do you have a favorite?

Makes me Smile

I love this shot from J Crew.  It's from their holiday catalogue several years ago.  I don't know which year exactly but I just love it.  It makes me smile.  I have a smilar coat from J Crew in red and have thought often of trying to duplicate this with a yellow skirt but not been able.  I think the models name is Anouck (not sure if I'm spelling that right) and she was one of my favorites. I'd try anythingt o get that soft rose flish and berry stained lips she used to sport. I like this look so much better than what I see at j Crew these days. The model is bright and happy, she looks like she ate breakfast and went for a run.  She also looks like she combed her hair.  I really dislike the messy hair and huge glassess look their models are sporting these days. Maybe I'm showing my age?  Anyway, this picture makes me smile every holiday season so I wanted to share.  Hope it makes you smile!

Little Touches

It's the little touches that make the holidays feel special.  I love tartan, especially around the holidays and these Tartan mugs  are perfect for apple cider/hot chocolate/eggnog or whatever warming beverage you might desire. They are from Pendleton which is a brand I recall loving growing up but havn't visited much recently.  I don't have special Christmas china, although I'm currently drooling over some but I might bring these little babies home to had a little touch of fun!

Card Worthy?

Every year, the hunt for the perfect holiday card begins, almost as soon as the last stamp is licked. With three, it's supper hard for me to get a shot where all three are looking the right way, smiling and neatly dressed. The last 2 years I have resorted to those snapfish cards you make with a collage of shots. This may be it though, I took it a Thanksgiving in the tree by my parents house, What do you think? Is it card worthy?

Another Sign of the Season

It's another sign that the holiday season is upon us.  The first wearing of the the J Crew tartan boy shirt. I have the original retail version and it's one of my favorites. It gets heavy use in December and January and sometimes into Feburary but I'd never consider not having it. I'm working from home today because of school conferences so I've paired it with jeans, the snowflake tee over the top, and flats. My jacket isn't actually lexington, it's a BR copy that looks exactly the same. Do you have this shirt? Or another item that just screams "holidays"?

Decking Your Halls

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us, it's time to focus on the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Christmas. I've been thinking about decorations this year. I love the traditional tartan ribbon, blue and white china and red candles of a Ralph Lauren ad but that isn't my reality. I try and focus on red and gold but still have homemade decroatiosn from my kids that have to go on the tree. I also have a ton of Nutcrackers, sort of a collection. How about you? How do you deck your halls?

Your Style

Does you have a particular style that you always gravitate to?  I found this great "your sttyle" quiz over at the wonderful blogger "High Heeled Life in the Country".
Click here (http://attitudeivlife.blogspot.com/2012/11/whats-your-style-q-wardrobe-series.html) to visit her site and take the quiz. Not really surpising me, I was mostly B's and E's which comes down to a combination of prep and classic. How about you?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope it's a wonderful day filled with family, friends and food!

Winter Uniform

It's Monday again and I always find it harder to get out the door on time. This is becoming my go to outfit in a couple of different iterations. Slim pants, wither the J Crew cafe capris in wool or the Banana Republic slim sloans. Then a turtleneck or crew sweater and a schoolboy blazer in either gray, camel or navy.  Heels and Jewlery to complient. Easy and fast. Speaking of fast, gotta run!

Bright Red Pants?

I confess, I want these pants.  Some part of me is begging for them but I keep hesistating.  Part of it is my husband laughs whenever I show them to him online.  I'm also not the smallest person, not that I've huge but I'm no size 2.  Nor am I 22, more like 42.  All of that adds us to me being unable to pull the trigger. What do you think? 

Can navy Really Replace Black?

I don't know, can it? I find that I really prefer navy and it is taking a bigger and bigger place in my closet.  I retired my standby black balzer a few months ago and haven't replaced it because I just don't reach for it where as I wear my navy blazer at least once, sometimes twice in a week. navy shoes are hard to find and I just don't know whether classic black ever really goes out of syle. What do you think?"

What Happened to Thanksgiving?

I love Thanksgiving.  Sometimes I think I like it better than Christmas.  Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas but Thanksgiving has all the family and fun plus yummy food without the huge expectations and sometimes let downs that can accompany Christmas.  But that's another post.  This post is about the seemingly disappearing Thanksgiving.  It seems like Christmas starts right after Halloween now.  I walked down by the Embarcadero last week on my lunch hour and the skating rink is up as well as all the outside street Christmas trees and lights.  I see red cups and gingerbread lattes in Starbucks.  I love Christmas but I only celebrate it in December. The red cups and twinkle lights have to wait.  I have some Thanks to give first!

Back and Still here

Hi there, I've been MIA the past few weeks.  My new job is very time consuming and I've been doing some soul searching about where I am going. I've decided that I have more to share.  I'm not sure anyone is out there listening or reading but I have missed the outlet of blogging. In someways I created this instead of keeping a journal.  I'm going to continue for me and hope you might be interested in reading.  Either way, I'm still here.

Anyway, today is Vetran's Day.  I'm very thankful for the men and women who make such sacrifices to keep us safe.  My husband and brother in law are both vets and I have a nephew currently serving in the Marine Corp. My thoughts and prayers are with all of our current and past Vets as my utmost gratitude for your service!

Great Pants!

I really love these pants! They are the Banana Republic Sloan Slim Ankle pant. Yes that's a mouth full but it works. I have them n navy and a color that is a deep brown, similar to the twig color J Crew did a while back.  I like them because they fit just a little loser and more professionally than the J Crew Minnies do.  I have a pair of minnies and to me they are weekend pants. Just a little snug and a little cropped for the office. These pants look good with flats and heels and will tuck into rain boots to commute one wet days.  It's a win, win.  I'm going back for black for sure and maybe this burgundy color above. What do you think?

Essential Item - The Navy Blazer

I know I have posted in th epast about the Navy Blue Blazer. Yes, I think the item is so important that it deserves to be capitalized.  I certainly could not live without mine.  Did you know that a true Navy Blue Blazer has gold buttons?  That's how you tell it from a navy juit jacket. The gold buttons are a reminder of the true naval heritage of the Navy Blue Blazer.  That piece of trivia is brought ot you via the Brooks Brothers blog. Anyway, mine is not the J Crew school boy above, although it looks good.  Mine is what I think of as a true school boy in that is it a Brooks Brothers boys blazer in a sz 16. I wear it with a tee and jeans, to the office with good slacks, over a dress for some fun.  It's a true closet workhorse. Truely an Essential Item!

The Conference

This is one of Adam's favorite things about playing catcher. He loves to "conference" on the mound. This plus his blondy brown buzz cut has earned him the nickname "Buster" after the Giants catcher Buster Posey.  Here he is counseling one of our pitchers during a recent tournament.

Just Checking

HI there, it's pretty early on a Sunday morning and I'm off to open up the ball park for a series of 8 am game but I wanted to check in.  I was in Charlotte all last week on business and so didnt post. Enjoy your Sunday and I'll get back into the swing on Monday!

Fall Color Story

I've been weeding through my closet and getting ready for fall.  This year it is obviously and overwhemingly navy, camel and ivory with "pops" of red.  I have the staple khaki trench, mine is from Banana Republic and a red lady day coat from J Crew.  I also have a navy blazer (who doesn't). Mine isn't from J Crew but is actually a Brooks Brother boys blazer in size 16.  I also have the J Cerw school boy in camel from a few years ago.  Navy and camel tippis go with a red and camel cashmere turtleneck and a navy jackie.  I also have ared cardigan but forget what it was called. Navy and camel trousers both full length and cropped as well as both boot cut and skinny jeans.  Brown boots and the necessary leopard print accents as well as red heels.  Throw in the rose print flair skirt which was my favorite item from last year and most of the bases are covered.  I also have a couple striped tees to throw in on the weekends but this covers the bases.  What do you think? 

Noteworthy

I read this originally over at the Preppy Princess blog (http://thepreppyprincess.wordpress.com/) and thought it was worth sharing.The wonderful Brooks Brothers is donating suits valued at $1 million to the Dignity U Wear program, a partnership with the Wounded Warriors project.

The idea is to make professional wardrobes available to wounded veterans so they can find jobs in the civilian workforce, a daunting task. In addition to the clothing donation Brooks is also helping raise cash, they hosted their first fundraiser at the New York mothership in June. I think this is a tremendous thing and as a retailer they have gone up 100% in my estimation. It's one thing to speak about respect for others and another to practice it.

First Day of Fall

This has been a crazy week as I started a new job which I am going to just love. It's much more challenging than my previous position and has a real growth potential. Today is the first day of fall. I have always loved summer but as a full time working mom, I find it more difficult to navigate sometimes than I did when I was younger or when I was a full time stay at home mom because of the endless rounds of camps. Anyway, now that the initial back to school crazy has faded, I thoght I'd make a list of what I love best about fall!

 

 Leaves changing color. To be sure, it is not the amazing site in my Norther California town that it is in the North East but we still get some.  We have nice maple tree in our yard that changes enough and drops it's leaves for the kids to rake into piles and jump in. 

 Pumpkins! I love pumpkins and fall allows me to decorate with them, cook with them and visit the pumpkin patch!

And then there is the pumpkinspice latte from Starbucks.  I also adore the gingerbread ones at Christmas.  But once I have that first pumkin spice latte I get visons of cords and cashmere and crisp apples and I know that fall has arrived! What about you?  Do like fall best? Have ant special seasonal traditions?  If so, please share!

Never Forget!

Eleven years have past but we should never forget that morning and the people lost!

Word of the Day

I've been carefully editing my closet and refining my look.  It seems like a never ending project but I guess that's life. The for of the day, of the season, for me is polished. I'm a little older now, 42 isn't old but it isn't 32 either. I just started a new job that requires a little more business travel and on the bank side of the company I work for as opposed to the broker/dealer side so the atmosphere is a little more formal. For me this means replacing cardigans with blazer, the plaid button downs for silk shells or blouses, nicer shoes and a new bag. Do you have a theme for your closet?

Making Strides

You may remember that las t summer we added a new fmaily member. His name is Dancer and he came to be CMB's new horse after she outgrew her pony. He's a registered quarter horse and quite sweet. He had never been out with hounds when we got him and last season was a bit of an adjustment for him and CMB and resulted in her falling off quite a bit. This summer though she has grown quite a bit and matured as well as working hard with him and I think we will see a big improvement this season which starst in Novmeber. In the meantime, great strides to be sure!

 

 

Birthday Bash

We celebrated CMB's 9th birthday recenly. It was the weekend before school started so several of her friends were out of town but we improvised. I took her and her two closest friends E and R to get pedicures and then out for ice cream.  It was super fun and I think the girls loved it

 

 

 

 Choosing polish

 

 treated like royalty

 

 Fancy Feet

 

Yummy!



Structure or Slouch?

I'm in the market for a new handbag this fall and these two from Banana Republic have caught my eye. They are pretty different and in someways personify the two different aspects of my life.

The first is is this structured bag called the Kylie bag. It aslo comes in a darker brown and navy. It's a top handled bag as well as having a should strap.  It's a stiffer leather and has alot of room inside. I imagine it would be great for comuting and likely some business travel that I know is in my future.

 Second is this slouchy hobo type bag.  It also is pretty roomy but seems more casual to me. I'm not sure how it would fit with my corporate side, yet I can see it at the ball park and soccer field where I spend my weekends.

So what do you think? Do you have a favorite? Right now I am leaning towards the more structured bag and thn switching to a casual canvas tote or something like that for the weekends.

Happy Anniversary

Today is my anniversary. It's hard to belive it's be 17 years since the day we got married. It hasn't always been easy, in fact there have been some serrious struggles and still are. But there is a sense of committment, of knowing that the waves will ease and the boat will keep sailing onward. Happy Anniverary!

A Great Resource

I'm always looking for great ideas for parties (especially for kids) and also for decorating ideas. I found this cools site called The Party Dress (http://www.thepartydress.net/). It has a blog, a magazine, tons of crafts and ideas as well as an online shop. Check it out. It's cool, I promise!

What I'm Feeling for Fall

I know it's only August but with the stores full of fall merchandise and all the fall fashion magazines hitting the stands I can't help but think about it. This season, nothing at J Crew is pulling me in.  But I am serriously drawn to these looks from Banana Republic. My colors store is navy, camel and ivory with touches of red and green thrown in. This fits pretty nicely and I think I can recreate this same feel with items I already own. What are you feeling for fall?

Embracing the South West

I've always been a traditionalist when it comes to decorating the home. I love the Ralph Lauren/Pottery Barn tartan and rustic furniture look withe needlepoint throw pillows, blue and white china accents, you get the picture. However, our current house is much more spanish bungalow than cape code in style. I needed new couches in the worst way and my parents had recently remodled so they offered me the leather couch, love seat and wicker chair seen below. The are great with the warm wood floors and other oak furniture I already owned so I said yes.  However, the them of the house looks different now.  I've always had some Mexican art work that was a wedding gift from a close friend of my parents who live in Mexico City and my parents gave me another two pieces that went better with this furniture than what they replaced it with. So we are decidedly Southwestern now. That's not a bad thing, just taking some gettting used to.