FALL FASHION SHOPPING AT SEARS!

I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. #ThisisStyle #cbias

Don’t get me wrong, I love summer and I looooove the summer wardrobe options. But Fall…? Fall is … fall is romantic. Fall is fashion. Fall is an excuse to shop. (I made that one up). But honestly, every year, I flip through the “Must Have Fall Fashion” spreads in the magazines and flag virtually every page. “I muuust have that. I neeeed that. I can’t live withouuuuut that.” I usually allow myself one or two new items (fab boots are always on the list), but this year: Mama’s on a budget… ‘Cuz mama’s getting married!

Yes! I’m engaged! So exciting. But guess what? This means, it’s time to save for the big day… OR my dream honeymoon to Greece/Bora Bora/Italy/Maldives/St. Barths. (BTW, can you just IMAGINE the fabulous outfits for that trip?! Omg!)

But I digress…

There are so many fabulous looks and trends this season and I’m on a mission to rock a few without breaking the bank.  So when I was approached by Sears for this “shoppertunity,” I had to take it!  Some of the emerging trends for Fall are lace, lots of denim (of any kind! Acid washed, printed, floral, etc.), military inspired apparel, and clothing with some edge and details like studs. 

With Fall fashion fresh on my mind, aaaaand the many boards on Pinterest reminding me just how dreamy I could get with this wedding and honeymoon, I headed to my local Sears bright and early with my Venti Bold Drip in tow, to find some affordable and fabulous Fall Fashion. (For my entire experience, check  out my album on Google Plus!) 

I have to say, there were two things that I was really impressed immediately: 1) The jean selection was out of control. Neatly organized (and merchandized), there were piles and displays of every color, every size, every shape- ev.er.y.where.  It truly was a jean scene. 2) The customer service! When I saw a cute jean vest on a manequin and asked the sales woman where I could find it, she said they were out, and without missing a beat jumped up and got it down off the mannequin. Nice!

I had fun trying out a few different styles that were out of my normal fashion zone like flannel mixed with lace, or jeans with wild prints. Ultimately, I settled on a few fantastic looks that I know will carry me throughout the season.  On top of it, I got 4 completely new head to toe outfits (7 pieces of clothing) and I spent a total of $136.13 (Saved 22.04 with my Sears Rewards card, thank you very much!) Not bad right!?

Military Jacket, Kardashian Collection, $46.99 , Cream Tank with Gold Beads, Metaphor, $12.99, Skinny Jeans, Bongo, $14.99

Black Lace Tank, Bongo, $12.99, Skinny Jeans, Bongo (same as above), Bangles, $8.99 each

Two-Pocket Cream blouse, Metaphor, 19.99, Camo Skinny Denim, $19.99, Bangles, same as above

Denim “work shirt” with studs, True Freedom, $18.99, Camo Skinny Denim, Same as above.

Paired with booties, fun bags and cross body purses, I can dress all of these looks up, down and everything in between. I felt so cute and comfortable in everything and can see myself wearing these outfits to school functions, date nights, girls nights, and of course, wedding planning.

What’s on your fall fashion must-have list? I want to hear from you!

To get the latest on affordable fall fashion, follow searsStyle on Twitter and Facebook, and be sure to check my album on Google Plus to see all the photos from my shopping experience at Sears!

AFFORDABLE FASHION: BACK TO SCHOOL SHOPPING WITH SEARS!

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and their client. #ThisisStyle  for #backtoschool #cbias

Gulp. My son is going to be a kindergartener. A full-fledged kindergartener! This year, shopping for back to school apparel and items is more poignant and important than ever. Though my son spent last year in Transitional Kindergarten (thank goodness for “red shirting”), this year really counts as “The Year.” It’s go time, for reals, and there’s no turning back. (Sigh). But, lucky for me, I’ve teamed up with Collective Bias and SearsStyle to find the most affordable fashion for my son and even another child in need.

Like most 5-year old boys, my son is growing like a weed. It sees like every few weeks, he needs a new pair of shoes, a new pair of pants, new underpants and always, always, ALWAYS, new socks. (Honestly, when we moved to our new home, they should have told me that there was an evil sock monster that stole socks and made them smaller). Because he’s an active boy (let’s hope he masters the art of “sitting still” in Kindergarten!) I generally look for clothing that is comfortable and durable, but still has an edge and is stylish. Plus, we’re working really hard on encouraging independence…. From bathroom time to getting dressed, it’s important he can do a lot of things on his own. So clothing that he can easily get off and on, but that he feels proud of is equally important. Finally, to me, there is nothing cuter and more functional than a kid in jeans. Durable and easy to clean, I love putting J in jeans but because he grows so fast, it seems like I’m always in need of a pair for him. (My closet… that’s a different story. Can you say #obsessed?)

From the moment I got to Sears though, it was truly a “Jean Scene.” I loved their signage for this campaign and it was evident in the children’s apparel department that they had the denim selection to back up this campaign. There was so much to choose from!  I ended up getting my son two different pairs of Levis because the straight, relaxed fit is hard to find in those washes (My son’s not quite the “skinny jeans” kind of kid.) In an effort to teach him to read and do things on his own, I have labeled his drawers and on school days, I tell him what he needs (“It’s cold! You’ll need long sleeves and pants). He helped me put his clothes away and was quick to remind me how many things he’s outgrown and “are like, kind of baby.”

Trough out the children’s department, there were several “Tee Stop” displays. Almost every super hero imaginable was represented in the beautifully organized piles and mounds of screened tees. For $7.98, they’re really high quality and with graphics I know my son would love (and again, feel totally cool about . These things are talking points with his little buddies after all!) I picked out a cute Batman tee for him and an Iron Man tee to donate. The piece de resistance(s) were the tees for $9.98 that came with a toy. At 5, he’s not going to see “Man of Steel,” but he can certainly wear a Man of Steel tee! Great deal and he was super excited.

In addition to the jeans and tees, I found a few great items like khaki cargo pants with an elastic waist - perfect for hot, back to school months, (annnnnd for the child that never wants to go to the bathroom at school because he’s in a rush to go play with his friends), a striped tee (for “fancy” days”) and an adorable short-sleeve, plaid button down, that came with a coordinating tee shirt. It’s a 2 for the price of one look and it screams first day of school!

I loved seeing his enthusiasm over the super hero/character backpacks that comes with a lunch box. He instantly threw it over his shoulders to see what he’d look like rocking it on our walk to school. It’s big enough for carrying his favorite basketball and bright enough to locate in the cubby round up!

The best part, however, was talking about how there are so many children that don’t get brand new clothes or backpacks to go to school. In fact, his school partners with a school where many families live below the poverty line. Several times through the year, our school donates whatever is left in the lost and found as well a few book drives to help raise money for their school. But Jonah and I wanted to do something different- something special. We contacted the school and asked if we could give a new backpack and tee (a Spiderman Backpack and Iron Man tee to be specific!) to another little boy, just like Jonah, starting Kindergarten. “He’ll feel special because it’s new and he should feel good on his first day of school like me.”

Here’s to making back to school a success!

To get your affordable and style back to school gear, follow searsStyle on Twitter  and Facebook, and be sure to check out all the photos from my shopping experience on my Google Plus album!

SPRING TRAINING... MINUS THE TRAINING.

Ah, it's March and that means Spring is in the air... Actually, here in Los Angeles, Spring was in the air in December and pretty much all through January...  and I'm pretty sure I spotted Summer one weekend in February.... So forget the air part. It's just March. And that means a lot of things...

For starters, for the past couple of years, every March I seem to make it my mission to cleanse. I want to clean house. To clean body. To clean mind. Without fail though, having just spent the two months prior to March making excuses, mentally, as to why postponing all my "cleansing" resolutions is probably better in the long run, the LONG RUN actually catches up with me and I find myself high tailing it into "time to get your sh*t together" mode come March 1st.

So here we are. And hey, so far, so good.

Here's the current state of affairs:

1. Body

I did actually cleanse. Kind of. 

Thanks to an extremely popular juice company that offers individual juices, or 3 or 5 day kits, I signed up for a 5 day cleanse. By the end of day two though, I must admit, I was beyond ravenous and couldn't stop thinking about hummus. Go figure, hummus, of all things. Not one to talk myself off ledges, I caved in and cut up a cucumber (how bad can a cucumber be), and dipped it (okay, COVERED IT) in hummus. Craving satisfied.... Next day, however, I had to be on set for a project I was working on with Lifetime Moms and realized I had only taken two juices (out of 6) with me for an entire day. One of the models on set suggested I just drink lemon and hot water for the rest of the day and/or see if the caterer could just blend my food... so it would be kind of like juice/fluids. Um.... I'm gonna let you sit with that one and give you the opportunity to imagine how much that did NOT happen and how much I was seen grazing at the craft services table for the rest of the day.

2. Mind

It turns out, "poop talk" can help with literacy.

A month or two ago, I was in sort of a disciplinary standoff situation with Jonah. He was constantly silly, constantly using bathroom language, and even talking back. I had to figure out a way to get back to the consequence basics and figure out what I could take away that was his Kryptonite. (Turns out, not much phases him).

However, one day, I got a report from his teacher that he had been talking back. Apparently, he remarked that what they were going to be doing was "stupid." I died. Read the whole story here. 

Things have calmed down since then and his behavior has shaped up. Not sure if it's my new-found resolve, or a miraculous maturity development for him,  OR the fact that he had been begging to get hot lunches at school and I told him that if I get a week straight of a perfect report, I'd let him get it. So... The good news: We're in the 2nd week of hot lunch land and therefore, mornings are now a breeze for me. The bad news: They serve f**king ice cream. I'm telling myself the organic part makes it better. But I digress...

He was recently given a few books from the Captain Underpants series and when I first read one to him, and he nearly choked laughing so hard, I thought.... Hmm. Maybe not the right book for a kid that has a hard time holding back the fart, poop, pee talk. At dinner. 

But... last night, he begged me to do a mad libs type section of one of the books and I thought of an idea. 1) If he takes this silly talk outside of this dedicated silly talk time, he loses UNO (our favorite family activity), electronics, TV, and all of these books. At the same time. For one week. 2) He needs to sound out the words and try to read to ME.

Turns out POOP is a wonderful word to teach early language development and reading skills. He nailed it.

3.  House

I stopped caring about having an organized closet.  I blame this on the long episodes of Downton Abbey. There's more important things to focus on...

It's hard to believe that exactly 2 years ago, I met Robin Saperstein of High Heel in a Haystack, she helped me with a Wardrobe Overhaul, then sent me on my way with a ton of outfit options (from my own closet!)  Since then, I've updated my wardrobe cautiously and done my best to keep my closet tidy. But hey, life gets busy and Matthew Crowley and Lady Mary get married and the whole thing goes to poop. (See #2). So, it was time to call on my girl and have her come over and remind me why certain jeans should be left in 2011.

In about 3.5 hours, I had a completely new and organized closet, and could see what I was workin' with. (Before and after pic above).  According to Robin, I'm actually all set for Spring ... AND we even shopped my closet and reinvented some clothing. Why say goodbye to my very first and favorite JBrand jeans with the big gaping holes in the knees, which I've already had patched to create a semi distressed look, when I can have them repatched and destressed AGAIN?! Additionally, Robin recommended I take a cute purple dress from JCrew and have the it shortened, and the trim brought up to give it a fresh and current look. Not bad for a total of $36 bucks right? ("Before" pics taken at the Tailor's. Dress pinned. Forgive the "selfies.").

All in all, Spring is off to a good start. I'm heading to Seattle this weekend with P on behalf of the 2 Days in Seattle Campaign (SO excited) and next week, the story featuring that mysterious trip I took in November will be featured in Ladies Home Journal. Did I mention Tina Fey is on the cover? Feeling pretty lucky right now. Forget New Year's resolutions. I love March.

RED JEANS: 3 WAYS

Earlier this year, Robin Saperstein of High Heel in a Haystack and I met and as I've said before, I was convinced we were not only separated at birth, but that we shared a deeply stylish karmic fashion connection. Robin, a fashion stylist based here in Los Angeles gave me a complete wardrobe makeover. Not only did she go through my closet and help me determine which clothes shouted 1993 and needed to be bagged immediately, but she put together some fantastic looks for me that inspired me to continue to think about style and actually enjoy getting dressed (in something other than yoga pants and my American Apparel pullover).

Well this weekend, we hung out and ended up playing dress up. Literally. We started talking about some outfits I could wear to different events and holidays and also some ideas for fully functional days (meaning, what do I wear on fully kid, fully exhausting, down in the trenches days). Equipped with a fab pair of Current Elliot red skinnies, I had Robin show me three ways to wear red jeans without something just black. I loved what she came up with so we decided that we'd film it and share it with you.

Btw, can I still look stylish with these jeans unbuttoned on Thanksgiving???? Just wonderin'.... Enjoy!

THE NEW, OLD ME- PART 2

I have a new theory. After my wardrobe overhaul, I realized my clothes had more of a personality than I thought. It occurred to me today as I went to put on a newly styled outfit, that my clothes had voices and lives a la Toy Story... I had this vision that every time I opened the closet door, my oldest and most pilled sweater prayed for me to put it on.... My old jeans, slumped over some hanger, knowing their days were numbered and I was just keeping them around for sentimental purposes, probably muttered "F you" under it's breath as I pushed them aside for my skinny jeans... A pair of gold wedges, that maybe got worn ONCE, shot out their best sparkle in hopes I'd see their value. Alas, they were as cheesy as I thought they might be when I bought them (anyway).

Which brings me to...

The New, Old Me- Part 2: THE LOOKS

Okay, so after 4 plus hours at my house with Robin Saperstein, the stylist who I might slightly be Single White Femaling, we set a date to hit the stores. OH, and did we hit it hard....

When Robin shops for/ with clients, she's on a mission. After looking through my wardrobe she had a clear idea of what I needed and what would work well with my body. Our goal was to find clothes that I could wear from day to night... clothes that could be worn on a play date, dinner date and even on camera. I let Robin pull everything and anything...

Stationed in a massive dressing room, and wearing my nude ("charming") underwear and much-in-need of a wash (trash) nude bra, the trying on began.... Oh, there were plenty of automatic NO's. Like this ...

I like to call this look "Whore-y Chic." I think my cracked out look really seals the deal doesn't it?

Once we had our final faves, (we went to two stores- Niemans & JCrew), keeping in mind with our budget, we purchased our must-have/ LOVES. And then..... Back at my house, ROBIN DID HER MAGIC. Using my new clothes and many of my old clothes, Robin shopped my wardrobe and put together THE LOOKS. Here are some of my favorites:

A From-Day-to-Night look:

DAY

Blouse, Joie (new), Shorts, JCrew (new), Shoes, Steve Madden (old), Necklace, JCrew (new)

NIGHT

Cardigan, Lily McNeal (old), Shorts, JCrew (new), Wedges, Stuart Weitzman (new), Jewelry, JCrew (new)

Great looks for Everyday (Play date, running errands, movies, etc)....

LEFT: Sweater, JCrew (new), Necklace, Forever 21 (old), Bracelets, JCrew (new), Jeans, J Brand (old), Shows, Dolce Vita (old)

MIDDLE: Tee Shirt, Anat B. (new), Scarf, Banana Republic (new), Cargo pants, JCrew (new), Shoes, Steve Madden (old)

RIGHT: Cardigan, JCrew (new), Tee Shirt, JCrew (old), Necklace, JCrew (new), Jeans, J Brand (old), Shoes, Sam Edelman (old)

And finally, a couple NEW Looks repurposing only OLD clothes:

LEFT: Cardigan, Forever 21, Tank, Anthropologie, Jeans, Flying Monkey (Anat B.), Wedges, Steve Madden

RIGHT: Jacket, JCrew, Striped Tee, Gap, Jeans, Flying Monkey (Anat B.), Wedges, Steve Madden

Clearly, there were a few "toys" that got to stay. The ripped JBrand skinnies, my brown wedges... They're my Woody and Buzzes... Pieces that I'll grow old with.... Or at the very least, grow out of....

Stay tuned for the final installment to this process, my closet! Thanks to Robin of High Heel in a Haystack and Rebecca of Love Live Small, you'll be inspired to Design Cycle too!

PERFECTLY TRENDY...

I don't often check my stats to see what kind of traffic I get. Even though I've been blogging since 2007, I generally assume that no one except my mom and maybe a teenager lost on the Internet in Uruguay reads my blog. Okay, fine, that may sound a little pathetic, but in all honesty, the dial is very seldom pushed by a new referring URL or traffic source.

However, the other day I noticed a spike--- from two places... one took research. One did not. The one that took research eventually led me to a lovely little forum where everyone's avatar/ photo is of Joe Flannigan. (You remember him from that interview I did on the set of "Change of Plans?"). Right. Anyway, these people like a show that JF was on called "Stargate." A lot. And that's what/all they talk about. Well, apparently, my interview with him was the subject of a lot of "Joe is a hot dad" fodder. Listen, I don't disagree... he is cute.... which is probably why many of the comments in the forum said that it "it seemed like the interviewee was rather taken with Joe..." (Oh, people of Stargate-land. I am a PROfessional.... He's hot. Ahem. He's hot).

But back to my traffic....

So the other place I noticed my traffic was coming from was ELLE... as in ELLE! Well, okay... Technically, it was ElleGirl.Elle.com... They're "junior" site. But still! I thought- Lists, like the one we're doing on Momversation are surfacing all over the web of top blog round ups, has ElleGirl done one of their own? What list would they do?? Top Blogs that Will Make You Rethink Motherhood? OR Blogs that will make your Liz Lemon-like mom laugh?

But, no... It was not a Blog of the Year list. Rather, it was an article on emerging fall trends... and "Perfectly Disheveled" was linked to (on purpose...?) and used as a a term used to describe the combination of winter fabrics and summer styles...

The article goes on to talk about how to pair contrasting fabrics and styles and how you can update your wardrobe to look this chic too....

Well, Elle Girls coming to my site in hopes of some darling "oxymoronic" wardrobe ensembles, allow me to leave you with this: Let this picture be your guide of the fashion in YOUR forward...

Oh, yes, my pretties... Someday... You'll see...

HAND-ME-DOWNS!

A long time ago, I wrote a post for Momlogic about the Handmedown dilemma that I think every mom experiences. Whether you're the Hand-me-down "Pitcher" (offering your kid's puke stained bouncer and onesie), or the Hand-me-down "Catcher" (receiving your friend's kid's puke stained bouncer and onesie), knowing and understanding the HMD protocol can be a little anxiety provoking.... At least for me. (Shocker).

My dear friend Norah and her partner Jane, however, have created a website that I think takes the anxiety out of what to do with that ridiculously annoying swing (that you secretly let your child sleep in for 9 months because you swear that sleep experts really don't know shit). Handmedowns.com is a PG, mom-friendly CraigsList, if you will, that I think can help those of you who are looking to either de-clutter your closets, make some money, or even help others in need!

Plus, right now, they're giving away TWO tickets to MILEY CYRUS with a BACKSTAGE PASS!!

Ok, Here's How you Post

1. Go to handmedowns.com and choose SELL
2. List your item, design it with a picture if you want and check out!
3. Someone will contact you via email and the rest is up to you!

Plus, the more times you post, the more times your name is entered
into the sweepstakes (Miley, here you come!)

PUT TO REST

Everyone has that ONE  tee shirt. That shirt that you've had forever... That you got on a cruise when you were 10 and says "Cabo Wabo" ... It's a crappy shirt really. One that you'd never wear out in public, but you probably sleep in 5 nights out of the week and ignore the massive hole in the armpit and the who-knows-when-you-got-that-stain on the collar.  It's soft, it's old, and no matter what, you will wear it until it dies.

I have that shirt. I actually have three like that and I'm sad to announce, one of them must officially be put to sleep. The first of my beloved shirt dates back to 1988(ish). My great aunt and uncle owned a hot dog shop in Chicago called Abe's on Lincoln (best french fries ever). The tee shirt is red with a "Coke is It" logo on the front and a cartoon of Abe's on Lincoln on the back. Though it is incredibly worn in and should probably be washed on a delicate cycle, as far as I'm concerned , this shirt is no where near dying and will continue to be a part of the J-Ko night time ensemble (so sexy, I know) as long as I can help it.  

The second shirt, well, the second shirt is a classic. I stole it from my BF Lo in 8th grade at a sleepover. It's a U2 Joshua Tree shirt-- black, super soft, and writing totally faded. Honestly, it's kind of trendy and would probably sell for 80 plus bucks at Kitson or some place like that. Lo still asks me about this shirt and I still pretend I don't even have it. (Sorry, Lo). This is a shirt I debate on whether to retire at will; it's still holding up, though kind of see-thru (like if the cable guy showed up, I'd definitely need to put a bra on underneath). But the thing is, because it is "so cool" and has somewhat of vintage potensh, I'm thinking I should put it away and save it for my daughter (should I have a daughter one day).  Like one day, when she's in high school and vintage tees and doc martens have made a comeback, I can let her go through old boxes and show her that I am cooler than she thinks. 

The third shirt, well, it's a remnant of the days/nights of boyfriends past. I acquired it back in my college days. I remember sleeping in it then, knowing what kind of gem I was getting my hands on. It was a grey, old school NY Yankees shirt. It was faded and as soft as a Splendid tee then--- NOW??? Omg. NOW it's pretty much sheer, maybe a faint outline of an N or a Y... The shoulder is shredded and if I answered the door wearing this when the cable guy came, I'd get more than an HD/DVR hook up....

The point is though, it's time to put this shirt to rest... Baby-Ko likes to play with the tattered ends and the thought that this beloved shirt could be ripped to shreds voluntarily breaks my heart. So it's time to put it to sleep. Time to say good bye. Time to incorporate another shirt in to the line up..... I could easily rotate the U of A Wildcats tee in to my repertoire, but the Cher Concert Tee from 1999 seems to be the obvious pick.... pair that shirt with doc martens and my "vintage" True Religion jeans, and my someday "teenage daughter" will be one cool chick.... At least in the privacy of our own home....

FAMILY FINDS: 63% Off 2 Canvas Prints at RealCanvasPrints.com

$39 for 2 Canvas Prints at RealCanvasPrints.com

Do you have a box full of family photos that you've been meaning to put in albums or frame "one of these days"? So do we. Or how about the hundreds (if not thousands) of photos on your hard drive from your digital camera that you plan to archive "when you get the time"? Well, the time has come to display these photos for all the world to see. RealCanvasPrints.com can take any snapshot and turn it into a museum- or gallery-quality canvas piece suitable for framing and/or hanging. With this deal, you'll get a 16 x 20 print as well as a 5 x7 mini-print for just $39!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR VOUCHER!

Other great deals in your area expiring soon:

$6 for 2 Tickets to Wildlife Learning Center

$15 for $30 to Spend at StaceyMDesign.com

FAMILY FINDS: Half-Off Gently Used Merchandise at Kidstock

$6 for $12 Worth of Merchandise at Kidstock ($12 value)

Someone once said that, "A baby is born with a need to be loved, and never outgrows it." What they do outgrow, however, are their clothes! If you're looking for gently used name-brand and designer clothes at major bargain prices, look no further than Kidstock -- a resale company that knows how hard it is to dress ever-growing kids on a budget. Aside from wardrobe staples, Kidstock also sells seasonal merchandise such as snow/ski clothing, swimsuits, and coats/sweaters. Merchandise is continually updated, sometimes hourly, so there's always a reason to come back. Resale is a great way to save money and to recycle. Bring in your gently used items, and you could even receive store credit. Get more for your money at Kidstock, and outfit your kid in style. Remember, resale is the ultimate in recycling!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR VOUCHER!

Other great deals in your area expiring soon:

$7 for 1 Adult and 1 Child’s Admission to The Autry Museum at Griffith Park

Half-Off 4 Hot Dogs and Large Fries at Jody Maroni’s Sausage Kingdom ($18 Value)

$60 for Parent-and-Me Skiing or Snowboarding Lessons at Virtual Snow LA ($320 Value)

$20 for $40 worth of clothes at TheTrendyTadpole.com ($40 Value)