I Find It Difficult To Concentrate At Work When...

I open this email at work.

So naturally I need to continue looking..

and looking..

and loooooking...

then I go here and see this..

and this...

Do you see what you do to me J.Crew?

Unproductive.

I become unproductive.

Much love,

**I wanted to follow up about yesterday's baby shower post. I'm so glad many of you agreed that TBF bringing the daddy-to-be a gift is a great idea. It's a very laid back couples shower in the evening, so I'm not sure if they'll even open the gifts in front of everyone. If they do, I may say it's from me and then tell them later that it's from TBF. Thanks again!!**

Weekend Recap + Baby Shower Gifts

Well ladies and gents, this weekend was smooth sailin'; maybe a little too smooth because it went by too fast. Thankfully, this week is a 4 day work week for me because I have my sister-in-law's shower this weekend (yayy!).

(Sister-in-law, if you're reading, pretty please stop now)

Okay, so I have a question that I'd love all of your input about.

TBF thought it would be a great idea (and I do too) if he brought a gift or two for my brother, the father-to-be.

Please note, this is a very laid back couples shower on a Saturday evening that I'm helping host and I am also of course bringing a gift for my sister-in-law, the mommy-to-be.

We went to the Land of Nod yesterday (which was hilarious because when we walked in they totally looked at us like we were expecting - you know the awww looks when they greeted us) and we stumbled upon saw some great items like:

this in black
this bottle bag
kid you not, he thought this was cool
"This is so they won't have to put the baby down on something GROSS."

this quilt

To quote TBF, "this is something a dad would enjoy carrying around." (Not that regular baby accessories aren't something to be proud of.)

What do you think? Is it a good idea if TBF brings along a gift for my brother, the father-to-be to the shower?

I personally think so, I'm hoping to get a positive response because I think my brother would really appreciate it. However, I want to ensure it's okay before he goes ahead and pulls the trigger and purchases it.

Thanks in advance and happy Monday!

Freck's Friday Fancies XXXX

Because I'm still mourning M+O, and because today is Friday, naturally, today's fancies will be Martin + Osa themed.

Here we go *tear*

Wayfarer Cardigan, $47.60
V-Neck Cardigan, $99.50
Quintessential V-Neck Tee, $22.50
Cotton Silk Navigator Shirt, $69.50
Osa Trench, $119 Please tell me this will be on sale!
Poplin Pleated Tank Dress, $89.90

Okay, here's when I really die...I love my Slim Fit Jeans from M+O.
Slim Fit Jean in black, $64.50 I have this pair. They're perfect with my boots and a fun, loose top to balance out the skinny-ness on bottom. Know what I mean?
Slim Fit Jean in Murky Depths Wash, $64.50 I also have this pair. I kid you not, I wear these allllll the time. They keep their shape and color so nicely!
Okay so I feel like I could make this, but it's still cute.
I love love love this.
I haven't been a huge fan of these kinds of strappy dominatrix looking shoes, but I think these are kind of cute?

Alright. I bid you adieu for now Martin + Osa. You can't say I didn't love you while you were here.

By the way, all my Chicago ladies: if you're interested in when M+O is closing at Woodfield in Schaumburg, I called today (yes, I did) and the super sweet girl (after mentioning how bummed she is, too) said it will close by the end of July and she wasn't aware of any sales yet.

Sigh.

Happy Friday!!!

Let's All Have a Moment of Silence...

for Martin + Osa.

I'm extremely sad to say that yesterday, American Eagle announced that their line that is directed to a more mature audience, Martin + Osa, will be closing all stores by summer 2010.

It's no secret that I've been a huge fan of this brand for about a year now, so I'm super disappointed that it's ending.

RIP amazing skinny jeans.


Good news: Sale??

Special thanks to Tommy for emailing the news to me yesterday!!

Where Dreams Come True

Warning: This may be the corniest post I think I've ever done.

I had such a nice time last night!

After work a couple of old girlfrends from college picked me up and we ran to Whole Foods to grab some din din and wine which we enjoyed while watching American Idol. So.much.fun.

We're thinking of going to Orlando next month (around my birthday) for a fun getaway where we'd ideally go to Disney!

Where dreams come true

I consider myself a mature gal in her 20s and I am not afraid to say that I love Disney. I mean, who doesn't love Disney?! I've only gone a couple of times, but man, I have had so much fun every time I went.



I hope this time I can see Belle, my favorite princess. I've never seen her when I've been to Disney.

Who's your favorite Disney princess?

You bet your bottom I posted this amazing song.

I'm a little giddy, sorry. Disney makes me giddy.

Happy hump day!

Rachel Zoe's Dry Shampoo

As some of you know, I'm always looking for a good dry shampoo. I have thin to normal hair, but I have a lot of it, so it gets greasy (ew, sorry) quickly. Dry shampoo is the best thing since sliced bread to me.

So, when I stumbled across Rachel Zoe's recommended dry shampoo, I went to the site pronto.

I give you: The All Nighter Styling Powder.

Cue the screeching halt.

Is it me or does this site look like a hoax?

To try or not to try?

Have you tried it?

Weekend Recap + Oscars

Oh what a wonderful weekend.

Friday evening TBF and I relaxed and enjoyed a nice dinner here. Saturday, we went to an outdoor mall (to enjoy the gorgeous weather!) and I scored some great pieces (and returned some) at J. Crew and MAC. Sunday, we did a read through of a good friend's script and then lounged and watched the Oscars.

Speaking of the Oscars...


Can we talk about Ms. Crazy Pants 2010 (Kathy Ireland)? Words cannot describe how robotic this woman is. I felt sorry for the actors she "interviewed" aka actors who felt extremely awkward by her scripted responses and questions.

And onto the style awards...

First of all, these two were great together!
I loved their old school humor :)

Zoe Saldana
Gorgous. This gal is always a winner.

Vera Farmiga

TBF described this perfectly. Her dress is like an unrolled streamer.

Sandra Bullock. Gorgeous, but sister needed to loosen up! She was so nervous!

Worst posture of the evening goes to...Miley Cyrus.

Elizabeth Banks.
I don't know why, but I love her.

He's young. He's young. He's young. YEAH WHATEVER. He looks good here.

Charlize Theron. AKA Cupcake boobs.
Yeah, the girl's don't need THAT much attention.

Jason Bateman.
Little Miss Sunshine
Couples Retreat
Juno
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
The Break Up
Need I say more?

That's all for me today.

Actually, one more thing. Of course when I turn comment moderation off, I come back two hours later to weird V*agra and Chinese characters. Yeah, no thanks. Sorry, comment moderation is back on.

Happy Monday! Hope you had a great weekend!

Freck's Friday Fancies XXXIX

Hooray! It's Friday!

Although I can't complain about my fast week, I'm so happy it's almost the weekend!

Before I get into the fancies, did anyone see America's Best Dance Crew last night? All the crews performed to Lady Gaga songs!! I loved it. Some of my fellow Gaga obsessed friends were over last night and we had so much fun watching!

Well friends, we have 15 days left until Spring!! Do you know what this means?! Cubbies, outdoor seating, longer days, (hopefully) morning workouts, and so much more goodness!

Another item that comes with Spring? Cardigans.

I.love.cardigans.

Although I feel like they are worn year round (at least I wear them year round), I think Spring is the Cardigan's shining time.

AND there are so many kinds to choose from...

*here are this week's fancies*

V-Neck Cardigan
J. Crew, Quite possibly the king of cardi's

Standard Cardigan
Gap, Always a great source

Cropped Cardigan
Anthro, No explanation needed :)

Fabric Embellished Cardigan
Anthro

Long Cardigan
Nordies, Michael Kors

What are your faves? From where?

I'm always looking for a good cardi steal!

Happy Friday! Have a wonderful weekend!

I get by with a little help from my blog-friends..

So I'd love your input!

I've been helping plan my sister-in-law's baby shower (eeeeek, so excited for them and to be an aunt again!!), which is in a couple of weeks and I was wondering if you have any tips or items that you've enjoyed at past showers you've attended and/or activities or things you didn't enjoy.

I'm in charge of decor and I've pretty much got that covered, but I'd love any fun ideas that you have in that department, too! For example, someone made a bouquet of onesies, which sounds really cool, usable and can double as decor!

Are there any blogs out there that would be great inspiration for baby shower decor, food, etc.? So far, Amy Atlas' Sweet Designs has given me a lot of inspiration for a fun tablescape.

She's super talented and she hosts some extremely talented ladies on her blog.
This table is created by this gal.

It's a couples shower in the evening, something I think my sister-in-law requested, which rocks because I love the fact that A. my brother will be in attendance (who's basically the male version of me) and B. just having the fellas around will automatically make it less girly and frou frou, know what I'm sayin'?

More chill, less games. You get the idea.


Thanks in advance for your advice!

Happy Thursday!