NFL Spell: Love You to Saturn and Back

Boots: Simply Vera, Kohl's

Sweater: Club Room, Macy's

Bag: Sleepyville Critters, Zulily

Turtleneck: So, Kohl's

Unshrinking Violet Necklace

Bag: Gifted

Sweater: Jessica Simpson, Belk

Skirt: Almost Famous, Kohl's

Sassy Silver Necklace

Sweater: IZ Buyer, Kohl's

Bag: Delia's, Dolls Kill

Sweater: Maison Jules, Amazon

Blast Days of Disco Necklace

I've been wearing lots of stripes lately.  It wasn't the plan, but then maybe the universe -- or Saturn -- had other ideas.  Either way, the result was a happy horizon of color.  The sweater in the first fit is actually a men's small from Macy's.  But the big orange bow, which is Wild Fable from Target, tipped the scales back to girly.  Target offered the bows in all colors (I also have red and yellow) and was marketing them with see-through bags this fall in, ahem, a clear and perhaps Taylor Swift-inspired campaign targeted toward football fan fashionistas.  Which, despite not being into sports, I found fun.  Because I'm forever Team Bow.

And Team Swifty.  

Criminally Cozy: Shaking it Up Shamrock Style

I may have missed out on getting a Shamrock Shake this year.  But I wasn't about to let St. Pat's week pass without reading a green-themed cozy.  And Irish Milkshake Murder, which is comprised of novellas from Carlene O'Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, and Liz Ireland, was the perfect pick.  Each tale features a mint milkshake and characters that are just as colorful, including an Irish dancing duo, sheep-shearing enthusiasts, and elves in leprechaun clothing.  St. Paddy's décor and treats abound, homing in on those holiday feels.  It's almost as if no one's been murdered at all.

What more could a cozy -- and festive -- fan want?  Not a thing.  

Except that Shamrock Shake.

Racing Rainbows

Sweater: Pink Republic, Kohl's; Skirt: ModCloth

Bag: Kate Spade

Shoes: Mix No. 6, DSW

Somehow, it was St. Patrick's Day.  It all went by in such a blur that I felt like I wasn't chasing, but racing, rainbows.  Because as I often say, parenthood is like running a race that I'm always losing.  And I say parenthood instead of motherhood because the husband feels the same way.  There's just so much to do, and you can't do it all, so you do the best you can.  That said, those rainbows sometimes remain somewhat within reach.  And on March 17, they took the form of this pic of our little family.

And also of me as a leprechaun lady. 🍀🌈

Tea Shop Pretty Amidst the Grim and Gritty: View from the Vanity

Laura Childs's A Dark and Stormy Tea may be boiling over with murder and mayhem.  By my favorite parts are her descriptions of Theodosia's charming tea shop and cottage.  And of the many word pictures she paints, the most vivid is that of Theodosia's vanity:

"With its desk and drawers and cushioned stool, the vanity took up one wall and was the perfect spot for Theodosia to sit and apply makeup or brush her hair.  Scattered atop the vanity were Theodosia's collectibles -- perfume bottles by Chanel and Dior, leather-covered journal, ceramic box decorated with jaguars that held her good pearl earrings, a large white bowl with scalloped edges that corralled her bracelets, cuffs, and a strand of pearls and a Jo Malone candle." (79)

I love hearing about "collectibles," especially those of a beauty bent.  They're full of feminine fun, aren't they?  So here are some pics from my own vanity.  Or, rather, the nightstands in my closet.

Princess toys and novelty tissues may not be Chanel.  But they are my happy place.  

Clothes, Clothes, Clothes

Skirt: Almost Famous, Kohl's

Bag: Glamour Damaged, Etsy

Stargazer Garden Necklace

Top: Madden Girl, Macy's

Boots: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Top: Sugar Moon, Macy's

Bag: Zulily

Coat: So, Koh's

Shoes: Anne Michelle, JCPenney

Hair clip: Wild Fable, Target

Knickknack: Michaels

Top: Almost Famous, Boscov's

Bag: Skinnydip Lomdon, Macy's

Hair clip: Wild Fable, Target

Sometimes one word says it all.  Especially when you say it three times. 👗👖👠

Self Care Dare: Taking Back Fun Day

Sasha Worth is in a serious funk.  She's so bogged down by her job that she can barely function.  Making dinner seems like an insurmountable task, she has no energy for friends, and the only thing that comforts her is watching Legally Blonde.  So when a cashier asks her out, she tells him she's not interested in sex because it's just "genitals rubbing together." (14)  Pretty cringe, right?  But also hilarious and charming and stranger-than-fiction real.  Because this is Sophie Kinsella and her second-latest book, The Burnout.

That said, it's bizarre but not surprising when Sasha tears out of her office in a burst of can't-take-it-anymore anxiety and runs into a brick wall.  Emotionally spent, she takes a leave of absence and holes up at the seaside resort where she vacationed as a kid.  All Sasha wants is to be left alone.  But the universe has other plans.  Soon she befriends the quirky hotel staff, delves into a twenty-year-old mystery, and asks herself what she really wants.  And she does it all with a man who seemed awful but turns out to be just what she needs.

Every time Sasha stumbles or has a wish-the-earth-would-swallow-her moment, I feel like it's happening to me, and I bet other readers do too.  That's the magic of Kinsella.  She shows us the dark in the light and the light in the dark through the eyes of relatable heroines.  In a world where self care is often just a buzz word, Sasha asserts her worth and puts herself first, making The Burnout a standout.

So thank you, Sophie Kinsella, for giving us yet another wonderful read.  There's no one I'd rather have a breakdown -- er, burnout -- with.

Seeing Spots Means Seeing Red: Zoo Crewnecks and Coats

Sweater: Bar III, Macy's

A cool table at Cobweb Corner

Shoes and bag: Mix No. 6, DSW

Lamp: Marshalls

Bag: Madden Girl, Macy's

Scarf: Wet Seal

Coat: Madden Girl, Macy's

Sweatshirt: Wild Fable, Target

Glass bag: Gifted

Sweater: Bar III, Macy's; Skirt: Wild Fable, Target

If leopard is a neutral, then colorful leopard -- or zebra -- is a party animal.  And of all those colors, none throws a rager like red.  Because nothing says "pump up the volume" like ferocious flame or carnivorous crimson.  

Unless it's plain Jane brown and tan bedecked with big, black bows.

So thank you, Madden Girl coat.  I may not be much of a partier, but you've made me feel like the belle of the snowball. 🎉⛄