Barbie and Ken

A friend forwarded me a link to these incredible staged scenes of Barbie and Ken and friends in various life settings. They are amazing. We first found them for more than $100 on a sale site, but thanks to my friend's obsessive research, we found them, unframed, for $40 here. Check these out... there is no other word besides amazing. I can't decide which is my favorite... can you pick for me?

A Hair Post

I don't believe I've griped about my hair on this blog in a while, if ever. And since my cable went out on Sunday, effectively preventing me from drawing my own conclusions about the SAG Red Carpet, I think I'll do a little of that instead of digesting celebrity fashion this week. But not just gripe - gripe and celebrate! And then pay it forward.

I have very thick hair. Not normal very thick hair - seriously, very VERY thick hair. It's usually impossible to control. Ponytails and I have long been buddies. After a hair cut, I usually try to see if I can go as close to (if not beyond) a week without washing it so that I can enjoy professional styling as long as possible. Somewhere around the end of college I was introduced to the magic of the flat iron, and ever since, I've relied on it completely. If I want(ed) to wear my hair curly, I'd have to sleep on it wet and see if I got lucky in the morning with some semblance of controlled wave/curl. Usually I wake up looking like Medusa or a member of Bon Jovi from the late 80s. The flat iron changed my life. But it also takes a ridiculous amount of time to work through. It's a commitment. I usually have to wake up early to get my hair straightened. And now that I have the bebe at home, if I need to straighten, I wait for a nap, and then immediately run to the bathroom to get started, in hopes that her nap will last long enough for me to finish (seriously, it takes at least 45 minutes to do it well, an hour is best).

Lately, I've grown weary of only wearing it straight, but my utter dependence on the flat iron has rendered me entirely unable to style my hair without it. Further, it's straightened out so much of my natural curl, that I usually find I might get some curl on one side and then whole sections just have no shape to them at all... limp, sad, boring. So straight is the answer. Or so I thought.

A few weeks ago I was due for a trim. I was also out of my leave-in smoothing product that I apply after a wash. I'd been using the same one (a Redkin product) for about 5 years, but found it was discontinued sometime since my last purchase, so I stressed about it, and then concluded that I just needed to find a new one. I asked my awesome stylist and she recommended this Bumble and Bumble product:

(note: this post is not sponsored in any way by B&B - all my own thoughts without any kick-backs)

She assured me that I didn't need to actually blow dry or straighten with it. In fact, she said (and she may have had ulterior motives - she's always trying to convince me to wear my hair curly), it would probably support my wearing my hair naturally, if I was so inclined. It would just weigh it down a bit and control the frizz. Sure. I've heard that before. But, okay, I'm sold.

Since I purchased this product, I have spent a whopping total of zero minutes straightening my hair. Granted, it's been about two weeks. But since I washed out the amazing professional styling job, I have worn my hair naturally, both up and down, every single day. And not only does it control the frizz, it totally eliminates it. My wave/curl is waving/curling beautifully. At Target on Sunday, an employee actually stopped me to compliment me on my perfect curl! ME! This is insanity.

Anyway, I obviously am going to highly recommend this product. Seriously. It's a bit pricey, but good hair products are. That's just a universal truth. And it's worth it. Especially because you need less than a nickel-sized amount to achieve the effect. Here's me today... I spent a grand total of 3 seconds, give or take a half-second, putting my hair together this morning. Unheard of.

You might not agree or care. But I am excited. So I had to share. It's been a long, long time since I've gone out in public without straight hair. BIG DEAL (for me).

Best Leggings for Work

This is a random post, I realize. But I recently was discussing leggings-as-pants (for the 100th time) with another friend, and had to give a shout-out to my favorite leggings. I seriously wear these more often than I'd care to admit during the work week. They're just great. So I had to share.

So... leggings as pants. Are you in or out? I was in the "out" column for a long time. But I'm firmly in the "in" category now, IF the leggings are appropriate as pants, and IF they're paired well with an appropriate top, and IF you are not showing more than you should (be real with yourself and others, seriously). All that said, these Ponte Seam Leggings by Mossimo at Target rule. They "look" tailored, with a pronounced seam running down the front and back middles, making them look more like pants than leggings. They look great with flats (probably pumps, too, but I rarely wear pumps these days... old lady!), and are perfect for tucking into boots. They come in three colors - black, dark heather grey, and brown - and they are the.most.comfortable.ever. I need to purchase at least three more pairs of the black. Those are a weekly staple (I also have the dark heather grey). Anyway, for $20, why are we even debating this. They're awesome. Go get them. If you're a leggings-as-pants-wearer, that is.

(see that seam? tailoring (even faux) = professional (right?))

Free Yum

Do you like ice cream? (If you don't, we just broke up.) Do you like *free* ice cream?? Well, even if it's not your preferred brand, next Tuesday (April 3) is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's. You're welcome.

Get more info here. Again, you're welcome. Happy weekend!

Greatest Day of the Year News

Tuesday was the greatest day of the year!

MY BIRTHDAY!

In honor of the Greatest Day of the Year, my love did something so brilliant I just had to post about it. He notoriously gets a little anxiety at gift-giving times. Granted, I'm a really good gift giver usually, so I think that contributes to the pressure. But I have to say, he's never gotten it wrong. Still, he gets a little worked up. This year, we have a lot going on... there's some family health stuff, some family baby stuff, work, and a few other balls up in the air, so I think he was feeling a little overwhelmed. Unlike other years, though, he never asked me for hints. So I had no idea anything was going on. Then Tuesday after work when we got home, he pulled out a box wrapped simply in a pretty purple ribbon. I opened it up and inside was... another box! (haha!) Inside the second box was a totally awesome watch. I thought to myself, "that's so weird, I pinned this exact watch two weeks ago!" I looked at him with slightly bugged-out eyes and asked where it was from. "Do you like it?!" he asked. "Of course, I like it! It's awesome!" To which he replied: "I couldn't decide what to get you, so I WENT ON YOUR PINTEREST AND LOOKED FOR IDEAS." What a freaking genius that man is! I was so impressed with his cleverness to even think of that! BTW, here's the watch:

(and here's my pin; here's where you can get the watch online)

The reason I wanted to post about this was less about bragging that I have the greatest husband in the universe and more to talk about what a great resource Pinterest can be. I've already written about how much I love it and how much I use it. But I really hadn't thought about someone else using it for me in such a way. But it's so obvious. The result of my voracious pinning in this case was that I got a perfect birthday gift that was something I love and wanted but had no idea to expect. Think about it...

(but I do have the greatest husband in the universe...)

Accessory Indulgence

I want a fun iPhone case. It's a pretty unnecessary accessory, but I kind of want one. I've never accessorized my phone before. But there are just so many fun, pretty, cool, clever covers out there, it seems like a playful way to individualize your phone. And I don't know about you, but I play with use my phone an awful lot. I've pinned a few cases I've seen here and there that caught my eye. But the problem is there are basically a bazillion designs out there that I can't begin to narrow it down. That said, it is my birthday month (whoop!), so a little accessory indulgence seems a fitting self-gift, no?

(Mingle by Lisa Argyropoulos on Society6)

(Beautiful Spring Day by Joy St. Clair on Society6)

(Drops of Golden Sun by Bomobob on Society6)

(Siesta #3 by Alicia Bock on Society6)

(Chevron R by Nicoleap on Society6)

(Books by Cassia Beck on Society6)

(In Dog We Trust by Ana Laya on Society6)

And on, and on, and on, and on. HOW DO I CHOOSE?! Do you accessorize your technology?

Who Wants to Make Me Some Pillows?

Or, fine, I'll just order some. But here's where this all started...

I'm in love with so much of Jonathan Adler's designs, it's borderline frightening. I've never indulged, but I want so many of his pieces so much that when I see them my tummy hurts. Recently I walked by the JA Chicago store, and saw these lovelies in the window display:

Logically, I fell in love. (see what happened there? like that "falling in love" play on words? it's clever, but also true.) I want to add them to our daybed, which doubles as a comfy lounging couch, in our multipurpose second bedroom. Alas, I just cannot justify a splurge on these, as much as I love them. So I need another solution. My sister in-law suggested scouring Etsy. Here are a few possibilities:

(here)

(here, also available in capital letters, as seen here)

Where else should I look? Or is anyone reading this crafty enough to create some magic for me? Or should I just splurge? No, I daren't! Dare I?

Best Pal

Today is my sweet dog's "birthday." It's not her birthday, but her "birthday." And she's turning five-ish. We hit the lottery four years and two months ago when we picked up our sweet girl (from this amazing shelter here in Chicago), and she's been the best pal either of us could ask for! She was about 10 months old that day, so we counted back 10 months and called February 1 her "birthday" from then on. I know every dog owner says it, but seriously, there's not a better dog and furry companion to be found on the planet. We often joke that all of our luck went into our dog, and nothing else will ever work out as well for us in life, and that's okay. Our sweet Lanie (full name Penny Lane) is truly one of the coolest and greatest animals around, and she totally deserves the Dairy Queen delight she'll get in celebration of her "birthday" later this evening!

Do you celebrate your pets' birthdays? Do your pets have great names? I love pet names. There's a little puppy French bulldog in our 'hood named Gary. Every time I see him I crack up. Lanie is Lanie because she was "Bailey" in the shelter, and she was fairly well-trained by that name, so we wanted to keep the vowel sounds and syllables the same to ease her transition. How do you name your pets?

Happy Birthday, Best Dog Ever!

(now indulge me in a photographic tribute to the aforementioned best dog ever)

(still such a sweet pup after all this time! seriously, how cute is my girl?!)

Rose Gold

I'm a big accessory lady - all kinds! any kinds! Bring 'em on! More is more! And right now I'm just really feeling rose gold watches. How fresh! How different! How masculine and feminine! How stylish and versatile!

(TopAmericanDesigner Michael Kors)

(Fossil)

(Swatch)

(Skagen)

(also Skagen)

(Kenneth Cole)

What say you? Rock the rose gold? or would you rather stick with something a little more traditional?

Bar Cart Fixation: Part 2

A while ago I posted about how I was searching for a vintage bar cart, or something like a vintage bar cart, for our dining room. 'Member? So, that's been swirling around in my head for a while, and I've been keeping my eyes peeled and ears perked. I'm in no rush, you see. Just thinking and planning.

Whilst thinking and planning, guess what popped up yesterday in my Google Reader?! This did. Kimberlee of Brown Button has apparently been hoping and waiting for the same kind of thing. And her excitement over the opening of Society Social is both warranted and appreciated, as far as I'm concerned.

(The Stanton)

This online shop is built on the belief that "life is a grand celebration, that means every day... It is this contagious joie de vivre and our tremendous love for a shared celebration that inspires every piece we create. We hope our handcrafted line from the colorful cocktail carts to our playful haute hostess attire induce frolic and merriment from our home to yours." Um... Yes, please. How fun is this?!

Now, I'm still holding out hope for a sweet little vintage find (in fact, I'm planning to attend this kooky and awesome annual overnight flea market over the weekend where some little vestige of swingin' times gone by might be waiting for me), but should she not fall into my lap anytime soon, you bet your sweet bubbly I'm bookmarking this site for future reference and purchase! Delightful, spirited, fun--who doesn't want that in their life?! AND a glass of something fizzy and boozy to toast it with! And therefore, don't you need somewhere to store and display aforementioned glass and fizzy/boozy something? You do. Like one of these puppies:

(The Madison Mixer)

This Top is Basically Rocking my World

On a lighter note... so, is anyone else about to go bananas on Old Navy because of their absolutely ridiculous and exceptionally annoying commercials of late? Stop Old Navy-fying the lyrics to some of the best songs of the late 80s and early 90s. For serious. I hate them.

But I don't hate this top. Not remotely. In fact, I kind of really love it and I'm borderline obsessed with it. In spite of its distinctive cut and shape, I may just have to buy it in the other colors. Also, it's on sale right now ($17.50), which rules. Because the top rules.

(this is the color, "dumpling," that I bought)

(this is the back - and how great is this poppy red-orange?!)

It is classic, yet sexy, sophisticated, and versatile. For work I'm wearing it with cropped pants and gold wedge sandals, but I tried it on with jeans and it was just as fantastic. The fit is great, too -- loose and even slightly baggy/off-shoulder-potential, but not shapeless in the least.

I would write a song about it to the melody of Candy Rain, but then I'd have to hire Barbie-faced dancers to fake-sing it and dance around in my living room, and I just don't have the budget for that.

Bensimon Sneaks

I have been quietly loving and admiring the cute Bensimon elastic sneaks from a distance.

(très adorable, non?!)

I don't know why I haven't bought a pair... Just being frugal, I guess. HOWEVER. They're on sale today at Madewell. For $39.99 (down from around $55-$60, depending on the vendor).

The only issue I'm having is that I really like those light blue ones (above). And the sale shoes are only available in rose poudre:

buy 'em anyway?

UPDATE: bought 'em.