What I Wore: May Days

Summer vacation has officially begun around here. Luckily, my daughter came down with tonsillitis yesterday so we're off to just a super start. My kids have literally been watching TV for like, two hours while I get my bearings. I swear it will be better tomorrow... right?

I just have way too many good intentions and then procrastinate them by blogging instead of like, feeding children breakfast.

Oh well. Nutrition is overrated. Here are May's outfits!

My daughter's softball season started last month, which means I had to be dressed to sit in bleachers for hours on end. Seriously, she has three games this week. I love this BRIGHT coral top because it stands out without being obnoxious. And it's perfect for hiding the fact that this is basically a T-shirt and jeans outfit. This is a very Jae outfit in general, I feel. Skinny pants, chiffon top, slip-ons, crossbody bag = My jam. 

Top: Lily White (similar) (lighter color)

Jeans: Calvin Klein (here) I've had these forever and they just get softer and better. 

Shoes: Soda (these just recently sold out, boo) (similar) (super cute)

Bag: Coach and six months strong on this baby. I hate changing bags. (here)

I wore this on the day I took my new car into the shop because I was worried about a noise it was making. Like, I made an appointment, drove 45 mins and I get up there and the mechanic was like, "Yeah it's supposed to make that noise." And I felt like an idiot. But he was very nice and gave me a new keychain (I still had the paper dealer one) so let's call it a wash.

Top: Stylus (here)

Jacket: Calvin Klein (similar) Also I just bought this one for summer because there's something wrong with me. I justified that while I do have a white scuba style one, I do not have a white moto style. WHO DOES THIS!?

Jeans: Calvin Klein Ultimate Skinny (here)

Shoes: Nike (pretty much these)

Top: eric + lani (similar) (similar)

Skirt :Old Navy (stretch pencil for life!) 

Cuff: c/o Wizards of the West 

Shoes: Charlotte Russe (similar) (similar and cheap!) (love these)

This reminded me so much of my biker dad, who literally only wears motorcycle T-shirts and his riding boots and is adorable. I wore this to the ever-glamorous "picking your dog up from the spay clinic" outing. This is my life, people.

Shirt: Lucky Brand (oh, ye of little boob, short-sleeve henleys are your friend) (similar) (similar)

Jeans: Calvin Klein Ultimate Skinny (here) 

Boots: Frye 12R and I still love them as much as the day I got them, if not more (here)

Bracelet: Marc Jacobs (similar)

This skirt has been a friggin' unicorn. I love it and it's flattering and comfortable, but it's been really hard to find (this is as close as I can get) The brand is Ambiance and I got it at a local boutique.

Top: American Eagle (similar) (cute!) (plus)

Shoes: Qupid (similar) (love these)

Necklace: Nordstrom (similar) (yaaaas)

Whew, I just got sidetracked shopping for stuff that I found while doing this post. I am the worst.

Jae Raids the Drugstore! Best (and Worst!) Beauty Buys

So my vanity drawer is overflowing with stuff I've bought in the last little while, so that definitely means it's time for beauty reviews: The good, the bad, and the "why did I ever spend money on that?"

Let's just go for it because we're headed out for the weekend and I have mucho stuff to do!

BellaPierre Waterproof Gel Eyeliner Pencil ($14.99)

This was a sleeper hit for me. Usually an eyeliner is an eyeliner, but this gel-based one is super soft so I've been using it for tightlining (where you line the waterline of your eye). And seriously, once it's on it doesn't budge until you use soap, so it's a major winner. I'll be rebuying this when it's done -- I feel like it'll be genius in the summer when we're in and out of water all day. 

Glycolix Elite Ultra Gentle Cleanser ($15)

I've used Glycolix stuff in the past and have always been happy, so I started looking for a daily treatment option. This cleanser is supafantastic because it has all the glycolic acid goodness, but it's not irritating like the pads are (seriously I love them but they burn like the dickens). I've used this every night for like, two months and am super happy. Really great if you have the dreaded combo skin like me where you break out if anything is too moisturizing but turn in to the motherfudging (sorry I've been mainlining Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix) Sahara when it's not hydrating enough.


Si by Giorgio Armani ($28) 

YOU GUYS. I know for a fact that someone here recommended this fragrance back around Christmas, but I can't remember who. But if it was you, you're a beautiful angel from heaven because this stuff is so good. If you're into vanilla scents (which I very much am) this is such an excellent balance between vanilla and a little bit of musk so it's not too sweet. My husband got me the rollerball (I throw them in my purse and take them everywhere) and I've worn it on the daily ever since.

Cils D'enfer Maxi Lash So Volume! ($30)

In my neverending quest to try every mascara ever made (and seriously don't try and tell me about lash extensions. One of my friends just had a reaction to hers and it was so bad it literally caused her eyelashes to pop out of her skin. It's not my bag.) I tried this super FRAWNCH mascara and it was only OK. It's more lengthening than it is volumizing and my eyelashes are pretty long already so it leaned on the spidery side. For $30 I'd expect more. Something has yet to topple Dior Iconic Overcurl and L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes as my top faves.

Revlon Parfumerie in Spun Sugar ($3.29)

I picked this up on a grocery store run while my husband drove me around looking for cheese bagels. My usual store was out and that is not acceptable. I really like cheese bagels, you guys. Anyway, this stuff swears that it smells like sugar but I don't really smell anything. I love the color though, and it was almost opaque after one coat. I've also had it on my toes for two weeks and I think it'll probably last through the Armageddon, so that's nice.

Benefit High Brow Glow ($22)

Aaaaand massive disappointment of the month goes to: This stupid $22 shimmer stick I bought the last time I was at Sephora! I was looking for something to help define my brows because they are crazy and unwieldy. And somehow I got talked into this (seriously are the women who work at Sephora hypnotists? Because this is not what I wanted AT ALL) and when I got home realized that I'd spent way too much on something that wasn't as good as the next product for like, a third of the price.

It's OK. Just... OK. I don't see why it would ever need to be $22 though.

e.l.f. Shimmer Palette ($8)

Look guys, I'm not even trying to be dramatic, I just want to be buried with this palette when I die. Seriously, I use it every day without fail. I love that the shimmer comes in different shades, so you can add some without looking like you're ready for Elsa cosplay. I use the pink on the Cupid's bow above my lips and on my cheekbones, and then use the champagne one for my brow bones and inner eyes NO THANKS TO YOU, $22 BENEFIT PENCIL. A little goes a looooooong way. Like, for my cheeks I literally just tap the shimmer lightly and then brush my fingers across my cheekbones and all of a sudden, it's like you're a dewy ballerina-type. Such a fan.

Palladio Herbal Gel Crayon in In the Buff ($6)

So THIS is what I wanted when I went into Sephora looking for brow help. I actually wanted a matte color that was a shade lighter than my own skin that I could use on the tops of my brows to define them. I didn't want shimmer, jerks. And I love that this fat little pencil does exactly what I ask. I'll be buying it again. I clean up my brows, fill 'em in, and then use a swipe of this on top (and blend) to make them look even more defined. Thanks, you adorable little $6 crayon, you.

Anastasia Clear Brow Gel ($22)

If you know what "on fleek" means and you want your brows to go to there, this is the gold standard, folks. And yes, I was on a mission to tame my brows this month. Deal.

Anyway, I use  this after I've filled in my brows with my trusty pencil. I know that might make some brow people weep, but I use it after on purpose because I feel like it helps to smooth out any harshness and kind of airbrush my pencil work. Some people use  brow powder but my crazy brows need boundaries.

This is light, totally unnoticeable (I've had brow gel flake on me before and it's not pretty) and it stays put. That's really all you can ask. It's spendy, but it makes a big enough difference that I can justify the cost.

Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Lip Plumper ($12)

No bueno, you guys, This said it was a "custom color" that conforms to your lips' natural coloring, so I was like, oh great, so it's like my beloved Dior Lip Glow (which I use nonstop), but with plumping. Awesome.

No. No that was not true. In Victoria's Secret land, apparently your "custom color" is like, a garish hot pink that causes you to catch your reflection in your car's rearview mirror and say "WHAT THE HECK" out loud and then frantically wipe it on your sleeves, which may or may not be a real thing that happened. Maybe others have had better luck with their custom color, but my custom color was a jerk and the plumping effect was uber-minimal (I still love this the best for plumping lip colors in Peachy Flush).

Just, yeah. Yikes.


Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Anti-Aging ($24)

I've used this stuff for two years and swear by it, but this time I bought the "anti-aging" kind because, you know, I'm 30. And it's baaaasically worthless. Like, it's fine as a primer, but as far as I can tell the only difference is that this one has a little shimmer in it? Is that what's supposed to stop you from aging? Does Urban Decay think we're all idiots?

Just buy the regular stuff.

Batiste Dry Shampoo - Cherry ($8) 

I try out dry shampoo like I do mascara and I'm really picky about scent. I swear, some smell like the inside of an apartment building lobby where I grew up. Like, kind of like someone smoked in there once and the smell never went away, but by golly, they tried.

I don't think this smells particularly like cherries, but it does smell fresh and it does its job. On a related note, I tried a "tinted" dry shampoo and it made my hair banana yellow. White is fine. Even if you're brunette, you can use white dry shampoo. Just spray it, work it in like real shampoo, and then throw your hair into a loose bun while you hop in the shower or do your makeup and it'll absorb. You can also put it in before bed and sleep in a loose bun and it'll do the same.

And that, my friends, was a tangent.

Pacifica Hand Cream in Tuscan Blood Orange ($8) 

I love Pacifica scents -- they're impactful without being cloying and that might have been the most annoying sentence I've ever typed. But seriously. Their vanilla is another one of my favorite perfumes and I loooove their Indian Coconut stuff. I grabbed this Blood Orange and it's no exception. Seriously Pacifica, you win at scents forever and you're so reasonably priced.

This hand cream goes in my purse and is super light but doesn't skimp on the moisturizing part. Plus, the little tube is adorable and I'm forever handing it out to my friends to use.

Garnier Fructis Marvelous Oil ($4.50) 

I feel like calling this stuff Marvelous Oil was setting it up for failure. Because, I mean, it's pretty good, but it would have to cause my head to sprout mermaid-like gold-plated tresses overnight for it to be Marvelous.

It's a hair oil made with brazilnuts and I guess that's good? I don't know, I can't tell a difference between this and my usual agran oil -- both just get combed through my ends when they're looking rough and that's about it.

Maybelline Color Elixir in Caramel Infused $8.99

So I took Urban Decay's new High Color Lip Gloss (in Failbait) for a test drive. I was immediately obsessed with the color, but I haaaaated the formula. After about 10 minutes of wear, it became unbearably sticky. So, after much drugstore-searching, I found that Maybelline's Color Elixir in Caramel Infused was an almost-perfect match, and the formula is creamy (ugh I hate that word) instead of sticky. This has been my new go-to color for the last two weeks. The only caveat is that the applicator sucks but I can deal.

So, while I'm super disappointed in Urban Decay, it's kind of like meeting your cute husband through his douchey best friend. Like, he's a jerk and you hate the way he laughs but you're still grateful.


Aaaaand that concludes my world record of longest post ever, during which I looked at the clock and realized the bus was rumbling up the street and had to physically push my kids out the door. So, you know, mom stuff.

It's been a slice!

What I Wore: April Roundup

Hey girls hey.

Time for a roundup of all the outfits I wore the last month, especially for those of you who don't follow me on Instagram (which you totally should, you're missing out on stuff like Cool Runnings cocktail dresses and I feel like you can't afford to miss that) or you do follow me on IG and wanted outfit deets.

Also, does anyone else feel like the month of May is brutal when you have elementary-aged kids? We've had two field trips, a track meet yesterday, another field trip tomorrow, and like 9,000 kindergarten graduation dealies which, let's face it, was fun for your first child and a chore for your second.

Especially since my second child could not care less about school. When he comes home every day and I ask him how it went, he will a) shrug or b) make up some lie about how there was a rhinoceros on the playground.

We have communication issues.

ANYWAY. I'm now in weird limbo where I want school to be over but I know that will last approximately five minutes into summer break.

I also have some product posts for you because I've used some awesome products and some that were laughably bad. And I feel like it's my responsibility to share.

Outfits!!

Top: Vince Camuto (here and on sale!) (3/4 length sleeve)

Skirt: Freebird (got mine through zulily) (similar)

Shoes: Guess (similar) (I have a black pair of these too)

Necklace: Bella Ella (similar)

This was for sure my favorite outfit of the month. It came out unintentionally Jessica Rabbit-ish and I'm not mad about it. Also, these are like, top 10 favorite shoes I own, so anytime I can pull 'em out, I'm happy. Also, it was super stretchy and Jae in spandex is a happy Jae indeed. Especially because Jae has to walk to church because it's across the street and Jae complains loudly every Sunday because it puts a reeeeeal cramp in her style when she has to trudge up the hill to church instead of getting to drive like normal people. 

Dress: local boutique (Last worn here and omg I look different) (how pretty is this dress?) (love this one too)

Blazer: F21 (similar) (love this one)

Boots: Ardene - Canada (similar)

Earrings: F21 (pretty!) (come to mama)

I wore this when my family and I got to tour the new Payson Temple, which was super awesome. I specifically wanted to wear something super comfortable because there was a lot of walking involved. Also, we had to wear like, indoor booties to protect the new floors and I'm vain and wanted my dress to cover them. 

Feel free to judge me. 

Top: Buckle (here) (similar) (similar)

Jeans: Calvin Klein (here) 

Boots: Frye (here and on sale!) Seriously, these are a staple for me. Pricey, but just get better with age and wear. (similar)

Ring: Express (similar)

In a perfect world, I would have worn this outfit with heels, but it was on a date with my husband and we were doing a fair amount of walking. From restaurant to restaurant. We went for Italian and then wandered to get frozen yogurt and then did a little shopping. So you know, priorities.

Also, we conversed on IG about how Buckle is a weird store. Nine times out of ten I'll go in there and walk out empty handed, but every so often I land a gem like this top, which I found hidden behind the Steven Tyler-esque clothes at the front of the store. Get your act together, Buckle. 

Tank: c/o modbod

Jacket: Maurice's (here) (similar)
Jeans: Calvin Klein (here)

Booties: Refresh (obsessed with these) (so cute) (moto style)

Watch: Gucci (I'm having trouble finding it nowadays - it's the Twirl)

Fun fact: I wore this to a meeting that happened to be in my husband's office building. I was in the all-glass board room when I saw him go rushing by and the first thing I thought was "Way to say 'hi' to your wife, jerk." But when he came back in, he asked for my Tahoe keys and I was like "Uh, why?" and he informed me that a woman had just totaled her car into my parked SUV. And it was BAD. She had to be taken away on a stretcher and her car was wedged underneath my back bumper. Ultimately, she was OK. But I still apologized profusely to her, despite the fact that my car was parked. Like, I felt bad that my car was so strong and totaled her car? I'm so Canadian sometimes it hurts. 

Even funner fact: My husband (the same one whom I considered a jerk) ordered a new car for me back in like, January and that was the same day it was supposed to be delivered. They had to postpone the delivery one more day, but can you imagine if I had my brand-new car wrecked into on the first day I owned it? Ohhhh small mercies. 

Also, never fear: My Tahoe is in the shop and only had some minor bumper work to be done. It will now be put to pasture, and by "put to pasture" I mean parked in my driveway and only used for boating adventures and taking the dog to groomer because that stinky dog is not allowed in my new car.  So yeah, the smile in this picture is uber-fake. It was like, the second I drove home with a gimpy Tahoe. I was glad, however, that being in a creative position means I get to dress pretty casually and didn't have to deal with a smashed Tahoe in business formal. 

Top: Arizona (here) I bought like, six of these t-shirts for summer.

Jeans: Calvin Klein (hey! at least they're a different jean than my usual ones, right? These have ZIPPERS. (here) Also they're very soft. 

Shoes: Bamboo (I think) (similar) These remind me of the latest Great Gatsby movie and I'm super white girl basic when it comes to my love for that movie. I've watched it seven times. 

Bag: Coach (here but wahh, mine's Chalk and they're sold out of that color. This thing's a friggin' workhorse though.)

Cuff: Buckle (ooh I like this one)

I wore this on an afternoon of Saturday furniture shopping. I HAAAATE furniture shopping for real, you guys. I can't stand the indecision and the back-and-forth. We've been trying to buy a new bedroom set for eons, but we have very specific tastes and measurements, so we had gone like, three times before and never found anything. This day we found something, but it had to be special ordered and I'm still waiting for it. Le sigh. I honestly forget what it looks like. I'm only kind of sure that it has a leather headboard. And maybe some night stands? I don't know. It was a blur. 

ANYWAY, sometimes I just wear a T-shirt and jeans. Especially when arguing over furniture with my husbands. Gotta be comfortable for that. 

Button-down: Gap (similar, since mine has a teeny stripe)

Skirt: Old Navy and literally the only thing I've bought from Old Navy that didn't become a weird square after washing. I have it in polka dot, too. I haven't been in an ON this season... can anyone confirm if these stretch pencil skirts are back?)

Shoes: Roxy (similar) In my house we refer to these as the "Steve Buscemi shoes" because they're so ugly it makes them cute. 

Watch: XOXO (similar)

I felt super prep in this outfit, which is incidentally one of my favorite books (by Curtis Sittenfeld seriously it's such a solid beach/vacation read it's obscene). I basically wanted to get on a sailboat and like, eat oysters all day. I don't know, is that even what preppy kids do? I'm so middle class it hurts. 

Top: Victoria's Secret (here) I buy a couple every time I'm in VS. Size down, peeps!) 

Blazer: Madison and Sixth (similar) (similar)

Jeans: You guessed it (here)

Shoes: Wild Diva (similar) (these are adorable in red)

I wore this on a day when I had mucho running around to do: A couple of video calls, helping in my son's kindy class, a play date, and dinner with friends. I just ditched the blazer for the more casual stuff, which is a trick I use all the time. Put a blazer on it!! 

Extremely bright neon top: Victoria's Secret (here) 

Pants: Calvin Klein (here although I totally bought mine at Costco booyah I mean honestly people still say booyah?)

Boots: Frye (here) Also, just FYI the 12Rs I have are also on sale)

Also, I'm ever-so-casually holding my Calvin Klein jacket (here's a similar one if you feel like you really love the black blob by my knee)

Every time my kids' school does a book sale, it also means they do "Parents and Pastries" which means I have to go in and watch my kids eat donuts before they drag me into the gym to buy overpriced guilt-induced books. And honestly, it's like, 8:30 am and I don't feel like talking to anyone but my BFFs and so sometimes I dress like I have a huge "F off" stamp on my head because really, only my BFFs know that it really just means that I can be highly introverted at 8 am. This outfit helped to accomplish that goal. Praise be to moto jacket, which make that head stamp so much more prevalent. 

I'm an awful human being. 

Holy crap, this took me forever to write. Mostly because I kept finding things I wanted to buy while hunting down links. It's a dirty job, folks. It was fun though! Lately, my life has revolved around things like market research and educational technology which, don't get me wrong, totally blows my skirt up if you know what I mean. But it's still fun to be frivolous sometimes.

Alright, I'm off to finish work and have a way-too-long lunch with friends. It's been real! Check back for some product reviews soon!

What I Wore: March Madness

I actually feel like blogging today! I blame it on the light workload and beautiful almost-80 weather and the fact that I got new speakers for my computer so I can jam out to B.O.B. like it's my j.o.b. (see what I did there man I am clever you guys).

I thought I'd do a roundup of my March outfits, as posted on Instagram, just in case you missed it or you saw it and wanted the deets. Is it still cool to say deets?

In personal stuff news, I'm finally catching up to my work, but also we bought a dog. Her name is Penelope Jane. Yes I am aware that it's weird to give your dog a formal name, but if you could hear my 6-year-old shouting "Penelope JANE!" when she eats his shoes, you'd understand. When she's not in trouble, she's just Penny.

I'm the most emotionally awkward person in the world, so I feel like I project onto dogs. Poor Penny is smothered daily. She's a springer spaniel and has already grown to the point that having her on my lap while I work is a feat of aerodynamics and not especially comfortable. We got her for my daughter's birthday and the reaction was perfection. Addie is like, heartbreakingly sweet and I apologize to her daily for having such an emotionally stunted mother. 

My mom and my aunt (aka second mom) are flying in today and I need to do boring stuff like vacuum and wash sheets (wait I think I just identified my motivation for blogging instead). Here are March's greatest hits: 

Worn to: A marketing seminar I taught for a friend. It was fun but most importantly, I unwound afterward by talking my husband into see The DUFF. He was really super happy about it. 

Top: Calvin Klein (I own like four of these no-iron essential shirts) (here) (similar)
Jacket: zaza (I'm obsessed with this one) (great price)

Jeans: Calvin Klein (here) (Also they now come in curvy praise all)

Boots: Refresh (similar) (these are boss)

Watch: Gucci (here)

Glasses: Ray Ban and honestly they changed my life in a way that only foldable polarized sunglasses can (here) 

Worn to: Church. Also briefly considered flamenco dancing. Decided I was too old. 

Top: Vince Camuto (here)

Skirt: Ambiance (same one, different pattern) (brighter colors ,would still look amazing with this top)

Shoes: Nine West (similar)

Necklace: Aldo (similar)

Yeah just ignore the posing here. 

Worn to: Shopping with one of my friends. I felt very '70s in this. 

Top: Vince Camuto (here)
Jeans: Calvin Klein (here)

Necklace: Nordstrom (similar)

Bracelet: F21 (similar)

Boots: Ardene (Canada) (similar) (similar)

Bag: Coach (here, in chalk) Also, for those who are scared of cream leather bags, Magic Erasers work wonders. 

Penny makes her first cameo. 

Worn to: Running errands and lunch with my husband.

Shirt: Infamous and still my favorite T-shirt (they still have it in XS!) 

Jeans: You guessed it. (here)

Necklace: Cara (sold out) (similar) (similar) When I bought this necklace I didn't realize how much I'd actually wear it. Turns out, tassels look good with everything. I even bought one for my mom. 

Jacket: Calvin Klein (wahhh it's sold out) (similar)

Boots: White Mountain (here)

Aaaand she shows up again. 

Worn to: Lunch on a rainy day. 

Jeans: Calvin Klein (I bought them at Costco) (I have a problem) (here)

Jacket: Hurley (here) I bought it after we had a little cold snap and was so glad. 

Boots: White Mountain (here)

Check out the Instagram for a few others that I haven't posted here. I like IG for outfit posts because it's so much faster, but I do miss posting here too! I'll do something and be like oh yeah, I should blog that... oh wait. So yeah, I need to get back at it. I miss you guys, too. So stay tuned, I have some posts in the works. Important stuff like how I feel uninspired because everything in stores is boho and I'm not, as well as how I finally learned to tame my psychotic eyebrows into some semblance of submission. 

Jerk eyebrows, why you gotta play me like that?

What I Wore: Check-In

Hey everyone!

Thanks for your kind words and support from the last post. As usual, the entire month of February is kicking my butt, so we've been busy birthday-ing, taking a blink-and-you'll-miss-it getaway, and tons of other stuff. I still have another birthday this week. Help me.

But I still thought I'd check in. If you're not following on IG, please do, because I'm still posting outfits and weird stuff I find while shopping over there. And if you don't have IG, might I submit this opinion: While I learn to hate people on Facebook, I learn to love them on IG. It's so much nicer when people can't post and argue about politics and vaccines. It's just pretty pictures. Seriously, I resisted IG for so long and now it's my faaaaavorite.

I wore this yesterday: 

Top: H&M (here) I have this top in two different patterns and one solid and they are fantastic. Fit very true to size and just airy while still being a smidgen structured. Wrap tops 4 lyfe. 

Skirt c/o modbod eons ago (here's an uber cheap one) (textured like mine) (this one's also pretty)

Shoes: F21 and they hurt like a mother (here but you've been warned)

Rings: Coach (similar)

I had to leave church because I had a migraine so I ran home for some Imitrex and spent the rest of the time in a drug-induced fog. And yet, I still managed to stay upright in these shoes, which I feel like is a huge accomplishment. 

This was last week, where I decided that an all-lace dress was a little sweet. This oversized moto jacket has been, hands-down, one of my fave purchases of the year so far (YES I AM AWARE it's only February).

Dress: Dorothy Perkins (this one is super pretty) (and this would look so cute with a jacket too)

Jacket: Calvin Klein (here)

Boots: Dollhouse (here)

I also realized that I had a version of this dress when I was in high school. My mom told me I couldn't wear it to a dance because it was too short, so I packed it in my bag and changed at my friend Graham's house like I was on a friggin' episode of Full House. 

That's me in the white, obviously. And now I look at that dress and am like seriously how was that too short I mean honestly. 

Also, my friends are the most adorable. 

Besides taking pictures of myself and hosting birthday parties, we ran down to St. George for a couple of days to get warm. My relaxation level was at a 1000, clearly:

My cup of Crystal Light and my Kindle. That's all I'll ever need. 

I got through three books. My husband told me that my biggest problem is that to relax, I need to physically leave the house, otherwise I'll just work. 

Also, if you're looking for a recommendation and happen to be a massive Margaret Atwood fan like myself, Station Eleven was superb. Seriously, I'm not a post-apocalyptic doomsdayer AT ALL but I'm still thinking about it. 

While in St. George, I went shopping and found things like this, which made me wonder if I had stumbled upon a clown colony.  

On Saturday night, you could totally find me doing this. Because I could. 

I'll be playing catch up for another week or so, after which I might be able to return a pseudo normal posting schedule. I'm hoping that, at the very least, we sneak in an outfit post and a Freaky Friday each week. 

Again, you guys are the totally the best ever for putting up with me!

What I Wore: Meaning Business

You guys, I really feel like I mean business when I wear power dresses like this one. 

I saw this dress and had to have it, but couldn't bear to pay full price (it was around $100 and I don't wear dresses enough to justify that). So imagine my smugness when I realized it was on sale for $29 and only available in my size. 

That means you've been living your life right, my friends. 

Dress: Paper Dolls via Dorothy Perkins (Of course it's sold out now, but I have a few Paper Doll dresses and they are so fun. I totally love this one and this one and this amazingness for plus sizes. Pencil dresses with a sleeve are my jam/unicorn, so when I find a brand that does them consistently, I become a psychotic groupie. 

Shoes: Windsor and a gift from my husband who enables me (similar and so pretty) (similar)

Earrings: Seriously, from a TJ Maxx or something in San Diego. (similar) (pretty and cheap just the way I like it heh heh heh.

Speaking of meaning business, you guys, I have a conundrum here and looking for some input. 

I'm self-employed and work in what mostly amounts to marketing. I'm a marketing writer, and companies hire me to do things like blogs, press releases, ebooks, articles, and other things that make them look fancy. I just finished rewriting an entire company's onboarding manual, which sounds boring to other people, but fills me with actual glee. GLEE. I love using my writing skillz (yes, with a 'z') but still getting to be an active participant in the corporate world. 

I LOVE my job. Love like you would not believe. I meet the most amazing people and get to be part of really great, young, hip teams (I work with a lot of startups who aren't ready to hire a full-time creative writer) and so I'm never willing to scale back. I'm busy all the time and deadlines rule my life, and I love every second of it.

When I started freelancing for work, I had no idea how things would snowball from being a little hobby business that brought in a little side money to an actual, viable career that takes up most of my time and energy.

That being said, some things have to slide when my work schedule is packed. Honestly, I use a paper planner and have deadlines scheduled out two weeks in advance and you've probably noticed that my blog has suffered a little bit.

But here's the thing. This blog is a hobby. It's a vanity project. I put up pictures of myself and write funny things and everyone pats me on the head and believe me, that's definitely fun. But when I started this blog, it was a creative outlet for when I was working in another part of marketing and not getting to write as much as I do now. In fact, I was on the training side of things and had to be on-call and at my computer all the time, so sure, a blog was a no brainer. I was bored and in front of a screen all day. But nowadays, sometimes posting just feels like another item on my to-do list and that's kind of an icky feeling. 

I'm not saying I'm scrapping this thing altogether. I love the visitors that come to the site and those who comment frequently are like, the lifeblood of a little blog like this (and you know who you are!) I do, however, need to lighten up the posting schedule a little bit, though. From now on, I'll be posting when I actually have something to say, which might not be three times a week, you know?

You can't be too sad. There's eleventy billion other fashion bloggers who do it better than I do. 

Instead of posting as regularly as before to this blog, I'll be opening a fashion-only Instagram account @nomoremomjeans and upload pics, outfits, snippets, and snark over there. You can always follow me @jae.curtis, but that's my personal account and you're more liable to get pictures of my kids and dog as you are shoes. I never post outfit pics to my personal account, but plan on doing that over @nomoremomjeans. So it's a start, right?

What do you guys think? Good compromise from now? I feel like I'll be able to post waaaaay more on IG since it takes two seconds. Also, every time I'm out shopping and see ugly things I feel like I want to share that special moment with you. So this should work. 

Again, you guys are the best readers evaaaaaar and I plan on doin' what I do, just not as frequently. That was a weird sentence to type. 

xo,
Jae 

Sweatshirt Chic

My family in Toronto is digging out of a snowstorm and I feel awful because it's been beautiful here. Like, the high is 60 today. And I know that's freakish and we are going to be hearing nonstop about a drought come June, but for now I choose to enjoy it.

Yesterday I took my kids to the park to play a game of 500 and I was so glad that a) it was warm and b) that sweatshirts are kind of having a moment right now. My tomboy heart just loves that it's OK to wear warm sweatshirts all the time, so I was running around the park in my Creme de la Creme shirt and leopard sneakers and didn't feel horribly sloppy or way overdressed, either.

But, there's a huge difference between your husband's school sweatshirt and something presentable to wear outside of the house. This spring's sweatshirts are hoodless and super cute, so there's something for everyone. Here are some of my faves!

GIRLY: 

ONLY white sweat shirt, $40 / Vero Moda sweatshirts hoody, $29 / ONLY pink leopard print top, $23 / White pullover sweatshirt / Pattern sweatshirt / Sweatshirt crop top

I love that sweatshirts can be really girly. How friggin' cute are these floral ones? They would look crazy bananas adorable with a pair of flats and skinnies, right? Add a cute topknot and you're ready in five minutes. 

SOLIDS: 

MANGO sweat shirt / MANGO long sleeve top / Uniqlo sweat shirt / Lurex top / Esprit, $27

The trick to making solid sweatshirts look "on purpose" is to look for interesting colors and textures. When there's a change in texture, it just elevates the entire look. I love the idea of these with a pair of short booties while running errands for the day. If it's cold, add a military jacket. Ugh so cute. 

GRAPHIC:

Print sweatshirt / White pullover sweatshirt / Gray top / Mango sweatshirt / Boohoo pattern sweater

I actually LOVE a graphic sweatshirts, but they can look a little little kiddish if you're not careful. I like to stick with black and white or gray patterns, and go for bold stuff, like dots, stripes. I even love that little bat sweater because it's not cutesy. My son would think I was legit if I had that one. These with a pair of knee-high boots would be amazing. I would even tuck the front just a little to make sure the shape was on point, too. 

TOMBOY:

Uniqlo short sleeve sweat shirt / Tommy Hilfiger white sweat shirt / Boohoo sweatshirts hoody / Boohoo camo sweat shirt / NIKE gray shirt, $44

Finally, a tomboy sweatshirt is all about fit. It's OK to have masculine styling, like raglan or sports brands, but make sure that thing fits like a glove. I would totally wear these with cuffed jeans and my high tops. Seriously, I am crushing on all of these.

Time to sound off: How do you feel about sweatshirts as a trend?