dress up files - a chicago fashion blog: March 2011

Rare Night Out on the Town!

Gap t-shirt, Forever21 skirt, Members Only booties, Chanel handbag, Cartier, J.Crew, Hermes, Rebecca Minkoff watch and bracelets

Ever since I saw these shorts in the J.Crew Spring 2011 lookbook, I knew I had to get something with a peplum stat. I found this bright floral print peplum mini at Forever21 and it just screamed Spring to me. So although we're still in the 30's here in dreary Chicago, I brought out this cheery print last Saturday night.

It was a dear friend's surprise party so I actually changed out of my Saturday night uniform (tattered t-shirt and pajama pants) and made my way to a hip bar downtown. It was fun but dare I say, I missed my couch and playing "Monopoly Deal" against the hubbs. Yes, we are dorks!

I love exposed zippers!

The skirt is pretty frilly and bright so I paired it with a casual grey t-shirt to balance it out.

How did you spend your Saturday night? Do you prefer a wild night out or a quiet night in? I think I like 3 quiet nights in for every 1 wild night out. Although I'll be the first to admit it was quite the opposite back in my heydey!

Recent Look: Mommy & Me

On Mommy: Topshop blouse, J Brand Houlihan cargo pants, Forever21 shoes

On A: Target shirt and leggings, Crewcuts vest, Old Navy boots

Sorry these pics are soo blurry!

I've been wanting oxfords for awhile but wasn't sure how much use I would get out of them. When I saw this pair at Forever21, I figured it was the perfect time to A) finally try out some forever21 shoes and B) get a pair of oxfords on the cheap so I won't regret it if I only wear them twice.

And....I bought these weeks ago but didn't get a chance to post about it till now. I found a pair of J Brand Houlihans at Anthropologie for.....$49.95!! I was beyond excited! I wanted these badly last year when they were all the rage but would never pay $230 for them. Yay for cheap steals!!

Hello Again!

Sorry I have been so MIA the last couple of weeks. Here's a peek into what we've been up to...

A's first Snippets experience. She was apprehensive at first but loved driving the car!

Went to several birthday parties including this one at a bowling alley!

A went to grandma's for the day while I stood in line for the IPAD2 with some girlfriends. Got it in white and am LOVING it!!

Went to the Shedd Aquarium and got up close and personal with some beluga whales

Still at the Shedd, saw a 4D Dora show. She had her arms out trying to grab things the entire time. Hilarious!

Took a weekend trip to New Buffalo, MI with several other families to swim, eat and veg.

A at dance class, frogging around. Ribbit!

Hope you guys have been well! What did you guys think of the Bachelor finale and After the Rose?? Even though I'm not the biggest Brad fan, I want them to work out! What did you guys think?

Bargain Shopping

Checked out the Gilt Groupe Warehouse Sale this past Saturday. Tickets were sold ahead of time on Gilt City for $5. There were four time slots (10am, 12pm, 2pm, & 4pm) but by the time we logged on, only the 2 and 4 pm time slots were left.

So, we got there at 2 pm and pickings were very slim. I kept wondering what kinds of steals I missed out on from the morning. After much digging, I found a couple things worth getting!

This Lauren Moffatt top for $35! Cannot wait to bust this out in the summer!

and these Cynthia Vincent sandals for $35 (down from $235)!

The friend I went with left empty handed and decided that she really doesn't enjoy shopping this way. While sample/warehouse sales, with piles of wrinkled clothes everywhere and a corner with a mirror for a dressing room, are not my favorite way to shop, I'll always go for the chance of finding a deal. It's actually kind of thrilling when you find a great piece at an even greater price!

Do you like bargain hunting? Or would you rather pay more for a comfortable shopping experience?

IPAD2

I've been waiting for the IPAD 2 to come out since November and it is finally here! It's thinner, lighter, comes in white!, attaches to a smart new cover, and best of all, has front and rear facing cameras for video chatting with my family and friends who live halfway across the world. I'm so glad I waited.

Now the big question is...do I wait in line next Friday or do I just order it online? Anyone have experience with Apple product releases?

Also, finally got around to adding 1 item to my Shop Pearls and Green Tea site. I have a pile of clothes to add but haven't gotten around to it yet. Please follow that site so you know when new clothes go up for sale.

This Topshop leopard dress up for grabs at $39 including shipping.

The leopard dress above already sold. This gown just sold too!

Project Toy Organization

Before A, I told myself I wouldn't let our condo be taken over by toys. I wrote about it a little here. Little did I know, it would get a lot worse. Two years later, I looked around to find that toys had completely taken over our living room and I had nothing but a few Land of Nod bins to show for my futile efforts to organize. I decided enough was enough.

BEFORE

We used to have this lone bookshelf in our living room. I wrote about bookshelf styling here. Gradually, I started moving out our things and moving in A's toys but clearly, there wasn't enough space.

BEFORE

The rest of her toys were stashed in a corner of our living room. I'm ashamed to admit it got this bad.

AFTER

We got 2 additional IKEA bookshelves to match the one in A's room. We swapped the white in A's room for the black shelf that was here originally. These three shelves provide all the storage we need for A's toys and our things too. I'm also loving what all that white is doing to our place. It looks so much brighter!

AFTER

No more toys all over the floor or stashed by the fireplace. Yay! Also, now that everything has it's place, clean up is so much easier for both me and A.

Is your home cluttered or organized? Is your home overflowing with toys? Any organizational tips to share?