Clothes Horse

This past weekend, my mom and dad were kind enough to take Ethan for the weekend so we could get a few things done around the house. One of my main projects for the weekend was to organize all of Ethan's clothes that no longer fit him. What I didn't realize was what a huge project this would be because he has SO MANY clothes. Now, I know all of you out there with girls are thinking the picture above is nothing, but I am talking piles and piles of clothes. Some worn a ton and some pretty much brand spanking new! Many of these clothes were purchased for Ethan as gifts, but I had a hand in some of the piles as well. I think my shopping obsession has shifted from buying things for me to buying things for Ethan. I just have a hard time resisting all the cute things out there! I can't imagine what our hallway would look like if we had a daughter. I am thinking the hallway space wouldn't cut it! So, after lots of folding and 6 tubs later, all Ethan's clothes from the past year and a half are safely stored away until our next baby, that is of course if that baby is a boy!

Tory Burch

Last night, I attended a very fun shopping event at Tory Burch hosted by the Junior League of Chicago. I have always loved her Reva flats, but never really looked at any other pieces of her line and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to window shop, while sipping champagne and hanging out with my girlfriends.

There were a couple items I absolutely fell in love with including the Rose wedge, the Degrade Logo Clutch and this gorgeous blouse that I can't seem to find a picture of. Unfortunately, I kept hearing my husband's voice chatting in my ear telling me that I do not need to spend that much money on shoes, purses or blouses. We are in a recession, remember? Frankly, he is right, but it took a lot of will power not to pull the trigger. One more glass of champagne and I might have made the purchase. I did, however, opt to buy a very cute comfortable pair of flip flops. They are a great cure for the winter blues and a good reminder of our trip to San Diego in April and summer being right around the corner.

ElephanToes

Shortly after Ethan was born we received the most adorable burp cloths from ElephanToes, a small home business run by Marcy Barkema. Since then, I have been meaning to do a post to endorse her ideas, talent and creativity. Not only does she make the cutest burp cloths, she also can do onesies, bibs, crayon rolls, and many other fabulous personalized items. Marcy and I hit it off right away while e-mailing back and forth. She and her husband are expecting in January and I am certain that little one will be outfitted with the best monogrammed items. So, if you are looking for a great, well crafted gift for friends with little ones, check out ElephanToes, you won't be disappointed. You can check out a lot of her designs here or see some of my favorites below!

JCrew

I have always loved looking through the JCrew catalog. I think they have great clothes that are full of life and sometimes unique and funky. As I browsed the most recent issue, I found myself dog-earring quite a few pages. Their new line is full of color and lots of pattern. I loved this as I am trying to add more pizazz to my wardrobe. Unfortunately, many of the things I found are available in the catalog or on the Internet only, which is quite frustrating as I often find that their clothes don't fit me that well (my husband is reading this thinking that is a good thing) and need to try them on. Why does JCrew do that? Are they trying to make money on shipping? I have never quite understood the logic behind the availability.

Anywho, I absolutely love this dress. Too bad I don't have a place to wear such a fancy dress. I think I would choose the bright peacock color and pair it with a great pair of heels and sparkly earrings. I also think this would make a great bridesmaid dress. Very cute for a summer wedding, perhaps outdoors?!?!

Chole In Style

I have recently signed up for Daily Candy Kids and this morning I received a Daily Candy on this adorable website, Chloe In Style. The article featured the poncho (shown below), which comes in fantastic colors and styles. While the poncho is adorable, I can't help but love the Cowboy Booties. They are too cute for words!

I think these booties might be in Baby Hunt's wardrobe someday! And, if it is a girl, probably the poncho, too!

Tote It!

Can a girl ever have too many bags? This is something I think my husband often wonders about me. The answer is "NO"! I happen to love bags and shoes, there are just too many cute ones out there and they always seem to fit.

Anyway, I came across these adorable totes on a blog I check occassionally, Something Old, Something New. While I don't particularly love the "A" tote, I think the "H" is great. I think the bag is perfect for a work tote or even as a cute hostess, bridesmaid or birthday gift. The price is not bad, only $22 for the small and $26 for the large. Hmmm, might have to add this to my wish list!

Check out We Are Bang's Etsy shop here to purchase.

Fancy Smancy

If only I had a fancy holiday party to attend this year. I love this BCBG dress; it would be first of my list to wear or at least try on. I think the satin sash with the sequins is a fabulous combination. Pair with a great pair of heels and a clutch and it would be the perfect outfit to enjoy some cocktails and dance the night away.

More Than Just Paper

Earlier in the week, I was browsing through the most recent Paper Source catalog, looking for fun invitation and card ideas, when I came across these adorable aprons. Now, I know that Paper Source has more than just paper, but this is really pushing the envelope!! I think they are extremely cute and would make great gifts for all my friends and family that love to cook. The fabrics are so pretty; they would make anyone feel beautiful in the kitchen.

There are 5 different aprons in equally cute fabrics; Lulu, Belinda, Frilly, Chloe, and Katie. I don't think you could go wrong with any of them.

It's Back!

A lot of people have complimented me on my winter white ruffle coat from Urban Outfitters. I have to give the credit to my sister because she was the one who found this fabulous coat last year. I was just the schmuck who copied her great style. Anyway, yesterday I received an e-mail from UO and the ruffle coat was featured. While they are not carrying it in winter white this year, they do have it in black. I suggest trying the deep plum or deep teal though to add some spice to an outfit. It is a great coat, fairly warm, and not terribly expensive.

The 36th Annual Gazebo Holiday Market

As many of you know, I am involved with the Junior League of Chicago. Each year, JLC hosts a holiday shopping market that supports the mission and community projects of the Junior League. The 2007 Gazebo Holiday Market is the shopping event of the season that transforms the River East Arts Center into a cozy and unique shopping experience, featuring over 50 vendors from across the country.

For all my faithful readers, I wanted to post the information for the event in hopes some of you will be able to make it to the cocktail party on Friday night and/or the shopping on Saturday.

Friday, November 16th - Cocktail Kickoff Party
7 p.m. to 11 p.m at the River East Arts Center
Admission: $65 in advance, $75 at the door
Click here to purchase your tickets.

Enjoy signature drinks featuring X Rated Vodka and Izze Sparkling Juice or a chocolate martini from The Melting Pot. Be the first to browse the vendor booth before shopping begins on Saturday.

Saturday, November 17th - Fabulous Holiday Shopping
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the River East Arts Center
Admission: $7 at the door or $10 with JLC shopping tote

The Friday night cocktail party is a blast and a great way to get a head start on all your Holiday shopping. One of my favorite things about the event is that the vendors are truly unique and sell a wide variety of one of a kind products.

You will find lots of fun things for yourself, friends, and family. From handbags and jewelry to baby items and cards, you are sure to find the perfect gift.


I am also selling raffle tickets if anyone is interested; they are $40.00 each. You can find a complete listing of the raffle packages here.

Object of My Affection

I heart this purse and have officially added it to my "Wish List." With the $658.00 price tag, it is quite expensive, but still something I can admire. While it comes in a multitude of colors, I think I would choose the citron (shown) because it is very different and would add some zing to many outfits.

I will say that I have a bone to pick with Coach because I feel like a lot of their purses are becoming way too expensive. Maybe my tastes have gotten expensive over they years, but at one time, I felt like you could get a very nice purse for a fairly reasonable amount of money. By reasonable, I mean $250.00 (still not that cheap) But, not bad for a nice leather purse. After checking out their website earlier this week, I found many of their bags to be over $400.00, with the highest topping out at over $1,000.00. I think they are letting their celebrity status, thanks to Us Weekly, go to their head. Either way, I still love the bag!!

Cute Jacket

I saw this jacket on the Urban Outfitters website and thought it was adorable. It is perfect for fall, either casually with jeans or for work.