Spring Shopping List

The first day of spring was this week, and for once, it actually felt appropriate!  Normally, the first day of spring will roll around, and it will dump down loads of snow or the roads will ice over.  But not this year - it was a beautiful day.  The sun was shining and the birds were chirping, and I finally got to break out the cuffed jeans + boat shoes and take Riley on a walk.  Yeah, there was still snow on the ground...but it wasn't annoyingly covering the road like it usually is this time of year.

Of course, by saying this, I'm probably jinxing the nice weather and we'll end up having a huge blizzard over the weekend.  But such is life :)  Anyway, the few first nice days of the season got me in the mood to shop.  I'm not sure what this says about me, but I always immediately think about shopping for clothes whenever the season changes.  It probably has something to do with the extra-thick fashion magazines that are issued, announcing the "newest trends" ("Florals for spring?  Groundbreaking." - Meryl Streep in Devil Wears Prada).  Whatever the case, Jared and I are going on a miniature trip this weekend, and I'm hoping to score lots of great deals!  Here's what's on my list of things to look for:

1.  Steve Madden Pony Hair Flat - I don't think I would be a fan of wearing legit pony hair on my feet (although let's not kid ourselves; I wear leather all the time and I know perfectly well where it comes from :/ ), but I do have to admit that these slip-on sneakers are very cute and on-trend.  They would go really well with some cuffed, distressed jeans and a plain V-neck tee.  They look super comfy too!

2.  Floral jeans pinned by this site - If anyone has any more information about these pants, please let me know!  I love them!  I know, I know, florals come into style EVERY spring.  But I think printed pants are so fun, and I love the color combo of this screen-printed pair.  (I have a green floral pair that my sister says makes me look like a grandma on vacation in Florida.  I don't completely disagree.  But I'm okay with it.)

3.  Neon multicolor earrings (found on Etsy via Pinterest, no longer available) - There are a lot of bright, sparkly earrings out there right now, and I love these neon ones.  I also like these from J. Crew, but that store is too damn expensive for me.  I wear my fanciest earrings with a plain white top, jeans, and a messy high ponytail.  I'm not sure why, I just really like how they can make a casual outfit look like "fashion".

4.  Turquoise nail polish like Essie's Hide and Go Chic - I'm not big on manicures, mostly because I suck at painting my own nails and they chip literally within five minutes.  But I always have my toes painted, and in the spring/summer, the brighter the better.  I'm looking for a bright, swimming pool blue to wear on my toes this summer.

5.  Exercise tanks like this geeky one - If you have read my blog, you'll know that my husband and I are super-nerds.  While Jared is more of the computer-geek type and I tend to be more of a book-nerd, we both love old-school video games.  This vintage-Nintendo-inspired workout tank (that says "Training to be a Legend") goes all the way back to the very first Legend of Zelda.  I hate working out, but God knows I need to start, and cute workout clothes might get me more in the mood to actually use them.

6.  Summery hat like this one from J.Crew - Let me first just say that I would never be able to pull this off.  I like to picture myself wearing a big straw hat on the beach with some sort of pretty, patterned maxi dress...but I own a straw fedora that I have worn like twice and took it off both times because I felt so stupid.  I am just way too self-aware to wear something that could potentially make me look dumb.  Plus my husband would never stop laughing at me.  But it's nice to dream :)

7.  American Eagle lace baseball hat - I actually just purchased almost this exact hat yesterday, except my version is eyelet instead of lace.  This is a hat that actually doesn't look too silly on me...I like the way it makes a dressy and feminine outfit look less so.  It's sporty but still very girly.

8.  Etsy tribal-print scarf - I'm one of those people that wear scarves in the spring/summer.  I know it doesn't make sense, and sure, the back of my neck frequently gets sweaty.  But I think a lightweight, gauzy scarf looks great over a solid-color tank, and it can really add a lot to an outfit.  I bought a scarf like this yesterday as well; the neon colors plus an Aztec-y print makes it pretty trendy.

9.  Anthropologie mint watch - I will admit that I don't need this.  I have one like it in white already...but I loooove mint green!  The gold face gives this watch an extra something special.

What's on your spring shopping list?

xoxochelsea

If I Pretend Not to See You in Public, It's Probably Because I'm Wearing Fuggs and a Grandma Sweater

My wardrobe is made up of mostly boots, leggings, oversized sweaters, and a whole crapton of things that I am vaguely embarrassed about owning, but that I wear the shit out of anyway.  Items that, if I am wearing around in the comfort of my own home, make me feel comfortable and super-stylish, but if I run into you while wearing them in public, I might try to hide.  Because I am wearing two of those very items as we speak, I give you:  "Fashion Trends" That I Secretly Love but am Incredibly Embarrassed About.

Stirrup Pants

photo from here

Stirrup pants are a relic from an 80's version of the soccer mom's closet.  I know this.  And yet I wear them anyway.  I got them from Sears for six bucks, and I wear them with Ugg boots and sweatshirts; I wear them with high heeled booties and skirts; I will probably even wear them to Thanksgiving dinner (the waistband is very forgiving).  But people never know I am wearing them; they look like basic leggings.  The downfall is houses in which I am forced to take off my shoes - not wanting people to see the humiliating band around the bottom of my foot, I tend to look around wildly and say, "Umm..I'll just wipe my shoes off really well."  

Also, I'm pretty sure that Lucy Ricardo was a repeat offender of wearing stirrup pants on I Love Lucy, which doesn't add to their street cred at all.  (Actually, who am I trying to kid?  I would love to own Lucy's entire wardrobe.  I would also love to own Desi Arnaz and have him say to me, "Cheeeelseeeea!  Wha hoppen?!"  while I am shoveling chocolates into my mouth or wrangling a huge loaf of bread from the oven or something.  But that's for another blog post.)

A Ridiculous Amount of Clothing Featuring Animals

photo from here

So this is an actual trend right now.  But I think I have gone overboard with it.  I have the following pieces, for example:  a dog sweater, an owl sweater, a fox (wearing glasses...shake my damn head) sweater, a raccoon sweatshirt, a cat sweatshirt, a dog-printed skirt, three different owl t-shirts, a deer long-sleeved tee, and more things with birds on them than you can even imagine.  That is not even including the scads of animal-themed jewelry I have.  Jared calls me a Taylor Swift doppelganger mixed with an 85 year old woman.  I choose to think of this as a compliment.

And last but not least, it's a tie between Leggings as Pants and The Ubiquitous Ugg Boot.

The dreaded double whammy found here, but if Olivia Wilde is wearing it, it can't be so bad, right?  Right?!

My "Ugg" boots are actually faux Uggs (Fuggs?) found at Claire's for twelve dollars.  (You jealous?)  I wear them at some point nearly every day.  I know that these (usually paired with yoga pants) are freaking rampant at every college campus and loved by girls who wear shirts that say Hollister and Abercrombie.  The logical part of me wants to hate them.  But dammit, I love my Fuggs.  They are warm and they are comfortable and they are the perfect thing to slip on over fuzzy socks when it's snowing outside.  If anyone asks, I wear them ironically.

Leggings as pants.  Sigh.  I am a huge hypocrite here, because I get generally a little grossed out when I see a leggings-as-pants offender.  But it's just so easy to do, and so comfortable...camel toe and bubble butt be damned.  And you know what?  I have some long-ass legs, and when I order a sweater specifically to be worn (at a reasonable length) over leggings, and then I receive that sweater and it seems to be made for 5 footers and doesn't even cover the top of my buttcrack?  I am, on principle, going to wear that sweater with leggings anyway.  Also, men seem to enjoy this look (my husband included) which, yuck, but hey, it's something I guess.

xoxochelsea

Fashion Inspired by Seuss

So it was just before my long, long break from blogging that the Lorax came out in the theaters, lining up nicely with Dr. Seuss' birthday.  And obviously, me being the Seuss fan that I am, I went to see it.  And during the movie, I found myself distracted.  Not by the vivid colors or the strong environmental message, no, not even by the fact that The Once-ler was so obviously voiced by Andy "The Nard-Dog" Bernard of Office fame.  Nope, I was distracted by The Once-ler's green gloves.  Need a reminder?

Those damn green gloves (pic from here) even enthralled me when I was little and obsessed with the picture book.  But this time, it wasn't because of the mysteriousness of the elusive Once-ler.  This time, my eyes were drawn to the gloves because, for some reason, they reminded me of Blair Waldorf.

Gorgeous, right?!  (from here)  So I thought to myself, If Dr. Seuss can create such fashion, then why can't I?  Well, here goes, I'll give it a try!  Except not in rhyme.  So using this amazing website called Polyvore, I created the following looks:  Dr. Seuss-inspired fashion.

The Once-ler and his Green Gloves (The Lorax):

Burberry London trench coat
Spirit by Luchesse Ali riding boot
Fossil handbag
Aspinal of London gloves
I would wear this on a slightly rainy fall day...I can't say the ensemble necessarily "speaks for the trees," so I don't think the Lorax would approve.  However, the villainous but absolutely classy Once-ler?  Totally.

The Star-Bellied Sneetches (The Sneetches and Other Stories):

Wildfox Couture sweater

Theory Noalda shorts

Minnetonka moccasin

I would love to lounge around the house in my star-bellied sweater! 

Gertrude McFuzz (Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories):

Reiss Kelly sequin top

Milly ostrich feather-trimmed skirt

Kate Spade Gertie sling-back pump

Black clutch

Blue Nile diamond earrings

Gertrude McFuzz would be SUCH a stunna with all these feathers that Lolla Lee Lou, with her meager two feathers, wouldn't even know what to think.  This is an outfit only to be worn by the daring.

The Cat in the Hat:

Black scoop tank

Motel Skirt Heidi Stripe

Michael Kors Vail d'Orsay cork wedge

Ralph Lauren straw crossbody bag

Maxmara Tamara bead necklace

I LOVE this outfit (duh, I created it!) and would wear it out on a sunny picnic date!  Much more sophisticated than the Cat's giant, ridiculous hat.  (I have always been kind of leery of that Cat anyway.  He comes into these kids' house as a total stranger, says "Let's have some fun," and messes up their house?  What the hell?!  As Stephanie Tanner would say...How rude!)

The Pale Green Pants (from What Was I Scared of? - The Sneetches and Other Stories):

Geo lace tee

True Religion Shannon skinny jeans

Libby Edelman Liv flat

Rebecca Minkoff Moonstruck hobo

Arielle de Pinto triangle flag necklace

You should know that I was terrified of this story when I was a child.  See, it's about this pair of pale green pants that walk around...WITHOUT AN OWNER.  An empty pair of pants!!!!  How freaking scary is that?!  And the narrator is initially terrified as well, but then becomes friends with the pants later on.  And when I was younger, I was like, "Narrator, you crazy!  You don't just go around being friendly with a floating pair of pants.  You run from those pants."  But I have to say...I would be friends with these pants.  They're so pretty.

xoxochelsea

The day has finally come... iPad 3! :)

So after a few months of speculation, the iPad 3 has finally came out. Was it worth the wait? Yeah, I'd say so! If you own an iPad 2, I'd stick with it until next year when the iPad 4 is released, but if you don't own an iPad, I would say you better pick this bad boy up. Now without further ado, I now present my review of one of Apple's greatest products to date, the iPad 3. :D

iPad 3 (Image found here)

So if you're an average tech geek like myself, you'll find yourself saying, "Well, it looks like the iPad 2. What could apple have possibly done to outdo its predecessor?" Let me start off by stating that this "beastly" 9.7 inch tablet has the best resolution of any handheld device. Ever.

For all you non-tech peeps, I will give you an example of the resolution.

(You can find this image here)



As you can see from this picture above , the iPad 3 has the best resolution of all time. The resolution is 2048-by-1536, and has 3.1 million pixels. To put that into perspective, that's four times the amount of pixels in iPad 2, and one million more than an HDTV. Wowzers!

Comparison of HDTV and iPad 3 (Image can be found here)



Not only does the gorgeous display give everyone the goosebumps, but just imagine playing Angry Birds on that... Amazing. Nuff said. But with the gaming comes a huge boost in the GPU area. The iPad 3 now comes with A5X chip with quad core graphic drives. Surprisingly, Apple didn't jump ship yet to the A6 quad core chip, but this A5X souped up version will do just fine! Also, for all you other tablet users, this A5X chip is four times more powerful than Nvida's Tegra 3 chip. Boom! :)

The two things that disappointed me about this year's model was the fact that they still have the same Apple home button as previous models have. The second thing that disappointed me was the fact that the front camera is still .3 MP. Shake my head, come on Apple, upgrade this to facetime HD!

To wrap things up, the iPad also comes standard with 4G LTE, the first for Apple products, now hopefully they integrate that with the iPhone 5. Also, the iPad 3 now comes with a 5MP camera on the back of it. Lastly, if you plan on taking a long road trip or flight, or just want to go to the bedroom and watch a movie, this new model lasts up to 10 hours.

I sure can't wait to get my hands on one of these. They are released on March 16. My birthday's the 17th, anyone willing to buy me one? :)


-JRad

Battle of the Sexes: Jared's Defense

As seen in the previous post, my fiance and I have been discussing on how we'll be decorating our (as of yet unpurchased) house, and we've been trying to incorporate both aspects we like into an antique/modern look. Today, I'll be showing you the modern living rooms that I'd enjoy living in. As Chelsea would like to put it.. "A cold museum living room" :) Since I live in Iowa, most people enjoy country/antique homes, and there is nothing wrong with that, but I am a person who likes an uncluttered place, and I cringe at the sight of a whole room with antiques. I LOVE antiques, but there's a limit to how much I can handle. 

Modern Design - Clean, sleek, and artsy. The modern style is characterized by a neutral color palette, strong geometric shapes and asymmetry. The most common features that a modern style room/house has are white walls and neutral tone-on-tone color schemes.

Fireplace!! Yes, I'd love to have a house with a fireplace, and this is kind of the ideal look I'd love for it to have. It also has room for the wood underneath it, talk about convenient. Also, I don't find the blue oval on the wall attractive, but my artsy style enjoys the black broken fragments on the wall. Also, I enjoy the uncluttered feeling, isn't it nice?

 So, I actually posted this one for Chelsea as a compromise for a entertainment center/wall. Those shelves would be excellent for DVDs/Books. The entertainment center is the main focus, and with all the unique shelving, it definitely has some artistic attributes. PLUS.. I'm digging the black and white picture on the wall :) 

Minus the whole DJ setup (Really? Who puts a DJ/Recording booth in a living room?), I love everything about that. The lighting is what did me in on this, I enjoyed how they used lighting behind the guitars on the wall, it puts a lot more focus on them and brightens them up.

 Well, the main reason that I love this living room is that amazing setup for TV and speakers. The white chairs in the left, the light fixture, and the shelves on the right are just the icing on the cake for this room. I take that back... icing on the cake would have an apple computer on the table :)

Brick walls.. They're a weakness, I don't know why I get all giddy at brick walls in a house, but I just love the look of them, and it provides a great backdrop to the entertainment center. Also it kind of reminds me of a studio apartment in New York or Los Angeles. 

Okay, so those are a few of the idealistic designs that I would like (and I'm sure Chelsea would LOVE) to have. :)

Here are a couple of pictures of what I would LOVE to have if I was SUPER RICH and just felt like wasting money on.

I know they're silly, but man.. wouldn't either of these rooms be cool to have if you were rich?




JraD