Tribal Dress

I found this dress on clearance at Target...and I wasn't 100% sold on it...but figured for $7 I may as well take it home and try it on.  I LOVE it!  It was the perfect dress to wear on a near 80 degree day, and an outing to the aquarium, and I'm really loving the bold print!  I'm so happy to finally be getting more color and more exciting prints into my wardrobe (thanks in part to this lil ol' blog!) and excited to actually get to wear them with all this gorgeous whether about!

The Deets:
Dress: Target
Cardigan: Ann Taylor
Shoes: Macy's
Earrings: Forever 21

Beautiful Day

I could not help but sigh the minute I woke up in California last week.  There's just something about that place. Yes there's earthquakes, the state's going broke, and houses are dropping their prices like flies (there's seriously more foreclosures then there are sales)...but there is just something ABOUT that place.  I feel so...ME...there.   Don't get me wrong, I love being in NJ with my family, but there is just something about CA that makes me feel so much more me.  So with that all said...I donned a hat.  I just felt so pretty this day.  And my adorable Dad played photographer for me in his backyard.  He MADE that fountain.  Yup...that's my dad! I think you can see it on my face...that there is just something about California that gets me...

The Deets:
Tank: Target
Lace Shirt: Forever 21
Jeans: Express
Boots: LC Lauren Conrad for Kohls
Hat: Target
Necklace: American Eagle

Big and Bold

Sometimes all you need to zsush up an outfit is one bold accessory.  This was supposed to be a day when Hunter didn’t have to go to school and I thought that no errands needed to be run, but I realized we had no bread, no eggs, and no bananas….all essentials in this house.  I threw on the pair of jeans that was clean (which happen to be my favorite don’t totally fit the same since having 2 kids), a simple striped top and vest, and a bold statement necklace.  Perfect little accessory to an everyday outfit.  And yes…I’ll proudly admit…for days like these I throw on my crocs.  Fashion suicide, you say? Well I say they are a mom’s savior for busy days!



The Deets:
Shirt: F21
Vest: F21
Jeans: H&M
Shoes: Crocs
Necklace: Gifted from Mom

You gotta zig, then zag

First let me say this....cute outfit...bad pictures.  Thank you, thank you thank you Dad for sending me your tripod.  It will get it's fair share of use after this post!

Were you all part of the Missoni for Target madness a couple months ago?  I have to say honestly...that I was not.  My best gal pal, Heather, called me from California saying that her and her 2 year old were waiting outside Target at 7 AM.  Then she updated me an hour later saying that there were 60+ people in line and that it was craziness.  Being that I am 3 hours ahead of her...I figured that noon was too late to get in on the action...but my mother in law happened to be at the house so I jetted off kid-less to check it out.  I managed to pick up a few things, one being this shirt.  It is seriously one of my favorite pieces EVER.  As soon as I saw it I thought "that would be awesome with red skinnies," and I have yet to see that come to fruition because I do not own red skinny jeans.  I will, soon.  :)  Anyway, it is the perfect amount of softness, falls really nicely around the body, and can easily be dressed up or dressed down with the change of a jacket or shoe!  This was just what I threw on to go register the kids for next years school.  Yes...registration starts in December....FOR 2 AND 4 YEAR OLDS.  It's insane....

The Deets:
Shirt: Missoni for Target shirt
Jacket: French Connection
Jeans: Old Navy
Shoes: Steve Madden
Bracelet: Coach (Gift for Mother's Day...awwwww)

Relax-y Maxi

Ah maxi skirts how I love thee.  This was the perfect outfit to go take the kiddos to see Santa.  Plus…I got to wear my early Christmas present from my mom that I’m pretty sure wasn’t intended to be early.  When my parents were here over Thanksgiving she said I could open the small present that was in my room early.  Well, there were 2 bags in my room when they left, and so naturally I thought she meant the small bag.  No…she meant the small present IN the bag, which was an ornament for my tree!  Whoops silly me when I go and start opening ALL the gifts in the bag!  And the necklace was one of those in there! Woot!  I thought this was the perfect statement piece to my simple jersy maxi skirt.  Just a little sass for a trip to see the man in red!




The Deets:
Turtleneck: Old Navy
Denim Jacket: old (from a store I can’t even remember the name)
Maxi: Old Navy
Boots: Steve Madden
Necklace: Gifted from my mom (souvenir from Malaysia)

Simple to chic

Where: Taking Hunter to school

Don’t you just have those days where you are just DYING to lie around in your pajama’s and do nothing?  Seriously it’s like me everyday.  But then you realize that you have someplace to go.  I implore you fashion mama’s…DO NOT go out in those pajamas.  I just think we are all SO MUCH BETTER than that, right?  So here’s just a little “what I did” to show you how simple it can be to run a quick errand NOT in your sweats.  This is not a tutorial, as half the time I have no idea what I’m doing while I’m doing it.  HA! 
Anyway…so South Jersey went from the mid 60’s in temperature to the low 30’s in a DAY.  If you think I was excited to get out of bed to dress for the cold weather…you’d be so, so wrong.  So very wrong.  So I threw on my most comfortable jeans and loungy sweatshirt and favorite argyle socks.

Yes I cut my head off.  My Dad is sending me his tripod as we speak. Anyway…so..not so fashionable right?  Nothing wrong with it, but definitely screams “lazy mom who likes to lounge in pajamas.” And being that I had to take Hunter to school that morning, I didn’t want to portray that to the other moms…although that describes me to a tee.  So this is what I did

Black Sweatshirt: Gap body
Jeans: Old Navy
Socks: Target
Boots: Macy's (I don't know the brand, sorry)
Inifiti scarf: F21
Jacket: Old Navy

How simple? How cute?  All I did was throw on a pair of flat, slouchy suede boots, a toggle jacket with a sweet plaid print, and a knit infinity scarf.  I even let my sweatshirt peek out for a bit of butt coverage and a nice layered look.  Ladies…it’s just that easy.
A few things.  First…I love Uggs, and many women wear then well, but to just get an inexpensive pair of boots that are Ugg-like in comfort but have a little sass to them…super easy!  My tip is to get them at Macy’s in the off season…maybe March/April.  They were CHEEEAAAPPP. These were about $10, got them off season with a coupon, and they are thick, and lined and I got them in April.  Even though it seemed ridiculous because I couldn’t wear them right away…I stored them and the next year it was like opening presents.  NEW SHOES!  Also, infinity scarfs are on trend, stylish, and totally the busy moms best friend.  You don’t even have to take the time to wrap it around…and if your 3 year old has to go to the bathroom in an emergency, you don’t have to worry about your scarf ends falling into the toilet.  It’s only happened once…but once is enough.  And lastly, the jacket.  Most of the time when you’re running errands…NOBODY SEES YOUR CLOTHES.  So get a cute patterned jacket with great details!  It’s all people are going to see!  It’s a game changer.  This one? $21 at Old Navy after sale plus coupon.  Done.

What are your favorite simple outfit changers?  I’d love to hear them!

Love,
Chi Chi Machi