What a Weekend.

Ladies, let me first take a huge gulp of this fabulous Amarone Valpolicella vino I have in front of me, because this has been the weekend of all weekends, and I so deserve this sip. So Saturday morning, we were awoken at 5:30am by 7.0 earthquake that hit 50 miles off the coast of Okinawa. Not fun. I swear the house shook for about 30 seconds (2x as long as the news outlets reported) and it felt like forever. We were put on tsunami watch for the rest of the morning given we are on an island with the Pacific Ocean on one side and the East China Sea on the other. Luckily everything here is built out of concrete and little damage was really done -- we are LUCKY. & the tsunami that "hit" was measured at 1 cm, or so one media source said, though since we just discussed how accurate they were in the length of time the quake lasted, I am at a crossroads as to what to believe about that.

Blowing bubbles on the deck out back before the tsunami warnings started. Aaaah to be a kid!

Anyway.

*hair toss*

Then the earthquake in Chile strikes and we were put on tsunami warning today. Hubs and I live in a house across the street from the ocean and thus we were in the evacuation zone. The fact that we are here as a result of our employment by the government, we were required to evacuate until given an all-clear. & so we have been out and about all day - shopping, eating, and driving in highly elevated areas. We were given the all-clear at a little after 5pm and I can't tell you how exhausted we are. First, if I had spent the day out like that, I would normally be kaput by the time I got home. But since this trek was done under the guise that my house and belongings could literally be covered in water by the time I was allowed back, I was stressed. Even if we knew that more than likely the tsunami would be minimal, we still worry. We are worriers. Y'all know what a stresser I am about what I buy from J.Crew so you have to know how I felt about all this.

* Takes another big swig from the wine glass *

There go Little Man's bubbles -- over dead palm branches from a recent storm.

Well, I'll leave it at that. Our weekend was a stressful one, for sure. But I took some very cute pics of my Little Guy playing bubbles and having a nice Sunday morning (before the tsunami warning was issued). It's fabilis to be a kid, isn't it? To not have to worry about whether some huge wave is going to come crashing down on you and to just be outside blowing bubbles. Lordy, I miss those days.

What do we think of this?

I *believe* and could be completely wrong, that this was the "swimsuit" featured in the little yellow LookBook that went out earlier this year. I don't have the LookBook in front of me, but want to say that this was on one of the first pages and looked rather cute on the model. My question is, what do we think of this, for real beach romping?

J.Crew Rose Vines Romper, $125

I'm inclined to think it's pretty cute and I like the overall look. But my concern is that the way it looks here in the photo above and the way it appears as part of "Jenna's Picks" looks completely different at the legs. "Jenna's Picks," as well as the LookBook, show this piece to have romper-like legs.

Hmm... I'm personally on the fence, from the pics. I think it's a cute suit. I loved it in the LookBook but I just don't know how this would translate IRL. Has anyone seen it? Tried it?

Ladies Discussion Topic No. 3,268,656,236: Matching Underwear Sets

A dream of mine, since I saw this done on Oprah a million years ago, has been to redo my entire "top drawer" with fabulous, unique and quietly sexy matching sets of delicates. I don't know about you, but I am one of those girls who strives to be the matchy-matchy bra-and-panty types, yet never has been. I just can't seem to get it together ... literally.

Which makes perusing Anthropologie's lingerie section practically unbearable, for a myriad of reasons that I need to publicly list. First, the pieces are gorgeous and quite "come-hither" in a 1920's French Gamine sort of way -- which, BTW, is completely opposite of Victoria's Secret sexy. Every set here is absolutely fabilis. & not one bra promises to lift, separate, or have hidden pumps, wires, or secret chambers filled with water (do we remember the water bra, ladies? OMG), air, gel, [insert-goofy-bust-enhancing-item-here], etc...

Reason #2 why Anthro's picks kill me is the price. Ugh. As much as I want to redo the underwear drawer, I am so not willing to do so for at or around $100 per gorgeously French Gamine set. I just can't do it. Reason #3 why I'm tortured is that Anthro secretly knows that I literally have a real affection and weakness for tap pants. Tap pants are the anti-thong and I love them for it. & tap pants are sexy in that ---- wait for it ---- French Gamine sort of way! Seriously, you can have a bum and a half but how sexy are you in a pair of silk tap pants? & where else can you literally find them?? They are a rare gem, ladies. But then when I see gorgeous tap pants like the pair above, I must revert back to Raison Deux above, which says that I must now justify $50-$100 for a pair of knickers. & then I get sticker shock and close my browser. It's sad.

In closing as if to throw salt in my wounds, Anthro offers up these two silk underpinnings. I'm sorry but that slip is to die for. I want to be that gal who wears a slip under my dresses. I think it's a retro custom that we just don't do anymore (well most of us, anyway) and that should be revived! While the slip is gorgeous, the romper trumps it. Well, except when you have to go powder your nose. That's a pain in the derriere.

*Sigh* Guess I'll continue to dream for the perfect top drawer.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...Japan Style

While a big chunk of the world is seemingly on ice, we here in Okinawa are experiencing the first traces of spring. First, it was the arrival of the sakura (cherry blossoms). & now, we've got the other sure sign -- Japanese baseball league spring training camps and scrimmage games. If you haven't seen "Mr. Baseball," Japan lives and dies by the sport. Yeah, they have sumo, but baseball seriously runs their lives and touches the masses like no other.

Wearing Today:

Wrap Cardigan from Anthropologie ...

for the life of me I cannot remember the name! If you know the name,

please let me know!

Jeggings, Uniqlo

White long sleeve tee, J.Crew

Locket necklace, J.Crew

Hubs decided we should be attending a scrimmage game between the Yakult Swallows and the Chunichi Dragons today. He packed up a cooler of beverages, got some fried chicken from Popeyes (thank the US govt for a Popeyes on-base), and off we went to watch the game. I couldn't go frou-frou, but I there was no way I was looking haggerific, so I pulled together a very simple outfit with my newly arrived cardigan from Anthropologie. I love this sweater and want to live in it. It was on sale by the time I got to it, $49 or so. I wore it with a pair of Jeggings. Jeggings, or jean leggings, are the bomb. Pull on comfy jeans with the ease of leggings. Who woulda thunk it. These jeggings are from uniqlo and cost a whole $20.

So... on to the game! I'm not a real sports gal, so I'm going to sum it up in a few action shots!

The fans sitting on the grass across from us:

& moi, enjoying the game with friends. At about the 6th inning, I thought a nap was in perfect order. I had already had some Popeyes chicken, a few cokes, the weather was just right and Hubs, darling that he is, had a great little blanket for us to spread out on. That was it - I was napping! I woke up to see the 9th inning end in a tie and then the game was over! I guess they don't go into overtime when it's a scrimmage.

Another fabilis Saturday!

We Have a Winner!

Congratulations to AppGal!

She won the Starbucks Japan *Sakura* Tumbler!

The giveaways are fun, ladies! Look for more to come!

A Giveaway in honor of my 80th Follower!

In honor of my 80th follower, I'm excited to offer this Starbucks tumbler as a giveaway! It is covered in sakura -- cherry blossoms -- with a pink top and green, pink, white and yellow colors dotting the cup. I've looked forward to the Sakura design release every year since we've come to Japan and today's was its first offering and they sell out pretty quick so you've got be fast here! The sakura designs are akin to Starbucks' Christmas designs, where each year it's something different and collectible. I don't know if it's offered outside of Japan.

If you'd like a chance to win this giveaway, here are the entry rules:

1. You must be a follower of this blog!

2. You have to leave a comment to this post with either your blog name and address and / or your email so that I can contact you if you win.

& that's it!

I'll leave this post up until Thursday, February 18th and then will use random.com's very cool services to draw a winner!
Looking forward to seeing you entered and hope the winner enjoys this tumbler as much as I do! Enjoy your week, ladies!

Valentine's Day in the Sub-Tropics

Hubs and I haven't really done anything special for Valentine's Day in the last few years, mainly due to a babysitter shortage since we've moved overseas. Gone are the days of Mama and PopPop being able to easily watch the baby for us to have a date night alone. Hubs actually surprised me this morning with a Valentine's Day lunch out, little guy in-tow.

I was excited and wanted to wear something soft and romantic and appropriate for a lunch date and thus decided to pull this look together. Given our moving back to the US very shortly, I've had to curb the shopping addictions in a major way, taking my time to shop my closet more than ever. What it's taught me is that I definitely have a full wardrobe with some very cool choices, perhaps that I never thought about in the past.

I found this antique-ish cream colored lace top and paired it with a similar colored camisole underneath. I put it together with a pair of J.Crew dark toothpick ankle jeans, which on my shorty legs comes right below my ankle. They look full-length on me, like I got them tailored that way. Can I digress for a moment and tell y'all how much I love the toothpick ankle jeans/cords from J.Crew? They're great for curvy gals like me. It was a little chilly outside and overcast, so I cardi partied the top with a few-years-old cardi from Ann Taylor. What I love about this cardi is that is has cream colored silk appliqued roses all over it and silk covered buttons. Finished the look with a J.Crew jeweled bracelet in neutral tones and my opera length pearl strand tied in a big 'ole knot.

Wearing:

No Name Lace Top

No Name Camisole

J.Crew Toothpick Ankle Dark Rinse Jeans *a favorite*

Opera Length Pearl Strand

J.Crew Jeweled Bracelet

J.Crew Serengeti Juliet heels (not pictured)

Lunch was at a small cafe about 15 minutes from our home at a picturesque little cafe on this lazy looking river, whose banks were dotted with tree ferns the whole way. You can see the cafe in this photo on the right. It was secluded, quiet and very intimate.

The yummy goods. If you're familiar with Japanese food, this was your usual fare, except it was dotted with organic and local ingredients and everything was extremely yummy. & beautiful! I'm amazed every time at how intricately each piece of food is prepared and arranged.

After lunch and probably to work off the food we ate, Hubs drove up to Zakimi-Jo, a castle ruin site about 10 minutes away. Zakimi-Jo is a World Heritage site and stands in quiet majesty on a hilltop.

As if to end a perfect day, I caught sight of a girl in traditional kimono and paper umbrella, walking the top of the castle wall. While I was kicking myself for not bringing my zoom lens, I couldn't believe neat this day had been. What a perfect Valentine's Day.

Sending Some Valentine's Day Love Your Way

I've got the feevah, ladies, the Valentine's Day fever, to be exact. In perfect husbandly form, Hubs had roses sent to my office on the Friday before Valentine's Day, so all the single ladies can swoon at what a romantically prepared guy he is. & I love that about him. To add to it, he had them sent in a black hat box, because he said he was even bored with roses in tall clear vases. I love his creativity. & on top of all that, on top of his fabilis card, right next to the roses was a box with a new Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens, with my name on it.

Can I tell you how much I love my man?

My fab Valentine's Day roses taken with my new camera lens.

Obviously I'm still learning how to use it, but I'm loving it just the same!

Now for the icing on the cake, here's the gift I received as part of Tres Tippy's Valentine's Day Swap! I was paired up with Kathy who lives in Cape Cod. I can't even tell you how cool it is that I can say that I live in Japan and have a friend I met from the blogosphere who sent me a Valentine's Day gift. The best part is that this is a gift I loved, I would have got from myself, and that is so useful --- Tiffany's Table Manners for Teenagers. I immediately started reading it to my Little Guy and love the wonderful insight into proper etiquette! Thank you, Kathy!

A keeper! What a wonderful gift!

Hoping your Valentine's Day is full of surprises!

On Realizing I'm no longer 22...

This post has not much to do with fashion and more so to do with age and realizing that I soooo can not hang the way I used to back in the day. Ugh. Even saying that - back in the day - makes me feel like a geezer, because I now have a "day" to go back to.

Today I'm suffering the effects of the dreaded hangover. I haven't had one for quite some time and being reunited? It does not feel so good. It's like someone pressed the slow-motion button (He he, at least I'm up and showered and bloggin!) on me. I went out with friends last night and had a great time. I'm pretty sure I did not act a monkey, which is always fabilis to wake up and know you kept your ladylike manners together even while imbibing.

Okinawa has a service called Daiko, which involves 1 taxi and 2 drivers, who pick you up and drive your car home for you while you lead in the taxi, giving your best shot at directions in Japanese to your taxi driver friend.

So I am home, safe. But on a thunderstormy day like today, feelin the way I do, I just want blankets, some hot cocoa, some of my baby's Snack Size Valentine's Day Butterfinger bars, and movie after movie on dvd....with the volume turned down very low, if you please.

Not Allowed to Date...

*Sigh* I am so not allowed to date anything at the moment. I'm a model of restraint and iron will, ladies. I think...

Well, I know for sure that I am loving this dress. I like the color combo, and that it's not too prim - the print I mean. It's got some rough rocker chick to it, it does. So you could wear some killer black non-ladylike shoes and you would look very modern. Or you (meaning moi) could wear it with some flat sandals and hit up a beachside bar, given the impending move to Hawaii. You could throw a cardi over it -- in black, cream, or papaya -- and how cute would you be going to brunch or lunch with the girls. Yes, ladies, this is a dream of a dress. But not with the shoes the model has on. I'm not feeling the shoes with this dress.

Watercolor Potpourri Ames Dress, $148

Onto item in my cart #2, the Neapolitan Pencil Skirt. A big 'ole sigh from me. I love my pencil skirts and I love this one. The print is forgiving on the momma-belly and it's springlike but still not too ultra feminine. This one is $98 and I desperately need a reason to pull the trigger. I want to commit, but I need a reason!

Neapolitan Pencil Skirt, $98

Where is the 20% off Full-Price items promo? I need you, promo. I need you to bring my 2 pieces home to me. Because with 20% I can justify these purchases even though I am gearing up to move to another country in 4 months. It will help me deal with the stressssssss! Hey, there's a reason right there!

Anthropologie is the New J.Crew...for me, anyway...

... or at least for now. There are a few items from the new collection I must have, but for a lot of it, I'm not sure if I'm just feelin' a little more bohemian than usual. So while I like my heaping dose of crewlade, these days I find myself perusing Anthro more and more.

Wearing Today:

Silk Patched Plaid Dress, from Anthropologie. Brand: Plenty by Tracy Reese

Sequin Placket Cardigan, J.Crew

Worn with (but not shown): City Ballet Flats, brown suede, J.Crew

Case in point, today's OOTD. I am loving this dress. It is comfortable. It is light. It is... a size larger than I usually take. Which freaks me out, because this is the second dress I have bought recently where a larger size has been for the better. Scary. Needless to say I've gone back to the gym in a major way, with 2 days a week doing cardio and 2 days a week doing yoga. My body is sore but I need to do something about larger dress size situation. Soooo not okay.

Oh! The best part of the dress? $49.99, marked down from a FP of $188! Y'all know I loves me a deal!