The Perfect Throw Pillows

While I waiting for the UPS man to drop off my gallery wall shelves and my new favorite man "Romeo" to reupholster the cushions for my vintage rattan chairs, I'm contemplating the perfect throw pillows for the library room. I've found some that I absolutely really love. Now I just have to decide which will go with rattan chairs once they're recovered and the other accents on the first floor that can be seen from the room.

I love Thomas Paul. The other pillows in our family room are Thomas Paul and I love the whimsy, character and brightness he brings into our lives! This throw pillow is no exception and is on Amazon right now for $73.26. It's 22 inches square --- nice and huge! --- and 100% linen. The feather / down insert is included and the edges are piped. I like the espresso and white color and I think it would merge the turquoise and charcoal we've got going on in the library, with the lavender and khaki we've got in the family room.

Oh but peeps, look at these pillows from Cooper Grey on Etsy. I found this shop tonight and I can't believe how beautiful these pillows are! This one is called High Voltage Chevron. It's 22 inches -- love that size! -- and is all handmade in linen. The fabric is by Schumacher and I think the pillow has been done so beautifully. It also features a feather / down insert. The colors are similar to the Thomas Paul above, but I love the vibrancy of the chevron print and particularly the scale of the stripes. I love the edging! Check out the Cooper Grey blog at www.cooper-grey.com. It is really awesome!

Hold onto your seats. I think this is my favorite. Also by Cooper Grey, this is another 22-inch pillow done in Kelly Wearstler's Katana fabric in Teal. This might just be the perfect teal color, peeps. It's vibrant, can work with the rest of the house, and yet it still feels calming. The problem with teal sometimes is that it tends to take over and be the spotlight. I love this for its muted tone!

Dreams! I love all of them...

The GAW post on jobs and kids.

A dear friend, an old sage at heart, called today to give me some wise words of advice after seeing my last blog post on the idea of taking photographs as a job. She apparently wants me to keep my day job. I hope she doesn't kill me for blogging about this, but alas, peeps, I must. It's time we all had the GAW talk. For those unfamiliar, that's Grown A.. Woman, which we all know we have to be at some point.

First and foremost, we here at According to Moi are not chickens without heads, and put a lot of thought into the choices we make. & we are pretty left-brained here as well, which means no life-changing decisions - especially when one has children and a mortgage - can be made at the drop of a hat. Research will go into this possible career addition, and in no way would I walk away from the fortunate situation of stable employment - akin to jumping off a cliff with my baby and house in hand. GAW don't do things like that, though sometimes we fantasize about it aloud and in the blogosphere.

& you know, I'm a GAW and can handle criticism. Not everyone's going to like me. & I don't care. :0) I'm happy to do my thing, my way, when I want to. If that means fewer offers and more time in between jobs - great. I can spend it with my little guy and my hubby. & if it all doesn't pan out, I'll still take photos. Because I like it and I want to. & that's the beauty of not being motivated by money or empire-building - I get to do what I want because I like it. & that's a Grown A.. Woman talking.

Beach Wedding and a Budding Idea.

My sister-in-law, pictured here looking gorgeous, got married this past weekend at a secluded, Hawaiian North Shore beach house amidst a small gathering of close family and friends. My job? To follow the actual photographer around and take photos for my mother-in-law, aka The Mother of the Bride. I did this because because we all know that MOBs are hella busy on their daughter's wedding day, tending to the bride(zilla), and they need some family member to take tons of photos of their only daughter's special day. & also because we all know that MOBs are highly impatient and in no way capable of waiting for the actual wedding photog's edited photos to grace their in-boxes a ridiculous 2 weeks post-wedding. P'shaw! So here are my first attempts at photographing a wedding. [As a note, I'd love to share more with you, peeps, but I don't want to post the bride or her party all over the blogosphere. I'm sure she'd love to do something like that herself, so I'm posting just one of her and a couple shots of her flowers, which are all un-edited because I just don't want to edit for the blog right now... Terribly lazy of me, I know, but I know you all understand.]

Now an interesting thing has come of this. My own mother asked why I don't do this as a job. A job?! I am a serious analyst! I am busy defending a budget that is going to be hammered in the near future and besides, I'm not that good of a photographer. Hmmm. But I have to say the idea stuck with me this week. The other oddity, a co-worker saw my photos and asked what I charged, and if I could come out to the beach today to take photos of her family. I had no idea what to say, peeps, which is a rare thing for me. Ultimately I said yes, gave her a quote of my fees, and suddenly, I find myself a photographer. I'm heading out to a beach in front of Obama's vacation home in about an hour, and am playing with the thought of creating a portfolio to actually do this on a part time basis.

The thought of a job that allows me to the flexibility of a SAHM during the week, especially with a little one on the way, is tantalizing. Especially when this is something I would love to do for free. I know my weekends would be full, but I'm fortunate to have both my MIL and my mom just 20 minutes away if I needed someone to watch the babies.

I have a lot to learn, both about taking my work from casual, hausfrau photographs to professional, and about setting up a business. Any suggestions? Any thoughts on it? I'd love to hear from you all who have set up a business and what it took to get there. I've spent the week researching photography websites and the market here, which is ripe for a boutique-style company.

What do you think?

I Want to Get Off the J.Crack

Ladies, is J.Crack a "Gateway Drug?" & I mean this with all seriousness. This is something I've wanted to post about for awhile, but haven't had the time to really sit down to discuss with you all. As I sit here amongst a closet full of Tory Burch Reva ballet flats, Kate Spade suede wedges, and Gucci sunnies, I am pondering how I went down the path of $300 sunglasses without batting a Latisse-infused eyelash. It all makes sense, right? I mean, J.Crew is at the mall, it's not a "serious" fashion brand, it's a mall brand -- a catalog at that. But the Crew's prices are steep sometimes, and their Collection items can cost a pretty penny.

So when you buy a pair of J.Crew ballet flats, for instance, at $190 (just throwing a number out there for argument's sake) and a dress for just under $200, the numbers start to blur. Well, I know for a moment in time they blurred for me. & I thought nothing of doing this on a weekly basis. So when your shopping budget is in the arena of $500 - $1000 a month, you find yourself moving on to the next level --- Diane Von Furstenberg starts looking like a decent price. & you wonder why you haven't paid more attention to the sale rack at Neimans before. & then at some point, you move on from the sale rack and are moving on to bigger and better.
I've found myself here, peeps. I start to think I'm slumming it when I go to the Gap. Or when I land in Banana Republic! P'shaw!! They're dresses are $150 at Full Price!!

At some point soon, and I'm so ready you have no idea, I want to get back to reality. When I thought that $98 for a polka-dotted pencil skirt that wasn't lined was absolute highway robbery. Or when I thought that $68 for a hammered silk tank was just for suckers (do you even know how many hammered silk tanks lie in the dimly lit recesses of my closet?). I want to be a simple girl! I want to get off the J.Crack.

Serengeti is a Neutral, I'm Sure of It.

I'm very sure this is a neutral color. Either that or I've gone off the deep end and am considering it so in my off-kilter universe. These are my patent leather Serengeti Juliet pumps from J.Crew, of course. & I wear them with everything from white dresses to eyelet skirts, to anything with a solid color. First, comfy as all heck. Second, I never fail to get a compliment out of these. Hawaii women love these shoes!

When this particular pair dies, I'll have to go scout eBay for another pair.

Worn with the Schuyler dress, a J.Crew flower cardi, and my much destroyed and loved J.Crew men's belt.

♥

The Case for the Harem Jumper... in 2010, in the Fall, at a Baby's 1st Birthday

Yes, I wore a harem jumper. Say it with me, ladies. Harem. Jumper. With the bubble necklace! I sometimes act trendy on rare occasions, even though technically, harem jumper is not in my preppy-love-jcrew lexicon I've become fluent in over the last few years.

On another note, this was worn not-in-the-summer, after Labor Day, and with a cardigan.

mm. hmm. You're really feeling it now, I'm sure.

But Ladies, I have to say, there is a place and time for the harem jumper.

I think it's actually cute!

& can I tell you I was comfortable?

Like very comfy? & I felt very free and cute?

& I got compliments.

Let's not forget I am in Hawaii (perpetual summer, hot, humid, tradewinds that necessitate a cardigan from time to time)... We have no fall months. No changing colors of the trees. No seasonal changes. But instead, the upside is that I get to wear harem jumpers in every season of the year!

Harem Jumper: BCBG

Sandals: BCBG

On a festive note, how cute is this candy bar at the party? The theme was sweets and cupcakes and I think the candy bar fit in perfectly with the party.

Great ideas for my own shindigs in the future.

I had a blast. So did the jumper. Consider it, ladies! It's outside of the norm, it's trendy, but so are candy bars at parties, but they look great!

♥

Yes, We're Dating. Out with the Old and in with the Anthropologie.

In typical NoJcrewinJapan overthinking, I am contemplating aloud what I've got in my cart. Yes, we're dating. Me and this glorious outfit pictured here. I am so enamored it's borderline ridiculous. I can only tell you, my bloggy gal pals. Even the Hubs will think I'm off my rocker. Ever loved an outfit so much you visit the damn website habitually -- daily even -- just to see the outfit? The last time I acted like this? Fall 2008, J.Crew ---> when spectator peep toe mary janes, thigh high grey socks, and bug pins ruled.

Now, I find myself under the spell of:

The Van Wrinkle Sweater, $118

and the

Tweedy Leaves Dress, $158

In particular, I think I'm drawn to the fall colors of both pieces, as well as the skirt on the dress. In theory, it should work with my body shape, which leans towards a pear-shaped apple. I like that the dress nips in at the waist, but is easy in the tummy and hip area. & I love the look of that sweater open, a la the styled look in the first photo. It's something different I can add to my wardrobe. & did I say how much I love the look with the tights? *le sigh*

Next up:

The Distant Chirping Chemise, $58.00

Let us discuss the absolute dress-like qualities of this piece -- too cute!

Can you picture with a cardi or little sweater? & I have tons to go around, given my J.Crack addictions of the recent past (As my logic goes, any gal who's got an affinity for J.Crew has more than her fair share of cardigans in her enviable closet). I am envisioning with my distressed brown men's leather belt, also from J.Crew, and a pair of very cute sandals.

& finally:

The Pittore Dress, $158

The Pittore Dress gets an honorary mention. Style, cut and everything else in between, it is my hands-down favorite. I am in loooooooove with this dress. The issue comes from my body shape and the straight cut of this dress. We just weren't meant to be, and for that I am a bitter, bitter lady.

What do y'all think about the Anthro roll-out? Anything on your wishlist?

A Few of My Favorite [Home] Things...

Building a house has me with home interiors on the brain. Thought I would share some of the eclectic pieces I'm seeing out there that I'm drawn to.

Vintage-looking Bus Roll Signs on Etsy... Don't know which one I like better.

Upscale Speakeasy Pendant Lamp from Anthropologie.

Halo Pendant/Chandelier found on Anthropologie.

It doesn't get much more girly than this...

Ladies do you not hate it when you've gone and written an entire post and then your internet connectivity goes from warp speed to slow crawl right at the exact moment you're trying to hit Publish Post? The stars have to align for that to happen. It means the cosmos didn't like what I wrote and the heavens wanted a re-do.

Niiiiice.

Perhaps they didn't like this OOTD. Perhaps they found it too feminine. Perhaps they thought I should have scrapped the photos and just waited for a better styling opportunity to come my way. I wouldn't say this is the strongest OOTD I've ever posted, but it's certainly interesting.

The cosmos aren't getting the best of me today. I'm showing off the lace, the pearls and the sparkly-sparkly. & then I'm going to find an LBD, some serious black pumps and take my camera out. Perhaps they'll like that outfit a little better. :0P

Is there such a thing as too much bling?

Swag, meet my fellow bloggers. Fellow bloggers, meet my bling-alicious swag. It's possible I went off the deep end in the bejeweled-sequined-glittery-sparkliness category of crazy. Some may ask, Is there even such a place? & I'm here to say, Yup, I'm pretty sure... & I think I could draw the map to its exact location. While immersed in Christmas spirit, I may have gifted myself a little something here and there (Tries to withhold own giggles). & those little gifts - mostly tees and sweaters - seemed to have a common theme.

Shown (All J.Crew, of course):

Sequined Peakaboo cardigan, or, the one with the sequins going down the front of the placket

The Florentine (?) tee, or, the one that looked like a large bejeweled angel wing going down the front.

The Antler tee

The Starburst (?) tee, 2 colors, blush and ivory.

The sequined pocket long cardigan

The crushed glitter minaudiere in Copper

Somewhere along the path of staunch preppy-clothed-preferences, I have gotten a taste for the sparkly-sparkly. Like a full-on magpie. The funny part is, I arrived home from Europe to numerous -- and I do mean numerous -- J.Crew boxes. With the free shipping offered on top of the discounts, I seemed to have ordered numerous "little" orders. & when all the mini orders were opened, I had to laugh at how single-minded I had been.

Up-close of the sequined pocket cardigan. Like having little darling coin purses dangle from your cardi. I have to say the bling on this one is extra fantastic. The sequins are laid out rather randomly with no precise pattern, are a mercury-silver color and have a clear bead sewn on top of each. I love when the sequins are laid out all mish-mash like this.

Here's an up close of the peekaboo cardi. The color is more taupe than the slightest off pink I had thought I would have received but I wouldn't kick it out of bed. As Goldmember says from that Austin Powers movie, "It's a keeper!" The sequins as you can see are see through and in straight lines, which I think gives a nice lengthening effect. An illusion I don't mind given my short torso. Although I usually don't prefer the in-a-row sequin thing, I do like the subtlety. It's actually rather subdued bling.

& there is not one ounce of subdued anything in this minaudiere. It was a total sale item, $29.99 I believe with 20% off. A great deal for a little bit 'o swag. I was wondering how well the glitter would stay on this thing. I envisioned receiving this with glitter flakes everywhere but it is much sturdier than it looks.

I did remember this time to take a picture of the interior, which is lined in a fabric I will call, Not J.Crew Canvas. It's not silk but it's perky and dressed-up enough of an interior to match the bag's exterior.

Well, ladies. January better be a festive month, because I've gots me some bling to wear out and about. I will try my best to take IRLs of these when I style them or put outfits together. Let's just hope I've got the sparkly-sparkly out of my system!