Girlfriends, Cupcakes, and Awards

Hello, ladies and gents! I hope you all had a fabulous Wednesday! Due to the dreary weather we've been having, I've spent the majority of the last few days hanging at home. Luckily, one of my best girlfriends invited me out for cupcakes at the new cupcake shop in town, and I jumped at the chance to have a little friend time and a sweet treat. It's funny how that combination can easily brighten a grey day. :)

Not taken today, but if this woman isn't blog worthy, I don't know what it is!

During my blogging hiatus, I was kindly awarded a Versatile Blogger Award by the author of the overcaffeinated. Then just last week, I was again honored to learn that Inkmark of Objects of Desire had bestowed a Stylist Blogger Award upon me. Thanks to both of you for choosing Lyziologie! 

The rules of both these awards state that any recipient has to award them to other deserving blogs and share 7 tidbits about yourself.

The Versatile Blogger Awards (7) go to:

• Gettin' Lucky In Kentucky
• Lovely
• confessions of a serial thrifter
• Becoming Norma Arnold
• Ashley Getting Dressed
• You, Me, & Anthropologie
• adored austin

---

The Stylish Blogger Awards (15) go to:

• bonjour, it's jinah!
• adiaphane
• Anthroholic
• anthrosdottir
• In Pursuit of Pretty Things
• Infinite Whimsy
• Little Girl Big Closet
• Small Town Fashionista
• Effortless Anthropologie
• Goldenmeans
• kelinda.kelinda
• Kendi Everyday
• The Girliest Boy Mom
• Veronica's Blushing
• Kristina J.

Seven Things About Me

1. My siblings are much older than I. My sister and brother are 20 and 14 year older, respectively. We're all incredibly close. My sister lives with us and my brother visits every Saturday night.

2. After almost 11 years of togetherness, my husband still drives me mad. The way he looks, smells, his voice... To this day, my heart still skips a beat when I simply think of him. Anyone need a barf bag?

3. I have five cats. Really. I am honest to God cat lady. Two of them were a Mother's Day day gift two years ago. The other three walked into the office where my husband was working one early March morning last year. More accurately, two of them walked in and the last limped in. His leg was badly broken. Need I say more? Their names are: 

• Penny Whiskers
• Scout Whiskers
• Iroh Deniro-Shapiro
• Hiro Deniro-Shapiro
• Mozart Deniro-Shapiro

4. I have three truly wonderful children. They are all intelligent, loving, and generally well-behaved. I couldn't be luckier to be their mother. Though it deeply disgusts me when people "label" their children, ("the smart one", "the pretty one", etc.) here are some things that make mine really special:

• Adrian, age 9, is creative and introspective.
• Eden, age 7, is helpful and self-assured.
• Grant, age 5, is generous and thoughtful.

5.  My house has an in-law apartment and that's where my sister and parents live. I get along great with them and it's nice to have them so close. I honestly don't have one complaint about this living arrangement at all.

6. I love to cook. Almost all of the food my family eats is from scratch/homemade, because I am obsessed with knowing what's in the food we eat.

7. Growing up, I was incredibly spoiled. To begin, I'm my dad's only child. My siblings had jobs as far back as I can remember and are both just ridiculously generous human beings. My sister wanted me to have the nicest toys, and later on, the nicest clothes, shoes, hair cuts, etc. It was my sister who bought me my first Chanel lipstick...... at the ripe old age of 13.

Whew! I didn't mean for that to be so long! FINALLY, with no further ado, my OOTD:

Cardigan: J. Crew

Dress: Anthropologie Take Action Dress

Tights: Charlotte Russe

Shoes: Aldo

Thanks for reading!

<3,

Lyzi

Happy Belated Mother's Day

Hey, folks! I want to wish a very happy belated Mother's Day to all of the lovely moms reading this post! :)

I know I promised to post this weekend, but things got a little hectic. By hectic, I mean that I slept in on Saturday AND napped and then spent all of Sunday out for Mother's Day. My husband and children brought me to the new Anthropologie in Cranton, RI where I was originally hoping to find this:

Verdant Slip Dress

There was only one in stock and it wasn't in my size. Major bummer. I did luck out when it came to sale finds though. Their sale room was well-stocked, particularly in my size. I tried on lots of cute dresses, skirts, and tops, but exercised *extreme restraint* and only brought home two items.

Fantastic Field Skirt

Paraiso Dress

I now present  you with a shoddy photo of me wearing my brand new Paraiso Dress! I got soy sauce on it within its first hour of wear. Oops...

Cardigan: J. Crew

Dress: Anthropologie Paraiso Dress

Shoes: Payless (They're a blatant knock-off of these)

Thanks for reading! <3

Bright & Cheery OOTD

Hello readers! Today I posed for my OOTD photo in my backyard, despite the bone chilling wind. I think I made my pledge to take outdoor photos a tab prematurely!

Cardigan: Anthropologie Pulling It Together Sweater

Dress: Anthropologie Take Action Dress

Boots: Anthropologie Gilgarran Boots

Ideally, I wouldn't have paired these boots with this dress, but they were the closest to the door. I'm a really lazy dresser. I just wear whatever is clean and easily accessible. It takes me 15 minutes tops to get ready in the morning and that's child/husband related interruptions. Before children I was pretty high maintenance, but I've streamlined my routine over the years. ;)

I just entered to win a $100 Anthropologie gift card for at In Pursuit of Pretty Things! You should too! 

Loud Yellow Skirt OOTD

Hello dear readers! Today's outfit is pretty much entirely J. Crew, aside from my trusty Gilgarran boots. They are quickly becoming my favorite pair of boots. Speaking of favorites, I am wild for this yellow J. Crew skirt that I picked up on eBay about 3-4 years ago. It adds the perfect punch of color to an otherwise ordinary outfit.

Cardigan: J. Crew Dulphine Bling-Button Cardigan- $31.00

Top: J. Crew - $30.00 (from eBay)

Skirt: J. Crew - $30.00 (from eBay)

Ski socks: Given to me by my sister

Boots: Anthropologie Gilgarran Boots  $95.00

Sorry that this post is so short, but I have guests arriving this evening and my house is a mess. There's much to do, much to do! I hope that all of you have a great weekend!

Baby, It's Gross Outside

Let me preface this post by saying that I have less grievances with the weather than your average human being. I really pride myself on being a bad ass New Englander. On this particular morning, I actually spent time doing my hair. A rarity. Unfortunately, I wasn't smart enough to check the weather report. I did this look, a braided headband with  "flirty curls". I used so much hairspray that the fumes/smell woke my husband up. I think he was asking for it, as he sleeps with his mouth open. Just sayin'.

As soon as I finished styling my hair, it rather predictably started snowing like crazy. I had to go out and pick up my kids from school and the walk from the car to the schoolyard completely destroyed my curls. I was wearing my trusty winter hat, so my braided headband was safe (or so I thought). This is my first year wearing a hat. I am still bad ass in my hat, but I'm now a bad ass who is also a good example for my children. ;) After school, we went straight to the city library. As we walked in the door, I lifted off my hat and DESTROYED my braided headband in the process. I loudly groaned in disappointment and a man actually laughed at me. All of this proves that I wasn't meant to have cute hair. I am clearly doomed to have perpetual bedhead. *Sigh*

Cardigan: Perfect-Fit Mixed-Tape Cardigan - $30.00

Dress: Anthropologie Oratory Dress - $50.00

Belt: Anthropologie Looping Lanes Belt - $15.00

Tights: Aldo - $12.00

Boots: Vince Camuto Karena Boots - $130.00

No Anthro OOTD :(

Hello readers! I hope those of you that have the day off today are enjoying it. Those of you who don't... Well, I'll have a cupcake for all of you! :)

I have always considered myself a person of above average creativity, but recently I have been bitten by the creativity bug. I've been seeing things in a completely different way. The clothes in my closet, the rooms in my house, ideas/projects that have been shelved due to a stalemate- I've been seeing new found potential in everything around me. It's a good feeling. No, it's more than a good feeling; it feels pretty friggin' amazing.

My OOTD is Anthropologie free! Boooooo!!! It does feature my beloved Rodarte for Target dress that I patiently stalked on eBay. I am obsessed with the top because I feel like a 1980's prom queen in it. That's a good thing if you're me. ;)

Cardigan: J. Crew Merino Cielo Ruffle Cardigan (Coal) - $21.00

Dress: Rodarte for Target - $40.00

Belt: Gap Factory - Free with dress

Tights: Simply Vera Borcade Tights (Coal) - $.62

Shoes: Aldo Kirwan - $38.00

I've noticed a lot of posts in list form in the Anthro blogging community, so I'm going to be a copycat and make one, too!

My Worst Habits

1. Constantly leaving a trail of open cabinet doors and drawers all around my home
2. Laughing at people when they are really angry
3. Leaving both clean and dirty clothing on the floor
4. Not culling my magazine pile often enough
5. Leaving tops off of food items/beauty products
6. Forgetting to reply to correspondence of all sorts (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to my family in Florida!)
7. Generally being a slob

Now that I've outed myself, maybe shame will compel me to make better choices! To recycle my Marie Claires, hang my clean clothes back up instead of throwing them on the floor, and not to laugh openly at my husband in the car as he rants that no one knows how to drive. Besides him, of course. Now if only I could stop myself from humming "King of the Road" when he does this. ;)

Super Sad Super True Sunday OOTD

Good evening, readers! Today my outfit consists of one of my favorite dresses. I can't decide if I love it more because it fits beautifully or because it makes me look like the Hamburglar. P.S. My lack of a belt is clearly a harbinger of end times: Y/N? 

Cardigan: J. Crew Traversa Cardigan - $21.00

Dress: Anthropologie Monochromatic Corset Dress from eBay - $40.00

Tights: George brand from Walmart - $5.00

Shoes: Aldo Botkins - $30.00

Flower: Hollywood Ultra - Gift for attending a Pin Up Hair 101 class

This weekend wasn't the greatest. My husband literally worked all weekend without a break and my brother (who raised me and is my best friend) was hit by a drunk driver and suffered a broken leg. Super sad, super true story! I've been doing a lot around the house in an attempt to keep my mind busy, but the bluey blues crack my strong veneer every once in a while. 

Don't mind the exceptionally low quality of most of my photos. I'm not a photographer. I'm just a girl with a camera (and a blog)! 

Autumnal Toned OOTD

I purchased this dress from Anthropologie Treasurebox last spring and wore it to death over the summer. It's 100% silk and has an easy bohemian inspired style to it. I paid $20 for it brand new, but it originally retailed for $60. I'm chuckling right now over the fact that I won't even pay full price for a Target dress. ;)

If you haven't already, you really should check out out Anthro Treasurebox. Thrifting extraordinaire Sara finds fab items from Anthropologie, J. Crew, and more from LA area thrift shops and lists them for sale at incredible prices. Go now!

Cardigan: Anthropologie Breezy Polkas Cardigan - $50.00

Dress: Anna Sui for Target - $20.00

Belt: Anthropologie Checkerboard Belt - $10.00

Tights: Kohl's - $.62 (My sister gave me her Kohl's Cash)

Shoes: American Eagle - $10.00

Flower: Hollywood Ultra - Gift for attending a Pin Up Hair 101 class

Since I woke up this morning migraine free and feeling renewed,  I'm now off to clean, clean, clean until I can't clean anymore! I hope this post finds everyone having a happy and relaxed weekend!

XOXO,

Lyzi

TGIF! Even If It Feels Like Wednesday...

My whole week has been messed up due to the snow day the kids had on Wednesday. I'm in disbelief that tomorrow is Saturday, but the weekend is welcome nonetheless. I currently have a massive migraine and am looking forward to sleeping in as long as possible tomorrow morning.

I was laughing in most of the pictures I took tonight because my daughter told me that my eyes were closed in all of them. I'm very naive, so I believed the little prankster! Laughing with her reset my mood (which wasn't great, due to the migraine) and relieved some of the stress I've been feeling recently. My kids all have great senses of humor and time and again they save me from taking life too seriously. :)

Cardigan: Anthropologie Dwarf Quince Cardigan - $31.00

Dress: Anthropologie Vappu Dress - $50.00

Belt: Anthropologie Buckled Cummerbund Belt - $20.00

Tights: George brand from Walmart - $5.00

Boots: Vince Camuto Fivvy Boots - $126.00

Please forgive my wrinkly dress. I have a terrible, terrible habit of taking midday naps with the husband and wrinkling my pretty clothes. With the migraine today, I was completely couch bound until my Advil kicked in a minute ago, thus adding to my wrinkleage.

Bonus picture!

Me petting a cat with LASER EYES! I wish I'd lint rolled that thread off my booty, but oh well... 

Happy To Be Warm OOTD

Hey there! Today was a stressful day. A huge snowstorm is coming and our furnace decided that it wanted to sh*t the bed this morning. The repairman just left my house and finally, after a day of bitterly cold temperatures, WE HAVE HEAT! I couldn't be happier!

Sweater: American Eagle - $25.00

Skirt: Anthropologie Alena Skirt - $50.00

Belt: Anthropologie Fromage Et Pain Belt - $15.00

Tights: American Eagle - $12.00

Boots: Anthropologie Gilgarran Boots - $95.00

About a week ago, I emailed customer service and politely mentioned that I didn't receive a birthday discount last month. They sent me a discount card for January and offered to reimburse me 15% (equivalent to the birthday discount) from my last order, so I scored these boots for only $95 after all was said and done. Yesss!

It looks like tomorrow is going to be a snow day for my kids! I'm planning on building a slope for sledding in our yard. All we need now are sleds! :P

Ski Mom OOTD

Hey y'all! I hope everyone is having a great New Year so far. Today my older kids had ski lessons and I made the impractical clothing choice of a dress. Interestingly, I wasn't cold as it was a warm 35 degrees here in Southern NH. Plus, impractical or not, I needed to break out the brand new Reed Shirtdress I acquired through Roxy's Effortless Anthropologie Trade Market! I have been lusting after this dress for a whole year.

Cardigan: J. Crew - $21.00

Dress: Anthropologie Reed Shirtdress $85.00

Belt: Looping Lanes Belt - $15.00

Tights: Simply Vera from Kohl's - $.62 

Boots: Vince Camuto Karena Boots - $129.99

I'm totally in love with this dress. I love the vintage silhouette, and the fact that it also has a slightly shorter hemline than most vintage inspired dresses/skirts. It should be noted that I'm not really super jacked in real life; the sleeves of my dress are bunched up under my cardigan. ;) 

Unfortunately, I am not as in love with my new boots. They are the third pair of brown boots I've ordered in the past month (I returned the first two) and I'm losing hope that I'll ever find boots with shafts that fit my calves perfectly. I'm keeping them because they are definitely high quality boots that I got at a steal and the roomy calf area isn't noticeable in jeans. They're also undeniably gorgeous.

I got two sweet deals on popbacks from my Anthro wishlist last week:

Dwarf Quince Cardigan

Paid $37. Original price was $98.

Gilgarran Boots

Purchased for $112. Originally sold for $268.

Did anyone else snag any great after Christmas deals? Did anyone make a New Year's resolution to shop less? ;)

A Holly, Jolly Christmas OOTD

Merry Christmas, dear readers! I had such a wonderful day with my children today. They stayed asleep until 7 this morning, which has got to be a new family record. Most years they are digging under that tree at 5AM sharp! I am about to settle in for a long winter's nap, but I wanted to share my outfit of the day with you first!

Cardigan: J. Crew Merino Cielo Ruffle Cardigan - $21.00 

Dress: Anthropologie Doubly Adorned Dress - $30.00

Belt: Gap Factory Outlet - $0

Tights: George brand from Walmart - $5.00

Shoes: Nine West via Piperlime.com - $40.00

My sleepy self is going to run along now and cuddle with my babies, but thank you for reading my blog and I hope that the remainder of your Christmas (or simply, your night, if you don't celebrate) is amazing beyond words!

<3 Lyzi

Southward Stop Shirtdress

I am completely in love with my new Southward Stop Shirtdress. The corduroy fabric was a bit wrinkled from shipping and not particularly easy to iron, but once I'd pressed it into submission it hung beautifully.

Cardigan: J. Crew Dulphine Bling-Button Cardigan - $28.00

Dress: Anthropologie Southward Stop Shirtdress - $45.00

Belt: Anthropologie Fromage Et Pain Belt - $15.00

Tights: George brand from Walmart - $5.00

Boots: Aldo - $150.00

Kindergarten Christmas Party OOTD

This morning, my husband and I went Christmas shopping after we dropped the kids off at school. We were only about halfway done up until that point, so there was much to be purchased. There was a time when I did 100% of the holiday shopping myself, but my husband is a surprisingly good shopping companion. He finds really good gifts that are a perfect match for their recipient! We visited Walmart and Target for toys, grabbed yucky/delicious breakfast sandwiches from BK, the drove around the city buying giftcards for our kids' teachers. It was a really nice morning and I feel so relieved that 95% of the gifts have been purchased at last.

Another highlight of my day was volunteering in my youngest son's kindergarten class for their holiday party. They made adorable ornaments featuring their school portraits, read the Polar Express, and drank hot chocolate and ate cookies and cupcakes. Much fun was had. :)

This is a style blog, so you are here because you want to know what I wore! I donned a dress that I scored on eBay for a bargain and have only worn one other time, last Valentine's Day. Come to think of it, this is one thrifty outfit!

Cardigan: J. Crew Traversa Cardigan - $21.00 (Reg: $88.00)

Dress: J. Crew Silk Chiffon Twist Tank Dress - $32.00 via eBay (Reg: $170.00)

Tights: George brand from Walmart - $5.00

Shoes: Charlotte Russe - $10.00

It was a wonderful day. Other highlights include: 

• Coming home from shopping to my mom cleaning my kitchen
• Getting out the shower and finding a strawberry scone from Panera Bread that my sister had left for me
• My husband helping get my son ready for school while I got dressed, even though he had worked all night and hadn't slept yet
• My little son (and husband) making me a surprise cup of coffee
• Getting the adorable photo ornaments that all three of my kids had made in school

I am truly blessed.

Cold & Windy OOTD

Hey there! I know that I've been absent for well over a week. This time of year can be a little hectic for me. I become very preoccupied with the idea of creating the illusion of effortless Christmas magic for my family and let's just say it's hardly effortless. Then there is the matter of attending workshops relating to my acting; those were time consuming as well. Luckily, that stage of the game is all over. I'll be getting headshots done in the next couple weeks and will be posting them here for all to see. ;)

Today is bitterly cold and windy, but that didn't stop me from finally wearing this skirt. It's been sitting in my closet for years, but because of its long length and lack of shoes that match "just so" I have never worn it until now.

Cardigan: J. Crew Dulphine Bling Button Cardigan - $30.00

Top: J. Crew Cascading Flutter Shell - $22.00

Skirt: J. Crew - $20.00 on eBay

Tights: George brand - $5.00

Shoes: Nine West - $50.00 from Piperlime.com

I got the cardigan and shell from J. Crew's recent 25% off sale. I bought just enough to qualify for free shipping, so there are couple more new cardis sitting pretty in my closet. Did anyone else take advantage of the sale?  ;)

Birthday Eve OOTD

It's the eve of my 28th birthday! I'm just like a kid; I love birthdays. Instead of being excited like I normally would be I'm unusually stressed. Tomorrow, I have a "model workshop" for the majority of the day  and there is an electrician coming at an undetermined time and my house is complete disarray. I will probably be up all night cleaning, including the storage areas that aren't normally seen by regular guests. Personally, I am a slob, but my dear husband is the Felix to my Oscar.

Speaking of dears, I got my Lynx & Leo Dress from my dear friend, Bethany, yesterday. It is so much more incredible in person than I could have imagined. The photos on the Anthro's site didn't do it justice and mine don't either. Check out how I wore it today!

Cardigan: J. Crew - $60.00

Dress: Anthropologie Lynx & Leo Dress - $20.00

Belt: J. Crew - $25.00

Tights: Charlotte Russe - $7.00

Shoes: Charlotte Russe - $10.00

I'm not really doing a pee pee dance, I'm just a terrible model. Hopefully I will learn a thing or two from the modeling workshop tomorrow! To clarify, I am NOT a model model. I am only 5'3" - 5'4". I am mainly participating to benefit from the photo movement segment of the workshop, as I am interesting in doing some commercial print modeling. 

If I look totally disheveled that is because I take midday naps in my day clothes with no regard to how I will look later on... Clearly, I am an A+ adult and upstanding citizen of this fine community! :P

I'll post tomorrow with my OOTD debuting my Drifting By Dress that has been hanging in my closet since I bought it in August. I can't friggin' wait!

Too Early For An OOTD OOTD

I have a lot of things to accomplish before the weekend, but I still wanted to hit you with my OOTD! 

Sweater: Gap - $40.00

Dress: Anthropologie Dagmar Shirtdress - $42.00 

Belt: Anthropologie Infinity Belt - $20

Tights: George brand from Walmart - $4.00

Boots: Aldo - $50

Bracelet: Boston Red Sox Silly Band - Free, as it was given to me by my daughter

As you can see, I got an incredible deal on my Dagmar Shirtdress! The manager at my local store gave me 30% off for a faint stain that was on the garment. I was certain that the offending spot would wash out easily, so I was as pleased as my mom on Social Security day! The original price was $148. That same shopping trip also rendered another 30% off my Two Wheeler Shirtdress. I was over the friggin' moon. I also got the boots that I'm wearing on what I call "super clearance".

Apparently, I'm feeling more smug than usual about my thriftiness this morning. *Smirk*

Snag any good deals lately?

My Husband Hates My OOTD

Today was a much needed day of relaxation. I spent the morning talking to a dear friend on the phone and spent the afternoon drinking coffee and being mall rats with another. I am so grateful that I have such fabulous friends.

Dress: Anthropologie Oratory Dress - $59.95

Shirt: Abercrombie and Fitch - $20.00

Belt: Anthropologie Checkerboard Belt - $10.00

Tights: Charlotte Russe - $7.50 (Buy them here)

Shoes: Charlotte Russe - $10.00

Married Folks Dialogue of the Day (also known as MFDOTD):

Me: "What do you think my outfit? I totally look like a toddler in a jumper, don't I? 

Husband: "What do YOU think of your outfit?"

Me: "I love it! I own my toddlerness... My toddlerability. It's totally me!"

Husband: Raises eyebrows skeptically

And that, my friends, is your MFDOTD!

Thanks again for tuning in for my ramblings and photos. If you like my blog, please tell a friend!

On Camera OOTD

Today was the last day of my acting workshop and I got to go on camera for the first time since my fifth grade birthday party! I think I did well and I got very positive feedback from my acting instructor and group. I'm a happy girl tonight. :)

I haven't been posting as frequently as I would like to because of the holidays, family birthdays, and other recent momligations, but I promise to blog more! Ideally, I would like post most weekdays. Now that I have said it publicly perhaps I will actually do it!

Don't mind my orb, please. It was past my photographer's bedtime, so I wasn't picky about my photos. :P

Cardigan: Gap - $40.00

Dress: Anthropologie Grand Cru Dress - $80.00

Tights: George brand from Walmart - $5.00

Shoes: Charlotte Russe - $10.00

As you have noticed, I am kind of obsessed with my cheap shoes from Charlotte Russe. I love them and could literally wear them every day of the week. Sometimes I actually do. I'm crazy for cap toe ballet flats and am planning on grabbing a pair of these from eBay with my birthday money:

J. Crew Abby Flats

Also on the top of my wishlist is a pair of flat, brown boots. I'm looking at a couple different styles from Frye and I'm definitely lusting after these babies from Anthro:

Bowtied-Beauty Boots

Gilgarran Boots

Which do you like better? Do you know of any great boots I need to see? I welcome all suggestions!

Super Sick Tuesday

I am feeling absolutely terrible today. I'm stuffed up and so dizzy that I can only stand for a few seconds at a time before my head starts spinning right round, right round... and that's not a good thing!

Top: Ralph Lauren Outlet - $50.00

Skirt: American Eagle - $20.00

Tights: George brand (from Walmart) - $5.00

Shoes: Report - $49.00

Necklace: Made today in kindergarten by my sweet son, Grant - Priceless

Bonus quote from my mom in lieu of sartorial content:

Me: "Ma, how do I look? I need to look good because I am going to be on camera tonight..."
Mom: (Squints eyes and analyzes every millimeter of my face with extreme scrutiny) "I guess you look... okay. Are you not supposed to look that good?"
Me: "I am supposed to look my absolute best actually..."
Mom: "If you had fake eyelashes, you would be beautiful."
Me: "Mmm... Thanks?"

...Just now she said to me: "Bunny, why is your skirt so short?" (Note: I am practically 30 years old!) And that, folks, is your first edition of Sh*t My Thai Mom Says!