Peace, Love & Google

Why should your laptop not be part of your general groovitude? Does it not deserve to join in all the earthy, crunchy fun? Toss out that sqaure bag issued to you by the man and pick up this trippy one for $19.

A ringing endorsement

I never know what type of jewelry is in style, and this goes double for earrings (maybe because there are two of them). Is it big hoops this season? Chandelier earrings? Long, dangly ones? The pressure to get it right usually sends me running in the other direction -- I seek refuge in the smallest earrings I can possibly find, from barely visible studs to mini-hoops purchased in the section of the department store that sells jewelry for babies. (True story.)

But if I were a little more daring, I'm pretty sure I would wear these. Yes, they're long and dangly, but in an indie way that tells the world you don't care if they're in style or not. Though I think they might be. Next season.

Shake your boot-y

Now that Jayn has solved the problem of what to tuck into your boots, I'm sure you are all breathing a sigh of relief and rushing to expand your footwear collection. So your next question will surely be, "But which boots should I buy?"

The answer is simple: these! Cute suede boots for $50 -- what more could you want? Well, a pair in all five colors, obviously.

Tuck You

Lately Amanda and I have been struggling with a very challenging issue: what pants can you tuck into awesome snow/rain boots? (And before you answer 'skinny jeans,' please remember that some of us can't wear them to work or don't always feel so skinny.) I know you haven't heard our new president mention this daunting topic, but it's only because even he has no idea how to approach this one. "Economy, two wars, gay rights? Check, check, check. Pants to wear with rain boots? Michelle needs me to meet with the new decorator, but you let me know how that works out."

Today it snowed. And we had to go to work. So once again this conundrum raised its ugly conundrum head. And then... here they are! Brooklyn Industries, $48 from $88. Plus they're called trousers, which is just a word I enjoy saying. Trousers. Trousers. Trousers. I need to get more sleep.

Bootie Up

OK - I know you are looking at the picture and thinking, "WTF?" Let me explain. I just returned from a sunny, warm, beautiful vacation in Miami... straight into weather in the teens with an impending snowstorm. Why do I live in NYC again? I can't remember... The most I can come up with, quite seriously, is that you can get a mani/pedi cheaper here than anywhere else (20 bucks, folks). In this frame of mind, I cannot possibly be expected to venture out into the bitter, brutal city. I will instead bundle up in ass-talking sweats and these so-ugly-they-rock $5 snugly booties.

At least until my boss calls and says, "WTF? Get your ass in here (and leave the rump writing and fugly booties home)!"

Sweater Weather (Forever!)

I hate this time of year -- winter is showing no signs of ending, but I'm sick of all my sweaters already. What's a girl to do?

You could take a cue from Jayn and me and plan a trip to Florida. Or you could expand your winter wardrobe. If you're preppy like me, pick up one of these cableknit sweaters in every color (on sale for $20, plus an additional 30% off this weekend!).

If you're a little trendier, tie on this comfy cardigan.

For something a little more luxe, this cashmere turtleneck's on-sale for $40.

Or, if you're the optimistic sort (or perhaps in denial), look ahead to warmer climes with one of these springy, lightweight pullovers.

The First Color

Well, my coat has been endorsed by none other than Michelle Obama! Is that not how the rest of the world is interpreting the color dress she chose for her husband's inauguration? Standing out there in the wind, she would have been so much more comfortable in my toasty coat.  I would happily have bedazzled it for her.   (Well, maybe grudgingly, but I would have done it.)

Jacket Up

So, I kept the baby poop coat - well, Brooklyn Industries calls it the 'Snug' - and I wore it Thursday night, the night of teeny, tiny temperatures, and it was so very warm.  In fact, I didn't even zip it up over my short sleeved dress!  

One reason the Snug is so warm is that it's just so very long.  In fact, that night I met a woman who told me she owns the same coat, but found it was in fact too long (unlike 'rich,' 'thin,' and 'chocolatey,' there is such thing as 'too long').  So, her solution was to buy this adorable coat, also from Brooklyn Industries, which she was modeling that very frigid evening.  Check it out - it's on sale for 30% of its sale price and is a teeny tiny $42!

HIMYB

I love these boots, but the Ted Mosby in me just won't let me order them. You see, the copy says that last year's version of these boots "literally blew out the door!" I know I would be a lot happier if I were more like Robin Scherbatsky (and I'd be getting crazy royalties from "Let's Go to the Mall"), but, let's face it, I'm all Ted. And Ted won't let me buy any boots that literally flew out the door, unless they were the new hover boots I keep seeing rumors about on all the tech blogs.

But you could buy them! And then you could tell your kids all about how you found out about them on this here blog and that would be the story of How I Met Your Boots.

About $70 (with coupon code CSS8).

Rhinoceri and Oral Contraceptives

'Tis the season for layering, and Old Navy is kind enough to help make it possible by offering these cute $10 tees that I can wear under a sweater, or show off when I get to work and it's really hot and I have to take the sweater off, ruining the perfectly coordinated outfit I spent 45 minutes planning. At least I will then have a cute tee on.

My friend Summer was wearing the yellow one this weekend, which naturally you should do if you are named Summer. I, however, prefer this lovely shade that Old Navy is telling me is called Cyclamen, which sounds like a birth control pill but is apparently also a flower. I particularly like the non-descript animal print -- are those polar bears? Cows? Rhinoceri? Which of those animals comes in Cyclamen?

Go Gators

Hey, remember me? I used to write for this blog. Then I fell off the face of the planet. It wasn't easy, but I found my way back, and just in time, too! I am, of course, referring to last week's BCS Championship game. I am sure you are all as excited as I am about the Florida Gators winning their second national title in football in 3 years, and eager to celebrate. Luckily, Victoria's Secret is making it easy to do that. Check out these adorable yoga pants -- just $17! They're perfect for sitting around on the couch and watching the game -- or, you know, yoga, if that's your thing. I suppose you don't HAVE to get the Gators style, but keep in mind that no other team are the NATIONAL CHAMPIONS.

Will Not Entitle This Entry 'Pee Coat', Must Resist

So my coat arrived. And it is not the exact, exact color I enivisioned. To be very specific, it is the color of... stop reading if you are easily grossed out by newborn baby poop... the color of breastfed-newborn baby poop. I know no other way to describe it. My friend Vicky once described this color, when I sampled it on my entryway wall as 'bile,' but frankly, I have encountered bile much less frequently, and certainly much less directly, than breastfed-newborn baby poop. Amanda has weighed in against the color, and others have weighed in against my description of the color, but I ask you, what do you think of the color? Please weigh in at right. --->

I should note that the coat is awesomely constructed, with slash pockets that zip, a zipper that opens from the bottom (necessary with such a long coat), a back slit that zips (ditto) and ipod/cellphone inside pockets.

Get Down

A couple of years ago I bought my current jacket from the Company Store, hugely on sale. It is big men's olive parka. I love that it is a winter version Lindsay Weir's ubiquitous army jacket. I love that when I needed a car service driver to be able to quickly find me, I turned it inside out to its incredibly, flamingly fluorescent orange side. I don't so much love that I know a two-year-old with the same jacket. And I really don't love that it has no shape to it at all, meaning I appear as just a big olive blob, or a big orange blob if you work for all sixes (or is it all sevens?).

So, I set out to find myself a more shapely down jacket, and ended up with this one from Brooklyn Industries - almost exactly the same one that Amanda bought last year - at half off. After the most recent snow storm, the length is really appealing to me. And now preschooler Josh and I will never again be confused for each other, although all sevens (or is it all sixes?) may have a hard time spotting me at LGA.

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All Weather Pleather

The snow/sleet/freezing rain misery has begun and should continue for the next several days. And with my walk to my office, as I have already mentioned, being overly long and unbearably weather-y, of course my first thought is how I will protect my nice purse from the precipitation. Here's how - I will buy this lovely $10 bag, made of "supple faux leather," and wear it instead. It actually looks a lot like a Miu Miu bag I have admired, although I would imagine that anyone who spent the money to buy the Miu Miu would strongly disagree.

Also, I must admit that I am a little concerned that the bag will "add uptown sensibility," as its copy promises, since I myself am always trying to add downtown sensibility. Maybe together we'll end up somewhere in midtown - say, 50th Street?

Party Off

I loved this dress when it first came out, at $78. It looked perfect for a nice holiday party. But as we all know, my firm's holiday party was not going to be nice, located as it was in the cafeteria, where this dress would be a little out of place, next to the 10 gallon ketchup pump. My guess is my firm was not the only one to scale back on holiday parties, and this dress just did not sell... and now it is only $25. It really is adorable and since it's silk and cotton, wouldn't it be a cute dress to wear in the summer? Or maybe if you were heading down to Florida, in say a week or two, you could wear it there.

And, to keep you all up-to-date, my holiday party was canceled due to snow. What a disappointment.

iPod Gloves

You know how lately they are passing off just about anything as an iPod speaker? Chairs, stuffed animals, pillows, jackets, a pack of chewing gum. Cars are marketed entirely upon their ability to easily connect to your ipod (presumably these campaigns are aimed at women, who no longer purchase cars based solely on the number of cupholders, but now buy them based on whether they can easily figure out how to hook up that mp3 player thing-y into the hole-y place in the dashboard).

Well, despite this entry's title, these $11 gloves do not hook up to your iPod. They do, however, allow you to easily operate your iPod, while complimenting your cute, new wool coat, on the seemingly endless, insanely frigid walk from the subway to your office.