MIA

Sorry for the extended "leave of absence"...the last two weeks have been nothing short of utter chaos. School is starting back, and I received some last minute notice concerning work related items which I am still sorting through/catching up on! Hopefully by next week things will have calmed down enough for me to at least know whether I am coming or going. I hope to resume regular posting, or at least the Week in Review posts shortly. Meanwhile, sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare...

Twins, Basil...Twins!!!

A big welcome to my new nephews who arrived yesterday morning!

Prada Sport Bomber Jacket, available from Neiman Marcus

Bean's Town & Country Tote

I have to say, I am loving L.L. Bean this season. Their Town & Country Tweed Tote for fall is a steal at $89, and it's L.L. Bean, which means it will last FOREVER. Perhaps I could do without the rolled handles, but it has an organized interior! Amazing. Hogan's fall line...total garbage. L.L. Bean...fabulous. What are the odds?

If I only had $395 to spend on a belt, this might be the one! Kippys embellished leather belt, available from Neiman Marcus

This Week In Review, Part 4 of 4

MAC for Luella Bartley: Tinted Lip Moisturizer. MAC teamed up with Luella Bartley to create two new limited editions colors (Pink Pink to make the Boys Wink and Trot on, which are a soft pink and apricot, respectively) in special Luella-friendly containers. Since the pink was SOLD OUT from our Sak's store (this is a Sak's exclusive), I had to find a location that had it and pay an exhorbitant amount to have it shipped in the pink. The apricot I have ordered directly from MACcosmetics.com. Like all MAC products, this is divine. I ordered two in each color so I may never run out.

Philosophy Cinnamon Buns: Now in industrial size! QVC has the exclusive on the 32 oz. Cinnamon Buns 3-in-1 shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath. As a long time fan of Cinnamon Buns, I have restocked my dwindling supply and am happy as a clam. (32 oz. also available now in "Amazing Grace" 3-in-1 and "Purity" face cleanser.)

Bobbi Brown Clay Kit for Fall: Nordstrom "Beauty Extras" exclusive, and no longer available (you can try eBay). I love the fall kit. Includes a tawny blush, malted shimmer shadow, clay lip color -- moisturize lips first! --, naked lip liner (fabulous!), and two mini brushes in a faux leather clay zipper case. I love the colors in this kit. Very autumn outdoorsy looking. Bobbi has a great makeup philosophy (which I have been reading about in her book "Bobbi Brown Beauty"): less is more, and the "natural looking" you is better than spending four hours trying to use every makeup artist's trick. I am stocking up on her products.

Bobbi Brown Style File: Neiman Marcus exclusive from LAST fall, purchased NIB on eBay. Since I missed out on the "Slopes" palette and I wanted a refillable palette to put all my stuff in to keep track of it, this had everything I was looking for: Sandwash Beige Lip Color, Sandwash Pink Lip Gloss, Tan Eyeshadow, Slopes Blush, Black Everything Mascara, and the little plastic palette to fit it all in WITH an extra 6 Pan Palette insert. In combination with the Clay kit for this fall, these colors are absolutely gorgeous.

This Week In Review, Part 3 of 4

Bare Escentuals Beach Goddess: While I love the BE kits, and this is a great buy for the money, their "seasonal" shipping seems to be a bit off. I am not sure why I am getting "beachy" colors in August when everything in fashion is turning to fall. The kit includes a blush in "Sun Kissed," eye shadows in "Beach Goddess" and "Shell," a black mascara, a brow definer gel, lip pencil in "Barn" and lip gloss in "Reef." Two brushes and the teal velvet drawstring bag are bonuses worth the price of the kit alone. Alas, it will probably go back since the colors are not MY best, and since Bobbi Brown seems to have taken care of all of my color issues for now.

Which is the IT jacket for fall/early winter? I need opinions!

This Week In Review, Part 2 of 4

It is simply not possible to enter into fall without a pumpkin candle. Having recently run low on all of my favorites, I have just completed "autumn restocking" on candles for the house.

First, Trapp candles. These are an absolute necessity for me, and apparently no one in Tulsa is selling them anymore. They are generally found in little hoity-toity boutique stores, but apparently customers complained that they could be had cheaper online, so the stores just stopped ordering them entirely. This left me in a sort of a predicament, since I wanted one NOW and because it is so hot that they were in danger of melting in transit. However, I found a company that packed the candles in ice for shipping and guaranteed their safe arrival, so all is now well. On the right side of the photo is the one must-have Trapp candle...No. 4 in Orange-Vanilla. This is absolute heaven and makes my whole house smell amazing. Unlike some other citrusy candles (Williams-Sonoma, for instance), it does not smell like a cleaning product.

On the left is the new Trapp fragrance "Snowflake." This was described as smelling "like Christmas." Well, I am not sure exactly how Christmas is supposed to smell, but being a big fan of the season, snowflakes, and the adorable packaging, I decided to give it a try. The fragrance is hard to describe...almost a muted fir in combination with something soft. But I like it. And I am hard to please. No "seashore" or "blueberry muffin" candles for me, thanks.

Last but definitely not least, we come to the pumpkin candle from Bath & Body Works. This is a White Barn creation, and is aptly entitled "The Perfect Autumn Pumpkin." My husband and I are both addicted to these. Since we were in the vicinity of a Bath & Body Works last night we dropped in on the off chance that fall items would have begun to trickle in. Lucky for us, they had indeed. I even had a coupon with me! If you love the smell of pumpkin pie or spiced pumpkin, this is an absolute must. And the fragrance carries as the candle is burned. Yummy. They also will have room spray for the fall (not in yet) and an oil for burning. Stock up while you can. On second thought...leave them all for us!

This Week In Review, Part 1 of 4

It has been a fruitful week, so this week's TWIR section has been broken down into four parts over Saturday AND Sunday. Fall is on the horizon, and I am shopping! Normally I don't list particular clothing items on the site (except for accessory items, of course), but this was too good an opportunity to pass up.

First, the Annette gloves from Cole Haan. These are almost everyting I expected them to be. The color is a bit darker than I had hoped for, but they are beautiful. The FedEx guy left the package with a neighbor, so I opened the box next door and they ooohed and aaahed over them. One note, however...undo the braiding before you slide these beauties on. It is simple to do, and will make donning the gloves much easier. Now on to the sweaters.

As I have said before, I am a sweater fiend. I also have about twenty camis, so cute cardigans to slip over the cami on a not-so-warm day seemed like a great idea. These came from L.L. Bean. Yes, you read it right...L.L. Bean. The lilac and spruce colors (top left and right) are "Swift River" cardigans and a huge bargain at $29.50 each. The aqua essential turtleneck is a lovely cross between mint and Tiffany blue-green. At $69, the "Air Light" turtleneck in Blue Ridge is the most expensive (sweater) of the lot, but I have been looking for the perfect blue turtleneck for a year and a half and this one fits the bill. Sometimes great finds come from unexpected places, and L.L. Bean (a throwback to my college days of wandering State Parks for fun and research) is a company second to none for quality control, customer service, and standing behind their products. Give them a look!

Coach Shearling

Time for a fashion decision. Do you love the Coach shearling bag (the dark brown and off-white at the middle right-hand side of the photo, or the Coach coyote duffle from my earlier pre-fall post?

"Sort of" Environmentalist Soapbox

Yesterday I decided to enroll in an online payment system for my telephone bill. As a person who manages to LOSE the mail generally somewhere between the front door and a table located approximately two feet away from the front door, online bill pay has become my best friend. The phone company, apparently leery of we "onliners," has called twice with recorded messages...once to inform me that I have enrolled in online bill pay (not a bad idea in case I DIDN'T really enroll), and once to thank me for making an online payment. Sheesh. This is on top of the confirmation e-mail that I received immediately upon registration. So today I get ANOTHER e-mail thanking me for stopping my paper bills. Overkill. But since we are all online anyway, why not save the paper and the stamps by having things delivered electronically? This is much more efficient for me, since I can't really "lose" an e-bill (e-statement?), and I can keep it as new mail until I have paid it to remind me that it is due, rather than putting it in a drawer or next to the bed or on the table where the cat adopts it as his new toy and, three months down the road, I find it behind the piano or under a sofa cushion.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

It is now officially August, which means that "Christmas in July" has passed and it is now time to get in full swing for the real thing! I spent the better part of the weekend working out who I need gifts for, what to get them, where to find it, and how much it is going to cost. Gift ordering has commenced! Over the next few months I will begin to amass a horde of Christmas items which will take up space and must be monitored via computerized listing so I don't forget what I got and for whom...but it is a necessity because if I don't get this present thing going, I will start having my pre-Christmas nightmares. It is true. I have them. If I am not dutifully shopping by August (or so) I begin to have nightmares that it is 6:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve and all the stores are locking up for the holiday and I have not gotten anything for my son, my whole family, it varies. And it freaks me out. So, time to get cracking!