this week was pretty laid back and lovely. there was coffee, a playdate (lookie that Brynn’s cheeks!), more coffee, of course mini-topknots, and a lady date with Elizabeth, Amy, Lindsy and Bree for dirty burgers. what makes them dirty? well, it’s the way you feel after you eat one – so incredibly dirty and full of self loathing for having just enjoyed a pile of food as much as you did. burger, cheese, thick cut bacon, garlic mayo and tomato jam on a pretzel bun. i have mentioned it numerous times here and probably will again, because i have dreams of this burger. if you’re local, hit up DOA and get one. or the elk sliders. or the greek burger. or anything on the menu. i get my burger with garlic fries because i hate myself.

Harper now has 2 levels of fashion attire – naked with undies OR omg wearing every piece of fairy attire she owns at one time. she goes from jammies to naked in .6 seconds, then from naked to fairy like it’s her job. we are talking tutu, wings, headpiece and wand. most of my days consist of picking up tulle and clothes strewn about the house.

besides no clamp curls and Kristen Bell, here a few other things i loved this week:

Stacy threw her son a Mario birthday party. freaking love it.

i bought this gelaskin for my phone and it’s on its way! NEON ANIMALS.

massive blog crushes – Oana Befort and designlovefest.

we have been downing smoothies like it’s our job. Harper’s two favorites have been this one and this one.

and thank you to Lisa for bringing this amazing blog to my attention. hilarity.

how was your week?

wearing clothes that i love make me feel amazing.

it doesn’t matter how much they cost or where they came from – if i like it, wearing it makes me happy and feel more confident. every time.

one of my goals for this year is to overhaul my closet. no, i’m not planning on buying a ton of clothes (in fact quite the opposite), but instead making my closet a place where i enjoy the things hanging in it. the past few weeks i have been organizing and getting anything out of there that i haven’t worn and don’t love (oh hello gray synthetic “suit” from junior high DECA that had ELASTIC WAIST pants – what in the bloody heck are you still doing in there?!). my plan for this year is to make thoughtful purchases – something i haven’t always done. let’s be real – i have a small budget and i have zero qualms about buying from target, forever 21, h & m, and of course, second hand stores. i realize all those places aren’t for everyone, but they are for me. but girl, you don’t need to buy that top just because it’s on clearance. stop it now.

that was me talking to myself, btw.

so along with using my brainparts more often when i am thinking about buying something instead of only my heart (but it has horses on it!), i’m also vowing to step out of my comfort zone and have more fun. i’m 30, not dead. NEON IT IS.

here are some things that i am going to work into my wardrobe this spring (when i see them on the clearance rack, natch).

last week i bought a polka top blouse that i am pretty stoked on. i would like a basic solid color one at some point. i always look when i’m thrifting but have yet to find the perfect one. this one from j crew is gorgeous, but way out of my price range for something that would likely end up with apple juice on it.
i am head over heels (see what i did there) for these target pumps. i saw them at my local store, didn’t buy them, and weeks later when i went back to do so, they essentially told me i was crazy and they aren’t available in stores. don’t do me like that, target.

TOMS is coming out with ballet flats this spring! ::jig of joy::
ok, so i own the green ones. they were on the clearance rack and i had been eying them for weeks anywho (adoring all things emerald green lately). wouldn’t mind adding a yellow or mint green pair to my closet at some point. color! fun!
i don’t even care that i wore these colors on spandex bike shorts in 1991. i’m back in love with neon and i don’t care who knows it. luckily so is everyone else, so it’s not even that embarrassing.

i’m one of those people (tell me i’m not alone here) who knows what i like when i see it in catalogs or pinterest, etc, but once i get into a store and see ALL THE THINGS my mind kind of short circuits and stops working, i forget what i like, and the ultimate impromptu case of style ADD ensues. hence why i’m trying this year to only go into stores with a plan. yep, even at target, i’ve been trying to bypass the clothing section unless i specifically set out to look for an item. it works 50% of the time which means i’ve saved money already. trust.

i know it’s easy to get overwhelmed in an internet sea of impeccably stylish people. i love blogs and pinterest for inspiration, but it’s true sometimes they can make you feel less than. the final part of my style goal for 2012 is to remember that my style is just that: mine. this year i’m following my own instincts when it comes to my clothes and it’s already happening and i love it.

i’ll keep you guys updated as my closet transforms. harper has lofty goals of more tutus and more sparkly shoes in her 2012 closet, so we’ll keep you updated on that as well.

what is something you’d like to buy for your closet this year?

 red polkadot blouse // gray silk blouse // leopard pumps // TOMS //
yellow jeans // green jeans // neon stripe sweater // neon pink sweater

i mentioned this briefly last week, but wanted to devote a post to the age of three. because three? three is kind of a b.

in fact, that should be it’s motto. tagline? it should be next to it in the dictionary. is what i’m saying. with a side note that 3 is also the funniest, cutest, warm and fuzziest.

it can be summed up perfectly like my reader Hilary said: three year olds are like those sour patch kid commercials. “first they’re sour, then they’re sweet”. uh-huh. all day long dude.

newborn was hard. there was no sleep to be had. nipples were harmed, hair was lost and hormones made my husband very, very scared. chubby baby stage ruled, minus teething and all that, but still, it was do-able. two was easy like sunday morning in the grand scheme of things. but three? oh dear lord. who is this person? and why does her head spin around like that?

had i known i’d need some sort of degree in negotiating with terrorists, i sure as hell would have looked into that before she turned into one. because nothing is quite as fun as trying to coax your kid out from under a table at preschool pickup without looking and sounding like an asshole. nothing to see here! i’m just the only one with a kid who hides when it’s time to leave! righty-oh. kill me now. the whole “come on kiddo i have something fun to show you at home!” only works so many times. but what is it? is it a toy? are we going to starbucks? are we going to disneyland?! uh, no, i bought yogurt covered raisins instead of regular?

do not anger the three year old. three year old will ruin you. DID YOU HEAR ME, YOU PUT JUICE IN THAT CUP NO NOT THAT ONE THE PINK ONE WITH THE YELLOW FLIP STRAW BEFORE I LOSE MY DORA LOVING MIND LADY. god, the three year old is scary. and then? when you’re at your breaking point and it’s not even close to bed time and if you get kicked/screamed at/ignored one more time you might cry? out of nowhere (imagine scary toddler unzipping itself and cute toddler comes out like it was wearing scary toddler like a costume) comes the cutest, funniest, sweetest little muffin basket asking to cuddle. and will you rub her back? pleeeeeease?

asdfghjkl.

i suspect this is all preparation for the teen years, when all hell will break loose and there will be no sweet moments again until they have their own kids. my mom says i wasn’t like this as a toddler, but i think that’s because years 9-17 were so traumatizing for her that she pushed it out of her mind. that is the only explanation, because these kids are whack. i’ve seen it at preschool and at the playplace we go each week. tiny little mean people coated in sugary sweet adorableness. and what fun! you never know which you’re going to get! it’s like a surprise party (oh you shouldn’t have!) where all the guests are banshees (no seriously…you shouldn’t have). who then morph into an adorable baby hedgehog. and you’re just left there doing the ugly cry where you’re really scared but smiling because REALLY WHAT JUST HAPPENED.

i’ve heard four year olds are magic. i’ve also heard that four year olds are scarier than three year olds. i’ve also heard anderson cooper is gay, but you don’t see me rocking in the corner eating my own hair at the prospect do you?! oh.

i know the internet is supposed to be full of sparkly sunshine happiness, but toddlers are crazy you guys. let’s commiserate. please?

last friday H had preschool in the morning and we had a date with Stacy and 2 of her 3 boys to go to the children’s museum afterward. but it was just our luck that the museum was moving and therefor closed, set to reopen in it’s new location the next day. what do you do when you’ve told your 3 year old you’re going to a museum all day and then you can’t? cupcakes.

because toddlers don’t know nor care that cupcakes are totes 2006. oh and? either do their moms.

frosting is frosting. is marshmallow flavored frosting.

pretty sure that sweater is completely ruined from being slathered in chocolate frosting. if you ever need some cheering up, simply sit and watch a couple of kids (or just one if you only happen to have one handy) consume a cupcake. there is nothing not cute or happy about it. if you disagree i will fight you.

that escalated quickly! brick killed a guy with a trident!

besides, cupcakes give you muscles. or they have muscles. who knows really?

vid by Stacy.