2011 Fall Fashion & Winter Wardrobe Updates

Everyone can use a few wardrobe updates to freshen things up, but in today's economy it's important to make every purchase count.  Here are the items I've updated my closet with this season.  Fitting with my classic style (in a trendy sort of way), these basic items are neutral in color allowing them to easily work with my existing clothing. 

It's been a while since I've done a fashion post, so...
Let's get to it.

Boden Uptown Pumps (which are really flats *grin*)
These also come in both Mushroom and a Navy color that are great basics!
I bought these in Navy. They are smart, comfy and I know I'll wear them a ton.



Gap 1969 Lightweight Corduroy Leggings
I bought these in Navy. They are flattering and feel like butter against my skin. Pure LOVE!


Ann Taylor Perfect Long Sleeve Shirt
This is the perfect everyday shirt.  You can dress it up or dress it down.  Wear it tucked in or un-tucked.
I bought this in both French Blue and White.

*Please check the link on this one as I couldn't copy the picture. grrrrrrrr I hate websites that are all photo stingy that way :-(

LandsEnd Canvas Women's Necktie Belt
Love this belt with my Gap navy skinny cords and jeans! It coordinates great with the Ann Taylor shirt in this post as well and the Boden flats!



True Religion Brand Billy Indigo Super T Jeans
Okay, so these were super spendy but they gave me the tush of a teenager.
'Nuff said.


 
Now for the stuff I'll probably live in 'till spring.
Drum roll for the Mom Uniform..........

Aeria Flare Slim Gym Yoga pants
These are, hands down, my favorite yoga pants.  And for $19 bucks, girl, you can beat 'em.



Old Navy Lightweight Hoodies
Love these lightweight hoodies.  Combine this hoodie with some yoga pants and this momma is good to go.


Or if you prefer a scoop neck style pullover hoodie to layer over a tank.
This one also comes in lots of fun colors.
Old Navy Lightweight Pullover Hoodies


So that's what I've got for today. I'd love to hear your great Fall/ Winter fashion finds!  Please post them in the comments so we can all check them out.

Thanks!
~The Lemonista

Momma Got New Legs ~ L'Occitane Rocks!

Photo used w/ photographer and model (that's me *grin*) permission. 

I enjoyed a wonderful evening out with my BFF for my Birthday last month. After some great girly conversation (and a few margaritas), we decided to stroll around the Arizona Biltmore Fashion Park to do a lil' shopping. We hit all the regular stores on our stomping ground and soon found ourselves heavy handed with shopping bags (and smoking credit cards). Just as we were about to call it a night, we arrived in front of L'Occitane. My BFF, aka The Queen of Cosmetics, got all giddy--professing her love of L'Occitane products while I grumbled under my breath, "I don't like stinky stuff."

Obligated by friendship, I half-heartily following my beloved BFF into the store. 

We were promptly greeted by a lovely red head with a peaches and cream complexion, "Welcome to L'Occitane.  What can I help you ladies find today?" 

My BFF flawlessly listed off a couple of items with French names, while I avoided eye contact and made my best attempt to slide under the radar.  My plan had almost succeeded, when Miss peaches & cream placed a scoop of some gritty lemony smelling stuff in my palm, "Come over to our sink," she said, "and scrub your hands with our Verbena Body Salt Scrub."  She proceeded to fill my head with impressive stories about L'Occitane's lavander fields in France and the women of  Burkina Faso who harvest their shea butter as she took me through a quick regiment, that had me changing my tune from, "I'll pass" to "Gimme that stuff!"

*(Heads-up to any L'Occitane higher-ups that may be reading my blog post--This red headed dream employee of yours deserves a raise!)*

So here's the secret.  These three products have made my legs look and feel fantastic.

*GREAT GIFT IDEA*

1.  Scrub your legs with this stuff (which smells absolutely AMAZING!)

Verbena Body Salt Scrub

2. Lather your legs with this stuff (A foaming oil--who knew! This is perfect for shaving.)
Almond Shower Oil

 

3. Rinse and dry your legs and then apply this stuff.  (This may just be the thing that's been missing from my life *sighs*)
Shea Butter Body Lotion



That's it!  Now enjoy your gorgeous new legs.  Seriously, I had no idea anything (other than the fountain of youth) could make such a difference! If I could just sign myself up for a spray tan, I'd be all set *wink*.

~The Lemonista

P.S. I am not being compensated for writing this post. This post is my own experience and idea. Those are most certainly my real legs in the photo above. And for the record, I am 40 years young ;-) 

Linked to:
Feathered Nest Friday

Summer's Coming!

It's starting to heat up in Phoenix and while we've been in the pool since March, the thermometer approaching triple digits has me thinking about the beach.  Those of us who live in the blazing Arizona heat, enjoy an escape to the glorious beaches of Southern California in the summer.  So with breezy beach towns on the brain, I thought I'd post a few of my summer finds today.

My kids, La Jolla, CA, 2009

First off, I'm excited to share my new summer sneakers.  Although I generally live in flip-flops during the hot summer months, a great pair of tennies are a must have for outdoor playtime with the kids.  This pair of shoes from Landsend are not only cute and cheap (my favorite combination) but dry quickly, which makes them practical as well.

http://www.landsend.com/pp/WaterShoes~217799_253.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::BIB&CM_MERCH=search-_-water+shoes&origin=search

Next up, the fabulously fun and trendy beach cruiser!  Those of you who follow my blog know that a few months back I was on the hunt for a new bike. 

While I love my Electra OM 3i cruiser, I still enjoy surfing the Internet in search of bike cuteness. 

Check out Lily Pulitzer's new Printed Cruiser for summer! *swoon*

http://www.lillypulitzer.com/view-all/printed-cruiser/invt/999845/

This bike just screams beach to me.  How fun would cruisin' down the boardwalk be riding this beauty?

Of course, every girl's bike needs a good lookin' basket.  I found mine at PeterBoro Basket Company.

http://www.peterborobasket.com/p-1268-peterboro-original-regular-bicycle-basket.aspx

They even make a matching basket for kids and I have to say that my basket gets even more compliments than my bike when I'm out riding around. *grin*

Finally, it's fun to wear a little flair when dining at some quaint coastal restaurant.  Since I believe that arm candy will continue to be a popular trend this summer, I just know this little gem will get lots of wear on my summer vacations.  My sweet friend Laurel (http://petalpusheraccessories.blogspot.com/) spotted this gorgy bracelet made by Dana at Apple White on Etsy.  The moment she emailed me the photo, I knew it needed to come live with me.

http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade/jewelry?includes%5B0%5D=materials&search_query=apple+white&search_type=all&noautofacet=1

Hope I've inspired you with a few fun summer ideas.  Commence the Popsicles and homemade ice cream!

~The Lemonista

Glam Up Basic Black For The Holidays & My Favorite Coffee!

Just a reminder that I will do the drawing for the holiday Bento boxes first things Sunday morning 11/21/10.  Followers of my blog can leave a comment on this thread to be entered in the drawing.
http://thelemonista.blogspot.com/2010/11/thanksgiving-bento-holiday-bento.html

Sometimes all you need to spice up your holiday wardrobe is a little sparkle!  Who doesn't look sharp in basic black?  However a basic, such as black, needs the compliment of something special to make it memorable. I love a touch of sparkle to glam things up or an eye catching punch of color.  I recently bought this basic black outfit from Banana Republic.

Essential turtleneck



http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?searchCID=25789&vid=2&pid=789422

Five-pocket velvet skinny pant



http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?searchCID=25789&vid=1&pid=788917

I plan to get a lot of mileage out of these two basic black staples as I can think of many ways to change up this set.  I wore this outfit to my son's Thanksgiving program last night and followed my holiday rule of sparkle and color.  I added this glitter belt in black from New York & Company. 

http://www.nyandcompany.com/nyco/browse/productDetailWithPicker.jsp?productId=prod2720054&categoryId=&productId=prod2720054&categoryId=&addFacet=SRCH%3Asparkle+belt

And these tartan ruffle flats from (ready for this) PAYLESS!  Yes folks, these fabulous shoes were only $16.99!  They are cute, comfy and the perfect holiday accessory.  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that they come in girl sizes too.  Elyse and I now have matching shoes ;-)

http://www.payless.com/store/product/detail.jsp?catId=&subCatId=&skuId=078834065&productId=67464&lotId=078834&category=&catdisplayName=Womens

Another option for this basic black outfit would be to skip the belt, add one of those flowing grey cardigans that can either drape or be tied in front and some glitter flats.  My gorgeous friend Meg has these Kate Spade beauties:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3119991?cm_cat=datafeed&cm_pla=shoes:women:flats&cm_ite=kate_spade_new_york_%27nell%27_glitter_flat:316469&cm_ven=Froogle&mr:trackingCode=CEE50B1E-10C8-DF11-B003-002219319097&mr:referralID=NA

These Steve Madden glitter flats are similar and another great option




http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3125203?origin=keywordsearch&resultback=1074

Target also has some cute glitter flats for girls this season if you wanted to coordinate Mother/daughter outfits.

There are literally dozens of other accessory combinations to change up this black set.  I hope I've given you a few ideas to convey that.

Now for my morning religion--Coffee! 

Last year, after almost 15 years of marriage, the coffee maker that Mike and I got as a wedding gift finally died.  Being the savvy consumer that I am, I spent weeks researching and reading reviews about coffee makers trying to decide on a replacement.  Learning more than I ever wanted to know about coffee makers, there was one important fact that helped make my decision.  Although having a built in grinder is very convenient.  The most frequent part of a coffee maker to break is the grinder mechanism.  Grinders are inexpensive to purchase as a separate appliance, but one that is part of a expensive coffee maker is not so cheap to replace.  A subscriber to Cooks Illustrated, I decided to add their number one pick to my Christmas list-- The  TECHNIVROM MOCCAMASTER. 

Few had even heard of this coffee make when I went on the hunt for it last Christmas but since then William Sonoma began singing it's praises and now it has gone mainstream.
http://www.clivecoffee.com/product/technivorm/technivorm_kbt741_brewer_silver.html
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/search/results.html?activeTab=products&words=technivorm&cm_sp=OnsiteSearch-_-GlobalNav-_-Button

I have to give credit to Clive Coffee in Portland.  http://www.clivecoffe.com/
My husband ordered this coffee maker from them last year when few others carried it and they even sent some of their fabulous hand roasted coffee along with it for us to sample!  Brilliant marketing.  I've since become a coffee snob.   Their Ethiopia Yirgacheffe is my hands-down favorite.

Here I am opening my Christmas present (that I picked...ha ha)


Between the Technivorm and Clive's amazing hand roasted coffee, I had no idea coffee could taste so good!  Seriously....perfection.