Sales, etc

Here are some great sales going on right now:

The Limited has added new items to their sale.

J.Crew is offering an additional 20% off of their sale items.

Ann Taylor loft has a huge sale section right now.

Project Homedesign

We're finally starting to get some projects done at home. I think I need to set a goal of one project per month, so I can finally check things off my list - like the hanging rod and shelf that needs to get put up in my laundry room.

Today a storm door is arriving for our front door. The builder for our neighborhood didn't put in storm doors on any houses - you had to do it yourself. So we'll finally be able to open the front door and get a nice breeze in. Plus there's a tax break for adding a storm door. SWEET.

Also getting accomplished is the painting that needs to be done. Someone is coming on Monday to estimate the cost of painting our first floor, ceilings included, so we can get it going. We've chosen colors - Behr's Biloxi for the living room, Mountain Haze for the kitchen, and Polar Drift for the bathroom.

I've ordered new bedding for our guest room. Our dog tore the ubiquitous Ikea duvet cover that was in our guest room, and it was an excuse to finally get more put-together bedding for that room. It should arrive tomorrow and I can't wait.

Once all these things are done, I can finally start hanging art work and doing the rest of the decorating that I've held off on. If, you know, I'm ever ambitious enough to start on it.

Some shopping candy for today: Kohl's has released its new line of Elle Decor accessories. Check it out here!

2010 Emmy Fashion Wrap!

Without further ado...

Worst Dressed:
3. Edie Falco - probably the least flattering black dress on the face of the earth.
2. Holly Burrell - yeah, Carmen Miranda called and she'd like her costume back.
1. Rita Wilson - no surprise here, and no explanation needed.

Best Dressed:
3. Angela Kinsey - a perfectly cut dress with just the right amount of detail and suited to her figure.
2. Sofia Vergara - the vertical line of sequins adds length to her frame.
1. Claire Danes - I realize she was on everyone's list, but for good reason! Perfect fit, perfect color, coordinating hair.

Worst Accessorizing: Anna Paquin - when your dress has that much glitz going on, you really shouldn't have any jewelry at all, and definitely not layers of bracelets.
Best Accessorizing: Keri Russell - I realize she made some worst dressed lists, but I think the accessorizing pulls together the Grecian-meets-beachy look of the whole ensemble.

Worst Use of Color: Naya Rivera - if you're going to do an '80s-style silhouette, don't do teal. Just don't.
Best Use of Color: Katrina Bowden - the wrong style dress could make this color seem garish, but in a floaty dress like this it feels perfect.

Worst Hair: Julie Bowen - I love her on Modern Family, but this looks like my hair after a night of drunken dancing with my friends.
Best Hair: Nina Dobrev - just the right amount of height, perfect with her dress and earrings.

There it is! My thoughts on this year's Emmy Awards red carpet.

Photo - moviestarstyle.com

Get your ax, the zombies are coming

Oops, I disappeared for a while.

Has anyone else been browsing the runway shows from New York Fashion Week? I love it, because with autumn around the corner (ugh) it's nice to see the bright, happy fashions for next spring. I'm loving Tory Burch's collection.

I've been terrible about reading lately. I got wrapped up in summer television - My Boys, Top Chef, etc - and haven't really finished any books. I've started a couple, but I've lost interest. With many of my favorite TV shows premiering in the next week or two, I'm afraid I'll be even more behind. I'm hoping two new books I received for my birthday from my brother will spark my interest in reading; the previously mentioned True Prep, and The Zombie Survival Guide - because my brother cares enough to educate me on zombie protection.

I promise an Emmy wrap up is coming. No, really.

Organic, people

Sometimes I have those moments where I forget why organic is the way to go; where I'm lured by cheap prices or uber-perfect fruit. If you need a couple reminders of why you really should be avoiding chemicals, here they are. The second article is particularly alarming to me, as my husband's two fragrances of choice are Acqua di Gio and Eternity. I want to shout out to Eco Salon, whose existence on my blogroll keeps eco-friendly lifestyle front and center in my mind.

http://www.ecosalon.com/women-pesticide-reform-california-central-valley/

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/may2010/2010-05-13-01.html

That's a Don't

If you're waiting for an Emmy wrap-up post, don't worry - it's coming!

There are a lot of weird trends in fashion right now, and some of them just simply aren't classy, polished, classic, chic or flattering in my opinion. Maybe it's the prep in me. I just think we can all do ourselves a fashion favor and go without them. So, without further ado, here's my list of fashion dos that I feel are don'ts.

Raw edges
Torn denim
Jodhpurs or any other fluffy-thighed pant
Over-sized grandpa sweaters
Cargo pants
Leather or patterned leggings
Buffalo plaid
Black skinny jeans
Uber-masculine military jackets
Mixed patterns
Open-toed boots or booties
Thigh-high hosiery
Socks with pumps
Neon colors
Cut off shorts
Zippered dresses (more often that not your zipper won't lie flat)
Whatever "Snooki" is wearing
18 different bracelets at once

Of course, my list isn't exhaustive, but it does include plenty of the current crap I'm seeing on the celeb crowd. Just say no to trashy, useless, and unflattering clothing.



Photo of Miley in a number fashion don'ts: people.com