Gone Royal

Y'all.

Y'ALL. This is happening, for serious:

via

I'm headed across the Pond (!) for a few days, with the legitimate opportunity to wear a FASCINATOR* (!!) in my near, ridiculously lucky future. I'll resume Pretty business here around Monday, June 11th or so - in the unlikely event Princess Shinylocks hasn't adopted me as the missing Middleton sister by then, that is.

No, but seriously - I'm headed over to see two of my non-imaginary, non-princess best friends, and my overwhelming excitement about seeing them and, you know, possibly a Princess is nearly drowning out my weepies about leaving my boys at home. Nearly.

If you're simply beside yourself at the prospect of my absence - if not, why not?! - I'll occasionally check in via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Morse code, fax, smoke signal, and carrier pigeon.

*No, I'm not kidding - would I joke about the chance to wear ridiculous headwear? (It's like you don't even know me.) (Sigh.) (Parentheses.)

Mom's Night Out(fit), with Bonus Copy-Kate

The truly genius thing about these sorts of style posts is that you can just swipe ideas from friends and loved ones when you have nothing interesting to say and call it blog material, right?

Let me explain. Ahem.

As it often happens with my favorite style finds, I saw a friend at book club last week - hi, friend! - wearing an absolutely darling dress, which looked for all the world like it from one of those preppish designers I can rarely afford. You know, the ones that usually end in -illy for whatever reason.

I demanded to know where she found such a gem - after getting through the perfunctory "Hellos" and other social niceties - and was shocked that it was from that very Webster at Target collection I'd recently reviewed. What had only looked so-so on the hanger was positively Pretty in person, just the sort of lightweight, casual summer dress I like to transition from daywear to night with a quick change of accessories. Cheap enough for my toddler chasing reality, expensive looking enough to suit Ms. Champagne Tastes here = done.

After an entirely unnecessary Target trip to purchase said dress to stock up on, um, house supplies, here's how I wore it for a margaritas & movie outing with some mom friends - ie, one of the rare opportunities we have to chat without conversation being interrupted by a toddler wandering onto a busy highway - with a few details changed to replace some of my ancient, no longer available accessories:

blazer / dress (note: size down if you're between sizes) / ring / earrings / sunglasses / clutch / wedges  (size UP) / watch

Note: I can't find that Kendra Scott "Poppy" ring online in the same color, but see the same design (on sale!) here

Obviously there was a shoe switcheroo . . . which leads me to the Copy-Kate portion of the program *jazz hands*. Over the weekend - after my mom's night out, naturally - those gorgeous LK Bennett "Maddox" wedges arrived, the same ones our High Priestess of Prep wore after her wedding to Prince You-Were-Cuter-at-18. After hemming and hawing and trying less expensive alternatives over the past year - I'm nothing if not decisive - I finally splurged on these summer-y classics.

A note to anyone interested in this Copy-Kate: these run CAPS LOCK TEENY TINY and narrow, so I'd advise ordering at least one size up; I exchanged mine for 1.5 sizes up. Budget friendly alternatives include this Payless one (on sale!) and that JC Penney one (with thanks to Sarah and Hopsy respectively for those tips); I tried this in-the-ballpark Stuart Wetizman version, which was a bit less expensive but not quite the timeless, demure look I was after.

A few more Copy-Kates up my sleeve for you soon . . . happy post-holiday weekend to you in the meantime.

Winner - Swim Spot Giveaway

And the winner of my Memorial Day extravaganza Swim Spot giveaway is . . . Sarah! Like a certain somebody else you know and love, Sarah is a stay-at-home mom to a darling wee boy and wife to a lawyer. She's also new to the blogging world, so please pop on over and say hello.

Sarah, I'll be in touch soon with your gift card details. Congratulations, and thanks to Swim Spot for the giveaway!

(Actual post of substance - well, as much as you can expect here, that is - to come later today.) (You know, unless it's a bad hair day, etc.) (Pinky swear) (Parentheses)

Giveaway - Swim Spot

***This is a sponsored giveaway; all opinions stated and language used is my own, however. We're good, pinky swear. ***

It's that time of year when those little reminders of summer start popping up for this native California girl - the smell of Coppertone, the end of the school year, the trying on of bathing suits . . .

. . . it's that last bit that makes the prospect of summer a bit (a lot) more terrifying, isn't it? I may have switched modes from beach bunny to poolside mama, but I still want to look chic - ok, ok, let's realistically go with presentable - at toddler swim class.

Splendid "Carnival" Halter Top & Boy Shorts - enough coverage for toddler chasing without sacrificing the cute

Enter Swim Spot,  an online retailer specializing in not just women's swimwear for some of my favorite designer swimwear brands - Ella Moss, Splendid, and Reef, for starters - but also finding just the right swimwear for your body type.

When Swim Spot contacted me, I was immediately struck by this common sense, yet all too rare, approach to swimsuit shopping. As a "pear shape" who struggles in conventional stores to find a bathing suit that fits both my (little) top and my (less little, ahem) bottom, I especially love their "Fit Specialist" advice and videos tailored to different body shapes. The videos accompanying many of the suits, which allow you to see how each one looks on an actual person, are an incredibly helpful tool too.

On that figure friendly note, many of the two-pieces are sold separately - another outstanding feature for those of us who may be two different sizes for top and bottom - with the "Bikini Builder" feature:

There are so many fun Swim Spot choices . . . I'm definitely ordering that Splendid suit up above, but here are a few more of my absolute favorites Pretties. Yes, I've basically translated my sailor tee Mom-O-Flage to a similarly colorful, be-striped poolside look:

Nautica "Schooner" Halter Top & "Belted Retro" Bikini Bottom

Splendid "Carnival" Bandeau Top & Bikini Bottom - oh, to be in my beach bunny twenties again . . .

Nautica "Under the Sea" Tunic 

Splendid "Carnival" Tunic

Luckily for us - and the people who have to see us at the splash pad - Swim Spot is giving away one $50 gift card for one insanely lucky follower (yes, you must be a follower) of I Picky Pretty!

Rules for Entry:

1) Follow me via that Google Connect thingy to the left if you haven't already;
2) For one entry - leave me ONE COMMENT, and one comment only, including an email address or other valid means of getting in touch with you;
3) For one additional entry - like Swim Spot on Facebook; include the fact that you've liked them in your one comment


Entries will close at 11:59 pm CST on Sunday, May 27th. A winner will be selected via Random.org, and I will announce the winner here on Tuesday, May 29th and put you in touch with the Swim Spot Pretties then.  Whatever else I've forgotten to mention here, I'll make up the rules for in my sole and wildly unreasonable discretion. Thank you for understanding.

Don't forget to also check out the Swim Spot giveaways happening on two of my favorite blogs, Shasta Anne and Diary of a Domestic Failure - cute swimwear for all!

That's it. Easy - almost as easy as predicting that I'll order something from Swim Spot involving stripes. Happy Memorial Day weekend, and good luck!

CopyKate: The Teal Deal

***Get ready for a super-chic, beachy giveaway tomorrow - hold on to your beach towels!***

The color teal suffers from a bit of a PR problem - it's blue to some, green to others, and when nail color namers start getting clever, something utterly confusing like "seafoam delight".

Wherever the shade is in your personal crayon box, yours truly predicts that teal will be one of the hottest colors going thanks to a certain Princess Shinylocks making a Pretty public outing in it recently. The new twist to this age old color may be the dainty lace detailing, as shown in below in HRH's dress:

necklace / polish /dress / top / sandal / tote / jeans / ballet flat

If teal / blue / green / whatever isn't your best color, try it in an accessory further away from the face, like that terrific little trompe l'oiel (yes, I always have to look up the spelling for that) tote. Teal gets the bright color trend done without getting all CAPS LOCK I AM NEON HEAR ME SEAR YOUR CORNEAS about it.

I'm a longtime teal fan, it being one of the few shades that goes well with my fetching natural shade of Pretty Pasty - will you be doing this CopyKate too?

A Mom-O-Flage Update

You know the days.

Your kid is up early, while you are up late. No amount of coffee is sufficient to make up the difference between the two.

You have to venture out in public - paging Murphy and her law - so PJs are not an option. You may be seeing friends, so while they'd never judge you for donning the universal Tired Mom wardrobe of yoga pants and the Ponytail of Defeat, you want to do better.

In a day largely out of your control, where you may not be feeling your best, looking your best - ok, your regular ol' day sort of best - helps somehow. It's not about showing off your outfit, but rather shoring up your spirit a bit.

Enter Mom-O-Flage, the uniform to see you through the early morning nursery school run and such. We'll each have our own variation on this, but the universal beauty of the uniform is that it's mindless. As surely as a Kard*ashian gravitates towards a TV camera, you automatically grab this from your closet.

I'm not saying that this is particularly fashion forward - in fact, it is spectacularly unspectacular. That's the point, really, as it is with any good uniform.

I've incorporated some trendy into my spring & summer Mom-O-Flage - the colored denim and the arm party, for example - but the basics are wardrobe staples I've had for years. Sailor tees and pearls studs and sturdy Longchamp totes, forever and ever, amen:

clockwise from left: sailor tee (mine is ancient J. Crew; here's the update) / necklace / tote (old - similar here) / jeans (sold out in this color, budget alternative here) / sandals / bangles / studs

Remember how I vowed to try and fancy up my style posts here with the occasional personal photos, life / toddler permitting? Please brace yourself for the magnificent look of Blue Steel to follow:

Yes, there will still be those days of yoga pants and not enough caffeine. For those times when I can muster that extra bit of effort, though, a uniform just makes me feel Prettier. And we'll take whatever we can get with on those days, right?

If you've sufficiently recovered from my modeling prowess to answer - what's your Mom-O-Flage? 

"___ like a Girl"

Subtitle: "Not to Worry: We'll Get Back to the Superficial Style Posts Tomorrow"

When people tell you how everything changes when you have children, you grimly laugh and acknowledge the vast unknown ahead of you, all the while secretly resolving not to change yourself one bit if you're able.

The thing is, some of that sea change sneaks up on you, politely tapping you on the shoulder as it brushes past through your front door. It's often a welcome intruder in the end, as it happens, but unexpected nonetheless.

Take, for example, some turns of phrase, little cultural sayings you toss off without thinking about them . . . a certain adult male in our home - let's call him the Anonymous Husband for sake of his privacy - occasionally uses the phrase "___ like a girl" as a pejorative. "You throw like a girl" and such.

Pre-kid me? Didn't sweat this silly, if sexist, phrase too much. Sure, I'd roll my eyes and call him out on it occasionally, noting that the woman he chose to marry was, surprisingly enough, once a little girl herself, not to mention the legion of other former little girls out there doing amazing things. Knowing in my cold, icy heart that the AH was (and is) no sexist, though, I'd quickly forget about it, preferring to pick and choose my marital battles.

photo credit: Ziem Photography (hi, Z!)

And then Change toddled in in the form of the wee CEO, and somehow the raising of a little boy, the stewardship of that role, changed my take on this. Over the weekend, when the AH told the crabby Master P to "stop whining like a little girl!", New Mom kicked in:

"You know, we really shouldn't use that phrase anymore. I'm serious. Plus, whining isn't gender specific - have you met you after your team loses?"

"Oh, settle down," he laughed. "I'm just kidding." 

"No, really. What will you tell our imaginary little girl one day when she's whining?"

[Silence] "Ok, ok. There may be a double standard at play here."

I realize it's just a phrase, but is it? Do I want our boy getting subtle messages from us - from society is a sad given - that being a girl is somehow lesser? Different, of course, but lesser - really?

I'm no PC warrior - this quasi-traditional lady is a stay-at-home-mom, for the love of Neiman Marcus - and I heartily roll my eyes at the Take Offense at Everything Team; that being said, I now see this stuff differently. I don't want to hand in my Sense of Humor card just because I have a kid, but the language we surround him with, and the feelings behind that - I just think it counts now. I didn't see this coming, but I do.

Off to wake up the boy and take care of the sick AH - like a girl.

What do you think? Any tips on this from the boy mom crowd?

A Smug Mummy Morning Out: How Not to Blog About Style

(If you'll please excuse the brevity of today's drivel, Master P and I seem to have come down with a stomach bug. Take heart, though - the post is just as superficial as usual. I'm sorry. You're welcome.)

Here's what happens when I try to play style blogger and take those not-at-all-narcissistic "outfit of the day"-style blog photos. I was trying to capture my "mother's day out" ensemble with meeting a friend for lunch in mind - does that make me a Lady Who Lunches? If so, can I be the kickass LWL sort who goes on adventures and is generally chic / mysterious etc. in addition to lunching?

Ahem:

HI, INTERNET!

Does this completely out of focus outfit match my sprinkler system? No?

My assistant was unamused by the process - as are you, I imagine.

Giving up and going the classy bathroom mirror route, unpolished nails and all.

Um, yeah - super professional, no? Here is why you end up with me putting together outfit sets via Polyvore instead, though in the future I'd like to mix things up a bit with more real life outfits. Which makes me a big fat hypocrite after poking fun at style bloggers ad nauseam. Sigh:

clockwise from left: top / studs (budget version here) / necklace (b&w version on sale here)/ braclets (mine are old Kenneth Jay Lane; similar here) / flats / handbag / watch / cardigan (mine is old, but that's the current iteration)

I paired this with my beloved new white capris, which made it a little too Valentine-y for my taste - but (playing the Mom card!) it's what was clean. I prefer that orange-y red contrasting with a dark denim capri, but I figured pants > no pants with most friends, right?

Wishing y'all a stomach bug-free, stylish weekend . . . over which I promise to try and improve the State of Photography around here - assuming I can rouse myself from the fainting couch, that is. *melodramatic sigh*

Smug Mummy Style: A Grace Kelly Update

Some things never change, do they? It's a cliche that seems particularly true when it comes to fashion, where if you wait long enough, things come back into vogue eventually.

Take this, for example (with thanks to HRH Preppy Princess for finding this shot):

At the Cannes Film Festival circa 195 (via The Telegraph)

Am I crazy - scratch that, crazier than usual - or does a lot of this look work in 2012? Sure, it helps to look like Grace Kelly and be impossibly glamorous, beautiful, etc., but I spy an echo of the floral, feminine pieces floating around right now as well as a whiff of classic nautical.

I got to tinkering with how I'd wear this look circa 2012, less the Princess title & good looks and plus a few pieces of trendy flair and one pair of floral jeans.

That's right - I'mma 'bout to make an argument for those pants that remind you (and me) of our Laura Ashley bedspreads of yore. 1986 just called, and it's cool with it. If you keep the base color subdued and the pattern small - think more dainty, less Grandmother's couch - I'm beginning to think some pairs are wearable:

Clockwise from left: cardigan / blouse / jeans / watch / flats / sunglasses / bracelet stack (thanks to Nautical by Nature for the find) / chain bracelet / lipstick / studs

A personal note about this: while some of this isn't conducive to my everyday chasing toddlers career - how many seconds it would take for Master P to snatch that red lipstick and smear it over the walls, for example - I'd do this for a dressy day out.  With the exception of the watch - paging Santa/sponsors! - it's in the realm of my budget reality to boot. With my goal of investing in Chanel-y classics, that Topshop cardigan will be my first purchase.

Also - this look screams for a classic pair of Varinas, but I'm not at that stage of life/income quite yet - not until the first face lift, at least. A time and place for everything, etc. (*Insert sarcasm font here*).

What do you think - have I convinced you that certain patterned pants can be chic, or is this a look best left to the royals? If not the pants, can I sell you on the rest of the look?

On the Pretty Bookshelf, May '12 Edition

"On the Pretty Bookshelf" is my monthly book nerd series in which I babble on about my & Master P's respective favorite reads of the month; you can see more of what I'm currently reading, delightfully awful s-m-u-t du jour included, at Goodreads.

***

I mean, who doesn't want to read about teens with terminal cancer or fencing felines? Good times.

Ahem.

For the Teens Grown-Ups:

"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

via Goodreads

Sometimes, you read a book and it just fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. ("The Fault in Our Stars")

Exactly. That oh-so-meta description is exactly how I feel about this ambitious, unflinching, deeply funny, nerdily perfect, thought-provoking, and - uh - adjective-provoking novel.
Hazel Green is a 16-year-old living with a terminal thyroid cancer diagnosis, out of school and in near-constant medical treatment. She has survived beyond her initial diagnosis thanks to an experimental drug but is stuck in a limbo of ongoing treatments, having been taken out of school and most of what we'd call a "normal" teenage life.

And then there was Augustus. Oh, Augustus. Gorgeous & in cancer remission himself, he strolls into the support group Hazel begrudgingly attends and swiftly upends her life in the way only your first love can, with the urgency (I can only imagine) a cancer diagnosis brings.

Somehow this book skillfully tackles no less than life, death, terminal illness, the meaning of love, sex, friendship, and philosophy without ever once straying from believability or growing didactic. In the wrong hands, the humor woven throughout here could have been too glib for the subject matter, but Green masterfully walks that line. Here is an intelligent and entirely readable book - how often can you say that?

I've read reviews complaining about the dialogue of those two, how real teenagers don't use such fancy SAT words or talk about highbrow topics, let alone with such wit or eloquence. This is akin to complaining that the weather is too perfect, or your meal too delicious - in short, it is stupid. Hazel and Augustus are smart and funny - and wholly believable at that, just like any number of actual, real-life teenagers I've known. Let's not pander to our teens via dumbed down language, America.

*steps off soapbox* Ahem.

I don't know how you write a book about terminal childhood illness with such unflinching honesty, with such a total lack of sentimentality, yet one that doesn't gloss over the complexities of the situation. Ok, fine - I don't know how you write a book at all, but if I did, I sure as Hell would hope it turned out half as compelling as this one. It's a first love story at its core, but much more than that.

All living humans need to read this book. Bring your hankies while you're at it.

For the Nursery School Set:

"Skippyjon Jones" by Judy Schachner

via Goodreads

This is the most fun I've had reading (and re-reading, and re-reading - this is the wee CEO's current favorite) a book out loud in, well, ever.

Our hero, Skippyjon Jones, is a mischievous Siamese kitten and adventurer who finds himself in time out yet again. While sequestered in his room, he embarks upon a mysterioso adventure, involving sword-fighting, bravery, and . . . beans.

This book is musical with its language, and I mean that literally - you'll find yourself singing passages out loud while you read, clapping along and, at times, speaking in a gringo accent. If y'all want to come over and hear me read aloud in a Spanglish twang - bet you never envisioned that particular scenario - here's your chance; I'll make the margaritas.

***

What are you reading this month? Any recommendations for me or the toddler?

A Picture (Im)perfect Mother's Day

"Perfect!" I thought to myself. "It's a gorgeous day out, *and* I'm in my fun new Webster at Target togs, so I'll snap some rare Smug Mummy style photos of us as a family en route to brunch, all the better for showing off on Facebook, the blog, etc."

Another Normal Rockwell moment with Master P, the Anonymous Husband, and his darling mom; the family nun - what, don't you have one of those? - and I are coordinating this masterpiece off camera.

Yep. Just your typical idyllic Mother's Day scene.

And do you notice somebody missing here? It seems strangely fitting that Mom here is the one not actually in any of my Mother's Day photos - not that I'm not delighted to have such a felicitous moment of my loved ones captured for eternity, but - wah - what about my good hair day? Oh, the symbolism.

Despite the day (my life) not being all about ME ME ME anymore, I did have a happy morning at church followed by a brunch comprised of the three brunch elements I hold most dear - terrific food, mimosas, and 80s music - in addition to the usual cards and flowers business. 'Twas a Smug Mummy sort of day in result, if not in look.

We had our happier wee CEO moments too, courtesy of a toddler train ride:

Excuse me while I go buy a tripod so that I might make future Mother's Days appearances too. After all, it might not just be all about me anymore, but even moms like to preserve the now-rare good hair/outfit days for posterity.

Hope your Mother's Day was just as festive and family-filled, if more photo-friendly, than mine.

Polka Dots & Pretty Stripes

***pretends that TIME breastfeeding cover brou-ha-ha never happened, la la la, I can't hear you***

[I'm not in the mood to take on the Freak-o-Momics media scare tactics today. Not not not. Listen, I'm all for people parenting as they wish, so long as it's healthy for everyone involved and not evangelically in-my-face and/or interfering with how I choose to parent. Also, WHOA. The end.]

Ahem.

This nautical stripe loving, bright color wearing, polka dot practitioner continues to be delighted with this seasons's offerings. A few new Pretties I (a) have just purchased; (b) am considering purchasing; or (c) am wondering which organs I can sell, steal, etc. in order to purchase:

For my upcoming day at the races (hint, hint - more on that soon) . . .

(Anne Klein, sold out on Rue La La today; similar at F21 here)

. . . to pair with mint . . .

Olivia Moon "Banded Hem Stripe" 

. . . because I still wear scarves even in the middle of Texas #deathhellheat #butfreezingac summer . . .

O by Oscar de la Renta Polka Dot Stole

. . . only if someone else (anyone? please?) is buying . . .

Tory Burch "Elaine" cardigan

And wee adorables for my (wee, adorable) niece:

Toms "Clea"

May your weekend be Prettily patterned and journalistically contrived Mama Drama-free.

Smug Mummy Style: The Investment PIece ("Dressy Jacket" ed.)

I've updated my "The Webster at Target" post - verdict: not bad! - after checking out the mens' & womens' clothing collections in person today. Yes, I went shopping - the things I do for you . . .

***

There are some classics we all can agree belong in every woman's closet - an LBD, a pair of jeans that perfectly fit your shape, and Spanx, for starters.

The versatile "dressy jacket" is another, as popularized by Chanel's tweedy boxy Lady Who Lunches prototype (see below). It's that mythical piece you can actually transition from work to play depending on how you accessorize it. Though I no longer have the office job excuse to buy this, this is just the sort of thing I envision wearing when I eventually, inevitably commandeer the P.T.A.

How to fake this Chanel look, though, for those of us (ie, nearly everyone) not on a Chanel budget?

Stiletto Jungle (run by my law school classmate turned fashion blogger, holla!) did a terrific write-up on a slightly more affordable version (also pictured below, then our Priestess of Prep, Princess Shinylocks herself, turned up in another recently. Between the two, it became clear I was suffering from a fashion emergency - emergency, I tell you! - so I went skittering to my laptop to try and find a budget friendly equivalent:

clockwise from left: Zara / Chanel / Tory Burch / Tory Burch / Irritatingly Perfect Hair (also, Rebecca Taylor - see pre-order information here) / Milly

I went with the Zara pictured above - that exposed zipper detail makes it fun & young enough for me to incorporate into date nights as paired with jeans and stilettos (or it would if I didn't live in a blistering inferno of Texas deathhellheat), or I can pair it with a sheath dress for shower-type events. At $99 I could pull the trigger without jeopardizing ye olde college fund.

For a less trendy but still not too old/boxy/frumpy look, I've put that cream Tory Burch number on my Top Secret Sale Watch list. I just saw it in person today and can't adequately convey its loveliness here, but . . . suffice to say it will play an integral part in my eventual PTA dictatorship. Mark my power-hungry words (jacket).

What do you think of this look - too Lady Lunchy, or a classic?

Smug Mummy Style: The Webster at Target

Everyone needs a signature look for summer, and what better one than "I'm off to the beach & tennis club, but meet me back at the summer house at six - we'll do cocktails and gossip on the lanai with the other trophy wives."

(I'm totally kidding, by the way, except about the summer house. I'm deadly serious about spending someone else's money on a beachfront manse one day. And happy hour just goes without saying, right?)

(Right.) (Ahem.) (Parentheses.)

Anyhow - after yesterday's Smug Eco, you might think I'd be on sabbatical from Target, my favorite time-waster budget retailer. The thing is, with "The Shops at Target" collection debut last weekend, I wasn't about to miss the chance to shop the Webster collection at Target's prices - after all, I'm not shopping on a Lady Who Lunches type budget quite yet (ever).

Yes, my avarice is outpacing my moral outrage. I'm nothing if not consistent with my principles.

Strangely, the men in my life are less excited about Target special collections than I am, so I haven't yet made it in person to investigate. Instead I took to the interwebs to order a few pieces and ogle many more:

clockwise from upper left: hat / dress / blazer / earrings / bracelets (plaid & paisley) / top / shoes / cardigan

Whether I keep the pieces I ordered - the above dress & cardigan, as well as this tunic - will depend on the quality, which is always a concern with these Target special collections. So long as the in-store returns are free, however, I'm taking my chances - after all, surely these lanai drinking Palm Beachy clothes count as an investment in my imaginary future?

I will update this post re: collection quality as soon my items arrive. Naturally I'll expect you to be on festively pink pins and needles until then. 

Edited to Add: I was able to check out the women's and men's clothing selections at my local store, and my overall impression is - pretty good! With a couple of exceptions, it isn't punching above its weight class - you won't mistake it for Lilly or Milly (or any other preppish retailers ending in "-illy") - but what I saw was stylish and mostly well made for the price.

In particular, I loved the jacket I posted above (both in coral & navy) in person - gorgeous lining, on-trend colors, and the quality stitch/seam-wise looked good. 

The men's section is a little - shall we say, vibrant - for my man's tastes. However, on reader Meredith's suggestion (thanks, Meredith!), I snagged this beachy chic shirt (or, as the AH would call it, "a shirt") for the mister.

Did any of you check out the Webster collection in person? Thoughts on that lanai happy hour proposition?

A Drive-By Parenting, Eco Shame Edition

You know how you usually think of the right snarky response to someone who has said something stupid - two days after they've said it, that is? (Yes, yes - we're meant to turn the other cheek and such, but . . .)

Like Mary, there's just something about parenting . . . it just brings out the judgment, and not in that festive Judge Judy sort of way.

Part of me gets it. Parenting is often a terrifying thing, such an overwhelming responsibility if you over-think it, that the temptation is there to act as if there are ALL CAPS BLACK AND WHITE ANSWERS TO IT ALL. (Hence, those braggy Facebook updates about how someone's epidural-free pesticide-free fun-free child is better than yours.) Trust me, I want to believe . . .

. . . unlike the "X-Files", though, my experience is that there is a lot of grey area. I should note given the current reading pop culture that this "grey area" is not to be confused with Christian Grey, though both frequently make me want to beat my head against the wall (and not in a kinky way).

Ahem.

Case in point - my Friday excursion to Target, that monument to American excess (*foreshadowing*). Master P & I do our usual spin through the Baby section, quickly grabbing the necessities before he becomes bored with shopping (usual start-to-whining time = +/- 5 minutes).

I proceed to the checkout with the shortest line and encounter what seems like a kindly, middle aged female cashier, whose smile began to wither as she spies the toddler snacks on the conveyor belt.

She visibly recoils as she sniffs in the direction of Master P's squeezable organic veggie packets, "What a shame - all this packaging material that isn't recyclable." She raises a brow and pauses to give me a significant glance.

"Holy (stuff), only in Austin," I think to myself, "Here I am just trying to buy my kid nutritious snacks. What is it with me, cashiers, and the parenting judgment?" 

Foodie in the making or eco terrorist?

Unlike that previous incident, though, I do not act as if nothing has happened. Oh, no.

Instead I summon my sweetest, I-was-in-the-Junior-League-dammit smile and chirp, "Oh, I completely agree (snark-free sidebar: and I do - yay recycling!). The thing is, we feel it's *so* important that he eat organic whenever possible, and this is how he'll eat his veggies at the moment. I'm all ears on how I can get him to eat them another way?"

Silence. Our eco-hero the cashier sighs and, with a vague air of defeat, continues scanning our items.

Boom. (Recycled) paper covers rock. I'll see your Smug Eco and raise you a Smug Foodie.

Of course, this isn't a big deal in the grand scheme, and you can find insults everywhere if you're looking for them, blah blah blah. Miss Planet Earth had a point, and I'm sure she meant no harm.

That being said, it sure is fun to stun the Smug into a few moments of blessed silence, isn't it?

"Insurgent" Winner & Friday Favorites Idea

And the "Insurgent" giveaway winner is *drumroll* . . .

. . . Samantha R.! Samantha, I'll email you shortly. Thank you all for playing along - happy reading!

***

In other news, you may have noticed - as in, clutched your pearls in extreme grief - that I haven't been posting on Fridays lately. That's because I realized:

(1) I needed a day to read your blogs and respond back to your comments and emails (and, yes, finish off "Insurgent" - 100 action packed pages to go); and
(2) I'm my own blog boss and can grant myself 3-day weekends at will, holla!

I also felt I needed an organized way to pimp your posts I most loved reading, so today & on other  Friday occasion I'm going to take to Twitter with links to my recent favorites. Consider this my version of the #followfriday meme you may have seen on there.

If there's interest in my linking here to those posts, as well as whatever other kickass internet miscellany I come across, lemme know, Pretty please. Thanks!

"Insurgent" Giveaway

In a fantastical feat of convergence (AHAHA. Yes, I completely understand if you unfollow me for that punny one), looky at what just arrived here at Pretty HQ:

Turns out one of my BFFs and I both knew I needed this on the very first day of release - how awesome is that? - so I ended up with TWO copies. I may have done a little dance on my front porch when I found this double delivery, and you know that wasn't a Pretty picture.

What is Pretty, though, is that instead of returning one of these, I'm giving one copy of Veronica Roth's "Insurgent" to one stupendously lucky reader, per the following entry guidelines:

1) Leave me one comment - and only one - including your email address.

That's it. I mean, it wouldn't hurt if you also liked my Facebook page or Tweeted the bejeezus out of this, but, as that old song goes, I can't make you love me. Besides, I'd rather do as our heroine Tris here does and earn your respect by being kickass. Actually, that's not true at all - I'll take your fanboy/girlism however I can wrangle it - but I figure that's the right thing to say, eh?

Other Boring Contest Rules in Bold Font: Since this giveaway is entirely on my dime, I have to limit entries to those of you with a continental US mailing address. Rest of the World, I still cherish you and hope to visit soon (unless you're Malaysia, in which case I've seen quite enough - I just wasn't that into you. It's not you, it's me.)

ALSO - your entry doesn't count if you don't leave me a valid email address. ALSO ALSO - if I don't like your shoes, your odds aren't looking good either.

Entries will close at 11:59 pm CST on Thursday, May 3rd. Yes, you have a mere 36 hours to enter. I'll pick a winner via Random.org; he/she will be notified by me via email and on this site and will have 48 hours in which to send me shipping info. If I don't hear from the winner by then, I'll pick again.

Bookworm Note: "Insurgent" picks up right where "Divergent" left off without much in the way of preamble (you can read my handy dandy "Divergent" review here), so I would recommend reading these in order vs. diving straight into this second book if you haven't already read the first.

Good luck! I'm off to ignore the world and dive back into reading this . . .

Freckle Face

Freckle Face. Spot. Dot.

The freckled ones among us will recognize those terms, often our from playground nicknames. Though many of my childhood heroes had them - "Anne of Green Gables", holla! - as a child I despised my freckles, which made me feel distinctive during those I-want-to-fit-in years.

Funny how those traits we may have disliked as children can become our signature look as adults, how we eventually see distinctive as a good thing. As I've grown older, I've gradually embraced the spots. Glad I have them - I do my makeup to highlight 'em, even. People seem to connect me to them, if usually with a highly original, never-been-heard-before "connecting the dots" joke. Even Hollywood seems to have generally caught on to our be-speckled sort.

[Lest you think I'm reached some zen place of maturity here, rest assured I'm remain bitter about my teeny-tiny eyes and (same adjective applies) bust. Thankfully that's nothing time & a little plastic surgery perspective won't fix.]

Ahem.

Moving along - the freckles have taken on greater meaning for me as a parent, strangely enough, since I've given birth to the clone of the (relatively freckle-free) Anonymous Husband:

Apologies for the repeat photo, but I never tire of looking at this one (Photo Credit: the freckle-free but still fabulous Ziem Photography)

Along with that have come the inevitable comments, "Grand Master P looks just like the AH!" "He looks nothing like you, Melissa - better luck next time!" "He's all daddy!"

I'm delighted to have a physical duplicate of my very first & favorite husband, and yet . . . these comments get under my (freckled!) skin for some reason. For starters, having been present for Master P's birth, I'm quite certain I was involved in the process somewhere. Yet I find myself staring at Master P on occasion, searching him for some sign - aside from his temper, that is, which is all Mom - that we're related.

It's a silly, superficial thing - "silly" and "superficial" being house specialties here at the Pretty - wanting your child to show some outward signs of being related to you. I mean, adopted families get on just fine without that outward link, for obvious example. Of the many things to worry about as a parent, this is way, WAY far down the list, if it's on there at all.

That being said, I confess I've been delighted to see a few of these pop up lately (squint if you have to - I swear they're there):

While I wouldn't wish the tired freckle jokes on anyone, let alone my boy, I confess some silly part of me is thrilled to see this small visible link between us.

Soon I'll try to teach him how being distinctive is a good thing; he'll ignore me now just as I did my family, but some day it'll pay off in spots (spades?).

How have you dealt with comments from strangers like this? Any other freckle faces who can relate?

(With thanks to A Southern Accent, who recently wrote about her own darling freckle-faced boy here.)