Leave the Fendi's on - I'm not riding!

Last week, I traded my sky high heels for flats and my Prius with the built-in chauffeur (the husband) for a city bus with a much less attractive driver. This bus driver did not provide the door-to-door service from home to work and back that I have become accustomed to. In fact, our time together took so long, I could have gone door-to-door almost 3 times - and stayed in my gorgeous heels! (I got the fabulous numbers to your right on Designer clearance and I never want to take them off, especially for something so tragic as the bus. However, it is imperative they are protected so they can remain perfect forever, since i told the husband these are yet another "investment" of mine.) 

The first day, I mostly missed my cup holder and heated seat. Ok, I'll be honest - I even missed the soundtrack of life that seems to constantly accompany my wannabe-DJ husband, who either fist pumps to "Baby I like it!" or sings along to Disney's "Lilo and Stitch." Instead, my Sukey (by our friends at Gucci) bag (isn't she lovely? She would actually be great to commute with but you will soon learn that is not her future) and I were victims of uncontrollable temperatures and  atrocious prices ($3.50 - that's an absurd amount of money to pay for these conditions). The first attempt at Erin-tries-the-bus-2012 was also conveniently the day the President visited Seattle. I am seriously reconsidering my vote after the traffic induced by Mr. President this fateful Wednesday caused me to miss yoga.

The second day, things went from bad to worse. After 45 minutes at one stoplight and another 45 on one block, I seriously contemplated leaving the bus for a bar! As I looked out the window and wiped the tears from my eyes, my plan continued to formulate - maybe I could get off, buy a bottle of wine, and bring it back on? I always have a wine opener in my handbag. I consider it very Indiana Jones of me, and it has saved the day on numerous occasions. Back to this one: I was confident the bus would be in the exact same spot (probably for another hour at this rate) and other passengers would probably be grateful for this 911 errand. I should probably share with these fellow victims! How else do people survive this? I had a hair appointment to get to! The odd thing was that no one else even seemed concerned... As i was in major meltdown mode--freezing to death, envisioning the diseases spreading from the seat to me, clutching my oversized Gucci to my chest (setting it in the floor would have really ended me), trying to distract myself with Emma Stone's life story in Vogue (read it here - I love her) -- the dude next to me was checking out Sportscenter in his phone like we were relaxing on the beach in Cancun or something! Really?!

After the first hour and a half (and realization that I could not leave the bus to purchase an adult beverage), I started rationing my water. I also continued my irate (and maybe slightly profane) texts to the husband, since obviously any form of traffic or inconvenience in my life is 100% his fault. Thinking of him driving my sweet little Prius while I tortured myself on this slug of an automobile...it was just too much. I made a promise to myself that I would never do this again. Mission Erin-becomes-a-commuter-2012 was officially over. I gave it 2 tries and frankly, 2 tries too many! People (bus riders who say I should try again - apparently my health and wellness means nothing to them) later told me that this was the worse traffic they have seen in Seattle in years. I DO NOT CARE. I am confident it happened this way for a reason. And that reason is God does not want me to ride the bus.

So, see you on the road, bus! I'll have my Fendi's on my feet and the chauffeur will be sure to give you a fist pump as we whiz by.

M stands for Mudroom

I know... I'm a terrible blogger! I've left you out of nearly two years of my oh-so-fascinating life and let me tell you - a lot has happened. New job, new car, obviously new clothes, shoes and handbags, but who's counting those? My fellow fashionistas, of course! Don't worry - photos of my favorites to come in future posts. (I can't wait to introduce you to some new delicious friends named Gucci, Fendi and Prada...) I will point out I do have the same husband, and we have recently worked on his wardrobe as well, so that's a win-win for everybody (alleluia that he is not so chummy with my friends mentioned above, or else we would really be in trouble).

But I'm back (for now) and am going to try harder to "commit" this time. If you're still here, thanks for reading and thanks for waiting for me. Sometimes sticking to something is hard to do... Like when remodeling the smallest room in your house turns into something much bigger. Bigger project, bigger budget, bigger marital dispute, or just all of the above!  Mini Mudroom definitely turned into major endeavor.

Yes, this near-clinical type A person recently allowed a DIY home improvement project to take place in her home. Actually, "DIY" is the wrong term; the husband is a general contractor, so this was hardly a little craft project from the Real Simple magazine I pretend to read each month. We took the tiny room off our kitchen door and frankly, made it a (teensy) masterpiece! But not without a pretty price (from both my checkbook and my sanity). I'll share my findings during this super special time in our marriage.

Here's what I learned:

• deadlines are my obsession. They are not, however, a friend of the husband's. Actually, I think until he married me, he maybe did had never heard the word.
• one more difference between us: I always thought "1 weekend" meant 2-3 days; he apparently interprets it as 4+ weeks. Is this kind of like a fortnight where no one really knows what that means?
• painting is way harder than it looks and makes my arms tired.
• if you paint while drinking wine, it just gets harder and looks worse. Dang.
• men should never select paint alone. This creates a mean(er) wife and multiple trips to home depot.
• I am always right. (Funny how this seems to be a recurring lesson in our marriage.) What color did we paint the tiniest room in the world? Creme brûlée. EXACTLY what I said from the beginning. Spotted it amongst a million little paint samples and it matched the kitchen perfectly.
• just because the room is literally 3x3 does not mean the mess can't spread across multiple floors and multiple rooms. This is simply torture for someone who can't sleep unless the house is dusted almost daily.

Take all of the above plus 5 weeks of my gentle "reminders" (aka psychotic ranting and nagging), and wa-lah! There is a darling little room that I come and go through every day. Yesterday, I learned how much the whole thing cost, and if there is such thing as "designer" mudrooms, I've got one! It's functional, and of course it's fashionable...

This handy set of hooks holds my my aprons (that I have never worn, but they look adorable, don't they?). They're  both from Anthropologie - check out the darling new ones here . (I must say - they are great gifts for brides-to-be who have aspirations to be great housewives - like I once did!)

The white hooks (steal of a deal at Target) also house my reusable totes. Yep, I am "green" now! (Don't even get me started on the annoying bag ban in Seattle though.) This is my favorite shopping bag, so I keep it on display and stuff the others inside. I found this one and a few others with fun prints at TJ Maxx - only $3 each and they hold a ton! (Just remember to tell your bag boy at Safeway not to FILL the bag - holy smokes - you could throw your back out when the bozo packs it full of bottled water.) It is so much more fun to be green when you can look good doing it (obvi). 

Last but not least - here is a great shot of the Creme Brûlée shade of paint! Isn't sweet? My vintage milk sign and bottles are from Cost Plus World Market (LOVE that place!), but I feel like they definitely look like an antique store find. I'm sharing my secret with you though, so you too can have cute accent pieces without spending your weekends trolling dusty, overpriced antique warehouses (that can be fun, but who has the time? Especially when World Market is right by the mall).

Too much TV? Nah....

Fashionistas! Fall has brought so much fun that I have not even had time to write to you lovelies. The change of seasons marks many occasions, including the completion of my summer book club (see below for a two more delicious reads), more reading, as I catch up on all the fall fashion magazines and then go find the fabulous trends in real life, and perhaps more importantly – the return of fall television – THANK GOD.

First things first – true fashionistas are tuned into Project Runway, now on Lifetime, which is already about halfway through the season. Now comes the good stuff. The crazies have been filtered out, and we are left with a group of, though self-proclaimed, “true” designers who really have “talent.” Hmmmmm… questionable? Absolutely. But that’s where the fun is! The husband, who has watched the show in years past but was suddenly too good for it this year, even tuned back in when he saw the insanity coming down the runway in episode 2. If you’ve missed it so far; it’s not too late. There have been 7 episodes, and at about 42 minutes each, you only need…. Well, like 300 minutes. Which is… 5 hours-ish? Totally worth it. Why? Because Logan from Seattle is still on, and yes, his designs are decent, but he himself is worth looking at twice! Watch full episodes for free here.

Next, I am THRILLED that Brothers and Sisters is back on with that darling Calista Flockhart. Her character, Kitty, is often spotted in designer duds, and guessing “who” she’s wearing often keeps me busy on commercial breaks throughout the show! For more double duty as an audience member/trendspotter, watch Desperate Housewives the hour before. Those ladies are always decked out in everything from Dolce and Gabbana to Michael Kors.

My friend Addison (Kate Walsh) on Private Practice is also a fellow fashionista. Last season, Addison loved her Gucci. This season… I’ve only seen her in scrubs. But there’s only been one episode! So I’m not worried. Both her and Naomi, her BFF on the show, always have the best designer shoes and handbags too. I appreciate this, because as doctors, I feel like they can afford it, and should be dressing to the nines. Little details like this really affect the authenticity of television!

Finally, my goal (in all my spare time – as you can see my evenings are really booked up with this tv schedule!) is to really get into Gossip Girl, because it is a fashionista’s HEAVEN. The most recent US Weekly featured a small spread on the show’s wardrobe closet, and this thing was basically a WAREHOUSE of the most beautiful, expensive, fabulous pieces. The show has really become a walking runway, and is nearly a must-see for people in the industry. Oh darn. I’m forced to watch another show….

I hope this gives all of you a good guide to follow fashion from the most comfortable place… your couch. Please let me know if I’m missing anything!

*yes, I finished my (individual) summer book club! Here are my final must reads:

“Bringing home the Birkin” by Michael Tonello – a TRUE story about a funny, funny boy fashionista who travels the world to buy and sell the coveted Hermes Birkin handbags. Michael’s writing is fun, fresh and the tales of his adventures make me not only want a bag, but I also want to be his friend!

“Little Earthquakes” by Jennifer Weiner – so hysterical, I started following Jennifer on Twitter and she is funny on there too! In this novel, her humor extends beyond single girl life and into motherhood.