Category: birthdays

Holy sh**, I’m turning forty tomorrow.
This is how one of my all time favorite characters responded to turning forty.
Edina turns forty
I am hoping I don’t end up going to that extreme.

I thought I would share forty items I love and wear/use often.

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage – has two shades so you can custom blend the perfect shade for you.

MAC Studio Tech – Gives me flawless coverage and a polished finish in just a few swipes. My shade is NC42.

MAC Blot – This is a summer necessity for me, my skin gets very shiny and this is perfect.

MAC Brun – I don’t like brow pencils so I use this shadow to fill in, and also I swipe it as eyeliner for every day.

Clinique Black Honey – This is a classic for a reason, it works for just about every skin tone. It deepens my natural lip color and gives it some gloss. Love it.

Wet n Wild Color Icon Black Eyeliner – I only wear this for going out, then swipe some Brun over it for more staying power.

1 – Red ruffle flats from Target. OMG, how could I not? Gorgeous dark red patent, sweet ruffles, AND I got them for a deal with #4.

2 – I love these boots. They are just gorgeous and very uncomfortable. In some haze of pregnant madness, I decided to wear them to my first baby shower. When I had already gained 40 of the 50 lbs. I put on. I think they were full of blood by the time I took them off, I was in so much pain.

3 – I wear these most days. These are not the exact ones, but pretty close and very comfy.

4 – Leopard flats from Target. Like I mentioned at #1, I got them for a serious deal. They’re $12.99 to begin with (all the Odell flats are) and then they had a BOGO 1/2 off. Hello. Two super cute pair of flats for $20? Not a question.

5 – My husband got me these, they were exactly what I wanted. No buckles, no chains, no funky shit, I just wanted a classic pair of black boots and he got them for me. Mwah, sweetie!

6 – Super comfy, super cute booties from Payless. Also got them at a sale.

7 – These are the coolest, they’re called Pop Art, i.e. they have that outlined-in-black thing going. Good for errands, but not for a day at Disneyland. I found out the hard way.

8 – Again, these are not the ones I have. Mine were handcrafted to my measurements, ahem. My darling daddy used to run a leather supply company back in the old days and kept a lot of contacts. It seemed every “nude” pair out there matched my skin like a regular bandaid does, meaning NOT. This pair is the perfect color, perfect height, perfect everything. If ever you can have shoes custom made, seriously, do it.

9 – THESE are perfect for a day at Disneyland. Or three. We were there for 3 days and I wore them every other day. Skechers, I love you.

10 – These are like another pair of shoes my dad had made for me. Now, you ask, why on earth would I have such basic models made? Well, for one, I have really high arches and most shoes do not have good support. Also, if I was going to have custom made shoes, I wanted those to be the most trend-defying, classic, forever style shoes I could think of.

1 – My “event” bag. Just about every wedding, cocktail party, etc. that I go to, I’ve got this with me.

2 & 3 – So this cracked me up. I bought a crossbody bag like #2, but from Target, for $14, loved it, wore it all summer, it was perfect, then I thought, I should get something similar but a bit bigger — I met my mom for lunch and she had bought me a bag in the exact same color, the exact croc print, in a shape like #3.

4 – My winter bag is pretty much like this one.

5 – I love this bag, it’s neutral but metallic, so it’s a little dressier than a plain finish, roomy enough but not huge, just right.

6 – Finally, my beach bag. It’s dirt cheap (Old Navy) and I don’t care if it gets scratched, stepped on, whatever. I fill it up with snacks for the boys and throw it on the sand when we get there.

I have to say that although I sometimes do covet pricey handbags – the Chloe Marcie is a favorite, I love the shape and the embossed detailing – there is no way in hell I would ever get one, even if my budget changed overnight or I was given $1800 to spend. I have two small boys and two cats, I’m not particularly careful with my things, and it’s just not my lifestyle. It COULD be my lifestyle if anyone wants to get it for me for my birthday ;D but I think the worry of it getting scratched or something would keep me forever freaking out.

1 – I love this cardigan from LOFT. I got it and a purple one during a sale and I wear them all the time.

2 – This coat (well, the one from Tarjay that looks a lot like it) it such a knockout. I put it on and I stand taller, throw my shoulders back and get a kick in my step.

3 – This little top has quickly become a favorite. Old Navy, as 80% of my wardrobe is, light and breezy, throw a cardie and scarf on and I’m set for cooler days.

4 – See #3 ;D This top has sequins all over but I like the funky print and I wear it during the day. My dear friend K. loves it, too.

5 – I got 3 tops like this one, in taupe, black, and plum, and they get worn all the time. 3/4 sleeves, not tight but not oversized, the perfect everyday top.

6 – I remember that these chevron-striped tops (in blue and orange) sold out as soon as they arrived. I could never find them in the stores and waited for weeks until the website had them, then nabbed both colors. They’re perfect for someone like me who hates horizontal stripes — they have a strong graphic element but the Vs are much more flattering.

7 – These skinny jeans are very comfortable, not skin tight, and the length is perfect for heels. Old Navy, of course.

8 – An all-season pair of black pants.

9 – My favorite jeans of all time. Merona by Target has several styles that address various fit issues. These are well fitted so they do not gape in the back, enough stretch to make them flattering and the straight legs balance out my wide hips. The $25 tag is just right. I wish they had more colors, though!

Can you tell I was into turquoise this year?

1 – Fun statement earrings, I prefer to pull my hair back when I wear them otherwise they get totally tangled up ;D

2 – Earrings from my hubby back when he was my new boyfriend. They’re discrete enough to wear every day, which I love.

3 – My favorite scarf of all time. I’ve mentioned before that I wish I could go back and get the other two colorways they had, but lesson learned. It’s larger than most scarves so I can (and have) put it over my hair when it’s started to rain, but it’s thin enough that it doesn’t get bulky.

4 – Super fun pop of color, I got it on clearance at Old Navy.

5 – My engagement/wedding rings. I knew what I wanted and I’m happy I stuck to my guns. I wanted a princess-cut/square) diamond, I wanted a solitaire, and I wanted yellow gold. The sales chick wanted me to have a larger stone (which my then-fiance wanted as well), platinum, diamond band. Nope, nope, nope. I like yellow gold, I like plain bands, and I didn’t want a big rock.

6 – This hat has gone with me on many outings and even on my first cruise, which we took last year. You can stick it into a bag, load tons of stuff on top and it still comes out perfect. I got it for like $9 at Target, I think.

7 – H&M has the best trendy jewelry/accessories, I got this for $4.99, and whenever I am in one of my all-black ensembles I can just pop it on, apply some red lippy et voila, outfit is perked right up.

8 – These earrings are so sweet, dainty and delicate, perfect for date night.

9 – I know, horrid pic. This is a bracelet I made with my current favorite colors – turquoise and olive green – and various little charms like an Eiffel tower, Fleur-de-lis, and a dinosaur because my boys love them.

So that was my list of 40 of my favorite items, as you can tell I don’t really do designer gear, if anything on a pic is a designer item, it’s because I couldn’t find the actual item on polyvore. Most of my clothes and things are from Old Navy or Target. I do splurge on makeup, although my lipsticks are usually the cheap kind.

Hope you enjoyed this little trip through some of my favorites – next time I post I will be forty! And yeah, I wrote this to be posted on 11/11/11 at 11:11am ;D