Touch of St. Patty Green

It was wear green day at our toddler class... Apparently I do not have many items in green. This top had some green so tried to make it work. It is normally worn untucked but decided to tuck it in and belt it for a rugged look. Again if only I could wear heels some black peep toe booties of some sort would have looked great but since that is not reality, I went with simple green flip flops. As you can see getting a lot of use from these new cargo pants and they are so comfy. The bracelet and the necklace are more tribal pieces. Had barely enough time to take these photos so forgot to take more of the jewelry. I am sure I will wear them again. So, the necklace is 3 strands in this photo but by the end of the day it was two strands. The middle strand came undone with beads flying all over during the class! My son helped me collect them all thank goodness before my daughter can choke on them. May be Masai African made items are not as durable as you would think.  And the top was not that easy to wear all day long. Strapless is a difficult concept to pull off with kids. Doubt I will wear this again.

White/Green strapless top - Old Navy - $15
Cargo Pants - J Crew - $39
Woven black leather belt - Alloy - $30
Flip Flops - Mossimo from Target - $12

Activities: Indoor toddler class in the morning. Taking kids to swim class followed by stopping at target to buy my son a new sheet set so he can be seperated from his goose down comforter and grocery store.

So, wore this 'IRISH' zip up hoodie in the morning before the weather warmed up...

Here are two mommies in my toddler class that proves there are some out there with great style. The one on the right has purple highlights! and alwasy dresses very cool and funky. Loved her outfit today. The one on the left has a great necklace.

TIP OF THE DAY: 'Where to Shop'... So obviously this entirely depends on your financial situation. If you have the means, the best and most fun is to shop at the actual stores of the brands or department stores. If you have the means but still would like to save money sites like http://www.bluefly.com/, net-a-porter, topshop, zappos are excellent for finding designer brands for less.

If you are very cost concious, here are some stores/sites that have surprising finds...

Target: I am so impressed how much they have changed since I moved to this country. I always follow their 'showcase designer' for great funky pieces. This month it is 'Liberty of London' and 'Jean Paul Gaultier'. Most magazines advertise the upcoming designer month in advance. I note the date on my calendar and hit the store when it first comes out. Sizes and styles go really fast. I also love their selection on Kid's clothes and shoes.

H&M: This store has great pieces. Unfortunately I feel the San Diego store really lacks style. I used to find so much in the NYC store but this one I rarely find something I like. Mostly go in for the accessories. And the prices are a bit higher than forever 21 so I always check there first.

Forever 21: Now this store scares most people because of the name and the window. Frankly if I have not been inside I would be scared too. But it really is not just for twenty something age group. It has great pieces as you keep seeing in my outfits at stupid prices. Now, the sizes only go up to large which I would guess is probably a 8. However if that is too small of a size for you, still check it out for belts and accessories. When buying funky items it is great to spend under $10. You truly have to look hard though and try to see each item on its own and apart from the chaotic display in the store. My kids can last about 20-25 minutes here. I tend to grab a few durable jewelry items and let them play while I browse, then put them all back. Horrible I know but it works.

Charlotte Rousse: Could have some cool stuff occasionally. The sizes definitely run smaller but worth checking it out.

TJ Maxx: This is the ultimate store for my mom, sister and I. It is always a hit and miss but you can find awesome deals on brand name items here. Especially purses and shoes. Also great place for kid clothes for brands like Polo, RL, Hurley, Juicy etc...AND this is a store you can go with kids. I always hit the toy/book section first and grab a few of interesting things, books for my son, toys for my daughter and put them in the cart. That at least gives me 20 minutes or so to check out stuff for me.

Nordstrom Rack: Another crazy, makes you sick in the stomach store but great finds can come out of it. Not so easy to shop with kids.

CLOSET: This is a good store for buying basic layering pieces. They literally sell every kind of basic tee and tank top you can imagine in every color for great prices. Sometimes they also have cool items, like my recent purchase of dark grey skinny jeans. Again you have to see each item apart from all the other cheap items.  There is one in Point Loma and one in PB on Garnet.

Urban Outfitters: Great style similar to Anthropologie (my all time favorite store) but at much cheaper prices. I see a new one is openning up in PB on garnet. Can't wait to check it out.

Victoria's Secret: Unfortunately the clothes are only sold via catalog/online but once you figure out your size, you can continue shopping from them with ease. They do follow trends very closely and items go on sale within months plus they usually have great specials. And an amazing selection of shoes in all brands.

Newport News: Another catolog/online store. Sizes run much larger so if you are small order a size smaller than you are. Not all that stylish but could have cool thing occasionally.

Other than these I still hit my favorite stores but make it a policy to quickly walk to the back of the store and ONLY browse the sale racks. My faves are Bebe, Anthropologie, Betsey Johnson, Guess, BCBG, JCrew and Bloomingdales. I love Kate Spade but can't afford even items on sale, so I just lust over the window and do not go in. Juicy I never go in because even their items on sale are not cheap enough. You can alwasy find juicy items at TJ Maxx and Nordstrom Rack for fraction of the prices.

For Shoes: I find Steve Madden and Aldo carry great styles at reasonable prices. Nordstrom as you know has a great selection. This is one area I do not go cheap cheap. But that is just me.

Oh, and one HUGE TIP if i you are going to be shopping from cheap stores (like Forever 21 and Charlotte etc..) try not create outfits where all the pieces come from these stores. Always pair 1 or 2 cheap items with quality/brand name items you own. This way no one can ever tell.