trans•atlantic petals:The Hague

If Amsterdam is a quarter-life musician in chuck taylors & a breton stripe sweater, The Hague is it's rule-following lawyer cousin -- with a quirky sense of humor.

Our buttoned-up 2nd stop was quite a diverse one; with the cool, architectural artwork @ the MC Escher Haus & the surreal Lewis Carroll whimsy of Madurodam {a 1:25 scale model of a Dutch town; complete with all the famous landmarks}.

Here are a few shots from the royal courtyard.

jeans: tulle, blouse:Bit by Bit, cardigan & boots: Amsterdam, bag: Duluth Pack, rain jacket: Amazon {FREE with credit}, earrings: Forever 21 {gift from my mom}.

Another wise decision I made in packing for this holiday was to represent our home by carrying my Duluth Pack cross-shoulder bag. I recommend Duluth Packs for anyone, anywhere. They are beautifully crafted, rustic•chic backpacks, purses, totes, & more. The fine folks who make these satchels value their Midwest|Nordic integrity by guaranteeing all purchases for life with free repairs.

Learn about it.

photos by Peanut.

The Day I Became a Godmother

On Sunday, our lil nephew nugget was dedicated and we became his Godparents. It was a gorgeous, perfect day. A few sweet moments are sure to follow in a not-too-distant-future post.

dress: Vera Wang {thrifted ~ $15!}, cardigan: Merona, heels: Bongo, necklace: Two&Co., earrings: The Electric Fetus {gift}, nail polish: China Glaze ~ Flyin' High.

photos by Peanut.

Plum-Crazy, Mint-Condition Lemonade

T'n G it's F up in here.

What you can't see in these photos is the glisten of dew upon my forehead after spending 30+ minutes looking for the camera. Rob takes these photos on a Canon T2i, which he uses for lots of important things beyond blog photos. It's sort of his baby.

No, I'm not his baby. I do go by several monikers, but that camera is his B-A-B-Y. So it goes without saying that when we {I} found it where we {he} left it, it only added further glee to the weekend's beginning.

This color combination gave me a moment's pause. But only a moment. When I'm not sure if I like a palette, I ask myself what I look like {khaki + yellow=banana cream/brown+green=a tree}. When I decided that I looked like plum-crazy, mint-condition lemonade, I was cool with it.

Happy Weekend!

dress: decree, cardigan, belt & boots: Target, tights: We Love Colors, earrings: handmade by Adeline, nail polish: Essie ~ It's nice in Nice.

photos by Peanut.

Erin Go Bragh

Well, I did promise the return of the 30-for-30 in my next outfit post, but I decided that I just had to make one exception for the holiday I love so dearly; St. Patrick's Day!

I did it up Oscar style this year {no, I didn't wear a green gown -- though that would've been awesome}, but I did do a mid-evening ensemble switch. Here is my first go; what I wore to work + out for our first stop at an Irish pub {coffee & Bailey's for this tired working girl} and dinner {Smithwick's & wings}...

tee, cardigan, scarf & belt: Target, skirt: Wet Seal {about 7 yrs old}, tights: We Love Colors, cuffed ballet flats: Geneva, Switzerland, earrings: Electric Fetus {gift}, headband: Forever21 {gift}

And this was my latter-half of the night getup. We headed over to a friend's place and walked to a party {Jameson was passed around. I did not partake}, so I needed something a little more comfy. Enter: the green sundress {"Old Reliable"}...

tee, dress, scarf, & cardigan: Target, earrings: Electric Fetus {gift}, tights: We Love Colors, boots: Minnetonka, frillie: handmade by Adeline :)

McPhotos by O'Peanut.

A Little Something

This dress (+ these earrings) also entered my life among my birthday goodies. There is just something so delicate about the pin-dot pattern & dessert-y colors. I just find the inexplicable 'little something' so exciting and sweet. The charisma of some things. I had also been envisioning a mis-match of this coral cardigan + these cobalt blue tights for quite some time. This seemed like a good opportunity.

dress: Mata Traders ~ Chicago, IL, earrings: The Electric Fetus,

cardigan: Gap, tights: Target, necklace: ?, flats: Rocket Dog,

nail polish: Sinful Colors ~ Shine on Me.

photos by Peanut.