warm weather dreams and spandex/latex blends

Is it too early for babin' suit discussions?  Nah, didn't think so.  I'm working on my post baby body as we speak so maybe I'm just looking for a little inspiration to get my ass in it's rightful upright position gear.

I'm super loving the retro high wasted bottoms this year.  And I don't know what I would need the long sleeve number shown below for, but I want a reason.

asos swim

target swim

victoria's secret swim

more victoria's secret swim

 Good ole' Target & Victoria's Secret always have my heart when it comes to swimsuits though.  Target, because they are so inexpensive to begin with and if you wait like 3 weeks it will probably be marked down to about $4.  And Victoria's Secret because they always make my boobs look amazing and those ruffly bottoms up there are flattering like you wouldn't believe.

Before you ask the question my husband already asked...Yes I already have a million bikinis and no, it's not enough.

I miss you summer.  Please disregard my wish last year that you would go away.  I was pregnant, therefor I can't be held responsible for my feelings.

dear santa - love laura

Just doing a little indulging on my wishlist this year...

Images via Beso

wanelo

 Ready for a new obsession?  Wanelo is my new favorite addiction.  It's a site/app that you can sort through unique products into personal collections or "wishlists".  You find a product that you like and when you click on the picture it gives you two options, "Buy It" or "Save It".  Save it to a collection to purchase later or click "Buy It" and be directed to the shop or store and you can purchase it right then.  I am currently building my collections and after the holidays when I no longer feel guilty if I buy stuff for myself I am going to get down on my collections.  First on the list is going to be a new iPhone case because I have "saved" about a zillion.

Join and come follow me! @laurabloom

Also yesterday Hank turned two months old.  TWO MONTHS?! How did that happen?  Where is the time going?  That stud is killing me slowly with his cuteness. 

dear turkey day, i miss you already & target holiday collection

I really do miss it.  No day is better spent then sitting around with your family eating yummy food and sharing what you're grateful for.

This year for Thanksgiving eve instead of heading out to the bar, like all the wild a crazy kids we hung out at home and little sister Natalie came over to stay the night before she was in the Thanksgiving Day Parade and hang out with her nephew.  DJ left for a little while to play hockey, Hank took a nap, so Natalie and I enjoyed a little girl time by watching The Vow, painting our nails and doing her hair.  I'm pretty sure she only watched The Vow for my sake though.  She's more of a horror movie fan, just like DJ.

hair done, nails done, everything did

On Thanksgiving DJ got up bright and early to drop Natalie off with her roller derby girls for the parade.  Did you watch the parade?  Natalie's group was sponsored by Lafayette Coney Island and was skating around as a hot dog!!  Haha, she was the cutest little weenie!

Once DJ got home Hank and I were awake and in full on turkey day mode.  Hank was a perfect little helper.  He sat in his rocker and looked on curiously as I described every move I made in an annoying sing song voice.  He LOVED it.  Later on family arrived and basically took over.  Hank was the main attraction and if someone wasn't holding him they were in the kitchen taking over.  I can't really complain.  We ate, we laughed and then we ate again.  Perfection.

turkey slayer

B-Rad

clearly it was nap time

my FAVORITE

I cannot believe these boys are so big!

my mama with Brad & Jake

cute is their name - begging is their game

'Til next year turkey day.  Gobble gobble!

OH and in case you forgot or weren't aware, Target and Neiman Marcus are releasing a holiday collection at both Target and Neiman Marcus stores TOMORROW, December 1st that includes fifty limited edition products from major designers like Diane Von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs, Alice & Olivia and more.  Go get you some, but don't you dare go to the Canton Target unless you want to see me trampling you for these bad boys.

photo source

photo source

photo source

photo source

(wear) maternity

As my waist continues to expand my wardrobe gets more and more creative.  I am really grossed out by the selections in the tiny maternity area of stores.  I mean two racks does not make a section people it makes a display.  To make matters worse there are never any smalls! 

I have bought a few actual maternity purchases.  A pair of black work pants, a pair of jeans and two enormous bras.  The black work pants are slightly too big and I keep telling myself that soon my bump will have expanded enough to keep them from sliding down so much.  The jeans aren't bad except that they are flare-ish and I haven't worn flared jeans in years.  The bras, oh the bras are a necessary evil. 

With the very limited selections of maternity clothing that I actually like I find myself wearing a lot of leggings and yoga pants, maxi dresses and skirts, and so far my normal shirts are doing the job, albeit increasingly short.  I hope that I can make my current wardrobe last through the next few months.  Elastic waist bands are my friend. 

I did find a few maternity clothes that I will be adding to the wardrobe.  ASOS is kind of the only place that I could find that doesn't want pregnant women to look like they hate fashion.

 

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

rock n' roll queen

There is nothing I love more than legit gooooooooood style.  Not the chick that follows the latest trends or buys everything off the front rack at Forever 21 with all the tell-tale signs of cheap and tacky.  I'm talking the girl that can walk into Forever 21 and walk out with the item that no one will ever know was bought from that store.  The girl that can spot a forever trend over a here-today-gone-tomorrow trend.

Style requires timeless pieces.  The quintessential little black dress, a pair of jeans that make your ass look fantastic and a chic blazer, among others.  My very favorite item of clothing that never seems to be out of style is the vintage rock n' roll t-shirt.  Quite frankly nothing makes a girl look cooler.

I have lots that I've acquired over the years from various garage sales, thrift stores, vintage shops, estate sales  and lots that I've stolen from my oh so rock n' roll hubby.  He's just the coolest.   Here are some of my favorite new rock n' roll t-shirts out there with a vintage feel and some actual vintage treasures.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

spring sprang

Hallelujah!  It's freakin' nice out this week!  DJ called me at work on Wednesday to make sure that when I went home for lunch that I opened the windows and turned OFF the heat!  Better still, today started a much needed four day weekend! After spending a month plus studying for my investment licenses and narrowly surviving (hey series 7, I hated you), I am in desperate need for some time off.  Last night started the weekend off right. DJ's team played the final game of a very heated final playoff round and the series was tied at 2-2 until my man's team won last night!!!  I am so happy that after spending many nights cheering the guys on that they came out on top and won the whole thing!

The promise of warm weather is enough to get me thinking about blooms, sun dresses and open-toed shoes.  I am so in love with pastels this year and for the first time I don't think they are too cliche for spring.  In fact I think they are just right.  Coral, peach and that gorgeous ocean color is fueling my desperate need to go shopping. 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Happy weekending and thanks mother nature.  I really needed to see the 70's.

hot and heinous - golden globes

The Golden Globes were on this weekend and I love a long red carpet filled with arrivals from Hollywood's elite.  I almost get more excited for the dresses, hair, jewelry and make-up than I do the actual awards.  I put together the best and worst dressed, in my opinion of course.

HOT

image via

image via

image via

image via

HEINOUS

image via

image via

image via

image via

I'm sure there are some different opinions out there, my husband for example can't believe I put Sarah Michelle Gellar in the heinous category, but that's the beauty of fashion.  It's subjective.

an organized mess

I have a ritual at the start of each spring and fall season.  I literally empty every closet, drawer and container in the house and sort through my clothes.  I toss, donate and organize each piece of clothing.  It's chaotic to say the least and it takes days.  I am mid-chaos and I am swimming in a sea of clothing.  Together my husband and I have too many clothes.  TOO MANY!

a very tiny portion of the stacks and piles 

 The only benefit is to this ritual is finding hidden gems along the way that we both had previously forgotten about.

monday morsels: places to go - people to see

I just hate Mondays.  Period.  They are no (zero - zilch) fun and it would be better if I could just skip past this day all together.  End rant.

Despite my case of the Mondays, I did have another good weekend.  Hockey, music and bars with friends.  (only a few hours were spent raking up the remaining leaves that last weeks wind and s**w set free on my lawn)  I also was asked to do something really fun on my blog that I absolutely can't wait to share with you.  It's so exciting.  Stay tuned...

HIGHS
* DJ won his hockey game on Friday and tied on Sunday.  No losses!!
* Michnos juke box.  I spent 3 nights in a row at the best dive bar, listening to the best music.
* The Hounds Below at PJ's Lager House in downtown Detroit.
* Having Friday off of work for Veteran's Day.  Yay!
* Circuit Training on Hines Drive and stopping in to Nankin Mills to visit the beasts from the Rouge River.
* Veteran's Day sales makes for good shopping.
* Fixing the washing machine.

Aww

Shopping scores

The beginning of a long night, but I am wearing vintage Chanel :)

PJ's Lager House mosh pit divider

LOWS
* Hangovers
* Snow flurries and wind.
* Losing a brand new lip stain that I had just purchased the night before.
* Cleaning my house on Wednesday, just for it to be dirty again by Sunday night.
* Missing a thin strip of hair on your legs when you shave in a hurry (or when you're supremely hungover)

My hangover helper

Goodbye Monday.  I hate you.

guilty

I had the day off today!! Yay!  I slept in, cleaned the house, worked out on Hines Drive with my bff and painted my nails.  While painting my nails I found this video and both laughed and felt a little bit of shame at the same time.  Happy Hump Day! Enjoy!

it's only rock and roll but i like it

I have been trying to put this post together over the past few weeks so anyways let me get down to biz-nass.  A few weekends back, the mister and I went to MI Fest in Brooklyn, MI out at Michigan International Speedway.  This was the first year they put it on and although there were some things that I hope they do differently come next year, (crossing my fingers there will be a next year) it was super rad.  There were two stages total and the music was a mix of rock, rap and country.  The small stage held lesser known (by no means less talented) acts like The Black Belles and Black Milk and the main stage held the big dogs like Sheryl Crow and The Raconteurs.

Jack White - Black Milk - Sheryl Crow

Besides music, MI Fest included vendors and artists hawking their merchandise and work and if you were smart enough to purchase VIP tickets (like ourselves) you got to enjoy 3 free drinks from a stocked bar (although the line was awful) and really yummy food that they rotated all day long. 

{side note - If they do put this on again next year, seriously splurge for the VIP tickets, you get closer access to the main stage, free food and free drinks.  In the long run you save money and get a much closer view of your favorite band or performer.}

{Jacket: Bitten // Maxi Dress: Gap// Necklace: Express// Sunglasses: Marc Jacobs}

{Jacket: H&M // Shirt: Urban Outfitters // Jeans: Levis // Cowboy Boots: Custom}

All in all, I had the best time.  The atmosphere was fun and the weather was perfect.

gunning for ya

I'm sick this week.  Like real sick.  Went to the hospital kind of sick.  So all I have to say is, since it's Thursday, my favorite tv show day...
 

 

I love me some Project Runway.  Happy Friday Eve!

Worst Dressed

GQ Magazine just ranked the Top 40 Worst Dressed Cities in America and lucky #31 goes to...that's right you guessed it, Detroit!

"We don't kick people when they're down, and we don't mock their dress when times are tough. Few cities have been hit harder in the decade past than Detroit. But it's not the poor and unfortunate that are the prime offenders in the D. No, it's the moneyed that singe our eyes and steal our souls. Consider disgraced former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his penchant for pinstripes, broad-shouldered suiting, and unbearably prideful cigar-chomping. A city weeps from hardship, while fat cats sully a once-proud town's blue collar grit with fat, ungainly lapels."—Sean Fennessey

Damn-it-all if that Kwame Kilpatrick won't stop bringing our city down. 

Despite being voted the #31 worst dressed city in America, my husband and I powered through our tears and did some shopping.  I apparently am really into wild animal prints and colors this season.  My husband of course is sticking with the classics, black and plaid. 

Style and fashion are 100% in the eye of the beholder so I'm willing to take this news with a grain of salt.

"You know what the midwest is? Young and restless. - Kanye West

Weekend Wardrobe

Back to the grind, after another awesome weekend and I have a serious case of the Mondays.  We've been having a serious Detroit heat wave so my go-to style has either been a torn-to-shreds pair of Levi's boyfriend style cut-off shorts (literally they used to be my husbands jeans), a sun dress or a bikini.  This weekend was a mix of all three.  With tons of running around to do on Saturday I went with a short sun dress and the husband was rocking it out too!

Saturday night my husband and I went downriver to the Wyandotte Street Fair to see The Detroit Cobras.  First of all, I love them, second of all the temps didn't go below about 79 degrees even at 11 o'clock at night.  So my choice to wear skinny jeans was not so smart, but I wore a pair of killer heels and enjoyed the music of one of my favorite bands.  After the show, we got to hang out with the lead singer Rachel Nagy, and while she was showing me a special, ummm, certain female pleasuring device in her truck, that she picked up on the way to the show, my husband snapped a few pictures.

Apparently he's not so hot with the photography because you can hardly see anything.  Probably for the best because both of us were fighting frizz and sweat pretty hard.

Besides a quick trip to the grocery store, Sunday was spent sun bathing at the in-laws again.  I have a hot pink bikini that I'm in love with this year.  It makes me look so tan!  I wish I was still floating around on the raft today.  Instead it's the beginning of a new work week.  Albeit, a short one (only working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday) it's still a time suck away from my favorite bikini.

"You don't knock, strain, push a hole. The door's wide open a-waitin' for your soul. Ya don't knock, ya just walk on in." - The Detroit Cobras