"How Happiness Sounds, or Get Out of Your Grump Pants"

Happy Birthday to my Best- Millsie!! You've got my heartbeat running away!

File Under: Musical Messages

"How Happiness Sounds, or Get Out of Your Grump Pants"

"How Happiness Sounds, or Get Out of Your Grump Pants"

As a child my mother once told me that not only did she not know the lyrics to this song (in particular: "Hey little thing lemme light your candle cus ah, mama, I'm sure hard to handle now, gets around"), but that "no one really knows what they're saying," leading me to believe it was some great mystery.

The City of Atlantis, Bloody Mary, and The Black Crowes.

File Under: Lies From My Childhood

"How Happiness Sounds, or Get Out of Your Grump Pants"

File Under: The Hokey Pokey, but More Fly

"How Happiness Sounds, or Get Out of Your Grump Pants"

File Under: Acoustic and Warbly, Just How I Like It.

"Let There Be Plants"

This is Peter, my shamrock plant. I pretty much like to play God with Peter- that is, letting him suffer on the verge of expiration and then nurturing him back to a flourishing life. Here he is during a particularly successful revival.

I'm never really been a houseplant gal but my boss gave him to me and said I couldn't kill him. She was right.

File Under: Delusions of Grandeur

"Fabulously Cheap: Accessories"

I'll be completely honest, I spend a significant portion of my day-dreaming about sitting by a fireplace in a cashmere sweater, toasting champagne in a Herve Leger at my engagement party, drinking lattes with a Birkin bag resting casually beside my crossed, dainty ankles (you're getting the fantasy montage here right...?) I'm always a size 4 in these daydreams too so I hope that gets the point across that these images are a complete fabrication of my psyche- things that just simply won't ever occur. Except maybe the cashmere. I don't think it's too much to ask that I have one item of cashmere in my life.

The point is that a county bumpkin like me just isn't going to have the cash flow or the lifestyle to ever make those big ticket purchases a reality. The fact is that if I ever have the cash flow to buy a Birkin, I'll probably also have a six year old whose snot I don't really want to wipe on my $30,000 bag. Besides that, I'm 23, living in the butt crack of the Midwest, and only 1 in 25 people who I meet would know what a Birkin was without a Google search, followed by a Wikipedia article.

I won't, however, stop my search, nay, my quest, to get a little bit of fabulous right here, right now. The perfect compromise? Accessories. Every big boy designer purchase has a little baby brother for a more affordable price and if not, then a first cousin will suit as a resonable knock-off. (Does that even make sense? Go cheap, is what I'm saying.)

I know what you really want is this delightful little Coach bag here:

But honey, I'm saving for a wedding. That $400 is spoken for! This satchel from Payless, will only set you back $26:

Slap this gorgeous Coach scarf on the handle and bam! You are looking luxe for less.

I think you see where I'm going with this. I just really love that you can spend a fourth of what you might have otherwise, and still have something really glamorous, super fun, while staying absolutely in budget. Here are some of my favorite accessory-picks, all clocking in under $150:

Leather Cashmere-Lined Gloves from Coach, $98:

Leather Wallet from Coach, $138:

Chevron Wristlet from Coach, $118: 

High 5 Mittens from Kate Spade, $65:
 

Metallic Ear Warmer from Kate Spade, $85:

Black Leggings from Kate Spade, $48:

Paperclip Notes Gift Set from Kate Spade, $35:

Silk Square Scarf from LL Bean Signature, $39:

Sport Wool Bag from LL Bean Signature, $95:

Skinny Braided Belt from LL Bean Signature, $39

Ballet Slipper from LL Bean Signature, $79 (on sale):

Handbag from J.Crew Factory, $150 (on sale):

Aviator Sunglasses from J.Crew Factory, $20:

Enamled Bangle from J. Crew, $20:

Signet Ring from J. Crew, $25:

Vintage Pajama Sleep Set from J. Crew, $78:

To my mind, you can pretty much shop exclusively at Target (and I know plenty of fabulous people that do!), sprinkle in a generous helping of deluxe accessories, and you're not only faking it... you're making, it baby!

File Under: Cheap Sheet