Cable and Gauge: Effortless Style

During my tenure as a stay at home mom, I might have became a bit of a slave to comfort. That means yoga pants. Transitioning back to an office setting kind of threw me for a loop. Yeah, I want to look professional but I also don't have any desire to iron anything, ever, and I really enjoy being able to just throw something on and scoot out the door. Without looking like I nabbed something off the laundry pile.

Cable and Gauge makes easy to wear clothing that looks as good as it feels. Their knitwear features classic silhouettes with smart, figure-flattering detailing that can be dressed up or down– all while feeling as comfy as your favorite loungewear. Seriously.

I received two pieces to review, a knee-length floral faux wrap dress and a twist-top maxi-dress:

Roo immediately tried both on and decided they fit perfectly. Look how elegant she is!

Being a short girl, I usually wear shorter dresses, so I knew I would like the wrap dress, especially in the plum floral tones. But I didn't expect for it to be so soft and feel as comfortable as wearing a t-shirt. The fit is very flattering for curvy girls, with wide straps that actually cover your bra straps. The only thing that would make this dress more of a go-to for me would be if it included pockets!

I was concerned about trying a maxi-dress, since I am only 5'2" and usually think that long skirts make me look like a jawa. Surprisingly, this one just skims the ground when I wear high wedges and I've worn it to work a couple of times already. Ladies, did you know that maxi dresses are an on-trend way to hide your unshaven legs? True! I love the zany print, too. Bob thinks I need a couple of peacocks on leashes to accesorize with. What do you think?

I've gotten a ton of compliments on both dresses and, better yet, actually enjoy wearing them. I am not rushing to change out of them and into yoga pants as soon as I get home from work, which is pretty impressive. Cable and Gauge has exceptionally reasonable prices and, right now, many items are on hefty reduction. Stock up on tops and dresses that will become your mainstays!



In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received samples to facilitate this review, which includes affiliate links that I could potentially earn some money from. All opinions are, as usual, strictly my own. 

Before + Again - Year-Round Comfort and Style, Made in America

Before + Again is a fashion brand based in St. Louis, MO. Their innovative designs blend the art of printmaking with classic shapes in ultra comfortable cottons. I was immediately taken with their bold use of colors and patterns and was fascinated to learn more about their printing process. 

Instead of using harsh chemicals to print their fabrics, each piece in the B+A collection is made to order in the good old US of A using a dye sublimation process and water-based inks. What this means is that no toxic runoff gets into the water supply AND each item of clothing is also100% unique– you can see the printing variations as white creases along seams and creases. All materials from the production process are recycled.

I received four pieces to try from Before + Again and they are all just fabulous. Soft, vibrant and eminently wearable. The Adagio Gold Thermal L/S Crew is a gussied-up version of your favorite thermal tee. It's lightweight but warm, with extra-long cuffs to push up or pull down over your chilly mitts. It looks equally great with yoga pants or a miniskirt and tights.

The Charcoal Caymus Classic Dress is as comfy as a nightgown but makes you look like you actually took some effort getting dressed. I love this with leggings and big boots right now but I can see that it will be my go-to summer staple, too. 

The Flowering Terracotta 3/4 Sleeve Buttersoft Knit Tunic is just gorgeous. It's also very sheer, so you may want a camisole or slip dress underneath. It is, as the name suggests, buttery soft. I want all my clothes to feel like this. Super comfy but cute!

The Kalei Lime Classic 3/4 Sleeve Sweet Heart V-neck Dress feels more summery to me, something about the crisp white and lime green. The dress I received has 3/4 sleeves but is not available on the website yet. It's a slightly thicker cotton but still soft and stretchy, with a notched neck and a-line shape that reminds me of Lilly Pulitzer. I really want to wear it to the beach ASAP!

I have worn all of the pieces several times and washed them, too, with no fading or shrinking. They retain their shape and don't pill. I get tons of compliments when I wear them. I think the prints make me happier, too! Here's proof:

I'd love to see Before + Again branch out into leggings and skirts. Roo would like to see them make clothing for tweens, too. 

Special Valentine's Day Offer: buy any two pieces online at Before + Again and receive a complimentary Valentine Rose tee of your choice, good through Feb 15th.

Keep in touch with Before + Again on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received the items shown in order to facilitate this review. No compensation was provided. All opinions are, as usual, entirely my own.

OASAP: High-street Fashion Online

OASAP is an online high street fashion shopping portal with styles to suit everyone from the very trendy to classic fashionistas. They have a great review program for bloggers called OASAP Fashion Hunters and I was excited to join up. 

There were a zillion things I wanted but I narrowed it down to two small items for my first order: Wood Pattern Cat Eye Sunglasses and Pearl and Stone Lace Trim Bib Collar.

The sunglasses are a lot of fun and fit in with my style pretty easily. The lace collar is less "me" than I hoped but I think I might thread a black velvet ribbon to it for more of a sixties schoolgirl look. 

I had a lot of fun window shopping on OASAP. I am totally in love with this Cat print t-shirt dress:

I'm dying to try their tights, too. What's your favorite item at OASAP?

Follow OASAP on Facebook and on Twitter @OASAP. If you're a blogger and join OASAP Fashion Hunters via my link, I'll get $8 credit.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that we received store credit to facilitate this review, which I used to purchase the items shown. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are, as usual, entirely my own. 

Swimsuit Confidence with Lands' End

The last time I was willingly photographed in a bathing suit, I was very, very tan and wearing a neon yellow bandeau bikini. No, I did not dig up the evidence, don't worry. It was the mid-'80s and I was barely a teenager. Pre-kids, pre-hips, pre-thyroid wackiness.

I am not a gigantic fan of being photographed, in general, much less in a bathing suit, but when I came across Amy and Nicole talking on Twitter about posting pictures of themselves in Lands' End swimwear to support body image and National Swimsuit Confidence Week , I was intrigued and inspired. It was a no-brainer that I'd want to participate, so I was glad when I received an invitation to participate. I'm still loving my non-matronly Lands' End swimdress from 2008, although thankfully it's a little too big this year. Time for a new suit to show off! I'm posting my pics in solidarity with the ladies of Curvy Girl Guide and many other fabulous bloggers who have Swimsuit Confidence.

-- Post From My iPhone

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that I received the bathing suit shown to facilitate this review. As usual, though, all thoughts are my own.

Noctis Threads

Noctis Threads is a new streetwear brand for guys and girls. They sent me a glam wreath tee and I can attest to its softness and good quality although if you're not uber petite (like me!) you may want to size up- the size small tee they sent fits Roo as a nightshirt.

I am obsessed with their owl logo:

Follow Noctis on Facebook and Twitter.

Complete the Cycle - Wash Day Giveaway

***WINNERS PICKED 8/31 WITH RANDOM.ORG***
***CONGRATULATIONS!!!***
#83 Sylvia
#25 Jocelyn
#2 Keonte'
#55 Carolyn G
#111 Tina






I can't say I really enjoy doing laundry. While we have a laundry room, it doesn't have any space to fold laundry unless you count the tops of the machines, which I don't since you can't put another load into the washer without moving everything. (Chalk up another reason why I should have gotten a front-loader set, aside from the fact that the contractors obviously thought I was getting one since they left so much vertical space for the washer and dryer to cohabitat in.)



The sad truth is my laundry tends to accumulate on the kitchen table until I get around to folding it:



I try to fold it in a timely fashion, since we can't eat at the table with all the laundry piled up and also because the cats find clean laundry irresistible to sleep on. That being said, there's a load on the table right now, waiting for me to finish writing this post and get on with the folding! Folding is obviously my least favorite part of my own laundry regimen but the part I love is shopping for and trying out new laundry products. I recently received a $25 gift card to do some laundry product shopping and I headed out to do some damage. Here's what I ended up with:



I'm pretty loyal to my laundry brands but sometimes I like to shake things up a bit. The bug spray has actually been my staunchest foe in the laundry wars this summer. My husband loves to garden and work in the yard and with all the rain we've had, we've developed a huge mosquito population. He douses himself liberally in the strongest DEET concentration sprays he can find… ironic since his garden is all organic. Anyway, the stuff leaves an icky residue and cloying scent on his clothes so I've been washing his laundry separately from the kids' things. Roo has sensitive skin and gets rashy if I use scented products on her laundry. That makes me sad because I love the way scented detergents and softeners can lift your mood. Oh, well. I use the frou frou scents for Daddy's yucky outside clothes and get a vicarious aromatherapeutic thrill while folding them. Yes, I do realize I used the word thrill while describing laundry. My life is that exciting.



Something that is exciting is the Complete the Cycle Laundry Regimen Guide, a super-handy laundry cheat sheet compiled by Clorox. This clever guide features tips to streamline your laundry regimen as well as concise explanations of what laundry additives are appropriate for which jobs. I know that my family has always used dryer sheets while Bob's family doesn't. I think most people tend to stick to what they know, laundry-wise, so it's nice to have a reference that isn't biased by nostalgia or tradition. The Complete the Cycle Laundry Regimen Guide was created with input from Collective Bias, an online community that I enjoy sharing my opinions with. They sent me this impressive gift laundry basket yesterday:



This Laundry Regimen Kit consists of a hamper filled with Gain Laundry Detergent, Downy Ultra, Clorox 2 Ultra, a Clorox Bleach Pen, Clorox Bleach coupon, a laminated copy of the Complete the Cycle Laundry Regimen Guide and a Flip Fold Ultimate Folding Tool. I haven't had the chance to try out any of the detergents yet (the Gain smells great!) but I have a feeling we might use the Clorox Bleach Pen for crafts (and I head acid-wash, bleach-embellished denim is making a comeback… shudder) very soon and the laminated Complete the Cycle Laundry Regimen Guide is already clipped to the cabinet above my washer. I can't believe I am hoping for the kids to stain something! My husband was also entranced by the wonders of the Flip Fold, which is funny since he usually leaves all of the laundry to me. (This is a good thing, typically, since the last time he got near the washer he put a camping backpack in it and it caused $300 worth of damage to the machine. Awesome.) But, hey, if he wants to fold his own clothes that would be great… I was skeptical but it does an awfully good job. Now we need to get one of the jr. models for the kids' clothes. If only it could help me with fitted sheets, too… mine always turn out lumpy and bulky, bursting out of the linen closet. Witness the neatly flip-folded tee vs. my slovenly manually-folded tee:



Collective Bias and Clorox have generously provided five additional Laundry Regimen Kits for me to give away to my readers.

To enter and win your own Laundry Regimen Kit (just like the one I described and pictured above), please comment on this post with your laundry regimen stories. If you have a blog, feel free to post about your laundry regiment there and link back in your comment. For this week-long contest, you may enter as many times as you like: Tell me about your favorite brands, stain removal tips and tricks, reasons why I need a front-loader, etc. Maybe even clue me in on the easiest, neatest way to fold a fitted sheet!

There will be five winners.


Entries will be accepted through August 28th and I'll pick five winners using Random.org. US readers are eligible.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog (see code on sidebar), follow my blog, follow me on Twitter (and tweet about this contest using this hashtag: #completecycle ), fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader. Leave an extra comment letting me know what you did for each additional entry.


Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win!


***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

Thanks, Amanda and Layla Grace!

We won a contest on Amanda's blog recently and received the fabulous prize from Layla Grace… I think Roo likes it, what do you think?


Thank you!!!

Twilight Tide Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Grosgrain Pettiskirt Giveaway… it's black, it's beautiful and I think Roo needs it since her mommy can't sew worth a lick and is also too stingy to buy her a boutique-y pettiskirt.



I want one in my size, too!

Spirit of 77

***77 Kids is offering free shipping for one day only on President's Day- Monday, February 16th!***



77 Kids is the online-only kids' collection from American Eagle. If you're familiar with AE (and who isn't, these days?), then you can probably imagine the quality and style inherent in 77 Kids: the clothes are cute and comfortable, fashion-forward without being overly trendy or too sexy for their age group. (I am not a prudish person, by any means, but there is a slutiness abounding in little girls' clothes these days that freaks me out! I want Roo to look like she's going to the playground, not to the club!) I was given a $50 gift card to shop the line and give y'all my impressions.

First off, I was impressed with how far $50 can go. 77 Kids' prices are already pretty good (items typically range from $10-$30), but their clearance pages feature some serious bargains. They tend to sell out quickly, though, so if you see something you should snag it ASAP. The second thing I noticed is that their boys collection is just as cute as their girls line, and doesn't resort to huge logos or sports motifs, which is rare. I love that they offer the cute skinny stripe tee in so many colors, since there is nothing more adorable to me than boys in Brady Bunch-esque shirts, whether they're 3 or 33.



The purple one is my favorite and it's been marked down to $5 since I bought it for Jasper… and Roo promptly stole it. It is definitely hard to beat $5 for short sleeved tees and $10 for polos and long sleeved tees, especially when they are so soft and durable. I also got him a pair of go-with-everything 77 signature khaki shorts. They are simultaneously cuddly soft and really tough, with really precious subtle stitching details. I suspect he will wear them for a long time, once it gets warm enough for shorts!



There are plenty of great options for girls, too. My very favorite top is this gingham smocked top that would make Roo into the cutest bumpkin this side of them thar hills. Seriously, though, I love a swingy, spaghetti-strapped top on her in the summertime and this one is available in black gingham , red gingham and a pretty blue floral.



I also got Roo a pair of black wear-anywhere stretchy flare ruffle pants to go with the top. The waistband folds down with the sweetest ruffle and flocked birdie detail and the underside is pink for a flash of color. I wish I had a pair of these for myself! Roo's favorite 77 Kids purchase is the blue flowery circle skirt.



It's cool, comfy cotton with a peekaboo lace hem that makes it ultra girly and twirly. Roo loves it so much she wanted to wear it every day. I gave in and let her wear it to school two days in a row. Even though she "matched" it with Jasper's purple tee in this charming manner:



Okay, I went over my $50 at 77 Kids, I'll admit it. But there wasn't a stinker in the bunch. There was only one thing I returned and it wasn't for lack of cuteness. The silk twirl skirt is gorgeous and a bargain at the sale price of $9.95, but it's also 100% silk and dry clean only which doesn't really fly in our household. The website mentioned the washing instructions, of course, but I was blinded by the pretty flowers.



Luckily, the return policy at 77 Kids is very customer-friendly. All orders include a free return shipping label, or you can return things at your local American Eagle store. Easy peasy.

Right now, 77 Kids is running a fabulous contest: one winner will receive a $500 77 Kids shopping spree and five other winners will get $100 77 Kids gift cards! Enter now for your chance to win!!!

***77 Kids is offering free shipping for one day only on President's Day- Monday, February 16th!***

New Years Eve Sweater and Skirt

A new year, a new Grosgrain giveaway! This is an elegant winter ensemble, perfect for inaugurating something. Or someone.

Black Tie Optional

I bought a seriously gorgeous garden gnome dress from Harmony Wear a few months back and Roo refuses to wear it because she is totally insane. Or at the very least, rotten to the core. Today I got an email informing me that Harmony Wear is offering teen/adult sizes. Witness the sublime perfection of the matching tuxedo dresses:



Me: If I got that dress for you, would you wear it?
Roo: No, I don't think so.
Me: Why not?
Roo: Well, if you had one and we matched, I would wear it. But if you didn't have one, I wouldn't wear that dress.
Me: Why?
Roo: I don't know.

Should I chance it? It's a little pricey for something that may or may not hang, unworn, in her closet. What would you do?

Land's End Holiday Favorites

***WINNER PICKED 1/2 WITH RANDOM.ORG***

***CONGRATULATIONS, #398 Jayfr (non-blogger)!!!***

her comment...
For the prize, the cashmere tee would be great. I like the belts at Lands End, the last two I bought were sturdy and stylish.



Lands' End is way cooler now than when I was a little kid. True, they had kind of a preppy mystique back in the day but they were always way more about practicality than fashion. These days, they are still very sensible but they also know how to have fun. Case in point, the Kids' Fleece Slippers. Sure, they'll keep tiny tootsies warm and cozy. But they are also totally adorable! When Jasper wears his Penguin Fleece Slippers, he can do no wrong.



Maybe you need a closer look. They are hilarious! Available in toddler-big kid sizes.



If novelty gear isn't your thing, perhaps cashmere is. Lands' End offers a wide selection of luxury cashmere items that are a far cry from the dowdy fair isle cardigans of yore. I received a Long Sleeve Cashmere Tee Sweater and it is a true classic, perfect for a strand of pearls or a pair of jeans.



If you actually are a Lands' End fan for their legendary stoic practicality, you will definitely want to check out their luggage. The Lighthouse Wheeled Duffel Bag I tried was about half the weight of my current suitcase and folded almost completely flat. It was so cool, in fact, that my parents totally snaked it for a trip to Hawaii. I don't think I'm getting it back.



To enter and win your choice of the Lands' End items I've reviewed here (Kids' Fleece Slippers, Long Sleeve Cashmere Tee Sweater, or Lighthouse Wheeled Duffel Bag), please comment on this post with your choice of prize and your favorite item from Lands' End.


Entries will be accepted through December 30th and I'll pick the winner using Random.org. US readers are eligible. Only one entry/comment per person.


For an additional entry, post my button on your blog, fave me on Technorati or subscribe via email or subscribe via reader and leave an extra comment letting me know.



Make sure you leave an email address in your comment or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win! Or, you may choose to check for your nickname at Prizey.Fetch, a site that compiles winners in one convenient place:

***Click Giveaways on my sidebar to see what else you could win!***

Sugar Cookie Frock

Okay, Roo is being a total sourpuss today. Perhaps if she won the Grosgrain Sugar Cookie Frock, she would be sweeter. Well, she would look sweeter, anyway…

One of the most amazing things about Grosgrain to me, aside from the sheer loveliness of the clothing, is how Kathleen gets Lily to pose for the pictures. Look how sweet and non-confrontative she is in the pic above. There is no way, no how I could get Roo to cooperate with me, even though she is awfully dramatic by nature. Once I whip out a camera, she turns instantly shy. Whatever. I think you all know the truth.