Ikat Dress with Men's Fedora

 Have I ever told you guys I have a big head?  Not as-in big-ego, but literally, my head is really large in size.  Growing up, my nickname was Tweety Bird because I had a small child body with an adult size head.  I did eventually grow into my head a bit, however, it's still larger than most women.  I know because I usually need to shop in the Men's Department for hats and bike helmets.  

Example A: the fedora in this post is from the Men's Department at Nordstrom Rack.  I'm ok with it.  I once thought a big head equals a big brain.  Not so much the case.

 SHOP:  BB Dakota dress via Hautelook   |   Danielle Nicole bag (similar) via Ideeli   |   Fedora hat (similar) Nordstrom Rack (Men's)   |   Sandals (similar)  |  Necklace

Color Blocking with J.Crew Factory and Gilt Blouse

 

 SHOP:  Marabelle top from Gilt  (similar)   |   J.Crew factory skirt (similar)   |   Nordstrom Rack necklace (here and here similar)   |   Tory Burch flip flops (reveal and similar) 

Howdy friends!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.  These pictures were taken at the end of a busy day of running errands and taking care of the dogs, hence the wrinkles and (you can't see) dog hair.  We went to Target, my favorite place in the world and did just a bit of personal shopping.  The rest was groceries and boring household stuff.  

I went to the return counter to return some not-so-flattering lipstick and the nice Target associate said, "You look really cute, where are you headed?"  I replied, "To the grocery store."  I think she was a little surprised by my response or was expecting something more exciting on my agenda.  Because in Oakland/Berkeley (GranolaTown) you wouldn't typically wear this just to go to the grocery store.  I do my fair share of granola-wear for errands, but the weather was gorgeous and spring was in the air.  No matter how confident one might be, a pop of color or a bright statement necklace can brighten any day.  Maybe for you it's a swipe of bright lipgloss, glitter nail polish, or a nice handbag.  No matter what it is for you, I know you can all relate to what I'm talking about.

Instas Of The Week

Instagrams of the Week for GranolaChris
I haven't ordered anything from Ideeli since last October but I've really like 90% of the items I have purchased from them recently.  They've also implemented 30 free days of shipping after paying for one shipment, just like Rue La La, which makes them a great alternative.  

J. Crew Sweater  |  Weather Tamer Plaid Trench  |  Danielle Nicole Purse  |  LOFT pants

Kooba Purse from Ideeli (not yet arrived)

Tweed Jackets from Old Navy  |   Couldn't decide which color.  TBD.

 C. Wonder Earrings from Ideeli

OOTD for work  |  LOFT Blouse, Pants, and Brooch  

Week In Review: Stripes + Dots

I know, how predictable.  I am a lover of stripes and dots as evidenced by my week in review.

Here's my Instagram and Facebook if you'd like to follow along for non-post worthy pictures.

Sunday Brunch with Etsy Brooch and Ideeli Crossbody Bag

I put on this outfit because it was perfectly comfy for a bike ride across town to meet our friends for brunch.  Then we had to deal with our doggies and a million other things before leaving the house, so we decided to drive to make up for lost time.  I avoided helmet head, yippee!  

We love Sunday or Saturday Brunch and usually walk or bike to one of the many yummy spots around our place.  Brunch means you can semi-sleep in and it's a great excuse to have bloody marys or mimosas.  And since we usually walk or bike, it's usually combined with a bit of a workout.  Yea, Sunday Brunch is now officially a workout...in my wildest dreams.

* Excuse the gritty parking garage photos as we have to wait for our car to be called down, therefore, I usually request Mr. Granola to snap a few quick pics.

Instagram

SHOP:  Etsy Brooch  |  Tory Burch shoes (similar) |   Joe's Jeans (similar)  |   Kate Spade glasses (similar)  |   Loft shirt  |  Ideeli Bag 

Uniqlo Pants With Striped Tee From Rue La La

Hi Friends!
Have you ever heard of Uniqlo?  I hadn't either until last weekend.  One of our best friends got married and a ton of our college friends came into town.  They were going a little nuts over this store call Uniqlo.
The best way to describe it is a Japanese version of H&M.  Mid-quality basics at a great price.  I picked up some amazing lightweight layering tanks form their "Airism" line and some of these elastic pants.  Do you all remember the tights from the late 80's with the stirrups?  Well, these are the adult version without the stirrups and I love them.
This is what I wore on this casual spring day to go get my hair done.  

 SHOP:  Rue La La Tee (Similar) |  Uniqlo Pants (similar)  |  Shoes from Taiwan (similar)  |  LV Bag  | Etsy Necklace

Instagram

Moving Outfit ::::: J.Crew and Forever 21

 

Do you ever have one of those days when you get dressed for one thing, but end up doing another?  For instance I got dressed this morning with the intention of going to a BBQ with Mr. Granola.  Before we know it, we've knocked out 4 errands and ended up at our storage unit cleaning it out and schlepping stuff to the donation center (our front curb at home).
So what was supposed to an outfit for BBQ ended up being a moving outfit.  How perfect is that?  Not so much, but like I always say, life happens and then I blog about it.  Because honestly, who wants to waste valuable time going home to change?  Not I. 
SHOP:   top F21 (dress as a shirt)   |   belt and skirt  (similar) J.Crew   |   bag Little Black Bag   |   shoes Tom's    |   glasses Fendi (similar)

DIY Crumb Catcher w/ H&M Scarf

I wouldn't recommend wearing a scarf like this to any meal unless you want a crumb catcher.  I think I have an idea for the coolest  baby fashion accessory!  
We are in the middle of moving, so I'll be packing away most of my jewelry and fun accessories...which will make for some interesting, aka "boring" blog posts.  But hey, gotta work with what you have right?
SHOP:   top (similar) MANGO   |   pants Target   |   bag Little Black Bag   |   scarf H&M

Business Comfort w/ J.Crew

There are some rules for a traveling sales associate.  Be on time and wear business comfort.  It's a dress code I've come up with for my line of work where I spend countless hours in the car and/or plane.  Living in California has it's perks in the business world-- I can get away most days without  wearing a suit when visiting customers, which really broadens my dress code options.  
Made of wool, this J.Crew skirt is called a "mini" but I  intentionally bought it a size too big and got the hem taken out 2 inches to take advantage of the extra 40% off sale.  For work I really don't accessorize.  It's a very conservative industry and the less flash the better.  At most I might wear a bracelet and/or earrings.  How much do you accessorize for work?
SHOP:  belt, top and skirt J.Crew   |   shoes Tory Burch   |   cardigan (similar) Jeremy's

Summer Wedding w/ Ideeli Dress & Bubble Necklace

SHOP:   dress and chain bracelet Ideeli (similar)   |   shoes Franco Sarto via Nordstrom Rack (similar)   |   necklace ebay   |   bag Little Black Bag   

Effort.   Yes, it took A LOT of it to get ready for our friends' wedding yesterday.  Some bloggers look amazing with little to no effort.  At least they do a good job pulling it off.  I was not born that lucky.  Why does everything seem harder when it's hot in the house?  From wiping sweat off my face so I can put foundation on, to wishing I had naturally voluminous hair to avoid use of the hair dryer, every task becomes 10x harder and falsie lashes just so happen to hate me at the same time.  Nevertheless, I couldn't be happier for our friends L&N that wed yesterday and joined the married folk club.
This purse is from my Little Black Bag from last month.  Have you tried Little Black Bag yet?  After being a member for 2 months, I'm still on the fence about this subscription service.  The concept is cool-- for $49.95 a month, you will receive 3-4 items ranging from cosmetics, accessories, or jewelry worth over $90 retail.  Select your "main" item and the remaining items will be automatically selected based on your style profile.  From there you have an opportunity to "trade" for items you prefer. I'll describe more in an upcoming review, but feel free to browse the selection by clicking the picture below:

Burberry Hobo Reveal + The Real Real Review

Try saying "The Real Real Reveal" 3 times fast.  ROR...raff out roud!
My friend introduced me to The Real Real a little over 2 months ago when I mentioned being a fan of pre-loved luxury goods.  If you can imagine a site like Malleries in a flash sale format like Rue La La...that's pretty much what The Real Real is.  They have daily sales of only pre-owned/new luxury clothing and accessories.  They gather many items from estate sales and celebrities. 
The popular items go pretty quickly, so I was surprised to see this Burberry Hobo about 4 hours into the sale.  I closely read the description and reviewed the pictures they provided.  The flaws I could live with.  The price was a steal.  So I decided to make my 1st purchase from The Real Real.
PROS:- Great prices.  I haven't done any direct comparisons, but they seem lower than Malleries, Bella Bag, Portero, etc.- Most of the items I've seen have been in Excellent to Near New condition.- Constant rotations of luxury brands.- Shipment arrived overnight.  Seems the origin is in SF, which is huge plus!- Descriptions and photos are accurate.- New coupon codes every month for $25 off.
CONS:- My bag was not thoroughly cleaned.  I went through about 4 facial wipes to "refresh" the bag.-  Many unsold items are repeatedly listed.  Which is OK, but I'd rather see new merchandise.
Bottom line, The Real Real is a nice change from the usual pre-owned shopping sites.  The prices are great, delivery is prompt, descriptions are accurate, and they have coupon codes!  I'm a fan and give The Real Real a thumbs up!