Shop My Closet! 

Posted on 05/14/2012 by Mrs. AA

Being a person who chooses not to acknowledge Mother’s Day as a holiday, I pretty much screwed myself.  Because this entire weekend, I did not open presents.  I did not go to brunch.  I cleaned out my closet.  And my attic.

And guess who “helped”?

And helped some more?

There is nothing LESS helpful when you are trying to set up an eBay sale than having your three year-old ask to pose with each and every piece of clothing you are attempting to sell.  God love her, but the child was driving me insane.  Happy Mother’s Day to me!

Anyhow, because of my child’s helpfulness I (as of Sunday night) have only posted 39 items to my store, which you can find here:

http://stores.ebay.com/FRENEMOM

I will continue posting throughout Monday until all of my 100+ items are up.  I have set each and every item at a $0.99 starting bid with NO RESERVE.  And I will combine shipping for anyone who purchases more than one item.  So grab a really cool frock and give me a little spare change to buy some booze.  I already need it and I am not even halfway finished with this sale!

And because I love my Frenemob sooooooo much, if you share this sale with your Friends on Facebook or Twitter followers (and remind me when you check out), I’ll give you 20% off your entire purchase.  Or just share it because you hate to see me having to shotgun Franzia out of my refrigerator as a means of coping.  I deserve to move beyond the vacuum-sealed pouch, don’t I?!

(Oh, and I hope that all of you mothers did have a nice Mother’s Day!  Cynical or not about Hallmark holidays, moms are the most under-appreciated and hardest-working “employees” out there.  Keep up the good work!)

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My Muse of May: Mom 

Posted on 05/09/2012 by Mrs. AA

It is hard to go thirty minutes these days without being reminded that Mother’s Day is drawing near.  And just as with Valentine’s Day and all of those other made up holidays, I want nothing to do with it.  I am my father’s daughter – romantic as a brick, sensitive as a stone.  I’d rather be appreciated because I deserve it, not because Hallmark told someone to appreciate me.

That being said, I have been thinking quite a lot about my own mother these days…  I may be totally like my father, but I have always (minus the twelve years – yes, I realize that is impossible – I was busy being a teenager) wanted to be like my mother.

She is kind, she is funny, she is a talented cook and homemaker (I told you I was nothing like her!).  She has also always been stunningly beautiful and a (minus some rough patches in the 80s and 90s) an icon to me.

The picture above is my favorite picture of her.  First of all, because she looks so totally cool…  And second of all, because she is holding one of God’s most disgusting creatures (sorry Bert).  I have entitled this picture “Mom: Slumming It” (if you know my mom, you know this is as close to “slumming it” as you will get).

The floral blazer is totally raging once more…  So I have selected a few of my favorites in honor of my mom.

(1. Find HERE, 2. Find HERE, 3. Find HERE, 4. Find HERE, 5. Find HERE)

Sorry Mom, you aren’t getting cheap roses, chocolate strawberries or even a stupid card.  But I hope you know how much I love you.  And how totally bad ass you are.

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Pink, Pink, To Make the Boys Wink! 

Posted on 05/08/2012 by Mrs. AA

So remember my (unsuccessful) plan to buy the perfect bag on vacation?  Well, I ended up purchasing (albeit in a different color) one of them after I returned.  The Balenciaga Velo in Cyclamen!

Yes, I know I bought the Balenciaga First right before my vacation.  This illustrates two points for me: 1) I have a terrible shopping problem and 2) I really, really love Balenciaga.  Really, really.  The bags are truly awesome.  They are casual chic and really well made.  And they are totally tough/roomy enough for moms (or people who find it necessary to carry around juice boxes, fruit snacks, baby wipes, toys, and on and on).

(dress HERE)

As you know, I am moving in the next few weeks.  So I hope you understand if I am a bit more spotty in my postings than usual.  I’ll do my best to keep up the pace.

Hope that your weeks are off to beautiful starts!

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Oh Hi, Ohio! 

Posted on 05/04/2012 by Mrs. AA

(sleep mask HERE / suitcase HERE / tote HERE)

Well, I am headed back to Cincinnati this weekend in an attempt to find our family a home.  I am pretty excited.  Not to find a house – that is fun, but more stressful.  I am most excited about getting to sleep ALONE.  Without worry of a child crying or a husband snoring. Excuse me, my husband would like to clarify that he does NOT snore and that it is my imagination…

Anyhow, I am bringing my camera.  Maybe my imagination and I will find a cute cow to take a picture of.

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Mo’ Scrubs – Kate Somerville and Fresh 

Posted on 05/03/2012 by Mrs. AA

I have felt pretty meh since getting back from vacation, so I decided to give two new facial scrubs a whirl – Sugar Face Polish by Fresh and ExfoliKate by Kate Somerville.

Key to a great at-home facial is starting with a nice, clean face.  Because the only thing grosser than a dirty face is scrubbing that dirt deeper into your pores.  Something gentle like Cetaphil will work well for a prep, as it won’t totally strip all the oils from your skin.

First I tried out the ExfoliKate.  It has a bit of a shocking green color when dispensed and a subtle, clean odor.  A little goes a looooooong way, so (despite its high price point) you will be able to get many, many uses for even the smallest of tubes.

Spread the green goodness over your face in circular motions…

… then wait 2 minutes for the treatment to do its magic.

The texture of ExfoliKate is not terribly course and is more of a gentle slough than some of your other exfoliating products.  I would say that this would be a plus for people with sensitive skin, HOWEVER this product contains some heavy-duty enzymes that give an intense tingle during your two-minute wait.  The result is smooth skin with an intense glow.  RATING: A-

The Fresh Sugar Face Polish requires almost an identical prep and procedure.  So start again with a clean face.

For this polish, I like to use a more generous serving of scrub when applying to the face.  It is a much coarser formula than ExfoliKate and (given that it is brown sugar based) tends to break down with any moisture.  Again, apply in circular motions with your finger tips for at least one minute to get best results.

With this treatment, a longer wait time between scrub and rinse is required for the product to get down to business.  It recommends 5-10 minutes.  I waited 15.  During this time, there is absolutely no burn and the scent is positively dreamy to take in.

Given the retinol and salicylic acids I use, my face is always peeling.  This scrub is the best thing I have used to break through all of those dead skin cells and reveal a fresh, new layer of skin.  It is also incredibly moisturizing, so despite an intense treatment, my skin feels baby soft after completion.  And with a very reasonable price point, I will be purchasing this again and again and again.  RATING: A+

WINNER: SUGAR FACE POLISH (by a nose; I would highly recommend either)

(pajamas – NICK & NORA Kids)

Now its time for me to go downstairs, pour a stiff drink and work on sallowing that new, bright complexion I just revealed.  xx.

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Happy Hermes Humpday! 

Posted on 05/02/2012 by Mrs. AA

I know that I promised to share my big purchase from vacation with you, so here it is…  Can you believe that Mr. A got me a Birkin?!

Yeah, don’t believe it because it is totally not true!

The designer shopping in the places we went was actually complete shiz.  Seriously.  The selection was much smaller than that found in major US cities (or even our dinky little NOLA Saks).  And the prices were on average 20% more!  It was depressing…  However Mr. A did treat me to a new Hermes bracelet, which I am quite in love with.

(My Miuccia doll took a bit of a tumble during her photo shoot.)

I was so happy with the cuff that I had to grab a coordinating bag.  Unlike its $10,000 (and up!) muse, this Birkin I can take to the beach, throw juice boxes in, and on and on…  All with no associated panic attacks!  I totally frown upon buying knock-offs – they are cheap and make you look likewise – but this is such a tongue-in-cheek homage to the Birkin that I will make an exception.

(bangles HERE / enamel bracelet HERE / bag HERE / tee HERE / shorts HERE / shoes BETSEY JOHNSON)

The bags just came back in stock, so grab one while you can because they have been known to sell out quickly.

Happy Humpday to you all!  xx.

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It’s Bikini Time! 

Posted on 05/01/2012 by Mrs. AA

It is crawling up into the 80s this week, which made me immediately want to go to the beach.  If you are wondering, yes, I do go to the beach.  No, I do not suntan.  Or swim.  Both because of paralyzing fears – one of aging and the other of encountering a shark, a fish or a large German in a thong.

If you are a Facebook fan or Twitter follower, you would know that I am about to go into a self-imposed shopping exile for one month in order to purchase a new car.  So I am doing some last-minute shopping to ensure all of my basic needs are met in May.  Which means swimsuit shopping is in order…

Now let me ensure you that, after one child and one too many cheeseburgers, I am no swimsuit model.  Not even close.  I have gone the slimwear one-piece bathing suit route to cover up flaws.  But I wasn’t kidding anybody!  You are still, in effect, sitting out in public with nothing more than a few strips of fabric on.  Adding a few inches of lycra isn’t hiding anything.

So I have gone back to wearing bikinis and feeling good about myself in them.  My theory – if you are super stylish, people will be more interested in your suit than your cellulite.  And I have found an awesome online swim shop that sells the most amazing selection of swimwear, cover-ups and accessories out there!  Beach Fashion Shop, out of Spain.

Here are a few of the suits I am considering…

above – CIA Marítima

above – Agua de Coco

above – Mara Hoffman

above – Matthew Williamson

Which one do you like best?

Which bikini should I get?

  • Tough (52%, 136 Votes)
  • Tribal (20%, 53 Votes)
  • Triangle (17%, 44 Votes)
  • Trendy (11%, 29 Votes)

Total Voters: 262

Loading ... Loading ...

What swimsuit will you be rocking this season?  Where do you like to shop?

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Vacation Days 7/8: Cinque Terra and Elba 

Posted on 04/30/2012 by Mrs. AA

Happy Monday to you all!  Hope you had a great weekend…  Mine was spent continuing to back on track after returning from our vacation.  But I think I am officially back to reality now.  And you will have to be as well starting tomorrow, as this is the last batch of pictures to share!  I am thinking of sharing all of my favorite New Orleans spots before I have to move, so hopefully you will enjoy that just as much.

But back to vacation.  On day seven we docked in Portovenere, after our ship was banned by the Italian government from docking in Portofino (due to the Contra Costa incident).  I was initially upset, until I discovered that we would be spending the day in the Cinque Terra!

We drove though the hills of Liguria and ended in Manarola quite early in the morning, which was nice since none of the tourists (besides us) had really crowded up the town yet.

I have had to toss about 80% of the pictures of me because my husband refuses to focus the camera on me and not the background scenery.  I see how it is, a dirty old boat is more appealing for him!

(shirts HERE / scarf HERE / bag HERE / hat ECHO / jeans HERE)

See, THIS is how a picture of a person and a bunch of boats should be taken.  Don’t you agree?  Men.

Manarola was starting to get busy, so we headed off to make the walk to the next town.  I am pretty sure the most interesting thing about Manarola that I discovered are these dog-watering troughs placed on the streets.  The troughs themselves are not terribly interesting, but the dog is (some sort of terrier?).  I noticed that there were about ten dogs walking around the (VERY small) town and they all were the exact same breed.  I never discovered the mystery, but I can only assume that Manarola only allows these dogs to reside there.  All others are cast out to sea.

The “hike” to Riomaggiore was picturesque and totally paved.  My kind of hiking.

Did I mention that they grew grapes for wine right along side of the trails?  Seriously, there is probably no better hike for me in the entire world.

All along the way, tourists had placed locks on every fence as a symbol of love.

It made me think of Mr. A and I and went we placed a Master Lock on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence after our 2005 wedding there.  Combination lock?  Pad lock?  I didn’t know the difference.

Back to the trail.  Looks intense, right?  It was not.

After a brief visit to Riomaggiore, we took a train to Spezia and then headed back to our port, where we dined at the marina.  It was our best meal of the entire trip and I am confident that I weighed 30 pounds more leaving the restaurant.  We had several plates of antipasti, a terrific pesto dish and a dessert of gorgonzola cheese.  It was intense.

Back on the boat, we opted for a very light dinner of cocktails, fresh fruit and tiramisu.

The next morning we woke in Portoferraio (on the Isle of Elba) and made our way up to the enchanting village of Cappoliveri, which overlooks the Gulfs of Lacona and de Campo.

It is also the home of some interesting graffiti art.  Where else can you find Stalin, Hilter, Mother Teresa and Marylin Monroe in one place?  I am sure MT is really thrilled to be included here.

Given that there were absolutely no tourists in this town, I allowed myself to indulge in my one and only gelato of the trip.  I know that Americans are supposed to love gelato.  I just hate being an American when I am traveling.  We are so predictable.  So I am a closet gelato eater.

I also took a picture of my feet while I was there.  Which is very predictable and very American.

(bag HERE / shoes HERE)

(scarf HERE / glasses HERE / dress HERE / jacket HERE / ring HERE)

We continued on to La Chiusa, a 17th-century wine farm nestled in a vineyard estate (supposedly occupied at some point by Napoleon during his exile here) and surrounded by olive trees.

Here we had wine tasting – three delightful dessert wines and three not-so-delightful table wines.

below – crostini with olive oil, garlic, mint and orange

below – assorted meats on crostini

below – crostini with capers and anchovy

below – dessert wine with date bread and biscotti

(jacket HERE / polo HERE / pants HERE)

We drove back through Punta delle Grotte, which offered some splendid views of the coast, on our way back to Portoferraio.

Back on the boat, we took in our last sunset of the trip.  It was amazing.  And I can’t wait to do another trip like this next year…  Right, Mr. A???

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Vacation Days 5/6: Aix-en-Provence, France and Monaco 

Posted on 04/27/2012 by Mrs. AA

After a wondrous four days in Spain, we made our way over to France and to the small town Aix-en-Provence.  We spent most of the morning strolling the town on an architectural tour and, once again, nibbling on bites from small shops and local vendors.

(hat ECHO / glasses HERE / sweater VINCE / jeans HERE / ring HERE)

After a bad night of sleep with the rough seas, we came back to the ship and relaxed poolside with a few beverages… and retired quite early.

The next day we woke in Monaco and embarked on a jam-packed day of touring the “country”.

(glasses HERE / dress HERE / jacket HERE / bag HERE)

We visited the church where Grace Kelly became Princess Grace and where she rests today.

And had a superb lunch at Cafe de Paris.

We continued walking in an attempt to shop and to see the casino (which was under heavy construction, but still breath-taking inside).  Unfortunately, no pictures allowed in the casino or the Prince’s Palace.

(jacket HERE / cardigan LACOSTE / shirt TRUNK CLUB / pants HERE)

We returned to the ship after a full day in town to a very extensive tasting menu dinner.

(dress HERE)  Sorry, terrible picture quality!

We returned to our stateroom to find rose petals and a sweet note from our stewardess.

If only all evenings could end like this!

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Vacation Day Four: Palamós/Pubol, Spain 

Posted on 04/26/2012 by Mrs. AA

Damn, coffee is so much better abroad.

On the fourth day of my vacation, we docked in Palamós, Spain and immediately headed off to Pubol.  Pubol is the teeniest of villages in Spain, where Salvador Dali bought a “castle” for his wife, Gala, in 1970.  Mr. A and I are both huge fans of Dali.  I, however, was not a huge fan of the castle.  Pubol was, however, quite picturesque.

Backing up, I didn’t even bother taking many pictures of the inside or outside of said “castle”.  They were just okay.  However, when I got to one of the back rooms I literally gasped.  GASPED.  Gala had Dior.  Gala had Lanvin.  Gala had STYLE.

Although nothing was going to compare with her wardrobe, Gala (and Dali) had a lovely garden.  And an even lovelier Datsun.  For reals.  I covet.

(gratuitous butt shot!)

This may be my favorite buy from our entire trip.  A Dali elephant for fourteen euro.  And he fit riiiiight into our stateroom.

As we made our way back to the port, we took a minor detour to Girona and the Mas de Torrent Hotel and Spa.  Gwyneth stays there.  ‘Nuff said.  The grounds were divine.  The countryside was spectacular…  And the wine was, well, perfection.

(sweater HERE / jeans HERE / ring HERE / necklace HERE / handbag HERE / shoes HERE)

Spanish trees make me giggle.

Again, we took a nice three-hour afternoon nap and then got ready for dinner.  As you can see, I forgot to photograph about 75% of the meal.

(dress HERE / necklace KATE SPADE / bracelets HERE / clutch ALEXIS HUDSON)

After dinner, I was greeted in my room by this sweet towel elephant…

… whom I clutched for my life as we floated through a mistral.  And hurricane-force winds.  He unfortunately fell apart in my hands.  Just in time for me to wipe my sea sickness off on him.  Sorry buddy.

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