I get it: You either really enjoyed Missoni Day  – as that is all it turned out to be – at Target or you wanted to burn down the closest store and all of the chevrony/Cosby-esque goodness. I, personally, was quite taken by the frenzy and how the frenzy barely reached the edges of Upstate New York. When I mentioned to a colleague that I would be taking an early lunch because it’s Missoni Day! She was all “what’s a Missoni?” and then I wept for humanity. It reminds me of an aquaintance who was set on getting some luxury item while in we were in Vegas. We ended up wandering around the shops at the Bellagio for a bit and happened upon Hermes.

“OOH!” she exclaimed, “A her-mees (yes, that’s exactly how she mispronounced it)! We must stop in!” And then I died a little on the inside. Though I can’t afford a perfectly plush silk scarf at least I can pronounce that shit.

But I digress: Missoni Day. I got to the Target across the street from my office and the place was empty save for the normal moms with babes. I shrugged and perused the collection. I knew it was a sign from God when the display shoes of the ballet flats were a size 11. So I purchased those.

Cute, right?

I also bought a set of nesting bowls that are going to look phenomenal on the wood table I just purchased for my kitchen. They’re also going to be perfect as it is almost apple picking time. Can you imagine that big bowl full of red delicious apples? I cannot wait.

There were also a pair of socks and a long open cardigan that I thought would be perfectly cozy but turned out to accentuate the size of my ass. So, that went back.

In the end was it fun? Yes. It gave a sense of thrill to an otherwise boring Tuesday and given that a normal run to Target involves Neutrogena and maybe new athletic socks if I’m lucky, it was a bit of excitement. Was it worth the absolute hysteria and frenzy and OHMYGOD I WILL SHANK YOU IF MY TOUCH MY FABULOUS INFINITY SCARF? Uh, no.

Semi-related: Here my friend Holly reenacts Missoni Day 2011. She’s a funny one.

I’ve been asked a number of times where I got my frames:

The glasses are courtesy of Warby Parker. A socially conscious eyeglass company similar to Toms shoes: You buy a pair and they provide a pair of glasses to someone in need. That is what initially attracted me to the company as a bleeding-heart liberal who likes to do good in hopes of giving others a chance. I chose the Roosevelt style. Picked because they were ordered during the great Debt Ceiling debate during which congress seriously contemplated drastic changes to entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Warby Parker has a great try-on program where you can choose five styles and test them out for five days. I was hemming and hawing and settled on the Roosevelt because it seemed like a sign: Congress trying to dismantle Social Security while state governments tried to get rid of collective bargaining under the guise of budget cuts. Since FDR helped make Social Security and the Wagner Act happen I figured that I should go ahead and get his namesake frames.

And WOW I am a total dork but whatever. I have cute glasses.

Twitter is convinced that I look hot in these glasses and I’m totally gonna get laid. Fingers crossed, y’all.

Over the last four months everything has been Very Serious. Fun? Please define. Throughout the Serious nature which, let’s face it, is what one gets when in a life of politics, I have kept an ongoing list of resources – blogs mostly – so that I can keep my creative side intact. I want more color in my life. I’d like to finish my apartment. I’d like to have colorful throw pillows. I’d like my breakfast nook to have a giant bowl of fruit. I had to put my apartment project on hold due to the move to DC but now I have returned home and I have at least four weeks of time to create. To write. To admire the pretty things and and have them come to life. It’s the antithesis to my day to day which is why I find at least an hour alone with my camera so therapeutic.

Here are a few of my favorite design(ish) blogs. I have them filed under “Pretty Things” because with each key stroke they remind me of the lovely, the bright and the delicious parts of life that I am often quick to forget about. It’s good to smile through the Serious:

Blog Con Queso; Chookooloonks; Mighty Girl; The Working Closet; Everyday Treats; Queenie Takes Manhattan; Design for Mankind; Oh Joy; Design Sponge; Design Mom; Daily Relish; Petit Elefant; Smitten Kitchen; HJ Entertains; Oh Happy Day; Say YES! to Hoboken

Do you have any favorites that inspire you and put a little pretty in your day? Spill.

I hate the end of an era. Like that time that Sun and Jin found each other again and I bawled like a baby. This is another one of those times. And though TV doesn’t usually get to me, it’s tonight that I will once again find myself sniffling at the end of Michael Scott. This is just the beginning.

I should be packing for the wedding but instead I’m sitting here trying to figure out how to incorporate the above into my wardrobe for the next wedding. The first is more classic than the second. I feel like with the second I can go all out though if LB hears that I didn’t put my full fashion front forward for her as well, then she’ll be pissed. So perhaps this April calls for two flamboyant corsages. Let the good times roll. Have a great weekend and I’ll have stories for you come Monday.

Me packing for DC: Ok here are some black pants and a black shirt and a black blazer and black shoes and let’s throw this shit in a black bag with some pearls and call it a day, mmmkay?

Me packing for a Blog Conference: Okay, let’s start with a Google Doc spreadsheet, color code it and highlight by outfit. And by outfit I mean day outfits vs. night outfits and perhaps we should try everything on before leaving to make sure that this shoe looks perfect with this dress and let’s have a spontaneous Movie Montage Outfit Party. [Insert your favorite 80's song here]

Packing for conferences makes me twitchy. Real life is easy and bland and so very ordinary. I once wore a yellow sweater and someone was all “YELLOW! That’s different!” I own a pink coat and you should see the looks I get when I walk through the Rayburn Building. But when it comes to blog conference with the 5D Mark IIs with the giant flashes, I go all out. I like to have fun. I like to incorporate color into my wardrobe without someone being all so you wore black with red? Interesting.

So here’s what I wore during BlissDom this past week. Good times. Even gooder (yes, I said that) shoes.

Wednesday Night

Tunic – Old Navy

Boots – Annies via Endless (wide-calf, baby!)

Ring – Anthropologie

Thursday Day

Sweater, Dress/Tunic if you’re not a size 4, necklace – All J.Crew

Thursday Night

Gold top – Gap

Necklace – Anthropologie

Earrings – Musette Made Etsy shop

Sparkly flats – Banana Republic

Tattoo – Poor decision making at age 17

Friday – Speaking!

Wrap Dress – Banana Republic

Earrings – Kenneth Cole

Scarf – Mustard Seed in Bethesda

Shoes – Nine West via Endless

Friday Night

Sweatshirt – via my brilliant mother. Not sure where she got it but my goal is to just to own a lot of Salinger stuff and/or things that make me look smart and literary.

This is a sponsored post by

“The quickest way to know a woman is to go shopping with her.”  ~Marcelene Cox

The striped wrap thing you see above (and purchased at a local store to boot)? It’s made of magic. It’s like comfort food but for your body where you’re instantly transposed from frantic, half-naked, traveler being groped TSA to “Ahhhh, this feels nice”. I’ve been rather careful with my shopping as of late so to only purchase things that truly catch my eye. Not just have the price tag catching my eye  hence a closet full of crap never to be worn again but instead I like usefulness with a bit of kick. Hence the cardigan of love and splendor pictured above. In only three months of ownership it’s been to Florida, DC and Texas and there’s a permanent crease in the elbow from where I rest my head to snooze on long flights.

****

I’ve hit an age where I no longer request actual presents for any occasion but instead request money. Though I do have ‘Subaru Outback sport’ on that list just in case Hell freezes over. I am a total, unabashed gift card whore. To the point where I spend the days between my birthday and christmas (there are only 90 of them) gathering them in my wallet, perusing sites to figure just what Wish List item to spend my precious plastic on.

Enter Swagg. Have you heard of them? Upon introduction I did a fist pump because I am one of those people who has a hard time keeping things together especially those pesky cards. Swagg allows me to a) keep them together and track them FROM MY PHONE and b) Hey, did you forget your favorite aunt’s birthday or your cousin’s Bar Mitzvah? Well quick, go purchase some SWAGGbucks via your phone and suddenly you’re the greatest person ever. I love being able to pick my own gifts. It’s like choose y0ur own adventure without the snakes and running through a forest. And as an adult it means that I won’t have to give a look of sadness upon receiving a sweater I never really wanted. Then again, that’s what gift receipts are for but that’s an entirely different post titled: I’m selfish, let me show it to you.

For the next few weeks I’ll be highlighting a few of my favorite things so you get to see The Awesome and maybe win a little something  for yourself or grab that last minute holiday present. You down?

The Contest and the rules:
To win a $50 gift card (whoo!) courtesy of SWAGG by downloading the SWAGG app. Return here and comment that you have downloaded the app and voila! You are entered. You have until Friday, December 17th at 6PM EST to enter and I will post the winner later that evening. There will be three opportunities to enter and win so don’t be shy.

No, no, the winner will not have their ass kicked but I have just Shad my ass kicked supremely. Hence the silence in this space. Not so much over on Twitter where my followers were treated with tears and my feelings on saying the words ‘Speaker’ and ‘Boehner’ at the same time. Did your baby just cry? Did you puppy just shit on your freshly cleaned carpet ? Did your kitten just die? Because any and all of those things might occur when you say Speaker Boehner. And then y0u turn orange and develop an affinity for Marlboro Lights.

So yeah, that’s a glimpse into the insanity of this week and the boot shaped bruise on my left butt cheek.

But that’s not what you’re here for: The winner of a brand! new! Epiphanie handbag of her choice is Jenn of my shining castle. Her reason for loving photography is my quote for this post. Congratulations Jenn! Email me your info and then go forth and choose y0ur bag. I’m totally loving Paris in purple like possibly in a totally creepy kind of way to the point where I stare at it and imagine my 50 mm lense in that bag. It would look really pretty. It can also hold a laptop. Aw, fuck it, I’ll just buy one myself.

I will have more news for you on the state of this blog because if you hadn’t noticed, there are no more ads. It wasn’t even that exciting of a story until I was called uncouth on Twitter for saying what everyone was thinking. Even better, called uncouth by a BlogHer employee. It was awesome.

More later…

Just before BlogHer I purchased an Epiphanie camera bag to house my SLR. It had been living a dusty, change-filled life at the bottom of my handbag du jour. And when I wasn’t acting like money grows on trees and I could buy myself another one if I happened to ruin my (very) expensive camera; I kept it in a little sleeve thing. I’m not sure of the exact name except that the sales guy at B&H once told me that it’s the equivalent of keeping my camera in a sock. Very helpful.

I had been at the Mom 2.0 summit where people like Karen Walrond (seen here) were carrying one of these most lovely bags around and I kept following her like a puppy begging to touch it and then she’d shoot daggers out of her eyes every time I breathed on the thing. And then it was BlogHer where the only thing I ever really needed with me at all times was my camera and two lenses. So! What the hell? I had an Epiphanie.

Have you all seen these bags? That photo above is of my friend Isabel with the red Lola. Doesn’t that bag make her shine? Look. I’m hard to please. I have very specific criteria on my needs and wants and I research the crap out of everything because I look for function along with style. I have to own accessories that will compliment the rest of the outfit and give me that last bit of oomph. These bags do that in more. Actually it’s gotten to the point where I often carry my Epiphanie around with me sans camera. Or if I do have my camera people are all, “Great bag! Where’d you get it?” and then I’m all wait until you see what’s inside! And then my 300 mm lense jumps out and yells SURPRISE! Like that.

I ended up meeting creator Maile Wilson during BlogHer when she saw me with my Lola in black and asked if she could take a photo of me with it. Then I wanted to hug her and tell her how much I adore her and she’s so gracious and smart and pretty and shiny. Actually that conversation happened later after several glasses of champagne when I kept thanking her for my bag and begged her to do a giveaway.

She said yes.

And now we’re here.

It’s my birthday. I’m 27 to be exact. And I really enjoy you guys, writing in this space and those of you who have followed me over to Poliogue. I figured that today was a great day to have a giveaway so that one of you lucky people can win an Epiphanie bag of your own. Even better, just yesterday Maile & Co. completed the new site and previewed her newest creations. Oh! You guys! I’m debating between  Clover (named after the too adorable for words daughter of the lovely Rachel Devine) and  Paris which, CUTE! It’s my birthday and Christmas will be here soon. We all deserve a little something awesome, don’t you think?

Here’s the deal: In the comments you must respond to this question: Why do you love photography? You get one comment. Comments will close at 8AM EST on Friday, October 29th. The winner will get to go over to the brand! new! Epiphanie site (they’re also on Facebook and Twitter, of course) and pick out the camera bag of her (or his) choice.

Sound good? I’ll start. I am not a photographer but I love to take photos in order to capture brief moments like that photo of Isabel above. She’s gorgeous, I know but what matters is that I captured her in her element, having a good time. I hate taking posed shots but instead I use my 50 mm to catch you being you. Getting you mid-sentence or laughing as if no one is watching is seeing you at your most authentic. I like seeing people when they’re real even if the moments are fleeting.

Now your turn. Good luck!

I just want to make your Hump Day a little better. Be empowered. Do something awesome. Have a great day.