Review: Beyond Yoga Leggings & Pullover.

 Hello! This is a sponsored post. By that I mean I was gifted some Beyond Yoga items to review without restrictions. All opinions are my own. 

Now that that's out of the way I can assure you that I don't do very many sponsored posts because I don't want to have to pretend to like something I don't. In this case, I was offered some Beyond Yoga clothing, a brand I've been dying to try. WHY WOULD I SAY NO? I wouldn't. 

Because the summer here in Oregon has been so unexpectedly delightful I'm guessing the fall/winter season is going to hit me hard. With that in mind, I picked a couple of super-cozy items I can wear once the weather turns. Here's what I got:

This is the Printed Favorite Raglan Crew Pullover in Dark Olive Woodgrain which is basically a tiger stripe and how could I not get this? It's everything I love - a fancy sweatshirt, animal print, olive and black colorway. Yes, please.

I also got the Spacedye At Your Leisure High Waisted Midi Legging which broke my "no leggings without pockets" rule but the crossover waistband really intrigued me. So, here we go:

I don't mean to look smug but I am SO HAPPY in this fancy athleisure, y'all. Obviously I will wear this outfit to a yoga class when that is a thing again, but for right now? These are my best lounge/home workout clothes. First these leggings. I wasn't sure what size to get but based on reviews, I went with a medium and they fit perfectly. They are crazy soft and substantial without being heavy. I don't think I've ever owned anything like them. The color I got is called "darkest night" which I assumed was black but up close they're a black/navy space dye:

So good! And, the crossover waist I was interested in? It delivers. It's super flattering and doesn't roll down the way high-waisted styles always do on ole short-waisted me. I mean, look at this:

Truly, this is the most flattering angle I could conceive of but that crossover waist is really doing all the work. Honestly, if I'd spent my own money on these I'd very much be saying they're worth every penny. One last thing about these leggings;

IN CASE YOU ARE WONDERING, YES. They look good from the back. These are very, very good butt-flattering leggings. PS. My sneakers are Allbirds that I reviewed here. Now, the pullover:

First, it's pretty lightweight and looks like something I'd wear with jeans so I am wearing it with my Madewell Cali bootcut jeans. It's very drape-y and soft and I love the color. I bought a medium and it absolutely fits but I sorta wish I'd sized up so I could have a bit more slouchyness. (So, regular size: regular fit, size up for slouchy.) My red flats are the Everlane Day Glove flat. 

Here's a close-up for true tiger stripe goodness. I know they are calling this woodgrain but I just see tiger. My necklaces are a couple of new favorites - a Gorjana Parker in opalite (love the smaller version too) and a little bird skull necklace I bought at Paxton Gate. 

That's the review! I'm truly delighted with both the pullover and the leggings and highly recommend checking out for Beyond Yoga for the best comfy workout/lounge clothing. 

Weekend Window Shopping: Kate Spade for Mother's Day.

Hey! Mother's day is, like, next weekend. I know, dude. Maybe you are shopping for your mom or maybe you are the mother and you want to buy a little something for yourself? I support that, always. I've chosen some things from the Kate Spade website that I think would make very nice gifts for you or your mom or whoever deserves it. Don't forget to use code MDAY18 for 20% off full priced items!

         

       

Outfit of the Day: Well, This is Exciting.

Hey guys! If you are following our IG account you'll know that I posted a shiny new striped bag that I am super into. I will be very upfront that this bag was given to me by Kate Spade in exchange for talking up their Mother's Day promotion. Please know that I was allowed to chose something that I really liked and this doesn't happen here very often because I am super picky about sponsorship (and also because nobody is sending me loads of free stuff. Madewell! ILU! Call me!) It's just not that kinda blog so when I do have a c/o item, it's going be something I really love. Anyway, off we go:

I'm wearing my awesomely blue Pleione top from TJ Maxx which I love a lot. This one at Nordstrom is the same blue but with a really cute gathered waist. This Pleione top is reeeeallly similar to mine but doesn't come in the bright blue. Dang. However! I found this one by Gibson that's a dead ringer. Also, I scoured TJM and found this bright blue top for under $15! 

I'm also wearing my Everlane skinny ponte pants which I kind of forgot about? I bought them last fall and they don't really work with ankle boots so I just stopped wearing them for the winter. Luckily they still fit me because I've been wearing them quite a bit. Shhhh...don't tell Marianne but I've been pondering a pair of Everlane white boyfriend jeans because...maybe? I should probably stick to Madewell. I do want some white boyfriend jeans or maybe a demi boot? We'll see. 

I threw on my Universal Thread denim jacket which I am seriously so glad I bought. It's just a perfect layer for this time of year and half the time I'll wear it to work and then just keep it on all day because it's mad comfy. GET ONE. SERIOUSLY. $30! You will not regret it. Go go go.  On to details: 

This BAG y'all. It's the Kate Spade Washington Square Mega Sam and it's a perfect warm weather tote. Striped canvas and leather trim, are you kidding me? It's a roomy bag with two inside pockets, two outside pockets and leather ties at the top. It's so fresh! I am really enjoying a break from my usual droopy leather hobo. This bag is part of Kate Spade's Mother's Day gift guide (which I'll be exploring more later in the week) and you can get 20% off with code MDAY18.  Lest I forget, my necklace is a SOKO Paddle Pendant and it's just so good. There's also a petite version which, dammit. 

Another shot of the KS bag AND what is that on my feet? Why those would be gold Sam Edelman flats. I move fast, ya'll. I bought these on Poshmark when my first choice sold out and even though I was convinced they wouldn't spark joy, I've been quite happy with them. (They have zero support but they are ballet flats so really, why would you expect them to?) 

Review: POPSUGAR January Must Have Box!

POPSUGAR sent me the January Must Have Box to try which is always a good time. POPSUGAR boxes are always a fun mix of products and I love getting a little box full of surprises in the mail. The January box is no exception:

The theme for this month's box was "A Fresh Start" and here's a list of what's in it:

GOLDFADEN MD Fresh A Peel Multi Acid Resurfacing Peel (retail $85)
MANDUKA eQua Mat Towel in Playa (retail $38)
DAILY CONCEPTS Your Hair Wrap Towel (retail $18)
DEAN & DELUCA Peppermint Loose Leaf Tea (retail $10.75)
MAY DESIGNS Desk Calendar (retail $12.50)
Sourcebooks, Inc. Instant Happy Notes (retail $8.99)
Bonus item:  GLADE Atmosphere Collection N°3 Free Coconut and Beach Woods Candle

This box costs $39.95 and has a retail value of more than $175!

I was most excited about the Manduka yoga mat towel because my old one is starting to look a little ratty. I don't do hot yoga very often but they're still nice if you find yourself sliding on your mat, which I do. Pro tip: these towels are excellent for pool-side lounge chairs because they're extra long and super absorbent.

I've also been using the Daily Concepts hair wrap a lot! I initially didn't think I'd get much use from this since my hair is so short, but if I twist my hair up in it right out of the shower it's nearly-but-not-quite dry when I'm ready to blow-dry. It's definitely a time-saver and looks very spa-fancy.

Finally, I'm really into the Goldfaden MD peel because that jank retails for $85 and my face likes lactic acid peels. I'll report back after I've given it a fair run but so far, so good.

If you've never tried POPSUGAR Must Have and you're tempted, code SHOP5 will give you $5 off your FIRST Must Have Box!

What's In My Bag?

I think did a post about like this once upon a time, but it's been years and my bag is kind of heavy so I thought I'd dump it all out and take pictures. Exciting, right? Totally.

Here is everything in my bag minus a few linty tissues and a handful of loose change. First, my bag:

It's a Marc by Marc Jacobs Too Hot To Handle hobo and it's my most-carried bag. This particular bag in this color (cement) is only available on eBay at this point but MBMJ has a few other really nice hobo bags. The Recruit bag in mink is the most similar to mine!  Here's what's in it:

My cellphone with cute GoCustomized personalized iPhone 6 case, Elegant anti-static hairbrush, Jonathan Adler coin purse (keep an eye on eBay), and a pen. Now, about my personalized phone case, which was sent to me by GoCustomized to review:

GoCustomized offers personalised phone cases in all manner of finishes. I uploaded my favorite photo from the blog and chose a wood finish, though I think the new cork case is really cool and very current. So many options! I dithered a lot but eventually settled on this combo and they shipped it to me super fast. It's a good quality, minimal case and the wood texture is really cool. Thanks, GoCustomized! 

My overstuffed MBMJ wallet was a lucky eBay purchase a few years ago. It's not super exciting and I should admit I'm keeping my eye on this gorgeous snakeskin nugget because holy crap is that beautiful. I also really like this cobalt blue MBMJ wallet because, you know, cobalt blue. My sunglasses are Oakley Restless which I can't find online anymore but they make great aviators for women.  My sunglasses case is some weird thing I picked up at Old Navy years ago. I love it and will use it until it's dead.

I saved my makeup bag for last! I'm using a little LeSportSac pouch that Kate gave me and it's the perfect size if you want a smaller bag that doesn't overwhelm your space. It comes in cute patterns and solid colors and is light and indestructible. I also love this dome top cosmetic bag, though it doesn't have the separate zip pockets for band aids and whatnot. In my bag I have:

• Givenchy Mister Light concealer
• Bite Beauty Agave lip mask 
• Dior Addict Lip Glow
• Marc Jacobs Beauty Rebel Rebel gloss
• Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey
• Aveeno lotion (the BEST) 
• Sonia Kashuk Undetectable pressed powder

 I also have something of a Chapstick addiction but we don't need to talk about that. Everything is fine and four sticks is a perfectly reasonable amount to have in your bag. I also usually have a little brow pencil in my makeup bag but it got mixed back in with my makeup stash.