steppin out to the #pnwblogger meetup!

Grace and I stepped out to the Pacific Northwest Blogger meet up in Portland this weekend at West Elm. Um, how had I never been to West Elm before? And when can I go back? We saw some old blogger friends and met some new ones as well. We had fun. And topped it off with a day and a half of tax free shopping. Yahoo!




I'm posting every day this month for NaBloPoMo!

show off your shoes. I mean, shot.

On Saturday night we celebrated Chris' parents' birthdays with family and a bunch of their friends at Chris' sister's house in Seattle. It was a beautiful event, with delicious food prepared by Papillon Catering. Yum, seriously still drooling over the food. Oh, and there was wine.

That woman in the center of this photo, the one with the super hawt legs and the four inch heels? Yeah, that is my mother-in-law. She's seventy. (I'm not sure I'm allowed to say her actual age here on the internet, but I just felt you like all should know that, I mean seriously, those legs are looking good!)

And while we're on the subject of shoes (oh, how I love shoes), this next photo is nothing special but I just wanted to share it because my friend Katie lent me these awesome shoes for the party that pretty much MADE my outfit. (They also made me close to six feet tall, which at a Drechsel function comes in handy).

Dress: Ross ($12.99) | Shoes: Borrowed (I think I might keep them)

Linking up with Mandy for Stepping Out Saturday (because we actually did Step Out. On a Saturday.)

Won't you join me and show off your shot...it's easy!

Simply share any photo of your choosing this week. Link up (your blog post or flickr photo), and visit some of the other show offs as well!

I do ask that you kindly link back to my blog using this button (although a text link is perfectly ok too):

<center> <a href="http://andthen-shesnapped.com" target="_blank"><img alt="and then, she {snapped}" src="http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j52/drexgal/and%20then%20she%20snapped/showoffbutton.jpg" /></a></center>

mikarose review and giveaway!

I'd never heard of Mikarose until they contacted me and asked if I'd like to do a giveaway for y'all. Heck yes, please! I browsed the site and found quite a few things that I liked. I chose the Kristy dress in burnt red. It's really lovely. The color is not a true red, more of a pinky red, which I actually prefer, so I was pleasantly surprised. The site told me to size up if I preferred it not to be form fitting. I ignored them and ordered a small. I probably should have ordered a medium, if I plan on continuing to eat the amount of ice cream that I do. I feel like the dress is a tad snug in the butt/stomach area. (Which also happen to be the areas I'm most conscious of ). This particular dress is a "faux" wrap dress...the only part that actually wraps is the part over my right boob...otherwise it's a pull over your head kind of dress. I have no problem with this, as it makes it feel a more secure than a traditional wrap dress. I also love that this dress is just a tad below my knee. So many dresses are really too short (for me anyway)...and this one is just a perfect length. Perhaps this is what their motto, "reinventing modesty" is all about?

All in all I think this dress is super cute. It is something I will definitely wear. It's semi-dressy, but the stretchy cottony fabric keeps it casual.

Mikarose is offering one of my readers a $50 credit to their online boutique!! The giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents. Enter via rafflecopter below through Friday at midnight. I will contact the winner via email and if no response is given within 48 hours I'll choose another winner.



Disclosure: I received the Kristy dress free of charge in exchange for my honest review. I was not otherwise compensated. All opinions are (obviously) my own. a Rafflecopter giveaway

easter style

It was 70 degrees on Easter.

We set some kind of record or something.

I wore my shabby apple ballerina dress (which I LOVE),

a ruffled cardigan from target,

and some super cute target pumps (except when I was riding Camden's new scooter I switched to some super cute target leopard print flats, pretty much exactly like Harper's)

$100 Tea Collection Giveaway!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED TO NEW ENTRIES. CONGRATULATIONS #19, STASHA!

I recently had the opportunity to try out some adorable clothes from Tea. I chose the Casa Azul Ikat skirt and the Dona Dolman cowl neck in oasis (I have a "thing" for cowl necks). I was quite pleased with both. The shirt is long enough for my longish torso, (because I'm really not a fan of showing off my middle section) and the skirt isn't too short for this oldish thirty-something mom. I love it paired with my cognac boots, but I think it would work just as well with some sandals in the warmer months.

I hate these types of photos...I don't know what to do with my face.

Also, I forgot lipgloss, AGAIN.

Why yes, my toddler IS raking leaves in his pajamas...and Crocs. We are classy around here.

Also, Chris didn't know we were doing this photo shoot out back, and when he came around into the yard to just see me standing there (all awkwardly) he thought I was waiting to tell him how to rake. HAHA. As if.

Both items are cut generously. I would have ordered a small, but Michelle at Tea suggested I order an XS instead, and it's still plenty big. The skirt is a little loose as well, I think I could have gotten by with a smaller size in it too. Shipping was fast and I'm really pleased overall with the whole ordering process.

Tea offers great women's clothes as well as super adorable modern children's clothing, and they are generously offering one of MY readers the opportunity to spend $100 at Tea! ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS!

So how can you win?

Simply leave a comment below. Perhaps you might tell me what you'll order from Tea if you win, or what you really really want for Christmas.

For one extra entry tweet the following and leave another comment here.

"Win $100 @teacollection gift certificate via @racheldrechsel at http://andthen-shesnapped.com"

I'll draw the winner via random.org next Monday, December 19th. Please leave a way for me to contact you if you win, otherwise...well, you won't win.

I was provided the above outfit free of charge in exchange for my honest review of Tea Collection. All opinions are my own. Obviously. Tea also generously donated the giveaway item for one of YOU!

Linking up with Mandy for Stepping Out Saturday. Even though it's Sunday.

favorite things party

A few of my girlfriends and I had our second annual favorite things party this week. What's a favorite things party, you ask? Well it's a gift exchange, of...our favorite things! Last year we each brought one of our favorite things and then exchanged that way (I think we drew numbers or something). This time we got all Oprah and brought multiples of our favorite things so that we each gave to each other.

What did I get?

• some awesome flip flops that are made from yoga mats
• a super cozy cable knit blanket with fleece on the back. pretty, AND cozy! my family has been fighting over this since I brought it home.
• a glassybaby

 What did I give?

• a camera remote
• a lenspen
• a custom made and then she snapped camera strap cover

Last year we partied at my house, and we invited our husbands. This year it was just us girls, at a fancy restaurant where we got all fancied up, drank fancy wine, and ate fancy food.

 

Sulee, Annie, Jenny, and me.

nikon, nikon, canon, nikon ; )

My dress? TJMaxx, $19.99!!

linking up with Mandy for stepping out saturday (on a Thursday, whatevs)

My dinner? petit filet mignon wrapped in bacon, BACON!, baked potato, spaghetti squash, side of ONION ring? yes, PLEASE!

It is four days later and I am still dreaming about this dinner. It was THAT good.

also, it was way more than $19.99. ; )

Have you ever been to a favorite things party?

Or had a meal that you seriously can't stop thinking about?

what i wore

We all know I'm no fashion blogger. But sometimes I get dressed up and (Grace) does my hair and I kinda think I look cute for a few minutes...and tonight was one of those nights.

Dress | $10 (!) at Ann Taylor Loft

Cardigan | Target

Belt | Target

Tights | I don't remember, Target?

Boots | Nordstrom Rack, last year

Baby Toddler | I made him

Chris and I went to an auction tonight, and came home with a bike.

(Anybody want to buy a bike?)

sometimes I don't wear jeans and cardigans...

this is when hubby and I got all dressed up to go to my friend's birthday party last weekend!

I'm linking up with Steppin Out Saturday (even though it was a Friday).

On me:

dress: borrowed (thanks SuLee!), shoes (not shown): target clearance, hair: by Grace

On my handsome goofball of a husband:

shirt: yes, tie: yes, pant: yes (I don't know where any of that stuff is from, but he looks GOOD, doesn't he?)

also linking up with embrace the camera

oh, and the teachers' strike has FINALLY ended and the bigs are FINALLY going back to school tomorrow. Can I get an AMEN?

steppin' out saturday

I'm linking up my lack of fashion with Mandy at Harper's Happenings. Check her post out for some actual CUTE outfits!

This was taken Thursday, our travel day! I totally thought I looked cute until I saw this picture, now I think I look frumpy. Maybe because this was post-travel?

photo by Chris

Anyway: cropped cardi-Target, stripey floral shirt-Macys, denim capris-Target, super cute nude patent leather pumps-Macys

Coming home today I decided to wear some more sensible shoes. Jeans-Target, black patent flats-Gap

what I wore...vacation edition!

I haven't done a what I wore post in a while, and decided to link up with Mandy for Steppin' Out Saturday, even thought these were taken Wednesday.  I'm such a cheater, I know.

I'm wearing head to toe Macy's clearance.

and the hubby is wearing head to shorts target (I don't know where he got his flip flops).

Grace took both of these photos and I edited them.  Isn't she amazing?  She's really getting to be a great photographer.  If you don't follow her you totally should!

And if you're looking for others to follow you should check out my sister who is starting a new photo linky this week, called Naked Sundays...looks fun!

what I wore

Last night my honey and I went out on a date to a fundraiser auction thingie for youth for christ.  Let me first off tell you how awesome it is when your first born is 11 years older than your youngest, because, guess what?  YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR BABYSITTING!  : )  Ok.

Anyway, we got dressed up and this is how cute we looked:

What I'm wearing:

sweater: Marshall's

red belt: Target, bought it yesterday just to go with the shoes

skirt:  vintage Target

tights are tights

shoes: Macys

What my honey is wearing:

argyle: Old Navy

pants: JCP (ok, here's the thing, he kinda thinks it's lame that his pants are from JC Penneys, but if anybody knows where else you can get size 34 x 37 1/2 inch pants PLEASE let me know)

shoes:  converse

PS he was also sporting argyle socks, but you'll just have to trust me on that

dude.  I'm editing to give proper credit where credit is due.  Grace totally took this picture of us.

POTD 266/365

argyle

what I wore

look!  it's sunny today.

pretty sure this is the first time in the history of the universe that it hasn't rained on Halloween.

I know, I probably just jinxed it now, huh?

today I am wearing:

grey sweater-H&M

black t-shirt-target

jeans-target

shoes-vans

this fall fashion week was so much fun.  it was really fun to make some new bloggy friends, and check out what everyone else is wearing as well.  thanks to emeryjo for hosting the link-up!

what I wore

So it's pouring again today.  I really should be wearing socks, but I'm not.

Today I am wearing:

shirt-Macys (old Style & Co)

t-shirt-old...don't even remember where I got it

jeans-Macys (Kut)

shoes-Macys (Naturalizer--I call these my old lady shoes)

what I wore

I am wearing:

sweater-Gap (bought with my Groupon!)

tank-Old Navy maternity

jeans-Macys (Kut from the Kloth)

boots-Macys (Dr Scholls)

Camden is wearing:

shirt-Gymboree

shorts-Shawn White for Target

shoes-Fred Meyer (Adidas)

we are totally working my "style girl" pose from 1980

what I wore

so yesterday, when I picked Grace up from school she said, "is that what you wore today, for your picture?", I replied yes, and she said, "meh, it's ok."  Can't WAIT to hear what she says about today's outfit.  (If you're new here, that was sarcasm). 

so without further ado, today I am wearing:

{photo by Camden}

shirt-old Forever 21

cardigan-old Old Navy

jeans-Target (mossimo supply co)

boots-Macys (dr scholls) let me just say a little something about these boots, because they are Ugly (note that capital U-ugly) until you put them on, then I love them, except maybe not with this outfit.  Hmmm.

we're going to a pumpkin carving party tonight so I am wearing my skull shirt

and Charlie Pete is wearing:

his skull shirt-Gap (gifted, thanks Boeshaars!)

shorts-Old Navy

baby legs-homemade out of Target knee socks

skull shoes-consignment

there's still time to link up.  and if you do, let ME know so I can check it!

what I wore

I finally got a fbs (full body shot), and don't you like how I am gazing into the bathroom?  classy, I tell ya.

shirt-Marshall's ($12.99!)

pants-Gap (purchased with my groupon)

shoes-Steve Madden

charlie pete is wearing:

jacket-vintage (circa 2004) Old Navy

pants-Target

shoes-mini Bobux for Target

Now come ON, play along!  you know you want to!