Love You Mom!

MAC Montly Giveaway for May!

This month's MAC Giveaway is Fluidline in Blacktrack. For many this is the holy grail in gel liners. This stuff goes on as smooth as butta'. Enter for a chance to take Blacktrack for a spin. Here are the rules:

1. You must be or become a follower of Couture and Crayons blog via Blogger.

2. Leave a comment and tell me what you think should be the MAC giveaway for next month.

3. You must enter your comment with a valid name/login. No anonymous entries will be accepted.


Fine Print
Only one entry per follower. You must be a resident of Canada or USA to be eligible. You have until Friday, May 28th at midnight MST to enter. Winner will be chosen at random via Random.org. Winner will be announced Saturday, May 29, 2010 on CoutureandCrayons.blogspot.com. Winner must email name and address to coutureandcrayons at gmail dot com to receive giveaway item. Giveaways are sent first class mail via USPS.

P.S. My comment feature was being a little temperamental yesterday. I installed Disqus, which lets me respond to commenters directly. I tamed that monkey and you are free to comment to your hearts content!

Lookbook (Comfort For Fashion)

{Jacket: Nordstrom, Long Sleeve Tee: J Crew, Jeans: Mossimo, Shoes: BCBGeneration}

{Ring: Forever 21}

{Shoes: BCBGeneration}

Yesterday was an exciting day! Exciting because I was sans toddler, just for a few hours anyway. The little princess had a birthday party to attend and arrangements were made for dear old dad to take her to jump to her heart's content in a giant bounce house. I was so quick to rush them out the door that I forgot to put training diapers on her. Ooops...bad mommy. Luckily there were no accidents, but hubby had to check in with me to make sure it was not some kind of potty training tactic. (I have him trained well.)

Without toddler in tow, I got a chance to put on some sky high heels. It's been awhile, so a few hours in these puppies and I needed a good foot massage. I have to keep my feet conditioned for this. If I let too much time lapse, I might turn to the dark side and exclusively wear shoes for comfort. Must. Sacrifice. Comfort. For. Fashion.

The nude pump is an must have in your shoe arsenal. It elongates the leg and goes with everything. These pumps by BCBGeneration are very simple with elegant lines. If your are still in search the elusive nude heel, keep in mind not all nudes are created equal. Choose something that goes with your skin tone. For me, taupe is my "nude". I have a more olive complexion so taupe was a better color choice for me, as opposed to a pinky nude.

The cropped jacket has been hanging in my closet for about two years, never worn. I bought it on super clearance at Nordstrom for something ridiculous like $15. One day when I was trying to figure out and outfit for it, my dear husband made a comment that sealed the fate of the jacket for the next two years. "That jacket looks kind of weird." Very rarely do I take fashion advice from him, but for some reason this comment stuck and tainted my excitement for the piece. The jacket made through several cuts of Goodwill donation sweeps. I just could not part with it, even thought the general rule of thumb is that if you have not worn it in a year it needs to go. I am so glad I didn't part with it. I just didn't know how to wear it since the cut of the jacket is a little different. Not is it just a cropped jacket, but the curve detail proved hard to pair with other tops. It finally dawned on me, the subtle white an gray stripes of the J Crew tee would be good pairing. These jeans from Target were my first ever skinnies. I lost my skinny jean virginity to Target. I never thought I would get into that trend because I have always been a bootcut kind of gal. I couldn't lose when I spotted these at 75% off. Now I can't enough of skinnies.

My lemming for something lemon in handbags turned up sour. I can't commit to a yellow bag. One step at a time. A bright yellow bag needs to be something really special. I found a cute yellow flower ring that I can rock in the meantime.

Clinique Bonus Time (You Choose Your Gifts)

It is Clinique bonus time! Pick your gifts with purchase of $21.50 or more. This is a great promo since you can pick and choose 7 items of YOUR choice.

Ignore their free shipping with $50 purchase use code WISE for free shipping+ 1oz Moisture Surge sample on your order of just $21.50 to get the free gift. If "WISE" code stops working use code FSEMAIL for free shipping.

Clinique link-ity link.

I personally love their Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, High Impact Mascara, and Line Smoothing Concealer. Their gift choices are selling out, hopefully they will replenish. If you need to stock up on Clinique products, now is a great time since you can try products of your choice.

ETA: They will not be restocking so choices are selling out and limited. Promo is good while supplies last. Get your order in if you need something!

Target Tuesday (Couture vs. Crayons)

Every morning I stand and stare in my closet, trying to figure out what to wear for the day. What I wear is based on a number of factors; 1. my mood, 2. the weather, 3. the schedule for the day, and the final determining factor is mommy friendliness. So more often than not, the ensemble is compromised in one way or another due to the final factor.

So today we are having a little fun with this late edition of Target Tuesday! The face off. Couture vs. Crayons. Who wore it best? Me against me in the Zac Posen for Target tuxedo skirt. In the first corner, we have a little crazy, unorthodox look that could garner a comment like "WTF are you wearing?" from dear ol' hubby. In the second corner, we have a mommy-fied meek version. Who will win?

{Shirt: Mossimo for Target, Faux Fur Vest: Forever 21,
Skirt: Zac Posen, Shoes: Faryl Robin Madison}

{Belt: Urban Outfitters, Ring: Target, Clutch: Chanel Cosmos in goatskin}

{Necklaces: Nordstrom, Rhinestone Ring: Target}

{Shoes: Faryl Robin, Madison}

First up we have a little faux fur going on. This is a fun look that I would wear out to dinner in L.A. in a heartbeat. Not so sure it would go over so well here in the burbs. I could possibly pull this off at a hip restaurant downtown. Usually, I sprinkle in a little crazy here and there, like the fur vest with a more preppy outfit or the shoes with a ultra feminine dress. But all this craziness together is kind of fun. The faux fur vest is a trend that has lasted longer than anticipated. I bought the vest at Forever 21 last year thinking that I would only wear it for a season, but it looks like faux fur is here to stay. I am obsessed with mulit-chain necklaces and getting the right mix required a creation of my own. Both necklaces are from Nordsrom, don't you love the ghetto fabulousness of the dark hematite chain? The skirt needed a little something up top, so I added the ruffled belt from Urban Outfitters. The wedges (did you know I love wedges?) are Faryl Robin, an architectural masterpiece and oh so comfortable. Of course it wouldn't be Target Tuesday without a couple of items from the big box store. The cream and back striped shirt is Mossimo and let's not forget the main attraction, the Zac Posen Tuxedo skirt.

{Tank: Forever 21, Long necklace: Forever 21, Belt: J Crew
Skirt: Zac Posen, Shoes: Forever 21}

{Pin: DIY layered chiffon flower, Long Necklace: Forever 21,
Multi-Strand Necklace: Nordstrom}

Now, the mommy-fied version would garner different comments from the mommy groups. "Why is she so dressed up?" Well, in turn I should ask..."Why do you look like you just rolled out of bed?" Just teasing (not really). I have those moments too, where I literally just rolled out of bed to get to a forgotten appointment. This stripped down look, is a little meek. Gone is the ghetto fabulous chain, over the top fur vest and architectural wedges. I added a cute flower pin (DIY by yours truly) and leopard ballet flats. This look is more sensible...wearable. The tank, long necklace and flats are all from Forever 21. So moms, if your excuse for not getting out of frumpdom is that you don't want Jr. spitting up all over your nice clothes, get over it. The tank was just $4.

I'm torn between the looks, but it is a great example of what you can do to a simple black skirt.

Lookbook (Going Tribal)

{Top: Yumi Kim AMBER top in tribal, Jeans: True Religion,
Shoes: Cynthia Vincent for Target Strappy Ring Sandal, Necklace: Banana Republic}

Now that we are headed into more Spring-like weather, I can finally wear an outfit that doesn't have to coordinate with a coat or jacket. The top, by Yumi Kim, is a fun tribal print that exudes an air of vintage. I love to support artists like Yumi Kim, her line drew fanfare organically, not through PR promotions or celeb freebies. I appreciate that she followed her passion, drawing inspiration from vintage prints, florals and geometrics. All of Kim's creations are feminine and airy. Every season she refreshes this same piece in different prints. I like this particular print because it is a little boho chic. I don't "do" boho chic very often, but I like the ease of the top with the pop of color and the understated tribal print. Another reason to love Yumi Kim is that she often has generous discounts on her website. Check her out on her blog, she integrates pieces of her collection with New York street style.



The jeans I'm wearing are True Religion (is this trend over)? Oh well, if it is I don't really care. I love the fit and the wash. Most importantly they are super comfortable, which is a necessity. As you can see I do a lot of heavy lifting. Not sure if you can see, I am wearing my Cynthia Vincent for Target Strappy Ring Sandals. I so wanted to wear the gladiator wedges, but I had to take the little princess to gymnastics. I'm pretty good at running in heels, but I'm still working on gymnastics in heels.

Mmmm....Creme Brulee French Toast

So I have a weakness for French Toast. Every now and again I like to treat myself to this decadent breakfast. With Mother's Day just around the corner I wanted to pass this recipe on for those who want to treat their wonderful mom to an out-of this-world Mother's Day brunch. I love this recipe because you prep it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning. No muss, no fuss and no slaving over a stove.

So what makes this french toast so special? Mmmm, the gooey goodness that is brown sugar and butter at the bottom of the dish. It is soo good right out of the oven. Your mom will surely love you for this.

My modification, I held back a little bit on the butter, I used 3/4 of a stick. I said this was good, not healthy. And if you don't have Grand Marnier, you can add a little orange zest.

Creme Brulee French Toast

1 loaf Challah Bread (or any 8-9 inch round country loaf bread)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
2 tblsp corn syrup
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half & half
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp Grand Marnier
1/4 tsp salt

In a small heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13 x 9 x 2 backing dish. Cut six 1-inch thick slices from center portion of bread, reserving ends for another use. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, half & half, vanilla, Grand Marnier and salt until combines well. Pour mixture evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to one day.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and bring bread to room temperature. Bake bread mixture, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35-40 minutes.

Serve hot immediately. Optional, sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle with syrup.