Products We Love

Last week I was extremely lucky to be the recipient of these fantastic and bright hair elastics/bracelets from my friend, and fellow barre3 instructor Viva. 

Before I talk about the bracelets, let me talk about Viva. I am convinced that she has super human powers. This woman has three kids, is a barre3 and yoga instructor, bakes and cooks like a professional and is always working on some sort of craft project. She tells me the way she gets all of this done is by letting the laundry pile up every now and again. :) I'm convinced there is more to it! 

Viva started making V!V wear bracelets because, like so many people with long hair, she takes her hair down and pulls it back up throughout the day, thus accumulating hair elastics on her wrist.  She wanted something that looked just as good on her wrist as it did in her hair. She wanted real jewelry, real gold or silver, to go with her other jewelry, to sparkle. She also wanted something that she could wear when doing yoga or chasing her kids around the park. With three kids, Viva, like so many of us, struggles to find that balance between functional and fashionable. 

At least now with V!V wear she has solved the dilemma for jewelry! 

Not only can you choose your elastic color, but the gold comes in "twist" or "dot". Both are equally as fabulous!

Viva has so generously offered to give C&C readers 10% off V!V wear using the code CC10OFF. The code can be used on her Etsy site for the next two weeks. Happy Shopping!

The Balancing Act

I know I've been straying from fashion a bit lately, but I also know (or I think) that many of our readers enjoy reading about something a little "meatier" every now and again.

This is a good time to remind you that on Friday we posted a link to a C&C evaluation survey. We would really appreciate your feedback. It will help us in the future to keep things interesting and inspiring. So, if you prefer the more mindless fashion posts, let us know that too! It will only take a few minutes of your time...

Back to Today's Post. As you know from recent posts, like many women I struggle to balance my desire for a professional career and my desire to be at home with the Mini Fashionista. My friend Michele has shared the same struggles.

Like me, she left the professional world to stay at home with her two children.  Now that her girls are a little older, and in school part time, she wanted to find part time work that got her out of her yoga pants (That sounds familiar)!

After briefly looking at job postings, she realized there were no quality part-time jobs that paid enough to even cover the cost of a babysitter. Then she discovered J. Hilburn. What is J. Hilburn? I said the same thing when she told me about it.

J. Hilburn is a direct-sales company that specializes in "luxury within reach" menswear. They offer custom shirts, personalized suits and a whole line of ready-to-wear clothing such as shorts, polos, sweaters, AG Jeans and much more. This guy looks pretty dang good to me! Love the polka dot pocket square!

I digress...Michele's job with J.Hilburn is similar to being an Arbonne or Stella and Dot representative (to give it some context). Although she claims that men are a much easier clientele!! She divides her time between sales activities (setting appointments with clients, meeting with clients, planning wardrobe selections etc...) and team building activities (having coffee dates and networking), and she works about 5-10 hours per week!

So why am I sharing this with C&C readers? Well, first of all, J.Hilburn offers really nice menswear, and maybe your +1 needs a little wardrobe refresher! Secondly, some of you may be just like Michele and are looking for a part time job that allows you to stay at home with your children! How cool would it be if this post helped you make the leap from your full time career?

If you or a friend are looking for a fun and flexible career opportunity, feel free to reach out to Michele (michele.scharg@jhilburnpartner.com). She can give you all the details! And maybe the guy in the polka dot pocket square will show up on your doorstep...that wouldn't be half bad either.

Products We Love

I'm not planning on having anymore children, but these little moccasins from Freshly Picked might make me want to.....

NOPE!!! NOT HAPPENING! I may never put them on my own child, but I will certainly be buying these for all of my friends who are having babies and for any to-be nieces or nephews...no pressure Katie! They are the cutest! 

The moccasins are homemade by Susan Petersen in her home in Utah. Susan started making baby moccasins in 2009 after becoming frustrated by the lack of well-designed baby shoes. Using some scrap leather she picked up at a yard sale, she began experimenting with designs. Working at her kitchen table, on a shoestring budget, Susan created a pair of moccasins that are adorable and stay on your little person's feet!

Now if I could just place bets on how many of you are going to order a pair! :)

Let's Talk Luxury

Before I began writing this blog, I read a fascinating book called Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in fashion.

Here is a quick book synopsis: 

"Once luxury was available only to the rarefied and aristocratic world of old money and royalty. It offered a history of tradition, superior quality, and a pampered buying experience. Today, however, luxury is simply a product packaged and sold by multibillion-dollar global corporations focused on growth, visibility, brand awareness, advertising, and, above all, profits. Award-winning journalist Dana Thomas digs deep into the dark side of the luxury industry to uncover all the secrets that Prada, Gucci, and Burberry don’t want us to know. Deluxe is an uncompromising look behind the glossy façade that will enthrall anyone interested in fashion, finance, or culture." 

The book, for me, was a wonderful education on the history of the world's most premiere luxury brands: Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, etc. I also learned random tidbits such as the fact that Emilio Pucci went to Reed College here in Portland where his first designs were for the ski team. 

At the time I read this book, I didn't own anything "luxurious". I have since acquired a Louis Vuitton handbag, wallet and duffle. Unfortunately the quality of these items hasn't impressed me. I've had to exchange one bag, have had the second repaired, have a faulty zipper I've yet to deal with and the wallet has started to fall apart in a few places. It is clear that the quality of Louis Vuitton leather goods is no where near what they were decades ago, but the prices have continued to rise.

So where does that leave me? Honestly, I don't know that I will ever buy another item from Louis Vuitton. I know that I can get higher quality products for less money. As for other luxury brands, I think I will stick to buying on consignment only.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with Louis Vuitton or other luxury brands? 

Shoes, Little Shoes.

It's no big surprise that the Mini Fashionista's style is a direct translation of my own personal style (I'm dreading the day she refuses to let me choose her clothes). Similarly my love of buying shoes for myself has become a love of buying shoes for the Mini. There's just something about little shoes that sucks me in.

I buy the majority of the Mini's clothes at consignment sales and on ebay, so I definitely splurge more on her shoes. Recently I took advantage of a 40% off sale at Boden and and got her a cute pair of short suede boots for the fall and winter.

Then I got sucked into the Zara shoe vortex and ordered these two pairs for her for the summer. 

Polka Dot Plimsole

Grey Strappy Sandal

Here she is sporting her new polka dot kicks! 

If you would like to buy a similar pair for yourself (I am tempted) this pair from Keds is a close match! 

If you've never shopped Zara online for baby and kid's shoes and clothes, you should! They have an amazing collection. Most of the shoes are between $35 and $50.  I could have ordered nearly every pair. Here are a few of my other favorites. And truth be told, I would wear all of these shoes myself!

And if you didn't read Friday's post, we are looking for your feedback on C&C. You can access the survey here! Thanks for taking a few minutes to help us keep C&C exciting and engaging.

C&C Needs Your Help

As you may have read, May 1st marked the four year anniversary of Cardigans & Couture. The blog has evolved over the years; with the addition of Katie as a co-blogger, the arrival of the Mini Fashionista and with the presence of C&C on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (the latter two Katie manage).

So what now? That's somewhat up to you. I know many of you are reading, but not everyone is commenting. Sometimes it feels like we are talking to ourselves, but I understand....not everyone likes to comment (Know that when you do, we love it! We might even do little happy dances).

Anyway, we want to know what type of content you like reading and what causes you to close your browser. Don't get me wrong, we will definitely listen to our readers, but at the end of the day, we will still pretty much write what we want to. After all, it is our blog! 

We also want to know more about you: where you live, how you came to be a C&C reader, how often you read the blog and other questions along those lines. 

If you have a few minutes, please complete this survey. We would love to have your feedback to continue to grow and evolve C&C to keep you engaged and excited for at least another four years! 

xoxo

C&C

P.S. The survey will be available for the next week! 

Splurge vs. Save

The Hermes Bangles are swoon worthy, but like all things Hermes, they are not budget friendly. 

As you know, I love a good deal. So if you can't afford the Hermes, for only $68 you can get the same look from C Wonder. These nautical inspired enamel bracelets are affordable and chic!

What do you think?