this year has been a little tricky for mother’s day gifts for me.  with my nana gone, i’ve been trying to come up with something extra special for my mom this year. and while i did come up with something i think she’ll love (can’t tell, of course…it would ruin the surprise!), i thought i’d share my runner-up ideas with all of you!

as i said, i’ve been a little bit more sentimental than usual about moms this year, so i loved the idea behind this book before i even saw it.  photographer jeannette montgomery barron decided to share her memories about her mom by photographing some of her most memorable outfits and using them to tell the story of her mom’s life, and the result is my mother’s clothes.  it’s incredibly touching, and the photos are beautiful.  i imagine giving this to my mom with a photo of her stylish self pasted into the front.

if your mom leans more heavily toward the martha stewart side of things, jo malone’s candle collaboration with farrow & ball is absolutely sure to be a hit.  they’ve paired their five most popular fragrances with limited edition containers from the famed paint company, and the result is a candle that looks utterly perfect and smells divine.  my favorite is the lime basil & mandarin, but pomegranate noir is also pretty wonderful.

alexis bittar is offering to personally sign a piece of jewelry for your mom this year, if you buy from their website by may 4 (include code ‘LOVEMOM’ and her name in the comments when you check out).  their signature lucite bangles are so perfectly timeless and chic, they’ll be the perfect update to her wardrobe, no matter what her style. and prices start at $55, so you should be able to grab something on most any budget.  the styles i’ve pictured above are my personal favorites for mom…clockwise from left, buy them here, here and here.

while i was out shopping with my dear friend jocelyn when she was in town last weekend, i came across this moleskine recipe journal ($20), and my heart skipped a beat.  it would be perfect for anyone that loves to cook and experiment, but what a perfect gift for your culinarily-inclined mom!  now she can write down all of her “top secret” recipes for you, and tape all of those recipes she’s torn from magazines and newspapers to the pages.

if you’re set on sending flowers (and really, what mom doesn’t love flowers?), i happened on these stunning sugar cookies from miette, one of my favorite pastry shops in san francisco.  they’ll ship anywhere, and i think they might be even prettier than actual flowers.

i know…buffing beads.  sounds utterly fascinating.  that’s why these wei beauty pomegranate buffing beads sat in my “to test” box for nearly a month, dear readers.  but then, i went looking for a little something to buff and polish my sad, tired-looking face, and decided to give them a try.  when i touched my face after i was done, my hand to god, my first thought was “wow, this is what your skin must feel like after you get a chemical peel!”  you know, minus the whole toxic chemicals/burning/skin-peeling-off thing.

yes, they’re that good.  so good, in fact, that i was actually nervous to try them a second time…after all, it couldn’t have been as good as i remembered it.  so i used a packet again this morning, and lo, it was every bit as wonderful.

to use, you just open a packet, sprinkle the powder into your hand, add a bit of your favorite cleanser, blend and massage into your face for 30 seconds or so.  unlike a lot of exfoliators, these are not at all rough or jagged.  they’re very soft, and feel like they’re not doing much, actually.  but then you rinse, and you touch your face, and it’s magically more taut, more smooth, and so, so much more happy than it was before you started.

once i was head over heels in love, it came time to check out the price.  this is typically the part where i wince, and decide how to gingerly tell you all that my new favorite face product is more expensive than its weight in cocaine.  so, imagine my utter delight when i found that these miracle buffing beads are a very, very budget-friendly $20 for 20 single-use packets of these buffing beads.  that’s easily several months of buffing goodness for your poor, neglected skin, and it’s worth every single penny.

since i already have a pair of tretorns, i can’t exactly justify a second pair (especially since i wear trainers approximately 3 times a year).  but if i could, oh my…these exclusive tretorn colors for j.crew are singing my song!

i especially love that fawn color (third from the top), but the raw linen shade right above it is pretty perfect too.  i might even replace the laces with leather ties, like that stylish kate did,  just to add a little extra prep to the look.  whichever color you love, grab a pair for $68 at j.crew before they sell out…which i have a feeling will be soon.

i’m not one for self-portraits most of the time (ack! photos of me? on the internet?!), but so many of you asked to see the finished verison of this little project…well, i just felt a moral obligation to share:

(do you love my faux model posing? so chic, i know.)

i was pretty pleased with the outcome, actually!  the whole thing cost about $24, by the time the bill came in from the tailor.  if i were less lazy, i could have saved even more by putting the buttons on myself…alas, “less lazy” is not a trait of mine.  if you missed it the first time, click here for the details on what i did, and how i did it.

what do you think?

i ran into these beautiful new quilts by angela adams (of whom i’m a longtime fan) at macy’s the other day, and couldn’t resist sharing.  i always seem to fall for her mod graphics and bright palettes, and this bedding is just one more thing to love (one of these days i’ll grace my floors with one of her famous rugs).

i picked up the red “sand dollar” quilt to mix with my john robshaw bedding and my west elm sheets, and i can hardly wait to put it all together!

these pretty quilts also happen to be on sale (honestly, is anything at macy’s ever not on sale?), which is an excellent excuse for new bedding if ever there was one.

(a little warning:  we’re going to talk bras now, and there are pictures.  so maybe that makes this NSFW, if your boss is a prude…)

with summer fast approaching, invisible underpinnings are going to suddenly go from an ideal to an absolute necessity.  i don’t know about you, but i’m a little past the point in my life at which i want my black bra visible under the thin, tissue-weight tees i’ll be sporting all summer.

but “invisible” is fraught with trouble, too.  i don’t much care for spanx (i know i’m in the minority here), and most other base pieces designed to disappear are utterly unattractive.  plus, “nude” usually means some version of a pinkish peach shade that doesn’t actually match anyone’s skin that i know.

but imagine.  just imagine a company that not only makes them pretty, but also makes them functional.  oh, and they can actually match your skin tone!  this might just be the coolest concept in bras since the push-up.

the company is myskins, and when they gave me the chance to test out their line, i jumped at it (of course!).  they’ll mail you a color chart (or you can just print one online, as i did) to check your skin tone against their options.  pick a color, order your normal size in any of their 3 styles (i found the bras ran very true to size, but size up on the bottoms), and before you know it, a bra perfectly matched t your skin will appear at your door.

myskins sent me the t-shirt bra to test out, and i will say it managed to vanish under even my tissue-iest of tissue tees.  it was really comfy, matched my skin almost perfectly and gave just the right amount of oomph.  the wavy edges confused me at first, but they do a great job of making the seams disappear.  i was also a little worried about the padding levels (yes, i’m easily traumatized), but they were, as goldilocks would say, just right.

full disclosure: i also tried the girl shorts and, while i had high hopes, i wasn’t quite as in love with those.  but i’d chalk that up to the fact that i never end up loving seamless bottoms (can we stop saying “panty,” please?), which tend to move around too much.  and well, i’m just a cotton kind of girl at heart.  that said, sometimes comfort has to take an, um, back seat…and i’m a staunch opponent of the VPL, so i’m willing to suffer a bit for fashion.

ultimately, these are just about my favorite new “every day” bra – i’m planning to order at least one more any day now.  at $48 each, the pricing compares with most of my other bras, and the fit and function are definitely superior.  if nothing else, they’ve saved me the trauma of the lingerie dressing room, and i’ll take that deal any day.

oh, it’s one of my favorite days of the year, dear readers. the saks friends & family event has begun, and you can take 20% off nearly everything (10% off beauty)!   the event starts online today and in-store on thursday (though most sales reps will be happy to presale items for you), and it will be over on sunday, 4/25. so, if there’s a little something you’ve been lusting after, now’s the time to pounce!  use code FRIEND3 to score the discount, plus get free shipping on orders of $200+ with code SFASHIP.

naturally, i thought i’d share a few things on my “i really should take advantage of this” list.

i’ve been wanting a little mini-crossbody bag for the summer, and i utterly love this one by olivia harris.  it’s edgy enough to counteract the overly sweet style a tiny bag can sometimes have, fun enough for summer but will transition perfectly to fall.  plus, i love the chain detail on the strap.  at 20% off $299, it’s sorely tempting.

i’m still on the hunt for a new spring shoe, and you know my love for sigerson morrison runs deep.  at first, i wasn’t sure about these cagey mini-wedges ($225, plus 20% off), but they’ve really grown on me – something about the ultra-feminine silhouette blended with the edgy strap details.  especially in the oak color, i think these are going to be amazing on.

spring isn’t exactly the time to be looking for black pencil skirts, but this elie tahari version is officially one of the best i’ve seen (that draping in front is gorgeous and an ingenious way to hide a tummy).  it’s already on sale for $78, so with the discount, you’re looking at about $63 for a really fantastic piece that will love you for years to come.

last but not least, well, any piece from zac posen’s new diffusion line – z spoke – would be oh so welcome in my closet.  i’m not as excited about his target collection as some, but z spoke is definitely, definitely speaking my language.  i’ll take the whole beautiful outfit, please…especially that gorgeous green skirt  sadly, i think these pieces are staying on the wish list for now…but i’m crossing my fingers for bigger spring markdowns in a few weeks!

in case you didn’t know about this (ahem, don’t worry…i didn’t either), cole haan is offering 25% off sitewide (including sale items, by the look of things).  it expires today, but is definitely worth a look!  it appears to be good on sale items too, which is always a nice bonus.

with earth day getting all the press in april, i thought most of you might not even know it’s also autism awareness month.  but with as many as 1 in 110 kids now being diagnosed with some degree of autism (see more depressing stats on the CDC’s website), it’s worth paying attention to.  i was lucky enough to get a little care package and some information about what’s going on to raise money for autism this month, and thought i’d share a couple of my favorites.

when i first saw these tees, if i’m being honest, the charitable aspect was just icing on the cake.  i fell hard for that beautiful graphic – so colorful and fun, but still hip.  designed by kyle westphal (the namesake of kyle’s treehouse, a wonderful nonprofit founded by kyle’s parents and dedicated to providing information about autism) and artist jessie rose vala (and printed on my favorite alternative apparel slub tees!), they’re absolutely beautiful in person…especially that grey with the beautiful blue mountains.  each tee is hand-screened, so it’s totally unique (mine has some pink and green in the mountains, it’s so pretty). i’ve been wearing mine nonstop since it arrived. it’s perfect with boyfriend jeans and a leather blazer.   pick one up for $30, and 100% of the proceeds from these hip tees goes straight to kyle’s treehouse.

much like those tees, i would have had to tell you about these candles even if they weren’t donating 10% of their proceeds to autism awareness this month.  fortunately, they are, which makes it even easier.  you all know i see a fair number of candles these days, so it takes a bit to impress me.  but linnea’s lights managed it.  these burn better than some candles that i’ve spent more than twice the money on (they’re only $29, a serious bargain in the world of luxe candles).  i haven’t tested the whole line, but i can say their magnolia fragrance is my new favorite candle, hands down.  they’ve taken the magnolia scent i utterly adore, and added a touch of citrus to keep it from being overpowering.  it’s fabulous, and the perfect scent for spring.  plus, yes, i love the little matchbox that comes with every candle.

and then, of course, there’s always the old-fashioned way to help:  a quick $5 or $10 donation here (or here, or here) makes a bigger difference than you think.  but mostly, i think the thing is to just be aware that it’s a real problem, badly in need of a solution.

okay, off my “very serious soapbox” now….happy monday, everyone!

for this week’s friday finds, i thought i’d show off a few simple little things i’ve come across recently that are making my life just a bit easier, better, or even happier.  sometimes it really is the little things that make your day, and these have definitely been making mine lately!

i’m sure it’s the type A in me, but few things make me happier than pretty desk accessories. i fell for the entire oh joy! desk collection from chronicle books the moment i saw it, and have been using each and every piece since it arrived (seriously, the file folders are so pretty, i actually want to get organized!).  but i especially love the note block, which is the newest addition to the set.  i love the color palette and all of those pretty flowers, but i especially love that the holder has an itty bitty drawer in the bottom.  i find it inexplicably adorable, and i smile every time i use it.  isn’t that worth at least $14.95?

i’ve been hunting for an iphone cover for, well, since i first got my iphone, which was at least 18 months ago.  yes, i’m inordinately picky.  i didn’t want it to be overly bulky, but i wanted it to be protective and durable.  i didn’t want it to be too girly.  and i wanted it to have just the right texture, since i tend to fiddle with things like this quite a bit.  when i spotted the chilewich basketweave cover, it was love at first sight.  best iphone case ever, if you ask me.  i grimaced a little at the $40 pricetag, but quickly realized that if you factor it over the hours i’ve spent hunting for one, it’s a bargain.

i’ve gotten so tired of worrying about whether my water bottle is killing me.  first plastic was bad, then metal, then another type of plastic, next who knows what?  so when i saw these (extreeeeemely cute) glass bottles from lifefactory, they just seemed like the obvious solution.  the silicone sleeve, in addition to making them look highly chic, protects from breakage (which i inadvertently tested when it fell out of my car onto the street…utterly uneventful, thankfully), and really isn’t any heavier than a lot of reusable plastic bottles.  plus, it has a nice wide opening to fit the water & ice dispensers in my fridge.  ah, the little things. my favorite is the white, but they’re all pretty awesome.

have a great weekend, everyone!  spring is definitely worth waiting for here in portland…i hope the weather’s as sunny and lovely where you are as it has been here.