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I’ve spent about 3 weeks with Sakura’s newest product, the 48 pan watercolor set (it’s currently sold out on Amazon). It’s fabulous. I’m loving the color and texture quality. LOVING.
See my review below and enter to win a 36 pan set on Instagram RIGHT HERE.
If you want to learn more about how to watercolor, check out the work of Natalie Malan.
I’ve been so excited about this giveaway for some time now; as evidenced by the length of this post. Lime Ricki provided our entire family with swimsuits this year & I’m completely sold on them. So sold. Lime Ricki is a local company started a few years ago that provides the world with comfortable, no-fuss swimwear. I think I went to high school with the sisters that started the whole thing. I couldn’t tell you for sure.
These suits are designed & manufactured in the U.S. with great attention to quality & detail. My incredibly talented friend, Alma, is the woman behind all of the bright, fantastic prints. The suit I have just screams Alma! I love that I have my very own Alma Loveland print in my wardrobe. And may I add, it’s a pipe dream of mine to have my designs on clothing. I’m so excited that Alma’s already there!
Hands down, this is the best-fitting suit I’ve owned since I spent all of my allowance money on a teal striped suit from Gap when I was 9. I love that LR has suits for every female figure from flat to curvaceous to pregnant. Just this year they’ve introduced a girl’s line AND a men’s line! The girl’s line offers a range of different tops, bikini bottoms, rash guards and shorts (I bought shorts for Felix!). The men’s line is simple and ingenius; they offer a range of lengths from board shorts to euro trousers. Ever since our excursion to Brazil several years ago, I’ve been sold on short shorts for men. Chris has awesome legs, so I like it when he shows them off.
I love that P & F are both looking at us like, “what? you do that still? Gross.”
My suit is fabulous and fully-lined (as are all of their suits). I never have to adjust the bosoms & I feel perfectly covered & secure. The shorts are AH-mazing. Last year I was plotting to make my own high-waisted boy shorts, but that never happened. While these have yet to be high waisted (that would be such a fab option, next year perhaps?) they’re the perfect length. They’re longer than most boy shorts & cut off just below the most unflattering part of the leg. The waistband is incredibly comfortable & perfectly constructed. I honestly LOVE my suit. No need to hide behind a cover up in this baby. I still made one anyway, though. Like it? (I’ll post better pics later)
Penelope’s suit is equally fabulous. The bottoms stay put as does the top. I love the orange & pink color combo! She loves wearing it, too.
Chris’s swim trunks are the best length. I originally got the square cut shorts for him, but Chris has very burly thighs from doing crazy heavy squats & deadlifts 3 times a week. I’m sure the 180lb Chris would’ve loved them, but the 210lb Chris found the legs to be a bit too tight. So an FYI, if your hubby has brauny thighs, go for the mid-length suit. Even then, Lime Ricki offers free shipping on all exchanges. They really stand behind their suits, as do I.
Since I loved their suits so much, I picked up a pair of boy shorts (made for girls) for Felix. I figure the red color makes ’em pretty gender neutral. They fit him perfectly. He’s my mini euro hipster with his little ‘speedo’.
Their separates are available for $30-$40 per piece which can be a splurge at $60 per suit, but they’re well worth it for the quality, style & original prints! If you’re an occasional swimmer like me, they’re the suits that last a few swim seasons. Currently they have some of last year’s swim pieces on sale in the $10-$20 range, which is a steal. My honest advice: even if you’re not going the tankini route this summer, be sure to stock up on their bottoms. You’ll be glad you did.
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This post is brought to you by DownEast Basics.
DownEast Basics sent me some cute new clothes to review this week. I didn’t think they would show up as fast as they did, but sure enough, I was able to sport my new skirt and fancy bracelet at church last Sunday. I think I looked pretty snazzy.
Outfit details:
Top: Ann Taylor Loft
Necklace: Forever 21
Bracelet: DownEast Basics
Skirt: DownEast Basics
Shoes: Sesto Meucci, thrifted
I’ve got two words for this outfit: nautical & patriotic. I’m not sure it’s possible to wear true blue and white without pairing it with another primary color. Are you the same way? I have a pair of gold heels that I think would go marvelously with this skirt. I may just have to wear this skirt two Sundays in a row. Gasp!
Here’s what I love about this skirt: it’s form-fitting in all the right places, the waist is high, the skirt is straight, it’s fully lined, and it shows just a little leg. I’m not sure it’ll be a summer staple because I’m notoriously terrible with anything white, but this will be in pretty quick rotation guaranteed.
For about six Christmases in a row, my childhood wish for Santa was that he bring me some socks that fit. My 5,000 pair just didn’t feel right on my feet. I’m serious. We have it on camera. If you talk to Chris or any of my family members you’ll find out that I’m known for my temper tantrums about clothes and the way they fit and look. I was really excited (and a little nervous) when The ModBod gave me some clothes to try out. Here’s how I wore them and my honest opinion of each garment:
The Kali Cowl is fitted in all the right places, loose in even better places and has a sweet pleated detail in the front. It comes in brown & plum; plum being one of the hottest colors of the season. Granted it’s a lighter plum, but it looks great with all those dark purple accents that are popping most everywhere. The fabric is a medium weight, soft jersey knit, perfectly warm for layering when chilly, or wearing plain on warm fall/winter days. Fits true to size. And I’ve worn this top three times this week.
The amberlee jacket has button details on the pockets, zippered front and has a slight hint of military styling. It’s a light-weight sweater jersey with plenty of stretch. I love the side orientation of the pockets and the fit in the sleeves. There’s no collar or hood which is perfect if you want to layer a scarf or two. Fits true to size.
The perfect tee has a very appropriate name. The half-sleeve length is my favorite part about the fit, capped sleeves are becoming a little dated (IMHO) and they’re not flattering on old arms. The fabric is very soft and very stretchy. The neckline is high, but it never bugged me. I’m not used to wearing very tight shirts these days so the uber fit took a little getting used to. If you’re not comfortable with form-fitted shirts, buy a size larger. It was tighter in the chest and armpits and tummy when I first put it on, but loosened up in the tummy area after a while. This shirt kept riding up, probably because the shirt was a little tight.
The katie jean skirt is that perfect shade of denim that easily coordinates with both dark and light colors. I thought from the photo on the site that it would be more of a greyish, brown denim, but it’s actually more blue than brown or grey. I’m a sucker for the inverted pleats (isn’t that what they’re called?). The only downside I see to this skirt is that it wrinkles quite quickly. It’s not nearly as bad as linen, but you definitely need to iron before wearing (as you can see from the photos above). I like skirts to hit at my natural waist or a little higher, so I’m wearing a size smaller. It still seems a to fit a little low on the waist.
The banded cardigan is my favorite item of the bunch. It comes in black, charcoal and brown in a silky-soft, lightweight jersey. My first impression was that my skin was happy to be touching something so wonderful. It has a deep V with buttons down the front. Have I told anyone that this is my FAVORITE color combo to wear? The cardigan fits true to size, so go up a size if you’re looking for a more draped look. The sleeve cuffs are snug and fit me well, but as anyone who has seen me heaving to lift my 18-month old daughter can attest, I have super scrawny arms. I might be looking for a larger size if I had better-developed biceps.
Fit makes or breaks any garment, so I hope that my sizing notes are helpful. The cardigan and the skirt are my favorite ModBod pieces of the group. I’ve been impressed by the ModBod’s quality of fabric and construction, and I’ve found myself wearing at least one of these items every day this week.
Now that you’re thoroughly convinced that you need every single piece from The ModBod’s fall clothing line, use the promo code above for 15% off your online order! Hurry! Promo expires December 7th, 2009!
