What I Need: Scarves

Londoner Flamingo Scarf, Anthropologie

Anthropologie

Palm Tassel Scarf, Anthropologie

Anthropologie

Nautical Stripe Scarf, ZARA

Frayed Scarf, Grey, ZARA

Striped Scarf, ZARA

I'm in the market for a new scarf.  I love having the perfect scarf with me when we travel.  I'm always getting cold, and a scarf is the perfect remedy, especially if it is the right size and material.  I like having them for the plane ride and whenever we are out and about.  Easy to stow, lightweight, and there when you need it.  Sounds perfect to me!
Hope you are having a fantastic week.  I, for one, cannot believe it is already Thursday!

What We Got: ZARA Shoes

Yesterday we went shopping for the Cat's birthday. A stop at Brandy Melville was on the list, as were macarons (check and check). We also managed to hit quite a few other stores, including a Zara. While it, sadly, did not have a children's section for the Cat, we both managed to walk out of there with a brand new pair of shoes. We think they'll be perfect for Paris this summer. I had a hard time choosing between the black and the tan, but after trying them on, and listening to my teenage daughter dictate which were more practical, I went with the lighter pair, as did she.

Zara flat sandals / Zara leather shoes

I hope your Monday is off to a great start.  I am missing that little old hour that we lost yesterday, especially since grades are due and I have an after school meeting today.  Looks like I'll be burning the midnight oil.
Wish me luck!

What I Want: Zara

1- dress with zips
2-jacket with frills and zips
3- crop top with chain
4- blouse with combination collar
5- two-layer button up skirt
6- crewneck coat
7- striped messenger bag
2- 

Loving these pieces from Zara's spring and summer collections! I could mix and match these babies with pieces I already own and be pretty set for spring.
Bahhh- who am I kidding?  I could never only buy 7 pieces for spring, but these would be a really great start!

Mother and Daughter

Mother and Daughter by desertgirls featuring linen dresses

Mango linen dress / Stuart Weitzman flat / Marc by Marc Jacobs tote bag / Zara Check Shirt Dress With Belt / Zara Animal Print Sandal

Simple Math

Simple Math by desertgirls featuring zara tops

Zara top / Zara Striped Shopper

It may not be Friday, but I am linking up with Long Distance Loving for Friday's Fancies. The topic is stripes, so I couldn't resist.
And besides, this outfit is just simple math, and perfect for the 90 degree weather we are supposed to have on Sunday.
Stripes + florals = perfection.
See?  Easy.
I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!

Monday Want and 5 for Five

Hello, all.  I hope you had a fabulous weekend.  Mine was pretty fantastic, as we celebrated my friend's daughter's 21st birthday.  We headed to Vegas so she could really celebrate.  We had a great time, and I even got to visit some family while I was there. 

When we were in Vegas, I saw all kinds of cute sandals, which made me really want to break out mine.  Or, better yet, buy some new ones!  There was a pair at Target (online) that I saw and loved, but I waited too long, and now they're gone.  Boo.  But for about $60 more (boo again!), I can get these fabulous flats from Zara's.  I'm in love!  (Apparently, my obsession with leopard print is still going strong!)

So today is Monday, and I have to say, it feels like Monday!  I have so very, very much to do this week, so I'm going to go ahead and set my new goals to help me get it all done!
1.  Sign up for the Relay for Life that is this Saturday so I can walk on my friend's team in memory of her husband, Kenny, who was taken from us way too soon.
2.  Look for curtain rods to hang up my living room curtains.
3.  Go to bed by 10.  At least once this week.  I would write all week, or two or three days, but I know that I am just setting myself up for failure if I do that.
4.  Karate. 3 days.  Plus Saturday, if I can swing that and the Relay for Life's opening ceremonies and lap, which my daughter and I always go to.
5.  Italian lessons both days this week.  (I didn't get to do my lesson on Thursday- just not enough time!
Goals from last week, and my progress:
1. Hang up my new curtains in my family room.  I got the ones for the sliding glass doors hung up.

2. Get a hold of the damn trash company.  Finally I did get a hold of someone, and she was very nice and helpful, and that broken dishwasher will be out of my garage soon!

3. Mail Becky's present already.  Nope.  Waiting for my Mom to be ready to mail her stuff too.

4. Go to karate 3 days this week to get back on schedule.   So close.  I made it twice and then couldn't go Thursday so I could visit with some family who were here from Wyoming.  They were here all weekend, but I left right after work Friday for Vegas, baby!

5. Get my students' book reports graded this week.  Half way there.

Thanks to Party of One and Fantastically Average for hosting the 5 for Five link up!

Happy Saturday

Happy Saturday!  Today I thought I would share a gorgeous outfit I found on my favorite tumblr site.  I had to do a little research to find the original source (love google image search!), but find it I did.

from Oh My Vogue

How stunning is that outfit?  I think she looks like a million bucks.  (She is Henar, she is from Spain, and her blog is Oh My Vogue.)  That skirt?  Asos!  AND it's on sale!  The gorgeous trench?  ZARA.  The shoes- ZARA.  I love it.  I am in love with this outfit.

Well done, Henar, well done.

What I Want, Faux Real.

I want a pair of (faux) leather leggings.  I have seen them styled a couple of different places, and I have decided that I could pull a pair off.  Normally, I would think they are a little too rock and roll for me, what with me being a teacher and all, but I have come to the conclusion that if I style them right, I could totally get away with them.  They aren't just meant for girls like my friend Jenn whose boyfriend is a musician and who spends the majority of her time backstage with other musicians, living the rocker musician life.  (Her boyfriend is Jared Blake, who was on the first season of the The Voice, in case you're wondering.)  So Jenn wears things like leather leggings, and she looks totally natural in them.  I, however, have always shied away from said leggings.  Until now. Now, in my head at least, I can totally pull these off.  And I only waited until spring is just around the corner to decide on this.

Zara faux leather leggings

Zara, Faux Leather Jeggings
Besides a chunk of change, what is the difference between the leggings and the jeggings?!

I keep picturing myself wearing these with big, cozy sweaters (I recently bought such a sweater at the Buffalo Exchange).

La Garconne Gamine Pullover
(a steal at $450)
Sadly, this is not the sweater I bought.

I think things could go very wrong very fast with a pair of pants like this (as evidenced if you type "leather leggings" into pinterest), but I also think that if done right (usually with a much heavier/flow-ier/longer top), then they can be pretty fantastic.  I also like the black leggings that have just touches of leather, like these:

just a touch
image via pinterest

If the whole, "Look!  I'm a 5th grade teacher wearing leather leggings and pretending to be a rock star!" thing doesn't work, I may try a pair of coated skinny jeans instead.  Over on the blog Kacie's Kloset, she wears a pair of J Brand coated skinny jeans and they are the perfect fit/style.  

Anyhoo, it's almost the weekend, and I have to admit I will be glad when it gets here!  I hope you enjoy the rest of your week.

~Lori

Mini Monday

Cold weather is supposed to be rolling in at any time now, and I have found some gorgeous coats for the little one in your life.

Monsoon Girls' Coats

For a very long time, Monsoon did not ship to the U.S.  Now they do.  It may be just another chain store in the U.K., but along with its sister store, Accessorize, it was one of the Cat's and my favorite stores to hop into.  It didn't matter where we were.  And it's because of coats like these; especially, you guessed it- that middle one.  I love the color orange, and I think bright pop of color like that is so fun for fall.

And just in case you want more choices, here are some more cute choices from one of our other favorites, Zara.

Girls Coats from Zara

~Lori

Minor Obsession: Zara Blazers

We here at Desert Girls Vintage love a good blazer.  Maybe it's the English major in us, but doesn't a good wool blazer just sort of scream academia to you?  No?  Okay.  Maybe it's just us then.  Or me.  Maybe it's just me.  That's okay, though, because the fact of the matter is that I love a good blazer, be it wool, cotton, or jersey.  I've rounded up my faves from Zara here, but believe me, there are plenty more to choose from.  Can you tell which one's my favorite?!

All images from Zara
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

I've also been obsessing over some other things...
Like these donuts from Chicago's Glazed and Infused.
And this two-tier table, which is perfection...
And recreating this costume for the Cat, using some pieces we already have from Zara.

What have you been obsessing over lately?

~Lori

Zara Spring Dresses

It's officially spring, right?  I'm not sure Mother Nature knows that yet.  It is raining.  Again.  I know, I know, spring showers are common, and I love them, but these aren't spring showers; they are cold little bursts of rain.  Which I actually like when I get to experience them from the comfort of my home.  But the kind of weather we have been having makes me want to stay bundled up in warm shoes and sweaters.  Here are some clothes that I would love to be living in right now, and will be, as soon as Mother Nature realizes spring should include warm weather.

Teardrop Tunic Dress from Zara
Just because it is spring doesn't mean you have to wear bright colors.

Navy Blue Lace dress from Zara
I love navy blue.  I adore it.  It is one of my absolute favorite colors for clothes.  Rebecca wants to paint one of the walls in my formal dining room navy blue, and I have heard that your house should reflect your taste in clothes, which makes sense to me.  If I love to wear it, why wouldn't I want to be surrounded by it?!

This Zara dress is literally called "Dress with Frill at the Waist."  I think it would be interesting if someone from Modcloth tried to get a job at Zara naming merchandise.  How would that conversation go?  Maybe something like this:
Zara rep: Well, this little black number is a dress with a frill at the waist.  What should we call it?
Modcloth rep: Let's call it "Waisting Away"
Zara: What?  Why?  What are you talking about?
Modcloth: You know, cause of the frill at the waist. 
Zara: No.
Modcloth: Um, okay,  How about something like "Frilled to be Here?"
Zara: I'm not sure you understand what we are trying to accomplish here.  This is a dress with frill at the waist.  Hey, now that's something!  Perfect!


Anyway, you can play up the peplum trend with this little number.  And if you have no idea what my little imagined conversation between Zara and Modcloth was all about, pop on over to Modcloth and look at the names of their merchandise, and you'll see what I mean.

~Lori

Navy and Pink

Here is the card I ordered from Crankbunny on etsy.
Alli scratched off the crystal ball and loved seeing her
name printed on the card!  It is so cute; it reminds me of the
Esmerelda fortune teller from Disneyland, which we visit first thing
every time we go to Disneyland. 

My baby turns 11 today.  11 years old!  Where did the time go?!  For her birthday, she primarily wanted clothes.  From Zara.  Which was fine by me.  It meant a trip down to The Grove in L.A. so she could try on clothes.  I'm glad we did this, instead of just ordering online, because the sizing was a little strange on some of the pieces. It was worth it, though, because she has the beginnings of a pretty fantastic spring wardrobe.
Looking for clothes for Alli brought up a lot of navy and pink.  It reminded me of an outfit that I have been in love with for a while now.

Inspiration Photo:

from the very chic blog Atlantic-Pacific

When I saw this photo awhile back, I fell in love with the color combination.  I love navy, and if it is striped navy, forget about it.  Mixing it with pastel pink is inspired, and I am just in love.  Simple as that.  I have been on the hunt for those pants, which are linked to on the site, but sold out/no longer available.  With pastels being big for spring, I was hopeful that I would be able to find what I was looking for, but no luck.

The coloring of the picture isn't the best (the pinks look a little washed out); I snapped it with my phone during a quick trip to the mall.
I love the color combo of blue and pink, though I must admit I have usually styled it with more of a fuschia/hot pink. I have a pair of bright pink pants that I wear with my navy blazer.  Actually, Rebecca rocked that exact outfit for her Christmas cards.

So it doesn't seem to matter what shade of pink you choose; most likely it is going to look pretty fabulous if you pair it with navy.

And if you want to make your little Miss look chic in navy and pink, then definitely head on over to Zara for some great pieces in this classic color combo.

Okay, the website lists this as dark blue, but it looks navy to me.  
This is a new addition to Alli's closet.  In love!
Available from Zara

Navy bird print dress- now also belongs to Alli.

Fuschia dress- Adorable!

for the little missy in your life- at Zara (and the pink are on sale!)
navy snakeskin flats here

I die.  This is a perfect, classic little navy trench

 .

I didn't mean for this to turn into a post strictly for little miss fashion, but all that stuff is so darn cute.  And it is Alli's birthday, after all!  I want some of it for myself.  Right now Alli and I are in the stage where she can (and does!) borrow some of my stuff, but I can't quite borrow any of her stuff just yet.  With the exception of a headband or two.  And maybe a necklace here and there.
Anyway.

Every classy lady needs stationery, so why not go for this chic color combo?!

Lattice Pink Navy note cards, available here

Modern Quatrefoil available here

Alli got two sets of stationery- one is edged in pink and has a gold Eiffel tower embossed on the top, and the other set has a gold embossed A.  Both are sweet and perfect for my little Alli Cat.  

~Lori