Oodles of Caboodles and Others

Marabou Maven Necklace

Bag: A New Day, Target

The magic of Macy's (their tagline at one point!).

Hair claws: Wild Fable, Target

The cover of my new (albeit unopened) sketchbook.

Shoes: Madden Girl, Kohl's; Tights: Amazon

Polka dot cami: Wet Seal; Zebra shrug: Bar III, Macy's; Skirt: Tinseltown, Macy's

Coat: Madden Girl, Kohl's; Skirt: Wild Fable: Target

A local taco place I haven't tried yet.

Lace top: Xhilaration, Target

Eyes on the Skies Necklace and Bracelet

Shoes: Unlisted by Kenneth Cole, Marshalls

Barrettes: Wild Fable, Target

Skort: So, Kohl's

A Caboodle is always a thoughtful gift.  Despite the recent The Sex Lives of College Girls episode where Whitney rejects the peace offering of one from Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet, and yes, she's Timothée's sister!) as an apology for kissing her ex.  Kimberly is the geek of the friend group, so the Caboodle is meant to be cringe.  But unlike Whitney, I was stoked to receive not one, not two, but three Caboodles for my birthday!  The sky blue one is almost exactly like the first Caboodle I ever got, which was for Christmas when I was eight.  I remember my (boy) cousin scoffing that it looked like a tackle box.  As if!    

In another nod to '80s/'90s nostalgia, I included this shot of the Memphis print headbands, soda-flavored Lipsmackers, and Let's Go to the Mall book I got for Christmas.  The book is an " '80s seek and find."  So, a Where's Waldo of Walkmans and wayfarers.  I can't wait to get into it!    

You know what else is very '80s/'90s?  Show-and-telling my gifts.  

Which is just the kind of uncool thing that Kimberly might do.  

When the Hair Claws Come Out

Sweater: Express; Jeans Princess Vera, Kohl's; Coat: The North Face, Sports Authority

Bag: Delia's, Dolls Kill

Skirt: Wild Fable, Dolls Kill; Tights: Isadora, Zulily; Boots Penny Loves Kenny, Amazon

Top: Bar III, Macy's

Bag: Apt. 9, Kohl's; Zigzag bangle: Strawbridge & Clothier; Chartreuse bangle: Mixit, JCPenney; Maroon bangle: Iris Apfel for INC, Macy's; Striped bangle: Target; Brown ring: Charlotte Russe; Chartreuse ring: Claire's

Hair clips: Wild Fable, Target

Mystery Necklace Number One; Neon necklace: Carole, JCPenney

Jeans: Mudd, Kohl's; Boots: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Amazon; Yellow bangle: Silver Linings, Ocean City; Green and orange bangles: B Fabulous; Blue bracelet: Cloud Nine, Ocean City; Rings: Seahorse Designs, Etsy

Clip: SHEIN

Plenty of Pineapples Necklace, Mystery Necklace Number Two

Next to the scrunchie, no hair accessory had a grip on the late '80s and early '90s quite like the hair clip or claw.  Once confined to the realm of hair salons, these fantastic plastic pretties topped the heavily hairsprayed tresses of trendy teens the world over.  (Well, maybe not the world over.  It would be tough to rock such an obtrusive ornament under a ski cap in Antarctica.)  And in recent years, they've made a comeback, allowing us to look, once again, like we're on the verge of a totally awesome blowout.  It's no wonder that I've taken to wearing one or two or as many clips as I can cram onto my head at a time.  Of course, collecting them is half the fun, especially when it means storing them in an era-appropriate Caboodle.  

Last weekend, for my nephew's trampoline park birthday party, I happily hauled out my rainbow-striped clip from SHEIN:

And although I stayed out of trouble -- and off the trampolines! -- I got to enjoy some '80s atmosphere in the form of a Care Bears claw machine and a larger-than-life Rubik's Cube tower.  As did the husband, who gamely posed next to the Rubik's Cubes.

Because you can't go wrong with kitsch and color and claws.  

Those '80s ladies were on to something.

Spring Fur Sure, A Lamb at the Door, and Also Sometimes Some Turquoise

Jacket: Sunset & Sixth, JCPenney

Red Planet Janet Necklace

Skirt: I Heart Ronson, JCPenney

Shoes: Chase & Chloe, Zulily

Yellow bangle: B Fabulous; Coral bangle: Silver Lining, Ocean City; Maroon bangle: Iris Apfel for INC, Macy's; Ring: Making Waves, Ocean City; Bag: Betsey Johnson, Amazon

Skirt: Hollister, Marshalls

Get in Gear Necklace

Sweater: GAP

Heart of Hearts Barrette Brooch

Skirt (a dress!): Three Pink Hearts, Kohl's

Bag: TJ Maxx

Top: Jessica Simpson Collection, Amazon

Bangle: Simply Vera, Kohl's

Belts: Hand-me-downs from Mom; Headband: INC, Macy's; Necklace: Betsey Johnson, Amazon; Ring: Mixit, JCPenney

Tights: Xhilaration, Target; Shoes: Nine West, Zulily

After an unusually snowy winter, spring is finally here!  The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the air smells like hope and grass clippings.  And also . . . it's still kind of chilly.  At least it is here in New Jersey, where spring doesn't so much arrive as make a guest appearance and clear out for the diva that is summer.  But I'm not complaining.  Because it gives me an excuse to flaunt my faux furs (summer's not the only diva), a luxury I'll enjoy until that menacing March lion retreats for good.

Fur or no fur, I am springing forward with one fresh new something: makeup!  I know I've mentioned this before, but back in high school, I collected cosmetics.  I had Caboodles full of lipsticks and eyeshadows in every color.  But like so many women, as I grew older and wiser, I narrowed my stash down to what worked -- Revlon Cherries in the Snow lipstick and Cover Girl Champagne eyeshadow.  And save for the occasional rogue impulse purchase, I never looked back.  The only way I'd ever wear gold lipstick again was if it was Halloween and I was going as C-3PO.  But then not too long ago, I crossed paths with some dangerously dark blue Revlon eyeshadow, followed by prettily packaged Sephora lipsticks and bright L'Oreal eyeshadow quads (buy two get one free at Walgreens!) that I just couldn't resist.  Entranced by their sleek newness and alluring shades, I uttered a silent apology to my tried-and-trues and thought, why not?  

Pink lipstick: Celebrate; Red lipstick: A Little Magic; Sephora, Kohl's 

Turquoise eyeshadow: Avant Garde Azure; Purple eyeshadow: Voilet Amour; Silver eyeshadow: Silver Couture; L'Oreal, Walgreens

Here I am trying out my new red lipstick and turquoise eyeshadow:

Headband: So, Kohl's; Top: BCX, Macy's

The eyeshadow is more intense than I expected, like the taste of birthday cake ice cream.  And I am committing the twin cardinal cosmetics sins of 1) matching my eyeshadow to my outfit and 2) rocking a bold lip and eye instead of just one or the other.  But I don't care; I love it!  (Cue the Icona Pop, people.)  It's fun to have an alternative to my go-to palette.  It makes me feel like the possibilities are endless.  Like I have a technicolor time machine and am sixteen again, browsing the beauty aisle at Thrift Drug.  That was a time when a new pot of lip gloss -- like lots of '90s girls, I was into the fruit flavors from Naturistics --could change your life.  Or at least make you think it could.   

But then, I guess that's the magic of makeup.  And of youth and rejuvenation.

So, in other words, spring.