(Where is) Spring Lovin' 2013

The calendar is telling me it's May.  May supposedly means Spring.  I think it was Spring on Saturday.  And maybe on Sunday, but today (which is Tuesday even though I will probably post this on Wednesday) I would say to the calendar:  LIAR, LIAR, PANTS ON FIRE.

Today it is pouring rain and cold.  I'm going to pretend that my trusty weatherman is not saying that it is going to be like this for the rest of the week.  I'm going to power ahead with optimism for hope and change and bring you the Spring Lovin' Post of 2013.

Here are some things I love about this season (or will love if it would just show up to stay.)

A Light Raincoat
(an appropriate place to start)
I really wanted to look like this when I went out today:

 Unfortunately, I looked like this:

 

 





Which you can see, is not very Kate Middleton, but a little bit Unabomber. 

Here's my advice for those who do not want to come off as  grouchy-Morton's-Salt-girl when it rains like I tend to do.  I love this really cute raincoat from JCrew.  The thing about it is that it costs an arm and a leg, so my opinion (is that necessary to say on my own blog?) would be that you should only buy this if it rains a ton in your area and if you aren't a crybaby when it rains because you don't want to spend that kinda cash on something you're going to scowl in all day.

This one from Macy's is more reasonable and on sale.  Go green - definitely.  You can't be grouchy in that color. This one would be even more reasonable except that it's from Target.  And we all know that its reasonableness will be cancelled out by all the other reasonable items that will jump into your cart at will and bust open your bank account while you're at Target. 

A Spring Purse
I'm in love with this purse from JCrew.



And this purse from Michael Kors. Even though it looks like a Barbie purse, it's not.  I just couldn't find a bigger image.


I also really love this one and this one, too in all the colors shown, but the thing is that I would only have enough money left over to carry an old mint, a tissue and a few pieces of lint in my purse after purchasing those two.  So, how 'bout this one which is so cheap that you can afford to throw in a People, and an Us and an InStyle to read when you are in the 114th inning of a game that never ends?

Cute Short Sleeve Tops
One of my favorite outfits for Spring is a short sleeve top, jeans and flip flops because lots of days in early Spring, it's just not quite warm enough for shorts yet.  Or maybe you're finding weird age spots on your legs and wondering if your shorts days are coming to an end.  Or maybe that's just me and that was too much information.  Sorry.
Anyway with jeans or shorts . . . how cute is this from JCrew?



Or this from Anthropologie?

Or THIS or THIS both from Modcloth.com.

A Spring Jacket
One problem with Spring is the need to have sleeves in the early morning or evening, so you need a versatile light jacket. I'm seeing denim jackets everywhere for all range of prices.  I think they're really cute with a casual dress like this one or this one or with shorts or colorful pants, but there is a dilemma I find with the denim jacket.

What if you are wearing the denim jeans/cute short sleeve top combo and then the game goes into extra innings and you start getting cold?  You need a spring jacket and if you throw on your denim jacket on top of your denim jeans you become all Justin and Britney. 

And nobody needs to see that ever, ever again, am I right?

So how about THIS which would be cute and could be dressed up if you're not at a ballgame (if there is such a thing in your life) or THIS which I think would be really cute at a baseball game when you are starting to freeze and praying, Dear Sweet Jesus, could someone PLEASE just field the ball on either team, puh-lease .

A Spring Scarf
Just with a white t-shirt and jeans.  Easy peasy.  Love this one from Gap

A Spring Dress
You people were very, very sweet giving me lots of compliments on the dress that I wore to Joe's Confirmation.  Here's a little secret.  It's from Talbot's.  Seriously.  Now, maybe you don't make a face when you think of Talbot's, but I honestly thought that Talbot's was a little grandma.  (Not like an actual diminutive senior citizen, but you know.)  I saw this dress in the window when I was in Charlottesville a month ago and I sort of couldn't stop thinking about it.  Which is sad because there are lots of other things I should be contemplating.  Anyway, last week I walked into Talbot's and there it was for 30% off.  EVERYTHING was 30% off and there were many, many non-diminutive senior citizenish things happening in Talbots.  Who knew?

THIS dress is also adorable and I have no where to wear it, but maybe you do.  A graduation or baby shower or wedding?  Or maybe out for a dinner which does not involve buffalo wings? I love the color.

Mother's Day
Mother's Day should obviously be very special, right?  My advice is to keep your expectations low.  Like this:

 

Go HERE to find other funny ecards for your mom friends and support a great cause.

Seriously, though, I have spent the past six years at least on baseball fields for Mother's Day.  Sometimes I act like I'd rather be at a spa, but really there is no place I'd rather be than watching my boys play and my man coach. (I'll take the Spa Day on Monday, though.)  Coaches/Dads - I probably lost you at Kate Middleton, but . . .  If your sport doesn't take a break for Mother's Day, consider buying a bunch of flowers from the grocery store and having your players give one to Mom.  It's not difficult and it makes a mama's heart melt a little bit.

Springtime Tunes
I also think that in the spring you need some good music to listen to on the porch, the deck, the dock, the patio or as is usually the case with me, in the car with the windows down.  I have listened to the song Mirrors by Justin Timberlake about 10 times a day every day this week and it makes me purely, completely happy.  This boy is unbelievably talented and he wears a suit and tie now instead of head to toe denim, so that's a step forward.  If perhaps Kyle is squawking around the 'hood about how he walked in when  I was imitating the back up singer moves while  JT performed this song on Ellen, I would just say two things about that: 

1.  Preteen boys cannot be trusted.
2.  If you sit on the couch while watching Justin Timberlake sing Mirrors, you might be dead inside.

Flowering Plants that I Cannot Kill
This is my azalea that blooms every year and makes me giddy, because I find it miraculous that I have not killed it.  The will to live in the face of a woman who knows nothing about plants is a wonderful thing.
 

Happy Spring, People!!!!