i’m a total beige-aholic.  my house is beige, i have lots of beige in my closet…even my hair color has beige.  but lately, i’ve been yearning for pops of color.  it all started with the j. crew catalogue that arrived a few weeks before Christmas.  i must’ve dog-eared every page, figured they’d be nice clues for my hubby.  at the top of my wish list: a coat in the color “vibrant flame,” kind of a reddish-orange. well, to make a long story short, hubby and daughters looked for the coat (a few days before the big day, because that’s how he rolls) and were told that the bright colors always go first and that maybe, just maybe, there would be a chance that some would become available in a few weeks.  they still found gifts for me that i really loved: gucci perfume (wanted, but never purchased), a gorgeous grey leopard bag from kate spade (totally unexpected), a haute hostess apron (yes, inspired by this post), and a gift card (a good thing, since sometimes a girl likes to choose for herself).

i figured i could use the gift card to get my orange fix with some other things (sperries, tights, other accessories). fast forward to last week when i get an email from j. crew about their winter sale (now in its final hours), which gives you an extra 30% off of the sale stuff.  curiously, i search through the pickings and end up adding lots of orange goodies to my shopping cart.  it wasn’t until the 5th page that i see the “lady day coat.” “could it be?” i say to myself. “don’t get your hopes up,” i warn.  but there it was, in stock, right size, right color…and an additional 30% off! jackpot!  i kept the other items and headed to the check-out page.  i have to say i did quite well…with all my savings, i splurged on the overnight shipping! couldn’t wait for the box i dubbed “orange crush” to arrive.  i know it shouldn’t be such a big deal, but a few days in and i’m loving the coat. wore it to the mall today and got lots of compliments!  it’s such a happy color!

with my orange fixation satisfied, my mind drifted to green.  i’ve had a thing for green ever since i passed up a green dress at juicy couture back in june.  it was flouncy and the perfect kelly green.  i was in pittsburgh for my brother-in-law’s wedding, and ran into juicy to buy a sweater.  i saw the dress and, pressed for time, i figured i’d look for it at my local mall, when i returned home.  well, of course, i never found the dress again and i became obsessed with finding another green dress.  lesson learned: while sometimes you should test yourself with delayed gratification, if you see something while traveling, don’t assume you can get it later!

after months, with no elusive, green dress to be found, i shifted focus to green accessories. but it’s not just any green. it’s that classic green that looks great with navy and white and is used in the kate spade packaging. do you know the one? she calls it “dark spearmint.” well, today my search ended with the kate spade bow bridge kennedy bag and two great shirts from banana republic (i couldn’t find them online, but they were on the front table as soon as i walked in).  what i love most about today’s finds is that i wouldn’t have even been shopping, if it weren’t for my hubby. he suggested that we take a break from our busy-ness and hit the mall.  he was totally on board with my little treasure hunt and that made it super charming.  of course, with him there, i couldn’t get the adorable flats to coordinate with the bag (he hates ballet flats, ugh).  i may just have to go back for those babies.

i think i’m set for while.  these pops of color are perfect for adding a touch of cheer on grey, wintery days. they’re going to look great paired with my spotted accessories too.  they will also transition into spring and summer with ease.  the best thing is: by investing in a coat and accessory pieces rather than clothing, i can get a lot more bang for my buck.  my vibrant flame minnie pants are really fun, but how often can i wear them? once every few weeks maybe? my new vibrant flame coat? now that’s another story. pop!

by the way…pop was the word i used for soda, growing up in ohio! i love it in a bottle.  there’s just something so charming and nostalgic about that top four photos from pinterest.