Aloha! I’m not in Hawaii but, boy, I wish I was! How about a floral-themed Shortlist instead? Sure, why not.

RED Valentino Floral Coat

OK, right off the bat: spendy. It’s Valentino, so you know it’s gonna break your heart or your wallet. It’s also highly impractical, so it’s probably not worth dwelling on too much. Right? Right?!? Tell me I’m right.

Sigh.

It also comes in a dress version. Don’t Google it!

You Googled it, didn’t you? And now you hate me a little bit more.

Sigh.

Moncler Eufrasia Floral Print Coat

If my Google-fu is working, this is the coat I tried on at a boutique in Vancouver back in February. And it’s reversible (plain black on the other side). And just gorgeous. I wanted this so, so bad. But it’s also spendy – four figures spendy, you guys. And, when you come right down to it, it’s a glorified (nylon) windbreaker. Woven by beautiful virgins in the French Alps or whatever, but still.

Anthropologie Lacona Popover

Way, way less expensive … but still kinda over my (current) budget. I’m hoping it will hit eBay around the time I go back to work, and my splurge account gets a boost. See it here on Marianne.

J. Crew Factory Floral Necklace

Finally, something I can afford. As soon as it hits the clearance rack. I know these things are about as cliched as J. Crew’s bubble necklaces used to be, but i still kinda want one. I think it would look cute with some of my summer dresses, like this Joe Fresh striped one. Am I crazy? I also know these have been knocked off to hell and back, which is why I’m not paying more than $20 for one. I just want one that won’t turn my neck green.

What I Wore: Sunday Funday

Clearly, grandma’s couch had antecedents in my closet; this thrifted skirt is its country-bumpkin cousin. Grandma’s rocking chair? Joking aside, I loved this skirt. But, guys, the love has run its course; we are consciously uncoupling. Well, consciously on my part; I cannot speak to its state of awareness. I can speak to its antipathy for my post-baby hips. So off it goes into next year’s clothing swap pile. Don’t y’all rush to get in line for it! (I know. That GOOP-y joke was funny for about 30 seconds, 2 weeks ago. When I wrote this post. We’re still friends, right?)

Something else I’ve given up on is mastery of the sock bun. Instead, I’ve decided to attempt something more in line with my actual skills. Behold, the bird’s nest:

Life’s so much easier with lowered expectations.

What I Wore: Puddle Jumping

Taking a toddler for a walk during the height of our spring big melt is … a fun idea in principle, very wet in practice. Thankfully, I have my trusty Hunters (how’s that for blatant product placement? it’s okay, I’m not getting paid for it). No, seriously, thank Neptune or whoever is the god of deceptively-small-looking-but-in-reality-two-feet-deep puddles. I am fairly dry in this picture, though perhaps more frazzled than usual. It was, uh, a windy day? Yeah, let’s go with that.

Speaking of the little puddle-monster himself, I couldn’t even wrangle a picture out of him. “Pretend to like it, buddy,” I whispered. “No way, come hell or high puddle,” responded he, telepathically and by applying a sharp elbow to my gut.

Oh well.