{ the jaunty magpie }

The Birdie refuses silly hats and goofy group seranades that end in "...and many moooore... on Channel Foouuur." Yes, the Bird is celebrating another year of older, but oddly, never any wiser. The biggest gift I gave myself was a little retail therapy after collecting all the "it's your birthday!" discount coupons that stores tempt you with when you sign up for everything under the sun. A nice thing about a springtime birthday is you catch a lot of midseason sales. It had been a while since I really looked for clothes. My latest wardrobe additions have been through clothing swaps, which I have to say are FANTASTIC. I fully embrace the "New to Me" phrase for previously owned goods, because "vintage" just gets overused to the max.

But this was a special shopping trip. I found some truly brand new things to add to the Jaunty Wardrobe. So new, I haven't had a chance to photograph and figure out ways to fully use them to their Inspired potential, but I couldn't wait and am letting the Jaunty Sketchbook give a scribbly sneak peek.

I did have two things on my list of spring must-have's -- colorful, bright denim, and a blousy, loose button down shirt. Colorful denim is everywhere and I like this trend because it's the same idea behind really wild and colorful pedicures. Bright colors are fun to wear and having unusual colors on the lower half, away from the face, is just more flattering, as it won't add or take away a healthy color on your face. I found these great minty bright green pants from Anne Taylor Loft, which are very wearable with just about anything. And I nabbed a simple, oversized button-down cream blouse, which I've been wanting forever. It's such a simple basic, but it's when you realize you have a closet full of crazy, you're reminded basics are a must. Everything was on clearance, even a cute boatneck sailor-striped sweater, and I'm not ashamed to say I got away with everything around $54 total, with the help of the 15% birthday discount. You have to use a store credit card to get the discount, but since it's their card, you can pay the balance off right there, which I did, so no unbirthday balance waiting for you later in the month.

My shopping indulgence was at one of my favorite stores, Anthropologie (of course). They send adorable birthday cards, you should sign up to get their catalogs and offers just to see what they send out every year. This year's card was precious, with a little clock on an orange string with "me" on the face, to imply the idea that it's "me" time. Amen to that. They offer an overall 15% discount off your entire purchase, so it's a good idea if you're getting several things. I considered getting a bunch of small items, but got drawn into a gorgeous orange and mint Twinkle by Wenlan wrap dress with kimono-style sleeves. It's stunning, I totally fell in love with it, and to top it all off, it was on sale. I'm over the moon about this dress, even moreso by the fact I will totally wear it in the fall and winter months with boots and tights, even a thin turtleneck layered underneath -- the print is strong enough to where it won't seem too floaty for autumn. The sketch doesn't even do it justice, but believe me, I felt like Indiana Jones finding the Lost Ark when I discovered this gem. And not a poison-tipped dart or pesky death boulder in sight. Happy Birthday to me. 

So yes, despite getting old(er), I've got a smile on my face and some new things to brighten up the closet.  

Jaunty Fine Print: Illustrations by Denise Sakaki