Hepburn and Houndstooth

To the left side of the screen?  I have two new sponsors!  These “sponsors” happen to be hand-picked by me and I couldn’t be prouder to tell you about them!  I love them so much, I’ve provided ads to them at no cost.

Pretty Fun is an Etsy shop by cool-gal Sara.  She creates jewelry and purses that are to die for and there truly is something for everyone!  Check her out here and here.

The Gifting Spot features personalized gifts for everyone in the family and should certainly be your first stop for any monogramming.  The prices are good and the prints available on the products are right on trend.  Check it out here.

Be sure to stay tuned and add us to your Google Reader.  Mid-August is bringing a week of fabulous giveaways, including The Gifting Spot and Pretty Fun!

I saw this picture of Liv Tyler in a $1500 Givenchy blazer in my Google Reader and immediately clicked over to Tiffany’s blog, I Am Style-ish, because I just knew I had seen this look recently!

Now, Tiffany is not wearing a $1500 blazer.  She is wearing Anthropologie’s $98 version and doing it so much better!  She looks amazing in her slim black pants and pumps, as opposed to coochie-crawling shorts over tights.  LOVE!

I have been itching to go thrift-store shopping for a few weeks and I finally had the opportunity for a quick trip before an appointment this morning.  I only got to spend about half an hour in the store, which wasn’t nearly long enough.  I didn’t even get to look at men’s clothing or furniture.

I still came out with some goods!

These stereotypical vacation souvenir is so perfect!  There were two Florida plates, but I chose this one because it features the Citrus Tower, which was right near our apartment in Clermont.  We had a view of it from our balcony.  This has now sparked a new collection.  I want to collect plates from the states where either of us has lived.  Now we need Mississippi, Texas, and Missouri.  I think I’ll do Alabama too, since I was born there.  Technically, I should have Maryland, but I don’t have the best memories of that place.

Nick has decided he wants to be a soccer player when he grows up, so when I saw these like-new Umbros in his size, I knew they were coming home with me.  I mean, I had these in 7th grade!  in every color imaginable!  For Harper, a little tee in my high school’s colors.  Looks like I’m having a bout of nostalgia, right?

Speaking of nostalgia… I bought a couple of skorts!  I got this same one in white.  Now, to be clear, these are not the kind that look like shorts from behind.  These are the ones where the shorts are hidden completely.  This a total Mom item (they are even by St. John’s Bay).  But hey, I AM a mom.  These babies are super practical for crawling around on the floor with kids.  I hate shorts because of my chunky thighs, so at least I can stay comfy and a bit concealed.

You really can’t tell from the pictures, but this linen shirt (Chaps – Ralph Lauren) is the most beautiful fabric.  I absolutely love linen for summer.  I love the slit-cuff 3/4 sleeves and the amazing fit.  What sold me though was the tiny Chaps logo embroidered on the chest.  I forgot to take a pic of that, but it’s basically a little box with a C in it.  Perfect for celebrating my new last name!

This is by far my favorite find!  Perfect colors, fit, and fabric weight.  It can be worn belted or unbelted.  The belt shown is actually no belt at all.  It’s a purse strap, the only belt-like object within grabbing distance.  I don’t use it as a strap and it has now become my new belt.

Thrifting is so much fun to me.  I love the thrill of a good bargain!

Last week, I decided to challenge myself to shower and get fully dressed each morning for a week, hoping to be more productive.  You can read more about that HERE.  How did I do?

Day 1 – Saturday

The Day’s Agenda: My mom and I were taking Nick to his first movie, followed by lunch and some light shopping.  I started on this day because I knew I would be getting up early and doing hair and makeup.

Sunglasses: CATO | Tee: Faded Glory (WalMart), iron-on transfer by me | Tank: Eddie Bauer | Jeans: CATO | Purse: Gadzooks (circa 2003) | Sandals: CATO | Nail polish: Sally Hansen XTreme Wear in Blue Me Away

Productivity: Well, I had a day out planned, so I was away from home all day doing fun things.  I think I did dishes when I got home.  This whole weekend is a blur so I can’t say for sure!  But I definitely felt motivated all day.

Day 2 – Sunday

The Day’s Agenda: It was Independence Day, with plans for swimming and BBQ.  I knew I’d be just getting in my swimsuit, and I had an eye infection, so I did the best I could to be put-together.

Lucky for you, there are no shots in my swimsuit.  Instead, I snapped (in a very off-centered way) my hair to show that I didn’t do my usual sloppy pony.  I incorporated some braids and twists to ensure I kept up the “doing something with myself” thing.

Productivity: I was productive if you count getting some sun, eating a lot, and cleaning up the mess.  I was wiped out by time we got home, but still managed to do a sinkful of dishes.

Day 3 – Monday

The Day’s Agenda: Do some laundry, jewelry making, and blogging. This day ended with a date night, which meant I’d be getting all done up in the afternoon.  However, if I really wanted to stick with the challenge, I’d have to get dressed earlier in the day.

Day – Eyeglasses: Hilary Duff | Tee: Eddie Bauer | Jeans: Converse One Star | Flip Flops: American Eagle

Night – Top: F21 (circa 2007) | Cami: CATO | Jeans: CATO | Wedges: CATO | Vintage purse was my great-grandmother’s

Productivity: During the day, I did a lot of laundry, blog work, and made a couple of bracelets.  I then had a great date with my husband where I accomplished getting a slight beer buzz and consuming a week’s worth of fat and calories.

Day 4: Tuesday

The Day’s Agenda: Grocery shop, do some things in the yard, do laundry, organize living room play area, work out.

Tank: Eddie Bauer | Jeans: Eddie Bauer | Flip Flops: CATO

Productivity: This day went nothing as planned.  It had nothing to do with lack of motivation though and had everything to do with Harper Atticus.  The little guy just wanted to be right ON me every moment (as you can see in the picture).  After grocery shopping in the morning, I came home and chased (and ran from) him until his bedtime.  Literally, all I did around the house was wash dishes and cook.

Day 5: Wednesday

The Day’s Agenda: Usual housework, plus vacuuming, changing sheets, cleaning out fridge.  Aside from housework, work on my other blog, pack some items to ship, get some writing done.

Tunic: CSA men’s XXL sleeveless tee, altered by my mom to make a trapeze dress for me | Leggings: Mossimo (Target) | Flip Flops: American Eagle

Productivity: I got a late start because I napped right after breakfast.  I did manage to vacuum, do some laundry, and that’s about where it ends.  It wasn’t because of lack of productivity.  My kids completely lost their minds in early evening and never quite found them.

Day 6: Thursday

The Day’s Agenda: clean bathroom, post on my other blog, work out.  I woke up intending to do a lot of other things, but I felt a little under the weather, so I decided to mostly focus on basic housework.

Tee: Mossimo | Jeans: CATO | Flip Flops: American Eagle | Ring: my Etsy shop, Shop Houndstooth

Productivity:  I did get some writing done, as well as a few basic things around the house.

Day 7 – Friday

The Day’s Agenda:  All I wanted to do this day was catch up on the housework that I didn’t do the rest of the week.

Tank: Eddie Bauer | Dress: Gadzooks (circa 2006) | Belt: from a maurice’s tunic | Flower pin: ? | Sandals: CATO | Necklace: Peebles

Productivity: Um.  Yeah.  I got nothing.  OH wait!  I did a load of laundry.  Aren’t you proud?

What I Learned

Cuter, more thought-out outfits, blown out hair, or makeup won’t necessarily make me more productive.  Instead, it’s taking a shower and putting on something other than PJs.  More than that, I learned (perhaps more importantly) that I physically feel better when I start the day this way.  Aside from the productivity experiment, I learned a few embarrassing things:

1. I need new clothes.  99% of the time, I’m wearing cuffed or rolled jeans and a tank or tee.  I didn’t just wear this stuff because I wasn’t going anywhere.  That’s what I wear to the grocery store, too.

2. I HAVE to lose weight.  Like, this is ridiculous how fat my thighs and tummy are.  No more excuses.

3. No matter what, I have to get a camera.  This webcam and camera phone thing is out of control.

Now that the challenge is over, where do I go from here?  I will definitely keep up the showering in the morning routine.  I will keep putting on clothes that aren’t boxers(except maybe a day or two a week).  I definitely want to do makeup and hair on weekends when I spend more time with my husband.  I think that’s a start!

Saturday, my mom and I took Nick to his first movie, plus we went to lunch and did some light shopping.  For this momentous occasion, I made shirts with iron-on transfers.  It ws a little dorky, sure, but Nick was tickled over them.

We got into Hattiesburg over an hour before Misty Island Rescue‘s starting time.  We wanted to stop by the crafter’s mecca, Hobby Lobby, but Michael’s was way closer, so we stopped there to kill time.  I was on a mission to buy supplies for my new business.  This was my first stop:

I was debating individual sheets versus bundles when I was approached by a woman.  Out of the corner of my eye, I could feel her looking me up and down.  I looked over at her and she told me her car was out of gas, she needed to get to her next job, and she needed a few dollars.  Instead of saying, “no, sorry, I don’t have it,” I made the mistake of telling her that I don’t carry cash, only cards.  She then told me how she was cleaning floors and the chemicals on her shirt were burning her skin.  She asked me to buy her one of the $2.50 t-shirts.  I said yes and while she made her selection, I took my debit card out of my purse and hurried across the store to give my mom my purse to hold.  Maybe I was being paranoid, but I didn’t know if this woman would snatch my purse and take off.  We went to the check-out where she called the cashier by her first name and then asked me if she could try one of the truffles at the register!  In shock, I agreed and paid for it too.  She then thanked me profusely, but it didn’t stop there.  She asked if I could give her a ride to Main Street (on the other side of town).  I finally put my foot down and told her that I was killing time before an appointment and had done all I could do for her.  I am not sure if this is something she does all the time (I mean, the cashier seemed familiar with her) or if she had been in here awhile trying to help to no avail.  In any case, I did my good deed for the day!

By time I got finished clothing the con artists of the world, it was time to head to the theatre.  Not before checking out with my goodies though!

Grammy bought the little capsules that “grow” into dinosaurs (more about that later).  I got this awesome journal ($1!) to carry in my purse, a strand of beads to make into a bracelet ($2.99) that matches my sheets perfectly, and a “C” applique ($.49) to gussy up a boring cardigan I have.  The koozies were $1 each.  I love the dollar section at Michael’s!

At the theatre, I let Nick carry his own ticket to the usher and he was just so excited about the whole process.  We went to the concession stand and he chose some chewy Sweetarts.

We found seats in the theatre and surprisingly, Nick did really well waiting half an hour for the movie to start.  On the other hand, a grown man behind us (I’m guessing he was mentally handicapped) talked throughout the entire movie, calling out all the character’s names and narrating everything. Nick was absolutely riveted throughout the cute movie.

After the movie, we went to Chili’s for lunch.  Nick ordered his usual, chicken crispers and fries and as usual, only ate a couple of bites, then took the leftovers home and ate like he was starved.

After lunch, we headed to Target, one of my favorite places on earth. We hit the dollar spot and got stuff we didn’t need.  My prizes:

Raleigh got a new collar for summer.  Her usual kelly green collar was faded to a nasty seafoam shade.   I actually did need the ribbon because who doesn’t need ribbon?!

I also bought a new shower curtain, which I desperately needed, but always forget to pick up. I added to my collection of Sally Hansen XTreme Wear with the color Flirt.

There were two things in Target that, true to character, I fell in love with but didn’t buy.  What can I say, I’m cheap.

This swimsuit was so cute and I was dying over it.  People, I’ve been wearing the same swimsuit for FOUR YEARS.  Yes, the elastic is stretched out and no, it doesn’t fit well anymore.  The color and style of this swimsuit was sooo me, but it was $30 and I just couldn’t go there.  The wedges?  Darling.  They were perfect.  I loved everything about them, except that they weren’t on sale.  They were so, so comfy and I wear leopard as a neutral, so I would get lots of miles out of them!

By the time we left Target, my eyes were really irritated and I could barely see.  We went to Hobby Lobby, but Nick and I stayed in the car while mom ran in for some acrylic sheets.  She came out with some things for a project I’m working on.

I plan to put the alphabet on a wall for the kids once we move into our own place. The wooden letters are from Hobby Lobby and the glittery foam Q was another find from the Target dollar spot.

When we got home from Hattiesburg, Nick wanted to play with his dinosaur capsules.  Now, when we were kids, you bought these little capsules, put them in water, and they quickly grew to a large size.  Dustin even remembers having some that grow as big as the container you put it in.  These… well, they weren’t that.  They were just like small sponges and they took forever to open up.

It was such a fantastic day, one that Nick really deserved.  He has been so good about sharing his time since Harper was born and this was really the first time I have had the opportunity to take him on a date.  Dustin and I are going to take him to see Toy Story 3 next!  Can’t wait!

Every once in awhile, I have a day where I spend an hour salivating over material things online.  Well, this week, I’ve had several of those days.  Some of the things I’m obsessed with…

My dream is to own the Christian Louboutin Simple in both nude and black.  Who am I kidding?  My dream would be to have them in all available colors!  However, for an attainable substitute, loving Nine West Ambitious pump ($69 from Piperlime).

I love quirky things for the home and it’s important to me to remember where I came from and where I’ve been, no matter where I go.  I would love to scatter these on a huge white sectional, in all the states where either Dustin or I have lived or were born in.  These are from Etsy seller lovecalifornia.  The part is that you choose the color of the state and the location of the heart!  ($42)

We are not ready to buy a house just yet (I really need to start bringing in some money first), but this little hidden gem is just right for us.  And at $45,000, the price is right too!  I know it’s not much to look at (and you should see the inside!), but we want a bit of a fixer upper and it’s a good size in a perfect location!

Since we decided that we want one more baby, several friends and family members have announced pregnancies.  Naturally, I start obsessing over pregnancy.  We have never planned a pregnancy, so I’m really excited for the opportunity to actually try to conceive.  As much as I hated being pregnant with both of my boys, I know it’s a blessing and an honor to create new lives.  I look forward to facing the next pregnancy positively!

I have mentioned before that I don’t look like or live the life of the woman I feel I AM inside.  I have been struggling with this and I think I have come up with a solution.  I have to look the part.  This is not huge news.  Magazines and self-help experts have said for years that you are more productive, more motivated, and less depressed if you start out your day showering and getting fully dressed.  My friend and fellow stay-at-home-mom Brandy swears by it.  She dresses down to her shoes every morning and she is something like a modern-day June Cleaver.

Aside from my desires to be Supermom, I want and need a job, even if it’s part-time.  I am working on some ideas to work at home, but I could use some time outside of the home with adults.  I’d love to have a job “on the outside.” Ha.  Experts say that if you dress for the job you want, you’re far more likely to get hired.  I’m definitely willing to test that theory.  I mean, I’m not going to dress in office attire to hang with the kids, but I’ll definitely start doing my hair and makeup more and getting out of my PJs.

I am going to conduct a one-week experiment.  Beginning Saturday (because I am taking my son to the movies, I’ll be getting dressed that day anyway), for seven days I will get dressed and do something with my hair and face.  I can not promise shoes though.  Actually, all I can really promise is that I’ll try to match and brush my hair.  Sometimes the kids really are in control, sadly. Will there be pictures for proof?  You bet.  Will I sometimes crop off my head because I skipped makeup one day?  Probably.   Will there be a picture of me in my PJs one of the days?  Quite possibly.

Let’s see how this goes!  And now, the really brave part….

Here is how I’m looking as I write this post at 6:46 p.m. on Tuesday evening.

Squatting to fit into the webcam, I’m wearing robot boxers, flip flops, and a filthy t-shirt.  I have not brushed my hair (clearly) or washed my face.  After Harper goes to bed, I will shower and put on more PJs, then repeat tomorrow. I can’t wait to begin this new adventure Saturday!

I have a love/hate relationship with my hair.  It’s always either the wrong color or wrong length… unless it’s Tuesday, the third of the month, a 3/4 moon, or the seventh day of my cycle.  Seriously.  Right now, the plan is that I’m growing my hair long for the first time since having children.  My (unattainable) goal is mid-back by December 30 (my birthday).  Right now, it’s falling to my shoulders.  It’s at the awkward length where I always decide it’s time to chop it.  However, other women’s long, lustrous locks keep me going.

Gretchen Rossi

Jacqueline Laurita

Kelly Monaco

From Orchid Grey

Tiffany of I Am Style-ish

My gorgeous friend Stefanie

Sometimes though, shorter hair can be such a great change.  My friend Jessie recently chopped off her hair and it’s such a lovely transformation!

Regardless of how much I love my hair short, I’m looking forward to having it long again for a change!

I ran across P.S. – I made this… through a search for t-shirt redesigns.    What I found was so much more.  I can not get over this gal’s DIYs!!  So many of her projects are made using everyday objects that most of us could find at home or at the dollar store.  A few of my favorites, that I intend to make soon:

This tee is the one I was searching for and will actually be making it later today.

I want to make this necklace, but use ribbon instead of rubber bands.  Seems like those would pull your hair.

Not sure I can pull off this tank, but damnit, I’m going to try!

These are way too cute!  I’d love to wear one of these necklaces with shorts and a white tee.

The blog’s layout is so simple and focuses on the content.  Here is what the author states at the top:

P.S. – I made this…

is a movement.

It’s a call to action to re-imagine, re-use and re-invent.

I see it.  I like it.  I make it.

LOVE!

I consider myself pretty fashionable and stylish, regardless of how you’re likely to catch me looking on any given day (now: pj shorts, ribbed tank, baseball cap, flip flops, none of it matching).  Sometimes, though, I really get stumped about what to wear.  Next Saturday night, I have a Girls’ Night Out with my friend Amber.  I have a skirt that bought on clearance for $4 (!) several months ago and the tag is still attached.

It’s really rare for me to find a skirt that fits properly, and this one does!  It is silver-grey satin with a tiny bit of tulle along the bottom and POCKETS!  I have a tank that looks really cute with it, but it makes it too dressy and a little too teen.  I am nearly thirty and I do like to dress fun, but I don’t want to look like I’m trying to be seventeen.  What could I wear with it for a night of drinks?  A graphic tee?  A solid tee? A jacket?  Something else?  Should I just not wear the skirt at all?  So undecided!