FASHION!!

So it's not a common known fact but I actually love flipping through fashion and style magazines to see what some "things of the moment" are! I would just like to make clear that I do not agree with most fashion  gurus for what they THINK looks good HOWEVER they DO give me new ideas for my clothes. And so I channeled my best inner model and thought I'd share a couple fresh inventions of my clothes I've had (and don't laugh...at my "inner model" or my "NEW revelations" because yes I realize they may not be new to you) Okay you may continue.

 

A plain jane t-shirt with a fancy satin skirt! Okay call me old fashioned but until last year I didn't pair plain t-shirts with my pretty skirts - I put pretty tops with pretty skirts. you know what I mean right? Okay good. I feel better now. However I LOVE the look and it makes the outfit more comfortable! My suggestion, for what it's worth, is to pair it with great heels to keep it dressy - or go for all casual with the skirt as the oddball instead of the shirt.

 

 

A BUN! Seriously how many of you knew this was the latest craze! Now this one is as classic as it gets but here's the change - either go loose and flowy with strands coming out OR do a sock-bun look instead of the "old" twist. My favorite new up-do is sock-buns and yes there is a sock in my hair!! Hey I work with teens - they come up with crazy but creative things! And I like it!

(click on the link to see a tutorial for sock-buns)

 

 

Roll the sleeves up on a tailored jacket!! My momma gave me this cute sailor striped jacket but she is shorter than me so the sleeves down made it look funny on me. You could tell it didn't fit right. But I liked the look. So I rolled the sleeves up and viola - casual chic!

 

Wish they were better photos but to be honest I thought I need to blog and grabbed photos to MAKE this one happen instead of the reverse where I take photos and when I see them think - this deserves a blog post!!

 

My crazy self - oh and I actually was wearing these adorable nude peep toe HIGH heels with these skinny's. I love how the tall heels dress it up but the nude color doesn't distract from the simplicity of the outfit.

Winter Ideas

January seemed to fly by and although we are always busy it wasn't really because of that. It's just that I finally got my head settled enough to take some things in and enjoy life! In case you are amidst a winter womderland right now let me introduce you to Texas where 3/4 of January was in the 70's. Yes the 70's, that was not a typo. So we barbequed, because we could, the kids were out on their bikes as I baked cookies for all the neighbor kids out playing together and I even scrapbooked and did some Spring cleaning. I know Spring is a long ways off but shoot if it's 70 degrees out you feel good and get some things done!

However even if it's 50 below there will be something on here that might inspire you! I'm working on my laptop so I don't have all my wonderfully artistic photos (sarcasm, NOT pride) to go along with the ideas but I just thought I'd post some things I've gotten done and also plan on doing this week! Hope you feel inspired!

1. Tried a new recipe! This always makes a blah winter day fun! I've tried a couple: one was a new smoothie recipe from my daughter's cookbook she got at Chrismas, one was Italian Meatballs that I added to our everyday spaghetti (which made it amazing may I add), and I searched for a new green bean casserole recipe because if it's not something I LOVE LOVE LOVE, then I'm not stuck to the same ole recipe. And found I like my new recipe for it more than my old one. If you want to try the green bean casserole recipe too it's from Paula Deen (I suppose I felt especially Texan that day) - just click here for her recipe.

2. Painted an old dresser to repurpose: So we have passed this dresser around a bit because it's a nicely made wooden dresser that was a beautiful red color. It started in my son's room and when we put the house up for sale put it in our room because we had to pair down our dresser space. This one was tall versus wide so it gave the bedroom more space. However when my parents recently moved we inherited their bedroom set (what a blessing) and so the dresser ended up in the garage. I told my husband not to get rid of it though because our daughter needs a new dresser. Hers is probably 15 years old (it used to be mine!!) and was starting to fall apart. However red would not do for my baby girl's purple, pink and torquise room. So a $13 quart of paint and a few hours of work and viola! A white dresser was made. I let my daughter go to the hardware store with me to pick her own drawer pulls so she could be included in the remake! It wasn't that hard and here's a quick tip - for a quick color change buy "deglosser". It's a liquid that you wipe over the old paint and it takes away the gloss so your new paint will adhere better. No sweat lost over traditional sanding!! Worked great! (Just make sure you paint it within a couple hours of applying the deglosser otherwise the gloss will come back)

3. Organized my kids closets! This was my early spring cleaning. I usually save my daunting closet organizing for then but it felt great to get them all cleaned up, decluttered and organized and right on time for the in-laws! They had room to put some shoes and hang some shirts and what-not and saved us the embarrasment of showing them what their closets "used" to look like. Don't pretend like you don't know what I mean!

4. Making handmade Valentine's: This one will be done this week! I saw the cutest idea in a magazine and can't wait to set up my kids and I at the table to knock some out! You take regular cardstock and cut them to desired size. Then round the corners with a corner rounder or scissors. Take a small roller craft brush and paint the middle of the card leaving a one inch border on each side. Once dry, take cookie cutters (preferably heart shaped) and dip into paint and then stamp onto the card. One idea is to stamp white hearts cascading down the side of the card or paint several hearts putting the point of the hearts at the same spot so it makes a flower!! Use your creativity and see what you can create! I loved the thin stamped outline of hearts on the cards though! So you all know what I'll be doing Tuesday night!


I could add several things but my daughter is beckoning me to play horses with her so alas I must sign off and go feed her horses some plastic carrots. Farewell and don't let winter blues get to you!