09/27

a hint of fall :: #whatiwore

It was an overcast morning and I was running late as usual.  I had plans to have breakfast with one of my favorite sisters-in-law.  We don’t get together nearly as much as we should, but since her youngest just started preschool, it was the perfect time for some girl chat over breakfast.

I knew I had plenty of clothes so I didn’t really think about what I was going to wear until right before getting dressed.  Which I know from experience, doesn’t benefit me so I really don’t know why I still insist on waiting until the last minute to decide.  Oh wait, I think Albert Einstein had an answer for that…

in·san·i·ty (inˈsanitē/) : doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

So I guess I’m insane.  :oP

Why is it that we (sorry, I’m grouping all the women in that “we”, mostly so I don’t feel alone in this) can have a closet full of clothes, yet “nothing to wear”?

I start going through my closet…”nope”, “nope”, “nope”, “too dressy”, “too summery”, “I don’t want to wear a dress”, etc.

Then I got to my new sweater from Target.  I walked out in the backyard half dressed to see what the weather felt like.  Hmmmm….a little humid, but overcast and I’m always coooold in restaurants so…done deal! Yay, crisis diverted! Best part was that I would get to wear my new booties too!

2013-09-26_0006Sweater (sold out) :: Lucky Jeans :: Gianni Bini booties

2013-09-26_0002

It turned out to be a very fall feeling day…for Florida anyways. Overcast most of the day, a slight cool breeze and temps in the high 70’s-low 80’s.  It was awesome and made me even more eager for Fall to be here.

posted by 3 Comments
Filed Under: #whatiwore, Fashion Tagged: , , , , , , ,
09/25

*insert witty title* :: ramblings

Can I tell y’all how happy I was to not have any kind of party or activity that needed my attention this week?!  I know it’s hump day and we’re already halfway to next weekend, but I had a pretty good weekend and first half of the week so imma gonna blab about that today.  :oP

The wedding festivities were fabulous, but I’ll get to that in a second.

My Monday wasn’t half bad considering it was a Monday.  I was exhausted from the weekend, but I was able to get some laundry done and focus on chores around the house, paid a few bills and most importantly…worked out!! I restarted C25K. I’ve been so bad lately about making time to do anything active. I give in to being a lazy bum waaaay too easily. Good news though…I had a lot too much sugar over the weekend which made me feel blah and reminded me of why I limit my sugar!  I really don’t limit it a ton, I just limit my candy, sweets & treats. I’ve noticed when I overdose on candy & sweets or even lattes, I start breaking out on my face.  I must say though, that in itself is a pretty good motivator to stay out of the sweets! I still have plenty of sugar daily via my Starbucks latte’s & my own homemade coffee, but my face let’s me know when I’m overdoing it.

Speaking of coffee, I ordered a new flavored coffee to make at home with a supah cool mason jar tumbler.  I’m excited about it. It arrived today so I’ll be sampling it soon! I’ll post my thoughts on it after I’ve tried it out. I’m a little picky with my drinks so I’m hoping that I like it.

2013-09-25_0002

Monday ended with my hubs telling me that when he got up at 3am to order his new iPhone 5s, he also ordered ME one!!  I didn’t know whether to be annoyed that he spent too much money or elated to be getting a present. I currently have an iPhone 5 so it’s not like I neeeeded an upgrade, but….it was very sweet of him to think of me and the deed is done annnnnd it arrived yesterday so I’m not annoyed anymore, just EXCITED!

photo 5-4

*Friendly reminder* Make sure to take off the protective film before trying to set up your fingerprint scanner. Why on earth would I think you need this tidbit of information you ask?  Well, it’s a funny story.  I was trying to scan my fingerprint and I kept lifting my thumb and putting it down over and over again, but nothing was happening.  I pushed a few buttons thinking it was the iPhone’s fault, then tried to scan one more time…again, nothing!  I started to get annoyed and then…realized that I never took the film cover off! Doh! Yes, folks, that really happened. I’m a dork and I’m not afraid to admit it.

hotcocoa

Tuesday started with a doctors appointment for my teenager, but then we got coffee (she got a hot chocolate), I dropped her at school and I headed to the mall!  I was on a mission. I really, really, like obsessively really, wanted some booties for Fall. I didn’t plan on spending hours at the mall, but you know how it is. I started at Dillards, found some Gianni Bini ones I really liked, but they didn’t have my size/color combo so I kept looking.  Went to Aldo, then Belk, stopped at Loft in between and found a good deal on some awesome burgundy slacks, then headed back to Dillards so they could call another one in town to see if they had my size.  The guy helping me said the computer was saying there was one in stock, but the salesperson on the phone was saying she couldn’t find it.  By this time it’s lunchtime and I’m starving, but I really wanted some booties so I headed to the other Dillards hoping that by me being there in person, the salesperson would magically find them!

It worked!  When I got over there she said she found them after she got off the phone and she’d held them for me!

Taaaadaaaaa!  Here they are!

2013-09-25_0003

They have cool buckles and they’re a dark olive/brown color and I lurve them!  I came home and tested them out with several jeans to make sure they were as versatile as I thought they would be. Now if mother nature would just get with the program and give us some cooler weather, I’d be in hog heaven. Well, I guess we’re technically having cooler weather, but 80’s isn’t necessarily the cooler I was hoping for!

Okay, back to the wedding….it was a whirlwind of a weekend and apparently when I’m busy, I don’t think about taking photos of my outfits! Actually I did take one, but it’s kinda awful so instead of posting it, I’m going to recreate my rehearsal outfit as well as the wedding one because…well, they were too good to ignore IMO.

I didn’t take photos of my clothes, but I did however take photos of the candy table that my sister and I put together.  I know it’s not the most spectacular candy table you’ve ever seen, but we were pretty proud of our first attempt.

DSC_9299-Edit-2DSC_9303-Edit-2 DSC_9302-Edit-2 DSC_9301-Edit-2

My mom ordered the flowers for the centerpiece which turned out to be awesome and make the table even better.

I really tried to sit back and let the paid photographer do his job so I didn’t take a ton of pics and most of the photos I took have faces in them that I can’t really share, but here’s one of my SIL’s gorgeous bouquet.

DSC_9215-Edit

And one of the cake which has the cake topper that we used for our wedding cake 15 yrs ago.  Say it with me now…”awwwwww”

DSC_9313

Mmkay, I think that’s all I have to verbally (is it still verbal if I typed it? oh-see-well-see, it is now!) spew to you on this glorious hump day.  Hopefully I’ll be back tomorrow or Friday with my wedding outfits! I’m sure you’ll be waiting with bated breath or not, but maybe you’ll stop back by and check them out. Or, better yet, follow me on bloglovin’ or wordpress so you don’t miss the post! 🙂

posted by 1 Comment
Filed Under: My life, Randoms
09/24

coffee date :: #whatiwore

A couple of weeks ago I met up with a local blogger at a local coffee shop. High five for meeting new people and supporting our hometown shops!

I was still really loving my new leopard belt and remembered this inspiration image I pinned a little while ago.  It was perfect for morning coffee!  Which coincidentally turned into early afternoon because we chatted for a few hours.  Gotta love when you meet someone new and instantly hit it off.

2013-09-09_0005

 

Linking up with Style Elixir

posted by Leave a Comment
Filed Under: #whatiwore, Fashion Tagged: , , , ,
09/19

iOS 7 & getting nude

My husband is fired from being my personal techy.

He could have reminded me earlier in the day yesterday to download the newest iOS for my iPhone, but noooo…instead I had to read about it on Facebook at 7:30 at night.  Facebook?!  He is seriously slacking.  Probably because that punk has had iOS 7 for months due to being a developer.  But that’s besides the point.  :oP

In case you aren’t aware, once people get off work, the download times inevitably become exponentially longer.  At almost 8pm eastern, my download time was ridiculous and probably wasn’t getting any better unless I waited until the middle of the night.  Which I contemplated….buuut…decided against it.  Like a good girl, I (im)patiently waited to update this morning.  After a not so smooth installation of iOS 7 (an error which led to a factory restore, but then thankfully led to a successful restore of my back up), I finally have it installed on my iPhone and it’s beautiful!  I haven’t played with it too much, but two things that jumped out at me right away was the dynamic movement wallpapers and the photos separated by dates.  The photo thing is going to be uber helpful with my Project 365.  Many times I take a photo for the day, but get behind on keeping them organized so it’s going to be so much easier to keep up now.
*On a side note: I may have re-hire my tech consultant since he reminded me at 6:45 to start my download this morning.  Thanks hubby!*

I made a gif showing a little bit of how the moving wallpaper looks.  I know, I’m easily impressed, but it’s cool, no?  If I watch this gif too long though it’s going to give me motion sickness! The real version is less subtle.

http---makeagif.com--media-9-19-2013-T0SYz8

There are links all over the web about what’s new and what apps you need, but here are a few good ones (IMO).

iMore :: pretty much everything you need to know!  So much info.

Mashable :: What’s new and lots more!

Tech Crunch :: Tips & Tricks

________________________________________________

And now to get nekkie!

With my nails of course!  Sheesh. What did you think I was talking about?!

2013-09-19_0002

I mentioned in my last post that my brothers wedding is coming up this weekend. I have been planning my outfit for weeks, down to the colors I’m wearing on my fingers & toenails. Since neutrals started getting popular I have really wanted to try a nude nail, but when I go to the store, I always get overwhelmed with all of the options and end up leaving with either nothing or a non-neutral color.  Well, since I really wanted to wear a nude color and I’m a dork…I did some online research.  Because as we all know, sometimes the look of a polish in the bottle, isn’t necessarily what the polish is going to look like on your nails.  Most of the time I don’t have a problem, but my experience with lighter colors is that they have a tendency of being too sheer and I want an opaque one.  I don’t like it when you polish your nails, but you can still see the whites.  If I wanted that, I’d just wear a clear polish!  Anywho, there are some really awesome bloggers out there who do all the footwork for you and even have photos with reviews!

In my search I came up with OPI’s Samoan Sands and Essie’s Sand Tropez.  (See them both here. I really liked Pretzel My Buttons too!) I bought OPI first, but then thought I wanted a cooler neutral so I bought the Essie one.  I put them both on and put them next to the dress.  Samoan Sands looked better with the dress, but it was a little too sheer for my liking. Where as I liked the opacity of Essie’s Sand Tropez, but it was too cool for the dress.  I contemplated buying more neutrals, but instead turned my attention to finding a base coat that would hopefully solve my problem.  Again, like a dork, I turned to Google. This time I came up with Seche ridge filling base coat and Butter London Nail Foundation.  I tweeted after I left Ulta that night that people who work at a make-up store should have a little knowledge of their products.  I said this because the Ulta girl was completely clueless.  She was all, “well, the Seche is a big seller and people like it” (um, well, that’s a no brainer since it’s one of the cheapest polishes in the store!)  Then when I asked her about the Butter London one she said, “I don’t use it, but it’s supposed to be a really good one. We don’t sell a lot of it though.” Again..duh! Probably because it’s one of the most expensive polishes in the store! *insert eyeroll* And I didn’t just ask her about nail polish.  She wasn’t helpful with my eyeshadow questions either. If Ulta wasn’t so close and Sephora so far away, I wouldn’t go there at all, but occasionally I need a product that they carry.  If I had the time though, I would always choose Sephora. Their employees are always super helpful and most of the time knowledgeable or at least they pretend to be!

K, sorry, got a bit sidetracked…back to my polish!  Here are the side by side comparison’s (please excuse my scaly hands & crappy cuticles).

2013-09-19_0001(click pic to see larger)

The left thumb has Butter London underneath and the right thumb has the Seche base coat.  Not sure if you can tell in the photo, but Butter London was the clear winner for me.  It’s got a nice color to the base coat and it did what I wanted it to do, which is make the polish more opaque.  It went on smooth and without streaks.  This isn’t to say that the Seche one isn’t good. I really love the pearlescent color of the Seche, but it made the color of the polish not as warm and it was a little streaky, which wasn’t what I wanted.  I think under a more opaque color, the Seche would be great.

posted by Leave a Comment
Filed Under: My life, Techie Tu/Thurs Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,
09/16

what’s on my current playlist and other randoms…

I was only going to post some recent songs that have been on repeat on my iPod lately, but then I had other randomness floating through my head and thought what the heck, let’s just throw it all in one big mashed up randomness post.

Currently listening to…

  • Olly Murs, “Dance with Me Tonight” :: I’m kind of in love with this song.  I love to dance, so any song that makes me want to get up and dance is destined to become a playlist favorite!  Car dancing is almost not even good enough for this song.  I want to stop the car, jump out and start dancing in the middle of the street.  But, then I worry about getting arrested b/c I look like a crazy person or more importantly, getting run over and that wouldn’t be good so I stick to car dancing.  For your listening pleasure, I included the video so you can chair dance at your desk or even better, just get up and bust a move next to your desk.  If this song doesn’t make you at least tap your foot…I just…don’t even know what to do with you.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3EG4olrFjY&w=560&h=315]

  • Lady Gaga, “Applause”
  • Lana Del Ray, “Summertime Sadness”
  • Katy Perry, “Roar”
  • JT & Jay-Z, “Holy Grail” :: I didn’t love this song at first, but it’s slowly grown on me and now I like it a lot.

Currently lusting after…

  • these boots from Target.  They are too high or they would have been mine already!  I love everything about them, except they like 1/2″ too tall.  Curse you Sam & Libby!  🙁

Screen Shot 2013-09-13 at 9.05.20 AM

    • leopard shoes :: I *need* some.  Part of me wants flats because I don’t actually wear heels that often, but I really want some classic leopard pumps.

Currently losing my mind over…

  • party madness!  ::  My daughter’s 13th bday was Saturday, along with her party.  We usually have parties somewhere other than the house so that it’s less stressful, but for some reason I was obsessing over what needed to get done.  I think because the party room at the location was plain & barren so I felt the need to bring more decor than just plates & a few balloons.  I didn’t bring a lot, but enough to get me in a tizzy.  I spent Friday night prepping and getting all my stuff organized though, so the next day it all went off without a hitch and she had an great 13th birthday!
    (*side note* Ahhhhh!  I am now the mother of a teenager! Where’s the biting your fingernails emoticon?!)

2013-09-15_0001

  • wedding madness :: My brother is getting married next weekend and my sister and I are going to put together a candy buffet for the reception.  We’re driving ourselves crazy deciding on candy, decor, containers, etc.  We’ve got most of the candy figured out.  Now we just have to pull it all together!

Currently dreaming of…

  • a clean house.  My house is in more of a disarray than usual since I’ve got a one tracked mind and lately it’s been torn into two trying to focus on the two parties/events.  It’s getting a bit ridiculous.  I had a dream about needing to do the laundry last night.  Because needing to do it in real life isn’t bad enough, I have to DREAM about it not being done too!  Maybe I can get back on track this week since one party is over now.
  • Fall weather and clothing and holidays!  I love Fall.  There’s a nice breeze, it’s not so flippin’ hot, pumpkin spiced lattes are back, and there’s a holiday every month until the end of the year.  By Christmas I’m pretty much over the holidays, but I love October and Halloween.  I’m a little more in love with my fall wardrobe than my summer one too so I need cooler weather to get here soon so I can start wearing all my favorite clothes!

As of now, I could have had a jump start on that clean house, but I chose to completely slack today.  Maybe tomorrow!  😉  Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start!

posted by 1 Comment
Filed Under: My life, on my mind, Randoms Tagged: , , , , ,
09/10

my lips are on fire…and not in the good way!

This is the story of a break up…cue the sad music…

DSC_8991-Edit

Last Friday my lips started tingling and felt like they were on fire.  If I remember back correctly, Thursday they started feeling really dry and tight, but I have a history of dry lips so I didn’t think anything of it.

When I woke on Saturday, they were still tight and burning and I started thinking something was definitely wrong.  So, what do you do when you need answers? Turn to Google of course!  After self diagnosing myself (don’t we all in this digital age), I narrowed it down to an allergic reaction, a burn of some sort or a cold sore.  I didn’t use anything new or eat anything different so I dismissed allergic reaction and I hadn’t been out in the sun or had anything on my lips that should have given me a burn.  By Saturday afternoon I was starting to worry it was a cold sore.  I’ve never had one before but I read that you get a tingly, sometimes burning sensation before one starts and I could see red splotches on my lip even there were no full blown blisters yet.  I bought abreva and Herpecin at the drugstore just in case and applied them separately that night and the next day.

Now we’re on to Sunday…my lips finally stopped burning and were starting to feel somewhat normal again.  I read that a cold sore erupts within 48hrs of the tingling/burning sensation so I was starting to think that maybe it wasn’t that.  I was happy to be on the mend, but still puzzled as to what happened to my lips!  I was only using aquaphor at this point because I wanted them to be free of any irritants while they were healing.

Fast Forward to Monday…I had a coffee date with a local blogger (who is instantly an IRL friend now and is just as sweet in person as online).  It was our first time meeting and my lips were a mess!  What a first impression, eh?  lol.  They were feeling pretty good that morning, but by the time I got to the cafe my lips had soaked up most of the aquaphor and were starting to peel.  I hadn’t really been out for extended periods of time since my lips started doing this freaky thing and I usually have lip balm in my purse, but of course, I had nothing in there when I really needed it.  If you knew me, you’d know that not having lip balm is so unlike me.  I have lip balm stashed everywhere…usually!

eos_blog

As soon as I got in my car I grabbed my favorite EOS mint lip balm out of the console and slathered it on.  I was slightly hesitant because I knew the mint flavor was a little tingly, but my lips just needed something, anything to get hydrated until I could get home and put aquaphor on them.  Unfortunately, about 2 min after I put the EOS on, my mind started racing and wondering if maybe my beloved lip balm could be the reason my lips were jacked up.  I quickly found a spot to pull the car over so I could google it (seriously, what would we do without smart phones?!) and low and behold, I found a couple hits (here and here) on the first page!

Noooooooooo!  And I put it on my lips just when they were starting to get better!  I immediately fumbled for a napkin in my glove box and frantically started wiping all of it off my lips!

Of course, they were burning now again and they still needed hydrating.  Off I went to track down a drugstore so I could buy some aquaphor, ASAP!

Here what my lips looked like 2 hours after I mistakenly applied the lip balm yesterday…you can see the red dots/bumps/irritation.

lips_webclick pic to see them larger

They were not inflamed like this that morning, it only got bad again after applying the EOS mint balm (even though I wiped it off 5 min after applying it!).  Now, I can’t be 100% that EOS lip balms were the culprit.  I’m only accounting what actually happened in my experience, but I’m sure enough never to use one again!  Which makes me super sad to say.  I took photos recently of my little egg balms and was going to write a post about how much I loved them.  I’ve been using them for a couple of months now and was just telling Eric that it was becoming an obsession because I felt the urge to buy every new one they came out with.  I mean, I just purchased this orange medicated version less than a week ago…

eos2_blog
but it’s now in the trash with the rest of them.  🙁

So, farewell my cute little 95% natural ingredient, egg shaped lovelies.  It was good while it lasted and you will be missed (although it would make moving on a lot easier if I didn’t have to see your face every time I checked out in the Target line!), but I’m apparently better off without you
and there are plenty of fish in the sea!

posted by 1 Comment
Filed Under: My life Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,
09/09

my favorite kind of outfit :: #whatiwore

Jeans & a t-shirt…pretty much my favorite kind of outfit. I choose to be a little more fashion forward/dressed up somedays, but if it’s not 100% comfortable, I end up ripping it off when I get home. I try to accessorize more when I think about it, but normally I just wear a watch, some earrings, and a necklace.

This is me…

to a “T” (pun intended ;))

2013-09-04_00122013-09-04_0011home T :: Lucky Brand jeans :: cheetah print belt

I got this belt from the J Crew outlet last weekend and I’ve been dying to wear it, but haven’t been out much since I bought it and when I was out, I didn’t bother caring what I looked like. *gasp* I know, I probably shouldn’t admit that. I do care a little. I mean, I make sure my hair is brushed and that I have clothes on that match, but that’s been the extent of it for the past several days. This outfit was pretty much effortless, but when I saw the belt hanging in my closet I thought I could get away with adding it to my ensemble. Leopard print goes with everything, right?

Btw, if you’ve been debating buying one of these cool home. T‘s, you should definitely do it! It’s one of my favorite t-shirts. Not only is it super soft cotton in the perfect shade of grey….not too light, not too dark, but, it’s made in the good ol’ US of A and a portion of the proceeds is donated to multiple sclerosis research.

StyleSessionsLogo_zps1d35aa03

posted by 4 Comments
Filed Under: #whatiwore, Fashion Tagged: , , , , , ,
09/06

Currently :: #lustlist

I have a habit of being drawn to things that stand out or that are on sale, but then have buyers remorse. So, I am going to try and not just fly by the seat of my pants and actually have a plan when I go shopping. I will of course, still be open to those spontaneous purchases, but hopefully with a more discerning eye!

Currently on my radar for Fall…

2013-09-06_0001Any (or all!) of these from Anthropologie.  Y’all know I adore that dog sweater…the black polka dot looks so chic and beautiful…and the soft baseball tee sweater?  It’s a gorgeous color, but best of all, they paired it with camo!  Love it!

2013-09-06_0002Something leather!  Leather is everywhere this season and I am in search of SOMETHING with leather on it.  I like the combination of t-shirt and leather in this shirt from J Crew. Leather pants are always hot, but I’m lovin’ this navy pair.  And, a leather dress? Yes, please!!

Screen Shot 2013-09-06 at 10.00.45 AMA leopard clutch/purse is definitely on my wish list this season!  I have been drooling over this Claire Vivier one.  I’ve been on the lookout for a more affordable version, but nothing I’ve seen even compares.  If you know of a good one, send it my way please!

Screen Shot 2013-09-06 at 10.05.28 AMReally wanting a sparkly bracelet right now.  I had my eye on this pave one from BaubleBar, but it’s currently out of stock.  🙁 Again, I’ve been looking for cheaper versions, but none seem to compare.  I want a chunky one that is blingy, but not cheap looking.  I like this one from J Crew, but I’m not willing to shell out $125 for it.

bootiesleft :: middle :: right

Booties are very much on my radar right now.  I’m fine with any color really, just as long as it looks good on my big ole size 10 foot.  I want flattering, comfortable and something I can wear with a lot of things.  Ultimately I think the first one on the left is optimum because of the low heel & color.

2013-09-06_0005Color!!  I’m loving the fall colors out right now.  Deep red, purple, green are my favorites so far.  Along with grey & nude for neutrals.  I’ve been really into grey (& stripes) lately and I don’t see that changing in the near future.

These two sweaters from the Limited caught my eye while shopping the other day, but I didn’t purchase them.  In honor of trying not to impulse buy I decided to simmer on them for a bit.  Maybe wait for a sale.  I think the left one will definitely be joining my closet soon though.
2013-09-06_0006left :: right

What about you?  What’s on your fall wish list?

Style Elixir
posted by 2 Comments
Filed Under: Fashion Tagged: , , , , , , , ,
09/04

One maxi skirt, Six ways :: linking it up

one skirt six ways copy

I love my maxi (aka crotchless yoga pants), so when I was deciding which piece of clothing I was going to remix for an upcoming blog link up with Putting Me Together, it was one of my top choices.

I kept my jewelry to a minimum because, 1) I think you can focus more on the outfit rather than the jewelry, but 2) I was trying to get my photos done quickly & quietly while my sick hubby was taking a nap.  😉

Here are each of the outfits individually…My maxi skirt is from Loft, but most of the other items aren’t online anymore so I didn’t include links. If there’s something specific you have a question about though, I can tell you where I got it.

2013-09-04_00142013-09-04_00162013-09-04_0018 2013-09-04_00172013-09-04_0019 2013-09-04_0020

posted by 7 Comments
Filed Under: Fashion, Linking up Tagged: , , , ,
09/04

FYI (if you’re a teenage girl)

Re-blogging this for my almost (10 days to be exact!) teenager. I want boys to look at you with respect and adoration. You don’t have to pose seductively or suggestively for boys to like you. They will like you just as you are….a fun, goofy, book loving, kind hearted, smart and beautiful girl!  And if they don’t.  Well, they aren’t worth your time anyway.  Love you!

posted by Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorized