Pattern Mixing for the Faint of Heart

Okay, I didn't post the outfit details because I can't remember where I got the shoes or the shorts. Oops. Anyway, this is about as close as I get to pattern mixing. You may have noticed that I rarely wear anything but solids and just recently stripes. So mixing the striped shorts with the polka dot shoes is a bold move for me. Not the hot pink though - that's pretty normal for me. I love bright colors. The brighter the better as far as I'm concerned. Cause I want you to see me coming from like at least three miles away. Maybe even four. You have no idea the looks I get while running around town. I live in a teeny tiny town and most of the women wear jeans, tees, and flip flops so the very fact that I am wearing something outside the norm stands out, then you add the hot pink into the sea of denim, black, and grey. Let me tell you, this little town just doesn't know what to do with me. And I am pretty conservative in the world of style blogging. I would cause mass heart attacks, spontaneous combustion, and hysteria if I stepped out in an outift that contained real pattern mixing.

Do you turn heads with your fashion choices?

Happy Memorial Day!

tee & shoes: target, pants: thrifted

Hope everyone had an awesome weekend! We spent time with the family, played outside, ate way too much food and generally enjoyed ourselves. I had grand plans for taking pics of all my outfits this weekend and then we forgot the camera. Oops. Anyway, this is what I wore to take the Munchkin to the zoo last week. The tee was on clearance at Target for about $4 - I got two of them, this one and one in navy and white. I love the detailing on the sleeves. The shoes are my other pair of little girls shoes. They are crazy comfy. Oddly enough they are kind of loose now that I've lost weight. Apparently my feet have gotten skinnier. Weird, huh? Oh, and the pants are thrifted - they are lightweight linen with a drawstring, just perfect for spring and summer.

We are getting ready for the Munchkin's three year birthday party this weekend. Lots of stuff to do next week. The next week our niece will be in town and then the hubby will be leaving town for work for two weeks! Yikes. That is just the beginning of our crazy, insanely busy summer.

Got any great cars themed birthday party ideas?

FBFF: Hair Care

Hair care- Well, this is a little late, but here is this week's FBFF. Check out the other answers at Modly Chic.

1.      How often do you get your hair cut? Ummm. Whenever I have time to. Which is pretty rarely.

2.      Do you go to the same stylist each time, try someone new, go to the cheap hair cutting chains or live it up in a salon? None of the above? I have been cutting my own hair for years. I think I last went to a salon shortly before my son was born and he's almost three. Before that it had been about 7 or 8 years. Is that sad? To be honest, I am never happy with the way someone else does it and I hate spending money on something I can do myself.

3.      Do you color your hair? Nope, but I want to go blonde. I just haven't gotten up the courage to do it yet. How often? What’s your natural color?You're looking at it. Sort of mousy brown. It used to be blonde and then I had a baby and quit spending so much time in the sun.

4.      The one thing you always do to keep your hair looking great is: wash it? I don't really do that much with my hair these days. Most of the time I end up putting it up before the end of the day. I would go short again, but that is really more work. So pony tails and french twists it is. At least my hubby is happy.

5.      What hair trend do you love and wish you could rock? Like I said before I really want to go blonde. One of these days, I'm going to just go for it. I love Reese Witherspoon's look - blonde with bangs. I would love to have curly hair, but I have learned to live with what God gave me. :)

Cheap & Chic Kitchen: Mexican Chicken

top: tjmaxx, tank: walmart, jeans: rue21, shoes: target, bag: sears

"look what I can do, mommy!"

This isn't actually what I wore today. Aren't you disappointed. Never fear, I didn't go to the zoo nekkid - I even took pictures, but you'll just have to live in suspense until I decide to put them up. Cruel aren't I?      Don't you love how I mixed it up with my zebra print shoes and snake print bag. I like living life on the wild side, let me tell you.         And have you ever seen such a cutie pie? I tried to crop him out of the pic, I really did, but I just couldn't do it. I mean, he's too cute for words. Right. And really, you need something cuter than me to look at sometimes, right? Right. So, enjoy his adorableness. And then enjoy you some good food.

I got this crockpot recipe from a good friend and it is literally the easiest meal ever in the entire universe. If you enjoy mexican food, this is awesome. It is also waist-line friendly.

You will need:
chicken breasts - I use the frozen chicken breasts, usually just two although the recipe calls for four.
1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 jar salsa
rice or tortillas
sour cream, olives, guacamole, shredded cheese, and/or tomatoes to taste

Start by putting half the salsa in the bottom of the crock pot.

Add Chicken breasts.

Drain and pour in corn and black beans.

Cover with remaining salsa.

Cover and cook on high for at least 4 hours if you used frozen chicken or on low for 2 hours if you used thawed chicken. You can either leave the chicken breasts whole or shred them with a fork during the cooking.

Cook rice according to package directions or use tortillas depending on what you like.

Add cheese, sour cream, black olives, tomatoes, guacamole, jalapenos, whatever you like  and eat!
Ridiculously easy, right?

What is your fave quickie meal?

Cheap and Chic Crocs

tee: khols, pants: jcpenny, shoes: big lots

Crocs! Eeek!

Okay, let me start by saying that I think Crocs are about the ugliest shoes you can put on your feet. I'm sorry, but really, they are. That said, I do understand that if you spend a ton of time on your feet and need comfort, they fit the bill. I actually do own a pair of the ballet flat style ones in silver, but I use them as slippers - they almost never leave the house. Even those are not particularly chic.

Enter these little cuties. I was shopping at Big Lots the other day, looking for a birthday gift for my mother in law. Apparently some store had to get rid of a truck load of size six (and only size six) crocs. I tried on this pair in navy and fell in love. Now, I know that these may not be everyone's idea of cute, but they are comfy and cute enough for me. I think the peep toe and sling back make them look more like real shoes.

What do you think? Would you wear crocs?

Old Girl, New Tricks (or computer programs)

blouse: tj maxx, skirt: catos, belt: walmart, shoes: payless, purse: sears

Here is what I wore last Sunday! It was freezing cold outside and raining. Ick. Anyway, I adore this top - the color, the silkiness, the length, everything about it is perfect. And I've been looking for a snake print belt for a while now and found this one at Walmart for $8. It is reversible - the other side is black. Perfect. The pics don't do it justice, but the tones in the belt are perfect with the shoes.

Anyway, I just spent an hour figuring out the different program on my hubby's computer so that I could get the pics off my camera and return to daily photo taking. Whew. I am obviously getting old when I don't like having to learn new programs. His 'puter has the newest Windows and Firefox and some different picture program. Ick. Sorry about the rant. I think I am going to go to bed now. :) Maybe someday soon I will get my computer fixed. I miss it. :(

Hope ya'll are having a wonderful week!

Missing in Monochromatic

top: Target, dress: Forever21, sandals: Icing

Hi! It has been a while, hasn't it? Sorry 'bout that. My computer died! Eeek. Seriously not cool, you know? Anyway, I've been missing reading all your awesome blogs and can't wait to get caught back up. Also, my camera is full and I can't move the pics because the 'puter (as my Munchkin calls it) is dead. (I'm stealing the hubby's work computer to do this quick post.) Anyway I've been wearing cute outfits and have done a jewelry re-make and there are no pics! How quickly this blogging thing becomes the norm. ;) 'Cause you know it's a little ridiculous that I'm upset that I can't take pics of my outfits right now. I'm annoyed and I feel silly for being annoyed. Silliness abounds.

So, this is actually what I wore Mother's Day evening. I was feeling very monochromatic after so many bright colors, so I kept everything in the teal/mint family. And I tried stacking my bracelets with my watch for the first time. My watch is huge and it plus the bracelets made that arm feel very weighty. Not sure I'll do it again - at least not with this particular watch.

Hope ya'll are having an awesome week now that we've avoided the end of the world. ;) We are crazily, ridiculously busy around here. Do you have any amazing plans for the coming holiday weekend?

Weekly Gratitude

tee: gap, dress: forever 21, shoes: marshalls

I seriously need to hem this thing - look I have a train!

I am totally feeling the multiple rings thing right now.

I wore this to take the Munchkin to Chick-fil-A and run errands. This is last year's maxi and while I know that it is too long, I didn't realize until looking at the pics quite how ridiculously long it is. Oops. Well, hey, every girl needs a dress with a train, right? Right? No? Eh, fine, I'll hem the dress, eventually.

Weekly Gratitude

~ The zoo! We renewed our membership on Saturday for my Mother's Day gift and then went again on Thursday with some friends. The other mom and I both showed up wearing our striped tops and cutoff jean shorts. It was pretty funny considering we hadn't seen each other in a month. We had a blast, our kids had a blast, and hey, we looked great while we did it.

~ Steak! My hubby and baby took me to Texas Roadhouse for Mother's Day and I gorged myself on deliciousness - fried pickles, steak, salad, loaded fries, rolls - yummy. Then it took me all week to get back on track. Oh, but it was worth it. :)

~ Weight Watchers - because I can enjoy dinner out and still have the tools to get back on track. 

~ Mommy time! Our Community Center which has a great gym that I use three times a week. I wish I could go more, but when you have a toddler, you take what you can get. I get three precious hours a week to myself.

~ My hubby, who is headed into the busiest time of his year. Last week he baptized two youth! Awesome!

What are you thankful for this week?

FBFF - Inspiration

top: thrifted, pants: walmart, shoes: cato

leopard flats add fabulousness to any outfit

gorgeous coral necklace - too heavy & uncomfortable on the neck - trying to re-work

This is what I wore a couple weeks ago for dinner with the in-laws. This is the Oscar de la Renta cashmere tee that I got at Savers for $4 a while back. It is deliciously soft and comfy. I recently bought this necklace on clearance because I love the coral color and the chunkiness of the beads. However I am going to have to re-work it because it is so heavy that it is uncomfortable. I re-did it last night, but am not satisfied so I'll be taking it apart and doing it again.

And now, on to this week's FBFF:

1. What magazines do you subscribe to? 
I have three subscriptions - InStyle, Lucky and People StyleWatch. I've subscribed to InStyle since around 2003 and Lucky around the same time. StyleWatch is a recent addition. I love the inspiration I get from them.

2. Do you watch any fashion TV shows?
We currently don't have cable, but I've always loved What Not to Wear. I also enjoyed the early seasons of Project Runway. And the recaps of the award shows are always fun. Not that you can get a great deal of inspiration for real life from formal events like the Oscars, but it is fun to watch anyway.

3. Beyond blogs, what websites do you frequent for fashion inspiration?
Ummm....there are fashion websites? Sorry, I guess I am a little behind the times. :) I do keep up with the websites for Lucky and InStyle, other than that it is just the blogs.


4. Advertisements play a huge role in forming public opinion about a product or brand… what ads do you like and why?
I love Michael Kors ads. If I had the money, I would totally buy anything from his ads. They are just stunning. I also enjoy the Jimmy Choo ads. This season's Banana Republic are pretty inspiring. Honestly I get as much inspiration from the ads in my magazines as the layouts.

5. Do you own any fashion books?
Hello, I am a nerd. I own books on everything I am interested in. Of course I own fashion books. The Lucky Shopping Manual, Glamour's Big Book of Do's & Don'ts, How to Walk in High Heels, Fashionista Files, City Chic, Effortless Style, Dress Your Best and so forth and so on. I do not have but want the newest Lucky and InStyle books. :) Like I said, I am a total nerd - just trying to be a stylish one. :)

Check out everyone else's responses at Modly Chic!
Happy Friday, ya'll.

Cheap and Chic Library: Love You More

tee: cato, pants: walmart, belt: from a top, shoes: marshalls

I love this outfit! The tee is from my pregnancy days and it is super soft and comfy and I feel  like the neckline is super flattering. With the addition of the belt it is perfect. I also love the lime and cobalt together. I have had these shoes since about 2005, I think and I still love them. Seriously beaded lime green flats! Awesome.

Last night I finished Love You More by Lisa Gardner. It was very good. If you enjoy a good mystery/suspense novel, I would recommend it for sure. It is a D.D. Warren mystery, if you have read any of them, you'll really enjoy this one. D.D. goes through quite a bit of change in this book and by the end she is a better person. I always love when a character grows though the course of the novel.

While it is a fairly classic murder suspense, the subject matter of this one was fascinating. It explores motherhood in two different ways. "Who do you love and how far would you go to save her?" is the quote from the book jacket. Wow, what an amazing book. As a mother, it is one of those things that is difficult to think about. What would we do for our children and how far would we go to save them. As you read and learn more about Tessa, the murder suspect, you keep wondering. Did she or didn't she? The evidence is stacked against her, but the more you get to know her personally, the more you wonder. In typical fashion the author weaves an incredible story around the characters and there is a bit of a surprise ending. Although I did figure part of it out, the final ending was a surprise to me. I had to diligently resist looking to the final chapter all the way through. To me that is one of the marks of a good book. I am interested enough in the characters to want to know the ending, but caught up enough in the story to let it play out as the author intended.

So, if you are looking for a good read, head over to your library and check out Love You More by Lisa Gardner. Or just any book by Lisa Gardner. They are all good.

Have you read a good book recently?

EBEW - Floral Confessions

I have a confession to make. I only own three floral pieces of clothing. Two skirts and one dress. Isn't that ridiculous - I had no idea my wardrobe was so lacking. Ooops. This just might call for some shopping. :) I am always up for shopping. But here's the thing, I am not a huge fan of prints. I just don't wear them very often - I know that is enough to get me thrown out of the style blogging world for sure. So, since I prefer to remain true to myself and since today's activities preclude pretty floral dresses and silk skirts - I do have a two year old after all - I am going to wear what I normally would wear. I'll just add my flowery sandals, scarf and jewelry. There, done, and no shopping required.

tee, pants & bag: thrifted, sandals: target, scarf: inherited

 I love these sandals! Aren't they cute? I'll tell you a secret - they are from the girls department at Target. A girls 5 is about the same as a ladies 6 1/2 - and cheaper too. Who can resist hot pink flowers decorating your toes? Obviously not me.

One Day - Three Pairs of Shoes

red shoes & sneakers: payless, mint wedges: target

 Flats for running errands, wedges for going to dinner, sneakers for working out.

tee: some youth event, skirt: thrifted

"Don't kiss me, mommy!"

I felt awesome in this outfit today. Especially after looking at the pics. My hard work has been paying off and my legs are looking better than they have in years. Woohoo! The tee shirt was my hubby's and it shrunk so I stole it. It is ridiculously soft and comfy. I rarely wear t-shirts, but I thought this outfit with the cutoff mini and flats was the perfect outfit for running errands. Then my Beloved and the Munchkin took me to dinner to celebrate mother's day. When he got home from work the beloved asked me if we were dressing up for dinner. My response was, "No, I'm just going to throw on some wedges and I'll be ready to go". Ya'll, he gave me the blankest look, like I was speaking greek (well, not greek, he studied greek, but maybe chinese?). It totally cracked me up. Obviously, the beloved isn't really into the whole fashion thing. :)

Isn't the Munchkin adorable in today's pic?! He wanted me to kiss him, but apparently 10 seconds worth of a kiss is way too long for an almost three year old boy. (The length of the timer on my camera.) And yes, the legos do indeed live in my living room. :) If you come to my house, you will know the minute you step foot in the door that we have a toddler in residence. You wouldn't believe how many toys I crop out of these little bloggy pics of mine. On another totally random note, the Munchy-bear is about 99% potty trained! We are celebrating around here. Yay for us!

Happy Monday, ya'll!