Takin' Care of Business

What I Wore

To a Baseball Game

Top - (Thrifted) Grane brand /Shorts - Ann Taylor Loft/Sandals - WalMart

Necklace - Paparazzi/Earrings - Paparazzi/Watch - MK/Bracelet - Michaels

I didn't know when I started this blog that I would hear from such awesome people as you.  I read every single comment and each one is really a bright moment in my day.  I am more than thrilled that others enjoy reading my posts and seeing what outfit I put together.  I honestly had no idea that such amazing people would not only comment, but that I would hear from people representing businesses.  One person I heard from is a Piper, an independent consultant for Paparazzi.  I wasn't familiar with Paparazzi, but I was excited to learn that all the accessories that they carry are only $5!  Necklaces like I'm wearing with this outfit - yes, it is only $5!  The earrings - $5! Bracelets, headbands, hairclips and rings are all just $5!  Now, I love accessories, but I also love dressing inexpensively (as you know if you have seen many of my outfits) and $5 for a great necklace is just crazy good!  So, if you have like accessories but you don't like to spend a lot on them, visit Piper and her daughter Kaitlyn's website, and then pop over to Facebook and like their page.  Have you heard about any "new to you" companies recently?

Anchors Aweigh

What I Wore

To A Baseball Game

T-shirt - Target/Jeans - American Rag Co (Thrifted)

Watch - MK/Bracelet - Michael's/Earrings - Forever 21

Just because I live in a state in the middle of the country and the only real water close by is one of the Great Lakes (which is about 4 hours away) doesn't mean I don't love to wear a nautical piece every once in a while.  I  saw this T-shirt on the clearance rack at Target and grabbed it before someone else could.  We used to have a boat, but would only get to use it three times a year - Memorial Day weekend, 4th of July and Labor Day weekend.  When our youngest son began playing in baseball tournaments on two of those holidays, we decided it was time to get rid of the boat.  These days it seems that getting time to spend anywhere near water is very difficult since I work and have a busy schedule.  What about you?  Do you get much time in the water - and is it an ocean, a lake, or a pool?

Freeze Frame

What I Wore

For a visit to Eli's BBQ and Movie Matinee Date With My Son

Tshirt - Walmart/Shorts - Liz Claiborne (Thrifted)/Shoes - Sears

Necklace - Forever 21/Watch - MK/Bracelets - Michaels and Five Below

When I visit a new place, I like to take photos to document my experiences.  Yes, I'm even one of those people who take photos of my food when I'm eating at a restaurant I haven't been to before (and no, I didn't even come close to eating all of that food in the above photo - but it was delicious).  I love that my phone has a camera, so I can take photos without a lot of trouble. Since I rarely go anywhere without my phone, there is no excuse not to get a few snapshots.  What about you, are you someone who uses your phone to take photos too?  (Oh, I am on Instagram if you want to follow the link is on the side. I'd also love to follow you if you leave a link.)

You Wear It Well

What I Wore

To my son's high school graduation

Dress - R&M Richards (bought at Elder-Beerman but cannot find it on their website!)

Shoes - Nine West/Wristlet - Nine West/Bracelet - (Thrifted)

As you may know, I don't wear dresses a lot (I haven't even followed through on my "I'll wear a dress at least one time every month." resolution).  However, I had a reason to wear one recently - my son's high school graduation!  So, of course, I needed to find the perfect dress for this exciting occasion.  I spent one lunch hour at the mall, walking in and out of every store that had dresses (except the larger department stores that I knew I'd need more time in).  I took phone camera photos of anything that struck me and moved on to the next store.  Still not convinced that I had found "the" dress, I went back to the mall the next day heading to the first of the stores I hadn't visited the day before.  Well, that ended up being the last store I went into.  I saw this dress and felt it was possible that my search was over.  Have you ever gone into a dressing room, put on an item, stood there looking at yourself in the mirror and wanting to give someone a high five?  That happened when I looked at myself in the mirror with this dress on.  I just felt like the dress had been made for me to find.  Oh, and those shoes and that wristlet?  I knew that I wanted hot pink accessories, and when I walked into Nine West, there they were - just waiting for me!  What was the last thing that you just knew was waiting at the store for you to find?

I Think of You

What I Wore

Top - (Thrifted)/Jeans - Forever 21/Shoes - Rue 21

I think the first woman who I thought was dressed perfectly every day, was Laura Petrie.  Now some of you may know exactly who I am referring to, but for those of you wondering who this fashionable woman is, here are a few photos of the famous Laura Petrie

For those of you still don't know who this fashion icon is, Laura Petrie was a character on a television show that originally aired from 1961-1966.  The Dick Van Dyke Show, starring the incomparable Dick Van Dyke as Rob Petrie, and co-starring Mary Tyler Moore as his wife, Laura, was one of my absolute favorite shows when I was younger.  I did not watch the series when it originally aired (I am not quite old enough to remember what I watched in 1966), but I started watching reruns as a preteen and became a big fan.  Laura was a USO dancer who met Rob, got married and became a stay-at-home mom.  She dressed unlike any woman I knew, stay-at-home mom or not.  If you notice the pants she is wearing in the photos here, you will understand why I think of Laura anytime I wear a similar style of pants.  Luckily for me, this style of pants is now easy to find!  But, can you imagine how difficult it would have been for me to find, much less wear, in the late 1970's when bellbottoms were all the rage?  Do you remember who the first person was that you thought of as someone who dressed perfectly?

Spinning Wheel

What I Wore

To the Movies

Top - (Thrifted)Koppen/Capris - Old brand Noir/Shoes - NY&Co

Bracelets - Sears/Watch - MK/Earrings - Old Navy

From what I have seen, most women can be considered multi-taskers.  We can be reading a book/magazine (maybe both at once?!), watching a TV show, cooking a meal, doing the laundry, listening to a child, making a grocery list, pinning on Pinterest and cleaning a home all at the same time.  Personally, I can't just "sit and relax" at the end of a day because there are just too many things I feel I need to be doing.  Maybe that is why there are so many bloggers (and blog readers) out there - we have another way to express ourselves and we are able to blog (or read blogs) while we do other things.  Similar to my ability to do many things at once, my mind also has many thoughts going through it.  For example, as I was picking photos to put on this blog all of these thoughts raced through my mind.
I love wearing purple and green together.
The bracelets I got at Sears were such a bargain at $4.99 (5 bracelets for $5!?!).
I really don't like the way capris look - but they are so nice to wear when the weather is not really cool but not really hot.
I really need to get a tan, but I don't want to get age spots/skin cancer, maybe I should do a spray tan?
I think I like the coverage from the new CC Dr. Jart+ that I wore today, but it definitely is not as easy to apply as the BB Dr. Jart+.
I really want to tell everyone that they should go see "Now You See Me".
Will anyone but me read this post?

Take Five

What I Wore

Top - Old Navy/Pants - Lily Pulitzer (Thrifted)/Shoes - Target

Necklaces - Gifted and Forever 21/Watch - MK/Bracelet - Michael's

 "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with" Jim Rohn

This famous saying by a motivational speaker is something I have been wondering about lately. Our self-esteem, our way of thinking, the decisions we make, all are influenced by those around us, according to this way of thinking.  How successful you are in your personal and professional life is determined by the people you spend the most time with.  It doesn't matter how smart you are, how skilled, where you were born, or the family you came from if you want to be successful.  What matters is the people who you are surrounded by. So, as I said, I have been thinking about this quote.  I know that as a parent I want my kids to surround themselves with people that are going to be good influences. I prefer to be around positive people because I feel more positive after being around them.  So, is it true that by choosing who you spend your time with, you can shape your future?  What do you think about this quote?  Do you try to surround yourself with people you want to be like?

Taking a Chance

What I Wore

Top - Lucky Brand (Thrifted)/Jeans - Charlotte Russe/Shoes - WalMart

Necklace - Gifted/Earrings - Gabriel Brothers

Some days I like to put together an "outfit" of things that seem to have been made to be worn together.  Then there are those days where I want to take a chance and try an "opposites attract" approach to my wardrobe.  This outfit was one of the days of opposites.  The top gives a  boho/hippie vibe while the shoes (although hard to see perfectly) are  more  "Chanelesque".   The part that makes this outfit "me" though is that it isn't screaming for you to look at how different the pieces are (sometimes I think the trend of mix-matching is doing that).  At a quick glance, you might not even notice my shoes which is why I like the photo I used.  Do you like to put together "outfits" or do you prefer "opposites attract" when you dress?

Changes

What I Wore

Playoff game

Tshirt -  Hanes brand /Jeans - Gap/Shoes - Khenri

Watch - MK/Bracelet - Michaels/Necklace - Gift/Earrings - Forever 21

When my son's baseball team won the District Championship, t-shirts were ordered to be worn for the next game.  The night before that game, I picked up a dull gray t-shirt.  I was bummed that instead of a cute ladies tee, I had a man's crewneck with an unclear reference to a random thing said by the team's coach.  I was going to pass on wearing the same shirt as everyone else who ordered one, and just wear team colors like I usually do.  However, instead I decided to "cute i fy" the ugly shirt. (Yes, I made up that word just now.)  So, I grabbed the scissors, a ruler and a permanent marker.  (Unfortunately, I didn't grab my camera to do step-by-step instructions. Here is a good video that explains what I did - Make a CuteTShirt Out of Ugly Tshirt ) Since the sleeves were still just looking plain ole U-G-L-Y, I took a sparkly silver ribbon and tied them up with a bow.  I received a lot of compliments and now I am looking forward to making alterations to other tees that I haven't wanted to wear!  What about you? Have you ever taken an article of clothing and altered it into something different?