Something to Talk About

What I Wore

For a Target Run

Top-(Thrifted)/Sweater (Thrifted)/Black Jeans - Kohl's

Shoes - Tom's

One of the things I miss about having small children are the "play dates" we participated in and the fact that I got to have "mom dates". Those "dates" were not just fun for the kids, but also for the moms because of the conversations we had over tea or coffee.  If you and I were to sit down for a cup of tea or coffee together, it would be a conversation covering a multitude of topics.  I'm sure the weather would be mentioned since it has been so crazy - almost 70 one day followed by heavy winds the next and then snow two days later (lovely Ohio weather).  Surely some of the recent news stories would come up- a child held hostage in a bunker?!  We would talk about the upcoming Super Bowl game - what food we are going to serve, do we think Beyonce will be singing for real, won't it be an interesting game for the Harbaugh parents? Discussions about what movies we have seen recently and how many times I cried while watching Les Miserables and Brave would come up.  Then, of course, we would have to cover the SAG awards and the fashion hits and misses on the red carpet - Jennifer Lawrence and the "it did not rip" dress, January Jones and was that "high fashion" or "overboard"?  Of course, we would discuss our families, our jobs, blogs that we read and love as well as some of our recent purchases.  We would have so many topics to discuss, that we would have to have at least a second cup of our favorite drink (and at least an extra cookie/brownie/piece of pie).  Unfortunately, it seems those friend "dates" are harder to have very often for me anymore.  How often do you plan "dates" with your female friends?

Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is?

What I Wore

Dinner out with Hubby

Blouse - Target/Brocade Pants - JCP/Boots - Thrifted

Earrings - Forever 21/Watch - MK/Bracelet -Forever 21/Sunglasses - Oakley

Almost one month of 2013 is over already. The end of a day, a week, or a month is time to reflect on what has just finished but also make plans for what lies ahead. With January ending and the month of February still ahead of us full of possibilities, my mind is racing with plans.  Super Bowl Sunday, College Signing Day, Valentine's Day, President's Day, OSCAR Sunday - and to think February is a short month of only 28 days!  Special days aside, I have other things that I want to accomplish as well - reorganizing my closet, revamping my skin care regime (any great suggestions in that area?), reading more than just blogs (what is the best book you have read lately?) for a start.  What about you, what do you have on your to do list for February?

With a Little Help From My Friends

What I Wore

Sweater - Rue 21/Jacket - (Thrifted)/Jeans - Target

Boots - (Thrifted)

I am happy to announce that I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Shaina Renae    If you have not visited her blog before, you should certainly stop by and check it out.   If you are not familiar with  The Liebster Award, it is a way for bloggers with less than 200 followers to get a little attention and make new connections.  Thanks, Shaina for the nomination!


The Liebster rules are: 

• Share 11 Facts about myself
• Answer 11 Questions from my nominator
• Nominate 11 bloggers (with less than 200 followers) for the award
• Create 11 questions for nominees to answer

Facts About Me

 1 - When I was in grade school, I always ate my dessert first at lunch.

 2 - I graduated from college with a teaching certificate for secondary education in English.

 3 - I am the youngest child in my family.

 4 - I didn't learn to swim until the summer I turned 18.

 5 - I drive 6 hours for my annual doctor visit every year.

 6 - I am two years older (to the day) than my husband.

 7 - I went to grade school in one town, junior high in a second town and high school in a third town.

 8 - I'm a preacher's kid.

 9 - I had a pen pal when I was young and we would write 40 page letters back and forth.

10 - I home schooled both of my boys.

11 - I went to Disney World on my honeymoon.

Questions From My Nominator

 1 - What would be your dream vacation? Visiting England for a month by traveling all over, followed by a month in Italy.

 2 - What was your favorite moment in 2012? When my oldest son took my youngest son to the Cowboys vs. Bengals game (he could have taken anyone and he asked his brother to go).

 3 - Favorite Song?  "Let It Be" - Beatles

 4 - What's your favorite thing about blogging? Meeting new people and feeling like it's a friend talking to me every time I read a comment.

 5 - What's your favorite show (currently airing)?  The New Normal

 6 - Dog or cat person? Dog

 7 - How many siblings (if any) do you have? Five

 8 - How would you describe your personal style (fashion-wise)? Evolving and comfortable.

 9 - What are you currently reading? Graceling by Kristin Cashore

10 - If you would describe your blog in one word, what would it be? Chatty (I want it to feel like having a conversation with a friend).

11 - What is your dream job? Working in HR at Disney.

My Nominations

 1 - Sice Family

 2 - Walking Colors

 3 - Scorching Style

 4 - A Shoe Nation

 5 - Fashion and Histrionics

 6 - Bake Glue and Trend

 7 - Redheaded Daybook

 8 - Crafty WI Mama

 9 - Selfless Ambition

10 - A Colourful Canvas

11 - Two Love Birds Without A Nest

The Eleven Questions For My Nominees To Answer

 1 - What is your favorite movie of all time?

 2 - Do you watch sports, play sports or are you not really interested in sports?

 3 - Who is the one famous living person you would love to have dinner with?

 4 - Where would you spend your next birthday if you could go anywhere you wanted?

 5 - What boy band was your favorite as a teenager?

 6 - Favorite Jane Austen novel?

 7 - Shopping at Thrift Stores - yea or nay?

 8 - Would you rather bake a dessert or make a meal?

 9 - What is your favorite scent of candle?

10 - What is your birth order rank? (Oldest/Middle/Youngest)

11 - Do you prefer watching sitcoms, dramas or reality TV?

I can't wait to read all of my nominees answers, and see who you nominate in return!  For those of you reading who aren't one of my 11 nominees (probably because you already have a zillion followers!), I would love to have you answer the questions I came up with in the comments below so I can get to know you better too!

Lipstick Promises

What I Wore

Chambray - Target/Camisole - Target (Suddenly Skinny)

Earrings - Forever 21/Necklace - Forever 21

One of the interesting things about getting my photo taken to post on a blog is how it has changed my getting ready routine.  I am generally a person who waits until the last minute to apply lipstick/lip gloss.  In the past, it wasn't rare for me to put on lipstick as I arrived at my destination.  However, what I have discovered about getting photos taken is that I need to put something on my lips even before I head to the car.  I have had a few uh-oh moments when I have looked at photos, and if you think it is hard to get someone to take photos of you once, try getting them to retake those photos! :)  It was an "ah ha" moment for my everyday life as well, because I realized how much I really need that extra pop of lip color.  The other thing I  learned is that pale lipstick is really like not wearing lipstick at all for me. So, I decided to post the dramatic  difference that wearing bright lipstick makes for me. What was the last "ah ha" moment you had?

Wild Thing

What I Wore

TShirt - WalMart/Cardigan - (Thrifted)/Skirt - (Thrifted)

Shooties - (Thrifted)/Watch - MK/Necklace and Bracelet - Gift/Earrings - Local Boutique

Skirts.  For some females, wearing a dress/skirt is an everyday occurrence.  There were years that I was one of those people who wore a two piece suit to work everyday, and those suits involved skirts.  Five days a week, fifty weeks a year, I wore a suit to work.  Maybe after all those hundreds of days of skirts, it was inevitable that I would become a pants wearing person.  I recently realized that I could count on one hand the number of times I had worn a skirt last year.  As a result, I decided I need to make a concerted effort to wear more dresses and skirts, and that at least one day a month I will be putting on a skirt.  Now, I am not limiting myself to only once a month, but even if I do that, this time next year I won't be able to count on one hand (or even two hands) how many times I had a skirt on in a year!  What about you, do you wear skirts a lot, or do you tend to wear skirts for special occasions?  

All You Need Is Love

What I Wore

Sweater - Forever 21/Red Jeans - Forever 21/Boots - Thrifted

Necklace - Gift (Best Personalized Jewelry) /Earrings - Forever 21/

Valentine's Day may be 3 1/2 weeks away, but it is never the wrong time to show love!  When I saw this sweater in Forever 21, I couldn't grab it fast enough.  The black and white stripes and that large red heart...I knew I would be wearing it with my red jeans as soon as I could.  I know that there are some that are of the opinion that Valentine's Day is a "Hallmark holiday" and that you shouldn't need a day to tell someone that you love them, so they don't put much, if any, emphasis on February 14.  However, although I do tell those people in my life that I love them whenever I feel the urge, there is something about a day set aside to celebrate love that just speaks to me.  I decorate (I spent this afternoon putting red hearts and pink flowers around the house), I make special plans and in general look forward to a special day in the middle of February that gives me another way to make sure my family knows I love them.  What about you, do you celebrate Valentine's Day with plans, candy and flowers, or are you more of a person who thinks Hallmark  and the florists have a good thing going because so many people spend money buying their products?

Judge Not

What I Wore

To a Hair Appointment

Blouse - American Eagle/Sweater - Rue 21/Green Jeans - JCP

Belt - (Thrifted)/Shoes - Target/Necklace - Gift/Earrings - Small Local Boutique

As I sit watching the Fashion Police Golden Globes Special, I have to say it is a relief that Joan Rivers is not reading my blog!  She is, of course, a comedienne first and foremost, but some of those zingers...ouch!  It is always awesome to read your comments when you like something I wrote or wore, but, if you do see or read something and have a suggestion on how I could have done it better, I also welcome that input. I really do welcome readers input no matter what that input is (although I just am not sure that Joan would find much to like). I think that many blog readers tend to only say positive things about a post (I know I fall into that category).  But I wonder if we avoid leaving any comment if we don't completely love what we read or see - even if we could be giving good input.  What about you? Do you only leave comments if you love that post, or have you ever offered constructive criticism when you commented?