The Striped Flamingo

Pinterest Copycat 2

2013-05-17T12:10:00.002-04:00

Hi friends.

I apologize for the spottiness in posts this week...I was out of town at a conference for work. Maybe this will make up for it?!?!

I hope to do even more of these in the future. I love taking outfit inspiration from someone else and making it my own. Here, I copied this jeans and cardi jacket look. I picked up this swing cardi/cardi jacket at Target on clearance for $7!! It is a different silhouette than I normally wear but I loved the colors so much that I figured I'd at least give it a try. :)

Pinspiration Photo
Cardigan Jacket: Target (similar, similar)
Jeans: Levis
Pumps: Marshalls (similar, similar)
Tank: Old Navy

I feel like the outfit is a little plain. It needs a jazzy accessory or something, no? But, I wanted to keep with the integrity of the inspo outfit. Well, the headless lady has on a watch, but I don't do watches. I tried. I cannot pull them off. I have fat and freckled forearms so they are not quite prime real estate for a statement watch. HA!

~April

How Do You Say Goodbye?

2013-05-16T06:30:00.000-04:00

Today is a sad day for me.

Though I risk sounding quite melodramatic, I simply must share my feelings today.

My absolute favorite tv show in the entire world is ending tonight. I have watched The Office from the beginning of Season 2 and now own almost all of the seasons on DVD. This tv show, unlike any other, has been a HUGE part of my life over the past 9 years.

I can remember watching episodes of The Office the first week or so when I'd moved to Wilmington because it provided me with something familiar when everything around me was unfamiliar. It was a quick remedy for my homesickness.

I can remember lying in bed watching episodes of The Office when I couldn't fall asleep or when I was too afraid to fall asleep during a thunderstorm. It was a source of comfort and peace.

I've watched episodes of The Office with family, friends, boyfriends, animals and coworkers.

I've seen my own life twist and turn just like the characters' lives on The Office have. As they have grown, so have I. As I have changed, so have they. My life isn't exactly like theirs, but looking back over the progression of the last 9 seasons, I can see my own life as a series of subsequent events...one action leading to another and one event producing another.

Just like my own life is scripted.

The office has been with me through many ups and downs in my life and I continue to quote from it regularly. Even to people who haven't seen it. I just explain the scene I'm quoting from until they understand.

I can't remember another television show affecting me as much as this one.

So, after tonight's finale, I know I will probably feel a sense of emptiness. I know it sounds dumb to feel like that over a fictional tv show...but I can't help it. I feel like this show is my family. These people are a part of my life. I want for this to be a real office with real people so badly!

And so, how do you say goodbye to a show that is awkward, comforting, hilarious, heart-wrenching, happy, sad and every other gamut of emotions?

Well, I guess you really can't. Goodbyes are a b.

Jim Halpert:	You're not leaving tomorrow. You're leaving today right?
Michael Scott:	Maybe.
Jim Halpert:	Wow, so that's it huh? Just, four o'clock and you are gone for good.
Michael Scott:	Why am I so sad? Am I doing the wrong thing?
Jim Halpert:	Absolutely not. It's just that sometimes... goodbyes are a bi---h.
Michael Scott:	[pulls out a recorder and speaks softly into it] T-Shirt idea, goodbyes stink.

~April

Pinterest Copycat! An Ode in Outfit Form

2013-05-14T06:30:00.000-04:00

The other day a friend told me, "I keep up with you on Facebook, but you don't always post a lot on there. So, I usually keep up with you more on Pinterest."

Now, if that ain't tellin', I don't know what is, y'all.

But, to be fair, a lot of what I pin/repin on Pinterest are cute outfits that I feel I could replicate using what I already have in my wardrobe. Very eco-thrifty of me, right? ;) I pin a TON of cute outfits (like the one I copied today) from this blog. But I also have some other adorable pinned outfits too. You can see my fashion/style board by clicking here.

Anywho, first (or is it technically 9th??) in this Pinterest Copycat series is this gray and white striped look I pinned a few months ago...

Let me first say that I must be some sort of a sadist to put myself directly next to this toothpick-without-a-head. That's the only weird thing about that website, BTW, is the fact that none of the pics include this chick's head, but I digress... Anywho, I wanted you to see the comparison. I mean, at least I tried to stand like her...and I cut a part of my body off in the pic...but I feel like I did y'all a service by cutting off my feet instead of my head. Then there would be two headless pics in one blog post. That's just creepy.

Cardigan: Eddie Bauer (similar)
Tank: Old Navy (similar, similar)
Jeans: Levi's
Bubble Necklace: J Crew via Ebay

Happy Tuesday!

~April

Over the Weekend: Partypalooza

2013-05-13T06:00:00.000-04:00

What do you get when you add your Dad's 60th birthday and Mother's Day into one weekend?

Partypalooza!!

Or maybe, it could be more appropriately called Foodpalooza. :) Below is a photo recap of ~~Foodpalooza~~ Partypalooza weekend.

I knew it was going to be a great weekend when I got home on Friday to discover that my Ipsy bag had arrived!! (P.S. if anyone wants to sign up, I've got referral links to pass around!!)

For Dad's 60th on Saturday, we started the day with pancakes (chocolate chip!!) and bacon. We decorated in yellow and green (dad's fave colors) and he got lots of cool gifts like a flag for outside, a bird feeder, a shirt and Phil Robertson's biography. Throughout the day were various other food activities like a face cake (with a childhood photo of my dad) and a dinner venture to O'Charley's (my dad's fave restaurant).

For Mother's Day on Saturday, my sister and I took my mom and dad to The Melting Pot and had a wonderful lunch. Note to self: do not eat breakfast or anything before I eat at The Melting Pot next time. There was SO MUCH FOOD.

Also, not pictured but equally as interesting: I got a lot of outfit shots done over the weekend and maybe even a fun makeup tutorial. So...you've just got to come back this week and see. :) Heh.

Linking up with Sami & Meg. :)

~April

My Mother, My Teacher

2013-05-10T06:30:00.000-04:00

[Partial repost from last Mother's Day with a little more added. Enjoy!]

Mothers are great at teaching us lessons. We learn important stuff from our moms, most of which we only realize are useful and valid long after we grow up.

Before I wrote this post, I was reflecting on some of the lessons my mother taught me. Some of these lessons are comical, some of them are gender-specific (meaning mother to daughter) but all of them are true and have shaped my adult personality into what it now is. (whether I like it or not!)

Some things I learned from my mom.

1. Hold the things you love closely.

Now, I don't just mean teddy and blanky (as in my case in this picture) but more specifically, hold the people you love closely. Spend time with them. Learn from them. Sleep with them. (well, you get what I mean...)

2. Always respect authority.

Whether we're referring to God, the law, my parents or just my Troop Leader, my mother instilled in me a healthy respect for those who are in authority. She also imparted with me a reverent fear for God. Not that he's waiting to destroy me but that his sovereignty cannot be questioned. His ways are higher than my ways and it will always be so. Along the same lines, she taught me to respect her and my father not because they are my friends or benefactors but because they are my parents.

3. Dress to impress.

If any of you have ever had the chance to meet my mother and/or grandmothers you know that we are a line of women who are not afraid of fashion. We are also from a line of women who love to shop....a lot... and being from the southern tradition there are lots and lots of fashion dos and don'ts. I'm not ashamed to say that I still ask my mom for fashion advice quite often. Among the many fashion tips that she imparted to me are to never wear white before Easter (which I still adhere to), always wear a clean pair of panties (because you never know if you'll be in an accident) and the power that a nice swipe of lipstick has on improving one's demeanor.

4. Revel in the small joys.

Growing up in the Carolinas, we don't get a lot of snow. When we did, everything would pretty much stop and we'd goes outside to play in it. Even if there's only about a 1/2 inch of snow, we'd layer up our clothes and go outside...with Mom inside watching us and making up some hot chocolate for when we came back in. Last Christmas we had a LOT (read 5-6 inches) of snow and even though I wasn't home with my parents during the snow, I saw pictures where they had gone out by themselves to play in it. But whether or not I'm talking about enjoying snow days, reveling in the victory of sewing my first skirt or getting a promotion, or even advocating taking a "mental health day" off from work, my mom taught me that relishing the small joys make for a life that is genuinely happy and content.

5. Red is my signature color.

No matter how much I try to debate it, my mother really is right that red is my signature color. I get more compliments wearing red than any other color and, clearly, she started me out in red at an early age.

There are so many more lessons I learned from my mom that I could write about, but I'm afraid I'd tend to be too specific at that point. I mean, not EVERYONE can benefit from my mom's advice on how I should style my hair...so I'll abstain from sharing those. But I DO hope that whether your mother is with you or not, you'll be able to reflect on how she has had an impact on your life...fashion sense and all.

Happy Mother's Day.