The Striped Flamingo

Currently...

2013-05-23T06:30:00.000-04:00

I stole this idea from Kaelah's blog. I loved the simplicity of this post so much that I thought I'd do it over here on TSF. :)

READING: the free books in the Amazon Kindle library and found some pretty decent ones. I will say, I've had to download and start a few ridiculous ones that I ended up deleting, but definitely some gems.

WONDERING: how much longer Hewitt can go before he needs to be groomed. I know, random, right? He's not THAT scruffy yet, but I'm thinking if the warm weather is here to stay, it should be sooner rather than later.

FEELING THANKFUL: for my family and friends. Also, for a job that is challenging at times...but mostly challenging in a good way. It's stretching me!

EATING: a lot of green beans lately. They are some of my fave veggies...out of the 4 or 5 I'll eat. ;)

WATCHING: a whole lot of nothing lately. I still need to watch the 1 hour Office retrospective special that aired last week. This is that time of year when there isn't a whole lot of stuff I want to watch on tv. Any summer suggestions?

WORKING ON: My body. I've been running (okay...let's call it wogging) and trying to incorporate other cardio and weight/strength training at least 4x per week. I did a cardio kickboxing routine on Tuesday night from this little redhead minx via an Exercise TV youtube video and I still can't sit down without cringing. My mom is training for a 10k...sometime in the future, so I've been running with her...even though I've not ever run a 5k. I'm up to about 20 min of non-stop jogging. That's a big deal for me...and my non-exercising self. :)

LOVING: hand-me-down clothing from mi madre. She's a pretty stylish mom who loves to shop at stores that I LOVE but usually can't afford like The Limited, Gap, Loft, etc. So far, I've received 2 tops and a sweater! Score!

ATTEMPTING: to plan a deep sea fishing excursion with M and I. I've never been deep sea fishing, but I'm willing to try it out!

WANTING: a cupcake. Always.

[via]

OOTD: Top Perfection

2013-05-22T06:00:00.000-04:00

Do you ever see an item of clothing and instantly have a love affair with it? Is that just me? Welp...so...that's awkward...

Heh. But, I saw this top on a coworker and literally stopped her in the middle of the hallway to ask about it. It's-the-most-perfect-shirt-in-the-history-of-shirts. Navy blue with green stripes, 3/4 sleeves, a boat neck and a ZIPPER?!?! Seriously, perfection. Also, I don't normally shop at the store I bought it from because I find it pretty expensive...however, it was on clearance AND I had a 40% off coupon. Score!

And this shirt is way versatile. I've worn it to work with a pencil skirt or dress pants and heels and also on the weekend or for more casual events with jeans and flats. I just love it. Now, I could probably "jazz" this outfit up a bit with a statement necklace and darker jeans. But I like that this look is casual "caaj" as I say it and not fussy.

Top: Loft (similar, similar)
Jeans: Old Navy
Shoes: Payless (similar, similar)

~April

Bring Back The Buzz

2013-05-21T07:46:00.001-04:00

Today, I don the team colors of yesteryear. Today, my hometown NBA team is expected to make an announcement many locals are excited to hear: that the team name is changing back to something it used to be in the 90s.

The team of the 90s was a huge part of the city. The city loved the team and the team loved the city. Perhaps it had a lot to do with the fact that the 90s environment was once of acceptance for the NBA for the most part. Before we had lots of overpaid, misbehaving athletes in the league. (Well, that's just what I think.)

Anywho, today, it is expected that Charlotte will be bringing back The Buzz, the Charlotte Hornets! Not only is that exciting because the team will be back in the city it was actually named for "hornets", but it brings back one of the greatest color combinations ever in professional sports history: teal and purple.

So I say: Bring Back The Buzz!!

PS: I also feel the need to say that my heart is saddened at the footage and photos I've seen from the Oklahoma tornado yesterday. My prayers are with all that were affected.

OOTD: Yellow and Gray

2013-05-20T06:30:00.000-04:00

Yellow and gray are a very, VERY trendy color combination right now. For rizzle. Go to Pinterest and type in "yellow and gray" and see what kind of awesomeness comes up. It's crazy!

But yellow and gray happens to also be a fave color pairing of mine. Why? Well, for one, it always reminds me of this song, which, coincidentally, always makes my sister cry. HAHA. I think it's a nice mix of happy and sad. Yellow is muted a little with gray and gray is made a little more interesting with the addition of yellow. They are like a yin and yang. Well, sort of. Or, maybe not at all. Just in my head.

Cardigan: Old Navy
Tank: Old Navy
Pants: Target (similar, similar)
Shoes: Gift from a friend (similar, similar)
Necklace: Gift from a friend (similar)

What are your thoughts on yellow and gray?

Mini, but brief tirade: It's "gray" not "grey". It's only "grey" with an E if you're European (British) or if it's a proper noun or name. Just wanted to put that out there. Let's use gray with an A, okay? Unless you're a Brit...in which case it's grey, favourite, colour and biscuit. Okie dokie?

Linking up with Molly and Meg!
Linking up with The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday.

~April

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