the classy turtle ♥

two outfits: same accessories

2012-05-30T13:00:00.000-04:00

one- dress: h&m, necklace: francesca's, earrings: forever 21, shoes: guess / two- top: forever 21, skirt: jcrew, handbag: ann taylor

Outfit photos I managed to snap in Cancun, as you can see from my packing post, I managed to use the same shoes & necklace for two outfits.

::Cancun::

2012-05-29T13:00:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone! I hope you had a wonderful long weekend. I am back from Mexico :/ and wishing I wasn’t. The weather was beautiful, the resort was amazing and I was in love :) I didn’t take that many photos, these were my highlights…we pretty much did nothing but relax by the pool & beach…but I am completely alright with that.

Back to reality and work today = blah!

pink & plaid

2012-05-25T13:00:00.000-04:00

top: old navy, skirt: jcrew, sandals: sam edleman, necklace: francescas, watch: la mer c/o lucky fabb, bracelets: vintage, ring: h&m, pink ring: vintage

If I had to choose to items to live in for the rest of my life it just might be this button-up and skirt. I love Old Navys button ups, they fit good, they are light weight and I love the price. And well what’s not to love about a J Crew skirt?!

Strawberry Shortcake-Cheesecake Trifles

2012-05-24T13:00:00.000-04:00

Strawberry Shortcake-Cheesecake Trifles…whoa that’s a mouthful. And they are a mouthful…a mouthful of wonderful deliciousness.

I needed to bring a dessert to a BBQ on Saturday and because the BBQ was after a golf outing, my dessert needed to be made a day ahead of time. With it being warm and summery I really wanted to bring something with strawberries. A strawberry trifle was the perfect thing…only trifles get messy so I made individuals. And oh boy were they a HUGE hit!

These individual trifles are super easy to make and there is no last minute fuss. Just make the day before, chill and enjoy :)

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Makes 12 individual trifles (could make one large one)

Ingredients

5 pints fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup sugar, divided
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons vanilla
3 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
2 loafs pound cake, cut into cubes ( I bought the pre-made kind from my grocery)

Directions

In a bowl, toss strawberries with 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.

In a bowl, beat cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream; set aside.

Drain strawberries, reserving juice; set the berries aside.

Gently toss cake cubes with reserved juice. Create a cake layer by placing cubes in a bottom of mason jars.

I put filling mixture in a frosting bag and piped it into jars to create filling layer.

Top with a layer of the strawberries.

Repeat layers.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

How I pack for vacation…with only a carry on :)

2012-05-23T11:00:00.000-04:00

I am off to Mexico…hope you all have a wonderful week and weekend. Enjoy my packing how-to!

Let’s face it…women need A LOT of things to get ready, it’s no secret. And going on vacation can stress some people out because they don’t know what to bring and want to make sure they have everything you need. In years past it wasn’t that big of deal, airlines weight limits were higher and you were aloud more luggage. Today they charge you to check a bag and put limits on our liquids and carry-ons. It can be a disaster.

I thought I would photograph and explain my packing system with all of you, because I have it down to an art. Going on vacation a week or less…all I need is a rolling carry-on suitcase…no fees or charges here, and no fear of the airline losing your suitcase :)

5 years ago I was the girl who thought she needed everything, my suitcase was loaded to the brim praying I would be under the weight limit. But countless travel miles later I have it figured out pretty well for what works for me at least. My process takes longer than most do to pack but I promise it is well worth it and will leave you stress free! So just maybe it might take some of the edge off some of you when it comes to packing and you can relax!

To begin here are my tips:

1. Pack at least 2 days ahead of time, do not leave it until the night before. I have been guilty of this many times. Here’s why you want to give yourself a day or two. Packing takes longer than we estimate and before we know it, it’s 3am and your plane leaves in 4 hours and your just finishing throwing things in. That’s a recipe for looking and feeling like crap the first day of your vacation. If you start at least 2 days ahead, you can get a jump on things and then just add in the essentials the night before. Also if there is something you want to buy/need you have to time to do it after you’ve realized it while packing.

2. Look over your itinerary before and while you are packing, it will help you with outfit planning. If you don’t have an itinerary then just try to imagine what you’ll be doing on days, beach? sight seeing? dinner? It’s really important to how I pack, it helps me keep organized.

3. Make sure you know the weather thoroughly where you are going. Learn the highs, lows, evenings, wind. I watch the weather for about a month where I am going before my vacation. You will never be fully prepared for mother nature but watching it will sure help you get an idea.

4. Do not pack your suitcase to the brim. Chances are you will not need everything you pack and I like to leave room to bring things back with.

5. Bring a plastic bag for dirty laundry, or if you forget I use the laundry bag in most hotels. This will help you keep organized and your clothes in your suitcase fresher. When something is dirty put it in the bag so it’s separate from you clothes and that way you know you can’t wear it again.

6. Wear heavy items on the plane such as your jacket or sweater, hats or heavy shoes. Not only will this keep you warm on the plane but it will keep bulky items out of your suitcase.

My packing process:

Pull clothes: Pull stuff out of your closet that you would like to wear or want to wear on vacation. When I start to day dream about my vacations I immediately start to think of things I’d like to wear while there. I bring these things out onto my bed and start trying stuff on. In the process I start to build outfits. I also like to make sure I pull stuff, that is lightweight, doesn’t wrinkle easily and can fold down.

Build outfits: Using the weather forecast and my itinerary I start to build outfits and lay them on my bed. Building outfits used to seem like a lot of extra work for packing but if done right it saves me so much room and keeps things organized. I used to just throw a bunch of clothes together, not creating outfits but I found that by doing that I always over packed. Make sure you try the outfits on so you know you like the pieces together.

Give yourself options: We have all seen the spreads in the magazines where they give you four pieces of clothing, a pair of shoes and accessories and tell you that’s all you need for a vacation. Pack light it says. In my opinion that’s not realistic, and that’s why I didn’t use to plan outfits. Sometimes when you plan an outfit, you don’t wind up liking it and you feel like you don’t have options. Also for me at least, I am not happy wearing the same thing from sun up to sun down while on vacation, I like to give myself day outfits and evening outfits.

Versatility: BUT the key is to make your outfits versatile. In the photo below I have selected three shirts and four bottoms that can all be worn with one another. The pieces can be interchanged. I could create up to 12 outfits from just these items. If you build outfits from versatile pieces you will have options so you don’t feel trapped.

Stick with a color palate: I build my outfits off a color scheme or inspiration. I just bought the pink & orange sandals from H&M and in this case I wanted to create outfits that I could wear with the sandals. These outfits below were outfits I created to wear during the day.

Accessorize: Just like I pull clothes that I want to wear, I then start to pull accessories that I want to wear as well. I put accessories to match every outfit. Using almost the same accessories I match them to my evening outfits.

Keep shoes to a minimum: Shoes take up the most amount of room in a suitcase and add the most amount of weight. I struggle with this the most but it is critical to pick shoes that will go with everything. In this case the flat sandals could be worn with all outfits as well as the nude wedges. This is why sticking to a similar color palate is so important.

Condense: I then condense down all of the outfits so I can see them all in one and take away accessories, only leaving ones that would match everything. In this case I kept the gold circle earrings and white sparkly ones, I kept only the turquoise necklace and simple gold tassel chain.

I did the same thing for stuff to wear at the beach.

Learn to take away: Even I sometimes still get carried away and pull out too much clothes. Like the photo above, I brought out two swimsuits, one with two bottoms. Right as you think you are done, take a step back and think “what don’t I really need?” In this case you will see I decided I only really needed the one swim top with two bottoms. I will sometimes take things away even after I have it all packed in my suitcase.

Fold then roll: I get everything folded up and combined. Obviously add in some pjs, don’t forget bras and panties and look it all over. I put my jewelry in a separate little pouch and it goes in my carry on bag.

Swimsuits, bras & undies go in the side compartments and everything else gets rolled up. I am sure you can find tons of tutorials and videos on how to roll your clothes if you don’t know how. It’s super easy, saves tons of space and prevents wrinkles!

Heaviest things go on the bottom and I will add in my toiletry bag on the top. I will wear the hat and sandals on the plane along with a jean jacket to keep me warm while traveling and just in case of cool nights.

Carry on tote/ purse

While traveling through the airport you want to be as light as possible so I condense down.

Right bag: It’s important that you choose the right bag as your carry on tote, it needs to be functional yet not too large. Since I was going to Mexico I chose one that was perfect for a carry on yet would double as the perfect beach tote.

Empty: If you are anything like me or the rest of the female population you probably feel like Mary Poppins when it comes to all the stuff in your purse. So I empty it out to determine what I need to bring and what can stay behind. Way too much stuff in the photo below to carry around airport.

Purse: You can’t go without a purse while on vacation yet it’s important to choose something small that functions for all occasions and matches your outfits. A small cross body bag is perfect for this but I chose a large neon wristlet instead. by Ann Taylor

Condensed down to everything I needed out of my purse.

Packed all in with money and all :)

I also put my makeup in my carry on tote so I have it accessible for touch-ups in the airport.

Packed & ready to go to sunny warm Cancun!

Remembering Jamie Zade

2012-05-22T12:48:00.001-04:00

My world was completely turned upside down this past weekend to learn about the passing of an amazing woman, Jamie Zade. Jamie and I competed in Miss Michigan this past year together, she came in 2nd runner up. Jamie was beautiful, graceful, talented and when she took that stage she shined. Jamie and I only met that once and got to know each other a bit back stage but she left a lasting impression on me. I wanted to be Jamie. She was tall, in great shape and rocked the stage. I assumed she would compete again this year and I would have been willing to bet, would bring home the crown. She will never be forgotten and was loved by the pageant world. Jamie, we love you. My deepest prayers and thoughts go out to your family.

R.I.P Jamie

It must've been in a place so dark you couldn't feel the light
Reachin' for you through that stormy cloud
Now here we are gathered in our little hometown
This can't be the way you meant to draw a crowd…

You always played with passion no matter what the game
When you took the stage, you shined just like the sun

Now the oak trees are swayin' in the early autumn breeze
The golden sun is shining on my face
The tangled thoughts I hear a mockingbird sing
This old world really ain't that bad a place

Oh, why? There's no comprehending
And who am I to try to judge or explain?
Oh, but I do have one burning question
Who told you life wasn't worth the fight?
They were wrong, they lied, and now you're gone, and we cried

'Cause it's not like you to walk away in the middle of a song
Your beautiful song, your absolutely beautiful song <3

Kate Spade glitter heels :)

2012-05-21T13:00:00.000-04:00

Tucky wanted to say hi :)

top: h&m, jeans: the vintage twin, necklace: francesca's, purse: tj maxx, heels: kate spade via tj maxx

Happy Monday!

I feel like Dorothy with my glitter heels! and I can’t gush enough about how much I love them…and how much I loved that I only paid $149 for them!! They definitely are feel good, happy shoes. And on a Monday…lord knows we all need something to make us feel good and happy!

I’m in love…with my J Crew sequin anchor tank

2012-05-18T13:00:00.000-04:00

top & long necklace: jcrew, jeans: a&e, shoes: nine west, crab necklace & bracelet: target, anchor necklace: vintage, sunglasses: h&m

I just about died and went to heaven when I saw this J Crew tank the other day. I mean it’s nautical, it’s got a huge anchor on it, it’s light (which is surprising for the amount of sequins) and it’s covered in them! I really wanted to wear it with my pink pants but I thought I would keep it classic with my favorite white american eagle jeans. How do you guys feel about american eagle jeans, I’ve always hated them but somehow have managed to keep this pair forever. They fit good but then they stretch…like a ridiculous amount :( I swear the only jeans I have found to love are Joes, but I don’t love the high $$$ price tag.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend :)

My Fight- Part 5: My Second Surgery & Living Without

2012-05-17T13:00:00.000-04:00

(Some of you may remember a while back when I wrote about going in for my second surgery, the mastectomy, if not you can read all about my experience here. That was about four months ago. You all have been so supportive and caring that I just can’t help but continue to share my story with you and in order to do so effectively I will take you back to the day of my surgery.)

The month between my surgeries was rough. I was constantly sick and I got such a bad flu the week before my surgery they almost rescheduled it, but it was imperative to get the remaining tissue out. My nerves kicked in about a week before as well and in a combination with the flu and being restless I stopped sleeping. Finally my mother gave me melatonin to try and get me to rest. Didn’t do any good…the melatonin didn’t put me to sleep it only made me hallucinate. Hallucinating at 4am the nights before you are about to have a breast removed = not an enjoyable experience. But somehow I survived and the morning of finally came around.

I was surprisingly calm, as it was the same outpatient procedure and facility that I had experienced before so I expected it to go the same. The wait was even shorter this time, hooked up to tubes, signed a few documents and away I went. This time I didn’t remember being in the surgery room at all, they had me knocked out. The first surgery I remembered waking up with little pain, feeling alright so that’s what I expected again. However I was wrong.

I awoke to the most intense burning sensation you can ever imagine. My breast, or where my breast had once been felt as though someone burned it off with a cigarette. I was so out of it that I couldn’t speak, so I cried. And cried until finally the nurse came and asked me what was wrong. I managed to tell her I was in pain and it burned and I wanted my mom. The first surgery I woke up with a gauze over my incision and then a tight band wrapping my chest. This time there was nothing. Just the incision rubbing against my gown. And it was horrible and the nurse wasn’t helping. So I turned over and cried.

Finally after what seemed like forever my mother came in the room and I managed to tell her what was wrong. After that I don’t remember much besides waking up in my bed later that day. I came to learn the they woke me up from the anesthesia too early and for some reason the nurses were too busy to bandage me up correctly. My mother took care of that and they got me out of there.

It took almost a month for me to heal completely and for my immune system to get working properly again and I can say that I feel good now. My incision has heeled and the swelling is still going down. I am extremely hopeful that the hardest part of all this is behind me and I won’t have to deal with it again. But I am not over it emotionally, I am alright talking about it, but I still am scared. I have noticed that everyone says “well at least you didn’t die” “well at least you didn’t lose both” “well at least you didn’t need chemo” At least I didn’t this, that or the other thing. It’s as almost they are telling me I should be over it by now. I am not over it. I am not in the clear. It could come back.

And I am living without.

I didn’t really think twice about removing a breast when I learned about the cancer. My decision was instant, hell I almost had my oncologist remove both as a precautionary. But four months down the road I am struggling. I have always had very small breasts, not enough to fill a cup, finding a bra was always like searching for a penguin in the dessert. My whole life they have made me insecure. High school was misery. Thank God for the invention of ‘chicken cutlets’ they have helped me in more ways than anyone could ever imagine. I always planned to get implants one day, not large just enough to feel secure. So at the time I didn’t think losing one would make that much a difference when it came to my insecurity. And was I wrong.

The truth is it has made it worse. I don’t even look at my tight shirts or anything revealing. The looser and the more layers the better. But with it getting warmer and summer approaching it has made me even more insecure. My summers revolve around vacations, beach weekend getaways, lake parties & LOTS of boat days. Sounds amazing right? However all those things involve one thing: a swimsuit. A piece of clothing that isn’t baggy, I can’t layer it and I can’t hide what I am left with. We are going to Cancun next week and normally by now I probably would have ordered new swimsuits for the trip. Not the case…I don’t even want to bring one on the trip. Am I going to be that girl that wears a t-shirt?

I know that in the grand scheme of things I shouldn’t be complaining. I am alive. I am lucky to have everything I do. The trade of my breast for my life was a no brainer. But I am human and I am a woman and I have insecurities. And right now even though I am grateful to God to be alive and healthy my insecurities are getting the best of me.

Thank you for letting me share my story with you. I will continue share along in my process. My hope is that one day this story will help someone get through what I have had to go through, because at the end of the day we all need support.

my thoughts on jumpers

2012-05-16T13:00:00.000-04:00

jumper: cynthia rowley via tj maxx, earrings: forever 21, bracelet: jcrew, sandals: aldo

Happy Hump Day!

So I always told myself that I would never buy a jumper with long pants. Never. Rompers…well I can’t get enough of them…I practically live in them in the summer but jumpers…well I was never a fan of them.

But along came this one by Cynthia Rowley at TJ Maxx. I saw it and thought oh that’s kinda cute then put it back. Then after scouring the aisles I somehow managed to go back to that jumper and pulled it off the rack. Into the dressing room the jumper went with me. As I tried it on…I thought oh no way am I going to like this thing. But nevertheless somehow this jumper made it home with me. I have to say it was quite comfy to wear when I was running errands all day and anything with pockets gets a A in my book.

my favorite way to style colored jeans

2012-05-15T13:00:00.000-04:00

chambray & belt: jcrew, jeans: old navy, necklace: bella mia, shoes: topshop

I just about died when I found these pink jeans at Old Navy. I am absolutely loving different colored jeans right now and my collection is growing. What started as red and bright blue has progressed to turquoise, pink, yellow, green and orange. The problem lies with wanting different shades of various colors. Obviously you can wear colored jeans with just about anything, solid colors, prints or even the same color but my favorite look definitely has to be when they are styled with a chambray shirt. You just can’t go wrong.

it was a surprise

2012-05-14T11:00:00.000-04:00

Hi there! Happy Monday!

Not sure if you guys remember this post about planning a party for my grandparents…well that wasn’t entirely true. I was planning a party. A surprise birthday party for my mother and the post filled in as a diversion. So I am sorry for fibbing a little.

See my mother is my number one fan of this blog and she reads it, I use my blog as a creative outlet and inspiration. Along with pinterest. Well since she follows me on these things I had to come up with some excuse for all this party inspiration. So alas the grandparents anniversary subbed in quite well.

So nonetheless the party was on Saturday and it went over amazingly. She was so surprised…she cried and was so thankful. I was quite proud of myself. I promise I will share once I get the photos back from the photographer but for now here are the few things I snapped with my phone as a preview :)

The invites before they went out! Ordered from Zazzle, decorated by yours truly.

Me happy, excited and nervous in the morning!

Custom shortbread cookies from Stone House Oven, one word. AMAZING

The cake :) by Gwen’s

Jo Jo’s delicious cake pops

Gorgeous centerpieces!

More to come!!

Mothers Day

2012-05-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

I could try…but I don’t think I could top this video I made last year.

Happy Mothers Day & A Very Special Happy Birthday to my mother :)

in a day dream

2012-05-11T13:00:00.000-04:00

Drift with me…

^ the truest statement to describe my current mood ^

I have been a day dream lately. Maybe it’s due to me being in need of some relaxation, or maybe it has to due with the anticipation of my Mexico trip at the end of the month but I can’t seem to focus. The problem lies with there is so much to focus on. Does this happen to you guys? An utter need to focus but you find yourself in la la land? Ah…I guess it happens to the best of us.

In other areas I’m getting my haircut today…which is WAY over due! I am desperately trying to grow it out so I hate cutting it. But they say if you trim it it actually helps it grow faster…hmm we’ll see.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

xo Rachel

pink + leopard

2012-05-10T13:00:00.000-04:00

I have always been a huge fan of the J Crew bubble necklace. They are colorful, fun and make a great statement. However I am not a fan of the $150 price tag. So I about died in H&M when I came across this pink necklace that is surprisingly similar to the bubble one except it was only $12! You can’t beat that with a stick! Ha I win!

Also so in love with these american eagle lace shorts, a&e had a shorts sale buy one get one for $10! I win again!

tshirt, braclets & shawl: forever 21, necklace: h&m, shorts: a&e, sandals: guess, purse: vintage

Grandmas birthday

2012-05-09T13:00:00.000-04:00

Meet my Grandma Liza. She is strong and amazing. This past weekend was also her birthday so we celebrated on Sunday. I love her dearly and couldn’t be happier that she is back from AZ and staying with us.

butterfly

2012-05-08T13:00:00.000-04:00

The weather around here is completely playing games with me. One day it’s 80 degrees and the next it is 50 and rainy. Quite crazy and it’s making my allergies/cold so crazy. Still congested and stuffy :( boo

I fell in love with this top from Old Navy the minute I saw it online and it matches my favorite pants just perfectly and it was 40% off! Score!

top & sandals: ON, pants & bracelet: forever 21, ring & sunglasses: h&m, watch: michael kors, bag: tj maxx

a celebratory weekend :)

2012-05-07T22:27:00.001-04:00

I couldn’t have been happier this weekend. One of my best friends flew in from Chicago and we had such a great weekend celebrating Cinco de Mayo! Filled with laughs, a good amount of drinks and amazing memories :)

Cinco outfit :)

Sangria at Doms

What is happening?

And it was my sisters prom :)

sweet things

2012-05-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

~Can you believe I scored both of these Kate Spade shoes at TJ Maxx for under $300?!? No I can’t either

~My moms closet has become a great place for amazing pieces like here and here and now this vintage leather jacket with fur collar and polo hoodie!

~Amazing sweets found downtown Detroit before a baseball game :)

~Freezing at said baseball game.

~Walking with these two clears the streets!

~More new shoes acquired via Etsy and Target

~I just love blue and green nails.

~And I love that naughty little shoe thief you see above!

Have a wonderful weekend! My best friend is in town from Chicago and I couldn’t be more thrilled :)

xo Rachel

worlds smallest lookbook

2012-05-03T09:00:00.000-04:00

This is an outfit I wore last week…lucky I saved it for awhile, comes in handy when you are sick and only wearing leggings :) I have had these yellow pants for I think three years and this is the first time I wore them…crazy I know. Paired with some denim and neutrals and they are perfect!

This necklace is from ModCloth and I am in LOVE!

jacket: ae c/o lucky fabb 2 years ago, sweater: tommy hilfiger, top: jason wu for target, jeans: delias, necklace: modcloth

Hope you’re having a great week!

xoRachel

nuts and love <3

2012-05-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

Oh yes…you are seeing this correctly. That is a baby squirrel. A baby squirrel living in my house!

Ever since I was a child my family has always taken in animals…

the stray dalmatian…sure.

the dying beagle…of course.

the raccoon babies…duh.

baby birds…why not.

an injured cat…you betcha.

the near death beaver…yup

just born opossums…welcome!

There isn’t some sort of helpless little animal that I haven’t seen being rescued by my family. Most of the time the little guys are with us only for the night, then they are off to the vet, rescue, home…where they recover until they find a home or are released into the wild. But every once in a while they find themselves with us until then, almost like a foster child.

My favorites were the three raccoons my grandmother raised until they were old enough to live on their own in the wild and she also had three baby squirrels that for over a year went with her EVERYWHERE! It was just like living my childhood all over again when I came to find this little guy in my house the other night. He fell out of his nest and is pretty confused about life right now. All he needs is a warm bed, some good nuts and fruit, a little loving and in a week or so he will be off conquering the great big world alone…but for now, he’s making a debut in our house and we are friends :)

up and running

2012-05-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone!

Site is finally up and running again like normal…yay! Somehow I managed to delete EVERYTHING from my template page. Thank God for Danielle, she came to my rescue and got the page looking great again! Whew!

Unfortunately the site may be up and running but I certainly am not. I don’t know if it was the crusty siblings or from just running on empty for so long but my immune system took a total crash and I am sick in bed :( Luckily I have some outfit photos that I was saving :) Hope you are all having a great week!

xo Rach

vest: o n, top: jcrew, shorts: self made from old levis, belt: u o, bracelets: jcrew & forever 21, bag: coach

rugrats

2012-04-26T10:08:00.001-04:00

Well last year I was in Vegas for my dads birthday weekend but this year I am spending some time with the ones you see above… my siblings, they are cute right? My dad and stepmom flew off for a nice little vacay in Scottsdale so I am with the rugrats. Spending the weekend in Grand Haven and hopefully I will have lots of photos to come :)

Oh and I forgot about him. Meet Baxter…the rugrats new dog!

2012-04-13T00:34:00.001-04:00

Hang in there guys! I promise I am coming back with lots of great posts. We are having some problems with my page so it's under construction. Don't mind the absolute mess :)

Easter instagram

2012-04-09T13:16:00.001-04:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend. Celebrating Passover and Easter back to back had me on a two day sugar high which I now feel as though I am crashing from today. Mondays are the worst…does anyone agree?

My Easter puppy

My pretty personalized egg

Egg basket cupcakes made by yours truly

More pretty eggs

More cupcakes made by yours truly…betcha didn’t know I was a cupcake master did ya?

HAHA!

Have a great week peeps!