The Cream to My Coffee

A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives

2013-05-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

For today's Blog Everyday in May Challenge, I'm sharing a list of my favorite posts from my archives. I picked 5 old posts that I love, but I had honestly kind of forgotten about. Enjoy!

DIY Gold Leaf Candle

Ways to Wear a Wrap Dress

Proof that Spray Paint Changes Everything

Terrifying Trends

That Time I Stole Something From An Old Lady

A favorite photo of yourself and why

2013-05-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

For today's Blog Everyday in May challenge, I'm supposed to share a favorite photo of myself and tell you why. So here it is. A friend took this photo shortly after Eric and I got engaged (read our love story for more) and it just makes me smile. It was a beautiful evening at camp, my husband-to-be was sitting in the background, and I'm wearing one of my favorite (now deceased) dresses.

Happy Friday!

Outfit of the Week - Emerald & Cobalt

2013-05-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

Blazer: Old Navy (similar) // Necklace: F21 // Tee: Target (similar) // Pants: Target (similar) // Flats: Payless // Watch: Fossil

Today's Blog Everyday in May topic is "a day in the life." While I am not on top of it enough to actually take photos of each hour of my day, I thought I would just share a few things that are going on in my life right now:

This past weekend we celebrated Mother's Day, my dad's and brother's birthdays, and my youngest brother's graduation. Whew.
We are reading, prepping and preparing for our upcoming vacation to Europe (Paris, London and Ireland). Guys, I'm pumped.
Eric and I are on a coed softball league and we are soooo terrible. But it really is soooo fun.
Warm weather means lots of fresh fruits and veggies in our house.
Last weekend was university graduation, which means our college town is quiet, desolate and wonderful.

What is going on in your pre-summer life?

Ten Things That Make Me Really Happy

2013-05-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

1. Saturday morning breakfasts.

2. Walking out of a store with nothing in hand.

3. The smell of my dog after his bath.

4. Publishing a new blog post.

5. Doing anything with my besties.

6. Feeling close to God.

7. My floral pants.

8. An upcoming vacation to Europe.

9. My blooming peonies.

10. Looking at my most recent craft every time I walk out the front door.

What is making you happy these days?

Outfit of the Week - A piece of advice

2013-05-08T09:56:00.002-05:00

Striped Tee: H&M (similar)

Skirt: JC Penney

Blazer: H&M (similar)

Oxfords: UO (similar for $20)

Necklace: DIY

No one loves unsolicited advice. At least in my experience. But for today's "Blog Everyday in May" challenge (that I am very loosely participating in... don't judge) I was asked to give some. So, internet, here it is:

Stop stressing.

Just. Stop. I know, I know. Easier said than done. As a type-A, perfectionist, oldest child, I know stress. I know how it feels to be overwhelmed with everything you have to do (perfectly), all the people you have to make happy, and all the plans you need to make for the future. But somewhere in the last couple of years, I stopped stressing. It happened around the time that my chest literally felt constricted and my heart would beat a million miles a minute, just because I was overwhelmed by all the things I had to do. It's then that I realized that stress can take years off your life. Really. So how did I stop stressing? Three things:

1. Prayer - I would pray that God would give me His peace that passes all understanding (Phil 4:7)
2. Rational Thought - I would stop and think about the things that were actually stressing me out. For example, I have a paper to write. Is worrying about it going to get the paper written? No. So, I would make a list of the things I actually needed to do to get it done.
3. Saying No - We are a generation of multi-taskers. In my opinion, we do too much. Why do we take on so many things? Learn to say no. If you are stressed out all of the time, you are probably doing too much.

I'm curious - what do you do to manage stress?

DIY Hanging Wire Letters

2013-05-06T10:51:00.000-05:00

This craft came from the place that nearly all of my crafts have come from: first a need, then cheapness. In this case, the need was to fill an empty hook. Over the holidays, I hung a wreath on the inside of the front door, which I loved, but then I just had an empty hook (*side note: we have been re-watching Arrested Development lately and whenever I hear the word hook, all I can think of is poor Buster. Any AD fans out there???). So, I decided to make something to hang using some items I had on hand (that's where the "cheap" comes in). Here's how it turned out:

Here's how I made it:

Supplies Needed:

yarn
needlenose pliers
hot glue gun (and glue sticks)
wire hanger
washi tape (not shown)

Step 1: Use the needlenose pliers to create your letters. This is relatively easy, just keep a couple of things in mind. First, your letters aren't going to be perfect (at least mine weren't). Secondly, be strategic about the space you'll need for each letter. I planned on making each letter much bigger, but I realized one wire hanger didn't give me as much space as I thought.

Make sure that you have a plan for each letter to connect to one another. For my letters that meant a few twists and turns.

Step 2: Close off the ends of the hanger by wrapping them in tape (not shown). I simply wrapped the two lose ends shown here in washi tape to close it off. It doesn't need to look pretty, but make sure you wrap them tightly.

Step 3: Wrap yarn around the wire, keeping it in place with hot glue. Squeeze a little glue on the wire and then wrap a few times before the glue dries. Repeat until the wire is completely covered in yarn.

Step 4: Step back and marvel at your work. It's OK if you think it looks like a 4th grader made it. It's all part of the charm, right?

Linking up:

DIY Show Off
Flamingo Toes
Nifty Thrifty Things
Twigg Studios
Under the Table & Dreaming
Alderberry Hill

Story of My Life in 250 Words or Less

2013-05-02T09:53:00.001-05:00

Have you guys seen the "Blog Everyday in May" challenge over at Story of My Life? Weeell, I really doubt I can blog everyday for a month, nor do I really want to, but I thought it might be fun to pick and choose a few prompts and link up. Especially since I am terrible at sharing things about my ~~non-internet~~ personal life. So here goes:

I was born in Oklahoma City to two awesome parents. After me came a sister and two brothers. I was the stereotypical oldest child – bossy, a perfectionist and organized. I grew up in church and loving Jesus. I am so thankful for that. I was homeschooled until 4^th grade, and then I attended a small private school where my mom was a teacher. My junior year I transferred to a larger private school and it was a bit of a culture shock. We never went to bed hungry or anything, but we definitely didn’t have a lot of money. I was able to go to the school because of the generosity of others and I loved it, but it was definitely a weird experience to have my dad drive me to school while all my friends drove Lexus’s and BMWs. I graduated and went to a small liberal arts university about 40 minutes away from my family, and majored in Public Relations. During my summers I worked at a camp, which is where I met Eric. We got married the fall after I graduated from college and we worked at the same camp full-time for about a year. After that we moved to Tulsa, where we only lived for 6 months because Eric got a great job in the same town that I got into grad school. We bought a house and we’ve lived here now for nearly 3 years. We added a ridiculously cute dog to the mix and life is just really lovely.

255 words. Not bad.

Outfit of the Week - Crazy Pants

2013-05-01T09:30:00.004-05:00

I called myself "Crazy Pants" while wearing this outfit. And also, "Crazy Tall Lady." The second one wasn't new, but when I put on these heels, I just had to acknowledge how awkward I felt being 8 inches taller than everyone else. But, "Crazy Pants," yes, that one was new. Let's just say there was no hiding in the background for me when I wore this outfit. People kept shouting "love the pants" and I kept responding "yeah... just call me Crazy Pants!"

These pants are not for the faint of heart, ya'll. But luckily, I love 'em. I definitely made the right call during the floral pants hunt. I am pretty much obsessed with all the floral going on this season. Just call me Crazy Floral Lady. Okay... too much, Ashley... too much.

Pants: Target

Tee: H&M (similar)

Shoes: Old Navy (similar)

Necklace: F21 (similar)

April - Where My Dolla Bills Went

2013-04-29T10:12:00.001-05:00

Oh hey, End Of April. I guess it's time for me to disclose my financial information once again. I'm really not supposed to buying anything these days (I'm headed to Europe this summer and I would much rather save my money to spend there)... but it happened. Kind of. Allow me to explain:

I have this thing with gift cards. When I get them, I hold onto them like they're gold (or titanium, or platinum, or whatever your equivalent of bling is). I think it's because I don't like spending money on things I don't really need (like new clothes), but if someone gives me a gift card, it's like they are forcing me to buy something for myself and I've got to make sure it's the right thing. I've alluded to it before, and it turns out this isn't normal (no one has ever sympathized) so any aspiring psychologists out there are welcome to diagnose. Anyway, I purchased the first item below with a gift card I got for Christmas. Yeah, Christmas.

1. Target Floral Pants Guys, floral pants are so awesome. I am so happy they are so "in" right now. I have been looking for "the perfect pair" for a while - my poor Bestie received quite a few pictures of me in fitting rooms in various pairs of pants. I wanted something bright, not-jeans, with a slim fit. Hard to find, but these lovely pants fit the bill! $27.99 - purchased with a gift card.

2. Lace Tee I was wandering around at TJ Maxx (how I ended up there, I have no idea, I swear) and I stumbled across this pretty lace tee (it's Cynthia Rowley, but I couldn't find the exact item online). At $16.99, it seemed like a good purchase, especially since I love lace and during the summer I wear light tees pretty much every day.

Total: $44.98
Total Cash: $16.99

So there you have it. Anyone else buy anything fun this month? Or use an old gift card (pleeeease, tell me I'm not alone)?

*Linking up with other budgeting bloggers.

Outfit of the Week - Crayons & Europe

2013-04-24T08:30:00.000-05:00

Have you ever dressed like a box of crayons? I have. This past weekend. To go eat German food. Makes sense, right? Actually, I blame my outfit on blogging. If it weren't for being inspired by all the other bloggers out there I would definitely just have worn blue jeans with this top. So thanks, guys.

Also, this is quite off topic, but Eric and I are traveling to Europe this summer (Paris, London, Dublin) and I would love any advice! Any travel tips, must-sees, must-eats, etc. Lay it on me!

Top: Loft Outlet (similar)

Jeans: NY&CO (similar)

Oxfords: Dolce Vita (via TJ Maxx)

Bracelets: H&M

Why I Blog

2013-04-23T09:36:00.001-05:00

I just realized I have never written a post about the reasons I blog. Although it isn't something that I have to do, I always appreciate reading about why bloggers do what they do.

First off, I never intended for this blog to be a personal style blog. I didn't even know that existed. I started blogging around the time that Eric and I got married, in order to keep our families and friends updated on what we were doing with our lives. I think I updated it about 3 times a year :)

Slowly, I began to discover blogs out there dedicated to specific things. I started out mostly reading home blogs (we were in the process of purchasing our first home), and then I stumbled upon a few personal style blogs. I thought the concept was really cool, and even though I don't own anything from Prada, Donna Karan, or even JCrew, I thought blogging about my outfits might help me get out of my clothing rut (you can read my style resolution here). And it really did! I feel like I dress more intentionally now, which is definitely a good thing.

But here is the thing, posting about clothing (and home decor, and design) can feel kind of superficial. Not only that, the Bible teaches us to not focus on earthly things:

"Do not store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them and thieves cannot break in and steal them. Your heart will always be where your treasures is."
Matthew 6:19-21

I want to lead a life that represents Christ and to me that means not being wrapped up things or an image. But, I do not think that means I need to sell all my possessions and live in the woods and sing gospel songs all day long. I do, however, need to be aware of my focus in life. If that's clothes, well, there's a problem for me.

But here's the thing, I have to get dressed every day. I think it is ok to feel good about what I am wearing, since I have to wear something anyway. That's where this blog comes in. It encourages me to put a little effort into what I'm wearing. I'm using this blog to focus on ways to wear items that I already have, as well as thoughtfully and prudently adding items to my wardrobe. Basically, my goal is to have as few clothes as possible while still feeling cute and confident in what I'm wearing.

Now, let's switch back to home decor really quick. My goal here is similar. I DO NOT want to be caught up in the idea that my home has to be perfect, or that I have to spend a lot of money to make my home attractive. I want my home to be a place that makes me happy and reflects the people that live there. I also don't want to spend a lot of money on my home - I don't want to be annoyed when someone spills wine on the couch or the dog chews the legs of the coffee table (yes, both have happened).

If you didn't read this entire post, please just know what this blog is about. The Cream to My Coffee is about the little things that make life fun - wearing stripes and polka dots together, hanging up a new picture frame, putting pumpkin creamer in your coffee. Sure, these aren't the things that make life worth living, but they are things I want to acknowledge and appreciate.

Why did you start blogging?

Outfit of the Week - Maxi Dresses & Fence Posts

2013-04-17T10:23:00.000-05:00

I feel like I've been MIA. It hasn't necessarily been years since my last blog post or anything, but I feel like I've been MIA from normal life. The reason? We're building a fence. In our backyard. Since Friday afternoon. It has been ALL that we've done during daylight hours that we haven't been at work. I could write an essay about everything that we've done and everything goes into building a fence, but I'll refrain. Let's just say that Eric and I are both over it. Last night I dreamt that we were in Ireland on our upcoming vacation, and we were building a fence there. Yeah, I know. Ridiculous. Buuuuut we're ALMOST done. We're seriously so close.

In other news, I am obsessed with this maxi dress. If you are tall, I highly recommend it. I LOVE maxi dresses so much, ya'll. Comfy, easy to wear and they can be professional. Just throw on a blazer and a scarf and bam; work ready.

Maxi Dress: F21

Blazer: Old Navy (similar - on sale!, similar2)

Scarf: F21 (similar)

Flats: Target (similar1, similar2)

Outfit of the Week - April Showers

2013-04-10T09:23:00.000-05:00

I hate how many of my posts start with information on the weather, but hey, I live in Oklahoma. And tornado-watch season officially began last night, which means I've got a bag full of water bottles and granola bars for basement hideouts, regular tv programming turns into constant storm warnings, and my iPhone weather app has hail icons all over it. Funsies.
Now, on to the outfit. I bought this dress back in October, but I've never worn it on the blog. I got it thinking it would be incredibly versatile, but honestly, it's just a little too short to wear to work. Even so, I'm still glad I bought it for $12. Totally worth it to wear just to wear with my new rain boots even once. You guys, I love them. I keep them by the front door and think of any excuse to wear them. "Oh, the dog needs to go out? Let me put on my rain boots and go outside to keep him company while he goes to the bathroom." "You want me to bring in that package from the front porch? Oh well, let me put on my rain boots so my socks don't get dirty." You guys, I love them.

Dress: Target (similar, similar)

Scarf: GAP (similar)

Wellies: Hunter

Watch: Fossil

Pantry Baking Cart

2013-04-09T10:46:00.001-05:00

I love to bake. When I was a kid, my mom would give me the task of baking chocolate chip cookies for the family. The cookies always turned out great, but I was more notorious for eating the cookie dough while I was baking. My younger brothers would hide out in the kitchen and try to catch me in the act. And if they caught me, it wasn't pretty. I would get so mad. Probably because they also hid plastic spiders under my comforter and because they threw bangsnaps (those fireworks that pop on the ground) at my butt when I walked through the hall. But... I digress.

I have recently been in the progress of reorganizing my pantry (check out my chalkboard pantry labels here) and I wanted a place for all of the random baking items I have that I have to pull out of the pantry every time I make blueberry muffins. A whole baking station in the kitchen would be awesome, but our home is small and we don't really have any extra space to dedicate to something like that. So I put together a baking cart that I store in my pantry and can easily pull out when I start baking. I used the IKEA Raskog cart, various containers from the dollar store and TJ Maxx, and this is how it turned out:

Other foods that I use for baking (brown sugar, whole wheat flour, etc) are in storage containers on the pantry shelf because I use them for things other than baking. But everything I have that is used solely for baking is in the cart:

It fits in the pantry so well and it is so easy to roll around - it is definitely a great addition to the kitchen. Do you have a baking station? Do you store all of your baking items together? Anyone have this awesome IKEA cart (I'm obsessed)?

Liking up:
http://www.notjustahousewife.net/
http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/
http://elizabethandco.blogspot.com/
http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/
http://ww.suburbsmama.com

Outft of the Week - Easter Sunday

2013-04-03T09:46:00.003-05:00

When I was a teenager, my mom would give my sister and I $25 each and take us to Ross to pick out our Easter outfits. It was one of my sister and I's favorite days of the year. We hung out in the store for hours, trying to find the perfect thing. We would look for an outfit that was spring-y, something that would look good in pictures, and something that would ultimately scream, "Easter." I know what you're picturing - bright floral dress, large straw hat, mary-janes. Well, I was looking through some pictures recently and I stumbled across a few from Easter a few years back. What was I wearing? A neon pink tank top covered in rhinestones, white capris and flip flops, of course. Klassy.

I don't go shopping for Easter outfits anymore, but I think that is probably for the best. I did finally wear my mint top for the first time. Will I look back at the pictures and cringe? Maybe. But at least there isn't a rhinestone in sight.

Tee: F21

Skirt: Thrifted (similar)

Necklace: DIY

Shoes: Nine West (via TJ Maxx)

Watch: Fossil

4 Ways To Wear It: Wrap Dress

2013-03-28T09:13:00.001-05:00

This wrap-dress from Target is one of my favorite pieces. It's just so easy to wear and it looks professional, which is great on those days that I just don't have time to think about what to wear in the mornings. I actually bought this dress the same day that I found out I got my first professional job, so it even has sweet memories for me.

Target no longer sells this dress, but I did find some similar at The Limited, Banana Republic, and GAP.

Here are four ways to wear it:

With A Statement Necklace

Necklace: eBay (similar)
Sandals: Target

With Pattern

Scarf: F21 (similar)
Tights: Alternative Apparal
Boots: Halogen (similar)

With a Sweater

Sweater: F21
Necklace: eBay (similar)
Boots: Halogen (similar)

With a Vest

Vest: Old Navy (similar)
Boots: Halogen (similar)
Necklace: Vintage

Which way is your favorite? Do you have any versatile items that you continue to wear over and over again?

**Linking up with Whitney and Fran for "5 Days, 5 Ways"

March - Where My Dolla Bills Went

2013-03-27T10:29:00.000-05:00

Somehow March is drawing to a close (whaaaa???), so it's time for me to post my clothing budget. I started doing this a few months ago to keep myself accountable for how much I spend on clothing. I love cute clothes, but I'm just not comfortable spending a significant amount of money on them, ya know? On to the fun stuff I found this month:

1. JCP Skirt I had a printed skirt on my "want list" and scored this sucker (yes, I am aware that "sucker" is a bizarre description of a skirt) for $8 (though online it's $17). During Oklahoma summers where the temperature stays in the 100s for months, I wear a light skirt and nice t-shirt to work literally everyday. I will definitely get a lot of wear out of this skirt.

2. F21 Maxi Dress Did I need another maxi dress? Um, no. But I was shopping with my sister and she convinced me to try it on... and I'm so glad she did. It honestly fits like it was tailored specifically for me - super-long and fitted up top. Normally maxi dresses make me look like I don't know how to do laundry (they are WAY too short) so I was really excited about this dress ($15).

3. Target Cardigan ($18.00) Ahhh, cardigans. I have a love/hate relationship with these guys. I have sooo many, because they are comfy and make any tank top appropriate to work. But... I feel like they get boring when I wear them too often. All that to say, this pretty gray cardigan was hard to resist, and I convinced myself I needed it because I didn't I have short-sleeve gray cardigan yet.

4. F21 Collar Necklace I just love F21 jewelry. I never have to feel badly about getting something trendy because it is so cheap! I love collar necklaces - I borrowed one from a friend for a couple weeks and wore it A LOT. So I decided that for $8.80, I could invest in one for myself.

Total: $49.80

Interested in My Past Budgets?
Why I share my clothing budget
October 2012
November 2012
December 2012
January 2013
February 2013

***Linking up with other budgeting bloggers!

5 Things...

2013-03-21T09:41:00.001-05:00

Extra random fact: my neighbors have a rooster in their front yard (yes, I live in the city) and I felt like this type of post needed a random picture.

There are lots of fun "share things about yourself" things going around the blogosphere lately, including "5 things" and the "Liebester Award." Thanks to all of you wonderful people who tagged me in them. It's probably good for me to share a few things about myself every now and then :) So, here goes:

1. I'm not very good at sharing things about myself. You're probably thinking that I am totally copping out with that one, but it really is true. I'm not at all shy and I can really carry on a conversation with anyone, but I don't often share personal information. I don't think it is necessarily because I am a surface-y person, I'm just reallllly private. Which is also part of the reason I am struggling to think of four other things to share about myself :)

2. I was a ballerina for 9 years and a basketball player for 10 years. They are REALLY different, but somehow they both worked for me - I think it's because I'm 5'10"? My dream was to be a ballet teacher, but then I started playing basketball in 7th grade and played through college. I am definitely a mediocre player (the WNBA is not in my future), but I love it.

3. I never thought that I would get married young (I was 22). My plan was to start my own company and maybe think about boys when I was 30. Then I met Eric. And my plans seemed silly. I am thankful now that I got married young; we have had so much fun together without having to think about having kids yet (You can read our love story here).

4. The best compliment you can give me is to tell me you think I'm funny. My husband told me that once and then he said he regretted it because I freaked out :) I love making people laugh. In college I performed in some sketch comedy performances and it was pretty wonderful. Now, I'm trying to think of something funny to write... but my humor can't be forced - it's all natural. Ha.

5. Organizing is one of my favorite pastimes. When I was in high school, my aunts would pay me to organize their closets. Seriously, I get giddy if I know I have a closet to organize. It just feeeeels so good.

So there you have it. Thanks for letting me share!

***Thanks to Kate for tagging me! I tag anyone who is up for it, and for anyone needing extra incentive, Adrienne, Naomi, Holly, Claire, Tiffany - but please don't feel obligated. Just do it if you want to!

Outfit of the Week - First Day of Spring

2013-03-20T12:34:00.002-05:00

Happy first day of spring! Ironically, Oklahoma is in the midst of a cold front, so no one is breaking out the quite sandals yet. Even though it's cold, I'm trying to transition, clothing wise - cropped pants, rolled sleeves, etc. This is my terrible interpretation of spring today:

Vest: F21

Button-Down: F21 (similar)
Pants: Banana Republic

Shoes: Payless

Necklace: eBay

So, I'm not trying beat a dead horse (hello, morbid euphemism) but, I'm so bummed about Google Reader (I'm convinced it's part of a grand scheme to get people to use Google+). I'm pretty type-A, so I had everything super organized into categories and I had a specific reading order and all that jazz. I think I'm going to try to switch to Feedly, as it seems to be similar. I think a lot of people are hoping their readers will switch to BlogLovin', as that could be a good way to keep track of followers, but I don't have a lot of followers so I'm not too worried about it. However, (psa! psa!) you are welcome to follow me via GFC (looks like it's going to be around for a while longer), Bloglovin, Facebook and (newly added!) Twitter.

Are you switching to a new reader? Does anyone have any experience with Bloglovin' or Feedly? Do you have any other recommendations?

3 Quick Organizational Projects (or, how I like to spend my free time)

2013-03-19T10:13:00.005-05:00

Today I thought I would share a few little organizational projects that I've done around the house the past few weeks. As I've mentioned before, I am kind of obsessed with organizing. As in, if you invite me over to your house for dinner and you ask me to open your spice cabinet to hand you some paprika, I'm probably going to do a quick mental calculation of how you could better organize your spices. I'm creepy about organizing, ya'll. *** Side note. I never say 'ya'll' in real life, but for some reason I always want to type it when I am blogging. Weird.***

On to the projects. The first one was born out of this mess:

Those are my embarrassing, inefficient kitchen utensil drawers. I had attempted to organize them when we first moved in, using some organizers that were obviously not a good fit. After I got sick of digging around every time I ~~desperately~~ needed my wine opener, I made a change. I purchased these organizers from IKEA, took out and analyzed every single item, and put it all back together. This was the result:

Muuuuccchhh better.

My second project was something that I had been planning to do for a long time, and I just finally made it happen. The space under my kitchen sink is limited, as it sits in the corner (see the whole kitchen tour). All of our cleaning supplies are in a tub, but I often found myself digging in the tub to find small items like the scrub brush and my rubber gloves. Not anymore:

I just used command strips to hang a hook and a clothespin. I love that both items are always visible and that the command strips won't damage the cabinet door.

The final project was one I've seen on a few different blogs and magazines and it is a REALLY great idea. Back when Eric and I first got married and combined our DVD collection, we had it all out on display. Fortunately, we have moved past that decor stage. Here is what we started with:

Not pretty. I purchased dvd sleeves and cheap boxes from IKEA. Then I made labels out of card stock, sharpies and washi tape.

Now the cabinet looks like this:

I left the tv shows and games in their cases, but every other dvd fit into the box with room to spare. Our home is small and space is limited, so this really is a game-changer.

So nice to get these things crossed off the list! What organizational projects have you been up to lately?

Linking up: NotJustAHousewife

Week In Review - Sushi & Passports

2013-03-15T09:47:00.000-05:00

This week:

Eric and I had a sushi date night complete with an Okie roll, edamame and sake.

We spent an entire Saturday (10am-11pm) at our friends the Westbrook's house. We ate breakfast sandwiches, steaks and homemade ice cream.

Claire and I also spent a significant portion of the day cleaning out her closet. I had a really good time going through someone else's clothes (yes, I'm weird) and luckily for me, we aren't done yet!

Our new passports came in! Our Europe trip is coming up so fast and we are SO excited!

I was able to take time during lunch to hang out with some sweet friends this week.

Winston was quite a rascal this week. Oh and he now weighs 85lbs. Let's just say that this is a pretty big stick.

Outfit of the Week - Boots & A Sweater in March

2013-03-13T09:45:00.004-05:00

I love structure. And rules. I can probably count on my hands the few times that I have ever broken the rules. You're probably thinking to yourself "wow, she's really lame." Well yes, that is probably true. I'm not a risk-taker that's for sure. The sorting hat definitely would not have put me in Gryffindor, if ya know what I mean.

I love rules so much that I have self-imposed rules about when certain items of clothing can be worn. Boots in September? Heck no (in Oklahoma the weather is usually still in the 90s). Sandals in March? Eh. I usually don't go there. For some reason I hang on to the old season - I think it's because I realize that I have so many clothing items that I haven't worn yet. I also keep all of my out-of-season items packed away so that I don't have access to them (read more about my methods of closet organizing) so I'm not tempted to break my own rules. I'm quite a stickler. So that's why you are seeing me in boots and tights today. I had to get in at least one more "winter outfit." But don't worry, you'll see me embracing florals and sundresses come April :)

Do you have any "rules" about when certain items can be worn? White after labor day? Sandals before the temperature reaches 60 degrees? Or do you embrace the changing seasons with open arms?

Shirtdress: Target (similar)

Sweater: F21 (also in mint!)
Necklace: eBay

Boots: Halogen (similar)

House Tour - Living Room

2013-03-11T09:21:00.000-05:00

Allow me to welcome you into the main room of our home, the living room. It's also the largest room of our sweet, 1000 square-footer.

Our home is small, so one of the things that attracted us to the main room of the house was the high ceilings. They are 15 feet tall and make the room feel so much larger. The small size and all the windows made it a little difficult to arrange the room with the TV, but a corner stand made it a little easier. It took us a while to save up to buy some of the furniture, but I'm so glad it was a process. It definitely makes the room feel more collected and planned out than if we had just had everything at once!

This is the view from when you walk in the front door:

Looking back at the front door:

Source List:
Paint: Ceylon Ivory by Pratt & Lambart (matched to Valspar)
Couch: Karlstad, IKEA
Black Leather Chairs: hand-me-downs
Coffee Table: Urban Outfitters
Rug: Anthropologie
TV Stand: Sears
Wicker side table: hand-me-down
Coat Stand: IKEA
Starburst mirror: Martha Stewart for Home Depot
Blue Lamp: Thrifted
Black & White Pillows: IKEA
Blue and white pillow & orange circular pillow: Target

Want to see more of the house?
Kitchen Tour
Guestroom and Office
Dining Room
Bathroom

Outfit of the Week - 70s Inspired

2013-03-06T09:36:00.000-06:00

When you had to dress up "decades theme" in high school, what decade did you choose? I tended to lean toward 70's (bell-bottoms, tie-dye, headbands, etc), but that's because the 80's workout look (leggings over tights over a leotard) didn't really work for me. Looking back, I find it ironic that all anyone chose was 70's or 80's... aren't the 20s a much more exciting era, fashion-wise? Maybe high school-ers choose the 20's now because of Downton Abbey? It wouldn't surprise me... high school girls are A LOT cooler now than me and my friends were. I don't let myself feel too bad about it... I tell myself it's because of the internet, which only served as a way to instant messaging your crushes when I was sixteen :)

Blazer: Kohl's

Button-Down: JC Penney

Jeans: Thrifted/BR (similar)

Heels: Nine West
Necklace: Gifted

Want to help me out? I am trying to add more information to my "about me" section and it turns out I have a really hard time writing information about myself. So, I've created an anonymous form where YOU can ask me anything you like. Yep, anything. Well, actually, if you ask me something inappropriate or creepy (like, what is your home address, or something like that) I probably won't answer, but I'll put together a post with answers to the questions. Guys, it will be SO FUN.

So ask away! Here is the form: ask a question!

February - Where My Dolla' Bills Went

2013-03-04T09:13:00.000-06:00

Welp, this was one of my most expensive months to share with you all. And I only bought two things. I haven't been a shopping mood lately and for most of the month of February, all I had bought was something similar to this top (I hate how fast F21 inventory disappears):

F21 Mint Top ($13.80)

I was at F21 with my besties, and they peer pressured me into buying it. Not that I'm complaining... I don't own any mint-colored clothing items, so I am excited about introducing it into my wardrobe. P.S. is mint over? Am I like 2 years late on that train? Story of my personal style-life. Anyway, it's a lovely top and I'm sure you'll be seeing it a lot.

Now onto the crazy thing I bought. First off, a little back-story: A few days ago, I was walking to work (I have ten minute walk from my car to my building) and it was freezing and pouring rain outside. I was carrying a couple of bags, trying to stave off the rain and wind with my umbrella, all the while wearing my trusty rainboots (purchased for $20 from UO a few years ago). About halfway to the building, I realized my feet were soaking wet. I got to work and realized that my rainboots (both of them!) were completely split open. The sole had separated from the boot and the boot part had split.

Here's the thing. I wore those rainboots A LOT. Since they were plain black, I was able to wear them all day at work on rainy days. So I decided that it would be a good idea to invest in a new pair. A good pair that wouldn't split open. You might be seeing where this is going... I bought these!

Hunter Rain Boots ($135)

At $135, it felt kind of crazy, but for the past few years I have been trying to invest in better shoes (after pairs and pairs of cheap shoes that fell apart and made my back hurt). That's why you see me in Target/thrifted clothes and $150 boots. I budget for those boots, and I own way less shoes, but it's been totally worth it. It is really difficult to avoid the Target shoe section though :)

Total: $148.80

So, a few questions for you all:

Do any of you own Hunter rainboots? Are they worth it? Mine are on their way from Zappos and I can still return them if I decide I don't like them.

Is anyone else trying to invest in nicer shoes? I'm a total-cheapo, but I would rather have one nice thing than 5 cheap things (a tough lesson learned).

***Linking up with other budgeting bloggers

Interested in My Past Budgets?
Why I share my clothing budget
October 2012
November 2012
December 2012
January 2013