Brown Linen Dress & Curly Hair

Well I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Today's post will be short and sweet:)

I have recently purchased this dress for $12 at the

Red Door Consignment and though it would be the perfect

outfit for our Saturday date night:)

Since it is hot and humid at night I went with the

natural curly hair:)  My hair stayed nice all night

without getting frizzy, thanks to Ouidad Hair Products :)

 

I paired this dress with a belt and a fun

pair of gladiator sandals!

 

Happy Sunday!

Mrs. C



Ouidad Curly Hair Product Review

Every girl wants the hair they can't have! 

I know that statement is true for me.

My past visit to my hair dresser really opened my eyes

to my natural curly hair.  I am usually a blow it dry

and straight iron kind of girl especially as the Summer heat approaches.

She made the comment to me about how pretty my natural curl

was and asked why I never where it like that.  Well if you have curly

hair you know 9 times out 10 it get huge and frizzy, that is why I never really

wore it in it's natural state!  I love curly hair but every time I would try to

"scrunch" it all it would do is make my hair feel crunchy :(

So she mentioned a product called Ouidad which has a complete

line designed for curly hair so you can embrace your natural curls!

 

I have to admit it did change my life in a way!!!  Ok that might be a

bit of a stretch but it did change my morning routine and how long it takes

me to get ready!  I can't get over how pretty my natural curls have become after

using this product and following the "Rake and Shake" styling method!

 

Below is a video that shows you the technique they use and

how pretty the curls turn out.

Over the weekend I hope to get a few pictures

of how my hair looks! 

So if you have curly hair this may be a product

you want to check out!  Embrace the curls:)

 

Happy Wednesday!

Mrs. C



May Clothing Budget

Here we are at a brand new month!  I just love Summer time!

This past weekend I spent much of my time outdoor working in the

yard and planting flowers!  I am not sure what has gotten into

me recently but I love being out in the flower beds and working,

yes even pulling weeds!

 

Now onto May's Clothing Budget

Each week I put aside $20-$40 depending on what I am

looking to buy for the month to spend on clothing, shoes, and accessories. 

By allowing myself this money out

of each check it makes feel good about the purchases I make and

usually helps me buy more pieces that I will use.

I don't always spend it all so I just roll it over to the next month and put

it towards a larger piece another month.  For example I didn't spend the

full $160.00 so I am going to keep it for a rainy day shopping trip:)

 

Especially after looking at my closet and seeing all of the sandals

I currently own!! Yikes! 

 

Here are the pieces I added to my closet in May:

 

I do tend to buy a lot of accessories each month

because they open up other possibilities in your closet!

 

Necklace: $5 (Plato's Closet)

Earrings: $5 (Plato's Closet)

 

 

Scarf: $5.00 (Plato's Closet)

I love this scarf.  I am a little crazy for the color blue lately

so I know I will get a lot of wear of this piece and be able to

accessorize many outfits!

 

Dress: $12 (Plato's Closet)

This dress is such a fun print and actually much

prettier in person.

 

Fun Print Shirt: $7.00 (Plato's Closet)

I knew when I saw this shirt with all of its bright

colors it would be a piece that could go with so many

bottoms and accessories that I just had to have it!

 

Dress: $12.00 (Plato's Closet)

Another great dress from Plato's Closet!

 

 

Ann Taylor Dress: $10.00 (Second Hand Sam's)
The next few pieces are a steal from a local consignment shop!
Yes $10 for an Ann Taylor dress!  I am so excited to wear this one.
It fits perfectly and is one of those pieces that you just feel pretty in :)

 

Dress: $10.00 (Second Hand Sam's)

Anchor Necklace: (Second Hand Sam's-GIFT)

 

Ann Taylor Linen Pants: $10.00 (Second Hand Sam's)

These pants were such a great buy and will be a nice

addition to my work wardrobe!

 

Total for May: $76.00

Traded at Plato's Closet: -$25.66

Total Out of Pocket for May: $50.34

 

So there you have it! I am big on recycling my clothes so

I can purchase new items.  I always have a bag started in my

closet for consignment or garage sale.  So I would love to

hear if you give yourself a clothing budget or if you have a shopping

method/secret for purchasing new items and keeping your closet

feeling stylish!

 

Happy Monday!

Mrs. C



Dressing Room Reveal

Let me just say that this poor room has had three transformations

since we moved in a year ago in July:)  What can I say I like

change!   It is kind of an odd room and really wasn't even supposed to

be a room, the couple we bought the house from decided to close in the space

instead of having a balcony because when they built the house their

children were small and they saw it as a safety hazard.  It actually turned

out to be a cute room!  Below are a couple pictures of this space when it

was my craft/scrapbook room.  It really was a nice craft space but it did

feel a little cramped when I was working on a large project.  I like to have

room to spread out and since we have another room in our house that

wasn't being used I moved all of this stuff into that space!

 

 

 

Before I show the pictures of the finished space I will start with

the furniture I have in there.  I got this chest at a garage sale for $25

but it definitely needed some work but I thought it would work well for

a window seat in the dressing room along with extra storage!

 

 

I had a garage sale a couple of months ago and took all of the money I

made from that sale and bought this vanity.  It did come with the mirror

and stool/seat.   The knobs and the seat cushion were not to my liking

so I changed them out.  This was one of my easier projects :)



 

Here is a before picture of the seat before I covered it.  All I did

was purchase a yard of material from Hobby Lobby for 40% and then staple

it to the bottom of the seat and then re-attach the legs.

 

 

Now onto the fun stuff...............how the room looks now!

It is hard to take a whole picture of the space because of how

tiny it is.  I believe it is 6 feet wide by 9 feet long to give you a better idea.

 

 

Here is nice picture of the recovered seat along with the new hardware.

 



 

Every space needs a little bit of fun decor!

 

 

Over in this corner is "Shirley" my mannequin which was probably

my favorite garage sale find ever!  I got her from a lady that use to live close

to us in Pennsylvania and she was a steal for only $8!!! 

I use her a lot whenI  am coming up with outfit ideas because I can see how it looks the night

before and all I have to do is come in here in the morning and get ready to go!

 

On this wall I have a full length mirror.

 

As you come in the door to the right I have my jewelry display.

This was also a DIY project that I did to make this room function better

and keep my jewelry from being a tangled mess!!

You can read about it here:

DIY Pegboard Jewelry Display

 

 

 Since the room is so small I tried to utilize every inch!

On the back of the door I have my scarves organized with a shoe organizer

and on the top of the over the door hanger I store my belts.

 



 

Well thank you so much for stopping by!

I hope you have enjoyed this post and maybe it has even

given you an idea to create a similar space in your home or utilize

a small space to its full potential!

 

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Mrs. C

 

 



DIY Jewelry Display: Pegboard

Since we had an extra long weekend I was able

to get caught up on a couple of projects around the house.

One of them being my new jewelry display that I put together

using an old frame that I purchased from a garage sale and a

piece of peg board from Home Depot. 

 

I am sorry I forgot to take a before picture of the frame.  It actually

was a mirror to begin with but it was cracked so I just removed

the glass and kept the frame.  The nice thing about the frame it was

a perfect measurement 2' X 4'!  It worked out great because Home Depot

sells already cut pieces of peg board in this size.

 

Below is a picture of the peg board before I painted it. 

I used an antique white paint that I had left over from another

project so it would show off my jewelry.  You could really use whatever

color you like.

 

 

Here it is after the peg board has been attached to the

frame and painted.  The frame was a bargain for only $5 at

a garage sale and I believe the peg board was between $6 and $8

dollars, so for less than $15 I know have an organized jewelry display

that is pretty and fits in well with my dressing room.

 

 

The finished project with all of my jewelry neatly hung and

easy to get to.  It make getting ready in the morning so much more

enjoyable!  It kind of feels like I am in a boutique:)  I just walk over

and pick out what I want to wear and away I go.  Not to mention at the

end of the day I can easily put away my jewelry instead of letting it sit

on my night stand until I have a tangled mess!

 

Ahhh the things you can do with a little paint and

a piece of peg board :)

 

Well I hope you have enjoyed this simple project and

can possibly put it to use if not for a jewelry display maybe

for another area in your home.  Maybe a craft room???

 

Happy Wednesday!

Mrs. C

 

I will be linking up with these wonderful blog parties!

www.apinchofjoy.com

 



Happy Memorial Day!

 

Happy Memorial Day!

I hope you are enjoying the long weekend with family and friends!

Yesterday we had a cookout to celebrate with friends and neighbors

so I thought I would share with you what I wore and what

I took for a dessert for the party.

 

I decided to go with my navy blue dress since it was a light material

and comfy since it was about 90 degrees here!  I wasn't sure if I would like this

dress when I first bought it because of the side cut outs but it actually is a really

pretty feature of the dress and doesn't expose too much skin which I like:)

I paired it with my new anchor necklace, red and gold earrings, and a nude

pair of sandals.  I really love the navy and nude color combo, such a classic!

 

 

Now onto the fun part................ DESSERT!!

 

Here is a link and video for the recipe!



Kraft Wave Your Flag "Cake" Recipe

 

Below is how my cake turned out.  Super easy and so

yummy and you can make it healthy! This is my kind of recipe!

 

In the picture below you see the jello cake before you add the cool whip.

The fresh fruit and jello really give it a light feel that is perfect for a Summer time dessert!

 

 

The finished product!

So it might be a little late for Memorial Day but we still have

Flag Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day coming up so this might be one

you want to try!  Not to mention you could top the cool whip with fresh fruit and

not do a patriotic theme.

 

Happy Memorial Day!
Mrs. C

 

 

Memorial Day Outfit: Part 2

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

We have finally made it, the official kick off to Summer!

I don't know about you but I am so excited, I love this time of year.

So today's post is another Memorial Day themed outfit but really just a casual

weekend look.  I love this t-shirt and I have to admit I am a little obsessed with

the nautical themed prints and accessories:)  Actually yesterday my hubby bought me a

cute anchor pendant necklace when we were on a date:)  Love him!

 

The shirt I have on below was one of my best consignment store finds yet!

It still had the tags on it and was originally $39 but  I got it for $10.00.

This might just be my favorite!

 

This clutch was a great find at Kohl's last year and

was 80% off along with my additional 30%, I think I made like $4 bucks

for it:)  The anchor bracelet was another great find from Plato's closet for

$4 dollars as well and the bangles I already owned but thought they

worked well together.

 

 

Well I hope you have enjoyed the long weekend so far and got to wear

something that screams Summer!  I would love to see what

wore this weekend, leave a comment with your blog address:)

 

Happy Sunday!

Mrs. C

 



Memorial Day Outfit Ideas: Part 1

TGIF!!! Well we've officially made it

to Friday and it is a holiday weekend!

Woo hoo, come on 3-day weekend!

 

Well I hope you have something

fun planned for this weekend or at least

a little R & R!  Today I wanted to share with you

a Memorial Day themed outfit that maybe doesn't

scream flags and fireworks:)

So I went with red shorts and blue and white
polka dot shirt with gold accessories.
I actually wore this to work yesterday but
would be a great choice for a weekend party.
I always thought that these red shorts were a little
loud but paired with a fun top they are almost
as staple as white shorts but with a little flair!
 

 

 

Check back later in the weekend I hope

to do two more outfit ideas along with

a few Memorial Day desserts!

 

Happy Friday to you and thanks for stopping by!

Mrs. C



Outfit Inspiration: Jennifer Aniston

Well first of all I love Jennifer Aniston's street style.  She always

looks so put together even in flip flops and a tank!

I love her hair in this picture as well.  Just a nice clean

casual weekend outfit.

So over the weekend I was at a garage
sale in my neighbor hood and picked up this LOFT 3/4 length
shirt for only $1.00 woo hoo!  I started to look on Pinterest
and  came upon the picture above and thought that this shirt
would be a close alternative for work to this outfit.  Since I can dress
casual for work, shorts are allowed :)

 

The lighting in our office isn't fantastic so sorry if the picture

isn't the best.  You still get a good idea of how the outfit came together.

This will definitely be worn again for a casual look on the weekend as well!

 

 

So the next time you are out shopping come home and see what

outfits you can create by looking to other for inspiration.

 

I always say I am a good duplicator not always the best

originator!

 

I will back later in the week with Memorial Day party outfits!

Happy Wednesday!

Mrs. C

 

 

Patio Re-Vamp!

Since we moved in last July I have been wanting to do something

with our outdoor patio space.  However when you are moving in the middle of the

Summer the last thing you really have time for is a patio project!!!  So over the

last couple of months I have been researching different ideas and have

found myself on Pinterest most nights!  Hey I know  you are there too:)

 

Below is a before picture of the space. 

Pretty sad.............a table, chairs and a grill.  But hey it

worked for the time being.  I love being outside and could eat every meal out there

so I wanted to make the space a little more private and comfy.

 

 

So here are a couple of after pics!

I love the new feel of the area and now we have plenty of space to entertain.

 

The gazebo was our biggest purchase but couldn't be happier with it!

It offers the shade you need for that Georgia Sun and also allows us to

be out there in the rain if we want to be. 

 

Please don't mind our grass we are in the process of bringing it back to life!

 

Now the table is a nice story!  My neighbors were having a garage

sale and when I went over to look at it I thought it might be too big

for the space so and it didn't have any chairs to go with it so I told them I

should hold off for now!  Well when I came back from running errands there

it sat on my patio!  They just gave it to us and told us to enjoy it:)

 

How nice!  The other funny part of the story is that the umbrella

came from our other's neighbor's house!   They had just got a new tiltable

one for their back patio and didn't have a use for it so I was quick to say

that I would take it off of their hands!

 

Total Score!!!  The umbrella matches the other patio furniture perfectly!

 

The chairs were my big splurge on this set.  I bought them on Amazon

but got FREE shipping on the order and they were literally the easiest thing I have

ever put together!  Four bolts and that was it!!

 

 

Below is the patio furniture we also purchased this year.  We got the

complete set at Sam's Club.  I really loved the color and the quality!

The chairs are so comfy and they swivel!

 

Here are a couple pics of my potted flowers.  I would love to do
more but I am holding off to see how these do first.

Below are a couple of pics of the patio table and chairs before I

spray painted them:)  The color of the table was pretty it just didn't match as well with

the gazebo so I thought a little spray paint would do the trick.

 

 

Well I am happy to say this new and improved

space has been such a great investment to our home.  We

love coming home after work and just sitting out there.  Not to mention my

favorite is on the weekends when I take my coffee and IPad and head out there

to catch up on all of my blogs :)

 

Speaking of blogs I will be linking up with the following great parties!!

 

June 10th over @

www.momfessionals.com--for Yards & Outdoor Spaces!

 

www.apinchofjoy.com

 

 

 

 

 

Baking Bridal Shower Favor

Today's post is featuring a baking bridal shower favor idea.

I recently hosted my best friend's bridal shower and the theme

we went with was a "Recipe for a Happy Marriage" / "Love is Sweet"

since she is a pastry chef and loves anything to do with baking and cupcakes!

I spent a lot of time looking on Pinterest, Etsy, and other wedding favor

sites looking for favor ideas that wouldn't break the bank!

I didn't really find anything under $3.00-$4.00 a person plus shipping so

when I was at the Dollar Store one day picking up a few items

I found these small bags of cookie mix and thought how cute would

that be as a favor!  So I bought the store out of all they had and made sure

I got a nice variety for the shower.

 

So at each table there were

(2) Chocolate Chip

(2) Sugar Cookie

(2) Peanut Butter

:)

The mixes were a great idea but it just kind of looked too

simple so I got back online and found these adorable mini whisks

at Factory Direct Craft for only $0.89 each!

 Factory Direct Craft Mini Whisk

 The whisks are adorable but really didn't have a function so when

I was at Hobby Lobby I noticed key chain hooks in the jewelry department

and the light bulb came on!  I could turn the mini whisks into key chains

and attach them to the cookie mixes that way!

I think they turned out really cute for only about $2.00 per person

and it was something each person would use!

 

Sometimes we just have to get creative when we are on a budget!
I think that this kind of project could be used for me than

just a bridal shower favor!  Below is a list of couple

different party/gift ideas that I might re-use this idea for!

 

New Neighbor Gift

Christmas Gifts for neighbors, teachers, and co-workers

Kid's birthday party

 

 

 

 

Well thank you for stopping by, I hope this little project gave you

a useful idea for an upcoming event that you may have!

 

I will be linking up with these wonderful blog parties!

 

 http://www.apinchofjoy.com/

 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. C