It Ain’t Easy Being Blonde

Being blonde is a commitment.  You should have to sign a contract or something that says you will uphold the laws of blondeness if you are going to step into this world.  The first law should be that you should never let your roots grow more than 1 inch. I think I’ve got about 3 inches going here.  It’s been a whole 3 months since my last color (no kidding, right!?)  Yipes.  Gross.  Holy crap, are those gray hairs I see!? (By the way, that’s a little reflection on the mirror, not something in my hair.) 

Ahhhhh….I can practically hear your relief at not having to look at those awful roots anymore…for the next 2.5 months anyway. 

WIWW #5

I’m linking with What I Wore Wednesday at the The Pleated Poppy today. Come, join the fun!

I am copying off of Lisa Leonard today (and probably often this coming week!) I just love everything she wears! Today is our 3rd snow day and my only goal was to actually get dressed. It feels good to be human again. I tried Lisa’s cuffed jeans with boots look. I like it, but I’m not sure this was the best jean/boot combo. I shall try again.

ruffle cardigan: Sears ($5.00 on clearance last year)

gray tunic: Gap Outlet

scarf: gift from Anthropologie (by the way, I pin my scarves to my shirt because I can’t stand to have them dangling in my way all day.)

jeans: Angel from Gordman’s (clearance $2.50)

boots: Target (clearance $10)

My whole outfit probably cost less than the scarf. Or maybe not because it was from my sister and she gets the best deals EVER. I get rocking deals from places like Old Navy and Target. She gets rocking deals from Anthropologie and Coach. Sigh.

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I subbed in Kindergarten today. After 3 snow days off. Lord have mercy. I made the pom-pom flower using the same method as the pom-pom necklace—just bigger. That little yellow pop of color made me happy all day. Looking at this picture and thinking that I look a little bit pregnant does NOT make me happy!

Cardigan and dress: Old Navy

T-shirt: Target

Leggings: Walmart

Boots: Life Stride (wide shaft because despite my relatively small size, my calves are huge like Mary Lou Retton’s—remember her?)

Scarf and Flower: made by me

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This was one of those days that I probably didn’t really need to get dressed. It’s Saturday, it’s snowing (AGAIN) and I don’t feel like going anywhere or doing anything. However, I FEEL better about life in general when I look decent. So, I took a shower, got dressed, did my hair and make-up and went out and shoveled snow. (AGAIN)

Fleece shirt: Gap Outlet

gray turtleneck and furry boots: Walmart

skinny cargos: Old Navy

wool scarf: Gordman’s…ooh…I just remembered, I have a hat that matches the scarf. That would have been cute for going nowhere today.

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Blurry…..argh…that’s what happens when your photographer is 6 years old. Another didn’t-leave-the-house day. I did actually think I would leave this morning, but it never happened.

striped shirt, denim shirt: Walmart (the denim one was $1.00)

skinny jean: TJ Maxx

boots: Target

necklace: Forever 21

Let me add my 2 cents about wearing a button-up shirt under a fitted shirt or sweater. Go ahead and do it. It might feel a little constricting or weird at first, but after some adjusting and a little bit of time, it usually just seems to work itself out! When I first put this together, I felt like I couldn’t move my arms….but after about 15 minutes, the shirts settled down and decided to be friends.

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Brown and tan. Do I look like a chocolate chip cookie!?

Cardigan & jeans: Old Navy

Shirt: TJ Maxx

Boots: Clark’s from Bergner’s (My sister bought them first and then after lusting after them for a few days, I went and bought a pair. They started out at $150 but were clearanced for $30. I’m in love with them.)

Necklace: JC Penney

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I’m very inspired by the beautiful and interesting scarves Lisa Leonard is always wearing. I would love to add some to my wardrobe, but in the meantime, I’m using what I already own—which is a lot of plaid!

cardigan: Walmart (not crazy about 3/4 length sleeves in 8 degree weather, but I like the color)

black shirt and boots: Target (I’m fairly certain that this shirt is maternity which means it is at least 7 years old.)

jeans: Old Navy

Scarf: local boutique

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And that is (most) of what I wore this week. And because I went almost nowhere this past week, you are practically the only ones who are actually seeing what I wore!

Where did this day go!?

I ask myself that all the time.  I have no idea where the time goes.  Here is some of my day though:

Started working on 8 pictures frames that I have been hired to paint.  Due next week.

Cricut and I played together A LOT today.

We cut letters out of white contact paper to put on the cups that I got on mega clearance at Walmart after Christmas.  10 cents for 4 big cups. These are for Jack’s Valentine’s party at school and will hold treats for the kids.

We cut letters out of black contact paper to make signs for baseball  sign-ups tonight.  Does my husband even realize what a valuable tool my Cricut is?  I doubt it.

Here are Abe and Jack.  They have a birthday this weekend.  They will be partying together at our house.

It seems almost disrespectful, but these are Abe’s nose—for “Pin the Nose on Abe”.  Don’t tell me you’ve never played it!?

Throw in a trip to Dollar Tree and Walmart and several phone calls and that’s my day!  And now the boys are home…..

My New Favorite Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

A friend mentioned Chicken Tortilla Soup to me the other day and I’ve been craving it ever since. I found myself lost in the blog vortex the other night and saw THIS recipe for the soup from Kiwigirl Cooking and it sort of seemed like the universe was trying to tell me to make Chicken Tortilla Soup! I had most of the ingredients on hand but made a quick run to Dollar General (gotta love Dollar General) and picked up the rest. My point in telling you that is that even a non-grocery store like Dollar General is likely to have most of the things you need for this soup! I’ve made Chicken Tortilla Soup before, but this is, by far, the best I’ve ever made. YUM! It reminded me of the Jason’s Deli version and that is the best I’ve ever tasted. (Unfortunately, we don’t have a Jason’s Deli—I think the closest one is in Nashville which is roughly 400 miles away.)

These are the ingredients you will need:

Chicken, olive oil, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, condensed chicken broth, black beans, green chiles, whole kernel corn, cilantro, avocado (optional) and tortilla chips.

This is how I made it but if you want to see a great tutorial with step by step photos, go visit Kiwigirl Cooking:

I diced two chicken breasts and cooked them in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil in my stock pot. When they were cooked through, I took them out.

I added a few more teaspoons of oil to the pot and then added 1/4 cup of chopped onion—not real onions—the chopped onion that you find with the spices. If I had real onions, that’s what I would have used and I would have cooked them until they were translucent. Then I added 2 tsp. chili powder and 2 tsp. Cumin. I heated this for about a minute on low heat.

Then I added 1 regular size can of petite diced tomatoes and 1 jar of my mom’s canned tomatoes. If I didn’t have my mom’s tomatoes, I just would have used a can of crushed tomatoes.

Next is the broth. I used 4 1/2 cups—or whatever the canned/boxed equivalent of that is. (I don’t use canned/boxed broth. I buy powdered broth from the Amish store which is way cheaper and way richer than canned. I highly recommend it if you can find it!) Then just let this combo simmer for about 15 minutes.

Then I added a can of corn which I had drained. I also added several large spoonfuls of black beans (I didn’t add the whole can because I’m not a huge bean fan.) Then add a whole can of chopped green chiles. Throw your chicken back in and let it simmer for at least 10 more minutes. I went ahead and added cilantro—lots of cilantro.

And that’s it. I loved it. I will be eating it all week. Thank you Kiwigirl!

Enough is Enough

This is what we woke up to today.  I think I speak for all of us.  We are so over it.  No more snow this winter.  Please.

You can’t really tell in these pictures, but it is snowing……again…..a lot. Sigh.

Thrifting….I wish!

Yesterday I posted a picture of the white sweater that I found at a local thrift shop for $2.50. I was/am pretty excited because that kind of find is RARE for me. I went thrifting locally last week and I came away with some thoughts—and a few finds.

I’m thinking that thrift shops are only as good as the area you live in. If you live in a bigger city where people tend to dress better and have more style, the thrifting will be better. Here, in little blue-collar Decatur, it’s kind of slim-pickings. I think that people take their nicer things to consignment stores (which is still good because I love those stores too!) That’s not to say that you can’t find wonderful things at the thrift stores. They are there, but not always and you are really, really going to have to hunt. There may be times that you walk away with nothing. That’s when you should look at the belts and accessories because you can almost ALWAYS find something for super-cheap that you could use!

So there is my local thrifting theory which is why the next time I’m in St. Louis to visit my sister, I am totally hitting Goodwill!

Just in case you are reading this and you are local, I got the sweater and a belt at Salvation Army in Fairview Plaza. I got a simple white button-up and a belt at DMH Thrift Shoppe. I also like LSA Resale. I have heard good things about thrifting in Champaign, so I’m hoping to get over there if and when the snow EVER melts!

WIWW #4

I’m linking with What I Wore Wednesday over at The Pleated Poppy.  I’m completely addicted to seeing what everyone is wearing!

 ***We are experiencing  a “monster storm”—ice storm then a blizzard with 16-20 inches of snow—which probably means a power outage so I am posting my WIWW on Tuesday..…just in case. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tried a cardigan with this, but I decided the stripes could stand on their own.  It is truly amazing how just adding a scarf or an accessory can make it seem like an “outfit” instead of just pants and a shirt! (At least that’s what I told myself when I added the scarf.) I feel like I’m channeling Amelia Earhart in this look!

striped shirt: Forever 21

scarf: Walmart

skinny cargos: Old Navy

boots: Target

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I am subbing this afternoon, so this is my “teacher” outfit.  It’s pretty much exactly what I wore a few weeks ago, only different colors.  I’m all for sticking with what works! 

Cardigan & Polka Dot Shirt: Old Navy

trouser jeans (that look like black pants but are actually jeans) & boots: Target

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I went thrifting the other day (I need to write a post about thrifting) and found this sweater for $2.50.  I’m still not sure about it because I think it could easily drop over into the “old-lady” category.  It came with a matching white tie belt, but I kind of hate tie belts on me.  I was drawn to the sleeves.  I figured for $2.50, I could take a chance. 

Sweater: thrifted

gray t-shirt & skinny jeans: Sears

boots: Walmart

necklace: Forever 21

belt: Target

***Added note: I received several compliments on the sweater today—one of them from my sister who is the most fashionable person I know and shops pretty much exclusively at Anthropologie—so I say the sweater is a keeper!

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This sweater is actually the Christmas gift I gave my sister.  I wish I would have bought one for myself because I just love the burst of color.  I borrowed it from her while she was visiting.  (I took this pic at the end of the day and I can’t help but notice that I look a little haggard.  Note to self—refresh before the end of the day if taking photos of self.)

Sweater & belt: Forever 21

Shirt: Kohls

skinny jeans: Old Navy

boots: Target

necklace: made by me

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Here I am copying off Jill again.  (Check her out at Good Life For Less) I keep a picture file on my computer of outfits that I like.  When I need an idea, I just check them out and try to put it together with what I have.  Not a chance that I would have come up with this one on my own.  So, thank you Jill! 

Cardigan: Gap Outlet (quickly becoming a regular in my wardrobe!)

Shirt, Cargo Pants: Old Navy

Belt: Walmart

Clogs: Target

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And that is (most) of what I wore this week.  Thanks for stopping by!  If you are like me here in Central Illinois and buried under ice and snow right now, please be safe!

Jack & Stella

My sister and her kids visited this past weekend. Our kids love each other so much. This is Jack’ own little version of heaven…laying on the couch, taggie in hand, covered by “favorite covers” (that’s what he calls his special blanket) and snuggling with Stella while watching TV. Life is good.

The Snow Fort

This child would gladly live in Antarctica. The moment he gets home from school, he puts his snow gear on and heads outside until it is dark. The temperature does not seem to faze him at all.

We live at the end of a cul-de-sac, so the plows push the snow from the whole street into our neighbors yard. This bring complete joy to the kids. Parker and his buddy, Nash, (along with a little bit of help from their younger sibs) have built this amazing fort this year! They guard it like Fort Knox too. They don’t want anyone messing it up.

They say that bucket is their toilet. I HOPE they are kidding. I’m glad they are enjoying the snow so much because the rest of us are so over it!!!

Bailey

This is Bailey.  She is a 4th grader at our local school.  She has osteoporosis and has had a bone marrow transplant in hopes of making her life better.  Our community has rallied behind this little girl and her family and has built them a new home!  Sort of like Extreme Home Makeover on a less grand scale….but no less impressive!  You can read about Bailey’s story here: Team Bailey

A few years ago, the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted her wish for a swimming pool.  However, when the house rebuild began, the pool had to come down.  Bailey will be coming home to her new house very soon and the project leaders wanted her to know that her pool will be coming back—just not until summer.  So they asked me to paint a sign.  It will go in the yard.  It will definitely catch her attention because it is BRIGHT!

Just a little side note—there  is proof that every once in a while good things do indeed happen to good people—the woman who started Team Bailey and has worked tirelessly in this effort was invited to be on Oprah’s Favorite Things show!  I can’t think of anyone who deserved it more!

WIWW #3

Cardigan: Gap Outlet, lavender shirt: Old Navy (clearance $2.10) Necklace: Forever 21, gray belt: Forever 21, Skinny Cargos: Old Navy, Boots: Target

This outfit is inspired by Jill over at Good Life For Less. Except that I had a new lavender shirt that was calling my name. I would not typically go for all this black, which is why I love getting inspiration from other women! (I look at lots and lots of other girls’ WIWW pics, so don’t be surprised if you show up in my inspiration photo!) I hope Jill doesn’t mind that I put her here!

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striped shirt: Forever 21 (you can read about it HERE), white long-sleeve T: Target, jeans: Super Skinny Flirt from Old Navy (very comfortable I might add), boots: knock-off Uggs from Target (I had snazzier boots on but it’s snowing, snowing, snowing today so once again, practicality wins out!) Scarf: Walmart

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In honor of the –3 degree temperature today, I decided to dress like an Eskimo! It seemed like the perfect day to break out the turtleneck and the furry collar sweater (again).

cream turtleneck: Old Navy, sweater: Old Navy (clearance $12.49…see the funny sweater story here), belt: Target (clearance $4.98), skinny jeans: TJ Maxx (clearance $10), boots: Ross, necklace: Forever 21

Do you notice a clearance theme here!? I LOVE the clearance racks!

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Brrrrr……still cold so I’m still wearing turtlenecks. These pictures are telling me that turtlenecks may not be the most flattering look for me! I apologize for the craptastic blurry picture---don’t know what’s going on with that.

gray turtleneck: Old Navy, black sweater tunic/dress: Ross, belt: Forever 21, skinny jeans: TJ Maxx, boots: Target

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Blah……one of the benefits of taking pictures of myself each day is seeing what works and what doesn’t. This look reminds me of a cloudy day. I was having a bad day and apparently, I dressed my mood!

oatmeal sweater: Target (clearance $4.50) gray scarf: made by me…needs to be longer, cargo’s: Old Navy (clearance $10.50) clogs: Target (clearance $13)

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Cardigan: Old Navy, Shirt: Target, pants: Target, boots: Target, leopard print belt that you can’t see: Walmart

Didn’t Mr. Rodgers have a sweater just like this? I subbed high school Spanish today so had to dress up a bit again. I was inspired by J again. And once again, her version is about a million times cooler than mine. In my defense, I had sweats on, got the sub call and was out the door in 25 minutes! (I took the pic when I got home.)

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I debated about a bright pink scarf (can’t do red or I’d end up looking like a mime) but decided that I kind of liked the plain and simple black and white combo. Plus, I got to wear my new homemade pom-pom necklace. You can learn how to make one from Little Miss Momma. Again with the blurry picture….argh!

Cardigan: Gap Outlet, striped shirt: Walmart (you can read about it here) necklace: made by me, jeans: Skinny Flirt by Old Navy, boots: Target ($7.50 on clearance) belt: ? old

And that’s what I wore this week! Thanks for stopping by!

When I don’t leave the house…..

I’m able to get a lot of painting done!

Any time I put pictures out here of my paintings, I feel the need to say that I am completely inspired by Kim Wheeler at Small Words Art. The “Max” painting is my version of this one. The other two are versions of other ones that she has done. If you want to order a beautiful painting….she is definitely the girl to contact! I’m just a local yokel painting stuff for my friends.