Top 10 Spring Must Haves

April 18, 2014

The warmer temperatures have me re-evaluating my closest, and I must say… it is pretty dreary! I am so over my leggings and sweaters, and so ready for new options. I want to look in the mirror and say “ah!” instead of “eh…”

In my quest for a new outlook on my wardrobe and some direction for Spring shopping, I took some time to investigate what the fashionista’s are labeling as the top trends this Spring. There are lots of fun trends this season, but I rounded up my Top 10 Spring Must Haves below.

So, out with the winter wear and hello, Spring fashions!

Please share in the comment section below, what your favorite Spring Trend is or what you must-have this season. Enjoy!

TOP 10 SPRING 2014 MUST HAVES:

1 – FLORALS
Sundress – J.Crew Factory | $118.00 – ON SALE NOW for $58.00

2 – ESTATE JEWELRY
Ring – ModCloth | $12.99

3 – BOYFRIEND JEANS
Pants – J.Crew | $135

4 – TRENCH COAT
Coat – YesStyle | $53.90

5 – WHITE PANTS
Pant – The Loft | $69.99

6 – FRINGE
Top – YesStyle | $18.90

7 – FLATS
Shoes – Express | $39.90

8 – WHITE PUMPS
Shoes – ASOS | $47.04

9 – CROPPED JACKET
Jacket – AE | $99.95

10 – SMALL HANDBAG / PURSE
Purse – Anthropologie | $88.00

Don’t Whine Over Spilled Wine…

April 11, 2014

So, I was chilling out maxin’ relaxin’ all cool. And all shootin some b-ball outside of the school.

Nah, just kidding but I had to go there when I mentally started my Blog with how I was chilling out. The lyrics just came rushing out of my mind. However, I really was just chilling out and relaxin all cool. It was a long day. It had been a long week.

I rolled up to the house at 8 pm after working all day. We made dinner, and by 9 pm it was just me, a glass of wine and the iPad… you know, just chilling out. I was cruising some of my favorite Blogs, having some “me” time. I was just getting ready to start a Blog post on a completely different topic, when I sat my wine glass on the end table. Or, so I thought. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw drops of wine go midair and in slow motion watched the wine glass slip from the edge and crash all over my tan carpet. Yes, tan carpet.

Ugh! Really? Red Wine all over my carpet. I wanted to cry. Although, I think I was too tired to do so. I wanted to whine, really I wanted to whine, but it was too late to call anyone and no was around to listen to my whoas.

In a hurry I grabbed some items from the kitchen and attempted to tackle the stain. Guess what? It worked! Therefore, I am sharing it with you.

The Red Wine Stain!

Now I have heard of using salt, club soda and even white wine to remove red wine stains. I have been lucky to not have to deal with red wine on my carpet up to this point. However, I was unlucky that the only ingredient I had on hand was salt. So, I attempted another version which includes mixing liquid Dish Detergent and Distilled White Vinegar.

Cleaning Carpet:

First, soak up as much stain as possible with a sponge or wash cloth.
Mix 1 Tbsp of liquid Dish Detergent and 1 Tbsp of Distilled White Vinegar with 2 Cups of warm water.
Using another sponge or wash cloth soaked in the mixture, apply pressure to stain.
Blot in between with original, dry sponge or wash cloth.
Continue steps 4 and 5 until stain is gone.

I used sponges to clean up my mess.

Here is a picture of the after. I waited until the morning to see if the stain would set in and rise over night. To my delight, my tan carpet looked, well tan! I would recommend testing a spot before you attempt on your carpet. Although, if you have spilled red wine before, you know the panic that sets in as you quickly try to clean up.

My carpet after…

The culprit….

If you have some red wine cleaning tips, please feel free to share below! After the madness, I did what many stressed out, tired women would do… I grabbed another glass of wine!

Pantone’s Spring Fashion Report… Style Looks

March 17, 2014

Spring officially arrives March 20th; however, I am kind of annoyed with Spring’s mother. You know her, right? Mother Nature. I mean at this point I think either A) She clearly plays favorites to her children and apparently Winter has her heart or B) She has some weird sense of humor and gets great pleasure out of watching us switch from flip flops one day to snow boots the next, all while sniffling and sneezing.

Sometimes we all must take matters into our own hands, and at this point I am sticking my nose up in the air at Mother Nature. If you won’t give me the sunshine and warmer temps I need to physically feel like Spring is actually near, then I will trick my mind into believing Winter is on its way out and my old friends, Spring and Summer are coming out to play.

I have already redecorated my home. Removing all traces of Winter. Spring florals and candle scents have now taken its place. I actually did that a few weeks ago and Mother Nature reared her ugly head at me and gave a few more shots of Winter.

So, I attempt again… as I write this and stare out my window at the SNOW that covers the green grass that was there this weekend. That white, white, white, white, okay some dirty from the road, white, white, white SNOW. I need some color in my life. Catch my drift? Along with all the wonderful things Spring brings, what I think I am missing the most is the return of great Spring fashion and fun Spring colors.

So, here we go… let’s forget what is actually outside our windows and begin mentally preparing for spring. Please let me introduce you to Pantone’s Spring 2014 Fashion Report!

Photo courtesy of Pantone.com

Each year Pantone puts together its list of colors, which will pretty much guide the design word. So, get use to seeing these. The Color Of The Year for 2014 is Radiant Orchid, which I am actually excited about. Wondering how these colors translate to your closet? Below are three Spring Style Looks I put together in preparation of Spring’s return.

SPRING STYLE LOOK #1

Spring Style Look #1

Striped Skirt – J.Crew 98.00 | Top – J.Crew 79.50 | Necklace – Forerver21 9.80 | Shoes (Dolce Vita) – Piperlime 139.00 | Handbag – H&M 34.95

SPRING STYLE LOOK #2

Spring Style Look #2

Earrings – J.Crew 85.00 | Top – J.Crew 69.50 | Heels – (Ivanka Trump) Zappos 125.00 | Jeans – H&M 39.95 | Watch – Michael Kors 160.00

SPRING STYLE LOOK #3

Spring Style Look #3

Dress – ModCloth 44.99 | Scarf – Banana Republic 35.00 | Sunglasses – (Ray-Ban) J.Crew 145.00 | Hat – (Michael Stars) Piperlime 38.00 | Sandals – (Steve Madden) Piperlime 50.00

Which look do you like the best? Share in the comments below. Time to get Spring Shopping!

Favorite Things – February!

February 25, 2014

As February comes to an end, I thought I would try something new on the Blog. As humans and consumers, the #1 form of advertising for any business, through the history of marketing is three little words… word of mouth. It will always be king! Why? Because people value the opinions of their family, friends and peers over an advertiser. In fact, studies show that 90% of consumers trust peers while only 14% trust the advertiser.

So, trust me, people! 🙂 These are my Favorite Things for February and stop right there… I know you are visualizing Oprah right now screaming to an audience of equal screamers, “You get a car, You get a car and You get a car.” It is not that kind of Favorite Things. Wish it was but I don’t have a show… yet!

Mason Jar Pomelo Lime Candle – It is heavenly! Seriously, go buy now! It claims to burn up to 20 hours (I haven’t got through mine yet) but I am wishing I picked up a few more. This little dandy is just $12.99 from Target and is perfect for Spring’s pending arrival. Any day now, any day now…
This is a three-in-one but they compliment each other so nicely. Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo, Conditioner and Anti-Breakage Serum. I was never a real big shampoo or conditioner snob. I mean you are just washing your hair, right? Well that was before I started to dye my hair. Seriously, I was 26 years old before I ever had my hair dyed professionally (I say that because in Middle School my Mom tried to give me highlights but they really didn’t take). Anyways the Ombre approach can really do some serious damage to your hair. Believe me, I have learned. So, I was on a mission to find a product that actually provided some benefits to my hair – hydration, softness and shine. Now I am a shampoo snob! I really don’t want to deflect from these products. Some conditioners I have found weigh my hair down, but not the Organix. It really nourishes my hair and leaves it super smooth. Finally, my new BFF – the Anti-Breakage Serum. Again, because the tips of my hair started to get brittle and dry from dying, I gave this product a try and it really helped. I started it after I had some bad split ends but mostly noticed its power after my last cut and break from dying. It is great at prevention. I purchased mine at Rite-Aid – $7.99 each.
Burt’s Bees Lip Shine (Whisper) – No lipstick for me. I am a lip gloss kind of gal. It seems like whenever I go to a make-up or drug store, I always pick-up a new lip gloss. This time the market (aka – Grocery Store to me) got me. I love Burt’s Bees as a brand, but this was the first I had tried their Lip Shine. 100% natural and made with apricot wax and sunflower seed oil, it softens your lips and adds a gloss without being sticky. I also love that it gives the same benefits of chapstick, but has color, so my Hubby won’t steal from me. I purchased at Martin’s for $5.50.
Blue Diamond Almonds – You know we well by now… let’s chat food! I am really trying to be a much healthier eater these days. Maybe you noticed from some of my Food Posts? Anyways, I am slightly obsessed with the Blue Diamond Flavored Almonds. I have tried Strawberry, Blueberry and the Caramel Macchiato flavors. So far, Blueberry is in the lead. These are such a great healthy snack, as long as you are disciplined enough to PUT THE BAG DOWN! I purchased at Martin’s for $2.99.
My last favorite thing cannot be purchased. They say nothing in life is free, right? Well this one, sorta of kind of is, until you actually pay for the item, but the service itself is free and so very cool. I kind of love that it is a start-up with not a lot of traction yet, but believe me, this baby is going to grow into a full fledged teenager very, very soon. Meet – Rack It Up. So, imagine any other online shopping day (or at least it is the case for me) you are on one of your favorite retailer’s websites and see some items that you got to have, problem is price. Maybe you just can’t splurge on the item right now. So, you check back for the item to go on sale or sign up for the company’s emails only to realize you are so busy you never open the company’s email and you missed the sale. Problem solved with Rack it up. You can actually set when you are notified too! You can choose when the item goes on sale, or when it drops to a certain price or percentage. Then Rack It Up does all the work and you get an alert when that item goes on sale. Allowing you free time to continue to shop online… I mean do your daily work and chores.

*This is not a sponsored post. I have purchased each of these items on my own and provided a review based on my personal experience.

Saturday Scores… A Little Retail Therapy

January 12, 2014

I was hoping to come to you all today, live (well sort-of, I guess more like a recap) from Washington, DC; however, at the last minute our plans for the day changed. Over the years I have learned that my husband’s side of the family likes to theme things – dinners, vacations, day trips, etc. I actually adore this and believe it is partially the reason I think we bonded with each other so quickly in the beginning. Now I take my theme dreams to the extreme. I mean I secretly wish I had the money and space to own a pantry filled floor to ceiling with placemats, dishware and serving plates, all organized and ready for any given themed night. Please tell me you know what I am talking about! It’s the dishes you walk past in department stores that are painted with beautiful patterns and colors and you think internally or maybe out loud, because let’s face it… that would be funny! “If I could only throw a fiesta or Cinco de Mayo party?” Or, maybe it’s the serving ware that is adorned in clean looks of whites and blues, that make you stop, pause and think… “If only I owned a beach house?”

Cue the Sound of Music – I mean, seriously… “these are a few of my favorite things!” And Scene…

So, yes I am a sucker for themed things. You name it and I am ready! Our theme today for our travel was suppose to be a “Food Tour” of Washington, DC’s hotspots. We researched, received advice and even had it mapped out. However, things happen and we hit a few snafus this morning, including some rainy weather, which would make our commuting by foot through DC… a bit unenjoyable.

Therefore, I ask, what is a girl to do to ease her disappointment? Well if you are like me… a little retail therapy seems to fix everything!

I have never been one to really splurge, in fact, maybe I should just go ahead and announce it… I am a bargain shopper. I get a thrill out of a great deal. A coupon could be the single deciding factor between me walking in one store over another, although there are some super apps out there that are changing my shopping habits, but that will come in the form of a future post. Back to the subject at hand… I love a great deal. To me, I get greater pleasure from walking out of a store knowing my bags are filled with multiple items for one price than one great item for that same price. But, hey, that’s me! I mean I could easily count on one hand the most expensive single clothing items I have splurged on over the years, and I am sure my sister-in-law, Abbey is probably laughing hysterical at this moment as each time I have either called or texted her for moral support. Big picture is I like fashion and quality but I love the thrill of a great deal more, and will wait patiently for a great piece or go on sale or go on the hunt for some amazing knockoffs. Plus, where I am from… you only have so many options.

Here are my Saturday Scores, as I like to call them. Proof that with a little patience and enthusiasm you can score some serious deals on some great items that will make your wallet happy and closet just a little fuller. Enjoy!

With just $50 I was able to score (there is that word, again) these 4 schnazzy items. Each item was from the store’s Clearance selection.

Items purchased under $50.

RED HEELS – Nine West

I purchased these heels at our local TJ Maxx for just $20. Completely authentic Nine West Heels. I found a pair online for $78.95; however, I think I will stick with parting with a Mr. Jackson for mine.

Nine West Heels – $78.95

GOLD BANGLE

This one I also snagged at TJ Maxx. It was just $10 but retailed for $35! I have a new obsession with gold, so I cannot wait to pair this beauty with some of my favorite outfits.

Gold Bangle from TJ Maxx

BLACK PENCIL SKIRT – Max Studio

Retailed for $78, but I found on the Clearance rack at TJ Maxx for just $10! Check out the Max Studio website, it made me feel even more excited about today’s purchase.

Max Studio – Black Pencil Skirt

WHITE AND BLACK SKIRT

Regularly $30, I stopped by Kohl’s on my way home and successfully found this great skirt for work just just $6. You cannot make this up! Well I guess you could, but I did not. It was just $6 for this item.

All in all, I would say it was a great and successful day. I was able to walk away with $221.95 worth of merchandise for just $46! I got some great fashions and my wallet still had cash, which I traded for dinner out with the hubby. You bet I was wearing one my new pieces!

Please share with me some of your fashion finds, looks for less or great deals!