Dog day of summer--

A combination of summertime and insomnia kept me awake practically all night. So I decided to use the time to clean the entire house while the kids were asleep. Today's list "to do" was a long one...Which was cut short by an allergic reaction at the vets. We took two of our dogs to the vet for shots and to make boarding arrangements for our upcoming vacation. Well as some of you know my Dad passed away in April and I inherited his dog Jasmine or Jazz as she likes to be called. When I was clearing out my Dads things I didn't find any shot records of any kind on her. I know she just turned 8 and that's about it. Well...she got rave reviews from the vet...tiptop shape for her advanced age and has a young spirit obviously:) But while we were there I started first itching, then sneezing, then digging into my skin...my nose started running and I felt I couldn't breathe. I know I'm slightly allergic to Jazz but come hell or high water I'm keeping her...

I was almost at the end of my rope when our appointment was at 9am and he didn't show until 10:15 and not because he was busy. No, I could hear him chatting away about NOTHING TO DO WITH ANIMALS in the next door room for an eternity. Well the combo of my allergic reaction, my daughter starting to sneeze/itch and the 6yr old having 2 breakdowns of tears begging to leave...oh and the dogs bark,bark,barking...I was not a happy camper!

When we finally got the !@#$ out of there I pulled down the mirror in the car only to see that my mascara has smudged and badly under my eyes. I was puffy, red, and looked like I suddenly became Gothic. Needless to say we came straight home and ALL slept until late into the afternoon. Plans thwarted and forgotten...those other errands will have to wait!

White Capri-Walmart

Striped blouse-Walmart clearance-$1.00

Black sandals-Target

Necklaces-Dot's

French coin ring-etsy

 

PS: Don't wear white to the VETS!

What's in your...

I'm having a 55% off sale...check it out!

 In the meantime I'm cleaning out the disaster area refrigerator. Ugh! doesn't help it's on it's last leg missing two shelves and I have 4 kids that like different things. Not to mention 3 other kids that practically live here. I have lots of mouths to feed! Check out those egg! from my chickens all natural. We tend to be fish eaters rather than large amounts of red meat hence the freezer full of fish. It's to HOT to post a OOTD so the messy fridge will have to do. LOL...

Toucan sundress...

This is a fantastic handmade Toucan sundress that I thrifted. It ended up costing .50cents! can you believe it? Such a wonderful weight cotton with really wide straps (you can't see because of my cardi) but the straps are wide enough to cover a bra strap but no bra is needed because this dress is structured so well that no bra is required. I love to find handmade items at thrift stores. Whoever made this was a talented seamstress. I love the all over tropical bird print too. The color and quality makes this piece an A+++ in my book.

Toucan sundress/Goodwill

Grey Cardigan/Dot's

White leather purse/Gap/thrifted

Yellow cutout shoes/Grandville outfitters

No meat required--

I've had this dress in my closet, still with the tags attached for quite some time. I love it but wondered how unless a special occasion I could fit it into my everyday wear. Well I finally had an occasion and this dress was screaming for an evening out(Sunday) My husband and I were invited to his partner/boss's house for drinks then dinner out with him and his wife. How nice it is to have a couples night out! to not have to cut anyone's meat at the table lol (we ended up going out for Sushi anyway so no meat cutting required)...I'm glad I "dressed" for the occasion because the wife of my husbands partner was a educated, chic woman wearing gold lam'e shimmery harem pants and that was just the start of her fabulous outfit.

This vintage jacket is one of my, if not THE best piece I've ever thrifted. It has a black stretchy mesh body with cream strips of fabric sew into an intricate design that when you move about or say reach for something the stretchy mesh expands showing more of the black mesh or neat cutout design. It's a vintage size 10 but has stretched to accommodate my bigger frame. So when I lose my weight I will still have this piece in my wardrobe. You can tell it was an expensive item at one time. The details in this piece are so fancy and exact. Perfectly made and I LOVE IT!

I wish the pictures were better of the dress. It has this shimmery effect that reflects in the light. The neckline I adore and the matching bow belt felt feminine and pretty. I decided to keep it simple with the jewelry and wore my cross my Mother in law brought me back from France, French coin ring and thrifted green stone ring. I would have preferred to wear heels but don't have any that match(need to invest in some heels) so I decided to pair this outfit with my pointy toe patent leather flats. In the end it was a good idea as I had a few glasses of wine and haven't drank in ages. I scoured my closet to find my black sparkly clutch and to no avail. I opted for my vintage mesh, Whiting and Davis navy handbag. It was the only other dressy bag I own.

What a lovely night out...

I want a new doo............

It doesn't matter how cute your outfit is or how well you accessorized it if your hair is a total mess. I've been trying to grow mine out for some time now. My bangs used to be as long as the rest of my non layered hair but then I got the bug to cut it and chopped myself some bangs. Now they are growing out again and I realize that bangs take more work than I wanted. I have a large forehead and the beginnings of wrinkle lines which I hate and want to cover. At the same time my face looks bigger with bangs unless they are a side bang. I've dreamed of growing out my hair and getting a X large rod perm to have a look of natural big curls like Julia Roberts in Pretty woman. I've had my hair like that once in my life and I loved it. Is it just me or is it fact that as women age their hair gets shorter and shorter? My problem is I have very fine, thin hair and longer lengths just emphasize how thin and fine it is. So now that I've grown out my hair to a pretty good length and my bangs are starting to get past my nose again I've been looking on the net to see what kind of style I should get. Right now it is mostly worn up because it has no shape or style therefore is a total flop when trying to do something with it.

So which style do you like most?

Dress or be dressed--

I decided to change up my routine a little and STOP being so comfortable. I believe with change comes realization. To me it doesn't have to be major changes just small ones to get myself out of the ruts I tend to create for myself. So I took inspiration from Madam0wl.blogspot.com and tried something I've always wanted to do but never had. Well...I actually went covertly to check things out first, to scan the scene, to get a feel for things...see, I want to sell my veggies, eggs, and even chickens at the farmers market but I'm not comfortable meeting lots of new people or doing new things. So I hauled the 4 amigos (kids)  with me (with promises of the dreaded MALL later) and we check out the local farmers market that runs Friday,Saturday,Sunday. I bought two free range, organic,dressed chickens that are at this very moment in my smoker getting a nice Hickory smoke. This seems like whats the big deal? I just think the people selling at some of the Farmers markets get very competitive. Perhaps it's because this is their only income? to put food on their table? But then again I could use my little profits to put food on my table too.

The next thing I did to step out of my comfort zone is join two groups. One is about raising poultry and they meet up and have tours etc. The other group is "Babes in the Woods" a group of 300 local Ohio women who get together and horseback,zip line,cave tour, hike, kayak etc...all about adventure and discovering the outdoors. The first new member meet up is the 21st. I've already paid my dues so I hope I don't chicken (pardon the pun) out and not attend. I asked about bringing my daughter and you have to be 18. I do want to spend outdoor time and have alone time with her (which I do) but also I think I need to cut the strings somewhat and STOP being so comfortable. I need to reach out and meet other women, make new friends  and have some adventure in my life!

Straw hat-urban outfitters

Capri's-Target

Tank top-old navy

Top-family dollar

Nike flip flops-Jcp.com

purple snake skin wrap watch-Target

Navy Cross body bag-Fossil-thrifted w/ tags

My Smoker!

Ohio Farm Markets!

Want Want Need It--

Check out this fantastic trench (Mac) that I ordered from citychic.com . It was originally $72.00 and on sale for $19.99. I think it's called Zip me up trench and that's what I love about it. The zipper details are edgy and chic at the same time. It also has a back bow that gives it a little more interest along with the zipper details than your average trench. I've been looks for a trench for quite some time and even if it is abit off season I can wait till the weather cools or for those cool summer evenings out.

I also ordered this sweet heart print dress from citychic.com for only $19.99 I was willing to buy it and then decide if it was appropriate for me (age) and all. It's already arrived and the weight of the fabric is glorious and it's very well put together. This might end up being a giveaway contender once I reach my 30 google friend connect readers. It's a size 14/16.

I couldn't resist ordering these two beautiful dresses from asos.com. I saw this stunning robins egg blue dress over at www.leblogdebigbeauty.com and fell head over heels in love with the way she styled it. Then as I was reading my other fav blogs I came across bonjourgazel.com blog and she was wearing the tan one in a chic casual way and I just had to ahve that one too. I think these two pieces can be dressed up or done casual therefore giving alot of versatility. They were on major clearance too so that's a plus!

Not All Roses--

I really love to put modern and vintage pieces together. Today I decided to wear a skirt my Mom sent me, but I've not got around to wearing. It's a cute floral print that buttons all the way down. I've always admired other bloggers who put turquoise and red together and I've wanted to try that combination myself. I accessorized with pops of red, even adding a red daisy scarf to my vintage bag. I'm off to the library then grocery store.

Red Shoes-Thrifted

Vintage Louis Vuitton-Consignment Plato's closet

Red Daisy Scarf-Thrifted

Old navy jean jacket-Old navy

Light Turquoise floral skirt-VintageHip--From Mom

Tan Belt-Grandville weekenders

Silver ball earrings--Anniversary gift from hubz

Vintage Red beaded necklace-Thrifted

White Tank-Kmart.com

FingerNails-Courtesy of my Daughter

 

All is Square--

I felt a tad bit squarish in this outfit. Maybe I needed a wider belt. I've noticed since I've gained weight that I have a less defined waist for sure. When I was thin, I had an athletic boyish body with hardly any boobs to speak of. That's the one thing the hubz likes about my plus size body now; the boobies! I re posted this outfit because the pussybow blouse I'm wearing under the red sweater is for sale in my etsy shop. I love this blouse and had to think long and hard if I was to keep it or sell. I'm still having reservations due to the fact it's sleeveless, light weight and an easy layering piece. Ah well! if I want to add more goodies in the future I have to part with a few too...

Vintage Royal blue skirt-Thrifted

Red sweater-Walmart

Belt-Dot's

Gray tights-walmart

Black vintage button shoes-Kmart

Vintage pussybow blouse-Thrifted