Monday, September 26, 2011

Shhhhhhhhhhh...You'll awaken The Beast!

I tried to be super quiet and not wake the beast as I took my outfit pictures. It's nice when he is snoozing and I get a little break. This outfit is nothing fancy but I'm fighting a head cold and it's freezing cold with wind and rain here. Ugh! 


Skinny jeans-Forever21.com
Striped sweater-Sears
Shoes-Cloudwalkers-new-thrifted
Black vest-A.J. wright
Bracelet-vintage/etsy
Bag-shoebuy.com


 ThickThreads--This pup picture is for you :)


 Sneaky Sneak--My son came home and said that the puppy was adopted by a great family! Wow! I wasn't sure how to feel. I was worried that the other three kids were going to take it hard...that they've grown attached and how could I take the pup from them. While all these thoughts and happy/sadness was rushing through me all at the same time, my oldest said "Yep! a great family adopted him that's for sure" " US!!!" What? I give him my suspicious mom glare with squinty eyes and all. The man, his boss gave him first option to adopt the pup and Alex jumped at the chance and shortened his paycheck by $250.00 dollars!






Of all days I decided to try and curl my hair. Not the best idea on a rainy day. 

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Away with the Muffin Top we Go--


I know it's there! yet I try and forget...the puffy band around my midsection that usually has people asking are you pregnant? If you haven't learned by now you probably never will that you don't ask any woman if she's pregnant unless you already know FOR SURE:) Just saying. That didn't happen to me today but has before. I actually didn't notice other than the occasional hiking up my jeans that my GUT was overlapping so much. Ah well! I felt good all day for what I had to do and I'm keeping this outfit on while I take my son and his car into the shop, exchange some clothing at The Children's Place for my other son ( I ordered him clothing online and the sizing I found was all wrong) and meet up with a blind date my son is taking to homecoming on the Guise that her and her parents have to sign a paper so my son can return it to his school since they attend different schools. I'm wagering he just wants to get a LOOK at her before the big day since they've met through mutual friends only over texting and FB.
 So the jacket in the pictures is hanging up and ready for part2(Thrifted,cleaned and shoulder pads removed) of the upcoming evening events. I think we might get Sushi...believe it or not my 7yr old loves it.
 I am spared from having to attend any fundraising meeting tonight or pick up my daughter from cheer practice because this morning at 5:45 am she asked me to cut her bangs and I did! umm..well...she has PMS(We call her Ester and it's a running joke with us. When she is growling at me and snippy I say "Ester! you better slow your roll" and she checks her attitude and adjusts it :)  and was emotional anyways and crampy and general blah feeling so cutting her bangs probably wasn't the best idea. So as I was trying to help her with a few different hairstyles before she got on the bus...I was holding a can of hairspray between my legs while I brushed and restyled over and over again,  all while it's still dark and I'm in my PJ's...the end result is she started crying and buried her head in my chest, wrapped her arms around me and sobbed. I let her stay home from school! what? yes, sometimes I'm a softy.
She said it's not her bangs, that she just doesn't feel well today...But while we are at the dreaded Mall I think a fix of my handywork is in order :)


Route66 jean-Kmart.com
Navy bow top-kmart.com
striped jacket-Thrifted
leather cloudwalker shoes-NEW-thrifted




Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Saddle Up--


I've had no choice but to take on the new mother role once again! therefore being preoccupied with poop,pee,teething,crying,whining and general me!me!me! that babies can't help but demand. Only this time the newborn resembles a black bear cub of which the resemblance has the entire family "fighting" over what to name this pup. Hubby wants to name him Bear, oldest son-Havoc, second oldest son-Zeus, daughter-striker, 7yr old-Bolt, Me with inaudible mummer's Monster,Demon,trouble,shi##er,Pisser, pain in the @ss etc..etc..etc...but then he looks at me with one ear perked up and larger in proportion to his head while the other is still folded over; cocks his head sideways and blinks with all the curiosity of a brand new life and I'm reduced to gushing awwww...sweetie, cutiepie, adorable pups..
Hence the reason I'm MIA lately; the night shifts are taking a bigger tole than when I had a 5,3 and newborn all at the same time...of course that was YEARS ago!
Wow as I type this I realize again , just how fast time flies. In November I'm going to have a 20yr old son! two more children in between and pulling up the rear our 7yr old surprise baby.
I'm in such a weird place! I feel proud and all job well done on one hand and complete panic and sorrow on the other. The sorrow is because here the oldest three are teenagers! and nearly gone...
Sometimes I wish I could go back to each ones birth and start again...not because I feel like I did anything major wrong but because I have enjoyed every minute of raising them. All to quick it has come and gone! I realize I have lots of milestones left (college graduations,marriages,grandchildren) but I realized when the oldest stepped foot in that college (even though he is still living at home) from that moment on life is moving at full speed and it will never be the same! I guess I'm slightly selfish because I think to myself this is the last time that these kids are ALL MINE, I have to now share them with the world!

Whoa! I've veered off the subject of fashion big time! When I started this darn blog (again) I told myself to just keep it fashion, light, trivial that this is my escape so don't bring my personal life into it. Well I've tried and failed. Screw it! Life happens and I think typing it out here helps me figure it all out. So many blogs I run across are anti MOM BLOGS and have snippy little comments about them. I'd like to think I'm a MOM BLOG,fashion blog, family blog, thrifty blog,plus size blog, eclectic blog etc..etc...

Come on! what is more inspiring? a woman who is twentysomething and all she has to do is go to school or work and post outfits of herself and abit about her life or a MOM who has a million kids, million things to do, has to meet every need of every person around her and try to find time to bathe let alone wear makeup or style her wardrobe and brushing her teeth for more than a half minute is a luxury. I don't mean to sound gross but I can't remember the last time I went potty without an audience and there is always an intermission!(talk about multitasking) Who is lucky if she has two minutes in the bathroom without someone sticking a can of spaghetti O's through the shower curtain and asking if you could make them whilst your face is covered in soap?  So the next time you run across a MOM BLOG take a minute to say THANKS...quit rolling your eyes and acting like the ME,ME,ME infant that you are and one day if your lucky and have EARNED  the title MOM; you can have a MOM BLOG too!




Anyways...the reason I came here in the first place. Check out this amazing leather saddle bag I thrifted! it's roomy, beautifully constructed with supple leather, bronzed studs, hand tooled and painted. The best part is this fantastic push and turn closure...I'm in love! I'm not really a boho/hippie kind of dresser and wouldn't this be perfect for that look? keep an eye out for it in my etsy store, you might just see it there!

So what name do you like best for the puppy?

Monday, September 12, 2011

$15.00 In Free Merchandise--


Over the weekend I had a ton of errands to run as usual. Most of the time I wear a baseball hat, yoga pants and any Ole' over sized T-shirt of my husbands. More times then not someone shows up or I have an unexpected errand to run where I needed to be more presentable or I'm out in public and I look a mess! So I'm trying to be more pulled together in my casual attire and alittle less sloppy. It's really easy just to throw on a baseball cap with your hair in a ponytail through the back so it will be hard to give up. This outfit is nothing fancy but feels better and more polished then my standard "run around" attire.

One of the "To Do" on my list was stop into Goodwill and get my forgotten leather bag. Since I had to stop in anyway I decided to redeem my $15.00 in free merchandise by using my Smart Shoppers Pass. If you thrift, do you use that little red card?


If your not familiar with it let me explain. Goodwill has a program where if you spend $15.00 or more you get a stamp on this little smart shoppers pass they give you and when you get 10 stamps on  your card your next visit you get $15.00 in free merchandise.  I ended up using mine on this NWT's dress that I only paid $4.99 for and some mixing bowls marked France on the back with a pretty floral print and 4 custard baking dishes marked France. I am a sucker for French cookware.






Grey/red cardigan/thrifted last week (as part of my loot from last week)
Black chino's/thrifted
Grey shirt/Dot's (has a nice lace detail on the back)
Leopard print shoes/Grandville outfitters



Friday, September 9, 2011

Fall already--


When thrifting and spending that $84.00 part of what I bought was for me. (see above) well today I'm wearing the Lane Bryant, light weight sweater I thrifted and an Ox blood skirt I thrifted as well. I am loving purple&red together and already I can dress for fall this week. Over the weekend here in Ohio we had a Friday and Saturday recording breaking heat! of course that is when I decided to have my yard sale. Just sitting on the porch waiting for customers I had a constant sweat...then fast forward a day later; Sunday and it's cool and breezy, moving onto later in this week it's raining, winding and cold! cold enough to dress for fall weather. I've had enough summer anyway. My skin is peeling, cracked and dried out and ready for some TLC and layers.

 

I'm in need of a haircut so in the meantime I did a side ponytail/bun. I will like it more when I have more time to work on it. In the meantime it's all good! My boots are a new purchase last season from Jcp.com, Olsenboyz brand. I was worried about them fitting my large calves but they stretched and are even better this season. I love the red zippers on the side (you can't see them but they are there) and I think it helps tie the outfit together. Same necklace from Charlotterusse.com and bag from Dot's. The belt I'm sure was a thrift store find. One of the things I have to do today is go back to Goodwill and get my Tiangelo (sp) Mustard yellow crossbody bag that they forgot to put in my bag!

I found both the sweater and the skirt in the "average" size sections of the thrift store. A lot of times I even find women's in the men's clothing area. So if you're a thrifter scour the store and look in all the departments...You never know what you might find and where!

I can tell already that I'm going to love this skirt! It's so well made and higher waisted helping me suck in my tummy. The cut and the quality are so good...




Lane Bryant purple sweater/thrifted Goodwill
Ox blood skirt/thrifted Goodwill
Boots/ Jcp.com
Belt/thrifted
Necklace/Charlotterusse.com
Bag/Dot's


 


Thursday, September 8, 2011

Life In Fast Forward...


Life has me crazy these past few weeks! But I have to confess I do it to myself...such as allowing my 19yr old professional dog trainer bring home his work! Fostering a German Shepard puppy...If your counting that makes 4 dogs! UgH! as cute as the little monster is he's much more work x's 10. One of my son's wants to name him Zeus and the other son wants to name him Havoc...hmm well I want to name him MONSTER...right now he's sleeping with his face in the food bowl shhhhhh.....maybe I should mention byhillary.com because I mention her once before and how much I love her blog and the next thing you know I have a comment from her...and maybe she will fall in love with dogs? as much as her cats and adopt a German Shepard? hmm, hmmm, hmmm? well why not? considering they become the size of an average adult she should have plenty of room right?  lol j/k but seriously her blog is one I try to read everyday and I really enjoy it. We couldn't be more different in life style etc but I love  her style just the same. (random thoughts happen occasionally)


Loving this Mustard trench I scored...wish it was my size!
  I set a goal for myself over at my etsy store and that was to get at least 150 items listed. Get my office space cleaned up and ready to repaint etc. Well, I was able to get a 149 items in total posted. Whew! that helps considering the other day while thrifting I spent a record breaking $84.00 dollars at two thrift stores and my husband was like you spent how much thrifting? but when I told him the potential profit I could make he was ok with it. I'm a little irritated considering I spent all this money and when I got home and starting looking through what I bought I noticed this mustard leather crossbody bag I bought was missing...grr...by the time I noticed Goodwill was closed. So early this morning I called and no answer...waited till 9am called again. Yep! They have my bag and now I have to make a special trip into town just to get the bag. On the big scheme of things no biggie but yesterday I spent my entire day in the car! I get really sick of driving all day all day all day...
Is it really that difficult to put the stuff you buy in a bag?

This hat is so beautiful!

Little Devil inside that cute face!


Hand water colored prints I picked up...Love everything about them!



My attempt at a Yard Sale...very few customers and someone stole the John Deere tractor toy I had for sale grrr......and I sold mostly my Dads eagles which the first sale I almost said NO, those aren't for sale! and I had mixed feeling about selling my Dads things. But after I gave all 4 of my kids eagles, my husband and Myself eagles and stored a few in the hutch. Plus have painting,pictures,prints of eagles and wood carvings, wood etchings on tree stumps...what's a girl to do? 





PS: I've not been dressing my best considering all the cleaning out garage, taking care of puppy, running errands...I have cuts on the tops of my feet from puppy teeth, my nails are a mess and I over plucked my eyebrows a few months back and haven't plucked since now I look like a Yeti! need to get myself together...:) see ya soon!

PSS: I have so many comments not sure if I can get back with all of you! but I'll try--obviously a JOKE :)