Lumberjack Meets Chic

Out of context, that could sound weird... but that is what my outfit consisted of, and I liked it.  Bringing out all my moods into one outfit:

You'll be seeing a lot of this skirt, and camera.  But back to the skirt.  From TARGET.  I love it,  The plaid top is actually from Target, too...and now that I think about it, so are the shoes. Go fig.

Oh Tar-jay...how I love you.

Say Hello to My (new) Little Friend

I'm entering the world of professional photography, readers!!  What do you need to do that?  A dSLR of course!  A new camera for me to play with!  Well, not new - actually 2nd hand.  But new to me!

I have a lot to learn - want to take some classes, play around with this baby, learn about photography, etc etc and then a co-worker (with actual real life photog skills) was selling my new little friend, and it all worked out.

For a good deal, I got a Canon EOS Digital Rebel Camera and Kit, external flash and extra battery.  Want to meet it?

Please disregard the outfit...this is me in my pj's, up way past my bedtime clicking away around the house.

Getting a used dSLR camera, in good shape, not over used, and even better - from someone who knows what they are doing with one, is a great way to start out without spending $1000+ and not even truly knowing how to use it.  I plan to take some classes and practice practice practice - maybe get a new lens in a a few months, and maybe get a new camera in 5 or so years.

You can follow my progress under the Photography tab of this blog!

Interested in your own dSLR? I highly recommend this one!  Amazon users gives it great reviews:



Happy Picture Taking!

My (Bodiless) Outfit: Jewel Tones

Having one of those days...pre-hair appointment, end of the day, too full, etc.  So instead of IRL, here is my outfit, as I wore it, laid out for you...

A mix of jewel tones with my Anthro Striped Skirt (see me in it IRL here):

My Outfit Deets:

Teal top - Marshal's

Skirt - Anthro last year (similar here)

Shoes - Nine West via Marshal's

Jacket - Loft

Low Fat Wednesday: Bethenny's Site

I am LOVING Bethenny Frankel's site.  My favorite part is trying the recipes (and knowing they are healthy is makes it so easy)!

See that amazing looking dessert above?  I made that for a co-worker's birthday today... and it tastes, smells and looks as amazing in person as you'd think:

Still in spring-form cake pan - which I didn't have before wanting to make this, so ran to Walmart and picked up this light green one for $8.

And then last night hubs and I also made Bethenny's Ultra Healthy Mexican Chili...

 
Hubs added some extra spice (red pepper flakes and Tabasco sauce), but otherwise get the full recipe here.

You might remember the creamy low fat mushroom pasta I made a few weeks ago... yum! 

Have you tried any of her recipes?

Dressing Up My Canadian Suit

I've never worn all denim before.  I gave it shot, mixing my other new Gap (the curvy fit ones) jeans with my Target chambray button down.  I dressed it up, and toned down all the denim with a necklace and velvet blazer:

I like the necklace over the colar look...which I had been meaning to do, and finally did:

My Outfit Deets:

Jeans - Gap

Shirt - Target

Blazer - J.Crew

Necklace - Target

Outfit of the Day: Red Dress & Leather

Well - faux leather, but I love the mix of this light weight and whimsical red dress with leather boots, tied together with a thin belt:

Layered on my loose drape gray cardi (getting a lot of mileage out of this thing and it's only just starting to get cooler):

My Outfit Deets:

Red Dress - The Loft

Boots - Nordstrom Rack in Chicago

Cardigan - Simply Vera at Kohl's

Belt - Came with Calvin Klein sweater

Satchel - Gap

The Ottoman Search has Ended!

Back when we first got our couch, we started looking for a leather ottoman to replace our oval hammy-down coffee table.  We searched for months, and then a couple months ago we found one online that we were 90% sure would work. It was on back order and then a couple weeks ago arrived.  It 100% fits the bill!

We wanted something that wasn't goo bulky, since the space is limited.  We wanted real leather (we as in husband).  We wanted rectangle, to match the couch interior space.  We wanted something simple and modern.  Ideally it would have had storage, but that would leave us with something bulky, and our striped storage bench is serving that purpose just fine.

So the ottoman that took us so long to find?  From Macy's, on sale!

Here it is all moved in and already in use:

A bit closer up:

I'd like to paint that tray on top sometime bright to keep it from just blending in.

Oh and the giant yellow wall you can see part of behind the couch...looking for ideas on what to hang there...

Home projects never do end, do they?  And this room, the Living Room, has already come ALONG way!

Favorite Blogger Outfit: Lace Dress I Want SO BAD!

Oh readers.  If I had a Zara near me, I'd be running as fast as I can to the store to get this absolutely adorable lace dress that Rosa from Love at First Shop is rocking.

Lace is so fun right now, and I for one am totally ok with white all year around.  She wears her white lace dress over thick black tights for a great way to take this dress into winter (next, just add tall boots and a top under layer)!

Her Outfit Deets:

Dress - Zara

Leopard Belt - J.Crew

Tights - Gap

Wedges - Steve Madden

Clutch - Banana Republich

Bow Headband - Forever 21

Another Photo Canvas...

I'm loving photo canvases as home art for all my blank walls and Groupon (but that's a whole other story).  Together, I've gotten 2 great deals on Gallery-Wrapped Photo Canvases from CanvasonDemand.com, as you may have seen me tweet about.

You might remember my first canvas for my grey hallway wall.  See that beautiful photo here!  And then I saw another Groupon (I follow a few different cities that I visit sometimes, and often times there are online redemption discounts) for Canvas on Demand.

This time I used a photo that a friend of mine took in San Diego.  He is a talented photographer and you can check out his photo collections here (then click on the flickr logo).

I welcomed this pretty thing into my bedroom this week:

It has a surfers - 70s vibe to it.  This photo was taken from my bed.  I love being able to see it, as it's a very calming photo.  I'm lucky to have a talented friend for this new piece of art!

Outfit of the Day: Layering a summer piece

 I was switching out my closet with Fall clothes and layer pieces, putting away my summer tanks and lighter things - and I decided to keep some thin summer tops for layering purposes.  I like having clothes that I can wear all year long, even if that means having to wear over a long sleeve shirt or turtle neck and under a sweater.

So I started this process, the layering process:

J.Crew striped top and ruffle tissue tank with ruffle.  New York & Co teal pencil skirt.

And those leopard flats I can't get enough of, along with a new purse from Gap. A cross between a hobo and satchel - I love this thing!

Outfit of the Day: Pearls and Patterns

With my wide array of striped shirts, I'm constantly trying to mix and match them with different patterns to make different looks.  I've mixed stripes with florals, other stripes, plaid, textures, on and on... So today I mixed a stripe top, with diamond pattern skirt and layered on a bit of pearls.

J.Crew Jackie Cardi definitely calls for pearls (from Forever 21)

Gap Skirt

Old Navy Top

What do you wear your stripes with?

Outfit of the Day: Oktoberfest

This past weekend I spent Saturday evening and all night outside at friend's annual Oktoberfest.  We filled the evening with micro-brews, good food, friends and a bond fire.  It was a blast.  We followed the evening by camping out - the one time a year I forgo indoor sleeping... :)

I wore my Gap skinny jeans, instead of with boots as last time, I wore with my leopard flats:

I like the mix of leopard and gingham.

Wearing a new Gap button down shirt.

Home Inspiration: Adorable Little Boy Nursery

My friend is due very soon with her first baby.  She's having a boy.  And much like rest of her adorably decorated house, the soon to arrive little baby will have his own most amazing space!  Now before you ask, hubs and I aren't about to make a nursery of our own any time soon, but I just loved this one so much, I had to share it for anyone else who is!

Light Blue walls, lime green and orange accents.  Rocket theme.

Wondering where the dotted orange line across the wall is going?

Custom rocket painting!

Cute crib and animals.

Eye catching storage - love that baby will soon have his own mirrored dresser!  Spot on trend.

So cute!  Will only be cuter once that little baby R is in there.

Favorite Blogger Outfit: Pink and Orange

I keep getting drawn to the light pink look with a bold accent - like red or denim and this week I'm loving Kristina J's sweet dress from Anthro that I wish I had gotten paired with orange and a sweet flower belt accent:

Her Outfit Deets:

Anthropologie Drifting By Dress

J.Crew Cardigan and Bouquet Sash

Seychelles Whiskey T-Straps

Always & Forever Skinny (the Jeans, Not me)

Have you all checked out Gap lately?  I fell for some of their 1969 jeans that come in many different cuts and styles.  After trying on about 9 different kinds, I ended up with walking away with two pairs: Skinny and Curvy - hah!!  Talk about an oximoron... 

Anyways, for all you curvy and non-curvy girls alike, check out Gap's Always & Forever Skinny Jeans.  I ended up with the Forever Skinny jeans - as that rise is a bit higher than the Always Skinnies and worked better for my bum. They are now my favorite skinny jeans I've tried on to-date! They conform to your body to fit you.  Definitely worth a try on.

Here the Forever Skinny Jeans are on me (in saturated dark wash):

Then I layered on my boots and a cardi to complete the outfit:

With my new Gap Skinny Jeans, J.Crew Yellow Cardi, Forever 21 lace tank and J.Crew (via Ebay) bubble necklace.

Have been addicted to these jeans since I got them, so will be showing how I am wearing them with different footwear and such over the next week.

Winner of Home Design Book

Totally forgot about announcing the winner of the Green Interior Design Book!

Without further ado....

And the winner is....

Congrats to Erica @ Feasting on Life!

Wear Now, Wear Later: Black Tie Dresses, Budget Friendly

I got a comment from a sweet reader about finding a black tie wedding guest outfit, without breaking the bank nor getting something never able to be worn again.  I have found a few options and have a few suggestions.  Thought I'd create a post about this with the holidays and new year's eve coming up...

Tip 1: A black-tie event dress can be almost anything.  What sets this type of dress apart from other dresses, sometimes isn't even the dress at all - but the whole look!  The accessories, hair, shoes and make up can all dress up an outfit or look.

Tip 2: So, getting a black-tie appropriate dress that you can wear again shouldn't be too hard, right?  By keeping it short (knee-length), you have more opportunity to wear it again.  People tend to think black tie = ball gown/floor length, but that isn't the case (back to tip 1).

Tip 3: Finding a short dress to wear to this type of an event still may not allow you to wear it everywhere, but by getting something classic, that you can wear to multiple events and parties on different fancy scales is easy to do, when you get the right dress.

Tip 4: With the right fabric (silk, satin, taffeta, beaded, sequined, etc) and cut (and fits properly), choosing a black dress can be perfectly acceptable for a black-tie event.  A black dress is classic and can easily be dressed up or down and worn for many events throughout the year.  Take this black satin dress from White House, Black Market (on sale):

This dress is perfectly styled with high (and embellished) heels and an eye catching necklace for a black tie event.  You could even swap out black heels for a pop of color, or embellished with jewels or sparkly (like I'm wearing here, or these).

To extend this dress beyond the fanciest of events, swap out the accessories/heels first, add a belt, jacket and/or layer a tee underneath (depending on where you are going, of course)!

Examples of additions - belt from Gap, wedge ankle boots from Piperlime and stripe knit top from J.Crew

Other black dress options (for under $100):

Rushing and rhinestone straps leave this dress jewelry optional

Simple and easy for dressing up and down in this strapless dress

Perfectly sweet taffeta dress

Dress for Less: Lace Skirt

Texture and embellishments are all the rage on dresses and skirts... from sequins to tiers, to ruffles and lace.  And I love it all.  I want it all!  To get it all and not spend it all, I am resorting to less expensive alternatives.  Here are two lace skirts:

$248 vs. $17

Um, for that difference, they look close enough to me!

Shoes of the Day: Prepping for the Cold

I've already got my indoor/casual wear comfy & warm boots, but not I need some serious weather boots.  Last year was crazy snowy and cold, and I didn't have proper footwear.

So this year, if I plan accordingly, it'll probably be a super warm winter and I won't even need these boots...  But I'd rather be safe than sorry, and these options are both warm and cute:

Joan of Arctic Boot by Sorel; Granby Tall Boot by Timberland; 

Sorel Caribou Snowboot; Columbia Sporswear Heather Canyon Snowboot

What are your favorite winter, outdoor, cold/snow boots?