sharing is caring

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i’ve come across a few new (to me) blogs lately that i thought i’d share with you…because that’s caring.  i could spend hours and hours on some of these!  if only there were more hours in the day…or i just liked to sleep less.  do you have any new favorites?  do share!

a pair & a spare – diy fashion

garance dore – beautiful photography and other bits of interest

copycat crafts – diy pottery barn, west elm, anthropologie knock-offs

caitlin wilson design – i featured her fabrics a few weeks ago.  she’s got a great blog too!

note to self – fashionable tid bits

dear lillie – just plain cute; this gal has amazingly adorable daughters, and make sure you check out the cinderella party – i want one!

and just because i think it’s hilarious, i give you jared’s mini-me.  this is one of  j’s exact expressions, and i laugh every time i see this.

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splurge/steal – tinted lips

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during the summer, usually because i have a little color on my skin, my go to lip treatment is just a swipe of clear gloss.  but as fall and winter roll around, i become reacquainted with my love for lips with a shot of color.  this year, the color is red.  honestly, i think red is in style and in season no matter what, but i digress.  super red lips might not always ring your bell, but what about a little something called tinted balm?  it combines color (red in this case) and lip balm – two of my very favorite things.  i’ve tried both of these – they are both fabulous, and the color stays with you much longer than you’d think.  they come in a plethora of colors, so find the one that suits you and buy in multiples.  it might just be worth putting one of these in every purse, coat pocket, bathroom drawer, glove compartment, you get the idea…

{the splurge}

{the steal}

turkey day recap

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we had a great thanksgiving at my aunt and uncle’s house last week.  my brother and his wife made the trip in from denver, which was a treat, and family members here in kc were all in attendance.  i am kicking myself for not taking more pictures than i did, but i was distracted chasing a toddler in a brand new place.  at the end of the night, aunt nancy unveiled a few christmas decorations – it was our own little lighting ceremony.  who needs the plaza!?!

{there was potato peeling – the boys’ job}

{and gravy making – granny’s job}

{and football playing}

{and a little turkey with a pigskin}

saturday, we changed gears, and headed to arrowhead for the mu/ku game.  the first half was a nail-biter.  three interceptions – seriously franklin!?!  but the tigers came through in the second half and prevailed over the jayhawks.  i was so happy to spend the day with one of my dearest friends (and the most fashionable gal you’ll ever meet!), stacy, and chit-chat when the game got less intense.  honestly, it’s pretty impressive that we watched any of it.

{stacy and matt}

i know i look ridiculous, but it was cold!  and windy!  i was never so happy to have a hood!

{the michelin man twins}

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in the closet

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i’ve given myself a little challenge.  i’m wearing something and when i hang it back up, i turn the hanger backwards, so i know that it’s been worn, signaling that i can’t wear it again until this little challenge is over.  basically, i’m trying to force myself to wear everything in my closet.  the stuff i pick around or don’t wear is going to leave the premises to make room for newer and cooler stuff.   so far, it’s going just fine, but i’ve only been doing it for a few weeks.  it’s a good reminder that i definitely have favorites, but also some cool pieces that i don’t wear often enough.  i’ll let you know if i have to kick some things out.

i’d also like to try the concept of 30 for 30 some time.  you pick 30 pieces from your closet (accessories excluded) and you mix and remix them for 30 days trying to see how many different looks you can come up with.  not sure i could actually pull it off, but i’d like to give it a shot.  if i do, i’ll try to document along the way and share it with you.

in other news, beckett has a new reading spot.  he’s spent quite a bit of time here the last couple of days and thinks it’s a pretty darn cool hang-out.  i only wish there was room for me!

giving thanks

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it is a week of reflection and counting your blessings.  with tables to be set, pies to make, maybe some packing to do, it’s easy to barrel through this week and lose sight of the reason for the holiday.  between the st. jude’s thanks and giving campaign and seeing military families so thankful that they have their loved one home this week, it has helped me to put things in perspective.  focus on what i have and be thankful.  my family is healthy, happy, well fed, sheltered and surrounded by amazing friends and family.  we are extremely fortunate, and not everyone could say the same.  this is all a little heavier than i had really intended, but it’s good to take a step back and reevaluate sometimes.  so before we let christmas take over completely, let us pause and give thanks tomorrow.  hope you are spending it with people you love.

 

 

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small business saturday

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have you guys heard about this??  it’s an awesome push to patronize small businesses.  november 26th, the saturday after thanksgiving (this saturday!), is the day to step into a local shop and buy something.  i love love love this idea.  while i am a huge fan of the ‘big ‘box’ and department stores, i also adore the charm and uniqueness that a mom and pop type of place adds to a city.  we need these guys to stick around, so get out there and spend some money!  you need to do some christmas shopping anyway.  :)

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family self portraits

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if you’re at all like me, you’re often behind the camera, which leaves you with a lot of pictures of your favorite people, but not a lot of pictures with you in them.  sad face for people like us.  i’m pretty sure that our families will want to look back in 20 years and laugh at our outfits and hair-dos just like they’re laughing at everyone else’s.  so let’s get in front of the camera!  i saw this article the other day (tagged from pinterest – you time-sucker you!) and thought it was worth sharing.  it’s a quick read and gives some ideas for what to do to take family self portraits.  get creative – put your camera on a stack of books or piece of furniture if you don’t have a tripod.  figure out that self-timer that you’ve been meaning to try, or go buy yourself a remote control (i have one, and it’s great).  i’m going to be making a bigger effort to make sure i’m documented (even if i’m doing it myself), and i think you should too.  let’s get in these pictures people!

i broke out my trusty remote last week and balanced my camera on the corner of beckett’s crib.  we read to him before his naps and at bedtime in his room, and i wanted to capture that time together.

then, last weekend, beckett was being snuggly and still, which never happens, so out came the camera and remote again on our lazy saturday morning.

the pictures aren’t perfect, but i captured a few special moments, and that’s good enough for me.

distressed…in a good way

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i bought these jeans about a year ago, and soon after, realized they were lighter than i really wanted them to be, so i stopped wearing them.  oops.  so, recently i came up with the idea to distress them.  i didn’t really have much to lose.

i found this picture to try to duplicate – i think it’s from j. crew – and went to work.

off  to the kitchen to break out my micro-plane – the thing you make lemon zest with.  stay with me here, i know it sounds a little crazy.  you could probably also use a pumice stone, steel brush, or heck maybe a cheese grater – just something with some grit.

i stuck my hand inside the jeans, the heel of my hand on the place i wanted to distress.  i stabilized the other side of the jeans with my knee to make sure they were taut.  then i just ran the micro plane back and forth until i was happy with the amount of distress.  i did the same thing in a few other places on the leg and pockets in the front and back.

ta da!  i don’t even know if distressed jeans are cool right now, but i like these a heck of a lot better than i did before.