Colored Denim Obsession

jeans: target  boots: dsw (similar)  tee: old navy   necklace: groopdealz

It appears as though I have a new obsession for colored denim jeans. 

I want to wear them all the time. 

A few observations about my ability to style colored jeans: 

1. These outfits together are bordering on bright color overload.  

 2. I like to buy things in primary colors.

3. I wear my grey Target wedges all the time. 

(At least I'm getting my $9 worth.) 

4. It appears that I only wear stripes and polka dots with my colored jeans. 

5. It makes me want to wear some more "subtle" tops with them. 

                                      Like this white sweater          or             this grey one: 

buffalo jeans

Now what colored denim do I need next? 

Linking up to: Sunday Style  YOLO Mondays
Monday Mingle  Life of Meg

High Five for Friday

dress: Eshaki   shoes: gap  necklace: ebay  jean jacket: old navy 

1.   I won this dress from eshaski from a giveaway on my good friend Alison's blog.
This is the first time I've wore it and I have to say I that I LOVE that it has pockets, but I don't love the length.  I feel like dresses this length make me look short.
I'm trying to figure out other ways to wear it.  Especially in the cooler weather!
Suggestions? 

2.  We have been taking advantage of the start of Fall with some delicious Fall foods. 

Like grilled sandwiches, chili and caramel apple cake. 

3.  As the weather gets cooler, I'm excited about getting out some of my Fall shoes.  I can easily spend a good amount of time browsing through womens shoes online looking for ones I want.  I see bloggers wearing cute Fall wedges all the time, and I want to copy!
Here's a pair I wouldn't mind owning:

                                                                    wedges shoes                                                             

4. Let's just start this number by saying how much I love the show Parks and Recreation. 

And am so happy it started last week.  

Ann was wearing this owl print shirt  in the episode and I want it. 

I clearly still have an obsession with animal printed things.  

5.  I have big hopes of going to the pumpkin farm this weekend. 

Eating apple donuts.  Drinking apple cider. 

And taking pictures.  

Here's a favorite from two years ago.  

and now I kind of miss my blond hair.  

Happy weekend friends!

Don't forget to enter my September giveaway!
$20 Kohls, $15 Target, $15 Starbucks note cards, ad space!


Linking up to: High Five for Friday

It's OK

pants and scarf: gap  tee: target  shoes: kohls

It's OK that I wore these pants to school a few years ago and people made fun of me for wearing pants that had paint purposely splattered on them. 

Well, look who has a fashion blog now! 

(Just kidding.  Thank goodness most of them don't know.) 

It's OK that the other day at school my students brought in apples so we could make applesauce the next day, but I got so hungry after school that I ate one.  

Thankfully there was enough apples. 

It's OK that I all I want to buy or ask for as gifts are statement necklaces.
However I think I may have enough. 

It's OK that my mini baked apple donuts turned out nothing like the recipe picture. 

At least they still tasted delicious. 

It's OK that I am jealous that I can't win my September Sponsor giveaway, 

but lucky for you, you can!

Linking up to: It's OK

Happy outfit for a big giveaway

 
top: steve & barry's   jeans: jcpenney (similar)  shoes: target (similar)

Bright colors.  Comfy clothes.  Colored Jeans.
This is definitely one of my happier outfits.

And it fits this post perfectly as I have an amazing giveaway for you today!
I feel incredibly lucky to have had these ladies sponsor my blog this month, as all of them have become my friends in the last many months I've been blogging.

And they're all so generous giving away gift cards, ad spaces and items from their shop.
If you don't know these blogs, you definitely should check them out.

Here is what is being given away.
One winner gets it all!

from Jennifer at Delightfully Noted

from Amanda at For Love of a Cupcake

from Julee and Kim at DIY Louisville

from Christina at My Life, Laughs, and Love

from Katie at Kathryn Laine

from Sharon at The Tiny Heart

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner will be contacted after October 1st!  Good luck!

Holding on . . .

dress: kohls ($3 clearance)  bracelet: made by me  boots: kohls (on sale!) 

After each failed fertility treatment we've had, I've learned something new from it.

One of the things I'm learning is that I want to approach our next attempt differently.

This time I want to not hold on to all the "what ifs" and try to enjoy the other things in my life. 

At the beginning of summer I tried on a pair of bright yellow pants at the Gap.  They were $10 but I didn't buy them because they were a little tight and I was convinced I'd be pregnant soon so they wouldn't fit for long.

I didn't sign up for a handful of races this summer and fall that I had wanted to do, because I thought I'd be pregnant.

While these things are little, not only do I grieve a failed cycle ,

but also the things I feel like I missed out on.  Even if they are a $10 pair of pants.

(which embarrassingly I've thought about many times)

While some things have to be put on hold while we go through a cycle, some things don't.

When some friends at school asked if I wanted to sign up for a gym membership so we could take different classes together, my first response was going to be no.

What a waste of money if I only do it for one or two months and then have to cancel?

Then I thought about it and signed up.

I don't want to put everything on hold as we sit and wait for this part of our life to happen.

Worse case scenario, I lose a little money on a month's membership, don't get to participate in a race I paid for, or only get to wear a pair of pants a few times.

It's so easy to let this consume every aspect of my life and I don't want it to anymore. 

So today I'm working on letting go of planning all aspects of my life and taking advantage of what I can enjoy now.

Like being able to wear my fringe boots and $3 clearance dress.

call me blessed   ONYT

DIY Chevron Skirt

skirt: made my me   tank top: old navy   shoes: dsw  necklace: wild about jewlery

I almost posted this last week, but I figured I would spread out my chevron print projects after sharing these pillows.   

I made this skirt following this tutorial.

And it really was pretty easy.  

I walked out to show it to Chris and the first thing he said was, 

"You look like a pillow."

He sure knows the right words to say. 

I guess I can't blame him since I had just made the pillows a the day before. 

I really like it with a belt too.  And plan on wearing it in the Fall and Winter with boots. 

Definitely my favorite skirt I've made so far! 

Linking up to:

craft-o-maniac   the girl creative

sunday funday  CRAFT

High Five for Friday

jeans: (kohls)   shirt: rue 21 $3 (similar)  wedges: target $8 (similar)

1.  Thanks to a 30% coupon at Kohls I got these pants for $16.  I also managed to find a dress for under $3 and a pair of pajama shorts for under $2.
I love clearance racks! 

2. I plan on making these this weekend:
Baked Mini Apple Donut Holes

3.  I'm so happy I waited to buy these booties because they were only $9 at Target. 

I know I've said before that I'm not a patient person but when it comes to waiting for things to go on clearance I can do that!

4. A few weeks ago a friend brought over these delicious grapes and I finally got to make my own. 

All you do is wash your grapes, roll them in Jello mix and refrigerate them.

I used the flavor melon fusion.  They were SO good!

5. I'm happy September has been moving pretty quickly, as the next three months are my favorite of the year.
As it starts to get closer to October I have spots open for sponsorship.
Check here for more info.
I'd LOVE to have you next month!

Have a great weekend!

Oh and don't forget to enter this week's giveaway for a $15 gift card to Forever 21!

Casual Friday  High 5 for Friday

Mood Boosters and Forever 21 Giveaway

I had a rough start to the day today, as I spent yet another morning at the doctor's office.
In a successful effort to improve my mood I went to Target.
(big surprise, right?)

I didn't last long in my efforts to hold off, and I bought a bag of candy corn.



AND got myself a skinny vanilla latte at Starbucks.
(The skinny part helps balance out the candy corn, right?)

Mood improved.

And to improve my mood even more, I get to have Kaylin on my blog today.
Her cute style, sweet blog, adorable puppy and giveaway to Forever 21 will improve your mood too!

Hi Gals,

I'm Kaylin and I have a little blog url over here, that I call Stay Blonde Ski Local.  My blogging 'career' if you will had a very impromptu start. My best friend told me she was starting a blog, because it seemed interesting and she'd been reading other peoples blogs for a while (which at the time sounded ridiculous, who has time to read peoples blog and write their own??)  

But looks who's talking now- the SBSL blogger herself, me.  

Anyways I'm writing here today to give you a brief glimpse into my life (this post reveals some embarrassing truths about me, don't be afraid to laugh out loud if you read it).

  I am Jegging LOVER (see proof below- Yes I also have them in red, charcoal, and black), avid runner, leopard obsessed, passionate skier (hence the blog name).
I have an affinity for anything sparkly, blingy, or  bejeweled and am overall goof a gal who recently entered the dreaded mid twenties.  Ugh....early twenties sounds WAY better, plus it gave me a get out of jail free card when I did irresponsible things. Guess things are a changin'.

Zoey, our furry little one, is our (my boyfriend and my) newest obsession, she's adorable...AND growing up way too fast.  She recently discovered her voice bark, which should prove to make our walks and evening TV watching rituals more musical. 

 The two of us girls on the day we bought her home.  Doesn't she look like an angel?? Read more about her here, and see how big she is now here. 

I've grown to really enjoy blogging, (often sharing random thoughts and trends like these) and think it's a great way to get inspired, stay honest with yourself and others, and discover that you're not the only one who always finds cute stuff at Target. Me personally, I've also discovered a better sense of style, or at least I'd like to think so.  All of you are just so darn cute. 

 Don't you just Love Katie's outfits and awesome tutorials??

So for the finale, if you haven't already heard: Target and F21 basically steal my money right out from under me. In light of that my give away is a F21 gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

  

$1,000

skirt: marshalls (similar)  top: jcpenny  necklace: ebay

Don't you wish I was talking about a $1,000 giveaway?
Me too.

Instead I'm asking you this:
Want to know a fun way to spend $1,000?

Don't buy a refrigerator.

Because it is not fun. 

What I would have rather spent my money on:

Buying many many more statement necklaces.

A long weekend away in Lake Geneva.

A shopping spree, purchasing these items and many more.

Many sushi dinners:


Plane tickets to visit my favorite little boy and girl.

Sometimes being an adult and owning a house is a bummer.

On a more exciting note I'm doing a giveaway on Much Love Illy's blog.  Check it out!

Teen Drama

dress: francesca's   boots: dsw  necklace: kohls

Lately my taste in tv shows aligns with an eighth grade girl.
This summer I watched
90210
Gossip Girl
and
Pretty Little Liars.

I felt overly sad when I finished them and thankfully recently found One Tree Hill.
I am already halfway through the second season.

And I'm looking forward to new episodes of 90210 and Gossip Girl to start.
Can anyone else relate to my teen drama love?

Want to know something that is probably more exciting than teen dramas?

Then check out these two fabulous blogs. 

First up is Katie.

Besides sharing a name, we also share a love for colored jeans, maxi dresses, good deals and finding new ways to wear clothes.  Although Katie is way better at refashioning her clothes and shares how she remixes her outfits weekly.  She can also relate to some compliment fails from her significant other.   And she can rock a top bun that makes me jealous.

blog//twitter//bloglovin'


And secondly we have Julee and Kim.

Kim and Julee make me wish I lived in Louisville because they started the D.I.Y. Lousiville group where ladies can get together to work on different projects.  Food, crafts, girls? Sounds like something I want to be a part of!  These ladies are pretty much professional DIYers and blog about projects they do, parties they plan and weekly fashion posts.

Luckily I can multitask and read these sweet blogs and watch my teen dramas at the same time.

steppin' out