Lavender and Teal

leather jacket & blouse: walmart, sweater: old navy, jeans: cato, flats: thrifted

Happy Thursday, ladies! My sweater is actually lavender in case you were wondering. It looks white in the top two pictures. Go figure. Clearly I am not a photographer with a fancy schmancy camera. I have a point and shoot that is several years old. ;)

I have to admit that I am just not really feeling blogging right now. I am doing better than last year. I stopped in November and didn't post again until April, I think. I am just not a huge fan of winter and these last two have been particularly trying. Right now I am doing really well to function on a day to day basis and frankly I haven't been getting dressed unless we have to leave the house. So, not really an exciting life around here. So. I haven't actually linked up with a linky party in two weeks and truthfully I probably won't for the rest of this week either. I do really appreciate those of you who follow along and I want you to know that your comments mean the world to me. As ridiculous as it sounds, y'all are the only human contact I have outside of my family and the checker at walmart. ;) Small town, no social life outside of church. Blah. That makes me sound so pitiful, and I'm really not. So I am just going to quit now. I hope y'all are having a wonderful week!

Unmemorable except for a Grammy Scarf

coat: thrifted, blouse: target, skirt: dillards, boots: payless

what is my child doing?!

Happy Wednesday, friends! I am pretty sure that my kiddo is fighting a bad guy. I don't actually remember. In fact, I remember wearing this outfit, but I don't remember when or for what. So. I am wearing one of my grammy's many silk scarves. That always makes my day.

Hope you are having a wonderful week!

Linking up: The Pleated Poppy, Transatlantic Blonde and Create Hope Inspire.

A Mostly Wordless Tuesday

cardi: forever 21, tank: cato, jeans: walmart, flats: shoe show

It's Tuesday.

I have nothing. I am wearing stripes with sparkles. And the inside of this top is insanely itchy. Thus in the future it will only be worn over another layer.

Linking up: WOTFTW, Plane Pretty and Sunday Style.

Jewel Tones and Tights

blazer: kohls, blouse: tjmaxx, skirt: thrifted, wedges: payless

triple braided bun

Happy Monday, lovelies! I'll be keeping it brief today as the kiddo is sick. Poor baby. So we'll be spending the day at the doctor's office. So fun. I wore this to church a couple of weeks ago. Burgundy velvet blazer, teal silky blouse, khaki skirt, leopard wedges and a triple braided bun add up to a comfy, easy and warm church outfit. Granted, the knit tights are not particularly flattering on the legs, but they are warm. So there.

Hope you have a great week!

Linking up as usual: YOLO, Visible Monday, and Monday Mingle

Closet VIP

dress: old navy, scarf: inherited, boots: payless

"I wanna pose too, Mommy!'

Holy cow! How adorable is that kiddo!?

Happy Friday, friends! Here is yet another outfit featuring my navy blue dress from old navy. I think I bought it while I was pregnant with my kiddo because it was so soft and stretchy and comfy. (By the way it isn't a maternity dress, promise.)  And it is still super soft and comfy. And you will always see me wearing it with a scarf or some other version of neckline filler because the v-neck is halfway to my belly button and holy cow, you don't want to see that much of the girls.

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Linking up with All Things Chic, Favorite Frock Friday, and Casual Friday.

(Our internet went out this week, so I am way behind on commenting and replying! Sorry about that. Hopefully I'll be able to get caught up now that it is back on again! ;) )

Velvet and Tweed and Scarves, Oh My

blazer: kohls(old), tee & skirt: target(old, boots: walmart(old)

Guys, I promise this is the last post with my Christmas tree. This outfit is actually from the first Sunday in January, I think. A velvet blazer, tweed skirt, colored tights and oddly tied scarf. I have become appalling predictable in my Sunday clothes. There's always a blazer or jacket with either a pencil skirt and boots or a dress. Add a scarf or statement necklace and I'm good to go. How 'bout we call that an outfit formula instead of predictable and leave it at that. :)

Linking up with Peggy, Alison and Rebecca!

Ugly Stools and Pretty Vests

vest: cato, blouse: tjmaxx(old), jeans & boots: walmart

And it's Wednesday. Hope y'all are having a wonderful week. I have to say I found a new place inside to take pictures that has plenty of natural light. Welcome to my dining area. And say hello to the ugliest stool known to mankind. It lives in my house. I used to keep a cover on it. Then I had a kid. He loves this stool. And the pretty cover? Heaven only knows what happened to it. Happily for me, I have a beautiful and cozy fur vest to make up for thaving the ugliest stool ever.

Linking up with Transatlantic Blonde, The Pleated Poppy and Create Hope Inspire.

Argyle and Crazy Pants

cardi & top: thrifted, pants: cato, oxfords: payless

Whewie, girlies! I think I used up my entire word quota for the week yesterday! So, I'll keep this brief. I am wearing insanely bright pink pants and an argyle sweater. I am not sure what this says about me. I am a bright nerd. Also, the kiddo loves my sweater. I am guessing it is because he frequently wears argyle vests and recognized the pattern.

And that's all I've got.

Linking up with Lily Among Thorns, Thrifter's Anonymous and Watch What I'm Wearing.

Why, thank you, thank you very much!

jacket: cato, dress & blouse: inherited, boots: thrifted

Happy Monday, pretty ladies! Hope you had a great weekend.

I had the privilege of being nominated for the Liebster Award by the fabulous and stylish Alyssa of A Matchy Matchy Midlife. I discovered her through Go Chic or Go Home and she totally cracks me up on a regular basis. ;) So, for those of y'all who might be unfamiliar with the process. I had to answer 11 questions from Alyssa and give 11 random facts about myself then nominate 11 more bloggers and ask them 11 questions. Fun right?! :)

Here are my answers to Alyssa's questions:
1.)  What did you want to be when you grew up and how/why/did that vision change when you did? When I was around five I wanted to be a supermodel. I was informed that you had to be tall to do that and I. was. not. Never have been, never will be. (My kiddo, bless his heart, has told me that that's okay.) Then I decided I wanted to be an archeologist. This was around the time the Nat Geo with King Tut's tomb was out. I can't remember how old I was (this was in the early 80's), but this lasted for a number of years. Then sometime around ten years old I wanted to be a nurse. During a regular check-up at the doctors, I told the nurse this and she was helpfully explaining everything she did. Such a sweetheart. She had to prick my finger. There was blood. After they revived me and picked me up off the floor, she very kindly told me that I might want to rethink my career options. Around 12 I finally decided that what I really wanted to do was to be a wife and stay at home mom. It took nine years after we were married to be able achieve that dream financially, but that is what I am now. And I could not be happier. As soon as my son was born I felt like I was doing what I was meant to do. I had found my purpose in life.

2.)  If you could only follow one blog (not your own) which would it be and why? Holy cow, Alyssa, this is just mean! ;) I am not really sure I could pick just one. I love Kendi for her style and wit. She never fails to make me laugh. However there are a number of ladies that I have built relationships with and would love to meet and be friends with in real life and those blogs are far more meaningful to me. I definitely couldn't pick only one of them, so I am going with Kendi.. :)

3.)  What is the most expensive thing you ever bought as an indulgence for yourself, and what is the story behind it? Ummmm. you see that little blog title up there. I am not kidding when I say 'Cheap'. I am reasonably certain that the most expensive thing I have ever purchased is my wedding dress (which came in at a whopping $250) and nothing else has come even close to that. I think I splurged and spent $32 on a pair of heels a couple of years ago. (And yes, that is the most I've ever spent on a pair of shoes - sad I know.)

4.)  Which word or phrase do you most overuse? I have no idea. I was an English major and am a diehard bookworm, so words are kind of my thing. I love them. All of them. And I use them. People look at me oddly and even my kiddo has been using actually, peculiar, interesting and such since he started talking. Totally freaks people out.

5.)  How do you relax? Bookworm, remember? I read. A lot. My favorite is a good book in the bathtub with a cup of hot tea. Ahhhh. Bliss.

6.)  What single thing would improve the quality of your life (and don't say money)? A job for my hubby. No question.

7.)  What do you consider your greatest achievement (and children do not count here if you have them)? I have no idea. I am a very boring sort of person. I don't think I have any achievements aside from my kiddo. (And I am not sure he really counts as an achievement as I'm not done with him yet.)

8.)  What is your biggest regret? Wow. Ready for a long answer? No. Okay, abbreviated version. When I started dated my hubby my grammy was kind of against it. Due to all sorts of circumstances I freaked and moved out of the house. (I was 19.) Anyway, we did repair the relationship after hubby and I got engaged almost a year later, but I missed out on an entire year with her and I lost her right after hubby and I celebrated our first anniversary.

9.)  Tell me something people would be surprised to know about you. Well, let's see. People who know me in my real life would be surprised by this here blog of mine. It's kind of a secret. Shhh. Internet friends might be surprised to know that I became a published author at the age of 15. I think I had six or seven poems published around that time. One of these days I am actually going to finish one of the fifteen novels I've started and maybe I'll be a real published author. Unfortunately the ideas come faster than I can finish them.

10.)  Does your blog accurately reflect all of you, a part of you, or is your blog persona completely different from the "real" you?  Details please. Okay. My blog accurately reflects a very small piece of my life. I do love clothes and getting dressed, but my life does not revolve around what I wear. However anything I write here is totally me. Sometimes serious, sometime sarcastic, often veiled.

11.)  The Book or The Movie? Truthfully I have never seen a movie that lived up to the book. So for me it is always the book. (You totally don't want to get me started on the Two Towers movie vs the book.)


And just in case you don't already know enough about me, here are 11 random facts.
1. I am a total introvert. I hate the telephone. And meeting new people scares the poo out of me.
2. I breastfed my kiddo for a full year and hated every minute of it. However, I believed (and still do) that it was the best possible start I could give my kiddo. So I did it. And boy was I glad when it was over. Everything from having to dress to be able to bare all at a moment's notice, to the actual physical discomfort to having to deal with milk machines that were twice as large as my already ample bosom was pure misery. And should I be blessed with a second baby I will do it all again in a heartbeat. (TMI? yeah, probably, sorry about that.)
3. I don't like frosting or whipped cream. Yuk.
4. I enjoy cooking, and firmly believe that recipes are only suggestions and starting places.
5. I don't like any kind of sugary, carbonated beverages. Unsweet tea and water. That's all I drink.
6. My hubby is the first guy I held hands with, kissed, etc.
7. I hate arguing. Of any kind. In fact I just don't like any kind of discord. If I don't agree with you, I probably won't say anything unless I know you are the type of person to agree to disagree. Needless to say politics gives me a headache. Blech.
8. How many more of these do I have to do, I am not actually a huge fan of talking about myself (see #1 above) I'd rather talk about my kiddo, my husband, my dog, the weather.....
9. I am terrified of spiders. We are currently living in a house populated by wolf spiders, brown recluses and black widows. Not cool, y'all. Not cool at all.
10. I would seriously rather be reading a book right now, are we almost done?
11. Before we had our kiddo, hubby and I both felt that it would be easier if we could just go ahead and have teenagers and just skip the whole infant, toddler, kiddo thing. Teens, we know. Kids not so much back then. (We'd been working with teens for well over a decade at that point. They were known.) And honestly I still prefer teenagers. I can't talk to kids. (Except my own - he gets me.) I've been told I am too sarcastic and use too many big words. Oops.

Whew. That was a whole lot about me. Hope you aren't bored yet, because there's more. No, wait, not about me. We're done with that part. There's more to read. I get to nominate 11 bloggers and ask 11 questions of my own. Fun, right?! ;)

So, here we go:
1. AJ Wear's Clothes (a fellow Arkansas girl)
2. Sabine (A really cool lady from Germany - I have no idea what her blog title is!)
3. Casual Chic Mom (Tunde has great casual style and the most adorable baby girl)
4. Fabuless in Heels (A fellow thrifty shopper and super cute lady!)
5. Goodwillista (cute name, cute girl!)
6. Newly Loved (this girl has mad thrifting skills and is adorable to boot)
7. She Hath Done What She Could (OK technically she's over the 200 followers, but I love her and she's a fellow minister's wife)
8. The Fashionable Adventures of Bethie the Boo (I met Bethie through the Bauble Swap this summer and really fell in love - she is such a sweetheart)
9. The Perpetual Student's Wife (Kate is seriously gifted at making neutrals look sophisticated and interesting and amazing!)
10. Twelve by Six (I love Laura's classic professional style)
11. Pork Chop Tuesday (Peggy is one of my real life friends - she cooks some really amazing stuff that totally blows my mind.)

And now my 11 questions:
1. Why do you blog? (Big one, I know!)
2. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?
3. The Movie or the The Book (Thanks, Alyssa, had to pass that one along!)?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Beach or Mountains?
6. Coke or Pepsi?
7. If you had to describe yourself using only four words, what would they be?
8. Flats or Heels?
9. For whatever reason you have to start your entire wardrobe, shoes included, from scratch and you can only buy 15 pieces. What are they?
10. Thrift or Retail?
11. Chinese or Mexican (food)?

Whew, that was a whole lot of a post! So. For those of you have been nominated you now get to write your own super long post answering my 11 questions, posting 11 facts about yourself and nominating 11 other small blogs (under 200 followers) to continue the fun. (If that is too much for one post, you might break it down into three posts!) I really look forward to seeing what you have to say.

And for everyone else reading today, if you have received the Liebster award or have a similar post answering random questions, please leave me a link! I'd love to come by and check it out!

Linking up with my usual Monday lovelies: YOLO, Monday Mingle and Visible Monday.

SAHM Style

the kiddo is hammering a decepticon (Transformer bad guy for those of you without boys)

cardi: cato(old), tank: charlotte russe(old), pants: walmart, flats: target(old)

multi-tasking - pose for pic with mommy while hammering bad guy

pretty art deco style earrings (and why is my left eyebrow suddenly invisible?!)

So, it's Friday, y'all. I have to admit that being a stay at mom with a mostly unemployed hubby makes Friday pretty much just like any other day around our house. Not really a big deal. I do however remember my working days when Friday was a really. big. deal. Back in the day when we would go on dates or to the movies. I think we have been to two movies this year (The Avengers and The Hobbit) although that is more because of money issues than because we have a kid. I will say this. We waited nine years before we had our little guy. And while life does indeed change drastically when you have little ones, the truth is we are fine with it. In fact we were so ready for it that we embraced it. So while I no longer wear heels and pencil skirts everyday and haven't had my nails done professionally in five years and don't actually get lunch hours or vacations or sick days (or get paid for that matter) I am thrilled to be a stay at home mom. I love spending time with my kiddo. He never fails to make me smile no matter how bad a day I am having. What does this have to do with style you may ask? Well, there will frequently be a crazy kiddo in my outfit photos. There will often be legos on the floor. And Transformers. And there will be days when I have no makeup on because I was too busy being a mom to bother with putting the stuff on. That's just life as a SAHM to a preschooler. And I am okay with that.

Hope your weekend is wonderful!

Linking up with All Things Chic and Casual Friday!

Secrets

cardi & tee: target (old), scarf & hat: gift, jeggings: walmart, boots: payless

The kiddo had to pose too. ;)

Y'all this is quite possibly the comfiest outfit ever. Leggings and a tee with a giant cozy cardi. Hmmm. Is it just me or have I worn this combination before. ;) I suppose I am a bit predictable in my style. Eh. I wear what makes me happy and comfortable.

Also, my kiddo occasionally insists on posing with me. He also occasionally request that I take a picture of his shoes. ;) Silly boy. Apparently he has watched mommy too much. Someday he is going to mention that I take pictures of myself everyday and I will be outed. ;)

So, tell me, do the people in your real life know you blog (if you blog)?

Linking up with Thursday Target Threads, I Feel Pretty, and Dress for the Day

Cheetah Hunter

vest: cato, sweater: thrifted, jeans: walmart, boots: payless

Happy Wednesday, friends! First off this vest is probably the softest furry thing I've ever felt. Seriously soft and warm. In fact when I was trying it on my kiddo felt it and informed that I needed it so that he could 'pet' me every time I wear it. (He has a thing for soft things and can't go to sleep without petting his 'soft' blankie.) He did indeed pet me several times and even randomly kissed my back. ;) The vest also got the seal of approval from my mother-in-law. Hubby however asked me what kind of animal I had killed. Silly man. Obviously it was a cheetah. ;)

Hope y'all are having a lovely week!

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, Transatlantic Blonde and Create Hope Inspire!

Curiosity

jacket: cato, scarf: thrifted, dress: old navy(old), flats: payless(old)

pink fleece lined tights

Hello Lovelies! I have a questions for you today, but first off I am wearing pink. fleece lined. tights. They are soooo soft and soooo warm and pink. As I might have mentioned (a time or 400) pink is my most very favorite color in the entire world. So. Cozy warm pink tights are the most awesome thing in the world. (We are just going to overlook the fact that only five year old's should be this happy about pink tights, okay?!)

Now, on to the question. For the last two weeks I have been hovering right around 100 followers. In fact I think I have hit 100 about three different times then apparently been unfollowed. Which is fine. I blog because I love it and I am thrilled that some of you are following along because I enjoy getting to know you better. But here is my question, what makes you decide to hit the follow button? And just for fun, why would you unfollow? Please do leave your answer in the comments, I really am curious to know what you think!

Linking up with Watch What I'm Wearing, Plane Pretty and Thrifter's Annonymous.

Old Clothes and Thank You's

jacket: target(old), blouse & boots: walmart(old), skirt: thrifted, necklace: by me

possibly the dorkiest facial expression ever. oops.

polka dot stockings

Happy Monday, y'all! This outfit is actually a week or two old at this point (thus the Christmas tree still in the back ground). Not much to say about it - everything is old except the polka dot stockings which made me feel fabulous even though you can barely see the dots. ;)

I just wanted to thank y'all for the well wishes, prayers and happy thoughts from last Friday. I do tend to try to stay upbeat here on the blog. But sometimes life gets in the way. I know that I love reading blogs written by people who are completely real and willing to put their deepest thoughts and feelings out there. For various reasons I just don't feel completely comfortable doing so here. It is however such a blessing to know that when I do have a bad day or week that there are those of y'all who will lift me up and that means a lot to me. So, thank you for following, commenting, and praying for me.

While I am feeling better this week, our circumstances remain unchanged and things are getting really tight right now financially. So I would appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers as hubby continues to look for a job.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Linking up with Visible Monday, Monday Mingle and YOLO!

Pink and Grey and Blah

cardi, blouse: thrifted, skirt: target, scarf: charlotte russe, boots: payless

Happy Friday, friends! Sorry for the week long break there. It wasn't intentional. Something about this time of year just makes me want to crawl under the covers and not come out. I spent the week reading and being lazy. Terrible of me, I know. But that's what happened. I spent many a day in my jammies and didn't take outfit photos. Eh. Everyone else is all setting goals and gearing up for the new year and there is all this fizz and excitement about the new year around the blog world. And I am just not there. I am tired and it is cold and life is a little rough right now. So. Sorry to be a downer. I usually try to keep things pretty upbeat and light around here, but I am not feeling it right now.

Maybe my light and fluffy outfit will even things out a bit. I wore this on our anniversary last week. We went shopping (and bought more toys for the kiddo) and ate at a really great Hibachi place. Man that is so much fun. Anyone else out there enjoy watching someone set your food on fire?! I can't wait to take the kiddo - he would get such a kick out of it. Unfortunately it is way too expensive to do right now. We did agree that our celebration meal whenever hubby gets a job will be Hibachi. Anyway, back to the clothes. Eh, never mind. I wore pink and grey. It was comfy. The End.

Linking up with Favorite Frock Friday, Casual Friday, Thrifter's Anonymous and All Things Chic.

Musing on the the Weather (fascinating, I know)

cardi: ???, tee: target, scarf: diy, leggings: walmart, boots: thrifted

Happy Friday, friends. I am so sorry, but we do indeed still have our tree up. Oops. The plan is to take it down today, but there will still be several outfit posts including the tree, so try to ignore it back there, ok? ;)

This is one of my 'holy molie, it is freezing cold!' outfits. I have on tights, leggings, fluffy socks, an undershirt, long sleeve tee, cardi and scarf. Yep. I totally believe in layering. And I do. not. believe in being cold. Geez. This is the South. Winters around here are usually in the 50s with the occasional snow and cold day. Like maybe two or three a year at most. And it always warms up and melts the snow within a day or two. It hasn't hit 50 degrees since Christmas. In fact it has mostly been below 40. The parking lots still have snow mountains! What. is. the. deal!!!

Anyone else experiencing colder than usual weather?

Linking up with All Things Chic, Casual Chic Mom, Blonde Episodes and TwoThirtyFive Designs.

Fourteen Years of Bliss

sweater: old navy (old), skirt & flats: cato

jacket: cato, fur scarf: versona

Y'all today is my anniversary so I'll be keeping it short and sweet! I have been married for 14 years to the best, sweetest, most wonderful man in the entire world. He is my rock and my best friend and I love him more today than I did when I said my vows that day fourteen years ago. I can honestly tell you that marriage can be one of the greatest blessings in life.

Hope you have a wonderful day!