Polka Dot Pants

December 20, 2013






Pants Ann Taylor ~ Top Target ~ Shoes ColeHaan ~ Scarf  somewhere in Florida ~ Tassel Bracelet Cathryn Ann designs c/o ~


So when mother nature doesn't cooperate with you, you take matters into your own hands.  We were forced to take these pics inside and attempted to capture the best light possible.  But when you have a cute outfit on and you want to share it, you just go for it!! I first laid eyes on these Ann Taylor pants in their window.  They had to have just put them in the window and lucky for me to have seen them. The sales clerk asked what I would pair them with, and I knew it would be pink. 
 
My faux leather top from Target and suede Cole Haan mules made for a perfect outfit!  Comfy, yet still office casual!  I have worn these pants now several times, and they are so comfy a fun. I really think every color would go well with them.  They are such a neutral pant. 
 
Happy Friday, and I hope you enjoy your weekend! I am off until after the first of the year and boy have I been looking forward to this.  We will be celebrating Christmas over several days at my house to allow my boys time to share Christmas with their extended family. Lots of opening over lots of days!  Fun!!! 
 

Roar

December 19, 2013
A little zebra here, a spot of calf hair there, and a healthy dose of leopard!  I must say, I love a wild animal wardrobe!



iPad case  Scarf   iPhone Case  Spiked Cuff  Loafer   Sweatpants  Handbag  Coat  Bootie  Coat  Heels 


Love this roundup. No really, love it!  The bag, oh yea, and the bootie and coat?  Sign me up!  Anybody need my ship to address to send any of these lovelies my way I will be glad to oblige!! Its almost the weekend!! Woohoo!

Christmas Wishlist

December 18, 2013





I'm keeping my wish list pretty simple this year. After all, it is WISH list right?  Not that any of this is going to show up under my tree, a girl can still wish!!  I have wanted this Blair Ritchey Lulu FOR EVER!  One day she will be mine, I know it!  These Frends headphones are perfect in the gold and white.  

So lets talk slippers, shall we?  LOVE, these Mara and Mine Skull slippers, and to be honest I was ready to get them a few weeks ago, but sadly they are sold out of many sizes. Lucky for me, they are pricy, and I would have to get a lot of miles out of them to justify it, but hey this is a wish list right? not a reality list! 

Oh these Loren Hope bracelets are the perfect link with the right amount of color for days you don't want to stack them on! 

Whats on your wish list?  Don't forget I am linking up today! 


Linking up here too! 

Stripes & Leopard

December 17, 2013



 
Sweater Gap ~ Leggings Target ~ Scarf Express ~ Clutch Malibu Bows c/o ~ Cuff Accessory Mercado c/o ~ Shoe Tory Burch ~ Sunnies Chanel




The weather was frightfully cold last week, and the lake was beginning to freeze.  A few hints of snow and it was a perfectly cold day with a sunny sky!  If you have been following along for a while, you know a leopard clutch has been on my radar.  I searched for sometime and found a darling Etsy shop Malibu Bows.  Eeeekkk with excitement over this beauty, it is super cute.  Seriously you need to check out her Etsy shop.  Malibu Bows has so many sizes and styles of affordable clutches and bags!  I love a good find!!  The front is soft calf hair, and the back is leather.  Perfect in size and shape, I couldn't be happier! 
 
 My tortoise cuff was also a new treat to me from the sweet girls at Accessory Mercado. If you haven't shopped there yet you are seriously missing out!  With statement necklaces galore, and tons of colors to choose from, you need to spend some time and shop their site! Neither one of these shops promoted this post, I am seriously that excited about them both is all!  And another great buy is my leopard scarf.  Seriously great buy at Express on super duper sale right now too!  Picked up my flats on sale on black Friday, Thank heavens for THAT sale!!!
 
On another note, life is craaazy  right now!  A little personal details. My mother has her follow up appointment today to see if she is still cancer free!  Keeping my finger crossed there!   My daughter in law had her second knee replacement on Friday, and all went well for her.  They have been staying with me for a few days so my house is full!!  My other son and his family have been living with me for the past three months.  Yes, you read that right, living with me! That would be two adults, and a 15 month old.  Yea me!   Ugh!  When grown kids move home and expect to be the kids again it makes for a crowded home!  They have a plan to move out to their own apartment the first week of January.  I am really looking forward to a quiet home soon! Between baby gates, toys,  everyone on a different eating schedule, and well the overall amount of commotion in the house,  I am stressed out!  I usually don't rant here, so I will stop with the update!  The blessing is everyone is healthy, recovering, and getting their act together (lets hope) and my home is filled with brotherly love, haha, and grand babies.  The tree is trimmed and loaded with gifts, and I am ready for the next few weeks off to enjoy some me time. 
 
I plan on making my traditional cut out sugar cookies this week, lets hope I give them all away and not munch on them!!
 
 


Holiday Wishlist and a $200 Amazon GC giveaway

December 16, 2013


My shopping never seems to be finished.  There is always something else I end up adding to my gift giving!  This year I did more shopping online than usual and it was pretty nice not fighting crowds, parking lots, and generally stressed out shoppers! 

If you're like me, it's hard to shop this time of the year and NOT find something for yourself.   Coupons.com has made it so easy to find a great deal at the places you like to shop.  So these are two of my favorite shopping list, but there are so many more to check out at coupons.com you really need to check it out!  
 

A few of my Kate Spade favorites!



And lets not forget Nordstrom!





Coupons.com has put together some fun gift guides to help you finish your shopping, and lets not forget those that are hard to buy for!!   Not just for the Mom's either, there is a gift guide for the Dad's, teens, and babies too!! But there is more holiday treats from Coupons.com with  a fabulous giveaway in the Coupons.com Holiday Sweepstakes with lots of great giveaways!

So lets get to the details, a $200 e-gift card to get whatever you might need or want would be awesome!  You have now until Christmas eve to enter to WIN using the below Rafflecopter entry form!  Good Luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway



Thanks to Coupons.com for sponsoring this giveaway and post!  Make sure to check out their awesome gift guides and other giveaways going on for more ways to win big this season.

Winter Favorites

December 11, 2013


Sweater   Cocoa   Scarf   Hat



It's four favorites today, and while everyone shares their gift guides, and decor list,  I wanted to share some of my winter favorites.    Winter is such a cozy and romantic time of the year.  The silence of a snowy night, and the warm fire to cuddle in front of are two of my favorite things.   I love a cozy sweater and this one is so cuddly with the waffle weave.  Love it!!  And speaking of cozy, check out this fabulous pom pom hat.  Ummm, yeah, love it!!  I love to layer up with a warm scarf and this fair isle is just neutral enough for me.  I love it better than the standard reds and blues customary in a fair isle.  

My Nespresso is getting a lot of use with the cold winter days and nights now, and I love a good mug full of a warm peppermint cocoa with fluffy marshmallows.  I have stocked my pantry with peppermints, marshmallows, and real chocolate to cook with milk! Yum, my boy's favorite!  Do you make your cocoa from a package, or warm milk and chocolate on the stove? 


Share your winter inspirations this week and link up with us! It's four favorites day!! 


Also linking up here

Lucite Love

December 10, 2013
Lucite.  Simple, classic, and yet making a statement in the most subtle of ways.



 



So this little number arrived a few weeks ago at my house.  I won it actually!  Birdaria is one of my favorites with their mantra prints and artwork.  I have long wanted a Lucite tray for my home, so when I received the email that I won a custom Lucite tray I was super excited. I knew pink would be involved too!

What I didn't know was the sweet little surprise they had in store for me!  I was touched and thrilled at the same time to turn the monogram over to reveal my logo.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  What a sweet touch, and a perfect way to utilize my tray in more than one space!




I haven't decided what I will use my tray for, I know several people use theirs on their bar carts, but when you have teenager's in your home, a bar cart isn't a reality, rather a temptation.  Whatever I decide, it will be fabulous!! 

What would you use the tray for? Give me some ideas please!


Shinola

December 09, 2013
I was recently introduced to Shinola.  I want to say a leather company, but that's not doing it justice.  They have fabulous watches, journals, and bikes too! There is a Shinola store local here in Kansas City on the Plaza and I spent some time playing among the wonderful watches and leather items they have to offer.  I must say, there is something to the feel of a sleek watch around your wrist.  I fell in love with a few that I wished came home with me.  Oh and a sign me up for the pretty pink bike!!



Making products that are beautiful, meaningful, and made to last, Shinola has partnered with a group of extraordinary American manufacturers who have an obsession with craftsmanship and quality.  Each of their partners, from Horween Leather to Waterford Precision Cycles, has a long legacy of excellence. 




Horween, a family-owned company founded over a century ago by Isidore Horween in Chicago, Illinois produces Shinola leather in one of America’s longest-running tanneries.  An exceptional leather of renowned quality, apparent in its color, texture, and the beautiful character it develops over time, the Horween tanning process still uses many of the same hand-based techniques the company has used from the very beginning. Although these techniques demand a highly-skilled team of craftspeople, and the process  a bit more timely and expensive than conventionally-produced leather, the end result is the same it’s been since the company’s founding.  Whether it’s a wallet, journal cover, or handbag, Horween demonstrates the care and close attention that defines American-made quality.  The leather is shipped to the expert craftspeople of Eric Scott in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri where the leather undergoes an intensive hands-on production process, from the cutting and stitching to the splitting and skiving.  Done by skilled workers, many of whom have been perfecting their craft for decades, this experience is ultimately what sets their craftspeople apart, with each detail of every item they produce.


They even have a curated collection and this little piggy is screaming to come home with me!


Shinola has partnered with me to offer this unique case for your iPhone that showcases American-made craftsmanship.  It features premium vegetable-tanned Horween leather that will develop rich character through exposure and daily use. Fits the iPhone 5, 4S, and 4.  It feel good in your hand, and the leather is soft, yet thick, and I am sure you will love it.  You just pull the cute little leather tab to raise your phone from the soft protective case.  There is also a front pocket to keep  your license of business cards handy too.  





To enter to win this beautiful green leather iPhone case, just follow the instructions in the rafflercopter form below, and good luck! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway





Santa's Belt

December 06, 2013

A quick and easy DIY for the holidays.  I made a few of these Santa's belts for my tree this year and they are pretty darn cute. I purchased large red balls from Hobby Lobby, along with some sheer black ribbon and a couple of packages of buckles.  Finding buckles in the right size and gold tone was not easy.  I ended up purchasing a package of silver and painting the square ones gold.  Worked perfectly!  I found this glittery ribbon at a local scrapbook store and decided to layer the ribbons for a more festive, chic Santa! 



Paint the buckles gold if you had trouble finding them in gold and let them dry completely. Measure around your ornament and cut the ribbon to fit with about an extra inch to give you room to work.   Thread the ribbon thru your buckle and center the buckle.  I added a drop of hot glue to the back of the buckle to keep it in place.  Once the buckle was set, I glued the ribbon to the center back of the ornament being careful not to burn myself. (not that is has ever has happened to me) ha!!  Trim the extra ribbon.


And that my friends is all there is to it!!  Hang those jolly little belly's on your tree and pour yourself a glass of festive cheer and enjoy!

Travel Tips

December 03, 2013
Traveling anytime of the year can be joyous and hard work at the same time.  You're so excited to get away that you make list and start laying out and packing way too early.  Oh wait, that's me!! haha

via
Now Boarding


We all know the essentials to a trip.  Packing the necessities, placing your liquids in clear bags, or even better yet a few Truffle pouches!  These really are perfect for travels and are approved by the TSA.  Not to mention you have to carry clear bags to any pro football game.  Just saying, they are pretty fab!  But on to our trip..... The most important thing to do is to be safe in your travels.  With sticky fingers loitering in public places looking for unsuspecting and weary travelers, just waiting to ruin your vacation.   A few simple steps can save you hours of time, and huge headaches if the unforeseen happens to you. 
Lets be honest, if your wallet was lost, or even worse, stolen, would you be able to remember every. single. card. in it?  Probably not. Thieves act 10 times faster than we do when it comes to stealing out of our accounts, and by the time you may even notice your wallet is missing, they may have already spend thousands on your credit!  I want to share a few things you should do to be safe, and protect yourself.  While I have never had this happen to me, I could only image the panic I would be in if it did.



Via
  • Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in safe place.

  • I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.

  • We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them. 
  • Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a banker friend of mine who told me of people having applications for credit made over the Internet in their name.
  • The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-62851-800-525-6285

2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742 1-888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289 1-800-680 7289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line):

1-800-269-0271

  This tips won't stop a thief obviously, but they will help you in the aftermath.   Safe travels!

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