Truckaroo
Attending Truckaroo in our nation's capitol was really neat. I tried a grilled fish taco. Alessia had a grilled cheese. Kelly tried a cornbread crusted oyster taco. The girls had a bud light lime and I tried a boddington's. Nice weekend event with lifetime friends!
Bubbles
...better late than never. Following up on this post regarding my J.Crew bubble necklace in yellow.
I wore the necklace w/ a pink t-shirt tucked into an A-Line black eyelet skirt w/ black peeptoe sandals and a pink & gold bangle bracelet. Best reaction to the outfit: Lady I've never met getting really excited over the necklace, power walking towards me and saying "is that an octopus?" as she reached out her hand to touch it. Thankfully I was not groped. I diffused her excitement by saying it is not a sea creature although I am a big fan of sea creatures then continued walking to my meeting.
Totally failed on asking Kyle to snap my photo so I snapped an iPhone pic of the t-shirt & necklace together while I was in pajamas. It's so easy to throw on PJ's when you get home, right?!
Have a beautiful, relaxing Sunday.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE AMAZING MOMS OUT THERE!!!
Frequency
Isn't it weird how when you buy a car you start noticing all the other cars in the same make and model?
I read about Webster via Man Repeller and the next thing I know I see a Target commercial promoting them as one of their special Shops within the store. I guess I tuned my frequency to the cool Miami sartorial station.
They have a ton of cute options. I like the prints with flamingos on them and the work pieces. I was disappointed to see a very pretty and probably slimming dress was $39.99 yet unlined. C'mon. I know they can mass produce that at the price and add a lining. Help the working woman out, people!
I like the fact they use fun patterns. Most items are a nice mix of granny chic, funky and preppy - very Turk & Lilac approved!
The price point on the following dress didn't make sense either. $29.99 for a jammy dress. Old Navy has a lot better cotton offerings that look less like sleepwear.
Oh yeah baby! Bring on the flamingos!
Close up of the print:
Flirty, fun skirt below. Would be perfect with a white or green tank and espadrilles:
Do I even need to say anything for these ballet flats? Pure prepster gold. Someone at J.Crew probably has smoke coming out of their ears because these are so flippin' cute.
Next up...this is a great travel or poolside bag.
Classy and versatile. This could work with carmel heeled boots, navy flats, peach sandals, etc. I picture gold jewelry with this. Don't you?
A girl's cardigan. Order the XL 14-16 if you are a women's size small and you're all set. This is a great trick for saving money and diversifying your wardrobe. However, sometimes girls clothes are not cut for a womanly figure or adult size arms so it's nice to try things on first if you're concerned about fit.
I like that they have offerings in sleepwear (not the dress I dissed, they have jammy sets), jewelry, bags, swimwear, clothing, women's plus size, petites, regular and girls. I think many people will find success incorporating these pieces into their wardrobe.
Some of these dresses are perfect for summer weddings. Yay, wedding season is around the bend. Have you tried any Webster items on or purchased anything through the Shops at Target? I'd love to hear what your favorite pieces are.
all images c/o target.comAin’t nobody got time for that
This year's Antoine Dodson:
This video is so groovy. I would dance to this for sure.
In an adult soccer league a few years ago, a player on the opposing team said something to the effect of "I would have scored that goal but I have bronchitis." We had a lot of laughs about that saying things like "I would have won the Olympics but I got the BRONCH."
Happy Friday!
Harry Potter World. A magical world of witchcraft and wizardry in Orlando, FL
The bus don't go to Hogwart's / You gots to take a train....
Rocking my new cutoff jean shorts full of glee and anticipation at the gate to Hogsmeade with Mike!! Thank you goodwill for the $3.99 jeans I hacked.
Super excited thumbs up.
Cutie pies.
Yum, frosty butter beer. If only Hermione, Ron and Harry were with us!
Wow, what a great castle. The designers did a great job recreating this magical fantasy world.
Wow! I don't think it's an overstatement saying going to Harry Potter World in Orlando was a dream come true. I've included some HP songs in this post as well.
The pumpkin juice and butter beer were chalk full of sugar and unique flavors. The rides were awesome. We loved dueling dragons. The lines were well decorated and entertaining. We even lucked out with an overcast day which helped complete the fantasy of being in Hogwart's and Hogsmeade!
The talking picture frames (super realistic (and by realistic I mean - looked like oil paintings) and entertaining) and Dumbledore's office were two of my favorite set pieces.
Have you been there? Do you want to go to HP World? Will you put a lighting bolt smudge on your forehead and rock it out?
Ybor City, Florida
We had a delightful time in Ybor City in Florida a few Sundays ago. Dinner at Columbia was scrumptious. I bought Kyle baby a cigar in a nearby store. I was able to capture fabulous couple pictures and a happy family photo. Life is good. Enjoy your Sunday and thanks for reading!
outfit inspiration J.Crew bubble necklace
I trolled Polyvore for outfit inspiration because I want to debut my fabulous new J. Crew necklace tomorrow. 
Tomorrow is casual Friday in my office. My heart isn't set on wearing jeans. While I love jeans, other items are just as comfortable and it isn't a bad thing to be slightly over-dressed at work (dress for the position you want as they say).
I'll follow up with the outfit I actually come up with. In the meantime, here are some ideas...
Stripes + statement necklace (2):
First stripes outfit ~ Well....I have a short sleeve stripey top. Missing are the orange espadrilles, tortoise shell watch and leopard print skirt. I think I could reinvent something similar but fun with my fuschia skirt and other shoes.
Stripe outfit two (below) ~ horizontal striped dress. I have a dress that is predominantly black with white stripes and could work. The issue is running the risk of everyone commenting that I look very "Steelers."
Cute (seriously - how cute is her smiley expression!?) but a little too wedding guest/summery for the office.
Punches of yellow - yay. Image 1 ~ I have a yellow top. Since my necklace is yellow, I wouldn't stack the same color top. I could wear a blue or white long sleeve top with capris and similar ballet flats.
Punches of yellow Image 2 (below) ~ I have the silver belt, similar top and heels but not a bright pencil skirt and frankly I don't think tomorrow feels like a pencil skirt kind of day.
This one isn't right for work but for play it would be fun. I have a similar tank top and shorts. Crossbody bags in my closet are mostly black although I do have a funky 80s type one I could bring in and pair with some colorful heels. This may need to happen for a day of bopping around town or a warm, outdoor women's brunch.
Orange and blue together. I enjoy these complimentary colors together bigtime. I could mimic this look because I have a similar top and white bottoms. The funky patterned purse is not in closet inventory but while working, a matching purse doesn't usually matter much...it's stashed in a drawer for safe keeping all day. I am also missing orange flat sandals but could sub in another shoe.
Orange and blue together again. To me, this is style. I love the different colors, patterns and textures together! I have a navy top like that but it's not mesh...I suppose a cardi w/ colorful tank underneath would work. Skirt-wise I would have to play it more boring with a black or tan most likely. My printed skirts do not pair well with a giant yellow statement necklace.
Black and white polka dot dress and necklace. Add a blazer or cardigan and something like this could work for the workplace. My only polka dotted dresses are either too formal (strapless white and navy one) or red and white. The red and white one would be fine but not paired with my honkin' yellow necklace. I don't often pair red and yellow. It's too Golden Arches if you know what I mean.
Another dress. I like this image because of all the pretty jewel tones. However, that is not what I'm working with unless lemons became a jewel, in which case - bingo. Anyhow, I don't think I have a dress with the right neckline so this look will probably not be recreated tomorrow.
Are you still with me? We're down to the last two.
Polka dot pants with simple top. Once again - missing the tortoise shell watch. I own leopard print shoes so that could work. I don't have a high-collared neutral top quite like that but think I could make something similar work. The pantaloons...well, I have floral pants but they're very blousy and I don't feel it would create the right silhouette. Perhaps a simple color pant would work in the right tone...or a skirt with some texture for visual interest.
Grand finale inspo picture. Doesn't this one scream casual Friday? The pieces featured below are pretty much wardrobe staples so I'm confident this can be recreated in many a closet. Skinny jeans, oxford shirt, cardigan and dressy sandals.
Do you use Polyvore and other sites for outfit inspiration and consider what items you have in your closet to recreate the look?
Feel free to email me with any styling questions and stop back this weekend to see what I wore.
Photo & insp. credits ~ Outfits created by these users, images via polyvore: my4boys, milljcrew, handbagaficionado, findingcate, lemonade-lover, bonnaroosky,
Florida visit
I had the pleasure of visiting one of my best friends in Tampa recently. It was awesome to get a weekend in the sun and to see some sights such as Siesta Key, Harry Potter World, and Ybor City. We even tackled painting the office of their beautiful home.
Their home has an open floor plan and is a ranch. I like both those things. Open floor plans are nice because you can keep tabs on people and holler across multiple rooms. Ranches are nice because if you're elderly or injured you can move throughout the house more easily sans stairs.
Their pooch Jake feels like a fur nephew to me. He is a sweetie and a unique dog breed - Catahoula Leopard. Cool tongue buddy!
Alessia picked out a great green color. It looks like something that could be found in nature and was a bold, beautiful choice.
We painted two of four walls in her home office. Painting by yourself rather than paying to have it done is a great way to save money and it's one of the better home improvements if you ask me. It's a bit of labor but you can see the fruits of your labor as you go which is encouraging. The color options are almost never-ending at Home Depot or Lowe's and you get a lot of bang for your buck (much cheaper than statement furniture).
We taped off the ceiling, floor boards, outlets (a true pro probably unscrews them but tape works alright). We laid down drop cloths and began rolling on the walls with foam rollers and painting the edges with an angled brush. Nearby, Michael relaxed and wore his Pens jersey to cheer on the 'burgh based hockey team. He is a big sports guy and probably the Number One Pittsburgh Sports Fan in Tampa.
Look at this glamorous pose while painting near the ceiling.
I usually wear scuzzy clothes while painting....or new invention - wear my clothes inside out. This way any light paint splatters will only be on the reverse side.
Oh my goodness. We must were having so much fun Mike couldn't resist joining the paint party.
Soon enough, the first coat of paint was done.
We finalized the second coat later in the weekend.
Does this make you want to paint or what!?
Quickie
This link is too cool. Pets + nicely designed spaces = happy reader.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/pets-of-small-cool-2012-170255
Zen
Thanks for visiting my site. Today I'm writing about a blog I like and a thoughts I've had that I didn't like.
Zen Habits blog has been just what I need lately. The posts are full of reminders to eliminate clutter, take things slower, and seek peace and happiness. Growing up, I felt the need to be an over achiever. I strove to be perfect. It miffed me that I was just good or mediocre at many things. Instead of appreciating being good at so many things I asked why I couldn't be a stand-out person at one of those things. I filled my life up with so many social engagements, sports and leadership roles on committees that I would crash into a restorative nap every Sunday. I still carry some of the over-achiever traits and self criticism habits I had in my youth which is why reading materials like the blog posts on Zen Habits is soothing to me.
When I first started reading Zen Habits, I assumed the writer was a woman. I've stopped by the site every so often for over a year. Recently, I realized that the author is a man. My disappointment caused me to reflect on myself. Sometimes I think I'm a little sexist or stuck in gender roles and that is not something I like. It's minimal and possibly normal just based upon life experiences, but it still gives me a reason to pause and think about why I have thoughts like this: I wish the highest paid hair and makeup people were all women because I feel as if specializing in hair and makeup is a female arena. It comes from a place of wanting women to be at the top and for a fleeting moment it seems valid...until I give it deeper thought.
Then, I realize that's probably the type of thought white male corporate executives had when minorities started climbing into positions of greater power and responsibility. So I realize I want to keep an open mind to everything.
Have you ever caught yourself thinking something that is not politically correct or nice? What have you done to correct it or examine where your thought came from?
On a lighter note, I am really looking forward to surfing this summer while on vacation in Huntington Beach, California.
I have a slight obsession with how people decorate their cars. I am compiling pictures for a full post of many images in the future. The photo below was spotted at one of my best friend's bridal showers in the driveway.
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