A Sunday Outfit

Several weeks ago I put together this outfit for church and I rather liked it so I thought I would share with you lovely people!

Now, I'm all for bright colors people. ALL THE WAY. But, I wasn't sure about this shirt at first. (Actually I think it's a dress, but I'm not sure if I will wear it as a dress sooooo...it's a shirt) I took a chance on it though, and I'm glad I did. I like it! I was thinking it looked like something one would wear to an art museum, maybe because it reminds me of a Vincent van Gogh painting!
 

Dress/Tunic Shirt - Goodwill - $5.50
Black Long Sleeved Shirt - Wal-mart - I don't remember, but it was on sale! Probably $3 or less.
Black Skirt - Goodwill - $2.50
Necklace - A gift

My grandma would tell me frequently that I was a model. LOL, maybe just on here! We went to church with her every Sunday for a long time and she always loved seeing what I put together for outfits. She was biased though :)

j

So for an outfit that cost around $11, I think I found a keeper. What do you think?

What is your style and what colors do you like the most? Have you ever bought something you weren't too sure about? Did it end up in the donate pile or is it still in your closet?

Cheers!

Tips to Help You Organize Your Clothes

Hello my lovelies,

Last month I realized something: I own way too many clothes.

80% of my clothing shopping is done at thrift stores so I don't feel that I have spent a fortune on my wardrobe. BUT. When a person has more clothes than they can possibly wear in a year, something must be done about it. I have also been hanging on to some clothes for nostalgic reasons and I tend to avoid wearing them to preserve them. (Ridiculous, I know, but there it is.) Others are just plain worn out from favoritism. I think some letting go has to happen, don't you?

So I've decided to purge! I have three clothing closets in this house. Now, now, hear me out! They are small closets and one of them isn't even filled all the way :P I also hang up most of my clothing. People don't normally hang up t-shirts, but I do 'cause it keeps them from getting wrinkled like they would be if I kept them in a dresser. I am not a fan of ironing so this is essential.
I was also very nice to Robert and let him have the biggest closet in our bedroom (and house), which fits most of his clothing. Someday I want to design my own walk-in closet, but today is not that day.
 

This is my entire t-shirt, flannel shirt, and cami collection; minus a few that were in the laundry pile.

 Today I'm going to start with my t-shirt, cami (camisole), and flannel shirt closet. I keep these out year round because I can layer long sleeved shirts with t-shirts or flannels with t-shirts, etc. Camisoles are a very important part of my wardrobe because of how thin and low they make t-shirts these days. 

I was losing my hold on the stack in this pic. My arms were sore the next day after this photshoot :D

Things to keep in mind while going through your clothes:

1. Inspect every. single. piece. Look for signs of wear such as: holes, rips, loose threads, stains, fading, and pilling (fuzzies). I may end up mending some of the above that I find, but if it's too far gone it's going!

2. Try on everything. And I mean everything. Does it fit right? Is it too tight? Too short? Fabric uncomfortable? Is the fabric stretched out? When you lift your arms or bend over, does skin show that you would rather keep covered? Is the fabric design or color going to match something you already own? Numerous times I have bought something just because I liked the style or fabric and stubbornly refused to think practically. Most of those purchases ended up being forgotten in the closet because I didn't ask myself these questions. Ask yourself questions like these, especially when you are shopping and take a friend with you for another opinion. Or simply because it's fun shopping with friends!

3. Do you need it? If you're anything like me, I tend to keep things because they have good memories attached to them. As I mentioned above, there are clothes in my closet that I no longer wear because I don't want to ruin them and am trying to make them last longer. What's the point of keeping clothing if you're not going to wear it? I don't need the shirt I was wearing when I experienced my first kiss, I have a picture of myself on that day. Bonus: I married my first kisser! I get reminders every day :)

4. Are you tired of your clothing? Do you own things that you loved at the time, but don't love now? I still have shirts that I had when I was 10! I'm 21 now, and my style has and is changing. Trends come and go, and sometimes I don't always like what is 'in style'. I do want to update my closet with some of the trends I do like and I think it's high time to part with some teen style t-shirts.When people see me, I want them to see an adult, not a teenager. (Which I often get mistaken for.) I'm keeping some of my nerd/geek t-shirts though. They is important!

5. You may be able to sell your clothing!!!! If something you don't want anymore is lightly used, you may very well be able to get money for it on places like Ebay or Poshmark. I know I've mentioned thredUP before and I've sent clothing to them in order to get credit several times. Unfortunately they are very picky about what they will take. They only accept certain brands and conditions of clothing, and last year I sent them some items that were only worn once that they didn't accept :P If you want to get the clothing back from them you have to pay $12.99 return assurance prior to sending the bag. I like buying from thredUP but I don't think the selling option is worth your while. I'm sure there are tons of other clothing buying and selling websites and options out there for you to choose from, these are just the ones I have personally used or know of.

 I'm sure there is more that I could think up, but it's time to begin the purge! I'm going to take this colossal pile of t-shirts and begin my investigation.

 Tools you will need: 

1. Needles - For mending anything you want to spend the time to mend.

2. A razor - This helps remove difficult pilling/fuzzies. Be very careful while your using this, I almost slit my fingers a few times. I also managed to make holes in a few shirts. Don't go too crazy with it or you'll end up causing more damage to the shirt than there already was!

3. Thread - Coordinating with whatever needs mending.

4. Lint Shaver - This works for removing some pilling, but it doesn't always work remove it all. Be careful with this too because if the material bunches up while using this, it will cause it to make little holes. Try to avoid going over the thread lines on your shirts because it can mess those up too. I speak from experience :P

5. Scissors - For snipping off those annoying loose threads.

6. A movie or music - To keep yourself from dying of boredom while doing this!

It's best to do this on a flat surface so that the material won't bunch up. I used our coffee table. Just lay out your choice of clothing and get to it! This does take a while. I definitely didn't do this in one sitting.

 Here is my end result! The pile on the left is to keep and the pile on the right is going away. I parted with almost half of what I started with, guys!!!! Pretty good, if I do say so myself.

I hope this helps you the next time you decide to organize your clothing! From now on I will be keeping a practical mindset whenever I go clothing shopping so I won't bring anything home that I will regret later!

Catch ya later,

Mary

Curiouser and Curiouser

Well hello!

These past two months have been crazy and exhausting, which is why you haven't heard much from my little corner of the world :P
It seems that at least one part of every year (if not more) I let myself get overwhelmed with life, which leads to me neglecting things I like to do. Blogging being near the top of the list. *sigh*

In my last post I believe I mentioned being in an Alice in Wonderland mood at the beginning of April. Well, you finally get to find out why!

I have been wanting to host an Alice themed tea party for like, EVER and I finally told my family that I would be hosting our Easter. With a twist :D

So naturally, I went all out.

Here we have the 'Drink Me' bottle which made Alice shrink, the 'Eat Me' cake which made her grow, and the key that magically appeared only AFTER she drank from the shrinking potion. Ironic, huh?

I read the 'Splintered' series during my party planning. I have to say I had high expectations for these and I was rather disappointed. There were a lot of things I liked about them, being Alice in Wonderland inspired and all, but the sexual innuendos and behavior of some of the characters made me not want to finish them. But I did, and I was very happy with the ending. By the way, I liked Morpheus better than Jeb in the end :) (I knew you'd be dying to know, Cait!) It was actually pretty tough to decide between the two, which I can't say the same for in other love triangles.

My collection of Alice books and decks of cards I found at a thrift store that reminded me of Wonderland.

THE FOOD! I made too much as usual, but it was gooooood. Lots of little tea sandwiches that Mom helped me make :)



I just made them up with ingredients I had. Here are the recipes if anyone is interested:

Cucumber Goat Cheese Sandwiches

1 loaf Gluten free or Regular Bread ,cut into fourths
8 oz. Garlic and Herb Goat Cheese (add a bit of water or milk to make it spread easier)
1 Cucumber, cut into thin rounds
1 bunch of Chives, cut into thirds
1 bunch of Dill, broken off into 1 in. sprigs

Take one of the bread pieces and spread on the goat cheese. Place the chive sprig first, then the cucumber, and top with the dill sprig.

Turkey Bruschetta Sandwiches

1 loaf Gluten free or Regular Bread, cut into fourths
1 pack of Turkey or another kind of lunch meat, also cut into fourths
1 jar of Bruschetta Spread
1 bunch of Parsley, broken off into 1 in. sprigs

Spread the bruschetta on the bread. Put the lunch meat on and then top with the parsley sprig,

Enjoy!

This was my second attempt at making petite fours and I was so happy with how they turned out!!!!!! They tasted AMAZING. I was quite sad when the last one was eaten. Definitely making more soon. Here is the recipe I used. I added vanilla extract instead of orange.

 

I found these plates, brand new and still shrink wrapped, at a thrift store a few years ago. I was saving them specifically for this occasion :)

         

I had a heck of a time finding these :P I looked everywhere EXCEPT the sugar aisle. I know. I figured they would be in the tea and coffee section but nooooo, they had to be in a logical place.



That's right, you aren't seeing things. Those are mushroom cookies, baby. A fellow blogger made a TON of Alice in Wonderland delicacies for a friend's party and she found this mushroom cookie recipe.

 

The dining room table. I made quite a mess! Also, my 'talking' flowers.



I had fun throwing them on the table :D

 

The 'Mad' Tea Party. I was so happy the weather cooperated with me! It wouldn't have been the same had I had to have inside. It was so warm being in the sun during the afternoon, that my brother actually fell asleep. At the table. I thought it was quite fitting for a mad tea party, and now I have blackmail pictures :D

 

 

My sister's contributed some of their dust collectors to complete the look :)

 

 

One of them even had this little dormouse-y fellow!

 

 

I made name place cards for everybody and I used my sister's collection of old keys to make it look cool. Did I mention some of my family dressed up for the occasion? *sigh* A dream come true!

 

 

I was Alice, of course. My sister, brother-in-law, and brother were 'cards' made from poster board. My Dad was the Mad Hatter. Mom was the Red Queen. My aunt and her friend dressed up as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. My nephew and nieces had bunny and mouse ears on. Everyone looked awesome and I'm so happy they agreed to dress up!!!! It's more fun that way.

 

 

My sweet husband consented without (much) complaint to be the Cheshire Cat, his favorite character! He even climbed a tree so I could take pictures :) I told him to give me his biggest, toothiest smile.

 

 

"I'm afraid so.You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are."

 

 

I had a mirror and a clock leaning against a tree. The roses are actually from Picmonkey since some of my siblings were in the reflection who have requested to not have their pictures shared on my blog.

 

 

I found this awesome contraption at a local boutique. It was a tea cup attached to a distressed bed post. Adorbs.

 

My red and white 'rose' bushes. I just stuck some fake ones in for the party.

Me and Chessie :D

 

 

I love these socks!

 

We ate delicious food, played croquet, set up an Easter egg hunt, had fun being crazy at the mad tea party, and basically had a smashing good time :) It was a blast.

 

A Peep of a Different Color

Hiya pals,

Did everyone have a nice Easter this year? Ours was very low-key. I wasn't feeling too good, so we canceled our original plans with Robert's family (it was a ways away and I didn't feel well enough to travel). So we had a nice quiet day and then later on I felt a lot better and we decided to go over to my parents. It was nice to just  waste time with family. No worries, no obligations, just fun :)

Here are the pictures of our Easter this year:

I love this dress. Robert bought it for me in 2010 and I've worn it every Easter for the past five years.

Me and Robbie.



He's not much of a pastel or bright color person, but he humors me occasionally :D

We picked out Easter candy for each other when we went out shopping together :)

THEY HAD BIRTHDAY CAKE PEEPS!!!!!! BIRTHDAY CAKE. They are amazing. I love that Robert likes them too. Everyone in my family except one of my sisters dislikes peeps, so it's nice to be able to enjoy them with him :) (Lol, I totally just typed 'dislikes people' instead of 'peeps'! Good thing I caught that one!)

Mom and Dad bought me a fairy garden set! I can't wait to get started on my garden and build some fairy houses! It's been AGES since I've done that.

I found chalkboard eggs at Wal-Mart!!!!! I was thinking of painting my own, but this saved me a ton of time. I've been in a Alice in Wonderland mood lately, and you'll see why in some of the next posts :D Next time I might try chalk paint on the eggs 'cause it was difficult to draw with the chalk they provided.

So, that's that. Happy Belated Easter!!!!!

~Mary

St. Paddy's Day - Scones and Rainbow Stamps

Happy Day after St. Paddy's Day!!!!!!

I hope you enjoyed my week before St. Patrick's Day party! I had fun :) I also learned that I'm not great at posting daily, but hey, it's better than what I've done in the past! So long as I keep it up...hehe.

Anyways, here is the outfit I wore on St. Patrick's Day:

Plaid Shirt - Thrifted
Black T-shirt - Wet Seal
Black Cami - Maurices
Green Skirt - Thrifted
Flats - TOMS - Nordstrom.com
Shamrock Earrings - Claires
Celtic Knot Necklace - Irish Fest.

I love this combo! That shirt is my absolute favorite right now.

It looked warmer than it was :P Afterwards I went inside and put leggings on!



Has anybody tried this hairstyle? It's something I made up myself.
First you make two low pigtails. Then section the pigtail as if you are going to do a three strand braid. Individually braid each strand so that you have three mini braids and secure with small bands. Braid all of them together and secure with a large band. Remove small bands. Repeat with second pigtail.
Make sense?



My sisters have similar necklaces to this. My eldest has one with a shamrock and my other sister's has a Celtic trinity knot.

 

 

My shoes.

 

 

I made gluten and dairy free scones for the first time!!!!!!! They're amazing. Here is the recipe. I did make a few changes since her recipe wasn't dairy free. I used almond milk instead of regular and spectrum spread vegetable shortening in place of butter.  Robert is not allergic to eggs so I didn't bother replacing those. I also did not have the self-raising flour mix she used so I used my flour blend (brown rice flour, potato flour, and tapioca starch) + 2 tsp. of GF baking powder.

 

Topped with black current jam. YUM.

 

 

We went over to Robert's mom's house for dinner. She fixed corned beef with potatoes, cabbage and other veggies. A GF bread with pesto and manchego sheep's cheese. And some homemade coleslaw. It was gooooood.

 

 

Sooo. I did not have time to finish the Celtic craft I was going to share, so I will share this instead. Around this time last year, I bought this adorable little notebook from TangleCrafts on Etsy. IT'S SO COLORFUL I'M GONNA DIE!!!!!!!!! I love it. I turned it into an address book, so I guess you could call it a craft. Sorta. This lady's stuff is amazing so be sure to check out her shop!

 

 

Well, that is all for now, folks. I hope you all had a very Irish-y St. Patrick's Day! Cheers :)