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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

still time to vote for the TOP 25

Calling all friends and bloggers! There is still time to vote for OCD on the Circle of Moms Top 25 Home Organizing blogs!
Please! go! vote! and help my sad little 18 person voted for blog get some love!
And of coarse check out all the other amazing home organizing blogs out there, there are some really great ones to read!

Monday, September 26, 2011

do you valance or drape?


I am always curious about what other people use in their homes for window coverings. I am a tooth person and a window person, those are the first things I notice, just the way I am.
I really love valances, especially because our windows give way to a pretty view. Although I do have one set of drapes in my dining room.
Sometimes I want to be a drape person, they are so luxurious and pretty...sometimes I look at my windows and want to dress them in linen, but I love the valances I have. They add height and color to the room while allowing us to look out into the backyard we work so hard on.
Sooo, while scouring Pininterst today I found these rooms that sparked my interest and thought...
What do you do? Do you valance or drape?
What are your thoughts when you have three windows all on one wall, two of which are in the living room and one that is in the eat in kitchen?
Do you dress them all the same? Would you drape one and valance the rest?
 I would love some feedback on what all my blog friends think!

(all photos from Pininterest)
valances


burlap valances

Cute tie up valances

Drapes

drapes


drapes...

And now for what I dress my windows with!






Friday, September 23, 2011

momma fashion 101 {what i wear week 1}

I am so excited to begin the next stage of momma fashion 101! Not pretending that I know every thing or always go by the "rules" here I go to show you how as a mom I dress on a daily basis. Unfortunately some of the pictures are kinda fuzzy, so next week I will try to be better at that, and also I hate the scrunchy face I seem to be making in all of them...really what is that! Any tips of the one handed pictures taking please I need them!

  



1. Jeans: JCPenny brand ANA, top: JCPenny brand ANA, cardigan: JCPenny brand ANA
2.  Jeans: JCPenny brand ANA, top: JCPenny brand ANA, cardigan: JCPenny brand Decree
3. Jeans: JCPenny brand ANA, top: JCPenny brand ANA, cardigan:

Kohls brand Take Out
4. Jeans: Kohls brand Candies, top: JCPenny brand St.John's Bay, cardigan: Ross
5. This was my job hunting outfit, and it won me a part time job!
Skirt: Harold's, top: JCPenny brand Arizona

I think I shop at JCPenny alot more than I realized...Come back next week for 5 all new outfits!

fence panel headboard

To cheap to buy a headboard for you kid? Love DIY projects? Have an old fence panel lying around that you cant get rid of because you know the minute you do you will need it? 
Then this post is for you!
I fall under all three categories, I hate spending money when I can DIY something crafty for free.

I never thought about blogging about the fence panel headboard in my sons room because we have had it for so long, but recently some friends came over for the first time and loved it so I thought "self, why not blog about it!" If my friends love it maybe my blog friends will too!" I know pallets are all the rage right now and yes I love them too but I really love the fence headboard!  Especially since I already have it...


The only things we had to do was cut the panel vertically to the width we wanted and then attach it to the bed. My son is a die hard cowboy, and on the ranches here in Texas you will see boots on the fence posts, thus the upside down boots.

Cheap. Quick. and Different. My three favorite things!

Linked up at:
Tickled Pink at 504 Main

              



Thursday, September 22, 2011

what is it about fall?

What is it about fall that we love so much?

 Is it....
that at 9:15am the temperature is cool and crisp?

the way the leaves are beginning to fall and decorate our porches?

the colors that we get to see....?

the natural place settings that bring the outdoors in?

or the warmth we feel when we have a place to gather with close friends and family?
 

Is it...

 the fall decorations that we love so much?

or

the friendly fall sayings that encourage us to enjoy life?
 

the feeling we get that we are so blessed...

Could it be...

watching our kids enjoy fall baseball with friends?

or Friday night football games...?

These are all the things I love about fall, how about you? What is your favorite thing about this time of year?

the oh so coveted chalkboard wall

Like so many others I have fallen in love with the look of the chalkboard wall!  I had to have one...or two...or three even. However, so far I only have one with big plans for two more! It was so pretty after I first painted it, I told my husband I am more in love with the black wall than I am the ability to write on it.

So for all you chalkboard fanatics here you go, a little before and after eye candy from my very own house!

A very ugly before...I knew it was bad but didn't know it was that bad!

Not only does he have a place for his free style art but he can also hang his
papers from the "art line" and swap them out as wanted.
For the "art line" I nailed two horseshoes to the wall and tied rope between them, a pack of small laundry clips and voila!
 
Games or drawings...whatever his heart desires.


One of the easiest projects ever, except for the waiting part...I am known to be quite impatient so waiting three whole days before I could play was almost impossible! So if you want one, must have one, cant live without one, GO PAINT YOU ONE you will not be disappointed!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Vote for ME!!!

HOLY COW! HOLY COW! HOLY COW!
After taking a small break to reorganize my thoughts and time I hoped on my email and to my surprise had the most amazing email sitting in my inbox....I have been nominated to the Top 25 Home Management Blogs on Circle of Moms! I am so humbled that my thoughts, tips and ideas are taken seriously and enjoyed out there. I have to say there are days I dont get a lot of comments that I think, why oh why do I continue this. And then BAM! It is apparent to me, we are a circle of moms sharing with one another and it means something!
So a hugh thank you to whom ever nominated me and please VOTE!






Saturday, September 10, 2011

milk and its many uses


Who knew that milk wasn't just for your bones!? I found an article in Real Simple about the many uses of milk and thought they were so helpful I had to share.

Stain pretreater.
submerge the soiled part of the item in whole milk, ring out the excess and immediately wash.

Bath soak.
 add 1 cup of milk to a tub of warm water. The lactic acid in milk softens your skin while you are soaking.

Shoe shine.
moisten a cloth with milk and buff your dull patent leather back to a shine.

Burn soother.
the dreaded curling iron mishap? cover your burn with a washcloth soaked in whole milk. The fat in the milk calms inflammation and helps the skin heal.

Plant rescuer.
 REALLY! Mix 1 part milk and 9 parts water and spray on plants covered with powdery mildew. Repeat weekly to keep leaves fungus-free.

Away I got to soak in a warm milk infused bath!

Friday, September 9, 2011

{momma fashion 101} renewing your makeup routine

 
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School marks the beginning of Fall for most of us, especially us out in blogland, and with Fall comes a sense of needing to renew and restart. A lot of us begin a new workout schedule, do a Fall cleaning (equally as important as the Spring cleaning), renew our home with Fall decorations and various other tasks. However, how often do we look at our makeup routine and renew that? Not often I venture to say. Just like we renew our home to make it look better, we need to renew our makeup to make ourselves look better! Makeup should be invisible when applied correctly, otherwise major aging goes on.

Beauty Rule #1: Concealer!
We all love it and we probably all need it. Applying concealer lightly and only to the places you need it will do more for you than any other product out there. Dab it on and blend it in, rubbing is counterproductive.

Beauty Rule #2: Get rid of the lines.
There should be no distinct lines (not visible, distinct...there is a difference) on your lips, lids, or anywhere else on your face. A great product to help hold your shadow in place is Stay Don't Stray by Benefit. You can get it a Sephora for $26.

Beauty Rule #3: Powder and eyes don't mix.
If you never ever ever read another thing I write, read this! Never put power under your eyes, it will highlight the wrinkles that were otherwise invisible to the naked eye.  It cakes up and just looks funky. This is mainly due to the fact that the skin under your eye is thin and has no oil production.

Foundation. If you don't need it skip it. If you do need to wear it like I have to most days match it not to your arm or wrist but to the skin on your face. I know that goes against everything you have been taught. But logically...why match something your face is wearing to your arm? Also, this is new to me and works wonders, apply it before your concealer. This way you know where you need the extra TLC. Remember that the job of foundation is to prep the surface, not cover the dark spots and acne marks, to much is just..too much.

Concealer. Who doesn't love concealer?! It can change your look and boost your confidence. Make sure you are dabbing it on not rubbing it on and always use a concealer brush. I have one from Sephora, love it!

Powder. I venture to say most of us wear it and benefit from it. But when done wrong, boy is it wrong. Powder only the areas that need it and if you apply too much, giving your face a matte finish, go over your face with a large blush brush to wipe up the extra. Resist the urge to reapply through out the day. Multiple layers of powder will give your face a cakey look. If you are shiny, blot with oil control papers. Biore carries some that are small and compact and work great!

Blush. Blush should be applied in a way that it gives natural color to your cheeks and that is it. If your unsure of what color/colors to use spend an afternoon with your blush colors and makeup remover. Hair color, skin color, eye color, they all play a part in what color is best. For example, during the summer I brighten my hair up and am very tan, I tend to look best in a pink color, and in the winter when I darken my hair a bit a more peachy color does the trick. When applying your blush smile! This will expose the natural apples of your cheeks and give you a fail safe place to apply your blush. Apply your blush first. I learned this from my Mary Kay lady, blush darkens after a few minutes, so often we apply it last and we tend to apply more and then go out looking like a clown. Applying it first gives it time to do it's thing and allows you to tone it down it you need to.

Bronzer. Can I just say I love bronzer. When I am in a hurry bronzer is my best friend. However, like blush if it is done wrong it is wrong. Apply your bronzer with a big brush and apply only to the parts of your face that stick out, cheekbones, forehead, chin and nose. Overdoing bronzer is a dead give away.

Lipstick, gloss and stains. I am a gloss kinda girl. But here are some tips anyway. Matte anything is ageing even on the lips. Add a shine! On the other side too much gloss can teeny bopper you. Sheer stains are good but can actually stain your lips. A good natural color lip gloss finishes any look.

Eyes: liners, shadows and mascara. Because there are so many options for eyes, they are often the most easy to over do. Focus on enhancing your eyes not makeing a dramatic statement. To flatter your eye, stick with a sheer and neutral color. Bold colors can be fun just make sure you are applying them as a wash of color, kind of like a water color and not a marker. Liquid eyeliner...hate it. Use the good ole pencil, make sure it is not to sharp and make dots across the area your are applying. I only apply to the outer corners of my eyes then blend in with a Qtip. Apply your liner before your shadow. This will help it to last longer. If you wear both liner and mascara, by apply your liner first you will use less mascara. However, I only use one or the other, usually just liner then I curl my lashes. If your wearing mascara only use black or brown! Any other color indicates you are about to run off to the circus. Mascara was created to make your lashes look great not like they have mascara on them. One or two coats max is all you need.

Like food, makeup also has a shelf life. Go through your makeup bag, perge the old stuff, get some new stuff and voila a renewed, beatiful you!


linked up to:
Tickled Pink at 504 Main

Thursday, September 8, 2011

{momma fashion 101} Style Don'ts



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The original plan when starting this series was to give some basics then go through each of the "styles" around. However, the more I think about it and my knowledge of all styles I think I am sticking with what I know best and that is not divulging into tips on how to be the euber trendy mom or how to be a fashionista. Because frankly I am not either. I have expressed several times my comfort level and how I dress, I dress to please me and make myself feel good while being considerate of my husband and kids. I am instead shifting this series to a more perfecting your style direction. I think that there are some generic tips, do's and don'ts that if we all follow no matter what our style preference is we can do it with grace and elegance.

That being said, I want to share with you some of the don'ts of style that I try to follow. Some of these are spins off research I have done and some are educated thoughts based off what I see of the celebrities doing. I tend to follow Jennifer Aniston and Beth Moore the most when I look to styling myself.

Ultimately as busy wives and moms what we all want is less, the way to get that modern, fresh and uncontrived style is quite simple: less. Clean shiny hair, clear skin, not too much makeup, little jewelry, those should be the basics we stick with, now how do we achieve it?

1. Don't assume there is something wrong with you.
If you have your hairdresser or close friend telling you your hair is too thin, thick or flat, get a new hairdresser! God made us the way we are, perfect in everything he created, he was not wrong. Work with what you have.

2. Don't be afraid to be classic.
Classic does not equal boring. Classic can be very fashionable. If the look works on you why change it? Who cares what the magazines say is cool, if it looks flawless on you it is cool and so are you!


3. Don't try to look like everyone else.
As a blogger we are HORRIBLE at this. We see someones craft and boom we recreate it, we see someones house and boom are house is no longer good enough unless we have the same white cabinets, chevron rug and teal pillows that everyone else has. And ladies it is the same with fashion. We see how another mom dresses and boom we run out and imitate that look. Be you! Changing your look to follow every trend out there shows how insecure we really are.

4. Don't go too blond.
There is nothing pretty about over processed hair. Hair that is bleached too much becomes porous and looses its natural shine. Tone down those over the top highlights, make your hair darker and richer. If you love blond by all means go for it, I have highlighted hair too, just keep it Carmel and not so...white...

5. Don't adopt a regional look.
Our houses are decorated regionally that just the way it is, but your style does not have to follow suite. Style yourself according to your personality not your zip code. Just because your whole neighborhood walks around in swim suits and cover ups does not mean you have to!

6. Don't be too serious.
Accessories are a perfect way to express yourself. Find a pair of great shoes and purse to bring out your personality. Have fun with your style!

7. Don't try to look picture perfect.
I had a hard time with this for years. Every hair had to be in place, lipstick on, always ready. That is exhausting! It's OK if your hair is in a messed up pony. Chances are people will think you did it on purpose anyway.

8. Be creative and confident.
A closet with only ten items in it can be better that one with hundreds. If you have a jacket, scarf, necklace whatever it may be, that looks great on you and you feel great in why change it? Who cares really! If you love it and it suites you what is the point of having a hundred. There is not point and that right there is what reflects real style.

9. Stop adding and start subtracting.
This goes along with #9. Eliminate to bring out the best. I saw alot of bloggers come to this conclusion with their houses this past year. Homes that were filled to the brim with knickknacks and furniture got pared down to the necessities. Apply the same thought process to your makeup, your hair, your clothing. Think about the 5 second face instead of the 5 minute face. When it comes to jewelry, less is absolutely more. We should only wear enough jewelry to balance out look. Too much jewelry looks cheap. When I look at Jennifer Aniston I never see her in a ton of bangles, 3 strands of necklaces and earrings. I see her in a simple watch, small dainty bracelet, toe ring and simple necklace. Too me Jennifer Aniston is the epitome of classic.

10. Take off the logo.
For awhile I thought this was just a quirk of mine, but I actually read it recently when researcring for this series. Tshirts are great and welcomed into any wardrobe, however, gone is the age where logos are cool. We are not cool in American Eagle or Aeropostale. I am not saying don't shop at those places, by all means if you can fit, go but I am saying buy something other than the $10 logo tshirt. They are really for a much young generation....our kids.

There you go girlies, have fun, be you, be confident, be classic and be happy! 

linked up to:
Somewhat Simple


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