wrapping it up.

with a pretty red scarf and some red lips to match.

cream cotton top: kohl's clearance
jeans: GAP
boots: target clearance
scarf: a gift from my brother when he was on deployment in Afghanistan (he sent me a box containing seventeen scarves he had bought from street markets there!)
brooch: thrifted
confession: I didn't actually wear the boots and the scarf today. It was far too warm. But I dreamed about wearing them!

with a beautiful friend who looks so pretty in pink that I just had to share. This is my most favorite Ashlei (as I like to call her), and she's wonderful and always looks adorable too. She came over for coffee this morning! It was lovely. I heart her.

polka-dot sunglasses: f21
tank top: walmart (so cute!)
cardigan: hand-me-down

with a sweet little blondie wearing a cute lil ballerina.

my darling pixie Annabelle. She, like her sister, wanted to be a part of fashion week too. But she, unlike her sister, doesn't like to smile and work it for the camera. but her little shy and tentative smile is just as wonderful.

Sometimes all it take a is a good spin in a twirly skirt to bring out the joy on her face.

This girl melts my heart.


sigh. I can't believe it's the last day of fashion week! It's truly been so. much. fun. And so good for me to think outside the box on what's in my closet! I feel like I have a fresh new take on my wardrobe!
Thanks to each and every one of you lovely ladies for all your kind, sweet,  gracious, make-me-smile-and-sometimes-blush comments. I hope you know how much they meant to me, and how much I really do appreciate it. Honestly. I really wanted to get around to commenting on everyone's blogs, especially those who left ones for me, but unfortunately my google account is somehow messed up and won't let me comment on certain blogs. (psh. technology.) So if I didn't get to come tell you this week, just know this:

I think you're fabulous and beautiful.

:)

and to prove that fact, here is the link list from today.

the end.

featuring a very lovely little girl.

Fashion week, day 6! tomorrow is the last day, I can hardly believe it. Aren't you all going to be sad when it's over? I will be, although wow is it a stretch for me to blog EVERYDAY. Have you noticed how my posts keep getting later and later? Um, there's a reason I only blog once every three weeks! hehehe. But this week has been so fun, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Today's outfit doesn't seem very "fall-ish" probably, but perhaps that is because it was quite hot and summery outside. I snapped this picture as we were out the door to go buy groceries. (yes, again. I buy a lot of groceries, apparently!)


cream tank top: tj maxx
lacy top with ruffles: kohl's clearance
skinny jeans: Paide denim, marshall's
messenger bag: target clearance
nude flats: Payless clearance
rosette headband: Etsy

Isn't this headband the cutest? One of my friends makes these, and they're amazing. Please do yourself a favor and go check out her shop, Pocketful of Zoe, on Etsy. Her name is Alisha and she's not only quite talented, but also a lovely sweetheart. I already want to buy more from her. One of each, if you please. :) I love it when friends of mine open Etsy shops! it's just so much fun to buy beautiful things from people I know and admire. 

and now, lest you are tired of looking at pictures of me, I give you the fabulous Emma, who asked if she "could do a fashion post too?" She carefully chose her dress and the shoes to match just so, and adorned her hair with her favorite flower just for the occasion.

I think her look is sweetly fresh and floral.

work it, Emma Joy, work it.

Sometimes I can't believe this lovely creature is my daughter. Such a blessing.

Sweet girl of mine. oh, I'm thankful.

day 6 links. Now that I'm actually on the computer, I need to go see what everyone else is wearing today! whee!

the yellow shirt.

wow, day 5 already! this week is flying right on by. Today is Wednesday, which means: craziness. I always feel like I never get to castch my breath on Wednesdays, but always, at the end of day when I look back and see all we've gotten done and all the lovely things that happened, I don't mind being out of breath.

Today I wore one of my favorite shirts.

This yellow shirt has kind of a funny story... one of Lydia's good friends, Kristen, came to visit her here once, about a year and a half ago, and she wore this shirt. I loved it so much that I joked about stealing it from her (don't worry, I didn't.) Then, a few months ago, my other sister Jerusha, who lives in the same town as this friend, received it in a bag of clothes that Kristen didn't want anymore and gave to her. Jerusha remembered my affinity for this yellow shirt, and promptly mailed it to me. Such a happy set of serendipitous circumstances! I always knew this yellow shirt and I were fated to be together.

...and I didn't even have to resort to stealing!


yellow shirt: f21, hand-me-down
navy shorts: kohl's clearance
shoes: vintage, thrifted

I must also say a little something about these shoes.

I found them when I was visiting one of my favorite antique stores here in town... turns out some little old lady had given her entire shoe collection to this store-- trunkfuls of shoes from the 50's on, in all different styles and colors! and wouldn't you know, she and I are exactly the same size of feet. It was quite difficult to choose just one pair, but these are the ones I came away with that day, and I love them. Soon, I must go back and dig through the treasure trove of shoes that waits for me. I know there's more that I simply MUST have. :)


a very happy Wednesday to you all, my dears!

day 5 link list, at Emery's blog (she looks so charming today!). the loveliness never stops.

ps. thanks to Miss Emma Joy for being such a wonderful photographer for her mama today! :)

magical dentists and big brown eyes.

it is day four, and today we went to the dentist!

a repaired filling for me, a filling for Emma, and a cleaning for Emma and Annabelle. They were champs. But the best part of all? Our dentist does magic! The girls are always blown away by his tricks and talk about for days afterwards. I'm all for it... anything that makes the dentist seem fun is a good thing! :)

It's actually pretty warm today again... but since the dentist's office always runs a little bit cold, I took advantage of that fact and wore a cardigan. wheee! I do love cardigans.

stripey cardigan: target
black tank top: target clearance
cut-offs: seven for all mankind, found at Plato's Closet for super cheap.
floral sandals: target clearance (there's a lot of target up in here today)
flower earrings (you can't see them very well here but they're quite cute): f21
pearl bracelets: gift

Rosalie was hanging around while I was taking these pictures and wanted some pictures of her own, so I happily complied. This girl has quite a mind of her own already when it comes to what she wears, and she picked out today's outfit, from the skirt to the headband. She looks rather adorable, don't you think?






































those brown eyes, they get me everytime.

and here's the link list for today. hasn't this been fun so far??

12 minutes.

that's how long I have before the link list closes over at Emery's blog. ooooops, today got away from me!

It was a good day though. Very low-key, filled with lots of schoolwork, laundry folding, kitchen-cleaning, straightening up the house after a crazy weekend and a piano lesson or two as well. I love being home all day, especially when I haven't gotten to do just that in quite some time. And since I was home all day, my outfit was super casual. Truth be told, I didn't even shower and get dressed in these clothes until 4:00 this afternoon. I am not ashamed to own that I love pajamas and will happily stay in them if I can.

Seeing as it is FASHION week, however, I will refrain from showing you the beloved jammies.

Here I am, in CLOTHES.

tank top: ross dress for less

crocheted sweater: f21

cropped jeans: plato's closet

gold flip-flops: Old Navy

earrings: target clearance

I love the striping on this sweater and the pretty colors.

bright colors make me happy.

something else that makes me happy? messy hair-dos that take all of  five minutes to accomplish, especially when one has left themselves hardly anytime at all before a piano student will be knocking on their door and one really doesn't want to have to answer the door with a towel on one's head.

I have actually had to do that before.

I'm very professional, obviously.

happy day 3 (waaaaay late) to you all! here's the link list! 

two sisters.

day two of fashion week!
and today, it's only 80 degrees, as opposed to 100.
I rejoice.

I'm going to get my outfit for today out of the way first, because then I have something even better to share with you!

lacy camisole: charlotte russe
cream tank top: TJ Maxx
skirt: american eagle, from Plato's Closet (I bought this one years ago, back when I was skinny and could actually wear it down around my waist. haha.)
belt: thrifted
boots: vintage Nine West, thrifted.

I asked my sister Lydia, who lives with us, if she would be in today's post too. She always looks cute, and today the yellow she had on was too good not to share.

yellow tank: J Crew, hand-me-down
jeans: Calvin Klein, hand-me-down
yellow heels: Qupid, hand-me-down.
(can I get a hooray for hand-me-downs?? they're the best! holla for a FREE outfit that looks amazing!)

did I just use the word "holla"?
I don't know what's come over me.

anyway.


isn't she adorable?

I loveth her muchly.

thanks for helping me out with fashion week today, Lyddie-lou. Your pretty face is welcome on my blog anytime!

stepping away from fashion for just a wee little moment, I must say I'm so glad today is Sunday. we had a wonderful church service this morning, followed by a yummy lunch, tonight we're going to have dinner with dear family, and as I sit here typing this, my husband's band is making some pretty awesome music in our garage. God is so good, and I am grateful for this day.

I hope all of you have a lovely Sunday as well. I'm off to peruse all of your fabulous looks!

day two link list!

three little words:

 Fall Fashion Week!!

that's right folks, it's back. I've been eagerly looking forward to the lovely and always-fashionable Emery hosting this again. because I love fall. and I love fall clothes!

I'll be honest, I debated back and forth so much on whether to do it this year or not... but when it came right down to it, I simply couldn't miss out on the fun, and I'm going to give it my best shot. Sometime this week though, I'm going to need to go shopping. Because my fall clothes are almost NOTHING right now. I blame the fact that it has literally been 100 degrees this week and one cannot wear anything remotely fall-ish. ONE HUNDRED DEGREES. sigh. it's just not right.

hurry, fall weather. HURRY!

because of our weather, today's look is more summery than fall-ish. I am hoping and praying that sometime in this next week I will get to wear a scarf or two. some sweaters, maybe. boots. ohhh, scarves and sweaters and boots. how I miss thee.

all right, I'm done bemoaning our weather. However, if you do happen to live somewhere cool, please send some of it our way?? :) Here's my first outfit:



teal knit dress: Ross Dress for Less
metallic striped camisole: Wal-mart
skinny belt: Target clearance 
green stone necklace: Plato's Closet
gladiator sandals: Kohl's clearance

please excuse the poor cell phone picture. and the horribly messy mirror. this was snapped as I was literally out the door with my three girls to go buy a ridiculous amount of groceries in under two hours. (this is no small feat.)

by the way, hello to anyone who is new to my little corner of the internet! I'm delighted to have you! yay for fashion week! :)

day one links. (oh, so much fashion goodness.)

fall fashion! day 7.

The last day! I canst hardly believe it. So sad.

Here's what I wore to church this morning:

grey sweater: hand-me-down from my seester
black dress: thrifted, $4
beaded bow pin: vintage, from a friend
leggings: Ross Dress for Less, $5
grey suede shoes: Payless, $9
pearl bracelet: gift

The bow pin is so darling. One of my friends' grandma had given it to her, and I was exclaiming how cute it was... so she just gave it to me. Thanks, Tiffany! :) It looks to be hand-beaded, too... can you imagine sewing all those beads and sequins on there? I'm glad someone took the time to do it!


Since it was chilly this morning when we left for church I wore leggings (nothing worse than sitting in church with freezing legs), but by the time we got home it had warmed up considerably. So I took them off before I ran out to get a few last-minute costume things. I think the look works without them, too.
I must say, this whole outfit is so comfy. I love outfits that are cute AND comfy... it's like having your cake and eating it too.
(by the way, what is the deal with that expression? Does anyone actually ever have cake and NOT eat it? I can't fathom that.... certainly, if I have cake, I am most definitely going to eat it.)

And now we are at the end of  fashion week. Le sigh. Thanks to all of you this week for the sweet and lovely comments, for visiting me here at my blog, and for sharing your own wonderful fashions with us all. I had SO much fun clicking around and looking at all your pretty outfits and faces, and I definitely found some new blogs to love!
And thank you, Emery, for being such an amazing fashion week hostess. You're the best.

the last day link list. Go and soak up the fabulousness! :)

fall fashion! day six.

This is what I wore one week ago to one of the most charming, beautiful, cozily romantic weddings I've ever been to-- that of our friends Chris and Alyssa.

The wedding was in the mountains, outdoors at a perfect place surrounded by trees and hills and the scent of pines in the crisp autumn air. The decorations were creative, wonderful, and woodsy... it really was just lovely in every way. My husband and I had such a great time spending the evening in the forest with great friends. Chris and Alyssa are such a sweet couple, and I'm so happy for them! So glad we could be there for their special day.

And I'm so glad they had their wedding in the fall, when leaves crunch underfoot, dusk comes at just the right time for magic and twinkly lights, and the air is cool enough to allow for boots and sweaters.


tulle dress: Target, $15
cropped cardigan: Charlotte Russe, $12
lacy tank: Charlotte Russe, $7
boots: thrifted, $3. yes. really. THREE dollars.
necklace: gift, from my brothers on one of my birthdays... maybe when I turned 13? I didn't wear it for many years, but not too long ago I found it again. I love it... not only because it looks vintage and sweet, but because I think of them (they're all far away) whenever I wear it!


These boots were something I stumbled across in some tiny little hole-in-the-wall thrift store. Exactly my size. The perfect caramel-y color. Real leather. Vintage Nine West. And, the best part, as already mentioned: THREE dollars.
Needless to say, I love them. :)

I hope you all have a great weekend... I'll see you tomorrow for the last day of fashion week! boohoo.

day 6 link list. for your viewing pleasure.

fall fashion! day five.

day 5 already? what? this week is going by so quickly! It's been super-duper delightfully fun. I'll be sad when fashion week has come to an end.

Although... I won't lie, I am getting a little bit tired of looking at pictures of myself. You might feel the same way, too, about continuously looking at pictures of me. It's ok. I understand. :)

Yesterday, Thursday, was a doozy of a day. All of us had to be out the door by eight-thirty (easier said than done!), and we were gone until nearly one... then almost as soon as we got home my doorbell rang with the first of my five piano students. Thursdays are always a hectic day 'round these here parts. So, my outfit for yesterday needed to be easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy... something comfy and un-fussy to wear. As tempting as my yoga pants were, I resisted that urge and went with this instead. hehe.




cardigan: Target clearance, $4
lacy flowy shirt: Kohl's clearance, $5
scarf: Liberty of London at Target, $6 (I just love Liberty of London!)
skinny jeans: Paige Demin at Marshall's, on clearance, $50
metallic flats: Target clearance, $4
bow headband: Forever 21, $3

I simply had to post this last picture... just look at that darling chubby hand that sneaked in somehow. Teehee.

have a lovely Friday, friends!

day 5 link list. Please click on this, if only to have a peek at Emery. How is one person this cute?? Seriously.

fall fashion! day four.

The beautiful fall weather this week has me happy sigh-ing and skipping merrily about, so to speak. I simply adore it. Autumn is glorious.
Yesterday was no exception. It was so beautiful and perfect that we just had to spend some time outside enjoying it. Now, one thing you should know about me and my girls is that we rarely wear shoes. I mean, of course, we wear shoes whenever we go somewhere... but if we're at home, you can pretty much be sure we're barefoot. Even when we play outside. Down with shoes, I say!

 This is why it wasn't until half-way through my mini photo-shoot with Emma (she's becoming my little photog) that I finally realized I had completely forgotten to put on shoes. But, instead of running inside and choosing a pair for the sake of these photos, I decided to just embrace the bare feet. It felt right. Beautiful weather always calls for bare feet, I think.


Pumpkins and a happy (although messy) baby are always a wonderful addition too.

shirt: vintage, from one of my favorite antique stores, $4
belt: thrifted, $2 (yes, you've seen this one before. I wear it alot. It's just such a perfect belt!)
jeans: GAP, $30

The detail on this shirt is so sweet. I love the pin-tucks (or are they pleats?), the buttons, the little bit of brown piping, the slightly puffed sleeves. I'm not even sure what decade it's from-- judging by the tag, maybe the 60's or the 70's. I was thrilled to find it!


By the way, I would like to officially say hello to the newcomers to my blog who have left such lovely comments for me this week... Hello!! :) I'm having such fun discovering new bloggers myself, and I love when a new face comes here to my little corner of the internet. I do hope you'll stick around.

Rosalie and I (and Emma and Annabelle too, even though they didn't make it into today's photo) wish you a very happy rest of your fashion week, and a most delightful autumn!

fall fashion! day three.

Last night was cold and chilly, the perfect sort of evening for a coffee and a cozy chat with my best friend. I love our coffee dates... they're always so refreshing and encouraging. And a coffee date with her on an autumn evening, when one can wear a cute hat and boots while sipping on spiced cider? Well, it just doesn't get much better than that.

A bit of a photo fail. But you get the idea. :)

hat: Marshall's clearance, $2
cardigan: Target, $12
striped t-shirt: GAP, $14
cable-knit sweater skirt: Target clearance, $4
leggings: Ross Dress for Less, $5
boots: Marshall's clearance, $30

I would just like to take a moment and talk about my boots. I love my boots. For quite some time I had been searching for the perfect boot; something classy and cute, brown, comfortable, and flat on the bottom so I could wear them all day long quite easily if I wanted to. Then, one day, I stumbled across these at Marshall's on clearance. Perfection! It was as if I and the boots were made for each other. I knew they were a good deal, because they were originally $80 there at Marshall's, and the tag on the inside said they were real Italian leather. Into my cart they went. When I got home, just out of curiousity, I looked up the brand online since I'd never heard of it: Migliorini. Imagine my surprise when the exact pair of boots I had just bought popped up on eBay-- selling for $150. And then I found a brand-new pair at some other site selling for close to $300. And I got them for $30?!? To this day I'm still not sure why they were so cheap. I felt I had conquered and won that day, like victory was mine. And my boots and I have been BFF's ever since.

This is not a  great picture of them... but they really are lovely. These boots of mine once held up a security line at LAX airport because the lady running the scanner wouldn't give them back to me, she was so intent on admiring them and writing down the brand name so she could buy herself a pair. True story! hehe.

Also, how cute is the detailing on this shirt? This is one of my favorite shirts ever. Thank you, GAP.


day 3 link list. So much gorgeousness, so much great fashion, so much fun! Go have a look. :)

fall fashion! day two.

As I type this, I am still in my pj's. And I plan to remain that way as long as I can today, in case you were wondering.

That's because it's Tuesday. Oh, glorious Tuesday. The one day in the week when I have no piano students or things going on, the one day in the week when we get to stay home and actually have a bit of a breather and take things at a slower pace. We take full advantage of Tuesday. We simply soak it up. My girls and I stay in our jammies, squeeze in a few extra snuggles on the couch or in bed, maybe even watch a bit of TV before we get started on the day's schoolwork and other catch-up chores. It's not that Tuesday is a lazy day and we don't do anything (we actually accomplish a lot since we're at home)... it's just that Tuesday lets us do it all IN OUR PAJAMAS.

My friends, never ever underestimate staying in your pajamas from time to time. It's a wonderful thing.

However, this post is not about pajamas. Pajamas, while amazing and beneficial, are not fashion. (they aren't, are they? If they are, please tell me. That would make me very happy indeed.)

So, let's talk about what I wore to the pumpkin patch after church on Sunday instead, shall we? :)


sweater: hand-me-down from sister-in-law (she found this sweater on one of our thrifting trips for $1. I was jealous. And then, six months later, she gave it to me since she didn't wear it that much. Bless her. hehe.)
lacy tank: Charlotte Russe, $7
scarf: World Market, $14
jeans: GAP, $30
canvas shoes: Payless, $6

While I am definitely a bargain hunter and a cheap-o, and it pains me to buy anything that is NOT on clearance, I've discovered that the one thing I don't mind spending a bit more money on is my jeans. It's so worth it. I'm quite short, and, ahem, curvy, so finding jeans that fit me right is a challenge...it's a rare thing for me to find the right pair at thrift stores or off the clearance racks (believe me, I've tried). I love walking into a store that I know sells my exact size, knowing that they'll fit me just right. GAP jeans have become my new favorite. Thankfully, I've almost never had to pay full price for a pair either, since I keep an eye out for coupons and special sales. I buy a few good pairs of jeans that I love, and I'm good to go.

This scarf was another thing I couldn't pass up, even though it was more than I would usually spend. I kept seeing it whenever I'd go in to World Market, and I loved it more each time. The colors, the flowers, the material, the slight hint of shimmery gold that runs through it... it's one of my happy things that I just love to wear.

Sometimes, if you know it's something you'll love and wear again and again, it's worth it to spend a few extra dollars. The obssessive bargain-hunter within me has had to learn this, slowly but surely. :)

if you're super observant, you'll notice I am wearing a different sweater in this last picture. That's because what started out as a cool and chilly day turned into sunshine and more heat than I expected. And I didn't want to sweat all over the pumpkins.

happy Tuesday, lovelies!!

day 2 link list... take a peek.

fall fashion! day one.

Hi friends! I am quite excited because this week, for the first time ever, I am taking part in "Fall Fashion Week"!

 

The lovely Emery Jo-- who always looks amazing and has some of the cutest looks I've ever seen, and who is also currently pregnant with baby # 3 and is so adorable it kills me-- has been hosting fashion weeks for some time now... but this is my first time actually taking part in one! whee! 

Before I jump right in, there are three things you should know about me:

1. I'm really not any sort of a fashionista. Creating a look that is unique and flawless, pulled-together just so, like something out of a magazine... well, that usually eludes me. Fashion boggles my mind a little bit, I'm not going to lie. There's just so many choices one must make! So many different looks out there! How do I know which accessory goes with what outfit? What's in and what's not?? Mind-boggling, I tell you. And sometimes, I just don't care. If you knocked on my door on a lazy stay-at-home day or ran into me buying milk at the store, chances are you would find me in my yoga pants, a tank top, and a hoodie, my hair held back with a ponytail and a headband. Just keepin' it real. :)

2. That being said, I do LOVE clothes. I love feeling "put-together" and stylish, and I feel that the older I get, the more I'm finding my own style. I'm discovering the things I love and the styles to which I keep coming back. I'm realizing what makes me feel happy and cute when I wear it, and what works for my lifestyle as a busy mom with three young children. And fall clothes?? They're simply the BEST. That's why I was so excited to take part in this fashion week.

3. I am awkward and never know how to pose for pictures. Sorry. hehe.


teal dress: ross dress for less, $6
belt: thrifted, $2
lacy tank: kohl's clearance, $2
leggings: wal-mart, $1.
sandals: kohl's clearance, $15

Be sure to check out Emery's blog for today's other fabulous participants! There's a lot of them, and I can't wait to click around and see who else is out there, stylin' it up this week. So fun. And... if you'd like to join in, it's never too late!! There's a Forever 21 Gift Card at stake here, my friends. You know you want to.

I'll be back tomorrow for another "look". happy fashion week!! :)