Long and lean. Two words that have never be used to described me.
However, it is the name of my (absolutely) favorite layering tank top. Light weight, with the right amount of stretch. Thin straps and a low neck line, so it is flattering and feminine.
I love the length. Just long enough to peek out under winter top layers.
Where can you pick up these little wonders? Target! And at $8 a piece you can get multiple colors. Plus, they add colors every season-while always carrying the basic black, white and gray.
Remember the new mantra? Color, color, color. Color me happy!
Oh, I just couldn’t help myself. Added a few items to my wardrobe. After peering into my closet recently, I have put myself on restriction! I am not allowed to buy anything gray or black! This sister needs to brighten it up a bit. (Actually a whole lot!)
here are my latest additions:
H&M
floral print and very feminine. I can’t wait to wear this.
GAP-sexy boyfriend jeans(mitchum wash), comes in tall, regular, and petite
I had to order online because they didn’t have my size in the store. A plus…found them in petite on the website. I really do love boyfriend jeans. They will be a nice change from all the skinny jeans and boots I have been wearing this winter.
GAP-butterfly print scarf- (on sale!
the print on this scarf is great. the picture doesn’t do it justice.
I also picked up an orange top and a skinny braided green belt at H&M. I couldn’t find a picture online, so you will just have to visualize.
All this color and wearing patterns is totally out of my comfort zone. What will you do to freshen up your look in the coming months?
I am NUTS for these Sweet Chili pistachios! Regular pistachios are great, but these are dangerously delicious! I leave a bowl on my counter and have to stop myself for eating the entire thing in one sitting. You seriously need to try them.
Everybody’s Nuts are the brilliant masterminds behind this addicting grocery item. They also have Salt & Pepper, Chili & Lime, and Garlic & Onion.
pura vida braclets. my fashion obsession that will not break the bank.
Super cute, right? $5. Yep, that’s right.
I originally bought my first bracelet as a way to wear a little neon. Admit it, we middle-aged ladies want to stay current. However, having worn neon apparel in the 80’s, we are precluded from wearing it this time around. But, a little pop of color on your wrist -with these super hip bracelets- is the perfect way to do it.
You can wear them as a single. Or stack them for added impact.
They have a little slip knot, so you can easily take them on and off. With almost every color combination under the sun, everyone can find one they like.
Check out pura vida! Read about how it all started with one artisan in Costa Rica and the foundation that receives money for every bracelet sold. Plus you can find the bracelet that is perfect for you! Come on. Skip the skinny, vanilla latte and put some color in your life!
PS. Use their website to find local shops that sell these beauties. A few notables for the areas I know well: Seattle area- Nordstrom, What to Wear (Mercer Island), Duque (Ballard) Spokane area- Nordstrom, Gonzaga Book Store
It is the beginning of January and time to clean this place up! Do you feel like that? Do you have Can’t Have Anyone Over Syndrome (CHAOS)? My house always seems to be is some state of disaster! It overwhelms me, so I have decided to tackle it in small manageable projects. Want to join me?
Here are the parameters: 1. There will be one project a week. Assignment given on Tuesday. One week to complete. 2. It costs nothing. 3. You may regain some sanity. (This line item is not guaranteed.)
Week 1 Manage the CHAOS: junk drawer
We all have them. We can’t get rid of them. BUT they must be managed. I have two in my kitchen alone.
Your assignment this week is to find 15 minutes. Set a timer if it helps. Tackle that drawer in 15 minutes or less. Throw away, recycle, repurpose, move items to a more appropriate place, leave what is essential. If you have the time and you have more than one junk drawer-repeat!
**The idea of CHAOS, tackling the organization of your home in small tasks for 15 minutes at a time, and regaining control comes directly from http://www.flylady.net/. I love the ideas. However, it is an intense undertaking and I failed miserably. Check it out. You might have better luck.
My grandmother left our world two weeks ago today and I feel the space she has left deeply. Living to be 97, I was blessed that my children were able to not only know their great-grandmother, but to also know the love she showered on all of us. She lived her life with grace, but also with a quiet, fierce determination. Those whom she loved tried to never disappoint her.
Born 60 years apart, our lives took entirely different paths. Mine through college and graduate school and finally a career. She fought to finish high school and had to do so early. Her father wanted her home to help her mother. Somehow we ended up in the very same place-caring for our home and family. Believe me, never in any of my life planning did I think we would share this common thread. Maybe that is why I don’t like calling myself a stay-at-home-mom. I am a homemaker. A housewife-just like my grandma.
My grandmother is the gold standard. I want to share with you a few of things that I learned from her. Not through her telling me (I don’t ever remember her giving me any advice), but through the way she lived her life.
Show your love through small gestures.
My grandmother was the queen of spoiling you in very small ways. A cupboard in her kitchen stocked with the candy. (We are talking full size candy bars!) Sneaking a $5 bill in your pocket when you were leaving. Meeting you with the warmest hug each and every time you walked into her house. Never forgetting a birthday or anniversary. Always sending a card for every occasion with a little spending cash tucked inside. Standing at the screen door as you left, waving and smiling until you drove away.
Do what you do, well.
She had years to perfect her craft, and what she did, she did almost perfectly. Hands down, she made the best pie crust I have ever tasted. When my grandfather was alive, they tended an amazingly huge garden. Her raspberry jam, made from the berries she grew in her backyard, is my all time favorite. Even the way she cut strawberries….just small enough to eat with a spoon. The table was set days before a meal. The details mattered to her.
Traditions are lasting.
Growing up in an Italian family, most of our traditions centered around religious holidays and food. We have our own traditions that we have started with our boys. And then are some from when I was a young girl. Most likely, those traditions are from when my grandma was a young girl. Traditions reaching back to a time much different and living forward into time, seemingly without end.
Family is first.
There was nothing more important than her family. While I know she had friends and connections outside our little world, it began and ended with us. It is an amazing gift she gave. I thank her every night in my prayers. I know she hears me.
It is not often that I wear my hair straight, but when I do I have found the secret weapon. The Instyler. Where did I hear about it? A TV infomercial! As seen on TV….
I gifted one to myself at the beginning of year. I had put off buying one for many, many months. Could it really work? You know what they say, “If it sounds too good to be true……..uhhh.” Still not convinced, I even watched a series of YouTube videos.
And now I am a total believer! Seriously, this “tool” is the best thing since sliced bread! I can easily straighten and smooth my curly hair.
