Shopping finds

I'm blaming one of my best friends for the beginning of what is apparently becoming my next obsession: Shoes. I never used to care much for shoes. I always thought the last place someone looks is down at your shoes so I focused more on my shirts and hair. Then it was my jeans. Now I finally know what every other girl feels like when she sees a cute pair of shoes... I gotta have them! LOL! I went to Target last night and took a look at some jewelry (the two pieces pictured below) and the shoes are right next to them. I started looking at their pumps on sale. They had some really cute sparkly ones but not in my size of course. I noticed a pair of studded high heeled boots but I told myself I didn't need them. Unfortunately I went home and couldn't stop thinking about them. That's how you know you really want them! Ugh, sure enough I went back there today and bought them!

 

 

 

 Also the totally cute over sized floral shirt for a little over $5. Can't beat that! As you may have seen in my previous blogs I love the floral/country look during the day and the rock/glam look at night! Also in the picture are a pair of cute studded country style boots. I bought those on sale at Kohl's! They are Rock and Republic and there is nothing cheap about them! They are very comfortable and durable! The purse in the background was from my mother-in-law from Victoria's Secret. It came with a matching pouch. So how do I make room for new items? Ever heard of out with the old, in with the new? I have been selling old shoes, clothes, etc on online local garage sale sites. It gives you extra cash for new items and is a great way to get rid of what you no longer need! Find local garage sale sites on your Facebook!

Here is a link to Rock and Republic at Kohl's:

http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/ourbrands/rockrepublic.jsp?pfx=pfx_google_roi&cid=aagrr

A kitchen towel idea

Hello readers! I was baking in our kitchen tonight and it figures that I am once again out of paper towels! We go through them so fast now that we have a toddler in the house. One thing that I have sitting right next to our now empty again paper towel holder is an orange bin. I bought this bin a few years ago either at Target or the dollar store. Either way, when I bought it I had no idea what I would use it for. Well since our kitchen has small drawers and I got sick of our kitchen towels always jamming in the drawer, I thought it would be a neat idea to roll them up and put them on display in the bin! This really became convenient when I would have sloppy hands after helping my toddler clean up. All I have to do is reach over and grab a fresh towel. It makes for a cute idea!

 

 

I looked on Pinterest to see how others stored there kitchen towels and here are a few ideas I found:


This person used a wine rack as a kitchen towel holder
Source: http://pinterest.com/pin/311874342915024533/


This person had a good idea for parents!
Source: http://honeyandfitz.blogspot.com/p/my-pantry.html#axzz1kCtz3dSs

An idea better than glitter nail polish!

So today I was going through our mail/paperwork which is always a huge mess! My fiance and I need a way to keep our mail organized! I found a small shelf that I was going to turn into a cute mail holder for our kitchen... but I realized I had the wrong paint for the job =( I guess that will make for a future blog, haha. Since I was still in a crafty mood, I looked through my craft bins for the wedding and had a great idea! I got out my nail polish and some glitter I had found. Originally this glitter was going to be for wedding projects but who says you can't step outside of the box?? I'm always on the hunt for great glittery nail polish but I'm usually left disappointed. For one, they never seem to shine very well. For two, they seem to need a lot of layers to get that full coverage glittery effect. With that said, the thought crossed my mind... why don't I just paint my nails and add my own glitter?! I tried it out and it turned out amazing! I polished my nails off with Revlon's No Chip Top Coat to make sure the glitter stayed on.

 

 

 

Of course you can buy nail glitter and all kinds of other things to put on them. In fact, my next trip out will be to Sally's Beauty Supply to check out what they have. I for one am definitely going to stick with real glitter from here on out since I am trying to achieve that full glitter coverage look =) I'm always looking for ways to create nail art with things you might already have in your craft bins!
Check out this link to see what Sally's has to offer: http://www.sallybeauty.com/facial-glitter/SALGRL2,default,pd.html

Just 99 cents for this jar of loose glitter =)

Little kitchen must have's

This might be a useful blog to those of you who are still working on your first place or who simply need more items for your kitchen. I went through my kitchen and made note of the top items I found that you wouldn't normally think about that come in quite handy!

First Id have to introduce the rubber jar opener. This comes in handy when the hubby is gone and you can't get a jar open or other items for that matter, haha.

This can be purchased at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003D8EGXS/ref=asc_df_B003D8EGXS2366392?smid=A2NVEKMQTGKOW8&tag=dealt627375-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395129&creativeASIN=B003D8EGXS

 

My next item is mesh kitchen cloths. I couldn't find a picture of the set I have but they sell them at Target and other leading department stores. They work amazing for cleaning up kitchen messes, dishes and other household messes! Stock up!

 

My third item is a rubber hot pad that can double as a place to set a hot pan to protect your kitchen surface and an oven mitt.

 

 Also, trivets come in really handy!

You can purchase all of this here at: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/1/1/24185-hot-dish-silicone-hot-pad-trivet-green.html

 

Last but not least, mats with extra cushion! Sorry, no picture again but I swear I seen these mats sold at Target and almost every other leading department store. I got this idea today while at my uncle's birthday celebration at my aunt and uncle's home. She had a couple rugs throughout their home that were placed in front of the sinks in the kitchen and bathroom that were sooo comfortable to stand on. It's especially a great idea for those who stand for a while to do their dishes by hand... like me, haha =)

 

 

 

Cool lunch bags

Ever since I became pregnant with my first child, I dramatically changed my eating habits. Ask anyone I know, my diet was terrible before my son came along! I hated to cook and didn't have a lot of money so I was a big fan of easy meals, mac and cheese and cold cereal. Now I can barely stomach them! Anyways, as soon as I had my son I lost roughly 60 pounds! In a nutshell, part of my weight loss came from eating small healthy meals all day long. I really should consider this for my other blog since it works great for parents as well, haha. I've had a lot of people say they don't think they could eat small meals all day long because they are always on-the-go. Well, I'm here to share an idea that might take away that excuse... Consider trying a lunch bag (tote) that is designed to be carried around. They sell them almost everywhere that coolers are sold. I've seen them at Target, HomeGoods and our local grocery store! Mine looks just like a purse. Its great for on-the-go type of days, healthy snacks for yourself and snacks for the kiddos as well! Give it a try!

Click here for a link to Target's lunch totes!!

Here is an example from the link to Target:

 

How to make your nails GLOW

I'm sure most of you have seen glow-in-the-dark nail polish. I know I have purchased a couple from Hot Topic. I think they are neat but I have yet to cross paths with one that glows a little longer and a little brighter. Since I'm into DIY nail art lately, I found this photo on Pinterest which shows you how to make your nails glow! This could be a neat idea for teens, holidays, or just for fun! All you need is a bottle of clear nail polish and a glow stick!

Take a look below. Its pretty self explanatory:

Feel free to check out the source and give the girl some credit:

Source: http://pinterest.com/pin/31454897368541200/

 

If you don't want to mess with making your own glowing nails, try a bottle of glow-in-the-dark nail polish from Hot Topic. Here is a link to their website full of choices!

http://search.hottopic.com/clothing/Glow%20In%20The%20Dark%20Nail%20Polish

 

This is the one I purchased:

It's only $5. Worth a try right?

My busy week w/car shopping etc

I'm on a roll tonight through tomorrow with creating a bunch of blogs! It was a real busy week and I promised myself I wouldn't wait until the last minute again. Whelp, here I am with about 26 hrs on the clock and a whole lot of typing to do, haha!
This week was really important for me though because I spent the first part of it researching my little heart out on the top three cars I wanted to purchase. Ive been looking at cars since august but I finally narrowed it down to which ones I was most interested in. I went brand new last time with a 2007 Chevy Cobalt Coupe. It was a fun little car to drive. Perfect for an 18 yr old like myself at the time with no kids or a husband to haul with. Now days, I'm a mommy and a wife-to-be so goodbye two door coupe, hello sedan! For those of you soccer moms out there, do your thang! I'm just not the type to rock a mini van Plus, I have one child so its not necessary, haha. Anyways, we drove around this week test driving some cars. I was actually considering a hatch back Malibu Maxx since it had a rear sunroof that my son could enjoy and plenty of room in back for his belongings. The turn off was when I went for the test drive and heard a few noises and then the check engine light came on. For real? If you're gonna put a car out on the lot, at least make sure its ready to be sold. That car was at the bottom of my budget though so I figured if I'm going to get what I pay for, I'm going to have to spend a little more. We looked at a better Malibu but I wasn't feeling the green exterior. When you have found the right car, you will know it! Well we ended up going to a dealership that my fiances family just bought a car from and my fiance also goes there for work done on his own car. They had a really pretty blue Dodge Avenger for sale there that I wanted to drive by and... basically dream about! Haha, the price tag was more than I wanted to spend that day so I almost told my fiance to keep driving but something told me to step out and just take a look. As I did, a sales men stepped out and offered me the keys for a test drive. I hesitated but said "Sure, why not?" The moment I put it in drive I was in love!! This car was quiet, the steering was tight, the ride was smooth and it was perfect! I've always wanted either a Dodge Avenger or a Dodge Charger. When we got back the salesman told me to come inside so we could discuss the car. He got his boss and we sat down at the table. I asked what the total was going to be with all the fees included. It was about $600 more than I had so they dropped the price $600 and said it would be mine. Fast forward until now and I am the proud owner =) The Cobalt is a long story which I wont get into but lets just say this new car is well deserved and I couldn't be happier!

My favorite feature about our new car... the dash that contains a cooler. Check it out:



Great for long road trips or snacks for the kiddos!

If you are on the hunt for a new/used car, check out Carsoup or Autotrader. Don't forget to look up the Kelley Blue Book value!

Precious Wedding Photos!

Planning a wedding is so much work, but I know that I will be so happy with all of my personalized decor. But, there is more to a wedding than just hand making decor. There is the venue to book, music to find and the perfect photographer that will capture every moment. I have a fantastic creative photographer lined up and I love all her work. Of course, I have looked at practically every picture on her website in the hopes of mine being there one day!

One thing I love about wedding day photography is capturing the happy couple, creative shots of the rings and the family dancing. Below are some really cute shots I would love to have for my wedding. I especially love the photo of the book with the wedding rings orange county shot. I think its so unique, creative and different!

love this one!

this one is super cute too!

Looking back on wedding trends of 2012

Needless to say, the economy isn't booming like it was in the 90's. This year DIY (do it yourself) projects were a big hit! Even those who have extra money were enjoying DYI projects just for a fun hobby. With the help of Pinterest, its incredible what you can do with items you have no use for anymore! The rustic look was "in" this past year and for some it will carry on into 2013. It is said though that a sophisticate style will make a comeback in 2013 as well. Our wedding has a bit of a nature theme to it. We are using vintage style bird cages for decoration as well as the card holder. Our centerpieces will be decorated branches shown in a previous blog of mine. Something about birds spreading their wings reminds me of that feeling you get when you are truly in love. Bird cages were also a popular choice for decoration.
Curious what 2013 has in store? I sure am! Hint: mint green! Check out the link below to read all about the up coming year!
A look into 2013:
http://news.yahoo.com/2013-wedding-trends-presented-mango-muse-events-top-080229955.html
Glancing back on 2012:
http://www.mywedding.com/blog/wedding-basics/top-wedding-trends-what-expect-in-2012/



Source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IxTtBjYrExg/Tvto59IVBJI/AAAAAAAAGyM/leIPWIDG4C0/s1600/2012_wedding_trends_rainbow.jpg

Creating your wedding registries

Hey everyone! Well my fiance and I just created our wedding registries. We tried to complete them online but it was taking too long to download each page. Plus, its hard to tell if you truly like something or not if its not right in front of you. We took a trip to Kohl's and Target and went to the customer service desk to pick up our scanners. From there, we walked through the stores and picked out things we needed and a couple wants. We made sure to put affordable items. The few that were more expensive were items that we felt we would need or put to good use. If we don't get anything from our lists, ill be OK with that. The most important thing as cheesy as it sounds is really just enjoying our special day, good times, and being around loved ones! If you need to create your registries, i recommend that you check out the link below! It shows you helpful tips and may make the process a little less stressful =)

http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-registry/articles/registry-tips.html

Super cool DIY nail art!!







   Hello readers! Don't be surprised if you see me blog about DIY nail art from time to time. It's super easy and odds are you have everything you need! Just find two or more colors of nail polish, scissors and regular scotch tape! I just so happened to have those funky scissors that kids use for arts and crafts in one of my art bins. They cut out all different designs and they work great for nail art too!
   I searched online and found a couple websites which show several easy nail art designs. Just scroll down and click on the links below! The last link was my favorite so be sure and check it out!

Souce: http://beauty-tutorial.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2012-07-01T14:52:00-07:00&max-results=3&start=12&by-date=false

Source: http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/12-amazing-diy-nail-art-designs-using-scotch-tape

 If you dare to try your own DIY nail art, feel free to post a picture of how it turned out =)



Making a wedding reception play list

First off, I was expected to have this done with in ONE night! Yeah right! Haha. When planning your wedding reception play list, there are more things to consider then just what songs you want to play. Most of the time, you will have to choose which song is played during what part of the reception. You should consider your entrance song, the songs you wish to be played during the dinner, the cutting of the cake song, the first dance, any other dances, the bouquet toss, the garter toss and the rest of the reception. 

I picked out a variety of music. I wanted there to be something that everyone can get up and dance to. Personally, I love all kinds of music anyways. A few on our list are Cruise by Florida Georgia Line, Forever by Chris Brown, Hanging By A Moment by Lifehouse and the list goes on! Here are a few sites with a ton of song ideas for your big day:

http://www.topweddingsites.com/wedding_reception_music.html

http://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-songshttp://

wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/wedding-music-ideas.aspx

Spare shoe boxes?

Some of us ladies have a bit of a shoe addiction. Luckily mine is very minimal (lol) but I still try to find a use for the few shoe boxes that I do have sitting in the closet. I don't like to just toss them. If you have some extra shoe boxes, you might not want to throw them away just yet. Sure you can use them to store things, but have you ever thought of creating artwork with them?! To be honest, the thought never crossed my mind until I stumbled upon this idea using shoe box lids:

 

 

Source: http://spunkyjunky.blogspot.com/2011/03/tutorial-tuesday-chevron-shoebox-wall.html

 

Click on the source for a link to the great tutorial for this design! Its fun to make use out of what you already have! All you need are a few inexpensive art supplies and a little bit of spare time on your hands =) I might just have to try this using fabric or wrapping paper one day!

 

 

 

More DIY headboard examples

I am officially on the hunt for a vintage headboard! If you missed my blog yesterday, I had put up a bunch of photos of headboards that were re-done and looked absolutely amazing! If I cant find the style I am looking for, I know a carpenter who will make me the simple framework. The painting and designing I will do myself =) I hope I can come up with something in a few weeks! When I do I will definitely create a blog all about how you can create your own! 

I'm still searching online for the perfect inspiration for my future design. Pinterest has a lot of examples of headboards that were created with old doors and window shutters. After all, the old vintage/rustic look is trending right now! Growing up, my mom decorated our house with antiques, country kitchen items and rustic designs. I never would of guessed that one day it would be in style. I dreaded it back then, but can appreciate it now.

 

Yesterday I put up some of my favorite headboard styles. Today I'm sharing some of the different ways you can make a headboard. Check out the examples below:

 

Here is an inexpensive way to decorate either you or your child's bed area. Try headboard wall decals! Pinterest has a lot of great adult bedroom examples for this idea!

 

 

Source: http://www.rosenberryrooms.com/417-juliette-headboard-peel-stick-wall-decals.html

 

Old doors? Why not?! They have character and give off an old charm!

 

 

Source: http://www.marthastewart.com/272918/door-headboard

 

Fabric! A great idea for those who like to sit up in bed and read a book... or those who are like me and sit up blogging ;)

 

 



Source: http://www.rosenberryrooms.com/588-arch-tufted-headboard-in-multiple-fabrics.html

 

You can always use curtains!

 

 

Source: http://www.talesofwhimsy.com/2012/04/diy-headboard.html

 

Add a glow with lighting! Very inexpensive but so dramatic.

 

 

Source: http://pinterest.com/pin/156077943307733648/

 

 

This is a great idea: Staple a shower curtain to a large wooden frame!

 

 

Source: http://pinterest.com/pin/3799980907361112/

 

The possibilities keep going! I'm excited to see what I can come up with =)



All signed up for photography classes =)

First and foremost, here is a special thanks to some of our family who helped me get my foot in the door to my very first photography classes! I will be learning everything from how to use all the settings on my camera to how to take professional portraits and prepare them for my clients.

When I was in high school I used to take long walks with my best friend and we would point out places along the way that would make a good photograph. Its great to know that I am now seeing that vision come true! I love both landscapes and portraits, but I really love to capture the portrait of someone with a beautiful landscape behind them! At the moment I am taking more simple photos, but as I gain experience I hope to come up with amazing photographs on the same level as the ones below... take a look at these and be sure to check out the source! They deserve every ounce of credit!

 

 

 

Source: http://lacarpa.tumblr.com/post/22212982113/leslie-ann-odell

 

 

Source: http://500px.com/photo/16537549

 

 

I'm in love with this one!

Source: http://whimperandwail.tumblr.com/ 

 

 

 

The mom in me adores this one too!

Source: http://zsazsabellagio.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-09-21T23%3A22%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=10

 

 

Source: http://reveriemag.com/archive/

 

 

I'm totally into this photo and I hope I can learn how to create photographs like this!

Source: http://www.demilked.com/snowflake-macro-photography-andrew-osokin/

 

 

Another long exposure photo

Source: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/light%20photography

 

 

Source: http://violetshortphotography.com/index2.php#/home/

 

I could keep going on and on with photos but I think you got a little understanding of what I like!

 



DIY Headboard ideas!

Creating a headboard is something I've been wanting to do for a while now! I feel like I may have created a blog earlier about wanting to do this. In any case, it wont hurt to pull up some more ideas! I am still a little undecided on exactly what I want to create and any spare time I have goes to wedding planning. With that said, I'm admiring other creations and picking up tips on how I will make ours! Here are some that I personally fell in love with:





 

Source: http://fullerinterior.blogspot.com/2009/09/diy-headboards.html

 

Source: http://www.curbly.com/users/diy-maven/posts/7467-diy-headboard-ideas

 

This idea below is a personal favorite of mine! Click on the source's link below and be prepared to see some seriously awesome ideas!! Just when I thought our bedroom was almost complete (minus the headboard) I had to come across this web page... now ideas are flowing once again.

 

 

Source: http://www.remodelaholic.com/2012/08/25-diy-headboards/

 



My weekend

My fiance and I spent our saturday as follows...

My good friend Ashley and her boyfriend came over to hang out for the afternoon. While the boys and some of their friends hung out at our place waiting for the game between the Vikes and the Packers tonight, Ash and I went out to do a little shopping.

We hit up four more thrift shops. I found a large platter that just so happens to be the exact match the set I just bought last night! We should have all of the platters and trays needed for the big day. I found a ton of candle holders again. I want to make sure we have a lot of candles around the room to help give a romantic feel... aww, lol! ;) The lights will be off so all that will be lighting the room will be all our candles, the lit up branches, the DJ, and the lights hanging up around the room. We also found some tea light holders which was great because I needed some.

Once we returned, we sadly watched an unimpressive game between the Vikes and the Packers. Boo. Oh well! What was more of a drag was washing all those new candle holders, tea light holders, and the tray by hand. Our next house WILL have a dishwasher, haha =)

Wedding planners, you might be interested in clicking here for a website all about wedding items for cheap. I highly recommend it!

 

 

 

 

Wedding decor take two!

Tonight is just not my night... I did this entire blog then accidentally deleted it right when I was DONE. That would only happen to me! LOL! Anyways if you would like, please click here first. Its a link to check out the website in which I will be talking a little bit about. I originally found it on Pinterest. Scroll down until you come across this photo:

 

This is my next project! I already have both real and fake pre lit branches. Some are even crystallized. I will be using my own fabric to cover the base like shown in the photo above. Instead of the hanging flowers, I will hang ribbon from the branches or string beads. The branches will also be sprayed with real fine glitter. Around the centerpieces will be a few decorated candle holders. I wasn't sure whether to do real tea lights or battery operated ones but I got a bag of over 80 real candles for cheap so I couldn't pass that up! I hope I can pull this off!

More thrifty finds for the big day

I told myself after new years I would get on a whole 'nother level with wedding planning! I kicked it up a notch again as I am realizing that in about four months I will be marrying my straight out of high school sweetheart =) With that said, who new we would make it this far? I had a feeling we would but nothing is guaranteed. He's my rock and I still find him as handsome as I did the first time I seen him =) OK, enough of that now... let me get back to my main purpose for today's blog, haha. I had a little spare time to stop at Good Will for some thrift shopping. One thing I almost always seem to find there for weddings are candle holders! Make note of that ladies! I seen a few centerpiece vases but not enough for what I need so far. I'm going to try to start a project tomorrow and decorate more of the candle holders.

I also found another brand new cute floral blouse from Target and some party trays for super cheap! The smaller one's were .99 cents!! My mom bought this same exact set brand new in the store and I can promise you she didn't spend .99 cents! Those will also work great for the wedding. The espresso picture was a good find too. Its in perfect condition and was sold from Bed Bath and Beyond for $50... This chick paid $4 =)

Two of my favorite styles!!

If you don't know me personally, you will soon find out I am a sucker for fashion! Music, fashion, good times, and photography inspire me like no other. I grew up around all different kinds of music... 70's and 80's rock (and of course everything until now), 90's country, alternative, hip hop, old school rap, etc. Your taste in music can greatly influence how you dress. Some things you would find in my walk-in closet are as follows:

 

band T's from Nirvana, Slipknot and Rise Against

 Abercrombie yoga pants and skinny jeans

floral tops

fitted tops that flare at the waist. that's a fairly new trend that I'm LOVING =)

clubbing dresses (collecting dust because mommy hood put a halt to wild weekends, haha)

tons of cute dresses

cowboy boots

rock n roll inspired studded boots

heels!

sandals of all kinds

off the shoulder shirts

a million mini skirts! (not a far exaggeration, haha)

native american inspired jewelry and dresses

tights and knee highs of all colors and designs... probably to go with my million skirts ;)

 

But... my two ABSOLUTE most FAVORITE styles would have to be this:

  

 

 

Right now I'm obsessed with pick-me-up style dresses, floral print (i would of said "Eww" to that in my teens), cow boy boots or heels, and floral/vintage inspired jewelry! I just got all of the jewelry shown above from Rue21 Etc for christmas. This style brings out part of my laid back country roots.

 

Last but not least...

 

 

 
I always have been, and always will be a rocker at heart so here is to my more edgy style! Ever since middle school I loved this style. I love the flashy fashion designer top turned punk, the high waisted shorts, the chain necklace... oh and the vintage bracelet I wouldn't wear with this particular outfit but I still had to throw it in there ;) Anyways, I'm also in love with my studded boots that I just got from the shoe store called Journey's for christmas as well.

Well, there you have it! What style brings out your personality?! If you have questions about where you can find any of these items just ask =)