Thrifty knock-off challenge

I am absolutely in love with this outfit I recently pinned on my Pinterest outfit inspiration board!! I have fallen hard and there is no turning back! Since I cannot stop dreaming about this lovely number from Jcrew, i have decided to challenge myself to re-create this outfit only with thrifted items....can it be done?? I think I have like 5 wrinkled dollars in my pocket...this is gonna be tough! If you want to join in the challenge, leave a comment below with a link to your blog. Let's see who done it better? Well....here goes nothing!!

I swear I'm still alive!

BCBG Jacket-Thrifted , Gap Jeans-Thrifted, Shoes-Vintage, Shirt-Thrifted, Cami-Thrifted, Scarf-Etsy

I swear I'm still alive. Classes have been kicking my butt this semester,so I took a much needed mother-daughter trip to the Mendocino Coast to relax. Promise to be back soon with a new giveaway for the holidays!!

Happy Anniversary-4 years

I am so in love with the amazing man that I married 4 years ago on this day! M and I have shared so many joyful times together on this road called marriage, but I'm not gonna sugar coat anything because we have also had our share of challenges along the way ...some pretty crazy ones to say the least. But I wouldn't trade those challenges back for more happy times together, because they have made us who we are. They have only made us stronger and knit our hearts and souls closer together more than ever before! Today I'd like to take a moment to say... I love you to my wonderful husband who amazes me everyday!!

Pin real life: Glass bottle soap dispenser

I have been inspired by something I've seen on pinterest

Totally cute...and such a great way to save money and be thrifty, right up my alley!

So, Here is my version of this inspirational pin

Mine is a little different, in that it is made of a martinelli's apple juice bottle, but I like it a smidge better because I made it..if ya know what I mean..*wink* *wink*! I will post the tutorial on how to make this version when I come back from my anniversary trip!!

Here's a little Pre-Anniversary picture from our Dinner at Ruth's Chris (oh and I have bangs now..yay!). We had a gift card from M's mom, so we jumped at the opportunity to celebrate a little early! And I veered off my Endo-diet a teensy weensy bit...muhaha...and now i'm paying for it...ouch! Look at this food though!

Garlic crusted halibut with sauteed mushrooms and roasted green beans

Strawberry shortcake and chocolate truffles...How can one resist?

People will stare......

Shirt-Aero (old), Maxi skirt-Thrifted Talbots (gift), Shoes-Vintage Cobbie cuddlers (gift), Belt-Thrifted ($1), Watch-grandmas, Floral bangle- .50 @ garage sale!, Glass bangle -Mil

Well not the good kind of staring. It's the kind where you work in an office with a lot of testosterone floating around (which can sometimes be a good thing, considering how much women will just refuse to get along when crammed in small spaces together) and you just get these blank stares...like are you seriously wearing that? That's what happened when I wore this get-up the other day.

Let's face it, most men over 40 just don't get fashion, and I seriously don't want to spend an hour explaining why pattern mixing is all the rage. So until I become a kindergarten teacher ;) my outfits will widely be misunderstood by a group of middle aged men who wear pen stained shirts and polyester trousers. Thank goodness for weekends! Have fun playing in the sun friends!

*P.S.- M got me a sewing machine for our anniversary (He couldn't wait to give it to me....*squeal*...I love early gifts!) So get ready for some serious re-fashion posts! Here's a sneak peek at my first fashion victim before shot:

Warby Parker

Finn-Sandalwood

Zagg-Striped Chesnut

Sibley-Amber

Webb-Amber

Finn-Amber

So I need some help here ladies..puuleez! I am in the market for a new pair of spectacles ;) I am participating in the Warby Parker Home try-on program. I have 5 pair of glasses, and I'm trying to narrow down which ONE I like the best..hmmm?? Whatdaya think? This is hard cuz they each have their own special character about them! If you are interested in participating go here and get yours to try on at home for free!! If any of you decide to participate leave a comment where I can find your blog... I'd love to see your pics as well :)


I though I'd leave you with one of my most loved songs from The Tube...it's so soothing and sometimes helps me get through the day. Have a Spectacular Monday...I couldn't help myself...haha!

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Well here I go again with a long absence from the blog world once again. Real life took a hold of my attention for sometime, and now I return. With my return I come back better and more informed about life and myself. Why am I better informed you say? Well turns out I have been suffering from a debilitating disease for most of my life without knowledge of what was causing me so much pain. They say knowledge is power and now having a diagnosis finally empowered me. I just had surgery and during that surgery my doctor found out that I have Endometriosis.

Photo courtesy of Sheknows.com

Because of this disease I am changing my lifestyle dramatically. I have been researching, sometimes almost all day, more natural approaches to healing (i don't want to put unwanted hormones in my body if I can help it). I will be changing my diet to help lessen the pain and growth of my Endometriosis. I will be trying to eat a soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free diet! Wow that is a big change for me, but it turns out that soy, most of all, makes my disease worse. So, I will be incorporating some of my new lifestyle changes (mostly in the form of recipes) to the blog. In some small way maybe I can help someone else out there living with this disease and reach out to my Endo sisters! Oh...and it's good to be back..I've missed you!

Everybody Everywhere: Maxi & a makeshift belt

Maxi dress (worn as a skirt)- Old?, Cardi-Loft $gift, Shell-Loft $gift, Vintage Brooch-MIL, Bag-Nine West Outlet $28, Necklace-Gma

As Marissa would say, ECU (Extreme close-up)

I needed a belt to complete this look....hmm?? What's cheap, but still looks polished?

Bag and a Brooch? Shmoke and a pancake? 100 points if you can guess what movie that's from?? Maybe I will use it as a way to raffle off my next giveaway! What do u think...time for a spring break giveaway? Today was my last day of school, yipee, freedom!! Well not completely, I have to go back in a week...DANG! I'm participating for the first time over here->>EBEW, YAY!

Simple and small things

Blazer-DI $8, Blouse-DI $4, Leopard Heels- goodwill $5, Flares-Earnest sewn?, Vintage brooch-MIL, Belt-DI $1

I just love a good thrift find...or two...or three...keep em' comin'! I hit up some thrift shops while on vacay visiting my brother and SIL last weekend. I hit the jackpot with this grape jewel tone top and wool blazer....yummy! While I was there visiting I got to watch this live! So amazing to hear such inspirational messages. I started reflecting on what really matters in life.....I mean don't get me wrong...I love me some clothes...but I love serving others and not focusing on just me, me, me, all the time.....I know hard to believe, fashion blogger and not vain...oxymoron??

So I wanted to share with you my good deed for the day. I opened the door for a severely disabled man struggling to walk 1 foot at a time. He had a walker and was walking inch by inch with so much effort and persistence. It made me think of when M was in the hospital re-learning how to walk again, and I just had to reach out and lend a helping hand. He smiled at me and very warmly said, "thank you so much." It seems like such a small thing, but "great things are wrought through simple and small things." And afterwards, the high you get is kinda like after a good day of thrifting...but better;) What's your good deed for the day? Please leave a comment I'd love to hear your uplifting stories.....Happy Friday!!

I'm Loving Loft!

Loft is now offering 40% off of their already marked down sale items...sounds crazy good to me! These are a few things I picked up the other day while out shopping with me madre! I picked up a super cute Lace tee as well for under 30 buckaroos that is not listed online :( So go check them out chicas...they even have 25% off ALL FULL PRICE CARDIGANS! I'm SO excited to wear my new clothes...I haven't bought anything new in a while! Have a super Tuesday ;)

I'm back!!

I wanted to say thank you to all you lovely ladies for your kind words concerning the loss of my grandmother. I needed some time off from the blog for a short bit, a lot of crazy things started happening after my sweet grandmother passed in January. I started having some health problems and a dear friend of my lost her father in a tragic accident. In the whirlwind of all this I felt it was best to take some time for myself to regroup.

On a more positive note, I celebrated the dirty 30! Yes, I am officially an old geezer, and my back is killing me! All kidding aside, I had a wonderful surprise birthday party that my dear husband planned, behind my back, what a stinker ;) We even went roller skating which brought the kid out in me, now I am once again addicted, and wishing I would have hung on to my favorite pair of Riedells with the super fab pink wheels! More pics of the whole shin-dig to follow shortly......

You will be missed

My Grandmother was an extrordinary lady. She was so beautiful inside & out. Any creative energy I posess came from that beautiful woman. She taught me to sew, to make homemade apricot jam, and most importantly..to love God. She passed away on Saturday. You will be missed Olive..may you rest in peace.

xoxo,
Kendra