I remember the first tour of the empty house, furiously texting Ben that he had to see the place and ignoring the landlord’s questions about how two people could possibly need this much room. I knew that was the house we would move into, the house he would carry me across the doorway as his brand new wife, the house where we would imagine our office as a nursery. And all of those fuzzy, warm fantasies kind of clouded the reality that the kitchen floor was scuffed to hell and there wasn’t a single electrical outlet in the bathroom.

Actually, those thoughts blocked out the entire image of the bathroom.

Before we moved in, our house had been a law firm for years. That means they had to put in a shower stall for us….aaaand that’s about it. Over the past year I slowly grew to loathe what essentially was a HALLWAY for a bathroom. I hated it so much that I didn’t even try to make it homey or presentable and just threw everything I had in my previous 1.5 glorious bathrooms into this overinflated linen closet.

Those holes you see near the toilet? Yeah, the remnants of handicap bars. The only “home improvement” project I insisted we do, and even that was half-assed.

So after a year of mildly tolerating the one room in the house I was guaranteed to see every day I decided that something needed to be done with it. I persuaded the property manager to let me paint the walls and went from there.

This is the first photo I took of the bathroom before we moved in:

Please note the paper towel holder and handicap bars.

And this, this is what I did with it:

I was already starting to feel better about the room already. Clearing out all of your junk can do that to a person.

I chose Olympic’s “Dewmist Delight” because I promised the property manager I’d pick a neutral color and this is as neutral as I get. It’s not like I’m going to paint the room red, I promised him. We already saw how much it did for the room before.

A couple coats of paint and some new bathroom accessories later…

I give you my new bathroom.

It’s brighter, cleaner, and a lot more organized.

Glass jars, so I don’t have to search for a Q-tip every morning! And a REAL, LIVE PLANT. THAT IS STILL LIVING. Because things want to actually thrive in this room now!

This is the wall opposite the shower. I used an old spice rack to hold my berjillion nail polishes.

We switched out the glass dome for a paper lantern that looks really cool when it’s on but does not photograph well *at all.* It took a lot of fuss to make sure it won’t catch on fire but explaining that would require its own post. Plus, you really don’t want to know.

I read in Real Simple once about a woman who collected hand mirrors and how they were crazy cheap on Ebay. Well, she was right. In two weeks I collected enough to arrange along the wall by the sink, making sure to hang them at different heights for any guest we might have (oh, and please don’t mind the smudges. I had just hung them and it took a few attempts to get them just the way I wanted). I used small plate hangers for most of them and the extra strong Command velcro strips for the two smaller ones.

I scored the shower curtain at World Market and loved it way before I picked out the wall color. Good thing it matched.

The great thing about a husband who is a designer for a print shop is that he can whip up window decals whenever we want. I love natural light but we couldn’t very well keep the blinds open for the world to watch me brush my teeth. These decals let enough light in while keeping everything else out.

Now let’s look at the numbers!

Having never made over a room before I think this is a pretty good deal. And considering the price of my happiness? Priceless.

Now, isn’t that much better? Can’t we all just breathe easier now? The fact that the dang rug stays in place is enough to make me smile.

Related posts:

1. Moving, Marriage, and Making Do.
2. Home, sweet home.

…and then I came back a married woman?

Well it’s officially been a year (*cough* and a month) (*cough* and some change)! Which means it was a good excuse to have a nice meal and give each other presents.

We went the traditional route and decided to give paper gifts to each other. My dad has always said paper is the first anniversary gift because you’re so poor you can only afford a card your first year. But a card is too easy – nay, too simple – for us. You can’t marry two people who work in advertising to buy a PREMADE CARD, PEOPLE.

Besides, I never color within the lines, anyway.

I knew I wanted to give a paper-related gift that included  our mugs, so I headed straight to Etsy to find a patient soul that could make a portrait of us. And while there were some really nice and creative choices, nothing seemed to jump out to me. Also, I didn’t want to spend $500 on the ones that did. Also, I was a fool to show Ben the Blurb Wedding Book I had made a few weeks before our anniversary because that could have totally worked. But again, too simple.

Then I met Lise of lilimandrill.

She took this:

And turned it into THIS:

Now, I realize the stamp isn’t made of paper. But I figured since it would go on every single piece of paper we ever send out it was still within the paper-gift-giving realm. Yes, even when we pay our electric bill. Ben insists.

And speaking of the mister, this pretty much sums up why marrying him was the best decision I’ve ever made:

I WOKE UP TO A SPONGE BOB (shutup) PINATA.

A pinata. TOTALLY a paper gift. I overlooked the minor detail that it was filled with non-paper candy.

These were also stuffed inside:

You might recognize the design from the cameos Ben and I had done during our Disney trip. I particularly enjoy that we are so vain we both decided on gifts that concerned our faces.

Now our friends will see our sweet book plates and feel shame for borrowing a book of ours and never returning it. Shame, I tell you, SHAME!

So what did you and your significant other do on your first year anniversary? Do you (or will you) go the traditional or modern gift-giving route?

If you are about to celebrate your very own first anniversary, here are some ideas!

• Tickets: Movie, theatre, airline, or concert (I spent about five minutes looking up Smashing Pumpkins dates until I realized it wouldn’t be much of a present if I stood next to my husband with my hands over my ears the entire time).
• Blurb photo book: They are truly an amazing company and offer really great prices with quick turn-around time. Plus they will keep your order open for reprints should you decide to hand them out to family or friends as well (hello Christmas gifts).
• Custom portrait. I am really digging jordyluxe’s custom cartoon portraits that are extremely cute and equally affordable (she can even include your pet(s))!
• Personalized stationary/return address labels: Everything looks nicer with “From the Desk of Mr. & Mrs…”
• Books: May I suggest a collection of Pablo Neruda love poems?
• Handmade Calendar: Customize dates that are special to only you and your sweetie.
• And, um, obviously pinatas and book plates. You can actually contact me to get with my husband who designed and printed ours.

Related posts:

1. Goodbye 2009 and Herro 2010
2. Gifts Galore
3. Between you and me and everyone we know.

This is my official summer outfit most days:

Cotton Skirt + T-shirt + Denim Jacket = Winner

Even though I have to deal with sweltering temperatures, I spend most of my time in frigid offices/movie theaters/restaurants (thanks, Florida!), so a jacket is more necessary than you might think.

I also dig a lot of natural materials when it comes to summer accessories, too. I whipped up the brooch and bought the bracelets at a local boutique, but they would require little skill or time if you had extra fabric and were feeling particularly crafty.

Even though I am not a big t-shirt girl I have grown to love them with a simple, full skirt.They are easy to mix and match and it’s my favorite go-t0 weekend outfit.

Jacket, Target

T-shirt, Old Navy

Skirt, Thrifted

Sandals, Old Navy

I know this outfit is probably a little out of what most of you would normally wear, but I think it’s easily recreatable in your own wardrobe and it will look cute on any chick (I know this because there is this one restaurant I go to where every waitress does it and I find it so summery and feminine). So, y’know, mix and match colors and patterns and show me what you’ve got!

Here is some inspiration to help:

1) Sweater – Forever 21 2) Skirt – yesstyle.com 3) Shirt – dresscodeclothing.com 4) Sandals – Forever 21

Related posts:

1. Blue Jean Baby
2. Even if I could shop…
3. The hardest button to button

It’s not that I’m messy. It’s just a little…cluttered?

Maybe it doesn’t seem so bad to me because my collections are shoved into their own shelves or corners and those shelves and corners are spread throughout the house, sometimes in rooms I only visit to get to the mailbox. Thus, I only think I am organized and neat because I rarely have to see my STUFF all day, every day.

The real culprit, the real tell-tale sign that I have no idea how to organize other than to stick dusty objects next to objects of the same dustiness together, is my fridge.

Exhibit A:

And this, fine folks, is only a small fraction of the fridge (but it holds the point of this post so let’s keep going).

Among my many collections is a small but impressive stack of photobooth pictures. Ben and I have thankfully captured the important moments in our relationship – first date, anniversary, wedding day – because that only sounds like a great idea and all when I see it in a Real Simple project but I never think about applying it in my own life until it’s too late.

It was fine for the first couple of photo strips to live on the fridge, but as our collection grew I realized they needed a more permanent home when the Pet Smart coupons began to overcrowd them. This collection was somehow, miraculously, a really good one that showed I actually remembered to remember the occasion since DAY ONE, people.

So I bought a frame and scrounged up a few supplies around the house:

1. Posterboard

2. 11″ x 17″ frame

3. Gift tags from The Gilded Bee

4. Photo strips

And then I set about to memorializing our silliest moments.

I really should have used (one of our five) typewriters for the tags, but if I didn’t think of this project at 10pm and demand that I complete it RIGHT AT THE VERY MOMENT…I would have cleaned them up. And I still might, one day, when I get an itch at 3am to fix it.

That picture looks a little crooked but I’ll have to wait for Amanda to come over to fix it.

Related posts:

1. Pass the glass.
2. I’m dreaming of a white Christmas…tree.
3. Blog on a Wire

I am a bonafide daddy’s girl and I also love giving presents. So giving a present to my own dad is the best of both worlds. If you’re still stuck on what to get your pop here are a few suggestions:

For the New Dad:

SuperSweetCreations, $43. You better go ahead and do this while they’re too young to argue about what they’re wearing and enjoy it while you can. If you have an even smaller one there are cute  t-shirt and onesie pairs here.

For the Sports Fan:

DLKDesigns, $37.50. I find this to be a cool understated way to root for your dad to root for his home team. Plus he’ll look snazzy doing it.

For the Music Lover:

HappyThought, $14 for PDF. I am in love, love, LOVE with this poster! I think it would be perfect for uncles and grandads, too.

For the Collector:

BoxnMor, $45.95. This shop offers a variety of designs of banks made with real post office doors! I think it’d be cool if you could get one with a special year for your dad.

Happy hunting and good luck!

Related posts:

1. What the Blik?!

It’s shiny! It has ruffles! And it’ll force me to only carry necessities because even I don’t know why I have nine tubes of lipstick in my bag when I never reapply!

And since I was in the middle of downsizing I thought I’d snap a “what’s in my bag” pic for those curious readers out there (fyi: I LOVE when y’all do these posts. Keep them coming. I am nosey).

1. Prescription sunglasses & case. I was fine with the standard hardcase they provided me with but Ben had flashbacks from his childhood or something and asked if I wanted to find a better one. So, um, I guess I did? My first pair of glasses came in a pink leather sleeve and I THOUGHT I WAS SO COOL. So you understand how high my bar is for that kind of stuff.

2. Brush pop-up thing. I brush my hair as often as I reapply lipstick during the day.

3. Liz Clairborn wallet from TJ Maxx. My former wallet was getting old and I went back to find a new one only to find THE SAME FRIGGIN ONE five years after my last purchase. I have trouble with change to begin with so that was great news for me, but changing to a whole new wallet design is something I have nightmares about.

4. Measuring Tape. This is one of my most beloved purse items; I use it to measure furniture for the house and vintage clothes for Ben.

5. Random France ring. I wake up to find Etsy purchase confirmations the way some people wake up to find they downloaded a Chumbawamba song at 3am. You can get your own here if you’d like, though.

6. THE BEST PEN IN THE WORLD. I don’t play with no ballpoint, son.

7.  Flip & Tumble bag. In the wake of a million reusable bag options, I have found this bag to be the best. It folds into itself and has a fleece pad on the shoulder strap for comfort. The cashiers at Fresh Market have complimented me on it numerous times so I know it must be awesome. You can get one here.

8. “Gingermilk” roll-on perfume. Try as I might, I don’t like the taste of ginger. And I want to like ginger candy so badly. So when my friend Hillary introduced me to this fragrance I knew I needed it. It’s spicy and sweet and I’m not tempted to bite myself. Buy it here.

9. Glasses cleaning cloth. You can find me in the nerdery.

10. Lipstick Bag. Yes, I have a bag just for lipstick. Right now it holds nine tubes. I might use one of them on the way to work in the morning. And then it will promptly transfer to my teacup.

So what’s in your bag? Spill!

Related posts:

1. Spoiler Alert: He’s Alive
2. I did it.

We are going to skip over the part where I apologize for not blogging lately and just get down to it. Lately I have been obsessed with this color scheme:

Isn’t it just so pretty? I want to throw away everything I own and start over with these colors. And I guess I’ve had plenty of non-blogging time to do that, but again, whatever. I did happen to come up with this:

I’ve had this lightweight spring jacket for years, but since we really don’t get a spring around here it doesn’t get as much play as I’d like (and despite the color processing it is quite a pretty robin’s egg blue…I promise the introduction had a point). Do you guys do that, have certain jackets for certain seasons and/or occasions? I have some fabulous evening spring jackets that would never be seen in the middle of the day.

I used to stuff a few bills in my jacket pockets when I would switch wardrobes so I’d have a little surprise the next year I wore it. This one had an even better surprise.

I have never called the number and have no earthly idea when I got it, but if you are curious enough to call the number tell me how it goes! I am hoping it’s a gothic sex line (whatever that might entail. I’m guessing spiders?)

These oxfords never get enough stage time but they might be my favorite pair of shoes.

Trench, thrifted (the inside label only reads “Wear in Good Health” – I love it!)

Button Up, thrifted

It! Jeans, local boutique

Oxfords, umm Dillards? Somewhere in the mall.

So what’s new with you? You know I blog on the regular on my tumblr now, right? I will never say I am “lifecasting” but, um, that’s kind of all it is. I just didn’t want you to think I had a nervous breakdown or got knocked up or got a book deal. Nope, I’ve just been eating a lot of junk and painting my nails and taking a gazillion photos of my niece.

Because really, who can ignore this?

Related posts:

1. Have You Seen This Coat?!
2. "Spring" Fever
3. Manly Megan

I have been invited to a friend’s birthday soiree, and because she likes the 40s, she has has asked us to dress in pinups/40s rockabilly style for the evening.

I have my red lipstick all ready, but I am not sure what to wear! It’s in June, so it will (hopefully) be warm out. And as you know, I am built on the tall and extra curvy side.

Please help!

Emily

Emily! Man, that sounds like an excellent party. I LOVE the 40s/pinup/rockabilly look because it is just so bold and glam and va-va-voom.

I mean, seriously.

So the two pieces I found for you are just that: very bold and very sexy.

This dress (via Marmalade Moon on Etsy) is bright and perfect for a summer party. You can add a petticoat  to really make the skirt swing and a knit shrug if it’s not warm enough for you. Add a big flower hairpin and a little nautical twist in your jewelry and you are ready!

This top is so cool! Made by Voodoo Lounge, you can get this custom blouse based on a vintage pattern and choose your own color/pattern combo. I’ve paired it two ways; the first is a more casual, nautical look and the second is that va-va-voom I was talking about. Add some victory rolls in your hair (here’s a good pinup hair tutorial!) and add a silk scarf or bright bow hairpin and don’t forget the red lipstick!

Want the details about a certain item I showcased? Have your own fashion question for me? Email me at meganhallwha[at]gmail[dot]com!

Related posts:

1. Flower Power
2. I did it.

Thanks in advance,

Hillary
Thanks for writing, Hillary! You’re right, I do love me some button ups from the men’s department. I have broad shoulders and long arms, so a regular small men’s shirt fits me perfectly. While you are much smaller than me, I think you can make your Pop’s shirts work. It is very easy to make a larger shirt work for you and the boyfriend look is in, anyway!

So I’ve used a bright plaid shirt for all of these looks, but honestly any color or plain button up will work.

I am pretty sure you have all of these elements (it helps that a best friend asks for my advice) and I know you love trouser jeans and menswear. Tuck in the shirt and roll up the sleeve to your elbow for a fitted look and  add some jewelry and fresh, bright makeup keep the balance of feminine-masculine.

The next look is more of a summer weekend look:

I love natural elements in a summer outfit like straw hats, leather sandals, and wood bracelets. You can tie the loose ends of the button up into a knot (closed or open with a crisp white tank underneath) or use an old brooch to pin the excess material in the back for a more fitted look in the front.

And the last is my favorite button up look:

You can wear a sweater vest in the colder months and an open vest in the warmer months with the shirt tucked in or out. Bootcut or denim “clam diggers” (as my momma calls them) look great with a pair of Chucks.

As if you need any more inspiration…

That’s a pretty good note to end on if I do say so myself.

If you’re looking for a few choice shirts to keep I’d say a white and at least one colorful plaid that works with your current wardrobe is a must. And since there are so many shirts you may want to think of a way to keep them with you, like a quilt or some cloth bunting like I have in my guest room.

If YOU have a fashion question or need help with a term paper or want to know how to properly dress a hotdog, feel free to email me at meganhallwha[at]gmail[dot]com.

Related posts:

1. Even if I could shop…
2. Addressing the Situation
3. Lordy, lordy, look who’s going back to the 40s

So I have decided to finally break down and buy one of those big armrest pillows to try because even though I loved them on my 1993 NKotB daybed, I doubt they will be very comfortable today. But you know what’s even more uncomfortable? Waking up at 3am, choking on the popcorn you ate at 4pm earlier that day! Hooray!

Being the Etsy search engine queen that I am, I find this gem:

Manllow is a customizable “half man, half pillow” and can be found here for a reasonable $50. I love their description, “It could be a joke. It could be for reals. It’s up to you to decide. ”

So I thought about getting this pillow instead. It would be like a hug throughout the night, someone holding me and saying, There, there, it’s okay. You don’t have to wake up at 6:30 if you don’t want to. Hit the snooze button and stay in bed, honey.

And then I thought about who I’d want on it.

The first choice was obvious.

But then I thought, would I really want to cuddle with Chuck Bass? You can do a lot of things with Chuck Bass, but cuddling is not one of them.

So I considered someone else.

Since Ben tells me Ira is gay every available opportunity and that I shouldn’t even waste my time fantasizing about him, I knew this would not make it into the bed we shared.

And we do have to share a bed, and therefore our pillows. And marriage is about compromise, right? So I tried to think about a pillow we could both agree on.

I could be joking. I could be for reals.

Also: don’t be hating on my mad MS Paint skillz!

Related posts:

2. Sweet, Sweet Fantasy, Baby!
3. Spoiler Alert: He’s Alive

I hadn’t made this Giada lasagna dish in years, but it’s so easy I didn’t know why I hadn’t made it for my husband yet. It was my classic go-to dish when it came to wooing a suitor in my college years, and did I mention it was easy? Like, I could actually make it from memory easy?

Lasagna Pinwheels

• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• Ground sausage
• 1 jar of marinara sauce
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6-8 uncooked lasagna noodle, depending on size of dish
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• Dash of salt and pepper

Um, so these are pretty much all of the ingredients, minus the plants and plus the egg and sausage. This post was not sponsored by Publix.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Make sure you didn’t leave your cast iron skillet on the rack if you kitchen is anything like mine.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper  to blend.

It should look like this.

Get your husband to cook the sausage while you whisk. Er, ask nicely.

In past dishes I have used proscuitto in the mix, but we had leftover rosemary sausage links in the fridge and just chopped them up. Really any meat will do (or it’s just as good meatless).

Boil the noodles according to box directions. Add the olive oil to prevent noodles from sticking together. Drain.

Butter your baking dish and cover the bottom with sauce. One at a time, lay a noodle one a clean work surface and spoon the mixture evenly onto the noodle.

Starting on one end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. (If an end of a noodle is frayed I like to roll it in that direction) and lay the roll seam side down.  Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture.

The noodles can be HOT. I recommend working at a TCBY making waffle cones every day for four years through college.

Since I used a small baking dish, I had extra ricotta mixture left over and spread it between the rolls. Husband didn’t mind and yours probably won’t, either.

Spoon the rest of the sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle with mozzarella and the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls.

This is when the party starts.

YAIS.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. I suggest you watch a Simpsons episode to get you through this tough time.

Your patience will be rewarded because you will end up with THIS.

Is still doesn’t look like enough cheese to me.

THERE.

Related posts:

1. Chz, Plz.
2. Baked, Take Two.
3. It’s October Already?

I mean, I’m sure you did. But for some reason, I never shop there because I consider it to be a petites-only store. I guess it doesn’t help that two of my favorite people just happen to look great in their clothes and they just happen to be about six inches shorter than me. Tomorrow you’ll try to tell me you don’t have to be 55 to shop at Talbot’s!

Anyway, I don’t really know why Ann Taylor Loft decided to let a certain – quite tall – person be their blogger of the month considering she didn’t, erm, even own an article of Loft clothing before they gave her a bunch of free stuff, but I suppose the only good thing to come out of it is that I decided to check the store out for myself.

Also, I just really wanted to be like my two favorite people.

Oh, I promise I’m not sad.

Told you!

Black Cardi, Target

White Silk Blouse, TJ Maxx

Metallic Shorts, Ann Taylor Loft

Black Tights, Simply Vera via Kohl’s

Patent leather flats, Target

I absolutely love these new shorts because I can dress them up or down for work or going out. Plus they’re linen so they are lightweight and comfortable! They are currently on sale in stores but you can always grab a pair online by clicking here.

And if you’re wondering how to style them…

This is a good summer’s night outfit that’s not too overdressed but it still says, “Hey, I put in some effort.”

I love keeping  a simple black and white combo but it’d be really easy to add a punch of color to the outfit.

Related posts:

1. Long story short.
2. Addressing the Dress
3. New year, new dress.

I haven’t been to Charlotte Russe in, I dunno, years? I don’t know what makes Forever 21 better than this store; both offer cheap clothes that will look great on you ONCE and end up in the back of the closet for eight months. Maybe that’s just me? Anyway, while there I picked up this nail polish:

It’s their light aqua matte ($3.50) and I really dig it. It dries quickly and lets me put on three coats without any fuss or smudging, which is always a problem for me. I guess it doesn’t help that 2.5 minutes after applying a coat of polish I’m all, Oh, let’s play Scrabble! Of COURSE I can wash your hair. You want me to k nit you a sweater right now? OKAY!

Anyway, I paired it with a mostly red outfit that I equally dug.

Red + aqua/turquoise is SUCH  great color combo and really easy to add to your wardrobe. No, really. I’ll show you.

See? Told you.

Related posts:

1. Winterizing Your Wardrobe
2. Return of the Coats
3. Blue Jean Baby

I don’t mean to make light of the religious holiday, but I also don’t want to offend anyone, either. So let’s just focus on this picture of me, circa 1990 or so? I’m the stylish chick on the left in the most awesome Easter outfit ever created. I mean, did you notice the pink hairbow that matches my dress? And did you check out my frilly socks and patent leather shoes (WITH BOWS)? Way ahead of my time, kiddos.

My sisters and I always got a new dress for Easter, and even now I have that itch to buy one for Easter morning. So let’s check out some pretties.

1. Miss Darling Dress, $39.99 2. Printed Square-Neck Dress, $24.99 3. Denim Cap Sleeve Dress, $24.90

1. Floral Print Tube Dress, $54.40 2. Poppies Print Dress, $79.95 3. The Dharma Dress, $79.90

The key, for me, is to have something bright and pretty. Even if you don’t celebrate Easter this is a perfect time to buy a dress and stuff your face with chocolate (right? right).

Related posts:

1. Dressed Up in Blue
2. Etsy Btsy Splurges
3. Blargh. And Happy Easter.

Well that’s how I ended up with this skirt for five bucks.

This chambray skirt is PERFECT for Florida weather; it’s lightweight and will go with just about anything (see: any color tank top). And it’s so dang full that it really was to hard to find an imperfection despite the fair warning on the tag.

Of course I DID end up finding the stain, right in the sunshine when I was walking through a grocery store parking lot. Ah well, it’s a small stain and the folds hide it nicely. Did I mention it cost less than a Starbucks order and it’s going to be a summer staple?

Skirt, local vintage store

Tank Top, Target

Cardigan, Marshall’s

Leather flats, Target

I was a little hesitant about the skirt at first; the length is a little, uhhh, compound. But! I think accessories and top lengths (long on long) keep it modern. You can experiment with what you have, but here are a couple suggestions to get you started:

This is a simple, classic look that would be a great, easy weekend outfit. I love the pop of color in the shoes!

This is an even MORE casual look that would be great for a beach weekend or outdoor concert. Oh man, I can’t wait for beach weekends and concerts! Summer needs to hurry up and get here so I can start complaining about the heat.

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3. Summertime and the living is breezy.

I ended up with choice B, this little ray of sunshine:

While your advice was greatly appreciated (and to be honest some of you put a lot more thought into it than I did so thanks especially for using logic, something I throw out the window when it comes to pretty shiny things), I have been secretly lusting after this bag for a looong time and felt like I *needed* it.  So thank you for your comments and know that I am in the process of procuring a runner-up in the near future.

A few of you emailed me about the bags I listed and I am happy (er, sad?) to announce that they have all been scooped up by you lovely ladies. Here are the shops I was looking at and my favorite bag of theirs currently for sale:

LimiLovesBags, $88

I love the shape and color of this bag! And if you buy a bag from the shop this month you get a free scarf with purchase.

DrikaB, $71

Well I obvioulsly love this shop. I will say that the bag seems smaller to me in person, but I have been toting around a bowling bag for years so my opinion of an average sized bag is a little skewed. If you join the DrikaB mailing list you receive 10% off your order.

hoakonhelga, $130

This bag is very similar to the option I posted on my site, just in case you were bummed the other one was sold. I LOVE this shop because they make bags from vintage leather jackets and other fabrics that they upcycle.

paulinacarach, $139

My next purse is coming from this lady, y’all. She is SUPER nice and has an amazing selection of handcrafted bags. Plus, the design is fabulous. Hillary of ByHillary is a fan and has it in grey, which she blogged about right here.

Still haven’t found what you were looking for? Then try this one in cloth, this one for cheap, or this one if you don’t know what to get me for my half birthday, May 13th. Happy shopping!

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1. New Shops, New Finds

The next day someone commented on how small my thighs were, and I was all why thank you now let me go put on some leggings! Actually, I know for a fact that the person who complimented me is  anti-leggings-as-pants and I don’t think even my thighs are going to sway her from this. So I implemented my second rule for leggings-as-pants, and that’s the rule where my top should cover my butt.

Top, Marshall’s (because if I couldn’t find a new purse I wasn’t going home empty-handed)

Leggings, Target

Flats, Payless

Oh, and I’m not mad though that picture makes it out to be. I’m just wondering if the timer is on and if it’s ever going to – OH THERE IT TOOK A PICTURE GREAT. Happens every time.

So there you have it: I wore leggings. As pants. I’m not saying I’m proud of it, I’m just admitting that I did it.

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I knew this was going to happen. I KNEW IT. But you know what? There’s no point fighting it.

You see, once you buy a purse that costs over $50 there’s no going back. And sure, some of you scoff at that price, but that’s because you slid down that slippery slope long ago. My first big girl bag cost around $80 and shortly after receiving it and petting it and loving it I wanted more.

Worse, I wanted bigger and better. Because once you’ve been exposed to nice leather and size and quality, really, where else does one go but up? It’s like finally breaking down and buying the expensive Pearl tampons. YOU WILL NEVER LET YOUR COOCH SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS.

So I need a new bag, and I’ve set aside money for a new one. I scouted TJ Maxx and Marshall’s first because, seriously, every time I’m in there I come across some glorious bag that I never want to plunk down the money for. I end up just hugging it and try to explain to it that I’m only there to buy outdated bags of Jelly Bellys so please let me be. But once I do go in with wallets blazing there is not one good bag to be found.

This is where you come in, my sweet butternut squash blossoms.

Choice A:

Choice B:

Choice C:

Choice D:

So, which one do you like?

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Good, because I’ve jumped on the bandwagon and joined Formspring. Clicke here to get the scoop.

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I can’t remember why I cut my hair anymore; it’s been over a year but I think I was fooled by some amazing short hairdos of the stars. Didn’t Sienna Miller and I cut our hair at the same time? HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS?

Hair extensions, vitamins, thousand dollar treatments…yeah I get it. I just want long hair again so I don’t have to wash it every day. I just want to braid it and throw it up and have people compliment on its obvious complexity.

Something like this. But until then, I have to wash and wrestle with what I have. And this is what it looks like.

Mmhmm. And do you know I wrangle that thing into a semi-decent ‘do with a $19.99 drugstore flat iron? Hopefully you’ve stopped reading this post by this point so you won’t win the amazing flat iron the generous Hillary is giving away thanks to Missiko.

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1. I did it.