MMmmmm...mmmm Good!

Happy Thursday everyone!  If you follow me on Facebook...well I apologize ahahaha...for the crazy stories, shenanigans and other random posts I put y'all thru LOL.  I am nothing if not a SHARE-ER...I like to share pretty much everything (well not THAT everything but within reason...I'm not THAT kinda girl geez)!  I also like to take pics of food that I've cooked or have placed before me (my kids have learned to NOT touch their food until Mom has taken the pics).  I love to cook...not much of a baker though...I can bake, but I just don't as we never eat many baked goods in our home (yes shake your head but its true).  It ends up getting thrown away so I figure why waste the time, I got other things to do.  But Texas Brownies are one treat that I make that ALWAYS end up getting eaten...usually in one day LOL!  I think because we eat dinner later than most...around 7:30-8 pm every night...so my husband can join us is why we don't eat dessert much.  I feel that sit down dinners 4-5 nights a week are EXTREMELY important...especially with our kids being teens and always doing their own thing nowadays.  At dinner we get time to act nutty, TRY to use proper etiquette...ahem...and talk about our day and discuss sports, friends, school and any other number of topics...some topics that might make your eyes roll backwards too ;)  Because my hubby commutes to & from DC everyday he doesn't get home till later so the teens have a lil' snack when they get home to tide them over and then whine about dinner until we sit down to eat (you'd think we were starving them).  Or if its sports season for them we eat after practice which is usually late as well.  My kids will be off on their own soon so I'm trying to suck in every minute of availability I have with them...because we all know that time passes WAY too quickly and I don't want to feel like I missed a thing...well some things I don't mind missing...heehee!

So I took a picture of some BBQ ribs I fixed the other night and put them on Facebook and a ton of you asked for me to share the recipe.  I have been cooking them awhile now and finally perfected them in "my eyes" and my family's LOL!  They were soooo good...the meat literally just fell off the bone and were so juicy and tender.  And the BBQ sauce to die for..no I do NOT use bottled sauce but I will not judge you if you do ;)  So this recipe may not appeal to everyone but it is how I make them and love them.  Please remember that my measurements are APPROXIMATE because I am not a person that measures when she cooks...I add a dab of this and a dab of that till I get the flavor I'm looking for (yes, yes I am one of those cooks...sorry).  So you may have to play around with the ingredients till they suit YOUR tastes...and you may like them spicier than me...I like 'em to have a little kick but I can't handle anything too spicy!

So here we go!

This is the dutch oven pot I use (6 qt by Lodge)....it was around $70 and it has a great weight and has held up fabulously for many cookin's.   Yes I looked at Le Creuset and yes I like them, but at the time they weren't in my budget and you know what?  This one works great and doesn't need replacing yet so I will keep on using it until the day it doesn't work anymore LOL!  (it comes in other colors too, but red is my fave)

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Suzanne's BBQ Ribs Recipe

Ingredients:

-3-5 lbs of baby back ribs

-1.5 large yellow sweet onion (sliced)

-3-4 TBS of butter *yes real butter*

-Tabasco sauce (3-4 good shakes)

-1 can/bottle of beer (the darker the better)

-3-4 cups of ketchup

-2-3 TBS of Worcestershire Sauce (or a bunch of shakes of it as I like to say)

-approx 1/3 to 2/3 cup of Brown Sugar (if you like sweeter use more than 1/3 cup)

-Red Pepper Flakes (however many shakes you like, I do about 4 shakes)

-2-3 fresh garlic cloves crushed (depending on how much garlic you love)

-1.5 tsp dried mustard

Instructions:

-pre-heat your oven to 250 degrees

-Warm up your dutch oven on the stovetop and put in your butter (I use real butter, I don't like the fake stuff period, moderation people..its all about moderation), as its melting add all your sliced onions and cook them until they soften and get clear.

-I cut my rib racks (gasp, yes I really do) into 4-5 rib sections

-once onions are done add Ketchup, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire Sauce, Brown Sugar, Dried Mustard, & Red Pepper flakes and stir to mix!

-Then add in the 1/2 cup of the Beer...why beer?  I dunno...LOL..but I add it to a lot of slow cooked foods (like my tasty chili) and it always keeps food moist while cooking and gives a good flavor which I like.  I use Samuel Adams most of the time...I don't drink beer (uck, go figure) but we always have some on hand for guests.  You can of course skip this step...and you do know the alcohol content cooks out...so no worries no one will get drunk off this dish (I know you were wishin' it was so, but sadly you will not)  ;)

-crush your garlic cloves...I use a Pampered Chef Garlic press but you can set the cloves on a cutting board and smash with the side of a knife as well.  Easy peasy...fresh garlic is always more potent than powder so make sure you don't overdo it. (unless you need to keep vampires at bay...at which point I say the more garlic the better)

-If you notice the mixture is too watery, you can add a few TBS of tomato paste to the mix.  I never do and its always ok at the end, but that's in case you find it too watery...cuz I'm full of good tips like that my friends ;)

-Mix all those ingredients and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes...mmmm it really starts smelling good now...have a cookie so your tummy doesn't growl at this point!

-Then add in your ribs and stir; make sure the ribs are coated REAL GOOD with the BBQ sauce mixture before covering.

-Now cover it all up with the lid and put it in your pre-heated oven (you did that right? don't forget to pre-heat...sigh...if you forgot to preheat turn your oven on broil to heat it up real quick..another Suz tip)

and here's the kicker.....

put it in for 3.5-4 hours and DO NOT PEEK INSIDE!  I MEAN IT!  That dutch oven collects all the moisture and heat inside of itself and cooks those ribs till they are juicy and ready.  If you peek on them you will defeat the dutch oven's purpose in life...and they won't be as good.  So DON'T go opening that oven you hear me...just let 'em cook!  So that gives you plenty of time to do other things that need doin'!

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What do I serve them with?  Well usually a green...I did green beans with special Suzanne sauce (you want that recipe...its good...soooo good hee hee), hot bread/rolls and broccoli-cheese-rice.  Sometimes we do greens salad or in summer a cucumber-vinegar salad.  But the ribs are the star baby...mmmm mmmm good :)

Eat & Enjoy!

Petite Tray Time!!

Do you like searching for fun things to display in your home?  I know I do and I am usually looking for something specific and two things tend to happen 1) hard to find what I want and 2) usually way too expensive.  Sooooo that leaves me thinking up alternatives.  I have been loving these mini/petite monogrammed trays I've seen in magazines lately and wanted one for myself and for my daughter's room.  I plan to put my rings and nail oil/hand lotion I use every night before bed on mine...just a neat place to keep everything organized.  My daughter will use her's for her jewelry that she takes off at night as well.  But every beautiful tray I liked was super expensive...and well, I'm a crafter and a DIY kinda gal so I knew I could replicate them in my own way.  And you know what?  They would make AWESOME gifts too!!

These small ceramic trays from Jill Rosenwald cost $200 each..OMGEE I like them but I don't $200-kinda-like-them if you know what I mean!  Especially not for something that is 12"x9"!

And these acrylic trays go from $40 up to $100 on different sites...they are cool but not for that much of my money!

So off to AC Moore (it is like Michaels or Hobby Lobby stores if you don't have one) I went to get some small unfinished wood trays that I had seen awhile back (Darice is the brand name).  They came in a 3 pack for around $8 and then I got one by itself that had more fancy edges for $3.  And I had a 20% off coupon...SCORE!  So basically these 2 trays I made cost me about $9 total.  Picture below is similar to the trays I bought except mine had holes cut out for the handles.

Supplies Used:

-unfinished wooden trays

-sand paper or sanding block

-glossy paint in fave colors

-scrapbook paper or other decorative papers

-Modge Podge (I used the glossy version instead of matte)

-computer, printer, dies, Silhouette Cameo

And this is how mine turned out!  Not hard to make and at a total price of about $10 for both I think I got a GREAT DEAL! 

The black tray is for my bedside table...I love black and cream together...always elegant.  I painted my tray with a glossy black paint that I had on hand (FREE) and lined it with scraps of scrapbook paper I had on hand (FREE).  Since the trays were unfinished wood I sanded the edges really good anywhere there was some roughness...I like using a sanding block as its easier for me to grip.  The scrapbook paper was cut to fit and then glued down with Glossy Modge Podge and then another coat on top.  I created my monogram on Photoshop Elements and printed it out on cream cardstock.  I cut it out with my Spellbinders oval dies including a black mat for the cream monogram to lay on top of (remember at my core I'm a 100% paper crafter LOL).  Then I glued it down with more Modge Podge and then gave the whole thing another coat of Modge Podge to finish it off.  Ta Da!

This is Alexa's tray for her NEW bedroom (more to come on that very soon, waiting on a few things to come in).  The paint I used for this tray was the same paint I used on an accent wall in her room...its low VOC and satin finished so it worked well too.  I cute the letter "A" with my Silhouette Cameo machine (ooohhhhh let me count the ways I love that machine) and the swirls were done with a Spellbinders die run thru my Cuttlebug.  Same process done with Scrapbook paper and Glossy Modge Podge.  It matches her room and I think it turned out really cute...errrr she's almost 17 so I'll say COOL instead heehee!

So if there are some fun decorative accents out there that you are drooling over but you cannot find in your budget...think of some fun ways to re-create them.  You can usually do it easily and cheaply...these trays took me about 1 hour from start to finish.  Not bad at all!

I will have a few more DIY accents to create in the near future too...I have a lot up these crafty sleeves hee hee!

Linking this post to the fabulous blogs/Linky Parties as well:

PJH Designs

Life on Lakeshore Drive

Kathe with an E 
One More Time To...Celebrate!
Get Your DIY ON! (thrifty upcycle)

I'm linking this up to A Bowl Full of Lemons fabulous Linky Party!

Have you re-created something you saw at a store or online cheaper and perhaps BETTER?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Drool Worthy Home Decor!

I like to shop for fun things.  Really I like to shop online I should say.  I like that "Add to Cart" function even if I don't always check out, it makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something. And there is something so appealing about doing it in your jammies, in your favorite chair sipping on your favorite drink of choice (Cherry Coke for me..I know, no surprise there).

I am also an enabler. I like to enable because it makes me feel like I've made smart choices myself.  Less guilt on my part LOL!

So below are some things that have been "Added to My Cart" but I haven't pushed the CHECKOUT button yet.  These things are go in "Suzanne's Drool Worthy--HOME DECOR" category!

See them all HERE!

Because I love pretty things...because I love miniatures of most things..I am drooling over these!  I want them all...I have added a few to my cart.  How cool in the summertime would those glasses be filled with homemade strawberry pink lemonade and cute straws?  Yeah they need me!  And look at those tiny milk jugs..I have no real use for them...but I still want them.  Cute for a kids party too!

I love the character of this lamp from Joss & Main...it would look good in most rooms in my house...and its $60, not too bad.

I need an end table for my chair in my family room.  I have a skirted table that is literally on its last legs and the cats have wayyyy too much fun with it. This table is the right price, style & shape!

If you've never been to Joss & Main...well you are missing out...its like Homegoods online but soooo much better & the deals...whoowheee...are fab!  Even if you aren't into buying, they have great ideas for window shopping and dreaming!  Go HERE to see!

Ok confession time!  I am a glass/dinnerware addict.  I have cupboards full of new and antique. I love to pull different ones out each week to use. I don't think I'll ever have enough.  Shhhh don't tell hubby!  So I saw these in an ad by Martha Stewart dinnerware and immediately was hooked...they call to me, my new gray fetish that I'm going through.  But neutral enough for anything and good for everyday.  They are sitting in my cart at Macy's ;)  (pssst....they come in other colors too)

I love plants & flowers....of all kinds.  However I have a cat (ahem Tucker the Terrible) who eats everything that is flower related.  So I have 3 houseplants up on stands that he can't reach or get to..that's it.  If I have fresh flowers he tears into them...so I have to keep them in my office with the door shut.  DRIVES ME NUTS!  So I like the idea of these Mini Hanging Terrariums from Pottery Barn..only $9 each...would be perfect hanging in front of each of my 3 kitchen windows over my sink filled with some pretty succulents.  Some living beauty that is unreachable for my cat ;)

I am also in need of bath towels.  Its something we never buy ourselves but have been gifted with in the past.  Well ours have seen their last day in my bathroom.  I love this style and color of bath towels from Pottery Barn.  I also like that I can buy just towels...not sets...I just need bath towels not everything else.  I want the porcelain blue color...I have 4 in my cart ;)

Do you ever shop at Overstock.com?  They have some great deals over there, I always check them out when I'm looking for home-related items.  I'm in need of a large wall clock for our basement rec-room.  I had one...it broke...due to over zealous cheering/jumping upstairs during the Super Bowl by your's truly & her daughter..it fell off wall and broke...sniff sniff!  I want a black one as our basement is aqua, browns & black.  This clock I love & want...it is for over the fireplace..its also in my "Cart" LOL!

 Last but not least are some goodies for my new office...yes it will match my blog...yellow, white & gray.  So I want some FUN, HAPPY items in there to make me smile.  This zebra plate will be cute on my bookshelf and can hold odds-n-ends.  And I need pillows...love the mix of patterns and colors of these from Etsy...perfect for my office...3 please! :)  Etsy ALWAYS has cool, one of a kind things for your home, your body and more...and you support artists too..win/win!

So what items are you drooling over currently for your home?? 
I'd love to hear...you never know...I may need to "ADD MORE TO MY CART" :)

New Bedroom!

 Boy's Bedroom

Hi all!  I have been prepping and searching and shopping for all the new goodies for my son's new bedroom.  He's 15 and 6'3....so his tiny twin bed doesn't really suit him anymore LOL.  He looks like a giant sleeping in a dwarf's bed I tell ya!  So the time has come to change up things..sigh..hard to do when he's still your baby.

So his current bedroom is upstairs with a twin bed, tall dresser and a dresser/hutch combine.  The furniture is all solid wood in a dark cherry color which we love but will probably sell as we have no use for it (Craigs List is calling)  He is a history buff so when we moved in 7 years ago we painted his room in a khaki and slate blue color and wallpapered one wall with civil war map wallpaper.  Was really cute...then...now he's ready for a big boy change.  So because he has to have a Queen bed now we have to move him to the basement.  His room is too small with a double closet and double window to fit everything.  So he will move into the guest bedroom and we will move the guest bedroom to our playroom/media room that never gets used down there.  So a big switcheroo.  His old bedroom will become my new office...its right across from my studio..so I will have a place to get messy in my studio and a place to sit and do blogwork, paperwork and the like.

The guest room is a soft terra-cotta color...not really suitable for my son.  So below is how it will all look.

The color scheme is charcoal gray, soft gray, black,white and pops of maroon (Redskin maroon that is).  Much more grown up and masculine and things that he could take with him to college and the like.

-Queen Bed and Dresser are from Ikea's "Hemnes" line (all in black/brown)
-the bookshelf is from Ikea's "Expedit" line and we already own it (we have some bins for lower shelves that will hold his t-shirts, socks and such..the upper shelves will be for books & displays)
-we will add the $50 desk addition to the far side of the Expedit for a desk as well/we already own a desk chair in gray
-Bedding is from PB Teen's NFL line..his will be charcoal gray with the Redskins motif of course (we are HUGE Redskins fans in this house)
-table lamp is from Ikea as well and I love that it adjusts up and down (only $19.99)
-may get him a pendant lamp to hang from ceiling as well...around $40
-Sherwin Williams gray tones on wall...one wall will be dark and the rest will be dove gray as there is only one high window in the room since its in our finished basement.
-and a couple Redskin pillows thrown in the mix for color
-the carpet in the room is cream so the background behind the pics above..well that's the 8x10 rug I'm ordering to go in room.

I also got some poster frames on sale at Michaels for him to put his sports posters & pennants on.  He's going to love it I know!!

I like to create theme boards like this...allows me to really play with colors, scale and furniture.  PLUS it helps my husband visualize it all...he's not so good at that...so I'm here to help =)  And you gotta love Ikea for affordable furniture and accessories.  We were able to get Riley all new things for not a huge investment and he's not hard on his stuff so it will last awhile.

This weekend is the finalization of Alexa's room changes as well....so stay tuned for actual "BEFORE & AFTER" photos of that too!

Any big re-dos of rooms in your homes coming up??

Lights Out!

Happy Wednesday everyone!  I am back from a mini-vacation in sunny Florida with my two besties.  I had the best of time, loved every minute and was blessed to have the time with them both.  But back to reality now right? LOL!  That's ok, I enjoy my life and my family so its not all bad!

Just a quick postie for you today because today is catch up day again.  I got home late Monday night and spent yesterday ripping through the house cleaning because NOT MUCH gets done when I'm gone.  So I had to clean, do laundry, unpack, get groceries and try to catch up on emails and such.  So today is project day again...trying to get some things done before I have to take my daughter to the orthodontist to get her braces off.  She's VERY excited, after a year of having them on she is excited to get them OFF LOL...and get her teeth bleached pearly white!  But no worries, I have a TON of projects I'm working on before we head off for Spring Break later this month...which translates into lots of posts here at the bloggeroo!

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Ever have the lights go out?  Power Out?  With Spring & Summer on its way that means thunderstorms here where I live in Virginia.  That means sometimes we lose the power and that's NO fun...well sometimes it is if you are prepared.  So I have a "Lights Out" box that I keep in our laundry room.  Lights go out and we can grab that quick and easy.  Or if your kids are home alone they know what to do if the lights go out so they can be safe.

BUT FIRST....we have to be able to navigate to the laundry room or anywhere safely right?  If its evening and storming it is going to be very dark and I'm a clumsy person in the daylight let alone the dark!

So we have these nightlights/flashlights on every level of our house.  I love them!  They plug in and work like a nightlight BUT when the power goes off they are charged and stay on!  And then you can unplug them and use them like a flashlight to navigate with.

I couldn't find the exact ones I have in our Lowes store but these are super similar and around $8 each.  I'm sure you can find something similar in any home store or even Target or Walmart. (my hubby was the hand model...thanks hubby) I highly recommend having a few in your house.  I have one outside our bedrooms, one in the kitchen on main level and one in our finished basement/rec room.

I found this cute bin at Target so I transferred my goods to this one from a "plain" one!  Its labeled simply, no embellishments...it doesn't need it but you could of course decorate it however you please.  I sit it on top of our cabinets in our laundry room but you need to keep it anywhere that its out of the way YET easy to find when needed.

This is what I keep inside...what you decide to keep inside might be different from what we do of course.  But I've found these are the things we need the most during a power outage.  This is not an "emergency survival" box...those would be MUCH bigger of course and include food and such (we have that out in our garage complete with headlamps hahaha).  I have 3-4 flashlights (smaller ones but super bright), batteries for the flashlights, matches and some basic candles.  Now I wouldn't suggest to my teens to light up candles but we at least have a few in case we need them.  Playing games is always a good way to pass time when the lights go out so we usually light a few candles and place them in our glass hurricanes to light the kitchen table. 

We also have a couple of these lanterns on hand.  They are outdoor battery-run lanterns and ours are full-sized...if you camp you may have one of these already.  These are good to use in the bathroom or bedroom if the power is still out.  That way you can put them down and still have light in the room you are using without having to fiddle with a flash light.  We keep these out on our shelves in the garage, they don't fit in the box of course.  But they are always on the shelf and easy to find.

Last but not least on the reverse side of the box lid we have an emergency number list.  I covered our actual list with a blank one (so we don't get any prank calls from y'all hahaha) just so you could see it.  If the kids are home alone and for whatever reason they can't use their cell phones OR they just don't know the numbers.  My teens have everything programmed on their cell phones so they haven't memorized most of these numbers which is a bit of a problem and why I have them listed in the box.  Your kids may be too young to have cell phones so its a great way to have these numbers for them.  I included the electric company as well so we can report any outages easily without having issues finding the number ONCE the power goes out...I don't have it on my cell phone but you could do that too.

So that's it!  An easy way to keep LIGHT in your life if needed!  

What things do you do to prepare for unexpected emergencies??

Spring Fresh!!

Hello again!  Hope you are having a fantastic start of your week so far!  I'm headed down to Naples, Florida for a week of fun in the sun with my two best buds.  Looking forward to some R&R while back here in Virginia they are preparing for a snowstorm...I got out just in time eh??? LOL!  I think so as I'm soooo SICK of winter!  I don't know too many people that aren't sick of winter & ready for Spring.

So let's talk about making our homes pretty and SMELL Spring Fresh!  

I don't know about you but I love for my house to smell good.  I burn soy candles and Scentsy daily (if you are not familiar with Scentsy, go check them out--as they are amazing)...I have eight animals and two teens...there can be some...ummmm..."odd" smells at times LOL.  So I do what I can to battle it along with good housekeeping and try to keep the bad smells at bay and keep the house smelling good.

When Spring is close to arriving I start switching out all my scents from winter/fall/warm scents to fresh, spring-like scents.  So below are a few fun things I start doing around this time of year.

I love Linen Sprays...I could be slightly obsessed with them.  I usually buy 3 at a time and I spray them everyday on all the beds AND on the family room furniture. (yes they can be used on more than sheets).  You can find recipes online like this one for making them if you want to (don't let the unscented Vodka ingredient skeer you).  I don't pay more than $7-9 a bottle and they last a long time.  You don't have to spray the entire bed down people...just a squirt on each pillow and on the sheets will do ya.  The one below I got at HomeGoods as they have lots of fabulous ones but marked wayyyyy down.  <check the ingredients...if you don't like chemicals you need to check, the less ingredients in a spray the better> I also like these Farmhouse Linen sprays here (the soy candles rock too).

Scent is "Lily & Cottonseed"...perfect for Spring

I am also obsessed with sachets and soaps!  Ok I have a few obsessions, but I promise they are ALL good!  I especially love homemade soaps.  BUT here's the kicker....I don't like to use hard soaps.  Nope, I think its icky...especially if they are shared soaps...and they tend to get gummy from the moisture...ick. (I have a few OCD issues I told ya)  I only use liquid soap, then we don't have those issues right?  But I still love the look and smell of bar soaps and I buy a few every now and again. I prefer to buy soaps made with all natural ingredients, no weird chemicals if I can help it.  Then you can take these beautiful smelling soaps and make sachets with them (Etsy has some awesome all-natural homemade soaps).  I use them in my linen closet, in my sweater drawers, my pajama drawers....you get my drift..I use them a lot!

So above are a few soaps I had in my stockpile...yes I always have stockpiles.  So with some pretty ribbon (get ribbon for .99 cents in the clearance bins) and some tulle (I buy tulle in rolls at JoAnns but you can buy a yard of tulle for about $1.50).  With these supplies and 2 bars of soaps you can make about 12 sachets for about $8.  The soaps cost me $3 each.

So I use a butter knife (remember safety first people) and chisel off a slice...one slice will make 2 chunks for your sachets.  One bar of soap this size will make about 6 sachets.  Cut a square of tulle, place the soap chunk inside and tie off with a pretty bow using the ribbon.  If you notice the sachet is starting to "not smell anymore", open the sachet back up and cut the chunk of soap in half again and it will last even longer.

I travel a lot for my work and with my family.  Almost all hotels leave soaps in the bathrooms, some leave liquid soaps (darn it lol).  I always, ALWAYS take the soap and shampoo my friends.  Come on...you are paying for the room and they are for YOU...don't feel guilty about it because you paid for it with the room.  I will then use the shampoo and liquid soap in my travels...I'm thrifty that way :)  If there is bar soap, I take it home to use for sachets to put in my drawers and linen closet.  So cost for the soap: "technically FREE" and you should use them! 

This soap was pretty small so I just wrapped it up in the tulle.  Again you could cut it into chunks to make the scent stronger over time.

So this is my linen closet...yes its still organized in case you are wondering.  If you set up a good system that works, its easy to keep up.  I put 2 sachets in my linen closet...1 in my Master Bedroom sheet bin and one near the kids sheets.  When you open the linen closet it just smells really, really good.  Now if you have a super STRONG smelly soap you may want to limit how much you use, that's a personal "smell" choice though :)

I love the smell of clean linen and clean laundry...it is one of my favorite scents next to lilacs and fresh-baked bread.  My mom always hung the sheets on the line outside to dry when I was growing up, there is NOTHING like that scent..NOTHING.  Its the BEST!  I live in a neighborhood where the neighbors would probably A) have a hissy fit and B) call the HOA police to alert them if I hung my sheets outside to dry.  I kid you not!  Its against the HOA (homeowners association) rules so its a big no-no.  So I have to make my linens smell pretty in other ways...hence the spray and sachets.

What's your favorite scent in the whole world?

What ways do you employ to make your house smell yummy?

Spring Fashions!

Hi everyone! Today is Fashion Fun Day!! 

I like clothes, shoes & purses....they all make me happy.  As happy as a delivery from Mr. Brown with new paper pads for crafting.  As happy as a Dunkin Donuts Boston Creme numminess.  As happy as a pig in the mud. Hee Hee! 

Today I'm just posting some of my fashion wants.  I like to make up these cyber-boards for myself when I want to add a few things to my wardrobe.  I don't buy much each season, instead add a few pieces to what I already own.  I have worn the same size for awhile so I invest in nicer pieces when I can that I know I'll wear a lot.  Doesn't mean I spend a TON of $$$ on them, but just try to look for quality, classic pieces...good material and well sewn make a difference to longevity.  I'm not a brand-monger *unless it reads COACH*.  So I don't need Tory Burch, Citizen Jeans, Gucci clothing/accessories.  I may drool over it but at the end of the day I like my money to go a long way and keep it for more important purchases.

I don't have anything in my closet that cost me more than $75 (not including a black blazer and 2 dresses)...shoes...well that's another story and I cannot say how much I spend on "some" of those...."you know who" could be reading...aka hubby lol.  For me I don't feel I need to spend $300 on a pair of jeans no matter how well they fit...now if you do, that's ok...I just can't do it.  I wear Abercrombie jeans 99% of the time...they fit me well, they don't stretch out or shrink and come in all styles and colors/washes.  Plus on sale I can get two pair for $80...whoo hooo...and then I stock up..well not always but at least once a year!  I have a BIG issue with jeans...I have long legs, a long waist and no butt...seriously I lack up top and down back ahahahaha.  Especially if I've lost a few pounds those shrink even more...oy vey!  So when I find jeans that fit me well then I'm their girl!

My fave from Abercrombie are their Jeggings and their Super Skinnies (if you like bootcut well they have those too...bootcut jeans flatter most shapes as well).  They fit great and are soft and they STRETCH PEOPLE...they are comfortable, me luv :)  I like the skinnies because they tuck into boots fabulously and I wear boots 90% of the time in the Winter.  BUT when Spring & Summer roll around they look great with wedges, flats & cute sandals too...so they are year-round wearable!  I'm not one to wear sweats or yoga pants unless I'm sick or working out...its just not me...I feel better in jeans or pants.  Same with sneakers...I don't wear them unless I'm working out or hiking.  I prefer heels, boots, flats or wedges and YES all of those are comfortable for me as well.  Its like makeup...I may not FEEL like putting it on but boy-o it makes me feel a bit better.  And you know what...if it gives me a little happy boost to get thru the day positively then I'm all for it.

I'm a pretty faithful fashionista...if I buy things that fit right, wear well and the cost is reasonable I will continue to shop at the store.  And gosh-forbid they discontinue something because I will LOSE IT..then cry..then mourn what was ;)  My fave go-to stores are Express, Abercrombie, White House/Black Market, Nordstroms and Victoria's Secret (for the clothes people, lol).

And I'm mostly an online shopper...like I said once I find clothes that I like and fit well I can easily stock up online AND find an online coupon to use too (even better).  I shop quickly if I have to go to a store...I'm not a big browser, I get antsy.  I only go when I'm looking for something specific that I may need to try on in the store (like dresses, ugh--that ugh is because I love dresses but have the hardest time finding ones that I like/fit right).

So Bright Colors are IN IN IN this season!  

And you know what?  I'm loving them and so ready for pretty colors.  Spring cannot get here soon enough!!  So below are 2 of my current fashion boards of some things I want to add to my closet...some of the things I have already but I use pics of them to pull it all together.

I love yellow but my skin color does not wear it well.  I cannot wear it near my face or I look like I have the Swine Flu...I kid you not! <do not let that be a visual for you...I warned you>

 

Things I Have:

-the shoes, the belt & the earrings

What I Want:

-the white shirt with tiny polka dots (must have--from Victoria's Secret)

-yellow shorts 

(I prefer mine to have cuffs & be a tiny bit longer, so will look around)

-the Coach clutch 

(the clutch is pricey, will ask <beg> hubby for it for Easter..ahahaha)

-love the belt bracelet/bangle 

(its by Michael Kors and A LOT LESS than the one from Tiffany's but a very similar look)

and these cuties I {heart} too...look at the cute bow on top, I could see them in my closet & on my feetsies :)

Royal blue is one of my favorite colors to wear...it looks good on everyone!  I'm having a green-love-kinda-thing going on lately.  And paired with blue its fresh and perfect for Spring.  I have royal blue jeans I wore this winter with a blue/green shirt and I ADORED it...so I need more...yes? LOL

What I Have:

-nail polish (Essie/Mezmerized--wear on my toes only tho)

-scarf (similar to this one)

-blue bangles (from Charming Charlie)

What I Want:

-blue shorts 

(these are from Express & I have them in many colors, they are fab)

-blue wedges (from Zappos)

-green shirt (also from Express, love the sheer sleeves)

-green bangles (from Stella & Dot)

-yesss another Coach purse (I'm an addict)

(love, love the patent leather & its actually a small crossbody...its def a want but not a need..well that's what hubby would classify it as lol)

Now does this mean I will buy it ALL?  Nah but I will most definitely get the stuff from Express...the shorts and the two shirts (with a coupon too...bonus!).  Both of those shirts will look AWESOME with white jeans, capris, skirt and shorts...and I have those white pieces in my wardrobe already.  The polka dot shirt will look cute with jeans too!  I will probably get some fun jewelry from Charming Charlie or Nordstroms although I do love Stella & Dot pieces.  The purses...well as much as I'd love both I will not get both.  I will ask for ONE for my birthday from hubby...probably the crossbody (and in boring white or brown cuz it will last over the next seasons) but boyyyyyy I do LOVE that clutch (sighhhh).  Will probably look for a cheaper version though and save my pennies for something else as its pretty trendy and I might not use it next year.  I like to buy pieces I will use over and over for those kind of prices KWIM.  And I am sure I can find some fun colored wedges at Off Broadway Shoes for a great price and I have store credit in the amount of $52 so that will get me close to two pair for Spring...whoot!

So that along with some flat-brown sandals and a new jean skirt is all I want for Spring.  I always add two white, and two black v-neck t-shirts to the mix too as you can always use those.  I prefer v-necks...they make you look thinner...really they do...they elongate your neck (hey I gotta help myself where I can).

What COLORS are you looking forward to adding to your wardrobe this Spring?

What is your GO-TO store to shop in for clothing?