Merry Christmas!!

When the angel announced to the shepherds the birth of Jesus he said: "Be not afraid; for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! 

I remember...

Good morning!  Today is the last day of the work week for me until Tuesday so TGIT!

I wanted to post this old pic I found of my Dad decorating our Christmas tree some time back in the late 70s.

I remember we didn't have a lot of money growing up so my Dad would usually pick up our Christmas tree each year on Christmas Eve or two days before Christmas - you know, that's when they would start to mark them down...  Now that I think of it, that must be why I'm so cheap thrifty!

It was always Dad's job to drag out, untangle, trouble shoot and hang the lights.  Fortunately, if my Dad was nothing else, he was a patient man so he would tend to the task at hand with little fuss. 

I remember we just used what we had so on any given year, our tree could have been three different strings of lights.  Maybe the white blinking lights on the top, the colored non blinking lights in the middle and a string of non blinking white lights around the bottom.  Not exactly something from the Town & Country magazine but we always had a tree.

I remember each year teasing my Dad about how our tree looked like the Charlie Brown tree...  I also remember that sweater.  He wore that sweater all the time - for years. 

I remember getting that awful  phone call four years ago today.

 I remember my Dad...

RIP - December 22, 2007

Ghost of Christmas Past....

Ahh, the 80s.  Look at that hair!  I know it was shellacked to the hilt with Aqua Net.  That was my first real job in "the big city" (Philadelphia). 

I found this little gem and thought I would share it, so here it is.  That hair!!!

I want a do-over!

Good morning!  Tick tock - getting closer to Christmas...  I hope you all are ready sit back and enjoy the holiday - I am!

I don't know if you saw my post a week ago for Inspiration Monday but I had just bought this pretty, soft pink sweater and paired it with some gray slacks and was not pleased with the look.  If you missed the post, here is what the outfit looked like...

I wanted to see if I could find a better look so I paired the same sweater with a pair of straight leg, brown slacks...

I think the problem is that the sweater is actually too big for me.  This look (to me) is only slightly better than the first...

So just when I get to thinking that this sweater is going to wind up hanging in my closet and never get worn, I decided to use it as a layering piece.  Since it is a sweater, I had to be careful not to add extra bulk.  Fortunately, it's a fairly light sweater as is the cardigan I paired it with.  I tossed on the belt and will feel much more comfortable wearing it this way.  Less frumpy!

I see things that I like all the time but they don't always look good on me once I get them home so sometimes it can be a challenge to work it into the right look - for me. 

Do you have any items that you have difficulty styling???

Monday Sharing!

Good evening all!  Here we are the week before Christmas - the best time of the holiday season as far as I'm concerned.  People seem to be just a teenie, tiny bit more friendly this week than they are any other week of the year.  I guess we're all just feeling the joy of the season!

This week I'm hooking up with Patti over at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday and the ladies over at two birds for Inspiration Monday.  Here is the photo of the week:

Mizz Lopez rocking a sparkly miniskirt - so festive!

Here is my interpretation - a wee bit more modest!  There are actually gold sparkles on my top but they didn't really photo well.  I'm rocking a festive look my way, with just a dash of J Lo attitude!

I also wanted you to get a better peek at my latest Goodwill score - buttery soft, leather Cole Haan boots in chocolate brown.  I picked these beauties up for a mere $70!  SCORE!  Cole Haan boots typically start at about $200 so I think I got a pretty good bargain, especially since they look like they've barely been worn.

How do you feel about wearing second hand shoes? 

I can't wait to see what everyone else is wearing today!

Christmas came early for me!!

My Birchbox is here!!!  Very exiciting for a product junkie like myself!!  This is my second one so if you missed my first post and want to know what the Birchbox is all about, check it out here.

This month's box includes a pore minimizer cream, a perfume sample of Ageless perfume from Harvey Prince, hair oil, lip gloss and more! 

It came in a festive box with shimmery tissue paper and a lovely card explaining all the items.  Time to get busy!

I'll check back with my product review when I've had a chance to try it all out!

The tree is up!

Good morning all!  The hub and I finally have our tree up and decorated.  It was iffy for a couple weeks - should we put it up or not?  We went back and forth until we just decided, it's only once a year and it just wouldn't feel like Christmas unless we had our tree up!

I wanted to share some of our decorations that put us in the holiday mood...

As a little girl, my grandmother had a couple of these little rubber elves she would put out at Christmas time.  I found a couple of them on EBay that I like to display to remind me of those times.

My hub and I have been to Jamaica each year for the past three years and each time we go, I have picked up an ornament they make from seashells - so pretty!  This is the one I picked up this year.

We love our little wiener dog so we have a couple wiener dog ornaments...

This was just purchased from the Christmas Tree Shop when I went with my girl Dawn over at Suitcase Vignettes.  What an excursion that was!  This countdown plaque was only $1.99 and the wreath was only $1 - what a bargain!

Each year my hub's step mom and dad send us a beautiful Waterford crystal ornament - we have several now and this is one of my favs.

My Aunt bought me this last year but the tree had already been put away by the time I actually received him so this is his first year on the tree.  He doesn't look it but he's actually very excited!

Do you have any favorite decorations you take out and display each year for whichever holiday you celebrate??

Inspiration Monday - Gray & Pink

Good evening all!  I hope you had a nice weekend - I actually had a 4 day weekend so that's ALWAYS nice!  I pretty much bummed around in my PJs all day today so have no excuse as to why I didn't post my outfit pic earlier so let's get on with it, shall we?

I wasn't even going to participate this week because this whole outfit had me perplexed. 

SHE looks great but what would I wear? 

I don't own pink pants.  I decided to flip the colors with pink on top and gray on the bottom.

I think this might be something I would wear to work but honestly, I think I look a little frumpy.  I decided to participate anyway because well, they can't all be winners, right?

Pop over to two birds to check out what every one else did and play along!

Everything old is new again...

Good afternoon fellow bloggers and blog readers!  I have two holiday parties coming up this month and after raiding my closet, I decided to do a little shopping to see if I could find anything good to wear.  I didn't see anything for my parties but I did see some cute stuff which I did not buy because it wasn't on sale and I rarely buy anything full price...  I'll wait, I know there will be a 50% off sale as Christmas approaches and then I will POUNCE!

 

Anyway...  I was so happy to see leg warmers and feather earrings are back!!!  I remember wearing these as a young girl just blossoming into a woman back in the day...ah, memories...

 I dug out this old pic of me in the early 80s sporting my black feather earrings - one of my fav pair!  I remember I had white ones and a gorgeous pair of brown ones too that got ruined from being out in the rain...  I don't know how I remember that, but I do.  I digress...

So it was some of these memories that I was recalling as I was looking at the current selection of feather earrings I saw over the weekend.  I started thinking I should get a pair but where would I wear them?  I just felt like I was too old to be wearing them now.  So, I compromised and bought this instead...

It's a cool necklace with a small peacock feather attached.  This is like the mature version of feather earrings for me but still reminds me of the young girl that still likes to peek out now and again!

Trying trends - Old and new!

I noticed that ponchos are making a comeback this year so I dug into my closet and pulled out one I received as a gift about 8 years ago.  I know I wore this like crazy when I first got it.  It's so soft and warm and I love the color - great for this time of year!

I paired it with a pair of legging and brown boots.  I always felt so stylish when I wore this for some reason!

I love the fringe detail on this poncho!  I'm resisting the urge to spin...

Here is a closer look at my boots with the fur boot toppers - ingenious idea!

And my boots without the fur

Are you a poncho wearer?  What about boot toppers? 

I'm always curious to see what others are trying out.

Inspiration AND Visible Monday - Twofer!

This week's IM pic from the ladies at two birds gave us a choice of two outfits to be inspired by...

The Duff Sisters

I decided to create a look based on a little bit from each sister...  My outfit kind of morphed into this military looking outfit but I liked it so I'm also linking up with Not Dead Yet for Visible Monday! 

I decided to cuff my jeans to show off my new boots and I really liked how it looked.  I had never worn them like this before but got the idea from watching my fellow bloggers.  I'm not only inspired by the weekly pic, but from you all too! 

My little baby heard that there was a dog in the IM pic this week so she wanted to get in the shot...  So sweet!

If you're not linking up yet for the Inspiration Monday pic, click here or for Visible Monday click  here to join in!

Christmas Spirit!

I hope you all had a fab weekend!  The hub and I started out with the town's tree lighting festivities on Friday night.  We live in a very small town so the "festivities" really just consisted of Santa arriving on one fire truck with the current Miss Stratford and on the count of 3, the lights go on.  Or at least that was the plan...  Didn't happen that way but the lights did eventually go on then the town folk filed into the rec center to listen to the Girl Scouts sing Christmas songs.  Well, most of the town folk...  We went home and got in our PJs but it was nice to get a little nudge and start getting into the Christmas spirit!

Birchbox #1 - Review

Hi everyone!!  You may recall my excitement at receiving my very first Birchbox - or if you missed it, check it out here.   As a product junkie, I was more excited than a kid on Christmas morning to try out my new loot!  I took pics of it, carried it around with me, slept with it under my pillow...well, alright, maybe not THAT excited.

I tried everything out and two clear favs emerged: 

The Zoya nail polish in Sooki.  I love this polish and the color is perfecto!  I've never tried Zoya before but I loved how it dried fairly quickly, stayed super shiny and wore quite nicely with only minor chipping.  I'm going to wear this polish for the holidays since it's the perfect red to get me through Christmas and New Years!

The second item I fell for was this body lotion in Kimono Rose scent.  When I first saw it was "Rose scented" I thought this is going to smell old lady-ish (sorry gramma!)    I was so pleasantly surprised!  They describe it as "Sheer, sensuous rose petal, peony and jasmine is heightened with sweet clementine, cassis and a creamy kiss of vanilla"  Nicely put!  I probably have enough body lotions at home to get me through the next 5 years but this went on so nicely (not sticky or greasy AT ALL) and left my skin so smooth (not to mention the fragrance!) that I put it on my Christmas list for Santa!

Have any of you tried either of these products?  Like?  Didn't like? 

I can't wait until my next delivery!

Wish List

I saw these and fell in love...

At $140 they're not totally unobtainable but the "Wish" part of "Wish List" is that I wish I could wear them!  My days of sky high - high heels are over.  Think I could convince Mr. Camuto to make these in a kitten heel?

J'Adore!

Inspiration Monday Pic

Good morning all!!!  Typically I'm not quite so cheery on a Monday morning but after a long weekend, I actually have another day off!  Foreseeing my reluctance to return on this Monday after Thanksgiving weekend, I requested to take this day off to make it a full FIVE day weekend.  Sweet!  Soooo, with further ado, I present the IM pic of the week:

Miss Jessica Alba looking so comfy and casual!  And here is my version...

I had to swipe a button up shirt from the hub's side of the closet since I'm not a big fan.  I find they never really fit me right.  They're either too tight around the hips or they gap at the cleavage area (don't want to blow a button and put someone's eye out!) plus they usually come in 100% cotton which means ironing is involved... Not my thing. 

I did like how this looked though once I got it fashioned "my way".  I would never have thought to put this together myself so I'm going to link up with all the ladies over at Visible Monday too.  I may be borrowing this again!

Don't know what the Inspiration Monday pic is all about?  Fly on over to two birds and join in!  I'm always looking for new friends, so feel free to Follow me and/or leave a comment.  Thank you!

Coffee Anyone?

Good afternoon all!  I haven't had time to post anything even though it's been an extra long weekend.  The hub and I were feeling a bit under the weather yesterday so we just laid around and whined, which is just what we needed!  We're feeling a bit better today so I'm hoping to get in a photo shoot for tomorrow's Inspiration Monday pic.  Stop back tomorrow for that...

I mentioned that the hub and I took a little trip to the thrift shop a couple weeks ago before taking an impromptu drive to Margate, NJ to see Lucy.  While we were there we found the most adorable Irish Coffee glasses - I was smitten!

There were only 5 sets of glass & saucer so originally it must have been a set of 6.  I was only going to purchase 4 (at $2 a set) but decided to grab them all that way I'd have a spare if one broke.  They remind me of something from the 70's since they are rimmed in gold and back then, that was the style.  They are actually in great condition!

We've been using them every weekend as an excuse to have our coffee with whipped cream (and booze!)  Delish!

I love a nice glass even if I'm just having cranberry juice, I'll put it in a wine glass.  There is just something about a fancy glass that makes things taste better. 

Do you have a favorite glass you use often or do you save them for guests?  I hope you had a lovely weekend!

The Morning After

Good morning everyone!  I hope your Thanksgiving was full of thanks and spent with your loved ones as opposed to sitting in a tent in front of a store waiting to get a bargain. Where are the priorities?  Time spent with loved ones can never be measured in dollars.  But that's just my opinion and as a bargain shopper, I can certainly understand the hype and we all make our own choices.  So live and let shop!

My hub and I cooked and we just had my mom over.  Casual.  This year I decided to MAKE a pumpkin pie from scratch because the hub and I are trying to keep things low carb and this recipe was 4 carbs per slice as opposed to 20.

It was fairly easy... Made the pie crust out of chopped walnuts and had the filling in.  Looking good!

Then I realized I forgot to add the Splenda and had to scoop it back out...

So I added the Splenda, poured it back in and baked it...

It looked pretty good too! 

And tasted just as yummy!

All in all, it was a nice meal without any negativity and we all waddled away with full bellies.  After mom left, the hub and I donned our elastic waist PJs and watched Planes, Trains & Automobiles.  We have made it our tradition to watch this movie on Thanksgiving.  If you've never seen it, put it on your list.  It's great for a chuckle while eating that second piece of pie...

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!  Were there any cooking snafus this year or in year's past that you look back on now and laugh about??

It's a short week - YAY!

The trees are starting to look bare which means winter is just around the corner.  I'm trying to take advantage of these last few fall days outside since it is my fav time of year. 

I decided to take my Inspiration Monday pics over in the park while walking my little stinky dog, Harley.  If you don't know what Inspiration Monday is, pop over to two birds and join in!  Here is the pic this week to be inspired by:

For me, I find horizontal stripes don't really work .  Typically I would have hung up this white sweater with the rest of my summer clothes but since I've been doing this fashion blog gig, I've been getting great ideas from my fellow bloggers about different ways to wear my clothes.  I took this white sweater and paired it with a long sleeve top and came up with a fall friendly outfit.

My dog was so excited to run through all the leaves she basically dragged me through the park...

I call this hat my "J. Lo hat" because it reminds me of something she might wear.  I've never really been a hat person but every now and again I'll see one that catches my eye. 

I love the little military inspired button detail on these shoes.

There was a beautiful holly tree in the park in full bloom. 

Christmas must be around the corner!

I'm also going to be linking up with The Pleated Poppy for her What I Wore Wednesday.  The concept is one that was created by fellow blogger, Lindsey and the idea is to get us out of our yoga pants or jammies and be creative with fashion.  I dress for work Monday - Thursday so I have no choice on those days but I just don't have the time to take a pic every day. 

The hardest day for me is Sundays.  I just want to stay in my PJs but between the Inspiration Monday outfit and the What I Wore Wednesday, it's off with the PJs and into something creative! 

It's all a blur!!!

Good evening!  Last night the hub and I attended a party thrown by a fella we met at the big Halloween Bash thrown by Dawn over at Suitcase Vignettes.  The guy's name is Mike and he lives on a big old farm!  He apparently had just built a new barn for his 4 horses and had a bunch of friends over to help him break it in.  There was a huge bonfire in the yard and the DJ was in the barn spinning the tunes which could also be heard from the bonfire location. Such a fun night!

I wasn't going to post the pics because they came out so poorly but then I realized they were kind of indicative of how the evening went!  It was a dark night with just a slight chill in the air - nothing a little nip from the flask couldn't fix and the winds were calm so the fire burned steady.  The DJ spun the tunes that kept us moving and a good time was had by all!

Me and the hub!

 Super toasty!

Dawn & I

 Cheers!  The bonfire is right behind us.  Who ordered the toasted buns?

Dawn dancing in the barn.

Me and Dawn dancing in the barn with Dawn's hub Rob getting reading to join in.

Have you ever danced in a barn?  Been to a bonfire? 

Have a fabulous week!