Look Back and Laugh: An international Christmas

After my parents successfully had all of their kids out of the house and living on their own I guess they felt like their nest was a little too empty so they brought in 2 foreign exchange students for a year. This meant there was a Muslim, a Buddhist, and two charismatic Christians living under one roof. It might sound volatile, but it was a great experience for everyone. They still keep in touch and call my parents mom and dad.

The one on the left is from Turkey and the one on the right is from Thailand.

After the boys went shopping for family presents I was told that they were absolutely stumped about what to get for my brothers, but they found something for me and J that they knew was the perfect gift.

Of course this peaked my curiosity. What would make them think of us? Could it be something musical? Or was it something to do with photography? Christmas morning finally came and I was anxious to see what we got from the exchange students. They ended up buying sudoku books for my brothers. As I watched J unwrap the gift our international brothers had so thoughtful picked out for us I would have never guessed in a million years that we would be the recipients of a cheap decorative replica of the Mayflower. Yeah, THE MAYFLOWER as in the ship that transported the pilgrims to America.

I still to this day don't know what made them see the model ship and think "that is perfect for them", but after 3 years we still have it and I don't plan on getting rid of it. It might be a little random, but it's a nice memory and a conversation piece for sure. While other people think of the Mayflower and reflect on Plymouth rock and America's history, I see the Mayflower and think of two young men from Turkey and Thailand and I can't help but smile.

Summer and the other 3

Today was not AS hot as it was over the weekend so I had the brilliant idea of taking Z to a park. While he was playing I figured I would relax and read, but when I went to get settled in on the black metal bench I immediately sprang up out of my seat because it was flaming hot. I wouldn’t be surprised if I have bright red scorch marks across my buns just from sitting down for a few seconds.

Texas summers can be brutal. After today’s short lived escapade I will be scheduling all of our plans over the next couple months around air conditioned or water activities only. Although in all fairness even if I don't love the sweltering heat or mosquitoes I can't imagine a year without summer. I love having 4 distinct seasons to look forward to and I personally wouldn't want to live in a place where the weather stayed the same year round. Because of our 4 seasons I can anticipate that the climate and scenery will inevitably change even if I stay in one place. Thanks to the seasons we can break up life's moments into distinct memorable portions like "That was a rough winter ", "We bought a farm in the spring" or "That summer was a lot of fun". Seasons have the power to set a mood, persuade a poet, or inspire an artist. "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven."

I wonder what this summer be remembered for?



Last year my son experienced each season for the first time

WINTER Yes sometimes it does snow in Texas, just long enough to for a photo op.

SPRING A picnic on mothers day.

SUMMER His first time in the pool.

FALL playing in the leaves.

My Golden Birthday

I used to HATE having a summer birthday because while other kids could celebrate by bringing cup cakes to class, or wearing a big pin that said it was their birthday and getting special treats, I got to celebrate while all my friends were on vacation. Then in middle school and high school if it was your birthday you would find your locker decorated with all kinds of special birthday wishes, but not me. I never had my locker decorated and I resented it.

Well today made up for all of that. My husband got me a box of chocolates to complete my 27 chocolates in 27 days. Although, to be honest I had a couple bites and put in the freezer because it turns out that even I can get chocolate overload. Then all throughout the day I had people texting, calling, leaving messages, and writing on my face book wall to wish me well on this day. I have never had my birthday acknowledged to the extent that it was today. It was like having a hallway full of lockers decked out just for me!

That's not the best part though. The biggest surprise of all came from Z. I was getting him ready to go to the sitter so that I could go to work and I was running around like crazy as usual. After the sitter came to pick him up I started to focus on getting myself ready when I noticed the present he left me. It was a turd in his baby potty! I couldn't believe it. We are starting to potty train, but it hasn't been all that successful so I was amazed to find that he had gone poo poo in the potty and I never even knew about it! I wish I did because I would have showered him with stickers and m&m's and danced around singing his praises.

So in the end I had a good golden birthday even with being at work on my feet in high heels for most of the day. I've eaten more chocolate than I could ever wish for, I feel blessed and encouraged by the words of loved ones near and far, and who would have thought that my favorite birthday surprise would be a little piece of crap.

Chocolatey Goodness

If you haven't heard about my chocolate challenge check out this post:
The Messy Mom: 27 Chocolates

Every Wednesday night we have a Bible Study at our church that begins with a meal. There is one lady in particular that always brings good desserts. She even makes Baklava! One time she made these dessert squares that were like cake, topped with marshmallow creme, topped with chocolate rice krispies, but it was kind of peanutbuttery. I didn't know what it was, but I knew it tasted DIVINE. So I got up the gumption to put in a special birthday request for that dessert to be served this week. Not only did she make the little chocolate squares, but she made a giant heart shape one and put a candle on it. Then she sent me home with a tin full of the chocolaty goodness. I will leave a copy below of the recipe from www.cooks.com. Chocolate Crunchy Brownies, as they are called, are one of the things I love. No make that things I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! For things that other people love check out the diaper dairies, "Things I Love Thursday" .





CHOCOLATE CRUNCHY BROWNIES
2 sticks butter, melted
2 c. sugar
6 tbsp. cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
13 oz. marshmallow cream
6 oz. butterscotch chips
6 oz. chocolate chips
1 c. peanut butter
3 c. Rice Krispies
Cream together butter, sugar, cocoa and vanilla. Add 4 eggs to creamed mixture. Mix in 1 cup flour and 1 teaspoon salt.
Put in greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Spread 13 ounces of marshmallows cream on hot brownies. Melt butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and peanut butter. Mix in Rice Krispies. Spread on top.

Braums

I love Braum's ice cream. I love the milk shakes, I love the sundaes, I love the half gallon cartons to take home. What I didn't realize that I would love is doing some grocery shopping at the little market that is included in all Braums stores. I have lived in this area for over 10 years and just recently started buying dairy products and other food items from Braums. The prices are the same if not BETTER than other grocery stores, and the best part is a lot of the food comes from local farms. The dairy products are from cows that are not given rBGH (growth hormones) or any antibiotics. I have also become partial to their tamales and break and bake cookie dough.

I know that Braum's is not located all over the US, but maybe you have a similar old fashioned dairy store near you. I am a big UDF (United Dairy Farmers) fan, but I only get to indulge in my favorite cherry cordial ice cream shake made with chocolate milk, when I am visiting family up north. UDF is similar to Braum's when it comes to the way they do their farming.

I love ice cream, but I don't like the idea of artificial dairy products. Shopping at Braums works for me!



For Works For Me Wednesday go to wearethatfamily.com.

Look Back and Laugh: Vegan chocolate

As I mentioned yesterday, I wanted my 27 Chocolates to be unique and memorable so a couple weeks ago we met up with some friends that were in town from Michigan and we went to a Vegan Diner for coffee and dessert. Although I am not a vegan I really liked the vibe this place had going. All the customers and employees seemed like real free spirited earthy individuals. As someone who does things like home birth, delayed vaccines, and purchasing anything and everything previously owned I think that I could be classified as weird. So I felt some form of camaraderie there, like the vegans and I could all be weird together, and just agree to disagree on the animal product thing.

While at the diner, I referred to the person who seated us as a "he" and my friend argued that "he" was actually a "she". I looked again. Maybe I had just assumed that the shaved head meant that he was a man, but the lack of makeup and some gender neutral clothing had me thinking that my assumption was right. We debated the matter under our breaths while I tried to do a little discreet investigation. While this employee was serving up some agave drinks to a nearby table I got a graphic view of the armpit hair. Not just stubble, but full blown hairy pits, which to me solidified that this person was a male.

However, my friend argued with me that "her" features were far to feminine and that some girls don't shave their pits. My thinking was "why would you bother to SHAVE YOUR ENTIRE HEAD and then just feel like the arm pits were too much?"

I tried not to let it ruin my appetite and continued eating my vegan brownie espresso sundae. Just before we were ready to leave the employee in question took "her" apron off and the form fitting tank top beneath revealed that unless this person had plastic surgery she was a female! A slender somewhat small chested female that shaves her head, but not her pits. This vegan chocolate experience was certainly a memorable one and I left the diner thinking that maybe I am not as weird as I thought.

27 Chocolates

Your Golden birthday is the day that your birth DATE and your age are the same number. I learned on Wikipedia today that this is also known as a “grand birthday” or “star birthday”. Since my birthday is on the 27th my golden birthday would be when I turn 27. I have always looked forward to this special occasion and now the time has final come! My birthday is this Saturday and rather than celebrating in some memorable way I will be photographing a wedding.

I am glad to have the work, but I was a little discouraged to let my childhood dreams die like that. That is why I decided to celebrate all month long by eating something chocolate everyday leading up to my birthday. In some ways this isn’t much different than what I normally do, but I have tried to make it special by trying new things and revisiting some favorites.

Last week I went to a chocolatier in Dallas. I have always admired the building from afar, and this was my chance to check it out. I was like a kid with a golden ticket going to the chocolate factory with Charlie. Which seems appropriate since this is my golden birthday.


We picked out four different varieties which were wrapped up like jewelry in this little red box.


The little chocolates cost $15.00 which could probably buy a wholesome meal for an entire family, but at least I am helping support the economy and local businesses. It’s been a very tasty contribution.

My Dad

This week's theme was Men Say The Darndest Things. I even included a story of my dad sticking his foot in his mouth. Well with tomorrow being father's day I though maybe I should end with how sometimes "men say the sweetest things".

One time my dad was on the phone with me while he was at work and we always end conversations with "I love you". Some of his female coworkers over heard him and they just started chattering away "OH that is so SWEET! Were you talking to your wife?" "No that was my daughter" he said. "AWWWW, you told her you loved her? Wow. She is so lucky!" and the women just went on and on. When my dad told me about these women's reactions I was kind of sad because it made me think that telling your daughter that she is loved is a rare thing, and maybe it is. I am grateful that I have a loving father.

Yesterday my dad went to get the new iphone. He has never had an iphone and held out for all this time. Being the mac addict that he is my mom told him he really needed to do this for himself and so he got up early drove an hour away to stand in line and wasted half his day only for them to be sold out. While other men would have pitched a fit or pouted all day long my dad came home with a bouquet of flowers for my mom. No particular reason, just didn't want to come home empty handed. I am grateful to have a father that loves my mother.

Lastly, when I started this blog almost a year ago I was really excited about it and I had like 5 readers, one of which was my dad. It might be a silly venture, but this little blog means a lot to me and my dad is still one of my biggest fans. Even though the content is geared toward women he reads every post. One of my first posts was about the day I was born it was called My Entrance and this is what my dad wrote as a comment:

"That was one of the best days of my life when you came into the world. What a gift from God!
I am so excited to see you are using your brilliance for writing.

Love,
Dad"

I am grateful to have a father that believes in me.

Happy Fathers Day Dad. Thank you for all that you do. Your love for your saviour and your family are an inspiration. I hope you get your iphone soon.

Miscommunication

Sometimes I think my household is the breeding ground for all miscommunication, even though I know it just comes with the marriage territory. It's so easy for things to get taken the wrong way and someone gets offended and I will be honest, it's usually me. It even happened at dinner tonight. I asked J to put Z's eye patch on him because he wouldn't wear it this morning.

What should have been a simple request ended with a screaming toddler flinging mashed potatoes across the table. Z just would not cooperate. J was frustrated and said "this was a bad idea" so then I broke down saying "Oh so this is my fault now?" It was just a tense situation all the way around.

I will never forget when J's High School reunion was coming up and he didn't want to go because he said he had "nothing to show for himself." Boy that made me feel great... not really.

Or sometimes even when J is trying to be a sweet and considerate husband things can still go berzerk. For example, one time J was at a conference out of town, and he brought back a nice bottle of perfume for me. I was so touched, just that he thought of me, and what woman doesn't love surprises? I was ready to shower him with hugs and kisses when all the romance abruptly ended with the words "and I want you to wear this EVERY day"

Gasp! He must think I stink. I can't believe he bought me this perfume because he hates the way I smell! I started to tear up a little bit and he asked me what was wrong. I shared my feelings and he explained what he really meant was that I should indulge and splurge with this new fragrance. He knows how frugal I am and I guess he thought I would feel bad about using too much. What a relief to know I didn't stink after all.

So maybe men do have a funny way of saying things, but sometimes women have a funny way of hearing them.

Cows, Furry Animals, and My Mom

After Z was born my parents stayed with us for a couple weeks to help out. Of course when you have a newborn baby eating around the clock, the topic of breast feeding is not unheard of. My mother began to reminisce of when she became a mom and how she marveled at the idea that a baby could solely depend on her and she could provide her infants with all the nourishment's that they needed.

My dad, being a man and not as sentimental about this bonding experience, just shrugged and said "I don't see what the big deal is, cows do it."

My mom glared at him and said "Are you really comparing me to a cow?"

"No" he said a little defensive. "I am just saying even the little furry creatures do it."

So I suppose being compared to little furry creatures is better than a heifer. Good one dad.



Okay I take that back, I have heard people call female cows heifers, but after looking it up I found out that a heifer is "a female cow that has not borne a calf". Therefor a heifer would not be nursing her young. I guess that means I am one up on all the heifers. Booya!

Oh No He Didn't!

Most of us women struggle with how we look and time after time we go to our man for reassurance. This often leaves us feeling worse than we did in the first place. That is what happened in this case when a friend of my was complaining about her looks to her boyfriend in High School.
"I just hate my legs. Do you think I have fat ankles?" she asked him waiting to hear that he thought her legs looked perfect. His response was "No I don't think your ankles are fat, your legs just don't get any smaller as they go down"

True story. Hopefully he has grown up since then. I wouldn't know I haven't talked to him in a long time. As for my friend, she is happily married to someone else and is expected her first baby this year.

Look Back and Laugh: A Michael Scott Moment

Keeping with the theme of Men Say The Darndest Things there is one moment in particular that stands out among all the others.

One evening we were at a benefit dinner and we just happened to run into a man that my husband had worked with. He introduced us to his wife and I think both of us were a little shocked. This guy was your typical business man probably in his early 40's and his wife was wearing what looked like an old prairie dress and had completely gray hair that was piled on her head almost like a bun. I hate to be mean, but this woman just looked too old to be his wife. So J without thinking blurts out "Really? This is your wife? I would not have guessed that!" quickly realizing what he had just said he tried his best to scrape his way out of the hole by saying "she looks so... so.. uh... angelic! And you are such devious guy."

J quivers if I bring this story up, but fortunately that was a long time ago and we never see those people anyway.

Men Say The Darndest Things

I am a little too young to remember the show "Kids Say The Darndest Things", but I have seen clips from it and it is pretty funny. I wouldn't just stop with the kids though, I think men have a way of saying some of the darndest things too. It isn't as cute when they do it and sometimes it's just plain offensive. However over the course of my 10 year relationship with my husband I have learned to try and interpret what he meant to say, and cut him a little slack when he sticks his foot in his mouth. For example I wasn't too encouraged when he told me that "my body would have really been appreciated back in the 1800's", but I am sure he meant it as a compliment.

Another time, I was photographing a wedding and there were a lot of people there I hadn't seen in a long time. I was at that in between stage of my pregnancy and I felt really frumpy and bad about how I looked. I turned to my hubby for a little boost of confidence but instead of hearing that I looked adorable or that I had nothing to worry about he told me "it's okay, you are working, everyone knows that." Our bed was very cold that night.

I am sure you have some stories yourself of your spouse or someone you know. I want to hear all about them. Feel free to comment or send me an email- themessymom@gmail.com. Any story having to do with a man saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. It's not intended to be a male bashing festival, just an opportunity to make light of these moments and laugh together. Can't wait to hear from you!

More Updates

In April I posted some little bios about my husband and son so that I can link back to them whenever they are mentioned on this blog and today I made a couple changes.

First off, I posted a photo of Z that I took for his 18 month photos. There were a lot of blooper photos taken that day, such as the taxi one, there were couple keepers too. This one of him glancing over at me made the final cut.


I also added this father son pic to J's page. J wears these hats a lot, so when I found a baby version at the consignment shop I HAD to get it.



I also had to remove a sentence from Z's page. It said

"I am still waiting to hear those words that every parent longs for their child to say "I love you too" and I will let you know as soon as that happens. With the way his verbal skills are moving right a long it could be any day now."

Well, I am so excited to report that I get to hear those words every day. He also likes to sing "I Love You" from Barney, although he doesn't know all the words and sometimes he sings

"I wuv you, I wuv me..."

So as you can see a lot has happened already this year. In the next 6 months Z will be turning 2, J and I will celebrate our 9 year anniversary, and who knows what else. I am sure it will go by in a blink, so I am just going to try my best to take it all in.

Stolen GPS Update

I never hid the love I had for my first GPS and you all mourned with me when that same GPS was stolen earlier this year. It has been a bumpy road (sometimes quite literally) trying to get by without it and after only 2 months I realized that I needed to find a replacement. I learned a lot from Nyobi (that is what I named "her"). Not only do I get to places faster and with less stress, but I save a lot of gas by not having to turn around so often. I also learned that I can’t leave my GPS on my windshield because it could get stolen. Nyobi will always hold a special place in my heart, but there is a new guy in town and his name is Tom. That’s right TomTom, the world’s leading maker of personal navigation devices.

When J ordered it for me off of Ebay he voluntarily programmed it with all the up to date map information and a customized voice with little quips that he thought would be appropriate. Click the video below to hear what Tom says when I arrive at my destination.



Yeah, he is a smarty pants, but at least he knows how to get me where I need to go.

My Mexican Nephew

Now before I mislead anyone with the title of this post I should clarify that my nephew (my husband's sister's son) is only 5 years younger than I am. He has fair complexion, blue eyes, and is over 6 feet tall. He might only be half mexican, but that still makes him eligible to be the first latino president. It also means he is the one I call when I need help making fajitas.

The reason I bring him up is because when I look back at this first half of the year I see it as his time to shine. He just graduated last month from Dallas Baptist University and a week later married the love of his life. I can’t believe how much he has changed since I met him 10 years ago. I am so proud of the young man he has become. I can’t wait to see what the rest of this year has in store for him and his beautiful bride, or better yet the rest of their lives. He may not be looking to become president, but I am sure whatever he does it will be great.



Guitar night at our house. My brother in law, nephew, Z, and J.


After the graduation ceremony with my nephew and his soon to be wife.


The wedding ceremony

Monthly Dinners With Friends

For the longest time J and I wanted to have company over, but it was difficult without a fully functioning kitchen. Last year we finally completed our kitchen remodel and did we have friends over? Not so much.


So this year we made a goal for ourselves to have friends and family over for dinner once a month. We are already halfway through the year and so far we haven't missed a month.

Having company at the house is a lot of fun and the fact that it is motivation for me to cook and clean is a bonus. There is always great conversation at dinner usually followed by coffee and games. I know this may seem like no big deal for those of you that are throwing parties and having barbeques every weekend, but we just aren’t that with it. I knew that with our schedules and monthly routines anything more than once a month would be overkill, so this small attainable goal has really worked for me. I already have talked to some friends about dropping by this month now I just need to figure out what to cook!

Look Back and Laugh: Purse Snatcher

J and I have decided to wait until after Z turns two to give him his first haircut. It is hard enough to defend my little boys long curly locks without him hauling his cousin's purse around. Here he is in his easter outfit. I have titled this photo "Taxi".

2009 Halftime

It's basketball season... I think. Are they in the play offs yet or is it over? I am not much of a basketball fan, unless the Mavs are playing and even then it's a stretch. I have never really followed any sports for that matter. When I do somehow get dragged into watching a game my favorite part is halftime. I love halftime, not just because of the shows or the chance to get up and get more finger foods, but because it is a defining moment for the players. It's the part of the game where the teams have set the pace for the first half and they now get to look over their strategies, regroup and try to come back strong (at least I think that is what happens). Will the underdogs come up from behind? Will it continue to be neck and neck? We don't know for sure, but what we do know at half time is that it is still anyone's game.

That is how I feel about this part of the year. We are in the 6th month of 2009 and the events leading up to this point may or may not have been what we expected, but we still have 6 more months to finish out strong.

This week I am going to take a little bit of time to both look back and forward for 2009 and I would encourage you to do the same. How do you feel about your accomplishments this far? I am sure that there have been some successes, some milestones, some memorable moments. Even if you do feel like you are behind on your goals or resolutions, it's not too late to turn it around. It's 2009 halftime and it's still anyone's game.

The End of Summer Fashion Week

All this week I have shared some of my favorite thrift store finds for this season. In this outfit I found these dressy walking shorts when I went on my thrift store shopping spree last month. I paired them with some other thrift finds that I already had to create this business casual ensemble (even the chair is from the thrift store).

Thanks for joining me for this edition of the messy mom thrift store fashion show. I know that taking a bunch of faux modeling photos and spending a week talking about my clothes could come across as a bit narcissistic, but trust me that is not it at all. It is actually a huge step for me to swallow my insecurity and have fun with the idea of playing dress up along with promoting the thrift store potential that is out there. I hope this is an encouragement for anyone else that wants to do the same. This brings me to my 6th and final fashion tip:

The most important thing with pulling off an outfit is to be confident in it. If you feel uncomfortable or bad about how you look it's going to show. I know this is a hard one for us girls, but it's a biggie. This summer let go of all your inhibitions and allow yourself to feel good about how you look. This will be your most valuable accessory.

Buffalo Exchange

Tip #5- With a new season upon us it's time to reevaluate our wardrobes. Get rid of all your closet clutter and donate some of that unwanted clothing. Or for nicer brand name clothes that are still in good condition try selling/trading them at a consignment shop

For those just joining in it’s been summer fashion week at themessymom.com and I have been showing photos of some of my latest thrift store finds as well as giving daily tips. Today’s ensemble was a “trade” from a consignment shop.

Earlier this year J and I finally took a couple baskets full of clothes to buffalo exchange, which is a trendy vintage consignment shop in Dallas, although they have several locations throughout the U.S.

Once they weeded through our clothes to pick what items they were willing to purchase we were offered a certain amount if we took cash and a higher amount as store credit. I liked the idea of maximizing our return so I bought a few things using store credit and took the rest in cash. The DC t-shirt and Sunset jeans shown above were all free as a result of our recycled clothing. Even though I do enjoy slipping on a pair of high heels or wearing skirts and dresses, most days you will find me in a t shirt and jeans so it was nice to stock up on these basic, but essential pieces.

Trading in your clothes is good for the environment, it supports local small business, and it's easy on the wallet. Check out your area for a consignment shop near you.





This has been a frugal friday tid bit. To find out more go to lifeasmom.com.

Shorts

What a hot topic! What shorts are in style this summer? What is too short? What is age appropriate? What fits your body type?

When I found these American eagle shorts at the thrift store they were shorter than what I would normally wear, but they certainly aren't daisy dukes. I really wanted something semi short to complement some of my longer shirts, so I took a chance. I wouldn't wear this outfit just anywhere, but it would be suitable for family gatherings, pool parties, and other casual outdoor settings.

I know that shorts (above the knees) aren't for everyone. You have to know your body and what you are comfortable with. For me I consider my legs an asset. My stomach however is a different story. I gain all my weight in the middle. That's why I wear a lot of looser shirts to avoid showing off my love handles/muffin top.

Tip # 4: Extreme lengths are really big right now. Super long dresses, long shorts, and long shirts are all the rage. All of these looks can be really cute, but you have to balance it out. If you want a jacket to wear with a maxi dress pick something really short and form fitting so that you don't like you are swimming in fabric. Walking shorts can be so flattering, but when worn with a shirt that reaches well bellow the waist it makes anyone look short and disproportionate.

I know that I am not a teenager anymore and there are some strong opinions on shorts out there, but this is Texas. The reality is as long as live where the weather is over 90 degrees all summer long no one can convince me to give up my shorts!

I'm Dreaming of a White Summer

It takes guts to wear white pants. It's stands out in the sea of dark denim and for such a colorless color it packs a lot of punch. This outfit features white jeans for $5.00 from the thrift store and the same shoes I wore from "outfit #6" in my last Thrift Show. I wanted something vibrant to offset the white and I found this shirt at Ross for $5.99. That mean this isn't an entirely second hand outfit, but it is still entirely cheap!

Tip #3: What you wear under your clothes is just as much a part of your ensemble as the outfit itself. Never ever wear white under white. Flesh colored lingerie is actually your best bet with most items, but especially anything white. Always check yourself in the mirror in different lighting, ideally using two mirrors so that you can see what you look like from the back. Don't be afraid to act like an idiot and bend over, do the Beyonce dance, or walk in place, just to make sure you there are no signs of panty lines or see through clothing.

One last tip, off the record (as if this wasn't on the internet). Don't wear white shorts when you are anywhere near starting your period. I found that out the hard way. Luckily one of my friends was there for me and I think I left without anyone else noticing. It was an embarrassing mistake, but please don't let my scary story stop you from giving white pants a chance.

Look Back and Laugh: Runway Models and Me

The great thing about thrift store shopping is that there are no sales clerks harassing you, no mannequins or catalogues telling you how you should dress or what you should look like. Let’s be honest though, it’s also a little scary. The lack of direction could mean trouble .



Tip #2 Walking into a thrift store and seeing all the horrible atrocities that they have to offer can be overwhelming. Try window shopping at the mall or check out magazines for the latest trends of the season. Then make a note of what you already have in your closet. This way it's easier to spot the gems amidst the garbage. In short, ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN WHEN SHOPPING SECOND HAND.

I really don’t take my clothes that seriously and I want to be myself, but I also like to know what’s out there. When I was doing a little investigating for my summer fashion week, I came across this photo on Elle.com and it caught my attention for two reasons.

1. This runway model is smiling
2. Her stomach is shaped like a balloon.

In my opinion, if an outfit can make a 90 lb anorexic runway model look fat I would steer clear of it. Or maybe she just ate a large lunch and is bloated, that would also answer the question of why she is smiling.

I am kidding of course. Sometimes I just can't help but laugh at the fashion industry or myself.




The first photo was taken of my mother and I back in 2001. We were thrift store shopping in Kentucky and I really don't remember what happened.

Thrifty Summer Fashions

It's June 1st and even though the summer equinox is still a few weeks away, school is out, the weather is heating up, and in my book, summer is officially here. That means it's time to bring out the flip flops and tank tops. As mentioned last week, I did all my summer shopping at thrift stores and I thought this would be a good time to introduce a summer edition of last years Fall Fashion Week. This one will be a little more simple than the fall version because as if I hadn't mentioned already I have been WAY too busy this month to live up to the exceedingly high bar I set for myself. Now then, let's get started.


I don't care if you are shopping at Target or Sacs Fifth Avenue you can't miss the hit of the season which is the floor length, sleeveless, maxi dress. I just happened to find this one at the thrift store for $3.00. The pajama like plaid wouldn't be my first pick for the print, but for the price and the comfort I am so pleased with this fun summer dress. I just read on a my friend's blog that she picked up a pattern and plans on making one herself. What a great idea. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Tip #1: Some clothes are worth the investment, but the maxi dress may not be one of them. When it comes to the staples of your closet, like a classic white shirt or little black dress it pays to pick something that you know is good quality and a perfect fit. For short term trends or more daring styles that could end up in the good will pile in no time don't go overboard!