A Disheartening Truth

I got my hair cut last week and, if you haven't seen it, I debuted it in this exciting post. It was this huge reveal (and surprise) and I've gotten so many compliments on it. Admittedly, short hair suits me much better than the unruly long hair ever did and everyone has agreed and admired my new look. But, eventually the time comes and that "fresh haircut glow" fades. So let's discuss the finer points of that disheartening reality shall we....

Frugal Fall Fashion

Have you all ever known me to spend a lot of money on what I wear? Or anything really? No, you haven't. If my blog had a motto it'd be "If it ain't broke, don't spend it". Ok, maybe I need to work on that motto. But the point is, I've been screaming from the rooftops (or my blog, tomato/tomahto) how I never ever "splurge" on anything because it's excessive, unnecessary and, in my case, simply unobtainable. We're a one income household full of kids. It just ain't happenin'. But what are you paying for really? A label? Yeah, I can do without that. I'm not a materialistic person. I just can't understand spending nearly double on an identical item just because of a brand name. Price is not always equal to quality. I think a lot of women are misguided and think the higher the price tag, the higher the quality. That age old saying "You get what you pay for" is really ingrained in us but it's an antiquated, archaic notion. Trust me on this, I have a lot of experience behind me!

I Finally Did It!

Cut my hair, that is! If you remember this post, which was 6 months ago, you know I've been planning to cut my hair for a very long time. Whether it was my indecision, lack of funds, or a lack of time; for whatever reason, I never got it done.....until now!

Summer Meets Fall

The last couple of weeks I have been majorly harping on transitioning my wardrobe from summer to fall. This seemingly simple task is such a such a complex task for me and successfully achieving it eludes me every year. So after digging down and trying to pinpoint exactly why this is so difficult for me, I figured out the cause; I have no transition pieces! All of my summer clothes scream "summer" and all my winter clothes scream "winter". I don't have any pieces to take me across the seasons. So that has been my goal this year, acquiring pieces that function for more than just one season.

To Flats? Or not to Flats?

That was the million dollar question today. I couldn't decide whether to wear my ankle booties or the flats. Well, you can see which won....

My Baby is a Baby No Longer

So, as foretold, Alex and I did his yearly birthday Q&A this afternoon because my bitty baby is 10 years old today! Asking him these questions, I see how mature he is getting. I knew how big he was getting but he's growing and maturing by the day. (Waaaah! *sniff sniff*) So here is all of his answers. And as I said with Izzy's interview, I soooo recommend doing this with your kids! It's fun, they love doing it and I love looking back and seeing who they were each year.

The Coolest of the Cool

That's what these glasses are. Which, of course, makes me cool by association. 

Tis the Season: Fall Fashion

“This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, InStyle, Vogue and Elle, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #inspirefallfashion  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

I have never understood "high fashion". I know, how do I have a fashion blog? But I'm a mom in small-town Indiana and "straight off the runway" just does not work for my lifestyle (or my wallet, if you really want to get specific). I don't exactly spend a lot of nights "out on the town" or at red carpet events; I don't go to art shows or fancy charity events. But as Miranda explains (quite eloquently) in the Devil Wears Prada,

"I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select... I don't know... that lumpy blue sweater, for instance because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent... wasn't it who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff."

this high fashion, straight off the runway hullabaloo I can't seem to understand, does influence what the rest of us peons wear. Now I'm not refusing the fashion industry because I take myself too seriously or have a disregard for designers the way Andy did, I just don't live their lifestyle or earn their income to make it appropriate for my daily life. BUT as she points out, high fashion majorly influences what I wear. All of my closet and outfit combinations are completely comprised of inspiration I draw from what I see. What are my spots for inspiration? Well Pinterest, of course. And other bloggers. But my favorite source is fashion magazines. Most especially fall fashion magazines. Can I get an Amen?

There is just something greatly cathartic about sitting down with my enormous magazines, curled up on the couch in the worst sweats imaginable, coffee in hand. So while I was looking a hot mess, dreaming of...well....not looking a hot mess, I was majorly inspired by this season's fall looks and how I can work them into my everyday lifestyle. These are a few of my favorite trends and how you and I, regular folk, can have functional pieces that work for our lives (and budgets!).

A Sad Farewell is Looming

That yearly farewell to summer is coming. And I am dreading it. Fall is absolutely my favorite season but it's what comes after it that I dread. It taints my view of fall. I can't anticipate my favorite season because my least favorite season follows it. Are there actually people out there who like winter? I just can't see the appeal. The days are shorter, drearier, colder and it seems to draaaaaaag on forever. It's usually about this time of the year that my seasonal depression starts to slowly creep in. So I'm holding on desperately to what last shreds of summer I can. While I was embracing fall fashion last week, not today. No dressing for fall, I'm full on summer today with this white/nautical feel....after all, no white after labor day, right? Today is the last day I can wear white this year, right? Psssh. I have never felt the need to abide by that rule. Is it actually still a "rule" anymore anyway?