A Last Minute Costume

Received an invite for a costume party/game night and I just had no clue what to wear or if I would even be able to attend (work--my real job--has been insanely busy). But I wanted to have a few backup ideas in case I'm able to attend.  I was hoping to use pieces I already own, for the most part at least.  And then I stumbled across this:

Tutorial here. (materials: 2 headbands, a glue gun & ribbon)

Really all you need for this costume to be complete is a pinkish nude coat & dress.  Anyone who doesn't recognize you, obviously doesn't pay attention to fairy tales....

(found here)

Through the Milk Glass

Scored on my first two pieces of milk glass for $2.50 each at a rummage sale! I had to do a little work for these. On day one of the sale, they were $7 each. On day two, all items left over were going to be 50% off. I really liked these pieces, but I just wasn't sure I wanted to fork over $14...So I semi-hid them behind other large pieces of glassware and crossed my fingers they'd be there the next day!  And it worked! So the two pieces 50% should have been $7 for both items ($3.50 each)...buuut I purposefully brought a $5 bill and was able to make a bargain!

Not sure where these cuties are going to find a home, bathroom perhaps? I seem to have bathroom counter organization on the brain lately. I do love that they seem to have just enough in common and just enough opposites. But wherever they end up, they're some nice trophies to remind me of my bargaining win! I actually use this hide-and-seek method quite a bit when I'm not sure if I reeaalllyy want to purchase an item. If it's still there when I make time to come back to store (usually a week? or however long till payday!)  then I know I'm meant to have it. It's really the perfect plan. 1) it makes you think about the item (which means you actually do really like it) or 2) forget about the item (which usually means you don't really like it or need it!) Does anyone else do this??

Belt it Out @ The Goodwill!

Among the many, many things I've shared with you from the Goodwill, this one is my favorite (or maybe 2nd fave, hard knock cheap glassware out of the spotlight). Recently, my hubby and I found belts at the Goodwill! I don't have a picture of his, but its one of those simple & manly leather ones. But don't fear, I have a pic of the one I bought--I know you're super relieved...

Isn't it cute? Spent a whopping $1.99 on it.

And then I just couldn't help myself and I bought this too.

$3.99

Roughly $6 spent, good deal! What have you found at the Goodwill lately?

Stylish Storage

 I work in adorable downtown Los Gatos. With all the cute boutiques & specialty shops, my lunch hour is spent in dreamland. I keep seeing (online & magazines) ideas for decorative storage, using overlooked or even 'trash' for new purposes. During a dream session in a certain foodie dream store, I got to thinkin' how fun would those pinch & prep bowls, bread & tart pans be for holding little items? Mainly, I was imagining jewelry--seperate bowls for rings, bangles, etc. Or even hair clips & bobby pins. Cotton balls & Q-tips?  They're already in cool finishes like stainless steel, stoneware and colored ceramics. Or you could even spray-paint the stainless steel containers to any color imaginable. I can visualize a few varied sizes grouped together on the bathroom counter, or maybe even corralled on a platter or dessert stand. Here are a few of the items that made my lunch hour magical:

(ignore the figs!)

Just in case you aren't following my drift, here's a rough picture to what I had in my head (although this has started all manner of new brainstorms....)

Found it here.

Oh, if only......

Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

As I drifted off to sleep the other night, I suddenly began to think of cupcake variations. Does this happen to you too?  You've cleared your brain from the stress of your day and then BAM and idea springs on you.  My mom adores lemon meringue pie, so that was the starting point. And the rest is history!

You will need:

1 Box Yellow cake mix

Zest & juice of 1 lemon (to taste, I squeezed 1/4 of the lemon at a time)

**Bake for only 15 minutes to keep your cupcakes moist**

Topped them with:

Vanilla icing (frosting?)

Meringues from TJs
Yellow Sprinkles



DIY: Time Capsule Christmas Ornament

My husband and I have a tradition of making (ok, ok, I give ideas & he makes it) a christmas ornament to represent something of that particular year for the tree. I hope one day my tree is full of them, so far we have 3, soon to be 4! With Christmas coming up (66 DAYS!) I've been doing a lot of thinking on this years events and how we can translate that into an ornament. And at the same time, I was trying to think of a sentimental gift for my cousin's wedding. So those two trains of thought collided. And this was the result of the crash:

Basically, I cut up the wedding invitation into strips of varying sizes (followed the changing size of script) and rolled them with a pencil, slipped them inside the glass ball ornament. And voila! An updated version of the tried & true "Our First Christmas" ornament. Took all of 10 minutes and would be super cute for many occasions: baby shower invites, graduation announcements, etc. I'm thinkin I need to dig out the extra copies of my own wedding invite and make one of these for myself! And you know I'd love to, but I can't take all the credit for this, found it here! 

The Lace Museum Vintage Sale

I was recently introduced to a local shop called The Lace Museum. Twice a year they host a vintage sale where they off-load the hoards of donations received throughout the year. There was tons and tons of amazing pieces: tablecloths, coverlets & pillow cases, and doilies galore! I had quite a difficult time deciding what to buy and what to let go. I came home with 2 embroidered doilies, 1-3 piece floral doily set, a silk hand towel (I most certainly WILL NOT be using it for a towel however...) and buttons for a grand total of $17.00!

The only way I was able to narrow my treasures down was sticking to a color scheme, which you can see a bit better here:

I'm thinking most of these will become an embellishment to pillows & blankets. Until then, happy hunting!

Pumpkin Season

Halloween is just around the corner...excited? Or dreadful? Halloween is an awkward 'holiday', at least for myself. I'm not the person who shuts off all the lights and pretends not to be home when the trick-or-treaters come around though. I take the opportunity to give those who come to my door the opportunity to think about life and where their path is taking them. Maybe some will see that as pushy, but all I do is include a tract (like these) with a mini-snickers and tell them to be safe & have fun! I mean dressing up as a witch and such is also a bit pushy dontcha think? Another way to be 'in it and not of it' is through my choice of fall decor. I put the focus on fall & harvest themes instead of spooky images. Which leads me to the fun part of this post...decorating for fall!! Here are a few inspirational photos & ideas I've come across in my internet travels:

All of these images and more (!!!!) can be found here. 

Happy Fall Ya'll!

Veggie Bread Cups

Finally made something inspired by the countless hours I've lost on Pinterest! I actually whipped these up for the Clothing Swap this past weekend (yay for two post preps in one day!). Basically, looked at a photo and ran with it--my favorite way to 'cook'. But if you're one of those 'by-the-book' people here's my shopping list (all from Trader Joe's of course!):
1 Bell pepper
1 Cucumber
Bag of baby carrots
Couple handfuls of string beans
Sunflower seed bread
Onion dip (coulda made my own..but this one said "carmelized"!!)
*Makes 12 servings*

Sliced the bread so that one end is diagonal. Should have taken a photo of this, but basically I cut the bread into 3 equal sections and then cut a diagonal in each to make 6 'bowls' per loaf. This way you have a flat side for it to sit upright and some lumbar support for your standing veggies.

Cut out a hole from the diagonal side of the bread. Kind of had to squish the innards of the bread to make a more defined veggie space. 

Filled the bread cavity with onion dip and stuck the veggies in.

 A couple of tips/things I will modify next time:
1) Cut the cucumber shorter/stockier so it stands up a little better.
(I had to brace a few with green beans and at the end of the night one
lonely bread cup was left with floppy cucumber. Gross.)
2) Reduce amount of dip--had some overflow once I stuck the veggies in.
3) Try some other breads/dips/veggies,
maybe work a cherry tomato in there somehow...

Clothing Swap Success!!

 The clothing swap this past weekend was crazy successful! This was my third one, and so far each one has been better than before! I came away this time with new clothes and a few new friends. What more could you ask for? We had a great mix of clothing styles & needs from newly pregnant to celebrating weight loss goals. Everyone pitched in to provide drinks and appetizers & desserts as well. I won't overload you with all the details of the fabulous pieces I came home with, here's just a taste!

If you can se past my terrible self portrait skillz (mirror and all!), I think this top is such a fun surprise! I would not have taken a second glance at this in the store--ok well maybe if it was under $5 because I pretty much try on anything with that price. But needless to say I was pleasently surprised with the fit and flow, especially.  And who doesn't love a little back cut out every now & then? Of course this could easily be layered for a more modest & colorful spin if needed.

Now regardless of your style, you're pretty much guranteed to enjoy the fun and good company that are inevitable at a clothing swap. Even if it turns into a competition for the most hideous outfit! So call your girls and start diggin through your closet! Stat!

Clothes Swap Party

Tomorrow I'm attending a clothes swap party. I hosted one about a year ago and a few of my friends who attended are now taking turns hosting. We're on a routine of doing so about every 6 months. Admit it you have clothes in the back corner of your closet that aren't being worn and you feel guilty everytime you see them. And although I am big a supporter of donating to the Goodwill & other various charities, there's certain items that you kind of still want around...does that make sense to anyone but me? In other words seeing that stunning blouse on a friend is fun way to keep it in your life. Maybe I'm a wierdo, but I felt this way with lots of the clothes I've gave my cousin. Whenever I see her in one of my gifted sundresses I feel excited to see a beautiful woman I care about enjoying the piece as much I did. And yes, there is a tinge of jealousy there, but honestly I know my dress is in better hands and has a 'life' vs. collecting wrinkles in the back of my closet! 

(psst! there's even an evite for this!)

It's a really fun twist to a girls night: fruity drinks, desserts and munchies and couches covered with items up for grabs. Go all out and transform your living room into a boutique! Designate a bedroom for a changing room, gather all the mirrors into one or two rooms near the swap items and organize like items together. Each attendee does their part to bring a few pieces (could be anything from cardigans to jeans to shoes to purses to jewelry) that are still in good condition, they just need to be flaunted! It's really fun to see that funky pair of flats, that I couldn't make work for myself, look stunning and perfecto on a friend! You could easily adapt this to children's/maternity wear, crafting supplies, kitchen gadgets, etc. Or make it a themed party where everyone brings shoes or purses!

Clearance Couture & Mixing Metals

Big surprise, I bought a dress again! Got this at Macy's for 10 buckeroos. I really love the mix of patterns, and the colors make me feel patriotic without a star or stripe in sight. Because what isn't patriotic about a red daisy? I mean really. It goes great with my tan heels snagged at Target earlier this year. 

Lately I've been really into mixing silver & gold jewelry too. It's a great way to bring heirloom pieces into your look. 

Good Old Goodwill

It's been waaay too long since I've made it to the flea market. So I visited Goodwill again just to get thrifting out of my system for a bit longer. And, as usual, I wasn't disappointed!      

3 mini sized Corningware $1.49 each

Colored glass jars $1.59-4.99 each

12 silver napkin rings $2.99 for the set

What have you found at the Goodwill/Salvation Army, etc. lately?