Fashion Friday

Remember back in April when I held this contest to choose the next outfit to be added to my wardrobe? Miss Styleezta put together this cute little look and you all voted for it to be the winner. Making it's debut here on the blog, here is the fun summer outfit worn by yours truly!


Thanks again, Styleezta!

I had so much fun with that contest and will be hosting another one in the fall! Keep your eyes out for outfit ideas!!

Shopping On A Budget

Yes, I used the 'b' word ... budget. That pesky little detail really puts a damper on my shopping fun, but hubby and I are set on gettin' our bills paid off. Oh the joys of being all grown up.

Bleh.

Apparently, Nordstrom did not get the memo that my man put me on a cash-only spending cap, and they sent me their latest catalog debuting their fall fashion Half-Yearly Sale. Surprisingly, I was not impressed with the selection or the 'sale' prices (especially since I have been shopping at Ross - who can beat their prices?), but one outfit caught my eye.

At a whopping $398 (after-sale prices), there ain't nothing that I can say to my man to convince him that this outfit is a must-have for my fall wardrobe. And even if we did have the extra cash laying around, I don't think I could bring myself to spend that kinda dough on one outfit.

So I went on a mission, searching through Polyvore, to find a look-a-like version of the outfit I can't get outta my head.

Check it out girls!!! I put this together for a grand total of $161, saving $237!!! Oh yeah!!! How fabulous is that?!? Gotta love sites like endless.com, forever21.com, oldnavy.com, asos.com and modcloth.com. Shopping on a budget is totally do-able, and feels so great when you save while you spend!

So Versatile ...

The sweet girls of 2Bloggeristas, Tarryn and Allison, have given me a fabulous award! My blog is all about the random and miscellaneous thoughts and opinions I have ... the ones that my hubby is so grateful that I blog about rather than chat his ear up all day long. I am so excited that I can entertain you all with my ramblings and that so many of you stop by each day to see what I am talking about. Thank you so much for all the comments and the time y'all take to send some love!! Muah!! xoxo

Now this wouldn't be a Versatile Award without asking for 7 Random Facts about myself ...

• I have a blanket that I can't sleep without. I take it wherever we go overnight. It's not a security thing or a sentimental issue ... it's all about comfort, and it usually serves as a pillow.
• I have been into Kombucha for the last few weeks. No, it is not the latest yoga trend (I am so not flexible like that), but it is fermented tea. Yes. Fermented. It smells like vinegar and doesn't taste too much better, but it is supposed to be good for your body and it puts me in a fabulous mood.
• I am loving Scentsy!! Don't know what it is? Plug-in decorative warmers that melt scented wax. My fave scent right now is French Lavender and it makes the entire room smell like a spa! I'll be having a Scentst party in September, so y'all can place your orders then (if you wanna order now, my friend is a consultant and her link is pink)!
• My favorite color used to be purple (gasp!) ... now I prefer blues. Am I allowed to change my fave color this late in life??
• I have 3 rings that I never take off ... not even to shower or sleep: my wedding ring, my thumb ring (silver skinny band) and my Nelle & Lizzy double ring with my boys' names.
• On lazy days, I sit around the house for hours watching TV and snacking. I usually get caught up with the dvr and gain a few pounds in the process. {Sigh.}
• I wash my hair every 2-3 days and I have a fear of cutting it. I contemplate bangs every few months, and hubby talks me out of it every.single.time. I have learned not to add highlights and to keep it a rich, dark chocolate color.

Along with the award, I am also supposed to nominate 15 other blogs for the honor. I am curious to see who you would nominate though! What blogs are you reading? Shout-out your faves (or your own), so I can check them out!

And thanks again to Tarryn and Allison for passing this award onto dot...dot...dot... - lots of love!!

Music Monday and a little giggle ...

I have my shopping habits in check right now, and have scaled waaaay back on spending this year. This was pretty funny though and I had to share!

And now for your listening pleasure, Eminem's Cinderella Man. I am so impressed with his latest CD ... anyone else a fan?

Fashion Friday

Skirt ... Nordstrom Rack ... $9.97

Tank ... Old Navy ... $4.50

Finding a cute summer outfit for under $15 ... Priceless

~

{ A big shout-out to Kate ... I adored her outfit when she blogged on her What I Wore Wednesday post, and (unintentially) copied her look. Oops! Great outfit though, Kate!! xoxo }
~

Did you vote for me yet?

I will love you forever!

Oh to be a Housewife ...

The Housewives of New Jersey have more drama than your mama would ever be able to handle! These girls are kuh.raze.ee!!

I think Teresa could be the east coast version of myself. Here on the west coast, we be chillin' and try to stay mellow. Put me in the dirty jerz where all the Italians play, and there's no telling how many tables I would flip. Teresa and I would be besties, fo' sho'.

Danielle is a psycho!! Can.Not.Stand the woman!! I will leave it at that though ... I wouldn't want her pressing charges for my internet opinions. Poor, poor Danielle.

And for the record, I am not a fan of the fur the girls wear. So not cool in my book, but that is a whole 'nother post.

I don't have a whole lot of cash in the bank. I am not always the most poised or patient of mommas, and my shopping budget is more in tuned with Forever 21. BUT, I think it would be fun to be filmed for Bravo's Real Housewives show. I don't lead that exciting of a life, but it would be fun to watch myself on TV.
Ha ha!!
I'm just saying.

Wish Me Luck ...

Has everyone heard of DSK Jewelry? I adore this handmade jewelry line and snagged myself a gorgeous little necklace for my birthday this year. I get so many compliments every time I wear it! DSK is casting a model search and I entered! I am not thinkin' I am hot stuff here, but the prizes are pretty awesome! Steph is looking for a new face or two to represent her fabulous line. Voting starts on Friday, July 16th, so please (pretty please) pop on over and vote for me! Competition will be tough ... all the contestants posted so far are simply beautiful.

Thanks so much for the support!!

x o x o

Reviews and Giveaways Ahead

I have been given several opportunities recently for product reviews and have been working on some fabulous giveaways! I can't wait to share with all my fabulous followers!
Looking for twin beds? One of the companies I am in contact with is CSN Stores. I am sure you have all heard of them here in the blog world, right? Over 200 stores all in one place, offering everything from home goods to furniture, baby and kids products to shoes and purses ... all at incredible prices! Pet supplies, housewares, health and fitness ... and so much more!
Stay tuned!!

Making Monday Less Manic

Mondays are not always the funnest of days. Most weeks, they pretty much suck. The sun is on a break again here in my neck of the Pacific NW, but last week I layed out and enjoyed heat in the high 90's!! I am definitely a sun whore ... the hotter, the better!! So, let's make this Monday a little brighter!

This weekend, I was flippin' through channels on TV and landed on Bravo ... my Housewives from NJ were on, and since I can't get enough of them, I re-watched last week's episode. Afterwards, Bethanny Frankel's show popped on (the one of her getting married), and I got sucked in. I never watched the Housewives of NYC, so the only gossip I heard of Bethanny was in my celeb magazines.
Oh my goodness ... this girl cracks me up! I love her personality!! Too funny!! Apparently she wrote a book or three? Yeah, I gotta hit up Barnes and Noble. And she is the creator of the Skinnygirl Margarita. YUM! A girl who is calorie conscious and loves her booze is already a bff in my book!

I had to find out more about this Skinnygirl brand to see what other cocktails she has whipped up (just margaritas so far), and came across this yummy dip recipe she has on her website. I am a big guacamole fan, so I will definitely be giving this recipe a try.

Mock-a-mole (serves 6-8; less than 500 calories if you eat it all yo'self!)

* 2 tablespoons cilantro (finely chopped)
* 1 tablespoon red onion (finely chopped)
* 1 avocado
* 1 cup green peas
* 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
* Dash of Tabasco Sauce (use more if you like your guacamole spicy)
* 1 teaspoon garlic salt
* Pepper (to taste)
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
* 1 cup chopped tomato

For more amazing recipes, check out Bethanny's website ... lots of tips and tricks to eating better!

And in honor of these 2 boys coming to Portland this week, here's Sean Kingston and Justin Bieber doin' their thang ... try not to dance. I dare you.



Happy Monday!!

Fashion Friday

My boys and I have been out playing in the heat ... it was 100 degrees here today! After sweatin' it out at the parks all day, I love coming home, taking a shower, then puttin' on a summer dress to enjoy the rest of the evening.

~

White Racerback Tank Top ... Forever 21 ($4)

Terry Dress ... Juicy Couture (got on sale a couple years ago for $14!!)

Mia Strappy Sandals ... Nordstrom Rack ($24 - cost more than the rest of my outfit, but I love them!)

Necklace ... American Eagle (my fave 'go-to' accessory)
Sunglasses ... Juicy Couture

Takin' Care of Business

I have received a few emails recently regarding the Girly Summer Swap I hosted last month. It seems that partners are not getting gifts in return after sending out their goodies, and communications are non-existent. Now I know it is summertime ... kids are out of school, vacations are planned, schedules are hectic, yada yada yada. These are not excuses for the lack of consideration for your partner! The deadline to send your packages out was June 14th. The rules were clearly written out when you signed up to participate. It is just plain tacky to receive your gifts and to ignore the person who took time and money out of their lives to send you some fun stuff.
If for any reason you were unable to follow through on your end, you needed to contact me immediately so that I could try to re-match partners. It is wrong to accept gifts without returning the favor. Period.

Packages do get lost in the mail, but there should be no reason that you can't get in contact with your partner.
If you are one who has yet to hear from your partner after sending your package, or are having any other issues with the swap, please leave a comment here on this post or email me at aprilbaker23@yahoo.com.

That's What I'm Talkin' 'Bout

Oh Yeah!! Here's our weather forecast for this week. Some people are callin' it a heat wave around here ... I am callin' it SUMMER!!! Can't even tell y'all how excited I am!! I am definitely a sun whore, so bring it on!!
My family and I had a great time celebrating the holiday at the beach this weekend. Oregon beaches are usually cloudy and overcast, and that is what we got this 4th of July. Bleh. But it was still fun and relaxing, and we always enjoy the family time (although I am so bloated and in need of some major detoxing from all the oh-so-irresistible foods we cooked up)!
Being I was still chillaxin' at the beach, I flaked out on my Music Monday post. I blame it on the food coma I was in. So, let's Tune In Tuesday with a little Taio Cruz ... I am lovin' his song Dynamite. It makes me wanna dance, dance, dance, dance, dance!




I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Fashion Friday

Do you all remember this dress that I bought at Forever 21 for my birthday, but never ended up wearing?

And of course, the {Miss Me} shoes I bought from Endless.com to complete the look?

Well, I finally got to wear my outfit at my hubby's cousin's wedding this last weekend. The dress was awesome and stayed put throughout the night. No need to pull it up ... even when gettin' Low with Flo Rida. (Did y'all know I love to dance?) The shoes, being 4.5 inches tall, didn't leave a blister on my feet. Although, the 6 foot dude who stepped on my foot on the dance floor left a lovely bruise.

{For pedicure details ... check me out here.}

What's Up Wednesday?!?

Hubby took me to see Eclipse at the 12:30am showing. I wore this hoody, cuz I represent! We got home at 3am ... he went to work at 6am. What a guy!! No spoilers here, but I loved the movie!!

(Want one? Check out Nordstrom's BP dept.)

~
We went to an evening wedding on Saturday, so I had the fabulous artists at MAC do my make-up for me. Come back on Friday to see what I wore ... here is the 411 on my look:

Eyes: MAC Technakohl Liner in GraphBlack, Eyeshadow in Tilt, Pigment in Cornflower, Opulash Mascara in Bad, Bad, Black on top and bottom lashes, Brows lined with a brown pencil (didn't catch the name)
Face: MAC Studio Moisture Tint in Medium (LOVE this product and use it as a foundation to even out my skin tone, VERY light weight and is SPF 15), Sheertone Shimmer Blush in SunBasque (peachy and pretty)
Lips: DazzleGlass in Girl's Delight (not sure if I am in love with this ... it is very nude, but I will give it a few more tries)

Music Monday

One of my post titles last week got this one stuck in my head. Ciara is gorgeous and this video is sexy!

Fashion Friday

♥

Tim and I went out to dinner to celebrate our anniversary, and it was a gorgeous 80 degree evening!
~
Ruffle Dress ... Ross and only $8.99!!!

Shoes ... Ann Taylor Loft - had them since 2006

Earrings ... Claire's

Necklace ... Christmas 2004 gift from hubby

Wristlet ... Coach Outlet and $22!!

♥

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood ...

No more complaining here, peeps ... it is sunny and warm!! Hallelujah ... the angels are singing!! Well, I am giddy about it anyways!! I am off to get my eyebrows waxed and play in the sunshine today. I will be back tomorrow for Fashion Friday ... you girls gotta see what I wore out last night for my anniversary!!!