reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books

i love a good bad book. i live for young adult silliness. but a good good book is even better. this week i read the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society. as per my usual perference, i didn't read the dust jacket synopsis and dove in completely unawares of the premise. i enjoy being thoroughly surprised by a book. nothing is worse than reading a book review and finding out that desdemona courierfont's love interest, brock dangerfield, leaves her for broke halfway through the book. you know too much and you haven't even started reading!

anywhoo, this book was excellent. i laughed. i cried. i felt thankful for those who went before us and sacrificed so much. i considered whipping up my own tonics in the kitchen. i highly recommend this book.

as a result i was quite inspired fashion-wise this week. i wanted to go for something like this:

photo via operagloves
but that may require more time to acquire the appropriate hat and gloves.

so i went a little more for this look:

photo via swing fashionista

my interpretation:

too hot sweater worn as blouse in july- target

skirt- thrifted

shoes- target

and in 2 weeks this will be my new front yard!

some choice guernsey literary and potato peel pie society quotes:

"We clung to books and to our friends; they reminded us that we had another part to us."

"We could have gone on longing for one another and pretending not to notice forever. This obsession with dignity can ruin your life if you let it."

"The first rule of snooping is to come at it sideways."

"...but I much prefer whining to counting my blessings."-this could be a personal motto

happy pioneer day!

 pioneer day is the day Mormon pioneers arrived in the valley of the great salt lake in 1847. i would never have survived as a pioneer(buffalo chips for fuel? nast-ay!) but i am thankful for those who sacrificed all to make the trek. and i always wanted to be the days of '47 queen. they need to have a married lady queen pageant somewhere that requires no poise or talent. the only contest would be useless trivia, pop culture and obscure history. i'd own that mother.

t shirt- downeastbasics

scarf- grandmother's

skirt- thrifted

shoes- target*totally on sale now

it was a bit of an inelegant photoshoot today. the trees were against me and the neighbor was watching. and there is no excuse for this weirdness:

but i did make a most excellent dinner, recipe courtesy of ourbestbites. completely delicious and easy pepperoncini beef sammiches. it took all my strength to eat only one. plus i simply had to choke down more of big T's birthday cake.

happy sabbath!

journalistic integrity

in honor of journalistic integrity, i am posting what i have worn more than anything else this summer.....

my swimsuit. but not me in my swimsuit so stop salivating.

we swim at least 4 times a week. if there was a gang at my pool, i would run it. i want my kids to learn that exercise is fun from an early age. they haven't figured out that all the "races" i have them doing are actually pool laps. plus, worn out kids sleep like a dream. i'm doing myself a favor.
i was planning on buying a few more suits this summer to replace my other few that i have worn to death the past few years, but swimsuit shopping is almost as hard as childbirth so i have only had success with one.

it's from the candie's collection at kohl's. it had me at houndstooth. but, i'll tell ya, trying on a junior-sized swimsuit really does a number on your self-esteem. i'm a junior on top and a misses on the bottom. thank goodness for side ties to minimize the fat squeezing.

today's hairstyle is called air-dried fingercombed delight.

shirt- target

dress- walmart

wonky picture my 6 year old took- priceless

my summer movie viewing recommendation:

 i spied the last 10 minutes of pretty in pink this morning. one minute i am running around like a crazy trying to get things done and the next i am yelling at the screen, "ANDIE! stick with duckie! blane doesn't deserve you!" oh, blane! this movie only gets better and better. talk about sartorial inspiration and teenage heartache!!! i can't wait for the weather to cool down to only 900 degrees to try out some of these looks myself.

duckie: "His name is Blane? Oh! That's a major appliance, that's not a name!"

watch it this weekend. you'll laugh. you'll cry. you'll want to feather your hair and staple records* to the ceiling.

*for the younger set, records are like gigantic plastic cds. cds are those shiny things your parents have a million of in the car that play music. someday when you decide to be retro and ironic, you'll pick a few up at goodwill for laughs.

new with tags

why i thrift:

my number one reason for thrifting is finding a good deal.

i love finding something that you won't see anyone else wearing. i'm not partial to purchasing a particular name brand, but it's always fun when you score something that you remember seeing in a store for full price. my local goodwill always has stuff from target that is still new with tags. and you can always count on there being a few items somewhere in the store that someone donated but never wore or never even cut the tags off.

plus, my kids really enjoy the thrift store. it's the one place i don't mind them running around like banshee children. they call goodwill the nastystore, or the junkstore or badwill because they know they will be doused with hand sanitizer upon leaving the store.

today we all wearing wearing some new with tags thrift store items.

scarlett is wearing a dress from target that was full price($17) at our local target just a few weeks ago. i got it for $7.

i'm wearing a blouse from american eagle that still was still crisp from the factory sizing(the starch a factory uses on items). i bought it for $4.25

reagan's shirt was in the same perfect condition and the label says it is from talbot's kids. snazzy and pricey and i paid $2.25 for it.

just a quick wash and everything was ready to wear for the first time. boo ya to thrift store shopping. the trick is just to be open minded and unafraid to search and to hold your nose and breath out your mouth.

blouse- thrifted

skirt- kohl's

shoes- charlotte russe



on an unrelated note, my friend jenny is a do-it-yourself and home decor genius. she just started making how-to videos and posting them to youtube. her website is showmecute.  she it utterly inspiring in anything crafty and she is also my hair icon. i hope she does a clip soon with her hair curled really big and full. that's my favorite way she does it.

enjoy!

invisibility cloak

 we saw the latest harry potter tonight. loved it. excellent filmage. i heart alan rickman and his stanky teeth.

 blouse- thrifted

jeans- gap forever skinny

shoes- jessica simpson

purse- "gucci" hahahaha

i really feel like i was channelling ashley hebert from the bachelorette in this outfit. except i buttoned my top button to keep some thing hidden. dot dot dot.

and here's a shot of me wearing my invisibility cloak:

i really thought this was funny and clever. i almost drew a lightning bolt on my forehead. almost. and i was pleasantly surprised by the ending. i have ALWAYS known that snape was special. maybe i'll even read the books now.

bullet points

*i just ate a bowl of ben and jerry's red velvet cake and late night snack ice cream.

*i witnessed a motorcycle accident this week. it was sickening and horrific. then the guy picked himself up from the middle of the freeway and WALKED to the shoulder. it was about 105 degrees at 5pm as we waited for the ambulance to show up. it was wild. needless to say, i didn't take an outfit picture that day. 

*i think ryan seacrest is slowing but surely morphing into a woman.

*sometimes i online shop and fill my shopping bag with $750 worth of stuff. then i close the window and walk away. i can't decide if it's cathartic or torture.

*i really like the gnocchi soup at olive garden. i went to the OG with a bunch of lovely friends last week to bid my dear friend holly adieu. i'm pretending she's on an extended vacation.

i think we look better in prom dresses, but this is alright too.

on me:

blouse, dress, shoes- all target

belt- fossil

day tripper

 since my mom and sister were visiting we made a day trip to asheville, north carolina to see the biltmore. it was so neat-o. my inner nerd was doing jumping jacks. not only was it an architectural wonder, but they had HARD SCOOP ice cream. hard scoop is my absolute-of-all-time-hallelujah-amen-and-amen-favorite. soft serve ice cream is for ninnies.

but, more importantly, i tried to put together an outfit that

would be appropriate for traveling and walking  and climbing a million stairs and looking at amazing gardens in 95 degree humid weather. normally when i travel more than an hour or two i wear sweats or anything without a waistband, but i'm trying to not embarass the family anymore. i'm pretty proud of myself because i think i nailed my day trip look. later i will be figuring out the formula for cold fusion and proposing my ideas for a balanced national budget. i'm on a roll!

i'm glad that i wasn't a sweating, uncomfortable monster like the kid behind me laying all over the table.

sunglasses- franco sarto

t shirt- gap

belt- fossil

skirt- thrifted

sandals- bakers

 seriously, incredible.

unfortunately while i was stuffing my face with HARD SCOOP ice cream, i realized i had lost part of my favorite angel wing earrings. my sister was able to capture the exact moment for posterity:

absolutely brilliant.

thrifted sister

2 girls born in the 80s

2 dresses born in the 80s

dresses- thrifted

my scarf- gift

heather's belt- target

my shoes- thrifted

heather's shoes- tjmaxx

hurray! my sister heather is in town from las vegas! we look NOTHING alike and yet people still ask if we are twins.

we have this deal that when we visit that we pack very little and wear each other's clothes. it works out great.

ps- one of my pet peeves is engagement photos on playground equipment. not my favorite. i also have issues with piggyback pictures. i have a LOT of issues in general.

doublemint twins

for the 4th, the whole fam damily went to a festive evening soiree. my dear friend and fellow blogger julie of everyday embellishments and i took our first outfit picture together. i see julie ALL THE TIME and this is the first time i broke out the camera to commemorate the event. she's a gem. and a great seamstress. and a phenomenal thrifted and re-fashioner. she's lucky i hang out with her. i've been finely crafting this level of laid-back underachiever for years. she'll cramp my style.

plus, 4th of july means red white and blue! i love that color combination! but for the rest of the year red, white and blue looks a little much(unless it's the 1st tuesday in november during an election year). sort of like a christmas sweater in january. or velvet in july. or a perm past 1992.

julie went for polished, i went for bohemian. doublemint twins! not really.

on me:

blouse- michael kors

scarf- dillards

shorts- gap

sandals- bakers

on julie:

shirt-target

shorts- NY&CO (thrifted/altered)

 belt&shoes- thrifted
necklace- target

earrings- forever21

star spangled sunday

i love the fourth of july and i especially enjoy the sunday before the 4th when we sing all the patriotic hymns at church. we sang "america the beautiful" and "the star spangled banner" and i did my best to hit the high notes, those most would agree i shouldn't go for high notes.

ruffle blouse- wal*mart

t shirt- downeast basics

belt- gap

skirt- thrifted(originally from the limited!)

shoes- thrifted

my friend lindsay said it best today, "the united states is the greatest country in the world!" i agree. strike up the lee greenwood classic, "proud it be an american!"

i love my country.

 "Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"

-the star spangled banner, francis scott key



roll with it

 these may be my most favorite photos of all time. husband with the camera, me retrieving the garbage can, sun setting over the hedge. the perfect storm.

except for this one: i was caught off guard when i realized that thomas was already snapping away. i tried to roll with it. (garbage can pun!)

 facebook profile perfection!

t shirt- meh?

belt- thrifted

skirt- thrifted

shoes- amanda smith

boom!

boom!

boom!

the end. i have nothing to add to that. except that we went house hunting today. i kept my eyes open for new photo taking venues. a nice latticed deck here, a lovely row of pines there. gotta have priorities.