Connect Menu

follow

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

What I Wore: Black lace and coral


We went out after work a little over a week ago to a couple of breweries with friends and I knew there would be a mixture of sitting outside and inside so this outfit worked out perfectly with the option of the denim jacket. This is also one of those tops that can add some dressiness (is that even a word?) to any outfit.. I guess it's the lace. I like how it has a bright color under the black lace layer. Of course you know I love teal and coral together!




Black lace top: Loft Outlet, similar, similar, similar
Black camisole: Old Navy, similar, similar
Coral skinny jeans: Loft, similar, similar, similar
Denim jacket: Old Navy, similar, similar
Cognac flats: Aerosoles, similarsimilarvery similar
Cognac crossbody bag: Target, similarsimilar
Black earrings: Towne & Reese, similarsimilar


Linking up to: What I Wore WednesdayWhat I Wore to WorkBecause Shanna Said SoTucker UpPTMT Get Pin-spiredTip Junkie

Monday, October 27, 2014

Clemson Family Weekend


A little over a month ago we went to Clemson for the UNC game with our families for a big day of tailgating and the game. We arrived on Friday afternoon with my parents and walked around downtown a little bit at had dinner.



Saturday everyone arrived bright and early to our usual tailgating spot. This year we stepped up our tailgate with a generator so we could set up a tv and a crockpot. Everyone really enjoyed having the tv especially with the game not being until 7pm.



We took a walk around campus before lunch with Keith and Megan to take a few photos.






Here is the pulled BBQ chicken crockpot recipe we had for lunch.



That afternoon we were glad to have Carla and little Felix visit us for a bit. He loved the cornhole.




 Everyone hung out, watched the tv, played cornhole and visited with friends






Some pretty great photo bombs made for hilarious entertainment. There is an even better one of these with Eric and Justin but I think it is on Megan's phone.




And Abby loved her bubbles.


Then we headed into the game. It was a great game, especially seeing the new QB Deshaun play and the Tigers won! Can't beat a night game in Death Valley especially in September avoiding the heat!




Wednesday, October 22, 2014

What I Wore: Purple on Purple


Purple is a great jewel tone that looks good on many people and I wear it frequently. It just seems very fall-ish too. I wore this to work with black pants but if you really wanted to go for it, you could turn it into purple on purple on purple with some light purple or mauve skinny jeans. I don't own a pair of purple skinny jeans but those or an orange pair have been on my closet gap list for awhile now. They would be perfect for Clemson games but also look great with other items.




Printed purple top: Banana Republic, similar, similar, similar, similar
Purple cardigan: Loft Outlet, similar, similar, similar
Black straight dress pants: Loft, similarsimilarsimilar
Gray flats: Anne Klein iflex
Silver filigree earrings: The Limited - seriously get a pair of these.. they are so fun and lightweight AND on sale (they also come in gold), similar



Linking up to: What I Wore WednesdayWhat I Wore to WorkBecause Shanna Said SoTucker UpPTMT Get Pin-spiredTip Junkie

Sunday, October 19, 2014

My most ambitious sewing project: DIY Pouf


Much earlier this year, I was coerced into the most challenging sewing project I've ever done but in the end it paid off. That sewing project was a pouf. If you don't know what a pouf is, it is sort of like an ottoman but usually more attractive and softer. My pouf was finished in July but I just got around to taking some finished photos of it to share. But I am giving you a sneak peak at a couple of the new family room pillows I made a the photo below.





I had never attempted sewing a piece of furniture before and it was a bit intimidating but I had the craft girls over and the three of us figured out the steps together. We didn't finish them that day but got to where the shell was basically together and we had stuffed a few things in. Danielle actually had her denim one mostly stuffed.




I am not going to go through the steps one at a time because the BHG tutorial does just that and we followed that step by step. You have to register to get the instructions and pattern but you can opt out of any communications. None of us ended up using a tight woven burlap material like it did because we didn't think it would be as comfortable. I found mine gray fabric in the JoAnn's drapery/upholstery sale section for $9 a yard and you need 2 yards. It has a little bit of a church pew feel to it.. a little velvet-y but it is not velvet, if that makes sense at all.


You do need a lot more things to stuff it with than you think. This is what took the longest and I didn't even work on the pouf for a few months as I was waiting to clean out husband's closet so I'd have more pants and shirts to stuff in my pouf. Old towels work well too and there are at least 3 full sized towels in my pouf.


I found the finishing design with the embroidery thread to be a great activity while watching tv and didn't mind it at all and I usually HATE hand sewing type stuff. You have to do several stitches before it will look right... I did one and started thinking I was doing something all wrong but you need to do more for it to look like the right design. It helps to use a metal sewing gauge.



The cost breakdown: I already had an old sheet on hand for the lining, so I had to buy the outside fabric, thread, fusible bonding, embroidery needle and embroidery thread (it called for 4 skeins but I only used 2). So the whole pouf cost less than $30 to make using a coupon. And all the stuffing came from items I already had and I already had some poly-fill but even if you needed to buy poly-fill (use a coupon) that would just bump it up to $35. You'll end up with plenty of extra fusible bonding for future use too.

I would definitely make another one of these provided I had enough things to stuff it with as that was what took the longest. Guess this goes to show I should be braver with my sewing projects. We've been using it a bunch and it is very comfortable as a foot rest or as an extra seat in a pinch. The only complaint I have is that is it a little heavy due to all the stuff in it but it needs to be that way so it fills out and is a sturdy piece of furniture while only being filled with old clothes and towels.



Hope you decide to make your own pouf!


Tuesday, October 14, 2014

What I Wore: Polka Dots and Floral


If you are shy about pattern mixing, this is a great way to ease into it... with a patterned scarf! Like I've said before, the key is to make sure the patterns are different enough. Floral and polka dots work great together as long as they are not the exact same size and concentration. In this outfit I wore to work, the dots are smaller and more spread out where the floral is a little bit bigger and very concentrated. I've gotten so much great use out of this floral scarf so having one would be a great addition to your closet if you don't already own one!




Note; The top is not quite as bright of a cobalt as blogger is making it look.


Blue polka dot top: Target, similar, similarwhite option
Black straight dress pants: Loft, similarsimilarsimilar
Floral scarf: Francesca's, similar, similarred/purple option, multicolor option, turquoise option
Gray flats: Anne Klein iflex
Cobalt earrings: Towne and Reese, similar $8similar




Linking up to: What I Wore WednesdayWhat I Wore to WorkBecause Shanna Said SoTucker UpPTMT Get Pin-spiredTip Junkie

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Easy Crock Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken


I mentioned we stepped up our tailgating this year with a tv so we had a generator running the tv which also meant we could plug in a crock pot! This was our first time doing a crock pot at the tailgate (although I've seen tons of tailgates with crock-pots... some with multiple ones going) and it was a HUGE success!

This recipe would be great for parties and tailgates because you just dump a few ingredients in and then a few hours later you shred it and it is ready to go.





Crock Pot Pulled BBQ Chicken
from Uncommon Designs, adjusted for more servings, serves 10

Ingredients:

- 3.5-4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 18 oz bottle of Honey BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
- 2/3 cup of italian dressing
- 2 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar

Put last 4 ingredients into crock pot and mix. Add chicken and mix. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Shred chicken (the original recipe has you take it out to do this but you can do it right in the crock pot), mix and serve. We served on slider sized rolls.


This was so delicious and we will definitely be making it again! Hope you enjoy!

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

What I Wore: Turquoise and Orange


Of course as a huge Clemson fan, I have a lot of orange jewelry. Orange doesn't just look great with purple (or blue for Gator fans or navy for Auburn fans... VT fans the jury's still out on orange and maroon). I've found that orange pairs beautifully with turquoise or teal! I wore this to work and like working little bits (or big amounts) of orange into work outfits. On this day, I met someone at work that also is a Clemson alum because they were commenting on my orange... ya just never know!




Turquoise blazer: Loft, similarsimilarmore green than teal
White top: Target, similar, similar
Black straight dress pants: Loft, similarsimilarsimilar
Leopard flats: Sam Edelmansimilarsimilarsimilarsimilar
Orange circle bead earrings: Towne & Reese, similarsimilar
Orange necklace: Towne & Reese, similar, similar



Linking up to: What I Wore WednesdayWhat I Wore to WorkBecause Shanna Said SoTucker UpPTMT Get Pin-spiredTip Junkie

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Fall Mantle


I decided to bust out the rest of my fall decor this weekend including my pumpkins!! I'll do a post with pictures of everything soon but at least wanted to share the mantle. I like keeping it pretty simple so there aren't too many things up there and it still looks festive and classy but not an overload if you know what I mean.

Of course, I kept the fall banner and the orange stems/flowers arrangement from my transition to fall mantle. I replaced the globe and candles with this set of 5 felt pumpkins my godmother made me several years ago. I had never used them on a mantle before. By using wooden candlestick holders that I borrowed from my mom, I can get a better variety of heights and they look great up there.



Have you brought out your pumpkins yet? We had some cooler and fall feeling weather this weekend that gave me the push to bring mine out. If you want to make this banner for yourself, go here.


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...