Fresh new day

Hello!  Thanks to all of you who read my vent yesterday and left such sweet comments!  The day got a little better and ended with Tylenol for baby, Nyquil for daddy and a beer for mommy, so it could have been worse!  We all got a little more sleep last night at least!  Today seems a little better so far!

So even though I am a little more rested I still was having a hard time deciding what to wear today - so I decided to let Pinterest dress me again!  I have a bunch of outfit ideas pinned right now that I can very easily put together and it so helps me some mornings when I'm in a fog!

It would be nice if I could start wearing items I've pinned that are more spring like, but since winter is holding on here, I chose a "winter to spring" type look with my mint jeans, boots and a scarf.  It would be very easy to do this look again later in spring by removing the scarf like the gal above did in one picture and maybe even wearing flats instead of boots!

Sweater - Decree, JcPenney, thrifted

Tank top - Liz Lange nursing top, from friend

Jeans - JCP, JcPenney 

Boots and scarf - Target

I always feel so fresh when I wear these jeans - I suppose part of that is because they are mint and mint equals freshness!  I just love that I can cheat and wear jeans to work as long as they are colored!  I should get a few other pairs in various colors - the only other pair I have is red.

So anyway, today just feels better overall so it seemed like a good day to wear a "fresh" look for a "fresh" new day.  Hope you are all having a wonderful Tuesday as well!

More minty freshness

Hmm, I'm sensing a theme here already this week - totally unintentional!  Second outfit with mint/teal tones in it though!  Honestly I just blame mommy brain on not realizing I am wearing similar things!  I don't know that I have enough of this color in my closet to go the entire week though, but then again, you never know!

I think I'm going to celebrate the fact that it's going to be not subzero and in fact up into the 20's to near 30 tomorrow by wearing a skirt.  Wild and crazy gal right here!

Sweater - Mossimo, Target via swap

Blouse - Decree, JCPenney

Pants - Old Navy

Boots - Merona, Target

Bag - Shiraleah via Zulily 

The weather people here are starting to make noises like the never ending winter may actually be subsiding a bit - and that we might actually have a normal spring - I don't know if I even remember what normal is anymore when it comes to the weather around here!  I'll just be happy to have it be nice enough that I don't have to pile 20 blankets on my child when we leave the house each day!

Inspiration Monday - Fly by

Happy Monday everyone!  Did it feel like the weekend flew by to anyone else?  Seriously, it just went by too fast for my liking.  Not a lot of down time either, but I wouldn't say it was a bad weekend.  More on that in a moment, first up, we have Jessica Alba here for Inspiration Monday.

I was actually borderline on participating this week, then at the last minute pulled together an outfit I kind of like.  I don't have any light colored blazers yet, but I thought this denim one might work decently with my cream blouse.

Blazer - American Eagle, thrifted

Blouse - Decree, JCPenney

Pants - Star City, Herbergers

Necklace - S&D

Shoes - Mossimo, thrifted 

Back to the weekend - it was full of errand running, catching up with family and celebrating my mom's birthday.  I also did the closet purge - I now have five bags to add to my garage sale (sorry no pictures Secret Squirrel, got way too caught up in rearranging).  I also kind of did the transition to spring/summer items in my closet and packed away a ton of heavier winter clothing.  Because even though it is still not terribly spring like here in MN, I'm an optimist.

I even managed to grab one more item off my wish list when shopping for a last minute gift for my mom - found the black striped skirt I've been coveting! It was very inexpensive so I was excited about that.  I hope it's warm enough to style it very soon!

That is pretty much the news from here!  For more Inspiration Monday looks, visit two birds over here.

Inspiration Monday - The ides of March

Hola peeps!  It's Monday again.  And it's snowing again here in good old Minne-snow-ta.  I'm so thankful for my short commute on days like today!

Perking up a snowy Monday just a little bit is Inspiration Monday - today's pick is Kate Hudson in a flowy shirt and wide leg jeans.

I decided to try to make the look work for work, so I chose denim colored dress pants instead of jeans.  Definitely not sunny today though, so no sunglasses for me!

There's a second picture of Kate showing her wearing the jacket she's carrying in the one above, so I added a jacket to my outfit too.  I like the look and it's definitely keeping me warmer than I would be without it!

Shirts - Decree, JCPenney

Jacket - Bill Blass, thrifted

Pants - Express, thrifted

Necklace - S&D

Did you all have a good St. Patrick's Day weekend?  We definitely Irished it up yesterday - perhaps a little too much.  We were already pretty wiped by 5:00 yesterday evening and ended up going to bed by 9 - guess that's what happens when you start your day at 10:00 am with Irish coffee!  Or maybe we're just getting old.  Either way, it was a good day while it lasted!

For more Inspiration Monday outfits visit two birds over here.

Just can't get enough

Well I told you guys I'd try and get as much mileage out of this dress as I could before the winter was over!  And while it sounds like we can expect at least another month worth of winter here in MN, I still wanted to pull it out again before it got too late!  I just love it so much and I still have other ideas for it!

Sweaterdress - vintage, Salvaged Strawberry

Blouse - Decree, JCPenney

Necklace - S&D

Shoes - DSW 

Also as an FYI, Salvaged Strawberry is running a huge 40% off sale in her Etsy shop.  If you love vintage as much as I do, you should really check it out.  If I wasn't on a shopping ban I'd totally be buying this sweater. Sigh, just a few more weeks!

Even though it's still winter, it is finally getting lighter in the mornings so outdoor pictures are getting easier again!  It was plenty cold though this morning, as I'm sure you can see by my poses here!  I'm not freezing at all, nope.

It's also staying lighter later into the day as well which I just love.  It's making me less in hibernation mode to have it be sunny when I'm leaving work as opposed to it already being dark out!

The simple things

Pretty simple outfit today.  But sometimes the simple things make you the most happy!  I'm pretty sure I've worn some variation of this outfit before, but you know what it's cold and I'm running out of creative ideas to stay warm!  I had a much more fun outfit in mind for today, but it will have to wait until the mercury is above zero again.  

Sweater - Decree, JCPenney

Thermal shirt - Eddie Bauer

Pants - Alfani, Macy's (old)

Shoes - Mossimo, thrifted

Necklace - S&D 

Speaking of simple things that make you happy, you know what other simple thing is making me happy?  Today is my Friday!  I am still a little ahead in my time off bank and my boss is getting ready to go on a rather long vacation, which means no time off for me, so she encouraged me to take a Friday or two before she goes.  I will happily do so!  I'm planning to finally get over to Clothes Mentor and hopefully sell some stuff in the morning, maybe do a little thrifting in the afternoon and then in the evening the Pants Monkey and myself are making our annual trek to Winterfest - a winter beer festival here in MN.  It will be a fun day.  Actually, it should be a fun weekend, we have nothing planned for Saturday so are hoping to catch a movie and then Sunday we'll go watch the Super Bowl with my in-laws.  Fun times ahead, but have to get through work today first.

As I think about shopping tomorrow, another simple thing making me happy is I'm proud to say I spent no money on myself for clothes the entire month of January.  I have no idea how that happened honestly.  I suppose getting the bag of goodies from my cousin helped with that.  Add to that the fact that I was down for a bit with a headcold and then just hibernating from the cold outside and somehow I was on a shopping ban without even knowing it!  That will change tomorrow though!

I am kind of laughing at myself in this last picture - it looks like my left arm is disappearing - I had sort of tucked it behind the door, not on purpose.  Oops!  Oh well.

What simple things are making you happy today?

Blue hues

 I knew as soon as I saw this sweater in the bag of goodies from my cousin that I'd be wearing it with my favorite blue striped Anthro pants at some point.  Today seemed like a perfect day to do so!  It's rather gross outside today, we got more freezing rain overnight.  I know we've been in a drought and we need the moisture, but I can't stand freezing rain!  I would prefer snow.

Sweater - Christopher and Banks (from cousin)

T-shirt - Decree, JCPenney

Pants - Anthropologie, thrifted

Necklace - swap with CC

Boots - Mossimo, Target 

The only good part of this rainy weather is that it is a little warmer outside so at least I didn't need to wear my heavy parka.  That is what is known as optimism here in MN!

Fancy layers

Today I have on the last of my Christmas gift goodies.  And a skirt!  Because the mercury is going above freezing and I'm taking a queue from Secret Squirrel and banning pants.  I have been wearing so many pants lately and I have many wonderful pairs, but I also have fun skirts and dresses for winter, they need to see some light!

 Sweater - Merona, Target

Blouse - Decree, JCPenney

Tights - Target

Skirt - Old Navy

Boots - Target (old)

I had intentions of also showing you the coat I bought after Christmas on my thrifting adventure, but I was super short on time this morning.  You may have seen it in my Instagram feed at the right - I'm standing/hugging a monkey statue.  I wore it the day I went to the zoo and was joking about wanting to hug the real monkeys but that the zoo is mean and won't let you do that.  So then my Pants Monkey said "if you go hug that statue I'll take your picture."  And I couldn't resist the opportunity.  I love how the picture turned out....except I committed a bit of a fashion sin - I had been walking around the whole day with the tag still attached to my coat!  Classy.  I took it off immediately upon that discovery.

I get to take some field trips out of my office this week, which was a big motivator for choosing the boots today, I think this outfit would look cute with heels too.  But, I have to go count Document Destruction bins in our clinic sites, so I needed something more sturdy.  Don't you wish you had my job?  So glamorous!

Sad Elf

Oh you guys.  It is so not my day.  First of all, this wasn't my intended outfit for the day.  You ever visualize an outfit in your head much better than when you go to put it on?  Oh yeah, that happened.  I had on an entirely different look this morning and realized with about five minutes to spare that it was so NOT going to work, so I threw this together rather hastily.  First world problems, whomp whomp.  This isn't even the thing that is really getting me down though.

I had bought the Pants Monkey an amazing Christmas gift before Thanksgiving even.  It was a Living Social event, which we have done several of before, where we'd get to go on a trolley tour of several area breweries, finishing up with dinner at Pizza Luce.  It appeared to be a pretty popular deal as I saw it sold out very quickly.  But I guess shame on me, I should have been prepared that sometimes things don't work out, because yesterday I got an email from Living Social stating "we regret to inform you that this event has to be cancelled.  You will be refunded your entire amount."  Um, crap!!!

Floral shirt - Decree, JCPenney

Sweater - Aeropostale (old)

Jeans - Maurices

Necklace and shoes - thrifted

Earrings - swap with CC 

So now with 11 days until Christmas, I suddenly have more shopping to do.  I do have an idea for a partial replacement, so that's a good thing I guess, but I'm still really depressed that this happened.  This is my one time of year to really spoil my Pants Monkey.  He works hard at a job he really doesn't love, he participates in our music group even though it isn't always his favorite thing to do, he cooks us so many yummy meals during the year and he is the best husband ever so he deserves the best gift.  So, I'm not just a sad panda, I'm a sad elf. And it's going to be crappy weather this weekend now, so shopping isn't going to be easy.  But it will happen.  I will prevail!

Then as soon as I got to work this morning, I spilled my coffee.  So the pictures today aren't my best effort, but you do what you can when the universe is telling you to go back to bed!

I hope you all have a great weekend and I promise, come Monday I'll be a much happier Bethie!!

Thanksgiving week...or Easter??

This is such an odd week.  Not only is the schedule all goofy for work and what not, but the weather outside is just not right for this time of the year.  I'm not complaining, but it's very strange that I may not even need a jacket when I go to Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday!

This morning it was a little cooler out, so I decided to wear pants instead of a skirt today.  And this is a combo I meant to try out last winter and never did, so today was a good excuse to do so.

Floral shirt - Decree, JCPenney

T-shirt - Old Navy

Pants - Squeeze (handed down from Megan Bird)

Necklace - Bead for Life

Shoes - Mudd 

Hopefully it doesn't make me look too much like an Easter egg!  With this weather I guess I could just use that as my excuse - you mean it's not the week before Easter?  It's warm enough!

I think the warm weather will be a good thing on Thanksgiving day though - I can go for a walk after dinner to walk off all the food!!  I think it will be much needed, our family has a private Facebook group and I saw the menu of what all will be at our dinner and holy cow, no one is going hungry!!

Inspiration Monday - A refreshing debate

Well hello friends!  Welcome to Monday!  And of course, it's Inspiration Monday too.  I was so excited to see this cozy looking get up from Lauren Conrad here.

It made the perfect cozy outfit for a chilly day at work on Friday.  Yes I wore leggings to work.  It was Friday, I have no shame.  I was pretty much holed up in my office all alone the entire day, didn't have to go into the clinics at all, so it worked.  I can pretty much guarantee this or something similar will be my outfit for work on the day after Thanksgiving too (yep, I get to work the day after Thanksgiving.  Story for another day.)  I used a tip from Heather over at H&K Style Journey for my scarf - I pinned the ends together with a safety pin and then wrapped it around my neck.  It really made it more comfortable - no annoying knot at the back.  So, thanks Heather!

Sweater - Decree, JCPenney

Leggings - Steve Madden, DSW

Boots - Payless

Scarf - Target 

So who else is excited for the election to be over tomorrow?  I swear, I don't watch much regular TV, we do a lot of Hulu and DVR, so we don't see many commercials.  But I do watch TV while I work out in the morning so I can watch the morning news.  I usually hit two commercial breaks during that work out and the entire four minutes of commercials are horrible attack ads, some for people in districts that are not even mine.  And they are UGLY.  I'm so sick of it.

One refreshing thing happened on Friday though.  I don't typically get super political on my blogs or Facebook, but there is an issue we're voting on here in MN that I am passionate about, so I finally posted something that reflected my support and feelings on said issue on Facebook.  After posting, I had a friend who lives out of state comment that he disagreed with my stance, but he did so respectfully and also said he hoped we could still be friends and I didn't think less of him.  I then responded with the same care and respect that he had used and said that I did not think less of him if he didn't think less of me and we could agree to disagree.  Because we have a love of Muppets in common he then responded saying that it's just like Grover said once on Sesame Street, "we may not always like the same things, but I still like you".  And he told me he understood my stance and that he thought I was a good person.  Right after that, another friend of mine commented and said "Wow, did I just see two people with differing opinions do so in a respectful, understanding matter?  Holy hell, there is hope for the world, this was refreshing to see!"  And it he was right, it did feel refreshing and in a way, somewhat hopeful too.  I wish more people could debate with less malice.

But as I said, thankfully the election is over tomorrow.  I cannot wait to go vote, I plan to do so first thing tomorrow morning.  And I hope that there will be peace after the fact no matter the outcomes.

As always, for more Inspiration Monday outfits, head on over to two birds.

First world problems

I feel like I have no right to whine given all that's going on over on the East Coast, but I'm going to whine just a little bit anyway.  So I am just going to put that disclaimer out there and apologize now for a very trivial post.

Remember that ModCloth surprise I mentioned I broke part of my shopping ban for?  Well I was super excited towards the end of the day yesterday when I checked tracking status and saw it was out for delivery.  That meant it should be waiting for me when I got home.  And it was!  Cute perfect little box holding a fun surprise.  I opened it right away when I got inside my house and was thrilled to discover a gorgeous looking party dress.  It was not a style I would have picked out for myself normally, but I figured, hey this is part of the fun.  I immediately Instagramed (is that a word?) and Tweeted a picture of it, which you can see in my Instagram feed at the right of the blog here.  I probably should have waited to do so, because then I went to actually put it on.

I couldn't even pull it past my hips.  This curvy girl is just a bit too curvy for the dress.  Sad Bethie.  I had ordered a size based on the sizes that fit me of several other items I have previously purchased from ModCloth, so I just assumed I'd be fine with whatever they sent.  I guess I was wrong.  It's not ModCloth's fault.  And I am not saying I'd never do one of these surprises again, I think I'd order up a size next time and make necessary alterations if it ended up too big.  Lesson learned.

So, one of my good friends who is close to the same size as me but a little differently shaped is going to give it a try next and if it doesn't work for her I just might be sending it off to one of you.  I want someone to enjoy this dress, darn it!

To soften the blow and cheer myself up today I decided to wear my favorite thrifted Anthropologie pants.  They make everything better.  Thanks for reading my petty little rant!  Continued good thoughts to all my friends out East - I hope you are all doing OK today!

Shirt - Decree, JCPenney

Sweater - Old Navy

Pants - Anthropologie, thrifted

Shoes and necklace - thrifted

Earrings - via swap with CC

Fun facts on Friday

Well here is Friday again!  And there was great rejoicing throughout the land!  It felt like a long week and yet, it also went by kind of quickly.  At any rate, the weekend is now upon us and I could not be more happy!  It was a chilly one this morning so long sleeves and pants seemed the best choice to me! 

My brain is pretty fried today, so I thought I'd do something a little different for today's post.  I'll call it Fun Facts Friday and share some random stuff about me.  Because you like to learn more about me right?  Just smile and nod your head and humor me.

Fact - I love reading recipes and watching cooking shows but I really don't like to cook.
Fact - I actually enjoy vacuuming.  It's my favorite chore.  And it gives you a little workout!
Fact - I have a walking/workout DVD that I have used so many times I have worn out the sound.  The picture works but there is no sound.
Fact - I have only been out of the country twice - to Canada and to the Bahamas.
Fact - I have seen the Atlantic Ocean but not the Pacific and I want to change that.
Fact - The best live concert I have ever been to was Josh Groban last summer and I'm not embarrassed to admit I am a Grobanite.
Fact - I have a little desk gnome at work that my sister-in-law gave me named Olaf.

Told you they'd be random!  I hope you all have wonderful weekends!  Based on the above pictures, I think I have some leaf raking in my weekend plans!

Shirt - Decree, JCPenney

Pants - Mossimo, Target

Shoes - Steve Madden, thrifted

Necklace - S&D

Earrings - thrifted

Farewell Summer, Hello Autumn

Well if this outfit doesn't scream "I'm ready for Fall", nothing else ever will!  I bought this dress from the ModCloth sale and picked it out because even though it is a sundress, I felt the colors were perfect for Fall.  Add a sweater and we're good to go.  Another awesome thing about this dress?  It has a built in bra.  Oh how I love that!

Picture taking continues to be a bit of a challenge these days.  It may be time to take it inside.  We'll see.  But anyway, hard to believe it's the first week of September.  Labor Day is over.  Kids are back in school.  The days are already getting shorter.  There are even some leaves on the ground here already!  I love it all - Fall is my favorite season - but there is a melancholy type feeling about this time of year too.  Especially after a great summer, it's a little sad to see it go.  While getting ready for work yesterday morning, the Pants Monkey even said "I feel a little down today and I don't know why."  I said I was sure it was the end of summer letdown.

Fortunately, we have many fun things to look forward to coming up still, so I don't think we'll be mourning summer's passing for long.  How about all of you - are you sad summer is over or are you ready to embrace Autumn?

Outfit rundown:

Sweater - Decree, JCPenney

Dress - ModCloth

Sandals - Italian Shoe Company, DSW

Necklace and bracelets - S&D

Inspiration Monday - Going on a picnic, leaving right away

I'm here! I might be a little later to the party today, but I'm not missing Inspiration Monday just because it is a work holiday! The birds picked a lovely choice for me to duplicate for a day off of work actually, so I I'm excited about this one!  Here is gorgeous Halle Berry.

And here is laid back comfy Bethie!  I love that I'm getting a little more use out of this peasant blouse, I thought maybe I wouldn't use it much once winter was over, but it's such thin, lightweight material it seemed a perfect choice for today.  We're heading to a picnic at the Pants Monkey's grandmother's house, so if I sit in the sun, I won't worry as much about burning my pale little shoulders!

You know what else is the best about work holidays?  Not drying or doing much to my hair.  Oh how I love that!  And the other best thing?  The Pants Monkey is home to take my pictures, so I can use my iPhone again.  LOVE that.  Love it. 

Speaking of the Pants Monkey, thanks to all for the anniversary well wishes yesterday!  You are all so sweet and kind!  I will have an outfit post from our dinner out yesterday for you all tomorrow!  In the meantime, I'm heading off to enjoy the rest of my holiday, likely with a beer in hand at the picnic!  Don't forget to check out two birds right here for more Inspiration Monday outfits!

Outfit rundown:

Shirt - Decree, JCPenny

Tank - Mossimo, Target

Shorts - Old Navy

Sandals - Mootsie Tootsie

Necklace - Butterfly Boutique

Floral Fun

Today I am wearing one of my finds from the Band of Thrifters sale this past weekend. This dress is my new favorite thing EVER.  It's the perfect spring colors, it's nice and lightweight, I am in love.  It is going to be a frequent flyer this summer, you just watch!

I didn't even add a necklace today, which is rare for me, but I feel like this outfit has enough going on that it doesn't need it.  Flirty and fun, you can't beat it!

I went on a thrift date with Erin last night and found a few more fun summer things for just over $20.  We found vintage there and I found a vintage shirt and skirt that I am super excited about.  You'll see those items soon.  I had no idea that this particular thrift store had vintage until Erin told me about it, so now that I know, I'll be checking in there a little more often.  

I am sharing a kitty picture today for Megan Mae - she likes my kitty pictures and I thought she could use some cheering up, so here are my lazy girls from this morning.  Pippin's out for the count, Taylor's not so sure quite yet.  Neither of them really cared all that much that I was leaving.  "Bye mom, we're sleeping."

I had two questions yesterday that I thought I'd answer real quick.  For those who are curious about how I did my blog header, I found a really helpful guide on another blog - link is here.  I used Picasa to create it as this guide suggested and it worked pretty well.  I did find that I had to chose "shrink to fit" when I uploaded to Blogger, but then it worked just fine.

Then as far as the Target shoes go, I was clued into the fact that there are often apparel and accessories coupons on Target.com by fellow MN blogger Heidi - she always is on top of the good deals and had posted last week that there was a buy one, get one 50% off coupon on shoes on Target.com, so I printed that bad boy off right away!  I was lucky too in that both pairs of sandals I chose were already on sale and the coupon made them even cheaper.  So, moral of the story, check out Target.com from time to time for deals like that!

Outfit rundown:

Dress - vintage, Band of Thrifters

Sweater - Decree, JCPenney

Sandals - Marshalls

Bracelet - Stella and Dot

Earrings - Charming Charlie

Inspiration Monday - Relaxed

And just like that my little three day weekend is over.  I really want to go back and do it all again, cause it was a good one.  My "Me Party" on Friday was delightful and the rest of the weekend was good too.  But first things first, it's Inspiration Monday.  Today's pick is Gwyneth Paltrow.  Her favorite role of mine to date may actually be Holly Holiday on Glee.  I know, lame right?

This isn't my favorite Inspiration Monday outfit but I did my best.  And I chose a horrible spot for pictures this morning so the sun kind of washed out the look in this first one.  I also skipped boots in favor of the new sandals I picked up on my day off!

So speaking of my day off, it really was nice.  I got an hour massage in the morning, then hit up Target and used a buy one get one half off coupon for shoes - two new pairs of sandals, heck yeah!  Headed home and did a self mani/pedi, listened to some favorite tunes and totally vegged.  So wonderful.  I also designed the new blog header you now see above.  Thank you Picasa.  What do you think?

Saturday we had our golf lesson, then I headed over to the Band of Thrifters sale, picked up a few new goodies and met the lovely Amanda.  Then I visited a friend stationed at a glass studio for this art festival that was going on in Northeast Minneapolis this weekend.  After that the Pants Monkey and I grilled fantastic burgers for dinner and watched movies.  Sunday it rained, so I was pretty much just lazy all day and that was nice too!  I think all weekends should be three days long.  I look forward to another one next weekend since it will be Memorial Day on Monday here in the US.

Here is a little more detailed shot of one of my new sandals.  They are a great color, kind of a pewter tone that is going to go with everything.  I like that they are a wedge shape too, I have so many flats and flip flops, but every now and then this short girl needs a little height boost!  The other pair I got is super colorful.  I can't wait to share them and the items I bought at the Band of Thrifters sale too!  

Mr. Monkey gets his own Me Party on Friday, so he'll have an extra long weekend.  I am a little jealous, but he deserves a day like that too.  We have our anniversary next weekend too, so it will be another good one I think!

As always, please visit the two birds blog over here for more Inspiration Monday outfits or to play along with us, it is always a ton of fun!

Outfit rundown:

Shirt - Decree, JCPenney

Skirt - DKNY, thrifted

Sandals - Merona, Target

Necklace - Butterfly Boutique