Soak Up the Summer Instagram challenge

Hey everyone!  I'm back after a little three day weekend.  I can't wait to share more about the All Pints North beer festival, I'll be posting more about that tomorrow.  Today I am excited to announce a super fun Instagram challenge for August that I am co-hosting with the lovely Shea of Shea Lennon! Shea had been talking about wanting to do a collaboration with someone and I said I'd be interested. We chatted and decided an Instagram challenge would be lots of fun.  For the month of August we're going to celebrate summer with our Soak Up the Summer Challenge!

We'd love to have any and everyone play along!  We'll be using the hashtag #SoakUpSummer. Follow along with us, I'm still @bethietheboo for now, that's changing soon but I'll be sure to let everyone know!  Shea is on Instagram at @shealennon.  We both enjoy style challenges a great deal and we're so excited to be hosting our own!  

In July I followed the #JulyPinnedItSpinnedIt challenge and a couple of others including #WearWhatWhere and #JulyBeStyled.  I made a collage of a few of my favorite looks below.

Lots and lots of color this month, that's for sure!  I really love using these Instagram challenges to help re-mix my wardrobe and to share outfits of the day.  In addition to my own challenge in August I'll be following along with a Jewelry Instagram challenge too, I'm quite excited about that, I need to be better about using more of my jewelry - I tend to do a lot of repeats lately!

August will be a pretty fun month I think! Stay tuned and I hope to see some posts from some of you on the Soak Up the Summer Instagram challenge!

June Favorite Looks

If you follow me on Instagram (and if you aren't you should! @BethieTheBoo) you may have noticed that I have done a couple of style challenges this month.  I love following along with these, especially ones that are a little more general, because they help provide me inspiration to help with mixing my closet a little better.  One of the challenges I did was a Dress Week Challenge and the other was a cute one that was themed after Rolling Stones songs - Rad Moves Like Jagger.  I thought I'd share some of my favorites from the month today.

 Dress - Target, Sweater - Camy Couture

Sandals - Target, Necklace - Stella and Dot

 Shirt - Stitch Fix, Pants - Mossimo (Target)

Bag - Stitch Fix, Sandals - Marshalls, Necklace - Lia Sophia

 Shirt and bag - Stitch Fix, Skirt - Gap (thrifted), Necklace - Stella and Dot

Sandals - Target, Bracelet - Nine West (gift from MN Blogger Bash)

Dress and bag - Stitch Fix, Necklace - Stella and Dot, Sandals - Target
Lots of color this month, lots of skirts and dresses, and you can see I am pretty much still in love with this Urban Expressions bag from my April Stitch Fix.  I carry a different bag for a few days here or there and I keep coming back to this one!  I haven't had a crush this hard core on one of my clothing items in quite some time!  Which look is your favorite?

August Goodies

Hello!  Happy Friday and Happy August!  This summer is just flying on by isn't it?  I'm trying to slow down and enjoy every moment!  It's been so much fun so far!

Last month I had so much fun with my Instagram challenges that I decided to take on a couple of more for August.  I didn't hit every day last month and I don't necessarily plan to this month either, but it definitely has helped me on days that I struggle with what to wear and has made my "No Shop Summer" so much easier!

First up, I'm joining back up with Hilary Rushford and Dean Street Society for Style Me August.  I love her style prompts - they are pretty simple and pretty broad so it's easy to interpret.  Starting this month if you register with her on her website, she'll also email you a weekly inspiration list with style ideas for that week's prompts.  I think that will be super helpful as I continue to work on remixing my closet!

The second style challenge I'm taking on this month is with my fellow Thrift Style Thursday gals - aided by Zhenya of Being Zhenya, we are taking on an entire Thrift Style August!  Again, the prompts for each day are pretty simple and broad - like today for example is Summer Love.  Easy peasy!

So anyway, I think these will both be fun challenges and I think they'll even mesh up with each other from time to time which is awesome!  Once again, feel free to follow along with me on Instagram - BethieTheBoo. Let me know if you're playing along too!

And in other news, today begins a week that is celebrating something you all know is near to my heart - it's World Breastfeeding Week.  I am still a firm believer that however you choose to feed your baby is the best way - I have nothing against formula at all, you're feeding your baby, that is what is important.  But, as someone who has been able to successfully nurse for almost 8 months and counting, I am very passionate about breastfeeding and raising awareness of breastfeeding - and also raising awareness of it being a normal, natural thing and not something that should be having to be hidden or considered taboo.  A friend tagged me to this adorable graphic yesterday on Facebook and I had to share it because it just made me smile.

I just wanted to send love and encouragement to all nursing mamas out there - it isn't always easy, but it is so totally worth it.  I actually dread the day that we wean and I try hard not to think about it right now! If you know a nursing mama, make sure to give her some love and encouragement this week!

And that's it for today!  I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!  In case I haven't said it lately, thanks for stopping by and sharing a little bit in my world!

Challenge accepted

So it's a new month and with this whole shop my closet/no shop summer thing, I'm finding a lack of inspiration, even if I'm not necessarily blogging my outfits daily.  And I know I complained the last time I joined up with a style challenge that I also felt very limited by the pressures of doing something every day, but I am going to just not put that pressure on myself this time.  Yes, I have found not just one, but TWO style challenges on Instagram I am going to attempt to participate in and also a daily photo challenge. They all just sounded so fun that I had only one thing to say:

The first one is Style Me July with the IG user @hilaryrushford from www.deanstreetsociety.com.  The prompts for this one seem pretty simple, I think it will be pretty easy to keep up with.

The next one is Jumpin' July Style with IG user @curvygirlontherun from the blog Curvy Girl on The Run.  The prompts on this one also sound fun and fairly easy to do.  

If I can do both at once I will, if I can do one or the other I will and if I can't do either, that's ok too!  I just hope it will help me as I continue to shop my own closet as much as possible!

The third challenge is the WildInCahoots Instaparty with the girls from the Wild Ruffle blog and Cari Dugan Photography.  It's very simple - share a photo a day based on the prompt.  At the end, they are choosing someone to win a Visa giftcard!  You can't beat that!

I'm excited to participate in all three of these!  You can follow along on my Instagram - link below and at the right, my username is @BethieTheBoo.  It does seem Instagram is becoming the new Blog - so I'm looking forward to utilizing it more and more. Of course I'll still be blogging here too though!  So, hang on to your hats, here we go!

Not so gray

Well happy Friday one and all!  Today marks the end of the Fall Color challenge with a color I have way too much of in my closet - gray. I'm sharing an outfit from last weekend that actually has more color than just gray because it was way too fun so I just had to share it.  It features a recent thrift store find that I could not resist when I saw it.

Scotty dogs on a sweater!!  How can you not love that??  The tiny sparkle in the picture above toward the bottom of the sweater?  It's a charm on the dog's collar!  I pulled this on with my new gray leggings and then decided I needed to cover my booty a bit more so I added a little skirt before going out to breakfast and a movie with the Pants Monkey.  Sorry the photo quality is so poor, I should never pose near that lamp, but I was short on time and didn't have my tripod at home, so I did what I could while I waited for Mr. Monkey to get ready.

Pink shirt - F21

Sweater - thrifted

Skirt - thrifted

Leggings and boots - Target

Necklace - Maurices

 I could have gone all monotone grays for today, but a little pink mixed in never hurt anybody!  Thanks to Megan Mae and Keely for hosting the challenge this week!  Check out Keely's blog next week for a wrap up of all the bloggers and their favorite outfits!

And happy weekend to you all!

Colonel Mustard in the Office with a week old outfit

Did you see what I did there with my title?  I attempted to play off of the board game "Clue" a little bit.  Anyway, if you haven't guessed, today's color for the Fall Color Challenge is mustard.  And I was silly and wore my most prominent mustard colored item of clothing a week (well a week and some change) ago on Election Day - see the "I voted" sticker?  But I knew I'd want to have a Thursday outfit planned ahead anyway, so I just saved this one for this week!  Sneaky huh?

Sweater - St. John's Bay, JCPenney

Denim shirt - Talbots, thrifted

Pants - No Boundaries, thrifted

Shoes - Mossimo, Target, thrifted

Necklace - S&D 

Speaking of sneaky, "Clue" is one of my all time favorite board games.  I used to play it with my mom and well, when there's two people, it's pretty easy to figure out "whodunnit" pretty easily.  I didn't have siblings though and my dad was often working on things in the garage or around the house when we'd play games.

In my adult years, my in-laws and I have discovered that it is really fun playing family board games like "Clue" or "Life" when alcohol is involved.  And loud.  Very loud.  But mostly fun.

What is your favorite board game, either now or from childhood?

Bad days and fresh starts

If you have been following my blog awhile, you know I fell in love with orange tones earlier this year, so today's Fall Color Challenge choice of pumpkin had me very excited!  Again, I don't know that what I picked is super "pumpkin" like, this is a richer toned orange hue, but hopefully it's close enough!  I think it definitely screams "FALL"!

Yesterday was one of those trying kind of days.  I won't go into detail, but let's just say it's emotionally draining to have a disagreement with someone you love.  So I was a bump on the couch when Mr. Monkey got home last night, already in my PJ's in fact.  He was aware of my bad day and comes in the door, looks at me and says "you're not wearing enough clothes."  I'm like "for what?"  He said "well we can't go get you that burger you've been craving if you're wearing that."  So I put something more than pajamas on and he took me down to our favorite dive bar/grill, ordered us a half pitcher of beer while we waited for our burgers to cook and then we brought them home with us where we drank another beer and watched some TV.  It was just what I needed yesterday night.  I love that he just knows the right thing to do, no questions asked.  Yes I'm sappy and yes I'm bragging, but I'm just saying, the Pants Monkey rules.

Thermal shirt - Mossimo, Target

Sweater - Zashi, handed down from cousin

Skirt - East 5th Avenue, JCPenney

Shoes - DSW

Purse - Vintage Coach, via Rewind

Tights - Target

Necklaces - Stella and Dot, Charming Charlie

Headband - C. Jane Create

Today I'm embracing the sunny day outside and moving on.  It's a new day and a fresh start!  I'm focusing on the positive and the good things.  It's a fitting way to be with Thanksgiving just over a week away (holy cow!).  As Willy Wonka says "good, then, on we go!"

Wine a little, you'll feel better

The color for today for the Fall Color Challenge is wine.  I kind of cheated a little bit on this one, I think the true wine color I'm wearing is my long sleeved t-shirt, but I had this outfit in mind for this day all last week as I was thinking about it.  This sweater is another one of my Goodwill finds.  So between my pink, purple and wine colors, I'm just varying shades of wine.  I'm Merlot and White Zinfandel and Pink Moscato all rolled into one.

Long sleeve shirt - Mossimo, Target

Sweater - thrifted Target stock

Skirt - two birds vintage via b. (a resale shop)

Boots - Target, old

Necklace - S&D 

It's no secret that the Pants Monkey and I are beer people, but we do love a good bottle of wine too.  Especially in the fall and winter months.  I love wine with a good steak.  I love wine with Italian food, especially a good Chianti, yum!  Lately one of our favorite meals has been to take some good cheeses, some crackers, and a little meat or bread and then having a good sharp Chardonnay.  I never used to like Chardonnay but have found lately I like a drier wine.
 

Speaking of good wine and cheese, last week I had the chance to meet up again with lovely Maca from the Spanglish Life and we had wine and a fantastic cheese plate!  We didn't take a picture this time, we were too busy enjoying our conversation!  I was so full of cheese when we were done, but it really was delicious!  I can't wait until the next time her and I meet up!

Finally, I got a close up of my boots today because it's Everybody Everywear today and the theme is boots! I have had these boots a million years.  They're a bit beat up and loved, but I think it adds to their charm.  They are crazy comfortable and they keep me plenty warm on these cold days!  And every girl needs a good pair of tall brown boots right?

Two for one

Happy Monday friends!  I'm going to do my best to combine two challenges in one post today, instead of separating into two outfit posts.  So, this is a picture heavy post, I'll try to keep it less wordy.

First up, two birds' Inspiration Monday.  We have Elizabeth Hurley today.  Has she been in anything recently?  I am embarrassed to admit I don't think I've seen her in anything since the original Austin Powers!

Anyway, her chic travel look here made for a great casual Friday outfit for me this past Friday.  I did not choose to wear a scarf and chose boots instead of heels, otherwise I think I nailed her look pretty well.

 Blazer - Bill Blass, thrifted

T-shirt - Express, thrifted

Jeans - LOFT, thrifted

Boots - Target

Necklace - S&D

Bag - Coach, consignment

It was somewhat warm on Friday, so I barely needed a jacket since I had on the blazer.  I had high hopes that maybe Mr. Monkey and I would hit up a taproom or something in the evening, but then he ended up having to work late, so this outfit was abandoned on Friday night in favor of p.j's fairly early on!  Anyway, be sure to head over to two birds for more Inspiration Monday outfits.

Now onto the Fall Color Challenge day one!  Today's color is teal.  I used to have more teal in my closet and it's a color I've always loved on me - but I ended up getting rid of a bunch of stuff I had in the last couple of years because they had worn out or didn't fit anymore.  So when I saw teal on the list I panicked a little and then did what any good fashion blogger does - ignored my shopping ban and went to the Goodwill!  I found this Target Stock sweater and my problem was solved!

I added my fun necklace from CC and then also discovered that my current cell phone cover is a shade of teal as well - so I threw that in for fun too!

 Sweater - thrifted Target stock

T-shirt - Decree, JCPenney

Necklace - via swap with CC

Pants - Tangents, Maurices

Shoes - Xhiliaration, Target

I'm so happy to have teal back in my closet again!  I'll have to find some more, because it really is a color I love!  Head on over to Megan Mae's blog to find the master list of participants in the Fall Color Challenge - it's always a great way to find new blogs, I have always had a great time with these challenges!  At the end of the challenge, watch Keely's blog for a wrap up!

Phew.  Told you it would be a long, full post!  If you made it this far - thank you!  And if you're new to my blog, welcome!  I hope you will stay awhile!