Sugar high

Well I'm a little bummed.  I failed my one hour glucose test yesterday.  I was actually rather surprised by this.  My number wasn't extremely high, but anything over a certain point is suspect and the test is basically pass/fail.  There is no room for "it's not that bad."

So I get to go back tomorrow and do the lovely 3 hour test and hope that I pass that one.  To be on the safe side, I'm doing a sugar detox today.  Yeah maybe that's cheating the day before my final exam, but I don't care.  I'll do whatever I can to ensure I can still enjoy some of my favorite fall goodies before the baby comes!  I'm sort of joking though - if it turns out I need to do a special diet, I'll do what I have to.  I'm just going to hope it doesn't come to that for now!

Dress - Motherhood, thrifted

Sweater - "A" brand, Herbergers

Shoes - DSW

Necklace - S&D 

In other news, I'm loving this dress I bought on thrift store day.  I wasn't going to buy anymore summer clothes, but this dress, while it is like a sundress, I figured could easily be worn into winter with leggings and tights or boots.  So I was sold.  I also bought a very cute warmer sweater that day that matches it quite well.  It's not quite cold enough for that sweater today though, so I chose a lightweight sweater instead.  It's also raining today.  It's a good thing though, we kind of need it.  And it's almost a warm rain.  Kind of weird.

Anyway, that's my story for today.  I'm bringing my laptop to pass the time tomorrow as long as I can get onto the clinic's wi-fi, so at least I can keep up with all your blogs!  Wish me luck!

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.

Lighter

Well after such a dark colored outfit yesterday I thought I'd lighten things up a bit today.  Which is especially helpful since it was raining this morning.  We haven't had much rain at all, we're totally in a drought, but I kind of wish it wasn't raining.  We've been working on sealing and staining our deck before a big party we're having this weekend so this is not working well with my plans!  Oh well, my lawn will finally be happy!

Today I'm wearing my "changing with the light" pants.  The picture never reflects the fun colored lines in these pants.  Still, they are one of my favorite pairs and if you saw them in person I'm sure you'd see why.  They go with nearly everything.  Also thought I'd give a close up of my shoes because I don't think I did the last time I wore them.  These are my new favorites because they are plaid!

And that's about all I have today!  Super exciting I know!  I do want to point you all to Sheila's blog, she has a post up with all the party dresses from her virtual birthday party and it's a ton of fun to see.  Thank you all again for your sweet comments on my sassy little number!  It's a fun dress and for those wondering, yes, the Pants Monkey loves it!

Sweater - American Rag (thrifted)

Shirt - F21

Pants - Herbergers (very old)

Shoes - Rampage (thrifted)

Necklace - S&D

Zumba is good

Well I survived my first experience with Zumba last night!  I actually really enjoyed myself, but my friend's studio is way too far for me to go on a regular basis, so I'm going to be looking for options closer to home.  I'd like to keep doing it though, it's a great workout and I think it is the kick in the behind my exercise routine needs!

Today felt like another maxi skirt kind of day.  I picked this one up for super cheap on season end clearance at Old Navy.  I have wanted a gray striped maxi for pretty much the whole summer.  While I do like the purple on this one it wasn't exactly what I wanted but for as cheap as it was, I'll take it!  And magically the sun is at a better level for outdoor pictures in the morning again, at least it was today.  I'll take what I can get!

And this next photo just proves to me why I need Zumba.  I've seen a lot of cute pregnant gals out in blogland lately turning to the side and showing off their baby bump.  Well I have a little pooch going on here but it is not a baby bump - think I'm getting a beer belly, eek!  Yep, time to step up my workouts for sure.

I've been missing my Jenna Lou bag, so it was time to switch back to her for a bit.  I still love the versatility of this bag, it's probably my favorite one that I own.  Which if you know me and my love of purses, that is a very bold statement!  Do you have a favorite bag?  Or have you ever tried Zumba?

Outfit rundown:

T-shirt - Herbergers

Jacket - White House Black Market (thrifted)

Skirt - Old Navy

Necklace - S&D

Flats - DSW

Bag - Jenna Lou Designs

Hair clip - C. Jane Create

Housekeeping

I have some blog housekeeping type things today.  Are you just so excited?  I know, it's going to be the most riveting thing you read all day.  Anyway, first, we have my outfit.  First time wearing this skirt this year, I love it because it has shorts built in.  Most comfortable thing ever!!  I love the floral pattern.  Overall a very neutral look for me today, but I try to keep it simple when I wear this skirt because there is so much going on in the print of it.

All right, so back to bloggy housekeeping - yesterday my awesome Pants Monkey fixed my Google profile so it is a Blogger profile again and no longer Google +.  I thought I had totally gotten rid of Google + but I was wrong.  So anyway, he helped me with that and I'm so happy to be rid of Google + I can't even begin to say.  If you're someone who loves it, that's great, but it was just the devil for me.  Anyway, the only reason I bring this up is my Google profile now lists me as "Bethie the Boo" again, so as I'm commenting on your blogs you'll no longer see me as "Beth Kondrick".  So in case you're wondering, "who is this girl leaving this comment," don't worry, it's just me.  I have no problem with folks knowing my full name, I just prefer it this way!

Next up, just a friendly PSA, I noticed recently that sometimes my Blogger Reading List doesn't always show recent posts from my favorite blogs.  It does not happen all the time, but periodically I'll notice it, especially on blogs I know for a fact post every day.  I have solved this problem by double following some blogs, also using Bloglovin.  Anyway, just thought I'd spread the word, if you notice one of your favorite blogs hasn't seemed to update in awhile according to your reading list, you may want to actually go to the physical blog and see what's up.

And one more matter of bloggy housekeeping  - my first ever blog giveaway ends tomorrow at 5 pm CST.  Don't miss out on the fun goodies I included as part of "My Favorite Things".  You can enter by going to this post right here.

And all this talk of housekeeping reminds me of this movie clip - if you've never seen Tommy Boy, it's comedy gold and you should watch it.  I will warn you part of this clip gets a little on the dirty side, but it's hilarious.  I miss Chris Farley.

Phew, that's all the boring nitty gritty things for today.  I promise to be more entertaining in my next post!  Ooh and tomorrow is Friday!  Happy dance!

Outfit rundown:

T-shirt - Grane (Herbergers)

Sweater - Old Navy

Skirt - Cliche Minneapolis

Flats - DSW

Necklace - F21

Bracelet and watch - Charming Charlie

Easter part deux

We celebrated Easter again yesterday with the Pants Monkey's family.  It was a nice afternoon, we ate a ton of food and I'm pretty much good on ham now for the next little while!  I love me some ham, but yeah, I've had enough of it after two big ham dinners in a row!  

It was semi warm, humid and mostly wet yesterday, but I knew that Mr. Monkey's grandmother's house would be very warm, so I dressed appropriately.  I think I kind of look like an Easter egg with the color choices, but I don't mind.  It felt springy and happy.

I was excited on Saturday when I went to the mail and this awesome necklace that I won from Lori's giveaway had arrived.  I kind of planned my Easter outfit around it, not going to lie!

It was also another opportunity to show off my pretty green pedicure and some new sandals.  I received many compliments on the necklace.  I can't wait to wear it again!

Outfit rundown:

Sweater and cami - Arizona Jean Co, JCPenney

Jeans - Old Navy (thrifted)

Necklace - The Minty Koala (won in giveaway)

Bracelets - Stella and Dot, Bead for Life

Sandals - Italian Shoemakers via DSW

So after some wacky weather yesterday complete with severe storms, today we woke up to 30ish degrees and snow flurries.  Oh yes, there were snow flurries.  So, my outfit today is nothing special, it was chosen simply for warmth.  And I had to get creative since I packed away a lot of my winter clothing already!

I know you're all probably surprised I'm not doing two birds' Inspiration Monday - I just couldn't come up with something I liked for today's choice.  I do encourage you to head on over to their blog though and see what other ladies are doing with it today!

Fortunately this return to winter is only supposed to last through today.  Thank goodness for that.  Once you start wearing sandals it's hard to go back to shoes!

Outfit rundown:

T-shirt - Axcess by Claiborne (thrifted)

Sweater - "A" via Herbergers

Pants - Worthington, JCPenney

Necklace - Maurices

Shoes - Sonoma, Kohls

History lesson

How adorable is this sweater?  It's one of the Two Birds finds I found at b.(a resale shop).  I love it!  It reminds me of something I wore when I was like five, but I don't care, I think it's so cute.  And it got cold overnight, so a warm cuddly sweater was a necessity today!

The other thing that makes me love this sweater?  The tag says "Daytons"  Now THAT is what I call vintage.  If you're not familiar with it, because I think it was mostly a MN/midwest thing, Daytons was the first department store in Minneapolis and the first anchor at most of our indoor malls back in the 60's.  The Daytons Corporation started Target stores, as a "cheaper alternative" somewhere in the 70's I think.  Target eventually branched off on it's own and Daytons sold their stores first to Marshall Fields in the late 90's and then Marshall Fields sold off to Macy's in 2005. I think I have most of that right anyway.  It's on Wikipedia I'm sure if you're curious. History lesson over. I have so many memories of Daytons from when I was young so this is just cool to have in my closet, that's what I know for sure!

The pants I have on I know I wear a lot, but what I have yet to really capture in a picture for you is the fact that the colored lines in these pants change in the light - so they look gold, green, blue or pink depending on the light.  So they go with everything.  No joke.

I think this last picture above you can kind of see the light shimmering over the colors of the lines a bit.  I didn't have as much time this morning so I just did the best that I could anyway!  

Tomorrow is finally Friday.  Has this week seemed long to anyone else?  Man alive.

Rundown:

Sweater - Two Birds vintage Daytons

Pants - Star City via Herbergers

Shoes - Thrifted via Clothes Mentor

Necklace - Premier Jewelry

Winter winds

So man, it is cold out there today.  Old Man Winter sure does still exist here in MN.  We have been so spoiled as of late, but were gifted with snow over the holiday this weekend and it brought with it cold winds and colder temps!  I hear warmer type stuff is coming back later this week though.  

So I decided with the cold weather, a sweater was a must today.  This is one of my Christmas gifts from my parents.  It's a nice simple warm sweater but it is so awesome when you see it up close - it has flecks of different colors so it can go with more or less anything.  You have to love that.

My shoes were a POOR choice today.  The parking lot that my office shares with the city is not cleared real well.  And of course, the city is CLOSED today so I can't call and complain.  But if they were open, they'd be hearing from me because even in more practical shoes, it is slick out in that lot.

It is pretty slick in spots for driving today too, makes me almost glad that many businesses are closed so not many folks are out on the road.  Seriously.  I drive a little CRV and it's a great car for getting through heavy snow, doesn't do so well on ice though.  I have done 180s several times in this car.  Speaking of my car, I have learned I have a fair number of repairs to be made on it, so I think I may be putting myself on another little shopping ban.  We'll see how things go.  The Pants Monkey's father used to work on all of our cars, but as of Jan 1st he's retired - how dare he!  Totally kidding, I'm happy for him.  Bummed for us though - full price car repairs are going to be an adjustment!

This week I am planning on rolling out a Facebook page for the blog - so you can "like" me there if you wish!  I am just using any outlets I can to connect with folks, especially with rumors of Google Friend Connect going away - though feel free to follow me with it for now.  I hope Google changes it's mind about getting rid of it.  But anyway, fun things ahead here, so stay tuned!

Rundown:

Sweater and undershirt - Old Navy (gifts from parents for Christmas)

Pants - Herbergers

Necklace, earrings - Charming Charlie

Shoes - Mudd, Kohls

What's up with that face

Man, today is one of those days I almost thought of cropping my face out of the pictures - I honestly do not know what is up with my smile in a couple of these.  I am really not in a bad mood!  I think I must be tired today.

So here is another birthday goodie - I wanted to replace a gold sweater I used to have, so this one from JCPenney fits the bill.  It is soooooo soft and comfy!  I love it!

These pants change color in the light - the line in them can look turquoise or pink or gold - I have always most liked pairing something in the gold family with these pants, though I'm going to try experimenting more this year.

Yeah, seriously what is up with my face in this picture?  Seriously! Makes me think of a scene from the movie Father of the Bride II, when they are driving to the hospital and George is on sleeping pills with his face on the window of the car and the gang bangers are like "hey man, what's up with that face?"  Oh well.  The outfit looks good at least!  I love this necklace I got at Charming Charlie on clearance.  CLEARANCE.  Clearance at Charming Charlie is like "why don't you just pay me to take it away." No joke.  But anyway.  It works!

And yep, definitely tired today, cause I just can't think of anything else witty to say.  Have a great day!

Rundown:

T-shirt - Mossimo, Target (they still have them and they're crazy affordable if you need to stock up!)

Sweater - St. John's Bay, JCPenney

Pants - StarCity, Juniors dept at Herbergers (several seasons old)

Shoes - Mudd (handed down from mom)

Necklace - Charming Charlie

Earrings - Stella and Dot

Bonus Monday post

I wore my "Inspiration Monday" outfit on Saturday. I still liked the outfit I actually have on today, especially when the Pants Monkey complimented me this morning, so you get a bonus outfit post today.

Very basic, simple look today, but nothing wrong with that!

All of these pieces have been in my wardrobe for several seasons now and I love that they've all held up well over time.  

This might be the last year for these shoes however.  They're like a boot, I love them because they are warm and look nice with dress pants or jeans, but harsh MN snowy winters have taken a toll, so I'm sure they won't be around much after this year.

All and all a nice look for work and not bad for a Monday.  I only work for two days this week, today and tomorrow, so I only have to get really dressed up twice this week.  Though I plan to put together a nice outfit for Thanksgiving and I already have my birthday outfit planned out too for Friday!

Rundown:

Sweater - JJ Basics (juniors dept at Herbergers)

T-shirt - Herbergers

Pants - Studio Y from Maurices

Necklace - Stella and Dot

Shoes - SO from Kohls

Friday outfit post

I wanted to do an outfit post today, but wanted to keep it separate from this week's FBFF topic, since that one is all about giving thanks.

I had a great day off yesterday with my friend, we got our CDs after freezing in the cold for a bit.  We walked around the mall and had lunch out.  I was a good girl while shopping too and while I did treat myself to a couple of small things now that the "shopping ban" is over, I didn't go overboard.

The only new thing I have on today is the necklace.  I got it yesterday at Forever 21 and it was the deal of the century - $2.80!  Crazy!  

Going to be a nice day out today so I went for simple layers.  Tomorrow I hear snow is in the forecast.  Hopefully it won't be too bad, the Pants Monkey and I are going out to have an early birthday celebration just the two of us.  

Isn't the owl cute?  I still can't believe I got him for such a good deal.  This is possibly my new favorite thing ever.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Rundown:

T-shirt: "My Favorite Tee" purchased at Herbergers

Sweater: Old Navy

Jeans: LOFT thrifted from Clothes Mentor

Necklace: Forever 21

Shoes: DSW

Sassy

Woo hoo it is Friday!  Casual Friday at that.  I gave you a little booty shot today because the back of these jeans are so fun!  A little sparkle, gotta love it!

Busy weekend ahead, our church music group is singing in a Halloween show tomorrow night.  I'll be pseudo dressed at Columbia from Rocky Horror - family friendly show so I won't be going overboard with it, but it should be kind of fun!  Monday night we'll be out with some friends and might just throw together a mishmash of what is in their costume boxes.  That will be interesting anyway.

Have a great weekend!

Rundown:

Gray t-shirt - Herbergers

Sweater - Old Navy

Jeans - Levi's thrifted from Clothes Mentor

Necklace - La Coco from Stella and Dot

Shoes - Thrifted from Clothes Mentor

From one season to another

Last time I wore this skirt it was still quite warm out!  Today it is chilly, so tights and long sleeves it is!  This is one of the many reasons I like this skirt though, it transcends seasons!  I also think I've found my new "studio".  Something about the lighting in the old mail room is working quite well for me at the moment!  Of course, I say that now and tomorrow's pictures will probably not be that good, but you never know!  Knock on wood I guess!

My neck is better today, but it's not quite perfect yet.  I hope it continues to loosen up and get better.  I'm sure carrying a big old bag doesn't help, though I try to keep my purses not too full and heavy!

In other news, starting on Monday this week I put myself on a strict "no-buy" for the next month.  I have been kind of frivolous with my spending as of late, even with thrifting, and I want to prove to the Pants Monkey I can afford a Smartphone, so from Oct 17-Nov 17, I am not buying anything that isn't essential to daily life.  Plus my birthday is November 25th, so this just gives more gift options for people right?  You might wonder why I picked November 17th as my end date?  One of the local radio stations here is releasing an annual CD that has live performances from various artists, only so many copies are made and sold and the money goes to charity.  I get one of these CDs every year with a friend of mine.  November 17th is the day it comes out this year.  So there you go.  One month of "no buy".  It'll force me to "remix" my own wardrobe a bit, not all bad!

Rundown:

Pink shirt - Forever 21

Cardigan - "A" brand purchased at Herbergers several seasons back

Skirt - INC Concepts (thrifted from Clothes Mentor)

Tights - Target

Shoes - SO from Kohls

Necklace - La Coco Collection from Stella and Dot

Owl do my best today...

Well due to my own dragging this morning I was running behind and had to quick snap all my pictures when I got to work.  I haven't done pictures at work for so long and now I remember why I don't like to!  Anyway, it is what it is.

I love thermal shirts.  And it is quite cold outside today, so a thermal shirt is a good choice.  I have had this one for quite awhile now, but how can you not love the little owl design on it?  I did add a sweater though because my office has yet to figure out the heat stuff this year. And it loses the cuteness factor since it covers the owl.  So not the most exciting outfit ever, but hey, I'm warm.  I'm comfortable.  That's enough for today!

Rundown:
Shirt - Old Navy (many seasons old)
Pants - Juniors section at Herbergers (removed tag, bought several years ago)
Sweater - Lands End
Shoes - Naturalizer (handed down by my mom)
Necklace - Premier Jewelry

You know it's Monday when...

...your pictures don't turn out the way you'd hoped and you don't have any time to really fix the situation.  We did some major rearranging at home this weekend and some of my lighting has changed in some rooms so indoor pictures might be more experiemental again.  I'll have to take advantage of outside more, at least while it's still light enough to do so.

So this sweater is brand spanking new and I love it.  Thanks Tar-jay boutique! (Target).  I really wanted a sweater in this color to replace one I had for years and years that I finally just sent down the line.  The price was right on this bad boy - $19.99.  Can you beat that?

It's still a bit warmish out for October, but I hear that is all finally changing later this week.  I'm glad because I have an adorable new blazer from Forever 21 that I bought over a week ago and haven't been able to wear yet!  Happy Monday, try and make it a great day!

Rundown:
Red shirt - Fang (juniors dept at Herbergers)
Sweater - Mossimo from Target
Pants - Studio Y from Maurices (several seasons old)
Sandals - Tommy Hilfiger from DSW
Bag - Olivia and Joy from TJ Maxx
Necklace - gift from jerseymaids via Etsy