Why I Love to Color

I've talked about it a little bit here before - I am a 33 year old adult, but I still love to color.  Nothing makes me happier than a box of Crayolas and a coloring book.  It's one of my favorite lazy activities to do on vacation.  It relaxes me and it makes me feel good.
NPR just put out this article about coloring surging in popularity among adults.  It's a great read and I think it touches on why I enjoy coloring.  It talks about how adults find it to be a peaceful, meditative activity, but that it also brings comfort because it reminds us of childhood.  It also helps with finding creativity.
Apparently there are more sophisticated "grown up" coloring books being released because of how popular it's becoming.  I'm still happy with my Disney Princess and My Little Pony books though!  I always hit up the drugstore when we get up north to see if I can find any good new coloring books - I don't know what it is about small towns, but they're a gold mine - and my 90's girls will appreciate this one, I found a Lisa Frank coloring book this year.  It is my new favorite ever!

Anyway, back to the NPR article, I really agree with the points it touched on.  I find coloring to really be a great stress reliever, I love that it's kind of a mindless activity and that it does give me a way to feel artistic when art is not something I'm terribly good at otherwise.  And there's something about the feeling of the crayon in my hand that really does connect me with my youth and there's something comforting and peaceful about that too.
Lately I really do just color when I'm on vacation, it's a memory from my childhood and going to my aunt's cabin, my mom and aunt and I would sit around as the sun went down at night and we'd color. I'm going to try to do more coloring on my downtime at home though even when I'm not on vacation, because it really is a nice relaxing activity.  One thing that will help me is I was invited to an adult coloring club - (with wine!) and while I'll only know the hostess at this event, I'm looking forward to stepping out of my shell and meeting some other coloring enthusiasts!  
Do you have an activity that you enjoy from childhood?

Friday Five - Nostalgia

So I don't know what it is, but in the last few weeks there have been several things that have been sparking memories of my youth - and I have to say it's been kind of fun riding down memory lane just a bit.  I thought today for a Friday Five, I'd highlight a few of them.
Music - New Kids on the Block are coming here in concert again and one of our local channels is giving away concert tickets.  So naturally, they decided to play "Hangin Tough" in it's entirety on the radio the other day.  This gave me the brilliant idea of starting a New Kids on the Block Pandora channel.  Best.Idea.Ever.  I put it on in the afternoon at work and it totally makes the day go faster - I've heard great old songs by not just NKOTB but also Paula Abdul, Boys II Men, Mariah Carey.  Oh it takes me back.  My tween self is happy.
TV - I'm sure by now everyone has seen the Saved By The Bell reunion on Jimmy Fallon.  If you haven't I'm going to leave it here for you.  Best eight minutes I've watched this week.  I have seen every episode of that show more times than I can count and this sketch was incredibly well done!

Cosmetics - I saw an article this week that Bonnie Bell Cosmetics is shutting down.  While I can't tell you the last time I bought a Lipsmacker, I will say I was sad to hear this.  I know most of my friends are bummed about never getting a Dr. Pepper flavored Lipsmacker again, but my favorite was always the Strawberry.  It will be strange to not see that end cap at Target any longer!
Shopping - Speaking of things closing down, I also saw a couple of weeks ago that Deb stores are closing.  I never bought any of my formal dresses at Deb, but I always at least looked at them every year when Prom season came round.  I remember owning a few pairs of shoes from there and some other cheaply made clothing because where else do you shop when you're 16?  I remember when I was a lot younger and thinking it was the coolest store ever because it had pink carpet.  The mall will not be the same!
Games - Again, old news here by now, but I have been kind of addicted to the fact that you can now play classic Apple games like The Oregon Trail on the internet.  I remember Computer Lab day was like the best day in school and it was because of games like this.  So it's been fun reliving this as an adult, though I have to say, using your own family names as an adult is a little unnerving when you see something like "Oliver has typhoid" or "Pippin has died."  I started making up fake names after that, ha!

So anyway, I have been kind of stuck in the late 80's/early 90's over the last couple of weeks here and it's been kind of fun remembering those carefree days!  I love where I am now, but there's nothing wrong with going back in time just a little bit!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

The hypocrite

Yes friends, I'm wearing these pants again!  Someday I'll count how many times I've worn them in the last year.  I love them, I can't help it.  And it's my Friday, so I'll wear what I want to.  I added this vintage collegiate feeling sweater.  It also reminds me of Mr. Rogers for some reason too though.  I doubt sweet Mr. Rogers would have ever worn pants like these though unless he was on crack or something!

Sweater - Hill Valley Vintage

T-shirt - Decree, JCPenney

Pants - No Boundaries, thrifted

Shoes - Madden Girl, thrifted

Necklace - S&D 

Speaking of Mr. Rogers on crack (that's a statement I never thought I'd say) have any of you seen the Mr. Rogers Remix video on YouTube?  There is also one for the Bob Ross Joy Of Painting show.  Someone basically took a bunch of clips and auto tuned them into something new and semi-musical.  When the Mr. Rogers one came out, a lot of my Facebook friends were just going on and on about how awesome it was and I was sitting here going, this is bastardizing my childhood!  It's just wrong!  Mr. Rogers and auto tune?  No!

Well then this week, a new one came out featuring Reading Rainbow.  And I kind of geeked out.  I loved Reading Rainbow even more than Mr. Rogers for some reason when I was a kid.  I had a little kid crush on LeVar Burton.  Yes I just said that, I can't unsay it now.  Anyway, I watched the Reading Rainbow Remix video and I kind of loved it.  But then I thought, I can't go geeking out about this after bashing the Mr. Rogers one!  I'd be a hypocrite!

Well, call me a hypocrite.  I love this!

 

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?

Channeling Childhood

The last time I wore this sweater, I commented that it reminds me of something I would have worn when I was a little girl.  In the spirit of that, I decided to style it in a way that is reminiscent of how I might have dressed when I was 8.  Because hey, it's fun.  And it's Friday.  If you can't have fun on Friday, when can you have fun?

I can guarantee you that 8 year old Bethie would have worn this sweater with a jean skirt.  Instead of leggings however, she'd probably be wearing those knit tights that almost look like a cable knit sweater - anyone have any idea what I'm talking about? They'd be pink. She'd finish out the outfit with buckled Mary Janes and probably a couple of plastic teddy bear barrettes in her hair.  8 year old Bethie wasn't super hip, but she could be sort of stylish!

What kinds of things was 8 year old Bethie into?  Well, let's see, her favorite movie was The Little Mermaid, she was a Brownie Scout, she sang in her church's children's choir, her favorite after school activity was playing Barbies with her friends, she loved to ride her bike around the block and her favorite TV shows were Tiny Toon Adventures, Hey Dude and Reading Rainbow.  Yep, I know I'm totally dating myself.  If you haven't figured out by now that I'm 30 and grew up in the late 80's/early 90's, well, you know now!  Some things have changed in 20 some odd years, but some apparently haven't!

Oh well, I love this sweater and I don't care if it takes me back to my youth!  Everyone needs to let out their inner child every now and then!  Happy Friday and Happy Weekend!!

Outfit rundown:

Sweater - vintage Daytons via two birds at b.(a resale shop)

Skirt - LOFT thrifted via Clothes Mentor

Leggings - Target

Shoes - SO (Kohls) thrifted