Dressing for Easter

I know many moms out there have already planned and/or purchased Easter outfits for their little kids. Well, hand me the bad mommy card because I have NOT. I'm going to be real with y'all. I have two BOYS. Two boys that seem heck bent on staining every piece of clothing I buy them. So let's just say, I don't get too excited to buy them expensive new outfits they'll likely wear only once...and/or possibly ruin that day.

We pretty much try to attend church every Sunday, so despite our lack of new clothes, I think we're a little ahead of some that are putting on their "Easter best" this coming Sunday since for many it will be the last time they see church until Christmas. Needless to say, we have a fair amount of khakis, polos and button-downs for the boys to wear to church, so really, I don't see the need in purchasing anything new just because it's Easter. In fact, there's a good chance I'll put them in the outfits they wore for our downtown family photo shoot:

{But maybe khakis instead of jeans? Yeah.}

I probably won't purchase an Easter dress for myself either, I have a few things in my closet that I haven't even worn yet...and actually there is one Lauren Conrad dress I bought a little over a year ago at Kohl's that I've never worn and I think it would be the perfect Easter dress:

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So pretty, floral and very "spring" if you ask me.

What about you? Do you buy new Easter church outfits each year? What about for your kids?

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Thursday Randomness

Ah yes, finally getting closer to that weekend now...I can feel it! Happy Thursday, y'all! Not much going on around these parts...we decorated Easter eggs last night {and Breckin only managed to break ONE!}

Also, if you haven't read them already, I suggest you hop on over to Skinny Mom and view my latest posts on dehydration, and also calf-toning exercises {hey, summer is on the way, and you need to be ready!} If you don't already follow Skinny Mom, I suggest you start - there are a lot of great mommy bloggers on there posting all sorts of articles on fitness, health, fashion, food and more. I'm so proud to be a part of it. You don't even have to be a mom to gain some good info from this site!

I feel like I'm finally on a roll getting things organized and projects done around the house. I've posted lately about our pantry makeover, the kids' art area, the organized bathroom vanity cabinet and even starting to get Tanner's room finished - see his upholstered bulletin board and his monogram art. I plan on revealing the boys' rooms soon, but I reeeeaaaalllly would love to paint them first, however, I don't know if that will happen in the next couple of months, so I may just have to post them as-is and then update once I finally am able to get them painted. Speaking of paint, we are finally going to paint our kitchen and living room a light gray...this was my final thing needed to call the kitchen makeover complete. The plan is to do it the weekend after Easter.

Speaking of the weekend after Easter, I've got the Cooper River Bridge 10K coming up that Saturday morning. For those of you not familiar, this is a crazy-popular race. It draws in over 40,000 participants. Last year, my time was 1:12, and it was my first-ever 10K...I had never run that distance all at once in my life before that. Since then, I had started training for a half marathon, and actually got to where I was running over 6 miles without a race to push me {this is big progress for me!} I fell out of training during the holidays, so I am not quite in the running shape I'd like to be, but I'm still hoping I can clock a faster time this year. Check out this craziness:

I just love participating in local races.

I am definitely in need of some new running shoes though. I'm thinking these:

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or these {mostly because they are fun, but also supposed to be good}:

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But, I'm willing to take suggestions on any great running shoes y'all might have to recommend!

Soooo glad we're getting closer to the Easter weekend - we've got a lot of fun planned for the kids and some family coming to visit. Plus, we'll finally be graced with some nice weather after this crazy late March cold front we have been experiencing {so odd for Charleston}! xoxo

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Beach Ready

It's getting close to that time of year, y'all. {Praise the Lord!}

 1. Fedora w/Leopard Band

2. Ray Ban Aviators

3. Roxy Sun Dancer Scalloped Bikini

4. China Glaze Nail Enamel: Flip Flop Fantasy

5. Missoni Home Hugo Beach Towel

6. Neutrogena "Beach Defense" Sunscreen

7. Lands End Canvas Tote {I've got the same one with the same name....lol}

Cheers to sunshine and warm weather! xoxo

 

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Fedora & Coral {Fedoral?}

I've been having more and more fun with these outfit posts lately, y'all...hope you don't mind, and hope even more that you are enjoying them! {Always would like to know if you love it or if something doesn't look quite right, or could use something extra - so comments are welcome!}

The other day on my Marshall's shopping raid spree trip, I picked up some Paige denim and this flirty little coral top. I decided to pull out my fedora to "top off" {pun so definitely intended} the look.

Paige Denim Ultra-Long Jeans: Marshalls $79.99 {I didn't even realize Marshall's HAD Paige denim!}
Off-Brand Coral Top: Marshalls $39.99
Fedora w/Changeable Bands: Avon {a few years back when I used to sell it}
Jessica Simpson Nude Heels: Marshalls {last year}

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Monday Musings: Meet Sugar

I want to first start off this post with saying that I miss Tundra. Dearly. I am still in pain over the whole ordeal and how it all turned out in the end. I loved that dog, and she, nor the dog that she was to our family, cannot ever be replaced. She was a great dog, she had a wonderful personality that was all her own and she will always have a huge piece of my dog lovin' heart.

That being said, Hubby bought me an early birthday present...

Sugar is an 8-week old Boston Bulldog {English Bulldog-Boston Terrier X}. She is super sweet and super white - hence the name Sugar. It definitely feels good to have a puppy again...after all, what is a dog owner without a dog?

So far, her favorite nap spot is right here {seriously, she pummels me over just to get to lay here}:

The boys absolutely love her, she is so playful with them. It's going to be a long few months of puppy-training...feels like there's a baby in the house again.

Have a great week, y'all! xoxo

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Kid's Art Keepsake Albums

I'm an artist. My brothers are artists. My dad is an artist. So it comes as no surprise that my son, Tanner, is quite the artist himself. {Breckin is still a little young to determine his aptitude for it.}

What comes with being an artist are supplies...lots of them. I've found a way to corral most of that {psst - see yesterday's post!} but today is about what comes from those supplies - the artwork. The piles and piles...and piles...of artwork.

Don't get me wrong, I LOOOOOOVE that my son is creative, loves to express himself through art...and has a bit of his mommy's side in him. It's something we can do together and both really enjoy. I love teaching him techniques and encouraging him to think outside the box. But alas, at the end of the day, I just realistically don't have the space to keep all of his original works.

I keep the "keepers" in his storage box that I created last year to have a place to put all the special works he does here and at school, but that will fill fast, and ideally, I'd like for it to cover all his years through high school graduation {if that's not possible, maybe two boxes at most}. I also like to hang my absolute favorites in frames and display them in our play room/home office.

Well, I've found the solution.

artwork keepsake albums

 

The image above is via an online print gallery for artwork albums called Plum Print.

I am in love with this idea. I think it would be great to create one for each age or school year. You can even personalize the binding so that it's easy to see from the bookshelf when you're grabbing to reminisce.

 

How great would this be? Your kids would love to pull them out when family or guests come over so they can proudly parade their artwork without a pile of papers to sort through. You could even make them as gifts for the grandparents.

These ones at Plum Print are a tad on the pricey end, starting at $85 for 30 pieces of artwork in a 10"x8" book, but the quality is great and they do offer a 40% discount on duplicates of books you've already printed.

Another alternative for this project would be Shutterfly. A bit less expensive, and they often offer discounts on their photo books. They offer many sizes and cover options to fit within your budget.

So what are you waiting for? Corral that pile of keepsake artwork together and create a book you can enjoy for years to come!

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Kid's Organized Art Area

Let me tell you how happy I am to finally be posting this! This means I have finally gotten my act together and created a clean and organized space for my children to create in! It has been on my to-do list for a long time now. I've gone through all sorts of different storage options for their supplies and I think I've finally landed on something I am happy with and so excited to share with all of you.

I found the white table and stool at Target. The white table is normally $49.99, but I got it on sale for $39.99. I had eyed it for a couple of months and happened to walk by it again one day when I saw the sale, so I had to grab it up. I am now kicking myself because I should have grabbed two...I do have enough space next to it for another one. I think I'll be getting another one. The stool was $11.99.

The bar and buckets are from IKEA. I knew I wanted 3, one for markers, one for crayons and one for colored pencils. The bar was $2.99, each bucket was $3.99, the "S" hooks were $1.99 for a set of 10, and the wire basket was $3.99. The wire basket is used to hold their stickers. I used Martha Stewart chalkboard labels.

For the wall holding their papers and books, I used some wire racks that I found at TJ Maxx and/or Marshalls {I have a few of these around the house and I've gotten them from both places}. They were $14.99 each.

I used a white paint marker from Hobby Lobby to label them. The paint is washable with rubbing alcohol should I ever want to write anything different. The printable you see above the racks is one I designed myself - and a quote I made up myself:

I wanted the area to be a positive space for them while they create. I think it will make them feel good to read all of the signs. Tanner is the only one that can read them right now!

The other wall has two bulletin boards by Board Dudes that I had already. They were from Target. I thought it would be great for them to be able to pin up their favorite works of art. And the rest of the wall is filled with more positive printables!

Here is one happy boy using the art area:

So there you have it - our finished art area for the kiddos!

Verdict: They love it!

Here is a full view again:

What do you think? Please remember to pin it if you love it! xoxo

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Black & White Maxi Skirt {3 Ways}

The other day, I was perusing Marshall's and literally ended up spending a small fortune. I found so many cute things for summer and just simply couldn't resist. One of my favorite finds of the day was a black & white striped Michael Kors maxi skirt for $34.99. I was just playing around with some things in my closet and put together some quick ensembles with it. {Sorry in advance for some of the smudgies - didn't realize how my mirror needed a good cleaning - thanks DSLR for pointing that out!}

The top in this first pic is from Target. I got them on a buy 1 get one half off sale, so one was $10, the next was $5. The bauble necklace is that infamous J.Crew lookalike I got off of eBay for $14.99 {sure beats the $150.00 J.Crew price tag!}

The top in this second picture is from Kohl's last year. I love the shoulder cut-outs and the color. I got it in a few different colors at the time since it was such a steal. Feel free to shop Kohl's tops collection here. {They are actually giving a 10% online discount to everyone through May 10th, just use the promo code BLOGS10 at checkout!} Again, another J.Crew look-a-like bauble.

And lastly, this is the skirt paired with just a simple black tank. I tucked it in to give more waistline definition.

I have so many other things I can pair with this skirt - its classic lines and colors make it so versatile. It's going to be a spring/summer staple for sure. It's so comfy, I could live in it all summer - maybe I will. xoxo

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St. Patty's Outfit {The Deets}

So yesterday in my Monday Musings post, I posted a quick, but not too quality pic of my outfit from St. Patty's Day. I actually got a few compliments on the get-up while out and about that day, so I thought I would share with all of you just what it's made of.

Dress: TJ Maxx / Boots: Minnetonka Moccassins / Necklace: Bohme Boutique /

 Earrings: Target

Some of you may remember this outfit from the Rascal Flatts/The Band Perry concert I went to on Valentine's Day when I got to meet The Band Perry backstage! This dress was such a great find at TJ Maxx for $12.99 - and now I have some much-needed green in my closet {I am seriously lacking in that department!} And plus, it is fitting with Pantone's 2013 Color of the Year: Emerald.

These earrings were a steal at Target for $7.99. I checked and they are not available online, so I suggest you run to your nearest store and raid their jewelry section...they had tons of great stuff.

The necklace is from Bohme Boutique. I got this when I visited Idaho last summer. They do not have these boutiques on the East Coast...I think so far they are only in California and the Northwestern states. So if you live over there, lucky you! They had a great selection of jewelry.

And I tell you, I have not gotten tired of my Minnetonka Moccassins and I don't think I ever will. LOVE.

Hope y'all had a great St. Patty's Day! xoxo

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