What I Bought - November 2013

I got quite a bit this month, hey it was my birthday month so you go a little nuts, right?

1. Iron Man tee - $10.99 (had a coupon)

2. Old Navy boxers (for PJ's) - $5 each on sale, bought 3 - $15

3.  Adventure Time sweatshirt - $9.99

4.  Regular Show tee- $6.30 (on clearance)

5.  Living Proof No Frizz styling cream - $26

6.  Beautyblender sponge cleanser - $15.95

7.  Urban Decay anti-aging eyeshadow primer - $24

8.  Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector - $69

9.  Butter London Stardust overcoat - $15

10.  Cover Girl Lash Blast mascara - $6 (with coupon)

11.  Cover Girl Shadow Pen - $6 (with coupon)

12.  Large Z Palette - $20

13.  Green Rose Chafer Beetle paperweight - $14.40 (20% off with sale code)

14.  Jonathan Adler Magnetic Board - $17.60 (20% off with sale code)

15.  Mirrored side table - $60 (on sale and used a $15 gift card) I LOVE this table!

Total spent out of pocket = $316.23

Yikes! Way more than I usually spend.  Some were needs others were wants.  Will do better this month ;)

Go forth and shop responsibly!

I'm linking up with Budgeting Bloggers over at Franish!

What I Bought - October 2013

Extremely lean month when it comes to buying clothing, only one shirt (and it's mostly just to knock around the house in - but, I love Regular Show and had a coupon so I couldn't resist).

Regular Show tee from Target - $11 (with coupon)

Total spent out of pocket = $11

I've been in purge mode, trying to get rid of everything that no longer fits, looks good, or relevant to my life. The good news is I sold $174 worth of stuff on Poshmark.  The bad news is I've still got a bunch of stuff still on the site ready for buyers ;)  Stay tuned, I'm planning on doing a little closet inventory and sharing it.

Go forth and shop responsibly!

I'm linking up with Budgeting Bloggers over at Franish!

And while my clothing purchases were slim, don't think I wasn't dropping some coin somewhere.  I kind of went a little Etsy crazy this month. I decided to share because it's fun to discover new Etsy finds.  I'm working on some gallery walls for me and my girl so that explains the picture overload.

1. Wooden letter painted coral - $12

2. Flax boo boo owie bag - $4

3. Chanel logo print - $10

4. Original Marceline watercolor - $10

5. Flame Princess print - $6

6. Princess Bubblegum print - $6

7. Original Marceline watercolor - $7

8. Two large washcloths - $5

9. Wet Bag - $14

10. Two washcloths - $4

11. Natural flax heating pad - $8

Total spent on Etsy - $114.58 (includes shipping)

Set Your DVR Alert!

Why on Earth am I posting a picture of The Houston family?  Well, it just happens that my brother spent his Summer working on this very show! "The Houstons: On Our Own" airs tonight at 9pm/8central on Lifetime.  Here's a preview.



It was mostly filmed in Atlanta, which was good for us because Atlanta is a whole lot closer to us than Los Angeles, which meant we got to see him more!  I'm going to be honest I'm not sure how I feel about the show, but since I know some of the behind the scenes people, I'm going to tune in.  Try it out and see for yourself.  And, sadly, no I don't have any insider information.  My brother is painfully professional and divulges nothing.  Which is great for his career but bad for my curiosity :o)

Happy Weekend!

I LOL'ed when I saw this picture on Facebook - Absolutely Fabulous is one of my favorite shows ever!  Can you imagine Patsy and Edina at the Olympics?

Oh man, I'm so happy it's Friday I can't even tell you.  I've been a bit M.I.A. because life has been completely insane over the past two weeks.  My girl fell down and gashed her head open resulting in three stitches in the forehead, I've had two business trips and a muscle spasm in my neck that made me immobile for a day and I'm still sore - talk about a pain in the neck - ba dum dum.  Anyway, I'm hoping for a little R&R this weekend and watching lots of Olympic action!  I'll be watching non-stop, I love it that much.  How about you, are you planning on tuning in?  Have a great weekend and see you next week!

Images via random Facebook postings - though I did get the Patsy and Edina picture via George Takei's FB page.  He's so funny!

Don't Forget!

Tune in tonight for the season premiere of "Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles" on Bravo 9pm Eastern/8pm Central!  Why do I care, you ask?*

*my brother works on the show and from what I hear you can catch a peak of him in the first episode, something about yoga on a rooftop and he's the only dude.  Keep an eye out!

This or That - Summertime Clutch

Since I first spotted this super cool Jimmy Choo clutch, I've been in love.  I'm attracted to accessories with some personality.  Of course with a $795 price tag it's a bit out of my reach.  This Kate Spade clutch is still pricey, but is just as fun and totally gives off that Summertime vibe.  What do you think?

Jimmy Choo Candy Clutch - $795

Kate Spade Pool Party Clutch - $278 

Hey, don't forget that the next season of Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles premiers Wednesday June 6th at 9pm/8pm central on Bravo!   Why do I care, you ask?  'Cause my little bro works on the show (in fact in the preview below you can spot him in the background out of focus in a plaid shirt about midway through).  Check out what's on deck this season!

Happy 90th Birthday, Betty!

Today is the adorable, hilarious, loveable, and just all around great gal Betty White's 90th birthday!

Source: theniftyfifties.tumblr.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Talk about an amazing career, she's still working hard on the weekly sitcom "Hot In Cleveland" (which by the way, is one of my favorite shows - seriously funny - Wednesday nights at 10pm on TVLand).  But of course I remember her from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "Match Game" and "Golden Girls" etc, etc.

Source: warmingglow.uproxx.com via Jenny on Pinterest

"Match Game" goodness - what a great game show!

Source: google.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Hottie!

Source: imdb.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Still a Hottie!

Happy Birthday Betty!  And here's hoping you have many, many more!  Because I really don't want to think about a world (or TV) without Betty White!

Quick little update...

I apologize for sort of phoning things in for the past week, I'm right in the thick of a major work project and have been traveling along with getting back in the groove of life post-holiday while at home.  We had a great time in Chicago visiting family over Christmas (but I did discover that I'm quickly reaching John Madden-like levels in my fear of flying - anyone else struggling with this fear?).  I got some great goodies/deals which I'll share later on in a post.  Discovered some super cool apps, which I'll also share in a post.  In the meantime here's what I'm digging right now:

I just started this book (a little late to the game, I know):

Source: barnesandnoble.com via Jenny on Pinterest

I'm watching The House of Anubis (seasons 1-3 are free on iTunes right now).  I'm in my 30's watching some cheesy teen show about a mystery at a boarding school in England.  Embarrassing, but it's entertaining, badly acted, but entertaining.

Source: nick.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Totally digging Hilary Rhoda's outfit:

Source: thevoguediaries.com via Jenny on Pinterest

And I'll always love Dolly Parton, here's a quote from this week's US Weekly Magazine that I love:

Source: rikshawdesign.blogspot.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Someone asked her "Are you the real Dolly Parton?"  Dolly said, "There's no such thing!" (referring to her extensive plastic surgery)

She's so funny! 

Hope you all are having a good week!

Happy Weekend!

I don't know about you, but I'm so happy today is Friday.  Can you believe next Thursday is Thanksgiving?  This is going to be a quick post because I'm getting ready for a big weekend involving family and friends.  That's what I love about this time of year!

How fab are these necklaces from Giles & Brother by Philip Crangi?  They are pricey, but I can dream, can't I?

Necklaces by Giles & Brother

On an unrelated note, I just found out that one of my friends (and former co-workers) had some photographs of her paintings purchased by NBC and were used on the new show "Prime Suspect".  It was on one of the episodes that aired in September so I missed it, but how cool is that?  Go and check out her work at her Etsy store Petrocy Studios - she's a super talented artist, knitter and jewelry maker.  Here are some favorites of mine from her store.

 

Have a great weekend!

What I'm Loving and Happy (Early) Weekend!

I'm checking out a little early this week, we are headed to a family wedding this weekend and the festivities begin this evening.  Is it weird that I haven't been to a wedding since my own almost 7 years ago?  I guess at my age most people are either already married or getting married again with little fanfare - who knows.  The only issue is, I honestly can say I have nothing appropriate to wear and I can't go buy something, so I will have to use all of my fashion superpowers to conjure up something to patch me through.  I'll let you know how it works out! 

Meanwhile, I'm going to steal borrow a feature from Katie over at Fashion's Maven and let you all know what I'm loving right now (here's a link to her What I'm Loving post yesterday).  Here are some things I'm digging at the moment (and a book update at the very bottom):

Source: dailymail.co.uk via Jenny on Pinterest

I'm enjoying Pan Am on ABC (Sundays at 10pm) - it's not the best show ever, but it's interesting and entertaining (and of course I love the clothes, see below).

Source: caughtonset.com via Jenny on Pinterest

November's InStyle cover with Gwen Stefani looking lovely (check out those gorgeous bracelets)!

Source: nodoubt.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Source: glade.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Glade's limited edition Cashmere Woods fragrance (I love the candle, above).  This is such a warm/smoky Fall scent, a refreshing change from the usual cinnamon/apple/pumpkin/spice scents you see this time of year.

A quick update about Bossypants by Tina Fey that I read a couple of weeks ago - loved it - so funny!

I just finished another very good read on Tuesday night - Loving Frank by Nancy Horan.

Source: amazon.com via Jenny on Pinterest

It's a novel based on Frank Lloyd Wright's 7 year affair with Mamah Cheney, a married woman in Oak Park.  The people and bones of the story are real, but it's a fictionalized account of their time together.  It was a hard book to get into, but once it gets going it's totally worth it.  It's one of those stories where you are empathetic to Frank and Mamah's situation, but not necessarily sympathetic.  It's very complicated and moving - total emotional journey, not light reading, but I totally recommend it!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

I Want This For Fall - Trend #4 Plaid Pants

Today we're going to tackle trend #4 in the week long series of trends - plaid pants!  Or maybe I should say - plaid pants?!  Yeah, some plaid pants are scary - the bright, huge plaids in particular - those can veer dangerously into "Herb Tarlek" territory (see below for more info on Herb), also see Tory Burch Fall 2011. I think the key with this trend it to keep the plaid very understated and simple in neutral colors.  Go for a small to mid-scale plaid especially if you don't want to emphasize your lower half (it can get tricky if you are pear-shaped, like myself).  And please don't mix plaids here, with a jacket, etc.  A little plaid goes a long way, unless you are aiming to look like a sofa or the previously mentioned Herb Tarlek.  My suggestion is to stick with a solid color on top.  Have fun!

Wide Leg Pants by Ann Taylor
Dress Pants by J.Crew

Wide Leg Pants by The Limited
Pants & Shorts by Tahari

Source: ebay.com via Jenny on Pinterest

And who is Herb Tarlek?  Well, shame on you for not knowing (just kidding).  Herb (he's the guy in the upper right hand side of the picture above) was a character on the 70's sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati".  He sort of came to embody the slimy sales guy and wore the most garish (even for the 1970's) suits/ties/sportscoats.  Usually very loud plaids that clashed.  His clothes made the character, the costume designer was a genius.  Anyway, I have referenced him and Helen Roper from "Three's Company" a lot in my design career.  Those two characters are a great gauge for that fine line between kitschy and classy.  BTW, it's not always bad to be a Roper or Tarlek if done the right way! 

Here's the WKRP theme song - a song I can't get out of my head because I have to travel to Cincinnati quite frequently.  As soon as I step off the plane it's "Baby, if you've ever wondered..."  I'm sure my coworkers would love me for this - ha!


And a little snippet of the show (from the famous "turkey drop" episode):

True Confession Time

First, I just want to apologize for my lack of posts over the past couple of weeks - I'm working on a big project which involves staring at a computer screen for hours on end and at the end of the workday I just can't bring myself to look at a computer screen for one more second.  So I've been avoiding any extra computer time.  Staring at the TV, however hasn't been an issue.  I've been watching way too much TV lately, between just wanting to zone out after the little one goes to sleep at night, to struggling with a touch of insomnia, I've logged a disgusting amount of TV watching. 

Which brings me to my true confession - one I'm not proud of at all, in fact, I'm embarrassed and yeah, somewhat disgusted with myself.  This is hard to admit, but I've been watching a whole lot of "Keeping Up With The Kardashians", "Khloe and Lamar", etc.  There, I said it.  Don't think less of me.  Ugh, I just can't explain it because I find them highly irritating, yet there I sit.  No one can deny that Kim is gorgeous, I mean she's stunningly beautiful.  But what else is there?  Bruce?  Well, okay I kinda like Bruce, he always seems like he's trapped in a weird dream/nightmare, spouting out the occasional words of wisdom while trying to escape by  building toy helicopters and remembering how awesome his life was in the 70's.  No one can deny that Kris is a master of marketing her kiddos (good and bad).  And let's be honest Kourtney, bless her heart, is the least likeable most vapid human being I have ever laid eyes on.  Her baby dady Scott is king of all slimeball/douchebags with not one redeeming quality (he makes Spencer Pratt look like the ideal man).  He's the type of guy that every girl should avoid at all costs.  Living with a bunch of cats would be better than him.

And yet, I still watch.  However, I may have figured out some of the appeal for me.  I think I love seeing the clothes and interiors.  Yeah, I don't sound superficial AT ALL.  But stay with me.  Because that's all there is - there's no storyline, they don't do anything really interesting - BUT they do wear gorgeous clothes and live in beautiful houses.  Which should not be the basis for any TV show, but there you go.  I'm particularly smitten with parts of Khloe's house - specifically her home office.  Check it:

Source: casasugar.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Source: casasugar.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Gorgeous, right?  Here's her closet - prepare to swoon...

Source: thecoveteur.tumblr.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Her shoes?  Shut up...

Source: elle.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Source: elle.com via Jenny on Pinterest

Another image from her house...

Source: elle.com via Jenny on Pinterest

I love it - I love seeing it all (though, I could do with less of the dozens of pictures of themselves they have in every house).  I just can't help myself.  So, I'm not telling you to tune in, but if you do find any of the (many) Kardashian shows on your TV, I recommend putting them on mute and enjoying the scenery.

There, I feel better that it's out in the open now :o)

Rachel Zoe on Primetime

Apparently, last week ABC's Primetime aired a special about Moms in Hollywood and Rachel Zoe was among the ladies they talked to.  I just watched the video and it's an interesting peek into her life now that she's become mommy to baby Skylar.  Also there are lots of glimpses at her new collection (available now on Shopbop.com), her closet (I die) and Skylar's nursery (that 3 1/2 month old boy has nicer things than I do - lol!).  Are you guys totally pumped for the new season of the Rachel Zoe Project premiering early next month on Bravo?  I am!!!  Bananas!

Julianne Moore is one class act

Indulge me for a second while a take a trip down memory lane.  Waaaaay back in the mid-1980's I watched all the soaps on CBS, oh yes I did - The Young and the Restless (which I still watch on occasion *ahem*, don't judge me), As The World Turns, Guiding Light and yeah, I watched The Bold and The Beautiful when it first aired.  But let's get back to the soon-to-be-off-the-air As The World Turns.  Back then Julianne Moore was just starting out and she played duel characters on the show "Frannie" and her look alike cousin/sister/whatever "Sabrina" (cue "The Patty Duke Show" music - "...but they're cousins, identical cousins..." - if you remember that I give you mega props).  Well, I loved her on the show, I loved the characters, it was just all around good times - in 1988 she won a daytime Emmy for the role.  Fast forward to this past Monday 4/5 when Julianne Moore came back for one show as "Frannie".  Well, even though I don't watch the show anymore, I had to tune in.  And there she was, towards the end of the show - not for very long, sort of a "walk-on" deal.  She looked divine and honestly looked so happy to see the people she worked with so many years ago.  It was a classy thing to do, not many actors of her caliber would go back to daytime, where they started, even for one episode.  But she did, and she did it out of her love for the show and her time on it and also to say goodbye.  I've always liked her as an actress, but now I like her even more, what a classy lady!

Here's a clip if you are interested (my lame self totally cried when I watched - I'm such a dork).


Image via InStyle

10 years and counting...

If you are a regular reader of this blog you know that I'm a HUGE SpongeBob SquarePants fan. I have watched on and off since day one. Well this year marks the 10th anniversary of Mr. SquarePants and Nickelodeon is marking the occasion with the Ultimate SpongeBob SpongeBash beginning 7/17 at 8pm - all weekend long nothing but that lovable yellow sponge. You can even get in on the action by voting for your 10 favorite episodes! I'll be glued to the tube!

Image via Nickelodeon

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

SpongeBob SquarePants!!

That's how the theme song for the Nickelodeon cartoon by the same name begins. If you aren't familiar with this cartoon - is there anyone out there who has not seen at least one episode? - it's about a plucky, fun-loving fry cook that resembles a yellow kitchen sponge. He lives in the ocean in a town called Bikini Bottom among his fellow sea creature friends:
Patrick Star - best friend/starfish
Squidward Tentacles - best frenemy/squid
Eugene Krabs - boss/crab
Sandy Cheeks - best friend/squirrel (?!)
Gary - best friend/pet/snail (that meows like a cat)
etc, etc

I've watched SpongeBob off and on for years and I've just recently started watching it again - A LOT! Probably because Nick runs it constantly and maybe, just maybe because I need him right now.

It's a visually stimulating cartoon, cleverly drawn, full of life and fun. (Even super-hip designer extraordinaire Marc Jacobs has him tattooed on his arm!) It's humor and story lines appeal to a variety of ages. And honestly, as much as SpongeBob can drive you crazy with his endless optimism and energy that borders on crazy, you begin to realize how fun life could be if you didn't take things so darn seriously.

I particularly love the episodes that contrast SpongeBob's optimism and joie de vivre with his neighbor Squidward's pessimism and endless striving for being something more than just a cashier at the Krusty Krab. I tend to relate to Squidward more, but I want to be like SpongeBob. I want to bounce out of bed and be peppy and ready for the day, SpongeBob would love if he could work 24 hours a day - his passion is making the best darn Krabby Patty ever. He finds joy in the mundane. SpongeBob is a childlike in his approach to living life, Squidward is a jaded and bitter adult who can't get outside the box. SpongeBob is present and living in the moment, with an undying optimism for the fun that will be in every day.

With all the craziness going on in the world, I know I certainly need that lesson right now and watching this cartoon has made me very aware of this. I need to be optimistic towards the future, but more importantly I need to be joyful everyday. Even if I have to make my own version of Krabby Patties, I shall do so with zest! I've read countless numbers of books on being present, finding your purpose, etc. and all it took was this little yellow sea sponge to make me "get it". Maybe we all need to watch a little less news and a little more SpongeBob. If nautical nonsense be something you wish...