ALL THE DERPS

Well, here's my final post of 2017.  I'd love to share my thoughts on the year, but there's just way too much to unpack for a silly little fashion blog.  So, instead, I figured I'd share the best outtake pic's that I'd saved from the past year!  Some of these are posted outfits, and some haven't made it to the blog just yet, so you can consider these a sneak peek of what's to come next year (hopefully with a lot less derp involved....).

ENJOY!

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OOTD - Oops, I did it again....

Wouldya look at that?  I wore another outfit that just *happens* to match my hair!  I suppose that may have been subconsciously intentional, though, since I know I picked a hair color that just happens to coordinate with a large portion of my closet!  Apparently I'm just that good, even if I can't take full credit for my subconscious' actions!  (ha)

OOTD - Keep it Inside

Can I vent for a minute?  This weekend was AMAZING weather.  I mean, we sent the kids outside, went to the park, and I even managed to get away with short sleeves outside yesterday.

TODAY, on the other hand?  It's freezing.  Not even in a figurative sense either, like literally little white balls of frozen stuff are falling from the sky.  So, even though I'd love to take advantage of the amazing lighting that comes from a cloudy day (really, it's like a natural filter), I'm going to skip that and just post some indoor pictures instead.  Because, you know, cold.

Fair Trade Friday - Hostess with the Mostest

It's DECEMBER!  It is officially the start of another holiday season, and what goes hand in hand with the holidays?  Holiday parties!  If you're planning on making the rounds this year, and prefer to have a more intentional gift for your host than a last minute gift from the nearest Target rack closest to the door (not that I'm speaking from experience or anything....), I decided to round up a few Fair Trade gift ideas from Ten Thousand Villages for this holiday party season.

For the Chef:

Palm Wood Photo Holder Set

OOTD - After Midnight

Let me tell you a story:

A little while ago, the hubs and I stayed up late to watch movies and spend some time together after the kiddos went to sleep.  Fast forward a few hours and more than a few glasses of wine, and I'm tipsily browsing through eBay.  Apparently the hubs thinks I need some overalls, and so I went searching the interwebs for an affordable pair.  I made my order, and then when we woke up the next day, soberly checked my order history to find I had ordered this:

OOTD - Here's Hopin'

Oh, hello there.

Fair Trade Friday - In the Write

I may have started a new hobby.  Yes, another one.  But, it should help with organization and still inspire my creative side, so I'll call it a win-win.

It's bullet journaling.  If you're not familiar, the bullet journal site explains the basics, and there is a rabbit-hole on Pinterest for page layout ideas that I may have fallen down before venturing into my own little ideas.

Don't judge, it's been a CRAZY week!

OOTD - All The Prints!

Sometimes less is more.  But, in this case, it's time to throw together ALL THE PRINTS!  I DIY'ed a wrap dress into a maxi cardi, (sounds complicated but it was really just a couple snips and hems here and there), and the blue just meshes so well with the print on this traded dress I got!

Fair Trade Friday - OOOh, Shiny!

In case you haven't noticed, there are 7 (SEVEN) weekends until Christmas!  And yes, you have every right to be a grump and insist that we don't talk about that until after other holidays have passed.  BUT, that doesn't negate the fact that the holiday is coming.  So, in that spirit, I decided to bring back my weekly installment of Fair Trade Friday to help with a little holiday gift-giving inspiration beyond the big box retailers.

This week I'm highlighting some of the new offerings from Starfish Project's newly released holiday collection, because no gift guide is complete without all the shiny pretties!  If you're not familiar with Starfish Project, they are a jewelry company committed to providing hope, healing, and work to women who want to escape from the net of prostitution in China.   All the pieces are as beautiful as this company's vision, so I'm only going to highlight a few personal favorites:

Audrey Necklace

OOTD - Happy Dance

I think I'm almost through my archived photos, and today this outfit actually matches up with the weather!  I think this calls for a happy dance!

OOTD - Unseasonable

I'm taking advantage of the almost 80 degree weekend coming up to post a couple more archived looks from a slightly warmer time. Also, can we just appreciate the awesome fact that being old enough to see trends come around a second time means that you can find on-trend flared jeans for almost nothing secondhand?  Hear hear for the second time around!

OOTD - Back Up

That title is a little play on words.  As you can tell from the hair color, I went back to some archived photos, and I also have my trusty little partner for today's pictures!

OOTD - It's HALLOWEEN!

Nope, nothing to see here, just my costume!  And yes, the hair is different (again!), and I'm so excited to channel my inner superhero:

OOTD - Lighten the Mood

I promised ya'll a change in hair color, right?  It's just a *little* lighter....

OOTD - Silly Saturday Snapshots

These photos are going to look REALLY out of place with the cold snap we're going through here in the Ozarks.  But, I wanted to include a few extra pictures that I snapped of the other members in our little clan, along with another outfit from the archives.  Some pictures were taken willingly, some not so much, but they're all getting shared nonetheless!

OOTD - Blue, Times 2

Um, there's something in my picture.....

OOTD - Playing Catch-Up

 So, this outfit is so NOT what I wore today, and to be honest, it's actually been a while since I did wear it!  But, I've had a super busy couple weeks, with work, craft fairs, and that little thing called life.  So, I dug into the archives and found all the outfit photos that I haven't gotten around to posting, so I hope ya'll are ready for a whole string of outfit posts... I'll be posting an archived outfit a day until I run out, and then hopefully I'll get caught up (at least in one area of my life...)!

OOTD - Velvet Goldmine

OOTD - Red, White, and Woo Pig

So, the first day of Autumn is this week.... which is ironic because it still feels like summer around these here parts of the Ozarks. (Yee-haw.)  So, in protest of the summer temps, I'm pulling out some more outfit photos from this summer that never got posted, like this one that was meant for the 4th of July and never made it to the interwebz:

OOTD - Double Up

I keep finding old outfit photos from this summer that just need to be shared!  Even if multiple outfits end up being basically the same thing:

...... look familiar?

OOTD - This Kid

SOMEONE decided he needed to be a part of these outfit photos.  I'll leave it up to ya'll to decide who is the more photogenic of us two:

Day to Night Outfit Challenge, and a snafu

Ya'll, I have date night on the brain.  There's so many new restaurants to try and movies to see (*cough cough* IT?  You'll float too......), and only so many kid-free weekend nights to do it!  In honor of my date night daydreams, I decided to play around with an outfit that can go from day to night, all with a few wardrobe changes and essential jewelry choices.

BUT then I forgot to bring my camera to work for the flat-lay I'd planned to photograph on lunch.... so we're relying on similar items on a Polyvore board instead!

{click for outfit details}

OOTD - Goodbye, Summer

It was actually somewhat CHILLY this morning, guys!!!  I'm beyond excited for the change in the seasons, and figured I would do a catch-up post on some of the outfits that were worn over these warmer months that are slowly coming to an end.  I'm going to miss all the bright colors and sun that summer always brings, but I'm am also just giddy for the chance to break out all my layers, soup recipes, and hot chocolate!  Vive la FALL!!!

Feature Friday - Registered

Reader, I have a question: if you're married, what was your "must-have" item when you worked up your wedding registry?   For some, it was matching towel sets or place settings.  For others, they preferred home decor.

For us, it was a tool set.  Since Daddy A and I had already lived on our own, but separate, before getting married, most of the usual essentials didn't apply.  We already had sheets and towels and plates, none of which matched of course, but we didn't mind!  But something we DID need was a set of tools for home projects, because for some reason neither of us owned a hammer before that!

I ask because I recently discovered an amazing site for all things wedding, that helps to put all the wedding registry bits and pieces all in one spot!  If anyone is getting ready to get married, Zola helps to keep all your planning and registries in one spot, with both traditional and not-so traditional options:

Feature Friday - Movie Night Essentials

What are everyone's weekend plans? I personally tend to vary week to week... sometimes there's the burst of "let's clean EVERYTHING while I have the chance!" energy, some days it's a day to travel, and some days we just sit around and enjoy the 'nothing' day.  The only thing each of these weekends tend to have in common is movie night.  Pretty much every weekend, there's one night that consists of cuddles on the couch and the whole family sitting down to take in a movie together.

That's why I'm excited to bring you a little snippet of my movie night essentials for your weekend!  (or 'take it easy' weeknight for that matter!).

OOTD - Fake Out

The past few days in the Ozarks have been a total teaser for Fall, people.  It really isn't fair.  Considering I'm one of those people that counts down the days to scarves, boots, and ALL THE LAYERS!  So the fact that it hasn't been totally sweltering at the beginning of August has been kind of nice, but I know it's a fake out for the end of summer.  We still have August, September, and maybe some of October to look forward to what I'm going to now dub the "Ozark Second Summer," full of hot sticky days.

Ah well, at least I have a few days of practice with my layering skills before the Ozark Second Summer sets in!  Vive la layers!

Wedding Style Guide - The Black Tux

Ladies, let's talk wedding season.  More specifically, am I the only one that gets stressed out by finding something to wear for summer weddings?  There's so many 'rules,' not to mention the fact that fashion rules were meant to be broken, but you still want to fit into some guidelines so you don't show up the bride, but of course you don't want to wear black, or is black now okay....? It's enough to cause a mini-shopping meltdown!

That's why I was excited when The Black Tux gave me the idea for a Wedding Style Guide, I said a very quick "I DO!" (heheh, see what I did there....).  It was even more helpful that they've put together a helpful Wedding Style infographic:

Feature Friday - Daydreaming with Arhaus

So, I guess I've finally hit grown-up status.  If having three kiddos and being in my thirties wasn't proof enough, I'm also right in the thick of researching mortgage options.  Woo hoo.

Don't get me wrong, I'm loving the actual path to potentially being a homeowner, but all the numbers and percentages and interest rates and underwriting fees (whatever those are!) make my head spin!  So when I was approached by Arhaus to collaborate on designing my Dream Dressing Room, I got super excited for the welcome excuse for a brain break!  One of the many factors that have come into play as we're looking at potential homes has been the amount of closet and storage space available for the 5 humans that will be residing there!  The kids' stuff might not take up too much space now (who am I kidding, there's toys everywhere), but eventually I will have TEENAGERS, one of whom's current favorite game is dress-up.  You can only guess what the future will hold there!

Of course, even if it doesn't actually ever happen, it's fun to dream of having my very own private space and dressing room to prepare for each day.  So, I turned to my trusty Pinterest for inspiration photos, and did some virtual shopping with Arhaus in the process!

OOTD - Waiting for the Weekend

If my latest Intstagram post was any indication, I'm having a hard time focusing today.  Also, can we just take a vote now and make #thursdayisthenewhumpday an official 'thing' from now on?  I don't know what it is, but Thursday is my 'let's daydream about this weekend and all the things I'll do... or bingewatch on Netflix depending on my mood' day of the week.  So, in honor of my distraction, I'll just distract ya'll with some weekend wear to prep for those oh-too-short days of the week.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/216806169542767914/

OOTD - Trending Classics

If anyone was wondering, the car business in the summertime is CRAZY!!  I've barely had time to catch my breath, much less taken the time to take any photos.  I'll try to make up for it by a two-fer of outfit posts today.  Apparently I've been subconsciously influenced by the uptick of neutral black and white fashion that's been on the radar lately (like the opening of the most recent Proenza Schouler show), and ended up going (mostly) monochromatic not once, but twice this weekend!  So it only makes sense to post both outfits together.

Outfit One:

OOTD - Style Imitating Art returns!

Good Monday Morning, everyone!  As I've been trying to post a bit more regularly, that provides more opportunities to participate in fashion challenges, like Style Imitating Art.  Jen of Librarian for Life and Style picked a painting that matched some recent thrift finds I'd picked up recently.

More information on Chagall is available on Artsy

Thrifted Pinterest - Polyvore, Take 2

Time for another IRL version of a Polyvore board!  My work schedule has left a LOT less time for scrolling through Pinterest, so I'm relying on my trusty outfit boards I've built based on stuff in my overstuffed closet.  (it's embarassing, really... like Turkey-Day-quality overstuffed.)  It's got all kinds of thrifted goodies in there, including a dress from a brand I probably *wouldn't* go out of my way to shop with normally...

Feature Friday - Warby Parker

It's Memorial Day Weekend, ya'll, or as it's more commonly known, "the un-official start of summer."  It's the weekend where we remember the sacrifices of those in the armed forces so that we can enjoy the freedom to celebrate with barbecues, shopping, swimming, and hopefully spending extra time with beloved family and friends.  It's also a great weekend for car shopping, which is why I'm rocking this awesome outfit today:

Thrifted Pinterest - According to Plan

So, I'm a little late to the party (as always!), but I finally got the Polyvore app, and have been going crazy with outfit planning since then!  I've been pinning all my creations to my Polyvore board on Pinterest, so feel free to follow along to see what outfit inspirations I'm putting together (because I know your plans all revolve around what I'm wearing at any given time, right?).

Anyways, other than adding in a jacket for the chilly mornings, I do really love the final product inspired by this board:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/216806169542491212/

OOTD - RAWR!

Simple post for today.  Basically, I took a bunch of clothes that I really like, and threw them into an outfit.  And, I must say, I like the result!

Outfit Details:
Jacket: free via clothing swap
Dress: thrifted, $12
Tights: Wal-Mart, $5
Boots; thrifted, Steve Madden, $15
Necklace: Starfish Project, $25
Grand Total: $57

Thrifted Pinterest - The Best Intentions

You remember my last post?  The one where I mentioned the crazy weather?  We got some wind too.  AND, as it turns out (and this is crazy, I know), it's almost impossible to get decent pictures in a flowy skirt on a windy day.  In fact, I can just about guarantee you won't look nearly as effortless as this:

OOTD - Indecisive

I am having the hardest time picking out clothes lately!  I think it might be the fact that last week looked a lot like this comic:

OOTD - Mad Props, Yo

I have to say, as much as I can appreciate a good car, I never expected to enjoy working at a car dealership as much as I have been!  One of the fun parts is seeing all the new inventory as it comes in, and of course I have to use anything possible as a prop in my photos!  I had a lot of fun with a couple of my work outfits, as I wandered around looking for good photo backdrops to use.  I'm just glad I have awesome co-workers that willingly help with photos when I need it!  I already get funny looks when taking photos, the last thing I'd need would be to tote around my tripod everywhere!

OOTD - Valid Excuse

Thrifted Pinterest - I Got it from Rihanna

Sometimes, certain items just call to you... Graaacceee, buyyy meeeeee, ooooooooohhhhh  That's the true story of what happened with the pearl choker I recently found at a local thrift store.  Of course, then I got it home and had to search the interwebs for some styling inspiration.  And pop princess Rihanna happened to give me a little idea for layering that I had to pick up on:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/216806169542081771/

OOTD - One Big Outtake

Some days, I love the way my outfit photos turn out.  I sit down to edit, and have trouble picking just the right photos to share.  Today, however, is NOT that day!  This is one of those "I liked this outfit, but the photos just didn't turn out like I'd hoped" type of posts!  There's so many great examples of outtake photos, like this one, the "there's something under my nails" pose:

Weekend Shopping Trip!

Well, apparently Goodwill is having a HUGE anniversary sale, and didn't tell me about it.  (RUDE)  I'm totally kidding, ya'll.  But, seriously, Big A and I were out running errands yesterday and I decided to just *stop by* Goodwill on the way home.  And then I saw this:

YA'LL!  My poor child had to follow me around as I frantically scoured the racks for these amazing 90 cent deals, as I continuously went, "okay, almost done, OH WAIT I DIDN'T LOOK AT DRESSES YET!"  Eventually, much to my oldest child's relief, I headed home with these finds:

OOTD - Double Down

What's better than one shirt?  How about two!

OOTD - Work-a-day

Today's outfit post is brought to you by: lovely co-workers who are also impromptu photographers!  I'm so happy to have found a job where I get the chance to work with 4 other lovely ladies, who have helped make the transition back into full-time so much better. I also get a better backdrop for my pictures.  Not that my apartment landing wasn't great, but it's nice to have a change!