Feature Friday - Smooth Moves

So, in the Ozarks today, we've had our usual routine run of unpredictable weather.  We had freezing rain craziness early in the week, and it's 60 degrees today.  While that makes for a bit of sartorial whiplash, it also gets me the most wear out of my closet.  I can wear my sweaters, boots, jeans, skirts, dresses, and sandals pretty much all in the same week!  All that also means I get to rock bare legs sooner than expected, which means taking the time to shave.

Here's the deal about my shaving habits: my legs are SENSITIVE.  Really, not shaving in the winter doesn't bother me, just because I can really only shave every other day without risking painful razor burn, no matter how suited to sensitive skin my razors or shave cream happen to be.  Because of that finickiness, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite tips and tricks I've picked up over my 3 decades of life in case any of you lovely readers run into the same issues.  Also, I'll fill you in on the details on this particular razor:

Feature Friday - Spring Cleaning

Have you been going back and forth to your closet lately, staring longingly at your spring-y skirts and short sleeved tops?  Because I have.  I push aside the packed-in fabrics, and count down the days (and check my weather app) until I can work those pieces into my daily rotation.

This is also the time of year I start inventorying just what pieces need to be let go of, in order to clear out some closet space!  Whether they end up in my Poshmark closet, donated to my favorite local thrift store, or set aside for a future clothing swap with friends, there's certain pieces that ended up in my home that just don't get enough wear to justify keeping them.  So, the closet cleanse begins!

Feature Friday - DIY Fall Decorations

If you haven't noticed, I've been finding a lot of blog content from the archives to share lately! Today's Feature Friday post is no different. I had the chance to collaborate with Ashley from BlogFrog, and then the holidays and life got in the way. So, ya'll get the bonus of some great Fall ideas to file away for next year! Don't forget to bookmark or pin this for later, I'm sure it will come in very handy in the future, since, you know, the seasons DO repeat themselves! Enjoy!Fall is one of the most beautiful times of the year. But, with the cooler temperatures, people often start crafting the winter decorations. We challenge you to change that this year. There are a lot of fun, fall crafts that you can display from late August until the holiday season. 

Supplies

One of the best things about fall projects is the endless supplies of materials available. You see, a fall wreath, bird feeder, herb garden, or garland can be almost any color. You will use a lot of orange and brown, but you also can use any shade of yellow, beige, tan, and hues of green. Your accessories can be made from buttons, ribbon, strips of cloth, straw, and just about anything. 

In one or two trips to the thrift store, you can collect enough handmade frames, old but interesting shirts, and any odd and end item you can think of for the kitchen. 

Below we will make a fall chalk wreath. You can buy a roll of chalkboard contact paper and any frame, tray, or board can instantly be your base.

DIY Fall Wreath

We will begin with a simple craft project. Make a chalkboard fall wreath for your home with just a few supplies. You can read more about the markers here. 

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}

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!).

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!

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: