What I Wore: Week Two

Let's give it another go this week.  Not sure how long I can keep this up.  It could get repetitive quickly, as I tend to repeat outfits quite often. I might have to consider just highlighting one outfit per week.

Saturday:  Saturdays mean grocery shopping for myself and the Man of the House.  I selected a pair of skinnies with the cuffs flipped for a cropped look, a white tshirt and a lightweight teal and white drapey cardigan with a hoodie.

Sunday:  I'm going to be completely honest with you.  I knew I was going to spend all afternoon working on a shop order and binging on Netflix, so I didn't even try.  I spent the day in a pair of Carolina Panthers lounge pants and a black tshirt.  Because some days are just like that.

Monday:  The day called for a casual outfit: gray jersey tunic with an open back, a bright blue tank, and jeans

Tuesday:  The temperatures really started warming up, so I selected A red peasant top to wear with some denim pedal pushers.  Nice and breezy.

Wednesday:  Another day with the super casual theme, finding me in a lightweight knit tshirt with a white flowy cardigan and my favorite Banana Republic jeans (another $4 thrift store find!)

Thursday:  A cool morning warmed up into a warm day.  Time for layers.  I wore brown flared pants, a loose coral sleeveless top.  A brown silk-blend cardigan kept me warm in the morning, and was easily removed when the day got heated.

Friday:  The day of the week when you want to be comfortable and have a little fun!  A brown flowy skirt (one of my favorites - I've had it forever!), a cream top with gathers at the neckline, and my trusty denim shirt.  

The beautiful necklace pictured with Friday's outfit was made for me by my daughter. 

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Favorite Finds Friday: A little of this, and a little of that...

Welcome to another Friday y'all!

This week really has been a total blur.  I don't think i have taken more than a few minutes at a time to look up from my yarn and crochet hook!  Because of that there was no time to plan an actual theme for this week.  As a result, you are being treated to a fun little hodge podge of things I came across in my inbox throughout the week.  

homedepot.com

I just love this succulents wreath tutorial I found in an email from  this week!  Will I ever get around to actually making it?  Probably not...  

lionbrand.com

This mug would make a fun little gift for your favorite. crocheter or knitter slash coffee lover,  wouldn't it?   All I know for sure I'd that it made me laugh!

stellacarakasi.com

I saw this sweater featured by another blogger earlier this week; and I just love everything about it - from the lightweight knit to the asymmetrical lines.  Gorgeous!

recyclart.org

I am always fascinated when I find cool glass insulators in antique stores, but I never know what in the world I would do with them.  Until now!  Something like this would be so pretty for my mantel.  I may need to pick some up the next time I find myself in an antique shop.

Next week we'll talk about some last minute ideas for Mother's Day.  

What interesting things have you seen this week?

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A Spirit of Gratitude: April 28

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

Lunch on the porch

Fresh berries

New birds at the feeder

Treating myself to Starbucks

The grandbaby playing along with Little Einstein

The Man of the House helping the grandbaby with his geode

The grandbaby wearing safety goggles

A smiling dog

Staying up late

The male offspring playing Go Fish with his nephew

Iced coffee

image: sweatpants and coffee

A text that made me laugh

Preparing for the week

The Man of the House in a tie

Hummingbirds

Bumblebees

The Man the House brought me chocolate
Having a/c to turn on when the Temps hit 80+ degrees in April
Spotting a wild turkey in the early morning
Grapes
Grandbaby kisses

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Yum!!

Our family has this unusual activity of occasionally doing different food related challenges.  Some or all members have participated in eating hot peppers, eating "gross" or unusual foods, and playing Beanboozled.  We've had evenings where we each had to pick something we had never tried before for a tasting.  And we have have done a taste test with Miracle Berry tablets, which make bitter and sour foods taste sweet.

Some people would consider us a little crazy. (No argument) I like to think of it as stepping outside our culinary comfort zone.

Because of this, my youngest sister and her family introduced us to the Universal Yums subscription box.  Each month they send a box filled with snack foods from a different country.

April was our first month and spotlighted Poland.  The snacks varied from the not so tasty (onion chips) to the "I need to find out where I can get more of this!" (dark chocolate covered gingerbread)

These yummy milk chews were a hit with everyone participating in the tasting game.   I'm still not entirely sure what they were.  Some kind of fudge?  A soft caramel?

The chocolate covered cow cookies were interesting.  The cookie itself was not much to write home about.  Just a dry, crumbly butter cookie; but the chocolate helped perk them up a little.  Because... chocolate!

Over all, the Polish treats received thumbs ups.  Some more than others. 

 I wish I had thought to take more pictures. I'll try to remember for next month - which we're pretty sure is Greece. 

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My Current Reality...

I enjoy reading these "currently" type of blog posts.  It's a nice brief glimpse into someone's everyday life.  It might even be nice to make this a regular feature.  Potentially even as a link up eventually?

Currently...

Reading: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.   And enjoying it very much!  I have been reading it on my Nook; but feel I may need to buy a print copy because here are so many quotes I want to highlight and write notes about in the margins.

Eating:  Too much junk!  It is time to step away from the sugar and processed foods and get back to a healthier eating pattern!

Working on:  trying to complete a wholesale order to ship this week.  And sneaking in a little Spring cleaning chores when I can.

Enjoying:  the Spring weather, knowing that at any moment we are going to move in to the 80+ degree weather; which is just too hot for this gal.

Anticipating: a brief trip up to Long Island with the man sometime in the next few months.  He will likely be going for a few days on business and I am hoping to tag along.

Thinking about:  whether it might be time to open a online storefront for Queen B's Busy Work outside of Etsy.  What my own site would cost, and how exactly I would initially fund that sort of venture.  Scary, but exciting, stuff!

Feeling:  a little overwhelmed by orders right now.  Have had a few stack up while trying to complete this wholesale order.  Fortunately they will be quick to complete and should only take a few days to craft and ship.

What are you up to currently?  Share in the comments.  Or, write your own Currently post and share the link!

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Sunday Inspiration: Just Enough

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What I Wore This Week

Now, let's just be honest here...  I am no fashion blogger.  Not even close.  But every now and then I get the urge to try something new and a little outside my comfort zone.  So, I hope y'all will bear with me as I give this thing a go.

Sunday:  This was the day of our hike.  I wore a pair of khakis, my "God save the queen" tshirt from Savannah Bee Company, and a denim shirt.  The weather was a big factor in my choices.  Temperatures can change in the blink of an eye during this time of year in the mountains.  The pants are lightweight and comfortable, with the added feature of tabs to be able to roll them to a cropped length if things get warm.  While the denim shirt could be removed and tied around my waist or tucked away in the backpack.

Monday:  It was expected to be another warm Spring day.  One I planned to use doing household chores and working on Etsy shop orders.  I selected a striped short-sleeved tunic with a cute zipper accent on the back from Target, paired with a black cami underneath and skinny jeans.

Tuesday: The outfit for the day was simple.  A white t shirt with a small ruffle accent at the neckline and a dark purple drapey cardigan with another pair of jeans.

Wednesday:  Lots of work to do!  So, comfort was key.  I selected a monochromatic gray tones tshirt with a fun owl print, a black 3/4 sleeve drapey cardigan (a twin to the one from Tuesday), and my 

$4-thrift-store-find Nine West jeans.

Thursday:  I forgot to take picture of the outfit this day!  Oops!  It was a blue print peasant top and a pair of gray pants.

Friday:  I needed to run errands and pick up some supplies for the shop.  I wanted to be cute, but also extra comfortable.  I wore my favorite gray maxi skirt, a white v-neck tshirt and my denim shirt (the same one from Sunday's outfit of the day)  

What did you wear this week?

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My Favorite Finds Friday: Spring Cleaning

It's April.  Which means it's time for those 2 little words which strike up a deep sense of dread in my very soul.  No,  I don't mean 'tax season'...  I'm talking about Spring Cleaning (duh duh duuuuuuh... *shudder*)

And what better way to get prepared than by spending some time browsing the interwebs for tips, tricks, and hacks to make Spring Cleaning easier.  AmIright?

Here are some of the little gems I came across and have utilized in my own (half-hearted) attempts at getting the home clean and organized.

cleanmyspace.com

If you have a question about when or how to clean just about anything - I am pretty sure cleanmyspace.com has an answer for you!  Her Ultimate Spring Cleaning Guide is no exception.  Detailed cleaning lists for each room, tips on getting started, and general cleaning tips are right here in one handy source!

budgetdumpster.com

It's called the Ridiculously Thorough Guide to Decluttering Your Home and that is pretty accurate!

Ruth over at Living Well, Spending Less has her own pretty thorough guide to Spring cleaning your kitchen.  She breaks everything down, area by area until your kitchen is sparkly, decluttered, and organized.  Which will leave you with time to sit down and enjoy her new book: Unstuffed

kidtokid.com

Once your Spring cleaning is completed, a consistent cleaning schedule can help keep it that way.  I have about 6 different versions pinned to my Cleaning and Organization board on Pinterest; but this one from KidtoKid is one of my favorites.

Have you done your Spring cleaning yet?  What are some of your favorite tips and tricks?

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A Spirit of Gratitude: April 21

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

Overhearing the male offspring in his room playing guitar and singing (he never sings in front of anyone)

New promo ideas for my shop

Pizza night

The Man of the House brought me ice cream

The grand baby weeding

A freshly tilled garden

A Sunday hike

Picnic by the river

Sitting outside to crochet

The grandbaby helping to fix dinner

Laughing until I cry

2 orders mailed out

What sounds like a full bird symphony in the morning

Bags full of yarn

Meeting my FitBit goal

New orders

Sunshiney afternoons

The grandbaby playing on his big wheel

Blossoms on the crab apple tree

A relaxing bath

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Sunday Getaway

I have been hard at work on Etsy shop business the past couple of weeks with a custom order, a few standard orders, and a wholesale order.  So, it was a welcome break on Sunday when the Man of the House and I took a few hours to head over to the Biltmore Estate for a hike.

It was a perfect Spring day.  Clear blue skies.  Temperatures in the low 70s.  A bit of a breeze.  We couldn't have asked for better weather for our walk!

We parked down by the lagoon and followed the Deer Park Trail over to the Bass Pond.  This is a very hilly trail, taking you through large meadows and provides views of the estate and the home which most visitors never see.

After pausing at the Bass Pond to enjoy the view, we walked up through the gardens - where the azaleas and tulips were putting on their best colors.

Then it was back down through the deer park to the lagoon where we finished off our beautiful hike with a stroll and a relaxing picnic by the French Broad River.

And we even got to see some baby geese.  How cute is that?

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