Uniform

This is just a quick outfit post. I feel like my uniform for the summer has been skirt+top+belt= simple outfit. 

Top: Forever 21 Skirt: Forever 21 Belt: Target

What is your summer uniform?

Lexi

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

Just a random pic from our Vegas trip that my friend Ty took.

Awkward:

• Forgetting to do this post last Thursday, oops.
• Getting super into Game of Thrones now...just a little late. It's not all my fault though, I don't have cable so I rented the first season on Netflix, the only problem is now I want to watch the second season but it's not out yet! Arg.
• The little neighbor girl that walks up to me everyday when I get home from work and asks me if I want to buy something from her (flowers, drawings, whatever)...no.
• Answering the phone because you think it's someone important, but it's actually the gym salesman trying to get you to buy a gym membership. No, I don't want to pay to go to your gym, I just wanted to get the free 7 day pass ok?!!?!?

Awesome:

• Working out in a gym for free for a week.
• When I thought I bought all the ingredients to make tacos and realize I forgot to buy the shells after I start cooking the taco meat, and Jim runs to the store to get them for me.
• Having a clean house! It doesn't happen often, but when it does it's awesome.
• Getting drunk in the California Pizza Kitchen at the mall, just because you really need to be drunk to deal with mall madness.

 How are you awkward and awesome?

Lexi

Let's not be a hoochie

So in this post I told you about how I have a hard time getting rid of old clothing. This post is just another example of that. I bought this dress online when I was in college, and I've never worn it for 2 reasons:

1. It's pretty sheer and I couldn't figure out how to keep my undies from showing through it.
2. It's way too short to actually be a dress. Whoever made this forgot how to measure.

I, of course, was too lazy to return it for a refund so it has sat in my closet for years because it was about 6 inches too short. The other weekend I was looking for some fresh inspiration in my closet and BOOM it came to me!

Put leggings under the dress!

I was introduced to leggings this past winter and I love them! I thought I wasn't going to like them  because they are so tight and I didn't want it to look like I'm wearing panty hose with a shirt. I didn't ever have that problem, when I wore them with boots last winter they looked just like dark jeans. I can only wear my 3/4 length leggings this summer since it's so hot, and when I do that I just wear a loose shirt to balance it out.

Do you have a hoochie dress that you can put leggings under?

Lexi

Creatures in the garden

So I was out watering my potted plants in the front yard the other day and I saw something move..so I took a closer look.

I couldn't believe it, the tiniest frog I have ever seen in my life! I looked under the plant a little more and saw a ton of them living in this plant! I suppose it does make sense, the plan they live in is called 'Frog Moss'. A frog must have laid eggs in the moss, and since I water it often the eggs survived. 

for size reference

Now I'm obsessed with them, I check on them everyday. 

Here are some other creatures living in my garden right now.

The caterpillar thing in the last picture was eating this Silver Pony Foot, not good for my garden. Needless to say, I relocated him to my neighbor's yard. 

What creatures are in your garden?

Lexi

Oh lovely purple

I'm kind of obsessed with the color purple and I've got a ton of it in my closet, so it's easy to mix my purple items together. This is a great summer look, it's enough clothing to be able to wear to a restaurant, but not enough to keep you from being outside. Perfect for this heat going on in Texas right now.

Tee, skirt and belt: Target Wedges: Michael Kors

Checkin' out the weird plant invading my succulent 

Jim's excellent photography skills

What color is prominent in your closet?

Lexi

Spaghetti bake

I'm Italian, and I never get tired of pasta. Although this recipe isn't super authentic, it still satisfies any cravings I have. It makes a ton of food and the leftovers are delish.

Ingredients:

• Panko breadcrumbs
• Spaghetti sauce
• Jarred mushrooms (I used 2 jars b/c I love mushrooms)
• Cream cheese
• Mozzarella
• Spicy Italian sausage
• Pasta (I used spaghetti)

Directions:

• Remove the casings from the sausage and brown in a pot while you crumble it

• Once the sausage is cooked through, drain any fat out of the pot. Add the spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, and any seasonings you like (I use a blend of dried Italian spices, and garlic powder)

• While the sauce is simmering, cook the package of pasta according to it's directions. Slice the mozzarella. When the spaghetti is done, drain it then put it back in the same pot with the cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese coats each strand of spaghetti evenly.

• Rub a baking dish with a little bit of olive oil and begin layering: sauce, pasta mixture, sauce, mozzarella, then breadcrumbs. 

• Put in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, then under the broiler for 2 minutes to brown the top.

Enjoy!

Lexi

On my iPhone

At The Broken Spoke for a friend's Bday

Homemade muffin and Frito pie from Red's Porch

Gardening

Snuggle bug

Gingham and pink

Homemade mac and cheese, a future food post

Live music at House Wine

Check back soon for the recipe for that homemade mac and cheese!

Lexi

Turn something old into something new

I don't know about you, but I almost never get rid of clothes. It seems like every time I do, I end up regretting it because inevitably I get an outfit idea in my head that includes the article I just got rid of. As soon as I get rid of it, it seems I can't live without it. Because of that, I like to try to bring old things back to life and fit the current trend.

I bought this skirt at Charlotte Russe my freshman year of college, that was 8 years ago. The elastic waist isn't stretchy anymore but I love the pattern, which is why I still have it. As I've mentioned before, high waisted skirts are trending right now, and this turns into a high waisted skirt perfectly. All you need is a trendy chambray shirt and a nice belt to make it current. 

How do you update old articles of clothing?

Lexi

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

Ok lovelies, I am joining a weekly series called Awkward and Awesome Thursdays, originally started by Sydney at The Daybook Blog. 

Here goes!

Awkward: 

- Being on the phone with a work related vendor disputing a charge and stuttering uncontrollably while trying to sound stern and professional. Lame.

- Calling your boyfriend the wrong name, yep I did that one time. On our 3rd date I called him a random name on accident, I didn't even know anyone by that name! What the heck? He will never let me live that one down.

-Working in an office that is shaped like one big circle, and having to awkwardly smile and give the nod of approval at a coworker that you've seen a thousand times today already. 

- Having your car's key less remote thingy run out of batteries... and setting your car alarm off in the process. Sorry people, I'm not stealing this POS car.. it's mine I swear! 

Awesome:

- Blues on the Green, a summer concert series in Austin that is starting up soon. Love it!

- Brenda Leigh Johnson, no further explanation needed.

- Going to sleep at 9:30PM and not waking up until 7:30AM. That never happens for me. I always toss and turn, wake up to go to the bathroom, or wake up at the slightest noise.

- All the summer TV shows I love: The Bachelorette, Hell's Kitchen, and Master Chef.

- Trying a new restaurant, and it end up being amazing!

Who else is Awkward and Awesome?!?!

Lexi

Great buys

I love to shop, but I don't like to feel like I'm wasting money or being ripped off. As a result I am a pretty good bargain hunter. I do think that sometimes you get what you pay for and every now and then splurging on an investment piece can really give you more bang for your buck. Here's a great example for me, jeans. For the longest time I couldn't find a pair of jeans that fit quite right or that were super flattering, so I kept buying more and more jeans in the hopes of finding a pair that would last. I can't tell you how much money I've actually wasted in my attempt to 'save money' by purchasing a cheaply priced (and cheaply made) pair of jeans. 

Last year I decided to do an experiment and buy an expensive pair of jeans. These turned out to be the jeans of my dreams. They are the perfect length, look great with heels or flats, and don't shrink in the dryer. I've had them for over a year now and they still look as great as the day I bought them. To me, this was a great buy even though the initial investment was high, $189.00. I guess the point I'm trying to make is, sometimes it does pay off to spend a little more on the front end, but this post isn't about those types of purchases.  No, this post is about finding great deals!

Below are some items I am currently lusting over that I feel are priced pretty reasonably.

$36.99 at ShopRuche.com

$36 at Lulus.com

$52.99 at ModCloth.com

$19.80 at Forever21.com

$24.80 at Forever21.com

Aren't they all cute? You may just be seeing some of these items in future outfit posts :)

Lexi

Why don't you.....

Mix stripes and floral!

Lately I have been seeing lots of mixing and matching patterns and I love it! I think sometimes people think there can only be one patterned item in an outfit, and that's just not true! Here are some tips I use to make sure my outfit still looks put together:

1. I always make sure the two patterns are in the same color family, or at least have similar colors. 
2. I love using stripes as one of the patterns because even though it adds interest, it doesn't add too much and doesn't make the outfit too busy.

This particular outfit is actually a dress with a tee that I tied in a little bun around my waist. This is a great way to remix dresses into new outfits, and it also brings attention to the skinniest part of your waist. You could also do this with a striped button up, or striped tank top depending on how dressy or casual you want the outfit to be. If a straight up floral skirt is too much for you, do what I did and use an abstract print that is floral-ish.

Rocco photo bomb 

Also, I think I need to talk to Target about sponsoring me because literally my entire outfit is from Target, minus the shades and jewelry. That is ridiculous. 

So who is going to try wearing stripes with floral?

Lexi