Hello Sun Burn

A wise wise friend of mine told me that the first spring day should be celebrated by going outside and drawing in chalk.

I, being a nanny, had the opportunity to embrace the day and take the kids outside to draw with chalk.

Now I am a very pale skinned woman...

but I have known this fact about myself since forever.

However when I started project chalk I did not realize that the girls would become so fascinated with it that we would be out in the blazing hot, high altitude, sun for over three hours.

As a result yesterday I became horribly burned and ended up getting sick from the pain. So when I sat down to blog last night I just couldn't do it. All I wanted to do was sleep and prepare for the next day.

And I did.

But now I am back. And a little bit tan ... which is very very nice.

{Undershirt= Hollister, Sweater= thrift, Skirt= thrift}

{Shoes= Franco Sarto}

So today it was a blazing 80 degrees and after yesterday I had to change up my style a little bit to hide my burn.

So I started by adding length to my sleeves, 3/4 length was all I was willing to go in the extreme heat.

Then I went with a skirt that covered my knees but still allowed a small breeze in order to be able to let the heat out. I was still sweating but at least I was doing it in style.

I was very happy that I did this because between the maid and the men working to repair the floor the girls and I once again spent the majority of our day outside.

Anyways here is to spring and summer and to the amazing days spent in the sun that we are all about to experience!!!



"Fitting" into Spring fashion

So the votes are in and the biggest challenge you face with fashion right now is

....

Fit.

Well dont worry you are not alone.

I am 5'9'', I have a size four waste, and I wear size ten pants.
On top of that I am Mormon and I strickly believe that modest is hottest.

Needless to say I have been stuggleing with this for a very very long time.

The only answer I have for you is to find what works for you and to not buy every little thing that comes your way.

In my case it is a mix between ordering online and trying things on.

In example... my pants I often have to order online in order to get pants that are long enough.

Whereas I always have to try shirts on in order to make sure that I still have a little bit of boobs and that I have no bare middrift.


but like I said ... dont buy every little thing that comes your way!


The seceret to finding a good deal is waiting for it.
There is no shame in leaving a store empty handed. Sometimes you have to look alot before you find something that is going to fit you.


My biggest tips I have for finding the right fit is:


1. Buy a size bigger.... if you are inbetween sizes go larger instead of smaller. No one want a muffin top and even fewer people want to see your butt crack and boobs. These are why they invented belts, the glorious, fashionable, accesorie that they are.
2. Play with shapes.... no matter what your shape is I'm sure there are new cuts of clothing out there to try. When I was in high school I thought the only way I could possibly look like I had boobs was to wear a super slim cut top. However I have found that a shirt that bubbles at the top can give quite the same effect and is generally more appealing to look at too.
3. Try some color.... I am no Rainbow Brite when it comes to my clothing, but I do mix it up a lot. Red, Yellow, Blue, Purple.... I cant get enough of it. I stick by my saying that wearing green is as good as wearing a little black dress. Not to mention any color always makes you look happier then just plain black and white.
4.  Look like you... my best friend {and soon to be sister in law!!!} has a completely different body shape then me. If I were to try and pull off some of the looks that she can I would fail terribly. You kind of have to embrace what you have to work with. I am tall, so I can pull off wearing more prints at one time. I have the space and so why not embrace what I have.  Not only that but I am a girly girl, I cannot pull off the hard rocker look. Doesn't mean I dont appreciate it, it just means that it isn't me.

{Me applying my own rules today}

Well those are my tips ...
What are yours?

Saturday

So just as a general rule I am going to try not to blog on Sundays, it being the sabbath and all.

However Saturday was

So

Much

Fun

Everyone should have a Saturday like mine.

I got to spend it with my family and my best friend and

best of all we got to have an adventure.

{Saturday}

{Us while celebrating our adventure}

We just had a grand old time exploring healthy food markets, and finding incredible things to eat.

Like garlic pizza!!!

Then I came home to find my amazing fiance

{I'm going to miss calling him that but love calling him husband}

Playing with cowboy guns :/

I guess living in a redneck town is finally getting to him!

{Kyle}

{Playing with a gun and showing me how fast he can already draw!}

Needless to say Saturday was great ...

But how was your Sunday?

Anyone do anything awesome?

a home of our own

So yesterday I saw the apartment of my dreams,

and today we toured it.

And guess what!?!?

We loved it.

2 bedrooms, one bath, nice kitchen and living room.

What more could a newly married couple need?

So after some thoughtful consideration Kyle and I applied for our first apartment together.
Its not perfect, there is no dishwasher and the bathroom is a bit small.
But ... I think this could be home.

Anyways I just wanted to share a song with you all that I dedicated to Kyle this summer after he had come out to visit me and go camping with my singles branch.

Though we'll never be rich this has a nice sentiment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvMVCHhwTPs

Frifty- Friday

{Cardi- banana republic, Jeans- thrifted, Shirts- don't recall, Boots- b-day gift, Necklace- lucky brand sale}

Today was all about finding deals.

I went to three thrift stores

five apartments

three photo developing places

and one Super Burrito.

I found an incredible pair of peep-toe flats,

a JCrew shirt,

and an apartment that my fiance and I can actually afford!!!!

The things I can get done when I am not at work amaze even me sometimes.

I felt so accomplished.

I still have tons to do this weekend but getting a head start today is so going to help.

So as for my outfit today... the weather was horrible!!!!

There were these looming clouds coming over the hill from Tahoe and it was windy and cold all day.

I was honestly just really happy from my totally clean room and so I wanted to wear some colors.

My favorite color of all time is green.

{I think its almost better then a little black dress.}

But just to play it safe I did pair it with my skinny black jeans and a white undershirt.

Hope you like it.

I'd love feed back.

love

Simply put,

{I am loved.}

I am not a perfect person, I am more a person trying to be more perfect everyday.

I have been blessed to have a best friend who gets that about me.

He loves me anyways.

One thing that is imperfect about me is

my room.

But he sat with me for hours as I sorted through the mess and finally ended up with a controllable amount of junk.

I now have a clean room

a light heart

a {peaceful} mind

and some very sleepy eyes. 

I am seeing Red

So I am planning my wedding, my colors are emerald and turquoise, I picked them because I am going for a enchanted garden feel seeing as I am getting married in the Reno temple and having my reception in a meadow in Carson. I have a limited budget and so on a daily basis I am google-ing and stalking Martha Stewart and pretty much making it my business to find great deals and diy projects in order to be able to spend money on the things that truly matter.

However everywhere I look I am seeing red and loving it.

I used to think that Melody, one of my theater friends, was crazy when she wore red lips off the stage.

Now I see that she is just a genius.

Red is hard to wear if you have the wrong hue for your skin tone. So the most important thing to remember when it comes to wearing red is to find what is right for you.

I love this red jacket, why because its warm, its bright, and its everything a jacket should be. Plus this kind of red is all right for my skin.

Which makes it perfect.

Anyways I dare you to find your color red, because once you do you'll never go back because red is just one of those colors that will hook you.

Wake up call

So I have had the same alarm clock since ... my freshman year of college. For the last few years it has progressively been getting more and more unreliable.

A quality I find important in an alarm clock.

Anyways today it decided to not work at all!!! At Five Thirty, when I was supposed to be at work already my boss called to make sure I was on my way.

{I'm never late, I hate tardiness, I can always tell when I stop caring about something is when I start being late for it.}

Ah!!! I told her my alarm must not have gone off. No problem, she said, she would just tell her work she was coming late, but that I should come a.s.a.p.

Luckily i had set out my clothes the night before.

{A habit I developed when I realized that I can throw together some really odd things at four in the morning.}

So I just threw on my clothes, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, grabbed my jacket and headed for the door.

Here's a dirty secret of mine, I have a pair of jelly flats that I wear with everything.

Far too often.

I like the way they feel on my feet, I've loved jellies since I was a kid and when I found this pair for three dollars I bought them without a second thought.

Anyways when I was running to the door they were the first thing I saw and I slipped then on without second thought to the fact that I hadn't looked outside yet. The garage opened and to my dismay the there was a light frosting of snow covering my car.

I didn't change my shoes.

I didn't have time.

They might not be perfect but they were great for running late.

Paper Dolls

Do you remember doing paper dolls when you were a kid? I do. It was like my first taste of fashion. When I was a child AmericanGirl had a magazine that came out every month and in the back of each issue was a new paper doll. It wasn't long before I began looking forward to the doll more then the magazine, and not long after that I started only keeping my favorite dolls and outfits.

As I grew up I forgot about these dolls, but my mom didn't and come to find out she kept many of my old paper dolls.

This week in my life as a nanny I was actually presented with the opportunity to have the girls for a whole week. Seeing as I am not yet married I don't have kids of my own, and on long weeks like these I like to have a few tricks up my sleeve for when I am in desperate need of a way to entertain these children. Paper dolls saved my Monday.

They might be the most old fashioned toy these kids have ever seen, and at first they were more then resistant to the idea of having to spend time cutting out the dollies, clothes and accessories. Yet at this current moment I have never heard a more peaceful house, as they are cutting and sharing and critiquing the dolls.

It's funny how soon we develop a sense of what we think looks good, or cute, or pretty. These girls are only five and three, and already they know. I see it everyday as we take an hour to get dressed because they have to have everything look just right.

So next time you think to yourself, "no one will see me today, it doesn't matter what I look like, I am staying home with the kids." remember that they are taking it all in. They are learning from what you are doing, they want to be like you.

Here are some links to paper dolls you can do with your own kids.

http://marilee.us/paperdolls.html

http://www.berenstainbears.com/dressup.html

http://www.dollinsider.com/cpaperdolls.html

Boots aren't just for walking

I'm kind of on a weather kick but that's because I am sooo over all the cold. Wake up this morning and to my disappointment more snow had fallen ... again. Anyways today I wanted to remind you of the joy that are boots. Not just a winter staple, boots can be worn in any season if you find the right pair.

With that being said this is the PERFECT season to buy boots, because so many places have them on sale. even a glimmer of summer means sandals so department stores are marking down boots like crazy. Online shoes stores like DSW, Zappos, and Piperlime all have sales on their boots, however if you don't have perfect legs you might want to try before you buy.

I have always felt that I had kankels and man calves, people like myself should always try boots on before we buy them. I recently tried on a zip up pair of Ariat boots and to my dismay found that they gave my calves a muffin top. No thank you I don't need any more of those!!!

So for those of you who are like me, hit the department stores. With all their spring fashions arriving they wont have the space for many of their more wintry items, boots included. Also don't forget to hit up place like Plato's Closet, Fish, and Salvation Army, if you are okay with having to sanitize your shoes you can find amazing deals at these places.

So if your weather is as bipolar as mine, try boots. They'll keep you warm and stylish no matter where you stand.

Boot looks I am mad about

Here's a BRIGHT idea

I don't know how the weather is where you live but so far it has been a gloomy spring in Nevada. Just because the weather is gray doesn't mean you have to be, and luckily spring fashions are here to brighten up your day.

Of course I don't suggest that you go out and break the bank on these cheerful colors, however if you use these colors correctly and do a little homework these fun ideas can surely add a little spring into your step.

1. Color tights

personally I only own one pair of deep aqua, but I am totally ordering another pair. If you love skirts, shorts, dresses, or anything in which you might see your legs during the day tights can take your outfit from bland to bam easily while once again helping to add a little modesty to your wardrobe.

2. Brilliant accessories

You don't have to go crazy to have accessories that get noticed. Bows, flowers, jewels, and gems can all be added to your clothes as well as your hair for a punch of spice. With spring coming up peep toe shoes are back in and this year it is all about peep shoes with pizazz. If you are like me and you have a plain pair shoes clips can change that.

These from fink shop at etsy.com combine feathers and flowers for a look that is unforgettable. Don't forget to think outside the box. Especially when it comes to accessories.

3. Lighten up your face

 Winter might be all about the dark eye liner and the nude lip but this spring it is all about color, color, color. If you watched the Oscar's you saw a lot of red lips.

But red lips aren't the only way to bring color to your face, you might also want to try bright eye shadows, eye liners, and cheek stains. Right now Target has an amazing line called E.L.F. which has a color palette of 32 eye shadows for under five dollars, cream eye liner for three dollars and cheek stains for a dollar.

4. Nail it with nails

Last but certainly not least you can always color your nails. Every polish line has a bright colors line, so don't be afraid to go to your local beauty supplies store and pick up a color that will turn heads.

Remember the key to keeping it classy is to keep it simple, you don't have to wear every look at once. Try a head band and tights today and a decked out pair of peep toes with some highlighter green nail polish tomorrow.

Sundays are for Fashion

As I get closer and closer to becoming a married woman my need for modest clothing becomes more and more apparent. However I live in Nevada and we don't house "Sin City" for nothin. Our clothing stores don't exactly care to meet the needs of people, like myself, who want to dress modestly and still remain fashionable... so sometimes you have to get creative.

Etsy.com is a wonderful website full of crafty people who create everything from jewelery to cake toppers. If you desire it they can make it. Today after a long look at all my favorite designers (BCBG, JCrew, FreePeople, etc.) I came to the conclusion that the only way to remain sane in this struggle to be fashionable and modest was to find some skirt extenders. Etsy was there to save my day. "A Slip Shop" had amazing and beautiful solutions for every skirt and dress in my wardrobe.

Skirt extenders are basically slips with large ruffles or fabrics attached to the end of them. You can stick them under your dress or skirt and they can add the much needed length that tall girls like myself sometimes need. Needless to say if you are a good seamstress you could of course do this yourself, but for the rest of us we are thankful for the creative people who will sell us the things we need.

May is coming, but I will be modest and fierce in my same old dresses with my new skirt extenders.