Life Lately...

Well, after a week containing a bit of blog drama, I'm excited to see it come to a close. However, I didn't really do a "me" post this week, so I figured I'd share some photos from this past week.

First, how about a few M shots?

I got me a cute li'l monogrammed camo cap. Never in a million years would I have thought you'd catch me wearing hunting camo...M is rubbing off on me... :) I actually won this hat from this place. 

And it wouldn't be a proper life lately post without a few photos of Hewitt...

 Hmmmm, he always looks like he's just waking up. Well, I guess he pretty much is all the time. That dog can SLEEP!

Well, are y'all ready for the weekend? I certainly am. How about a few GIFts to send you off into the weekend properly?!

 Let's do this. Happy Friday and happy weekend, y'all!

~April

How To: Accessorize Uncommon Necklines

M's sister inspired today's blog post when she asked me for advice on what type of necklace she should wear with a one-shoulder (asymmetrical) dress. It got me thinking that there are probably a lot of people who wonder the same thing...maybe not about one-shoulder neckline but perhaps about more of the unusual or uncommon necklines.

Today's post shows you what types of necklaces work to wear with certain necklines. It should probably be noted that a dainty initial necklace or monogram necklace pretty much goes with anything...so when in doubt... :)

How to wear a necklace with a high neck dress by aprilanne147 featuring pendant jewelry

The High-Neck Dress: This vintagey classic neckline is reminscent of Jackie O and a lot of 50s and 60s fashion. This style of neckline is making a huge comeback not only in dresses, but in peplum tops and other fitted tops you might see in stores. This neckline requires you go big or go small...and not really anything in between. You should definitely do this neckline with a statement necklace OR a long, pendant style necklace. It's important that the necklace hangs down at least a good 3-4 inches from the top part of the collar. Choker style necklaces don't work ever with this style.

How to wear a necklace with an asymmetrical neckline by aprilanne147 featuring a chain link necklace

One-Shoulder Dress: An asymmetrical, or one-shoulder neckline is also very big this year. I've seen this look done with a long chain necklace, but I'm not usually a fan of it unless the dress is very form-fitting and simple. Usually, this is a dress that's perfect for a statement necklace. Ideally, you want something that hangs just below your collarbones and doesn't touch or overlap the top part of the dress. Go for something with girth or weight in it to help balance out the dress. I do love a nice heavy chain with this look since it takes something that's rather girly and vamps it up a bit. 

What are your thoughts on uncommon necklines? Are there any you've had questions about? I thought about doing a layout using a cowl neck but are those more of a fall/winter thing? 

~April

Blogging Woes

Hello friends.

Can I just talk about some #firstworldproblems for a minute? I'm having some issues with Google-slash-Blogger.

1. The custom domain name I purchased "thestripedflamingoblog.com" expired (unbeknownst to me).
2. I did not realize this until after it expired, of course.
3. I'm unable to login to my Google Apps account OR Google Admin Console to update my payment info to renew it, for whatever reason.
4. To remedy this, I attempted to purchase another domain name and set it up...but am running through a whole gamut of issues syncing that up with Blogger. (of course)
5. I really would love to use my old domain name...and I doubt seriously that someone has purchased it already, right? I don't know.

I just want it to be simple. I would pay for someone to fix all of this, but Google is changing everything and basically just frustrating the crap out of users. Like me.

I kind of just want to throw in the towel. But I love blogging. I guess I'm being a primadonna, because my blog is still readable (even if by the old, no-longer-relevant blogspot address) but all my archived links don't work and THAT'S frustrating. The other frustrating part is that a lot of my traffic or whatever is tied to my thestripedflamingoblog.com url, so starting over with a new domain (or even a new blog) will cause me to lose a lot of traffic and such. I know that's so vain to say...but it makes my heart hurt a little. Sigh. I know, y'all. First world problems. But I just can't help but be frustrated with this. :(

Have any of you encountered any issues lately with Blogger/Google and custom domains or Google apps or have any of you made the switch to WordPress? What would you do in my sitch?

For right now you can use my old blogspot URL to get to my blog or this new domain name I purchased through a third party. If I have to switch everything over to it, I will, but I would love to keep my old one.


~April

In Memory

Traditionally, Memorial Day is the day we appreciate those who gave their lives for the sake of this country and for freedom. The difference between Veteran's Day and Memorial Day being one honors all who served and the other honors those that lost their lives while serving.

However, I think this Memorial Day will be celebrated a little differently. Not only will we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom, but I think we will celebrate the resilient American spirit that continues despite terrorist attacks and natural disasters. We use terrible events like the Boston Marathon attack and the Moore, Oklahoma tornado to bond more closely together as a nation. We are all Americans and Americans help Americans in times of need. Whether it be planting victory gardens or buying war bonds during World War 2, or runners running straight past the finish line in the Boston Marathon to donate blood to the victims of the bombing, we unite together under one common banner.

We may not really have the appropriate words to express our gratitude to the almost 850,000 people who have lost their lives fighting for this country's freedom. So, we simply say thanks.

~April

PS: I'm having some issues with my custom domain, so the previous address (thestripedflamingoblog.com) will not work. For now, I've published to my old blogspot address until my new custom domain works. Long story...but when it's up I'll update the links in everything.

Currently...

I stole this idea from Kaelah's blog. I loved the simplicity of this post so much that I thought I'd do it over here on TSF. :)

READING: the free books in the Amazon Kindle library and found some pretty decent ones. I will say, I've had to download and start a few ridiculous ones that I ended up deleting, but definitely some gems.

WONDERING: how much longer Hewitt can go before he needs to be groomed. I know, random, right? He's not THAT scruffy yet, but I'm thinking if the warm weather is here to stay, it should be sooner rather than later.

FEELING THANKFUL: for my family and friends. Also, for a job that is challenging at times...but mostly challenging in a good way. It's stretching me!

EATING:  a lot of green beans lately. They are some of my fave veggies...out of the 4 or 5 I'll eat. ;)

WATCHING: a whole lot of nothing lately.  I still need to watch the 1 hour Office retrospective special that aired last week. This is that time of year when there isn't a whole lot of stuff I want to watch on tv. Any summer suggestions?

WORKING ON: My body. I've been running (okay...let's call it wogging) and trying to incorporate other cardio and weight/strength training at least 4x per week. I did a cardio kickboxing routine on Tuesday night from this little redhead minx via an Exercise TV youtube video and I still can't sit down without cringing. My mom is training for a 10k...sometime in the future, so I've been running with her...even though I've not ever run a 5k. I'm up to about 20 min of non-stop jogging. That's a big deal for me...and my non-exercising self. :)

LOVING: hand-me-down clothing from mi madre. She's a pretty stylish mom who loves to shop at stores that I LOVE but usually can't afford like The Limited, Gap, Loft, etc. So far, I've received 2 tops and a sweater! Score!

ATTEMPTING: to plan a deep sea fishing excursion with M and I. I've never been deep sea fishing, but I'm willing to try it out!

WANTING: a cupcake. Always.

 [via]

OOTD: Top Perfection

Do you ever see an item of clothing and instantly have a love affair with it? Is that just me? Welp...so...that's awkward...

Heh. But, I saw this top on a coworker and literally stopped her in the middle of the hallway to ask about it. It's-the-most-perfect-shirt-in-the-history-of-shirts. Navy blue with green stripes, 3/4 sleeves, a boat neck and a ZIPPER?!?! Seriously, perfection. Also, I don't normally shop at the store I bought it from because I find it pretty expensive...however, it was on clearance AND I had a 40% off coupon. Score!

And this shirt is way versatile. I've worn it to work with a pencil skirt or dress pants and heels and also on the weekend or for more casual events with jeans and flats. I just love it. Now, I could probably "jazz" this outfit up a bit with a statement necklace and darker jeans. But I like that this look is casual "caaj" as I say it and not fussy.

Top: Loft (similar, similar)
Jeans: Old Navy 
Shoes: Payless (similar, similar)


~April

Bring Back The Buzz

Today, I don the team colors of yesteryear. Today, my hometown NBA team is expected to make an announcement many locals are excited to hear: that the team name is changing back to something it used to be in the 90s.

The team of the 90s was a huge part of the city. The city loved the team and the  team loved the city. Perhaps it had a lot to do with the fact that the 90s environment was once of acceptance for the NBA for the most part. Before we had lots of overpaid, misbehaving athletes in the league. (Well, that's just what I think.)

Anywho, today, it is expected that Charlotte will be bringing back The Buzz, the Charlotte Hornets! Not only is that exciting because the team will be back in the city it was actually named for "hornets", but it brings back one of the greatest color combinations ever in professional sports history: teal and purple. 

So I say: Bring Back The Buzz!!

PS: I also feel the need to say that my heart is saddened at the footage and photos I've seen from the Oklahoma tornado yesterday. My prayers are with all that were affected.

OOTD: Yellow and Gray

Yellow and gray are a very, VERY trendy color combination right now. For rizzle. Go to Pinterest and type in "yellow and gray" and see what kind of awesomeness comes up. It's crazy!

But yellow and gray happens to also be a fave color pairing of mine. Why? Well, for one, it always reminds me of this song, which, coincidentally, always makes my sister cry. HAHA. I think it's a nice mix of happy and sad. Yellow is muted a little with gray and gray is made a little more interesting with the addition of yellow. They are like a yin and yang. Well, sort of. Or, maybe not at all. Just in my head.

Cardigan: Old Navy
Tank: Old Navy
Pants: Target (similar, similar)
Shoes: Gift from a friend (similar, similar)
Necklace: Gift from a friend (similar)

What are your thoughts on yellow and gray?

Mini, but brief tirade: It's "gray" not "grey". It's only "grey" with an E if you're European (British) or if it's a proper noun or name. Just wanted to put that out there. Let's use gray with an A, okay? Unless you're a Brit...in which case it's grey, favourite, colour and biscuit. Okie dokie?

Linking up with Molly and Meg!
Linking up with The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday.

~April

Pinterest Copycat 2

Hi friends.

I apologize for the spottiness in posts this week...I was out of town at a conference for work. Maybe this will make up for it?!?!

I hope to do even more of these in the future. I love taking outfit inspiration from someone else and making it my own. Here, I copied this jeans and cardi jacket look. I picked up this swing cardi/cardi jacket at Target on clearance for $7!! It is a different silhouette than I normally wear but I loved the colors so much that I figured I'd at least give it a try. :)

Pinspiration Photo
Cardigan Jacket: Target (similar, similar)
Jeans: Levis
Pumps: Marshalls (similar, similar)
Tank: Old Navy

I feel like the outfit is a little plain. It needs a jazzy accessory or something, no? But, I wanted to keep with the integrity of the inspo outfit. Well, the headless lady has on a watch, but I don't do watches. I tried. I cannot pull them off. I have fat and freckled forearms so they are not quite prime real estate for a statement watch. HA!

~April

How Do You Say Goodbye?

Today is a sad day for me.

Though I risk sounding quite melodramatic, I simply must share my feelings today.

My absolute favorite tv show in the entire world is ending tonight. I have watched The Office from the beginning of Season 2 and now own almost all of the seasons on DVD. This tv show, unlike any other, has been a HUGE part of my life over the past 9 years.

I can remember watching episodes of The Office the first week or so when I'd moved to Wilmington because it provided me with something familiar when everything around me was unfamiliar. It was a quick remedy for my homesickness.

I can remember lying in bed watching episodes of The Office when I couldn't fall asleep or when I was too afraid to fall asleep during a thunderstorm. It was a source of comfort and peace.

I've watched episodes of The Office with family, friends, boyfriends, animals and coworkers.

I've seen my own life twist and turn just like the characters' lives on The Office have. As they have grown, so have I. As I have changed, so have they. My life isn't exactly like theirs, but looking back over the progression of the last 9 seasons, I can see my own life as a series of subsequent events...one action leading to another and one event producing another.

Just like my own life is scripted.

The office has been with me through many ups and downs in my life and I continue to quote from it regularly. Even to people who haven't seen it. I just explain the scene I'm quoting from until they understand.

I can't remember another television show affecting me as much as this one.

So, after tonight's finale, I know I will probably feel a sense of emptiness. I know it sounds dumb to feel like that over a fictional tv show...but I can't help it. I feel like this show is my family. These people are a part of my life. I want for this to be a real office with real people so badly!

And so, how do you say goodbye to a show that is awkward, comforting, hilarious, heart-wrenching, happy, sad and every other gamut of emotions?

Well, I guess you really can't. Goodbyes are a b.

Jim Halpert:	You're not leaving tomorrow. You're leaving today right?
Michael Scott:	Maybe.
Jim Halpert:	Wow, so that's it huh? Just, four o'clock and you are gone for good.
Michael Scott:	Why am I so sad? Am I doing the wrong thing?
Jim Halpert:	Absolutely not. It's just that sometimes... goodbyes are a bi---h.
Michael Scott:	[pulls out a recorder and speaks softly into it] T-Shirt idea, goodbyes stink.

~April

Pinterest Copycat! An Ode in Outfit Form

The other day a friend told me, "I keep up with you on Facebook, but you don't always post a lot on there. So, I usually keep up with you more on Pinterest."

Now, if that ain't tellin', I don't know what is, y'all.

But, to be fair, a lot of what I pin/repin on Pinterest are cute outfits that I feel I could replicate using what I already have in my wardrobe. Very eco-thrifty of me, right? ;) I pin a TON of cute outfits (like the one I copied today) from this blog. But I also have some other adorable pinned outfits too. You can see my fashion/style board by clicking here.

Anywho, first (or is it technically 9th??) in this Pinterest Copycat series is this gray and white striped look I pinned a few months ago...

Let me first say that I must be some sort of a sadist to put myself directly next to this toothpick-without-a-head. That's the only weird thing about that website, BTW, is the fact that none of the pics include this chick's head, but I digress... Anywho, I wanted you to see the comparison. I mean, at least I tried to stand like her...and I cut a part of my body off in the pic...but I feel like I did y'all a service by cutting off my feet instead of my head. Then there would be two headless pics in one blog post. That's just creepy.

Cardigan: Eddie Bauer (similar)
Tank: Old Navy (similar, similar)
Jeans: Levi's
Bubble Necklace: J Crew via Ebay

Happy Tuesday!

~April

Over the Weekend: Partypalooza

What do you get when you add your Dad's 60th birthday and Mother's Day into one weekend?

Partypalooza!!

Or maybe, it could be more appropriately called Foodpalooza. :) Below is a photo recap of Foodpalooza Partypalooza weekend.

I knew it was going to be a great weekend when I got home on Friday to discover that my Ipsy bag had arrived!! (P.S. if anyone wants to sign up, I've got referral links to pass around!!)

For Dad's 60th on Saturday, we started the day with pancakes (chocolate chip!!) and bacon. We decorated in yellow and green (dad's fave colors) and he got lots of cool gifts like a flag for outside, a bird feeder, a shirt and Phil Robertson's biography. Throughout the day were various other food activities like a face cake (with a childhood photo of my dad) and a dinner venture to O'Charley's (my dad's fave restaurant).

For Mother's Day on Saturday, my sister and I took my mom and dad to The Melting Pot and had a wonderful lunch. Note to self: do not eat breakfast or anything before I eat at The Melting Pot next time. There was SO MUCH FOOD.

Also, not pictured but equally as interesting: I got a lot of outfit shots done over the weekend and maybe even a fun makeup tutorial. So...you've just got to come back this week and see. :) Heh.

Linking up with Sami & Meg. :)

~April

My Mother, My Teacher

[Partial repost from last Mother's Day with a little more added. Enjoy!]

Mothers are great at teaching us lessons. We learn important stuff from our moms, most of which we only realize are useful and valid long after we grow up.

Before I wrote this post, I was reflecting on some of the lessons my mother taught me. Some of these lessons are comical, some of them are gender-specific (meaning mother to daughter) but all of them are true and have shaped my adult personality into what it now is. (whether I like it or not!)

Some things I learned from my mom.

1. Hold the things you love closely.

Now, I don't just mean teddy and blanky (as in my case in this picture) but more specifically, hold the people you love closely. Spend time with them. Learn from them. Sleep with them. (well, you get what I mean...)

2. Always respect authority.

Whether we're referring to God, the law, my parents or just my Troop Leader, my mother instilled in me a healthy respect for those who are in authority. She also imparted with me a reverent fear for God. Not that he's waiting to destroy me but that his sovereignty cannot be questioned. His ways are higher than my ways and it will always be so. Along the same lines, she taught me to respect her and my father not because they are my friends or benefactors but because they are my parents.

3. Dress to impress.

If any of you have ever had the chance to meet my mother and/or grandmothers you know that we are a line of women who are not afraid of fashion. We are also from a line of women who love to shop....a lot... and being from the southern tradition there are lots and lots of fashion dos and don'ts. I'm not ashamed to say that I still ask my mom for fashion advice quite often. Among the many fashion tips that she imparted to me are to never wear white before Easter (which I still adhere to), always wear a clean pair of panties (because you never know if you'll be in an accident) and the power that a nice swipe of lipstick has on improving one's  demeanor.

4. Revel in the small joys.

Growing up in the Carolinas, we don't get a lot of snow. When we did, everything would pretty much stop and we'd goes outside to play in it. Even if there's only about a 1/2 inch of snow, we'd layer up our clothes and go outside...with Mom inside watching us and making up some hot chocolate for when we came back in. Last Christmas we had a LOT (read 5-6 inches) of snow and even though I wasn't home with my parents during the snow, I saw pictures where they had gone out by themselves to play in it. But whether or not I'm talking about enjoying snow days, reveling in the victory of sewing my first skirt or getting a promotion, or even advocating taking a "mental health day" off from work, my mom taught me that relishing the small joys make for a life that is genuinely happy and content.

5. Red is my signature color.

No matter how much I try to debate it, my mother really is right that red is my signature color. I get more compliments wearing red than any other color and, clearly, she started me out in red at an early age.

There are so many more lessons I learned from my mom that I could write about, but I'm afraid I'd tend to be too specific at that point. I mean, not EVERYONE can benefit from my mom's advice on how I should style my hair...so I'll abstain from sharing those. But I DO hope that whether your mother is with you or not, you'll be able to reflect on how she has had an impact on your life...fashion sense and all.

Happy Mother's Day.

Fashion How Tos

Over my blog lifetime, I've felt a sort of pressing need to address many of the questions that others ask me about fashion OR that I often ask myself.

Not that anyone really cares that much about my opinion...and more just because it's quasi therapeutic for me to get things out on [virtual] paper, lest they swirl around in my head for days, I usually "blog 'em out". [My term for clearing what is in one's head by documenting it on a blog.]

Anywho, since I've gained some new readers in the last year or so, I've decided to do a compilation post on the "Fashion How To" advice I've given over time. Ready? Okay!

How to Dress a Pear Shape

How to Style a Striped Dress

How to Dress for the Holidays

How to Dress Monochromatically

How to Wear Navy Pants

How to Wear Yellow

How to Wear Leggings

How to Style Colored Pants

How NOT to Curl Your Hair

How to Wear Orange

How to Wear a Statement Necklace

How to Wear All Neutrals

How to be Stylish on a Budget

How to Wear a Chambray Shirt

So, for those of you who are long-time readers, click on the links to view the post and jog your memory...for those of you that are fairly new readers, click, read and enjoy!

Happy Thursday!

~April

Wedding Wednesday: Preppy Wedding

We have entered into wedding season across America and in my house. My sister's wedding is only 4 months away and planning has definitely begun. Pinterest has become a great friend of mine while I search for ideas for her wedding and pre-wedding activities/parties/events.

Often times, I'll stumble across some wedding ideas that may not work so much for my sister but are certainly ideas I like. So, I'll pin them to my own wedding board.

Last night I was struck by how many different kinds of wedding themes there really are. You've got boho weddings, rustic weddings, farm weddings, hippie/indie weddings, metropolitan weddings, country weddings, destination weddings, ethnic/cultural weddings, church weddings, garden weddings...and...preppy weddings.

A "preppy wedding" to me consists of navy blue and some other accent color. In this particular mood board, I chose fuschia, but I've seen them with green, yellow, gray and even purple. Stripes and clean lines keep a preppy wedding from becoming too hippie or country. Modern finishes and dress cuts also update this classic style. You probably won't see a mason jar at this wedding, but you might see a mint julep cup and peonies or english roses will probably be pretty prevalent. Some things you probably won't see at a preppy wedding are hay bales, LED lights, antiques or vintage decor or much deviation from the basic color scheme.  You'd probably see a lot of these weddings across the South/Southeast and other coastal areas in the Northeast. 

Personally, I like this theme. I'm not sure I love all of the traditional elements of a preppy wedding, but many of them are right up my alley. 

Unfortunately, my sister is completely the opposite of me with her outdoor, semi-rustic, country, earthy wedding vibe. Maybe I'll write about that next Wednesday!

~April

Top 5 Tuesday: Celebrity Girl Crushes

The topic of today's blog post was born out of a morning conversation with some coworkers. Yep, you read that right. We were discussing other celebrity girl crushes that we had. (Mind you these were all women I was speaking with.)

I guess I should first define what a girl crush is: feelings of admiration, adoration or appreciation that a girl has for another girl. This is non-sexual, it's more like veneration.

My girl crushes are my girl crushes for a variety of reasons. I'll elaborate a bit on who they are and why I'm crushing on them in today's Top 5 Tuesday post. :)

[via]

Dang that Carrie Underwood. I mean, she's blond, southern, gorgeous and has an amazing voice. Oh, and a great pair of legs too! I've hunted all over The Internets for "Carrie's Legs" workout videos. HA! Now, I've never met Ms. Carrie, but I would imagine she's just as down-to-earth as she seems.

[via]

Oh JLaw. I really like her. She seems real and humble and very hilar. Of course, she's beautiful and seems to have a great sense of style. She took a tumble while accepting an award and still played it off well with her quirky sense of humor. Case in point - the below quotes from her...

"In Hollywood, I'm obese. I'm considered a fat actress. I eat like a caveman. I'll be the only actress that doesn't have anorexia rumors! I'm never going to starve myself for a part. I'm invincible. I don't want little girls to be like, "Oh, I want to look like Katniss, so I'm going to skip dinner!"

"I'm a horrible dancer!... I'm like a dad at prom... I look like Gumby getting electrocuted."

[when asked in the Oscar Press Room, about what happened when she tripped on the stairs while accepting the award for Best Actress] "Was that on purpose? Absolutely!...What do you mean what happened? Look at my dress! I tried to walk up stairs in this dress, that's what happened. Yeah, I think I just stepped on the fabric and...they waxed the stairs."

[via]

Not only is Zooey Deschanel gorgeous, but she has an awesome fashion style. I see photos of her on tv or on The Internets and I always think she's wearing something that I'd love to wear if I had the guts to do it. I love that she's musically talented but keeps that mostly on the back burner for her wildly popular show New Girl. She's adorkable!

[via]

Emma Stone is just presh. For real. And those cute little freckles! Also, I get the feeling she is terribly sarcastic, which I love. :) This li'l lady is a natural blonde who dyed her hair red for roles. Her thoughts on being blonde:

[on her hair for her role in "The Amazing Spider-Man"] I have blonde hair now since Gwen (Stacy) has blonde hair. My hair is naturally blonde, so it's kind of nice. I look in the mirror and say, "Oh my God, it's me again, it's been so long!"

"Blondes do have more fun. But sometimes I look in the mirror and still feel like I'm wearing a wig."

And then this, just because it's hilar:
"I'm a big fan of Lauren Bacall. Maybe because everyone was smoking more heavily then, but that raspy, throaty quality seems to be much more prevalent in those '40s movies. Mine was from colic when I was a baby."

[via]

Recent antics aside, I've always thought Reese was a sassy Southern lady with killer looks and great wardrobe. I absolutely love that she can play such opposite characters as Elle Woods and June Carter Cash. She's very talented!

I hope you enjoyed reading about my girl crushes. Do you have any?

~April

Over the Weekend...

My weekend was pretty full...

I led worship for a women's conference at my church on Friday night and Saturday morning/afternoon and then finished the day by going out to dinner with my immediate family (plus M) and my sister's fiancee's family. It was a meeting of the "families"...kind of like Godfather-style...except none of us are Italian. The rest of Saturday was spent hanging out with M and watching a Lockup Raw marathon. ;) (I seriously love that show and I don't know why!!) Sunday was my relax and catch up day. Errands and laundry were followed by some homemade guac, a 2 hour nap, DIY (myself) pedicure and Ironman movie marathon.

Phew!

And, like any good blogger, I documented the entire weekend photographically.

NOT.

I totally failed in the photo department. I got exactly 4 photos, one of which wasn't mine but one I jacked from a friend's facebook page.

L - R: My friend Joe, my mom, my sister, me and my friend Kevin leading an acoustic worship set at the Women's Conference; I got the big bag of dog food this time and it weighs only 2 pounds less than Hewitt; homemade guac to celebrate Cinco De Mayo; lots and LOTS of clean laundry!

-ADDITION-

I was reminded by my sweet boyfriend that my weekend actually started with lunch on Friday, when he took me to The Cheesecake Factory. This is where I was introduced to the amazingness that is...

the Oreo Dream Extreme Cheesecake. It was chocolate cake with a layer of cheesecake (and oreos) then oreo cookie mousse with chocolate icing and more oreo crumbles. OH MY LORD.

And that's all I can comfortably put about my experience with said cheesecake. Suffice it to say, I couldn't finish the whole thing and I will be back for more!

Linking up-

~April

Hewitt's Thoughts

Hello there humans.

Hewitt, here.

Mother has relinquished control of her blog long enough to let me post some thoughts. Prepare yourselves to dive straight into the world that is Hewitt Clarence.

• My thoughts on wheels: Some of the things I hate the most are kids on wheeled things (bikes, strollers, scooters, etc.) and, yet, they are every where now that it's warm outside. I don't understand the need for these. You humans have legs (albeit only 2...thus showing your inferiority to the canine kind) so use them!
• My thoughts on compost: I don't understand why I can't eat anything out of the compost pile. It's still food. You ate some of it at some point...so why can't I? The tantalizing mixture of coffee grounds, banana peels, cantaloupe rinds and onion skins is absolutely delicious.
• My thoughts on bathing: I also don't understand why you humans bathe everyday. It's just weird. Sometimes, when Mom goes more than one day without bathing I love it. She gets right to where I think she smells good and then she goes and gets in that big water thing that comes out of the top of the tub. [Once when Mom was bathing me, this contraption accidentally came on and sprayed water all over me. It was the worst. Almost as bad as having to go outside and pee pee in the rain.]
• My thoughts on summer: It's the time of year when I'm always hot. You see, I don't sweat, so I must constantly be on the lookout for the coolest and darkest corners in the house. I love to make my summer home on the wood floor of the powder room downstairs, but laying in there doesn't give me ample view of the rest of the downstairs like some other places do. This greatly inhibits my ability to keep a secure watch on the house and compromises my centurion duties. 
• My thoughts on captivity: I despise the fact that my Mom uses a baby gate to keep me on the porch. I'm not a baby. I'm 70 in dog years! I promise I won't run away...for long.
• My thoughts on the election: I don't really know all of who ran for President...but I think there was someone named Broncobama.
• My thoughts on Mom's boyfriend: He smells of another dog and so I am inherently skeptical. However, he very obediently plays with me when I bring him my caterpillar or my goose toys so I like him for that. I do not like when he tries to give Mom a hug because it looks like he might be hurting her. I don't understand why humans show affection in this way. It's strange.
• My thoughts on peanut butter: I will always love peanut butter. 
• My thoughts on Pugs: They are quite interesting to look at, but very noisy.
• My thoughts on Labs: WAY too happy. To win a human's affection you must act like you hate them and then they will love you. This is my diabolical plan with all humans.
• My thoughts on Poodles: They are okay.

 

Well, I'm glad you let me share my thoughts with you. Maybe my Mom will let me come back and share more thoughts with you again sometime.

Love, Hewitt

Special thanks to Gus and Geege and their mom for giving me ideas for my post!

Things I Love Thursday

Happy Thursday comrades!

I'm sharing some of my latest loves this week. Enjoy!!

This week, two of my favorite bloggers posted outfits that mixed other patterns with stripes (my fave!!). Krystin mixed her stripes with florals and Tara mixed her stripes with polka dots.

There are some adorably cute illlustrations in this etsy shop, including the 52 Weeks of Dogs series.

Oh man, these pretty porch pictures are really inspiring me to do a porch makeover!

Oh, Mr. Koala! You're so silly!

I need this top in my closet for the summer. Of course, I'll also need a spray tan as this is my natural skin color. I believe the website calls this color "eggshell". BAHAHAHAHA.

Gah, I'm a sucker for pepper faces. Always.

This is a stinking awesome idea!

Meg posts awesome workout ideas on her Workout Wednesday posts. I'm digging the arm workout, for sure! | Make your own blushing bronzer using this tutorial. | Best jeans EVER for the curvy laydays. | I'll be trying this recipe very soon.

And, your weekly GIFts:

My lord, I love pugs. 

Your weekly June.

Red panda. Enough said. :) 

I don't really even like cats so much but oh, my, word!

I've had this face a lot at work lately. 

Have a wonderful Thursday, friends!

~April