Five on a Friday

-one- Well I've gone and discovered LuLaRoe. Have y'all heard of this? It's a cool clothing company that sells dresses, skirts, tops and leggings. Really their style is all about bright colors, patterns (but also solids) and flowy, comfy clothing. My sister in law had a pop-up boutique and since then I've become obsessed. I love that I can throw on a Perfect Tee and a pair of leggings and it be a nice transition outfit. It's not work/church dressy but it's not yoga pants. A happy medium. And the Perfect Tee is long like a tunic so it covers everything when I wear leggings. LOVE!!

-two- I am traveling to New Orleans for a work conference in 2 weeks. I'm traveling with some coworkers that are *a bit* younger than me and much more into the nightlife scene. Being a married woman of 31, this is not really something I'm accustomed to. I don't really go out to clubs/bars and the last time I've been in one was circa 2006. :) Nevertheless my younger coworkers have expressed an interest in getting acquainted with the NOLA nightlife and it terrifies me. What do I wear? I usually wear cardigans, flats and statement necklaces but I have a feeling that really won't work in a bar in NOLA. Anyone have any advice? 

-three- I'm on the lookout for a new foundation. I was using a CC cream over the winter but I've grown to dislike it. It's doesn't have a lot of staying power. I need something that will stay on but is also gentle for my sensitive skin. Also it should be available in varying shades of pale. :) Any suggestions? What is your fave foundation?

-four- The absolute best thing is being the first person at work. It's quiet and kind of dark and I can get so much done in that period of time before everyone else gets in. Like blogging... ;)

-five- Who else is obsessed with this snapchat filter? I love it so much. I want someone to come and do this to my eyes everyday mmmkay? I could do without the lip color but the eyes are excellent.

Linking up! 

Five Things Friday

It's Friday! (Can I get an Amen?) This week has been a big old jerk. Luckily nature gives us a way to start over and it's called a weekend. Here are 5 things I'm into (or not into coincidentally) today:


-one- In case you haven't noticed, I'm really into sky photos...sunset, sunrise, clouds, etc. If it's of the sky, I have a compulsion to snap a picture. Below are a couple that I've taken this week.

-two- I'm really, really, REALLY over rule-breakers. Let me go back and start from the beginning. I'm a rule-follower. If it's a rule or a process, I do it exactly as I'm told. I loathe when people break rules or do not follow processes. It's really become an issue as of late at work because people are parking in spots they aren't supposed to. AND IT DRIVES ME CRAZY. Most of my rage from rule-breakers stems from traffic/driving actually. There's this one place that has a long right shoulder that eventually runs straight into a turn lane. I wait until it actually, officially becomes a turn lane get into it. And all the time people drive down the shoulder of the road when there is traffic and go to the turn lane, so whenever possible, I pull my car out ever so slightly over the right line just so that people cannot zoom past me on the shoulder and turn right. No sir! You may wait for your turn just like I am. Call me a jerk, but I don't care. You will not break the rules on my watch!

-three- Did you guys read about Inky the Octopus? It's a NZ octo that escaped his tank and went back into the ocean! :) Read the actual story here. But what I'm loving is all the tweets about it yesterday and today. Just search #inkytheoctopus on Twitter and enjoy!

Not Inky, but a pic of an octopus I took at an aquarium.

-four- I whipped up this little dandy for my desk at work and I love it so much I might frame it. :) And maybe frame one for my house... If you are from the Carolinas you'll get it. If not, ask me. HA! 

-five- I've blogged before about how I like to browse around on real estate websites to see how people decorate their houses, but what I've started doing as of late is finding houses for sale that are the same floorplan as mine (my house is a Portrait Home which is a fairly large homebuilder in my area) and seeing how people decorate the "problem areas" I've struggled to decorate in my own home. Like we have this weird cubby hole thingy and an oddly-set up kitchen so I like seeing how people decorate theirs. Is that strange?

Linking up! 

Five on a Friday

Happy Friday, friends!

-one- M and I are trying Blue Apron for the first time. Last night's meal was Meatball Ragout with vegetables. On deck are Fettuccine with Mushroom Bolognese and Chicken Tarzaki with Garlic-Spinach rice. There are definitely some pros to this...mainly it pushes me out of my food comfort zone. Last night I ate a dish that was 80% vegetables and loved it! The cons are the cost (around $57/week which is 3 meals for 2 people) but I wonder if it will end up balancing out in the long run with all the fresh produce and organic meats? Anyone else tried Blue Apron? So far, I'm enjoying it...they literally include everything! Oh and I ate swiss chard! I never would have tried that before.

-two- I'm participating in a cool 7 day Instagram challenge with Helene. It's the #7in7challenge and there's a different prompt each day. The first day was Spring Vibes and yesterday's was Happiness. Follow me on Instagram to see the rest of the posts.

-three- M got me some magazine subscriptions for Christmas to Better Homes & Gardens, Country Living and HGTV magazine. Bless. But now I'm in magazine overload. I barely have time to read them all and then I feel guilty if I throw them away afterward. I found a coworker who will take some but I don't know what to do with them! Anyone else have a problem throwing magazines away after you read them? I think I can recycle them right?

-four- I'm on the lookout for a pair of nude wedges for this season at work. I had to toss my old ones because they broke. I'm considering these or these.

-five- Have y'all seen those adult coloring books floating around? As an adult who has always loved and indulged in coloring, I approve of this trend. But here's my qualm...all of the designs I've seen are super intricate and detailed so you couldn't use actual crayons to color. You have to use either colored pencils or fine-tipped markers. That makes me sad. There's nothing I love more than a fresh pack of Crayola (only...don't give me that Rose Art crap) crayons and coloring away.

Linking up! 

Five on a Friday

I recently discovered two local (Charlotte) bloggers that I adore! It's fun to find local bloggers because a lot of the restaurants/activities they post about are things I could actually do. They are part of a weekly link up so I've decided to join it for the very first time. Here are their blogs: April & Caroline!

{1} I blogged last week about my venture into the world of hair extensions and let me just tell that after a month or so of wearing them almost every day, I'm hooked! I feel like a new woman! 

{2} If you follow me on Instagram you might have seen that I recently started doing 9Round kickboxing/circuit training with M. This is my second week and I'm obsessed with it. It's unlike any other workout I've ever done. I'm like intensely sweaty after a workout (which is unusual for me since I'm not a huge sweat-er) and even though there's only a small component of weight training I still feel sore the next day. Like...the good sore. I'm totally hooked!  (punching pun intended!)

{3} I am feverishly planning our trip to Banff this August. This is the first time I'll have planned a vacation with an itinerary and such. The only other time I've traveled internationally was for our honeymoon in Jamaica. I'm so excited about this trip, I can hardly stand it. I've even changed my computer desktop wallpaper to photos of Banff. Man, y'all are going to have to put up with a lot of trip talk in the coming months. #sorrynotsorry

via

{4} I just started season 6 of one of my guilty pleasure tv shows last night. I can't quit with RuPaul's Drag Race. Their costumes and makeup are amazing...

via

{5} Finally, I'm going to try my hand at this recipe this weekend: Honey Balsamic Chicken Breasts with Veggies. (but swap out asparagus with green beans) 

Linking up! 

2015: A Year in Review

Ah New Year's Eve. I've never been a big NYE partyer...heck...I've never been much of an anytime partyer. But I usually try to make an effort to stay up on NYE and I almost always (except one time) stay home. Partly because my redneck neighbors use any holiday as an excuse to shoot off big fireworks and terrorize my dog and partly because I'm a hermit. :)

This year we will continue the tradition of NYE fondue. And this time, I'll stick to the recipe and not try to omit anything. (that was disastrous)

When I think of where I was a year ago, I'm grateful for how far we've come. Our year was full of ups and downs.

Some highlights:

\\We bought our first house! And proceeded to decorate it and remodel the kitchen.
\\We celebrated our first wedding anniversary in beautiful Asheville, NC and had a spa day at the world-renowned Spa at Grove Park.
\\I became a "purse girl" and now own 4 beautiful bags.
\\I hosted my very first wine tasting and continue to learn more about wine!
\\I learned a little about myself and how I "vacation".
\\I did some wardrobe consultation work for my mom. :)
\\I turned 30!

Some not-so-highlights:

\\Exactly one year ago today, Hewitt was diagnosed with a disease called ITP. It's incurable but it can go into remission. One year ago the vet called me with his test results and urged me to take him to the emergency vet for treatment. That was one of the hardest days of my life. I remember eating  fondue and watching New Year's Rocking Eve and just crying because I thought Hewitt would be dead in a week.

Thankfully, he has responded well to his medications and treatment. He will be on medication for the rest of his life but he has a somewhat normal life now. His steroids make him retain water/fluid in his abdomen so he looks a little roly-poly but I'll take that over not having him around ANY DAY. Read more on his diagnosis and treatment here.
\\I turned 30! HEH. But really, this was a big deal to me. I was no longer "in my 20s" and it bothered me for awhile.
\\I only read 27 books this year. An extreme low point. And what's even sadder, is that I basically stopped reading books after the end of October. Other things like work, travel, travel-for-work, the holidays and family stuff ate up my time. I plan to change that for next year!

As for blog news, I'm going to keep at it for now. If any of you enjoy reading a certain type/kind of blog post here on TSF please share! Sometimes what sounds funny or like good reading in my own head...isn't.

Happy New Year to you and yours!

Read the 2014 year recap here.

Gratitude & Blogging

I'll admit I've allowed other things to consume my mind as of late. 'Tis the season, right? I've honestly been struggling with whether or not to continue blogging. I feel lately like I don't have much to share...or what I do share is uninteresting to most. I struggle with the fact that I've stayed at 300 "followers" for over a year. I tried a weekly link-up that failed. I've kind of had the wind knocked out of my sails. Blogging has sort of become less of a passion and more of a...chore? 

It sounds bad to say that. I love the blogging community. I've "met" so many awesome bloggers and love continuing to read blogs every day. But as for mine, I just feel a little...tapped out.

I just need a successful blogger to adopt me and help me grow. HAHA!

No, but really, I've just been thinking about this for awhile. I'm not making any decisions until after the holidays. The holidays are full of blog material (for me) since I love to share photos, recipes, etc. But after, I'm not sure.

This isn't a call to rally or a solicitation for praise...it's just the culmination of my thoughts over the past few weeks. I stumbled upon this quote recently and it really stuck with me:

I've always been able to identify with the first 2/3 of the quote because gratitude does make sense of the past and helps to bring peace for the present. However, I've never thought about how gratitude or a spirit of gratitude could create vision for tomorrow. 

So in the spirit of gratitude, I will post the things I'm thankful for with relation to blogging and hope for clarity and vision. 

I'm thankful for...

• The people I've "met" and the contacts I've made through blogging. Some of these people feel like old friends and seeing their posts on Instagram, FB and/or blogs really brighten my day.
• The opportunities I've received from blogging. I've been able to review awesome products and services and learn about new companies. 
• The ability to easily keep my family updated on my life. For someone that's not much of a talker, it's a great way to keep my distant family informed on my life.
• The fact that it provides me with a voice. I love writing and though I'm not the best at it, I do love having somewhere I can spill my thoughts. (so to speak)

I promise to post something a little less morose tomorrow. :)

My Dream Job

My dream job is one that I've mentioned before and the older I get the fantasy of this being my job has never diminished. 

My dream job is...

A Namer

What is a namer, you may ask? It's simply a person who gets paid to name things: streets, cosmetics, zoo animals, paint colors, fragrances, neighborhoods, board/video games, etc. If it needs a name, I want to be the naming consultant. 

All of my life, I've enjoyed naming things. My mom says that from a very young age I gave other names to normal things like washcloths. So weird. I've always loved to name things. I've named my computers, my cars, my pets...even the names of the animals on my desk calendar (which is different pictures of baby goats).

This is one of those imaginary jobs that probably doesn't exist in real life. But if I could create a job as a naming consultant, I would totally do that. The idea of theme names in neighborhood or for new cosmetic lines fills me with inspiration and when they don't have good flow...it irritates me to no end. If I were a naming consultant I could make a living being creative and logical (taking things into account like local history and topography for neighborhood naming, for example). This job would require research (which I also love doing)...so it's really a great fit for my personality as well.

That's my dream job. What's yours?? Link up below! (Link party will be open until next Wednesday!!)

My Dream Job - Join Me for a Linkup Party!

All of us have dream jobs...you know, those jobs that we probably could never actually have or wouldn't qualify for...but that we think would be the most amazing thing since peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Maybe your dream job is your current job? Maybe you love your job you are currently working in but have always thought you'd be excellent at something else in case your current job status changes? Or maybe, you had a childhood dream to be something...even something imaginary like a princess or a My Little Pony...or is that just me?

I'd love for you to stretch out your blogging fingers and join me on Thursday, March 5th to blog about your dream job. It can be your actual job, your imaginary "for fun even though it wouldn't pay the bills" job or even something that you've just always wanted to do.

Would you blog about your dream job and link up with me on Thursday? Spread the word and share it with your bloggy friends. I'd love to read about everyone's dream jobs...it will be so much fun to see how creative and interesting all of the posts are.

Will you join me? Pretty please with sprinkles and cherries and hot fudge?

Blog Search Keywords

Happy Friday, friends.

I figured it was about time for a check-in on my blog search keywords. What are blog search keywords?? Glad you asked. :) These are the words or phrases that people enter into a search engine and are linked to your blog from. So, if you typed in "blonde girls with cardigan obsessions" into Google and clicked on my link from that search, it would show up in my blog search keywords. Occasionally these make me laugh...other times they make me cringe...and sometimes...I just wonder how on EARTH someone got to my blog using that particular internet search.

 

Comments and links below:

 

1. Probably due to my LBD outfit posts.

2. I seriously have no idea. Black people relationship goals twitter?? What does that even mean? Any ideas??

3. From this post where I explained the difference between a cookout and bbq.

4. Duh. This is kind of a gimme. I'm obsessed with cardigans.

5 & 6. I appreciate that people think my fall fashion posts are for the average person and not the average runway fashionista model. This is my most recent one.

7. I'm surprised that this post continues to get hits from the ol' Internets.

8 & 10. I also am suprised at how much my Disney fashion posts continue to drive traffic to my blog.
9. No idea on this one either. I've never reviewed a side table on my blog before. Very strange.

Have you ever looked at your blog's search keywords? They are quite interesting!

Social Media Tips

I mentioned I was in Orlando last week for a work conference. The conference was all-thing social media. At my job (IRL...not blog-life) I manage our company's social media and email platforms. This conference was more like continuing education for my current job...but I learned quite a lot that I can use in my other job...aka...my blog. :) If I can benefit from some of the tips I learned, maybe you can too! You, social media mavens, you. :) Below are some of the interesting points I gleaned from my conference. Oh, if I say "brand" below, just substitute that for your blog, etc.

1. Develop a clear "voice" for your brand. Determine how you want to come across to your community or fans. Are you witty and creative? Informational and reliable? Smart? Sarcastic? (okay, I put that last one in there...)

2. Prior to a brainstorming session, it is important to preface your meeting with actual idea generation. Don't wait until the session to start thinking...think beforehand and come to the session with some ideas to explore.

3. Standardize your terminology. This is especially important if you have multiple social media vehicles like a blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. Learn to use words like "audience"  instead of followers on Twitter and likes on FB. This makes it easier to see the big picture of how your voice is heard by your audience.

4. Contests (giveaways) are king! They are great way to gather reader/audience information and build brand loyalty. They are gift that keeps on giving.

5. People want a relationship with your brand. They are tired of advertising and people are looking to cultivate more a personal relationship with your brand than what was possible before social media.

6. Engage your readers as storytellers.

7. Good conversation skills are essential.

8. A visual makes for a better, longer overall impression than just plain text. (this one is a DUH!)

9. The infographic is not dead!

10. The visual that accompanies your content is worth 80% of the "money" or "effort" spent on the entire piece. Meaning, your visual is more important than your content when it comes to getting the attention of your audience.

What other social media tips have helped you?

1,000 POSTS

Ladies and germs, today is a very special day!

What you are reading right now is my 1,000th blog post! It's hard to believe I've had that many random mind muses, that many weird outfits and that many ridiculous thoughts since I started my blog. 1,000! Craziness!

So, for my 1,000th blog post, I deemed it fitting to reminisce back on some of the best posts so far. Now, when I say "best posts" I'm being mostly objective and basing it on the number of views/comments I received from the posts, along with a couple that I just like. :)

1. My Deep Sea Fishing Experience (and why I'll never do it again)
2. Four Myths About Animal Adoption
3. How to Wear a Statement Necklace
4. Hewitt's Thoughts (Episode 1, Episode 2)
5. Why I'm Craving Bacon
6. OOTD: Unusual Inspiration (outfits inspired by football uniforms!)
7. How to Style a Tank Dress
8. Easy Cauliflower Pizza
9. How to be Stylish on a Budget (Part 1, Part 2)
10. The Chronicles of Online Dating (Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4)

{Guest Post} Mylie's Beach Day

While I'm away on my honeymoon, I've invited a few friends to write some fun guest posts for you to read. Today's post is from Kim over at A Cuppa Kim. This lady not only has one of the cutest pups in the entire world, but has literally (almost) traveled the entire world. Seriously, her travel and pup blog posts are some of my absolute favorites. Read on to see why...

Hey There Striped Flamingo Readers!

CuppaKim and Mylie here. Thanks to their mamas, Mylie and Hewitt have blog and instagram crushes on each other.  There is definitely some romance floating through the cyber air.
Mylie can't resist when April posts sassy shots of Mr. H. I'm pretty sure the feeling goes both ways, too.

The only problem is, Mylie and Hewitt are on opposite coasts. It's an East/West romance, that's for sure.

Mylie, or Smiles as she is often referred to, is a West Coast Schnoodle through and through (in fact, that was the name of her breeder). She is a born and bred California girl.

And like any good California girl, Mylie loves herself some beach time.

The other day, my sister and I decided that Mylie was long overdue for a beach adventure. We picked up sandwiches, and all hopped in the car and headed to the coast, for an extremely beautiful March day.

Mylie tugged on the leash all the way down the hill, where as soon as her paws hit the warm sand, she was jumping up trying to look in our hands and purses, for her beloved ball.

To Mylie, Beach = Fetch.

We know what the Smiles likes, so her ball was in fact in my sister's purse, but we needed to settle in before it was time to play. She could hardly contain herself. There were some serious whimpers while we set up our beach chairs.

  

This beach in particular is Mylie's favorite. And mine too. I've been going here since I was in high school. Plenty of space, gorgeous views, close to home, and most importantly, dog friendly.

This day was no exception, there were furry critters everywhere. 

So, we played fetch. 

And more fetch.

And then when we thought she was done, even more fetch.

  

And between fetches, Mylie crawls between our chairs, and finds the littlest pocket of shade to cool off in.

 

And girlfriend is covered in sand.

Head to toe. Up her nose, on her tongue, even in her eyes.

But she seems completely unphased.

She just loves the beach. Through and through.
The sights, the sounds. The seabreeze blowing through her dirty white fur.

As we drive home, and Mylie sits lazily in the back seat, you can tell she really enjoyed herself, by living up to her nickname, a big smile plastered on her face the whole drive back.

And after a beach day, everything else can seem like the worst.
Because sometimes it is.

Beach Day also = Bath day.
Smiles wont even look at me once I put her in the sink.

She is not a happy camper.

Until the bath is over.
And she gets all her shakes out.

And all is right in the world again, and we wait until the next beach adventure.

Thanks April and Hewitt for allowing me and Mylie to share one of our adventures with you and everyone over here! 

Isn't Mylie the CUTEST? Well, second cutest, of course. Hewitt loves this entire blog post so much...because it's full of pictures of his favorite West Coast girl. However, he's lacking thumbs...so he can't type any comments. Sigh. #dogproblems.

Still Here!

Friends, I am in the final countdown for my wedding. While I always want to bring you new and interesting content on this blog, I've found that I just haven't had time to blog over the last few days. I've never been so busy IN MY LIFE. 

My days are full of errands, appointments and other miscellaneous tasks and my nights are full of packing for my honeymoon and move. 

I'm SO tired! But I've made a lot of progress. For every table at the reception (candy table, milk and cookies table, cake table, man table) I've organized all necessary items (food, serve ware, etc.) into bins and boxes for easier transport and setup. I have people who have graciously agreed to help me set up (so I'm not doing most of it...which my controlling nature has a hard time with). I have cleanup people, set up people, coordinator people and then me. :) as hard as it is to NOT get in there and "do" with everyone else I know it's for the best. I will just do a little of the setup prep and then leave the rest to my team. 

2 days!!!! Mind blown. 

Today is a day for spray tan, highlights and dinner with friends who are in town for the wedding. I hope you all have a fabulous Thursday!! 

MohawkHome Giveaway Winner Announced!

Ladies and Gentlemen...

WE HAVE A WINNER!

Congratulations Laurali! You've won a MohawkHome rug valued up to $150 and up to size 5x8. I'll be in touch with you soon for info to claim your prize.

Thanks to all of you who entered!

For more information on MohawkHome, visit their website.

How to: Dress for a Modern + Casual Job Interview

I recently had a lady email me asking for some advice on what to wear to a job interview. This was different than a normal job interview because the environment was casual AND modern. She expressed her desire to look current/modern in her interview attire as well as embrace the casual nature of the job and workplace itself.

But, this is still a job interview. So, no jeans. :) [She didn't say that...I interjected it.]

So, I came up with a few options for her that (I thought) were modern and casual, yet still were appropriate for a job interview. All of the options below would work with nude heels or flats. I used navy pants in my outfits because the emailer mentioned she had a pair of navy pants she wanted to wear.

 

view on polyvore

Outfit 1 incorporates the basic interview formula (slacks + blazer + shell) but updates the colors, fits and fabrics a bit. I suggested a patterned (love the stripes!!) blazer in a cotton or ponte fabric with a little stretch. It's a bit more updated and casual fit than the traditional blazer. A pop of color in a drapey (not tucked in) shell and a statement necklace (of course) makes this look work.

Outfit 2 uses the basic white button down and slacks but softens the overall look with a colorful cardigan (think soft lines over hard edges of a traditional blazer) and a statement necklace or colorful accessory.

Outfit 3 is the most casual. This one incorporates a shawl cardigan (doesn't have buttons or a zipper) over a printed shell. The key with this outfit is looking completely put together and matching colors or shades of colors will help to do that.

Have you ever had a casual interview? To be honest, I've never had an interview where I didn't wear a suit or at least a blazer before!

Kaliwood Kontributors Week: V-Day Fashion!

Happy Monday!

I'm guest posting today over on Kali's blog to kick off her Kaliwood Kontributors week. Today's post is all about Valentine's Day wardrobe.

Click here to read the entire post! :)

Thanks y'all!

Things I Love Thursday

Let's catch up on some of my favorite things around the world and in the blogosphere this week, shall we?

 

I am totally obsessed with Audrey's outfit here. Normally I can't pull off boots very well but this makes me want to try!

 

 

I love this hedgehog. Apparently hedgehogs as pets are a thing now. Who knew?!