One foggy morning

dress- Thrifted,     belt- Forever21,     sandals- Thrifted,     earrings- Gifted

Last week, I think it was Thursday, I woke up, looked out my window and saw fog.  I immediately knew what I needed to do.  I quickly got dressed, put my hair up, grabbed my camera and tripod, and ran outside.  I was pretty excited to say the least.  It was so pretty that morning and the fog was like the icing on the cake.  I think I've decided that I need to take more photos in the morning; the lighting is just right and a nice change from the usual golden hour...

On another note: this dress!  Okay, so about a month ago my mom, sister, and I went to a thrift that was having a 50% off sale.  Clothes from thrift stores are already cheap, but then add 50% off on top of that- SCORE! When I came across this dress, I knew it was a keeper.  The color, the material, the buttons... pretty much everything about it I fell in love with...  I had been looking and wanting a more casual dress, so I was pretty thrilled when I found it, and I think I got this dress for about $4, double score!  Okay, I will stop now... about the dress at least...

On another note: I started back to school this week, *sarcastic voice* exciting right?  It actually hasn't been that bad, but I'm still adjusting back to school life.  Oh, and I'm defiantly not liking this whole "getting up early" thing.  

Happy weekend!  Yes, I'm happy about it. *smile*   

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The new normal + links

cami- Kohl's,    plaid shirt- H&M,    shorts- Kohl's,    shoes- garage sale,    hairband- gifted,    sunglasses- Banana Republic

Yesterday-my brother left for college.  Today-my sister and her family leave for Germany.  I'm in a sudden state of transition.  I'm trying to find a new normal.  Before, my normal was playing with Sebastian and Bruno (my sister's kids), watching movies till 12pm with Mary, listening to music with Isaac, and teasing him about his, um, eclectic style.... haha. I'm starting school next week, but in my "spare time" I'm going to start concentrating on sharing my creativity side on this blog.  I have decided that I want this special place to be an outlet, an outlet where I can display my interests and passions.  More recipes, photos, and style related posts. Oh, and there might just be a whole week dedicated to all things Fall coming up...  

Now a few links for you today....

For us shorties

Saying "yes" or "no" to an article of clothing

Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake, yum!

LOL

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Milkmaid Braids

My sister, Mary, a while back posted on my Facebook telling me that I just had to try this hairstyle... Milkmaid braids.  She sent me a link to the tutorial and it was so amazing and made the hairstyle look so simple that, I decided that I really did need to try it.  Well, I tried it, and loved it, and still love it.  This hairstyle is very simple and can easily be mastered with a little practice.  I highly recommend you try it out for yourself, and don't forget to tell me what you thought of it in the comments below!...  So, check out my milkmaid braids, then click HERE for the tutorial I used (the tutorial has tons of GIFs, which I kind of love).

photo credit- Charlotte

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The Sophisticated Twists Hair Tutorial

Way way back, I posted this and got a lot of compliments on my hair and people asking me to do a tutorial on it.  I thought it might be fun to do a tutorial on the hairstyle but time passed, and I forgot about the tutorial and the hairstyle, until I was looking on my "hair" board on Pinterest.  I had pinned the picture of my hair from the post a while ago and came across it last week.  I was thinking to myself, "Oh, yeah, I really liked that hairstyle, why haven't I done it lately?"  I tried it, added a braid, and I've been wearing my hair like this a lot lately.  It is so easy and fast, but looks nice and like you spend a lot of time on your hair (even though you really didn't).  This hair style is also really versatile,  it could look great messier to give it a little bit more of a casual look, or you can make the twists tighter to give it a more structured and dressier look.  When I asked one of my sisters what she thought of my hairstyle, she said it looked "romantic"...  That's not what I was really going for, but I'll take it...  (If you have any questions, please ask them in the comment section below!)

You will need:
bobby pins
plastic hair tie

Section off your bangs from the rest of you hair, twist, and loosely bobby pin them back.  Randomly take chunks of your hair and loosely twist and bobby pin them back and in place.  When you reach to your ears, stop twisting on one side, but continue to make a couple more twists on the other side to bring the rest of your hair to one side.  Loosely braid the rest of the hair and secure with a plastic hair tie.

You can see my last hair tutorial here.

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Hair Accesories

Hair accessories, perfect to dress up a messy bun, a boring pony tail, or just to bring something special and new to your outfit.  I'm especially a fan of the large burettes, I love how simple and classic they look.  Oh, and don't forget the amazing turbans out there!  I have personally never tried a turban, but I love the look that they give.  Hopefully someday soon I'll try this tutorial out for them.  I would love to build up a small collection of unique hair accessories, so I'm keeping my eyes open for any little treasures. *smile*

What are your thoughts on hair accessories?  Do you have any favorites?  

P.S.  I convinced my sister-in-law to make a blog *fulfillment*.  Check it out, Home on Spring Street.

1(on Etsy).2.3(tutorial).

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Silk Scarves

I recently came across this Etsy shop that sold these beautiful handmade silk scarves.  I'm a big scarf person so when I saw these, I fell in love.  I love all of the color combinations and how intricate they all look. Scarves are not all that the shop sells though, there are tons more little treasures that you'll have to check out for yourself. Enjoy!

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Twisted Up-Do Hair Tutorial

Hey everyone!  I know, I know, it has been a really long time since I last posted, but I have some more posts in the works so bare with me. :)

This hairstyle is one of my new favorites.  I'm that kind of girl who loves a complicated looking hairstyle that only take minutes to do, and this is defiantly one of those kind of hairstyles.  After a few practice runs, I could do it in just a few minutes.  Yes, thats what I like!  Another thing that I love about this hairstyle, is how it is so versatile.  It can be made to look a bit messier and laid back or it can be made to look polished and very dressy.  To sum it all up, this is the perfect hair style for anyone who wants a quick up-do, but is tired of the standard ponytail. 

What you will need:  Hands and a few bobby pins.

1. Separate your hair into two pieces where you want your bun to be.  

2. Take one section of your hair and starting at the top, take a smaller piece of hair and twist, then gather some more hair, and twist and gather, ect.  While you do this, try to twist your hair as tight as possible, and depending on how short your layers are, you might have to bobby pin some loose hair back as you work your way down.

3. Continue to twist you hair until you reach the end.

4. Twist the other piece of hair just as I described to you in step 2.  

5. Begin twisting the two pieces of twisted hair together and around each other (there is a lot of twisting going on, if you haven't already noticed...) to form a bun.

6. Secure with bobby pins.  I only need 3 or 4 for my bun.

Voila! There is your twisted up-do!  If you have any questions, please ask!

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Spring and dresses just go together

First off, sorry for not posting in a while.  I've been really busy and lacking a bit in the inspiration department lately.

Okay, so spring is here, yay!  I love spring, everything about it.  The finishing school part, the flowers blooming part, the warm weather part, and the dress part!  Yes, this is the time of year that I always swoon over spring/summer dresses.   We have a lot of weddings and my brother and sister's graduations this spring and summer, so I've been looking out for a cute dress to add to my closet.  I, of course, I wanted to share some of my finds!  I love all of these dresses below; I think they are just so pretty and look really comfortable, (which is a must for me).

What do you love most about spring?  Do you wear a lot of dresses in the spring/summer time?

P.S.  I hope you have a wonderful Easter!  

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Pinspiration

A few pins from Pinterest that have pinspired (pin-spired) me lately...

1. Thanking, my sister for revealing this recipe to me.
2. Loving, these blue matching quilts.
3. Admiring, this lovely picture of Julie Andrews.
4. Adoring, these bright spring colors.
5. Liking, top knots.
6. Wanting, to make extracts.


post idea via here

Leave a link to your pinterest, so I can check out what's been pinspiring you lately!

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Penguin Classics

I've always thought that the look of a book is very important.  If it is going to be in your hands and sit on your bookshelf it might as well look pretty, right?  Right!  I love these clothbound hardcover Penguin Classics.  They are so beautiful and are really nice quality.  I have the Penguin Classic books, Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion and love them.  Each book has an unique patterned and colored cover.  The books above are just a few of them.  There are a lot over here.  Also, Anthropologie has some very pretty ones as well!  Check them out, they would make any book lover friend a wonderful birthday present!


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Over The Weekend Happenings and Looking Forward to DC

sweater- Forever 21,   jeans- Goodwill,   boots- gifted,   earrings- gifted,   headband- Target

The weekend is over and it was a good one.  On Friday night my brother, Isaac, had his last home game.  It was a game that determined if they won in their league or not, and they did... win in their league, that is.  It was fun.  Of course, the night that they took a team picture and cut the net, was the night that I forgot to take my camera.  I'm still a little mad at myself for that... oh, well.  My sister, Rebekah, came down for the weekend from Michigan and was able to come to the game.  Then on Saturday, my sister-in-law had one of her three baby showers.  We went and played games, ate food, and watched Jordan open her the baby's gifts.  Out of the bags came little hats with antlers, little blue onsies that were so small you didn't see how a baby could fit in them, and blankets so soft that you wanted to cuddle up with them.  Sunday was a quiet day and was spent everyone together before Rebekah had to leave later in the day.  Oh, and at 9 o'clock precisely, I ran up to my room to watch Downton Abbey, of course!

Now that the weekend is over, it is time to get into strict school mode for the next couple days.  I need to get a lot done because of the days that I'm going to miss because of my trip.  Yes, I leave this Thursday for DC!  I am super excited.  I have never been to DC... unless you count looking at it through an airport window.  It's going to be a busy trip jam packed with sightseeing.  It is also nice to be having my brother and sister-in-law going along.  Let's just hope Jordan doesn't go into labour in the White House...  That has been my little joke, but I don't think Jordan thinks it's very funny though...  Hopefully when I get back I'll have a lot of pictures to show and stories to tell. :)  Well, I need to do school.... yay... not...

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Look A Like Outfit

How was your weekend?  Mine consisted of getting sick, and with getting sick came lots and lots of movies and lots and lots of orange eating.  Did you watch Downton Abbey last night?  It has become my mom and I's Sunday night tradition.  My dad joins in every once in a while, but some how always ends up asleep, I guess Downton Abbey doesn't excite him very much...  Today I've managed to be completely lazy and consume lots of 7up and orange juice, and 4 or five cookies (yeah, I eat too much).  I like to compare myself to Ethel on I Love Lucy...  She shares my love for food.

I found the image below a while back and fell in love with the outfit.  First off, any outfit with a denim shirt is just amazing, and pink capris? Come on, it can't get much better than that.  So anyways, I decided to make an inexpensive replica of the outfit to share with you.  I was pretty happy with how close I could get the outfits to "look a like".  I don't know about you, but that denim shirt is going on my birthday wish list. :)  Enjoy!

P.S. 9 days till I leave for DC!
P.P.S. More snow on the ground!

via here

Denim shirt/Tee-shirt/Capris/Sandals/Nail polish

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Wintery // What I Wore

 sweater- hand-me-down but originally from American Eagle,   cami- Kohl's,  jeans- Goodwill,  boots- hand-me-down,  earrings- were my grandma's.

What do you think of my super cool snowman earrings?

Yellow! (my version of "hello")  I know it has been so long since I've done an outfit post, but every time I would dress up I would also be running super late... so I didn't have time.  Most of you know that I went to visit my sister a couple of weeks ago, well, she loaded me up with some  new clothes!  My sweater and boots are both from her. 

 People, it is co-o-o-ld outside.  Practically all of my family and I went to my brother's football game last night.  I thought I was prepared for the stinging cold weather, but I wasn't... Even with leggings under my jeans, three shirts, a super cozy coat, a hat borrowed from my brother (Isaac), and gloves... I was still cold! So anyway, Isaac's football team is in the final four in state!  There is a very good chance that they could win state, which would just be kinda cool... just kinda.   My oldest sister came home in time for the game last night and will be home for the next week.  

Tomorrow marks the beginning of many Thanksgiving feasts.  Yes to my mom's famous sweet potato casserole, turkey, and lots of rolls... Mmmm!  I hope you all have a simply lovely and yummy Thanksgiving!   

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What I wore // It's c-cold

headband: gifted,    earrings: forever 21,    sweater: hand-me-down,    scarf: gifted,    skirt: Plato's Closet    shoes: thrifted

This is the outfit that I wore to church on Sunday.  It was freezing outside, like 45 degrees freezing!  I might look fine in these pictures, but in between pictures I had my arms wrapped around myself trying to stay "semi" warm.  I'm surprised I don't look like Rudolf the red nosed randier in these pictures!

Later that night, my cousin's baby had his second birthday party.  There, I ate way to many Cheetos...  RANDOM FACT: I'm the youngest cousin on both sides of my family.

This scarf, it's my favorite (oh, I have an obsession with scarves also...).  Thanks Jordan for one of the best Christmas presents!  It is soft, light, and really long so... I can wrap it multiple times around my neck. :) Pin It

Leggings: Yea or nay?

I personally like leggings.  I think they look really cute with a long sweater or dress.  They are a way to bring color and design to an outfit.  For me, since I don't like wearing tights, I wear leggings a lot in the winter.  They are so warm and comfortable!  I know some of you may think the watermelon pair is ugly, but I actually like them.  Having the guts to where them in public, now that would be the hard part for me...

The second pair is a DIY from Martha Stewart.  So, if you are interested, check it out!

What do you think?  Are you a fan of leggings?


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Messy bun tutorial!

Hey-o!  Here is the tutorial, finally!

A messy bun is my goto hairstyle.  Whenever I'm having a bad hair day or if I'm running too late to do anything else, this is what I do.  This hairstyle takes me about 3 to 5 minutes and I just love the look of it.  When I first started doing messy buns... they were awful, but practice does make perfect.  So, don't feel that you can't do this, you can, it just takes some practice!

One thing while doing messy buns, is sometimes they look more like buns than messy buns.  To try to stay away from them just being a bun, don't make them too tight, and don't be too picky about loose ends and weird clumps.  Those loose ends and weird clumps are what make the messy buns!

Also, I find if you have straightened your hair before doing this, it doesn't work that great, it just looks spiky.  Trust me...

I hope you find this tutorial helpful, and if you have any questions, just ask. :)

MESSY BUN TUTORIAL

You will need:
hair band (if you have thick hair like me, you should you use a thick one, so the messy bun isn't sagging down)
bobby pins  (You should not need to use any bobby pins for the bun, but if you need them for your bangs ect.)

Step One:  Pull your hair up with your hands to where you want your bun, I prefer mine at the crown of my head.  Now take your hair band and messily make a bun.
Step Two:  Gently tease your "bun" to get all the hair that is about to come out, out.  Don't over due it though to where you have no bun left.  It should look something like this...

Step Three:  Now, take pieces of that loose hair and twist them, then wrap them around the bun.  Then when you wrap it around, tuck the hair under the hair band, which should be hidden under the bun. It is okay if little ends are showing though, it makes the bun more "messy"!

There you have it! Your messy bun!

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What I wore // to a wedding + links

dress: hand-me-down, cardigan: Jcrew, heels:  Jcpenny's, earrings: they were my grandma's

Hello, hello!!  First of all, I would like to say that I'm sorry for not posting much last month, more like the whole summer. I am hoping in the next month or two that I will be able to begin posting more, and hopefully in the next month I will be able to get my new blog design up!  I have been thinking for a while of changing my name, but I have decided against that, so just a new design...

I'm really excited for the posts to come, I'm going to have... a messy bun tutorial, my sister and brother's senior pictures, and probably a recipe... :)  Yes, I'm doing my siblings' senior pictures!!  I'm super duper excited about it!  I think I'm going to begin doing them on Saturday.  My brother wants his pictures to be very extravagant, so I'm trying to get my creative juices flowing...  (eeks!) Oh, and go check out this girl's outfit!  Cardigans... the best!



and now to the links....

fish tail braid how-to

heart pocket dress

this bird print

cookies and cream popcorn recipe

beautiful seascape 

polka dot sweater?  ah... yeah!

coral loafers

Good night and have a lovely weekend!!!!
Joanna Pin It