Another Boring Wardrobe Post

Dress: Old Navy, Scarf: H&M, Watch: Citizen

Cat: Grumpy.

What I wish I wore Wednesday:

via Polyvore

Speaking of Wednesday's (you all remember Wednesday on my side of town is Wedding Wednesday), we've got a special day coming up! Sunday marks two years of marital bliss in the R. Simple Household. This year, I don't have time to recap the day in a whole week (in fact, I just realized I leave in less than 48 hours to go to Fort Worth). So instead... check it.

The Proposal

The Party

The Ceremony

The Reception

The Honeymoon

Now for the obligatory stuffing my advice down your throat (I don't care if you're already married). With a job like mine, and a big, giant wedding binder like mine, and a Brides subscription for 12 years like mine, it is SO easy to get caught up in the details. In the perfect wedding. And ours was perfect. But I have two pieces of advice for the brides and grooms to be.

1. Hire a cinematographer. Just do it. You'll be so happy you did. I didn't hire one, and it's my only regret.

2. Go on a gooooooood honeymoon. I know so many people who didn't get to go on one (thank you Air Force), but it was so much more amazing, so much more relaxing, and SO much more necessary than I thought it was going to be. WELL worth it. I would even say skimp on the wedding as much as you have to to get a good honeymoon.

Now I've got to go pack! What's your advice to the newly engaged, you old married ladies?

TGI Fabulous Friday!

It's the end of the week, and I've wrapped up my Little Black Book features on the blog, so now it's time to share them with you! Have a fantastic weekend! xoxox

From Robert and Kathleen Photographers via Style Me Pretty

11 Pretty, perfect parties in:

Jakarta, Virginia,  California, Washington, North Carolina, Los Angeles, Jamaica, Dallas, Colorado, Arkansas, + Long Island

Homemade.

 

I made that bracelet out of the string that comes in a sweatshirt hood.

xo, Happy Thursday!

My Wardrobe is Blue.

Last week, a friend of J's made a comment to my lovely husband about my wardrobe. He had noticed that all I wear is navy blue and white. And it got me to thinking... if a man has noticed this is all I wear, it might be pretty close to par. Men don't notice these kinds of things, especially when they are not your husband (who gets asked a million times a day if "this outfit works.").

So I decided to evoke my 8th grade science skills and preform an experiment, the hypothesis being "Mallory only ever wears blue and white."

In order to make things fair, I decided that during this time, I would wear only outfits I wear on a semi-normal basis. Only clothing that I love. My favorite outfits, if you will.

Well, the results were shocking. Take a look.

  

This what what I was wearing that first day.

Navy Blue & White striped shirt, Ross.

Navy Blue sweater, Express.

Eastern Michigan University sweatshirt, EMU.

Blue and white lettering on the sweatshirt.

EMU's colors are green and white.

Blue and white blouse, Old Navy.

Black sweater, Target.

White Shirt, Old Navy.

Blue and white scarf, H&M.

Bracelet, handmade.

White fleece, Sports Authority.

Blue shirt, Old Navy.

White and grey sweater, Gap.

Necklace, gift.

So as you can see, I'm very comfortable adding grey or black into the mix... but yes! All I wear is navy blue and white! I'm assuming you are shocked right now. Shocked beyond belief.

Anyone else have such a predictable wardrobe? I guess the bright side is that I know what I like...

Clutching my Clutch.

Walking home from work the other day, I was very frustrated trying to find my keys. Too many pockets, too big of a purse. And it was heavy. My purse becomes J's storage container often times. I was very frustrated.

This frustration lead to an epiphany. Why not make a clutch? One pocket. Small. Compact and light. And so I forgot about anything else I had planned for the afternoon (and I had a lot planned. Fun stuff, like thrifting and stopping by Hobby Lobby.) and ran to my scrap fabric bag.

I cut, ironed and sewed, and talked to my sister on the phone. And after thirty minutes, I had succeed.

The flowers were a previous project, that I ended up hot gluing to the clutch to complete it. It was, quite possibly, one of the easiest projects I've ever done. In hindsight, there are always things that I would do differently. And maybe I'll make another one day. But It works. And it only has one pocket. And it's small enough, that it can't be too heavy. It can't be used as a storage compartment by husbands. It holds a wallet, a phone, gum, chapstick, and a Hobby Lobby coupon. I love it.

Are you in on this downsize? Or are you a large bag kinda person? I love it, and for now, this small clutch is all I need. What do you think about the flowers? Also, does anyone recognize this fabric?? Yes, My name is Mallory, and I am a navy and white stripe-aholic.

Thankful.

After days like yesterday, where we had a dinner for 12, for four, I am thankful for stretchy yoga pants.

I am thankful for a husband who rolls his eyes when I complain about those jeans making me "look wide."

I am thankful for family who misses us, and loves us still, even if we are not able to make it to where they are for the holidays.

I am thankful for great friends, who have become our "family away from family," who have become the people I go to for advice (or just to hear I'm not alone), who have become the people we can't stand to miss.

I am thankful for a 80 pound puppy, and a big fat cat.

I am thankful that hair grows.

I am thankful for my feet. And the muscles in my legs. And the ability to run 26.1 miles.

I am thankful for snow. Even if we don't have any. I'm thankful that someone, somewhere is experiencing snow.

I am thankful for Pottery Barn.

I am thankful for Ana White for teaching me how to knock off Pottery Barn.

I am thankful for blogs, because how else would I waste spend my time?

I am thankful for babies, and thankful that I don't have any. Yet.

I am thankful for Santa.

I am thankful for navy blue and white stripes.

I am thankful for the USAF.

I am thankful for food on my table, a roof over my head, and clothes on my body. And a Camelbak full of fresh water.

I am thankful for Harry Potter. And J.K. Rowling.

I am thankful for Colorado.

I am thankful for Lost.

And Sarah Richardson.

Source

One thing I am not thankful for: my camera eating my memory card. You'll have to wait to see our Thanksgiving table until I can figure out how to get it out.

A Juicy, Juicy Post.

Are you lacking luster in your life? Need a juicier end to your day? Where's the beef??

I've been asking myself this as I've been looking back on the last few weeks of posts. Where did the sparkle go? Where is the substance? Where's the beef???

Don't you worry, you blog reader, you. We're bringing it back. Ending our vegetarian posts. Beefing up the blog again. Stay tuned for more DIY, home decor, and cows to come. Cows... get it? Beef? No?

To start back on posts which will sustain you until breakfast, I would like to introduce to you a quick, simple, free and fabulous DIY project, because those are always the best kind, and you know it.

Quick: Took me less than 5 minutes.

Simple: A few snips, a little tape, and some eyeballing the levelity (yes, I just said levelity) of the project.

Free: Frame that has been collecting dog hair in the guest room + brown wrapping paper (my favorite kind) + a sample of wallpaper I ordered (fo free) a year ago.

Fabulous:

So? We all remember (and if you don't just check it out here) the dilemma of the wall above the couch. To mirror or not to mirror? To transfer the boys, or to leave them be? Simplicity is key? Cozy lamp and side table?

Or... more stripes! It's so simple and perfect, I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier. Stripes, love of my life, there is always room for more of you.

Whats the verdict? Too stripey (too bad)? Enough with the navy and white? Too big/small for the space? Or maybe you love it? Anyone else have ideas for cheap/free & fabulous DIY art? Let us know!

Shedding Some Light on the Situation.

Not this situation.

photo courtesy of thedeliverybag.com

I'm kind of embarrassed that I know of that Situation.

Anyway, the situation we are shedding light on today is this:



Our bedroom. And more importantly, this:





(Yes, I did get that phone for free, thankyouverymuch.)

That was a lamp I got at ARC a while ago. Why did I buy that thing, you ask? Well because I just simply loved the lovely shade of burple (blue/purple/barf) and the way it highlighted the brassy gold base so well.

Psych. I bought it because it had a twin brother (same wonderful color and all) and it was half off. Of $3. Yes, it was $1.50.

As you might have caught on up there, I did not like the color. It felt dated, dirty, and cheap. Maybe because it was dated, dirty, and cheap. One will never know. But what one does know, is that these lamp brothers really get along with my good friend Mr. Rustoleum.

I got me some Air Force blue spray paint (I was going for navy, but the color turned out a little lighter than the original plan, which I actually like because now it is very close to "Air Force Blue.") and sprayed the heck out of these guys. And then fell in love with two more Air Force men. Because after a change of clothes, these boys were men.

Now, you may be able to guess that if I buy cheap lamps, I will hold out for cheap shades. I was not okay with buying a shade that cost 12 times the price of the lamp. So when I came across two matching, textured, white shades at Ross (but originally from Target) for $3 each, I just had to bring them home. And as luck would have it, they worked just fine with those amazing Air Force Blue lamps.





I feel like an adult. I have bedside table lamps. And they match. Forget that I only spent $12 on both lamps combined, I can read in bed. If I can stay awake that late.



So, what do you think? I personally love them. Have you ever painted lamps? Considering doing it now? I'm telling you, its the way to go if you want cheap but beautiful lamps. Also, what do you think about the Air Force Blue? I think J will love it. And it works on an Air Force base.

I am the Striped Lady.

I had to fight Genevieve Gorder long and hard for the title, but I won. I am the striped lady.

I love stripes. I can't get enough of them. I'm absolutely, positively wild about stripes. Stripes, stripes stripes.

If you say it enough, it sounds (and looks) like a made up word.

I got this fabric on sale for $3 a yard at Ikea. There were only about 2 and a half yards left, but I snagged it up.



I wish I had more. It's stripes. And its white. And navy blue. Can you get anymore perfect? Maybe Taylor Lautner my husband can, but in a fabric, I don't think so. I have made two pillows...



A table runner...





And an apron with this fabric.





(Did your eagle eyes catch a project worthy of revealing later this week? It's in there somewhere...)

I have definitely stretched my 2.5 yards pretty nicely, but I'll tell you this. I'm not throwing away even a scrap of this fabric. I can make flowers or something with it. I know I can.

Oh and ps, these projects were super easy. The pillows? Our couch came with these ugly babies:



I hated them. I always kept their backside facing out. It was the exact same fabric of our couch. It was boring. But it was better than the front side. But with my sewing machine, awesome stripey fabric, and 10 minutes, I covered them up. Easiest job in the world.

And the table runner? Yes, it has a seam down the middle of it, I know. I didn't have a piece long enough for the table. And since I had to sew that seam down the middle, the project took me all of 7 minutes, instead of 5.

As for the apron, that baby took me about 20 minutes. I love it. I can't stop wearing it. Making spaghetti? Apron time. Making asparagus? Apron time. Making cereal? Well, maybe not apron time. Yet. I didn't have a pattern for the apron, I basically cut it how I wanted, sewed a hem all the way around, and sewed it onto some ribbon. And voila, my new favorite accessory.

I'm not sure why I love stripes so much.. Could it be the straight lines, looking so nice and clean? Because they are simple? Fresh? Don't know. How do you feel about stripes? Love em? Like em? Any other pattern tickle your fancy? I know my mom loves polka dots, what about you?