Weekly Drool: The Great Outdoors

Did that title make you think I wanted to be outside?  Fooled you!  As my whiter than porcelain skin (except for the occasional Xen-Tan experience) will prove, I am not one for just hanging around outside, especially in the heat.  Now, give me 20 degree weather in January?  Sure, let’s go skiing or sledding!  But, I digress.  For the rare occasions I enjoy sitting outside, it is usually on a patio, enjoying some adult beverages.  The current mild temperature we are experiencing here makes patio enjoyment all the better.  So for this week’s Weekly Drool, we will explore my favorite outdoor hangout…..the patio.

First up? My favorite patio, which is conveniently located right in my back yard.  It is pretty sweet back there, especially when there are no mosquitos and the dog poo has been all picked up.  Our house backs up to a pond and a DNR wildlife preserve (although across said preserve is a small trucking company).  For 6 months out of the year, the foliage is green and blossoming, and it makes for a fabulous setting to relax with a glass (bottle) of wine and Hubby (or my Kindle).  Top it off with a fire in our fire table, and I am ready to snuggle in and have some quiet time. 

The best part?  I don’t need a babysitter.  I can just go outside and hang out without having to worry about who is watching the kids.  I can basically hear them through their window.  Sometimes, the kids even come hang outside with us!  Then patio time equals family time.  It is a two-fer! 

Next favorite patio?  One that is not at my house, the local bar patio.  There are so many which can provide an amazing atmosphere for enjoying happy hour (and beyond….or before….whenever you get there).  I especially love finding those little out of the way places which you wouldn’t expect.  Tonight, I met up with a friend on the rooftop of a local small town bar.  We drank and dined while surrounded by wrought iron patio furniture, stone fire tables and the skyline of a small Midwestern town (mmmm…..Spotted Cow…..mooooooo).  What could be better?  I am blessed to live in an slightly rural area where these quirky little hideaways are in abundance (for my local peeps, Hudson, Wisconsin is full of them!).    Sure I have to drive a few minutes to most places, but the idea of being waited on is always appealing.   At my house, I have to do it myself and clean up afterwards.  For those who live in more metro areas, finding these random gems are even more surprising at times.  When you find them, you know!

So for the few remaining days of summer (and hopefully they are FEW). Yup, go on and grumble about my lack of love for hot summer days), but go find yourself a patio to hang out on while you do it.  You will be glad you did.

On me:

Prairie Underground tunic

Stella & Dot necklace

Posh and Ginger earrings

Kate Spade sunglasses

Spotted Cow beer

Why Am I Here–One Year Later!

One year ago today, I decided to start a blog.  An hour later, I was officially a blogger. To be honest, I had absolutely no clue what I was doing.  I still don’t.  Being a blogger is much like standing in public naked.  You don’t always know where to go or what to do with your hands.  You also don’t know what people think of what they are seeing!

My very first post, I tried to figure out what I was doing with blogging.  In honor of my one year blogger-versary, I wanted to revisit my first blog post and re-answer the questions.  I hope you enjoy!

 

Why Am I Here?  Was it the Wine?

( originally posted~August 6, 2012)

It has been a long day at work.  And I find my self asking the following questions:  Why am I here?  What was I thinking?  How much wine have I had?  Will people want to read this?  What do I have to offer to people who actually DO read this?  In order to get my head around my sudden whim to start this blog, I have decided to tackle each question head on!

Question 1:  Why am I here? 
2012 Answer:  Why not?!  I spend all day long with women (mostly moms, specifically) helping them find clothes to fit their body type and lifestyle.  I am also a mom who loves fashion and trends but still LOVES her yoga pants.   It ain't easy to balance being ME and being MOM simultaneously. 

2013 Answer:  I still agree with the above.  But I would also add, being a blogger is fun!   Sure, when I started I thought I wouldn’t care about people following, but every like, follow, comment, or recognition is like a warm fuzzy. Plus, this is a great outlet for getting all the random chaos in my head.

Question 2:  What was I thinking? 
2012 Answer:  I am constantly amazed how women rip their own forms apart and envy those of others.  I am also amazed by how women talk themselves out of so many things which make them happy or don't fit the idea they have created in their own heads about how a mom should look.  I don't understand this!  Why in the world do we do this to ourselves?  Women are gorgeous and need to learn to accept it, no matter your perceived imperfections.  Hopefully, I can help women love themselves for real.  If not, we can at least have a little fun.  I can be kind of wacky, just ask the people I work with.

2013 Answer:  Hell, I have been writing this blog for a year now and the answer to this question still eludes me.  I love my 2012 answer though.  Love yourselves, peeps!

Question 3:  How much wine have I had?
2012 Answer:  2 glasses.  I swear.  But they were absolutely delicious and well deserved.  God bless you, Trader Joe's!

2013 Answer:  In the past year?  Too much to count.  Tonight?  Sadly…..none.  In my defense, I worked late tonight.

Question 4:  Will people want to read this?
2012 Answer:  Maybe.  I hope so.

2013 Answer:  Still trying to figure this one out.  Based on the number of Facebook followers, I think people just might be bored enough to keep following me!  For this I am extremely grateful.

Question 5:   What do I have to offer people who actually DO read this?
2012 Answer:  Hmmm.....good question.   Maybe readers will learn to love and accept themselves more, but that might be aiming high.   If nothing else, we will have a few giggles together talking mom and style.

2013 Answer:  I hope you are all having a good time.  Maybe learning something about me or about yourself.  Maybe laughing a little.  But overall, I just hope you are all enjoying what you read on the blog page or see posted on the Facebook page. 

 

 

A huge thank you and much love to all the followers of this blog. 

Warmly,

SJ&YP

Weekly Highlights!

(SJ&YP Note:  Welcome to the very first “Weekly Highlights” post!  I have no idea how this is going to look in the long run but for now, let’s just see what happens.)

So this week was long.  Very, very long.  I was crazy busy at work (which I love) and gearing up for a fun weekend.  Here are my highlights from the week:

Style Excitement:

In addition to the ah-mazing shipments of Free People we got in the store last week, we are becoming loaded down with new fall stuff and I am absolutely drooling.  I may have a serious problem in the near future, especially if Mother Nature plays her bitch card and drags out the hot weather forever.  I am done with summer.  Seriously over it.We can start wearing sweaters, long sleeves, Prairie Underground, boots, etc. any day now.  Yes, I know you all think I am nuts.  What can I say, I love to layer.I feel some blog posts coming on, I just have to figure out what I want to focus on.
Also, I picked up the latest copy of In Style magazine.  Love, love, love almost everything in it.  It started me thinking about how long I have had my current haircut.  A change may be in my future.  I don’t know what it looks like yet, so stay tuned!  (I am getting distracted by searching Pinterest for ideas when I am supposed to be typing this blog post…)  In addition, I really want to reorganize and purge my closet now.  I think Hubby will get on board with that one, as long as I do not refill it again too quickly.




Mom Life:

This week found us having not one but two fun family experiences.  First, we went on a camping trip with my sis and her family.  Just one night, because we are not completely crazy.  All four adults and four kids managed to survive a night in the woods.  The first time ever for our family.  Biggest and Littlest had a blast, running in the woods, making hobos and smores, getting to stay up late!
Second, we went back to school shopping.  This is my third year doing this, having started when Biggest was in 4K, but it was a first for Hubby and Littlest participating. We even managed to make it out of Target alive with no one getting yelled at.  It was a back-to-school miracle.  Hubby even treated the kidlets to an Icee (and me to my copy of In Style).

Overall, a very successful, happy week!

The Weekly Drool–My Boyfriend

 

It is true. While I am almost 100% devoted to Hubby,  I have a secret love on the side.  Last week at Comic Con, I was on the phone with Biggest.  She asked what I was doing that day.  I told her, “Mommy is going to see her boyfriend.”  She immediately replied, “Oh, Tom Hiddleston?”

Yup, I am raising that one right.

She was correct.  I was going to see Tom Hiddleston, the only man I would leave Hubby for.   For those of you who don’t know who that is, he is a British actor who was in War Horse, Midnight in Paris, Thor, and The Avengers.  He is so dreamy that he is not only on my top five list, he IS my top five list and I was going to be in the same room as him (along with 250 other people).  Sure, it was not the intimate setting I had always imagined in my nutty 35-year-old-mother-of-two fantasies, but it was close enough. 

On the bright side, Hubby was cool with it.  He has long known about my love affair with Tom Hiddleston.  I asked him how he felt about the situation.  Hubby said he will be sad, but the financial settlement he will receive in return for giving me up will make him feel slightly better.  No matter what he says, I know Hubby was relieved when Tom found his own ride to the airport after the panel I saw him in at Comic Con.  Seriously.  I would have shared our cab with him…

Still a bummer for me. 

Either way, enjoy some photos of a beautiful man.

For those who want to watch the interview that I was at to take these photos (yes I took them myself), please enjoy the following Conversations for  Cause with Tom Hiddleston at Nerd HQ during Comic Con.  Yes, I was there.  No, you can’t see me or Bestie in the video very well but we are in it near a column in the back ground, just look for my bleached out hair!  After attending this panel, even Bestie now admits to understanding my adoration of this man.  PS, enjoy the little extra yumminess in the form of Zachary Levi (who is number six on my list).

Don’t forget to support Operation Smile!

 

You’re welcome.

I'm Back!

Ok, I know it has been a freakishly long blog hiatus. First of all, my most sincere apologies. While I am sure the break has not caused anyone’s life to stop on a dime, I imagine you may have been wondering where I have been hiding. Well…..at home and at work. The past couple of months, the balance between work/life/blog have not been very balanced. Some of my few nights where I have not been busy, I have been just trying to relax.

Second, I have been working on a way to make sure I am sharing content with you on a (mostly) regular basis. Moving forward, my goal is to have a minimum of two (preferably more!) posts per week. How will I accomplish said goal? I have a plan! Yes, I know best laid plans….blah blah blah. My plan is to publish two weekly posts with consistent themes.

The first will be a midweek post, The Weekly Drool. This post could be about my hot new dentist (Hello, Dr. Chad!) or the latest and greatest items at work which I can’t stop thinking about, basically whatever I am yearning for at any given moment.

The second will be a end of week post, The Weekly Wrap Up. This will give a wrap up of the week’s highlights, some may already be blogged about, some will not. Sometimes this will be freakishly exciting. Other times….not so much. Sounds like something you want to read, doesn’t it?! I promise I will keep it spicy and interesting.

So moving forward, I make a commitment to you followers, to do a better job of posting interesting and exciting content in a timely manner. I truly value everyone who follows this random mom/style/God-only-knows-what blog I write.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you for following.

NARs-ly!

Anyone who has ever peeked in my makeup drawer knows that I have sworn my allegiance to MAC Cosmetics for years.  Yes, I mean years.  I started wearing MAC my junior year of college. You do the math from there.  I am already well aware of how old I am.  With that being said, it has been my cousin’s mission to broaden my cosmetic and skincare horizons over the past year.  Whether it is for my own benefit or because she knows I will give her lots of opinions on the products she gives me to test out (and possibly blog about) is yet to be determined.

For my birthday, my cousin gave me a new NARS eye shadow duo, Vent Glace.  I liked it. It was pretty.  It was neutral enough for me to wear daily but I could still jazz it up for going out at night.  I wanted more.

Vent Glace 

So when Cuz got her hands on the newest colors for spring and summer, I was psyched.  I think we all know that I am not afraid of color and playing with makeup.  So as a favor to my cuz (anyone buying that one?), I tried them out.  Guess what?!  I was loving up on them.  Problem with that?  I had all kinds of new eye shadows to blog about but it was not available in stores yet!  (Know what else?  My diamond shoes were too tight and my tiara kept falling off!  Oh poor me.)  Finally, months later, here are my new favorite NARS shadows for summer. 

 

South Pacific

I do not recommend this with teal liner.  Not that I have tried that….  Very beachy and fun though!

 

Cleo

This is much more shimmery when you put it on.  You may have seen this in a profile picture on the SJ&YP Facebook page.

 

Jolie Poupee

Seriously.  That is the name.  It makes me giggle too.  This is one of Biggest’s favorites.  She is a lover of all things purple.

 

Strada

I wore this one yesterday.  Paired it with Shadowy Lady from MAC.  Loved it.

 

Hula Hula

This one has become my absolute FAVORITE eye shadow.  I wear it all the time.  It is a great neutral and I love to swap out which color I am putting in the crease versus on the lid.  Plus, there are glitter flecks in the shadow, and we all know how I love me some sparkle!  This shadow is one of my must-haves (if I had a list of must haves).   I am wearing it in a lot of the pics you see on the blog.

So there you have it, the SJ&YP eye shadow loves of the summer.  Find your favorite NARS retailer (like Sephora????)  and check them out.  While you are there, try their liquid liners too, another SJ&YP favorite.  Just sayin’.

 

 

poupee  *giggles*

Options.

  I like options.  Who doesn’t?  When I get something new in my closet, I like to see how many different ways I can wear it, especially since Hubby is still keeping my spending at bay (boo!).  So when this sweet little striped Ella Moss sundress dress appeared at the store, I immediately fell in love.  Once I tried it on, I had to buy it.  I actually mean, I HAD to buy it.  As in, cut the tags off, this dress is not coming off of me (yes, Hubby was cool with it).  That picture on the right is actually a picture of me when I first tried it on and refused to take it off. (SJ&YP note:  Please excuse the lack of a head in the photo, but it was more flattering that way.  Trust me.)

A few days later, I was wearing the dress at work (again).  The other stylists and I were experiencing some downtime and thought it would be fun to find as many different ways as we could to style the dress, making different outfits.  So here are some of the looks we came up with! 

 

Option #1

Adding a mixed media cardy was a fun way to mix prints and add a punch of color.  Besides, I love the idea of combining two of my favorite designers, Ella Moss and Charlotte Tarantola.  Throwing on a great statement necklace brought more color in and added some sophistication to the outfit.

Cardigan by Charlotte Tarantola

Necklace by Blush and Blue

 

Option #2

This kimono cardy was so soft and comfortable.  Again, I love the mixed prints and splash of color.  I felt like I should be going to a bridal or wedding shower on a hot summer night.  Very easy, breezy.

Kimono Cardy by Honey Punch

Necklaces by Linden Hills and Mia Berkley

 

Option #3

I am absolutely in love with this jacket.  It brings a more casual feel to the dress, and does a nice job of giving me a waist where I lack one.  Of course, I needed a touch of sparkle, hence, the bold, blingy necklace.    I could see wearing this out for date night with Hubby.  Maybe I can convince him I need the jacket too….

Jacket by Billabong

Necklaces by  Blush and Blue and Adorn

 

Option #4

Ok, this was what I actually wore in to work, minus the sunglasses.  I love the soft, vintage (by vintage I mean 80’s acid washed) look to the jacket.  I was comfy and casual.  This would be perfect for having drinks with my girlfriends or hitting up an event where I want to look effortlessly amazing (yes, we all have those events, like class reunions, family reunions, first dates, running in to exes….).

Denim Jacket by Kut

Palamino Necklace by Stella & Dot

Sunglasses by Ray Ban

 

Option #5

Since I love this dress, I wanted to make it last as long as possible.  One of my favorite tricks is to add a pair of skinny jeans under a summer dress.  Could I do leggings?  Sure, but I love my skinny jeans more.  It is a more evolved look.  Throw on a Prairie Underground hoodie, which lets be honest, goes with anything, and I have a great outfit for running around this fall!  (SJ&YP note:  Please ignore the odd look on my face.  It was 90 degrees out , the sun was really bright and I am squeezed into a pair of jeans that were one size too small for me and my big belly.  We had to take this photo fast.)

Long Cloak Hoodie by Prairie Underground

Legging Jean by AG

Necklace by Blush and Blue

 

 

Wondering about the rest of my outfit’s accessories in each picture?

 Bardot Spiral Bangle and Devi Bangles  by Stella & Dot

Wooden Bangle via Sundar Imports

Glint Flower Earrings by Stella & Dot

Shoes by Dolce Vita