The Pattern Is Full

I totally messed up the last couple months and forgot to look at the EBEW website and participate in the challenges! Which means I missed Yellow and Thrift!

But I happened to remember to look for August and it's Pattern Mixing, woo hoo!!

I love bright colors and fun patterns so this is going to be fun!!

Lucy is so excited she can't even see straight or sit still!

Here's the ensemble I chose for pattern mixing.

striped sweater: JC Penney


ruched bright purple top with bow: NY & Co.
shiny purple skinny belt: Target


earrings: cheap jewelry store off of Harwin in Houston


lovely floral skirt: LOFT outlet

I incorporated 3 patterns into this outfit!

Maybe it's just my opinion, but I'm pretty sure I nailed this challenge.

I also made a trip to Sam's after work in this outfit. And I got the sweetest compliment on my hair. Isn't that the best?

I love my not-so-basic black heels for work! The heel is short and comfy and the print makes it unique. I hate for my shoes to look like run of the mill black work pumps. Boring!

Hope you enjoyed my pattern-full outfit. I definitely loved putting it together and wearing it!
Check out some other pattern mixing over at Every Body Every Wear. There are some great inspirations out there for your next outfit!

Minty Fresh & Sort Of Clean

We've been experiencing some hotter than heck days in Texas. When it is over 100 degrees for half the day, you tend to just stay inside and soak up the AC. Who cares if your light bill is higher for a few months, because you don't want to die before then by walking outside! And Houston is extra blessed because of the crazy humidity.

But that's enough complaining. Before I continue, though, I'd like to blame the heat and humidity for my lack of fashion posts. I just can't make myself take pictures outside when I am sweating within 10 seconds of walking out there. And y'all don't want me to do it before work, because my make-up gets put on in the truck. I know, safety hazard, blah blah blah.

Anyway, so I love this mint green blouse because it's so breathable for summer. It's light and airy and even pretty too!

In this first pic, I paired it with some Ann Taylor shorts for a quick and cute summer outfit for the weekend. I think this was a Sunday and I first had on a lace black skirt and then changed to shorts to bum around the house.

Note the stretchy headband and lack of footwear. I'm pretty sure I had just done a load of dishes and came outside to take a quick pic.

The next day, I donned my gray pencil skirt, fav summer blazer, and snakeskin heels for an easy breezy work look.

I love using 1-2 pieces from my Sunday outfit for a quick look on Monday. I just can't get inspired without help on Monday mornings. The weekend is over too quickly and my brain isn't functioning yet because I make my coffee right before I leave!

Y'all, this picture makes me laugh.
I mean, what on earth was I thinking when I looked into the camera like that?

"I know your deep, dark secrets, Mr. Camera"

haha.

Blouse: JC Penney, Blazer: Ann Taylor, Skirt: Target, Heels: DSW

Please ignore the fact that I need lipstick. Thank you.

Also, I hate lipstick. But I love lip gloss.

These are the earrings I wore on my wedding day! :)

Yay for love & dangly earrings!

Close up of this lovely blouse that I'm trying not to wear every single day.

But believe me, I totally want to.

Do you ever make it easy on yourself too and just grab a piece from Sunday to wear to work on Monday?

Sometimes I will even copy the entire outfit for Monday and just leave it at that. Please don't think I wear dirty clothes or anything, I only re-wear it if it was only worn on Sunday for a couple hours.

psbtw, It's good to be back! Missed y'all!

6 Random Things I Love

This post is going to be so random that you might not be able to think straight. Each item will be a separate, unrelated thing and should be read as such. Also, this post is purely materialistic...and I'm not going to apologize for that. So there.

So just sit back and read it and think about little things that you love or that put a smile on your face. And if you want to post something similar, do it!
It'll be like a big party of random little fun things. That sounds so cute!

I heart...

A new, clean, blank spiral notebook.

There's something about the first few pages of a new spiral that makes me happy. Maybe it's that all the pages are still crisp and clean and just waiting to be filled. It makes me want to write a letter to my BFF from camp, make a list of To Do items for the weekend, or just write my name over and over again in bubble letters. Remember doing that in school? Classic junior high.

My Sewing Machine

I used my mom's sewing machine so much that she helped me shop for a new one, just so she could get hers back. :) She literally called me one day, out of the blue, to tell me she'd found one at a good price and gave me all the details. I trusted her judgment and even gave my credit card info to her over the phone! It's not the fanciest machine but it's not a cheapo "I paid $30 for this" machine either (ahem, like my first one). It's reliable and sews perfectly and has all these settings I have no idea what to do with. But it's mine and I love it! Is it bad that I can't remember the brand? I think it's maybe Janome, but that could be wrong.

A Smooth Writing Clicky Pen

I can never keep a pen cap with its pen - I either lose it or chew on it and that's just gross. And those pens that turn always confuse me into thinking they should click. So I have to have a pen that clicks. But not just any clicking pen will do. I'm not into gel pens or anything that smears. It must write smoothly and with dark enough ink and it must keep up with my fidgeting fingers that click it constantly and disturb my office mates. And apparently I have a 10 commandments for what I require from a pen. Wow, maybe I'm a little nuts. Anyway, when I find that perfect clicky pen, I use it and love it and keep it safely hidden (usually in my purse) when not in use. I almost feel like I should call it My Precious now.

My Coach purse.

Actually, I have 3...all courtesy of my mother-in-law. But I love the huge one I got for my birthday this year. I overfill it with things I don't need. But I love that I can find the following things in there right now: camera, notebook, snack, lots of clicky pens, pocket calendar, check book, tweezers, lotion, lip gloss, Weight Watchers weigh-in book and journal, feminine products, old birthday cards, random gift cards with less than $5 on them, and gum. This is all from memory. I'm sure there's more junk I can't think of that makes me feel good when I see it in there.

My Keurig Coffee Machine

I know I am going to sound all hoity toity here but seriously, this is one of my favorite appliances. I used so many BB&B wedding gift cards to get this and I don't even care that I could've spent it on towels for a guest room or a duvet cover for the 3rd bedroom. When you are the sole coffee drinker in the house, nothing beats the convenience of lifting the handle, putting in a k-cup coffee flavor, and pressing start. Maybe I'm lazy in the mornings or maybe I just can't function intelligently that early, but having to measure your coffee out and fill the back with water and put the filter in...that is exhausting just to think about. I love that I can start my coffee and go put on some accessories and walk back in the kitchen 3 minutes later to find it waiting for me. Seriously, I love it.

My Laptop

I'm reclining on the couch right now as I type this on my Samsung laptop. If I didn't have my handydandy laptop, I might never blog. Hubby bought it for me for Christmas; isn't he the best?! Oh, what did I get him? Just an Xbox Kinect that he didn't really want. Yeah, I didn't really do quite as well for him. But hey, at least he gets to use the laptop too! I know it will be used a lot when we go to Europe this fall. If not while we're there, at the very least while we travel. We leave in just 2 months, YAY!

This is me, on the webcam of my laptop, as I type this post. Hardly any makeup and probably no bra on. And you can't see her but Lucy is curled up into a ball right between me and the pile of clothes I need to fold. I know, I should've just done that instead of blogging. But I miss blogging!

Like I said, a super random post of things that make me happy.

Also, this post totally reminds me of this quote:

Girl 1: There's a difference between like and love. Because, I like my Skechers, but I love my Prada backpack.

Girl 2: But I love my Skechers.

Girl 1: That's because you don't have a Prada backpack.

Name that movie.

And leave me a comment naming something that makes YOU smile! :)