Missing You...and shopping

Dear Readers,

Have y’all all left me yet? I hope not! I know I haven’t been the bestest blogger lately. And I know I just used “bestest” and “y’all all” and I hope you know that it’s not that I have bad spelling or grammar…I just like using words that are non-existent, such as bestest. And if you haven’t figured out that I overuse the word y’all, then I must’ve been typing too formally.


I promise not to type formally anymore. I am going to talk to y’all like you’re sitting right in front of me, having a cup of tea, or coffee, or diet coke…or even a martini. But are you really drinking a martini while reading my blog? I know it’s called Tart Lemon Drop but it’s a little early for a drink…don’t you think? (Did you know I’m the new Dr. Seuss?) Or not...depends on where you live, I guess.


Sometimes life gets crazy around here and I get busy. And when a weekend comes around where I don’t have plans, I make long lists of crafts and chores and errands that I want to do before the weekend is over. Sometimes I actually do some of what’s on my list…but usually not all. What happens is that I get lazy and want to relax. So I’ll be motivated and do some cleaning or laundry for a couple hours and then I decide I need a break (a 5 hour break, apparently) and end up watching some movie with my husband.



If it’s a Saturday, you can bet on him watching the terrible movies you've never heard of on the Sy Fy channel. You know the ones I’m talking about…with maybe one actor you recognize from that one tv appearance they had, and the rest are unknown actors (and there's a reason they are unknown). The movies where the graphics are so bad that they make you laugh. Yes, that’s what we end up watching and laughing at.


Does anyone else just get lazy and unmotivated like that on the weekends? Unless we’re having people over, I never accomplish the list I make for myself. And I’m not sure what can really motivate me to finish my list. Maybe I can reward myself with something. But it can’t be shopping because I’m still on the shopping ban.



By the way, I’m doing great on that, thanks for asking. It hasn’t been easy, though. After I made that decision, my dearest sweetest husband who hates to shop decided that he needed to go shopping for some clothes those first 2 Friday afternoons. Of course I went with him. I slowly tortured myself by walking through the women’s section of each store. I even asked him very sweetly if he would buy me something for being good. :) I know that sounds like cheating, but he knows about the shopping ban, so he said that IF he bought me something, it would have to be something he picked out himself. I didn’t get to pick it. I thought that was pretty fair.



I was a good girl that day. ;o)


Yeah, I can't find the camera with the pic and I'm not holding any longer on posting this. So just imagine a cute pink plaid button up shirt from the Nautica store. He has good taste and knows what will work on me.


Back to the question at hand. How do you find time to do all the things on your list? Do you create lists for the weekend? Do you have a List app you’re obsessed with? I like ColorNote and Google Shopper.


And with all of that, how do you find time to devote to your blog? Maybe part of it is that I’m selfish. I am in front of the computer so much at work that I don’t want to be tied to it all weekend too.


I hope you are still around and want to be my BFF...or reader. Either one works for me.


Another question for you while we're being random. If you've ever done a shopping ban, how have you coped with that as part of the fashion blogging community? I am hesitant to look at blogs while on the ban because I think I'll get clothing obsessed again.


Apologizing for a post without a pic. I know that can get boring.


Until next time (and I promise it won't be 2 weeks again)...

New Kid on the Color Block

I think I just color blocked without even trying.

Is this color blocking?

I'm usually obsessed with wearing prints, but as long as it's colorful, then I'm happy with what I'm wearing.

But is it color blocking?

LOFT top, J. Crew skirt, Target tank, thrifted Target cardigan, DSW shoes

I'm not going to go google the word color block trend and then post the images that come up. Sorry, I'm just too lazy for that. But hey, you can do it if you want.

James Avery necklace & earrings

To me, color blocking is either wearing an article of clothing that has colors blocked on it (like all those cute tops or dresses you're seeing this year) or pairing solid colored pieces together to create your own color block outfit.

It just seems logical to me to pair bright colors together.

Of course I didn't wear a neutral top with this purple skirt. Why would I?

Lucy's back, trying to steal the spotlight again.

Aren't these shoes fun?!

What do you think? Would you consider this color blocking?

Hope you're having a lovely weekend.

I'm off to continue chilling in front of the tv. Currently watching The Big Lebowski. Makes me wanna go bowling and try a White Russian.

Lacey...Without Cagney

I'm not gonna lie. I used to hate lace. Even a few years ago, I only owned one piece of clothing with lace on it and it was a pretty black skirt with a lace overlay (I still have it, it's too pretty to ever give away!).

Until the past 6 months or so, I just thought lace looked either too 80s or too feminine. But then I realized that I like to look feminine and 80s fashions are totally back in and looking better than before and I jumped on the lace train.
Side thought...lace train...that brings crazy images into my head...an entire train covered in lace. hmm.

Once I got past my thing (fear?) with lace, I have been incorporating it subtly into my wardrobe. I still don't have tons of lace and I'm sure I never will because who wants a closet full of the same thing over and over? Not I.

Ok, so here's how I used this sheer lace top as a piece for work for EBEW.

LOFT blazer, Target lace top and tank, GAP jeans, Steve Madden snakeskin heels

jewelry from Francesca's Collection

I LOVE this seersucker blazer, the buttons are so cute!

And I will soon be wearing the top without the blazer for a night out because how cute is this look? I love it!

Oh yeah...sexy lacey shoulders are SO in, haha. :)

Make sure you check out how others are wearing lace over at EBEW.

Anniversary Dinner & Lovely LBD

Remember how my husband and I had our one year anniversary a month ago?

Don't worry, we're still as happy as ever. :)

I'm just finally posting the little black dress I got to wear for our night out.

I wanted our anniversary dinner to be the first time I wore it so I couldn't have any spoilers on here beforehand. Not that hubby reads this with all the fashion talk, but it's the principle of it.

So here's our cute selves before going out to dinner.

Isn't it hilarious that right behind us in this picture is a picture of us on our mantle? We're so vain...we probably think this blog is about us.

Is that song in your head now? It's in mine.

When you're a couple without kids, all your pics are of yourselves. I guess I'd rather have that than 20 framed pictures of my dogs. Sorry if that's you, but I just find that weird to go into a house and have the same pet looking at me from tons of framed pictures on the wall. Talk about creepy.

And here's the dress on its own.
Isn't it adorable? And it was less than $20 at Target, YAY!
I think it kind of has a 70s vibe going for it.

I wore the first jewelry ever received from husband (first Valentine's Day when we were dating) and some sexy red hot heels!

Thanks to Lucy, the heels were chewed on that weekend...my fault for leaving them out, but still, not cool. I'm hoping the cleaners near me can fix them.


That's all for now. I'll be posting my lace outfit pics later tonight for EBEW.

Shopping Ban Challenge

I've decided to really challenge myself this summer in order to save some money for my trip to Europe this fall. I'm not going to go shopping until September. So for the months of June, July, and August, I will not spend my own money to go clothes shopping. I say my own money because if someone wants to treat me then I'm all for it! Plus I have one Dillard's gift card to use so I might as well wait until a moment of weakness and then use it.

While I'm at it, I'm going to throw in the fabric shopping as well. I definitely overbuy fabric. "It's so cute and I want it and I can think of so many things to make with it" is what goes through my head in the fabric store. Then I get home, wash it, and it sits in a box or on a shelf in my Craft Room for many months (and sometimes more than a year!).

So I'm holding you responsible for helping me with this decision. I've let myself get carried away with having MORE and it's time to stop that mentality.

This all started when I was looking in my closet last week. I was (finally) taking out the rest of the sweaters to put upstairs with my other winter clothes and I realized that taking them out didn't really help make room. No one else was around but I felt embarrassed. Lately I have even been invading my husband's side of the closet with my overabundance of clothing and that has got to stop!

I think I allowed myself to spend more on clothing this past year or so because I was staying around the same clothing size for once.

So I'm doing a major rehaul this summer. I'm wearing more of the clothes I currently own, some of which have still never been worn. And I'm going to get rid of the lingering pieces that I know I won't wear again.

And as far as fabric goes, I will only buy fabric if I have a specific request for a custom order. Otherwise, I know I have plenty on hand for most orders.

The only time I've tried a shopping ban was during the 30 For 30 Challenge in the fall of 2010 and I ended up cheating and using a Groupon that was expiring. I felt so guilty about it...but not so guilty that I took the clothes back.

Have you ever put a ban on your shopping? How have you gotten through it without getting depressed?

Also, anyone have any good tips for creating a cleaning schedule? I am not very motivated to clean my house so I wait and then have to spend a day or 2 to clean it before people can come over. But I really should do a little bit of cleaning each day. I need help!! Any suggestions?

psbtw, I have several outfit pics to post for y'all but I haven't had time to edit my photos yet. so no pics today. sorry for a boring post.

Hair Care, Menswear, & A Paper Doll

Sorry for the extreme lack of posts lately. I am still trying to recover from being out of town and several family events. I think I will finally get a chance to breathe this week. Hooray for getting back into routines!

I just realized which FBFF post I missed 2 weeks ago! It was all about hair care!! And you know what, I want to post it anyway, so here goes...hey, it's only 10 days late!!!!

April 2007. My favorite haircut EVER.

1. How often do you get your hair cut?

I get my hair cut probably once ever 4 to 6 months. I'm trying to force myself to get a hair cut more often because I know my hair wants to feel and look healthy, so I'm trying to make that every 3-4 months. My problem is that I used to always want something drastic done in order to get a bang (haha) for my buck. But now I realize that if I like my current hairstyle, then why not just get a trim and a few more layers instead.

The best (hair) day of my life.

2. Do you go to the same stylist each time, try someone new, go to the
cheap hair cutting chains or live it up in a salon?

I used to go to Master Cuts a lot when I was in college. And I liked the services there; my hair cuts and color always looked good. I have tried them a couple times since I moved back to Houston and I haven't been too happy. I last went on the day of our engagement photos (Feb 2010) and told the guy I wanted sweeping bangs. He then proceeding to chop them at a very sharp angle and then blow my hair out to give me big Texas hair, ugh! I went home, straightened my hair, and pinned my bangs to the side. That's a good lesson for why you shouldn't get your hair cut on picture day!

I've decided that with so few hair cuts I get a year, that it's definitely worth it for me to spend a little more and end up looking great every time. I now go to an Aveda salon (Josephine's Day Spa and Salon for those in Houston) where the service is impeccable and you aren't allowed to tip. This makes it a lot easier when you are getting both your nails and hair did...it's always confusing to know which of the 5 people that helped you should get a tip and how much they should get. I try to go to the same girl but I've been to 3 different ladies there and have had a wonderful experience each time. I also love that they have Aveda products there and I always buy some during my visit.

3. Do you color your hair? How often? What’s your natural color?

I used to get highlights all the time. But I haven't done that in about 4 years now. I was tired of getting them redone or redying my hair to my natural color and my husband liked my hair better in its natural state of color anyway, so I just stopped getting them and saved myself some money. I've never dyed my entire head one color (except when going back to a natural look) and I'm thinking of trying a lighter brown shade for a different look. (Plus I am getting a few gray hairs at the crown.) My natural hair color is what you see now...dark dark dark brown.

August 2006. Short wavy hair with highlights

December 2006. Shoulder length hair with highlights.

December 2006. Hair dyed back to dark brown after lots of highlights.

4. The one thing you always do to keep your hair looking great is:

Not washing it. That sounds gross when you put it in writing, but my hair dries out if I wash it every day. When I had shorter hair, I washed it more often but I guess I just don't touch it as much when it's longer so it doesn't get greasy.

I also let it air dry most of the time so that I'm not over stressing it with a hair dryer and straightener too many days of the week.

I also use hair products sparingly. I don't use hair spray but my favorite products are Aveda Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother to prevent frizz and Aveda Phomollient Styling Foam for a little body.

2005. Shortest haircut as an adult...donated that chunk to Locks of Love.

5. What hair trend do you love and wish you could rock?

I used to want to sport a really short layered do, and rock it for a few months. And when I was younger, of course I wanted to be blonde...every brunette thinks they want that at some point. But now I'm pretty happy with my hair. I like that I don't have a new, cutting edge, trendy hair style. I'd rather have hair that I can look back at in 20 years and not know for sure which decade I was living in because it looks timeless and flattering to my face. That's more important to me now.

Now that we've covered hair, let's get into a little fashion again. I haven't posted an outfit in a while, but here's one I wore last week.

My pants were a little baggy so I paired them with a fitted blazer, which I think creates a more feminine look for the menswear.

I'm really liking the menswear trend lately. And blazers are definitely one of my favorite accessories to jazz up an outfit a little.
I go through phases...one week, I'm all about cardigans, the next week it's blazers. Either way, I have to make sure I stay warm in my cold office.

No close up pics as I wasn't wearing any makeup yet!

I bet you're wondering where the Paper Doll part of this post is coming in and it's right here.

Have you met Elisa? (read as though Barney is saying that on How I Met Your Mother)

Well Elisa is letting the blogosphere choose her outfits for her. In other words, a real live paper doll for you to dress up, YAY!

See the outfit I chose for her here.

So what have YOU been doing the last couple weeks that I might've missed? Point me in your direction so I can catch up on all your doings.

Polka Dot Dress Remix

It's good to be back in the blogosphere! I was out of pocket for a few days. I thought I'd have time to do a few posts during that time but I should've known that I'd be too busy.

I'm back in the swing of things at work today, so no real posts yet, but here's a remix I put together a couple months back on Polyvore.

I'm remixing around the polka dot dress below. What's your favorite piece?

Polka Dot Dress Remix by lemondrop_linz featuring a fitted blazer

Dorothy Perkins white day dress, 30 GBP
Cami top, 34 GBP
DKNY long sleeve top, 120 GBP
Kookai striped top, 33 GBP
Ichi polka dot top, 27 EUR
Daytrip metallic top, $27
American Eagle Outfitters 3 button blazer, $40
Fitted blazer, $90
River Island yellow blazer, 35 GBP
BKE striped jacket, $32
Blazer, $14

I think I'm partial to the yellow blazer myself. :)

Maybe it's time for me to admit that yellow is my new favorite color. I still think pink reigns first though.

In other news, I'm gearing up to work on some cute baby items for a dear friend's baby shower coming up at the end of June.

Would y'all be interested in seeing some cute baby shower tutorials and crafts along the way? I can't share too many before the shower, but I can share them ALL afterwards!