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! :)

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.