21 Day Challenge: Day Sixteen

I am participating in the 21 Day Challenge hosted by Kayla at Freckles in April.  To learn more about the challenge, or even join in on the fun, click on the orange 21 Day Challenge button on the sidebar.

I stressed out about { and probably lost sleep over } today's prompt, "Menswear" for days.  I imagined the other Challenge participants were likely raiding their husbands' closets for a necktie to wear as a belt, a neat vest, or a really great pair of suspenders.  I haven't officially introduced him yet on this blog { I will soon, and it'll be like a culture shock for many of my readers! } but the man-of-this-house is a different breed... he doesn't own a necktie, a dressy menswear type of vest, or a blazer of any type.  And although it is now on my list-of-things-to-buy, I don't own a blazer either.  I really didn't want to sit this one out, though.

So I waited until today { a day late } to take a peek at what the other participants came up with to see if they thought of anything I may have overlooked, and hopefully steal some inspiration from them.  Cheating?  I hope not!

Inspiration is what I searched out, and inspiration is what I found!  These ladies are genius.    Why did I not think a men's button up shirt would be considered menswear all these nights I lost sleep over today's prompt?!  

So easy.

The man-of-the-house may not own much more than jeans and t-shirts other than an occasional pair of forgotten slacks, but he does own button up shirts.  Hooray!

{ sweater-F21.  button-up shirt- man-of-the-house's closet.  jeans-nordstrom.  flats-h&m }

I loved this outfit!  Today was a sort of chilly August day, even for the Pacific Northwest, so wearing a sweater and jeans was no big deal.  Normally I'm one of the many Seattlites who complain about rainy summers, but this year I'm like, "Bring on the Fall!" especially now that I'm seeing all the awesome autumn outfits popping up all over Pinterest.  

But that's a whole 'nother story.

21 Day Challenge: Day Fifteen

I am participating in the 21 Day Challenge hosted by Kayla at Freckles in April.  To learn more about the challenge, or even join in on the fun, click on the orange 21 Day Challenge button on the sidebar.

I am a self-proclaimed Pinterest addict.  I pin home decorating ideas.  I pin recipes.  I pin clothing style ideas.  I pin inappropriate typography "posters" that make me laugh.  I pin places I want to go and places I have been.  And I pin hairstyle ideas.  

When I learned today's challenge is "Try something new with your hair" I immediately went to my pin board appropriately labeled, "hair".  Earlier this month, I pinned this:

I decided to put this pin to use.  I recreated this hairstyle, but fastened my hair back to the center, rather than to one side.  Here's what I came up with:

Now that I'm growing my hair out and it's the longest it's been since high school, I enjoy finding new ways to wear it up rather than the plain ol' ponytail that has become my staple look lately.  For a girl who is used to pixie-short hairstlyes, I think I like this style...it gives the illusion of short hair, which is just fine by me!

P.S.  I am not sporting a "shiner".  I have these hugely noticeable dark circles every day.  I think it runs in my family.  I am happily taking suggestions on the best way to cover dark circles.  Please!

P.S. Again:  Is it just me, or is it WAY more difficult to grow eyebrows from thin to thick than it is to grow hair from short to long?  I'm loving my more natural looking brows now, but am having trouble taming them!  Just like dark circles; unibrows also run in my family.  *Sigh.*

21 Day Challenge: Day Fourteen

I am participating in the 21 Day Challenge hosted by Freckles in April.  To learn more about the challenge or to play along, click on the orange 21 Day Challenge button on the sidebar.

I am still catching up on my 21 Day Challenge posts, and am almost there!  Sunday's prompt was "Copycat!".  The criteria for copycat! is to find an outfit in an ad or blog, etc. that you admire and copy it.  

The first person I thought to copy was Kendi, of course.  Kendi's spectacular fashion blog, Kendi Everyday, is a major inspiration to me.  She is absolutely lovely.  Every outfit she puts together is something I'd love to wear but would never have thought of on my own.  She puts together outfits with an amazing mix of thrifted and new pieces and basically, I want to be her--in the least creepy way possible, of course.  

Who am I kidding?  It probably is creepy how much I want to be her...or want to have an exact replica of everything in her closet, at least. 

Here is Kendi's outfit that I chose for today's copycat! challenge:

I went with a plain white button-up { I wish I had a peachy colored one like Kendi! }, rolled the sleeves and attempted the half-tuck-in.  I paired it with denim short-shorts, a belt borrowed from the man-of-the-house, and nude sandals.  I also added a pop of color with a bright pendant.  

What I would give to be as gorgeous as Kendi, though...Seriously.  

21 Day Challenge: Day Thirteen

Today is day thirteen of the 21 day challenge.  The prompt for today is "neutral base with a pop of color".  I chose to wear my brown shirt dress paired with a bright, bold necklace.

I hadn't worn this dress in over a year and I'd like to say it shrunk in the wash since I wore it last, but I'm not sure that's the case...I felt a bit like I was wearing a sausage casing, and am not sure I'll wear this again.  I did learn, though, that I like wearing a neutral with some color and I'll be trying this again!

21 Day Challenge: Day Eleven & Twelve

Life totally got in the way last week, so I'm falling behind on my 21 Day Challenge posts.  

Thursday's prompt was "Wear a dress or a skirt".  I cannot even remember what I wore that day.  I'd like to think I wore something that fit the criteria, but I just can't lie...I'm not sure I did!

Friday's prompt was "Jazz up jeans and a tee".  I wore a pair of denim shorts, and a plain white tee layered with a fun thrifted button-down top, and a bright beaded necklace.  This is now one of my favorite casual outfits I own.  

{ hoping a close-up will show off the red & blue print on the shirt...not so. }

I wore this outfit to our family reunion at a local park.  Here I am with my lovely cousin Nicole:

And here I am with Nicole and her husband Brian.  Brian and I went to high school together, but didn't meet each other until years later.  He and I became great friends, and I am happy to have been able to play a part in introducing him to his lovely wife!  Family gatherings have never been so much fun!

21 Day Challenge: Day Ten

I'm participating in the 21 Day Challenge at Freckles in April.  To read more about the challenge, or even join in on the fun, click on the orange Challenge button on the side bar.

Today's prompt is "Wear a Closet Orphan", something that's been sitting in your dresser or on a hanger, unworn for some time.  I have plenty of those.

I started going through my clothes to find something that hasn't been worn in a while.  Three hours later, and a garbage bag full of forgotten items; I put together an outfit using two pieces that matched today's criteria.  

{ cardigan-nordstrom rack.  t-shirt-old navy.  pants-not sure.  sandals-h&m. }

I chose the forgotten cardigan and pants for today's challenge because at one point in life, I enjoyed wearing each of them.  I liked the crochet detail on the cardigan and the sailor-style buttons on the front of the pants.  

But after wearing them today for the first time in a long time, they both joined the donation pile.  I thought the cardigan was awkward and short.  The pants weren't comfortable to wear, either. 

Oh well.  I plan on sending them both off to Goodwill to make space for new stuff!  

21 Day Challenge: Day Nine

I'm participating in the 21 Day Challenge at Freckles in April.  To read more about the challenge, or even join in on the fun, click on the orange Challenge button on the side bar.

Today is day nine of The Challenge and I'm completely loving this.  I'm so inspired by the lovely ladies who are also participating, and have had a blast making new friends along the way!

The prompt for today is "Monochrome".  Dressing in all one color is pretty much my thing.  For the last two years or so, I've worn mostly black or grey.  

I feel like I should have accessorized more, and worn flats instead of flip flops.  But my favorite black flats were being held hostage in the bedroom of a napping baby when I took this photo.  We all know: never wake a sleeping baby!  Especially mine.

21 Day Challenge: Day Eight

Whew!   I made through week one of the 21 day challenge in one piece...and I must say, with much more fashion sense than before I began on this journey.  Read more about the 21 day challenge by clicking on the orange button on the sidebar.

Today's challenge was super exciting to me; "Mix fancy and casual".  Ever since Sarah Jessica Parker showed herself in the outfit below, I've been inspired. 

Although I don't quite have the courage to pull off a cotton t-shirt over a ball gown, I really love the thought of mixing the fancy with the casual.  Here's to you, S.J.P!

I paired an old bridesmaid dress from David's Bridal that I wore in 2009 with a knitted sweater from H&M.  The boots are a long story, and the belt was borrowed from the man-of-the-house.

I really love this outfit and will totally wear it again this fall!  I just want to hug Kayla for coming up with this challenge and encouraging me to spread my fashion wings.

21 Day Challenge: Day Seven

Today's 21 Day Challenge prompt was "Layer Accessories".  I got creative and used my REMIX dress in this outfit!  I didn't want to do the easy kind of accessory layering like necklaces or bangle bracelets, so I decided to layer belts!

I got the idea of layering belts from Pinterest, of course.

The skinny belt is mine, and I borrowed the thick belt from the man-of-the-house.  Ssssh, don't tell him!

For some reason, the photo doesn't show that I'm wearing a white tank under my remix dress.  It was cute, though...a fun new way to wear the dress.  I think the tank, belts and boots made this dress look more casual than I'd usually wear it, and I like how it turned out!

21 Day Challenge: Day Six

I totally dropped the ball on my day six outift.  I wore it, photographed it, but forgot to post it!  Then I went away for on overnight retreat with my MOPS group and forgot about it.  And it was a remix outift, too!  Darn it.  Even though it doesn't count as points, this is what I wore on day six for the "unconventional" prompt:

{ top- wal-mart.  dress- lauren conrad for kohl's.  sandals- h&m }

I had a cute nudie helper, too!

I twisted and turned and tucked the top until I thought it looked good.  Next time I'll probably belt it to break up the two pieces a bit.  I like the colors together and will definitely find a way to wear them again.

21 Day Challenge: Day Five

Today's 21 Day Challenge prompt is "Belt It."

Easy.  I could probably belt every outfit throughout this challenge and really love everything I wear.  I've been circulating four different belts through my wardrobe the last few months, and it seems I use one nearly every day.  Maybe a belt shows off that I actually do have a waist?  I don't know.  What I do know is that the chunkier belts like this seem more flattering on me when I wear them up high than the skinny ones.  Maybe it's because the chunky belts are more corset-ish, and less tourniquet-ish than the skinny ones?

Here's what I came up with today:

{ T-shirt-Target.  Maxi dress-Papaya.  Belt-Came with the dress.  Sandals-Old Navy. }

I really loved the black and white stripes of the maxi dress when I bought it, but when I wear it alone it feels awkward and maybe a little too revealing.  The whole t-shirt over a dress idea is something I've seen floating around Pinterest and fashion blogs lately, and this was the first time I tried it.  It's great!  I'll definitely get much more use out of this dress now that I have a way to wear it without showing the world what I'm workin' with...if you know what I mean.

From what I've seen so far, the other participants have come up with some awesome outfits for today's challenge.  Be sure to check them out here.  I've got lots of commenting to do this morning!  

Thanks for stopping by.

Also linking up to:

21 Day Challenge: Day Four

**Learn more about the 21 Day Challenge by clicking on its orange button on the side bar.**

Today is day four of the 21 Day Challenge hosted by Kayla at Freckles in April.  After a rocky day yesterday with pattern mixing, I think I'm back in the game today with "Color Blocking".  Although I don't really know the definition or rules of color blocking, I've seen a lot of it what I think is color blocking while perusing Pinterest lately.  What I've seen is at least two solid colors used in an outfit.  There's usually no print in the outfit.  Just large amounts of in-your-face color.  

And I like it.

I wouldn't say my outfit was a perfect example of color blocking.  It may have been better if I'd had a solid color pant or skirt.  But everything I own is jean or print!  I worked with what I had.

I wouldn't normally pair the yellow with the aqua, or the aqua with the red, for that matter.  But I really liked this outfit!  I can get away with cardigans in the dead of summer when living in the Pacific Northwest.  On a normal day I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but on color blocking day it's awesome.

Oh, and did you notice I tucked in today?  I'm proud of myelf.  Ha!

21 Day Challenge: Day Three

Welcome!  If you're new to my blog, let me fill you in... I'm participating in a 21 Day Challenge, aimed at getting regular women to spread their fashion wings a bit.  Today is the third day.  I think Day One and Day Two went really well.  Today?  Meh...Not so much.

Today's prompt was "Mix Patterns".  This is one aspect of the challenge I was really looking forward to, especially after seeing this pattern mix outfit on The Pleated Poppy:

{ photo via The Pleated Poppy }

Isn't that just so pretty an unexpected?  Lovely.  Just lovely.  Okay, the end!

Wait, what?
I have to show you my pattern mix outfit?  I'll apologize in advance.

{ Sweater- Hand Me Down.  Dress-Target.  Headband-H&M.  Belt-Wet Seal.  Shoes-Target. }

Even the look on my face says, "I feel like a circus clown."

I'm not a big fan of the outfit I put together today, but I worked with what I had.  I do, however, like the pattern mix idea.  I'm going to check out the other Challenge participants' day three outfits for inspiration, which I am sure to find...they're awesome...and maybe work in another pattern mix outfit before the Challenge is over.  I like the stripes, so I might try a smaller print next time.  

What do you think?  I'd really love some constructive criticism on this one.

A Quick Fix

I've been admiring all the shirt dresses I've seen around lately.  They seem like such classic wardrobe pieces that never go out of style.  While browsing clearance racks at wal-mart for some super cheap t-shirts to refashion into summertime cardigans { tutorial here }, I came across a not-so-lovely shirt dress for just $14.  It had potential, though.  I loved the white-with-black-ticking fabric and thought it would be fun to add bright colored accessories to, like aqua belts and red necklaces.  

Of course, my two little 'uns were in tow so I didn't dare make a stop at the dressing room to try it on first.  I mean, seriously?  Me attempting to try on clothes in a dressing room with those handsome little devils is just asking for disaster.  Mostly, they like to mischievously open the dressing room door as I have one leg in and one leg out of a sweet pair of pants, hopping on one foot, desperately trying to shut the door before anyone has the misfortune of catching a glimpse.

After getting my steal-of-a-deal shirt dress home, I happily tried it on in the privacy of my own bedroom...only to find out that is was horribly hideous.  Just all wrong in every way.  So I made some adjustments.  Here is the before & after:

What do you think?  Wear it again or chalk it up as a loss?

21 Day Challenge: Day One

Today is the first day of the 21 Day Challenge hosted by Kayla at Freckles in April.  For 21 straight days, I'm taking the challenge to create different outfits each day based on a prompt { or what I like to think of as an outfit "inspiration" word} from Kayla.  Today's prompt was "REMIX".  If you're as new to the fashion blogging world as I am, you're probably like, "Huh?".  Am I right?  

What this means is; I'm supposed to pick a clothing article from my closet that I can remix, or wear again different ways, a few times throughout the challenge.  The rules are; the remix item must not be a pair of jeans { too easy, you slackers! } and you must work it into your challenge outfits at least three ways.  An extra point is given to anyone who is able to remix their item four different ways throughout the challenge. 

{ Dress- Lauren Conrad for Kohls.  Sandals- H&M }

The dress I chose is the one I wrote about here when I was choosing something to wear to my ten year high school reunion--which was just last weekend.  Can you believe I didn't take a single picture that night?  Not one.  And I spent extra time on my hair and makeup, too.  Hmmph!  Too bad, but that is exactly the reason I chose this dress as my remix item.  I didn't want to purchase yet another dress for a special occasion, only to wear in once and have it sit in my closet for years until finally deciding to donate it.  This dress is much too pretty for that!  Maybe I chose something that will be more difficult to remix than the other 21 Day 

Challenge-ers might choose, but it's important to me to wear this dress again and the challenge is the perfect way to make sure that gets done!  So wish me luck, here we go!

What item will you remix?

Linking up to:

The 21 Day Challenge

I am over-the-moon for the What I Wore Wednesday, Steppin' Out Saturday, and Real Momma. Real Style link up parties.  As a "play" at-home-mom to a couple of boys, I had no real reason to get dressed every day.  So I thought.  Now that I've been participating in the link up parties, I make it a point to get out of my sweatpants and make an effort to look nice most days.  I've noticed my attitude completely changes on the days I put something on that makes me feel pretty and smear on some lip gloss.  

I like myself more.  

My kids seem to like me more.  

The man-of-the-house definitely likes me more on those days.

As you can imagine, I was thrilled when I came across Kayla from Freckles in April and her upcoming 21 Day Challenge.  

Every day for 21 days, Kayla is going to post a "prompt" to give participants of the challenge a little guidance when choosing their outfit for the day.  Participants receive a contest entry for each outfit photo they post to the challenge Flickr group.  There are lots of fun ways to earn additional entries, too.  At the end of the challenge, names will be drawn and the lucky winners will receive something fabulous from the wonderful businesses who are sponsoring the challenge.  At this point sponsors are still being added, so head over to Freckles in April to get the latest low-down on the sponsors and prizes.

I'm SO looking forward to the 21 Day Challenge.  I believe it's going to push me to step-up my game when it comes to being creative when putting together my link up party outfits.  So far, everyone who is involved with the link up parties has been beyond encouraging and it makes me feel good to be a part of the love, and I know this challenge is going to be just as awesome.  I'm excited to share what I learn with you...my successes and my fails.  If you decide to join the fun, please let me know so I can follow along and cheer you on!

Old tee into summertime cardigan refashion

My first tutorial!  Yay!  If I seem beyond excited it's because I totally am.

This is a low-sew or no-sew t-shirt refashion.  I'm an over-achiever, so I'll be sewing.  Ha.  The materials you'll need are; an old long or short-sleeved t-shirt, a pair of sharp scissors, measuring tape, fabric marker or chalk { I've been known to use washable markers and even ball-point pens when I'm in a bind.  So don't worry--I won't tell.  Just don't use anything that'll bleed through the fabric. }, and a sewing machine, pins & thread if you're an over-achiever like me.  

If you have a sewing machine and can sew a straight line { or have the patience to hand stitch } you can do this!  Just find an old shirt that's been wadded up in the back of your dresser for five years like I did.  It had a weird boxy shape so I didn't wear it often, but I loved the stripes, color, and ruffled sleeves-- A perfect candidate for this project if you ask me!

After you've gathered your materials, lay your t-shirt on a flat surface facing up.  Ideally, your shirt will be washed, dried and ironed.  My shirt definitely was not ideal, so please ignore the wrinkles.  Starting at the hem, measure your shirt from side seam to side seam and mark the mid point with your fabric pen.  Work upward, measuring and marking the mid point every few inches so you'll know exactly where to cut.

After you finish making your mid point marks, it is time to cut.  Use your scissors to cut a clean line from the bottom hem up through the neckline.  Make sure you only cut through the top layer of fabric!  

If you've made a nice clean cut, you have the option of being finished now.  Tada!  See how the front opens like a cardigan?  T-shirt material doesn't fray, so there's no real need to sew.  On the other hand, if you'd like a more professional, finished looking cardigan and feel like sewing, follow the remaining steps.

Spread your cardigan onto your flat surface with the "right" side of the fabric facing down.  Fold one of the freshly cut edges over by 1/2" so the "wrong" side of the fabric is touching the "wrong" side of the folded piece.  Fold over by 1/2" again and pin into place.  Using your machine, stitch the folded edge down.  Be sure to back stitch at the beginning and end.  Repeat the folding, pinning and stitching process on the other freshly cut edge.

And there you have it!  See how easy that was?  A shirt you may have never worn again is now a fresh wardrobe piece perfect for layering.  You could even get creative and add some appliques, ruffles, buttons, etc. to really up the "Wow Factor".

Here's my finished product.  I'm sure it will be part of the next What I Wore Wednesday post!  I'm thinking it needs some ruffle or a really great flower brooch...

I'd love to see your finished products!  Until I can figure out how to start a link up party, e-mail your photos to me at lilybabycreations@hotmail.com!  

I'm Making This

{ photo via you seriously made that?! }

I came across this tutorial for a fabulous crocheted headband.  Although it's on my list of things to do, I've never learned how to crochet.  Until then, { and since I'm a sucker for a cute hair accessory } I'm going to make a few of these headbands out of some scraps of jersey knit fabric I have left over from other sewing projects I've done.  I'll let you know how it goes.  If you give it a try, be sure to tell me about it!

Fave Finds Friday

Sharing my favorite Etsy finds with you really makes me happy.  So I'm hoping to make Fave Finds Friday a regular installment here on the LilyBaby blog, and it would be awesome if I could ever figure out how to start a linkup party...someday, someday.  

The last few weeks, I've been searching out girly bracelets on Etsy.com and these are just a few of my favorites!

freshwater pearl bracelet- mixstone, $6.50
mixed bangle set, $9.75
cubic zirconia undulated bracelet- brooklyn arts, $52

vintage collage bracelet- lonkoosh, $59
estate style bracelet- lara lewis, $87

I have a ton of great jewelry finds to share with you; from casual & fun to dressy.  Stay tuned for a huge post on the jewelry I love the most!

No Teddy Bears or Choo Choos Allowed

As you may know, I'm the only female in a house full of men.  I don't have a mini-me to parade around in dresses, skirts, sparkles and curls, so my time is {wisely?} spent dictating what my boys will be wearing from day to day...at least, the days when we actually venture out of our pajamas, but that's a whole 'nother story for a different day.

Around here, there's a rule when it comes to dressing the little fellas; no teddy bears or choo choos allowed!  As tempting as it {never} is, we just don't buy the cute matchy sailor or dinosaur outfits for our boys.  T-shirts or shoes with cartoon characters are out of the question, at least until the boys are old enough to decide for themselves...

...Until then, I like to either buy packages of plain white Hanes tees from Target (so I can bleach the heck outta them later) or browse Etsy for awesome handmade graphic tees and accessories for my guys.  I don't mind spending a few extra dollars when I'm buying directly from the artist, crafter, maker, etc.  Nearly every time, the handmade items I purchase on Etsy are a far better quality than what I'd find at a local department store.  I feel satisfied when a screen-printed tee I picked up {straight from the person who hand screened it} two years ago for my oldest boy, now fits my youngest and looks brand new.

I do respect the opinions of the mommies out there who find the cute characters and fuzzy animals irresistible, and I do know their boys are just as sweet and charming as any Etsy wearing child of mine.  But this is my blog, and I'll do with it as I please.  Hee hee.

Here's a collection of to-die-for boys' Etsy.com finds to prove that frogs and puppies are not the only option when it comes to styling your little man.  Enjoy!

{ shoes & accessories }

clockwise from top left:
striped belt- belties, $15
knitted button loafers- three kittens knitting, $10
elastic toddler belt, playful peanut, $18 for three
lightening bolt shoes- boy girl boy girl design, $28

{ basic tees }

clockwise from top left:
birthday number tee- happy family, $16
military stripe tee- b. childrens' wear, $25
organic recycle design tee- apericots, $14.99
grow baby onesie- culpeper general, $75 for set of twelve

 { jackets & cardigans }

left: elbow patch cardigan- b. childrens' wear, $30
right: unisex peacoat- little star clothing, $90

{ you can never have too many tees! }

clockwise from top left:
tattoo onesie- mama monkey, $12
grey stripes organic v neck- jessalin beutler, $26
top gun aviator onesie- ovelo, $15.99
dad tattoo tee- wren willow, $22


Let me know what you think of my boys' finds.  I'd love to hear about it if you make a purchase based on what you see!  'Til next time...I've got clothes to fold!