It's a Girl Thing

dress: not sold online (similar)
flats: Target
bag: H&M  (similar)
glasses: DKNY

Hello lovelies! 

I hope you had a wonderful weekend. We finally had some sunshine and warmth but it started pouring on Sunday night. Again.

I feel like it's been raining for the last few months here. Non-stop.

On Saturday, some girls from church and I went out and did some shopping. Well, some did and some didn't. But what struck me the most is how much we all were into it. Even if ladies weren't buying anything, going around admiring pretty dresses and throw pillows was satisfying enough. Seriously, it's such a girl thing. 

What's my point?

There is none. 

Girls like shopping. 

The end of story.

But you knew that already, right gals? 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day

Jonathan // Four Months//

Oh my, how the time flies!

Dear Jonathan...

You are four months old and growing like a weed. So many things are changing, so many things are happening.

My dear boy, sometime in the last four months I managed to fall in love with you. I love you more then anything else in the world. You are my baby boy. 

It was hard for me to say that I loved you when you were first born because love is something that grows over time, something that needs constant attention and care. I've nursed, changed, bathed, rocked, burped, carried, kissed, held you since the day you were born, but only now I realize how much I love you.

You definitely have a calm personality and very content to be in one place for some time. Although you absolutely love looking around and always inspect everything with your curious gaze. 

We dubbed you Curious George.

You are very patient. When I need to get boogers out of your nose, you don't even make a peep. Just hold your breath for a little bit while I do it and bounce your heels on the bed. Such a trooper. 

You love taking baths and excitedly move your feet, splashing the water. If you are a little fussy, all I have to do is draw a bath and you quiet right down. 

You went through a growth spurt last week and let me tell you, I'm so grateful that you've been sleeping through the night all those months. Only couple of days waking up every two hours wiped me out. I don't know how those mamas do it for several  months. I'm so blessed and you are such a good kid.

You do not like the car seat but as soon as I start driving, it's all good. 

You haven't been sick or allergic to anything which is a great blessing.

It's interesting to watch you on your play mat, as you try to reach and grab toys - always such a serious face. You don't like strangers and only want your mama, but you started smiling at grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins recently. 

My mom's neighbor wanted to look at your chubby little face and peeked into the car while you were inside and you got scared. Started crying for real - with tears. I felt bad for the lady who wasn't sure what she did wrong and didn't want to tell her that you are such a scared little monkey. Gotta toughen you up a little, boy!

You are still eating like a champ - 2-3 hours during the day and sleeping through the night. You love nursing and nothing comes in place of a boob for you. Can't fool you with water or pacifier either.

I gave you a little oatmeal cereal to try and you weren't thrilled about it but then gobbled it up. Also, black currant juice with water was kind of sour; you made the cutest face but kept drinking it. So funny.

You love when I play with you and blow raspberries on your time while I'm changing your diaper. You roll from your tummy on your back and from your back to your front, which is pretty impressive in your age. You have a real laugh now and a super deep voice. Your baby talk is more of an old man complaining about his arthritis babble and it's super adorable. 

You are not fussy and very easy going, and a huge blessing in our lives.

Daddy and I love you. 

Chicken Pasta Salad {Recipe}

Another day. Another recipe.

I have to admit that most of my cooking is pretty simple. It's centered around simple ingredients and wholesome taste. This was a spur of the moment thing, involving some imagination, where I used whatever I had on hand. You can add more veggies or spices for different variations of this dish. Husband dubbed it 'very good' and he doesn't throw complements easily, so I'll take it. 

Here is a recipe for a quick, weeknight one-dish, one-pot meal.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 box of tricolor Rotini pasta

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 13oz canned chicken breast

- 1 broccoli head

- 1 can medium black olives

- 2 tbsp mayonnaise

- Parmesan cheese

- salty, pepper

Process:

Cook pasta according to package directions. 

Cut broccoli head into small florets and pour the hot liquid from pasta over the broccoli. Let stand for 3 minutes then drain.

Pour olive oil over pasta, add chicken, drained olives, broccoli, mayonnaise, black pepper and pinch of salt. Mix gently so that chicken only falls apart into smaller pieces. Cover the pasta to keep it warm. 

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over individual plates and serve. 

Enjoy!

Hard To Find

The same blouse works two ways

blouse: Target
skirt: NY&Co
heels, clutch: H&M
necklace: similar

Hello lovelies... 

Hope you had a great weekend!

Really, it seems like a man with a good character and solid moral values is hard to find nowadays.

I'm so happy I've been blessed with an amazing husband who treats me right, because settling is worse than being alone.  

So here is something for you gals on this bright Monday morning.

A good man is hard to find

You always get the other kind

Just when you think that he is your pal

You look for him and find him fooling 'round some other gal

Then you rave, you even crave

To see him laying in his grave

So, if your man is nice, take my advice and hug him in the morning, kiss him ev'ry night, 

Give him plenty lovin', treat him right

For a good man nowadays is hard to find, 

A good man nowadays is hard to find.

:-)

Have a great day! 

Leading By Example

A leader leads by example, whether he intends to or not.

Ever since I got pregnant, I've been thinking a lot more about what kind of example I'm going to be for my kids. Am I going to be the kind of parent my children will follow and be proud of? Or the one they want to stick in the back of the family album and be embarrassed of at the family reunions?

We talk a lot about teaching our children to do right.

To respect their peers.

To honor their elders.

To love their neighbors.

To fear the Lord.

To esteem their heritage.

To obey the authority.

To love their spouse.

To cherish the youngsters.

To protect this God-given Earth.

And that's all fine and good and very necessary. As parents we have the responsibility to raise those little ones into mature, responsible adults with solid moral values.

The best way to do that is to teach by example.

You can spend your days drilling, talking and lecturing your children about what is good, wholesome and right but if you yourself isn't doing any of it - it's not worth a  single penny.
Your actions speak louder then your words.

You have to be respectful to your mean boss, without talking trash behind his back.

You need to honor your parents and grandparents, landing them them a helping hand when they need assistance in their old age.

You need to love those who gossip about you, mean to you at the grocery store and take your pew on Sunday morning.

Those who take advantage of your kindness and take your parking spot at the mall. Those who don't respect your space and privacy, and who don't ask for forgiveness. Love them.

You need to show your children how to fear God and honor Him with your life. How to be an example to this world without judging those who aren't doing right. How to be a genuine Christian and nevermind occasional hypocrisy and hate.

You need to appreciate where you've come from and who you are. No matter the race, ethnicity and color without putting anyone else down.

You need to obey the laws that are put in place by the government, even if at times they seem ridiculous and the authorities aren't truthful.

You need to protect the littlest children from the cruelty and hate in this world, showering them with  abundant love.

You need to protect this Earth for future generations and be thankful for sunshine and rain, for beauty of flower and depth of an ocean.

You must be what you want your children to become.

Date Night

dress: Target (similar)
purse: Target (similar here or here)
necklace: H&M (similar)
shoes: Guess (similar)

This outfit is supposed to be my date night get up. That is whenever, if ever, we will get a date night again [maybe this Saturday if it isn't raining cats and dogs]. 

Between having a house [always something to do/fix]; it being the beginning of summer [stupid grass grows so fast, the windows are in need of some thorough scrubbing]; and an infant [did you check his diaper? what time did you feed him?] - it's non-stop here.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. 

I'm enjoying my life. I just don't get the opportunity to wear my sexy dresses much.

I had this outfit picked out and ready to go for several weeks now. 

Date night is usually one hectic evening. Everything needs to be planned out in advance: diaper bags packed, reservations made and clothes picked out. Between dropping Jonathan off at grandparents and then rushing off to a dinner, there isn't time for outfit photos.

So to make sure I capture this PBD [perfect black dress], I snapped some pics.

I really wasn't one for the high-low trend but I'm loving it here. For some reason it works very well and kind of shows off a little bit of leg, which is always a plus for a date night.

Rule Breaker

 

top: boutique in Phoenix (similar)
pants: Target (similar)
shoes: ALDO (similar)
clutch: H&M (similar)
necklace: Forever21 (similar)

There used to be a few rules in fashion. For example, you are not supposed to wear white before Memorial Day, never mix prints or wear pink and red together, and definitely never double up on one print. 

The new rule is to break all the rules. 

Wear camo and animal print together.

Again stripes and floral.

Get super matchy.

Wear the weird daring color combo.

Double up on same print. 

Boyfriend jeans with pink heels. 

White before Memorial Day.

Ballerina skirts for everyday wear. 

Shorts with boots.

Neon shoes. Again.   

And much more.

So, I'm wearing one of my favorite prints twice in one outfit (inspire by this look) and loving it. 

Forget all the fashion rules your aunt has ever taught you and brave the new trends.

Have a great day!

  

New Start

top: Forever21 (similar)
 skirt: Target (similar here and here)
necklace: Sharlotte Russe (similar)
heels: Aerosoles (thrifted) (similar)
bag: Nine West (similar)

Welcome to a brand new week!

I feel like every Monday is a new start. I bet we all start Monday with our best intentions to do whatever it is we were slacking of with the previous week.

Sunday night is like the end of a bad book and Monday we get to re-write the whole thing all over again. 

We finish the last salsa and chips, have last ice cream cone, stay up too late and fight with our spouse. 

The last time. 

Because Monday everything is going to be better, brighter and right-er (that's not even a word, but you get what I'm saying).

Then comes the glorious Monday and we fall back into the same routine, follow the same bad habits and fight the same dirty fights. And we give up on the rest of the week.

But today is a brand new day and another start to a whole new week that COULD be different. 

So go on and do all those things you set out to do without looking back. And if you fail, remember, I'm probably there with ya, picking up the pieces and trying to do the right thing. 

Have a great day! 

P.S. I'm also probably eating another bowl of ice cream that I definitely shouldn't be eating.

May {Budgeting Series}

Another month has come and gone, and it's sad how fast time is flying. Although, somehow, in those 30 days I manage to spend all the budget money and then some.

It's time to fess! This month it has been so so so hard to resist those sales! Tons of sales. Or it just feels like everything is on sale when I can't buy anything. Ha!

Target is a place where all my dreams of staying within the budget go to die. I have to force myself not to go into clothes section because I will always find something cute/cheap/interesting. Seriously!
Their new home collection had me at the first glance as well. Let me just say that target is stepping up its game and I'm loving it. But my RED credit card, not so much. So here is the beak down.

- Most adorable seahorse sweater ($15.00) I've ever seen. I mean, how cute is that? 

- A couple of really comfy Ts on a really good sale. #1 ($4.19) and #2 ($4.89).

- These ($19.64) pants had me at the very first time I laid eyes on them, but hubby wasn't convinced. I wore them to a date night and he wasn't sure why I was wearing clown pants. Men (rolling my eyes)

- I love the mint and navy color combo so when I saw this ($10.00) shirt on sale at Target (haha. where else?) I had to grab it. 

- I've been looking for a versatile summer dress for a while now. I do have few floral ones but wanted something that can be worn a lot. I've been eyeing this ($39.75) dress for a while but didn't want to pay the full retail so when it went on sale, I had to get it. Granted, if it doesn't fit right, I'm sending it back, since we don't have J.Crew Factory close to us.  
UPDATE: Returned the item

- The same thing with these ($23.50) shorts. I actually had the same pair for years in white but I don't fit into them (yet). Plus I can't be wearing white garments with infant in my lap. A recipe for disaster. 

- Lastly, I wanted a pink statement necklace. Don't get me wrong, I love jewelry, I just don't think that spending more then $20 on piece of metal (no matter how pretty it is) is a very bright idea. So it's cute ($6.00), pink (not online) and cheap.

TOTAL: $122.97 - 39.75 = 83.22

Budget: $100.00

Red Zone: None (yay!)
Carry Over: 16.78

Here's to the new month of spending and saving! 

One Good Thing

dress: TJMaxx (similar), belt: Loft (similar), wedges: Old Navy DIY (similar), sunnies: DKNY

Hi there. Yes, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. Yet.

I had an infection and bad case of sinuses. Haven't been this sick ever since I got pregnant and I think my body forgot how to be sick. Which is a good thing. 

 I was tired, stuffed up, feverish, grouchy and all over achy the entire weekend.  I wasn't able to sleep at night because I was so stuffed up, which in turn kept hubby up. I was miserable. It was even less fun being around me as I moped and groped around the house.

One good thing came out of it though - I got breakfast in bed and lots of sleep as hubby was taking care of Jonathan. 

Also can I just talk about how much I love this white lace dress, which is all the craze right now. 

I bought it about 3 years ago because it was just so beautiful on the hanger in the store but I haven't gotten the courage to wear a white dress. 

After all, I didn't want to look like princess bride. But with just the right accessories, and shoes, this thing can be styled in a million ways while looking very chic. Honestly, I don't know why I haven't been wearing it more. Coming right up.

Hope you are having a great day!

Bargain Finds /Summer Shoes/

Welcome to a new week! Or is it it still weekend for you?  Have you ever looked at some of the high end bloggers and wished you had one of the items they are wearing?  Well, wish no more! I found couple bargains for your long weekend that's sure to include some shopping. Enjoy! 

Paul Andrew Wedges vs. Forever21 Peep Toe Wedges

Granted, the thousand dollars version is made out of the best leather and probably feels like you aren't even wearing high heel, but this is a pretty good like-alike. 

J.Crew Espadrille vs. Old Navy Wedge 

Love the J.Crew wedge and how they look, but paying such a high price for short life of espadrille isn't on my budget, so here is a cheaper Old Navy version. 

Paul Green Espadrille Wedges vs. Ralph Lauren Iliana Wedges

I'm loving the navy and white look of these wedges, and they would be perfect for summer. I don't see how these differ by more then one hundred dollars except as the brand name.

So with these deals and steals enjoy some shopping regardless which one you will pick. 

Have a great day BBQing, enjoying family time and maybe some retail therapy.

P.S. I've been sick as a dog last couple of days and still not feeling any better. Going to take a break from outfits and blogging this week.
Now don't go anywhere, I'll be back in a little bit. 

Dry Spell

dress: TJMAxx (similar), vest: Gap, flats: Target, bag: Thrifted, necklace: Forever21, sunnies: DKNY

I started this blog because I like all thing fashion and it was a way to push myself to be innovative, inspiring, creative, original, ingenious and clever with what I have. Although lately I've been too focused on the technicalities - growing my blog and gaining exposure (none of which are bad) but they are taking me away from my main goal: to be creative.

Of course, it's nice to have 29475 GFC followers and even more on Instagram, Twitter and you name it, but that's not what this is about. At least not for me.

I don't anticipate or think about who's reading my blog, neither do I filter what I write on here according to what some of you may think. This is an honest account of who I am and what I'm all about. 

So I've been thinking of some inventive ways of being original and nada. Seriously, it's hard to come up with something hip, when it seems like it's already have been done. 

Anyone can put together an outfit, take some pics and post them but I want something more. Therefore, I'm in kind of a inspiration dry spell and in need of help. Ideas? Thought? Comments? Do share.

Thunderstorm

top: TJMaxx (similar), cardigan: Old Navy (similar), skirt: NY&Co (similar), heels: Guess(similar) , belt: Target, sunnies: DKNY

 We've been hit with some severe thunderstorms for the last couple of days and, of course, I had to be dumb enough to get stuck on the interstate in the middle of whole thing. Yep, only me. 

Tuesday we had sort of a spring cleaning day and and after we were done, I headed out to get groceries. The sky was looking dark and I knew we were supposed to get a storm in the afternoon, but that, THAT was not a storm. Lemme tell ya! 

I was checking out in Walmart, a gentlemen behind me in line said that we were supposed to be hit with some severe winds, rain, thunder, lightning and hail, (yep! hail) at approximately 7:45. I asked him to check the time for me and it was 7:42. I almost forgot half of my grocery bag and ran to my car. I barely, I mean b-a-r-e-l-y made it to the car and loaded my groceries. 

I started raining. 

I should have went home right away but no.

We needed diapers and they were on sale at Walgreen's across the town. I looked at the dark blue, like-in-the-movies-before-the-bad-guys-take-over-the-world sky and decided that it's probably not going to be that bad. And I headed straight into the eye of the storm. 

Two minutes later and I regretted that decision. Bitterly.

Two minutes later I couldn't see more then 10 feet in front of me. Traffic was barely moving and the cars were pulling off on the side of the road. 

Then the hail started to come down and my car started swaying from side to side like I was on the great wide open sea. I pulled over to the side of the road and started praying. 

I WAS SCARED and oh so glad I didn't have Jonathan with me. 

I called my husband. Then I called my mom and told her not to go anywhere. 

Ten minutes later and it was still bad out so I decided to slowly make my way to the store. There was so much water, I was literally swimming through the interstate. 

Thank God, I safely made it through barely moving traffic, knocked down tree branches and not working traffic lights. 

So next time you see dark as night sky what are you going to do? Turn around and head home. 

Black And White

blouse: Forever21 (similar), skirt: thrifted (similar), shoes: BCBGirls (similar), necklace: gift, clutch: Macy's (similar)

I'm not the type of girl who just jumps on the trend train right away. If there is a trend fever going around, I'm probably going to be the last person on the planet Earth to try it out.
I don't know why that is. Maybe because I'm playing it safe or want to see how everyone else is wearing it and steal borrow some ideas.
Maybe I've been inspired by these ladies here, here, here and here. And many more.
Whatever the reason is, I've hopped on the black-and-white-all-over train and loving it.
It's such a classy way to dress any of the clothes up. Who doesn't own black and pumps and some sort of white top? It's the easiest look to put together and probably my favorite.
Have a great day!
Thanks for reading!

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