Deal of the Day- Sapphire Chevron

I read on Instagram about Christmas Tree Shop having chevron pattern pillows. I sat on the idea of stopping by because well... Do I really neeeed another pillow? I have about 4 that should go in my bed, but I rarely fully make my bed so they kind of just chill in the corner.

Today I reached my peak and knew I wouldn't stop thinking about the affordable crooked stripes until I at least went to go see them for myself. They had them in black, coral, grey and sapphire.

My current living room has a lot of purple decor... When I moved out, Pinterest wasn't invented. I have obviously established a more sophisticated and tasteful palette for decor since that time. In order to add to what I have, I chose the sapphire pillow. This way I can work on jewel tones: plum (amethyst) and sapphire and incorporate gold metal in there too. Oh yeah and I may have found a sapphire blue ceramic pot too...

The pillows were marked at $9.99, but were only $6.99 at the register! What is the most amount of money you've ever spent on a pillow?

OOTD - Black Maxi and Cheetah

Maxi Dress- Target (Maternity Section) Last Year

Cheetah Zip Cardigan - Old Navy

Watch - Fossil

Wedges (Can't see) - Target

This dress is a maternity style dress but that doesn't mean I'm preg.  This was the only maxi style dress that I could find that had thick straps that wouldn't reveal my bra straps while teaching. 

Are you still going to rock maxi dresses this summer?

OOTD - Pink Skinnies and Chambray Tunic

Top - Joyce Leslie - Years Ago

Pants- Francesca's - On Clearance for $12

Watch - Fossil - Macy's $150

Shoes - Kenneth Cole Reaction Wedges - Marshall's $25

Yes, I'm wearing colored skinnies to work again.  I like wearing an over-sized shirt with these pants because I think they're a little too tight in the stomach area... #girlproblems.

How do you conceal your problem areas?

OOTD - Seafoam Stripes and Teal

Top - Francesca's $30?

Pants - Michael Kors - Marshalls $40

Watch - Francesca's $18

Shoes - Sperry Top Siders / Cheetah Print on Sides - Zappos.com

Thankfully, this isn't a blog on hair.  Or else I would have negative 10 subscribers.  I know.

I like wearing colored skinnies to work because it's easy to wear pants at work, it's a pop of color, and my students appreciate my effort on keeping up with the trends.  It's not like I wear things all the time because I know it will impress them; it's just nice to remind them you're a person too and that you can rock some trends too.

In some work places this outfit could never fly because it's too loud/casual.  But for my school, I think colored skinnies are appropriate. I always wear colored skinnies with a blouse (as opposed to a tshirt) and sometimes a blazer and try to dress it up with appropriate accessories (like my watch).

Reflection: I also could have wore nude wedges or my tan Kenneth Cole wedges with the gold studs.

Are colored skinnies acceptable at your place of employment?

Project of the Day- Coffee Table

I've been waiting a year and a half to do something to this trunk I bought at goodwill from before I moved out of my parents' house. This trunk has served the purpose of a coffee table, but it was a little low for my liking. Plus, I felt like it was missing a finishing touch.

The plan was to get decorative legs at Lowes, stain them to match my tv stand, and then attach them to the base of the trunk. On the way down the aisle to the legs, we spotted curtain finials that were already pre-finished and seemed sturdy enough for the project. We spotted a deal on $5 finials (they were on clearance). Although, the finials in the picture are more my cup of tea (for $12 for a box of 2). This was our first home project together and everything in my apartment is already mine so I wanted him to be able to have some say and the price was right. We went with the clearance finials.

We went to my parents and rounded up :

• A saw
• A drill
• Small blacks of wood (3x3x1)
• Screws

The bf used the saw to cut 4 small blocks of wood for each corner of the trunk. He used 2 screws each (going from the bottom, inward) to secure the blocks inside the chest.
Then he used a drill bit smaller than the screw of the finial to make a hole for the finial to screw into. Finally, he screwed in the finials.

Reflection: If I had to re-do this project, I would chose the finials I originally wanted. The ones we ended up with look nice enough, but I think it would have looked nicer with chunkier legs. (After seeing the project complete, I think my bf agrees too). At the same time, I'm really glad we came across these pre-finished finials because it required no drying time!

What do you think about using a trunk as a coffee table? Too vintage? Just right?

Project of the Day- Repurposed Coffee Can

I am not a coffee drinker, but my boyfriend has been saying how we have to get cafe bustelo. Finally, we splurged. He uses the Keurig Machine, but this product didn't come in K cups. He will have to scoop it in the "brew your own" K cup every time he wants it (which is often). We put the coffee in an old walnut container on the counter top within arm's reach, but I didn't enjoy the decor of the walnut can.

Solution: I redesigned the can to be more visually pleasant for the counter top by using scrapbook supplies.

I just used tan paper and measured it to fit the can. I taped a seam along the back. I then added the swirly border down the center and added sticky letters to spell out "coffee." Let's see how long it will be until my boyfriend touches the can with wet hands and ruins the whole thing. He's good like that.

By the way, I think I am on my way to being a coffee addict. I am so ashamed. I had one cup last night, and have been craving it all day at work. I'm in trouble.

How many cups of coffee do you drink a day? How do you store your coffee?

OOTD- Royal & Teal Peplum

Dress- Forever 21- $27?

Watch- Francesca's- $18

Shoes- Target from years ago

I bought this sleeveless peplum style dress back in February. I knew it needed to come home with me despite the snow piles that were still outside. The fit was perfect: not too tight, not too loose. There is no slit in the back which is lovely for teaching in. And, finally, in my humble opinion, the contrast of the colors are just beautiful.

I wore a sweater wrap to add some sleeves to the look even though it would have looked better without the sweater.

Fun fact: The peplum was big enough where I didn't need to wear Spanx! What are your thoughts on this peplum trend?