Vintage Valentino

I made the find of all finds when I spotted this dress at a local second hand store.
I thought it was pretty just because of the polka dots, but when I saw the label said Valentino - Made in Italy my jaw dropped and I snatched it up.
Little did I know that when I got home and tried it on it would fit me absolutely perfectly....
It almost makes me a little sad to sell it but I seriously have no where to wear it to and I would LOVE to have that money towards at plane ticket to Grenada ;)
You can find it in my Etsy shop!

ignore the overly dramatic face, lol, these were taken with self timer and I didn't have a whole-lotta time for re-dos :)

See similar dresses here:
dressingvintage.com/
Etsy
stylebop.com

Vintage Purses Galore

I've just listed several new items in my Etsy store!!
I've mostly focused on vintage items that I either previously owned or have found at thrift stores! 
I hope to someday add more handmade items, but right now I'm too busy!!
I opened an Etsy store to hopefully earn some money to buy a plane ticket to visit my beloved Grenada!! I miss it so....

Here are a few of my favorites:

 B B and B Travel Goods 

 1950's Simon Handbag

Red Hard Case Purse

                                                                  Woven Straw Purse 

ADG Fashion Imports 

Leather Handbag

:)

Happy 100th Birthday Oreo!!

I don't really love Oreos but when I saw these in the store (an end cap at the check out - great marketing tactic) I HAD to have them...  and.they.are.delicious.

They taste kind of like dunkaroos, remember those?
I am such a 90s kid.

I bought them in Canada and haven't seen them in the store here in Ohio, but I haven't exactly been searching.  If you see them and you like Oreos even a little bit, buy them!  I got the package for $2.50 Canadian and they were worth every penny.

Boot socks

Maybe I am like 6 months behind with this trend, but cut me some slack I wasn't exactly in boot sock wearing weather until recently...  I'm finally getting to some of the DIY projects I have in my pinterest to do file.

I made my boots socks the simple, lazy girl way.

First I went through my closet and decided that I didn't have any sweaters ugly enough that I was willing to cut them up, so where did I go next?  My mom's closet.  Ugly sweater heaven.
Not that my mom is a bad dresser.... she just has a tendency to hang on to things way, way past their prime or keep something around because it is "comfortable", which is exactly what she said when I pulled out 3 sweaters I wanted to chop.

I convinced her that these sweaters had to go and she willingly (I am so thankful for my sweet mom) let me take a pair of scissors to them.
I had been looking for sweaters at the Goodwill and Salvation Army but I'm seriously so cheap I couldn't justify paying $3-4 for a sweater just to cut it up.  Free is so much better, wouldn't you agree?

*Before you begin cutting make sure that the wrist of the sweater is large enough to fit over your calf, but tight enough that it isn't going to fall down!  

 

I simply cut off the sleeves of the sweater, put it on my leg, trimmed the bottom so it was about ankle length, and then put my boots on.

That's it.
I figure if the unfinished edge is going to be down inside of my boot anyway there was no need to hem it or put an elastic band in.  But that's just me.  Feel free to hem it and make it look nice if you want.

The results look something like this.  You can see the entire outfit on my most recent What I Wear Wednesday post.  

These are the other two pairs I made...  I do think that I would like these better layered over skinny jeans or tights, but these pictures were taken quickly to share on here, so bare legs it was!

 

Perhaps my next What I Wear Wednesday will be a boot parade... I have been "collecting" boots since I met my Canadian hubby and thought that if I'm forced to live in the freezing cold I might as well be warm and look stylish while doing it.  Little did I know that I should have been collecting sunglasses and bikinis for our little Grenadian adventure :)
Now it looks like we may be heading north to Detroit, Michigan so I will be well prepared for the cold snowy winters ahead.  ha! 
I also collect coats, scarves, hats, gloves, sweaters, etc....
Do you think my husband is buying into this rationalization?

What I Wear Wednesday

Wednesday again!
I have a great deal to share with you!!
My new coat!  It is Worthington from JC Penny originally cost $250!  Seriously someone out there paid $250 for this coat.... but I paid..... $20!!! That is like 90% off! 
ALL WOMEN'S COATS ARE $20 AT JC PENNY NOW!  (at least ours in Ashland, Ky)

 

 I wish a picture could show you how nice it is... the nicest coat I've ever owned that's for sure.  It's so warm it kept me toasty in the cold cold cold Canadian weather. 

Praise the Lord I'm back in Southern Ohio today and it was a balmy 55degrees today :)

Check out that snow!  The most we've had here was about 1 inch, which you saw last Wednesday and scolded me for not wearing socks ;)

I have the thinking that if I'm going to be spending 95% of my time indoors I can wear whatever, right?

Thanks to my sweet husband for being my photographer :)  I can't wait until he is here everyday and can take my picture, right?! 

These are my new boot socks and I will be sharing how I made them soon :)

Canada, eh?

I decided to throw caution to the wind and head north to see my husband
or I had a 4 day weekend because of President's Day and Parent Teacher Conferences and my mom offered to make the 10 hour drive with me....

either way. I'm here!!
and he's beautiful and perfect and 100% mine.
and I have to leave tomorrow and not see him for another month. boo.

On Valentine's Day I got a sweet surprise when he emailed me a song he had written for me and he has allowed me to share it with you!  It's too cute to not share :)

What I Wear Wednesday

snow day!
the weather here has been absolutely beautiful and warm... until this week.
it got cold and snowed!







Don't worry... I wore a coat!

xo He Loves Me xo

I am so blessed.  I love my husband so much.  I wish we could be together this Valentine's Day... but even though we're far apart we're just as much in love as we were that very first Valentine's Day we spent together 7 years ago... ok. actually, way way way more in love than we were then. 
He is like a fine wine, just keeps getting better with age.
seriously.

My beautiful Lee.... I miss you so much!

xo kiss kiss xo

These are a few of my favorite {Valentine's Day} pins...

Source: feelingstitchy.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

Source: gallery.me.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

Source: myblessedlife.net via Kelsey on Pinterest

Source: myblessedlife.net via Kelsey on Pinterest

Source: peacockfeatherevents.blogspot.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

Source: achadosdedecoracao.blogspot.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

Source: southernpiphi.tumblr.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

Emboridery Hoop Decor

Ok, how do you working bloggers do this?
When do you find the time to blog?
Do you schedule several to post throughout the week?

I started my blogs while I was in Grenada without a real job, per-say.
I've only been working consistently for about a week and I am so behind!
and let's face it, it doesn't take much for my blog to fall to the way side.

 I have been busy working, making wreaths, going to church, and having a life... which leaves little time for blogging. imagine if my husband was here currently.

I really love blogging and sharing ideas and projects with others and reading up on other people's lives and such too, so I am determined to not quit!

Here is a little project I did in about an hour for a friend's "sprinkle" for her second baby :)
I love that all my friends have pinterest (even if it is a little annoying because I feel like I never get to have an idea all to myself without 100s others pinning it too. anyway) I can look and see what they like and it comes in handy when gift buying!!
My friend had pinned several embroidery hoops so I decided to make some with her girl's names on them!
Turns out she had already decorated the their room, but my two additional hoops fit right in!!

Better yet, I got these hoops at the Goodwill for .59cents and .39cents!

My best friend's house

My best friend Michelle recently developed a love for vintage things and she quickly went to work building a collection of items from local thrift and antique stores.
My favorite purchase of hers has been the old school desk we found for $16!






Isn't it adorable!  It came perfect as is.
We also arranged the photos of her family on the wall behind to form the gallery wall.


I'm going to be featuring other parts of her home in the future.  It is just too cute!
Remember the wreaths I posted the other day with the leopard print background??  That may have been the wallpaper in her kitchen!!  That's what kind of girl she is. so much fun.

What time is it?

Time to get a watch! (har har har)

While living in Grenada I had 1 watch, it was a cheap sport watch from Walmart and the band broke after a couple months (probably from too much sun and water).
Once I got home I found all my other watches' batteries dead... and let's be honest,  I am NEVER going to remember to get the battery changed.  I always forget.
It's also important to note that I don't have a cell phone.  serious.  I've been home for over a month now and haven't really noticed or been too inconvenienced by not having a phone other than the fact that I never know what time it is... and once I had to use a pay phone (which cost .75cents for a local call! robery!)

Anyway!
I was in Target the other day and they had watches on clearance and I remembered I needed to know what time it is.... I could not believe how cheap they were!
How much do you think??


go ahead guess.....

$10?

$4.48!!

They don't have any online but if you head to your local Target you might get lucky!
They had white, pink, blue, and black.

Giveaway Winner!!

drum roll....................

And the winner is:
Courtney B!!
she blogs over at from here to eternity about her life with her husband Eric.

Thank you so so so much to everyone who entered!
This was a first giveaway for me and I can say that I learned a lot and I am so happy to have met some new  friends!

Courtney is going to be receiving a yarn wrapped wreath in the colors of her choice :)

Here are some other wreaths I've been working on recently! 

This wreath was bought at the Goodwill for $1 and I took off all the stuff and added my own!  Great deal when you can find them!! This is for my Sister-in-law for her Birthday!

The little sign is a chalk board so the message  can be changed from season to season... or day to day! 

I've begun making my own grapevine wreaths too!  My mom and I went up into the woods and grapevines are abundant!  It' so easy too!  Much better than paying $5-6 at Hobby Lobby for one not as nice.

I think I love making wreaths.

new hair trick!

I saw this on pinterest the other day and I tried it out and it worked!!
I've always loved putting my hair in a french braid at night and taking it out in the morning and having some waves.
It's great if you need something done to your hair and don't have time to straighten or curl it all over.
I braided my hair into 5 big sections, two on top and three around the bottom and ran my straightener over the braids, twisting it a bit at the bottom so it curled a bit.
I sprayed it, let it cool down while I put on my make up, took out the braids, and it was done! lots of waves and body!
It looked just like the picture on pinterest.... but I didn't think to take a picture this morning.
I will say that it didn't last quite as long as the braid the night before method, 12 hours later my hair was a little flat, but it was great in a pinch!

Source: hair.allwomenstalk.com via Kelsey on Pinterest

Do you have any secret hair tricks?!
Up until this my best trick was to use baby powder as dry shampoo!