Each morning is almost the same at our house.  Up a little late, a hot shower, quick scramble for clothes and breakfast.  Then, I look at the boys, giggle at what they are wearing, help them fix it and wonder why the King is staring blindly into his side of the closet.
Is there a giant spider in there?
A monster actually living in the deepest darkest corners?
Perhaps the shoes have finally reproduced in the middle of the night and I have a new pair of peep toe sling backs?
Nope, not even close.
Another day and he has no idea what to wear.

I've always thought that having less in the options department would help a King out.  Guess not.  I've resorted to Pinterest in the past to help him conquer his daily struggle with the closet.  It was simply time to put together a few more wardrobe capsules so he could mix and match his way through the week.

Blues and Greys

Tans and Greens

The purpose of any wardrobe capsule is that you take a few classic pieces and then interchange seasonal or trendy pieces with them.


In the first capsule, the classics are jeans, leather jacket, dress shirt, boots and vest.  By adding in a henly, military sweater a pair of cargos and a sleek sneaker you end up with more than 10 other looks.

The second capsule is the same idea.  The classics are the dress shirts, a flannel, jeans and then boots and a suede oxford.  Add in different sweater, a quilted vest, some cargos and a sleek sneaker you have a span of items that go from office to weekend wear.

You can find both of these wardrobe capsules and a few more on Pinterest.

I know it's been forever since I've posted, and those of you that know me personally or read here from time to time know I've gone back to college.  I started back in January and have done 41 credits so far this year.  I'm looking to get at least another 6 in before the end of the term, and if I'm lucky 12.  I chose a competency based school (WGU) instead of seat hours.  I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying college at my own pace.  So much nicer getting paired with a stoner who never shows up to class and to whom your grade is tied to.

Happy Fall!

The stores are all adverting for back to school deals this time of year, and if you're like me, you're wondering what do I actually -NEED- for my minions this year?  

We do cyber school, which as far as I'm concerned is the best thing ever.  All the benefits of homeschooling with the added benefit of lesson plans, books, and schedules you don't have to make up!  This also means I don't have to worry as much over the big list of supplies (no more buying glue sticks by the case, yay!) the school is begging for this year.  I just have to worry about their clothes and fitting and if they have a few pencils, pens and paper to write and take notes with.

We don't have worries over Joey's shoes are cooler, or Bobby has better jeans than me.  We also don't have bullying issues, or worrying over when lunch is.  The minions come to work with us each day, have their own office to go to school in, and have to dress for the office too.  In our case it's business casual and casual Fridays.

 I've posted these lists before, and they are on my pinterest as well, but I thought I'd dust them off and get them out again.

My minions are responsible for their own clothes and keeping what's in them up to date with sizes - with some minor help.  The list to the left is great to give your kid(s) an idea as to what they need or should have.  The size card is great to keep in their wallets so they always know what sizes to buy.

Next week we'll be back to school shopping for whatever the minions determine they need based on the list and rules for the office.  We'll also be comparison shopping to get the most we can for the money.

What do you end up buying for Back to School?

Long overdue, but here is the second week of outfits for the 15 for 30!  The original post shows you the 15 pieces I started with.  All you have to do is find something similar in your closet and follow along.

Enjoy some spring weather!

Last week I gave you 15 pieces for 30 days worth of outfits.  Using just what I had in my closet, I picked out what I could easily use to transition to spring. If you've been stuck in a rut where you're just wearing the same things over and over again, I hope this will inspire you to try some of your 'old things' in new ways.
Here are the first week's outfits - enjoy!

The last few months have been rather hectic with the whole real job thing.  Most days I'm busy with just running a business.  It's not helped matters that I went back to college and have two minions either.   The good news is, I've managed to get through 2 classes, and I'm working on the 3rd one now.  I just got my first paper back and got an A.  Not too shabby for not doing the college thing for, yeah, we're not going to talk about how long it's been.  So if any of you ladies are thinking about going back to get a degree or finish one, do it.  It can be done.  Choose your college and degree wisely though.

Now, to the point of this post.  As if there ever is a true point to any of these posts...
Spring is just around the corner, and already sprung for those of your in the warmer climates.  It will start warming here over the next month or two so I've put together an entire month of outfits, based on 15 standard items from my closet.  Each week I'll post a weeks worth of outfits  from what I have pictured below, including weekend wear.
Yes, I know I have more than 15 here, shoes, bags, accessories and undies don't count, or we'd all be walking around half naked.



If you'd like to play along, clean out your closet, and find some things that can sub in for what I have pictured.  Not every body looks good in the same colors and styles, so use what works for you!

I'll see you all next week with outfits - Week 1!

After a houseful of sick men this week, I didn't have much time to blog.  So, I'm offering up a few outfits in lieu of something of substance.


Monday I got to go to work while the king stayed home.  By Tuesday, the evil bug had been given to the minions and they were hacking up their little lungs.  So, I got all fancied up and stayed with them that day.




By the end of the day Wednesday, the temps had dropped and it started to rain, then snow right after. Apparently it snuck up on the weathermen in Pennsyltucky.



Valentine's Day was spent at a job fair. No, I'm not job hunting, trying to recruit some new blood. We may have one victim candidate.



By Friday all I wanted was to be warm and comfy. A few layers of clothing accomplished it nicely, plus I got to wear my new shoes!



Today, I got to join a few of my new friends for a morning out at the farmers market. It was fun to wander about the stalls and see what was available, even if I couldn't eat much of it. I think my favorite thing were the bite size donuts one group was making. They were unbelievably cute.

I started watching Downton on a sick day while browsing Netflix.  I didn't know it would suck the King in too.  Let's just say Violet had him when she was describing Downton "Really. It's like living in a second rate hotel where guests keep arriving and no one seems to leave."  I also didn't know how truly lovely the costumes were going to be, or how much I was going to covet being tall and stick-like to carry those costumes off.  Since I won't be growing or losing my girly figure any time soon, I'll have to improvise.

This Saturday is my mom's tea party/birthday present, so Mom, if you're reading this, stop now, or the surprise you want will be gone.

I'll be wearing a blousy, dolman sleeved, lace number.  Mine is actually a blush color, not black, but one can't fight Polyvore.   For fun, I think I'll even try some Marcel waves in my hair.

The invitations that went out specified wearing fancy hats, I chose a fascinator.  Something I didn't own but ran across and decided it would be fun.  The rest of the outfit is Downton inspired, but without wearing an ill-fitting dress for my body type, I wasn't going to go all the way.

I've planned out a tea buffet with teas from a local tea shop called One Good Woman.  The king has been gracious enough to offer a hand and the minions will probably offer up some service as mini garçons.

Smaller scale but same idea

We'll be dining on tea sandwiches like cucumber with dill spread and hummus with sprouts.  I'll be making scones, because you can't have tea without them.  I'm thinking a sweet scone, probably pumpkin with maple icing because it's my favorite, and a savory one like olive and rosemary.  Some lovely little cupcakes (carrot) done up like hats.  Strawberries in a lemon lavender syrup to put something remotely healthy on the table and either french macaroons or cut sugar cookies.

cute cake I did last year

My mother 'gifted' me with my grandmothers china some time ago.  I lovingly refer to it as the ugly china.  We'll be using it for tea.  Yes, it's ugly as sin, but it's my sin.  My sins include way more pieces than I started with as I filled in broken and missing pieces over the years.  I have everything from berry bowls to teapots covered in pink 40's style flowers.

Homer Laughlin Priscilla Eggshell Nautilus

I've been stumped on decorations, I'll admit.  I'm a total black thumb and don't do well with any plant that's alive, or even was alive at one time.  I know I like the big puffball flowers, and I adore the look of this table.  Obviously I'll scale it down as it will be on my coffee table and not at a large scale wedding. But I think I can manage some candles and fake puffball things in a vase.

Puffballs are pretty

No party is complete without something for the guests to take home, so mom and I have been collecting old tea cups and saucers from thrift shops all over the mid-state.  Each guest will be going home with a one of a kind candle in a teacup.  I just have to find a couple more, and soon.  Seriously people, donate more cups!

I started this post quite some time ago, and never got back around to it.  Shame on me.  In my defense, it was around the time Minion #1 was having heart surgery.  I'll be claiming temporary mommy insanity on that count.  The next time was last week, and I got sick, had a million things going on...stupid life, doesn't it know I have a blog to write?  So finally I'm getting back to closet editing with style and fashion in mind.

Yesterday, I wrote a bit about style and fashion.  If you read that, I mentioned that style is who you are, and you can see a little about me in my clothes.  They're all fairly classic styles.  Things you can wear for years.  They all have the same basic shapes, that show off my assets (small waist) and camouflage the not to great parts (I have a big butt and I can not lie...).  Not a lot of prints, and most have a vintage flair to them.  

I decided to start with dresses this fall since they are all one piece and not quite as mix and match as some of the other things in my closet. In my closet I had three LBD's.  Which, in all honesty was two too many.
Technically, my LBD could double as the cocktail dress, but thanks to my niece and nephew's recent weddings, I have two.  I couldn't show up in the same outfit to two functions.  I mean, who does that?




T-Shirt dresses are a staple for me.  They can be worn with tights, leggings, even jeans to create a bunch of different looks.  If you put a shirt under it or over it, you have more looks.  Add a sweater and you have another outfit, it's really genius. For now, here are mine.







Graphic print dresses.  Everyone has their own take on them, again, I tend toward neutrals because you already have things going on with the print.  Bright colors with bold prints are just not me.  I had a few print dresses,  two of which I've had since right after minion #2.   I kept two.  Yes, I know, that is animal print, I think of it as cougar, RAWR!  ;)




Vintage and classic dresses.  I have a soft spot for these, faux or the real deal, I always have a few in my closet.  Right now I have a vintage seersucker dress.  My holiday frock by the legendary Mr. T has been edited as has my long Benetton.


That's it.  My dresses are edited down.  I have what I really want in my closet and I'll be selling my vintage things in the etsy shop.


On to colors.  As you are trying things on with your closet edit, you may notice a few pieces wash you out, make you look too pale, or even seem to make your skin take on a yellow or green cast to it.  Not all colors were made for all people.  Here are a few tips for finding the right colors for you:

Each time I've shopped with someone, no matter if it was helping them find a piece for an event, or filling in parts of their wardrobe, I've run into the same issue.  Few people know what the difference is between style and fashion.

Simply put, style is an innate part of who you are and doesn't really change.  Fashion, on the other hand is directed by other people and changes with the seasons.  If you're still not sure how to tell the difference, look at any movie star from the 20's on.  If what they are wearing looks great and would still be relevant today with some minor updates, that's style.  If you're giggling at what they're wearing, that's fashion.  Not that fashion is a laughable thing, but trends come and go darling.  Style is forever.

If you're like most people, you probably have a closet that's half full of trends from the last 5-10 years and the other half is stuff you don't like, doesn't fit and you don't wear.  Sometimes it makes for some seriously hideous awesome outfits.  Some though, manage to take what's in their closet and look amazing even if they've already forgotten about what they're wearing that day.  How do they do that?  Their closet is full of things that suit their style, mixed with a few trendy items.  That's how.  If you've ever wanted to reinvent your style but just weren't sure how here are a few easy steps to do so.

We've all had a "what was I thinking" moment, or ten.

The first step is to develop your own style.  If you're unsure about what your style is, you can take a look at magazines to see what the glitterati is wearing currently or even look back over the decades to see what the fashions were through the years.  You may find that some things from other eras are more to your liking.

Look through your closet once you have an idea about what your style is and see what's age appropriate.  If you're in your mid to late 30's and dressing like a teenager, you may have an issue.  Looking youthful isn't about your clothes.  Make sure too that you're dressing for your occupation.  Mom jeans and stained tees do not good office wear make.  Dress for your lifestyle.  If you walk all day, every day, 4" stilettos may not be for you.

Figure out what colors look good on you and what styles fit your body shape best.  Don't wear things that accentuate your worst attributes.  For instance, I don't wear baggy clothes.  I'm petite and they tend to make me look like I'm playing dress up.

If you're not sure what things you should buy and will hold up to multiple washings, or can't tell designer clothing from a blue light special, then what you really need to know are a few simple things.  How are things cut, how are they stitched and what fabrics are they made from?

• The cut should flatter your best assets and hide the worst ones.  Cheaper clothing sometimes will have  variations in size and even the material cuts may be different.  So if you're picking up trends on the cheap, watch for that.
• The stitching in the fabric should always be at least 1/8" from the edge and the edge should be finished.  If it's not, assume you'll be fixing a seam along the way, or just don't buy it at all.
• Cotton polyester blends are great for everyday, they barely wrinkle.  Silk is nice for dressing up, wools for winter warmth and linens for summer to keep you cool.

I've been promising to write this post for a long time, but between bouts of being sick and this silly thing called my real job, it's slipped through the cracks.  This week though, I'm going to get around to at least part of it.

I'm ruthless in my closet editing.  I do it twice a year, in the spring and again during pumpkin spice latte season.  The first few times the King saw me do wardrobe edit he was both fascinated and horrified because it is a bit of a process, but a rewarding one.

You will need a few things to do your closet edit.  Get a bin or bag to designate for things you're going to donate, a bag for anything you're going to toss, and a bin for anything needing tailoring or cleaning.

The first thing you need to do is laundry.  Make sure it's all done and put away before you start this process.  Then, pick a section of your closet to start with and pull all of those clothes out of your closet.  Yes, take them all out of your closet.  Once you have them in a pile on your bed, try each piece on.  Have a bit of a fashion show if you want.  Let your significant other (or bff) weigh in on your items.

It gets to go back in the closet if and only if you can answer yes to all of these questions:

• Do you love it?
• Have you worn it in the last 6 months to a year?
• Does it fit?
• Does the color suit you?
• Is it comfortable?
• Is it in perfect condition? (if it needs tailored or cleaned, do that BEFORE sticking it back in the closet)
• Is it still in style?
• It is the only one (or two) like it you have?

Once you get though all of the clothing in your closet, don't forget your dresser drawers.  Do the same thing with those, take everything out and don't put it back unless it meets all the criteria.

Don't forget to edit your shoes.  I know this can hard, especially when things are getting pretty worn and you don't have something to replace it with yet.  However, there is no point in wearing shoes that don't fit, are uncomfortable, or looking like you've gone through a war with them.

Once you are satisfied with your edit, be sure you donate, toss or repair/clean the clothes that you've set aside.

I've also put together a list for some basics in your wardrobe.  I know everyone is different with their needs for a wardrobe.  What I need in Pennsyltucky is different than what someone in Florida will need, but that's ok.  These are guideline and suggestions, not rules you must follow or the fashion police will show up.

Pants
dark wash jeans
khaki's
cargos
black trouser
dark neutral trouser
tweed trouser
velvet/chiffon/satin pants (something dressy)

cropped pants
linen pants

Blouses
bold blouse
silk blouse
striped oxford shirt
crisp white shirt
black shirt
sparkly top
black tee (short and long sleeve)
white tee(short and long sleeve)
ruffled shirt
tanks and or camis in neutrals

Skirts
black suit with skirt - pants too if you're lucky
wool skirt
cocktail skirt
summery skirt

Jackets
Fitted jacket
pattern jacket
velvet jacket
leather jacket
denim jacket
black jacket (from your suit)
vest

Dresses
LBD
shirt dress
print dress
party dress

Coats
trench coat
wool coat
parka
leather

Shoes
black flats
black heels
neutral flats
neutral heel
sandals
dress sandals
boots for casual and dress
winter boots if you need them for snow
sneakers

Do not forget good bras and undies.  If you can tell you have a bra or underwear on, they're not fitting you properly.  If you've never had a bra fitting, have one done.  Many of the better department stores have specialists on staff to do that.  Don't feel like the 18 yr old at Vickies is your only hope.
They can also recommend foundation garments like spanx if you need them.  Sometimes the industrial strength hose or spanx make all the difference between looking fabulous and looking frumpy so don't rule them out.  Even at a size 2, I own some.

Next week I'll be posting photos of my paired down closet, and how to figure out what what colors are best for your coloring.  I'll also be creating a shopping list of needs of my own as an inspiration for you.  In the mean time, if you'd like a sneak peek of things I want you can check out my pinterest board.

It's Wednesday once again and this week I decided on a dress.  A maxi-dress of all things.  Typically I stay away from anything longer than knee length because it tends to make me look shorter.  And when you're already a foot shorter than your king, it starts to look silly unless you wear heels all the time.  Oh wait...I do wear heels all the time.  The dress is so comfortable though, it's made of the softest t-shirt type material known to man.  I'm going to be sad to give to this dress up when it's time has come and gone.

Without the jacket

Anyway, the maxi is from Charlotte Russe, the jacket is a thrift shore find, belt is a Target special and the shoes are Kensie, from DSW.

With the jacket

The messy bun took me about 2 minutes to do.  Put your hair in a pony tail.  Divide the tail into two sections and twist it.  Make a twisted braid.  Band the end and using another rubber band, loop the small end to the larger band you used towards the crown of your head.  Then, with a few bobby pins, haphazardly pin sections of the twist to your head.  Poof, instant messy bun!

What are you all wearing today?

The King and I decided that since my parents were stealing our children the last weekend before school starts again, we'd head off on a short adventure ourselves. What better place for a long weekend adventure than the city that never sleeps?

Waiting area of the Amtrak station, Harrisburg

The walk down to the train platform.  Same as it was in 1887.

We're lucky in that Amtrak offers train service between our little part of Pennsyltucky and the big apple, so we took the train. It's about 2 hours faster that way and considerably less worry some than trying to drive into the mad house that is NYC.

We left Friday morning and arrived just after lunch, checked in at our hotel, The Muse, one of the Klimpton properties, just off Times Square. The room was beautifully appointed and spacious for the city. The staff was pleasant and there was a wine reception each evening. What's to complain about there?

The rest of Friday we spent exploring the area and we slipped into Saks on 5th avenue so I could drool over the shoes. Needless to say I didn't feel the need to drop a paycheck into a pair of shoes, regardless of the red on the soles. We hit a few of the other big name flagship stores and ducked into the Lego store as well. They had a huge dragon made from a gazillion Legos that the king was mesmerized by. By Friday evening we both were starving and excited for dinner. We decided on a place called Nizza. They have a GF menu and are soy free. Their food was out of this world and I'll be posting my attempts with socca later this week. For those of you not aware of what socca is, is a type of flatbread made from garbanzo bean flour. It's yummy, filling and goes well with wine.

Dragon made of Legos!

Saturday dawned and we were off by late morning to head over to Hells Kitchen for the flea market. We had brunch at a quaint club spot and ooh'd over the waiters heeled platform boots. Yep, those babies had bigger heels than I wear. I was impressed. Right outside the club, the flea market began and while it wasn't as big as I hoped it made up for in kitsch and things you just don't see at home. I'd never really thought to shop for Versace at a flea market, yet they had it there.

The rest of the day we wandered about the city, window shopping and actual shopping at a few of the shops we don't have at home. One of the biggest trends I saw that I wasn't seeing at home is the amount of hardware on shoes and clothing. Everything has spikes on it. It didn't matter if it was a jacket, shirt, jeans or shoes, all of it had these silly spikes on it. All I can imagine is the number of ER visits this will cause with fashion induced injuries.

Cute mouse shoes, but imagine the damage they will do to your ankles.

Saturday night was a visit to a supper club called Swing 46. While they didn't have a specialized GF menu the staff made sure I had a safe, fabulous meal and incredible service. The band was great and the dancing was more than fun.

The King and I headed out for Dinner and Dancing

Crescent City Maulers at Swing 46.

I'm sitting in Penn Station as I write this, not quite ready to go home. It's been a fun adventure, a growth experience for those of us who hates cities, people, small spaces, smells... You get the idea here. Point being is that we both has fun and will do this again in some shape or form.

Anyone else sneak in a last minute getaway before getting back into the mom routine of school and lunches and driving and...?

This has been a crazy hectic week so far. I think it only gets worse from here so the post is short and mostly sweet. Outfits are polyvore this week.

It's also very hot and humid this week so I'm going with a lot of light airy cottons.  Typically I take sweaters or cardigans with me to work to combat the air-conditioning the guys adore so much.  I prefer things temperate, they like it arctic.  We compromise and I wear sweaters.

When I was a little girl I actually believed that the guys on tv and print picked out their own clothes, and made themselves look amazing.  Then, I grew up.  I taught more than one boyfriend that it didn't matter how much you liked something, stripes and plaids just didn't go together, and fluorescent yellowy green goes with nothing, even if it is your favorite color.
 Here are a few of the pieces all my guys have.  Linen shirts, shorts, and pants.  Wifebeater type undershirts for layering on the non-sweltering days.  Long sleeved shirts that can easily have the sleeves rolled up by themselves, or under a jacket.  Printed T's that can be worn from the boardwalk to the office under something else and shoes.  Sunglasses are a must, and if your guys tolerate them, white jeans are nice too.

Minion #1 (sporting the faux hawk and brooding look)

Minion #2 (rarely seen without a hat)

The King, surveying his domain

The court jesters hamming it up

And there you have it, a few pieces for guys that can make up the most of a summer wardrobe by just mixing and matching.  Doesn't really matter if it's office, going out, or staying home.  The fabrics all go together and if you stay within a color palette, all the pieces will mix and match.