The Dreams That You Dare To Dream Really Do Come True

(Thank you so, so much for all of your support. You really backed me up and it made me that much more confident in my choice to slow it down just a bit knowing you'll all still be here. Thank you, thank you, thank you.)


So, Nathan and I live in a Duplex with another guy. We all get along. We have two separate apartments, but only one address, one mailbox. No “A” or “1/2” separates our address from his. As a result, anytime something gets delivered to “resident” there is an unspoken challenge to see which one of us can be the laziest about getting rid of it. The logic being that if my NAME isn't on it, it's not really my responsibility. Phone books are an especially challenging item to ignore as they are so big and bulky, but as evidenced by the fact that when we took our photos today, we totally missed THIS:



Big orange plastic bag full of phone book, Nathan and I ate dedicated to making a good run of ignoring this one. I'll let you know how it turns out, I suspect I'll crack first.



I really liked a couple of things about my look this day. One was my hairstyle. It looked so fancy and amazing. It's the same side braid I always do, sans bump, and rolled into a bun.



I was really pleased with how it came out, but I did have a couple problems with it. The first being the way it highlighted my gray. Now I've been at peace with my gray hair for a few months now. Nathan mentioned at some point he kind of liked it. But this picture made me feel like maybe it's a bit out of hand. I don't tend to look as old as I am. I like that. This makes me look older. I colored it this weekend, or Nathan colored it for me anyway. Not that there is anything wrong with gray hair, it just didn't feel right for me anymore. The other problem was that it hurt. I had a pin in there wrong, and it pulled so much I eventually had to take it down and just wear it in a braid. I'm pretty sure I found a solution though,. We stopped at CVS on the way home, and they had one of the elusive Goody Spin Pins in stock.



Oh. My. Goodness. These are amazing. No pulling, and for serious realsies, the two spin pins hold my hair as well as 20 bobby pins. It's amazing. I am super impressed. I looked for them online at first and honestly, most places are either selling them in a bundle with other products, or charging so much for shipping it costs more than the pins, which I got for under $4.00 at CVS. I can't recommended them enough. Amazing little things.



The other thing I was wanting to talk to you about was my necklace.



It was made by fellow blogger Katie, over at in my own little universe, and I bought it in her etsy store of the same name. Katie has been invited to come to the MTV Movie Awards Gift Lounge, which will giver her an opportunity of a lifetime, to get her pieces in the hands ,and on the bodies of, celebrities at the event. The only glitch is that she needs to not only come up with 100 pieces to give away, she also has to come up with an event fee of $5000 and pay for travel expenses. I believe in supporting not just our fellow bloggers, but artists in general. If you feel like you can help, Katie is taking contributions on her blog. I am not in a place to be able to give myself, so I wanted to offer her my support by sharing her story and asking you guys to help if you can. Any little bit. I think she only needs a little bit more help, and she has been working SUPER hard. You could literally be making someones dreams come true.


Tee, Target, customized by me
Denim leggings, ANA at JC Penny
Leather bow flats, Target
Bag, Nordstrom Rack
Necklace, My Own Little Universe at Etsy

Lean On Me, When You're Not Strong

I’m not going to do a personal style update today. Instead I’m going to tell you about someone in need and ask you to help.

From Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog…

“I’ve got bad news for you. Blogger Janet of Je Ne Sais Quoi (also known by her blog name, iheartfashion) suffered a tragic loss this week when her husband took his own life. He had been unemployed for a period of time. Janet has two children, ages 7 and 9. She needs some financial help. You can donate any amount of money to her via Paypal by clicking on the “donate now” button in the upper right corner of this blog.

I know everyone is tapped out from donating to Haiti-related causes, so I’m giving you the chance to donate and get something nice back. If you buy one of my Teeny Genie necklaces for $50 plus shipping and applicable taxes, I will donate $35 from every purchase to Janet. Valentine’s Day is coming up. Get an adorable necklace for you or someone you love and help Janet at the same time.”



Please note:
• Genies will cost $61.40 for U.S. priority shipping with delivery confirmation, excluding taxes.
• Additional taxes will be automatically charged to New York State residents.
• I will have to calculate shipping for international locations. After I receive your order, I will figure it out and send you an invoice with the total.
• The genies will start going out Monday and I’ll let you know when yours is on the way.
• I am low on genie-size jewelry boxes and would prefer to send without to keep costs down. If you MUST have a box because this is a gift, send me a note. Otherwise, assume your genie will be free-range. If I send you a jewelry box and use larger shipping packaging, I will be donating $30 to Janet instead of $35."


Please go here to buy the necklace. You can also go here to donate as little or as much as you can. As some of you know, my husband has been out of work for 13 months, so this hits very close to home. I know how hard it can be, both emotionally and financially. I can’t imagine what it would be like if I lost him because of it. If we can help her even a little, make the burden just a little lighter, and the days a little less unbearable and dark, we have to try. Personally, I don’t have much, but every little bit helps, so please donate if you can.