Weekend Re-Cap !

Monday, December 2, 2019

Weekend Re-Cap !

Happy Monday !

Hoping you all had the best Thanksgiving. 

I've had three smaller boxwood leaves wreathes that I picked up while at Target last winter and I decided to hang them on several of our mirrors in our bedroom. 

I tied a bit of red ribbon (that I picked up at Michael's for 60% off) and added a bit of holly berry !

They turned out so festive !

I found this traditional gold mirror at the thrift store over the summer and love the elegant look of it.

I love finding great quality piece for great prices ! 

I bought a lot of ribbon since it was marked down so much and I decided to tie little bows on some of my finer jars.

I saw this look on Pinterest and love how it makes everything look more festive.

I am a huge fan of pumpkin pie ! I laugh because I can eat a whole pie myself with ease.

I joke but after Thanksgiving is over I realize how much I need to get my bottom to the gym !

What's your favorite pie ?

My family is partial to sweet potato pie and me... not so much !

I'm pumpkin pie all the way !

I had the cutest little photo session on Sunday !

I will be busy the next few weekends shooting family holiday session.

These by far are my favorite.

I ordered the pretties faux leather earrings from Amazon and they arrived over the weekend.

All 12 earrings for under 12.00 and such pretty subtle colors. 

I am wearing the silver pair, they're lightweight and look fabulous.

Have a fabulous Monday ladies.

Read more »

1 comment

Walking in a Winter Wonderland !

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Walking in a Winter Wonderland !

Hey ladies Happy Wednesday ! We woke up to snow, not a lot but just enough to make things look pretty here in Omaha. 

 I'm spending the day prepping for our Thanksgiving meal tomorrow.

I'm not hosting dinner instead our oldest daughter is and I'm actually thrilled with the idea of having it somewhere else.

We've got a smaller place and so her home makes more sense for hosting. 

But... I'm making one of our favorite side dishes, Calico bean bake and it's so yummy ! It's filled with beans (all kinds) hamburger, bacon, a bit of onion, honey mustard barbecue sauce and I make it with love.

I also make the ham and fluff, are you all familiar with fluff ?

It's a marshmallow, cool whip and jello desert with crushed pineapple ! It's really good and the kids especially love it.

I found another pair of boots while at the thrift store !

I was on the hunt for a tall dressier boot and you better believe that I found a pair for under $9.00  !

Oh how I love finding what I need and it such great quality.

I'm almost certain that the wreath I'm holding I found there last year.

I'm always looking for props for Christmas photos and the thrift store is another place to find amazing little things.

I'm laughing because my 14 year old son is groaning while taking these photos of me outside.

We have snow and colder temps and he didn't think he needed to dress for the elements.

I warned him and so I didn't feel bad. 

Hoping you all have the most fabulous Thanksgiving.

We will be surrounded with lots of family and friends.

I always try and tell myself to not over indulge but you know what ?

I love this time of the year and all the deliciousness and so I'm going to enjoy the day and if I over eat I have a gym membership ! 

Read more »

2 comments

Weekend Re-Cap !

Monday, November 25, 2019

Weekend Re-Cap !

Happy Monday friends !

It's been an eventful weekend, anytime the grandkids are over or I have photo sessions booked and wait.... college football game day is on t.v. life is what I call BUSY !

A few weeks ago I met my sister in Des Moines on Saturday for early dinner and shopping.

After dinner we made our way into Anthropologie and OMG it was already decked out in holiday decor.

This year I notice the store decor is filled with lots of pom poms and color.

I love it all.

I have wanted these initial mugs for awhile and when I saw them on the shelves I decided to grab 4.

You all know how much I enjoy my morning coffee right ?

Well, I'm a mixed bag over here on Simply Styling !

I'm laughing because as much as I love a good bargain these mugs were NOT on sale.

Nope, and I cringed and cringed but I caved in a purchased them

I'm super glad that I bought them because heck why not.

If it makes drinking my morning coffee even more delightful than before than great.

I have little set up next to my Keurig Coffee Maker. 

I saw a marble cheese board at Home Goods and thought it would be super cute to display on my counter with my newest mugs.

I've always dreamed of having a home with marble counter tops, so this is a bit of a little fix !

While in the check out line at Home Goods the pretty gold tree was calling my name.

I figured adding a cute tree to the cheese board when make it even more festive.

The cute little lamp with touches of gold is a thrift store find for 3.99.

I have a Nespresso Machine that I picked up on Amazon on Prime Day.

It was almost half off the original price so I jumped on it.

I really enjoy a cup of the Nespresso caramelizio each morning as a treat.

The reason that I say "TREAT" is because if you ladies know these little pods are pricey.

But the coffee is really good ! 

I went into Starbucks a few days ago and asked to order a Gingerbread Latte !

I was informed that they decided to not bring back the drink that I loved.

I found this ground coffee at Target and knew that I could come up with my own latte, and sure enough I did.

This flavoured coffee is so good.

Friday night I had all four of our grandkids in the evening while their mom went to work.

Technically she wasn't suppose to return to work until Dec. 2nd however she needs the money so she decided to go back early.

To say it was smooth would be lying ! It was way more difficult than I had expected.

Baby Emiree is only 2 months old and is breast fed and so transitioning to the bottle has been challenging.

Her mom pumps and has given her bottles but not often and so sweet little miss Emiree had a difficult night. 

Paige came and picked up Emiree around midnight.

I kept the three older ones overnight.

Waking up on Saturday morning to smiles !!!

I decided to get out a few holiday props and the kids got on my bed.

I figured since they were smiling and happy that I'd snap a few photos of them.

I always try getting the grandkids together on my bed with Santa hats on and garland around them and snapping lots of cute photos for their mama.

Such cuteness !!

We are so excited for turkey and mashed potatoes and ohhhh yes pumpkin pies this Thanksgiving ! 

Are you ?

Have a great day !

Read more »

1 comment

My Latest Thrift Store Finds !

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

My Latest Thrift Store Finds !

It's no secret that I've got a passion for thrift store shopping.  Finding fabulous pieces of clothing to add to my wardrobe at reasonable prices is what I call FUN !

I think there's a slight addiction to it if I want to be honest.

The key to finding great quality clothing or designer handbags is to go often.

I think going a few times a week is the key because throughout the week they are putting out merchandise.  Being able to go in mid morning around 10 am has been successful for me.

On my recent visit I found a perfect Coach Handbag for under 25.00.

It's authentic and in the best shape ever.

I took a little leather cleaner to it and refreshed it.

Today I'm sharing that I found my entire ensemble at the thrift store for under 40.00

Yes, the black booties, Ralph Lauren jacket and my Coach Handbag.

The Coach Handbag is the perfect size, I love being able to throw it over my shoulder and go out the door.

It has a zipper and super easy to get into.

I've never been one to spend a ton of money of my handbags.

So when I saw this one I had to grab it.

Do you thrift store shop ?

I know that a lot of people shop Thred Up too.

I've heard great reviews and thinking that as much as I shop second hand it might be worth it to check it out.

I found some things for the grandkids too.

Our three year old grandson loves puzzles and so I picked up a few wooden puzzles for him along with a Little Tikes School Bus.

What I typically do with toys and puzzles is spray and wipe them down with a santizier.

Have a wonderful day friends ! 

Read more »

4 comments

Weekend Re-Cap !

Monday, November 18, 2019

Weekend Re-Cap !

Happy Monday !

Our big pup is a little over a year old and has the sweetest disposition ever.

He's gentle and loves to snuggle.

I'll be on the couch and he'll come by and put his head under my arm.

He's doing better when kennelled.

I don't like to put him in his kennel very often but we started to when we are all away.

He sheds a ton and I'm constantly using the lint brush.

He gets excited when he see's the grandkids and we have to calm him down a bit or he'll jump all over everyone. 

I love this pooch of ours.

As much as I didn't want a dog let alone a dog that sheds this buddy of ours has become family.

He's a bit mischievous and sometimes he steals socks and chews them to shreds but we still love him. 

I mentioned that I signed up for Sirius XM Radio and now I activated OnStar in my new SUV.

I mentioned on Insta Stories how amazing OnStars customer service is the other day and they truly are top notch when it comes to helping their customers.

I was having problems activating it myself and the lovely people that I called into helped me wiz through the set up.

I love the idea of safety and knowing that if I lock my keys inside my vehicle with a simple phone call they'll pop my locks so I can get inside.

I love the idea that it can detect a crash immediately and send help.

I love the fact that if I'm not getting good reception in an area and I can't be reached via cell phone my family can get ahold of me via OnStar. 

It's the best technology ever.

With a touch of a button I can get help if ever needed. 

I pick this little guy up a few times a week from daycare.

He comes home and loves to eat a bowl of cereal and then lay on the couch and play on my phone or the tablet.

He loves watching Baby Einstein Videos on YouTube.

I've watched them along with little Ameer and they are safe and so cute.

I met my sister in Des Moines on Saturday for an early dinner.

We typically choose to eat at the Cheesecake Factory but this time we went to Bar Louies.

I had the best ever Philly Steak Nachos.

After we ate dinner we went and shopped a little and of course found some fabulous stuff in Pier 1.

We made our way into Forever 21.

This festive holiday blazer had me laughing !

Of course we had to get a boomerang for the GRAM !

We didn't purchase anything and truthfully the store was a disaster.

There is so much merchandise thrown all over and it's difficult to tell who works there.

We got out of there in a hurry.

I had several photo sessions this weekend.

The weather here in Omaha was the best ever for mid November.

Read more »

1 comment

Life Lately !

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Life Lately !

I posted a few stories over on Instagram the other day regarding coloring my roots.

I had so much hair outgrowth, more than usual and so I decided to highlight my own hair.

No need to panic because I've done it before several lots of times so I truly knew what I was doing.

I hadn't had my hair professionally done since before heading to Phoenix for Flight Attendant Training.  I could have made an appointment but I figured I'd save some money and get it done immediately.

I love how much it's brightened up and truth is I love being blonde. Any little bit of brown poking through is not good in my book.

After I highlight I tend to need to use lots of moisturizing hair products.

Highlighting just simply dries my hair out. 

I'll share a few of my holy grail products.

These were either products that I saw other bloggers use or highly recommended by Instagram Influencers. 

I know I'm heavy on hair care products but this is truly what's helped keep my hair the healthiest.

I wash my hair with this shampoo a few times a week.

It's the most moisturizing shampoo I've ever used. 

After I've washed it truth is, I wouldn't even need a conditioner because it's just that moisturizing.

With my hair highlighted again and just recently I'll use this after each shampoo.  I only use a little bit and rinse it off after only a few minutes.

It makes my hair super smooth. 

I came across a blogger who posted a photo of this shampoo and so I thought I'd try it.

Yes yes yes it's good stuff.

I use this on my hair once a week.

When my hair starts looking brassy I use this Surface Pure Blonde shampoo.

It truly does the trick and takes the yellow out of my hair.

It's a little pricier than the drug store shampoo and it's suppose to do the same thing.

I've tried that drug store brand and it's really not as good as this Surface brand.

I picked this hair serum while in Phoenix and it's not my favorite.

I wasn't impressed so I've only held onto it because I'll use it for a back-up if ever needed to help smooth my hair.

This product you can find at Target for $10.00 and I faithfully spray this in my hair after every shampoo.

It helps making brushing my wet hair a little easier. 

In the winter I like using as many conditioners on my hair as possible.

One of my favorite bloggers posted this stuff from her Sephora Haul and she loves it.

I ordered and yes ladies it's the best ever for making your hair feel so soft.

I only use a few drops before I blow dry and a few drops before I flat iron my hair.

I am not into hair extensions, I know a lot of people are and that's awesome but I strive on keeping my hair the healthiest I can and so I use products that help with that. Extensions have come a long way but it's truly not something I'd ever consider.  Keeping my hair healthy and using the right products has always been it for me. 

I'm still wearing lots of leopard.

I'm not sure if I shared this adorable silky top that I found on Amazon.

I'm wearing my black cardigan over top because it's cold here in Nebraska.

This sweet memory popped up on Instagram today.  Awe these sweet girls are precious and I've loved photographing them through the years. 

Now that there's a little brother it makes photographing them even a bit sweeter. 

Happy Wednesday friends !~

Read more »

1 comment

Weekend Re-Cap !

Monday, November 11, 2019

Weekend Re-Cap !

Happy Monday ! 

I love this sweet baby girl so much ! She's beginning to keep her eyes open more and more and they are stunning just like her. 

Our sweet Emiree will be two months on the 23rd.

My gosh time flies. 

Her mama goes back to work on Dec. 2nd and so that means this g'ma will have her two nights a week.

Bring on all the mid night snuggles. 

On Saturday we made our way to Fremont to Senior Day !

Yep, this guy of ours is a senior in college.

Time really does fly when you're having fun.

We walked out on the field with our son and he gave his mama a rose :)

It's been a tough season for him. He had an injury to his ankle about a month ago and so it kept him from playing. 

Coming back last week he stood on the sidelines and watched the back up QB play the entire game.

It's been tougher on me seeing him not getting any playing time than it seems for him.

I'm that mom that knows talent and wants to see her son in the game.

Big bro and little bro !

I love love this kid so much.  He's not a kid anymore but oh my goodness he's got a heart of gold.

He's got the best sense of humor and is such an awesome friend to his buddies.

It's going to be tough not watching him play football after this year.

I'll be honest that as I type this I've got a few tears.

Our oldest daughter Paige turned the BIG 29 on Sunday.

No pictures to share from our luncheon on Friday because she's just not one to like her picture taken.

I get it but as a photographer it's so frustrating. 

We enjoyed lunch her, Tia and I and sweet baby Emiree.

Here's a throw back photo ! Paige is on the right and our daughter Tia is on the left.

We recently got a newer SUV and I decided to give SIRIUS XM a try in my new ride.

It's not brand new but new to me.

I love listening to Christmas Music and someone on Insta Stories mentioned they were playing Christmas Music already on Sirius xm radio so of course I decided to try it out.

I have a 90 day free trial, you can't beat that. 

Also....

I may have already put up our Christmas Tree.

I know... I know.... it's way early but like I've said before, this season goes by so quickly and I think of it as giving me more time to enjoy mornings looking at the pretty tree all lit up while sipping my coffee and reading blogs.

Have a wonderful Monday !

Read more »

4 comments