No Shop July - Closet Styling 07.31.13

Oh myyy we made it. I successfully went a whole month without any personal shopping. I don't know about you but I really needed this. Putting our new home together is costly enough. And will remain my focus for the next few months. BUT, I will no longer deprive myself of the occassional new nail polish or sale find. All in moderation.

If you've missed the past posts in this series, they can be found here:

• Closet Restyling - 07.03.13
• Closet Restyling - 07.10.13 (two guests!)
• Closet Restyling - 07.17.13

I'm excited to welcome my sister-in-law back to the blog! She's been participating in No Shop July as well. She has great taste so I've asked her to give us her take on shopping her closet. The inspirational photo she chose is one I love. What do you think?

Meg

Inspiration:

via Pinterest / original source unknown

Meg's Take

Top: Gap

Pants: J.Crew toothpick

Scarf: Gap Outlet

Shoes: Sperry Topsider

Watch: Michael Kors

Bracelets: Alex & Ani, Stella & Dot

How amazing are the gold Sperrys? I loove them.

Tracey

I was looking for a good date night outfit recently. A, let's dress up and go out for some good drinks, type of outfit. I stumbled upon this photo and had one of those palm to forehead moments. I've had these black shorts for years and always forget about them!

via Pinterest / original photo - Lookbook

My take

Top: Banana Republic

Shorts: H&M (old)

Shoes: Franco Sarto (via TJ Maxx, old)
Necklace: Gift from J
Watch: Necklace: Gift from J

Lipstick: Maybelline Whisper in Who Wore it Red-er

I decided to go with a more subtle look than my inspirational photo. But, who doesn't love a bright lip?! Or a sock bun in this heat for that matter.

I've really had such a blast putting this series together. I find myself search for inspiration more often and thinking about how I can use items I already own to recreate a look. 

Thank you so much to those of you who participated!

What about you? Have you done any closet shopping lately? Remixed any new outfits? Here's your last chance to link up! 

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All I ask is that you link back and share this the link up with your readers. I'd also love if you would follow my blog on  some platform (GFC, Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin, etc)

An InLinkz Link-up

If you like this post please let me know by leaving a comment or liking my Facebook page. You can also follow along on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Let's stay in touch!

Linking up with What I Wore Wednesday, Three-fer Thursday

Fresh herbs, take 1

When we moved at the very end of May I told myself no garden. Not this year. There was just way too much to do and I knew a garden wouldn't survive. Plus, we were late to the game in planting.

But there's nothing like fresh herbs really. And during an afternoon trip to the Christmas Tree Shop, I found myself drawn to the cutest little herb pots. At $2.99 a piece, I figured why not. Yes, it was 3 weeks into June and who knew how quickly they'd grow. But I decided to give it a go. And even better, when I went to pay, they rang in at $.75 each! Now that just cannot be beat.

There were 4 options to purchase - Chives, Parsley, Basil, and Cilantro. I went with the first 3, I am one of those people who just cannot stand Cilantro. So no, I wouldn't be growing it for just J. Gross.

I followed the instructions as recommended - grabbing a bowl to mix the soil and measuring out the specified water needed.

The jars came with a soil pod within them. This was the craziest thing! It would literally quadruple in size once water hit it. I made sure to take a video when prepping the second jar but for some reason I cannot get it to upload for the life of me. :(

Once the soil was done growing I mixed it up well, added 80% of it back into the jar, dumped in the envelope of seeds, covered with the remaining soil, and crossed my fingers.

Something I've never done before but found incredibly helpful with these herbs - watering using a spray bottle. I keep it right next to the sink (where these are growing) and spray daily. This keeps you from over watering, and has really worked well for the parsley and basil. Sadly, the chives didn't take as well.

In just under a month the herbs have far surpassed my expectations. Maybe I do have a green thumb!? Next step, I'll be transplanting the basil into a bigger pot. As you can see in the photo above, it has outgrown it's baby jar. I cannot wait to use these fresh herbs when prepping meals.

How about you, do you have a green thumb? What is your favorite plant to tend to? What is the easiest? My mom will be giving us a few perennials to add to our yard and I am SO afraid I won't be able to keep them alive. Any tips are greatly appreciated!

Oh, and stay tuned! This post is take 1 for a reason. More herb stories to come. :)

If you like this post please let me know by leaving a comment or liking my Facebook page. You can also follow along on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Let's stay in touch!

Fun Fact Friday 07.26.13

It's amazing what taking time to refocus can do for me. I realize it's only been a couple days but I feel refreshed. Just what I needed.

I've known this week was going to be crazy for quite some time now but it still snuck up on me. They always do. Back to back concerts was a bit aggressive. But also awesome. Two totally different artists and venues but both unbelievable shows.

1. Beyonce Tuesday night at the TD Garden with college girlfriends.

2. Imagine Dragons Wednesday night at the Bank of America Pavilion with J and friends.

3. Puppy sitting through Saturday. I'm working from home today (and yesterday) in order to watch my dog-nephew Bruce. I brought out Tucker's travel bed because its inexpensive and I didn't care if Bruce's puppy teeth tore into it. Smart man Bruce - this thing is comfortable! I've been able to get more work done than I anticipated thanks to the multitude of naps Tucker and Bruce have been taking.

4. A weekend with very little plans over here! Sometimes when I realize this, I make an overly ambitious to-do list. This is the start of the list. What do you think? Can I do it?!

5. We are heading to a local wine festival Sunday afternoon. I'm always curious to see what types of wines can be made locally. Sadly, none tend to compare to Napa and Sonoma. But, I am always up for wine tastings! :)

What are your plans this weekend?? It's raining here in Boston today which is a nice relief from the recent heatwaves. But I'm hoping to fit in a little pool time this weekend. 

Have a fantastic weekend!

Linking up with H54F

If you like this post please let me know by leaving a comment or liking my Facebook page. You can also follow along on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Let's stay in touch!

Out of Office

Stealing this post title from Jackie - it's a good one. And it's exactly what's going on. I'm putting an out of office up on the blog for the next few days.

This week is a crazy one over here. A weekend away with family (see Jackie's recap here), working a few extra hours, Beyonce tonight, Imagine Dragons tomorrow night, puppy sitting Thursday-Saturday. Oy vey. No complaints here! But no extra time either.

I had a hard time falling asleep Sunday as I stressed about everything I needed to get done this week in order to enjoy the concerts I have lined up, to enjoy spending some QT with J now that he's back from Montana, to keep the house clean, Tucker happy, me happy. And it hit me. I can't blog this week. I just can't do it. I was so concerned with how I would fit in my outfit post, my travel recap, etc and it seemed like a job. Not what I started this little blog for. So stay tuned. Consider this a stay-cation for me. I'll be back Friday with a recap of the week.

For now, enjoy this photo from Sunday. The cutest little baby you ever did see. 

Fun Fact Friday 07.19.13

Cheers to another Friday friends! We made it. And what a week it has been over here! Let's just say I know who to call when something happens...MY DAD!

Here's today's facts:

1. For my own personal safety, I've waited to share the fact that J has been on vacation all week. Yep, man trip to Montana for fly fishing. 8 nights. 8 nights! First night the dishwasher breaks. Second, third, fourth nights the fire alarms go off from time to time. Fourth night, come home to a puddle of water in front of the brand new refrigerator and under some of the kitchen tiles. Ughhh. There were a few tears by this point. Dad fixed the dishwasher Sunday, the fridge Wednesday, came back Wednesday to bring me an AC unit and dinner, and took Tucker on vacation with him on Thursday. What a guy I tell ya!

2. My sister's here!!! One more time, my sisters here!!! I didn't realize how long it had been since I saw her pretty face in person. Too long!

3. Last weekend I went to my first estate sale. We had so much fun looking through everything so we quickly looked up more yard sales/estate sales and continued on shopping. Totally checking these out more often. Even if just for bookshelf filler, frames, etc - can't beat $1 finds!

4. Pictures like this melt my heart. I am so incredibly happy in our new home, but I think someone else may be even happier ( I mean c'mon, he doesn't even have to pay rent).

5. I am obsessed with watermelon lately. It is just so good! I had actually never had it in a salad until recently and am now hooked. A word of advice - when choosing a watermelon that's been cut in half or quartered, choose the one that's cracked. Yes, choose the ugly not so perfect one. A very good friend told me this years ago and it has never, ever failed me. It is always the perfect texture and flavor. I promise you, you won't be disappointed.

6. As you read this, Jackie and I are making our way up to Maine! Wahoo. There may be a stop at the Crate & Barrel Outlet scheduled, and lunch with a great friend, but eventually we'll be ending our day at our parents new place way up in the woods. We're so happy that they finally did it, bought their dream vacation home. Hey, we're both married off now, why not?! :)

Have a fantastic weekend!

Linking up with H54F, That Friday Blog Hop

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No Shop July Challenge - Closet Styling 07.17.13

I can't believe we're at week three already! Thank goodness. These sale emails are starting to haunt me.

In case you happened to miss the past two closet remix posts this month, you can find them here:

• No Shop July Challenge - Closet Styling 07.03.13
• No Shop July Challenge - Closet Styling 07.10.13 (with two guests!)

This week I decided to style a date night outfit. We can wear jeans on Fridays at work, so I finally broke out my white jeans recently (in that day of cool weather before this second heatwave...). What makes this outfit different than what I'd normally wear? For one, a belt. I kind of just stopped wearing them, especially with jeans. Second, tucking in my blouse. And third, bright on bright. I mentioned this during week one of the challenge, never considering wearing white with something bright like red, pink, or orange. And it's true. I guess I tend to stick with cooler colors when wearing white pants - purple, blue, grays. 

My Inspiration

via Pinterest / Reasons to Breathe, original source: Kendi Everyday

My Take

Shirt: Old Navy

Jeans: Express (via TJ Maxx)

Belt: Gap Outlet

Shoes: Timberland

I'm working on my model poses for you. :) 

Now it's your turn! Share your recently styled outfits with me (please). I need some more inspiration!

Grab this button and link up your outfit posts here.

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All I ask is that you link back and share this the link up with your readers. I'd also love if you would follow my blog on  some platform (GFC, Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin, etc)

I can't wait to see what you've put together for fresh summer outfits!

An InLinkz Link-up

Linking up for What I Wore Wednesday, Three-fer Thursday

If you like this post please let me know by leaving a comment or liking my Facebook page. You can also follow along on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Let's stay in touch!

A Tea Time Shower for G&N

First off, if you're a new reader of Talkative*TLC, welcome welcome! I am so happy to have you here. And to those of you who have been following along for a while now, I hope you know how much I love you. Seriously. (If you haven't entered yesterday's giveaway yet, get on it!)

Since Wednesdays are all about No Shop July this month, let's mix things up and chat about weddings. And not just any wedding, one of J's brothers is getting married! We had so much fun last year when J's older brother got married (here are a few glimpses), and now it's time for one of the younger boys to join the club. Did you catch all that - yep, J has 3 brothers....3! His mom has managed to make raising 4 boys look easy. Somehow I doubt it was though. Wild guess. ;)

So after 7+ years of dating - through high school, college, and now into their professional careers - Greg & Nat are tying the knot! I think we all knew they'd end up together from the start. They're just a great couple and compliment each other so well. I've feel very, very lucky to have ended up with the amazing sisters that have joined the family. It sounds silly to welcome Nat to the family since I've known her for so many years now, but I am so happy these two are sticking it out for the long haul together.

Here's a glimpse at a few of the gifts Greg and Nat were showered with. There were more lurking up the staircase behind me.

Guests were sent a recipe card with their invite to bring along. I absolutely love this idea and refer to the recipe book my mom made for my shower often. I shared my brie and fig crostini recipe with Nat. It's easy and always a crowd pleaser. Maybe I'll share it with you too...

Well Nat was moving at the speed of light with her gifts apparently. Whoops, she appears handless in this photo. Notice the herb pots behind Nat? Well those were the bridal shower game prizes. Isn't that a great idea?!

 I could have shared a photo with everyone looking at the camera...but I love this one the best. It's always nice to catch a lovebird gazing. 

 I missed a picture of lunch which was amazing and all homemade. But check out this dessert table. Also all homemade, and by one of Nat's bridesmaids at that! The cake was to die for.

And so weren't the cupcakes. I brought home a chocolate mint one for J and of course had to taste it. Thin mint cookie right there.

 The shower was hosted at the home of Greg's aunt and uncle. And they had fresh flowers placed just about everywhere. They were stunning.

My mother-in-law offered to take care of the favors. How sweet are these?! Natalie loves tea so they incorporated a tea theme to the favors. And there was freshly brewed iced tea offered as well. So good.

I hope you got everything you need to start out a life as husband and wife Greg and Nat. I can't tell you how excited I am to see you two marry in just over a month! 

xoxo, T

Favorite Things Giveaway - July

Hello friends! I hope you had a great weekend. It was a nice and productive weekend over here. This is always a good thing but man does it add up sometimes - especially when my car needs service. That's always fun...

So if you're like me and spent a few too many dollars this past weekend, you've come to the right place.

What better way to start off the week than with a giveaway?! 

I've teamed up with some amazing gals to offer you this pretty ideal giveaway. 

For this months Favorite Things Giveaway we are giving away $100 to your choice of Nordstrom, Home Depot, Amazon, Target, Sephora, or Lululemon! Which means there is pretty much an option for everyone, whether you want to freshen up your style, just bought a new house, live in yoga pants...or all of the above!

 

Lauren / Beth / Laura

Amie / Allison / Samantha

Tracey / Jaime / Lindsey

This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada, 18 years or older. Winner will be verified.

Best of luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway