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Mixed-up Weekend

Needless to say, this weekend didn't start off too well. First and most significantly was of course the tragedy of the Connecticut school shooting. It boggles my mind why someone would kill innocent children, and it made me want to pull Bridget out of school forever and move to some remote location. I can't imagine what the people in that community are going through, but my heart breaks for them.

Despite feeling incredibly solemn and bewildered by that, I was optimistic about the fun weekend I had planned. (No really natural way to segue, is there?) While on my way to Madison to visit a friend from high school, I stopped at Kohl's about halfway there, and my car wouldn't start back up when I went to leave. Instead of continuing on, my husband, daughter, and dog came and got me, and we had my car towed to a dealership. And of course it started fine the next day. Of course it did. Oh well. In the grand scheme of things, not a big deal, but it was a bummer.

The rest of the weekend went off without a hitch, though. Saturday, I met up with Katy, Corleen, and Mary for a Milwaukee blogger meetup at Le Rêve and The Ruby Tap in Tosa. I highly recommend both places. Delicious and fun! After that, I headed to my friends' apartment for our annual Christmas party. That's always a good time.

Here's what I wore Friday:

Inspiration Monday photo:

My interpretation:

Dress: Tucker for Target; Leggings: Old Navy; Scarf and Boots: Target; Coat: MICHAEL Michael Kors

Work version:

Blazer: swap

After-work version:

Cardigan: Old Navy

Saturday: Katy has the group picture from the blogger meetup on her camera, but here are a few of my Instagram shots - terrible quality, I apologize.

Top: Lela Rose for Target; Necklace: Charlotte Russe; Jeans and Cardigan: Old Navy; Shoes: Anne Klein via DSW

Chocolate caramel tart and cappuccino from Le Rêve

Katy and Mary Instagramming at The Ruby Tap

And then from the Christmas party:

This was pretty late in the night...we were quite wined up at this point, hence my rosy cheeks.

T drew my name and got me Converse shoes and nail polish to match!

Safari Theme and a Question for You

Black Shirt and Skirt: NY&Co; Long-Sleeved Tee: H&M; Booties: Mr. Shoe

Bangles: Charming Charlie and Mexicali Blues; Bag: Michael Kors

I went with kind of a safari theme with this outfit. I've been wanting to wear this shirt again, but it's getting too cold to wear it by itself, hence the layering. Although I really like the shape and pattern on this skirt, I could do without the asymmetrical ruching detail on the left side. That's why it looks like there's a weird fold in the front of my skirt in these pictures.

In other news, this was not the most deserted place to take pictures at...I was thinking about picture location the other day. There are plenty of examples of bloggers who do a specific type of location well. Some have gorgeous outdoor shots in a variety of locations (Animated Cardigan); some have well-lit indoor shots in their fancy houses (The Chloe Conspiracy); some have metropolitan, street-style-type shots (Blonde Bedhead); some stand in the same place in all their photos (FutureLint). I guess I have a low budget combination of the first two. Ideally, I'd totally want to have a really sunny room where I can take all my photos inside, but our north-facing house isn't terribly conducive to that. But what do I know? I'm not a photographer.

My question to you - when you're reading blogs, what do you think about the location of the outfit photos? Do you have a preference? Do you care as long as they're of a certain quality? Or as long as the type of location is consistent? I'm curious. I'd like to at least aim for consistency, if I decide to change anything here. I know this is just a hobby blog, but I'd still like it to be a somewhat entertaining one. Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

A Couple Awards

Recently (it took me forever to finish this post, so not as recently anymore), I received a couple blog awards from Rosanna and Alana. Thanks, ladies!!

Rules for receiving the award:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions that the tagger set for you, plus create 11 questions for the people you've tagged to answer.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. No tag backs.

Eleven Things about Me:

1. I'm super forgetful. If I don't write something down RIGHT AWAY, I forget it one second later.
2. Whenever there's a group of four girls in a TV show/movie, my three friends and I each identify ourselves with one character. I am Roberta from Now and Then, Carmen from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Gabby from Desperate Housewives, and I can't remember who I am from SATC because we have two Charlottes. Carrie, I think? I can see Miranda in me, too.
3. Procrastinating is by far my worst habit. As a result, I work well under pressure, but waiting until the last minute usually ends up stressing me out. Especially when things don't go as planned.
4. I have no follow through. I tend to start projects but never finish them.
5. This is starting to sound like a resumé for my weaknesses, so I better turn it around and mention something positive. I'm coachable. Although it had a red squiggly line underneath it when I typed it, it's a word my dad used to described me when he coached shot put and discus for my school. I'm kind of proud of that made-up word trait because that means I'm a fast learner, I'm receptive, and I won't talk back. At the time, he was comparing me to another girl on our team who had more natural talent than I did (and she went on to break the shot put record), but she was not coachable in the least.
6. On the other hand, I do have a bit of a problem with authority. I'm respectful, but authority figures make me a tad uncomfortable. Except for my parents of course.
7. Back to less serious matters, my favorite kind of cookies are oatmeal scotchies. I had one for lunch today, and I don't even feel guilty about it. It was that good. 
8. I have a very faint scar on the back of my left hand, but I have no idea how it got there.
9. I own way too many boyband CDs. And not only their first CDs. I have the first AND second CDs of 5ive, Otown, BBMak, 2Gether, LFO, Westlife (burned versions), No Authority, Plus One, Youngstown, and there are probably more I'm forgetting. I'm not counting BSB, 'N Sync, or 98° because they're awesome, and of course I would have more than one of their CDs. OK, No Authority and 2Gether are awesome, too, and both of them need to have reunions.
10. I still haven't gotten the hang of touchscreen phones for typing. I want my full keyboard back.
11. It took me forever to think of things about myself to fill this list.

Here are Alana's 11 questions.

1. What is your favourite summer activity? Hmmm, that's a toughie. The first thing that came to mind  was hitting up the WI State Fair. It's probably too crowded to really be considered a favorite, but I look forward to the food all year.
2. What is your guilty pleasure? I guess to piggyback off the last question, I'll go with junk/snack food. And trying new kinds of junk food. If something says "New" on the package, I have to try it.
3. Do you have a favourite book? Probably Pride and Prejudice.
4. What is your favourite topic to blog about? I enjoy doing TV show recaps. The only problem is that I usually don't watch my shows until days later, and they're normally shows that people don't care about. That's why I've only done a couple in the life of my blog.
   
   Shopping haul posts are fun, but they usually make me feel more guilty than anything else.
   
   I also really like coming up with outfits for different occasions. I've done a couple concert attire idea posts, and I sometimes Polyvore things for my friends to wear that I don't post on the blog.
   
   One more type of post I like to do is one calling for feedback, whether I need an opinion on what to wear or what to buy or whatever. It's always fun to get a different perspective.
5. Coffee or tea? Coffee. I've started drinking tea every day, but I still prefer coffee.
6. What decade do you identify with the most? Present day, past decade? Probably present day.
7. Where do you feel most at home? My own home, I guess. When it's clean. When it's messy (which is most of the time), it stresses both me and hubs out. Although, my first thought was to say a Hanson concert at the Chicago House of Blues since that's where I've probably seen them most. I used to hate that place, but it's kind of become a home away from home, in a way.
8. What do you do when you're having a bad day? Eat, shop, sulk. Complain about it on Twitter or Livejournal.
9. Have you met blogging friends in real life? Yup, I've met a handful! April (she gets a new blog all the time, so hopefully her current one is the one I linked, *wink*) was the first one I met, then Elena, then a bunch of Chicago-based bloggers (including Randi, Rachel, Piper, Megan, and Katy) at a swap.
10. What is your favourite subject to blog about? See #4.
11. What's your favourite way to relax? Honestly? Probably vegging in front of the TV.

Now here are mine:

1. When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up?
2. What was your first job?
3. How many siblings do you have? Are you close to your siblings?
4. What is one trend that scares you but you wish you could wear?
5. On the other side, what is one fashion trend you hate?
6. What's your favorite currently running TV show?
7. What is your favorite Olympic sport to watch?
8. Related question, if you were to participate in an Olympic sport, which one would that be?
9. If you could be on any reality TV show, which one would it be?
10. Do your friends and family know about your blog? Why or why not?
11. In one or two words, how would you describe your style?

I'll pass the Liebster award onto these ladies:

The Fashionista Vet
In Residence
My Greatest Hits
14 Shades of Grey
Thrifted Shift
Dimestore Diamond
Emily's Going Nuts
Fashion or Fiction
Lipstick & Lollies
Rock 'n' Roll Betty
World of Joy

Eleven Things

Thanks for the tag, Jess!

There are five rules: 
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you’ve tagged them.

Playing Just Dance at Halloween 2011

Random facts:

1. I'm pretty shy, but playing games brings me out of my shell. It can be anything really — board games, sports, Just Dance (shown above). Anything BUT charades. I don't like charades at all.

2. I like mint, and I like nuts, but I don't like them mixed with anything. They don't belong in chocolate, ice cream, brownies, cookies, etc.

3. I'm the only girl cousin on both sides. It's always fun and interesting being at hubs' family gatherings where there are a bunch of boy and girl cousins, and they're all around the same age-ish.

4. I don't have my ears pierced and never really had the desire to either. I've worn clip-ons once for a friend's wedding, and my mom tried to convince me to wear clip-ons for my wedding, but I refused. Getting my ears pierced would hurt less than wearing clip-ons anyway.

5. I used to want to adopt two kids and name them LMAO and LOL (pronounced Lemayo and Loll). I still would like to adopt, but we only want two kids, so maybe I'll settle for adopting our next dog. We'll see. But don't worry, I'll be better about child naming if we do ever adopt.

6. I was the tallest kid in my kindergarten class.

7. My favorite reality TV shows of all time besides Top Model were probably Average Joe and Beauty and the Geek. Yay for the nerdy underdogs. I've hung out with one of the Beauty and the Geek cast members a few times, and he also drunkenly climbed into my dog's cage at my 24th birthday party. I won't disclose which one he is because he also works at the same company I do. And probably no one watched the show anyway except my friends who were at the party.

8. I'm definitely a francophile and have been for as long as I can remember. But who isn't these days. I guess you either love the French culture or hate it, eh? Or I guess not care either way. Even though I took French for a total of six semesters between high school and college, I still didn't speak a word of it when my mom and I traveled to France in '05. I was too nervous about sounding stupid.

9. I enjoy walking around in the woods, but I don't really care for camping, and I HATE bugs.

10. I played piano for six years as a kid. I tried clarinet for one year, wasn't very good, and quit.

11. Speaking of kid activities, I also participated in tons of sports throughout the years — soccer, swimming, softball, dance classes, basketball, volleyball, and track (shotput and discus). I wasn't great at softball or basketball; OK in swimming, dance, and track; and pretty good at volleyball. My favorite sports to play recreationally now are volleyball and tennis, but I don't do either very often.

Jess's questions:

1. Do you have any life goals? My life goal has always been to publish a book. I'd love to still do that, but I can't find the motivation or time. Mostly motivation. And probably talent. I definitely have the material, though. Now that I'm a mom, of course a new life goal of mine is to make sure Bridget is happy and has everything she needs.

2. What's the last book you read for fun? Love it, hate it? I'm reading Mockingjay right now, and it's alright so far. I tend not to like the beginnings of the Hunger Games books for some reason. I'm sure I'll be hooked halfway through, like I was with the other two.

3. How do you feel about ebooks? They're fine. I've only read one ebook actually, and that was on my phone. Maybe if I had a Kindle, I'd like them better, but I much prefer paper books.

4. Why did you decide to create your blog? Is that still your intent or has it changed? I had been following many style and other type of blogs for a year or so, and I always wanted to start one, but I didn't know what my focus would be. At the end of my maternity leave, I just decided to go for it with the intention of writing about different things like motherhood, fashion, pop culture, food, etc. It morphed into more of a style blog, which is cool, but I would like to do more pop culture-y type posts, too. So I guess after over a year of blogging, I still don't know exactly what I want to do with it. And that's exactly why I named the blog "mixed-up."

5. What is your favourite font? Is it bad that I don't have one?

6. What is your Girl Scout cookie of choice? Thanks-a-Lots!!!!!! I think I ate a box in a day this year. I don't know if they sell those everywhere, so here's a picture and description for the Girl Scout Cookies website.

7. Tell me about your mode of transportation in life. I drive everywhere. I enjoy driving. If I could feasibly drive everywhere and never have to fly again, that would be great. But considering I'd like to get to Europe again, and my husband wants to go to Australia someday, plus an upcoming trip to Florida and New York with the girls in the next year, that's not happening.

8. Do you like memes? Do you have a favourite? I just looked this up for clarification ('cause that's what I do), and I realized I had been pronouncing it wrong all along. I've been saying it like the French word même (pronounced mem) instead of like meem. Good thing I've never actually said the word out loud. Anyway, I do like memes, but I don't know that I have a favorite.

9. How do you relax? You're looking at it. Just add wine.

10. What is the most daring thing you've done? Zip-lined in Mexico? I guess that would be daring for someone afraid of heights. I thought it was a lot of fun, so maybe that's a wussy answer. Ummmmm, I can't think of anything else, though.

11. If you take pictures for your blog, how do you do it? Does someone do it for you? Tripod? What kind of camera do you use? I sometimes use a tripod, but the majority of the time, the camera is perched on my car. Very professional. I use a Canon PowerShot SX130.

Now for my 11 questions:

1. Who is your biggest or current celebrity crush?
2. What is your earliest memory in life?
3. If you could live anywhere besides where you live now, where would that be?
4. Are you more like your mom or your dad?
5. What's one item of clothing or accessory that you can justify splurging on?
6. If you've read The Hunger Games and/or seen the movie, Team Peeta or Team Gale? I haven't picked a team yet, so I need some input. Heh. No spoilers please! I haven't finished the last book!
7. What's one blog post you've done that you're proud of, or your favorite one you've posted?
8. What did you do for fun before the Internet (maybe it's the same thing you do now)?
9. What are you looking forward to this summer?
10. Favorite punctuation mark? (Mine is parentheses; can you tell???)
11. Any hidden talents?

I'm tagging (sorry if I tagged someone who's already done this):
A Steady Pace
Cabootique
Caffeinerd
Flying Purple Hippos
Ginger Girl
Merry Alana
Neroli Blossoms

How We All Wore the Tucker for Target Dress

While having a huge case of the Mondays, I compiled a list of the ways bloggers have worn this Tucker for Target dress with some help from Elizabeth's pinterest board.  Why?  Because I saw it on the sale rack at Target a week or so ago, snatched it up myself, and wore it today.  And it's just one of those things that tons of bloggers have, so it's fun to see how everyone else styled it.  Lemme know if I missed anyone that you know of.

I'll get mine out of the way and then move on to the list. 

Dress and Tights: Target; Shoes: Payless; Cardigan: Old Navy; Bracelet: Refashioned Old Navy; Belt: Forever 21; Sunglasses: Hanson.net

(Click on each image to check out each lady's blog post.)