Unlighting a Christmas tree

Hiya Blogland!! I'm still in Christmas Decorating MODE here!! Every year I say I'm going to down-size and every year there is MORE STUFF. Here are views of some of the Santa's I've made. I started making Santa's about 35 years ago when I wanted to collect them but couldn't afford them.:

Santa's on desk. All but the 2nd from right were made by me.

 

  

I have one last tree to decorate-the big one in the living room that gets all of the vintage glass ornaments. I pulled it out of the box last night to set it up. It's one of the pre-lit ones (but getting a bit old) and this year several strands of lights are ka-put!!  I tried new bulbs and all that but unfortunately it looks like broken wires.

SO tonite I will be unlighting it. Ugh. My hands look like they've been through a shredder. I'll put strands of multi-color LED larger bulb lights on it when I'm done. (It originally had white mini-lights) It will give it a new look I think.

This week is Literary Stylings #6 at Fashion for Giants. This past month I finished up two more Miss fisher mysteries but that was last month's outfit. Other than that I've been reading Christmas Cookbooks from my collection and books from the library on vintage Christmas decor and such. Here's a couple I read. Great for information and spotting the "good" stuff at thrifts!!

Here's my outfit. I'm wearing a thrifted SagHarbor sweater,  thrifted trousers, a thrifted vintage Echo candy cane scarf, thrifted vintage holly earrings and thrifted Lifestyles loafers. That's a sneak peek of the trash tree behind me!

Wednesday's outfit is almost all RETAIL!!! The skirt is George and was brought on sale at Walmart. The sweater in LaneBryant and gotten with a gift card. I had to order it (none in my size in store) and it just came. The bracelets are vintage and the pin is thrifted. The boots are my thrifted Guess boots of Awesomeness!!

Thursday's outfit is for Spy Girl's 52 Pick-Me-Up:Layers Challenge. I decided to go a bit "punk". Couldn't layer too much as it is a bit warmer today before it plunges back into freezing!! I'm wearing a thrifted refashioned tiger cardigan (it had a built in shell I cut out), thrifted LaneBryant skirt, Blondie rocker T (LaneBryant gift card), Rhinestone Necklace from Burlington Coat Factory I got on clearance and fixed, two pair of tights layers, bracelets-thrifted and sweet Krista and thrifted Nine & Co booties.

This outfit got some eyebrow raising at work. LOLOLOL The Blondie T really threw them off!! Here's a close-up of the tight layers:

Well I'm off to pick lights off the tree while I watch the Sound of Music Live. Everyone have a fabulous weekend!!

BTW--I do read every ones comments. I usually like to comment back via email but life is crazy right now and I'm reading on my phone and it's craptacular to respond to emails on. I have trouble typing on a regular keyboard... much less that miniature one!! I appreciate each and everyone!!

TTFN
Tamera

I'll have a blue Thanksgiving!!

Happy 11th birthday to MrBill!!!! He's rocking his camo sweater and showing off a couple of his gifts!!

Hiya Blogland!!! Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating!! I intended to post last night but got caught up in this:

Some of the Christmas hoard awaiting placement.

More of the hoard. I think I have approximately 200+ Santa figurines

I have been busy decorating for Christmas. It's definitely a major undertaking but I love doing it. My Santa figurines are all DIY, thrifted or gifted. Detailed photo's to follow!!

Remember this from the last post??? My vintage tree DIY is done and I'm thrilled with the outcome. They came out really nice. The two tiny ivory ones were the ones that bleached out. I just glittered them with some mica glitter. I managed to get this photo about 2 seconds before our evil child Callie threw them on the floor and took off with one of the little ones.

It's been FREEZING cold here this week. Tuesday & Wednesday we had lovely 34 degree RAIN. It's been miserable. My office at work has been an icebox. I told them if the hot-flashing menopausal lady is cold then it's COLD!!!! LOLOLOL

Monday I pulled out a black and grey tweedy sweater dress from Avenue that I thrifted. I added warm leggings, a black tshirt and boots for extra warmth. Topped it off with some rhinestone bling for a dreary Monday!!! I'd love to find some more sweater dresses like this but all of them seem to have HUGE horizontal stripes which I'm not too fond of. I did see a lovely plain forest green one that I might snag with gift money this season if it goes on sale>

 

Tuesday's outfit is my Spy Girl 52 Pick-Me-Up: Blue Hues outfit. Anne's themes are always fun to try out!1 I highly recommend this challenge!! I've become quite enamored with cobalt blue lately. I've got 4 sweater, a tshirt and tights in this color. Patti of Not Dead Yet Style did a post about cobalt this past week, too. It seems to be the "IT" color this season.  I pulled out my thrifted CJBanks denim skirt, cobalt tights, thrifted sweater with cobalt & black pattern on body (it's hard to see in the picture), thrifted Nine West booties, vintage cobalt bangles  and DIY Queen Bee Pendant. I also have a bit of cobalt in my hair.

Wednesday I dressed for a cold, rainy day in thrifted LaneBryant pants, thrifted SagHarbor Cashalon sweater, thrifted Hush Puppy wedge booties and a leopard print scarf from the Dollar store.

I love these SagHarbor sweaters and look for them when thrifting. They are called "Cashalon" as it's an acrylic cashmere knit. They are very soft, wash and wear like a dream and easy to wear. I love the mock turtlenecks in winter because they lend themselves so well to scarves, necklaces or brooches. Plus they are thin enough to layer.  DressBarn carries something similar which I also look for thrifting.

I hope to get a majority of the decorating DONE this weekend!!! Today (Thanksgiving) we are off to Lauren's cousin's for dinner. I plan on taking pictures of their house--it's this really cool modern cantilevered house they recently designed and built. That's if I'm not in a turkey coma!!

Everyone have a fabulous holiday and weekend!!

TTFN
Tamera

PS--I know MrBill looks pitiful--but really he is one happy boy. He just HATES having his picture taken!!! Plus he knows how to work those soulful brown eyes/!!

Ferocious and Funny

Hiya Blogland!! Hope everyone has been having a fabulous weekend!! Today's post will have outfits of course and some funnies, too!

First up-remember the fabulous Sheila of Ephemera's Halloween costume from last year?? How can you forget this amazing display of pure genius?? Check out the original post HERE

 

 

 I recently found a picture of this Barbie!! I think Sheila's version is far cooler!! Plus the expression on Vizzini is HILARIOUS!!

 

It's time again for Gracey of Fashion for Giants Literary Stylings #3. Go check out her cute literary inspired outfit!! I read several books this month, mostly tech heavy studies. I did TRY to read a freebie I got on my Kindle. 

Try is the operative word. I'm not much on sci-fi or fantasy and this was that type of book. Hinky plot, crappy writing and I baled less than a quarter of the way through. But hey the title inspired my outfit!!

Since this outfit was inspired...I'm also liking up with Flight Platform Living's Shiny T Tuesday:Inspired

I've been SLAMMED at work (end of Fiscal Year festivities). I've been reading every one's comments here but just haven't had time to answer. I'm so sick of the computer I spend little to no time on it at home!!

I'll be back around on Thursday!! Have a fabulous "hump" day!!

TTFN
Tamera

 

Some thrift rain in the drought.

We are all Kick-Ass Wonder Women!!!

Hiya Blogland!!  This will be a quick post today. I wanted to show some goodies I managed to thrift this week in what has been the thrift desert. Plus I have my outfit for Gracey's Literary Styling Challenge.

It really has been a famine in the thrifts--I mean like NOTHING--even the racks are getting a bit empty. I hit up the 1/2 price Goodwill outlet this week and FINALLY found something useful. I'm getting really selective in what I'm buying--trying to not bring home awesome wardrobe orphan's and thinking ahead to altering the stuff smaller.

I've been on the hunt for a charcoal grey and a red cardigan-simple v-neck or crew neck, flat light knit. As I was perusing the sweater rack I spied this FABULOUS grass-green Chico's lacy knit cardigan. Not what I was looking for but definitely workable in my wardrobe. Fit well and for $2-going home with me!! I found the top for $2, too. It's a nice ponte knit and I love the sleeves.

I've also been on the hunt for some more long sleeve T shirts for winter (I can alter these easily if when they get to big) Found this nice purple Talbots Tshirt with the $32 price tag still on it for $2!!  The aqua Lane Bryant tshirt was only $1.50!
Funny--purple, and pink for that matter, weren't colors I chose a year ago and now I really like jewel tones. Must be the silver hair!

I still really NEED a pair of cowboy boots but so far haven't found any I like that fit. I did spy these beauties on the rack. Buttery-soft leather, made in Italy (no brand name I can discern), super comfortable and $3?? MINE!!!  The other booties are barely worn leather Nine West booties. I like their somewhat rocker edge. These were all of $5!!!I would've totally worn either of these with my outfit today if it had been cooler. I can see both of these as big players this fall/winter with tights and socks.

Gracey at Fashion For Giants hosts a Literary Stylings Challenge the first of each month. You basically dress inspired by a book you've read the past month. My book this month was a Kindle freebie that turned out to be pretty awesome. The book is called "Aloha Wanderwell: Call to Adventure"

Starting at the age of 16, Aloha Wanderwell Baker became the first woman to travel around the globe in an automobile. "Aloha Wanderwell: Call to Adventure" is a new book published by the Nile Baker Estate and Boyd Production Group that journals those adventures.

In her own words, Aloha Wanderwell Baker recounts the true story of a fantastic seven-year journey around the world that took place in the 1920s in a Model-T Ford while traveling with the Wanderwell Expedition.

In some ways, Aloha could be considered the "Amelia Earhart of the Automobile." While Amelia circled the globe in the air, Aloha faced her dangers, trials and tribulations down on the ground...and she did it first.

The book contains Aloha's 1939 memoir, "Call to Adventure," in addition to exclusive essays, photos and supplemental materials from the author's estate.

Readers will travel with Aloha to Europe, the Middle East, India, Japan, China, the Soviet Union, the United States, Cuba and Africa. They will experience, firsthand, the details of her love affair with Captain Walter Wanderwell, a self-proclaimed adventurer, whom she married in 1925 during the American leg of the expedition.

Aloha recaptures pieces of history that include traveling through Italy while Mussolini and the Fascisti were consolidating their power; braving food riots and hostile mobs in Germany; and driving into Palestine, where the Jews were attempting to build a new nation; and more.

During her travels, Aloha disguised herself as a man and prayed in Mecca; she became a confidante of Chinese bandits; and was granted the title of "Honorary Colonel" in the Red Army of Siberia. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

My outfit inspiration incorporated some leopard, vintage ivory beads, wood and fake ivory bangles, a thick utilitarian black belt, and a chambray work shirt. Trying for a kind of tribal/safari gear look.

Shirt is thrifted-and I need to find another in a smaller size!! The skirt is a DIY--it started life as a thrifted strapless dress. Belt is thrifted and the sandals are old!!

Here's a picture of dinner tonite. I strive to eat 1 lb raw veggies per day, 1 lb steamed/lightly cooked veggies per day, 1 cup minimum beans per day, 3-4 raw fruits per day and 1 ounce raw seeds or nuts per day. I can also have 1 serving of rice/pasta daily if I choose and 4 ounces meat/fish per week.

On the left is a bowl of sliced bananas, strawberries and kiwi with walnuts. On the left is some gluten free veggie pasta (which ain't bad) sprinkled with soy cheese and a ragu of mushrooms, onions, peppers, cherry tomatoes and spinach.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!! I'll be back on Sunday rather late in the evening!!

TTFN
Tamera