April/May Moments

Bonjour!

Top/Hat/Sunnies: Old | Skirt: Pick Your Plum | Belt: Icing

 
 Dress: eShakti | Belt/Shoes: Thrifted

  Celebrating Mother's Day with a throwback to the mid-1990s

Top: Ragstock | Skirt/Messenger Bag: Thrifted | Flip-flops: Hobby Lobby | Headband: Forever 21

Skirt: Gordman's 

Hat/Top/Skirt/Shoes: Thrifted | Tote: Bath and Body Works | Belt: Icing

             

Top/Skirt: Thrifted | Backpack: Gifted | Shoes: Shoetopia, Dress: Target | Bolero/Shoes: Thrifted

Ah, spring. It seems as if it is slowly slipping out of my life as a hotter summer seeps in through the window. April flew by in an assortment of excitement and discovery with the trip to Chicago, giveaway, birthday, and... the visit from the Vice President of the United States of America. As in, to this state. To this very city. To within a block of where I was in class on that particular day. We may be on different sides of the aisle, but when a globally known/famous/historical being is literally 3 minutes away, you bet there is a little bit of a to-do. Alas, though, my meeting with fame was postponed and the only rare thing I got to see that day
was a camel. And I didn't even have time to ride it. :(

This week, however, I was thankful to spend some time with my sisters as one prepares to leave for Italy tomorrow, and what better way to do that than with a little sushi, library-browsing, shopping, and campus sight-seeing with the youngers?

I have also come up with a summer bucket-list, as it were, to prevent summer boredom when not working. Here are my goals for Summer 2015:

1. Learn French
2. Re-learn Spanish
3. Learn some favorites on the piano/ brush up on old music
4. #3 repeated for ukulele
5. Practice the drums or sell them. Come on now, it's been 15 some years with those things dusting up in a corner. What is the hold-up??
6. Trade the flute in for a guitar. The whole clean-the-spit-out-after-using-the-thing is the most unattractive quality in woodwinds.
7. Plant seeds.
8. Exercise more. This is basically a second/ last-ditch attempt at my New Year's (failed) resolution.
9. Visit a state park in Illinois (I hear Starved Rock is pretty awesome) or explore Turkey Run in Indiana to a fuller extent. As in, actually enjoy it considering it is not class-based and will not require IDing rocks and geological formations or listening to a lecture when other visitors are off having the time of their lives hiking the canyons.
10. BLOG MORE!!!

1 and 2 are in progress, (n'est-ce pas?) and I am hoping beyond hope that the other things will force themselves upon me until I get them accomplished. Sometimes it takes a little drastic action to be motivated during summer break. ;)

What are your summer goals?

xoxo,
Sara

Off To Summerland + Plum-Picking

Bonjour Beauties!

Today I am over the moon excited because (apart from being out of school and enjoying newfound freedom...) I just got in on one of my favorite deals over at Pick Your Plum!

So in case you aren't familiar with it yet, Pick Your Plum is a fabulous company that sells the products of many different vendors, including Etsy businesses. In fact, it's very easy to become a Plum vendor. This being said, there are tons of great products for sale, including clothes, crafts supplies, decor, etc. etc. And the best part of Pick Your Plum? Their grab boxes.

It's amazing how willing people are to invest their money in a completely random, unknown box of things. And yet here I am, every month, anxiously awaiting the news that grab boxes have arrived. I'm not the only one either. The second Pick Your Plum announces that grab boxes are up for grabs, your Internet suddenly becomes this sluggish goop that moves about as fast as a turtle with a limp. And three legs.

Is the stress and anxiety worth it, you may ask? Let's just say, I have almost cried in frustration when my cart informed me that someone took my Plum. It's that worth it. And they are a HUGE steal considering you are getting 4 or 5 items for $15 or $20 that would normally be worth like $10+  EACH!!!

Here is what I got in my last clothing grab box:

Grey Maxi Skirt: http://theladyhood.blogspot.com/2015/01/highs-and-lows.html
White Lacy Tank Top: http://theladyhood.blogspot.com/2015/02/valentines-day.html
Navy Blue Wide-Legged Pants: In the process of refashioning into a sailor suit
Grey Striped Cardi: Gifted to my baby sister
Black Striped Maxi Dress:

Plus, see what I got in my latest grab box!

And now you know my secret. I'm a major Plum-picker.

Top: Forever 21 | Skirt: Thrifted | Leggings: Old

xoxo, Sara

Ooh La La! French Pudding Cups/Squares

Bonjour!

I am so happy to see you today! After a couple weeks of hectic running-around, I can finally say that school is out for the summer. Drat. There goes that song again. Anyway... I officially have one year of college left and I am just now realizing how horribly I have been utilizing my time and resources by not doing EVERYTHING there is to do on campus. I mean, I only just tried sushi for the first time last week. Where is the living at???

In other news, tomorrow is Mother's Day and I have a little surprise whipped up for The Ladyhood bloggers. Literally. It's a really fun recipe to make, and it is oh-so-simple, and, if you have kids (which I don't but I somehow ended up with a preschooler and a Kindergartner helping me- how even does that happen?) they will LOVE getting in on this little endeavor.







What You Need:

• Chocolate Almond Bark
• 2 Boxes of White Chocolate Pudding & Cheesecake Pudding (or your choice)
• 1 Can of White Frosting & Strawberry Frosting (or your choice)
• 1 Bag of Delightfulls Filled Baking Morsels- Cherry (or your choice)
• 1 Carton of Mint Leaves
• Silicone Cupcake Liners
• Cooking Baster Brush

What To Do:

1.  Open the white chocolate pudding and prepare it as described on the box. Do the same for the cheesecake pudding in a separate container. Refrigerate as directed.
2.  Open the chocolate almond bark. Cut bar into squares of two and heat one set for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Mix well.
3. Fill the silicone cupcake liner about 1/4 of the way full (or enough to cover the entire bottom and sides of the liner thoroughly). Use a baster brush to cover the entire inside of the liner thoroughly. Refrigerate until cooled.
4. Repeat Steps 2-3 until all of the packaged almond bark is used or until all of the silicone cupcake liners are used.
5. Once chocolate cups have cooled sufficiently, GENTLY peel the liner from the chocolate. This is a very delicate process, so don't get in too big of a hurry. Place chocolate cups on a parchment-papered plate or pan.
6. Take pudding out of the fridge and pour into finished chocolate cups. 
7. Cut a hole in the corners of two large Ziploc bags and spoon the white frosting into one and the strawberry frosting into the other. Squeeze onto the pudding cups and decorate as desired. 
8. Plop a filled baking morsel (aka cherry-filled chocolate chips) onto the top of each pudding cup.
9. Arrange a mint leaf between the frosting and the pudding of each cup (optional).
10. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Bon appetite!

For an easier treat that will help use up the extra pudding and frosting...


French Pudding Squares

What To Do:

1. Take pudding out of the fridge and pour onto graham cracker squares. 
2. Cut a hole in the corners of two large Ziploc bags and spoon the white frosting into one and the strawberry frosting into the other. Squeeze onto graham crackers and decorate as desired. 
3. Plop a filled baking morsel (aka cherry-filled chocolate chips) onto the top of each puddinged graham cracker.
4. Arrange a mint leaf between the frosting and the pudding of each cracker (optional).
5. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Bon appetite!

Have a lovely weekend!

xoxo,
Sara

Only 24 hours Left!

Don't forget to enter to win the Forever 21 $50 Gift Card!! Only 24 hours left!! http://theladyhood.blogspot.com/2015/03/fabulous-50-forever-21-giveaway.html

It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To

Bonjour!

It has been a busy busy week! I turned 21 on Thursday, we went to a Easter party on Saturday, and of course on Sunday, we celebrated Easter itself! Becoming another stage of adulthood made me hope (wishful thinking, of course) that if I thought really hard, I would be able to think myself into a higher level of maturity. Ah, the ignorance of youth. While I don't feel any differently, I know that I have the potential to become whatever I choose, whomever I choose- I just have to work at it to attain it.

     I was thrilled with the presents I got as well. My youngest sister had picked out most of them, and, to my great delight, she has a good grasp of my general style and tastes. *Sigh* I trained her well. What else are younger sisters for, after all? Their minds are so malleable. ;) Anywayyy, she had found a pair of shoes with polka dots on them (too cute), a lacy knapsack that I originally picked out, some hairbows, and burlap. Why she got me burlap, I have no idea. And neither does she, as it turns out. Next item on my to-do list is to find out what the cupcake a person can do with a yard of striped burlap. There were also many other things that made my day, but the funniest surprise was the giant box of 12 donuts that I got from my other younger sister. She knows my weakness well (four were gone in one day, but then I had to make myself hold back).

     Overall, it was a good haul of goodies and a memorable day. Best of all, it was a 21 spent without alcohol. I know so many people that celebrate their 21st by taking advantage of their new legal ability to drink. I am not one of them. Alcohol has always been something I have avoided, even when being surrounded by it on a secular college campus, and it is something I will continue to avoid in my adulthood. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise- Proverbs 20:1. It is not just a choice made based on religion, but one based on common sense. I will not allow my mind to give itself up to a drink and risk the safety of my body in the process. Too many horror stories of bar bathroom pass-outs and waking up to find you are not where you remember being is enough to convince me that I will always choose sober over party-hardy. It's just not worth it. I totally respect the people who make this decision and thus put themselves up for public humiliation. It's not easy, and the peer pressure can be nasty, but in the end, the self-control will be so worth it. Just a little soapbox service announcement. I think maybe I can get away with it, it is my birthday after all, right? :)

You guys are the best. <3

 Dress/Shoes/Jacket: Thrifted | Floral Hairpin/ Eiffel Tower Tee: Gifted

P.S. Don't forget to enter the $50 Forever 21 Gift Card Giveaway!  http://theladyhood.blogspot.com/2015/03/fabulous-50-forever-21-giveaway.html

xoxo, Sara

Fabulous $50 Forever 21 Giveaway!!!

Bonjour!

As promised, here is the giveaway to (drumroll please)... Forever 21! Forever 21 is a fabulous place for women of all ages to find style and quality for a good price. They are also a family-operated business, and from what I hear, a Christian business (just look on the underside of their bags).

You have the opportunity to win a $50 gift card to one of my all-time favorite stores, as well as 2 free prints from my all-time favorite Etsy shop, CraftyCollaborations. All you have to do to enter is follow the directions below a Rafflecopter giveaway and get started!

Can't take the chance of not being chosen? Shop now at Forever 21 and CraftyCollaborations on Etsy!

Fine print: You must be 16 years of age or older to enter. The winner will have the option of a physical gift card (sent by mail) or an e-gift card for the Forever 21 prize. If the winner resides outside of the U.S., it will be sent online. The Etsy prize will be sent after further directions by email. If the winner does not respond within 24 hours, many tears will be shed and a new winner will be randomly selected.

Get ready to celebrate!

xoxo, Sara

Big City, Little Lady Part I

Bonjour!

It has been a fabulous time in the big city of Chicago! Even though I live in the same state, it is a big deal to go up into the congestion of major-city traffic and the circus-like hussle and bussle.

First stop: Navy Pier

     Since this is Spring Break, and the snow hasn't completely melted yet in Chicago, most of the rides were closed for the season. The Ferris Wheel was happily open though, and it is a fabulous (though somewhat nightmarish for those of us with acrophobia)  view from the top. We also went inside the Crystal Gardens and admired the tropical flora and fauna- and I mean REALLY admired, considering the only plants outside were the ones that could survive 30-40 degree weather- and then went downstairs for some Auntie Anne's and souvenir-shopping. Now, the whole catalyst for the trip for me was getting a picture with Bob Newhart. Not the real Bob Newhart, of course, but his statue on the couch that resides at Navy Pier. And even though it took us about 20 minutes of searching and 4 or 5 people of inquiring, we could not find that Bob Newhart anywhere; he had apparently been moved for the Pier renovations, and no one seemed to know where he was relocated to. :(
     We did manage to find the Crack the Whip statues and the Captain statue (pictured above), so it wasn't a complete loss, but my Chicago experience won't be complete until I've had my picture taken on Bob Newhart's couch. Even if it means putting it on my bucket list, because I WILL do it if I have too. :)

And thus ends Part I of Chick-ago. Sniff. Good memories.

Cat Top/Black Cropped Bomber Jacket/Floral Sunnies: Ragstock | Pink Bow Skirt: Romwe | Polka Dot Denim Tennies/Black Leggings: Walmart | Polka Dot Hairbow: Forever 21 | Hot Pink Crossbody: Thrifted

xoxo, Sara