Fashion Fave #5: Galactic Jogger Pants

I was surprised by how much I liked the galactic line of joggers, athletic shirts, and skirts this summer at Rue 21. The print is colorful and just cool. These galactic joggers were around $16.99 at full price, but I was happy to get them on sale for $6.99. I've since gotten similar joggers for $3 because they are so comfortable and majorly on sale in store right now.

So I LOVE these joggers because...

1. Super soft and stretchy (92% polyester, 8% spandex baby)

2. Gorgeous design; I look past the fact that there is a galaxy on my butt and try to imagine these colors in the sky.

3. And so (here comes my favorite word) versatile. They're like leggings that can acceptably be worn as pants. I bike, sleep, shop, and chase my toddler in them.

These joggers are not the same but similar (I'd wait for them to go on sale). This galactic necklace, however, is gorgeous and only $1.58 on Amazon.

I was psyched to find a matching galaxy shirt for Kenny (twins!).

DIY Clay Bead Necklace

Kenny bought some oven-bake clay for work. He didn't need all of it so we spent an evening making Poké balls, Magic 8 balls, and shark-shaped earrings (it was kind of a challenge to see how weird we could get).

After that night, I decided it would be fun to make jewelry.

I went to Jo-Ann Fabrics and chose the easier option of already-assembled necklace chains.

At first, it was challenging to make my beads look uniform and attractive. I found rolling the clay in just the palms of my hands made a nice, clean ball. Also, orange sticks made the best holes, not needles.

I baked my pretty beads for 15 minutes.

And put my necklace together.

I chose a $5 black and white Aztec shirt from Rue 21 to make the colors on my necklace pop. The jeans were $12.99 from Ross and the shoes $5 from Walmart.

I may now be a jewelry making addict.

DIY Pioneer Handkerchief Doll

I have always thought the handkerchief and rag dolls that little frontier girls play with in popular nineteenth century books (e.g. Little House in the Big Woods) have always been so quaint.
During our family reunion last month, the girls made these easy handkerchief dolls on the trek.

My mother-in-law bought thick cotton napkins and decorated them with pearl beads (from her mother-in-law) and wooden hearts. She also bought wooden balls and cut four pieces of ribbon for each doll.

To begin, put the ball in the middle of the handkerchief for the head.

Tie the ribbon on the top to secure the head, and then the "ghostly" doll will be ready for some arms.

Spread the arms out and tie two knots.

Add a ribbon around the middle of the doll to give her a waist, and lastly add ribbons on the arms for the finishing touch.

Eliza enjoyed her doll for about two minutes on the trek (she quickly found a much more interesting stick to play with).

While the dolls can make decent toys (if your child isn't like mine), they are also nice little decorations.

Fashion Fave #4: Tee Shirt Dresses

About a month ago, my friends gathered at a fancy sushi restaurant for a goodbye dinner. One of the girls showed up in an adorable, orange tee-shirt dress. We asked her where she got it and about five of us went out and bought the dress (luckily we got different colors).

This jersey swing dress was on sale at Old Navy for $12.99 at the time. It's currently $26.94 and comes in tall and petite. I bought an extra large for length but love the oversized tee shirt look. Rayon is seriously the most wonderful fabric in the world with its cool and flowing aura.

I accessorized with a $5 black flower statement necklace and $5 canvas espadrilles shoes, both from Walmart. Total, this outfit cost $23. A steal for sure!

The "mountains" in these pictures are near my house and I walk this path often for the seclusion and view. 

Something about the wind and flowing grass swishing my dress around made me feel free.

A Baby Fairy Tribute

Ever since our excursion to the arboretum, I had dreamed of taking these pictures. I adorned Eliza with colorful wings and a wand and set her free into the bushes, flowers, and grassy paths around my home. I just followed her and let her work some magic (it must be the wand).

Little legs, wings, and sparkles, hidden in the woods and roses, bring out the child in me and set afire my mystical fantasies.

Gorgeous baby to elf-child might have made my heart melt a lot.

Here is what Robert Graves says of fairy children:

Children born of fairy stock

Never need for shirt or frock,

Never want for food or fire,

Always get their hearts desire:

Jingle pockets full of gold,

Marry when they're seven years old.

Every fairy child may keep

Two ponies and ten sheep;

All have houses, each his own,

Built of brick or granite stone;

They live on cherries, they run wild--

I'd love to be a Fairy's child. 

Imagine, dream, believe.