What I Wore: Taupe and White

Don't you love it when you find a new staple for your wardrobe? I was at Target and found these amazing taupe colored shorts. They are so lovely, and so comfortable. I paired it with this white chiffon blouse and gold accents. I am one happy lady.

In honor of fall I decided to pick a really rich hair color as well. I'm loving this copper infused brown. It's so lovely and great with my skin tone.

The absolute best thing about these two staple items is that they cost me under $10 total. Yes, TOTAL. The top was $4 I found a while ago on Ebay and the shorts were $5 on clearance.
I was even told I looked like a million bucks. Hey, I'll take a "million dollar" look for less than $10.

I love that the shorts are long enough to be dressy casual. If I were to throw on my gold heels this would be an awesome date night look.

Don't you just love a good clearance rack find?!

WIW: To Tuck or Not to Tuck

First of all…look at the adorable little lady. 

Yes, Ella is so stinking cute these days. Even though her attitude is ridiculous…so is our restraint against saying "no" to her. It's been rough; but…she's cute, and that's all that matters!

Ella's Attire

Bow: Handmade by me

Tee: Old Navy $4

Jeans: WalMart $4

Glitter Canvas Shoes: WalMart $7

Smile: Her Daddy

Now onto what I wore. I had such a fun night the other night on a girl's night out. I will admit that it had been a while since I got out and I was super excited to hit up an outdoor shopping mall for some girl shopping and snacks. Much needed for sure.
Our first stop was GAP and we should have just stopped there. But I found 2 things that I wanted…and that fit!
I love GAP for their sizing (an XS is big on me, which makes me feel super skinny…I heart that), and their clearance. I have been looking for white pants forever now, and just haven't been able to find anything I've liked. Let's be honest, white pants are a risky choice in motherhood. But I found these for…wait for it….
$16.oo!
They fit both my body and my budget. Score!

Tee: Gap

Belt: F21

Jeans: Gap

Shoes: Target

Ring, Necklace, Bracelet, Earrings: Mila Jo Designs

The big debate is whether is should leave the shirt tucked or untucked. Obviously it's more comfortable to leave it untucked. But I have seen so many pins about how "fashionable it is to use a skinny belt and a tucked tee". 

Naturally I'll wear it both way…it' like two outfits in one!

But, what do you think? Tucked or Untucked?

Let me know…either way…I love the coral, white, bronze combo!

Also…did you notice I went back to brunette? It's suites me so much better. At least I think so.

WIW: Stripes & Boots

 Guess what…..
Fall is here! I'm so excited.
The leaves are beginning to change.
PSL is back at Starbucks.
The weather is cooling…everything I love about fall is so near!!

That means I get to bust out the boots again. I love my boots.
And I found a new pair for $20. Seriously.
There is nothing like a great deal! Granted they are not the best quality, but at $20 I can replace them in a couple years.

Striped Tee: F21

Jeans: Target

Boots: Amazon $20…seriously!

Ring: Mila Jo Designs

Bracelet: Sammy Dress $4

Hello Fall….you are beautiful!

Turn a Shower Rod into a Wrought Iron Curtain Rod

I've had these curtains for my boys since before Micah (4) was born. They were ok…nothing special. But they get the job done.
But I've always hated the curtain rod. I bought a really cheap one and naturally, I bought it too small. So it's always been on the verge of falling off the wall.

Then just the other day the kid's shower curtain rod broke. Shocker.
I was just about to throw it out when….

I had an idea….
I'll fix that old crappy curtain rod!

Waste not…want not…right?

I turned that shower curtain rod into a brand new, faux wrought iron curtain rod.

The only problem was there was no way I could get the old end caps onto the new rod.
Unless….wine was involved, of course.

I grabbed a wine cork to see if it would fit…..and…..

It fit perfectly! I added glue to the cork and the edges of the knob to make sure it was super secure.
P.S. E-600 is the best glue ever!

Cheap Matte Spray Paint ($.98 at Wal-Mart) and…
BOOM…

I had a new curtain rod…for free!
I also painted the cheap silver brackets with the matte paint.

The curtains with the loops on the top might be the only one's that work. Because the end cap was glued onto the rod…I have to use curtains that will fit over the knob.
Lucky me…I already had them!
Phew!

And there you have it…
New curtain rod from trash. I'll take it!

The best part is always seeing how much I just saved…

These brackets alone were $10

And this guy is $40

I'm pleased. A new makeover for the cost of $1 can of spray paint.

WIW: That Mint Dress

This dress reminds me of The Sound Of Music.

You know….the part where Leisl is signing "I am 16 going on 17"….

Ok, so mine is completely different.
But it's so fun, and flirty, and "flowy". It does that circle spin thing when I twirl around in it.
Such a girly dress.
Plus…it's mint. And I love mint.

I especially liked the detail of the neckline. I don't when I began to like a deep V, but I love that it has it down the back as well.

The only thing that's bad about this dress is the wrinkles. Because we all know there is no way I'm going to iron anything before I wear it.

It was fun to pair it with bronze and gold accessories. Any chance I get to wear my bronze peep toe heels, I do! 

The best part…..it was $10 at Ross. 

Love me a thrifty find! 

{Home Tour} Master Bathroom

I am so blessed to had gorgeous cherry cabinets in my kitchen. 

You can see those HERE.

When we bought our home it was a new build, which meant I was able to CHOOSE my "stuff". Like my cabinets. When I picked cherry for the kitchen they were put though out the entire house. 

Including the bathrooms. Well, I didn't want them there.

I know…

"boo hoo, Bethany!"

But….I've been wanting to paint the cabinets in the bathroom since we moved in.

The time finally came! I did it.

And you guys….I'm in bathroom heaven!

It's amazing what paint, hardware and new mirrors can do!

So here's the before and AFTER. 

 (sorry for the dirty mirror….can you tell which side is James'?)

Find out how I made this towel hook HERE

I wanted my bathroom to look feel like a spa. Soothing. Very soothing.
Green is calming…don't you think?

 Can you believe I did this all for around $100?!

Here's my cost breakdown:

Paint- $20
Hardware- $25
Mirrors- $60

Mirrors are super expensive! I couldn't really justify getting rid of perfectly good mirror (even if it was ugly) and spend a small fortune on new ones.

I found these ones at Home Depot for $30 each. They just needed a little spray paint.
You know I love my white spray paint!

If you are curious…they are Martha Stewart mirrors. Don't check the bathroom section for mirrors…check the Martha Stewart decor section!

Another great tip for changing your bathroom from "builder grade" to "custom" is to get rid of those towel rods! Hooks can allow you towels to look more like decor.

So there it is!

With paint, hooks, hardware, and towels I've got my own spa…all for less then the cost of one trip to a real spa!

What My Old Car Taught Me (and a car cleaning tip)

It's a 15 year old Toyota Corolla.
I've driven her since I was 17.
She has been with me though high school, college, marriage, and new babies.
And…it's weird I'm calling a car "she".

The wear and tear on that car is super noticeable. I've run into walls, driven through snow storms, lost hubcaps and side view mirrors. She has countless scratches, dings, and dents. A broken windshield and a broken rearview mirror. Yeah…I have been rough on that little car.

She's not pretty, fancy, or "cool" by any means.
But….she's loyal. I've never had a problem with that car. Not one. It is still getting around 38 miles to the gallon. She's running great.

And I catch myself hating this car. Every time I crawled into it, I wanted a new one. It's not even the car I drive. James takes it to work and I'll use it for errands. But I have had such a bad attitude about it.

It was disgusting inside. In college a can of OJ concentrate exploded (don't judge me!) inside and I could never clean it out fully. It's just grimy and gross. I had enough…it was time to clean it out! God was telling me to get over it and be grateful for what I had.

So I got a bottle of Turtle Wax Oxy Interior Cleaner and starting scrubbing, and scrubbing, and scrubbing.

AMAZING. Seriously, why didn't I do this years ago?!?!

I told you not to judge me. The car was nasty. Just wretched. But with about an hour of my time, some elbow grease, and a great cleaner it's like a new car.

Lets be honest, it's still not the prettiest car.
I mean I'm still missing a hubcap folks.

But the fact of the matter is I was not content with what God has given our family. He takes care of us. He provides everything and MORE than what we need. He's good to us. He's so good, and all I can do is sit in that car and complain.

I like to think of myself as a content person, but the truth is I'm a coveter. I covet all sorts of things that aren't mine. Things that God didn't intend for me. God has called us to be content with what he has given us. He knows what we need and what we don't need.

When I choose contentment, life is so much better. To choose to be happy with what you have can even make the ugliest car seem perfect. After all, she's perfect for us.