Goodwill hunting and the fashion diet

I've been on a mad tear to simplify, organize and edit my life this year. No area is more in need of this than my closet.

(The painted vanity was my Grandmothers. As a little girl I sat for hours at it rummaging through all her jewelry. I'm thinking that mirror wall needs some shimmer aeh? Add it to the list!)

I'm like every other girl in that most days I'm whining, what am I going to wear today??? And yet the same five things are always popping up on rotation... then what the heck are the rest of you doing in here and why do I keep accumulating more?!

Its time for a fashion diet. Care to join me? Let's break it down.

1. A fashion diet forces us to be creative in coming up with new and exciting ways to wear what we already have (clearly there is enough to work with here).

2. A fashion diet saves us a lot of time and a lot of money. No buyer's remorse, no extra errands having to return something.

3. The goal is to diet until 2013 with a few small exceptions (more on this below).

4. A fashion diet can be very good for the environment.

5. A fashion diet can include shopping in your friend's closets too. For example I just scored five new shirts that were tired and old for Sher bear but not for me.

You get where I'm going? However what fun is life when you can't shop? A big ole NADA. So when the moment strikes, you know when that retail homing device inside our heads starts beeping, we head to a Goodwill or some other thrift store instead! You know I'm a big fan. I find all kinds of goodies there for our home, myself and my kids (sorry hubs, I'll start looking for you too).

To entice and convince you all the more, I photographed a bunch of finds Sheri and I scored in the past with some styling suggestions to go with, so away we go...

Kicking things off with this army green messenger bag. love. it.  Long cross body strap included. That was a Sheri score (darn her).

This GO International jumper from Target, with the tags still attached. Paired with black leggings and boots, a comfortable and fashionable outfit to go anywhere in. I'm thinking BIG earrings and a few bracelets to polish it off, or a printed scarf to kick it up a notch.

This vintage inspired full skirt will look great paired with a fitted black top and shiny black kitten heels for the office for my hard-workin mama friend.

One of my favorite finds was this long pleated wool skirt for $4.97. Hello twirl. 

A few days later I came across this picture on Pinterest and was on a mad hunt all Winter for a SOFT chunky sweater to wear with (notice the fur collar added for texture). Another comfortable, fashionable outfit to wear anywhere. Long statement necklace and bracelets would be nice. 

Suede jacket with whip stitch detail. 

Adorable peep toe tweed shoes!

This little guy got a lot of action last Winter with leggings, boots and my favorite Target paisley scarf (tried to find it for you on line but if you're a veteran, its the one that comes in five different colors, the pink being VERY pretty). Very comfortable, however, it was purchased at the Santa Rosa Beach Goodwill and they think a lot of their stuff. I paid a whopping $14.99. That's a lot for Goodwill! But I couldn't pass it up, it was too quality.

$3.99 LOFT  top paired with a red pencil skirt for the office and black and white spectator shoes Sheri SCORED at an estate sale. Why didn't I get a pic of those?

Taget Mossino swiss dot sheer blouse. Super flattering. I like to rock this with all black. Black cami, black slim pants, black boots and work in a pop of color with earrings, handbag or a bright jacket to go over.

Chanel-inspired tweed suit. I may have to borrow that for Easter Sunday next year.

How fun is this pink shimmer skirt?

A closer look. Albeit not practical, I couldn't pass it up for $4.99.  Its really flattering over the junk in the trunk. I think I'll dress it down with just a plain white racer back tank top, shiny flip flops and lots of chains or pearls.

Brown velvet blazer. Got a lot of wear last Winter and will still be going strong next season.

Remember pleats were all the rage last fall? Came across these sheer pleated pants, same trip as the gray pleated skirt from earlier, and I went for it. Again I think they were like $3.99. Not so sure how I will wear them...thinking a long sweater that covers the derriere and maybe some simple flats? Looks more like a skirt than pants when on...

There was something about the colorful embroidery on this black cotton skirt (cute slits on each side) that appealed to me. Mom would embroider stuff like this on my Sister and I's jeans when we were little girls. I've been wearing it a lot this Summer with the striped Target tank top and some big colorful stella and dot earrings. 

This dress did not come from Goodwill but it was FIVE DOLLARS because of a small hole in the back of the sleeve and that's totally allowed on the diet. I found it at the beach and grabbed it thinking if it doesn't fit me, I'll find someone it does! It's pretty short to wear as a dress so definitely some white shorts or skinnies underneath. I paired it with a stella and dot necklace that unfortunately is no longer available. Somewhere at Dad's I have a pic of Mom in a similar dress with stunning green eye make up that she wore to her ten year reunion. I'm determined now to find it and compare. 

And lastly my favorite find! A retro hip pant suit for $7.99...

 The pants look so cool on and remind me of this shot of Rachel Zoe from Pinterest...

Mine are longer in length but shortening them is a thought. I love this find because they work great together or by themselves. The top has great lines, goes with everything and is a boxy flattering fit that hides all that good eatin.

Some fun finds for the kiddos, this rocker leather jacket for my boy for $2.92. I'm going to photograph him in it this Fall when his beautiful blonde hair grows out a bit more.

And this fun cheetah coat for Soph for the same price. Of course she refused to wear it this past Winter. I'll try again this year but if no go, Miss Sybil or Miss Ella Claire will have a cute new hand-me-down to match their cute-as-pie personalities.

So what do you think? Wanna save a lot of money and have a lot of fun? When was the last time a diet was fun? Now granted, there will be times we'll need to use a life line (like allowing ourselves one Fall fashion statement piece or those cute Tom's wedges that are supposedly super comfortable and give my 5'5 frame some needed height). The Nordstrom half yearly sale will be tough but I keep thinking about all the money I'm going to save and how much fun the hunt is!

I've made one trip to Goodwill since starting the diet and it was crazy fun! I spent $36 and came home with five killer items that probably retailed collectively for over $500 at one time. I was jazzed all day and will share them soon. Can you say "Calvin Klein Collection" dress for $5.95? Oh yeah. The most comfortable thing I've put on in a lonnng time...of course until the Spanx go on underneath. ;-)

Happy dieting! I hope you'll join me and share with all of us your amazing finds on the road. We break for thrifting! Beep! Beep!

xx
Jenny from the rock

Summer lovin, had me a blast...

Hello summer lovers! Check out this pin I came across last week on Pinterest...

Ain't that the truth! I was having this same epiphany as the school year came to an end, listening to friends and neighbors stressing about pricey summer camps and hectic schedules. Hold up everybody, there is no stress in Summer! I thought to myself, my goal for June and July is lazy days and field trips! No alarm to set, no place to be, just wake up and see where the day takes us. Be spontaneous! Always ends up the best time and why is that?

In addition, is it just me, or is that cloud of question, "how long are my kids going to want to hang out with me and love on me like they do" hanging over your head to? When was the last time you met a parent with grown children that didn't say...IT GOES BY SO FAST. ENJOY EVERY MINUTE. So here we are, let's get to soaking it up. 

I challenged myself, Jack and Sophia to come up with our "Summer hit list" that didn't involve a lot of dinero and fancy planning. Here's what we came up with...

1. Library (all kinds of fun things going on and FREE). Mom can read magazines she doesn't already pay for. Double bonus. 

2. Take lots of bike rides! In early evening when the sun is going down and the sky is all pretty and pink. 

3. Roast hotdogs over the fire pit in the backyard. 

4. Find a drive-in movie nearby and pack a picnic. 

5. Hit Turtle Creek Splash Park and maybe brave The Wave Pool for the first time, Mom's old lifeguard stomping grounds. Love Michigan's Metro Parks.

6. Cross the Ambassador Bridge and take the kids to another country, oh Canada! 

7. TORCH LAKE and all the fireworks, fun and adventure that comes with. 

Jadie bug and the Jack Attack

8. Sparklers! Write your name in the air...

9. Go fishing with Daddy at pond. Biting is good! Soph needs to learn too (good luck with that Daddy). 

10. A field trip to the High Museum with friends. Find out what summer savings they offer and just roam the halls. Maybe hit the Varsity for lunch? An Atlanta institution although I'm not so sure what all the fuss is about (blasphemy! I know). Maybe the food trucks downtown are a better idea. Love me some Korean street tacos. 

11. Catch fireflies! 

12. Go on a nature scavenger hunt...

image via Pinterest

13. Cherry picking in Northern Michigan and blueberry picking in Georgia. 

14. Make Playdoh (always wanted to be that Mom, here's my chance). 

15. Craft days! Make collages too. 

16. Horseback riding? A lot of stables near us, maybe I should investigate... 

17. Make cards and write letters to family, esp those we don't see or talk to often. 

18. Tiger's game! 

19. Cedar Point: The Amazement Park. I think my chickens are finally tall enough to ride the majority of rides and really enjoy it. I haven't been back since High School and made so many memories and laughs there! I want that for my kids. Start a new tradition with their cousin Jadie bug. 

20. Detroit Zoo with Eng and her four beautiful boys. Another new tradition. xo

I think I'll stop there since Summer is full of surprises. All this and so much more from Atlanta to Detroit to fill your days and nights with satisfaction and sweet memories. And if you'd like to check out some more, click HERE to my kiddos Pinterest board and let me know if water balloon pinatas are realistic or pouring glow sticks inside bubbles really makes them glow in the dark??? ;-))) 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!! 

xx

Jen

Dad Day

Happy Father's Day to my one and only...

You never waiver in wanting to give us the world. Thank you for being our rock Daddy. We love you more than words could ever say.

photo courtesy of Aunt Judy. xo

And to my dear ole Dad. You got it right! I absolutely loved life growing up on Sheeks Boulevard. I'm a loving Mother, Jimmy an excellent Father and Jackie the favorite Aunt because of you and Mom.

Thanks Dad for everything (eating my peas when Mom wasn't looking, the Barbie and it wasn't even my birthday, the surprise checks in the mail in college, a magical wedding day and on and on)! 

xo
Jennifer Sunshine

I love mail

Any and all of it, but especially mail from readers.

This sweet pea wrote to tell me she picked up the last martini table from Vagabond Vintage after spotting it in my before and after beach post HERE. Looks fabulous next to your yummy sofa!

Our vacation seashell collection looking feeble after waiting in the wings for years.

Well tomorrow is hump day and so far I've checked off one project from my rainy day list. Here is our family seashell collections from past beach trips all fixed up and ready to go! 

I decided on burlap and shiny brown ribbon and wished I'd used a smaller label but ahhh well, I'll turn the smaller ones around to see all the gorgeous color inspiration inside. I used rubber bands to secure the burlap in place and tied a ribbon around in a simple knot. A cinch. I have to say its interesting to see the difference in colors depending on the region. God's country.

Speaking of seashells, I need your advice on this mirror.

I'd like to hang it here, above the shelf, for guests to sit and primp at.

My dilemma is do I leave it as is? Or do I have a craft day and let Sophia and her friends cover it with seashells for texture? I do not have any seashell going on in this room at the moment. A lot of smooth surfaces but no crunch. Would love to know your thoughts.

Hope you all are having a fabulous week! Happy Hump Day!

xx
Jen

A rainy day afternoon...

Image via Pinterest

Happy Sunday lovelies,

Its a rainy day here in the South and I'm trying to get geared up for a week of paint projects and design inspiration. Seems far off at the moment as I haven't touched a thing to prepare.

My angels, the cleaning ladies, come tomorrow. I say a small prayer shortly before they arrive, "please don't fire me this week. I promise to be better next time." So I really need to get motivated and start picking up because I'm so grateful for the clean slate they provide me to get started with this week's hopes and dreams:


1. Gallery wall in master bedroom, before and after photos.  Need your thoughts on a diy idea for my sconces. 

The finishing touches on our bedroom gallery wall. Will paint a powder blue to match. 

2. Finish jazzing up our family's seashell collection for the beach house. Every beach trip we collect seashells and put them in labeled jars to remember them by. 

I'm going to top each lid with a favorite fabric remnant and tie to the top with twine for a uniform look. Labels need rework, thinking free hand in pencil.

3. Paint vertical stripes along one wall in the guest bedroom and style and photograph it for you. 


4. Mud room make over is almost complete! Before and after coming soon. My handyman is hanging the hooks as I type this. 

I don't look anything like this anymore...

5. Father's Day is coming up.  The hubs has requested the kids paint a picture of our home or our family cottage on Torch Lake (great idea babe). He suggested using this wonderful painting as a guide. It was my Valentine's Day gift to him from our sweet and talented neighbor, Artist Deborah Pellock. Follow her HERE. 

I've got my own ideas for Daddy's gift. It involves a painting something like the one below with lyrics from a favorite song...

"I was made for you"

6. Paint this pedestal to give it some layers. Thank you Reed family for the yard sale reject! He is also an artist. See his work HERE. 

Sophia and I picked up a bunch of buttons last week to start embellishing the frames of my inspiration boards. This will be a good craft activity for her and her little friends to help with. I need to round up all the stray buttons I have floating around the house to give it that unique touch. 

Before there was Pinterest, there was my design bible. If the entire magazine issue isn't worth saving (a rare occurrence these days), I rip out my favorite images and file them away in this huge three ring binder. I need to finish filing so we can take a deep dive inside here. It is loaded up with crazy INSPIRATION. 

And I'm way behind on my research pile. I need to go through again and make sure I haven't missed something fabulous to pin or rip out. 

My magazine subscriptions at the moment:

Vanity Fair

Veranda

Food and Wine

House Beautiful

Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles

Birmingham Home and Garden

House and Home

Garden and Gun

Wall Street Journal's monthly magazine WSJ (fabulous)

C (California's Lifestyle Magazine)

Coastal Living

And to think I cut back this year on my mags? I keep forgetting to subscribe to Hour Detroit Magazine. A fabulous publication on everything hip, cool, to do in the Motor City. 

Well I better run and get organized for this ambitious week I hope to have. I hope you have one as well! Thanks for tuning in on this rainy day afternoon. 

xx

Jen

Designing a dream kitchen...

If you read the road, you know about my sister girl Lisa of Lisa Gabrielson Vintage Finds and Designs (see her gorgeous home HERE). Who as we speak is off to Italy with her family to celebrate her husband's birthday (lucky duck!). Last time she went I conveniently slide some money into her pocket and couldn't wait for her to get home with my surprise!

Notice the scalloped Italian fioria (I'm probably hacking up the name) sitting at the bottom full of starfish. She hauled it all the way home for me. Sisterhood. 

Anyhoo, she and I may have been separated at birth when it comes to design and are dabbling with the idea of partnering up (thank you to our supah star sister friends for their guiding light in this process). We sat down to lunch to discuss our ideas, goals, ethics, etc. and knock, knock: a gorgeous kitchen remodel to test drive our fun new endeavor days later. Even better the clients are sweet as can be and have great taste. I'm thinking its gotta be a sign.

Over Prrrrosecco (you have to say it like Lisa with the Italian accent) we came up with a gorgeous design plan and as I sit and type this, our tasteful clients are sitting somewhere fabulous, Hawaii, hopefully daydreaming about it. Hawaii, Italy...Cumming, Georgia... what's wrong with this picture? ;-)

I won't spoil the surprise but for now wanted to share our inspiration photos, the gorgeous sketches of our design plan and our mood board. Enjoy!

That fab fabric in the corner will be used for the three roman shades you see below. Almost always start your window treatments at the ceiling to bring the eye up and visually make the windows appear larger. Otherwise its dead space while you could be looking at this gorgeous fabric instead.

Slightly obsessed with open shelving in kitchens (feel free to fan yourself, whoooo, when looking at photo below).

Open shelving is a great option to update your kitchen on a tight budget and have all your pretties on display. Just rip those builder grade oak colored cabinets off the wall, instantly opening up your space. Cover the mess walls in bead board trim and install those shelves with your favorite brackets. Still sound too risky? Try taking the doors off your cabinets, trim the openings and paint the interior a pop of color. You can do this. Let your mind wander with metallic interior paint or foxed mirrors or a crazy stencil or lyrics to your favorite song...the sky's the limit. Go there.

Ate here and loved life (photo courtesy of Milk and Honey Home)

Here's our interpretation of the focal wall with stainless steel hood and shiny chrome sconces. Don't you just love how the artist sketched in the blue Mason jars? I do.  Let's call this kitchen pitter patter.

Another -meant to be- moment happened when our clients sent us their kitchen inspire photos, both curated by our designer friends. Of all the photos in kitchen design land.

Ohhhh sometimes I get a good feelin....

 courtesy of Milk and Honey Home

courtesy of KMH Interiors

The wall directly to the left of the stove and open shelves will look a little something like this...

All cabinets Mascarpone by Benjamin Moore (a favorite white) with the recessed niche above the refrigerator painted Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams. Our clients made the great suggestion to make it a wine rack. Perfecto.

One by six planks installed on the ceiling, repurposing the kitchen chairs but maybe painting them a pop of color and adding a high back banquette to the window wall in a bold striped outdoor fabric. Drama-rama light over the table. Also adding an x detail to the end of the kitchen island.

Let's put our head's together and come up with some new and exiting ways to design kitchen islands. What if we recessed the base cabinets (and I'm not speaking about this project in particular) to make the island  look more like a table with shallow edges and deep open ends and finished the sides to mirror the sides of this open air structure, located in new urbanism Mixson.

The good people in my neighborhood are working towards a similar structure for us. Get. Down. Edison bulbs and some big fat goosenecks would be nice. Imagine the wonderfully-styled parties inside.  

You know a lot of folks love mirrored furniture, could we put some shine on a kitchen island? What if we got away from straight lines and thought round? Wine barrels? An old hot air balloon basket? I saw one once at Scott's and it was SOLD (buzz kill) but wanted desperately to know its plans for the future.

Back to the task at hand.

Potterybarn's "Peyton" cotton linen drapes will frame the dining space. Tight, flush and crisp to the floor. It is still the kitchen.

And lastly my partner-in-crime will use her magic and custom faux finish the pantry barn doors to give them a found, reclaimed, stellar look.

So what do you think? Think they'll love living, cooking and making memories here? We sure hope so.

"I am going to make everything around me beautiful. That will be my life." 

- Elsie de Wolfe 

(Know it by heart yet? See Elsie's other quotes HERE. Mentor/kindred spirit)

Big thanks to our amazing clients. We'll keep you tuned in. And if you'd like to see more mad science from this project, check out the "D" board HERE.

xx,
Jen

p.s. If you'd like help designing a space you will LOVE and LIVE in, let us know. We absolutely love what we do. Cheers!