Casually Feminine--Wrapping Up

This Wednesday we will conclude our Casually Feminine series. The topic this week is two-fold.

First of all, we will be covering bottoms. (hahahaha) What you wear from the waist down.

Secondly, I'd like any final thoughts you have on being casually feminine.

Hope you can join us!

Almost a Week!

I very rarely go that long without blogging. I have a great excuse, but that's a post for another day.

What we've been up to, is trying really hard to do nothing. The homeschool group's activities are winding down and we've had a lot of places to go and be these last 2 weeks. This week? I have next to nothing on the calendar. Pure bliss. Today, specifically, has nothing written on it. That's a nice thing for a Monday.

Sweetheart is down to just 2 subjects to finish up fourth grade. Little Bit could do a lot of things but I'm just doing 1 or 2 things with her each day as well. Next week I'm helping administer a standardized test for our homeschool group so precious little else will happen that week.

And with all this shedding of "normal" scheduling, I'm turning my attention to the same place it turns every June--my house. Including the oft-neglected regions of the homeschool room, laundry room, sewing room, and my bedroom. The rest we keep up with pretty well during the year. I always feel a need to accomplish great things during the first part of the summer. Anyone else get that? It's like a spring-cleaning, end-of-school, gotta-get-things-done-before-next-year FIT.

I've already started making lists.

And doing laundry.

Hey, give me a break. It's not June YET, OK?

Casually Feminine: Shirts, Tops, and Blouses

You should not listen to anything I have to say. I just saw pictures my mom took around Easter and I looked so humongously fat in every single one. I thought I had on good, flattering shirts, but apparently I was sadly, sorely mistaken.

That's it. I'm sticking with black every single day of the week. I tried color and it was not good.

For those of you who look better in shirts than I do, you should try layering. Oh I love layers. I don't have nearly enough layering stuff. Here are some great under layers. They help with everything. Cleavage? Covered. Shirt ride-up? Taken care of. Rolls of fat? Held in place. I'm telling you, layering is the way to go.

I don't think I have worn a button up shirt since I had children. Buttons always seem to tug and gape. There was an unfortunate incident with a pretty shirt from Dress Barn and S's Christmas work party and the guy on my left but we won't go into that.

Which reminds me.....get good bras!!! I'm preaching to myself here too. I did go get new ones last year and used Oprah's bra sizing guidelines. It's time to go again though. I would love to have a professional fitting. Well, let me re-phrase that. I would love to have a professionally fitted bra and look all slimmer and younger. I am slightly horrified at the thought of the fitting though.

Two more things come to mind and I feel like such a hypocrite even sharing this stuff. It just goes to show I KNOW what should be done, but fail miserably when I do it. I really need Stacy and Clinton to come running in the store and slap stuff out of my hand. Or some of you girlfriends to come shopping with me.

OK the first thing is: find out what colors look good on you. Secondly, get a neckline that flatters you.

I think shirts are where modestly falls all to pieces for some ladies. A full length mirror is important. I don't wear sleeveless shirts, but it's important to check if the person beside you can see all the way through your armhole or not. Then there's cleavage.....transparent fabric....too short shirts...the list goes on and on.

And most of all, forbid photographs being taken around you when you are wearing a bright turquoise shirt.

OK, your turn. Teach me the right way ladies!

This Ain't No Magazine Shoot

I've been meaning to post pictures of the girls' room makeover for several days now but the room wasn't, you know, perfect. Or even really tidy. So I was waiting. And then I thought forget it. It's "in progress." I'll keep it real for you, ok?

We got the used loft bed on Friday and S put that and the new loft bed (for Little Bit because it's only fair that Ramona get something new) together Saturday morning.

Here is the underneath of Little Bit's loft. We threw some $1 carpet squares under there that had been in the playroom, her bookshelf to hold her favorite things, and her Tinkerbell chair. It will look better later and I also plan to put a curtain on this area for privacy/beauty.

And here is a lamp I found at Hobby Lobby for 50% off. Sweetheart already has a hot pink one which also matches this room. The shade is light pink, despite it's purple appearance in this picture.

Here is Little Bit's dresser. In this picture, I would like you to see the basket on the dresser. I bought these to hold all of their "treasures." My girls are forever finding feathers, sticks, rocks, and other various objects that come home and find their way on top of the dresser. This is meant to corral all that and keep it out of sight. Also, please enjoy the lovely curtain-sheet that is still hanging on the window. Gotta get on that.

Next to the window is their mirrors. I need something to hang above these. Something bird-y.

Here is Sweetheart's dresser. She always has so much stuff. And it all means something to her. She's terribly sentimental. Which makes for a cluttered dresser, I suppose.

And under her loft. She really played under here yesterday and is sick today so I didn't make her clean it up for the picture. I'm so nice. See the kitchen stool there? That is what I have to use to tuck them in at night. I am 5' 7" or so and what I'm telling you is these lofts are TALL.

Here is the banner hung above Little Bit's loft. And yes, in case you were wondering, the girls have been sleeping on these for 3 nights now with no sheets. I needed to wash all the sheets but I had to make a new batch of laundry soap and so it took longer than it should have and then last night we just flat didn't feel like messing with it. It's on the list to do.

So that's where we stand. A lot of progress in one weekend, but still a long way from the pages of a magazine.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

• I printed out a calendar for May last week and started figuring out how many lessons we have left in each subject for Sweetheart. I think, if we work really hard, we might be able to finish up all of her major subjects by the end of the month. That's what I'm hoping anyway. We don't plan to take the summer off like we have in years past, but I am ready for this year to be over. I'm ready for summer to begin! This is where it gets exciting. AND extremely hard. Anyone with me?
• I have such progress to report on the girls' room makeover. You will not believe all that happened this weekend! And yeah, OK my kids have slept without sheets for 2 nights. It'll all work out, I promise.
• Speaking of weekends, I do not remember such a busy weekend ever as the one we had this weekend. We survived, and I can't wait to go to bed tonight and rest. Monday will be a very welcome addition to my life. :) Monday. In which we stay home and do things that need to get done.
• Remember we are discussing shirts during Casually Feminine THIS WEDNESDAY. See you then.