Things I'm Loving...

1.  Dorothy Perkins - OMG I love the dresses on this site... and they have pretty good sales quite often.  Love love love.

2.  The Broken Plow - this website was put together by Cassie over at http://backtoherroots.com/ - she and her hubby Craig just bought her childhood home and they're in the process of redoing it to make it their own.  Its fun seeing their DIY projects.  I especially love the gray they just painted their bedroom. If Lucas and I end up staying in this house (which is looking more likely) I want to repaint and I'm thinking gray for the living room (because it goes with my red couch) - paint is cheaper than a new couch. :)

3.  My favorite new shower cleaner - I'm a nerd I know but this stuff works!  You mix 1 cup of warmed up white vinegar with about 1/2 cup of Dawn soap (the blue kind) - shake it up in a squirt bottle and go to town.  It made my shower sparkle!   Thank you Pinterest.

4.  My talented husband being part of this awesome show - http://guerillabydesign.blogspot.com/2012/07/blog-post.html?spref=fb - hope you can all make it by to see it!

5.  92 days until Halloween - I even found a sweet costume.  Now I need somewhere to wear it.....

What are you loving?

Happy Weekend to you all!

My niece Ash and her boyfriend came up to visit (yes she's 17 now for all of you thinking she was just 12 yesterday haha).  Friday we went to the Science Museum to see the Pirates exhibit.  It was cool - not my fave ever but interesting.   Friday night we played board games and watched the Olympics.  I'm enjoying making Ash try all my "weird" food - she was slightly freaked out by the coconut milk in her smoothies and my nutella (that she now loves). 

Today we went to the lake and did some boating and jet skiing.  

Tomorrow after they head home I'll be picking up the house and Lucas will be working on his projects for his shows.

Hope you all enjoyed your weekend!

Lusting after....

My small (haha) list of dresses I'm drooling after from www.pinupgirlclothing.com.

They have the Ava dress in a bunch of colors but I love the gold.

I mostly want this skirt - it comes in blue and yellow roses too.

Take me to a picnic!

These are separates.  I love the top - in fact I want it in about 10 colors and the atomic print on the skirt is adorable.

I love the Birdie dress.  The only problem is its probably too "dressy" for everyday wear....

I'm going to need some cigarette pants for Viva Las Vegas!

And lastly the Birdie with 3/4 sleeves and in a beautiful blue color.

Which is your favorite?

Speaking of pin ups - have you joined my Pin Up Fitness group on Facebook yet?  No?  Why not!?  :-)

It Must be Good...

.... if you make the same recipe 3 times in one week!  I made these muffins Monday night, then again Wednesday night, and then again tonight (they make great on the go breakfast snacks).   I'm sure the fact that my husband has biked to work a couple times this week doesn't help the fact that we're going through muffins like mad over here.  They're pretty healthy, tasty and you can add whatever fruits you want (or in my case I added flax seeds - I suppose you could add nuts too).   The first batch I made I did a mashed up banana and frozen blueberries and the second and third times I did 2 bananas and dried cranberries.  Anyway - here is the recipe - 


2 1/4 Cups Dry Oatmeal 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
3/4 cup skim milk - I used coconut milk
1/3 cup Splenda - I used real sugar - I'd rather eat that than chemicals
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup Applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cinnamon to taste

Optional additions:
blue berries (frozen or fresh)
Banana (mashed or cut into small pieces, you can use less applesauce if you add banana)
Any small diced fruit of your choosing!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spray muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray or add cupcake liners

3. In a big bowl, mix oatmeal, baking powder, salt and cinnamon

4. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until incorporated (t resembles slightly runny oatmeal)

5. Fill each muffin 3/4 full, bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.

Let's go shopping!

If there’s one thing I love its shopping.  While I often prefer to do it online because I dislike annoying people wandering aimlessly around a mall looking like they’ve just landed from another planet, I do enjoy the thrill of the hunt.  I also love fashion and making other people feel good about themselves, step outside of their comfort zone and find new looks.  Had you asked me 5 or even 3 years ago if I would have stepped out of my house wearing skinny jeans or blue tights or pin up dresses (not all at the same time mind you) I would have said you were bat shit crazy.   Alas, I have evolved.   I’ve learned a ton reading all the fashion blogs I’ve found over the past year.  I think when I win the lottery and/or Lucas becomes a famous furniture designer I would like to be in the business of personal shopping.  Whether it be for someone’s personal wardrobe makeover, a special event, Halloween or even a party (shopping for props, decorations, etc. not just clothes).  I’ve heard people say I should be a party planner and while that would be faboosh I don’t think I could deal with the crazies – it would be like being a wedding planner.  No thank you ma’m.   But I would certainly be up for helping people shop and/or find things for their parties.   So if anyone wants to help me practice being a personal shopper – email me!  I’d be happy to go shopping with you and help you pick things out.  I just helped my cousin put together an outfit for a wedding and we did it totally over email/texting, haha.  Very 2012.  And budget doesn't have to be an issue - stores like Old Navy, Target, Forever 21, Kohl's and JC Penney and even Goodwill (!) offer cute outfit options for the savvy shoppers.  :-)

PS – I know there are stores that you can work as a personal shopper (i.e. Nordstrom’s) but a.) they want you to have retail experience, b.) I wouldn’t want to be tied down to making an outfit out of ONE store’s things and c.) I don’t think I’d want to do it all day every day.  I do still have to work as Lucas’ bookkeeper and marketing director of his famous furniture business too.  ;-)

PPS - did you join my Facebook group yet?  http://themarks365days.blogspot.com/2012/07/pin-up-fit.html

Pin Up Fit

TGI - freakin F people.  Holy Friday the 13th.  I was so happy to see 430 roll around at work.

Back to what I'm really here for.  I was thinking of starting a closed group on Facebook - closed so its private to members only - called Pin Up Fit.   I'm going to Las Vegas in March for a rockabilly convention and I want to look smokin'.   I don't necessarily have a lot of weight to lose but I really want to tone up.

I thought Pin Up Fit would be a fun group for my Facebook girlfriends to join in order to give each other support on our journey to wellness and share recipes, work outs, etc.   If you're interested in being added to the group shoot me a message or just comment on this post.

Also - you don't have to be interested in pin up fashions or style like I am to join the group.  I'm just calling it that because a. I'll be dressing like a pin up in Vegas and b. I like a pin up figure - curvy!

Here are some of my favorite pin ups!

Marilyn - duh

Doris Mayday

Dita

Christina

Confessions...

.... I could eat Nutella by the spoonful!  Don't worry, I don't.

.... I have been wearing alot of dresses to work lately and I dig it.  Wearing pants is overrated and sometimes uncomfortable lol.

.... Speaking of dresses, I need another job in order to pay for my Pin Up Girl Clothing obsession.

.... I'm watching the new season of Big Brother.  Before you make fun of me, I've seen every season of it - I think we're not on season 11 or 12?  I hate it and love it all at the same time.

.... We started watching Twin Peaks on instant Netflix.  Jury is still out.  Its freaking weird in a LOST sort of way.  And super 90's.  "She's dead.... wrapped in plastic."

.... I love Big Bang Theory.  Love.  I even like watching the episodes I've seen 3 times.

.... I apologize to my Draw Something friends - I'm slow with my drawings because I have like 13 of them to do lol.


What are your confessions?

Sunday Funday

Lucas took the day off from working on his projects so we went shopping!

Actually wait - rewind.  Let's talk about how my morning started at 630 am.....  meet the Killer Queen Vinci:

Remember those baby bunnies I told you about a couple weeks ago?  Well he got one.  I looking outside this morning after I fed them and he had it in his mouth - I ran upstairs to wake up Lucas because I don't do dead, semi dead or almost dead animals.  Lucas to the rescue.  Luckily hounds have the intuition to just shake the thing to break its neck so it didn't suffer.  Poor sweet baby bunny.  

Back to regular programming.  We started out with breakfast at The Lowry with Julie.  I had the strawberry french toast.  Yum!  I could only eat about half because it was filling and rich.  Lucas finished off the other half.

We hit up three vintage shops in Minneapolis - B-Squad Vintage, Blacklist Vintage and The Corner Store.   We had luck at The Corner Store.  

First of all - if I had a 24 inch waist (which will never happen unless I have ribs or organs removed) this would have been going to Vegas with me - it was a velvet pantsuit with a bejeweled belt in the front. OMG.  

Instead I found a 2 piece lurex suit from the 60's.  This will definitely be going to Vegas with me.  I just need bigger hair and I'm set.

And not to leave Lucas out - he found this vintage Kamehameha shirt.   It will be great for the Vegas pool party.  

And lastly a picture of Chuck because she's cute and really tiny.  :-)

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!  As soon as Lucas is finished mowing we're going to have salads and burgers on the grill for dinner.

Tiki Tiki

We went to a birthday party on the lake last night - Lucas' aunt, uncle in law and aunt in law all turn 50 this year so they had a bash.  What better excuse to wear my new PinUp Girl Clothing Tiki dress!  I love this thing.  I can't wait to wear it on the patio at Pscyho Suzi's and the pool party at Viva Las Vegas!

Close up of the print....

Indoor photo

And last a tribute to Julie - Lucas saw our shadows and said "If Abnet was here she'd be taking a picture of that."  :-) 

Recipes and dresses

* I made this cake for the 4th of July picnic - it was pretty good.  And EASY.  Lucas said it tasted like a Caribou caramel cooler.  Here's the recipe:  http://www.smuckers.com/Recipes/Details.aspx?recipeID=2625

* My Jason Wu for Target dress I wore to the patriotic festivities:

* Dinner tonight - recipe I tried out tonight - it was pretty good.  We'll add it to the rotation.  I added a little lite sour cream and some fresh basil and oregano from the garden.  Recipe: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/fresh-asparagus-tomato-chicken-131214.aspx

As seen through the iPhone

A smattering of recent pics:

Vinci baking

Basil snuggling

Lucas rocking his fedora.  Rawr.  Shut up - I think he's adorable, ok? :)

Speaking of Lucas - he made this - well, he's making this.  I think its lovely - it will be featured in his art show - http://guerillabydesign.blogspot.com/ - hope you can all come!

My Pilates trainer is back.....

Because of this.... 

I'll be partaking in this tomorrow:

Have a safe and fun 4th of July tomorrow!!  Stay cool Minnesotans.