April Outfit of the Month

I explained the concept of the Outfit of the Month series already, but to sum up: each month I will feature an outfit that I wish I was wearing, either from a magazine or somewhere online. Then I will create a look with a similar feel, with pieces that would fit into the budget of a Well-Rounded Woman. 

April's outfit comes from Lucky magazine and I listed each piece, including price. They add up to a whopping $3,868. And I don't know about you, but that's about six or seven years worth of clothing for me.

Below are the pieces I found, at significant discounts. In fact, at a total of $226 for the entire outfit, that comes to less than 6% of the price of the Lucky outfit. And naturally I don't have $226 to spend each month, but I can usually pick up a piece or two. I already have the pin and I made the necklace recently, and I think I'd like to get a pair of light-weight jeans like this for the summer. I spent a lot of time learning how to make an image map, so please click on specific pieces for the links to where you can get them.

Save a few pennies & trees

I subscribe to a lot of magazines, and my favorite is Martha Stewart Living. I've been saving my issues since 2003 because they are classic. Recipes and home management tips never go out of style, and even the decorating schemes favored by MSL seem to stay fresh and current. It suits my style. Unfortunately, a subscription to MSL runs a little more than other things and this year when it came time to renew, I kept the cash in my pocket. For January, instead of receiving a lovely new issue in the mail, I pulled out the January issues from 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2008. I could skim through them much faster, since I've read them in the past, so it didn't take any more time than reading a new issue. And I remembered many of the great features, things I had wanted to revisit anyway. Check out some of these great articles.

I'm making these darling pillows for my couch. It just so happens that pillows are the first project for my sewing class (on my list of 32 things to do before 33), which starts this Saturday. I have already purchased some great fabric.

There are plenty of yummy recipes in my old issues, including 12 for a feature, A Year of Cakes! Cakes are my weakness. I've already made this cardamom cake, since I love cardamom. It was not as good as I had hoped. I will try the Meyer lemon cake next. Once all my sick babies get better I would like to make this lasagna bolognese, which I actually made when this issue came out, 5 years ago. It was delicious, but a lot of work - possibly an every 5 years occurrence. Maybe after that I'll try some of these curries.






Also - I believe this is a picture of what my mud room is supposed to look like. You know, if I had a mudroom. Someday I will.

But for now I'm happy to save some money this year by skipping my magazine subscription. I'll put it toward my mudroom. And I'm always happy to save a few trees.

For more tips and tricks, visit Works For Me Wednesday.

Shopping, Shopping Everywhere... (and not a credit card statement in sight)

I have been on a serious shopping kick lately, and my husband is about to take away all one of my credit cards. And my debit card. Because even when I am getting the smoking-est deals on everything, $5 items start to add up.

I don't go into Walmart often anymore, although it was a bi-weekly occurrence when I lived in Florida. But since the others stores closed at 9pm and there was a Walmart right across the street, I happily moved my car to the other end of the parking lot and ran in. And felt like I hit the jackpot! Sometimes I really love that place. They have some super-cute stuff for super-cheap. Check out some of my finds.

I'm really trying to get into the green thing as much as I can, which for me means using our recycle bin. And I want to stop using plastic grocery bags. In the past (like, last week) we have used them to wrap dirty diapers, but I feel like we have a lifetime supply saved up now (only about 2 years until we're done with potty training altogether!) and I'm ready to stop adding to the landfills. It seems like every store sells a reusable tote now, and I just started buying a few at Sprouts, where they are only $1 each. But I found these darling ones at Walmart and want to buy three or four. They are half off the original price of $10. Okay, for $5, maybe I'll just buy one or two.

Remember OP? Those short-shorts and cool surfer styles. This line is still going strong and is sold exclusively at Walmart. I loved these corduroy tote bags! There were a bunch of styles but I couldn't find them on the website - hence the terrible picture from my phone. You get the idea though. This Star Wars shirt is coveted by my husband and 4yo son alike - even though they only come in boys sizes. They were mysteriously missing at my Walmart and are sold out online. For $7 though, I will be checking back!

My other Walmart finds are collegiately related. My husband and I are from different Alma Maters and have a very good-natured rivalry. But since we live here in Arizona, the Sun Devils win out more often. I think it's just because it's so easy to get ASU stuff at Walmart here! This trip I finally picked up a baseball hat ($9) for myself, that my husband has been begging for me to get. It makes a tiny concession to femininity and uses pink lettering. I wanted a picture and thought I'd throw in the beautiful scarf/wrap I found at Marshalls. It's hardly ever cold enough here but I fell in love with it and it was only $10. Once I got it home I discovered it was 75% cashmere and 25% silk and was thrilled to find it a permanent place in my closet. I promise I will never wear the hat and scarf together again. And I found this sweet backpack for Aaron! He was so excited for the early b-day gift and will be using it to carry work stuff back and forth.

And to what do I owe my shopping inspiration? My favorite magazine, Lucky, of course. The September issue is usually my favorite, and the thickest of the year. I love the little sticky tabs Lucky and domino provide, and this is what my Sept. issue looks like now. Let me share a few wonderful things.

domino Real Life Budget - Are We on the Same Page?

The nice people at domino Magazine sent me a copy of their August issue after I wrote about their great decorating tips. This issue was touted to me as budget-conscious and the cover lists it as "high style on a real-life budget." But since my real-life budget tends to differ from the magazine people, I was a bit skeptical. I was actually quite impressed.

They decorated the room below for $1250, which seemed like a lot until I realized that included furniture. I love the idea of using wall fabric - if only I could get my husband on board.

domino also featured a beautiful living room, that I would do in a heartbeat if, again, my husband would go for pale pink furniture and floral accents. I loved the little round tables, which were listed as carved mango wood tables from Z Gallerie. I can't find them on the website though. : (

The dining room page was a much more modern white, black, and red and check out these dramatic placemats and chandelier. I also liked the do-it-yourself stenciled canvas artwork.





My favorite article in domino's August issue was the spread on Thom Filicia's lakeside home. I am completely in lust. I would want a lake home just like this - I'm a woods and lake girl (the ocean is beautiful but too salty for me. And don't get me started on all that sand!). I love the deck and Thom's decorating scheme. It's not exactly my style, but closer than anything else in this issue and very fun. It gave me a lot of good ideas for the future. You can see the slideshow on domino's site here. Check out a video about it here.

Other great finds in domino's August issue:

Corelle Contest - you can dowload files of unadorned Corelle plates and create your own design. Imagine how suprised you will all be when my design wins! See the ad somwhere around page 39.

Garage Storage using the IKEA version of pegboards on page 60. I thought about just using these when I did my kids' room, and actually own one of these, but decided against it after seeing how easily my boys pull out the plastic clips, hooks, and cups. They are genius though - I'm just saving it for a few years.

The COOLEST thing I found on domino's website, a flipbook for the current issue. It features four or five spreads from the mag, but the super-fab part: the animation. You can click and drag and it's exactly like turning the pages of a real magazine - you must try it!

One more domino tip - If you subscribe to their blog, you can see almost all of the cool spreads from the magazine. I found pictures for all of the articles and features I wrote about. Thanks to domino for the pictures! You can subscribe to the blog here.

Stencils, Silhouettes & domino tips

I used to subscribe to domino magazine, which is from the same publishers as Lucky. But after a few years of looking longingly at things far above my budget, I dropped it. I still frequent their website and found a great photo gallery this week entitled, cheap decorating tips from domino readers. They featured 31 projects that readers sent in - most in the DIY category, and most fairly inexpensive. Some are a bit kitschy, a few were silly in my opinion, some you could never reproduce unless you are an extremely talented artist (see #6) but I found several great tips too. My favorite tip was the stenciled silhouettes featured above. I love silhouettes and created one of each of my sons that I have framed.

I also love the idea of stenciling, though I have not been brave enough to try it yet. In the early days of this blog I wrote a post about stenciling in my living room, asking for opinions on a design. Still planning to do it - which design do you like best?

At this page I like Casablanca, Celestse, and Poppy Frieze (click on the design names on the left)

I like Ivy Pergola and Mission Spirit on this page at the same site.

By the way, the website featuring the stencils is The Craftsman Homes Connection & I am pretty much in love with every one of the thousands of items there. I would put the images here but they are copyrighted - but please check them out and let me know which stencil you like best.

Throw Out Those Clippings

Hi, I’m Tara. I’m a magazine junkie. It's been three hours since my last periodical. I constantly have stacks of unread, partially read, and thoroughly read magazines on my nightstand, next to my computer, and on tables in my living room. I subscribe to five or sixbut often don’t have time to read some issues until the next one is already out. And I never want to throw them away until I have documented everything interesting. I keep back issues of Martha Stewart Living, but with all the others I would cut out things I liked or wanted to save, and keep a big stack of ripped out pages, cut out scraps, and tiny slips listing websites or stores I wanted to visit. Last Christmas I made my wish list the old fashioned way – pasted all my cut-outs from catalogues and magazines on pieces of paper and stapled my collages together before I gave them to my husband.

Then I discovered Kaboodle.com. Once you register at this free site you can add items from the internet and keep as many lists as you like, either public or private. I recommend the small download which adds a button to your navigation bar. Then whenever you’re surfing and find something you like, just click the Add to Kaboodle button and the site automatically saves a picture, description, and price of whatever you’re looking at. You can accept those, or change any yourself, and then add your own comments before saving your find to any of your lists. Once you hit okay you are automatically redirected back to whatever site you were on. And I appreciate that you can hit the back button and it’s as if Kaboodle was never even there, you just go back to the last page you were on at Amazon, Gap, Babies R Us, or whatever.

So now, when I find a few minutes to page through my magazines, I tear out my favorite things, look them up online, and save them to Kaboodle. And my crazy pile of cut-outs is getting smaller. Check out my list of beauty products to try.

For other tips check out Works for me Wednesday, at Rocks In My Dryer.

My Martha Stewart Living

I have always loved Martha Stewart Living, the magazine, even though I'm not enamored with the woman herself. I though the February issue this year was marvelous! I want to try the Valentine's dinner menu when I get a better handle on handling three little boys and find a little more time to cook. I want to visit, if not live in this house in Maine, which was featured in an article about a lovely winter brunch, including recipes. I tried to find the images online, but it looks like the website only features the current issue and I waited too long. So I used my trusty camera to share a few things with you. I love the front door and wreath. The interior was gorgeous, but my favorite shot was of these dining room moldings!

I was also inspired by the article, Treasured Chests. There are beautiful photos and instructions for many variations of for your vanity or dresser. I love the sweet jewelry boxes below. They would look so much better than the old cardboard ones I use now. Even if they do have to remain hidden in the drawer to avoid little boy curiosity. I think I'll try my hand at a few of the projects to give as Christmas presents this year. That's thinking ahead a lot, but I probably won't have time until October or November anyway.

If you don't subscribe to Martha Stewart Living, it would be worth getting your hands on a copy of this issue, there's loads of great stuff! Sorry I posted this so late but I know you can order back issues. Or check out your local library.

My Magazines

Tara thinks...

everyone should have at least 3 or 4 magazine subscriptions. I love magazines! If funds were not an issue I would suscribe to everything from Martha Stewart, to Parents, to Lucky, to Everyday Food, to People/US Weekly/OK. Oh wait... I do subscribe to those - well, most of them. I don't know how I find the time to read, but let's face it - I neglect my home and family and read constantly anyway. But magazines are great because I can read them 5 min. at a time, which I can't do with a book - ruins the continuity. And magazines contain advertisements and articles relating to one of my favorite pastimes - Shopping! I thought I'd list the stuff I'm subscribing to now and add links to their sites. It seems like most mags are starting blogs of their own too, which is kind of fun.

I'll start with Parents/Parenting since this seems the least frivolous. I somehow managed to get subscriptions to both, sort of on accident. I like Parents a little better although I swear they're run by the same company. I can skim these mags, cut out fun mom stuff, articles & whatnot that I may or may not remember to look at later. I like the cute embarrassing stories and the suggestions from other parents and I once found a recall for a toy we had. Parents blog is www.goodyblog.com. Parenting blog is http://theparentingpost.parenting.com/.

Martha Stewart. Self explanatory. I love this magazine but they take up quite a lot of my time between reading them (quite hefty) and spending time dreaming about all the stuff I'd like to do. I usually subscibe every other year or so. It's a bit pricey too, like $26ish. But I find I like everything Martha Stewart, except the lady herself. That's why the magazine is so great. But you can't deny she has talent and style. And I love the baby issues! Aaaaahhh, the cutest stuff. You can never go wrong with a MSL recipe either, except sometimes they get a bit complicated and expensive. I just pick the simpler ones.

I remember when Lucky Magazine first started, I was an original subscriber. This mag is dedicated to shopping, just like me! Like a fashion magazine without the relationship/dating/sex stuff. But tons of great clothes, make-up, hairstyles, and home stuff! Most is out of my price range, but I still think they do better about putting in normal person stuff than other fashion magazines. They have a blog too, although not as prolific or interesting as the parenting ones.

Domino is by the same people as Lucky and is dedicated to the home. Both are only $12 a year. It's a little more modern style than I might choose, but fun and interesting. I also like Martha Stewart's home magazine, Blueprint, but it was too high end for me. Almost every item ever featured was like 10-20 times more than I would ever pay. Domino is a bit more my speed - I even sent gift subscriptions to some friends last Christmas. Oh, they also have stuff on entertaining, like recipes, table settings, etc. Which I totally wish I used all the time. I'm a Martha Stewart entertainer wannabee. Unfortunately, my social circle doesn't appreciate this.

Okay, so I don't subscribe to People, US Weekly, or OK. But I wish I did - I love to look at them in the grocery store check out line. And I treat myself a few times a year. I love the celebrity gossip, that's what I miss most about our cancelled newspaper, of which I only ever read the Living Section.

Unfortunately, writing this post has taken hours and hours as I search for the websites and blogs and get caught up in them. Wishing you the same entertaining luck!