What’s Up Wednesday

Happy Wednesday! It’s time for everybody to join up today with Shay and me and let us know WHAT’S UP with you this fine Wednesday!

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WHAT WE ARE EATING 

Y’all. We continue to be in a food rut over here. Burgers, Tacos, Steak, Shrimp, repeat. I keep vowing that I’m going to start mixing it up, so stay tuned. 🙂

I did make this chickpea salad yesterday, and it was DELICIOUS. I can’t wait to eat off of it for lunches the rest of the week.

I’m going to make this tortellini pasta salad from Shay next week.

Last week I roasted a ton of veggies on my Our Place Oven Pan to use for the week. I roast them 1 time, and then I had leftovers to grab from for all sorts of dishes during the week. The Oven Pan is my most used kitchen item, and right now it’s ON SALE! You should totally grab it. You won’t be sorry.

I drizzle the veggies with olive oil and then season with salt, pepper, and a little bit of garlic powder. They come out so tender and so flavorful. I roasted this batch on 425 for 30 minutes.

On Monday, I paired them with the cauliflower gnocchi from Trader Joe’s (I cook mine in the air fryer for crispy edges!) and some marinara from Trader Joe’s as well. Light, healthy, and absolutely delicious. I’ll also eat them as a side with leftover grilled chicken.

 

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WHAT I’M LOVING

Buddy and Charlie bring our family so much joy. But with allllllllllllll the joy, they also come with allllllllllllllllll the hair. Haha!

Well, on the recommendation of a friend, we decided to buy this dog grooming kit and vacuum and give it a try. IT’S AWESOME. It trims the hair while simultaneously sucking it into the little vacuum canister. I think I’ve talked about it once before, but I couldn’t find the post AND Y’ALL HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT IT if you have a dog. It’s truly incredible. It’s 40% OFF right now and there’s an additional $30 OFF coupon too.

This is an old picture of them before Chris started using the dog grooming kit and vacuum on them.

Here they are all trimmed up! It’s a freaking miracle worker! Scroll up and look at the difference in their chest hair.

Not only do Buddy and Charlie look better, but I’m dealing with less shedding in the house as well! WIN WIN! Click HERE to get to the vacuum.

 

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WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO

Football season has started y’all! Carter is having a blast, and we are doing our best not to die in the stands. It’s seriously SO FREAKING HOT, but it’s so much fun do watch these kids do their thing!

My friend Kathryn sent me this bracelet set in our school colors AND I LOVE IT! It makes my game day outfits so much more festive! If you want to check out her bracelets, you can see what else she has to offer over on ig. You can find her @shop-grayco . If you want to have her create a custom set based on specific colors for your team, then just direct message her!

 

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WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT

HOW IN THE WORLD ARE THESE BABIES STARTING HIGH SCHOOL.

Howwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww?????? Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy??????????

Just yesterday he was the smallest one in the bunch, and I’d dressed him in plaid shorts and popped his collar. Now he’s in high school and my heart could just burst.

And the changes are CRAZY. On the left, that’s his first day of 8th grade. On the right, that’s his first day of 9th grade!

I would like to again ask Howwwwwww??????? Whyyyyyyyyy?

It’s just too much.

 

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WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT

I’VE GOT AN AWESOME DEAL FOR Y’ALL TODAY ON A FABULOUS SWEATER.

I’m not sure what the weather is like in your neck of the woods…but in mine…IT’S STUPID HOT.

Like aggressively hot.

And it has been for weeks and weeks.

And it hasn’t rained since like May, so there’s that.

Still, I’m throwing caution to the wind today and talking about a sweater.

IMPORTANT: TODAY ONLY YOU CAN BUY 2 SWEATERS and get 20% OFF. If you BUY 3, you get 30% OFF! 

I know what you’re thinking: Do I need 2? The answer is a resounding YES. Do you need 3? Quite possibly. 😉

Now try not to pass out from the heat and the thought of wearing a sweater, and please just listen.

YOU SERIOUSLY NEED THIS SWEATER.

Believe it or not, sometime in the future, it’s not going to feel like the surface of the sun when we walk out the front door.

AND I’M GOING TO BE READY.

THIS. SWEATER. IS. FABULOUS.

And it’s not just me that thinks it’s fabulous… go read the reviews. There are 301 reviews with the average rating being 4.91 stars!

At right under $70 it’s an incredible value. If you buy 2, they will be $55.20 each. If you buy 3, they will be $48.30 each! WOW! It comes in 10 total colors, so there is definitely something for everybody.

It can easily be dressed up or down, and I seriously think it’s MUST HAVE status.

This dolman style sweater features a slouch neck and stylish fitted sleeves and hem. It will make the perfect addition to your fall wardrobe. Wear with your favorite denim or leggings.

The fit is so forgiving, and you can style it several ways:

1. You can pull it up and fold it under (like I’ve done on the left here). This makes it look like it’s tucked in, but you don’t have to worry about it looking bulky.
2. You can pull the banded hem down around your hips and wear it kind of slouchy (like on the right below).
3. You’ll see later in the post how you can pull it all the way down and wear it with leggings (depending on how tall you are of course).

There’s so much I love about this sweater. I like the slouchy neck a lot. It adds style and personality to the sweater, but it’s not restrictive at all. The sleeves are dolman (which I love), but the arms are fitted, so it keeps it from looking sloppy. You can also see below how I give the sleeves a nice thick cuff so they aren’t too long and baggy on me.

For size reference, I’m wearing the small/medium.

It says “hand wash”, but I don’t hand wash and neither do the reviewers. Thank heavens for that, because I don’t hand wash ANYTHING. One reviewer said, “It also washes well in the washing machine. Just make sure you lay it flat to dry. It does keep its shape and doesn’t shed or clump up.”  Just wash it with similar items (not towels), pop it in the dryer for like 5 minutes, and then hang to dry on one of my velvet hangers.

sweater / chunky gold hoops / MUST HAVE black pants / similar pumps

And here’s the same sweater in pink! I swear I could own this sweater in 5 colors and not even feel weird about it.

I’m wearing it with a nice pair of slacks here and in the picture above, so you can see that it really is perfect for the office.

sweater / chunky gold hoops / MUST HAVE black pants / similar pumps

As I said, the sweater is easy to dress up or down, so I wanted to show it styled a couple more ways.

Here are both colors with my favorite boot cut jeans. They are super stretchy, incredibly comfortable, and super flattering! I would recommend sizing down 1.

You can see on the left I have the sweater bloused over the banded hem, and on the right I have the banded hem turned under.

sweater / chunky gold hoops / boot cut jeans / booties

And the pink. Turned under on the left, bloused up over the banded hem on the right.

sweater / chunky gold hoops / boot cut jeans / booties

Okay, I’ve got one more way to style the sweater for you today!

If pulled all the way down, I LOVE it with my faux leather leggings. This is obviously a much more casual look.

If you don’t have these leggings, you need to size up 1 from your regular leggings size. At 5’4″, I wear the Petite Medium

I. LOVE. THIS. LOOK.

Are you traveling anywhere this fall or winter? This would be the perfect outfit for your travel day!

sweater / chunky gold hoops / SPANX faux leather leggings / sneakers

Here’s the pink sweater with the same leggings.

sweater / chunky gold hoops / SPANX faux leather leggings / sneakers

In addition to the sweater deal above, you can use the STMT10 code for 10% OFF any of these other awesome Social Threads items!

Y’all, how flipping cute is this GAME DAY sweatshirt! With the neutral lettering, you can wear it when cheering for pretty much any team, which makes it super versatile. It’s oversized, soft, and will be great with denim shorts, joggers, jeans, sweat pants, whatever! For size reference, I’m wearing a medium. It’s not long enough for me to wear with leggings, so a small would actually be fine on me.

GAME DAY sweatshirt / hoop earrings / gold bracelet stack / denim shorts / GG sneakers ($25 option HERE)

This black blazer is a wonderfully classic closet staple that would be a great addition to just about everybody’s closet. It would of course be great with a nice pair of slacks or a pencil skirt for the office, but it’s great worn more casually with denim too! Here I obviously have it styled with boot cut jeans and booties, but I think it would be DARLING with some distressed straight leg ankle jeans and a pair of mules.

blazer / white ruffle sleeve tee / fringe teardrop earrings / necklace / gold bracelet stack / colorful bracelet stack (rainbow stripes) / MUST HAVE boot cut jeans / booties

Okay, Ladies.

This cardigan is FABULOUS in both the cream you see below and the black. It has an oversized and dramatic collar, but I love the way the entire cardi drapes beautifully and has a totally relaxed feel. The cable knit styling is spot on, and it basically makes me want to go to the mountains. It’s great for any occasion where you want a cozy and stylish layer. For size reference, I’m wearing a small.

cable snap cardigan / white ruffle sleeve tee / fringe teardrop earrings / necklace / gold bracelet stack / colorful bracelet stack (rainbow stripes) / MUST HAVE boot cut jeans / booties

Here it is over the Loft blouse I first shared last Friday (that I’m obsessed with).

cable snap cardigan / dahlia top / fringe teardrop earrings / necklace / gold bracelet stack / colorful bracelet stack (rainbow stripes) / MUST HAVE boot cut jeans / booties

This dress absolutely screams fall. It combines creams, rusts, and browns into a lovely fall botanical pattern. It has a full slip underneath, which is great. The neck has a teeny tiny little ruffle and the sleeves have a large smocked cuff. It’s so pretty, and I love it with these booties. It would also look great with a mustard or rust cardi thrown on top with some leopard flats! For size reference, I’m wearing a medium in the dress.

dress / hoop earrings / gold bracelet stack / woven tote / booties

And if you’re still in the summer frame of mind, here’s a top I’ve shared with you before. If you don’t like a relaxed fit, you won’t like this top. I happen to LOVE a relaxed fit. I’m wearing a medium.

embroidered tassel top / chunky hoop earrings / bracelet / denim shorts / TB Miller sandals (light makeup)

LOVE.

embroidered tassel top / chunky hoop earrings / gold and pearl necklace / bracelet / denim shorts  / TB Miller sandals (light makeup)

 

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WHAT I’M WORKING ON

Well. Right now I’m working on getting my heels in shape, and I know some of y’all might be doing the same. Summer has done a number on them! I’ve shared this before, but it’s worth sharing again. Whenever my heels get bad, I do this treatment a couple of days in a row, and then my heels are good to go again!

Y’all remember when I first shared the Flawless Pedi tool?

My heels were in bad shape, I saw it on an infomercial and ordered it, and it arrived the next day. You charge it with a USB charging cord, and it comes with 2 different roller heads. It removes calluses and dry cracked skin in a safe way. I’m telling you. BABY’S BUTT SMOOTH. I also use it on the side of my big toe that tends to get rough as well. I’m HIGHLY RECOMMENDING this pedi tool. It’s ON SALE right now, so it’s the perfect time to grab it.

I’ve perfected my routine though. I use the pedi tool AND THEN slather my heels in some of the CR Cleansing Balm and then put socks on. The results are INCREDIBLE. There’s a site wide sale going on over at Colleen Rothschild right now, so you can grab the cleansing balm for your heels (and your face of course!) and anything else you need.

 

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WHAT I’M LISTENING TO

Right now? Buddy is snoring. LOUDLY. 😉

 

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WHAT I’M WATCHING

We watched Hijack on Netflix and LOVED IT! We were on the edge of our seats each and every episode. And lately, I’ve been on a kick of watching The Office when I’m working. I didn’t watch it when it was originally on, so a lot of the episodes are new (to me).

 

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WHAT I’M WEARING / SHOPPING FOR

I’ve been spending a lot of time at home lately, which means I’ve been wearing lots of pajamas ALL DAY LONG. And tons of Vuori. And to be honest, I’m happiest in pajamas and Vuori. #it’swhoiam

However, I have been online shopping to find stuff to highlight for y’all, and I’ve been planning for future posts. Here are just some random things I’ve tried on that I’ve really liked that I think y’all might be interested in!

Did y’all see my post yesterday? You might have missed it since it was on a Tuesday. Click HERE for the entire post. I highlighted lots of super affordable and great fall finds. On that post was a pair of fashion sneakers that were already sold out, but I think I actually like these more because they are more versatile! LOOK! HOW! CUTE!

sneakers

First of all, THEY ARE DARLING. Second of all, they have a memory foam footbed, which makes them insanely comfortable. Don’t let the sparkly stuff scare you, it just functions as a neutral with some sass. And get this! They are just under $25!

sneakers

Y’all know I got these Golden Goose sneakers for Christmas last year. I love them them and I wear them a ton, BUT THE PRICE IS DEFINITELY CRAZY and you can see that they are made to look “old”. Most people don’t “get them”, and I have to say while looking at them side by side with the $25 pair, I think I agree with the majority that don’t get them! Haha! I mean, I realllly like mine, but the price is pretty impossible to justify.

GG sneakers / $25 sneakers

This hoodie is lightweight with a waffle texture and wide hem. I love this deep wine color, but it also comes in green, rust, and navy. I love it here with my denim shorts, but I know I’ll wear it a lot with joggers too. For size reference, I’m wearing a medium.

You’ll notice I’m wearing my super expensive GG sneakers, but it’s before the above sneakers arrived, or I would have been wearing them to show them off!

waffle texture hoodie / hoop earrings / gold bracelet stack / colorful bracelet stack (rainbow stripes) / denim shorts / GG sneakers ($25 option HERE)

This pullover is super soft and mid weight, but still warm. I’m in my regular medium here and like the way it fits with my denim shorts. If I wanted to wear it with leggings, I would probably size up 2 sizes.

pullover sweatshirt / hoop earrings / gold bracelet stack / colorful bracelet stack (rainbow stripes) / denim shorts / GG sneakers ($25 option HERE)

I’ve been wearing these with basically everything, so I thought I would give you a close up look!

chunky oversize hoops

At y’alls requests, I’ve also been ordering some nice dresses.

Do y’all remember this outfit planning collage I featured earlier this month? I decided to order the dress!

left:  dress / pearl earrings / pearl necklace / woven tote / taupe pumps

right: dress / earrings / neutral clutch / boots

 

 

The colors are gorgeous, and I love the overall style, but it’s lower cut on me than I was anticipating. I’m wearing it with booties here, but I’m actually thinking it’s more suited for heels. For size reference, I’m wearing a 6.

dress / hoop earrings / necklace / gold bracelet stack / booties

This dress surprised me. It’s like an elevated t-shirt dress. The floral sleeves add interest and style, and the rest of the dress is simple and totally classic. I do love the flirty little ruffled skirt and the overall fit. For size reference, I’m wearing a medium.

dress / hoop earrings / necklace / gold bracelet stack / similar pumps

Taupe, cream, and brown combine to make this beautiful dress. The pattern looks like a watercolor painting, and I love all of the details from the v-neck, to the sheer sleeves, to the faux tie above the waist with a little ruffle. The bodice is fully lined, but the sleeves remain sheer. I’ve styled it with pumps here, but I think it would also look great with tall black boots. Throwing a blazer on top could be a fun look as well. For size reference, I’m wearing a medium.

dress / hoop earrings / necklace / gold bracelet stack / similar pumps

 

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WHAT ARE MY RECENT AMAZON PURCHASES

I’m getting ready to create a post with tons of Amazon home recommendations, and in preparation for that post that will be sometime next month, Conner ordered this rug. I told her I wanted her to grab some new Amazon items for her house since she has had incredible luck in the past, and she was more than happy to oblige!

Today we’re only talking about her new rug. She got the “blue” in the 7’9″ x 9×10, and I think it’s gorgeous in her room! It’s almost identical to a Ballard Designs rug, and it’s a fraction of the price.

art / euro shams / antelope pillow covers / taupe pom pom quilt / taupe pom pom sham / duvet cover

Conner’s words are in italics (from a previous post) about the other items in the room.

To brighten things up without breaking the bank (and without having to buy new furniture), I decided to go lighter with the bedding. I’m thrilled with how it turned out! 

I decided to start with a duvet cover and go from there. (Conner is using a duvet insert she already had, but you can click HERE for one that is super affordable and has over 70,000 5 star reviews!)

This particular duvet cover has gorgeous embroidery around the edges and looks WAY more expensive than it is. The king size pillow shams came with the duvet, but I decided to order the Euro shams to add height (they come in single packages, so I ordered 3).

I knew I wanted to add taupe accents and I found this ADORABLE pom pom quilt and king pillow shams which are dupes of the well-known Ballard Designs pom pom quilted bedding for a fraction of the cost.  SCORE. 

Conner, I can’t get over how plush and cozy it all looks!

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And I’m reposting the following because these products are AMAZING and need to be highlighted again!

I’m excited that a great number of items I use almost DAILY can be purchased from Amazon!!! Let’s be honest, nothing is easier than ordering items from Amazon, so it excites me that these items are so easily available to all of us!

Today I’m just going to highlight a handful of some of my favorite Amazon beauty items.

The Clarins Depuffing Mask is a new (to me) product that I’ve been using for a couple of months now. All of the well known beauty influencers absolutely swear by it, so I finally had to try it for myself.

WOWZA.

It’s a cream-mousse face mask (the texture is like a thick whip!) that visibly reduces puffiness, refines facial contour and promotes even skin tone.

Suggested Use: Apple 1-2 times per week, as needed to clean, dry skin. Smooth a thick layer over the lower part of face and neck. Avoid eye contours. Leave on for 10 minutes. During the last few minutes, place left elbow in palm of right hand, and rest chin in left palm. Gently move head to the left and completely relax the weight of head in palm for a few seconds. Repeat four times. Then perform the same movements on the right side of face. Rinse with cool water.

And y’all. It works! I’m using it right now about twice a week. The directions say to leave it on for 10 minutes, but when I can, I leave it up for up to an hour. This product does what it says it’s going to do.

And depending on where you live, if you order this morning, you could have it by this afternoon!

Click HERE for all Clarins products on Amazon.

Clarins Depuffing Mask

Thee next 4 products are products I use either every day or at least every day I wash my hair.

The Kenra Platinum Blow Dry Mist is a product that I simply will not go without. I mist it all over my damp hair before drying it. First of all, it smells AMAZING. It’s also a heat protectant, smooths, softens, tames fly-aways, and eliminates frizz. It won’t way your hair down either! The reviews are incredible, and I have confidence that you’ll love it. I started using it years ago after my hair dresser would use it on my hair before blow drying it at the salon. I travel with it because I can absolutely tell a difference in my hair when I don’t use it.

The Gimme Hair Brush (I have the thick) is the best hair brush I’ve ever used. I know what you’re thinking; it’s just a hairbrush. NOPE. You’re wrong. It’s an OUSTANDING hair brush. And it’s worth every single dang penny of its $35 price tag.

Every single time dry my hair I use the Revlon Volumizing Brush. It dries my hair quickly, it smooths it as it’s drying, and it gives my hair body and volume. And it’s ON SALE right now!

Some will think I’m crazy, but I’m a Conair hot roller girl for life. And they are ON SALE! I use these roller picks instead of the clips that come with the roller set, because I feel like the clips crease my hair. They give my hair life and bounce! And I know this is going to sound weird, but my hair seems to be shinier after I roll it. I put the rollers in after I let them cool down just a bit. When I put them in piping hot, I feel like the curl is too tight. I put one on my crown, one on each side, and 2 in the pack.

Kenra Platinum Blow Dry Mist / Gimme Hair Brush (thick) / Revlon Volumizing Brush / Conair hot rollers (and I use these roller picks)

And this is my hair after I’ve fixed it! It’s shiny, bouncy, and looks healthy thanks to the above products and items! I also use this hair spray (it’s a small can, so I buy 3 at a time) and it has a great flexible hold.

And y’all know I also use the Colleen Rothschild conditioner, hair mask, serum, and styling cream too. It’s all on sale over at Colleen Rothschild if you want to check it out too.

Posh Peanut robe / similar cross necklace

Another Amazon product I absolutely swear by are these eye drops. I don’t use them every day, but the results they give are jaw-dropping. Your eyes will be SO white and SO sparkly! I used them about 5 minutes before taking the above picture. I should have done a before and after, but my eyes are prone to those teeny tiny red squiggly veins. These eye drops make them disappear, and I just use 1 tiny drop in each eye. They are MAGICAL.

eye drops

 

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ONE MORE THING

Last year I shared a fall update to our living room, and I realized yesterday that my pouf is back AND ON SALE!

I love it so so much.

pouf

The pouf is such a nice touch (that totally looks designer). I will say, when my pouf arrived, it was darker than I thought it was going to be, but it totally worked! Also, my pouf has “leather” piping on the corners, and the online pouf didn’t show this. Still, I really liked the product I received.

pouf

 

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That’s all for today, y’all! Make sure you link up and let us know what is going on with you!

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