Three on Tuesday: Fall Color for your Home

I love fall colors: orange and green and rust and brown.

One of my favorite Etsy potters has lovely fall-colored items.

This "wee vase" could hold a small bouquet or just look charming on a shelf:

These pottery leaves would be pretty hanging from a fall wreath:

This little pendant's fall tones will add a little touch of handmade style to your fall wardrobe:

Monday Oops: lavender lipstick

When I was a very young bride, I worked in a bank. I had a beautiful gray skirt and a slightly sparkly purple sweater that made a beautiful yet professional combination. I found a lavender shade of nail polish which quietly complemented the outfit, and for some reason I no longer understand, I bought lipstick that matched the nail polish. The fact that it was grape-scented should have been a clue that it was not meant for the career woman, but at the time I just thought it was fun.

I remember wearing the outfit, complete with nail polish and lipstick to work one day. One of my co-workers gushed about how beautiful everything was.

"Your lipstick is lovely!" she exclaimed! "You look just like those people in the Titanic movie...."

"...you know, when they're all floating in the water around the iceberg."

Oh. Not quite the effect I had in mind.

Fantasy Friday: Wigs

Today's post is for all of us who'd love to try a vivid hair color, but aren't ready for a fulltime commitment. These wigs are all at MissVioletLace. She has many colors, but it is the green wigs that are on my "Someday when I have $75 to play with, I'll buy one of those" list.

Three on Thursday

So many beautiful fall prints are catching my eye this week!

The Chadwick's catalog has this beautiful harvest print skirt:

Chadwick's has good clearance sales, but I have not found their sizing system to be very consistent.

Kathy Van Zeeland has a beautiful floral and animal print:

Kathy Van Zeeland purses are out of my budget, but they do show up at Ross, Steinmart and Marshalls at lower prices.

Boden has floral skirts on clearance. They're still expensive, in my opinion, but they give me ideas about what to look for elsewhere.

Three on Tuesday

Three Favorite Things

1. Florals are big this fall, on skirts and scarves and purses. Here are two of my favorite scarves at Jasmine Scarfs.

I ordered two scarves from Jasmine a few months ago. Shipping from Turkey was not fast, but the scarves were worth the wait. When I opened the package, there was an amazing fragrance of spices and rose petals. It was faint and it didn't last, but it made me want to order again just to experience that fragrance. The scarves are lovely.

2. Coin jewelry. Search Etsy for the country of your ancestors, or a year that is meaningful in your life.

These Irish earrings are from DonnaKBaker.

3. Fall nail polish

Because of the bordeaux tones that are making small appearances in my wardrobe this fall, I searched for a brownish nail polish with just a hint of bordeaux. This is China Glaze "Brownstone" and I love it! My nine year old describes it as "chocolate color."

Monday Oops: dramatic eyes

Several months ago I saw a fun eye makeup idea and I decided to try it at home. It included black eye shadow and green liquid eyeliner. It was easy to do -- a smoky eye with black on the outside of the eyelid blending to charcoal. I used a Kat Von D Autograph eyeliner in the color Peacock (my favorite eyeliner, which seems to be discontinued at Sephora). I liked what I saw in the mirror, but it was very dramatic. Very.

It would have been perfect makeup to go with a sparkly little dress and huge earrings. Or a concert t-shirt (U2, perhaps), skinny jeans and heels.

I thought I remembered that the eye shadow (from Ulta) faded quickly the previous time I wore it. "I'll have to remember this the next time Mark and I go out for dinner," I thought, and I went on with my day.

I taught the children's math lesson, we went grocery shopping, and we ate lunch. And then I happened to glance in the mirror again.

The eye shadow had not faded. Not at all.

The eye shadow was still very very dark. And sparkly too.

I'd been grocery shopping...at noon...wearing out-to-dinner makeup, a gray t-shirt and jeans.

Oops.

Please tell me all about your latest makeup oops.

Fantasy Friday: Athleta

I love to browse the Athleta catalog and website. Athleta models are all smiling women who surf and hike on beautiful beaches and mountain trails. Their hair is windblown yet perfect and they hike forested paths while wearing cute skirts. They also do yoga in beautiful locations.

I neither hike nor surf. I live in Las Vegas. No forest. No beaches except the fake ones on the Strip. And I like living here.

Athleta does have something I need in my desert life: sleeveless shirts. Athleta carries fabulous tank tops that have inner support like a bra--an actual bra not an elastic "shelf bra"--and they're sized like a bra.

And they are way out of my price range. That's why I mention this company on Fantasy Friday.

However, Athleta does have clearance sales. I bought one of those tank tops on clearance and I wore it at least twice a week the last two summers. It's still in great shape.

I also bought a swimsuit at Athleta a couple years ago and I loved it! Their idea of a "full coverage tankini bottom" was a bit different from mine, so I was thankful I bought the shorts to go over it!

This year I bought an Athleta tankini on ebay--I bought the two pieces from different sellers on Ebay. I like the individual fit that a tankini provides, and Athleta offers a "meet and greet" length so there's no gap between the tankini pieces. (I prefer not to get a sunburned tummy.) This time I made sure the tankini bottom was actually shorts.

If you're looking for a few summery items, check Athleta's clearance. You might find something in a non-fantasy price range.