Something Old, Something New

 Saturday of my vacation was glorious. But it wasn't always that way. In fact, it started off gloomy and I had a crappy breakfast.
But later my dad and I returned to the Falls, bought more candy for my sister, and then my dad and I took separate ways for the day. For only the second time since becoming a licensed driver - I drove solo! SOLO. On a 55mph highway! When I got off the highway I went and explored the town, hit up a bunch of antique and book stores and then picked my dad up to (almost) end the day. We had just one more stop to make, and that was at the little log cabin place up there. It's a tradition to visit this cabin before we leave. (our other tradition on this particular vacation is checking out the Dollar Store and spending our last dollars. Unfortunately I had already taken a run through without my dad so we didn't need to go back)
I feel since I've shared a lot about my vacation, I'd like to know what others do with their time off. A special place you visit, a tradition your family shares, the coolest road side attraction you've ever seen?!

Oh and since I seemed to have found a knack for re-creating old photos - here is myself 7 years earlier on our family vacation. Pretty proud of myself for being able to still fit in the window. lol

 Outfit details - Dress, $3.34 (thrifted the day before!) - Vest, 50 cents (garage sale) - Black belt, $0 (from an old vest) - Jeggings, $20 (Wal-Mart old) - Boots, $15 (bought the day before at K-Mart out of desperation for boots) - Key necklace, $1 (Bargain Depot)

The Falls in the Fall

Just a hop and a skip away from where we were staying at is a small town called Sheboygan Falls. We went with one purpose - to explore Evan's. It's this incredible store that has everything you can ever imagine from the last 30 years. Can you believe I only walked out with some candy for my sister and Shrinky Dink paper?!

As we were getting ready to leave town we looked over and discovered such a magnificent sight. It was beautiful fall trees lining the river and the infamous Falls of Sheboygan Falls. You bet your last candy bar I was excited to snap lots of pictures!

The rest of the day was spent back in Plymouth exploring thrift stores and vegging out in the hotel room. It was a really great start to our 2-day vacation.

(P.S. Mode Plus did a little feature and interview with me yesterday and I'm so excited to share it! So go check it out when you're done here.)

Outfit details - Black dress with small white leaves on it, $4 (thrifted) - Tights, $4 (Wal-Mart) - Leopard print flats, $7 (K-Mart old) - Owl necklace, $2 (garage sale)

As The Leaves Turn

The first day of Fall was welcomed with overcast skies and rain drops from above. It also was the start of a 2 day trip I took up north with my dad. We went to a town our family used to go on vacation to back in the day, it's been at least 5 years since I've been there but it felt so familiar just being there like I hadn't ever left.

The leaves are barely starting to change around me, but up there it was like full on Fall and the temperature was perfect! It was incredibly beautiful and I just wanted to stick a camera out the window and take a picture of every inch of highway. But then I realized that's obnoxious and I don't like it when people do that.

I had a really great time! I visited some new thrift stores that weren't there before, I got to drive solo for the second time (eek!) and wandered aimlessly downtown visiting some really neat vintage and book stores. (almost everything there was an antique store!) I really do have quite a few photos (as well as some snazzy outfit shots of all two outfits I wore, but they're still good) so I'm gonna scatter them on the blog this week. Check back Wednesday and Friday to see them!

Here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip, enjoy! :)

My dad

Kettle Corn!

The Paper Doll Project

This week I stepped outside my proverbial box and participated in The Paper Doll Project that is put on by Suze of Miss Vinyl Ahoy.
I was really lucky and got teamed up with a season pro, Bekah from Matters of Merrymaking. (she was also my inspiration for joining!)
I chose a skirt that I wasn't sure how to style and Bekah jumped on the challenge. She paired it with things in my closet that I wouldn't have thought and really got me to step out of my box by pairing the seersucker with leopard print. It's a pretty cool mix, huh?
Thanks, Bekah!
Oh and drumroll please... head over to Bekah's blog to check out what I dressed her in. And while you're checking out new blogs, see who else joined in on the paper doll fun!

Fabulously Average and From the Mixed-up Files

I Have A Degree In This! and Smart n Snazzy: Stylish Without Going Broke

The Socialite's Closet and Tulips to Kiss You With

Unusual Form and The Daily Dani

An Old Story and Matters of Merrymaking

The Brunette One and BiblioMOMia

The Average Girl's Guide"> and Miss Vinyl Ahoy

Outfit details - Skirt, $4 (thrifted) - Tank top, $2.50 (Old Navy, old) - Leopard print cardigan, $3 (thrifted) - Necklace $1 (Bargain Depot) - Sneakers, $10 (Wal-Mart) - Belt, $1.25 (thrifted)

The Autumn Uniform

 The weather is turning faster and faster into full on Fall mode and I'm so excited about it!
With the changing of seasons also comes a change in wardrobe. This outfit above is quickly becoming my "Autumn uniform". I had originally worn it out a few weeks back for a city-wide garage sale days and loved the casual but dressy look it had that I ended up wearing it a bunch more times after that (including the day I took these photos!) It also helped that I got compliments from a few other ladies while out garage saleing - if someone from a small town can appreciate my outfits then I know I must be doing something right!
So, I wanna know, does anyone else have a "uniform" they put on that is foolproof and can take you from any activity? What is it?

Outfit details - Black [tunic] dress, $3 (thrifted) - Jeggings, $20 (Wal-Mart old) - Belt, $1.25 - Cardigan, free (thrifted, my new fave - I wanna live in it!) - Key Necklace, $1 (Bargain Depot old) - Leopard print flats, $7 (K-Mart old)

Last Friday Night

 Last Friday (not night) my out-of-town-long-lost-best-friend and I did some roaming around in Northern Illinois. We stumbled upon the Stephenson Co. visitors center. Inside we were greeted with the smell of a nice, new building, racks of brochures for every local event ever, and my favorite - the haunted house!
Our day was also filled with Dairy Queen (twice!), having a commentary for all the items we picked up at the store, catching up on our lives in the car, and doing a few tourist things (like seeing the animals.)
It was just the kind of fun day I needed! It is surprising that a day spent resisting thrift stores can actually be fun. lol

Outfit details - Jeans, $12.50 (F21 old) - Zebra print top, $3 (thrifted) - Awesome jacket, $4 (thrifted - been waiting all Summer to break it out!) - Sandals, $10 (Wal-Mart) - Purple ring, $1.50 (F21, currently available here)

Over The River and Through The Woods

It's been quite awhile since I've been excited about a Friday, but today I am! I have an out-of-town-long-lost-best-friend visiting for a few days so we're trying to hang out as much as possible. Lots of Wal-Mart runs, you know. ;)
Besides having a friend around, I've been working on quite a bit real life stuff that's keeping me busy. It's kind of funny that the weather is cooling down and now I'm finally getting out and about. It seems I'm always more active in the colder months compared to the warmer months. I guess there is just something about being sluggish in the heat. Anyone else like that?

Happy Weekend!!

 Outfit details - Top, $1 (thrifted) - Cardigan, free (thrifted) - Shorts, less than $1 (thrifted) - Belt, $1.25 (thrifted) - Ring, c/o Anika Burke (won in giveaway) - Sandals, $5 (Wal-Mart) - Necklace, from an aunt (Avon) - Lipstick, Coral Crush (Maybelinne)

The Start of a Stylista

Over on my Facebook I am participating in a 30 Day Photography Challenge. (I found it in the depths of the internet)
Today's challenge was "A Childhood Memory". As I've grown an obsession with sites like this and this, I thought it would be totally cool to reenact an old photo (and bonus for me that I still live in the same house!)

A little back story on this picture - On the left it was my 7th birthday, I was notorious for changing my outfits many times a day and my birthday was definitely no exception! I'm guessing by the mismatched clothes that this was during one of my many outfit moods when I just HAD to have a Minnie Mouse sweatshirt paired over my floral dress. Luckily the 90's didn't have a very strict dress code so I got away with it.
On the right, my grow'd-up 20 year old self, would not still wear a version of this outfit. But it was fun for the sake of the photo!

I'm so glad my style has evolved in the last 13 years and I bet it'll be interesting to look back again in another 13 years at this blog and wonder what I was thinking in these posts. haha

(for the curious, here is the list I am following)

Nail Tutorial: The City at Sunset

(the written instructions are at the bottom of the post)

The City at Sunset

1. Begin by painting your nails a coat of white which will later help all colors to pop and look their best.
2. When the white has dried, use a yellow polish and paint the bottom third of your nail. (it doesn't have to be perfect since you'll be creating a sunset from 3 colors.)
3. Put a little bit of orange on the tip of the sponge and lightly dab it onto the center are of your nail.
4. One last color - pink! Do the same as you did with orange, just pain a little to the corner of the sponge and dab it on the top of your nail.
5. Allow the "sunset" to dry and then take your skinny brush bottle of black and paint vertical lines that will be your buildings.
6. You're almost done! When the buildings are dry, take your white skinny brush bottle and make teeny, tiny dots all over the buildings.
7. Now you're done. Finish it off with some top coat of your choice and you'll now have the city at your fingertips!

The Next Chapter: License to Drive

 Yesterday I used my drivers permit to drive to a small town to get my hairs cut. I can safely say that it's cut SO much better than before. I've got a little fro back, I absolutely love it!

 Today I used my drivers permit to drive down to the DMV and take a certain road test... which I passed! This blog now belongs to a licensed driver. (that's just the paper version, I have to wait for the plastic!!)

 Thank you SO much for all the awesome words of encouragement when I first got my permit way back in June! They were very appreciated! I'm also super thankful to my "instructor" who took my sister and I out each week to practice driving and have a good time. She was quite helpful!
I'm still not sure what I want to do first on my own (besides try to find a vehicle to drive in, our house is short on them at the moment) Any suggestions?

Outfit details - Shirt, .25 cents (garage sale) - Vest, $1.50 (thrifted) - Jeans, $12.50 (F21 - sick of me wearing them yet?!) - Key necklace, $1 (Bargain Depot - you can never become sick of me wearing this) - Mocs, $32 (Wayfair.com)