{playing dress up}

Happy What I Wore Wednesday!

It snowed here last night...winter has definitely arrived! It was just enough to cover the ground and the tree branches and make everything white and sparkly. But the roads are nice and clear...my favorite kind of snow. ;)

Before I get to my outfits from the past week, I just wanted to remind everyone to enter my $50 maurices giftcard giveaway! I will take entries until midnight on Friday, December 2nd, so head on over and enter {and watch my interview with Project Runway's Christopher Straub!}

Now for my outfits...I was sick over the weekend so I don't have very many to share.

Saturday...{I was feeling the full affects of my head cold but decided to dress up cute anyway}...

Top and cardigan: Target
Jeans: JC Penney
Flats: Kohl's
Necklace: SarieJune

Tuesday...

Brown tee: JC Penney
Sweater: Dillards
Skirt: Sears
Tights: Target
Boots: Kohl's
Flower pin: SarieJune
Earrings: Kohl's

Today...

Long sleeve tee: Target
Dress: Kohl's
Tights and boots: Target
Necklace: Kohl's
Earrings: The Purple Attic

Hope everyone is having a lovely week! And don't forget to enter that giveaway! ;)

Linking up with...

{decking the mantel}

The fall decorations have come down and our fireplace mantel received a Christmas make-over yesterday! I'm really happy with how it turned out...so fun and whimsical. And it includes lots of inexpensive and DIY decorations...

And did you notice we took the fireplace doors off?! It still needs to be cleaned a bit around the doors, but it looks sooo much better.

I made the wreath last year by hot glue-ing ornaments, yarn balls and felt flowers onto a grapevine wreath form.

The drying rack to the left of the wreath used to be on the opposite wall in the dining room. I switched it out with the blue chalkboard to add a neutral white piece to the display.

I created the "joy" burlap pennant banner in just a few minutes with some inexpensive supplies. I cut the triangles out of burlap I had leftover from my table runner project. Then I used a red sharpie and free-handed the letters right onto the burlap. I added a button to each triangle, and then threaded them together with red yarn. Easy peasy!

The two silver trees were one of my first ever DIY Christmas projects that I made when my husband and I were in our first apartment together. They are basic styrafoam cones with fun silver trim and small green berries glued on. Another really simple and inexpensive project.

The cute white tree in the middle was a gift a few years ago from my friend Dusty.

And finally, the cute Christmas subway art is a free printable that I found on Pinterest...isn't it adorable?

The colors and words were exactly what I was looking for. And I already had the frame up on the mantel, so I just switched out the fall tree photo I had in there and voila!

I also hung the boys' stockings on our hutch...

and the boys' little tree on the other side of the fireplace...

 Finally something to fill that corner! Maybe I'll just leave it up year round. ;)

And if you're wondering what I did with that cute blue chalkboard, it is across the room on our record player with a Christmas message for everyone that walks by...

With my button flowers and a sparkly little tree...

Have you started decorating for Christmas yet? Next will be our tree and the entryway, but I've had a horrible head cold the past few days so I haven't gotten around to that yet. I would love to see your decorations...link up in the comments section!

{Christopher Straub Interview and maurices Giveaway!}

I'm still on a high and have a huge smile on my face from my interview Wednesday with Christopher Straub of Project Runway fame. He was extremely fun to chat with and shared some great information about his new holiday line at maurices. And he actually asked me a few questions too!

But before I get to our interview, let's see what Christopher has been up to...

He has created a super fun, flirty and affordable line of holiday clothing and accessories exclusively for maurices, one of my favorite shops.

His line includes some adorable party dresses, including this little black dress, which he told me is his favorite piece in the collection...

And inspired by his first, and winning, design on Project Runway...

 His collection also includes some great separates like this black top...

And I love this pendant cluster necklace...

So now let's hear more about Christopher's new line from the designer himself!

**Please disregard the annoying "call recorder demo" line across the video...pretend it says something like "Best Project Runway designer interview ever", alright? :)



Thanks so much to maurices and to Christopher for giving me the opportunity to interview him...it was an honor and so much fun!

And now for something exciting for my readers! 

maurices has given me and one lucky This Girl's Life reader a $50 gift card! And this is the perfect time of year for a little extra cash, right? Use it to buy that cute little black dress for a holiday party, or use it for Christmas gifts!

How to enter:

1. Leave a comment and tell me your favorite piece from Christopher's new line at Maurices.
2. Follow This Girl's Life and leave me a comment.
3. Share this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or your blog, and leave a comment for each.
4. Like maurices on Facebook.

Entries will be accepted until midnight EST on Friday, December 2nd. Only available to United States residents.

So what are you waiting for? Good luck everyone!

{so thankful}

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone.

The boys are asleep in their beds.

Some of the Thanksgiving leftovers are still sitting on the kitchen counter.

Our dining room table is still covered with the tablecloth that was hand embroidered by my husband's grandmother.

I just ate my second slice of pumpkin pie of the day...covered with a layer of cool whip as thick as the pie itself.

They hubby and I just watched 50/50...quite the tear jerker. I actually sobbed.

Chloe is sitting by my feet, staring at me and waiting for me to let her up in my lap.

The house smells like the perfect holiday scent of pine thanks to the candle my mother-in-law brought me today.

I get to see my parents and Grandmother tomorrow and decorate the house for Christmas.

I'm so very thankful.

{playing dress up}

Happy What I Wore Wednesday!

It is a very special Wednesday for me, because today I'm interviewing Christopher Straub from Project Runway for my Maurices giveaway! {read here if you missed my pinch me post!}

Be sure to check back in a few days for the interview and your chance to win something awesome from Maurices!

Now onto my outfits from the past week...

Friday...

Brown top: Target
Sweater: JC Penney 
Skirt: Sears
Tights: Target
Boots: Kohl's
Earrings: Maurices
Acorn ring: Gift from my friend Kelly

Sunday I was super casual and hanging out around the house...

Black tee: Walmart
Pants: Target
Earrings: The Purple Attic
Necklace: local craft fair

Monday...

Top: Kohl's

Cardigan: Target

Skirt: Walmart

Tights: Target

Boots: Kohl's

Earrings: Kohl's

Flower ring: The Purple Attic

Tuesday...

Purple tee: Target
Sweater: JC Penney
Pants: Target
Gray flats: Maurices
Earrings: Kohl's
Bracelet: Claire's

Today...getting the house ready for Thanksgiving {AND interviewing Christopher Straub!!!} I'm in our rec room here by the way...it is the boys' favorite place to play these days.

Brown tee and top: Elder Beerman
Skinny jeans: Dillards {Levi's}
Flats: Maurices {super old...can you tell?}
Necklace: Gift from my Mother-in-Law
Earrings: The Purple Attic

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Linking up with...

{confession}

I'm already on my second carton of this stuff...

Most people call it egg nog.

At our house it is lovingly referred to as snowman juice.

I know...sounds kind of weird/gross right? Or when you think about it...snowman juice would really just be melted snow, right?

Anyway...to explain how it got that name...last Christmas when Ben saw what looked like a juice carton with a snowman on it he exclaimed "SNOWMAN JUICE!" One of the most adorable things I've ever heard come out of his mouth.

So that's what we call it. And now the boys are hooked too.

What is your guilty holiday pleasure? {I have plenty more but I'll just share this one today}

{sunday morning}

Eating breakfast at the island...

and enjoying homemade buttermilk biscuits...

They make the best egg and bacon sandwiches...

Yum.

{pinch me}

You all. I'm so.darn.excited!!

I have some pretty awesome news regarding this little blog of mine. 

Those of you that have been following my blog for the past few years know that I'm a huge fan of Project Runway. And for the past few months I've been participating in What I Wore Wednesdays by sharing my weekly outfits, a lot of which included pieces that I've purchased from one of my favorite local clothing shops, Maurices.

What do Project Runway and Maurices have in common, you ask?

Wellll if you are also a PR follower, remember this guy?

That's Christopher Straub, a contestant from season 6, and he is launching a new clothing and accessories line at Maurices. And the folks at Maurices contact me, yes ME, asking me if I would feature his new line on This Girl's Life.

That in itself is pretty cool...but then they told me I could interview him as well!

So next Wednesday, I have a Skype date with Mr. Straub.

AND...wait for it...one lucky This Girl's Life reader will win a Maurices sponsored giveaway!

Yeah...you could say I'm pretty darn excited about this.

So be sure to check back next weekend for all of the details about Christopher's new Maurices line, our Skype interview, and a fabulous giveaway!

Did I mention that I'm SO.DARN.EXCITED?! :)