Marshalls, Target & Ikea

My daughter-in-law just made a statement that made me realize that I am seriously in love  my family is seriously in love with a few stores. She said her Mom asked her where I got a gift I had bought my adorable granddaughter.  She told her Mom, "Probably Marshalls or Target."  I hadn't realized till then that whenever someone asks me where I bought something (translation:  Where did you get that, cause I love it!), my answer is usually, "Marshalls or Target."  Are there other stores I love? Definitely!  I love Ikea but the nearest one is hours and hours away.  Does that stop me from shopping there - no but I only go about 3 or 4 times a year.  This is a pic of my hallway.  Don't you just looovve the Ikea low profile shoe cabinets.  I also love that there is a small space to add a little holiday décor.
 

Gotta love those Target antlers.  I used them for my fall décor and I still can't get enough of them, so I kept them up for Christmas.  The reindeer and silver star is also from Target in the ornament section.  The cranberry garland is from Marshalls. 

Frock Me Friday: Back To School

1st Day of School! 1st Day of School! (Little Nemo is the best movie EVER. Also, the only movie I can remember any lines from...)

If you are like me, a lot of you moms are running around this week, like your hair is on fire. In reality, that only happened to me that one time.

These first couple of weeks of school are usually the most brutal. In between the WWF back to school shopping, the hand cramps from all the form filling, the dragging of sleepy children (and moms) from their warm beds, and the back to school weeping (me) and cheers (also me); somehow we supermoms manage to pull it all back together, just in the nick of time for the first day of school.  

On top of all that craziness, many of us (Or maybe just me??), have spent the last three months running around in shorts, old t-shirts, and pool washed hair that hasn't seen a brush in a while. This is were the panic starts to set in: The realization that we will have to face AND actually converse with other professional adults without our oversized sunglasses hiding our, we- stayed- up- till- eleven- pm eyes and our I- don't- know- where- my- make up- bag- is, face. At this very moment I'm thinking I should probably dig out that tube of concealer that has for months, been rolling around under my car's front seat.

Right about this time it has dawned on you that now you have to be seen in clothes that say, "I am a real adult" verses, "I've worn these yoga pants three days in a row because the lighting is dark in the children's section of the library, and we've woken up after 9am every day this week".

Never fear ladies! Today I've got just what the doctor ordered for your Summer fun hangover: A little fashion RX.

Put those yoga pants back in the drawer till next summer and try out some of these 1st day of school outfits that you can meet your children's teachers in:



Back To School Mom - 1 by glossyflossy featuring wedge heels



Back To School Mom - 2 by glossyflossy featuring aviator sunglasses

 

 



Back to School Mom - 3 by glossyflossy featuring black wedge heels

 



Back To School Mom - 4 by glossyflossy featuring a fedora hat

 

 

 

 

 

 



Back To School Mom - 5 by glossyflossy featuring kate spade jewelry

Happy Frock Me Friday!

~Angela

Feast Your Eyes: I Made and Ate It!

I have a secret - I read, collect, bookmark and save recipes like a collector of fine art orrrr, dare I say it - "a hoarder."  Or maybe I should say,  "My name is Laurie, and I'm a recipeaholic."  Yup, that's me!  I like recipes!  I like to read them and save them, that doesn't mean I ever make them!

There you have it - my deep, dark secret hoarding.  The good thing about having all these recipes is that when the feeling moves me, I can always come up with something new to make.  

Recently, I made two new recipes (new to me) that I think you will enjoy as much as my dinner guests did.  You heard me correctly, I like to use my friends as guinea pigs.  You might come to dinner and get a tried and true dinner or you might get something I've never made before!

First up:

Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles from Ourbestbites.com.  I have to tell you there is not much danger of cooking anything bad if you're making something from their cookbook.

I made this out of their cookbook but the recipe is also on their site (click on the picture for the link.)   I do like green beans and bacon but what really makes this delicious is the rice vinegar, garlic, & onion drizzle over the top.  This is delicious.  I also like that I could get this ready early in the day and then just pop it in the oven at dinner time.

Next:  Candy Apple Salad:

This recipe is from Allrecipes.com.  I have never made it before but it was easy and very delicious.  I exchanged the peanuts (I'm not a very big peanut fan) for pecans.  Other than that, I followed the recipe and it turned out wonderful.  




If you are a recipeaholic like me, get out those recipes and cook something new today or make these recipes.  You won't be disappointed!  

I'm not hoarding any new recipes today cause today is my baby's birthday and I'm making him his favorite meal for his birthday!  
Happy 26th, Mikey!  

~Laurie

Sweepstakes Gone Wild

Weeerrrrrreeee baaaccckk!  I know we've been gone for a while without so much as a good bye, adios or a see you later but we've been on an extended trip to "Summerpalooza."  

Boy, did we have a great time and we're kind of dragging our feet getting back to the real world.  Back in the real world, I plowed through my 800+ emails (I'm not kidding you) and found you some great sweepstakes to enter.  If I don't win, I hope one of our faithful readers win!  Hurry and enter cause I think one of these expires September 3rd.

Better Homes and Gardens $10,000 Taste of Italy Sweepstakes - who doesn't want a dream trip to Tuscany!

Midwest Living's $1000 Game Day Sweepstakes for the ultimate tailgate party!

Win $25,000 from Better Homes and Gardens for a home makeover:

Every Day with Rachel Ray $12,000 Italy Vacation Sweepstakes:

Recipe.com $2500 sweepstakes for groceries - who doesn't need a little help buying groceries?

Win a $3,500 trip to New York City from Better Homes and Gardens:

$10,000 Organize in Style Sweepstakes - I could organize everything including my shed for $10,000.

$1000 Get Organized for School from Better Homes and Gardens:

Ladies Home Journal Romantic Stay Sweepstakes for 6 days, 5 nights to the Fairmont Mayakoba in Mexico:

Recipe.com $10,000 Organize in Style Sweepstakes:

American Patchwork and Quilting's Ultimate $10,000 Crafting Giveaway.  The Glossy Flossy's would be crafting morning, noon, and evening if we won!

Win a Virginia Blue Ridge Mountain Getaway:

HGTV's $100,000 to build your perfect home - I don't know about in your area but that's not going to build my perfect home here - maybe a 1/2 or 1/3 of a home but . . . I'll take it!

Win DIY's Blog Cabin in Maine:

HGTV's Urban Oasis Giveaway is an apartment in Miami!  Then you could play that song, "I'm in Miami, B****"  when you're lounging around your luxury condo:

Enter for a Chance to WIN $10,000 Towards Your Dream Yard!

Enter to win $50,000 in GAC's Ultimate Living Country Sweepstakes:

Aston Hotels and Resorts 1,000,000 Hawaiian Miles Sweepstakes:

We've stayed at Aston's Kaanapali Shores Resort.  It's a beautiful place, the staff was great, and our room was wonderful and a reasonable price.  We would stay there again.

There you have it.  Start entering today!  

I feel like signing up for DISH network and buying cleaning supplies and cleaning my house ;)  You will too after you enter these sweepstakes.


~ Laurie

Frock Me Friday > Shanties?

Today I'm going to tell you a tale of when I was a girl and I became slightly obsessed with Nair hair removal commercials. You know, the ones where those bouncy teen aged girls danced around on the beach and sang that mind numbingly catchy song, "Who wears short shorts?! We wear short, shorts!" That song, not the hair removal part - I was eight, was my and all my little friends summer anthem as we (in our summer shorts) jumped on my bed, belting out our love for short, shorts.

Now that I'm not so little, my love for the song still goes strong, but now in my head it goes a little something like this: "Who loves mid - to lower thigh short, shorts. We love, mid - to lower thigh short, shorts. Yes we do!

Have you seen the summer shorts in fashion recently? They are more like panties pretending to be shorts. Shanties!! And they are everywhere. It is a sign of the bad economy when retailers are saving on fabric costs by selling high priced booty shorts??

Really if you think about it the only people that legally pull off short shorts with the fashion police are supermodel Giselle Bundchen, anyone that has never been visited by the cellulite fairy (that's where it comes from in my mind -it's DEFINITELY not from my love of Dairy Queen cool treats), and Tom Selleck circa Magnum PI; another thing I was obsessed with as a girl. Yes, I was an odd child.

If you are Richard Simmons (seriously Richard, when your white man afro is bigger than your shorts, it is time to get SOME LONGER SHORTS) or have children that will fake a seizure to make sure you don't go out in public in short shorts; it is time to stay away from said short, shorts!

For the safety and respectability of all, here are some great - not so short shorts, that won't look like granny ware and are fashionably cute:

Shorts
Shorts

Shorts
Shorts

Happy Frock Me Friday!

~Angela

Easy and Cool Summer Barbecue Recipes

This morning I was going through my hundreds of emails.  No, I'm not that popular, I just don't check it very often.  Everyone knows that if you send me an email that you want me to look at, you had better text me and tell me to check my email!  


There was a Pillsbury email before I got to the delete, delete, delete, not going to read anything else, just want to clear out my box point that I clicked on and I found some great recipes for our 100+ degree weather that we've been having.

1.  Cranberry, Bacon and Blue Cheese Pasta Salad


2.  Grilled Buffalo Chicken Strips


3.  Ginger Fruit Salad


4.  Miami Black Bean and Corn Salad


5.  Raspberry Lemonade Ice Pops


All of these recipes are super easy and look delicious. 


Also check out the coupon link at the top of the page.  There are some great money saving coupons.  If you make the Raspberry Lemonade Ice Pops, there is a coupon for Yoplait.  I have to say I am a little disappointed that there are not any coupons for any of the other products used in these recipes.


Also check out the partner coupons.  There is a $1.00 coupon for any Sally Hansen Nail Color product and a $1.00 coupon for Huggies Swimmies. And no I am not paid by Pillsbury or anyone else - we can only hope.


~Laurie

Babies Babies Babies

First it was weddings, now it's babies that we have on our mind.  You know that saying:  First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage!  Don't get too excited - none of the Glossy Flossy's are having a baby, but we know people who are having beautiful bundles of joy.  

I remember the early days of bringing home a baby to lots of tears and confusion.  That was me, not the baby.  What most mommys don't realize till they're home alone is you are no longer in control of your days or nights.  Everything revolves around something about the size of a football that can't articulate their needs or wants without wailing them out.  

I think every Mom and baby need an "Oasis of Calm and Peace" for those moments when you're so tired you can't see or think straight - both you and the baby.  

This first nursery is a breath of fresh air.  I feel calm, peaceful and happy just looking at it.

babybedding.com

This nursery is very sophisticated, anything with a zebra print and hot air balloon is okay with me.

Love the Tiffany blue walls of this nursery.  I feel calm and cherished just looking at this picture.

potterybarn.com

This nursery is so cute in tan.  You could use any accent color to change this up.

ontobaby.com

That should get you started on some baby zen nurseries.

~Laurie

Fourth of July Decorations

Fourth of July and parties go together like Batman and Robin.  What's better than a 4th of July party featuring lots of decorations?  Our weatherman says the Pacific Northwest is one of the the few places in the country that is going to have great weather for The Fourth.


A big hurrah to the weatherman. Now I'm going to run around like a crazy woman decorating my patio and backyard for the party we're going to have.


These were last year's decorations:

I love the red, white and blue bunting which came from the Dollar Store and use them every year.  You can read the rest of the post here to check out where the rest of the decor and plates came from.


Here's some more inspiration for your Fourth of July.

Homegoods.com

Don't forget to outfit your pup on the Fourth!

Tinyprints.com

Simpletreats.wordpress.com

Get out there and decorate your bicycle!  How cute is that!  

www.bellini.com

If you need some cupcake toppers or food labels you can print these for free.

Free Fourth of July Printables

Have a great Fourth of July!


~Laurie

Frock Me Friday > Nail It Down

I know Friday's are usually reserved for fashion, but lately me and every other women's magazine seems obsessed with bright summery nail polish colors and nail art.

Summer is the universal time for prettily painted fingers and sassy finger polished toes. Right now, I even bet there are a few of you sitting here as we speak, that have a rhinestone flower shellacked on your big toe.

I'm right, aren't I?!

I love that nail art has made a huge come back, because let's be honest, I'd jump at the chance to bedazzle anything. If you are a little nervous about straying from your classic one color manicure and looking like your 8 year old painted your nails, check out some of the new pedicure/manicure design ideas that are everywhere these days. Inspired by graphic art and some of the amazing nail products that have come out, nails have never looked so good!

Check out some of these great looks from our Pinterest boards that will look fabulous on your fingers OR your toes! 

First up is my personal favorite, black & white:

Source: erineverafter.blogspot.com via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Source: lovemaegan.com via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Source: rollingout.com via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Or, how about the ever popular ombre:

Source: beautylish.tumblr.com via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Source: itsallhappeninglulu.blogspot.com via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

How about some fancy tips?

Source: todaybeautytips.com via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Source: stylecaster.com via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Source: bodycare.becomegorgeous.com via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Some glitz:

Source: soulhunting.tumblr.com via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Source: via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Source: lyndarthemerciless.blogspot.com via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Source: bodycare.becomegorgeous.com via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Or, why not go bold and go for some fun colors and designs:

Source: lovemaegan.com via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Source: thekit.ca via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Source: data.whicdn.com via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

Source: blog.shopdirtylaundry.com via GlossyFlossy on Pinterest

 Happy Friday!

~Angela