Friday finds

I love these snow globes from West Elm. The silver tree is my favorite.
Would be a classy addition to any holiday decorating.

I can't resist owls. How adorable. This would look so good in my living room :)

Project Runway - Finale

Only three remain! Who will win???? I can't wait for tonight......

At home eye chart

This pillow really caught my eye. I am not sure why I like it. It's unusual and something I have never seen before. That combined with the clean white palette....makes a great combo. However, I don't 95 bucks like it. I will continue to admire it on the world wide web.

White on white

This tee is awesome.
Taking a plain white tee and dressing it up with hand sewn embellishments.
Genius.

Spiced Chestnut

Williams-Sonoma brought back this hand soap much to my husband's delight. It really does smell good. Imagine manly meets festive. I have our lovely friend Marina to thank for getting him started on this soap obsession. For me it's more about acquiring something that he really likes and better yet getting it on sale. Pretty much ever since we have been together, I have gone after Christmas and stocked up. Not last year. They didn't even carry this fragrance last year. The word "discontinued" was even uttered. And they changed the shape of the bottles so you had to buy a new metal holder. In our family things being discontinued is like the world ending. First it was Zach's GAP pants. That was a rough day. *He claims he still has not found the prefect fitting replacement pair. Then it was the only hair product that ever really worked well on my hair. Basically, we just gave up on WS. Until I got my holiday catalog in the mail. There is was. Bottle was even back to it's original size and shape. That was a good day. Heck, I even purchased Zach a full price bottle to ring in the holidays.

Edward & Bella

I cannot stop laughing. Don't get me wrong.......I love Twilight just like every other woman these days. However, this is slightly disturbing. Seems if Barbie decided to cash in on the Twilight phenomenon. Did I mention that I saw a woman my mother's age wearing a skin tight Twilight t-shirt in the airport. It was all I could do not to Tweet it for proof.

Warning: This post will likely bore you to pieces.....

I think all my problems are about to be solved. My lips are painfully dry pretty much all year around. The problem is worse in the colder months when the air is drier. I have never found anything that works great....just temporarily fixes the issue. I am obsessive about keeping something on my lips at all times. I can't sleep until I have applied chapstick. I always have lipstick or gloss on. In fact, I know a certain someone who used to poke fun at how perfectly it was always applied and wondered if I slept in my lipstick in college. I am not naming names....but she knows who she is!

I will be purchasing this product ASAP. I am hoping to leave the days of dry lips far behind me.

It really is the most wonderful time of the year....

The holidays are just around the corner. I love the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I go overboard and decorate every inch of my house. Zach gets annoyed at what a production getting all the decorations down turns into. It's an all day affair complete with hot chocolate, Christmas tunes and Love Actually on in the background. I remind him how his father has it so much worse. My mother-in-law loves Christmas more than I do. Ie: double the amount of stuff to put up and even worse take down.

I was driving down Western the other day and Chesapeake was already stringing lights on the trees. I imagine they do have to start in October to be done by Christmas. I have never in my life seen that amount of LED lights in one area. I forget how spectacular it is and every year the first time I drive through is almost breath taking.

Anyway, I decided to write this blog because Christmas ornaments are a huge deal to me. I like to buy/receive ornaments that are symbolic. A trip we have gone on, a memory that is important to us, an inside joke. When we lived Downtown we had a mouse in our house for about a week. It was a rather traumatic experience for both of us. I got a mouse ornament for Christmas that year. Every year I unwrap it I makes me remember how horrified I was to find out we had a little rodent living in our house and that they could climb onto things like the bed and the kitchen counters.

Urban Outfitters has some pretty cute ornaments this year. Here are a couple of my favorites.

GG Fashion

This necklace was worn on Gossip Girl last night. Don't laugh.....I know it's not award winning television but the fashion is wonderful. I am totally in love with the color of this necklace. I have always been drawn to anything turquoise. It's perfect with the dress she has on and the chunky ring & bracelet. Lily wore the matching earrings in a different episode. The vivid blueish color looked amazing with the fuchsia dress she wore.

Project Runway Week 8 & 9

I am painfully behind on my PR blogging. I'm finally all caught up. I was going to write this grand combination blog of the last two weeks. It did not happen. Sorry loyal readers. Here are a few tidbits for discussion.

1. I cannot stand Irina. She just annoys me. That hateful face she makes. News flash: You aren't that talented and are far to cocky to be that mean.

2. I love, love the grey nail polish Heidi is wearing in week 9 (I think). I will be locating some very soon.

3. I want Carol Hannah and Logan to date. They are too cute!

4. Tim comforting Shirin. I felt truly bad for her. I thought Christopher was a goner. I was pretty shocked.

My very own LV

Wednesday was an exciting day for Mixed Handbag. For my third wedding anniversary my dear husband put his personal feeling about this particular thing aside and bought me an amazing gift.

He gave me the traditional 3rd anniversary gift (leather) in the form of a beautiful Louis Vuitton. It sort of reminded me of when I got engaged. The first week or two all you can do it stare at your hand all day long. Well, I find myself looking at this purse at least 10 times a day. Thanks for a memorable anniversary, Z.

The Year of Three's

I would like to veer from my typical blog posting to wish my husband a Happy 30th Birthday! Also, Happy 3 Year Anniversary, lover. We got married on his birthday. Birthdays are a huge deal to me. I didn't want him to have to share "his" special day with "our" special day. He has been very cool about it all. Things like that don't bother Zach. One of many things that I find endearing about him. Which brings me to a short list of things that I love. I will do my best to leave out all the mushy crap.

1. He wears Birkenstocks or Vans with dress pants and a sport coat.
2. He is the most inappropriate person I know. But also one of the funniest.
3. He is giving. Incredibly giving.
4. He is everyone's best friend. It is rare to hear someone speaking negatively about him....unless it is in regards to his political views.
5. He knows all the words to all the Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan songs. And sings them really loud when he thinks I am not listening.
6. He likes to shop. Would never admit it. I love that he cares about his appearance. The man has more clothes than I do.
7. Until last May, he didn't own a swimsuit. He said......"why do I need one, I don't swim."
8. He gets really nervous if there isn't something vegan on the menu when we got out to dinner with Layni. He truly cares about his friends.
9. He likes to leave the house for work by 7:00 a.m. or earlier. He doesn't want to be late.
10. He is wildly talented. I am sure he is mortified right now. But there, I said it. I am allowed to brag on him today!
11. He doesn't know who any celebrities are. Or the names to any songs or who sings them. It's totally cute.
12. He is a total social engineer. Some would call him just plain nosey. I call it a man who knows how to do his research.
13. He is in a scooter club that he made up.
14. He cannot eat anything without some sort of dipping sauce.
15. He does not like to be the center of attention.

Green light.....

....as in the hubby said I could paint one wall in the kitchen with chalkboard paint. He always shoots down my ideas for making our adorable love nest more cozy. What he does not realize is, I will never stop striving for the perfect little home. I think special touches like this are easy and can bring out the character of a home. Wish me luck. I always think painting is a grand idea until I actually start doing it. Then I remember why I said "never again" last time.

Antlers

How awesome are these?
I would love to mix them in with some of the new "sophisticated" Halloween decorations.
I think I can locate some that are a little less pricey.

Random finds

These note cards made me laugh so hard. I would love to get them. People at work give me a hard time about Twitter all the time. They just don't know what they are missing out on.


How cute is this scarf? Adorable! Collected Thread has them. I love that place. I have gotten some really great, unique gifts in there. This I think I would need to go ahead and keep for myself.

Project Runway Week 7

The challenge this week was to design something to be sold commercially at Macy's and fit into the INC. holiday line. I love INC. One of my favorite Macy's lines. Blue was the chosen color palette. They worked with partners and it was a one day challenge.

All the judges were ooohing and ahhing over that dress that Irina made. I don't get it. It was so ugly. I cannot believe she won. Both of those looks were so ugly. I don't care for Irina.

Carol Hannah and Shirin's designs were my favorite. Followed by the look Logan did. I didn't care for the suit that Althea made. That skirt was WAY too short. I loved the detail on the shirt that Logan did. I would have worn both of those outfits.


After thoughts:
1. Tim Gunn revealing his distaste for leggings. I think my heart broke a little.
2. Michael Kors comparing Louise's dress to a shower loofa.
3. The birds noises Louise was making while sewing....WTF?
4. Layni asking me Saturday night if Heidi says Oopsy Daisy to people when they get eliminated. I could not stop laughing. I guess it sort of sounds like Auf Wiedersehen.

Messy hair

I love this look. I have this kind of hair. Or at least I did when it was longer. This made me want to grow it back out. I really like the messy bun with that cute headband. I took this picture off Anthropologie's website. I know that is shocking to most of you :) I love every single thing about that store. I cannot wait to go browse with Amanda in 28 days!

The Perfect Pair

My friend, Jena painted this for me. It is exactly what I requested. Anyone who knows me already knows my fond affinity for things in pairs. I also love pears. Not to eat. Just to look at. They are so cute. I decorate with them frequently. Oddly enough, so does Alanda. We discovered our mutual love of the fruit during the parade of homes. Anyway, I just wanted to show off my fancy new artwork. Thanks, Jena. This looks quite nice in our kitchen.

Parade of Homes

Alanda and I have had our plates full for the past two weeks. We decorated a home in Edmond for the 2009 Parade of Homes. We had so much fun working our little butts off and laughed a lot. Imagine little me moving the armoire in the left hand corner of the above picture by myself. Well, I did! Alanda is extremely talented and has an amazing eye for design. We have completely different styles but see eye-to-eye on many decorating ideas. More than anything this was fun because I enjoy making things look pretty and it was a great opportunity for us to spend some quality time together. Here is a sneak peek of the rest of the house. Enjoy!

Edmond Parade Home
Pass code: paradehome

Project Runway Week 6

The challenge this week was to design a look inspired by a movie genre. 1 day challenge with a budget of $150. I was sort of bored with this challenge.

Christopher's dress and storyline were my favorite. He totally had me when he said vampire! The back of this dress was awesome. I felt like it was the most dramatic and costume like.

I liked Althea's design but I don't think it was special enough to win this particular challenge. It looked like something she would have made any other week.

Nicolas. Where to start. His dress was awful. He just annoys me. I knew he would be the winner as soon as he started talking about how he had always been in the bottom three 10 minutes into the episode. Hello foreshadowing! I cannot believe he won!

Then the bombshell. Ra'mon is out! Really? I was completely shocked. Louise hasn't even designed anything memorable. Until next week....

After thoughts:
1. Tim Gunn saying "big hot mess". I nearly peed my pants.
2. How spectacular were Heidi's black sequins leggings?

A girl's best friend and I don't mean diamonds

Every girl dreams of owning a pair of Manolo Blahnik's. Now, thanks to a great friend with a serious shopping habit, I am one of those girls. Excitement is an understatement. ***Pause to feel jealous for just a moment***

Here is my best assessment of what happened. Friend got wide-eyed in Neiman's and made an impulse purchase. No judgement, we have all done it. Friend told herself they are a classic black pump....I will wear them everyday. Friend reasons with herself that she needs these shoes and that they are an investment. Continues to purchase. Friend gets home and realizes they really don't quite fit right. Friend (+ every woman I know) would rather die then admit this so she forces herself to wear them just to say she did not completely waste her money. Friend then wears them three maybe four times. Back in their pretty white box where they would live for the next year. How do I know this to be true? Because I am this woman. Maybe not with a $500 pair of black heels, but we have all made poor shoe buying choices and then regretted it. In this instance I love someone else's "poor choice" because yours truly is reaping all the benefits. Thank you, friend.

Ushering in Fall

Love the new fall looks from Anthropologie. I think I would wear shorts this short in the cooler months if I could pair them with some cute tights.

Navy blue tights with those yellow shoes. Me likey!

Project Runway Week 5

This is probably my favorite Project Runway Challenge ever. Constructing a garment completely out of newspaper. I was so excited to see them do something like this. I sell newspaper advertising and have worked in the newspaper industry pretty much ever since I graduated from college.

Christopher's design was my favorite. I loved that way it moved down the runway. He really thought about all the details right down to the hair adornment. I also really thought Irina's trench coat was worth mentioning. What a creative idea. It was so different from what all the other designers made.


Follow up:
1. I must say that I was sort of surprised that no one made a garment out of newspaper crossword puzzles.
2. How about Tim Gunn getting mad after Johnny's bold face lie on the runway.
3. This challenge reminded me of the Dior dress from Sex in the City Season 3 (which is being recycled and worn again in the SATC 2 movie).

New York State of Mind

NYC salt & pepper shakers. Lovely.
Totally going on my Christmas list.

Hot glue burns hurt!

I made my friend a very belated birthday present. She needed a holder to display all her earrings. I have made several in the past with the assistance of my father. Think of me as the "idea" person and him as the one with the know how to execute that idea. I wanted to try something a little different this time. I knew I wanted a turquoise frame. Good luck finding that in Oklahoma City. So I painted a natural wood frame the exact color I was thinking about. Then I found this really cute fabric. I sat on the idea for a few days. How was I going to make all this work? I looked online and finally ended up adapting something I found and liked. The finished product is below. I must say I was pleased with the way it turned out. Happy birthday, Tami. Hope you like it.

Owls

Found both of these pieces on Etsy (very fond of the owl earrings). I could spend hours on that site. I love the hair accessories and jewelry.

My grandmother has collected owls for as long as I can remember. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I really started liking them. I have dish towels, magnets, a necklace,
pillow for my bed. I really wish I had paid closer attention to the display case full
of them at her house in Massachusetts.

Project Runway Week 4

This week definitely brought a much more difficult challenge. I must say the level of work has improved dramatically. I was impressed with a lot of the designs.

The remaining 13 had to design something for their models to wear to an industry event. So, their models were their clients. This was a one day challenge. Time was definitely a huge factor.

Here's my line up of hits and misses:

Gordana - The detail work down the front of that gold dress was impeccable. The dress looked fantactic on her model. Wasn't crazy about the color.

Christopher - Loved his dress. The green just popped out and said look at me.

Epperson - I did not agree with the judges. That dress looked like something a stripper would wear.

Carol Hannah - Loved her dress. Thoughtful use of texture. Wasn't crazy about the purple but that is just me hating purple.

**Althea - That look was by far the best. I think I need that suit. I think I could sell some ads in that suit. She deserved to win.

Moments:
1. Heidi saying "Ya'll".
2. Logan - Umm, total cutie.
3. Was that long, curly haired judge a bit of a B?

Mad Men

We recently started watching Mad Men. Finished off Season 1 (thanks to Netflix) and are about to finish Season 2. DVR is recording the new season. I am not patient enough to wait for one new episode every week. Watching 3 or 4 at a time is much easier.

This really is a great show. Set in 1960's Manhattan. It depicts the "Golden Age" of advertising. All the wives are homemakers and dress more stylish than I have ever seen any stay-at-home mother dress. The fashion is amazing. January Jones is stunning. And who wouldn't want to smoke cigarettes with the dashing Don Draper. He actually makes it look appealing.

Love

Cannot WAIT to see this movie. Watched the preview twice tonight.
I love, love movies. Especially ones set in New York.
Incredible cast. Natalie Portman. Bradley Cooper. Enough said.
Cool movie poster. Click on to enlarge and you can see the cast.
Soundtrack will likely be a winner. Check out the song playing during the preview. Good stuff.

Project Runway Week 3

Challenge: create a fun & fashionable surfware look with a teammate. This was a hard challenge. Three things came to mind immediately:

1. Working in teams = SCARY! See below.

2. Only 15 minutes to shop at MOOD = stressed me out and made me anxious.

3. Creating a second look (Avant Garde) on the fly. I believe Ra'mon said it best......capital WTF. (I am totally stealing that line.) Hilarious.

Skirin & Carol Hannah. Seriously, can that girl make anything ugly? The swimsuit/dress combo was fantastic. Their designs were by far my favorite.

Nicholas. Hated that light blue lace number that he made. That thing was so trashy. I am not sure how he got Avant Garde out of that. I did like how calm and complimentary his partner was of his work. It was obviously not her style but she was a team player.

Mitchell. That guy is a joke. This is a family friendly blog so I will just say that I think he is a complete d-bag. For whatever reason on the third week he was still around and again made something lame. In fact, something we didn't even get a peek at. An "alleged" swimsuit. I really thought Ra'mon's ship was sunk from the start. I can't believe he won the challenge. I did not like their finished looks. However, I was glad that this was the challenge that finally sent Mitchell home.

Epperson and Qristyl. Do I even need to say anything more? How embarrassing.

After thoughts:

Tim Gunn in flip flops, sunglasses and a blazer on the beach. Please tell me someone thought that was as funny as I did.

Rachel Bilson as the guest judge. I am not sure I care for her. Thoughts?

I heart Seattle

I just got back from a trip to Seattle. My good friend Layni came with me. Becky and I have known each other for 30 years. She moved there a year ago and it was high time I took a trip to visit her. We used our birthday as an excuse. Two of my cousins (side note: I always thought they were my second cousins until one of them informed me we are first cousins once removed) live there and so there were plenty of people to see and lots to entertain ourselves with. Can I just comment on how amazing the weather was while we were there. I have obviously been living in Oklahoma far to long. The temps were perfect and not a lick of wind. Light breezes are what they have. Can you remember the last time Oklahoma had a light breeze?

I don't necessarily have a favorite part of the trip because it was all so spectacular. However, receiving my birthday gift from Becky was pretty special. She got me a glassybaby. I know you are thinking what in the heck is a glassbaby. They are beautiful and apparently all the craze in Seattle. I am now the owner of this pretty piece of authentic Seattle glass. Choosing the color was hard. Real hard. The girl that helped me was very patient and let me look at 5 or 6 lit up. In the end, I went with my original pick, Hidden Moss. Might see silly to get so excited about a votive holder but to me it is something that will always remind me of my trip and my dear friend, Becky.

Project Runway Week 2

Sorry for the delay. I just got a chance to watch what I recorded while in Seattle. This challenge was hard! Create a form fitting look for a VERY preggers Rebecca Romijn.

Can I just ask...why is Mitchell still on the show? Seriously. That guy is an awful designer. Those shorts were bad. What pregnant woman would ever wear something that short. Two weeks in a row he has squeaked by. The judges obviously see something I am missing.

Malvin. That guy is a complete weirdo. He's the token strange designer. Remember the girl that spit marked her fabric? He named his look. I died laughing. "The mother hen and her egg". Once again what pregnant woman would wear something that draws more attention to her belly.

Shirin and Christopher were my top picks. Shirin's dresses was beautiful. That color and all the detail work.....she deserved that win. Plus she made a coat and lined it. Mitchell couldn't even make a pair of shorts look good in the same amount of time. I thought Christopher's design wasn't nearly as interesting as Shirin's but it was nicely constructed and flattering.

Two last things:

Heidi's killer suede ankle boots. Loved them.

Monique Lhuillier as the guest judge. Wow. They are pulling out all the stops this season.

Childhood revisited

Two movies are coming out that make me rather nostalgic. First up in October is Where the Wild Things Are. I am hoping that I can take my brother to see it. It is hard to remember a time when we were young that he was without his stuffed "wild thing". It was his version of a security blanket. We even have a set of family pictures where it is tucked close. By no means am I trying to embarrass him. I think the following picture illustrates that. Check out my bangs. Ha!


Alice in Wonderland was one of my favorite books as a child. What girl didn't love that book, right? I had the record of all the music from the animated movie. I am sure it is still floating around somewhere at my parents house. Along with Charlotte's Web and the Little House on the Prairie series, Alice in Wonderland was read frequently in our house. I even went as Alice one year for Halloween. Sadly, as an adult. When I heard Tim Burton was doing the film (generally speaking I am not a Tim Burton fan) I couldn't think of a better fit. I knew Johnny Depp would be involved somehow. The Mad Hatter is a natural fit for him.

What books or movies from your childhood make you nostalgic?

Project Runway - Season Premiere and All-Star Challenge

I finally watched all three hours of Project Runway this past Sunday. Two hours of which were the All-Star Challenge. The word disappointment comes to mind. Poor Korto. She deserved to win. I hated Daniel's line. The "athletic" feel was not flattering. The dress Korto made out of materials from the restaurant was incredible. Plus, she has big curly hair. I like a girl who has a mess of curls. Santino. That man is nuts. Not a fan. Sorry, Callie.

As for the season premiere of Project Runway. Some of those designers are an absolute joke. Not that I know the first thing about sewing or constructing clothing. I do, however, know a few things about fashion. I was rather sad to see that the show left New York for L.A.

Mitchell. That dress he made was hideous. His model was basically naked. Every season there is one designer who talks about how amazing they are and they totally bomb the first (and if you ask me easiest) challenge. Come on, make a Red Carpet gown. That should be every designers dream challenge.

Ari. You know the one who does handstands in the work room and wore the hooded geometric jumpsuit. Was that actually Samantha Ronson in disguise because Lindsay Lohan was the guest judge? I swear they looked identical and have the same bad taste. Whatever that was she made was absolutely tasteless. Micheal Kors said it best.....it looks like a metallic soccer ball.

The only two garments that were worth my wasted 60 minutes.......Christopher's (he won) and Shirin (that short sequin jacket over her dress was amazing). I like that someone who has no formal design training won the first challenge. Maybe it will help put some of the cocky FIT grads in their place.