Blogging has its perks.  Meeting other fabulous bloggers is one of them.  Getting free stuff is another.  Last week I had the opportunity to visit DownEast Basics with a guest for a blog mixer that featured both perks - bloggers AND free stuff.  Winning!

I've been a fan of DownEast Basics since their store started popping up in Arizona.  They have a girly vibe that I totally dig, and it seems like everything is always on sale.  The day of the blog mixer, all denim was 40% off and all skirts were $25 or less.  When I spotted the denim skirts, I immediately knew that's what I wanted.  I'd been looking for one that wasn't too short, but not too long, to mix with tanks and tees for the summer and jackets and tights in the winter (or what little winter we have in Arizona).  I have a feeling it will took adorable with cowboy boots too.  (The consensus last week was that they go with everything.)  My Krafty Kash 'Kisser' necklace also goes with everything.

Have a wonderful week!

Monsoon season is in full swing in Arizona, which means rain, dust, humidity and blooming flowers. 

I wore this dress from Forever 21 to a performance of Cirque du Solei's Kooza.  I've come to the conclusion that cowboy boots go with everything, even when it's over 100 degrees plus humidity.  They are also acceptable for every occasion.  This is the wild, wild west after all.

Yesterday I exhibited at the Arizona Bridal Fashion Debut, America's largest wedding expo.  The event draws quite a crowd, so dressing for attention is important.  Think I nailed it?

There are lips on my necklace, lips on my earrings, the bracelet, giant hairbow and, of course, my shoes!  I take branding very seriously.

Thanks to my mom (free labor who wore as many lips as I did), we distributed 800 brochures and another 100 or so business cards.  Success!

Are you planning a wedding or other event?  Kustom Kissers lip balms are a crowd-pleaser.  Order here.  Bonus - they are organic with SPF15!

Also, the giveaway for a Design Your Own Lip Balm Kit is still going on.  Did you enter?

My cousin, Brock, got married on a horse farm in South Carolina over Memorial Day weekend.  As soon as I caught wind of the location, I knew I was going to wear cowboy boots.  The question was, which color?  And what will I wear with them?

I bought this dress at Forever 21 for $17.50, and it won a 'Best Dress' award from the bride!  The boots definitely came in handy since there were lots of ankle-biting bugs around in addition to the dogs, chickens, and horses. 

Aren't the bride and groom lovely?  Her dress only cost $50, and the groom already has his attire.  I guess we are a thrifty family.

Do you have a wedding to attend this summer?  What are you wearing?

This weekend was pretty awesome.  I went to the Arizona Cardinals Ribs and Music Festival to stuff my face and see KC & The Sunshine Band.  Don't know who they are?  According to KC, he is your mom's N*SYNC.

Next I attend the Arizona Blogger Conference hosted by The Phoenix Style Collective.  Over 100 bloggers attended, and I had only met one prior.  Phoenix bloggers represent!  The swag and new friends were totally worth it.  Follow these folks for info on future events.

Sunday morning was perfect for wandering around the zoo with my parents, and that evening my mom and I saw Green Day's American Idiot the musical.  If you're a Green Day fan or child of the 90's, it's worth seeing.  Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend it.

What?  You're distracted by all these photos of raspberry colored cowboy boot prettiness?  Ya, that happened this weekend too.  They were a thrift store score, they fit, and they're pink! (Thanks Mom and Dad!)

I also mowed the lawn for the first time ever and fixed a toilet (for the first time ever).  Girl power.  How was your weekend?  Happy Monday!

Temperatures have been in the 80's for the past week or so.  I already broke out the flip flops and got sun burned.  Living in a desert, I really should know better.

Dresses are definitely the way to go when it's hot outside.  This particular one is from Francesca's, one of my faves.

I didn't realize my hair was so short until I saw this photo.  It has a retro vibe.  I dig it.

This outfit was for an afternoon of thrifting and a Straight No Chaser concert.  Ever heard of them?  They are an a capella group of 10 men who sing popular hits from today and yesterday.  Go see them.  Highly recommend it.  They dance too.

The polka dot sunglasses are from a beach vendor in Mexico.  I knew you would ask.  Happy Monday!

Why are jeans that fit so hard to find?  I consider myself to be an average sized person.  I'm not tall or short, fat or skinny.  All body parts are accounted for and located where you would expect them to be.  One side isn't disproportionately larger than the other, and I don't have an extra foot or anything.  So why did it take an ENTIRE DAY to find one pair of jeans that not only buttoned, but were flattering?  I even had the sales folks helping me!

I much prefer dresses and don't wear jeans very often.  Some scenarios just require them though.  A trip to Disney World, for example.  That's where I'll be wearing this ensemble in the very near future.  Yippppeeee!  A theme park outfit is a no-brainer to me (if you can find all the pieces that fit!) - jeans, sneakers, t-shirt, sweatshirt.  Easy.  Or so I thought.  Sigh.

I ended up purchasing these jeans at Down East Basics and should have bought 10 more pairs.  Maybe I'll go back with my tax return.  The sweatshirt is also from Down East Basics, shoes are Asics.  What would you wear to Disney World?  And what do you think of my new work station?

Happy Cyber Monday!  I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend.  Here are a few shots of the outfit I wore on Thanksgiving.  My cat, Milo, decided he wanted to be a part of the modeling fun too.

My pin was handmade by Princess Lasertron.  She's awesome. 

What are you shopping for today?  Don't forget that Design Your Own Lip Balm Kits are now in the Kustom Kissers Etsy store.  You still have time to order your personalized lip balm too. 

One more thing - this is the last week to vote for me to win the Mirassou Winery Bright Ideas Grant for $5,000.  Have a lovely day!

Happy Monday!  Can you believe it's the week of Thanksgiving?  My parents and I will be celebrating at Cracker Barrel this year.  Yeah, we're classy.  I'll also go to boot camp, watch the Macy's Day Parade on television and begin putting up Christmas decorations.  'Tis the season!

In a serendipitous spotting on Facebook, I scored these cowboy boots for $60!  I've been looking for boots for a while, but couldn't justify spending hundreds of dollars on them.  These fit pretty nicely too.  I wore them all weekend.  Oh, how I heart Facebook.

Speaking of Facebook, have you been voting for me to win the Mirassou Winery Bright Ideas Grant?  You can vote once per day per e-mail address.  Thank you!

Have a wonderful week and very happy Thanksgiving!

Monday again already?  I haven't paid much attention to the days passing me by lately.  You see, I've had my nose stuck in a book.  Three books to be exact, the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.  My book club chose the first book to be discussed at our November 30th meeting, and I wasn't thrilled about it.  Children chosen to fight to the death?  No, thank you.  That's not something I would choose to expose myself to.  The stack of books on my nightstand consists of The Martha Rules, Bethenny Fankel's autobiography and The Zen of Social Media Marketing.  Fiction novels rarely make the cut.  But I trust the girls in my book club, and they haven't made a bad selction yet.  The least I could do was give it shot, right?  It usually takes about a month for me to get through a book, so I started early.  After zipping through the first book of the Hunger Games in two days, I immediately began the second, then the third.  The books are written so well that the characters pulled me in and each chapter ended in such a way that I couldn't stop reading.  I just HAD to find out what happened next!  Thank goodness the ending was worth getting to, or I would have been pissed.

At some point during the week I had to force myself to get dressed and go to the office.  That was tough.  It finally feels like November, so I had to put on more than a dress and a pair of flats.  I was going for warmth, comfort and somewhat office appropriate.  (I have submitted my resignation after all.)  A coworker turned impromptu photographer at least made me laugh.

That's my 2011 vision board in the background that I made back in January.  It's a little creepy how many of the random clippings actually happend this year.  For example, the bottom right corner says "A laid back lakeside retreat" and I ended up spending quite a bit of time on the lakes of Minnesota this year.  See?  Creepy!  I'm going to put pictures of successful entreprenuers on my 2012 vision board.  It couldn't hurt, right? 

My inquiring mind wants to know - What book sucked you in so that reality ceased to exist?  What pieces do you rely on to keep warm during the Fall months?  Do you believe in vision boards?