Take Me to the Candy Shop #3 | Inspired + Outfit

Here's to the freakin' weekend and one full week of candy covered pretties! I have to say that these pictures have not been easy to take since Mother Nature decided to it's winter again here in Wisconsin. On and off snow, cold temps, high winds. A whole pile of blah that makes picture taking a chore. But it is worth it because I am so full up on happy with the results. Nothing worth having is easy, right?

I've actually dubbed this dress my sherbet dress because it reminds me of *drumroll* sherbet. Specifically, my most beloved Edy's Berry Rainbow Sherbet which I chowed down on pretty regularly for a solid two years. I over did it and had to give it up but, every time I see this dress I start to crave it again. It just looks like the kind of thing someone would wear to dish out sherbet if dishing out sherbet were an occasion to dress for.

 I have now said sherbet so many times that it has lost all meaning. That is until I look at the dress and then I remember the meaning is "mmmmmmm..."

I hadn't planned on wearing a cardigan with this look but, as I said before, cold temps and high winds were a thing this day. So, I donned my trusty blush cardigan which does a good job pulling out the pinks and peaches in the dress and highlights the warm and cool tones playing off each other. Look at you go, blush cardigan. The collared shirt is there for it's collar because everything benefits from a cute collar, especially sherbet themed dresses. Trust me on that. I just might be an authority on sherbet dresses.

Enjoy your weekend, loves! Drink up if that's your thing! Chow down if that's your thing! Party excessively or be still like vegetables (lay like broccoli). The next two days are for you!

Dress: Kohl's (similar, similar skirt) | Shirt: Kohl's (similar in plus) | Sweater: Thrifted (similar) | Shoes: Kohl's (similar) | Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills in Pure Hollywood

Take Me to the Candy Shop #2 | Inspired + Outfit

There is a very good chance that I never would have put this many colors together in one outfit with out a neutral if it weren't for this mood board. And even though I expected to feel clownish, I actually loved it. Mint, yellow, and blush mix so well together that it felt completely natural. I highly recommend this candied color scheme to anyone!

This series is turning into a sentimental tour of my favorite spots. This gelato shop is one of the first places we fell in love with when we moved to our new town and started exploring. We regularly visit it after checking out the farmer's market because why not? Gelato is incredibly yummy and I would also recommend IT to anyone! I usually go for the nut flavors but this time around I tried "Grandma's Fluff" because stinking fruit fluff is my favorite picnic food and my grandma made the best. It was fruity with a nice dose of coconut and a heavy helping of marshmallow. All good things. All good things. And my kids definitely agreed. Big bowl of gelato, four spoons...one happy family.

This outfit actually came together on it's own. They were all things I pulled out to pair with other pieces when I was planning my candy shop outfits. None of it was working and I almost scrapped all of it until I saw how nicely this all looked together laying in the pile of rejects. The skirt has been in and out of my toss pile for years. The fabric is thin and wrinkley and I don't wear it often but that color keeps sucking me back in. I'm happy it hasn't lost it's battle with me yet so I suppose that's a good sign.

Shirt: thrifted (similar) | Skirt: Old Navy (similar in straight sizes, similar in plus) | Belt: Target (similar in plus) | Shoes: Kohl's (similar) | Headband: Forever 21 (similar) | Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills in Pure Hollywood

Take Me to the Candy Shop | Inspired + Outfit

Welcome to my candy shop! I'm excited to launch this blog series that has been brewing in my brain for a while and has just been waiting for happy weather to emerge. It was born in February when my family was having a mini-vacation in the Wisconsin Dells. The hotel was closing up for the night and we were slowly making our way back to our room when we passed a closed candy shop with huge windows lined with different varieties of candy. It was dim and empty of life but all the adults and children alike plastered their faces up against that wall in sweet reverence. We all started excitedly talking about the different candies. What we would buy if it were open, special memories, (hey, remember that Black Friday when we bought a five pound bag of Swedish Fish and ate the whole thing?), and how pretty it all was. It was clear to me how much power that big wall of rainbow colors had. 

And that wall stuck with me. It left me with feelings of delight and nostalgia and as the sun slowly inched it's way closer to the Earth I fixated on those feelings as I began to plan my spring wardrobe. I put together a mood board on pinterest, which you can see in full here, and as it grew I knew I couldn't limit my inspiration to one outfit. There were just so many directions I could go in! So, the next few weeks will be a series of outfits that take us straight to the candy shop. It will feature all the amazing brights and pastels that fill the candy world and pay homage to the sweet, vintage, and childlike charm of the shops that house those sugary treats.

Sweets and treats are strongly tied to the fun things to do in the warmer months. Boardwalks and beaches, amusement parks and festivals, all load us up on candy. That might be another reason why candy is so irresistible. Because it reminds us of the carefree, simple days of when we can just focus on having fun. I have so many memories of walking down to this beach with my kids and spending the whole day splashing in the water and building sand creations. Every beach day was punctuated by a visit to the candy shop or the ice cream parlor right across the street. This beach has been a part of our family since there was only Sawyer. And even though we don't live down the block anymore, we still come back every summer. I couldn't think of a better location to prance around in candy colored finery with my favorite little lady.

This City Chic dress, which was bought at a major discount, is one of those pieces that makes me feel like someone bundled up my spirit and spun it into an article of clothing just for me. The print is everything. Just everything. The mix of light and dark with the bright and pale is a perfectly coordinated dance of colors that totally suits my eclectic nature. And the style of the dress is equally amazing as it accentuates the curves of the body without being anywhere near overtly sexual. I added the black and white striped shirt to play up the youthfulness of the overalls and bring out the black and white details in the print. This look is exactly what I dreamed up when "Take Me to the Candy Shop" was just a little pinterest board and only the beginning of a great series of looks!

Dress: City Chic (similar in straight size here, here and here, similar in plus here and here) | Shirt: JCP (similar in straight size, similar in plus) | Shoes: Target | Sunglasses: Vintage (similar) | MAC's Vegas Volt

How to Get Ready in Minutes and Look like it Took Hours | Advice

In no way is anyone obligated to look a certain way when they leave the house. In fact, people with children have a pretty good excuse to look like they've been through a storm because, well, they have. But, setting aside some time in my day to care for and groom myself centers me and puts me in a mindset of having control over my life.  Looking like I'm well cared for is like putting on armor against the attacks of my day. Pooplosions and 18 smashed eggs can't touch me because I look great today. Ha.

Here comes the real puzzle though. How do you find the time or the energy to give to yourself during the day? That's the exact reason people drp thkse self-care habits because the time just doesn't exist.

Well, I have a few tricks up my sleeve to help you build time into your day and look like you spent hours getting ready when all you had was a handful of minutes.

1. The easiest way to dress yourself quickly is to grab the first couple things you see that don't smell and cover all the appropriate bits. I know that's all I want to do at seven in the morning when I have three kids to get ready and out the door. And while that's always an option, it's not one that makes me feel good about myself. But, since I don't have a computerized closet to help me pick out my clothes in the morning like Cher in Clueless (life is so unfair) I had to troubleshoot this problem. My solution is pretty simple and actually makes the whole process more fun and engaging. Like some people meal plan and have everything prepped and ready to go for the week, I prep my outfits.

I find the easiest way to do this is to build outfits while I am putting my laundry away. I try to put together an outfit with each clean item I hang up by combining it with things that are already in the closet. I gather everything I need including camis, tights, or accessories and put it all on one hanger and by the time I'm done putting my laundry away, I have a good selection of pre-packaged outfits just waiting to be plucked off the rod and put into action.

Not, only does this make getting ready easy, it also allows me to be creative and thoughtful with my clothing when I'm wide awake and there's no pressure to be somewhere. I can take the time to add those extra details and layers that create dimension and interest while also being able to come up with fresh combinations of pieces. So, it might look like I spend a lot of time getting dressed but, really it takes no more time than grabbing jeans and a t-shirt. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

2. Your hair can take as little or as much time as you want depending on how complicated you want to get but, you can ease the burden by washing your hair less often.

I know! This freaks some people out but, give it a chance. Hair has a natural cycle of oil and many people have trained their hair to become greasy faster by washing their hair too frequently and interrupting the cycle. In fact, that's not even healthy for your hair. If you commit to washing your hair less you will find that after about six weeks you can go much longer in between washes without looking like an unwashed middle schooler.

I personally go about 5 days in between washes and I wash and style my hair all on the same day. This is usually a pretty long process and is something that I have to schedule into my day. Which sounds bad but because I don't wash my hair again for another five days, with dry shampoo and quick touch ups, I can make my style last a long time. So, instead of doing a blow out or curling my hair every day, I do it once and reap the benefits all week. By the end, when my hair is starting to get limp and lack luster, I have a few easy updos or styles in my back pocket that are a bit more intricate than a standard ponytail or bun.

3. Getting a good "five minute face" makeup routine down pat will do you a lot of good. You don't have to do winged liner, full contour, and perfect red lips everyday. Just enough well placed make up will make you look fresher and more awake. Two steps that you should definitely add to your routine if you aren't already doing them, especially if you're a mom, are peach colored under eye concealer and a good highlighter. Even if the rest of your routine is just foundation and mascara, with under eye concealer and highlighter you will look like you got 8 hours of rock solid sleep and you in no way are fantasizing about a mid afternoon nap.

Implementing these habits into your daily routine will allow you plenty of time to step into the chaos of your life fully armored and ready for battle.