Beat That Soccer Mom Rap

While I tend to stick to writing about antiques, vintage, and home décor, today I’m venturing into the world of fashion for a change. I wouldn’t say that I’m a fashionista, but I do have a degree in fashion (yes, those do exist. Cool, huh?), and I try to pay attention to what’s out there.

This blog goes out to moms or ladies over thirty who may be feeling a little frumpy today. No worries – we’ve all been there.

So this morning while perusing my new issue of InStyle magazine I recalled a conversation that I had with a friend a few years back. She had come to me in distress over her wardrobe and overall appearance. She was a mother of three (little ones) and was tired of just looking like a mom on the go. I knew exactly what she meant.

I’m a mother of two (ages 5 and 3) and I’m 42 years old myself. We moms get so focused on just trying to clean, feed, clothe, teach, and love-on our families that we tend to neglect ourselves in the process. I’ve had those moments of looking in the mirror and remembering that cute spunky college girl that used to stare back at me. Those days are long gone (seriously long gone) and I am a mom, but I still want to look relevant – I still want to look like the real ME. I married and had kids late in life and I always promised myself that I would try to avoid the “soccer mom” label.

Here’s wikipedia’s definition of a soccer mom: “The phrase soccer mom generally refers to a married middle-class woman who lives in the suburbs and has school age children. She is sometimes portrayed in the media as busy or overburdened and driving a minivan. She is also portrayed as putting the interests of her family, and most importantly her children, ahead of her own.” The latter portion of their definition is what I’m getting at – great ladies who have little time for themselves.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soccer_mom)

So, back to my original story, this is the advice that I gave to my wardrobe weary-friend.
My advice for her in five easy steps:

1) Get a copy of InStyle magazine. There is a plethora of fashion mags out there, but to me, InStyle is the most practical for everyday gals. I’m just a normal American mama who goes to the grocery store, shops now and then, goes out to lunch occasionally and takes the kids to museums and parks. There’s no need for couture in my closet!

I also don’t have the time to read InStyle every month, so I wait until they publish one of those big FAT issues and then I buy it (March 2010 is a good one!). Get your morning cup (cups!) of coffee and sit and flip through it. You will get about a third of the way through and you’ll know exactly what to look for on your next shopping venture – they do a nice job with repetition and I need repetition (my kids interrupt my magazine time about every 3 minutes, but I still get through it – you can too!).

2) Get a good pair of jeans that fit well. Shopping for jeans is no easy task – to me it ranks up there with bathing suit shopping- it takes a lot of time and patience. And when I say GOOD jeans, I don’t mean expensive jeans. I’m not all-about the $150 pair of jeans – that’s money I could be spending on shoes (a shoe intervention is another blog I’ll get to – I’m addicted). I’m a frugal mama – I can find a $25 pair of jeans and spend $20 having them altered and they look amazing.

Trouser jeans are perfect – they look great on anyone and you can dress them up or down – a nice investment. Darker jeans are also more slimming and can also be easily dressed up. Great jeans go a long way – keep reading…



3) Shoes! I am a shoe freak, but I’ve had to tone down my freakishness since getting married and having kids – the funds don’t flow as freely as they used to! So, I decide exactly what types of shoes I’ll need (see your InStyle) and just focus on those. After reading through it this morning’s issue, I’ve made my decision that I will need two pairs of new shoes for this spring and summer - a pair of chunky strappy sandals and a pair of cute updated flats.

Now, some of you are screaming, “TWO PAIRS, only TWO??!!”, but like I said, I’m on a budget and I do have other shoes from last season that will also work just fine. Don’t panic. And if it is in your budget to go shoe crazy, by all means do (I’ll be a bit jealous, but in a nice way).

I’m compelled here to put in a little note about those ever so popular, stark white chunky running shoes. If you’re trying to look cute and updated, try not to wear these with anything other than your running clothes. New Balance, Puma and several others make some adorable athletic shoes that are both comfortable and cute. TJMaxx and DSW have a slew of these. (rant over...)



4) Purses & Accessories. Big chunky bags are not only “in” but they serve an awesome purpose for us moms – you can pack an entire artillery of family items in these bags and look great toting it around. I never carried an actual diaper bag – all those supplies went right into my cute chunky shoulder bag.

Earrings & bracelets can be found anywhere and for CHEAP. Find a few favorites that you can switch around and they will last through this season and probably next – Target has some great stuff this Spring – take a look.

5) Hair & Makeup. - I dream of the day that I have my own hair stylist pop in my home from time-to-time, but until then, this is all I’ve got! Try and save your pennies to get a good cut and I’m ALL about highlights/coloring to really bring out the best of your God given skin tone. Yes, it can be pricey, but again, this is one of those things that goes a LONG way.

If I’m on the run, my hair goes up (I know,there are some fashionistas out there in total disagreement over this, but in my defense, French women have MASTERED this – that’s another blog). There are a ton of great hair bands and scarves that make putting your hair up easy & cute – thank goodness for that!

I’m also a 5 minute makeup mama. I rarely spend much time on makeup, but I do make sure to use concealer, a light base (mineral foundation is quick & amazing), blush, mascara, and lipstick or tinted lip gloss. If I’m actually going somewhere special, then I’ll add all the other steps in there, but for on-the-go, that’s all you need.

So that’s the five steps: You run out the door in a great pair of jeans, a cute top, purse & accessories that are adorable yet cheap, groovy shoes, and enough hair/makeup that you don’t scare anyone. No more wearing sweatpants or plain o’l pony tails with no makeup - that’s a no-no that will slap that soccer mom label right on your forehead. I would say that it even gets easier during Spring and Summer when you can throw on a cute sundress or skirt and be on your way – my favorite time of year!


Below I’ve noted some fun things that I found in this month’s issue that I’ll be on the lookout for. I hope this helps any of you wardrobe-weary ladies (or perhaps a wardrobe-weary friend!). If any of you do decide to venture into a mini self rebuild, take pictures and send them over – I would love to see what you’ve done & cheer you on!

Tcheuss! (see ya later in Deutsch)

Another 'Keep or Sell' Dilemma

Tonight I’ve been prepping items to be listed in my etsy store. You see, while I was cleaning out my work room last weekend, I came across several boxes of "invisible inventory" - incredible items that somehow were temporarily lost in the move. Let’s just say that when it comes to organization skills, I’m challenged.

So I’ve just pulled out this vintage bedding coverlet that I’d completely forgotten about (I told you that I’m a true fabric junkie…). This bedding is downright adorable and the motif on it is…drumroll…The Greatest Show On Earth. Yes, the original Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. Now typically, I would say that this is NOT my style of décor, but where my kids are concerned, this little find could turn into something really amazing for them!

Now I’m back in my same standoff…keep or sell? If I keep it, this will only add to the seriously long list of house projects that I’m not sure if I will ever get to. The kiddos could be in college by the time I do something with this piece. If I choose to sell it, someone else has a really unique cutter to make something fun with. Of course, I could always enlist the talent of my sister-in-law (AJ) to help me – she makes Martha Stewart nervous.


I had to post some pics so you can see just how cute this is. If you have any creative ideas, please send them over! If you need to scold me for wanting to keep yet another piece of fabric, go right ahead. I need the intervention and I think I can take it.

Love that Shopping Rush...

My husband thinks I’m being funny when I say I get a rush from shopping, but honestly, it’s true. When some people have a rough day at work they hit the bar for a few drinks, and others go for comfort food. Not me. When life gets rough, nothing is as soothing to me as shopping.

I was thinking back on different shopping moments that stand out (there are a lot) and I thought of one in particular that was pretty fab-o. We were planning another trip to Paris (we lived just a few hours away in Germany, so these trips were often) and my friend Angela was giving me some pointers on places to hit while I was there.

(Just a side note – Angela has an amazing Euro shopping blog if you want her scoop…).

So Angela very casually asked me if I had ever been to the fabric district in Paris. As the words rolled off her tongue, I suddenly felt light-headed. The FABRIC DISTRICT in PARIS??? Why hadn’t I thought of that? Talk about combining the best of both worlds – I’m a fabric collector (or as my husband would say, a “fabric junkie”), and any kind of shopping in Paris is always a dream. Magnifique!

So, I carefully copied down the metro directions from her and made plans to squeeze in a fabric moment while in Paris. I have to pat myself on the back that I actually navigated the Paris metro with ease – this was a major accomplishment as it was the first time that I was playing along the streets of Paris on my own.

As I exited my last metro stop, I walked through a few streets and found some clothing stores, but no fabric. But then I turned the corner, and the waves of fabric were there greeting me. Oh my. Lots and lots of fabric stores, with oodles of fabric everywhere. I stood there for a moment, taking it all in and I swear I felt woozy for a moment because I was so overwhelmed. (ok, maybe he is right – I’m a fabric junkie…).



Besides trying to figure out what and how much to buy (I had a bazillion projects rolling through my head…), the toughest part of this adventure was attempting to place my order with the cutters. People were buying in a frenzy and no one spoke a word of English. I can find my way around with a little Français, but making sure that I was ordering two meters and not twelve was a little unnerving.



This little trip ranks as one of my most favorite shopping feats as:
1) it was a fun Frenchy venture, and
2) because it was one of those moments that I probably will not repeat very often (although I have frequented the fabric district twice since then!).

Some people enjoy shopping Paris because of the hoards of designer labels, but not me. I love shopping Paris to find the funkiest off-the-path kind of shopping ventures. This was definitely an off-the-path experience that ranks top in my memories. If shopping is your go-to rush, what’s one of your high ranking buying triumphs? Do tell!


Update: I'm linking up with Happy To Design's Sunday Favorites! Find your favorite oldie and link up with us!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

Being a vintage addict can be tough. You find the dreamiest things but you just can’t possibly keep them all. I guess technically you could keep them all but then you would end up on an episode of Hoarders, and that’s just no fun.

When I return from buying trips, I do have to make tough choices in what to keep and what to sell. My five year old actually makes it even more difficult. As I carefully unwrap each item she exclaims, “oh Mommy – you just can’t sell that one!”, which only adds to my pain.
So the choices are tough and to ease the pain, I thought I’d put together a little slideshow of the things that I absolutely treasure and won’t part with. When I feel weak and try to keep just ONE MORE fun vintage find, I’ll go back to these pictures to remind myself of what I already have.

It might work. Maybe. An intervention just might be in order…

A special thanks to Laurie at her fun blog http://bargainhuntingwithlaurie.blogspot.com/ for letting me share with her friends as well!

My Vintage Spoof

When we were in Europe this summer, I had days that were set aside to vintage shop, and then there were also random moments of shopping madness. You see, we were there as a family on this trip, so my time was split between family time and work (shopping) time. One afternoon we were driving back to our “home” in Germany and we passed one of my favorite little vintage shops. The kids were fast asleep in the back of the car, so my husband stopped at this particular shop to let me do a quick “mad dash” through the store alone! I quickly filled my arms (several times!) with treasures and was in and out of the store within 15 minutes (let me add, that I did PAY for my items on the way out). I was elated that I had this little unexpected moment of shop time and couldn’t wait to show my friend Angela (my silent business partner!) our new finds. When we got to the house, I excitedly told Angela about my quick run though the shop and she began helping me unwrap it all so we could take a good look. There was one particular set of vintage serve ware that I couldn’t wait to show her – two mixing bowls and a serving tray. The colors were an adorable retro red and yellow and they had just the right amount of “wear” on them to make them the perfect vintage find. Angela loved them and then flipped one over to see if there was a maker’s mark. There was. Anyone out there want to guess who this famous vintage maker was?... IKEA!!!! We both laughed so hard at this. So much for being an incredible VINTAGE find! That’s what I get for shopping too quickly. Most of the time I’m very careful to check details, but I guess I was overly anxious on my quick blitz through the store. This spoof has worked out just fine for me though – I now have this adorable red and yellow “vintage” trio sitting in MY kitchen!

Ok, So I’m Not Much of a Blogger…

I had these great intentions of blogging through our entire summer buying trip (across the pond!), but I guess I will not be known for my blogging skills. I’m okay with that because my buying skills are REALLY good! To be honest, as soon as we landed Stateside again, we packed up everything and moved to our new home/location in Colorado! Things have been a whirlwind (tornado???) ever since as we are in the midst of not only unpacking our home, but also trying to uncover all of our fun finds from Europe!
So…stay tuned. Hopefully within a few short days we will have our inventory rolling again…I cannot wait to post the new stuff. And as always, it’s hard to part with! In the meantime, here are a few more pics of our trip and some of the new inventory to come….
Tcheuss!