Tag Archives: What I Wore

PP Wears November + November Goal Recap

November 30, 2015 Pamela Stephens

Last month I set out with somewhat of an unusual goal. My intention was to photograph (and share on Instagram) at least 15 of my outfits for the month. I did this for two primary reasons. First, I hoped it would make me focus more intently on wearing things that I actually like, rather than rushing out the door in something mediocre. Secondly, I wanted to practice taking photos and get more comfortable being in front of the camera. I am definitely not a selfie kind of girl. Or a “hey, take my picture kind of girl.” As November comes to an end and I complete this little challenge, I thought it would be fun to look back on how I did.

I ended up photographing 17 outfits, and some were definitely better than others. (That goes for both the outfits and the photos.) Sometimes, I’d find myself throwing an outfit and photo together, just because I knew I needed to meet a quota. I suppose that’s ok, because I might would have worn a sweatshirt and shared a photo of my coffee instead. Here’s what else I learned:

The details are often what make my outfits more special, and the details are difficult to capture in a photo. Often, it’s the way my earrings coordinate with a bracelet or how you can subtlety see a fun belt that makes my outfits pop. However, capturing the whole outfit in one square photo is very hard. The lesson here is that if I ever want to really show my whole outfit, I’ll have to take detail shots too.
I’m not concerned with trying to be perfect online. I thought that forcing myself to share my daily outfits online would make me obsess over having awesome, drool-worthy outfits every single day. Not so much. There were some outfits/photos that I truly loved like this one and this one, and others that were just decent. I suppose I’m a bigger fan of being “real” than I am of painting a glamorous picture online, so I wasn’t too upset when I had to share just a basic outfit or a decent picture. Let’s face it. Some days I look amazing and some days you’re lucky that I’m not wearing sweats. That’s real life.
I miss being trendy. In my previous life, it was my job to dress trendy and fashionably. Even before owning a boutique, I was known to be a bit fashion-forward, often identifying and wearing new trends long before they were popular. I had an eye for fashion and wasn’t afraid to be a tad daring with my attire. An admirer even told me once, “You just wear things that other girls don’t wear.” Call me flattered. Lately though, I’ve been wearing the basics. Comfort has been the name of my game and my wardrobe is quickly reflecting that. Don’t get me wrong, I think we should all dress comfortably. However, a slouchy and unimaginative wardrobe is not what I want and that’s how I’ve felt lately.

Just like I anticipated, I hated this goal in the beginning. I cringed with every photo and dreaded the process. Eventually though, it became easier. I didn’t dread it quite so much and had to take way less photos before feeling comfortable enough to share one…which was part of the reasoning behind this goal anyway. Will I continue to share my outfits online? I’m not sure. At least I feel more comfortable doing so now than I did before. Plus, I have some great references to look back on when I’m thinking about my capsule wardrobe!

How about the rest of my November goals? Well, there’s just not much to report. I did make some progress in the nooks and crannies of my home and did a bit of this and that. However, I wouldn’t really say that I knocked out a major project. Although, I did purchase chairs for our new table and sold the old ones, so that decluttered our living area. We also installed three new light fixtures, and that should count for something too. As for Christmas decor, I ended up putting if off since I was hosting my family for Thanksgiving. We’ve been traveling the last several days, so I guess it’ll be on my list for this week! What are my goals for December, you ask? Christmas. All of the Christmas things and activities. That’s what I intend to do this month. Anything else will just be icing on the cake…or should I say icing on the Gingerbread House! Happy December, friends. Make it a good one!

If you’d like to see the rest of the outfit photos, check #ppwearsnovember on Instagram.

Sweatpants

June 18, 2015 Pamela Stephens

I saw something on Instagram recently that said ladies shouldn’t wear sweatpants. My first thought was, “damn, I like sweatpants.” Then I quickly switched to something more along the lines of, “you’re not the boss of me.”

I feel like I rather often see all sorts of lists or internet memes that say ladies don’t do this or that. Or do this or that. Here’s the deal though. There’s almost always exceptions to the rule. And I almost always maintain that rules are made to be broken. Today will not be the day that I let someone’s innocent overgram or retweet be the reason I feel guilty about wearing the oh-so-amazing and incredibly comfy sweatpants.

Here’s my middle ground. You (the Internet) think wearing sweatpants is lazy and unkempt. I think wearing sweatpants is amazing. Here are a few of my suggestions for landing somewhere in the middle of this heated and controversial topic. (Yes, I’m being dramatic for comical effect. It’s neither heated, nor dramatic.)

1. I never, ever wear pajamas in public. Regardless of your age or lifestyle situation, I do not think pajamas are public attire. If I saw you at Walgreens at 3:00 am, sleep-deprived and pain-ridden, wearing your favorite Tweety Bird pajamas (that’s a nod to my big sister), then I most certainly would not judge. However, 2:00 pm at Walmart is not where I’d consider this attire acceptable. True pajamas are not for public wear. If you must wear something comfy and/or baggy in public, get acquainted with yoga pants and sweatpants and of course, Nike shorts. Those can be worn in public without looking like you don’t at all care about life. (Side note: driving to the Starbucks drive through does not count as a public appearance, and I have certainly been known to wear pajamas for that outing. Only God can judge me.)

2. I think you should always look your best. Do I always follow this? Absolutely not. Somedays I flip the mirror the middle finger and roll out regardless. (Not literally. Again, that’s comic relief.) I don’t think all women have to wear lipstick or that we simply must wear makeup or curl our hair. I do think, though, that we should always attempt to put our best foot forward. If you leave the house doing nothing to look your best, what does that say about your approach on life? We don’t all have to be gorgeous centerfold models wearing the most expensive and latest trends with not a single hair out of place. I’m certainly not. I do think presenting yourself in the best possible light is a must. Wearing ill-fitting clothes with unmanaged hair and dirty shoes is not doing that. Do what you can to look your best.

3. Wear “nicer” versions of sweatpants. I will continue to wear sweatpants at home, and I don’t think Hitler himself could stop me. Here’s the trade off though. Rather than wearing paint-stained, holy, half-bleached sweats from 2002, I can wear lounge clothes that look somewhat nice and fit decently. This has actually been something I’ve been working on through my quest for a beautiful life. I had a tendency to not buy nicer lounge clothes because I already had comfy items that I could wear at home. Granted, they may be old as dirt or ugly as homemade soap (I don’t even know what that means.), yet I already had them and they were fine. After all, no one would see me wearing that 1997 softball tshirt with flannel pajamas from 2002 with just the right number of holes. That’s not what matters though. I see me. My husband sees me. You might would even see me if you dropped by unannounced delivering freshly baked cookies. (That’s my attempt at working on your subconscious. You’re getting very sleepy…. Bring me cookies!)

On a serious note though, I shouldn’t be selling myself (and my husband) short just because I don’t want to invest in lounge clothes that no one else will see. Granted, I will likely continue to wear those favorite flannel pajama pants until they literally disintegrate. I will, however, not wear them with the baggiest, ugliest tshirt that I own. I will also primarily wear nicer lounge clothes. I will buy thing that are nice and pretty and fit me well to wear around the house. The looking-your-best principle should also apply at home.

I provide all of these tongue-in-cheek “rules” while 100% understanding that there will be those days. Somedays you will just want to be lazy at your own house. You might have yesterday’s make up smeared down your face. Your hair might be 100 levels of greasy. The only thing you might want to wear are those over-sized sweats from college. It’s ok. We all deserve a bit of down time where you throw complete caution to the wind. On the regular though, try to look your best. You’ll feel better personally, and I’m sure those around you will appreciate it. I believe doing things for your self esteem is of utmost importance and these are a few ways to nurture that. Most importantly, understand that there’s always gray areas. No one can tell you what’s “right” or “classy.” You get to decide and make your own rules.

I am making a commitment to not be “too slouchy” even at home. However, if you try to take my sweatpants away from me, I might kill you. You’ve been warned.

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Where to find small (and large) shoes!

June 15, 2015 Pamela Stephens

Let’s start this post with a few fun facts about me.

I really, really like pickles. And no, it doesn’t mean that I’m pregnant.
As a kid I wanted be a horse rancher in Montana. It’s safe to say that I didn’t really understand what that meant.
I cannot whistle. It’s possible that I could make some sort of a whistling sound should my life depend on it. I wouldn’t bet on it though.
I have crazy amounts of adrenaline and freaky fast reflexes. If you were going to drop your baby, you’d want me standing nearby. Just sayin’.
I have a tiny, tiny foot. Thank you, Mammaw Bryant.

That last one there is what brings me to today’s post topic. I have always had such a small foot. At this point, my ten year old niece wears a larger shoe than I do. Even six and seven year olds have been known to pass me up in the shoe department. What size shoe do I wear, you ask? A women’s 4.5. (That roughly translates into a kid’s 2.5 or 3, if you were wondering.) If you’re thinking that a women’s size 4.5 doesn’t exist, you’re partially right. You’ve probably seen a size 5 on a sale rack a time or too, yet I doubt you’ve ever seen a size 4 or 4.5 lingering about. What does this mean? I often have to special order my shoes.

As you may know, I have a bit of a thing for shoes. (You can see a bit of my collection here and here.) My collection of shoes comes partly from the fact that if I ever find a pair of shoes that actually fit, I buy them. Don’t have anything to match them? Doesn’t matter. Have two other pair in a similar color? Doesn’t matter. If they fit, I buy them. Finding shoes to fit a tiny foot isn’t something that happens every day, so I purchase anything that fits, knowing that someday I will need that exact shoe and not be able to find it.

Without further ado, here are links to my favorite places for finding small shoes. If you know anyone who has a small foot, please share this post with them. I guarantee that they’ll be appreciative.

Sole Society: This was one of my latest shoe-shopping discoveries. Sometimes their inventory might be a bit low in the small sizes. However, some of my favorite heels came from here, so I recommend checking their site often. If you purchase anything from this exact link I get a $25 credit, so please do that!!
Nordstrom: This retailer offers quite a few styles in smaller sizes. This is actually how I stumbled upon Sole Society. Sometimes these are a bit pricier, so I recommend Nordstrom for those high-quality basics that you’ll use for years to come. This is one of the sites where you can usually find a good selection of larger sizes too.
Cinderella of Boston: This was the first company that I found that made smaller shoes. Prior to finding Cinderella of Boston, I just had to get lucky and find shoes that ran small. They actually go all the way down to a women’s size 2! Some of the styles aren’t very youthful or trendy. However, they usually have a few great options each season, like these and these. I signed up for the catalog and get very excited when it arrives in my mailbox.
Gap Kids: This isn’t a joke. Most of my favorite sandals come from here. Obviously, you don’t typically find heels or wedges in the kid’s department. However, their sandals are usually very cute and more adult looking than most. Actually, the sandals that I get compliments on most, usually come from Gap.
Dillard’s: Dillard’s offered an “extended sizes” option several years ago. Again, you have to weed through the less-trendy styles a bit. However, sometimes you can still find a few good options. They go down to a size 4 and up to a 12.
Leatherhood: I just recently stumbled upon this Etsy shop for leather sandals that are HANDMADE IN GREECE! You have to admit, that’s way cool. The prices are totally reasonable for a handmade, leather shoe and shipping costs aren’t bad either. I haven’t ordered from Leatherhood yet, though I plan to soon. If you beat me to the punch, let me know what you think!

So there you have it. I sometimes stumble upon shoes here and there that by chance fit my small foot. However, these resources are where I get most of my shoes. Having a small foot certainly comes with its own set of frustrations. For example, I usually can’t just run and go pick up a shoe to go with a certain outfit if needed. It was also incredibly frustrating when I owned a boutique because I’d order the cutest shoes and not be able to wear most of them. I have a rough life, can’t you tell?

All joking aside, if you know of someone who has a small foot, be sure to send them a link to this post. I can promise you that they’ll be overjoyed for some new resources and will be forever grateful to you. You should also send it over to anyone who wears larger than a size 10. Those sizes are also difficult to find and several of the resources above do offer larger sizes too.

As always, thanks for reading along and if you have any other suggestions for places to find extended sizes, PLEASE leave details in the comments. I am always looking for other options, and would love to check out some new places!

(You might recognize that top photo from last week’s trip to Natchitoches!)

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1920’s Prohibition Party

June 5, 2015 Pamela Stephens

One of my sweet friends turned this big 3-0 recently and we enjoyed a themed party to help her celebrate. As soon as I received the invitation, I was pumped because I love an excuse to dress up. I was also thrilled to see what she had planned, because I am hoping to have a big 30th birthday party too!

I loved this party for a few reasons.

We dressed up. Seriously, what’s not to love about putting on period attire and partying with friends?? At first I was thoroughly disappointed because I’d passed on THE perfect dress for $15 (!!) on the sale rack just weeks before receiving the invite. Nonetheless, Matthew and I pulled some outfits together and had a blast. I even wore lipstick! That never happens.
The hosts had a LEGIT bar in their home. I have never seen anything quite like it. We thought we were entering a random living space. Nope. It’s was a full-fledged bar with everything that you might expect at a legitimate pub. Matthew and I were in awe and 100% impressed.
It was perfectly themed. There was 20’s music, a 20’s drink menu, a password to enter, mugshots, and everything you might expect from a typical party in a hidden bar during the Prohibition era. I love a good theme, and this one was done perfectly! (Great job, Meghan and friends!)

I’d be amiss if I didn’t tell the full story of how this evening played out. This Saturday was one of those days where there were 15+ things that Matthew and I had been invited to and would have loved to do. Our final plans included a wedding for a sweet friend/former employee at 6:00 and then this birthday party at 8:00. We decided that we could make both events by leaving the wedding reception a tad early and arriving to the birthday party a bit late. I spent alllll day on Saturday searching for an outfit that I could wear to both events….something that was fitting for the party, yet not too “costume” for the wedding. We finally made a decision, and Matthew and I would add accessories in the car between events (hats, pearls, vest, etc) to make our outfits a bit more costume-worthy. In an interesting turn of events, we ended up going to the wrong wedding.

Yes, you read that correctly. Matthew and I arrived and parked at what ended up being the wrong wedding. You see, the bride and her best friend are both getting married this year and I had confused the venues in my head. Rather than being where we should have been, we were at the location for the friend’s wedding that will take place in November! Can we all just be thankful that I noticed the names on the sign and Matthew and I didn’t actually walk inside?!

This seems like it might have been a simple mistake with an easy fix. Wouldn’t we just drive across town to the correct location?? It wasn’t that easy. The actual location of this wedding was about an hour away. Even though we had arrived a few minutes early, there still wasn’t time to make it to the actual event. I felt terrible!

Now, Matthew and I had two hours to spare before heading to the birthday party. What do you do when you’re slightly dressed in costume, starving, and have time to waste? Dinner, of course! We sat at River & Rail for a bit and talked about how completely silly I was to confuse the events. We also started making some loose plans for my 30th birthday party (!!) which was very exciting.

Our evening didn’t go quite as planned, and we had a 50% success rate of showing up where we were supposed to be. That’s not too bad, right?? If anything, we ended up with some great stories to tell about an awesome bar in a new friend’s home AND of showing up at the wrong wedding. Part of me wishes we would have just attended that other ceremony and pretended to be so-and-so’s cousin. We could start our own version of Wedding Crashers! We might could have pulled it off if we weren’t in half-costumes. Prohibition Party (3) Nonetheless, it was a fun-filled evening that we’ll likely remember (and talk about) for years to come. I think the moral of this story is that if you invite me to your wedding, remind me to double check the invitation!

Have you ever showed up to the wrong event? You should tell your story in the comments so that I feel better about myself! 😉

Interested in more costumes? Check out these posts!
1990’s Party! / Pirates! / Audrey Hepburn!

Photos provided by Meghan Olinger and Pamela Petrus.

4 Comments Fashion 2015 - costume - friends - husband and wife - What I Wore

Closet Cleanup

February 12, 2015 Pamela Stephens

My name is Taylor. You may have heard of me, I am one of Pamela’s lovely assistants! She is out of the town for the week. You can read more about where she is and what she’s doing here. So, I am filling in! Hope you don’t mind! Now, I know that most of the time when you have a guest post, they’ll often link you back to their personal blog site. Well I don’t have one yet. This is me getting my feet wet. If it works out for me, I may try my hand at blogging. Enjoy!

I recently went from living alone to being married… and Pamela taught me well in the whole “we need all the clothes/shoes/jewelry/things” lesson of life. My closet was the proof. Now, my husband and I share the world’s tiniest mobile home which also means we now share the world’s tiniest closet. Something that I am NOT the biggest fan of but for now it’ll have to do.

Pinterest is my favorite. I am on it everyday searching for things I can do to make my home a more functional and happier place (Pamela also talks about this here). While searching one day last year I came across this pin. It gave great advice about how to slim down your closet and realize that you don’t really wear everything in there. Since the now “shared” closet was beginning to be so packed that it was dysfunctional, I decided to give it a try.

The pin’s suggestion was to turn ALL the hangers in your closet backwards and as you hung up items that you have worn you hang them up correctly. At the end of the season you will be able to really see the items that you never touched. I thought that was great and all, but I could BARELY hang one more item up let alone re-hang everything backwards without having to go to physical therapy for all the lifting. So, I decided to just hang the items that I knew I didn’t wear often backwards (nice party dress and a a sequin top that I only pull out for new year events.) Then everything I wore recently was to be hung on the opposite side of these items.

(I also did this to my husband’s side but he doesn’t know this yet! Shh…) Can you find the dividing hangers?

I loved how this not only would lead me to clean out my closet at the end of the season, but it also:

made me aware of what I wear TOO much
allowed me to see growth in the side of recently worn items
allowed me to see a shrinkage of clothes on the never wear side
forced me to wear more clothes on the never wear side for fear I would lose them
forced me to throw out items that were too small or not flattering as I tried them on instead of waiting until the end of the season.

In January I started working at a physical therapy clinic. This means that I have to wear scrubs on the regular. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather wear something a tad more fashionable. So I began to really love Friday-Sunday. These are the days that I could look and feel my best. This month I began to notice myself pulling more and more from the recently worn section, and I have way too many clothes to be limiting myself so soon.

We spent the last weekend in Baton Rouge/New Orleans and I made a point to ONLY pack from the other side of the backwards hangers. The Abyss.

And I was thrilled with my outfits!

Maybe this idea works for you, maybe it doesn’t but I challenge you to evaluate your closet. Notice what you might be wearing too often or not enough. Throw things out that make you feel uncomfortable (trust me, this will make you feel like a million bucks when you’ve thrown out the tight, uncomfortable things and the rest of your clothes truly fit and flatter you). Do you have any tiny closet tips? I would love to hear them!

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Christmas 2014 Recap

December 30, 2014 Pamela Stephens

I simply can’t believe that the Christmas season has already come and gone. They say that time flies when you’re having fun, and that’s totally a reality here in my neck of the woods. The holiday season is always a blur for Matthew and I. I thought I’d take a moment to recap what our Christmas season was like this year.

We began the month with our annual trip to Ernest’s in Shreveport with Matthew’s grandmother and cousins. This is a tradition that she’s held for several years and everyone always looks forward to the event. We dress up, ride over, and eat lots (Seriously….lots.) of fantastic food. This year, I wore a black, velvet dress and a gold, vintage belt that I hadn’t had a chance to wear yet. Velvet is one of my favs, so I was pumped about the outfit. We were missing a few cousins this year, but we definitely had a blast catching up with the ones who were able to make it. (Holly, I’m still laughing at Tanner’s plunger stories…too funny!)

Next up on the Christmas agenda was Amanda‘s birthday. We went to Cotton for her birthday dinner and ate all of the duck wraps. Then, that weekend we had a small game night/marshmallow roasting party at our house for her. I was blown away that Amanda and I have been friends since 2006 and I had no idea that she has a SERIOUS love for toasted marshmallows. You learn something new every day!

The weekend before Christmas turned out to be quite a busy one for the Petruses. (Side note: I just learned that this is the correct way to spell our last name in this context. Maybe December was the month for learning new things!) Friday night we attended the Keller Williams Parishwide Partners Christmas party at a new downtown venue that I hadn’t been to yet. I’m now considering it for possible location for my 30th birthday party…more on that later. Matthew and I enjoyed the party. It’s always great to get together with colleagues in a non-work environment. I also starting working on some of my 2015 work goals while at the party, which made me happy.

Saturday night, we had our real estate team Christmas party at the new Doe’s Steakhouse in downtown Monroe. I work closely with 9 or so agents at Keller Williams through the Shane Wooten team (plus several assistants), so this was our chance to celebrate a successful year together. I prepped centerpieces and little bags of peppermints for each guest. My mom is great with flower arrangements, but it’s never been a prominent skill of mine. I think these turned out pretty well for how quickly I threw them together though! It was a lot of fun getting together with everyone and recapping memories from the past year. Plus, the food was outstanding!

Sunday brought along two more Christmas events for Matthew and I. For lunch, we gathered at our house with Matthew’s mom, step-dad, little brothers, and grandparents. Matthew made a delicious roast and the most amazing mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. We enjoyed catching up with family that we don’t see often. Then, we took a quick (and much needed) nap, and headed over to my father-in-law’s for dinner. We had a great dinner there and then watched the kids open a few gifts. (Jordan and Roxie, you were missed!) I just realized that we didn’t get any pictures from dinner here, which is a bummer. By this time next year, this side of our family will have grown and that’s exciting! Our newest niece or nephew will be making his/her debut next month!

After a fun-filled and crazy weekend, Matthew and I spent Tuesday night opening a few gifts for each other and looking at Christmas lights. I’m excited to see what next year will be like without Matthew working retail AND being in nursing school. We both worked retail our first Christmas together, and it was exhausting. I’m excited to see what next year looks like for us, even though I’m quite nervous about our daily routine changing completely.

Christmas Eve we hosted my side of the family at our house. Hosting gatherings is one of my favorite things to do, so I was excited to have everyone at our new home for Christmas. I also baked my first turkey, and it turned out edible…I’ll take that as a win! Basically, the night was filled with lots of jokes and candy-eating. What more could you want??

After my family left, we headed out for Texas. We arrived a little after midnight and spent Christmas Day opening presents there and playing board games. We got to spend some time with Matthew’s step-sister, Jenna, that we don’t see often. We had a blast learning to play Killer Bunnies (Such an appropriate game for Christmas, right?!) and having an easy day with family.

All in all, this Christmas season was a success. Matthew and I were really busy towards the end of the season, but I think we still enjoyed the hustle and bustle and made some great holidays memories. (I also got lots of pictures of us in front of our Christmas tree, which makes me happy!) In case you missed it, you can see some of our Christmas decor here and details about our Christmas card here.

I’m sort of sad to wrap up the 2014 holiday season, but I’m definitely excited about 2015. I have a gigantic list of goals and plans for the year, and I’m expecting big things to happen. I hope you’re wrapping up 2014 with lots of great memories and equally great plans for this next year. Here’s to 2015 being a fantastic one!

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My Favorites: Makeup Edition

October 23, 2014 Pamela Stephens

If you would have asked if I would share anything about makeup or beauty products on this blog, I would have probably laughed at you. I kind of want to delete this post right now because I feel so silly. With the exception of shampoos, beauty products and makeup are not really my thing. I have never been the girl with tons of products and a makeup bag full of options. Ulta stresses me out a little, and to be honest, I don’t even know what to do with most of that stuff. I suppose that I show my personality through clothes and accessories instead. However, I’ve come across a few products that I love lately, so I thought I’d share. You can mark this in your calendar as the day Pamela got a fever and decided to talk about makeup.

Maybelline Full ‘N Soft Waterproof Mascara: Amanda introduced me to this mascara a while back. Since then, I’ve tried 6 or 7 other options (including the non-waterproof version of this same one) and none of them have even compared. I love the simplicity of this mascara…it goes on smoothly and doesn’t clump. (I HATE clumps.) Also, it doesn’t flake off as the day progresses. One of the options that I tried would leave little black specks on my cheeks or in my eyes as the day went on. Not cool.

L’Oreal Visible Lift Eye Concealer: I just recently discovered this concealer after reading about it on a blog. I usually scroll past those makeup posts, but for some reason, I read this one. Honestly, I haven’t even worn concealer for years. By years I mean since high school. I know, I know…all of you people with the fabulously applied makeup and contoured cheeks are probably screeching. So sorry! Even though I haven’t worn concealer in years, I’ve been searching for something to help under my eyes. They’re pretty much always a purple-blue color regardless of how much sleep I’ve gotten. When I saw the post about this concealer, I loved that it was made just for eyes and that it came in a cool little roller tube. I definitely don’t want anything to complicate my process any, so the simpler the better here. After using this product for a few weeks, I can report that I LOVE how easy to apply it is and how it’s not the least bit cakey-feeling. (I know that’s not a word. You totally know what I mean though.) It blends well and covers up my dark circles wonderfully. I even rub it on my eyelids for a little extra coverage.

Make Up Remover Wipes: I mainly wear waterproof eye makeup, so I need something to remove that in the morning. I’ve been a long term Mary Kay user and have always kept their remover in stock. However, after forgetting to order more, I had to find another, what I thought was temporary, option at Walgreens. Since then, I’ve tried a few different options and have settled on two products that I really, really like.

1. Neutrogena Hydrating Towelettes: I just recently tried this version of the Neutrogena wipe and it’s by far my favorite. (I’ve tried all of their waterproof options, including the grapefruit which smelled amazing but was too harsh on my skin.) I tend to have dry (and sensitive) skin so the hydrating formula works well for me. I absolutely love how my skin feels after using this wipe. I also really like the smell of this formula. I hate eye make up removers that are greasy feeling, and this one seems to do a good job of removing the makeup and hydrating my skin without leaving behind that greasy feeling. I can’t say that I won’t go back to the Mary Kay version at some point, but I definitely love this new option.

2. Pond’s Evening Soothe Towelettes: I’m also in love with these wipes that I use for cleaning my face before bed. If I’m completely honest again, for many years past high school, I didn’t even wash my face at night. I know, I can hear your gasps! I’ve always had pretty decent skin so I didn’t really feel like I had to. I shower in the mornings, so I just take my make up off then. I finally came to the conclusion that I could have even better skin if I’d go back to washing my face before bedtime. I stumbled upon these nighttime wipes, and I love so much about them. I love the quilted texture of the wipe and the smell. Lots of smells trigger my migraines, so I have to be careful. This one is light and easy but has a nice, clean smell to it. After using these for a bit, I’ve started to associate its smell with bedtime, so I begin to relax once I use them. This isn’t a wipe for waterproof makeup. Since I remove my eye makeup in the mornings, this is only for my skin.

As I mentioned above, I’m pretty shocked that I’m even posting something here about makeup/beauty products. I definitely wouldn’t say to expect a new one anytime soon! However, I’ve really come to love these four products and thought I’d share with you guys. These are all relatively inexpensive products that can be found at your local pharmacy or Target. If you happen to try any of them, please let me know what you think!

5 Comments Fashion 2014 - makeup - my favorites - What I Wore

Saturdays.

September 25, 2014 Pamela Stephens

I’ve had a couple of Saturdays off lately and it’s been fantastic. One Saturday, I wore Matthew’s old t-shirt all day with leggings. I even wore it with a cute jacket to grab dinner at The Fieldhouse that night. Add a pair of sparkly sandals to a baggy shirt and leggings, and you have yourself a real outfit. (Kids, don’t try this at home.)

Another Saturday morning was spent doing laundry. First of all, I actually sort of like doing laundry…except for putting it away. I do NOT like putting it away. Deep down inside, I actually like having those days where I can do the laundry start to finish. I feel so accomplished! I am learning, however, that I don’t like it when I have to do a load here and a load there. I’m realizing that clothes tend to end up getting left in the dryer and it takes us much longer to put the clothes away when they’re done this way. Therefore, let’s all get excited about days where I can do the laundry start to finish. They’re the best. (Side note: I read on a blog once that taking pics of your messes in black and white make them look so much more attractive. So true! Try it!)

This brings me to another topic. I’ve mentioned “things that I’m learning” a few times in the past. I feel like I’m constantly growing and learning new things about myself or the world around me. Sometimes they’re monumental like my discovery about self-guilt. Sometimes they’re a little more trivial, like it’s best for me to do all of the laundry at one time. I really want to try to discuss these discoveries with you guys, even though sometimes they’re hard to put into words. Therefore, I’m creating a new category here on the blog for “What I’ve Learned.” Again, you may find life-changing, amazing things here. Or it may be just that I realized that I only like carrots if they’re cooked. I think paying attention to both the large and small discoveries in life is monumental to your personal growth. Writing about my own discoveries helps me to process them. If you learn anything new about yourself, I hope you’ll share along the way too!

After wrapping up the laundry that Saturday, Matthew and I went to hear Code Blue and the Flatliners at Landry’s Vineyard. (They are a group of musical doctors which makes their name so hilarious to me! They’re also very entertaining. We seldom miss their performances at Landry’s.) I felt so lucky that Matthew and I both happened to have that Saturday off. For a couple that works as much as we do, this was something to celebrate in itself. We had a great time at the vineyard and look forward to the next event. You can find the concert schedule on their website, and we’d love to see you there!

This Saturday, I’m looking forward to the ULM Homecoming game. Matthew and I are season ticket holders which makes me feel like such a grown up. What do you usually do when you have Saturdays off? If I keep up this streak of having time off, I might need some suggestions!

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White After Labor Day

September 8, 2014 Pamela Stephens

White After Labor Day 2 Before I even begin discussing wearing white after Labor Day, let me first tell you what I think the number one most important fashion rule of all is. Get a pen…you’ll want to right this down. Are you ready? Rule number one is…WEAR WHAT YOU WANT. Yes, I love keeping up with the latest trends. And yes, there are certain guidelines that you can follow to look your best. However, the most important rule that you can follow in regards to fashion is to not take all of those rules quite so seriously.

So, let’s talk about Labor Day. I think it’s safe to say that most people know that I don’t really enjoy following the rules. After all, rules are made to be broken right?? I think the no-white-after-labor-day rule might be one of the longest living and most strictly followed fashion rules of old. People who still follow this guideline usually stick to it pretty firmly. Today, I want to offer some tips for ways to wear white after Labor Day in a trendy and acceptable way.

I never wear white shoes after Labor Day or before Easter. Honestly, I don’t really care for white shoes that much at all. However, I usually reserve my creamier colored options for the spring and summer months. (Actually, you should be very careful with true white shoes, as they can sometimes look cheap. Usually, something with a creamier color to it will look more expensive and classy.) Now certainly, there could be some exceptions to this rule. None of the tips I’m offering today are meant to be followed religiously. There are always exceptions and it’s always okay to bend the rules a little. Have a fabulous pair of cream heels like these? Wear them! They’d look fantastic with a pair of cuffed jeans and a baggy sweater.
When wearing white pants out of season, I always wear dark colors or heavier fabrics with them. Wearing a bright color or summery printed fabric with white pants will make your outfit look a little out of season. However, pairing the pants with an oversized sweater or deep fall colors, looks perfectly acceptable. Similarly, I usually only wear dark colored shoes with white pants after Labor Day. Wearing a dark shoe instead of a light-colored one helps bring the white pant on into the cooler seasons. One of my favorite looks for winter is white pants with black riding boots and a heavy wool sweater. Following this guideline helps ensure that you won’t look out of season. Instead, you’ll look crisp and trendy!
In addition to not wearing light-colored shoes with white pants after Labor Day, I’ll also seldom wear sandals with them. The exception to this rule for me is wearing a sandal that’s dark-colored and more substantial like the one in my photo from last week. I try to avoid wearing a simple sandal with white pants after Labor Day unless I’m wearing a long sleeve or bulkier top. I usually opt for a closed toe flat or boot instead. Again though, don’t take this rule too seriously. There are almost always exceptions.

While these are a few of the parameters I use when breaking the no-white rule, I don’t even follow them exclusively. As I said above, there are typically exceptions. What I tend to do when planning to wear white after Labor Day or before Easter is ask myself….does this outfit look like fall or does it look springy? If I think it looks a little springy, I’ll try to darken it up a bit. If it looks like I could be standing in a pile of fall-colored leaves holding a steaming cup of coffee, then we’re in business.

As for white purses, if your handbag has an ivory or cream tint to it, then I think it’s acceptable year round! I would, however, reserve a true white purse for the spring and summer months. Again though, be very careful with true white accessories. You always want your clothing and accessories to look more expensive than they actually were, never the other way around.

So there you have it…my thoughts on the no-white rule. As I’m writing this, I can’t actually think of any fashion rules that I follow exclusively. I think I’ve created my own list of “rules” and I like the flexibility of those rules so much more.

Do you have an outfit idea that you’re unsure of? Or a question about how to wear your white accessories after Labor Day? Leave a comment below! I’ll be happy to offer some thoughts/suggestions.

Let’s go break some rules!

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What We Wore: ’90s Palooza

January 30, 2014 Pamela Stephens

Little excites me more than ’90s music, so when Amanda invited us to come along to a ’90s Palooza last fall, we jumped at the opportunity! To make this event even more amazing, ’90s attire was required. Costumes and ’90s music…what could be more fun??

As usual, I waited until the night before to start getting my outfit together. Turns out, I had a much harder time than anticipated. If you follow me on Instagram, you saw the disaster in my closet. I eventually settled on something and created a ’90s look from high-waisted cutoff Levi’s (that didn’t actually fit me) and a velvet crop top…oh, how I love velvet! I was rather brave to show my midriff, especially without a tan, but when a ’90s event comes around, you gotta make the most it! I’ve been looking for an excuse to wear that sequined choker…this was the perfect moment!

Matthew ripped up some old jeans, wore a flannel shirt unbuttoned, and a hat backwards. It took me a long time to get used to his new look…it was like I was back in middle school! Also, be sure to notice that hemp necklace I snagged at Goodwill. Amanda looked a little more “put together” than me. She wore shorts with tights and combat boots, a denim vest, and flannel…the epitome of ’90s grudge.

One of the highlights of the night was running into the Spice Girls!! You would have thought that they were the real deal if you saw how excited Amanda and I got over them. The Spice Girls are definitely on the top of the list of things I miss from the ’90s.

Matthew, Amanda, and I are known to have a barrel of fun together, but we certainly enjoyed this evening at the Dixie Center for the Arts. We’re already planning for next year and can’t wait for more ’90s attire, good times, and fun music!

This sound like an event you’d enjoy? Feel free to join us this year!
Warning: you’ll leave with a sore throat from screaming your favorite songs. It’s all part of the experience.

2 Comments Fashion 2014 - Amanda - costume - friends - husband and wife - What I Wore