Likes and Dislikes

Today we're going to talk about my likes and dislikes.

Likes:

Finding Good Deals

Successful DIY Wedding Projects

Dislikes:

Bad Etiquette

Bad Hangovers

Likes ...

Finding Good Deals

This week has been a fabulous one for bargain hunting. One dear reader messaged me that she loves fashion but just doesn't have the funds to shop as much as her heart desires. Well darling, many of us are in that boat. I have two suggestions. The first would be to consign your unwanted clothes or go to a store that buys your clothes upfront and recycle that money to keep your styles current. Secondly - Thrift stores. Consignment stores. Clothes swap! You know my love for thrift stores. As long as you're not bothered by wearing previously worn clothing (just get it dry cleaned!) then this is a fabulous solution for you. Consignments Stores are generally more upscale and my favorite here in Dallas, Clothes Circuit, is dripping in designer brands. I once got a pair of $300 Tory Burches, unworn, for $80 and unworn Lilly flats for $25. If you have a good friend in your same size, do some clothing swaps! But for me my greatest success is at thrift stores. Take the other day for example - I was performing my weekly ritual of antique silver hunting at the Salvation Army (for my wedding centerpieces) and I decided to hop over to the clothes since the green tags were 50% off. I found two fabulous fall items. One brown, Herringbone blazer - fits like it was made for me and is a Ralph Lauren brand to boot. I got this lovely for $6 - you may gasp.

Secondly, I got this navy wool crepe beauty for $12. This jacket is authentic vintage. I looked up the label inside - turns out Herbert Grossman was a designer for Nieman Marcus. This jacket is legit 1970's and has an old Niemans label sewn in. Very good find.

These jackets will be perfect with some skinny jeans (picture Audrey Hepburn cigarette pants not painted-on-the-thigh Beyonce jeans) and a nice J-Crew tee. Throw on some long pearls and cute flats and you're ready to go!

Secondly, I went to Marshalls. I was not shopping for myself - I was looking for a gift, I promise. But I couldn't help myself from browsing and its a good thing a did. I found this Lilly tennis skirt that was once $168 and I paid $10!! As I mentioned, I play tennis. So technically I need this skirt. Plus at $10, I would be silly not to grab it!

Finally, I went to St. Vincents to drop off a donation and decided it couldn't hurt to browse. I found this darling purse for $3 - reminds me of Kate Spade or atleast 1950s and 1960's Florida. Then, bargain of all bargains, I found Wedgewood hiding in the homegoods section. Dear readers, I purchased 8 cups and saucers and 6 luncheon plates of the iconic Nantucket Basketweave pattern for just $60. Do you know how much it would cost to buy these items full price? I checked ... nearly $600!!!!! I called my mom immediately, who of course shared in my joy. Yes darlings, I really, really like finding good deals.

Successful DIY Wedding Projects

I have three flowergirls - yes three. Dresses for those little munchkins are expensive! I have looked around Crew Cuts (my favorite) and other child boutiques and cannot find good dresses for under $100 a piece. And when I do, I rarely find the three sizes I need let alone dresses that I actually like. So I took matters into my own hands. I purchased these t]Target dresses below for $30 a piece and since I spent over $50 I got free shipping. But affordable dresses like these only come in a rather cheesy, bright white. Not chic at all. So I tea stained them! Tea staining is a wonderful idea for making clothes look more antique - it gives a warmth to the fabric like you wouldn't believe! To do this I filled up a giant pot with water, brought it to a boil, let about 25 tea bags steep for 5 minutes, took the tea bags out, put the dress in and stirred it around for 10 minutes, washed it off with clean, cold water and hung to dry. Repeat for each dress. Voila, the finished products!! They are topped off with a silk sash that is made out of the bridesmaid dress material that was purchased for $25 dollars. Success!! I really do like when DIY goes well!

Dislikes ...

Bad Etiquette

My sweet sister, AEW, is a debutante in our hometown. Our debutante program invites 22 girls to debut who throw their own parties, either alone or with another debutante, before the big ball in December. My sister's party is tomorrow. We are taking the red-eye to Florida in order to make it. The parties are always themed and her theme is TV Land so Mr. SG and I are going as Mr. and Mrs. Howell (pictures to come). I have never heard of more horribble etiquette than what my sweet sister has had to put up with leading up to this soiree. When I was a debutante, we never had problems like these. AEW has had to approach so many of her invitees because they did not R.S.V.P! Can you believe it? She says some of them claim to not know what an R.S.V.P means?!? I find it hard to believe that among my sister's friends who are 18 and all have a private school background, don't know what R.S.V.P means. And if that is the case where are their parents?! What ever happened to good party etiquette? Remembering to R.S.V.P should be the easiest rule to follow! Wonder what they'll do once they get to the receiving line? It should be a wonderful party, inspite of these troubles... but I hate that little AEW is having to deal with this nonsense! These kids need to get a copy of an Emily Post or Amy Vanderbilt etiqutte book tout de suite!

Bad Hangovers

When stunning Betty Draper has her hangover moments in Season Two she somehow makes it look glamorous. Though I suspect she would make anything look glamorous. I however, do not make it look glamorous. Though I love my cocktails, I am not a heavy drinker or 'hard partier' if you will. I never really was in college either. With SMU back in session, perhaps it was the scent of over-indulgence wafting in the air of Highland Park that led me to enjoy one too many. Or rather, too much variety. See it wasn't the number - because my number over the night was incredibly tame - it was the variety. I started with a declious, dirty martini before dinner with my dear friend DBK at Neighborhood Services (delicious). Then moved on to a chardonnay to enjoy with my avocado and crab salad for dinner. Then my last variety was light beer while enjoying some great live music on the outdoor patio of a bar. This is a recipie for disaster and I woke up this morning not in the mood to do any laundry or vacuuming. So note to self, at my sisters debutante party, find a drink and stick to it!

Attention: Lost Topsider

We have a very serious matter on our hands. My favorite pair of topsiders (Sperrys, of course ...) is no longer a pair. For the past few weeks I have opened my closet to find only one, sad topsider looking confused and alone in his little shoe nook. Now that we have passed a month of his absence, I am getting concerned. This pair of shoes is not just another pair of shoes. It is my oldest pair of boat shoes - 7 years old! I have so many memories in these shoes. Boat shoes are practically part of the uniform at SMU. I know what you're thinking, "Isn't SMU in Dallas?"But as I have eluded to in my profile, SMU students take pride in their repertoire of 'prep' and what that means is you don't need a horse to wear riding boots come November and you certainly don't need the ocean to wear topsiders.


One fond memory is of a sweet, freshman boy marveling at how my Sperry's could look so broken-in. Boy did I throw him for a loop when I let him in on my secret - I wear them boating ... Yes my dears, these kinds of conversations did really happen at my Southern Alma Mater. (I assure you though, SMU wasn't all ribbon belts and canvas totes- I was privileged to go to school with some of the best and the brightest.) Anyways, back to Operation: Find The Topsider. If you see this shoe and it seems lost and confused,please return it to me! Otherwise, if you see a pair at your local Boat U.S. buy it! It will be a faithful friend for many years and many dunks in the salty sea. It will stand by you as you jump off the boat and into higher tide than planned. Its' non-skid sole will ensure you don't slip as you dock at the yacht club to grab a gin and tonic. And it might just be a conversation starter for a timid freshman girl, on her own at an out-of-state college, eager and ready for life to begin.

Mad Men

Mad Men. If you're not watching it, start watching it. It comes on Sunday nights on AMC 10 P.M. Eastern and 9 P.M. Central. I have to admit, I am a late fan. As the promos started rolling for Season 3, Mr. SG and I wondered why we had never watched this show. So we picked up Season 1 and 2 at Best Buy and spent a weekend watching episode after episode until we were ready for Season 3 which debuted last Sunday. Since our jump on the bandwagon I have just been obsessed! The era, the clothes, the decor, the cocktails ... it is sensory overload! The story lines are seductive, the people are attractive and the set design is like eye candy.


Today we had to bug-bomb our little abode to get rid of fleas plaguing Harper and Scout. Since we had to be out of our place for 6 hours we headed over to Northpark and filled our day with The Time Traveler's Wife (tear) and shopping. For whatever reason I rarely stop by The Limited but I feel like when I do I am always surprised by the items I find. These skirts fit into the "surprise category." Plus, the delicious sweater was a bonus- hiding in the clearance racks and a steal of a deal.




















They are perfect fall fabrics; a wool blend that reminds me of a tweed. The yellow is a wonderful neutral but with a 'pop' - it will look fabulous with navy, but can always be paired with a rich, cream sweater. The multi-colored, textured skirt has fun studs around the waistband ththat bring a very Sex-in-the-City vibe to an otherwise conservative and preppy skirt. Something about them remind me of Mad Men - something Joan would wear. (The skirts accentuate curves in a good way.) Turns out this is perfect because on the "Which Mad Men character are you?" quiz I am apparently Joan Holloway, the "sassy and complicated" Office Manager. Though her morals are questionable at times, she has a savvy fashion sense that I will surely channel when building my business professional wardrobe. Mr. SG took the same test and some how is like Jane Siegel. For those of you who don't know, Jane is a home-wrecking hussy who is manipulating her way into a marriage to a partner at Sterling Cooper. Perhaps given this information I should re-think the wedding plans ... (Just kidding dears!)

To finish this Mad Men inspired post I'll leave you with one of my favorite retro drinks. A Bloody Mary! Zing Zang is my all-time favorite, introduced to me by my good friend (and another bridesmaid) ACR. This mix is spicy and delicious and at only 20 calories a serving its as healthy as an adult beverage can be. I like extra lime in my concoctions.

The next time you watch this fabulous show, whether its your first time or your're a regular, mix up an era appropriate cocktail. For next time I'm thinking Vodka Gimlet ...

Stay Chic,

HSG

Super Skate

When was the last time you went to a skating party? For me, until recently it had been my little sister's 9th birthday party at an ice skating rink in Florida. This was a particularly memorable event because the cake we ordered, complete with pink ice skates on top, said "Happy Birthday Nana." My sisters name is Anna ... Mind you, the bakery was delivering said cake to a skating rink. Did they ever stop to ask themselves, "Why would a "Nana" be having her birthday at an ice skating rink?" But almost 10 years later I was able to dust off my skating skills (or lack of ...) for a skate party at a local roller rink!

My sweet friend ESS (one of my bridesmaids) had a hankering for musty, florescent carpets and roller skates with laces that look like a rodent has been gnawing on them. So since it was her birthday, how could we say 'No" when she suggested such an adventure? We traveled out of our bubble - way out of our bubble - to Super Skate. We're still not entirely sure where this delightful establishment is (somewhere in Dallas County) but one look at the pirouetting pig and we knew we were in the right place.



So we skated around the wooden rink and though we were definitely the oldest participants, it conjured up memories of fog machine filled birthday parties that ended in loot bags stuffed with plastic whistles and chocolate gold coins. Mr. SG was quite the athlete, a former hockey player, he strode around the rink, effortlessly gliding across the laminated wood. He even escorted a stranded and very scared little skater back to the side lines - a precious look into the future for me. The evening's grand total was $8 for four adult skaters - rentals and all. It was a simple celebration. The birthday dinner before skating was bison burgers accompanied by sweet potato fries - easy but delicious. That capped off with some red velvet cupcakes and a fine evening of skating made for a fun, lighthearted and affordable celebration. Check out the pics below of the birthday girl and her dear BF skating to the tunes of Michael Jackson, I believe.

Stay Chic,

HSG

Target

Apparently I didn't get the memo, but you must wear spandex to the Lake Highlands Super Target if you intend to shop around noon during the week. Seriously, the population during this hour was primarily women, some with young children in tow, and 90% of said group were wearing black, spandex athletic pants! I looked out-of-place in my dark wash denim skirt. (This time I was the dad at the meat counter!) Note to self: Must wear black, spandex athletic pants if I want to fit in ...

Target, or "Tar -jhey" as my mother used to pronounce it, is like heaven-on-earth. It never fails that if I walk in for dish soap I will come out with a new dress, salad plates, wrapping paper and possibly the original dish soap if I remember. This habit of buying extraneous items can be traced to back-to-school trips with mom and dad. With school supply list in hand, we would swear to buy only necessary items and inevitably walk out with a picture frame I couldn't live without, the latest CD and a bathing suit - items that certainly weren't on the list sent home by St. Stephen's Episcopal School.

So today as I made my way to Super Target I told myself that I would stick to the list. We needed groceries and household goodies like an additional laundry basket and more dog bones. Well the moment I saw a miniature cardboard school bus filled with Macintosh apples I was done for. Lucky for you I can spread the wealth.

I snatched up these precious, preppy sleep shorts - 2 for $10!! Can you believe it? These darlings are perfect for your favorite college freshman or yourself! I encourage you to run, not walk, to your nearest Target before these lovelies are all gone!

Aside from preppy sleep shorts I did make a few more discoveries at Target. Since I have had more time on my hands, I have had the luxury of price comparison shopping and have found that for the most part, 100 calorie packs of things are much cheaper at Target. Especially the 100 calorie packs of candy like M&M's and Sour Patch Kids. They come in packs of 5 for only $2.44 (Great for the movies by the way ...) And the Organic Milk is much more affordable at Target than at Tom Thumb. Even some of the produce! So for those of you who find yourself with more time on your hands than normal, take the opportunity to do some price comparisons! A penny saved ...

Stay Chic,

HSG

Salvation Army

These days, I am in love with the Salvation Army. In preparation for the wedding I have been scouring thrift stores for unique silver pieces like trays, trophies, revere bowls and julep cups. What is more southern than a great piece of silver!
Everytime I go to the Salvation Army on Inwood in Dallas, I come away with tons of great pieces! But this shopping has opened my eyes to more than just silver - I found some fabulous blue and white salad plates, 10 for just $6!! I scooped up two awesome vintage pieces that I promptly put to use last night. (Pictures to come ...) A great old glass that I repurposed as a vase and a 50's fabulous tray that I used as a coaster for a condensating water pitcher at a casual dinner with a friend of ours, Brett. (Shout out to my first follower!)
But truly, the Salvation Army and St. Vincents Thrift Store in Dallas have become my favorite new hot spots! I have found so many fun items not just for the wedding but for the house and for me! I encourage you to get creative and see what you can find at your local thrift store - you can be southern, chic and cheap all at the same time.

Stay Chic,

HSG

The Grocery Store ...

I am not alone. Yes my dears, there are more accidental housewives than I give credit. Take today, there were at least 50 ladies, between the ages of 22 and 60, at Central Market and Tom Thumb. But there was also one man - poor sweetheart. He didn't know how the meat counter number system worked. There he was with his precious toddler in a jogging stroller, waiting for his cut of sirloin. But it was I who pulled the first ticket. "71" they called. And I came forward - I gestured toward the sweet man with the jogging stroller, "He was here first," I say ... the guy at the meat counter says, "That's not how it works, to bad for him ..." and I get my chicken breast first.

His "fish-out-of-water" look gave him away as an AH (my new abbreviation for accidental housewife). In this tough economic climate we are all called to just do our best and play the hand we're dealt. My hope is that he at least learns the meat counter protocol and either gets back in the game where meat counter protocol doesn't matter or he settles in to what can be a wonderful life with his darling son. I personally will take this time to enjoy the small things. I love that I could take Scout for a longer walk today. I love that I wasn't running out the door at 7 AM and instead could scratch Harper behind the ears for a few lazy moments in bed. Whatever your deck looks like, embrace the challenge and find the joy. And when that is too hard and the world seems too unbearable, take a moment and pray or meditate- then breathe. This too shall pass.

Stay Chic,

HSG

Day One ...

So here we are, it is officially 'Day One' of my time as an "accidental housewife." What exactly does that mean? I'll explain ... See, as I worked diligently through college, picking those perfect internships, finding perfect recommendations - I never imagined myself as being unemployed post-graduation. But here I am - jobless. Many of my peers were happy to loaf around in college, so imagine how pleased they are to be loafing around now? I, however, am not a loafer, though I love loafers, but only those that come with darling tassels and might have a penny in them. Even in college - ask my friends - I was a busy little bee. For a while I was going to both SMU and The Art Institute of Dallas - pursuing my little-girl dream job of being an Interior Designer. At one point, I was taking a total of 25 hours of class - plus extracurriculars and life! But alas, Interior Design school is on a hiatus - it is quite costly!! So I returned to the root question I had asked myself before starting ID school - "What would you enjoy doing with your life?" and listened more carefully to the answer I had given along side of ID - Teaching.

So ladies (and gentlemen?) I pursued my Alternative Teaching Certification (Which just means beyond Undergraduate studies) and am now considered Highly Qualified to teach Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade. Giving in my sincere all, I worked as a summer teacher for a Science Camp for July and now this part of August. I loved it - I love the kids, I loved the learning - I really think teaching could be my calling. I had a great opportunity to interview for a fabulous district here in Dallas but sadly I did not get recommended for the position. (One day chickadees, one day ... ) But I will perservere - my plan B is to substitute. But for now, I must wait and see. Waiting and seeing is the hardest part isn't it? Good things come to those who wait - I sincerely believe this. Until I have an occupation however, I will fill my days with grocery runs, lingering lunches with friends, wedding planning, laundry, and the luxury of going to the gym at 1:30 in the afternoon.

So this was a long post - I promise, they will get shorter and be filled with goodies. But today I will leave my darlings with something. As part of my ritualistic induction into the Park Cities Housewife Club I got a pedicure ... at 10:30 in the morning ... don't hate me. But what it left me with, beside intense curiosity, was a great nail polish color!!

It's called OK Coral. It's a play on words since it's Coral (not Corral). Coral, I should tell you, is my absolute favorite color! And for those of you in the Park Cities area, I really enjoy Delux Nails across from SMU and near Goff's Burgers. It is clean and clean - my #1 test.



Stay Chic,

HSG