Found it! Miranda's Designer Bag

A few days ago Miranda Lambert posted this picture on Twitter, showing off her new Stella McCartney handbag from hubby Blake. 

Naturally, I became obsessed, so I tracked it down out of curiosity.  For a mere $1435, you too can own this Stella McCartney Falabella Shoulder Bag.

Gorgeous huh?  But quite the hefty price tag.  For a similarly fabulous look, you could go this route via MICHAEL Michael Kors for $328.

For the gal on a major budget, (aka most of us!) Try this one from Big Buddah for $71. 

I can only imagine what Mrs. Shelton will be getting for Christmas, since this was just a "because I love you" gift! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Tis the Season!

Seasons greetings!  I know it's been a long time since I've posted, but I promise I have a really good excuse!  Work has been extra crazy since Black Friday, way busier than we ever anticipated, and I've been working lots of long hours trying to stay caught up.  This leaves no time to write for a weary blogger!  I promise I'll start posting again as soon as I can, but for now, check out this wreath I made on Thanksgiving with some vintage ornaments my grandmother gave me!  I love it so much-it really adds some sparkle to our walls! 

Merry Christmas!

Excited for ShoeMint!

Before I started selling Stella & Dot, I was majorly obsessed with Kate Bosworth's online jewelry collection, JewelMint.  It's a monthly jewelry club that introduces new pieces each month, and you can either chose one piece (or more), skip the month and keep a credit for a piece of jewelry, or skip the month and your account isn't charged.  And the fun part is, you take a style quiz and they recommend pieces to you according to your style profile.  The more you buy, the better the site knows your style.  I probably have 15 pieces from JewelMint, no joke, and I still love them all.  I've recently reintroduced them to my wardrobe and have been mixing JewelMint in with my S&D...I couldn't neglect it for too long.  Then StyleMint came along.  It's the same idea, but touted by the Olsen twins, and they sell super soft and perfectly slouchy t-shirts.  Gotta love that.  This month introduced us to BeautyMint, a Jessica Simpson endorsed skincare line, which I'm not in to...I'm very picky about skin care, and Jessica already let me down with ProActiv, so no thanks.  However, I believe the best is yet to come...SHOEMINT!  Designed by the ever so stylish Rachel Bilson and her stylist Nicole Chavez along with Steve Madden, due for release later this month.  YES PLEASE!  I absolutely cannot wait!  The price is a little higher ($79.99), but that combined with the fact that Steve Madden is on board leads me to believe this will be more of a department store quality shoe than the other shoe of the month clubs.  (I'm talking to you and your cheap shoes, justfab.com.)  I mean, how awesome are these babies?

And how fabulous is Rachel Bilson?  I've loved and followed her ever since her days on The O.C., and now I love reading her monthly column in InStyle magazine and watching her on Hart of Dixie. (So cute.)  The only other sneak peek I've seen of ShoeMint is Rachel wearing these on a few appearances:

Needless to say, I'm pretty excited, and I think you should be too.  A lot of people think these clubs are a scam, but honestly, I've been a JewelMint member for over a year, and they send you emails at the first of each month, and then another reminder before your deadline to decline a month, so it's not that hard to keep up with.  Plus, I set a reminder on my phone to either buy or cancel that month just in case.  So you have nothing to lose!  And you can cancel your membership at anytime.  But why would you want to?  You can sign up for pre-launch gifts and guaranteed access to the limited debut collection by clicking here.

Also, in case your curious, you can check out Jewelmint here and StyleMint here.

Happy shopping!

Meatless Monday

I'm a subscriber to Gwyneth Paltrow's weekly newsletter, GOOP.  (Can anyone tell me why it's called GOOP?  What the heck does that mean?)  Anyways, Gwyn seems to know what's happening, and it's fun to read her newsletter even though it seldom relates to my life at all.  For example, there was not a single thing her in holiday gift guide that I could either A)-afford to give or B)-could give to a loved one and keep a straight face.  (Patches that can be sewn into shirts that say "Be Optimistic" were suggested as an awesome gift for your husband!?)  But it's fun to read the musings of one of the richest women in Hollywood, (or should I say London?) and a girl can dream right?  However, it was from GOOP that I learned about Meatless Mondays, and I must say, I'm intrigued.

Did you know that it is estimated that one-fifth of man-made greenhouse gas emissions are generated by the meat industry?  (That's more than transportation!)  And that water needs for livestock are tremendous-1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water per single pound of beef!  Or that high intake of red and processed meat increases the risk of type 2 diabetes?  Or that studies show that high intake of fresh fruits and vegetables may reduce cancer risks?  These are just some of the reasons to consider going meatless on Mondays.  (Read more here.)  If people across the globe chose to eat meatless meals once a week, we can hopefully see less impact from the meet industry on our environment, as well as on our health. 

So yeah, I'm giving it a shot.  And no, I'm not turning PETA on you-I still respect the tradition and sport of hunting, and I still love a juicy burger.  If you don't like that, please send you complaints to thatsmyopinion@getoverit.com. But I don't see why going meat free just once a week would hurt. I planned a lovely dinner tonight of butternut squash ravioli and a salad.  However, while eating leftover Canadian Bacon pizza for lunch I realized I kind of screwed that up.  But I'm starting small I guess!  I'm probably the only person in Texas who's even heard of Meat Free Mondays, more or less considering subscribing to it.  But I consider my responsibility for my husband's health a lot when planning our meals, and while he's a man who never saw a steak he didn't like, that's clearly not what's best for him all the time.  And I've been thinking a lot more lately about what I can do in my own small way to help our environment.  What do you think, am I crazy?  Or will you go meatless tonight too?

An Ode to Coffee

Source: etsy.com via Tami on Pinterest

The absolute worst part about moving to this town is the fact that there is not a single coffee shop within an hours drive. It’s tragic really. We have a Keurig that we love and adore, but sometimes I just want to have the comfort of really, really yummy coffee that I didn’t have to make. Or a latte. The Keurig is not an espresso machine people. I even tried the iced coffee K-Cups, but I dunno…I’m not loving them. Too watery. Some things just can’t be substituted. Okay, so we do have a McDonald’s, and I have been known to stop there on occasion to get an iced coffee or even splurge and get a latte. And it’s pretty good. But it’s not the same. This morning we went to good old Mickey D’s so I could sample their new peppermint mocha, and it was indeed tasty.

 But here’s my criteria for a good premium coffee drink. It has to either A-Have so much caffeine in it that you instantly feel that tingly buzz in your head, a la Starbucks or B-be made with really good quality coffee. There were a few local coffee shops in Corpus that used amazing, sometimes organic, coffee, and it was so smooth and flavorful…something I’ve never been able to replicate. (If you are ever in Corpus Christi, check out Grounded on the Island, Aqua Java or Stingers.) Anyone can add a drop of coffee flavored something into some sweetened milk and call it a latte. (Ahem, BURGER KING! Gross.) But McDonald’s coffee drinks don’t satisfy either of the good coffee criteria.


So what’s a girl to do? Well, the gals over at Junk Gypsy led me to this amazing iced coffee recipe from the Pioneer Woman, and it’s pretty dang good. Half and half is a must…there’s no way I would ruin that concoction with 2%. It really does make a dang good iced coffee. The problem is, it’s a huge pain in the butt to make. But very very worth it.  I've been wondering lately if you could do virtually the same thing on a smaller scale with a French Press.  Google says yup, sure can.  I'll need to invest in one of those thing-a-ma-jabbers.

Yesterday I stumbled across this announcement on the Keurig website.

Starting in December, Starbucks will make K-Cups! So it still isn’t a latte, but maybe it will bring hope to my bleak existence on those mornings when all I really want in the world is to drive through a Starbucks on my way to work. Because a life without good coffee is no life to live.

JOEY

Last weekend we went to a NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway with my brother and sister in law and another fun couple, Jeremiah and Erica.  Ben has been a fan for years, but I'm much newer to the sport and therefore less enthusiastic.  It was my first time at a NASCAR race, and I must say I had a good time!  The race seemed so much easier for me understand when I was actually there.  There was a lot more action to watch too...you can switch from watching the leader to your favorite driver to any interesting chases going on without waiting for the TV camera to change.  Also, it's such a sensory experience...it's so LOUD and the smell of fumes is so STRONG and you can feel the weather and understand how it must effect the race.  Long story short, it was a blast and I would go back for sure!

My favorite driver is Joey Logano.  As someone who's not a hardcore NASCAR fan, Joey may not seem like the obvious choice for a favorite driver.  However, Joey and I have a history.  The first time I watched a NASCAR race with Ben while we were dating was also young Joey's first race in the "big leagues."  I thought it was cool to get to see an 18 year old kid experience that, so I decided then and there that Joey would be my driver, since we started "together."  Since then he's had a pretty steady career, and I've always rooted for him on TV.  Of course, going to a live race and sporting your driver's number intensifies your fan-dome, so at the race on Sunday I was in a Joey frenzy. 

 Joey's car engine failed in the middle of the race, so I was pretty bummed that he didn't get to finish.  I started following him on Twitter to see if he had any commentary on the engine failure, and sure enough, little Jo Jo tweets himself!  (Not every driver does.)  Another reason why he rocks.  Anyways, as with following anyone on facebook/Twitter, the cyber stalking ensued.  I found out that Joey has a girlfriend named Sabrina, so I checked out her Twitter too.  And I've decided that Joey and Sabrina should be BFFS with me and Ben.  Not only does Sabrina also sell Stella & Dot, but her and Joey dressed as Katy Perry and Russell Brand for Halloween!  (Remember my post a few weeks ago about how that was what I wanted me and Ben to dress as?)  Her twitter bio tells me that she likes aviator sunglasses, cardigans and dogs, all things I'm also a fan of.  I'm willing to bet she also likes Miranda Lambert, Pinterest and mint chocolate chip ice cream.  I mean, the four of us could be besties. 

So Joey and Sabrina, if you are ever in East Texas and wanna hang out, give us a shout!  Or even better, when you two crazy kids decide to tie the knot, I'll be your wedding planner!  It'll be great, I promise! :)

   

Friday Favs

It's time for my five favorite's of the week!

1.-Miranda Lambert's new album Four the Record

I bet you knew this was coming!  Of course I love it!  I won't try to summarize, I'll just say it's amazing.  The best review that most accurately covers what I would say can be read here.

Buy her new album at Amazon or iTunes.  (I recommend getting the deluxe version hard copy because it comes with a bonus song and DVD!  And she's wearing Stella & Dot on the DVD, FYI!)


2.-Twitter

Okay, it has been a crazy few weeks for me on Twitter.  In the past few weeks I have been tweeted by HGTV (more than once), HGTV staffers, Rachel Ashwell, Junk Gypsy (regularly),  Target, DirecTV, Josh Abbott (twice), Rich O'Toole, Hillary Kerr, the editor of my favorite fashion website WHO WHAT WEAR, (aka my morning newspaper,) and then by the site director of Marie Claire magazine!  Oh and while I'm looking these up to refresh my memory I see that someone who works for Pinterest tweeted me after I complained about the iPhone app.  (Didn't even notice that one!) 

The crazy thing is, sometimes I just mention their name or company, and they somehow find my tweet and respond, even though I didn't @ direct it to their account.  (For those who don't know twitter, you get a message when someone puts @ before your account name.)  The funniest example was Rich O'Toole, one of my favorite Texas Country artists.  I was telling my friend Courtney via Twitter about how I finally "unfollowed" Rich O'Toole's tweets because they were so annoying.  I didn't @ link to him, just typed his name.  Within five minutes, Rich tweets to his 3,078 follows that "Everyone should follow these two beautiful ladies" with me and Courtney's twitter accounts on there!  I was so mortified that he saw the rude thing I said about him!  So crazy.  So if you are on Twitter, don't think that people don't see your @ mentions, or even just plain ole mentions!


3.-My Erin Condren Life Planner

This is the mother of all planners, and it's going to keep me super organized all the way through 2012!  I got the ZTA version because I had a coupon code for the sorority collection, but it has all sorts of adorable customizing options.  Check it out!





4.-Cooler Weather

Thank goodness it's finally cooling off!  And I bought this adorable coat for 50% off on asos.com this weekend!  I'm obsessed!

5.-Spotify

I don't know how I'm just finding out about this, but it's awesome.  It's like Pandora, except you can pick specific songs or even albums to play.  I'm busting out all my old school favorites from when I was a kid like Mariah Carey, No Doubt, and Everclear.  The best part was that Miranda's new album with the bonus track was on there the day it came out!  Thankfully because the stupid Wal-Mart here didn't have it out when I went that morning.  Spotify saved me from having a crappy day.  Love it!  If you don't have this on your desktop yet, get it!  It's free with just a few commercial breaks, but I think you have to pay to use it on your iPhone.

What are your 5 favs?  Let me know in the comments!

FREE MAGAZINE!

Check out this amazing e-zine Holiday Gift guide from my favorite HGTV host, Emily Henderson!  Decor and gift ideas out the wazoo, even some printable gift tags and boxes!  Love it!  This officially got me in the Christmas spirit! 

Just don't be surprised if you get a few of these gifts come Christmas time.  ;)

Open publication - Free publishing

Happy Halloween!

I really really really want to host an amazing, over the top Halloween party.  Not cheesy though-no grape eyeballs in the punch or plastic spider rings in the cupcakes.  I mean the chic grown up Halloween parties that grace every October issue of Country Living magazine, one of my favorite issues every year.  I'm thinking along these lines:

Source: marthastewart.com via Melissa on Pinterest

Source: dana-made-it.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Source: countryliving.com via Sallie on Pinterest

Source: countryliving.com via Sallie on Pinterest

Source: marthastewart.com via Scarlett on Pinterest

Source: laurenconrad.com via Jessi on Pinterest

*Sigh*  One day when we have a lovely home, this will happen.  Costumes will not be optional.  I will be the one dressed as Katy Perry, and Ben will be wearing a wig and skinny jeans a la Russell Brand.  And yes you are invited.

Any fun Halloween parties on your agenda?

MIRANDA

Is it just me, or is Miranda Lambert looking better than ever these days?  Sheesh!

Okay, so that last one was of all the Pistol Annies, but they are all hot too.  But HONEY HUSH!  Success looks good on Miranda!  I can't wait for the new album to come out in just a few days!!!!



Happy Monday!

Thoughts to guide you today:

modern artwork design by etsy.com

Also, happy anniversary to my wonderful, kind, amazing, patient, handsome, hardworking husband!  Two years, four homes, three towns, and six jobs later and we couldn't be happier!



How to Be a Grown Up, Lesson One

So, sorry for the lack of posts.  I was on a roll there for a while, but then I had some crazy stuff happen in my personal life that threw me for a bit of a loop.  I kind of stuck my head in the sand and didn't feel like doing much of anything.  But I've decided that when life hands you lemons, sometimes you've just got to suck it up and move on.  Crying about the lemons forever isn't going to do anything, and sometimes you just don't feel like drinking lemonade, darn it.  So instead, you do nothing, but you must move on.  Which is what I'm doing.

Ben and I live like we are in a frat house.  Two lazy people who never saw a sofa we couldn't spend all day on=match made in heaven.  We live like pigs, and neither of us really minds or judges each other.  I hate cleaning with a passion, but I also hate having a dirty house.  Since I don't have magical powers or a million dollars for a maid, and since this is a problem I will face for the rest of my life, I've decided to do something about my cleaning habits, (or lack thereof.)  Usually, I wait until the house absolutely must be cleaned and then I have to drag myself to deep clean every room, and do 500 loads of laundry, which takes all day.  This ain't workin' for me anymore.  So I've decided to make cleaning a habit.  I've printed out the following list that I will hang on the fridge as a daily reminder, and every day I'm going to take 15 minutes to do a daily chore.  Hopefully, this will keep the house nice and squeaky clean all the time, and I will be one of those people.  Ya know, those people with the perpetually clean house that you hate.  Yup, that's my goal.

Cleaning Schedule

Monday- vacuum each room and stairs, occasionally do vents, curtains, and window crevices

Tuesday- dust and sweep, occasionally polish furniture

Wednesday- master bathroom: toilet, counter, mirror, shower, floors

Thursday- guest bathrooms: toilets, counters, mirrors, showers, floors

Friday- kitchen: clean out fridge, mop, clean counter tops

Daily- make bed, put away clutter, laundry, load/unload dishwasher

Totally doable, right?  I mean, I could do one load of laundry a day, no sweat!  And then most days, there won't be any laundry to do!  And yes, I don't make my bed every morning...yet.  I can do this people!  I'm pretty excited.  Next on my cleaning makeover to do list is to find natural cleaning products; usually the chemicals from various house cleaners majorly upset my allergies.  There's got to be a better way, and I'm going to find it!  Suggestions?  Want to join me in the daily cleaning challenge?  Let's do it!

Five Favs of the Week

Happy Friday!  I've decided to started posting my Five Favs of the Week every, (well, most,) Fridays to get some continuity going on my blog.  Plus, I tend to have very passionate obsessions that I feel you need to know about.  Without further ado-here are my five weekly favorites:

1-My new moccasins 

Got 'em at Baskins, of course, in the dark brown.  I've been a fan of Minnetonka mocs for years, but I currently don't have a traditional style that I hadn't worn to pieces.  And I love the more modern stud detail, which updates them a little more than a beaded design, and keeps them from looking like house shoes.  Super comfy too!

2-Mama's Broken Heart by Miranda Lambert

One of the songs from Miranda's upcoming album, "Four the Record" was released as a preview this week from Hipstamatic.  I don't understand the contest involving the preview, but I do understand that this song rocks.  Plus, it was written by Kasey Musgraves, who we've seen perform live twice!  Cool!  And don't even get me started on those sunglasses.  Yeah, I need those.  Preview the song here:  http://community.hipstamatic.com/contests/64

3-Stella & Dot's Tribute Bracelet

A rose gold/pave stone layering bracelet that benefits breast cancer research?  Yup, I love it.  (And I promise it's gorgeous, this picture doesn't do it justice. Very sparkly.)  Buy it from me for only $36 by clicking here.

4-My DVR

Ok, this may sounds a little crazy, but there is so much good stuff on TV right now!  I can't even keep my DVR straight!  What's on my queue?   The last season of Desperate Housewives, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills/New Jersey, Ringer, Hart of Dixie, Dexter, Homeland, 2 Broke Girls, Up All Night, The Rachel Zoe Project, The New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Revenge and of course Secrets from a Stylist.  Dude that's a lot when I type it all out!  But it's soooo good.  I needed these shows after a summer of Ben making me watch gloom and doom zombie/alien Apocalypse shows.  Bleh.  And a lot of these shows are new!  Thank goodness I chose the good ones to watch because nothing has been cancelled yet, (fingers crossed.)  The only one I could do without is Ringer, but I haven't given up on it yet.

5-It's a 10 Miracle Leave In Plus Keratin

Ok, yes, it's the dumbest name for a hair product ever, but this stuff works!  I normally don't use salon hair products, (Suave works just fine for me, thank you very much,) but recently my brother started delivering for a salon wholesale supplier.  (Funny, I know.)  So I decided to have him hook me up with a leave in.  When I told him what I wanted, (some crap I found on Amazon,) he said, "Have you head of It's a 10 Leave In Plus Keratin?  Girls buy the sh*t out of it."  After I died laughing, I came back to life and said sure I'll take it!  You just towel dry, spray it on, comb it through, and blow dry.  And you have perfect amazing hair!  I love it.  But probably wouldn't buy it without the discount.  If you are that kind of girl, (nothing wrong with that, I just tend to be more of a makeup splurger,) I totally recommend this.

That's it!  We're off to Houston for the Battle of the Pineywoods football game!  Axe 'Em Jacks!  I can't wait to see my friends and TAILGATE!!  Have a great weekend!

Brilliant App: Run Pee

Since the passing of Steve Jobs, I've really been thinking about how much the iPhone makes my life so much easier, and sometimes better.  So I decided to dedicate a post today to my favorite app, Run Pee.  The concept is brilliant-while at the movie theater, pick the movie you are attending from the app and start the "timer" as soon as the movie starts.  About an hour into the movie, your phone will vibrate to let you know the perfect opportunity to take a restroom break where you won't miss much in the movie.  The app will also give a synopsis of what you missed.  Genius!  I always stress about that at the movies, but worry no more!  And best of all, it's free.  Download away people! 

Redneck Tiramisu

I love to bake.  Really, I love to cook anything.  Sometimes I'm in the mood to try a challenging recipe and spend hours shopping for specialty ingredients, separating egg whites, folding in ingredients, and completing complicated steps.  Other times, I just need to cook, and I want it done fast.  I love pillsbury.com for recipes like that-if it calls for a pound of hamburger and some crescent rolls, I'm in.  Lately, I've really had a craving for tiramisu.  I blame Kathy Wakile from "The Real Housewives of New Jersey."  Sorry Teresa, but it's Kathy's cookbook I want to buy!  So yesterday, I decided I was going to make tiramisu, and I googled some recipes.  I ran in to some complications when I realized 1)-I needed mascarpone cheese and espresso, two things I wasn't going to find in this small town and 2)-it was quite a process to make, and I wasn't in the mood.  I wanted tiramisu and I wanted it now.  So I headed over to my trusty Pinterest and typed in "easy tiramisu".  Most everything still required mascarpone.  Then the word "Twinkies" caught my eye.  Twinkies I can find in this town.  Yet the recipe still wasn't easy enough for me, so I adapted my own recipe from this one, which I will lovingly refer to as Redneck Tiramisu.  Super sweet, but quite tasty.  Ya know, if you like Twinkies.  You're welcome.

  Redneck Tiramisu

5 tablespoons instant coffee or espresso powder

3/4 cup of sugar divided

8 ounces whipped cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 container of Cool Whip, thawed in fridge (I used fat free)

10 Twinkies (actually, I used the Little Debbie wannabees because they were $1 cheaper)

cocoa powder

In a glass bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar and the instant coffee with 1 cup of boiling water, whisking until dissolved.  Let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk cream cheese, vanilla and 1/4 cup of sugar until blended.  (I didn't bother with the electric mixer, just made Ben stir for a while.)  Gradually whisk in thawed Cool Whip to cream cheese mixture.

Cut Twinkies in half lengthwise.  Dip each half into the coffee mixture.  (Just moisten, don't soak.)  As you dip, place the Twinkies along side each other in a baking dish to create the bottom layer.  If you use a 8x8(ish) sized dish, half of the Twinkies will make the bottom layer.  Spread a layer of the cream cheese mixture on top of the Twinkie layer, then sprinkle it with cocoa powder.  Dip the remaining Twinkie halves and create a another Twinkie, cream cheese, cocoa powder layer.  Cover tightly and refrigerate until well chilled.