FOODIE FRIDAY....COCONUT LEMONADE WATER

While waiting in line one day at Target I spotted a lemon coconut water in one of the fridges on the end caps....Looked intriguing....I've never tried coconut water BUT figured this might be kinda delish....

At $2.49 a pop I was going to pass....BUT luckily the cashier took SO LONG I decided to go for it...

D     E     L     I     S     H

I drank it all (one container was 2 servings for minimal calories (I can't remember the EXACT caloric content). I was HOOKED but not happy with the price point....SO while running errands last week I came across the SAME brand "Vitacoco" water at Big Lots ($1.50 for a liter)...do you see what's next to the coconut water?!?! Lemon Juice from concentrate....

(grocery haul 2/18)

GUESS what I did?!?!

TRY IT THURSDAY....Kate Spade Knock Off Earrings

Y'all I'm hooked on instagram like a back alley hooker is to crack (OH YEAH....that's from instagram). Insta is like the best combination of Pinterest and Facebook.....

The girl who posted them I asked WHERE she found the earrings and she said wal-mart....Lo and behold Wonderful Wally World came thru....

I used a few coats of OPI Rainbow Connection (from the Muppet Collection 2012)

 And that wasn't cuttin it....the glitter was too sheer....SO I added a few spots of turquoise glitter polish and THAT covered the entire thing SO I used that as my "base"

and added the Rainbow Connection over the top

SUPER easy and WHO doesn't love anything with a lil glitter?!?!? 

If YOU try this lemme know and maybe we can do a linky party! 

THRIFTY TUESDAY....Buying off season

I am NOTORIOUS (NOT Notorious B I G) for buying things off season BECAUSE you get the MOST amazing deals!!! I am USUALLY able to do this for myself and my kids most times (altho this year I am NOT buying off season clothes for me because I am on a get fit journey and sometimes it's hard to buy for my son because he's in between growth spurts!). Anyway, when I find a GREAT deal I take advantage....for example....

THESE hats...

 The Ca-UTE hate with the bow was $1.00 (it photographs tan BUT is really an army green fatigue that will go with my

'backwoods chic' jacket

and of course my black jackets. 

And the knit headband with the fancy embellishment is FAB for fancy occasions OR everyday for me!!

LAST spring I got this navy and teal bow hat at walmart too...for $1.00 also!!

Good to know that the style is STILL "in style". What's the BEST buy you've gotten off season?!?!

MANIC MONDAY...CUT IT OUT T-SHIRTS for THE GYM

SO I've been on my fitness journey for a month and a half now and I'm (mostly) LOVIN it. I heart going to the gym (timing is sometimes an issue...I just need MORE hours in a day). I like having coordinating clothes to wear to the gym (that doesn't mean clothes specifically designed for working out BUT rather a compilation of things). My FAVE place to shop for short for the gym is Maurice's (I need to do a post on that)....

THIS was my most recent work out wear haul a few weeks ago - major SCORE!!!

OOOOH I look like a mess...LOL!! Anyway, got this t-shirt at the thrift store last fall for a buck...http://wobisobi.blogspot.com/ has the BEST cut up your t-shirt tutorials (where I found this one)

Back - BEFORE

DURING

(fold the back of your t-shirt in half and draw on it with chalk like I did {for a better tutorial visit Wobisobi} you can either draw your lines out OR use something to measure {I used a broken toothpick}

Back - AFTER

(Once the strips are cut gently pull them so you get that striated look)

That went so WELL that I decided to do it to the pink leopard burn out t-shirt (I paid $1.75 for this at Walmart's AFTER Valentine's Sale).

SO now I have some fun cut up t's for the gym that I can mix and match with my pants and gym shoes OF COURSE!!!

A DAY IN THE LIFE....

....pics via my iphone from the past couple of weeks (because I've been B A D about blogging)

Started a project for "Cinco de Mayo"

FINALLY used the "Magic Bullet"

Jewels one day this week #turquoise

I HEART tulips...they're my FAVE

Busted a move at the gym...LOVE this song by Prince Royce featuring Snoop Dogg

Rawkin the new #nikes

After seeing all the FAB posts on instagram about the great finds at #dollartree I had to go for myself...lemme tell you, I saw Dollar Tree with a WHOLE new set of eyes!! And $60.00 later I was on my way home! (stay tuned for THAT post)

It was like the flu suddenly came on...there is a 5 minute difference in the pic on the left and a pic on the right....it hit me all of a sudden and HARD....had me outta commission most the week (EXCEPT for work - still went there)

What have YOU been up to this week?!?!

FOODIE FRIDAY....CHICKEN Breasts

NOT ALL CHICKEN IS CREATED EQUAL!!! I've said it once and I'll say it a million more times!!! In the last month I've tried several different brands of chicken breast and some are "tough" and don't cook up as tender of flavorful....there are TWO in particular that I heart and go out out of my way to find....The first is #goldnplump. I've only been able to find these at my lil local grocery store and this past Saturday I found then at #target....

You pay a lil more BUT to me it's worth it....getting chicken that hasn't been raised with fillers and growth hormones is priceless (because those fillers and growth hormones pass onto our bodies when we consume chicken raised that way). 

These were my grocery fillers for the week (I LOVE using Mrs.Dash to season my chicken - no salt and lotsa flavor)

The other Chicken I prefer if buying a bag of frozen is Forester Farms Market (these can be found at walmart) and cost more than the walmart brand BUT again - tender, no growth hormones or steroids....the old adage of "you get what you pay for" is SO TRUE!!! It does sting a lil to pay more for these products BUT aren't we worth that??!?! We don't think twice about paying $7.00 for one fast food meal SO why not invest in yourself and your family?!?!?

TRY IT THURSDAY....BLINGED OUT NIKES

If we're anything alike we've spent countless hours perusing pinterest and instagram and ged mad ideas....Today's post was inspired by just that!!! I've been on a bit of a fitness journey the last month so I've looked up A LOT of fitness related things.....and was uber inspired by a pair of blinged out Nike's I saw....I contacted the instagrammer and she was NICE enough to share with me how SHE did it (there are several people on-line that will make them for you BUT I KNEW I could do it myself).


I went shopping for my shoes....I knew I wanted a light colored swish....Check out THRIFTY TUESDAY http://objectofmayaffection.blogspot.com/2015/02/thrifty-tuesdayross-and-nikes.htmlpost for deets about #Ross

So I gathered my supplies....

(I'm a pearl girl...I almost ALWAYS have pearls on SO it only seemed natural to incorporate pearls into my gym wear)

 (I used E600 glue and the stones I bought at HobLob.....I was SO LUCKY because the stones were 50% the day I was shopping)

 Pictures with and without flash (had to photograph BECAUSE with flash you get the reflectors on the shoes)

 I'm ready to get up in the gym and work on my fitness!! While coordinating clothes and accessories aren't required for the gym they sure do make it more FUN!!!

If YOU bling out your shoes, leave a link so I can share!!! 

THRIFTY TUESDAY....ROSS and NIKE's

Todays THRIFTY TUESDAY post is inspired by #ROSS and my WANT for some new NIKE's for the gym. Have you been to Ross?!?!? It's hit or miss...sometimes there's SO MUCH to buy and other times I leave empty handed. I don't buy very many clothes there....my go-to's are accessories (they have Betsy Johnson, Michael Kors, Guess, and other fab statement pieces) shoes (Coach, Nike, Sperry)

They have a vast selection of mens Nike's too (and apparently if you shop in the mens shoe section it's a great place to be picked up...LOL! No joke! While taking these pics I got hit on).

 and homegoods (pillows, sheets, decorative accessories  - which I only buy if they're SUPER unique or a steal because the thrift stores carry the old legit versions for CHEAPER) and gourmet food items (seasoning, teas, coffees, candy, etc).

I went looking for Nike gym shoes...

AND I found a plethora!! There were 3 other pair I tried on not pictured!!! They were VERY reasonable (between $29.99 and $36.99) so I wanted them all BUT I obviously based my selection on HOW they fit and felt. ONE pair was like a GLOVE....no others compared after that!! STAY TUNED THURS to see which pair or pairs I selected and WHAT I did with them!!!

MANIC MONDAY...Tax Season

Tax season is better than Christmas in our household....it's the ONE time there's a lil extra money to spend (AFTER all the bills are paid).

The kids know we will go out to eat at a "fancy" restaurant (which to them is Olive Garden or their fave Chinese place). We get some new things for the house (last year it was a tv, a mattress and boxspring for me, a toaster oven and a george foreman grill). This year it's a bed frame for my daughter, bikes for us, new bed sheets....staple kinda things that need replacing. Above was my haul AFTER a day of shopping there were some groceries in there....some frivolous purchases (like 25.00 CLEARANCE pillows from Target)...I still may return them....I pride myself on being thrifty and 50.00 on two pillows for my bed that I won't even sleep on seems CRAY!!!!

What do YOU do with your tax refund?!??!!

ARM SWAG SUNDAY....CHARM BRACELET Edition

I've ALWAYS been in love with the notion of a charm bracelet....something you can add to over time, years, holidays, birthdays, special occasions and each charm represents a moment in your life....There were the vintage charms bracelets of days past....in silver and gold....

image via Martha Stewart Living Feb 2012

I pulled my charm bracelet out of my jewel box a few weeks ago and realized I haven't worn it since 2008....

I still had charms that needed to be added (my son's silhouette which was a vintage purchase from ebay because my daughters was MINE from when I was a child). The top is BEFORE adding said charms...bottom is after....

I LOVE the sound the bracelets makes as the memories jangle together....and as IF that wasn't enough bracelet I STILL layered it!

I have a few sterling silver stamped disc charms in my etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/shop/ObjectofMayaffection?ref=hdr_shop_menu

 

Add them to your Charm Bracelet, Alex and Ani bracelet....or get started!! Do YOU wear a charm bracelet?!??! Let's bring the charm bracelet back!!

A DAY IN THE LIFE.....

...Pics via my iphone....

SAW this baby at Barnes and Noble....thinking I NEED it....like vintage BUT new!!!

Beautiful Illinois bridge (on the way to Cheer competition for my daughter...I was the passenger)

El Paso Illinois....WHO KNEW?!?!?

The girls after competition

Lobby at our hotel....

Chipotle has the BEST messages printed on their bags....

 FRAMED it....finally...guesses to which one I'm referring?!?!?!

Did some mixed media journaling....NEEDED some stay focus inspiration....

Signed up for Living in Yellow's #1800minute #60day challenge

BOOM!!! Gettin my gym on....