Shopping Trip: Disappointment turned Delight!

My most recent shopping trip to the Mall included a trip to my fave department store Macy's.  My husband and I both went with the kids, so I felt rushed as usual.  I went to the ladies departments, where are the merchandise is sorted by brand/designer and I was sooooo disappointed!!!  I had some gift cards from Christmas to use, and I needed some new tops for the winter.  One word....okay two words: Big Disappointment!!!!  Since when has the ladies department turned into the old ladies department?  No cute tops, nothing in the clearance, boring jeans (not to mention they have none in my size), so I stormed out of there to find the rest of the family (at Chick-Fil-A eating milkshakes!!).

Then it hit me.  Go back to Macy's to the JUNIORS department!!!!  Of course!!!  So on the way out, we stopped there, and wooohooooo!!!!!  I found fabulous stuff!!  I'm 34 years old, so I usually feel embarrassed shopping in that area, but the clothes are so much more fabulous!  Well, maybe the quality isn't, but they cost less, they're much more stylish, and they fit me better too!

In addition to the ladies department at Macy's, I've also been very disappointed lately with Gap, Old Navy, and even Kohl's (although they're a little better), places I used to shop at very regularly.  They're too preppy, boring, and plain Jane.  However, I'm very happy with Express, where I used to shop all the time in my early 20s.  They have kept with a stylish, age-appropriate, and even sparkly selection of items that I love!

Happy New Year!!!

This year, I have carried over my resolution from last year....to get organized!!!! 2011 was the year of the purge for our family, as we renovated our basement into a fabulous play room/living room. We trashed, donated and recycled so much "stuff" that our unfinished portion of our basement is now flooded with empty bins!!!

Over the next few weeks, I am going to post pictures of the other areas in our house that I have attempted to get a handle on in terms of organizing. Jim has been a huge help, as there is no way I could do it alone!

Here is my checklist of what areas are done, in process or not even attempted. I tend to be a cluttery person, so these tasks are often overwhelming and time consuming for me. I do what I can do in the small amount of time I have!!

(Pictures will be up soon!!!)

Basement:
Kids' toys
Dressup stuff
Unfinished basement:
(Done)Holiday bins
(Done)Wrapping
Lg items to donate
Misc stuff
Kitchen & Main level:
(Done)Pantry
All the cabinets!!!
(In process)Laundry room
(Done)Coat closet
Upstairs:
Loft/office/craft room
(Done)Linen closet
Master closet
Master bedroom

Top Organizing Products

Mary Kay® Redefining Elegance Collection

Mary Kay® Redefining Elegance Collection

Wow, every year when Fall rolls around, I am soooo excited to see what new products Mary Kay will be introducing for its Fall/Holiday catalog The Look, and this time they have out-done themselves!!!!

Weekend Project: Painting Table & Chairs Black

This weekend, I decided it was time to update our kitchen table & chairs!  The cushions were stained and disgusting, and I thought it would modernize them a little to paint them black.  It was actually quite simple.  I spray-primed and painted the chairs, re-upholstered them, and my husband helped paint the table (which ended up being a little more work than we anticipated thanks to a suprising "wrinkling" effect the spray paint began doing at the very last coat).

Closet Cleanout

Oh gosh, my closet was an absolute disaster!!!  I had so many clothes that I don't wear anymore and things that shouldn't even be in my closet (like framed photos of the kids, a medicine bottle, and my daughter's shoes!!)!  Our closet is pretty small, so I should be doing a big clean-out like this every few months. 
So....I spent about two hours bagging up clothes for charity, organizing my winter shoes & boots (my summer sandals and flip-flops are still down in our shoe container by the garage), and going through my mess of necklaces.  Here are some pics of the before/after! (Oh, btw, I didn't touch my husband's stuff!!!)

Here is a video I found with some de-cluttering tips!

The Hot Pink Swimsuit

Ok, I found this fabulous swimsuit online: http://tinyurl.com/3f2gffn on Sunday and was so excited about it.  I am leaving for vacation this weekend, so I knew the shipping would be outrageous to get it here on time (the swimsuit is sold online only), but I was relieved that I had a coupon.  Well.....I got a little busy Sunday and didn't order it, then Monday came and my coupon had expired.  Big bummer!!!

So I went to Target and settled for a pink and white polka dot bikini top that didn't have a matching bottom, to which I bought a black bottom and white "swim shorts" that would match.  I came home and tried it all on...YUCK!!  I am very flat chested, not to mention that I have a straight boyish figure and a not-so-f"AB"ulous stomach, so this was awful.  Definitely returning it.

Then today I decided to pack up the kids and go into Macy's.  I could not believe my eyes...there was the fabulous pink swimsuit.... in my size!!!!!!!  I tried it on, loved it (it has tummy control, so I felt much, much better in it!)!!!  AND...it was only $44 after my coupon!!!  The lady who checked me out explained that someone had purchased it online and returned it to the store!!!!!  God bless her!!!!