I'm back on track & bringing you all the latest in frugal fashion options! And myself, shamelessly mugging for the camera:) But over there at www.amycarriere.com. Not here. There. So go!
Update...
- 2/05/2009
I am having a mini blogging slump since I'm in the process of migrating the blog to self-hosted Word Press. It's not totally ready but I've been putting a lot of time into it & am giddy & want to move it like now! :) But I am also dealing with all the technical issues that come with moving around web page files. There is still lots to be done so please forgive me a little down time with the posting.
I promise, there are lots more to come, already on deck. So, please check back soon as I'm really hoping to have it off the ground by next week. *Crossing fingers*
Before She Got Clean...
- 2/03/2009
These are pics of the Poe-dog the day we got her. She had been found by Elizabeth who then brought the poor wee dog to work to try to find her a home. So, we ended up with a little surprise Christmas pooch to love and cuddle and bath (a lot).
Her hair was soooo long & matted. She is also hard to get a picture of, even now. She is constantly moving. And I can truly say these photos do no justice to the horrendous shape she was in.
Now, of course, she is completely adorable & lovable & off the smack:
I realized that I do in fact have quite a few readers as I've checked my stats lately. (I see you!)
[Even though not many leave comments. And I do encourage commenting :) Please don't be shy. I appreciate each & every one I get. It makes me feel that I am doing something right LOL.]
Anyway, I want to ask all of y'all out there what kind of posts that I do are your favorite that you would like to see more of. So, drum roll please... My first poll here at MissAmyShops.com. Please share your opinion & help me keep making this blog better & more interesting. I mean, of course it's already interesting to me but c'mon - I don't do it just for myself! It's to help, encourage, inspire others, even if it's something as shallow as fashion, right? So, please take part & clue me in.
"Shopstyle is a really cool community where you can create a Stylebook, a Wish List and more. Plus you can sign up for Sale Alerts to go to your email on the brands & items you choose. Pretty nifty little site."
New Social Links
- 1/10/2009
I have updated the Helpful Links lens I have over at Squidoo. I added a Social Stuff section. So far there are links to online party planning resources but there will be more to come! So check it out!
Dog Rescue at Christmas Time
- 1/03/2009
This was one of our Christmas presents this year. She came into our life on December 20, 2008.
I had taken the day off from work to be at home with my dad who was in town for the holiday. My dear hubby called - he works for the school system & a lady that works at one of the schools had found this cute little thing. She had loaded up her car for the day, left the doors open to attend to something else, came back & discovered this sad little mess inside her car.
She brought her to work with her & we ended up the proud owners of a new little dog. When we met her her hair was so matted that the groomers I took her to couldn't even get the clippers through it. We had to take her to a veterinarian who put her under so they could cut her without hurting her. She also was covered in burrs & tons of other nasty stuff.
So, the photos are her after the (very expensive) haircut. She actually looked like a kindergarten project gone wrong, like some little kid had randomly glued cotton balls all over her. And then ran her over with a lawn mower.
Any ideas what kind of dog she is? We've heard Lhasa Apse or Pekingese and we guess there's probably some Dachshund in there - she has a very long body & really short legs.
Anyway, she's a cutie & very sweet. She does like to get dirty - making her high maintenance, since she's white. But we're getting her a real haircut next weekend right after her second vet visit.
Good Things to Do on New Years Day
- 1/01/2009
1. Break down & put all your Christmas decorations away. I love doing this - it's almost like a meditation for me. I get to be totally anal & re-organize so all the new stuff (from after-Christmas sales) fits in with all the older but still dear to me things. Also, go through & get rid of a few things that haven't gotten used in a couple seasons.
2. Put the house back together. If you had guests or parties, this is a good one. I'm cleaning the guest bedroom bedding as well as adding a bedskirt to the bed in there. Plus getting caught up on our own laundry that we have much overlooked lately. Also, throwing out our rug that was a victim in the introducing of a new dog. But that's another story...
3. Get husband to hang stuff since he's around. I always end up saving up loads of mini-projects like this - I have so many things propped against the wall, waiting for his magic hanging touch.
4. Go through files & get rid of anything more than a year old. Not including the papers you need to hold onto longer - like mortgage info, etc. Find guidelines for that here. This is another of those projects I love to do on NYD.
Well, sorry for the no-photo post, but I'm still in my pj's & I'm not looking very photogenic. But I swear - one of my NY's res is to take more & better photos. Stay tuned...
New Years Res...
- 12/30/2008
I know, I know, everyone is doing either New Years Resolution posts or anti-New Years Resolution posts. But it does make me feel better to put my list out there. This way I'll have a record of it to check back on next year...
1. Instead of trying to lose weight, my new goal is to get healthier. And... instead of just having that vague goal though, I am going to pick small changeable specific steps I can take to approach that goal. Thing 1 is to get to the gym or otherwise get moving at least 3 times per week. I'm also keeping a food diary again. Other specifics that I will work on over time is - get 5 fruits/veggies per day, cut down on meat eating &/or add more lean protein, quit eating at a certain time of night, drink more water, add weight training or load bearing exercise, grow (& eat!) more of my own vegetables.
The list goes on but I am starting small with 3 times per week exercise & keeping a food journal for now. Once they become second nature I will add another change to make a habit.
2. I am going to focus on frugal fashion posts. I will be including the prices of what I find & where I things more often. I will be doing a lot of re-con & DIY. I have tons of reference for ideas for the coming year - stay tuned! I will also try to take more pics & have in general better photos of outfits & details.
3. I intend to migrate my blog to WordPress - I think that will be a big pain in the ass to do but I also think it will make blogging easier & more rewarding. There are so many things you can do in WordPress that Blogger just doesn't seem capable of. But anyway, that's a whole new ballgame - different server, more CSS to learn and so much more...
So, I think that's it for now. Health needs to become a priority & I want to continue to make this blog better & more useful to everyone out there who reads it!
Merry Christmas to All!
- 12/24/2008
I just want to take this opportunity to say that I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season!
I am on overload (always happens this time of year) and am glad Christmas Eve is finally here. I hope you enjoy yours!
Me & mine are planning to make a sampling of appetizers for our Christmas Eve feast - easy & yummy. Then tomorrow starts the real festivities with the present opening & the traditional Christmas dinner. Yay! I even made a french chocolate cake I've not made before - can't wait to crack into that.
Anyway, I hope you all have wonderful plans & if not, enjoy your alone time. I know I don't get nearly enough of that myself :)
Again, have a wonderful holiday & as always, thanks for reading my lowly blog :)
Christmas 2008 Decor
- 12/03/2008
I got out the tree & the wrapping paper this weekend. Actually, I'll fess up - I couldn't even wait till Thanksgiving weekend! I got it all out a few nights before & started in to it. Anyway, here are photos of my dark Christmas decor. Disclaimer: I really didn't find enough black/dark ornaments last year & even though I filled in with black & silver bows, it still looks pretty slim. Plus I forgot to photograph the tree with the awesome tree skirt - black velvet with a black beaded tree. So, these actually look pretty skimpy to my eye. Thus, I'll have even more fun during after Christmas shopping - I'll be looking for more black and probably a tree with white lights!
Update
- 10/23/2008
Hey all! Things have been happening so fast around here I haven't had time to update, even though I have a couple posts on the burner.
Coming soon will be a fabric necklace I made from an thrift store shirt and a shirt re-con. I actually made a Kenneth Cole top several sizes bigger.
There won't be as many outfit posts since I am now working in the mornings with children - I've been tending to wear very practical, comfortable & washable things. It has been very interesting so far, more on that later.
Party Pics
- 10/04/2008
So, here are a couple pics from the party prep. I think I mentioned in the last post that my BF from high school flew in & surprised me. She & my husband had been in cahoots for weeks apparently.
The best photos from the actual party are on her camera so they may make an appearance in a later post.
She captured the water balloon fight on film. My husband had set up two large slingshots at each end of our yard & it was a total hit (no pun intended? - you decide).
In the midst of prepping the night before my hubby showed up with my bestie & we hung out. The next day we prepped some more. I frosted & sprinkled all the cupcakes as well as assembling the most adorable hamburger cookies (see photo above). Everyone looooved them!
We also ran to the store to get ingredients for even more goodies. Miss H made some very tasty mushrooms puffs as well as a delectable cold veggie pizza (see right). They were all demolished by night's end. We also grilled hamburgers & hot dogs - typical cookout fair. We didn't even end up pulling out the 2-ton bags of tater tots I bought. There was simply too much food LOL.
So now we'll be eating leftover hot dogs & tots for weeks!
Other than the food - everyone that showed up seemed to have a lot of fun which is always my goal as a hostess. I even saw at least one number being exchanged - success! There were three babies present as well as two dogs besides our own. It made for a nice mix of stuff happening & conversation was easy. Another big time goal for this hostess.
So, all in all, I had a great time. I think my Miss H had a lot of fun as well. I will dub this party a success!
I am going to sell off the store stock like I meant to a while back. I'll still have an occasional listing but get rid of the ebay store. But I will continue to shop in the thrift to get my shopping fix inexpensively. Anyway, stay tuned for lots of auctions. You'll probably be able to snag some great deals!
I do want to focus on improving my web design skills. So, I've come up with an idea. I'm hoping if I put this out there, I will stick to it:
I propose to create a new faux website mockup once a week. I will rely on istock.com's free photo of the week for inspiration. I've always done well if I have a structure, like weekly assignments. I'm hoping this will push me to do better each week. I intend to display my results on this site, so stay tuned for some fresh design coming your way!
Other than that I intend to get out there & meet other business owners, attend networking events, etc... This one is really hard for me as I am a total homebody with zero social skills. LOL.
Any time I have left once I get home at night will be: excercise (20 min video), keep up with keeping the kitchen clean (a huge bad habit I have is leaving it as is & dealing with it on the weekends), gardening, sewing, reading & movies. In about that order.
I've been finding lately, since we got our wonderful dog Dante, that it's easier for me to just enjoy & go with the flow. Anytime he wants to go outside we'll go out & throw his ball around. It's nice to be able to do that & just enjoy our time. I want to do this more & not be on a constant schedule like I tend to do.
What to Do, What to Do...
- 8/06/2008
I am going to re-visit a theme I know well. You may have been here with me as well in previous posts.
I feel like I am being pulled in many directions all the time. Unfortunately, I can't blame anyone for this except myself. I'm the one that constantly comes up with more things I could be doing. I'm the one that mans the to-do lists in my head.
It's like I want to accomplish something, in some tiny way be some sort of celebrity. I think I've come to the realization that I need to give that up completely. I just don't have the charisma or the verve to be well-known. Or the energy, frankly. I'm just such a homebody. I isolate myself & that's the way I prefer it. I have spurts of online presence but I can't manage to keep them up.
I decided to make a list of all the things I do (or want to) and decide what I can let go. I feel like much of what I do is spinning my wheels.
OK, here goes:
Web Design (My Job) - obviously necessary & (lucky for me) enjoyable as well. I keep wanting to increase my skillset but contantly get distracted with other things. Maybe I will finally seize the day.
Ebay Store - I'm not sure if I make enough money for this to be worth my time to be honest. I think I will let the store go but keep my eye out for big money-makers when I shop & simply put up a listing once in a while. That gets rid of the store fee & all the time I put into the store - shopping, photographing, listing, sending. It really takes it out of me & I probably only make a few cents per hour. However, it does give me enough money to shop a little more frequently than I would otherwise be able. But, maybe I'll just stick to the thrifts & go less often.
Online presence (blog, flickr, squidoo, social networks) - I'll keep the blog but write in it less & only when I feel an actual need to do so. I love flickr but need to pay in order to have more photos shown - so if I'm not using it to promote anything there's probably no real need to do that. Same with Squidoo - no sense putting out the effort if I'm not promoting anything. Most social networks I can let go. MySpace & Facebook will always be there for me though. They can be good tools to keep up w/ friends & family.
Hobbies (gardening, sewing) - I'll keep up with these. They are relatively inexpensive & if I can manage to grow some of my own veggies it would save me some money. One thing though - if I'm not posting tutorials on crafts & sewing, should I really bother? I'm pretty sure the answer is "yes". It's a great skill to have & just because I'm not promoting myself as a big fashionista doesn't mean I should abandon fashion altogether, am I right?
Health (diet, excercise) - This is the one I need to focus on most right now & seems to be the hardest to focus on. I've been so distracted & stressed by other things. But I need to put my health first & do this for me.
Networking for work - I need to start doing this. I feel it's very important at this point in my career & want to try to do it more.
Fashionista group - I've considered starting a meetup in Naples/Ft. Myers for fashionistas but I'm not sure about it. It sounds like it could be fun - hanging out with other girls who are into fashion - shopping, dining out, seeing movies. But I don't know. It seems like a lot of effort to make new friends with people I don't even know yet. I'll be thinking about this one. It could be fun or it could be a total waste of my time & energy.
This is just me unloading what is in my mind. I tried to make a list last night & decide if I was doing all the things I do for money or for fun & most of them ended in both columns.
I just keep finding myself on this treadmill in my head. I need to get off & realize that I just need to do things that I want to do, not to show everyone else I've done them but because they will enrich my life, even if no one is looking.
Layers of Interest
- 7/25/2008
You may have noticed that I've added my Amazon wishlist to the side of this blog. I did that just to share a little more about myself. But since setting it up I have noticed that it is very telling as far as my past & present hobbies.
The very last item on my list - the first one I put there - is The Art of Makeup by Kevin Aucoin. Now, I've always been a huge fan of make-up & makeover books in general (still am), but Kevin is the reigning king. I believe I have all the other books he did - I just need this one.
Next are several books from my "Book to Movie" list. Yes, I am one of those. Recently I've decided it's a little redundant to do this, since the movie versions have been better lately. Why not save my reading time for a book that I can't watch?
Then there are a couple books from my "Sci-Fi Award Winners" list. A couple from my "Super Crazy Authors I Want to Try" list. A Nick Bantock boxed set - still love him! A couple recommended by a friend from a former era. A web design/CSS book recommended by another designer.
Then, it seems the hobbies begin: Jewelry making (got rid of most of these but kept one or two), Weight Watcher cookbooks, Cyber-punk reads, more style/fashion books (loads - I do believe this will always be an obsession!), Knifemaking, Photoshop & Web Design books & mags (keep meaning to get better at my real job...), Surrealism - especially by women, Frugality guides (still need these!), Items from a list in Elle - design/fashion/etc..., Vintage fashion books - for when I started my store & thought I might focus on "vintage", Blogging books.
This last couple pages are filled with DIY, fashion, reconstructionist, sewing & crafting books. That's the latest things I've been really interested in.
I just thought this was an interesting observation. So, what does your wishlist say about you?
I'm Back!
- 5/31/2008
I am back at home now and ready to get back to normal life.
My store is back online and ready for new listings.
I had planned to get out to see the Sex & the City movie this weekend. I'll see if I get a chance. I've just got to see it on the big screen!
I'm trying to get my house back to normal after unpacking. It can be quite a chore. My husband did do pretty good at keeping the house from going to hell while I was gone so it shouldn't be too hard on me LOL. And he's finishing up our master bathroom remodel - pictures to be posted soon!
I did have a really nice vacation despite attending my brother's funeral the day after I got there. By extending my stay I got to spend time with a lot of friends & family that I hadn't expected to see this year. (Originally, I had planned to eschew my normal vacation due to lack of funds but a funeral like this calls for use of credit.)
It's so hard to realize I won't see him again though. I already miss him so much.
Anyway, I'm back & ready to move forward with life.
Welcome back, Miss Amy! We missed your wit and shopping advice. My feet are your willing model anytime. And please, do check into why professional, low-heeled, fashionable blue shoes are so hard to find (wide width preferably)! I await your response. (And let's do the shopping and lunch thing again . . . maybe when Miss Stacy can join us?)
Well, my dear, I am glad to be back on the beat. I am planning to post about your problem once I have solved the mystery of the missing blue shoes. Shopping & lunch anytime - you know me!
I'm on hiatus for a while & will pick up writing once I get back from an impromptu vacation.
In the meantime, add me to your feedreader & continue to check back! I'll be gone for just over a week and can't wait - I have so many posts saved up in my head. I only hope I will get them down while they are still relevant. Fashion moves so fast LOL.
Relay of Life 2008
- 4/23/2008
I participated in the Relay for Life over the weekend with the company I work for.
My boss-lady is actually a cancer survivor & I'm glad she's still around. Besides the fact that she employs me, I also consider her a very good friend and I'm glad I've gotten to know her. Her father-in-law is also a survivor while his wife, unfortunately, is no longer with us due to the disease. So, this is obviously an important cause for them and, by extension, to me as well.
I've never done a Relay for Life, or really any other fundraiser before. I expected it to be pretty boring but it turned out to be really fun. There were tents everywhere with games & so many different kinds of food - yum! Also, there were many events that were unique to the relay to honor the survivors, the lost and the caretakers.
I dressed for comfort & most others did as well. I always start thinking at any event like this about how I should have dressed, how to be comfy & cute despite the sun and the walking and being in the outdoors - you get my meaning. I end up critiquing everyone else's looks (and mine when I see myself in the mirror) to think about how they (or mine) could have been done better.
But to be honest, outdoor, walking a lot type events - concerts, theme parks, fundraisers - tend to be tricky to dress for.
Only one outfit stood out to me and she is pictured above to the right. I love the hat - so practical in the strong Florida sun. And the clothes are basic but look comfortable & lightweight. If you want to see what I wore - so boring! but practical - click here to see me in MyStyleDiary.
But here is a post that made me happy over at WhoWhatWearDaily. I'm glad to know someone else was thinking about this. And I will try to take their tips. I so love the shorts outfit!
