This weekend, a couple friends and I took a roadtrip to wine country (Rocheport, MO) for the wedding of our high school friend Laurie. 

{Les Bourgeois Vineyards}

It was a beautiful wedding and we were happy to be a part of it. 

{Laurie coming down the aisle}

{Laurie and Kieran McBride}

{Me, Tabatha, Laurie, and Julie}

 The theme of the wedding was "vintage" and I absolutely loved the flower arrangements.  I loved them so much that I got permission from the bride to take a few home.  I'm going to make them into hair pins.

{Handmade flowers}

Have a wonderful Memorial Day!

(My dress was from Potentials.)

As I previously mentioned here, I am currently helping out at work by driving the moving truck.  Monday was full of pick ups, deliveries, and rain. 

The day started out normal enough.  I went to pick up some donated items from a lady who lived in a gated community full of million dollar homes in St. Charles.  The only problem was that the gate would not let us in.  People honked angrily as I sat there in my big ugly truck blocking the entry to the neighborhood.  I must have looked like I was coming to rob someone because a woman in a Lexus rolled down her window to tell me that I couldn't "tailgate" into the neighborhood because the gate would close on the truck.  Not that I was trying to "tailgate" but I'm sure in a battle between the gate and my truck, my truck would have won. 

After getting into the neighborhood, finding the house, and loading it up with donations, it was on to the next pick up.  The next obstacle of the day was the strong storm that popped up as I drove down highway 94.  Out of no where the winds picked up and the rain fell.  The windshield wipers in the truck probably hadn't been replaced since 1990 so they just smeared the water across the windshield.  When the winds picked up, the truck started blowing all over the road.  I couldn't keep it on the road.  Trash and tree limbs were flying across the road, but the turning point was when the driver side mirror swung over slamming into my window.  After pulling off under an over pass for about 5 or 6 minutes I was off again.  The next hour consisted of loading up more donations in a rain storm. 

After a long day of loading and unloading the truck it was time to take the donations we couldn't use in the store to the yellow box to be re donated.  As I drove down the highway again, an old man in a truck pulled up beside me and gestured that the back door of the truck was open.  We were almost to our destination by this point so I continued.  Once arriving at the yellow box, I noticed that indeed no one had closed the door on the back of the truck.  I had left a trail of clothes down every road that I had driven.  Luckily no one called the cops on me. 

It was a long day of back breaking work.  I'm definitely ruling out a career in moving services.

It has been a busy past few days.  Honestly I'm not used to being busy.  Saturday was hectic and I spent most of Sunday recovering while also doing the laundry and grocery shopping.  On Monday I had a sick dog and a sick computer.  After taking Callie to the vet to find out she had spring allergies, I took the computer to the Geek Squad to find out it is old.  Following that, I tested to get my Class E Driver's License (which I passed on the first try despite what some skeptics might have said).  I then drove the Youth In Need diesel U-Haul down the freeway to deliver some donations to their destinations.

{ Driving the U-Haul down 270 during rush hour. }

I had planned on spending the weekend organizing but didn't get very far. 



Like I said, I'm not used to being busy.  Its only up hill from here....

It literally seems like yesterday that I helped my little brother move into his freshmen dorm at Webster University.  Although he acted cool and collected at the time, I knew he was nervous.  While some things may have come easy to him so far, this was a whole new ballgame. 

Four years and many experiences later, he graduated on Saturday with a Bachelors in International Human Rights and a Spanish minor. 

{ Getting the diploma. }

With graduation out of the way, he now leaves for Rwanda for a couple of weeks.  He's changing the world one international trip at a time....

{ The whole family. }

{ Me and my lil bro. }

On Good Friday the St. Louis area was hit hard with tornadoes.  (See more about the damage here.)  Jason was called out to go to work late Friday night and into early Saturday morning to help with traffic problems and other effects of the storms.  We were lucky enough to not be in one of the hard hit areas.

Although we planned on driving down to Kennett for Easter, more storms caused us to stay put.  After a quick trip to the grocery store and a little rearranging of plans, Jason and I spent Easter at home together.  We went to church and I made a big lunch. 

{ Jason and I after church. } { The whole gang. }

More storms are in the forecast.  Hopefully they won't be as bad as they were on Friday. 




{ Forever 21 top, kensie pants }

{ Etcetera top, Vince tank, William Rast jeans }

Pieces of these outfits came from Arnold's Walk-In Closet, Plato's Closet Kirkwood, Potentials, and Rung.

Several weeks ago I had an epiphany.  While I liked my job and what I did, I felt like I could do more.  I wanted to help people and not just "make money."

The fashion industry can be a selfish business.  I watched The September Issue  one weekend and while I loved this documentary, the concept bothered me.  I watched as Anna Wintour and the staff at Vogue Magazine spent day and night preparing for the "September issue."  Their lives were devoted to fashion.  It was fascinating.  Although I love fashion and I love Vogue, I wondered what would happen if these people spent the same time, effort, and money on actually helping real someone.

One day at work I decided enough was enough.  I was tired of working in such a self-satisfying environment.  I started looking for non-profit organizations online.  One day I found a job posted on Craig's List.  I applied and a couple of weeks later I was employed with Youth In Need. 

Youth In Need is a family services agency.  I now work for Potentials, a social enterprise of Youth In Need.  Potentials is a non-profit resale store benefiting Youth In Need.  On March 28, Potentials was featured on Show Me St. Louis (see video below).  The official Ribbon Cutting and VIP Reception was held on March 30.  On April 2 was the "Friends and Family Event" and the doors officially open to the public on April 5.

If you are in the St. Louis area please come by and donate or shop for a good cause.  Every donation and purchase helps a child! 

{VIP Reception and Ribbon Cutting}

{Friends and Family Event}

{Working hard at my new job.}

Although I like winter, I love to see it go.  Despite the continuing snow here in St. Louis, I am enthusiastic about the upcoming spring weather.  There are many things I love about spring.  Here are a few of them:

*  Warmer weather (of course)
*  New spring clothing trends
*  Warm sunshine
*  Green grass
*  Blooming trees and flowers
*  Being outside
*  The first visit to the zoo since last summer
*  Visiting Forest Park
*  The annual St. Charles County Yard Sale
*  Easter
*  Opening Day

Happy Spring!

We have officially had our rescue dog Sammie for one year.  She also celebrated her 2nd birthday on Thursday complete with doggie cupcakes from Three Dog Bakery. 

{Cupcakes from Three Dog Bakery.}

{Sammie loved her cupcake!}

{Just like a real kid, she licked the icing off first.}

While I never thought I'd be one of those people who had birthday parties for their dogs, Sammie's previous existence in a rescue shelter broke my heart enough to have a celebration for her.  We took her to the dog park where she got nice and muddy, she got to eat her favorite treats all day, and she got her birthday cupcakes.  It was a nice day for her. 

Ever since I was a little girl I have loved bags.  Tote bags, purses, shoulder bags, it really didn't matter.  I would find something to carry around with me in one of my bags.  As I got older my bag collection grew.  Most of the time I would look for a bag that was unusual or different, or one that would perfectly hold my stuff.

Growing up, there was a woman named Evelyn that lived across the street.  She was odd to say the least.  One Halloween afternoon we heard bagpipes coming from across the street.  My mom, brother, and I went to the front window to see that a crowd had gathered in Evelyn's driveway and there was in fact a bagpipe player dressed in a kilt.  The crowd then formed a processional and began walking down the street.  We later found out that this was Evelyn's daughter's funeral even though her daughter had been deceased for several years.  Her ashes were being taken to the cemetery. 

To say Evelyn was odd was almost an understatement.  So when Evelyn passed away several years later, my parents couldn't wait to go over to her estate sale.  There my mother saw how truly unique she was.  My mother came home with armloads of stuff to remind us all of Evelyn.  While my brother received box of National Geographic magazines from the 70's, I obtained a box of tote bags.  Evelyn had collected tote bags from just about every where she had ever been, which it turns out was a lot of places. 

{A "Labels For Sale" tote, Hallmark tote, "Here's Howdy" owl tote, "Jungle Fever" tote, Arizona tote.}

{Arizona tote, Wendy's tote.}

Evelyn left me with several odd and unusual tote bags from all around the country.  I've used some of them, but mostly I keep together in a box and look through them every now and then.  I'll keep them forever and then one day when I die some random person might inherit them and think I was the weird one.  Oh well. 

I've added some of my own bags to Evelyn's collection including my very first sewing project, a flea market purchase, and other bag keepsakes. 

{The first bag I ever made myself and my souvenir from Busch Stadium opening day 2006.}

{My backpack from high school, my childhood ballet bag, my "Labels For Sale" flea market bag, and my favorite little tote from the Gap.}

My absolute favorite pair of shoes that I own are these very tall platform Chloe Mary Jane style shoes.  They orignally retailed for over $700.  I got them for almost 90% off the original price at Back On The Rack in Brentwood. 

The previous owner said she would be impressed with anyone who could wear them for more than an hour at a time.  I can wear them for a good 3 hours. 

{Chloe shoes}

I also got this Anthropologie dress at Back On The Rack.  This dress can be worn year round; with tights and a cardigan in the winter or by its self in the warmer months.

{Anthropologie dress, cardigan from Target, Gala tights, Chloe shoes}

Last weekend Jason and I had a craving for change in our apartment.  I think this started with the purchase of new bedroom furniture a few weeks ago.  We now wanted to change our living room.  We went shopping for a new recliner to replace the hand-me-down we received a couple of years ago.  After trying out several chairs, we decided we would wait until we had enough funds to purchase what we really wanted.  We went home and thought we could get our change fix by rearranging the living room furniture.  Two hours and many back-breaking moves later we realized that the furniture would only work where it was originally.  The weekend home improvement project was a bust. 

I couldn't seem to give up on my need to have a project (see my previous project here).  I had been looking for a new desk for quite some time.  The following Monday I found exactly what I was looking for.  I bought this desk and chair at Goodwill for $30. 

{Desk and chair from Goodwill.}

After painting it, recovering the chair, and changing the knobs on the drawers this was the finished product.

{Desk with improvements.}

Now I have the desk I had imagined for my "office."  While we keep the laptop in the living room most of the time, I needed a place to keep the old desk top (which I refuse to get rid of) and other office items. 

{A whole new look.}

Until I find the right addition, the newly recovered chair serves as the printer holder. 

{Ice covering everything.}

{Callie didn't mind the cold once her sweater was on.}

{Sammie did not like the ice.  She liked her coat even less.}

{Just me, a cup of hot cocoa, and Netflix via the Wii.}

Last week St. Louis and the surrounding area was under a "Blizzard Warning."  For most of the week most of the city was paralyzed by ice and snow.  With several inches of snow and ice on the ground I stayed in the house all week.  After stocking up on essentials, I made a date with my recliner, hot cocoa, and Netflix.

Luckily we kept our electricity through out the four day ordeal.  Besides minor chilly discomfort from the dogs, everyone survived.  Because I had nothing better to do, I ended up baking.  I made a loaf of bread and chocolate cobbler.

While I like Winter, I am more than ready for Spring.  For now I'll just daydream about sundresses and sandles.  With more winter weather already on the way again I'll have to dream a little longer.

{I baked a loaf of bread.}

{Chocolate cobbler.}

While I love resale shops, I love non profit resale the most.  Everyone wins with non profits.  The customer gets a fabulous piece of clothing and the profit benefits the organization connected with the shop.  I recently went to Rung (one of my favs) and got this awesome Alice + Olivia bag.  At Rung, all inventory is donated and profits benefit the Women's Foundation of Greater St. Louis.  This organization raises awareness about women's issues and provide funding for women's initiatives in the region. 

Alice + Olivia tote.

{ Forever 21 woven hat, Vince sweater, LA Made top}

On a snowy Wednesday night in January, Blush Boutique in Kirkwood had a "Closet CleanOut Party" benefiting the Gateway Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society.  By paying $5 at the door, one could shop racks of resale items donated by Blush employees and customers, as well as regular Blush inventory, all while sipping complementary cocktails.  Donated items included clothing, shoes, and accessories all priced between $2-$30 with proceeds benefiting Multiple Sclerosis.

Because Blush is one of my favorite boutiques and I love shopping resale, I couldn't pass this opportunity up.  I found this Vince hooded cashmere sweater and over-sized knit top by LA Made as well as a pair of 1921 jeans (not pictured).  There were some awesome deals for an even greater cause. 

Today Jason and I will celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary.  In a perfect world, we would take an extravagant trip somewhere, but realistically we will probably go out and have a nice dinner...or maybe a nice lunch since there is a 6 inch layer of snow outside.