31 DAYS :: INSPIRED OUTFITS

I love a good challenge. Weird, considering I rarely (shamefully) complete them. I'm nothing if not persistent though.

I also love the idea of challenging myself to blog about one topic everyday for a month. Last year, I (successfully!) blogged about my weight loss journey. Side note...I'm happy to say that the journey slowly continues...I'm down almost 35 pounds. 

I'm trying to add more creativity into my life. I used to scrapbook and work on my photography. Neither of which I do anymore (aside from pictures on my phone). Sadly, I spend most of my creative time working on client orders (which is fun)...but also somewhat limiting. I would love to write everyday, but there are often days that I do not have anything I want to share on the blog. And so...the idea for my 31 day challenge is born. 

click the button to see all the posts from the 31 day challenge

So a few weeks ago, I did a post entitled WEAR THIS ROOM. I basically took one of my favorite pinned images of an adorable bedroom, and created two looks inspired from the picture. I actually had a lot of fun doing it. I think it's because I combined two things I love ... inspiration and fake shopping. Ha.

Everyday, I will share an inspiration image. It may be a celebrity's look, a room, a book cover, scene from a movie, and inspired look from a fashion blogger, a piece of art...whatever. And then, I will piece together an outfit inspired by that particular image. 

I LOVE this idea because it allows me to be creative. It also challenges me to think beyond yoga pants an t-shirts. I'm currently losing weight...so I'm sort of in this awkward stage of nothing in my closet fitting anymore...but I don't really want to spend money on new stuff. But, who knows...I may put together some looks I will need to go out and actually try on!

Speaking of...here are a few rules I'm setting for the challenge.

1. The outfit must be something I would actually wear. I don't mind pushing the limits a little bit...but I'm not going to be wearing flare jeans, super short shorts, or stilettos anytime soon.

2. The items must actually be from stores that I do (or would) shop at.

3. The items must also be within my budget. Even though I'm not planning on buying everything I come up with ... I may want to buy something...so let's just be realistic here. 

K, that's it. I'm excited!! Thanks for following along!!

DAY ONE :: INSPIRED BY JOANNA GAINES
DAY TWO :: WEAR THIS ROOM

BLOG-TEMBER :: FAREWELL

Today's Prompt: A farewell coffee date. Take some time to breath, sip a warm drink, and share with your new blogging buddies.

Okay, so this photo cracks me up. I sent it via text to my husband a couple of weeks ago. I was super busy with work and had basically been sitting on the computer all day. I don't drink a lot of coffee at home...but I'm all about staying hydrated! And sonic ice. All the sonic ice. Also, I sit on the floor...at the coffee table...to work. Because...my cat literally takes up the whole couch....and doesn't budge. Nice, right?

I had big intentions for posting everyday during blog-tember. I really did. But, this month just got away from me. I literally keep thinking the beginning of August was a few weeks ago. Um, no. I'm not going to argue though. October is the first of my favorite 3 months of the year. 

Even though I didn't get a chance to post a lot this month, I did get to read several posts from those of you that did. I found lots of new blogs to check in on. Yay!!

I thought for today's post....I would share my progress (or again...lack there of) on my September goals, as well as my goals for October. 

SEPTEMBER GOALS

1. Participate in the blog-tember challenge. 12 out of 30 isn't too shabby. I'm counting it!

2. Continue deep cleaning (& purging/organizing) the apartment. There still seems to be a lot to do (there probably will always be something...I'm kind of OCD). But..I did make some progress.

3. Decorate for fall. FAIL.

4. Go to all my WW meetings. I did this!!! I didn't stay for all of the meetings...but I did weigh in every week...and I'm proud to say that I lost 5.4 pounds this week.

5. The buffet. Seriously...we shall throw a party if/when this ever gets done. Hangs head in shame.

6. Fall wreath. Nope. 

7. Church every Sunday. Sadly, no.

8. Read 5 books. I read three. THREE. That's a bit of an improvement...but still not hitting my goals for the month/year.

9. Set up budget. Yikes. 

10. Send out cards. I have a stack of mail that needs to be sent out. I'm awful at this.

11. FOOTBALL. This is something that will always get checked off. Not a real struggle for me. 

12. Redo design site. Nope.

13. Schedule family pics. Nope

14. Walk 20 miles. DID it. I really blew it up one week this month. I love my fitbit...it challenges me. Now I just need to be consistent. 

15. Continue reading the Old Testament. Not as much as I wanted, but I did get some read.

1. Lose 40 pounds. I need to lose 6.4 to hit this goal.

2. Fall bucket list. Mark some of those things off!

3. Walk 25 miles. I'm going to try to do this beyond just my daily fitbit steps...but we'll see.

4. Redo design site. hopefully I'll have time.

5. Family pics. Need to do!!

6. Continue reading the Old Testament. Need to be more consistent with this.

7. Buffet. Ugh.

8. Blog more. More on this below. 

9. Read 5 books. Trying this again. I have about 10 books on my nightstand/Kindle. 

10. Taylor Swift. Insert freak out here. And yes, I'm in my thirties. Don't judge. 

And....because this post isn't long enough. And because I love to try and bite off more than I can chew.....

I wasn't going to do this this year. I attempted it two years ago, and actually completed it (go me!) last year. But, I just couldn't think of anything to write about for a whole month for this year. However....I have a kind of fun challenge for myself...so I'm seriously considering it. We'll see!!

BLOG-TEMBER :: CURRENTLY

I'm playing catch up for today's blog-tember post. Bailey has prompted us to create something. I would love to paint or draw...but that's totally not in my skill set (yet). So, I thought I would be clever (or sneaky) and write a post using a prompt that I missed earlier in the month. 

Reading... If I Could Turn Back Time by Beth Harbison. 

Playing... Word Brain on my iPhone. SO addicting. 

Watching... Pretty Little Liars. I put it on Netflix during the day and go about my business. 

Trying... to get motivated to work out. I've been doing SO good with getting in my steps. Yay.

Cooking... Made this corn chowder for dinner last night...but instead of bacon, I used smoked sausage. YUM YUM.


Eating... out tonight. That's usually our pattern. Cook/eat-out/cook/eat-out. So bad. 


Drinking... Water. All day err day. 


Calling...  Nobody. I hate talking on the phone.


Texting... C about dinner plans. Ha. 


Pinning...  recipes. Maybe I will use them one day!


Tweeting... my last tweet was about all the penalties in the Cowboys game Sunday.


Going...  crazy....my neighbors are the MOST obnoxious people in the world.


Loving...  Football season. Duh. 


Hating...  that it's still so hot outside...c'mon Fall...you can do it!!


Discovering...  Lots of shows I want to watch on Netflix. But I can't seem to not watch PLL. Ha.


Thinking...  About getting a "real" job. I've been doing freelance design stuff for so long...but I'm seriously thinking about taking a break from that world. 


Feeling...  stressed about making career changes/decisions. Growing up is no fun sometimes.


Hoping (for)...  some cooler weather (have I mentioned that it's still hot here?!!!)


Listening (to)...  Randy Rogers radio on iTunes. 


Celebrating...  the Cowboys win!! Trying not to focus on the injuries. 


Smelling...  all the fall candles. Loving that the apartment smells like pumpkins and cinnamon.


Ordering...  Nothing. Hate trying to adult and budget. Ha. 


Thanking...  God for my sweet, hard-working husband. 


Considering...  going red...or at least a little more red (my hair, that is).


Starting...  to get serious about weight loss. I've been working out a bunch...just need to get my diet on track (ugh).


Finishing...  this blog post! 

BLOG-TEMBER :: QUOTE

Today's Prompt: A favorite quote/expression and how it has impacted you.

Sure, there are lots of great quote and amazing scripture that have moved me. But there is something so simple in the quote above that just gets me. It's such a great reminder to live each day to the fullest. 

BLOG-TEMBER :: GUILTY

So, I kind of dropped the ball on the whole blog-tember challenge. Yikes.

But, I'm determined to get back on track...and what better way than sharing a few of my guilty pleasures with you guys?

-I watch Pretty Little Liars almost everyday. I just put it on Netflix and then work or clean house or whatever. It's so cheesy...but I just love it.

-I also love to watch the Harry Potter movies when I'm doing things around the house. I've watched them so many times it's not even funny.

-Other television/movie guilty pleasures include: Friends, Gilmore Girls, NCIS and National Treasure movies.

-I love love love a good road trip. It doesn't matter where we are going...or if we are actually going anywhere. Just love hitting the open road.

-Clouds. I have about 100 cloud pictures on my phone. Love.

-All the magazines. I have finally put a moratorium on the magazine purchases...for now. I could buy them all.

-Speaking of buying them all...mascara is another guilty pleasure. I'm always trying to find one better than the others.

What are your guilty pleasures?

BLOG-TEMBER :: FALL Y'ALL

Today's Prompt: Tell us about your favorite season. Why is it your favorite and what does it say about you?

one / two / three / four

I'm a total FALL girl. I know that's pretty basic...but I'm completely okay with it. So ready for the cooler temperatures. For the colors. For the pumpkins. For the boots. For the football (praise hands). For the holidays. For it ALL. 

Last year, I did a Fall Bucket List...and I had so much fun with that, I thought I'd do another. 

Now, if only the temperatures would cooperate, we could get the party started. 

BLOG-TEMBER :: BLOG NAME

Today's Prompt: Tell us about your blog name. Where did it come from?

This is probably shocking...but I got my blog name from...my name. Ha!! So creative!! 

The "stuff & everything" is newer to the blog. I thought it was fitting because what better way to describe the mix of crazy stuff I post about.

Growing up, our dentist always used "stuff & everything" as a conversation filler. So she would be telling a story about how she went to mall and bought "a new coat, cute shoes and 'stuff & everything'...". Or, she would be talking about how busy she was with "stuff & everything". My mom and I used to get the biggest kick out of it...so we started using it in our daily conversation. It's still something we throw in if it fits (and it seems to always fit!).

So there you have it. Not the most original way of going about a blog name. But...it's simple, classic and so "me".

LET'S TALK :: CLOTHES, CLOTHES, CLOTHES

Today's Prompt: Share your style. What fashion trends do you love, frequent, or avoid?

one / two / three / four / five / six

I LOVE clothes. Of course, if you saw me in person, you might question that statement. I'm in (and have been in) a bit of a style rut. I work from home...which basically means yoga pants and t-shirts. I've also lost about 30 pounds (YAY!) so a lot of my clothes are too big (again, YAY). I seriously have about 4 "dress up" outfits for church or non yoga pant wearing activities. Ha. 

But, something has got to give. I desperately need to break down and get some new stuff. I'm a big fan of denim (especially distressed). I don't wear a lot of dresses. I struggle with finding ones I think are flattering. I do love a good maxi dress though. I think they always look cute paired with a denim jacket.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE cowboy boots. I don't mind brighter colors but I tend to gravitate towards blacks, greys, navys, browns. I love lace. And leopard print. I also like lots of jewelry and big big bags. 

I don't know if I am a trend type of girl. I like the basics. They really never go out of style. 

LET'S TALK :: MUSIC

Today's prompt : Put your iTunes/music player on shuffle and share the first 10 songs that play.

So, in my quest to lose weight, I keep telling myself I'm going to go the gym. If only telling myself did the trick, right? Anyway, I have to have music or a magazine or something to help pass the time when I'm doing cardio. I hadn't updated my iPod in FOREVER so I actually did this the other day. Here's just a few (12 instead of 10...because I can't read) of the songs I transferred from my iTunes to my iPod. 

1. Need to Breathe :: Multiplied

2. Luke Bryan :: Crash my Party

3. Randy Rogers Band :: One Woman

4. Josh Abbott Band :: She's Like Texas

5. Cole Swindell :: Let Me See Ya Girl

6. Darius Rucker :: Southern Style  

7. Taylor Swift :: Wildest Dreams

8. Miranda Lambert (& Little Big Town) :: Smokin' and Drinkin'

9. Thomas Rhett :: Crash and Burn 

10. Bart Crow Band :: Wear My Ring

11. Eric Church :: Wrecking Ball 

12. Aaron Watson :: That Look

I like pretty much all kinds of music...though I tend to lean more towards country. I was a huge Hootie & the Blowfish fan back in jr. high (don't do the math!)...and in my eyes Darius Rucker can do no wrong. Ha. Same goes for Randy Rogers, Need to Breathe, Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan....If they sing it, I'll love it! 

Oh and Aaron Watson. Do y'all follow him (or his wife) on social media? I LOVE them. He's super talented (and a super nice guy!). 

As far as "new" music goes...sometimes I'm kind of behind. I usually listen to sports talk (I KNOW! Such a dork.) in the car. If that gets boring...I'll turn it to music. That's how I found Cole Swindell and Thomas Rhett... these two songs make me want to have a car dance party! I finally downloaded them.

Some of these are a little older....She's Like Texas and Wear My Ring are songs I could (and have!) listen to over and over and over.

Wrecking Ball by Eric Church just makes me miss my husband. Ha. Definitely a "grown up" song, am I right?!

So what's on your playlist?

BLOG-TEMBER : PASSION

Today's Prompt: What are you passionate about?

There are the obvious things: my faith, my husband, my family and friends. And, of course...my sweet rescue kitty (and animal rescue in general). At the end of the day, these are the most important things to me...and the rest of it is just icing on the cake. 

one / two / three / four

Despite the roller coaster that is my weight loss journey, getting healthy is a really important thing to me. I wake up with the best intentions everyday. The fact is, I just FEEL better when I take care of myself. And getting healthy allows me to be a better wife, daughter, friend, etc. It's important to me...but it needs to be a bigger priority!!! 

I am truly passionate about our home being a welcoming place. I know my husband appreciates coming home to a clean, organized home, and I love watching him settle into his favorite chair with Daphne as soon as he gets home. 

I love decorating and making a happy home. But, we are currently renting and I struggle with embracing this "temporary" place. Design is a big part of my life, but I often have a difficult time putting it into play with our home. I need to make use of all those pinned images and fancy this place up! Ha. 

Naturally, I'm pretty passionate about Texas. I just love living here. Texas Forever Y'all!

Some of the other things I'm passionate about are great "fillers" in my life. I have a tendency to obsess about things far more than I actually live them out, I need to work on that!! Making this collage/list has definitely brought that to my attention. I'm excited to start focusing on the icing!

BLOG-TEMBER : MOOD BOARD

Thursday, September 3: Create a collage or inspiration/mood board that describes your blog. 

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16

I started blogging about 10 years ago. I basically shared my daily rambles. And, that was great...for then. Now, that would make for some BORING reads. Ha. 

I've struggled a lot with blogging in the last few years. Our daily routines are pretty, well..um routine. Plus I just don't feel the need to share the details of my everyday. But, I do like sharing and writing. And, I love reading other blogs.

So, I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out where to go from here with this blog.

• Here's to finding, creating and sharing all the pretty things.
• I love a good to-do list. And despite my penchant for leaving a lot of things unchecked, I continue to make plans for the future. I like sharing them as a (semi) accountability tool.
• Books, books, books. All the books! I love seeing what others are reading...and sharing what is on my bookshelf. 
• If you've been around any time at all, you know I'm on a weight loss journey. I love using this blog as a platform to share all about that.
• Most of all, I just want my blog to be a fun, comfortable, and inspiring place. It's a great creative outlet, but I especially love making new friends! So glad you're here!!

BLOG-TEMBER : IDEAL DAY

The ideal day? That's tricky. I can think of a bunch of different ways to spend my day. This probably sounds weird, but I love a good cleaning day. That's probably not really "ideal"...maybe I should say waking up to a spotless apartment would be the ideal way to start the day!

But seriously, if I were to plan the PERFECT day...it would involve all of my favorite things.

I'd start the day with Jesus.
There would be Starbucks.
There would be a road trip with lots of picture stops on the country roads.
Lots of dream talking with my sweet husband.
We'd stop at some fun boutiques and antique stores and do some shopping.
I'm sure there would be an hour or two spent at a bookstore.
We'd close the day with some live music (and chips and salsa) on a patio somewhere.

I'm SO looking forward to the holiday weekend...I see some ideal days in my immediate future!

BLOG-TEMBER CHALLENGE : HI THERE

September is officially here...so that means the first day of the blog-tember challenge. 

Monday, September 1: Introduce yourself however you like! Pics, collage, vlog, your choice!

I'm Tricia, a thirty something (eek) married girl from Texas. C and I have been married 7 years this November, but we have been together FIFTEEN. He's my best friend and definitely the most patient man on earth!

We don't have any kidlets (yet). But we do have a sweet little fur-baby, Daphne. She is a rescue from a group we volunteered with earlier this year. She's SUPER spoiled, but I love her to pieces. 

Some other things:

• I love Jesus. 
• We have 13 nieces and nephews
• We love live music and road trips
• I'm a HUGE Cowboys fan 
• Starbucks makes me happy but I don't like plain coffee
• I'm currently on a weight loss journey, and have lost a little over 30 pounds
• I love books and would love to write one someday
• I'm currently a freelance graphic designer, but want to get my teaching certification
• I once designed scrapbook products for a living 
• I've been blogging on and off for about 10 years! (yikes)

Okay, that's all I can think of for now...I'm sure there will be lots more to share over the next 29 days. I'm looking forward to it! Thanks for stopping by!!