What I wore...learning to dress the "new me".

So it's no secret I've put on some weight.  About 45 lbs to be exact.  

Now I know I'm not morbidly obese or anything, but I feel yucky and tired and most of my clothes don't fit right anymore.  I'm not complaining and I'm definitely not fishing for compliments...I'm just being honest where I'm at and wanting to share a few tips how I've changed my wardrobe up a little to better suit my new body type.  Maybe this will help a sister out.

You see, I love little tees and cardis a lot....

I love to wear them with skirts, with jeans, with my converse, with everything.

But the problem is I now have this roll around my middle that a cardi no longer hides.

I know some of y'all know what I'm talking about.

Anyways, any time Nick goes shopping with me and he picks out stuff he likes for me to wear, it's always these long tunic tops that I kinda don't like much.  I would wear them for him but hate them.  I loved them on other people but on me I always felt a little frumpy.

But now that my shape has kinda shifted...all to the middle...I was ready to try anything to make me feel cute again.  So recently while in my favorite store, Dirt Cheap, I came across some of these tops and decided to give them a second chance.  And guess what?...

I really feel cute when I wear them.  Bam. 

I would list where the clothes/shoes are from but all of these clothes were either thrifted or bought at Dirt Cheap (which is a salvage store chain in the south).

I highly recommend a handsome little grandson dude on your hip.  They are the best accessory evah!

This is my dressed up version of this top....

And this is my casual version with jeans and flip flops.

My leather cuff you see in several of these outfits is made by my friend Becky.  You can check out her blog here.  Her shop is open at limited times so you gotta snag one when you can. I pretty much wear mine  with everything.

Of course....I still wear my cardis and converse.  I have just had to buy a few bigger ones!

But when Dirt Cheap has Target cardis for $1.00..... I let myself splurge.  ;)

What about you?  Have you had to find yourself changing things up in your closet to better flatter your body type?  I'd love any  tricks and tips you may have up your sleeve.

                                                                                               

ps. stay tuned for a little something me and my girls are doing to get fit. 

There may or may not be some competing going on amongst the Holden girls.

Meet Eleanor

 A couple of weeks ago I posted this picture.

That's Marcus and Blake moving in my "new" vintage sofa.
(And thanks AGAIN to Jason and Sherri for the blessing!)

I was out of town staying with my daughter helping her after the arrival of their new baby.

So... I wasn't there when they moved it in.

I don't like missing out on stuff.

Especially when it comes to my "nest".

So I made my girls take pics with their cell phones and send them to me...

Honestly, I wasn't feeling it at first.

It takes me a little while to adjust to change.
There was just too much going on with all the colors.

...And she was looking a little "frumpy".

But then.....

I made a few changes.

I removed the skirt so you could see her pretty little legs.

Now I'm starting to feel it...

Ain't she just the prettiest thing?

We named her Eleanor.

What?  You mean you don't name your furniture?!

And she's comfortable too.

Don't ya just want to plop down on that?

Even us tall folks can stretch out  and still have room.

And yes, that is a gun propped up in the corner. What? I guess you don't do that either!
Well, I wouldn't do that either but I do share this home with my husband, who I adore, and for some reason that's where he likes it.. I got one in the dining room too...
just another part of living in the country...You never know what you gotta "take down" fast.
Did I mention I shot my first armadillo a while back? Pesky varmints!
 Anyways....back to Eleanor.

Eleanor brightened things up so much I had to get some new curtains
 to match her bubbly personality.

These turquoise beauties are from Target via Dirt Cheap of course.

$4 a panel!  Yowza!  I love it.

And while I'm professing my love of Dirt Cheap again

I must say that it came through in a big way this last trip...
(For those of you who have no idea what a Dirt Cheap store is... it's a salvage store that sells all kinds of stuff REAL cheap. Stuff from Target, Kohls, Sears, Walmart....just about anywhere. The stuff that people change their mind on and return to the store...it often ends up at Dirt Cheap.  But you gotta dig for it. It's wonderful.  By the way...that rug came from DC...$20 from Target!  Cha Ching! love it!)

I went in looking for turquoise panels and when I found one I was thrilled..

but to find ALL four that I needed...well that is amazing.

And if that wasn't enough...my hubs was in need of a release for his bow.

As in bow and arrow stuff to deer hunt with....

And you guessed it....he found one.  At Dirt Cheap.  That just shouldn't happen.

But it did.

God's good like that.


Happy Monday Y'all!
Stephanie :)


linking up today over at

I was raised on "The Street"

Funny story about this shirt.

This week while I was staying with Elizabeth, I came out of the bedroom after  getting dressed for the day. Rosalyn, my 2 1/2 yr old granddaughter was busy playing in the living room.

 When I walked into the room, she looked up,  gasped,  stopped dead in her tracks, threw her arms to her side, and said as serious as can be, in her sweet little southern drawl,
 "I.      Wont.      That.      Shirt!" 

 (translated for y'all non country-talking folks... I want that shirt.)

 I felt like we were in an episode of ICarley or something. So dramatic.... I dont know where she gets this stuff. ;) It was all I could do to not tinkle right then and there.  And by the way,  I'm thrilled she shares my appreciation for Big Bird and and all the crew on Seseme Street :)....that was my Yo Gabba Gabba  back in my day!

This entire outfit came from Dirt Cheap. My all time favorite store. 

My sweater was $2. My t-shirt was $2. And I splurged on my skirt and paid a whopping 5 bucks...but only cuz it's a basic piece that I can wear with everything.

 I'm serious.. $5 is way more than what I spend at D.C.

This girl's growing up... Literally.

She has outgrown just about everything so i was forced to take her shopping.

She and I had a "Honey and Toot Toot Day"

Here's what we wore..

I'm sportn' my same blue $2 sweater with a striped tank from dirt cheap with a ruffled skirt from tjmaxx.

Miss Thang is wearing her gray cropped cardi with a long white cami and a black tuile skirt. 

And take note of the pink converse she is rockn'.

We were all set to shop til we dropped.

Here she is all smiles after finding a new necklace just like me and her momma wear. 

We found this little cutie at The Children's Place.

Her favorite find of the day...

Her new gray suede ruffled boots! She even has a pair of pink knee high socks peeking out. We found the boots at K-Mart for all you inquiring minds. They come in black and plum too.

And she really loves the fact they they look like her Aunt Lauren's boots :)

Nothing like finishing up a long day of shopping with a little ice cream.

Already looking forward to the next time :)

Well...that's what we wore.

I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy for "What I Wore Wednesday".

Go check out what everyone else is wearing these days :)