New Post on Being Von D

A few of you are already followers of my other blog, Being Von D, which I initially started so I could share information about Hubs' and my life with IRL friends and family.  However, almost all of my friends and family live in the same city as we do, so there's not much they're missing out on.  In light of that, and the fact that I've been blogging here for so long, I've been thinking about what to do with the darn thing!  Well I think I've finally come up with a solution.  This blog will stay the same, and Being Von D will take on a more "Happily-childless couple" focus.  It's not a big change since I've been writing about my happy life with Hubs there since day 1, but I'd like to go more into detail about the unique lifestyle we share.  It's definitely not going to just be about all the fun things we get to do since we don't have kids, but it will focus on topics that are somewhat more relatable to a different kind of household - the adults-only, or adult-centric (anything but "childless" or "childfree") family.

I hope you decide to read along.  I have a new post over there today about Warming the Home, go check 'er out!

Shop Your Closet

If you're like me, you occasionally (or frequently) get tired and frustrated by your wardrobe, but are too poor/frugal/uninspired to purchase new pieces to spice it up. Shoot, even when I do buy new pieces to add to my existing repertoire I don't know what to do with them half the time! I end up with really cute shoes and jackets that I don't think "go" with my average-looking skirts and pants, so they sit on a hanger in my closet where nobody can appreciate my good style. Meanwhile, I continue to wear the clothes I'm comfortable with, but that don't always do justice to my taste.

Luckily, I have a friend with a similar problem, so we agreed to help one other out. We each spent an afternoon at the other's home, rifling through each other's clothes and putting outfits together. It's amazing what a fresh eye can do for a seemingly stale wardrobe, and now we both have several "new" ensembles to liven up our trousseaux.  As it turns out, we already had everything we needed to dress as cute as we want!

If you feel like your wardrobe is a little lackluster, try asking a friend to make outfits out of your existing clothing options, and I bet you'll find that there are at least a few cute combinations you never even thought of. And you won't have to spend a dime!

I needed help with day-to-day outfits and stuff to wear when I'm out with the girls.  Annette needed help with work ensembles.  Here are a few of our favorites (never mind our makeup-free faces and lack of modeling skills):

I bought this green jacket for work over 3 years ago and haven't worn it for at least 2.

This cropped tweed jacket rarely sees the light of day, but it's making a comeback!

My fave: Khaki trench-style jacket that was part of a skirt suit. I never thought about wearing it separately! Paired with a denim-look skirt and magenta slingbacks that I also hardly ever wear. (This jacket also looks amazing with skinny jeans and peep-toe wedges!)

New office friendly use for a cute and flowy giraffe-print top!

This never-worn-by-Annette woven hand-me-down belt now finishes off 3 or 4 outfits, including 2 work ensembles (one of which includes the pencil skirt above).

We paired this super cute vintage skirt with a sheer blouse and perked it up with accessories to boot!

Now go find some new outfits in your closet!

Valentine

I can't remember a time when Valentine's Day was a particularly romantic holiday for me.  Hubs and I usually stay home and avoid the restaurant swarms, and now that our income has been cut back so much we can't afford flowers marked up 100%.  BH (Before Hubs) I rarely had a date on V-Day unless I had a current boyfriend, and before that I was always working in my parents' shop.

Oh how life comes full circle sometimes, eh?  Yesterday felt kinda like high school/junior college all over again, but in a really good way!  In an effort to kick off my new business venture I plastered flyers all over town and emailed and Facebooked everyone I know to let them know about the Valentine's Day balloon bouquets I was selling.  To be honest, word of mouth worked a lot better than the flyers (I only got one sale from them), but in the end it was a BIG success!!  I even got an order for a ton of balloons for a local restaurant.  The owner remembered me from the days my parents had their party store and she was really happy with the balloons I did for her.  It almost feels like I'm in business or something!

After a full busy day, Hubs and I celebrated VD by getting takeout from Macaroni Grill and watching "Arthur."  Then I promptly passed out at 10:30 and slept for 11 hours.

I can't wait to get started working on the next leg of this venture!  I may have a storefront in the not-too-distant future... :)