penny pincher

i only read one fashion blog, the daybook.

this weekend i upped that number to 2.

i found penny pincher fashion saturday morning and i read back months soaking it all in. i love it when that happens.

she's a stay at home mama, and a contributor to lucky.

that's actually how i found her blog, i was reading the new lucky and loved her outfit and followed over to her blog.

the best part is the 'penny pincher' part.

she and i have the same feelings towards clothes....

i hate paying tons of money for clothes.

i'd rather spend tons of money on my house.

that's just me.

i shop 95% at the local usuals:

target, old navy, f21, hm, gap, and tjmaxx/marshalls.

and some thrift thrown in there.

sure, i splurge, but it's not a habit.

and no one ever seems to be the wiser.

in fact, they always seemed shocked when they ask where i got something and i say target. always baffles me.

i'm not too good for target :)

and neither is this lovely lady:

she and i have very similar fashion opinions, and we agree 100% on the fact that you don't have to spend a ton to look like you did.

i have bookmarked her and will be going back.

head over if you want to be inspired.

hope you had a great weekend.

JILL

flowers for friday #114

happy fall weekend.

JILL

{flowers via oncewed}

salted.

i've recently added some recipes to my caramel arsenal.

my mouth is watering just looking at them.

it's freezing in kc this weekend.

not kidding, 80's last week.... 50's (and 30's at night) this weekend.

and i think one or two of these are happening:

apple and salted caramel focaccia.

banana cream pie with chocolate ganache and salted caramel.

chocolate cake with salted caramel buttercream.

homemade salted caramel sauce.

*this one looks particularly delicious. it's made without the addition

of corn syrup. just straight up goodness.

don't do the corn syrup thing.

just say no.

and anything caramel is better with salt.

it's the love of my life, says my tastebuds.

and although they're seasonally appropriate, its always appropriate in my book.

have a great weekend.

JILL

watch out.

{get it... 'watch' out. har har}

because i'm the total blazing nut job

who wants to own this total blazing nut job of a watch.

its at tjmaxx.

for alot of money for such a nutty watch.

$129.

that's why its still there.

if it were a watch i'd wear everyday i could make a case,

but that's not the case here.

cutest little blinged out alligator you ever did see, though.

with his emerald eyes and sparkly scales.

good thing you can score it on ebay for like 50.

i'm not going to get it.

little too crazy. although i did stand there at the jewelry case for a minute too long.

{i go to this black tie charity ball every winter and husband and i are in the youngest 1% of people there. i always look for something young and super hip to wear... try to channel carrie bradshaw or something.

wouldn't it kill it with a dress like this, but with a super plunging back?

gosh, i think so too.}

the nice tjmaxx employee that had to unlock the case and then stand there while i looked at this watch thought i had lost my marbles. i could tell.

i asked her to get this watch out from amongst other normal people watches.

told her it was the crystal croc... and she pointed to 3 others before landing on the. only. crystal. crocodile. watch. in the case.

she was thinking, "she can't be serious. lady, are you sure you don't want one of these other nice watches? look this one has a gold face? or this one? no, how about this one? ok, fine. but you're crazy."

ha. and then i took some photos of it.

nearly threw her into a tizzy.

when i convinced myself to step away, she sighed in relief.

not really, but she might as well have.

she just didn't imagine it with that striking black jersey dress like i had in my mind!

i still like it.

or am i seriously, socially inept as a human, for picking something like this out?

JILL

furrr-fect

boys and girls, it's getting cold at night.

we sleep with the windows open because it's conducive to snuggling.

husband. myself. and dog.

that, and nothing is fresher than crispy fall air.

and miss dog's not little:

{is it funny [read- weird] that my favorite engagement picture from almost 4 years ago is mostly of my dog and doesn't even include our faces? thanks for saying no.}

this weekend it's expected to dip into the low 30's at night!!

we still haven't re-done our bedroom yet.

the places you spend the most time always seem to be the last you do....

but i'm seriously looking to add a furr-bulous blanket to the mix.

this is the room of my ever-loving dreams:

sweet lord, it's amazing.

and so are these:

these fur blankets aren't just warm, they also hide a few faux pas:

like messy beds. they become more spectacular, far less ordinary.

and dog hair? what dog hair? no no, that be my fur blanket, people.

my sweet pooch isn't welcomed onto any other furniture in our house but our bed.

and she relishes in it.

and i like it, too.

they're the bread-

while i'm the insides to our sleeping sandwich.

husband to the right and dog to the left down by my knees.

wouldn't have it any other way.

found these two options for some faux fur.

and they don't cost half of my mortgage like some of their friends do:

it's between choice #1: coyote

only $77. found here.

 or choice #2: lynx.

{kinda digging the lynx. sorta reminds me of the flintstones.}

it's only $69. found here.

thoughts?

lynx.

no, coyote,

no lynx!

i can't decide.

JILL

{images via: decorpad, elements of style, little green notebook, design crisis, lorenzo castillo via habitually chic, and paloma}

it's official.

it's officially official, actually.

i love fall.

everything about it.

all the other bloggers have listed all the good reasons why i love it, so i'll just leave it at that. it's awesome.

(i pulled my car over, put it in park, crawled into the passenger side and stuck my head out the window to get that picture of the yellow leaves. i was awe struck. it was pure gold. i didn't even do any editing. that is 100% pure God's goldness goodness.)

it's also official that my love for polka dots doesn't end at shoes.

read more here.

doing it.

and i am also obsessed with jenny komenda's skills.

she throws color to the wind and it all lands so delicately balanced and charming and lovely in her interiors. this is her mudroom she posted yesterday.

i officially have put her in my list of fearless color-ers, along with miles redd and nick olsen.

those three make me want more. more more more color in my house.

why not?

 i feel like a stalker but i want soo so badly to see her whole house. lonny, jump on it!!

read more here.

so i know it's random, but hey.

happy tuesday.

JILL

happy weekend, indeed.

my cousin and her little nuggets got in town and i clocked alot of baby-holding time.

here are some of the shots i got of the twins when they were born, 5 whole months ago!

in their birthday suits and hospital bands. 

the one who wears blue, he just so happens to also be my godson :)

love them.

then my mom cooked the entire thanksgiving dinner last night and had us over. just because she felt like it. it was kinda amazing.

had a good weekend, how about yourselves?

JILL