Taylor Swift Gowns

So I am in love with Taylor Swift Blank Space

It is an really amazing video with some amazing fashion.  I wanted to put them online for sale for my team and I to recreate, but I got several legal notices that I was not allowed to.  So if you are looking for a great copy of great outfits, keep reading.

Click Here for my etsy listing for this black lace gown. 

This took a few extra liberties but if you want a truly vintage inspired look, Click here for this adorable day dress

Please note, I am not associated with Taylor Swift or anything around her.  Please don't sue me.

All images are captures from her video.  Once again, please don't sue me.

Infusing a bit of new style

So I have been working on infusing some more Kate style with a bit of my style.

I adore this dress Kate wore:

I just found out that I am able to get a hold of the fabric finally!!!  If you are interested in purchasing one it will cost $110.  International Shipping is available

Here is a close up of the fabric

Go to my store and send me a message, here is the shop link, Click here

So I decided to upload some of my favorite works over the years to my shop.  If you are looking for new and different check out the shop.  But here are my personal favorites

Grey Faux Fur collar Winter Coat

Red Wool Coat with Brown Fur and Cuff, it comes in a fabulous White also

I love this coat, not just for the Lace but the cowl is removable for not so cold days

Click here for the listing

And the most wonderful of all my coats ever....

Click here for the listing now available in Mocha!

It has been a long time...

I wonder some days how I got to where I am.  I know I am crazy because being a full time student and having 3 children and a house, I feel like sometimes the world is about to come crashing down on my head.

But tonight I was reminded of how I got here, how I learned who I was and what I wanted to do and setting that example for my children.  I really owe a bit to my very patient husband, but a big part to Mary Jane Butters and everyone over at the Farm (click here).  If you don't know what MJF is I recommend looking into it.  I adore everyone in the forums and their wonderful advice.  My favorite was the badges, I loved earning them and I did my best at them.  I even was the farm girl of the year for 2012.

So tonight I was scrambling between outlining chapters of Principles of Management, Statistics 2, and a touch of learning to speak German.  I felt a heaviness in my heart.  After getting 2 out of 3 kids to bed I pulled out the latest issue of Mary Jane Farm.

As the baby ran (yes run, he started walking over the summer) around the coffee table, I was able to take in some of the articles.  The issue was heavily dedicated to bread.  Coincidentally I had made two loaves of Apple Bread earlier today.  It reminded me of my early days "on the farm forums".  We were going through a financial setback at my house and we didn't have enough money to buy bread, not to mention the extra cost in gas to travel the 20 minutes to Walmart.

So after a few interesting posts to read I decided, I could do that, and thus was my first homemade batch of bread.

It is amazing in my time as a dedicated farmgirl what I learned.  For example last week I had some berries on the verge of going bad that I tossed into a pan with some sugar and made about 1/2 cup of jam.  Not for any reason other than Mary Jane taught me how to not waste things.  In the early summer I was able to collect raspberries from my bushes, nearly 2 pints.  I was elated at them, they never made it to jam.  Between learning to can applesauce, and then teaching my city mother, to saving my cranberry sauce a few years ago on Thanksgiving.

As for my etsy shop, that started off as a merit badge, and now is a full job too.  It does even contribute a nice little slice to my household budget.  Mary Jane taught me how to pay for my books this semester.  Even blogging is a merit badge.

I was a very lost woman in 2009 when I discovered Mary Jane's Farm.  Through everyone in the chatrooms and alot of learning, my life is moving forward.  As difficult some days are to juggle everything, I would probably be just as lost as I was if I had not found Mary Jane and her Farm.

So this is my formal Thank You to everyone on the boards and at the Farm and especially to Mary Jane helping me and my family, in so many ways that I can't even count.

7 months later

Hello everyone!

7 months later and I am just posting again.  So back in January I decided to go back to school, York College to be exact, and I love it.  Tons of work with the three kids but work every moment.  Still dressing up everyday here, I hope to get a video of my 15 minute beauty routine in the morning, just because you have kids and full time coursework does not mean that you can't look fabulous.  You might see the new tab, Duchess of York College because I will be writing my reviews for classes and keeping them there to help future students of those Professors.

Also on the diet, I ended up joining Weight Watchers, and right now I am down 30 lbs!  Nearly at married weight!  I am in a plateau right now, as I was back in 2009, but I am still fighting.  Last time I gave up.  I want to be down to my dream weight in about 30 to 35 lbs.

I did start a new blog, not that I don't love you, but please check it out Repli-Kate.blogspot.com it is for those looking for Catherine the Duchess of Cambridge's looks and accessories on budgets.  Please also like the new Facebook page for it!

It is an exciting year here and I hope that I will be able to write more posts for y'all with my time between classes.

Have a great day!

Start Working Out!

So yesterday it was 5 weeks since my Little Mike came into the world.  We are so please and he is developing leaps and bounds.  He is showing signs of smiling and it is wonderful.  We celebrated his christening at our Lutheran Church a few weeks ago.

And as always here were the cakes!

 

And my little Will's 2nd birthday cake

 

But now that my cake is over, I have to concentrate on getting my body in better shape.  This has nothing to do with loosing weight really, more about toning up.  I am 40 lbs heavier than when I was married 7 years ago, never ever go on the birth control shot.  So I am starting to work out as much as I can.  Today we started simple and did some stretching yoga.  I am under no thought process that I can do an intensity workout, but I want to work my way up to them.  So today I did a simple yoga and stretch on my Comcast On Demand.  After 24 minutes I was feeling the burn.  I wanted to know where I was loosing weight so I made up a simple Workout / Fat Loss / Tone Up Log.  You can download the pdf here .  Take your measurements and weigh yourself.  And let us tone up together!

Baby Has Arrived!

So, my newest little one arrived on June 20th, 2013.  It was a boy, I was so suprised and happy, he was happy and healthy.  He weighed in at 8 lbs 7.5 ozs and was born at 3:25 in the morning.

Here is my little guy close up.

So this week is his baptism and I will be baking cakes and making cookies until my hands fall off.  Stay tuned for more information.

But I will let you in on a little secret, I am starting to cheat at my cakes.  I am using box cake mix!  Ohhh no!!!  Not extactly.  Instead of following the directions I am using the box mix, the correct amount of water and instead of oil, melting the equal amount of butter.  I also add an extra egg, it makes for a wonderful cake, with alot less work.

Check up on the blog this week, because there is lots of work to be done, and lots to blog about!

Dear new moms...

So, as of today, there is still no new addition to our family.  Not to be discouraged my hubby took me to the mall to walk.  After our usual once around we found ourselves in Boscovs.  Now I had a feeling to check the purses and we found the most perfect diaper bag.

Now I have nothing against diaper bags that you can purchase at the major box stores but more than likely you will buy something like this

But after one year of use your diaper bag will look like this.

But what is a diaper bag essentially, it is something that you can put into your car that has a wide enough base to accommodate a can of formula, two bottles, a bottle of water, four or five diapers (or one or two for short trips) wipes and a changing pad.

So why does this item that seemingly all moms must have be so... loud.  This being our third child on my registry I selected 2 diaper bags, both for about $100 each, they were ohh so stylish and adorable, then came the angry calls from my family.  Why should I have such a nice diaper bag?  Why can't I have just the regular kind that you can buy in a store?

My question back would be, why can't I have a nice diaper bag?  And to that they would have no answer.  So as my wonderful dear husband was having me walk the mall to start up some labor contractions, we ventured into Boscovs.  I wanted to have a look at the purses and saw one that had what looked like bottle carriers.

We tend to use taller and wider bottles, so this particular purse here was not a good fit.  But it got me looking, what else would they have that could be good for a diaper bag.  Instantly my husband and I found one, all leather, nice high and wide sides and deep enough to carry our regular diaper bag items.  London Fog ended up being the brand here.

We are really excited about this diaper bag and it is a high enough quality that it will stand up to the year or so of use and abuse that diaper bags tend to go through.

Remember, just because we are moms doesn't mean we have to have... loud items.  Proud haute momma here.