Thursday's Threads: Springtime Edition

Are you sitting down? No? Ok I'll wait......

Ready? Great! So guess what?! No not chicken butt (well played reader). It's much better. MUCH BETTER!

It's actually warm and sunny today!!!!

Seriously. I know it's hard to believe. But believe it! Which only means one thing: I have a springtime outfit on today. Finally!

Cute, right? My only reservation is the cut of the top. I think maybe the waist should have been dropped a bit lower? It works though.

Just to be different, let's start with my arm candy today:

On my right hand today, I have (from left to right): a beaded bracelet with elephant charm that I got in a stack from Ebay. The others in the stack i think were pearl and light pink? (I can't remember as they have since split themselves up.) Next is a chunky braided bracelet from Ettika, a beaded bracelet from Nakamol, and the elephant bracelet from Ettika. These three (after the ebay one) were all shown in my final LBB bracelet haul. I love how they all look together, especially the multi sided beads found on all but the first bracelet. Nice tie in! 

My left hand is wearing items also from Little Black Bag. The bracelet is stretchy with these opaque mint rhinestones, faux pearls, and clear beads. I love the mixed media in this one! The watch you might remember from my final haul. It is from T&J Designs. (See? I said it would get lots of use!)

Ok, on to the outfit!

The top is from a brand called SOY: Shine On YOU!! Honestly, who comes up with these? I found this one last year at Marshall's in the Juniors section. Which may explain the odd proportions. Either way, I think it's cute enough. I like that it's short sleeved and not sleeveless as most of my cute spring/summery tops are. I also love that despite the delicate, neutral colored lace fabric, they added these studs on the shoulder to give it some edge. I think it would be cute either way, but I love the added decorations!

The pants are from Rue 21. Inexpensive but adorable. I have a confession about these pants... I nearly gave them away last year because they were really big on me. But since my winter weight gain... they fit rather nicely. Glad I held on to them. But really I hope I can have that problem again soon!

How cute are these Wanted flats?! The photo does not really show their real color sadly. They are basically a nude color, with just the slightest pink tint to them. Much like the top, I love how the spikes take an otherwise ultra-girly shoe and edges them up. Beware though, those spikes are pretty sharp!

What are you wearing today? Are you as mint obsessed as I am? Show me your outfits on my FB page:
www.facebook.com/amateuratlarge
Give me a like while you're over there too, my FB page could use some love!

Ahhh Unofficially Summer. FINALLY!

According to the weathermen this long weekend was NOT looking promising. Not at all. They had all kinds of rain in the forecast. ALL KINDS! Thankfully, they were all sorts of wrong! At least where I live. Not far from me, people were hit with some pretty bad storms, hail and everything!

I really didn't make many plans for the weekend other than a pizza dinner on Sunday with some friends and dinner with the family on Monday. That left my days wide open for fun with ponies, fun with pugs, and fun in the sun. Wise move on my part!

Earlier in the week, when I was driving by the lake on my way home, I noticed this sign at the snack shack:

Now if you don't live on the CT Shoreline, this likely means nothing to you. But these donuts are AMAZING. They make Dunkin Donuts taste like a prepackaged cookie. (As in not even a pastry.) This snack shack is ohhh maybe 1/10 of a mile from my house. BAD NEWS for my pants ever fitting. Sigh. So I realized drastic steps needed to be taken, as we all know about my sweet tooth (see here).

Yep that's right. I had to start running again. No way around it. I put on this adorable little running skirt and matching tank and headed out the door. I chose the flattest route available near my house since it's been so long. The one next to Cedar Lake:

I'm not going to lie, I walked up the hills. I paused my watch during my breaks though to make sure I got 3 miles of running done. End result:

Not bad right?! I didn't think so either. Next I tended to the equine. Jamp and Ducky worked and had grass, while Rio (enjoying his retirement) skipped the working part.

Not a bad Saturday at all! Ducky even acted like a real horse doing everything I asked of him on the first try. Miracles do happen!

Sunday was much of the same, minus the run since I could barely walk. Holey out-of-shapeness! Check out what a gorgeous day we had:

Those skies! Am I right?! You may notice there is not a photo of a certain little gray horse eating grass from Sunday... That's because he reverted back to Spiteful Duck and refused to work again. REFUSED. I sat on him for over an hour being able to only move backwards. Clearly he's well aware that I am not a horse trainer. When I finally did get him to move, I decided to take him outside the ring instead, wondering if he was just begging for a change in venue. I walked all around the yard, and then right into the barn. Figured he could carry my tired legs inside. He seemed too surprised to argue.

 I had promised the pugs they could go for a walk on Sunday, so despite my sore legs, we went out for a one mile walk. There is a cul-de-sac just up the road from me, and it's about a mile there and back. It's a nice quiet street which is perfect since it can be a bit of a juggle with the two of them. I dare you to watch this without smiling:

They crack me up. All the time.

Monday I gave all of my barn helpers the day off so I had barn chores to do in the morning. It was raining at 7 when I got up, so after feeding, I lazed around with the pugs for awhile and got some reading time in. (We're reading The Goldfinch for wine book club. Excellent read so far, though a bit long.) Once the rain stopped, the horses went outside to play while I did barn chores. Being annoyed with Ducky still, I decided to ride Jamp, spoil Rio, and call it a day.  Artie, Pia, and I spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sunshine outside.

What a great weekend! So much pony and pug time! What did you do this weekend? Any big plans or barbeques? Did you have nice weather?

Truthful Tuesday

These three day weekends really throw me for a loop. I almost forgot it was Truthful Tuesday Day! Fear not my friends, I remembered.

See that number folks? That means I'm right back where I started. Those 5 lbs I stressed off while Rio was sick are back with a vengeance. And you know what I did about this weekend? NOT MUCH!
Saturday I ate this:

Sunday I met some of my friends for pizza and when we couldn't pick a dessert, we shared all three. ALL THREE. Cannoli, cheesecake, and tiramisu. There were three of us, so I guess it's really one dessert apiece right? Yep, and Monday, there was a rhubarb cobbler, ice cream, and strawberry rhubarb pie.
Maybe this week, I'll start trying to change that number up there... We'll have to see how it plays out!

Anything you'd like to confess? Do you have a giant sweet tooth like I do?

Thursday's Threads

Is it me, or does it rain EVERY THURSDAY? Yep, another gloomy Thursday here folks. I swear I have adorable spring outfits just waiting for a Thursday Threads appearance... Alas, it's not to be today. But I do I think my outfit is pretty cute for a rainy day!
Wanna see? Ok:

Let's start at the bottom and work up today. This is definitely up there on my favorite shoes list:

It's possible I've shown you these before. But either way, I'm going to gush over them. They are black patent Sperry's with some glitter detail on the sides. Oh and the inside? It's lined with sheepskin. Yep. Warm, cozy, adorable Sperry's. Also, I got them last year at Marshalls for like $29.00. Miracles DO happen!

The pants I'm pretty sure I've shown you before:

They are by Earl Jeans. I'm fuzzy on exactly where/when I acquired them, but they are definitely a staple in my wardrobe!

So about this sweater:

It's from Poof. I got it last week at TJ Maxx. I paid $3.00 for it. Yes that's right, I did not leave out a digit. It was on clearance for $3.00. I like how the stripes start small and get bigger (small by my giant butt and big up at my small chest... well played sweater!). If the $3.00 price tag wasn't enough to make me want this, that contrasting mint stitching obviously convinced me to take this home. I paired it with a mint cami underneath (the sweater is pretty sheer, perfect springtime weight) and my S necklace from Baublebar that you've seen many times:

Due to the long sleeves, my arm party is a little hidden. But it's there! I promise. I did some photos in the field today of my bracelets (by that I mean in the car when I first arrived at work):

I nearly did a rerun of last week's arm candy, but realized you expect something new and exciting, so I went with black and gold jewels instead of mint. I think either works with this outfit!
Righty up at the top is wearing all jewels from Little Black Bag.
From top to bottom: The first one is from Geranium. I don't think I've shown this one to you yet, it's a gold chain with a suede strip woven through it. It also has a very delicate, thin, gold chain attached and a tassle that hangs by the clasp. Next is the black and gold Chevron from ETK, followed by the black and gold rope bracelet from.... I can't remember who made that one (sorry). Last is the Mocha Infinity bracelet. I love how well they all stack together!
Left has on my trusty watch of course, along with a stack of cheapies from Forever 21. I ordered them online and was surprised at how nice they are! Nice heavy metal, and made really well! Impressive Forever21! Especially for how inexpensive they all were.
From left to right: The first one has spikes that lay flat and run along both sides. The second has outward facing spikes and a ball chain along the edges. The last one I think is my favorite. It's stretchy, with spikes on one side, and a leather piece on the other with slider charms spelling LUCKY. So cute, and so different!

That's it from here. Do you have a favorite item from above? What are you wearing today?

Truthful Tuesday

On Tuesdays I tell the truth.... So it must be time to admit something to you readers!
Occasionally, I'm not that busy at work. You can probably tell since usually sometimes I write my posts in the middle of the day. I used to fill my down time making trades on Little Black Bag, but since that's over I had to find a new something to entertain me during the quiet time.
It is my pleasure to introduce you all to Jigsaw Planet. This is how you can tell I'm old. It's just a free site full of jigsaw puzzles. I even made some of my own! Feel free to go play them here .
Do you ever have some quiet time at work? What do you do to fill the void?

Monday, back so soon?

Oh Monday. Why must you arrive so quickly every week?! I swear it was Friday like 15 minutes ago.
So anyway... wanna hear about my weekend? Sure you do!

Friday evening Jampy had a routine doctor's appointment. He had a little sedation so while he was napping on the crossties, I gave Rio an extra good grooming. Aren't they the cutest?! By the time that was all done, it was pretty late, so I let Ducky have a vacation day.

Saturday was supposed to be rainy in the morning and nice in the afternoon, so I scheduled some errands for the morning. Turns out, it was gorgeous ALL DAY! Whoa. That never happens on the weekend! It was to be an easy day in the barn, as Jamp had the day off after his vet visit. Just a little hand walk for him (and Rio too of course!), and Ducky would work Saturday.

Ducky had other plans though... That little smarty pants. Things started out well. We walked around a few times to loosen up. Then went to the trot. After a few times around we changed directions. All was quite lovely! And then I asked for canter. And Ducky just stopped. Not like slowed down to a walk, but literally ceased all motion. No amount of squeezing, kicking, spurring, sticking would convince him to move his naughty little self. So we hung out for awhile:

I tried turning him right:

But he just looked at me and winked. Brat. At least I had a lovely view!

Eventually, he moved and I said good enough for today! I had lots more I wanted to do on such a beautiful day!

I had this great plan to take both puggers for a quick walk, and then drop P off and see how Artie feels about running. But it was around 80 degrees and after the walk they were both pooped. Somehow they talked me out of running all together.

Pugs are a terrible influence when it comes to getting exercise. TERRIBLE. I really REALLY need to get back into running as I saw myself in a bathing suit this weekend, and it wasn't pretty. Not at all. This week I need to suck it up and get back at it. NO MORE EXCUSES!
Although I do give myself credit for nearly running.

I even went as far as putting on the sneakers! Baby steps folks, baby steps.

The rest of Saturday was spent hanging with the sleepy pugs and being generally lazy.

You're never going to believe me, but Sunday was just as gorgeous Saturday! It was a bit cooler which meant perfect running weather. Alas, I did not do that again on Sunday. Seriously, this week it has to happen. HAS TO.

I spent most of Sunday with the tall four leggeds again. Jampy had a nice easy walk trot day (back to work for him today!) and Rio had a walk and some grass. And then there was Ducky. I decided on a different approach today. He started off nicely and walked around the ring, but the second I asked for trot he stopped. So I sat and waited. I brought my phone with the Kindle app downloaded and read while I sat there. After about 15 minutes, Ducky was bored and walked forward. I gave a little cluck as though I had asked for the forward motion, and then I made him stand again. Hey, I had a book to read, I didn't mind standing! After about 5 minutes, I asked him to walk. He declined. So I went back to reading. Eventually he walked forward on his own. I gave a little cluck and a little squeeze with my legs and then asked him to stop again. This continued for about an hour. While it was not terribly productive as far as fitness goes for either of us, I'm hoping it was useful mentally. I'll have to see tonight! I'll be sure to bring my book again, just in case.

I think the pugs were still pooped from their walk Saturday, and I was really getting into the book I was reading, so the remainder of Sunday we read and hung out together. Partially outside until it was chilly, and then on the couch.

It was really nice to get some time to just relax. I'm often really bad at free time as I know there is so much to get done around the house/farm. But I do think it's important to have some quiet time now and again. Thank goodness I have these terrible pug influencers in my life!


How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun? Get a run in? Take some time to relax?

The End of Little Bag: Part VI Bags

As most of my readers are aware, I have spent most of my disposable income in the last year or so on the Little Black Bag website. I've accumulated TONS of jewelry, bags, accessories, etc from them over the past year. And now they are changing platforms to be more like an ebay with trading. I'm not sure I feel comfortable trading for used items not shipped from a central location, and thus, this is the end of the road for my wasting money Little Black Bag habit. As a final farewell, I am dedicating my next several posts to my Grand Haul as I like to call it (aka, lots of shipments between April and May). So sit back, relax, and try not to be too judgmental about my exorbitant spending.

This is it my friends. The last post of my Grand Haul. The finale. The end. <SIGH> I saved the best for last though! BAGS! I know you're excited, so I won't ramble on any longer. Here they are!

1. Deux Lux Ipad Case

LBB actually called this clutch initially, then they didn't call it anything. But in reality (and according to the tag on it) it is an iPad case. That actually made me really happy, because that was my intended use for it. I almost got two so I could have one for my Kindle as well, but they actually can both fit in there nicely.

2. Kelsi Dagger Alina Crossbody

I had opened this order with a little leather wristlet, that honestly I bought to use for trading. I traded that little guy and a few pieces of jewelry for this, and I LOVE it! Such a good trade for me. I was so excited when the nice lady accepted my trade, I couldn't believe it! (Thank you again Aaah if you're reading!) So this tiny little purse is genuine leather, and is surprising how useful it is! That little flap in the front folds down to hold cards and ID. The main compartment, though small can easily hold your phone and a lipstick and compact or two, and the zipper pocket in the back is a great spot for cash. So perfect for a night out!

3. Street Level Stripe Tote

This was SO HARD to trade for! I offered well over retail for it, mostly jewelry though, which is a tough trade to expect someone to take. But someone did! I was so excited! It happened while I was sleeping so when I woke up, it was the greatest surprise! I had wanted it to match the Me Too Shoes I showed you, remember these?

 So cute together! I can't wait to sport these with some white jeans and a navy top. CAN. NOT. WAIT.


4. Pour La Victoire Elie Mini Crossbody

My pictures of this bag are terrible. It's an amazing little leather bag! That iridescent section in front is insane! It's so shiny! The green color is a beautiful emerald shade which I could not get the camera to pick up here unfortunately. I knew this one would sell out really fast, so I'm glad I bought it as soon as it was released. The trade offers on it were crazy. People were offering in the 5 and 600's for it. I shipped right away as I didn't want to cave to the temptation.

5. Pink Cosmo Mesh Metallic Tote

This bag definitely was an unsung hero on the site. I had it in my favorites for a long time, but didn't like it enough to actually buy it. No one else seemed interested in it either. It sat in the gallery like the sad, little Xmas tree from Peanuts. Eventually it was given as a stylist pick during one of the bag sales, and I was able to trade for it pretty easily. I am so glad I did! This bag is SOOOO NICE! It's rather heavy, but to me that's ok. I don't keep a lot of stuff in my purse, so it shouldn't be weighed down additionally too much. It's faux leather with a metal mesh panel on the front. Really nice bag!

6. Street Level Box Top Handle Satchel

I really couldn't decide if this bag was adorable or hideous. I'm still not really sure. But seeing it in person, I was pleasantly surprised! It's great quality! The purple is super vibrant, and it will definitely only work with the right outfit, but it's adorable! I love the clasp. It swivels to gain access but the design is so clever! I was also really happy with the inside layout. It has two sections, and the divider is a zippered change purse. I'm really happy I traded for this. It was pretty easy to get too. I think I traded a few jewelry items I didn't want that were pretty close to retail, if anything a little under. Definitely a win for me!

7. MMS Design Studio Cork Clutch

This little bag had been on the site forever in various color options. No one seemed to really like it much, though it always caught my eye. Finally I decided to make some offers on it, and one was accepted pretty quickly. I love neon yellow, so this is so perfect for me! You can't see it in the photo, but it also has a chain strap if you want to make it a crossbody.

 8. Melie Bianco Darcy Satchel

This bag! Oh my goodness... I have this weird love for woven bags. They tend to be so soft. And greens and blues... So much to love about this bag! I traded for this one, and am so happy someone accepted! It's faux leather, so not as soft as it might be if it were actual leather, but it's gorgeous anyway! I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived that it has this zipper detail in the handles! You couldn't see that from the photos on the site. Adorable!

9. Olivia + Joy Zoom Zoom Double Handle Tote

This bag will be so perfect for traveling! It is HUGE. Seriously HUGE. If I were a mom to a human, I'd probably use it as a diaper bag.  But I'm not, so I'll just use it when I travel. It has pockets galore and tons of room inside! The material is really nice too, kind of a satiny canvas. LOVE IT!

10. Cargo Plant Love Tote

This was a promo, but I just bought it. It was either $2 or $3 (I forget). Who doesn't need an extra market tote?! Everyone needs these! Plus the canvas seems like it will be washable which I like.

11. Deux Lux Luna Foldover Clutch

You may recall from many of my posts from this winter how much I love the Deux Lux Luna totes. I have a purple one and a silver one. The totes are HUGE. Seriously I think I could fit in one if I tried hard enough. I figured this would be nice to use along with the giant tote. Much easier to grab a clutch than a giant bag if you're just running into the store for something.

 12. Nila Anthony Lace Barrel Satchel

I went back and forth on how I felt about this bag. It looked like it might be kind of cheap looking but it is mint color... Hence my debate. Suddenly though, once it was sold out and rather difficult to obtain, I decided I had to have it. HAD TO! Stupid time to make that decision. Somehow though, in the last hours of my trading window, someone accepted my trade for it! I almost peed my pants I was so excited! It's adorable in person. Yes, the faux leather isn't the highest quality, but the lace is really pretty, and the style is adorable.

13. Kelsi Dagger Cobble Hill Convertible Tote

This bag is really pretty, again my photos really aren't showing it off. Shockingly, I traded a pair of over-priced earrings for it. Yes, you read that right. I offered earrings that came in my opening with a retail value of $125 for this bag. It had a retail value of $118 so technically I traded down, but to me, bag trumps earrings ALWAYS! This bag is satin with leather trim and handles, and is absolutely gorgeous. Do I need another black tote bag? NOPE. But it was for the Grand Finale of my LBB days so I decided to ship it. And I'm glad I did!

Well my friends, that is it. The END of my Grand Haul. I feel a little empty inside. Probably nothing a trip to TJ Maxx or Marshalls can't fix though. Am I right?!

So what was your favorite part? Do you have a favorite bag from my haul? What was your favorite overall? I don't think I could pick one, I love almost every single thing that arrived!