Another Closet Staple - The Chambray Shirt

My monthly guest, Christine is back to share another fashion trend - Chambray shirts.  I, for one, love this staple and look forward to wearing mine once the cooler temps start.  Over to you Christine...

Hello Jessie Street readers, I'm back once again to continue on my theme of "staple pieces" for your closet, I have created a few looks working with the classic Chambray shirt. First, yes you can pull this off at the office, a good way to make it office friendly and professional is with a black pencil skirt and pumps. Second look is for weekend wear, the possibilities are endless. Here I have paired it with a bohemian sandal and fedora to make the look trendy and ultra stylish. And last but not least, the third way to incorporate a chambray top into party wear is to pair it with a sparkly skirt. Once again the rule of contrasting pieces of clothing works here. The casual chambray shirt with the uber- glam skirt. Right now the stores are full of chambray shirts. My favourite is the JCrew Chambray top at $80 but you can find a cheap one at Forever 21 for less than $30. Either way the possibilities are endless and it is sure to be a great piece to have in your closet for years to come!

 

Ready, Set...READ - Month #3

Welcome Back!! I decided to take a little break from the blog this past month to enjoy the last bits of summer before the kids start Kindergarden (gasp!!) and Preschool! We had a great month and I can't remember a summer where we have had such amazing weather!!

I was able to read a ton of books this month and today, I've decided to review the most recent book that I finished...."Before I Go to Sleep" by S.J Watson. Holy cow, it was good and I may or may not have put on a movie for the kids to watch so I could read more;) It's mystery that will having you hanging off every page.

The main character, Christine, wakes up every morning unable to remember anything from her past or present...she doesn't even know where she is. Every single day, her husband, Ben, has to re-tell the tale of who he is and how she lost her memory. Her doctor encourages her to start a journal to help her recall her memory...but the first entry "Do NOT trust Ben" leaves her confused and determined to find out why this was written. This is a true page turner and you won't be able to put it down.

So, tell me, what did you read this month?? Did you do a craft inspired by a book that your read? Kadie from Seven Alive and I want to know. Be sure to link up your review or craft to the party below. Next month, I'm reading "The Pilot's Wife" by Anita Shreve.

 Alright, it's time to link up but before you do, a few housekeeping rules for the party:


1. PLEASE....No spoilers!!!
2. Keep it family friendly
3. Link back to our party in your post
4. Following us would be nice (but not mandatory!)

Ready, Set.....READ!! Month #2

Happy Happy Day!!  It's that time again - Ready, Set....READ!

Today, I'm sharing my review of the book that I read last month....Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum. 

I just finished reading this book on the weekend and I am still thinking about the story and characters - it is a MUST READ!!! 

For fifty years, Anna Schlemmer has never spoken about her life in Germany during World War II. Her daughter, Trudy, was only three years old when she and her mother were liberated by an American soldier and went to live with him in the United States. The only thing Trudy has of her past in Germany is an old family portrait showing her mother Anna, a three year old Trudy, and a Nazi officer, the Obersturmfuhrer of Buchenwald. Written from the perspective of Anna as a young woman in Germany during WWII and a now adult Trudy who is now a professor of German history, this book tells the story of a heartbreaking and passionate romance, mother-daughter drama and the extreme loss and struggles of WWII.

So, what have you been reading this month....did you do a craft based on a book or what are your kids reading...I'd love to know, so be sure to link it up:)

Only a few housekeeping rules before we get started:


1. PLEASE....No spoilers!!!
2. Keep it family friendly
3. Link back to our party in your post
4. Following us would be nice (but not mandatory!)

One last thing before I sign off...Remember EVERYONE that enters is automatically eligible to win a little prize package that Kadie and I are putting together - WHOOHOO!!  I'm please to announce the winner of our Ready, Set....READ last month is Rachel from Adventures of a DIY Mom!  Congratulations Rachel!  Click below to link up your book or craft this month!  Can't wait to see what you've been reading this month:)

These are a few of my favourite things.....

Hello everyone and a big WELCOME to all the new readers that have added Jessie Street Designs to your reading list!  I'm so flattered and happy to have you here:)

Today, I wanted to start by sharing with you one of my favourite Pinterest finds - An All Natural, Homemade Cleaner!  Holy cow, can I be any more EXCITING?!?!  All kidding aside, I had been looking for a great homemade/natural cleaner to use in our home and was happy to find this simple recipe that contained three ingredients that we all have in our house - Equal parts Water and Vinegar with a few drops of Lavendar Essential Oil.  Doesn't get much easier than that and it cleans really well too!  I also loved the idea of using microfibre cloths on your Swiffer - terrific idea!  Check out Nature's Nuture blog, for this cleaner and other green ideas.

The next thing that I wanted to share with you is a new beauty find that I have been trying out.  Tinted Moisturizer has been around for quite a while now, but I had never tried it before until recently.  As much as I LOVE make-up, I don't like to wear a lot in the summer but like to have a bit of coverage to even out my skin tone.  I decided to try out the Smashbox Sheer Focus Tinted Moisturizer and I was pleasantly surprised.  Intially when I put a little on my hands I thought that it was going to be too heavy and come off looking greasy, but after I applied it , it looked smooth and gave me even, full coverage - I was thrilled and have been using it regularly ever since - no breakouts either (which I am occasionally prone too!)  Check out Smashbox for more information on this product and many others!

The last thing that I'm digging is Metabolism Boosting Water.  I don't know if it works, but it tastes great and with these crazy high temperatures we've been having it's super refreshing.  All you do is cut up one cucumber and one lemon and add it to a jug of water with 10-12 mint leaves and you've got yoursef a delicious drink of water!!!

(source)

Stay cool and enjoy your week!

Christmas in July at Happy Hour Projects!

Hello Everyone!  Hope that you are all having a fabulous week so far.

Today I'm so excited to be sharing with you an awesome giveaway that Adrianne from Happy Hour Projects is hosting.  It's called Christmas in July and it is a HUGE giveaway with over $600 worth of prizes - isn't that awesome!!!  I thought that this was such a cool idea that I also jumped on the bandwagon and donated one free item from Jessie Street Designs as a prize.  If you haven't entered yet, head on over to Happy Hour Projects and get yourself in the draw - it's super easy and tons of ways to participate.




 
Also, the Ready, Set, READ link party for July is almost done....if you haven't linked up your book review for July for a chance to win the draw that Seven Alive and I are hosting, there's still time left. 

The LBB aka - Little Black Blazer;)

It's that time again....your monthly fashion tips from my lovely sister Christine!!  I really look forward to these posts and I hope that you are all enjoying them as much as I am:)   Take it away Sista!!
Hi again Jessie Street Designs readers, I am so happy to be here and share some tips on incorporating a black blazer into your wardobe.

The black blazer is a staple in my closet- it is my go to piece of clothing for any occasion. You can easily transition this blazer from work to errands to a night out. It really is a good piece of clothing to invest in that will stand the test of time :) Plus take your time searching stores like GAP, JCrew and Banana Republic for sales. I picked one up for less than $40 at the Gap.

So you can see from the diagram above how versatile it is to work with. Picture 1 is of office wear- nice and professional but then you can see in picture 2 how you can easily work it into your weekend wardrobe to get a more casual look
Tip* if you want to make a dressy piece of clothing more casual a good tip is to pair it with destroyed denim or worn in jeans. It gives the look an overall more laid back feel :)

Now picture 3 is a more playful and fun look for a night out on the town. Plus florals (which are very feminine) would play off nicely with a more structured jacket like a blazer. I once saw a girl wear this to a baby shower with flats and tights in the winter and it was very cute and weather appropriate.

Either way a blazer is a good wardrobe staple for any closet.

What I'm Reading....July!!

Wow....it's July already!!  We had a terrific weekend at the cottage and I was able to spend sometime at the beach reading my book for the July edition for Ready, Set...READ!  I think that a good book and sand, sun and the water are a great combination:) 
Ready, Set.....READ is the monthly link party that my friend Kadie from Seven Alive and I host.  At the beginning of each month we share the book that we are going to read...you may read the same book as us or one of your own.  Then, on the last Monday of the month, link up your review of the book at our link party!  Everyone who links up is automatically entered in a giveaway!!!

For this month, I'm reading Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum.  I gave this book to my sister-in-law for Christmas and now that she has finished it, it has been passed around my family and has made it's way back to me. 

Our link party for June is still open, so if you would like to participate, click here.