Divatosity

Farm renovations are not cheap and sometimes my wine budget takes quite a hit. I find that the 4 pack of Sutter Home is a great way to imbibe some cheap wine sans rot gut and/or a major head rush.

I am a huge fan of  fashion accessories which encompass my initials. This particular "A" is from a wine charm. But, rest assured, my  current key chain is an "A".  Also, back in the day, I rocked an "A" necklace made of rhinestone. I cried when it finally broke into a million pieces after years of use. I love this look because it is retro and yet modern at the same time. It gives an ordinary business outfit a little flair without going over the top.

Today is gonna be another scorcher. My paid for car has air-conditioning but, it only works well on the highway. Alas, my commute lacks highways and proper air conditioning. The poncho blouse pictured here offers a workable solution for my not so cool commute. The fabric is lightweight and I wear a dark blue tank top underneath which allows my skin to breathe. I pair this top with khaki pants, brown wedge sandals, gold hoop earrings, and an over-sized brown or tan handbag.   Instantly, I have a work appropriate outfit which will not result in me melting during my commute.

Yesterday morning, I headed over to the newly established Farmer's Market. To my surprise, it was packed with families, neighbors, and others strolling along the sidewalk. In my estimation, there were about 5-10 booths and even a guitarist crooning out folk music. Across the street, I witnessed scores of people sitting on benches and chatting with one another. A local donut shop and the cafe next door were packed with people. Over the past year, my small city has started taking steps to becoming more pedestrian friendly.  

A couple of months ago, I decide to plant a garden in my mother's front yard. For years she has mentioned how it might be nice to have a garden but, she lacked both the time and the inclination to plant one. I have been an apartment dweller for the past few years and I have been itching to plant a garden. So, I set about figuring out a way to create a simple garden which would look good but, would not require a lot of upkeep. This inspired me to plant the garden in a vertical manner. The recent influx of almost daily rain and the peat moss soil mix has caused the garden to grow exponentially.

  I scored this simple set of  folding patio furniture from Overstock.com for less than $90.00. It is lovely and easy to store. Patio furniture adds a warm weather element to your balcony, deck, and/or backyard space. Make sure that the patio furniture that you choose actually fits your lifestyle. In other words, buying a whole bunch of patio furniture to use when you are rarely home does not make the best financial sense.  On the other hand, not having any patio furniture when you are the one constantly hosting the summer parties seems kind of silly.  

  I received this precious masterpiece from a young budding artist. It is  now hanging up in my living room.

I stumbled across this sassy apron whilst putting the finishing touches on my kitchen decor. I was drawn to the zebra pattern and the feminine touches of ribbon sewn onto the front of the garment. This apron practically begs me to take my cooking to the next level.

This table is older than I am. My parents bought it back in the earlier 1970's. It is truly an antique. Alas, over the years she somehow became neglected. She has been a holder of travel souvenirs, bowls, and even a vase or two. After I nurse her back to health, I plan to use her as a vanity of sorts.

  Sometimes, your plain black couch just needs a little flair. Well, in my case, it needed a lot of flair. Up until about 5 days ago, this couch was adorned with simple red twill pillows and a random electric blue throw with the name of a former vendor emblazoned upon it. Once upon a time, the aforementioned red pillows were a nice addition to the demure black couch.  However, these days my decorating tastes lean towards a lot more flair and drama. I purchased the plush black and white throw from Walmart for about $10-$15. The red decorative pillows cost $13 each at Tuesday Morning, the red ottoman/trunk/coffee table was about $60 at Ross, the black ottoman was a Christmas gift, and the black and white damask chair rang up at $80.00.  Yet, I cannot put a true value on the way in which these additions to my living room have positively impacted my daily life. I find myself taking more time to quietly reflect upon my day. My mornings are spent slowly savoring ...

  Lunch time for me used to be all about chips, cookies, and other junk food. However, for the past several months, I have replaced the junk food snacks with sliced cucumbers. Cucumbers are yummy, versatile and inexpensive to boot.  

I have spent a majority of my adulthood traveling throughout the United States. However,  for the next 2 years I am focusing a majority of my financial resources on paying off my student loans. Good thing there are plenty of travel shows on Hulu.com. Below is a list of the shows that I discovered browsing Hulu.com.  These 8 travel shows are no means the only great ones on Hulu.com. The list is so exhaustive that it will take me another few blogposts to name them all. In addition, several of these shows are from the mid- 2000's and some are no longer airing new episodes. 1. Rick Steves 2. Kimchi Chronicles 3. Cruises To A World Of Discovery 4. Anthony Bourdain A Cook's Tour No Reservations The Layover 5. Avec Eric 6. City By City 7. Word Travels 8. Travel With Kids Listen to this episode of the Divatosity podcast .

Earlier this year, I gave up cable television. I was reluctant to do so only because I feared that I would miss out on all of the great cooking, travel, and lifestyle shows on cable. However, thanks to Hulu.com my fears were unfounded. I have found some cool international cooking shows to binge watch/listen as I list items on eBay, create products for my online store, or post on social media. Below is a list of the shows that I discovered browsing Hulu.com. 1. Cooking Channel Shows (Easy Chinese, Kelsey's Essentials, Brunch at Bobby's, Giada's Weekend Getaways, Unique Eats, Not My Mama's Meals, and Food(ography). 2. The Inn Crowd 3. The Chef's Kitchen 4. Chef's A' Field   5. Lidia's Italy   6. The Cook And The Chef 7. Mad Hungry   8. Real Food, Real Kitchens 9. Lyndey Milan's Food & Lifestyle 10. Surfing The Menu 11. Kylie Kwong These 11 cooking shows are no means the only great ones on Hulu.com. The list is so exhausti...

It is 2015 and you are looking to make some healthier food and lifestyle choices. Perhaps, your skillsets in the kitchen are limited to opening up a frozen dinner and placing it into the microwave. Or you never learned to cook at all. This year you can change all of that by embracing the following 7 elements. 1.  Ingredients Cooking begins with having the right ingredients. Vegetables, fruits, grains, and meats. Buy organic whenever possible and support your local farmer's/merchants. 2. Equipment During the beginning of your cooking journey, you do not have to drop a lot of money on pots, pans, flatware,  and/or utensils.  Start off with a skillet, medium sauce pan, and a large stock pot for cooking pasta. If you live alone and are on a tight budget, check out stores such as Dollar Tree, Wal-mart, Dollar General, and Target for inexpensive flatware and cooking utensils. 3. Scheduling Time Cooking every night ain't for everybody. Set aside a time once ...

Yesterday, I packed away my Christmas tree. I started by removing the bulbs from the tree. Next, I took off the tinsel and futilely attempted not to get it all over the living room carpet.  Finally, I packed the tree pack into its box and set it back into the guest room closet.  In previous years, I stored my Christmas decorations in either old paper gift bags or plastic ones from the store. However, this year I scrounged around and found a leftover linen bag. It is the perfect fit for Christmas decorations and other holiday odds and ends.