Dear Retail Industry,

Do you think it is funny showing me wool pants and sweaters in those dreaded "fall" colors in the middle of my much deserved summer season? Do get your kicks from seeing my reaction of bikinis and tank tops in early February just as another Nor'easter is blowing through town? Well stop it, damn it!! No one needs shorts and cover ups when it is snowing outside. Do you know what I use as a cover up in the months of December through sometimes April (or later)? I cover my pasty white body up in a heavy coat, cords and boots. Often times I cleverly accessorize with this fancy thing know up here as a knit cap and matching mittens. And let us not forget the ever important scarf. Nowhere in that description does it allow for breezy tops or bermuda shorts. And since I get to wear that divine, flatter-figuring, makes you sweat when you walk inside outfit for six loooong months, I take offense to you bringing it out and claiming to to be all shiny and new. It's not. I don't care what you did or what special dyes you are debuting this season. It's all the same junk from years past. It's all a reminder that my time wearing sundresses and sandals is very limited. So to be blunt, you can take that fall '08 collection and shove it where the sun doesn't shine. I don't care where- closet, back room, your car, wherever. It's still July. It's sunny and warm. It's glorious summer, retail industry! I did my time (and then some) with winter. Give me back my summer or we're going to have a hissy fit on our hands. I don't use it very often but every well-raised girl knows how to win a properly placed hissy fit in life!!

Sincerely,
PPC

Jennifer and Monogram Chic- I am more than happy to send you invites but need an email address please. If you don't want to leave it in a comment, please feel free to send me an email and I promise to keep it a secret. For the others on my add list, I'll do it shortly. Promise!

Happy Shopping!

Have you met my bestie? Well she has this fabu side gig making the yummiest stationary and paper goodies. And she is having a "just because" give away. So go visit her and enter to win a set of fun note cards.

Can you even read this? If not, its telling us that on the 25th and 26th you can receive a FREE (ever the magic word!) Vivanno (new fruit drink thing) if you are a member. How do you become a Starbucks member? Oh, it's way complicated. Ready? You know the four or five gift cards sitting on your desk or in the bottom of your purse? Look on the back. Now go to the Starbucks website and register that puppy. And voila....you are now a "member." Recently they started offering all sorts of bonuses if you use your gift card instead of a credit card or cash. So register those cards, re-use them by adding funds, and get free treats. Because free is fabulous!!

So if you checked out the fabulous Monogram Me but you haven't yet placed an order, now is your big chance. She is offering free shipping on all orders July 30th! Her goodies are simply too adorable!! Happy shopping!

For those who sew...

Do you have a serger? Do you like it? Is it one of those things you never use or use waaay more than you thought you would? Does it scare you with all those needles and spools of thread? Can you use regular thread or do you have to use those giant cones? Give me your thoughts....

Thanks bunches, gals!!

I've had a bunch of custom orders lately and thought I would share a few pictures of some particularly cute baby prezzies.



This was for a jungle theme nursery and included two burpee cloths, bib, and that cute little lolly pop creation that is composed of a washcloth and a spoon.

For a little boy...two burpee cloths and a onesie that I embroidered with a little whale. Not professional but not bad for free hand.

This is my favorite set for a baby girl in chocolate and pink. I adore that color combination! It includes a burpee cloth, bib and diaper and wipes clutch.



And this is a ribbon belt (I know it's hard to see but I didn't decide to take a picture until after I wrapped it) I made for my two little girls (college undergrads- so really they are not that little- but I still think of them as "my little girls") who attended Convention with me last month. It's hard to find squirrel anything (our mascot) so I was excited to find this ribbon online.

I need to find something more thrilling than this to post next week or y'all are going to quit reading. Seriously though, I just don't have anything exciting happening this week. Maybe I need to go to Wally World. I never leave WW without a little story.

Would someone mind telling me how to make my blog posts less smooshy? Look at this page. Do you see how the date and title of a post are smooshed between the two posts? It looks bad and makes it difficult to read. It just all becomes one big jumble of blah. I need some un-smooshing advice please! Thanks!

PS. Blogger spell check is not a fan of the word "smoosh" .... go figure!!

I feel bad. I didn't say anything because I figured that most of y'all were already in the know about these "invite only" sale sites. I'm usually the last to know this sort of stuff. And it always comes down to bestie informing me. She is so much hipper than I am! But if you are not yet "in" with Regents, Gilt or Ruelala, please just leave me your email address and I'll send you invites ASAP. They have sales on specific brands at specific times. They have GREAT sales!! And today is VV day at Ruelala!

So here's the skinny, preppy friends....

Crewcuts will be arriving in select (read: not mine but perhaps yours) JCrew Factory stores on July 25th. Lucky for you and your kiddos! Really, nothing is cuter than a preppy tot!

Today on RuLaLa is a huge Vineyard Vines sale. Go. Right now! I just ordered a pair of white capri pants and cute bermuda shorts. If you need an invite, just leave me your email address.

And my favorite find... http://preppyoutlet.com/ Their site is not totally ready yet but they have page upon page of fabulous Lilly Pulitzer and Vineyard Vine steals at the moment.

Do you have any prep-tastic news? Let everyone know. It's nice to share!

For those interested in participating, here is another swap you might consider. The rules are pretty strict so be sure to fully read them before signing up. But it sounds like a fun theme and I already have a few ideas in mind. Hard to believe fall is just around the corner though....

I was walking out the door on the 4th of July and decided that I needed a preppy patriotic headband to keep my hair from driving me batty all day. And then thought y'all might want to make one too. This is hardly a tutorial as it is crazy easy and fast. But I know there are several of you out there who are looking to test the waters with your sewing machines on an easy project. This is the project. In under five minutes you too can have your very own reversible headband. Let me walk you though it, step-by-step...

Chose any two ribbons. They don't have to coordinate as you will only see one ribbon when it is worn on your head. If you don't already own an embarrassingly ridiculous amount of ribbon, you can buy two pieces at Wally World for under a buck.



Cut both ribbons about 15" long. (Note: these measurements are what fit my big head best- you might need to experiment a big depending on your head size and the stretch of your elastic.)



I made two headbands that afternoon- one for the 4th and one to wear with an adorable Lilly shift that was a Christmas prezzie from bestie. Don't you just love those jacquard ribbons?!




Now cut a piece of elastic about 6.5" long. (Again- you might need to do a test run to find the best fit for yourself but this is what worked for me.)



Pin your two ribbons WRONG sides together, folding in the short sides 1/2" so that no raw edges are visible. Start sewing about 1" down on one of the LONG sides first. Then sew along a short side and insert your elastic about 1/4". Sew back and forth over the elastic a few times to be sure it doesn't pull out of place. Then sew down the other long side (as shown in this photo).



Your last step is to insert the elastic into the other short end (shown in this picture) and sew back and forth a few times. It's OK if you don't sew this part perfectly- it will be hidden by your hair anyway.




After that second elastic end is sewn in, close up that 1" gap on the first long side. (I start about an inch or so down because the ribbon tends to shift a tad when sewing (or it does when I sew it anyway) and this ensure that your ends won't be all wonky in the end. Don't you just love my technical language? I really should write these tutorials for a living- they are so stinkin' clear. I'll be shocked if anyone can understand this post. I took a quick five minute project and turned it into rocket science. Good going PPC!)




Voila! You're finished! Now you have a two-for-one accessory that is both useful and adorable. If you make yourself a quickie headband, be sure to send me a picture and I'll post it on here too. Happy sewing!

This worked out well because I just realized that this is my 200th blog post. I can't believe y'all read anything I write because looking back, most of my posts are about a whole lot of nothing. But I love you for sticking around and reading my random nothing thoughts. As a thanks for reading, I'm doing a giveaway (that I actually had planned but it just so happened that it coincided with a round number post). It will be a little box of pink and green goodness (just warning you in case pink and green are not your thing (gasp!!)).

So leave me a comment and I will draw a winner on Friday afternoon-ish. If you don't have a blog, be sure to leave your email address so that I can have a way to get in touch with you.

And if you are going to leave me anonymous rude comments, feel free to just not comment at all. Because you know I am just going to click "delete" so why bother attempting to post such nonsense?!

Cheers!

Oh how I love love loved this latest swap. The colors and theme were totally right up my ally. And my partner was so fabulously adorable too. So let's look and see what I sent to Mandi, shall we?

Parasols: A pink umbrella, the inside fabric of the bag
Pink Lemonade: Strawberry Lemonade mix and pink lemonade mix for water bottles (I love these!)
Polka Dots: Grocery bag and ribbon belt
Sweet Treat: Twizzlers
Thrifted: The napkin base of the apron was thrifted (the same day that I bought this)

Do you want to see the AWESOME package that was sent to me from Mandi? I knew you would! She spoiled me rotten...and I loved every minute of it! But I seriously felt a little worried when I opened this package that I was not as good to her as she was to me. Everything is so fantastic!! Pink and green goodness as far as the eye can see...

She too made a bag. How cute is that? Even more adorable when you notice that it is also lined with parasol themed fabric! I used it this past weekend and love the little embroidery patches on the outside. Crazy cute!

Included in my package-oh-pink-and-green-goodness....

Tote bag
Picture frame (thrifted and adorable!)
Bath salts, lotion and candle
Four polka dot placemats and 2 kitchen towels
Fabric
Ribbon
Thrifted trims
Pink and Green plates
2 shell/starfish dishes
Mini post it pads
Crafty do-dads

Several of you have commented or emailed me with questions regarding the adorable monogrammed can koozies that were included in my swap package (to me, from Lawyer's Wife) a few weeks ago. And I finally thought to just ask her about them. Y'all will be excited to learn that she does in fact sell them. They are $16, including shipping. Personally, I think they are hands down the most adorable things ever! So rush right over and chat with LW to figure out which color and font you need for your next get-together or tail-gate!! They would also make great graduation gifts or a cute addition to a wedding shower present (with the bride's new monogram).

***UPDATE*** You can now go directly to this fabu new blog to order your koozies and other fun goodies! And after you read up on how the profits from her monogramming venture are going to aid her son, you will surely want to make that a double order. Or triple!

I might have mentioned that the Goodwill near me is the fanciest thrift store I have ever seen. Oh sure, it's true that I have not exactly been in all that many thrift shops in my lifetime, but trust me. It's local knowledge in these parts that our local Goodwill reminds everyone of an old K-mart or Wally World. But it's big and organized and the clothes crack me. They are organized by color and not by size. So it's like rows of red shorts that lead into blue shorts, etc... A used clothing rainbow. I don't pick through the clothing. I'm just being honest. But not because I'm a snob. Even worse, I'm terribly impatient when I am shopping. So the fact that nothing is organized by size is just a given that I am never going to have the patience to dig through the racks of pink pants. If there was Lilly in there, I would smell it. I've become rather skilled at feeling the Lilly vibes at Max and Marsh.

OK, so back to this Goodwill store. Not only is it rather fancy pants for a thrift shop, but the prices are ri-di-culous! They have a deal with Target and get all of the stuff that is slightly damaged or just doesn't sell. So there will be racks and rows of all Target stuff. All the Whim stuff was in there last week. Stuff like that makes me laugh. Until you look at the price tags. Remember, I belong to the Church-o-Tarjay. I'm there all the flippin' time. So I know the prices of crap. Well this store will take the red Target final sales stickers off and replace it with a Goodwill price tag that is PRICED HIGHER than it was selling for at Target. Seriously! And several times I have gone to purchase something and the price checkers/managers/?? will comment that this item is a brand new (insert item- usually something fabric like a shower curtain that I intend to cut up to use to make a grocery bag or some silly item like that) and it should be priced HIGHER. So they will raise the price on me. The last time they did this, I walked out without purchasing anything. I was appalled! I had several items that I needed for a few swaps and also three fabric things- tablecloths and shower curtains. They were going to be cut up so I didn't give a hoot what they were originally. Well the THREE ladies up there decided that these items (that I could tell were in fact brand new but were also bound together in a wad of packing tape and sitting on a dusty shelf in the back) needed to be at least double the price tag. I was proud of myself for remaining calm and trying to explain that they priced these items and changing the price was a bit on the unethical side. I was totally, rudely informed that they could legally change any price they wanted to. I calmly and kindly declined to make any of the purchases as I felt rather taken advantage of (AGAIN!) and left. I have not gone back. I won't. And all of my donations will forever go to one of the many worthy thrift shops in town. Goodwill my ass.... Badwill is more like it!

But I needed a thrifted item as part of my latest swap package. This is always the biggest challenge for me. I'm just not nearly as skilled as many of my favorite bloggy reads at scoping out the gems among all the dust and junk. But I did my best to channel some of the best thrifty queens in blogville last week and boy was it a success! I found a small item as part of my swap (pictures coming after my partner gets her package that was only just sent) but I also found a few little yummies for myself. I know y'all are reading that last comment twice, right? It's true. I found some things I just couldn't live without. I still have yet to find any of those fabulous vintage sheets and bedspreads the Lera finds almost weekly (smell my jealously?) but I feel this is a mighty fine start in the gem department.

This little cheese tray with the marble base and glass dome lid and a vintage apron (not pictured) were a whopping $3.



This is my favorite!! I have been wanting a punch bowl. But am not terribly fond of the (beautiful but just not my taste) very intricately cut crystal bowls. Plus those just scream wedding present to me and um.... I'm not married. Or even dating anyone. But I digress... It is on the smaller side but is very sturdy and heavy. It also came with six matching cups that can hang off the side (three are pictured) AND five small non-matching and slightly smaller cups AND four also non-matching and slightly larger cups. I have no idea why they were all sold together but I don't really care. They are close enough for the once a year that I will use the "set" and I was so excited to see that the price was only $5. BUT WAIT.... Did you know that Salvation Army has sales? Me either. In fact, a different color tag is on sale every day. They also told me something else about Family Day (don't remember anything about this day or when it is other than the name of said special day of the week) and some other day. I don't remember because I was suddenly on a thrifting high when the gal informed me that my price was $2.50. I picked up that day's sale color. When I questioned this, they explained their sale deal stuff to me. So in review, one small but cute glass punch bowl plus 15 glass punch cups for less than $3. I'm still not going back to Badwill, as I have taken to calling it, but I will definitely work on my thrifting skills again soon.