Now Available: Floral Headbands!

I always get compliments when I where my floral headband and people always ask, "Where did you get it?!". When I reply that I made it myself, they always seemed so shocked. I have even gotten, "You should open up an Etsy store!". Sooo, here I am. Selling my floral headbands so that you guys too can walk around with all this loveliness and get compliments all day :) This is what I have so far and they're only $15!    Which one's your favorite??

Girlish Garb: Denim on Denim

If you guys follow me on instagram, you probably saw Brandon wearing this outfit. Yes. He's a weirdo. And the sad thing is, he can rock a pair of high waisted shorts.... Wow, moving on. I think this is my new favorite vest. I got this little pin from my sister (thanks Heather!) and together, they are the perfect match. I was feeling a bit tomboy this day so I threw on some shorts, my lucky boots and was off to work!  Outfit Details:  Vest- Thrifted/DIY  Shorts- Thrifted/DIY  Belt-Thrifted  Shoes- Gift from Brandon (Urban Outfitters?) This is kind of my farewell to summer outfit. Or my telling summer to f off outfit. It has been a hot one and I for one, can NOT wait until it starts too cool down around here. I've been trying to plan for fall (clothes and what not) but it is so hard when it's still 100+ degrees outside!! I hear there may be a cold front coming this weekend. We'll see about that!!  Also, remember the necklace from my last outfit post? I posted a tutorial over at Wanderlust for it, check it out here.  Annnnd something I'm super excited about, I got a tumblr!! You can check it out here. I signed up maybe three days ago and have spent way too much time filling it up. Just so much prettiness out there that needs to be blogged! So yes, check out my tumblr.  Have a great Friday everyone!!

Good Food We've Been Eating Lately

First off, let me proclaim my current love affair with pesto. Thank goodness my dad has about 30 basil plants growing to feed my addiction or I'd be in real trouble! It's so easy to make and can be used in so many ways!! Ahh, pesto.  I came upon this recipe from A Beautiful Mess, basic basil pesto. It was perfect. So simple.  The first thing I made with it was this, Pesto Potato Skillet Then I made a version of this, pesto pizza with roasted cherry tomatoes (another of my latest obsessions) And then I made this! Quinoa with pesto, corn, and roasted cherry tomatoes, sounds kind of weird but it was goood! Quinoa is quickly becoming a favorite around here.  That potato skillet is a version of this, homemade hashbrowns. I'm not sure that meal up there is cooked the same as this but I did! And then just added the pesto at the end. These are super easy to make and taste so yummy! The best thing is, you can change it up every morning! I personally liked it with green onions, goat cheese, and parm as well as a few other seasonings like oregano, salt, and rosemary.  Speaking of quinoa, here was the first dish I attempted to make with it, Heather's quinoa recipe. Mmmm mmm.  Looking at this picture is making me drool. Oooh my goodness, again with the roasted tomatoes! Plus avocado and spaghetti?! Perfection.  Avocado fettucine recipe This is actually really easy to whip up. I cut the recipe in half one day and made it for lunch for Eliza and I in about 20 minutes! She loves it, score!  This is something I saw on a blog I read and had to try it. They are chickpea patties loaded with veggies (anything you can find in your fridge!). This is a great way to use those veggies that are about to go bad.    This little guy comes with a funny story. I got really excited about the "hatch festival". I found a bunch of recipes and by the time I got around to trying to make something for dinner, they were all gone!! No hatch chiles in site! Total bummer. But I found some hatch chile salsa that I substituted and it worked out fine. These stuffed hatch chile burgers were delicious!  Now this is kind of a weird combo but surprisingly fantastic!!! Nectarine pizza with basil and balsamic And I just cooked these tonight, Honey Jalapeno Roasted Squash. I used butternut squash instead though and served them as a side with a salad.  And last, the dessert of the week. These were so good. Too good. I think I ate most of them... which is why I try not to make desserts!! White chocolate cookies. I actually left out the nuts the first time because I didn't have any and ended up liking them better! I made them a few days later for my family (with the nuts) and they were so-so.  I didn't take pictures of any of my meals but they are too good not to share! All these pictures are from the original sources. Actually, I think I'm going to add them to my recipe book now!! 

Home Inspiration: Kitchen

Here's my second round of home decor inspiration! This version is for your kitchen. I'm actually in the process of a kitchen makeover. We had a minor pest problem I had to deal with and in the process I've discovered the magic of contact paper! Needless to say I'm redoing my kitchen from top to bottom. Since I'm renting, contact paper is the only solution I have for temporarily covering up my hideous kitchen. Anywho, here are some pictures I found for inspiration. Mostly lots of white spaces with bits of natural elements (wood, plants, etc.).    source source   source source source source   source   source I'm kind of thinking of a pegboard backsplash?   source And here's the segment on contact paper!  source source    source   source     source    source

Do you rent? Any tips?

In other news, Eliza started school this week!! We got by the first day with no crying for either of us! Actually, when it was time for me to take her home, she didn't want to leave! I practically had to drag her out of the dang classroom and bribe her out the door. She says she doesn't want to go back but I know once she gets there it'll be the other way around ;) 

Ecoholic: Bathroom Products

So a couple months ago, I borrowed this book from the library:  source Ecoholic (When you're addicted to the planet) by Andria Vasil Your guide to the most environmentally friendly information, products, and services. 
I was absolutely blown away and it was really an eye opener for me. I mean, I have been on the path to more green/organic/sustainable products for a little bit but this gave me the info and the extra push I needed to be persistent and make it more of a mission to swap our products for ones that won't give us cancer. It's really insane how many carcinogens can be found in everyday products and I wanted to share this with you all so you can be aware. It's very overwhelming but I think knowledge is the key to changing how our products are made. If only everyone was this informed, we could change the way we make/use products. For our own health, but also for the health of our earth. If I can make an impact on even one person, that's good enough for me. 
This book covers just about everything. So that it's not an information overload, I'm going to break it up into sections and share with you the info I came across as well as some solutions and the products I use to avoid harmful chemicals. 
source Products we use in the bathroom:    Antibacterial soap: First off, antibacterial soap lowers defenses against germs and could breed drug-resistant bug strains. Here is a little excerpt from the book- "Triclosan and triclocarbon, the active ingredients in a lot of antibacterial soaps are scarily finding their way into rivers, streams, and lakes... not to mention breast milk (they're actually in 75% of Americans tested). Even though the stuff is supposed to quickly break down in water, research out of Johns Hopkins University indicates that about 75% makes it down our drains and past sewage treamtment plants. The thing is, researchers at the University of Minnesota found that when these chemicals are exposed to sunlight in water, they create a mild dioxin (a carcinogenic hormone disrupter that accumulates in the food chain even at low levels). And when you throw chlorinated water into the mix, the result could be a much nastier form of the pollutant. If your municipality is spreading its sewage sludge on famers' fields, as many are, triclosan and triclocarbon are essentially fertilizing the crops in your area" Scary stuff. Solution- regular old soap does the job just as good. Wash your hands for 30 seconds in hot water. That's it! So simple. source Dandruff shampoo: Loaded with toxic ingredients such as coal tar (aka the black liquid distilled from coal) which has been linked to cancer. Funny thing is, lots of these dandruff shampoos contain a chemical called sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate which is a known skin irritant and DRIES out your skin. So how is this suppose to help dandruff?! Solution- Don't use dandruff shampoo. There are lots of natural products you can use in aid of fighting dandruff such as tea tree oil which kills bacteria, vinegar which cures an itchy scalp, olive oil for moisture, or baking soda to get rid of flakes.  source Hair dye: Alright, we already know this is loaded with chemicals. I myself use(d) a lot of hair dye but sheesh! Here are some scary facts, "If you've been dyeing for more than 15 years, your chances of getting cancer, according to the study, jump to three times more than nondyers, and longtime hairdressers are five times more likely to develop cancer." Yikes! I'm weaning myself off my hair dying fetish. However, the journey back to my original color may take a while. In the meantime, I plan on using Henna hair dye to satisfy my color cravings. There are also some natural/less toxic dyes available. Google it! 
Shaving creams: Loaded with petrochemicals and formaldehyde-releasing DMDM hydantoin and chemicals that have to be labeled as cancer causers in CA. Can you even imagine? Buying a thing of shaving cream that says "cancer causer"? No thanks. Something I've found to use as an alternative is plain old Dr. Bronner soap. I just slop some on my legs and make sure I lather it up before shaving. And I apply more when needed. This works just fine and with some organic lotion afterwards? Perfect! 
Antiperspirants: Contains aluminum based compounds that clog pores to reduce the amount of perspiration we normally have. Aluminum? In my pores? That stops me from perspiring? And deodorants aren't much better, many of which contain formaldehyde. Here's a product I just bought and will be testing out, I'll get back to you how well it works!  MAKEUP: This is a biggy. Lead can be found in drugstore lipsticks, and mercury is still legally allowed to be used in mascara and eyeliner. That stuff is deadly! Some other harsh chemicals that can be found in mascara include polyurethane and polyethylene (made from oil and are used to make plastics such as plastic grocery bags). And products such as pressed powders and eye shadow are made with teflon! Seriously?! I'll do a full post about organic makeup but you can find them easily through google. 
Nail Polish: I threw most of ours away after reading this post. You know that smell? It comes from VOC's (volatile organic compounds) like carcinogenic formaldehyde and the neurotoxin toluene which if you inhale can cause damage to your kidneys, brain, and liver. I found two great companies that provide all natural nail polish. Piggy Paint (natural & non-toxic) which can also be found at Wal-Mart. Hopscotch Kids, non-toxic nail polish for kids (a little pricey though) and the adult alternative, Scotch. 
So that's that. What do you think about this info? My dad thinks it's a huge "scam". Is that what you think? Or are you as scared as I am? I think this is the reason everyone has cancer nowadays. And it's our own fault!! Carcinogens are everywhere. 
I want to do a full post on makeup (because there's so much!), do you guys have any suggestions as far as natural/organic makeup or any other body products? 

Mingle Monday: Thriftary

Mingle Monday!!! Here's an amazing gal named Maddie!  ***********************************************************************

Hi Guys!!! I cannot tell you how stinkin' excited I am to be here on My Latest Obsession today, and to meet you of course. I am Maddie from Thriftary... And here... are some things to note about me.

1.    What got you into blogging and how long have you been at it?
Oh man – I think I originally got into blogging, after I got married, to keep my family involved in everything that was going on in my busy busy life. But that VERY quickly changed into something that was one of my most favorite pastimes. Reading other blogs, designing my own, a whole new world!

2.    What does blogging mean to you? Business or pleasure?
It is for sure both. I started it for pleasure, and now I am totally on the fast track to make it a pleasurable business. I love designing blogs, photography, scheduling content, connecting with other bloggers. I still have my 9-5 but in my dream world, every day would be dedicated to living life and sharing it on my blog, while helping others to do the same through design and tutorials!

3.    What do you mostly blog about?Hahaha that is a super loaded question. My blog falls into the “lifestyle” blog niche, which means I blog about everything from fashion and beauty, to DIY projects, to married life and our adventures in Denver, to our little “Richardson Farms”  with our flock of chickens and our little boxer pup Macey, to healthy recipes and tasty cocktails, and reaching goals and family and love and everything else in life. Does that answer your question? No? Hahaha probably not, you can come on over to my blog and figure it out. In the meantime... Here are some sneak peaks.

4.    What do you do besides blogging? What’s a normal day like in the life of Maddie?

Well I have a regular ol’ 9am-5pm Monday – Friday. I work from home for a company based in Atlanta, so I actually technically have a 6am-3pm. So I wake up, take care of my dogs and chickens and gardens. Then I come inside, make a pot of coffee, and get to workin’. My husband is a bartender, so we usually get to have breakfast or lunch together, and when I get off work at 3 I usually take him to the bar (yes it’s sad, we have opposite schedules, but we make it work) and either have a happy hour drink with him or go to the gym (happy hour drinks are preferred, of course). Then it’s onto projects and chores and hanging out. I seriously love my simple life and simple days. It’s a good season. A good good season.

5.    Do you plan out your posts or just kind of wing it? Strict schedule blogger or go with the flow blogger?You want all the serious deets? OK. Here is how it goes. I have this large chalkboard in my office. When I get thoughts on posts, I will write the idea on a post it note and put it on the “possible posts’ side of my chalkboard. Then, I draw a calendar on the other side of the chalkboard. As I get the ideas realized and finalized, I will move the post it over to one of the days of the month. I try and make sure every week has something different (DIY, Recipe, stories, fashion,… Enough to mix it up and keep it fresh!). But, all of the ideas/posts stay on post it notes, so that if I have an amazing story to tell on Wednesday, from something that happened on Tuesday night, I can go with the flow and change my week up really quickly! That was lengthy. But it works really well for me.

6.  Are you a daytime blogger or night owl blogger?

Oh my gosh. I am a chronic night owl blogger. Since my aforementioned hunk of a bartender husband is usually not home at night, I am USUALLY found, well in to the wee morning hours, with a glass of wine in hand, either chilling at my desk, or on our front porch couch, or next to the fire or something, writing posts. It is absolutely one of my most favorite things to do. I usually try to get in a couple of posts in one night so that I can work on others blog designs and fun stuff other evenings. It’s all about balance, to make sure blogging stays fun and not stressful.

7.    Name a few of your favorite blogs and why?
My favorite blogs are those with people who have a really unique voice. Living in Yellow is hilarious, mostly because Erin keeps it real and is well… hilarious. My sister blogs over at Two Hoots & a Holler, and she is also an incredible writer with an incredible story to tell. Yellow Bird Yellow Beard, Gentri Lee, and duh… My Latest Obessions. Can I get an amen?

Thanks again for having me, Sam. Your are good people!!!

HAPPY LABOR DAY Y'ALL

TTFN,
Maddie

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Thank YOU Maddie! Happy Labor Day everyone!