my decorating budget

Let's face it, at my age I never have to buy another piece of clothing or home decor for the rest of my life and I'd be ok.  But I'm a sucker for beautiful things!

These days things seem to come to me.  I don't even go looking!  My daughter in law recently went to an estate sale and bought me this statue thinking it was a Virgin Mary.  It's quite old, the estate dealer thought from the 1940's but I think it may be older.  It isn't a Virgin Mary but a St. Theresa (which is my oldest sisters name) who is the Patron Saint of Gardeners and she is a Carmelite Nun (which is the order of Nun's that helped raise me).  So to say this is a special piece is an understatment. 

I would have to say my decor budget is like zero unless I come upon something rare and so special.  This was $10.  There are several on Etsy that run over $300.  That's just how things go when it comes to 2nd hand estate sale shopping.

What is your decor budget like?  I'm so curious to know! x

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my food budget

Since beauty and eating are so closely tied in my life I thought I'd go over what my food budget is now that I'm alone.

I spend on average, $30 a week for groceries.  I usually go to the markets about every 2 weeks.  I rely on beans, rice, oats and fill in with lots and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.  It's an easy way to eat and very easy on my budget.  For some reason I do not get bored with it.

My typical breakfast of overnight oats, berries and almonds.

I love sandwiches like this.  Ezekiel bread with hummus, arugula and radishes from the garden.

At the end of summer I cut back all the basil and pureed it with a little water and freeze.  Now all winter long I can drop one of these in a pot of tomatoes for a taste of summer.

It's pretty simple and an uncomplicated way to eat.  I hope you find some inspiration here. x

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the collected look

Hello dear friends.  Today I'm joining the ladies linked below for my take on The Collected Look.  The idea is mixing old and new and creating a look that is just right for you.

My new piece is this Everlane Cashmere Cardigan in a beautiful Acorn color.  Generously gifted to me from Everlane, I chose a size Large because I wanted a loose, luxurious look to it.  I actually had it in mind to replace my worn out house sweater but I keep wearing it out and about. I love Everlane for their cashmere, tees and shoes and their overall transparency and ethical practices.

So I put on this vintage pink silk rose pin and paired it with a pair of vintage levi's, an old t-shirt and my Remi Mules from Madewell, which are on sale right now.  I added the vintage coach bag and I like the whole look.

Please pop over and see what all these fabulous ladies have put together...

apart from my art-sandra
classic casual home-mary ann
most lovely things-annie
northern california style-kim
rough luxe lifestyle-cindy
the age of grace-eugenia
the real golden girl-kimberly
the vintage contessa-elizabeth

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my beauty budget

Whenever I start talking or even thinking about my beauty budget I realize how tightly woven it is with my food budget.  That is because I know what I put into my body has an effect on my skin and hair.  But since this is a Beauty Budget post I will keep it to what I plan to spend this year on beauty products.

Over the past week or so I've done a thorough inventory of all my beauty products.  Because I've worked in spas and have friends that still do I have a decent stockpile.  I sorted through it all, tossing expired products and passing on ones I won't use. I was sort of shocked to see how much I had.  Since I don't have a bathroom vanity any extra has been stored in an under the bed storage box.

So my plan for 2020 is to use what I've got til it's gone, and only then will I repurchase.  I have several bottles of shampoos, conditioners and treatments for my hair.  I have 2 bottles of my favorite cleansers and moisturizers.  I have plenty of lotions and oil for my bod and plenty of nail varnish.  When it comes to makeup, I have 2 full bottles of foundation and plenty of backups for eye pencils, lipsticks etc.

So I suggest you take a hard look at all your beauty products and see just what you'll need and plan accordingly.  They say without a plan we are lost so I don't want to be any more lost than I already am!  x

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hello 2020

Hello friends.  It's been quite a few weeks with all the major holidays plus my birthday and Larry's.  And when I say quite a few weeks what I really mean they've been gut-wrenching.  I will leave it at that because well, I just have to.

Today I wanna talk about this year and hopefully what you can expect out of me.  I read every single comment on my last post at least twice.  It seems you want what I've always tried to write about here, incorporating beauty and simplicity into our lives.  I also hear you loud and clear about the Everlane posts.  I will try to keep it to one or two posts per month and that is if Everlane continues to partner with me.  It is truly a gift they are providing me and I appreciate it so much because I admire and respect them as a company.  

Speaking of advertisements...no one has noticed that I removed all other ads from my blog.  There is no longer a small ad between each post.  I wondered if anyone would say anything about that but no one has!  Some of my favorite blogs are almost unreadable due to the pop ups and ads within paragraphs of posts.  I will always keep my sidebar of favorites because I get so many emails asking for specifics and that sidebar helps so much with that.  So now you will see a clear warning before you even read the post that it will contain affiliate links. I hope that helps!

So as I continue to recover I will do my best to help us all organize with beauty and simplicity.  Happy New Year to us all...x

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