Specs

I LOVE my glasses. Other people LOVE my glasses, too. On a daily basis, I hear people say while walking by "Oh, I love your frames!" and I've even had a few strangers ask to try them on. People want to know where to get them and I'm happy to share that information!

I've never bought glasses from an online store. In years past, I've gone to Costco or Lense Crafters, used my insurance all up and gotten whatever they had at the store. Now, without vision insurance, I was on a mission to find something affordable that I LOVED, especially since I'd be paying out of pocket.

When I came across Coastal.com, I was elated. They had brands and styles that I've imagined and dreamed of, but could never find in a low end store. If you've never shopped with coastal before, you're first pair is FREE!! AND, if you've had your eyes on my eyes (!), my current frames are on sale for $79!!

Alright, now, on top of that, Coastal.com is having a BIG sale: 50% off your order with FREE SHIPPING, too!!! You cannot beat that!!

I've been so impressed by this company, I think I'll grab a second pair this week. Here are my favorites so far:

Rough Justice in Opaque Graphite

(at $99, these babies would only cost $50 with coatings and free shipping!)

 

7 for All Mankind in Dark Turquoise

(These are the most expensive at $169, but with 50% off, still a great deal!)

Derek Cardigan in Dark Timber

($89, the cheapest but they are most like my current glasses, which is why I probably love them so much!)

I'll ask Dan. He helped me pick out my last pair when I couldn't decide!

What HE Wore - Elijah's Style

Having a baby in the house seems to put years on my boys. Elijah is Mr. Helper, very responsible and always worried about the baby. He'll tell you he's 4 and a HALF, but he acts much more like he's 8. Oh, and he's just so handsome! I enjoy our lunches together while the little ones nap. Is it sad that he's my source for grown up conversation?

Elijah has been more interested in choosing his own outfits. He often gravitates toward button down shirts and this one is his favorite:

Shirt : Goodwill, $1; Sean John Brand

Gray undershirt : Goodwill, $1

Jeans : Hand-me downs

Shoe/boots : Target Clearance, $8; Cherokee

Total : $10

"I like my shoe-boots because I can run in them like shoes, but I can play in puddles just like my rain boots. That way my feets don't get wet because they're water-proof which means no waters can ever get inside."

Now that Lazzy's hair is almost pony tail length, Elijah has decided to grow his hair out, too. He visits the bathroom to water his hair so it's "styled". Oh geeze....here we go!

Maybe I'll get dressed this week and have an outfit to share next Wednesday. Maybe, Elijah will help me out!

{Linking up with What Kids Wore Wednesday over at ONE little MOMMA}

Bridal Shower on a Budget-DIY Cupcake Stands

My dear friend Rachel is getting married!! Now, I know every couple is special and love is special and yada yada yada, but let me assure you that their story is more than just boy meets girl. 

Both she and her fiance' have loved our family through some tough times. They are definitely a huge part of our "village" which helps us to raise our children. In fact, I really got to know Rachel when I had surgery last February. 

 I am so honored to be the matron of honor, to have my boys be the ring bearers and to stand along side my friends as they make their vows in March.

The bridal party (minus one who lives out of town).

Instead of registering for wedding gifts, the couple is asking guests to donate to a local tutoring program where they volunteer. It's a GREAT idea, especially for couples who already have everything they need to set up house. The problem is, we wanted to shower the couple with gifts!  

My solution was to have guests bring a "Date Night" gift basket for the couple to enjoy during their first year of marriage. I LOVED seeing all the different date ideas, but was partial to my "Concert date night" idea. Did you know you can buy Ticketmaster gift cards? I love the idea of giving someone an experience, especially for newlyweds. It took our entire church small group to pull it off, but I think they'll have an awesome time at dinner and a concert.

The raspberry punch was adapted from this recipe. I used champagne instead of beer. Delish!!

Now for the budget friendly part:

To make things more classy, I picked up 8 vintage glass dishes and 4 white ones to add to my stash. It was a cheap way to dress up this party and I know I'll use them again! I also used linen napkins which I picked up from the seminary free store. Can you believe, they were new in the package!!

Cup cake stands and other treat stands were made from Dollar Tree glassware.

Between dishes, bowls, candle sticks and wine glasses, you can make any sized elevated platter or candy dish possible! I also picked up about 6 metal trays from the Dollar Tree. It was simple, uniformed, and super easy!

I had a blast decorating for this shower! My house hasn't seen this much pink since our first foster placement last summer! But, the true fun was celebrating two amazing, selfless and giving people who found each other.

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Photos taken by Betty Elaine Photography based here out of St. Louis!! She is an amazing photographer with a unique point of view. Not to mention, she's a sweet stylish gal! Check out her blog, too!!

City Thistle is Closing Shop and COUPON CODE!

It's a bittersweet time in my life right now. Change is in the air and our future is uncertain.  It's only a matter of time before we tie up loose ends here in St. Louis and move on to the next chapter in our ever changing life. This place I'm in demands flexibility from me. In order to make space in my life for all of these new changes, I need to let go of some projects. So, as of February 19th, City Thistle will close on Etsy.

Etsy shops are one of those things that do well if you're putting a lot of work into it. I don't mind letting it sit idle for a week or two, but it does kind of hang over me and I stress about it. I want it to be the BEST! In February, my shop will have been open for 2 years and I think it's had a good run. I honestly just can't keep up with it anymore!

So, it's sad news, yes. But I'll still be making jewelry and selling it locally at craft markets here in St. Louis. The silver lining to this little cloud is you all get to use the coupon code GOODBYE25 for 25% off your total purchase!!! Just enter the code at check out for your discount. Blog about it, tweet it and tell your friends! Shop is closing in 6 weeks!!

Also, big thanks to everyone's support of me in this endeavor  I'm proud to say I made it to 200 sales (and more!) before my second year anniversary. Check that off the list!!

Vintage Gold Mine

While in Ludington, I scanned the local paper for flea markets and yard sales. I'm SO glad I did, because I happened upon the most amazing vintage jewelry sale! It was held in a large empty barn on the fair grounds, filled with probably 40 tables of vintage jewelry. It was organized by color and type, mostly just earrings, necklaces and bracelets. My mom and I had a blast browsing through it all, but just had to go back around one last time before checking out. I filled two baskets and had the hardest time editing my choices!

Sure, the sun and sand was nice, but this 1 hour shop stop made me so so happy!

More Than I Bargained For

Yesterday morning, before the birds started singin', the boys and I headed out in search of some yard sales. In true Bethany fashion, I checked craigslist ahead of time and mapped out my route. Elijah can handle about 2 hours of stop and go, but with my personal protester Lazzy by my side, I knew I would hear complaints way sooner. We made it to four sales, spent only four dollars and this is what we got:

- 1 Cars bicycle helmet with matching elbow and knee pads (Elijah is learning to ride a bike sans training wheels, woo hoo! )

- 2 navy vintage pillow cases, to be used in a sewing project

- 1 large black shadow box picture frame (which will house a certain adorable family photo)

- 1 antique baby doll rocking crib (to be painted and used by foster girls, I hope!)

- 1 incredible dress for anticipated foster girls

-2 monster trucks

- 1 book about monster trucks (seriously, I can't go anywhere without monster trucks being involved!)

- 8 fancy wooden skirt hangers (almost bought some the other day)

It's as if the yard sale gods knew about the list I carry in my wallet and wanted to shower me with good shopping fortune.  We had a fun morning together, and everyone walked away happy.

But wait. There's more. Loads more!!!

Yes, we came home with 8 bags of stuff (2 not pictured)! You see, I follow one rule pretty seriously when it comes to shopping : Always use a 1 - 1 ratio. Something new comes in, something old must go out.

So, on our way home from dominating the yard sale world, we swung by our favorite thrift store to drop off two bags of tiny clothes and rejected toys. As I pull up, I see a woman unloading her car. Seriously, it was raining paper bags of unused toys!

She asked me if I had kids and urged me to go through them and take what I wanted. There was a lot of crap, but there were some gems, too. In an attempt to keep the shopping high going, I tossed the best six bags into my car and called it good. When we got home, we did another one of my favorite things : sort and organize!

Elijah kept exclaiming "It's like Christmas! I can't even ever believe my eyes today!".

Items I grabbed from the freebies bags:

- 1 complete set of dollhouse furniture and 8 multi-racial mini dolls

- 1 blue tea set (I have seriously been searching the planet for something other than pink!)

- 1 girly tea set (anyone need a tea set???)

- 3 Leap Frog learning games, working batteries included (bleh for me, but the boys love them!)

- 1 Bazillion race cars, monster trucks, U-hauls, you name it. If it has wheels, we now have it!

- 1 battery operated (ugh!) Mater. Probably retailed $15.

- 2 brand new Playtex sippy cups (almost bought more, don't need to anymore)

You know you're a thrift-aholic when you don't even step foot in a thrift store and still come home looking like bag lady!

 You'll be happy to know that I took four full bags back to the thrift store. Another bag will be donated to my church nursery and another to a local coffee shop which has a kids play area.

Today was a big surprise in many ways. Of course, the obvious : I spent $4 and got a lot of fun stuff. What it means in that I have special things for our foster girls when they get here.  I was able to bless the children at my church as well as my community coffee shop. It was way more than I had expected to find, and I just feel blessed.

Friday Featured Etsy Shop : What The Hart Likes (Coupon Code!!)

If you're obsessed with textiles at Anthropologie, you will love love love What The Hart Likes. No, it's not a typo. Hart is my dear friend Chané's last name and her shop is adorable! You may remember her shop as I've talked about it before.

Well, in case you've forgotten, perhaps this will jog your memory:

  

{Dish Towels}

 

{Sewn Stationary}

 

{Baby!}

Not only has Chané stocked the shop since you last checked, she's also having an anniversary sale!!

Use coupon code happyanniversary at checkout for 20% off your entire purchase in her shop!! Coupon expires March 31st so get over there quick!!

City Thistle Birthday Party and Coupon Code!

City Thistle turns 1 on February 19th!! I am so incredibly thankful and proud of the way this little shop has succeeded. I have made so many friends through blogs and other Etsy shops. Truly, it's been a great source of joy for me last year and I look forward to what this year will bring.

Thanks to everyone for spreading the word, encouraging me and also supporting the shop itself. Owning and running a small business has really changed the way I look at "stuff" in general. I think I'm more aware of what I buy and the reasons behind my purchases. I love buying from Etsy shops (if and when I can) and am way more supportive of buying handmade in general. To all my customers, thank YOU for choosing to buy handmade as well!

To celebrate this occasion, I have a coupon code for 20% off your entire order from February 17-20. Party weekend!!

Simply add items to your cart. Enter 1BIRTHDAY in the coupon code section for your discount. Also, don't forget to leave me a message if you need items to be gift wrapped! Spread the news and have fun shopping!

Coupon code: 1BIRTHDAY

Coupon code expires Monday, February 20th.

Friday Featured : PaperKarma!

I am so tired of opening and throwing away junk mail. Seriously, the amount of credit card applications we get is ridiculous. It's especially overwhelming when you come back from vacation. Now, with my new smart phone (yes, I crossed over and we're saving $40 a month!!), I can put a stop to all this junk mail once and for all.

PaperKarma is the newest app on the market and y'all, it's awesome. Download the app on your smart phone (for free!), take photos of your unwanted mail, and PaperKarma does all the dirty work. That's right! They unsubscribe you from credit card companies and magazines so you don't have to deal with them.

-No telephone calls to robots

-No confrontations

-No hurt feelings

Just another easy way to keep your life clutter free.

PaperKarma was featured in an article at All Things D this week and this is what CEO Mortazavi says :"more than 100 billion pieces of junk mail are sent every year in the U.S. alone, making it both time-consuming and a waste of natural resources."

Are we a wasteful nation or what? Re-using and recycling are important, but you can only think of so many things to do with unwanted business envelopes. Let's just stop it before it comes to us.


Our dear friend Brendan has been working along with Morazavi to get this app up and running. I have no idea what it takes to make an app, but I can imagine it involves a lot of 0's and 1's (00110101101101-isn't that how computer programmers do things??). Either way, I am so proud of Brendan. He's created something brilliant and useful!

Other links and information:

PaperKarma on App Brain

PaperKarma on Geek Wire

Friday Featured Etsy Shop - Madison Street Beauty

Today, I am thrilled to be featuring the Etsy shop Madison Street Beauty . I've recently received a number of items from their shop and I am seriously pleased. I started out with some eye shadow samples, but after wearing (and loving!) them, I decided to get a complete set of three colors. These powders last all day and the colors are magnificent! Oh, and customer service rocks, too.

During a mega sale (which they often have), I jumped all in and ordered foundation as well as the finishing powder. I was just about to run out of my usual make up but was glad to replace it with handmade vegan powder for a fraction of what Bare Minerals cost.

There are so many reasons why this make up rocks, but I'll let you hear it from the horses mouth:

*Handmade *All-Natural *Vegan *Hypoallergenic *Never Expires *Gentle *Never Tested on Animals *Sustainable *Highly-Pigmented *Chemical-Free * Fragrance-Free *Oil & Talc Free *Non-Comedogenic *Safe for Sensitive Skin *Amazing Quality * Photo-Friendly *Made from Cosmetic-Grade Minerals 

We guarantee our mineral make-up will never contain anything artificial or bad for your skin. Our makeup contains absolutely NO: synthetic dyes, fragrances, preservatives, chemicals, parabens, fillers, additives, fragrances or talcs. 

As you'll see below, there are many colors to choose from for foundation.

Just look at these colors, one more time. It's tempting to order one of each! 

If you're not sure about the bright colors, their samples really are cheap (especially when on sale!) and they give you quite a bit. Considering I only wear eye make up once a week, my samples will be around for a while.

Visit their blog (Madison Street Beauty) for make up tips and promotions. You can follow their facebook page as well for updates and information on sales in their shop.

Happy Shopping!

What HE Wore Wednesday and Other Thrifting adventures.

As you know, we've been enjoying ourselves in Seattle this week. Our eyes are dried out from staring at the amazing mountain views and we've been eating Thai food till our bellies hurt.  I've also gone out with Laz to do some killer thrifting in Ballard, the neighborhood Dan grew up in. I can't wait to share some of my finds with all of you, but first, here is a thrifted outfit of Elijah's. 

Dan's mom Candace is a pre-school teacher and Elijah got to go with her to school this week! I thought we would share one of his thrifted outfits on his very first day of school.

My favorite thrifted item Elijah wears is his army green coat. It was $1 from Goodwill Outlet and will probably fit for next winter, too!

Lazzy had to get in on the photo shoot, of course.

And there he goes. Off to school!

While Eli was at school, I got to visit an amazing Goodwill thrift store. The prices were much steeper than I am used to, but I think it was worth it. I got 2 dresses, a sweater, 2 shirts, shoes, a HUGE curtain panel (I have other plans for it!) and some other things for the boys.

Ok, now let's play Eye Spy! See any treasures in that pile of pillows?

I grabbed this awesome turquoise and red pillow, originally from Pier 1. We are praying about fostering and adopting girls soon (more on that later) so I've started keeping my eye out for things just like this pillow.  I've begun to pick up girly things here and there, just so long as it will all fit in one 56 quart tub. 

See anything cute here?

I spotted these super cute heels. Finally, a pair I can actually wear without falling over! These are in absolute perfect condition. It's no Goodwill Outlet find, but I figured $12 for a new pair of comfortable heels was a steal!

Alright, that's it for now. You'll have to wait for more WIWW posts to see my other finds. It was a fun day with lots of second guessing and re-evaluating. Laz was pooped. He had a great 1 hour nap while we shopped. Good boy.

Thanks to Auntie Claire and baby Knox for keeping us company and joining me in the very important editing process by verbally processing together.

Group Photo!

Goodwill Outlet: $18.00

{wow. let's try this again. last week, there was a blogger glitch but i promise, we really are traveling today!}

The Robbins are traveling to Seattle today, woohoo! So, instead of my usual "What I Wore Wednesday" post, I wanted to share my latest Goodwill outlet finds!

So what can you get at your local Goodwill Outlet for $18?? A lot!! Especially if you have children, the Goodwill Outlet is a treasure trove for your little ones, and it's not all crap! Trust me. Our particular location has a drop off spot, so we often find very new items

Lego Bricks, box half full, probably 500 pieces in it with a few animals, wheels, people and windows. Wooden baby toy and vintage Pick Up Sticks game.

55 piece train track with 7 Thomas trains. I don't love Thomas (seriously, most boring snobby kids show!) but these trains are built to last and are very expensive new. When my boys grow out of the train stage (or we move far away, which ever comes first), I will definitely make some money off these guys!

Three brand new Gerber onesies, size 24 months for Laz. Just in time, too because he's been bustin' out of his 18 month shirts, especially while wearing cloth diapers.

I also picked up a pair of boy's Keens sandals, some little people, fabric scraps, three vintage books, a camera case and some picture frames for my shop. Goodwill outlet is my substitute for garage sales in the winter months. Be sure and check out my post with tips on how to thrift successfully. I've got a thrifting date scheduled while in Seattle and cannot wait to see what people are giving away!

Black Friday/Cyber Monday

Help spread the word. City Thistle is having a sale this weekend!!

Use coupon code BLACK at checkout for 15% off your entire order!!

{click on pics for details}

Sale runs NOW to Monday night (11:59pm central).

Happy Shopping :)