my favorite {Charlotte} things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,
brown paper packages tied up with strings,
these are a few of my favorite things.

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels,
door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles.
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings.
these are a few of my favorite things.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes,
snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes,
silver white winters that melt into springs,
these are a few of my favorite things.

My favorite movie growing up was the Sound of Music and to this day remains in my top three. The older I got the more I understood that the movie was more than just a musical and appreciated it even more.

I saw the movie recently during Christmas on ABC and got inspired for a new series on this blog. I live, work, and play in Charlotte. I have a tumblr where I post about {the five senses} in the Queen City. It only feels natural to show you my favorite things in the city that I love in hopes that you'll love it as much as I do.

Cheers!

Looking Forward to Looking Back on 2013

2012 was an interesting year. It wasn't bad but it wasn't the best either.
There were growing pains, and post surgery pains, and other kinds of pains.
There were celebrations of life and friendship and love.
I've grown a bigger pair in some areas of life while in others I've retreated so far back it's scary.
I've learned to pick my fights and know when to just let it go.
Letting go of grudges is so freakin' liberating!
I met a fantastic group of women that make me realize that anything is possible (I'm looking at you, #EpicEaters!).
I was reminded that you must give to give, not give to get.
I found ways to weave my passions into my current job and new opportunities are taking shape because of it.
I chose to surround myself with people who push me to be a better person and less with those that drag me down.


I came across a great Fast Company article on 10 resolutions to make to have the best year yet. The first item is definitely on my to do. Your past shouldn't hold you back but reflection is necessary.


I can't wait to write down my dreams on pieces of paper and then figure out what it's going to take to make them come true.
2013 is going to be a fantastic year. I can feel it.
I'm looking forward to looking back on 2013.

Happy New Year, friends!

The Look for Less: Goodwill Fall Outfit Challenge, the Details

A month ago I got a crazy idea, stemming from my dreams about cool crisp weather and fall clothing. The more I dreamed, the more I realized that my bank account was not going to be able to keep up with those dreams. But that did not discourage me, instead it encouraged me to get creative.

During the brainstorming session I remembered my favorite show while I was a student at UNCC, The Look for Less! After running my idea by a couple of friends, the Goodwill Fall Outfit Challenge was born! Not only do you get an awesome fall outfit for less but you also help out your own community. Shopping for a good cause = win win for all!

The criteria is as follows:
* Find one (or more) fall/winter 2012 runway or magazine looks that you would like to re-create
* Your budget is $25 (or less) per outfit
* 75% of the outfit must be from Goodwill
* Smart phone + Twitter account to share your journey as you participate in the challenge

So how are we going to track this and how long do you have to accomplish this challenge?
1) Tweet me @inthequeencity,email me your inspiration picture (inthequeencity@gmail.com), or send me a link to your Pin of the outfit or look you want to re-create
2) Use the #goodwillchallenge hashtag anytime you tweet (for example, if you find something that's not your size but will look great on somebody else, tweet it and the location!)
3) Email or tweet your final outfit to me so we can compile everyone's finds!

You have from today till next Monday, September 17th to complete the challenge.

Why a week instead of a day?
After speaking to couple of Goodwill experts, one day is not enough! Everyone has their own theories such as "Mondays are the best days" and "you need to have the option to go to several locations because each one is so different."

Also, now that the DNC is over, there should be no issues getting around town and hitting up several Goodwills in the area.

Resources:
Style.com for runway looks
Pinterest (search for fall 2012 looks)
GoodwillSP locations

Happy shopping and I look forward to seeing what everyone finds!

The Look for Less: Goodwill Fall Outfit Challenge

picture via tv.com

Do you remember that show, "The Look for Less" that was on the Style channel many many moons ago? You know, the show where the "contestant" is presented with two looks, $150 and one hour to re-create one of those looks? I LOVED that show. You know why? Because I was a broke college student who had enough time on her hands to care about fashion.

Well, that college student became a still broke but a very busy young career person and hasn't had a moment to breathe to care much about fashion. If it fits, kind of matches, and looks ok then not much time is spent looking well put together in the mornings. Now I understand how people end up on make over shows.

I'm trying not to become one of those people.

Unfortunately, running out to the mall and purchasing a whole new wardrobe for the fall is out of the question. Life threw us some curve balls in the most recent past (both good and bad) so we're running a tight ship at the moment. It's a good skill to have no matter where you are financially.

So, I set myself a goal. This year majority of my fall wardrobe will come from Goodwill, not only because I'll be saving money but also because it's for a great cause. You see, Goodwill of Southern Piedmont does great things in our community and I want to support them. Money from retail sales goes to fund programs that help individuals in the Queen City thrive.

Now you may be wondering why I'm telling you all this. Well, you see, two nights ago I had an epiphany! Why don't we take the concept behind "The Look for Less" and localize it?!

I'm currently coming up with the logistics and would love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, or if you'd like to participate. Shoot me an e-mail (inthequeencity@gmail.com) or comment below!

Here is the criteria that I've come up with so far:

* Find one (or more) fall/winter 2012 runway or magazine looks that you would like to re-create
* Your budget is $25 (or less) per outfit
* One day time limit to re-create the look(s)
* Smart phone + Twitter account to share your journey as you participate in the challenge

The winner of this contest is Goodwill and our community.

Is there anything else that you think we should add to the criteria? Would love to hear your thoughts!!

You can shoot me an e-mail (inthequeencity@gmail.com) or comment below!

The date for the Challenge will be announced soon!

DIY: Refurbished Antique Mantle

Our bedroom is pretty bare so finding a beautiful piece of furniture that can serve multiple purposes is key. I’ve seen several homes with either fake or existing fireplaces with the mantle painted and used as a place to display fun finds, family photos, etc. I think the obsession to find a mantle really started around Christmas time… when the one real fireplace mantle that we have in the house was not big enough to hold all the tchotchkes.

It’s not too difficult to find a mantle, however, when you have $100 or less to spend it can be very challenging. Buying a new one could set you back a minimum of $500 and it will be bare bones and boring. Anything that resembles a gorgeous antique also starts at $500 and goes up from there.

A friend of mine in Richmond found hers on the side of a swanky residential street in Raleigh and squeezed it in the back of her compact SUV. It’s free standing, large, and gorgeous and I wish I had picture of it to post. I drove around the Meyers Park area recently and had no such luck.

When my sis-in-law was in town a few weeks ago, we went to Sleepy Poet and mantles were on my shopping list. The first hour and a half was discouraging… $550…$790…$975!! Then, in the back of the store, I found one!! It was perfect and came with all the accessories for $90. Score! However, it was too big to fit in my car so I had to reach out to my husband for his muscles and his truck. We went back on Sunday of the same week to pick it up. In the back of my head I was worried that someone has scooped it up during the week. Luckily, it was still there and the owner of the booth was there too, ready to wheel and deal. He knocked the price down to $75 so after taxes it was a few cents over $80, which made me super happy. We loaded it up and brought it home.

mantle coming home

My wonderful husband wasted no time in tearing it apart so that it can be sanded, painted and turned into something even more beautiful. After a relaxing Fourth of July picnic at our officiating minister’s home and a round of disc golf, we got to work on the mantle. Luckily, Lowe’s was open and I picked up pre-mixed seasonal paint samples along with other necessary supplies (paint brushes, wood putty, nails, etc.). We squeezed every bit of daylight that we could and finally gave up around 10 o’clock at night.

Valspar's Lincoln Cottage Black #4009-2 & Autumn Fog #4007-1B

We continued with the project Friday night into Saturday morning and after several glorious hours working on a project together (something we haven’t really done since we planned our wedding) the mantle was done! Isn’t it gorgeous?!

the finished mantle!

The total cost of the project was about $100, which is not bad at all!

Now I’m on the lookout for more furniture for us to refurbish and modernize…