five for friday

(follow along on Instagram @themarygraham)

Slow week on Instagram for me. When I'm stressed, social media use goes way down. Anyone else the same way?

1. Outfit of the day: still loving the striped skirts I picked up from Old Navy a while ago. I wish I would have gotten the smaller size though (tough problem to have, huh?). I was between two sizes and thought it would shrink when I washed it so I went with the bigger one. I was wrong...

2. Harper Kimery has to grow up to work in showbiz. While it's not what I would hope for her, she was born to entertain.

3. Saturday night was Cards Against Humanity and drinks with friends. It was a very good night. And I got to sleep in the next morning UNTIL TEN O'CLOCK. It has been years since that has happened. I forgot how good it felt.

4. A friend's daughter turned one last weekend and we attended a pretty awesome circus-themed outdoor party. The girls were in heaven and it wore them out. Those are marks of a highly successful kids' party.

5. Not to rub it in, but by complete accident, Chris and I had date night Friday night and Saturday night last weekend. Friday night we got to spend the evening wandering around historic Fountain Square with old friends, have dinner, a couple band reunions (long live This Beautiful Day and Same As Sunday!), and then watch a friend's new band perform. Although in all honesty, I crapped out at 10:00 and got a ride home with a friend. Mama can't make it to midnight with all the cool kids. I'm old.

How was your week? I'm ready for a night at home and in my pajamas by 5:30. And I'm not afraid to say it! Have a great weekend!


Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for High Five for Friday.

copycat 23.0

(skinnies: Target, blouse & sweater: Old Navy, scarf: thrifted, wedges: Target)

I'm not sure if I've been a nose-scruncher my whole life or it has evolved. But taking pictures of yourself so often makes you very aware of how you look when you laugh.

And my nose always seems to be scrunched.

My mother says I used to have the most beautiful nose. This is a weird statement to make, I agree. She often, when in a picture with my brother and sister, will point at my nose and say, your nose used to look like theirs. And I don't see a difference, or any similarities for that matter, but apparently, it's very obvious to everyone else.

So I'm surprised you guys come back day after day since my nose is so obviously messed up.

To say I was a tomboy as a child would be an understatement. And during basketball practice one evening, I took a nice elbow to the nose and pretty much shattered it.

Now my children have my old nose. And I think it's pretty cute on them, so maybe I would have been a supermodel had I not broken my nose all those years ago. I guess we'll never know.

|| original pin || original website ||

This week's copycat style is a color-inspiration more than an exact replica. I loved the bright blue and emerald so I took it down a notch and made it more casual.

What did you do this week?

The Rules
-Follow Texas Lovebirds and Trusty Chucks.
-Everyone likes comments! Please visit at least one other blog and leave a comment. Find new blogs! Make new friends! 

-Do not link to giveaways or your homepage, link to a specific post about your copycat style and how you made the look your own. Linkups that don't follow this rule will be deleted.

-Please link back to the post and let your readers know what's going on. You could grab a button if you'd like (hint, hint).

copycat 22.0

(dress: Kohls, boots: Target, necklace: Forever 21)

Sometimes all you need on a Monday is a comfortable knit dress and a necklace. It was pulled together enough to look professional, but it felt like I was in a night gown.

So a win, for sure.

The more-is-more side of me wanted to add a sweater, a belt, maybe a scarf? but I also appreciate the simplicity of a black dress and didn't want to care so much. I just wanted to put a dress on and leave.

I highly recommend it since I got lots of compliments from students on this dress. I think they'd be shocked that I bought it in the mom-section at Kohls.

Let's just keep that between us.

Thanks.

|| original pin || original website ||

The Rules

-Follow Texas Lovebirds and Trusty Chucks.
-Everyone likes comments! Please visit at least one other blog and leave a comment. Find new blogs! Make new friends!

-Do not link to giveaways or your homepage, link to a specific post about your copycat style and how you made the look your own. Linkups that don't follow this rule will be deleted.

-Please link back to the post and let your readers know what's going on. You could grab a button if you'd like (hint, hint).

 

five for friday + a giveaway

follow along on Instagram (or as the cool kids say, "Insta") @themarygraham

1. Wandering around our city with my husband this weekend. Thanks for the cheerful reminder, door.

2. A gym mirror selfie--and I'm showing some leg because it was 80 degrees out, fools!!

3. They were playing nice. And hell didn't freeze over so I wanted to get some proof.

4. & 5. Remember how I said it was 80 degrees?!? It was like that for a few days and it was so amazing. We live in Indiana, so I know it's just a tease and it's supposed to be freezing again this weekend, but we soaked up every minute of it while it was here.

How was your week? Did you get amazing weather too?

Let's start the weekend off right by winning some cash, shall we? Some other High Five for Friday girls and I have teamed up to sweeten our Friday posts by giving away some cold hard cash. Just a little thank you for coming here and reading---and maybe you'll find some new blogs too love, too. Want to get in on the action? Of course you do!

Classy Living / DC in Style / Happy Go Lucky / Heart Shaped Sweat / In Her Boots / Nest of Love / Simply Lulu / Trusty Chucks / With Love, Rachel

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and have a great weekend! (also, because I'm a beast, I'll be back with my third post of the day this afternoon. I read a book!)

Linking up with High Five for Friday with From My Grey Desk blog.

five for friday

(follow along on Instagram @themarygraham)

1. We started our spring break off right with donuts and my favorite rummage sale. Guys, I need to go back to school so I stop spending money. Being home all day is dangerous.

2. Last weekend I got to hang out with some girls I graduated high school with. Some of those girls I've known since I was five years old--that's just some craziness right there. I haven't written a post about that night yet, but it's coming. It's a good feeling to have people in your life that just know you even though you haven't seen them in years.

3. My little baby, Harper Kimery, turns two on Sunday. I've been getting weepy all week about this. TWO.YEARS.OLD.

4. I've been reading Wheat Belly by William Davis while on break---he's anti-wheat and gluten so as I'm typing this, I'm finishing my first day of being wheat free. And I have the most horrible headache from it. Seriously, I can hardly see straight. Apparently, I eat a lot of wheat...

5. First day of spring break=six inches of snow. I'm over it, even if I get to drink hot chocolate with peppermint marshmallows. Still not worth it.

Have a great weekend, friends!
I hope your Easter is wonderful, relaxing, and filled with thanksgiving.
I'm going to be MIA for most of next week as I soak in my last week of vacation--be back soon!
Mary

Linking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk Blog for High Five for Friday!

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There's still time to enter the Mommy and Me Easter Giveaway--get a little something for yourself and your kids!

copycat the eighteenth.

(sweater, jeans, and boots: Old Navy)

Spring break is great.

Not so great for getting dressed and wearing real clothes, but great for a whole other set of reasons. Like time with my babies, sleeping in (7:00 AM, baby!), regular gym time, and lots of home projects (Chris is a big fan of those things, too).

Yesterday we made it to the mall for the girls' Easter pictures. They are ridiculously cute and I'll share them soon. If you follow me on Instagram (@themarygraham), you got a sneak peek of my I'll-have-none-of-this-picture-stuff daughter. We bought screaming, crying pictures with the sole purpose of using them against her one day. Parenting tip, right there.

You're welcome.

So Pinterest has been good for me this week when I have no motivation to get dressed and that I had both of these pieces clean was a major deciding factor in this look. Honestly, that happens more than I'd like to admit. Some times it's about fashion, but most of the time, it's whatever is clean.

|| original pin || original website ||

Now it's your turn--show us your copycat style!

The Rules:

-Follow Texas Lovebirds and Trusty Chucks.
-Everyone likes comments! Please visit at least one other blog and leave a comment. Find new blogs! Make new friends!
-Do not link to giveaways or your homepage, link to a specific post about your copycat style and how you made the look your own. Linkups that don't follow this rule will be deleted.
-Please link back to the post and let your readers know what's going on. You could grab a button if you'd like (hint, hint).

five for friday

follow along with me on Instagram: @themarygraham

Friday, welcome back, friend. I've missed you desperately.

1. Lots of selfies in the gym locker room this week. My teacher-friend that takes pictures for me is off with knee surgery so it's been a lonely week for my outfits.

2. The second full week of no basketball after school and I'm loving it more than I could have ever imagined. Getting to the gym after school and still getting home before 5:00? I say this all the time, but, dang, what was I thinking with that coaching thing??

3. Chris was gone one night this week and so we had popcorn and movie night. Brave is on constant rotation at our house right now.

4. Has everyone picked up this striped skirt from Old Navy by now? I can't tell you how amazing it is and they come in all different colors. I picked up two and plan on wearing them constantly as it (hopefully) starts acting like spring soon.

5. The girls and I attended an afternoon showing of "Pinkalicious" on Saturday. This was their first experience with live theater and Elliott LOVED it. She wants to buy the movie now and we're having the hardest time explaining that there isn't a movie to buy. Harper was less impressed, she spent the majority of the 45-minute play crawling on the table and taking her shoes off. Oh well.

Any fun plans for the weekend? I'm heading out tonight for a little girls' night with a group of girls I graduated high school with. I'm really looking forward to catching up with everyone, it's going to be quite an evening, I'm sure.

Be back later with a book review---this one is a little different than my normal genre!

Happy weekend!

Mary

Linking up with High Five for Friday with From My Grey Desk blog.

Fancy Little Things:::Follow Along on Friday

Welcome to Fancy Little Thing's Follow Along. We are encouraged by all of you, by the connections you make here in the comments, in our directory, in our community, in our Gal Groups and now ---we can connect on Social Media outside of this website.

This week we'll be linking up our Facebook and Twitter profiles. And, we have a few co-hosts --

Christie from Satisfaction Through Christ

Aimee from By Aimee & Co.

Heather from It's A Long Story

Mary from Trusty Chucks

and

Julie from Back to the Basics
Kathryn from Singing in the Rain

Make sure you stop by and say "Hi" to each of them; they're a great group of ladies! :)

Ok, onto the fun stuff!



1: Follow us on TWITTER or FACEBOOK! Both would be just lovely!
2: LINK UP! Please note - we have (2) link-ups down below.. one is for Facebook, one is for Twitter! Link appropriately please!!

Link up by following two EASY steps!
Step #1: Fill out the “submission” form below & enter your PROFILE URL into the “URL” section.
Step #2: On the next screen, select “Upload from Computer” and choose your image to upload.
3: Follow along with the co-hosts and at least 5 others.
4. Share our Follow Along! Please tweet: “Follow Along Party with @FancyLilThings today at http://wp.me/p29X49-1xW” or you can always tell your lovely Facebook followers too!

five for friday

follow along on Instagram @themarygraham

1. Best recent buy from IKEA: giant roll of butcher paper. This thing entertains our family well.

2. Date night at the tattoo shop; a romantic evening of Asian food and adding to a sleeve.

3. See number one. Mommy likes the butcher paper too.

4. My house is full of vintage books, they're everywhere. This one happens to be supporting a teal elephant. And yes, that's a baby arm.

5. An outfit for a lazy day of errands and taxes. Who's getting a refund this year?? --->This girl<--->
How was your week?

Linking up to High Five for Friday with From My Grey Desk blog.
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Planning on doing any shopping this weekend?  I recently ordered my next piece from eShakti and am impatiently awaiting it's arrival. In the meantime, they're offering my readers 20% off their next order. Use code TRSTYCHCKS to take advantage of this awesome deal! (Here's my favorite winter coat that I got from eShakti.)

finally completed//picture frame walls

I have a Pinterest board entitled "I want this in my house." If you put all those pictures together, I'd have approxiamtely 13 kitchens and about 35 living rooms. Which is totally do-able if my husband would stop being such a slacker and get on his honey-do list.

Just kidding, we don't have a honey-do list. Those things annoy me.

But you know what I'm talking about right, all those magical spaces you pin and then do nothing with? Don't pretend it's just me. Well, I finally took some inspiration from those beautiful pics and did a little sprucing up at Casa de Graham. (I'm not sure if that's the correct Spanish, I only took two years in high school and passed by cheating off my friend Krissy. So I'll have to double-check that phrase with her.)

You know the photo wall idea, I'm sure. They're everywhere.

1 \ 2 \ 3 \ 4 \ 5 \ 6 \ 7 \ 8 \ 9

You know what's hard to do? Take pictures of picture frames. Dang you, sunlight and shadows. Also, windows and walls.

We have a small hallway (if you could even call it that) in our house and I originally planned on only doing the large wall (the first picture below), but after I got started, I couldn't stop and I did all three walls. If there was space for a frame, I put one up.

(We're in the process of painting all the trim and doors white which is why you see some white and some wood. Also, my children were running around their room and the playroom while I was taking pictures so I'm blaming the mess you can partially see to those two rugrats.)

The majority of the frames are from IKEA with a few from Target or Wal-Mart. The round flowers (that are hard to see details of) are from Target. Most frames are filled with pictures of our family, but there's some random vintage book pages, a few masterpieces from our daughters, and a few personal momentos (like flowers from our wedding or the number 6 made of buttons for our six-year anniversary photos). Most photos are from our travels: family camping trips, a trip to Poland, road trips, etc. We like to travel and as the girls get older, we plan on doing it more often.

I like the idea of changing photos out for new ones to keep things fresh, but we'll see if that happens. I'm in love with every picture we have up and the idea of taking it down makes me sad. I'm sure we'll have new memories and items to display, but for now, I'm pretty proud of my small space and how it turned out.

What about you? Have you done any Pinterest-inspired home projects recently? Do you have a photo wall or two? I also have one in our living room that's been a work-in-progress for over three years, slowly growing out as I buy more frames. I know that's not how you're supposed to do it, but I'm just a rebel like that.

Linking up with Young House Love's Pinterest Challenge.

five for friday

(follow along on Instagram @themarygraham)

1. On Sunday, Ellie went to Ohio with her Mawmaw. For the first few hours, Harper loved being an only child and all the attention she received. When the new-ness wore off, she just wanted her playmate back.

2. The Boat, Sport, and Travel Show is in town and we got to see Twiggy the water skiing squirrel while we were there. It's pretty fun stuff watching a squirrel water ski.

3. More looking out the window. This time while our neighbors' trees came down.

4. My small closet with dreams of one day being a walk-in.

5. Pink and blue outfit of the day.

How was your week?

Linking up with From My Grey Desk blog for High Five for Friday!

copycat linkup the ninth

Well, those shadows are just great, huh?

I wore this outfit to church on Saturday. Chris stayed home with PeePee Pants Harper and I took Elliott with me.

Normally, I don't feel the need to tell you where I wore an outfit--it's typically not important--but this time it is. Only because I was wearing this outfit when my foot and leg completely betrayed me.

I sat through the sermon with my left leg crossed over my right, totally enthralled with the message, taking notes and being the good student. Apparently, during this time my left leg fell asleep.

Not just tingly, pin-prick numb, but complete loss of feeling. But the thing is, I didn't realize it had happened.

Until I got up to take communion.

And I collapsed.

It was very dramatic and loud. At a time when you're supposed to be the most quiet. I still giggle, days later, when I think about it. And how everyone reacted to it. I just wish someone, like my sister, had been there to witness it. Because it was that good.

All my accidents are wasted on strangers, dang it.

(skinnies & boots: Target, shirt: Old Navy, blazer: T.J. Maxx, scarf: holiday market, bangles: Forever 21)

Also, did you notice my blazer has elbow patches? I'm channeling my father circa-1985. All I need to add is the big glasses and the porn 'stache. Maybe next week...

Today's co-host, Aubree, is from A Fashionate Life and has a super cute blog where she documents all her swoon-worthy outfits. Seriously, this girl has some style. Check her out!

The rules!
-Follow Texas Lovebirds and Trusty Chucks.

-Everyone likes comments! Please visit at least one other blog and leave a comment. Find new blogs! Make new friends!

-Do not link to giveaways or your homepage, link to a specific post about your copycat style and how you made the look your own. Linkups that don't follow this rule will be deleted.

-Please link back to the post and let your readers know what's going on. You could grab a button if you'd like (hint, hint).

 

copycat {eight}

I've mentioned before how much I enjoy copying an outift when I have all the things in my closet. It makes me feel cool and in-the-know to have everything I need for an outfit someone else has worn that looks so good. I'm sure it's kind of like getting the coolest backpack in elementary school. Not really important at all, but at the moment it makes you feel good.

So here's to cool backpacks and lunch boxes.

(pinterest pin via this blog)

This week's fabulous co-host is Elise from That's Comma with a K. She's got a fun blog and big hair (which I love!) so you know she's got her priorities straight. And a pretty cute little boy, if I do say so myself!

Your turn! Show us your copycat style!

The Rules:
-Follow Texas Lovebirds and Trusty Chucks.
-Everyone likes comments! Please visit at least one other blog and leave a comment. Find new blogs! Make new friends!
-Do not link to giveaways or your homepage, link to a specific post about your copycat style and how you made the look your own. Linkups that don't follow this rule will be deleted.
-Please link back to the post and let your readers know what's going on. You could grab a button if you'd like (hint, hint).

(My reader survey ends tomorrow night--please take a second and fill it out if you haven't already!)

five for friday

Follow along on Instagram for more excitement and fun: themarygraham

(Clockwise from the top:)
1. My almost-four-year-old going on college student. She's too smart for her britches and is exhausting and wonderful at the same time. Children...

2. My afternoons are now spent in a gym with basketballs and sweaty middle schooler girls. I would also describe this as exhausting and wonderful at the same time.

3. How I enjoyed one of my last days of Christmas break: wine, frozen raspberries, and shredded cheese. Get on my level.

4. Speaking of exhausting, this week has been too much for everyone. My husband and the dog included.

5. Can I just say that I'm really loving Target's colored cords right now? They're long enough for my tall self and are almost too comfortable for their own good. Go get some, you won't regret it.

Happy Friday, friends!

(linking up with High Five for Friday with From My Grey Desk blog)

copycat {5}

This inspiration was sudden and perfect.  I was playing on Pinterest on my phone before bed one night when I came across this picture.  I literally jumped out of bed (okay, maybe not jumped...) pulled these pieces out of my closet and wore them the next day.

A good inspiration photo will do that.

[source]

(blazer: thrifted, pants: Lauren Conrad for Kohls, striped shirt: Old Navy, wedges: Vera Wang for Kohls)

Does that ever happen to you? Luck out and have everything you need for an outfit you'd like to recreate?  Best feeling ever.

You know what else is a great feeling? Meeting Brittany from Naturally Estes when I attended The Influence Conference in October.  We were fast friends.  She didn't have pink hair at that point, but that would have just given her extra cool points in my book (you assign cool points to people when you meet them too, right?).  We're so glad to have Brittany rockin' her copycat style with us today!
Now it's your turn--show us your copycat style!

The rules are simple:
-Follow Texas Lovebirds and Trusty Chucks.
-Everyone likes comments! Please visit at least one other blog and leave a comment. Find new blogs! Make new friends! (The easiest way to spread the love is comment on the link up before yours, but do it however you like.)
-Do not link to giveaways or your homepage, link to a specific post about your copycat style and how you made the look your own. Linkups that don't follow this rule will be deleted.
-Please link back to the post and let your readers know what's going on. You could grab a button if you'd like (hint, hint).

copycat {4}

I feel like this one is almost cheating since I might have slept in this outfit.  Or, if you think about it, this might just be the greatest outfit I've put together.  Day-to-night with no change. 

Okay, I'm calling this one a success. 

[source]

(leggings: Lauren Conrad for Kohls, sweater: Kohls, boots: Target, & scarf: seasonal market)

Originally, I had purple skinnies on with this, but I have to belt them and the sweater looked weird with a belt.  So I went with leggings and it was too comfortable to change out of.  Win.  I do wish I had her scarf though.  I have the desire to buy every animal print scarf I come across and that picture isn't helping my compulsion. 

Okay, now it's your turn--can you sleep in your outfit this week as well?  I will, from now on, measure an outfit's success by its ability to convert into pajamas. 

And speaking of pajamas, I think Lena from Lena B, Actually is the cat's pajamas.  If you don't know her, you're definitely missing out.  She's our guest co-host today and we're so glad to have her with us!  And I highly recommend you checking out her Dressember posts--a dress every day in December, that's major people!

The rules are simple:

-Follow Texas Lovebirds and Trusty Chucks (following the guest co-host is optional, but encouraged: Lena B, Actually).
-Everyone likes comments! Please visit at least one other blog and leave a comment. Find new blogs! Make new friends!
-Do not link to giveaways or your homepage, link to a specific post about your copycat style and how you made the look your own. Linkups that don't follow this rule will be deleted.
-Please link back to the post and let your readers know what's going on. You could grab a button if you'd like (hint, hint).