A Move-In Makeover With Glidden!

I’m not sure if you’ve heard the big news yet – but we are moving to California!

Yes, it is really far away from our always-home in Louisiana, but we are so excited for this change and ready to embrace it!

Of course, we are moving into what has essentially been my fiance’s bachelor pad for two years, and it was in need of a woman’s touch – and just some general preparation for our arrival.  It was fitting that Walmart came to me with an opportunity, through the Walmart Moms program to makeover a room with a gallon of Glidden Paint 2-in-1.  By 2-in-1 it means that it is a primer plus color in one – so really you can paint and go!

We chose to re-do our bedroom with a splash of color and chose “Antique Silver” for that.  I will say that in my head it was a bit more subtle than it turned out, but I still love it.  Just realize that your eyes sort of play tricks on you when you are looking at the paint samples – and imagine it that color, just a bit darker when it is on the walls all around you.  It isn’t REALLY darker, but it will seem that way once you’re surrounded by it.

So, first Morgan and I taped off the door frames, window sills, and removed the power outlets…

We actually taped it off at night and then we got a little lazy, so we took a snooze and then decided to actually paint the room when we woke up the next morning.  We rose bright and early (ok, at 9 am) and then started moving all of the furniture to the center of the room and covering it all with drop cloths.

At this point, I almost cried when everything was a mess and in the middle of the room, but I hung in there…

So, I’ll just be honest – we used every. single. bit. of this gallon of paint for a normal sized (dare I say, small, even) bedroom.  As a matter of fact, Morgan had to run out to Walmart and buy another quart of it so we could finish the edges.  The coverage was great, but there are still a few “white” places that could use a second coat of paint…but hey, I’m a perfectionist.  Most people probably wouldn’t notice – but I’ve painted a few rooms in my day and well, I noticed.

Also, it was very hard to get photos of the room while I was painting, but here – progress!

Either way, it was a great Sunday project, and I’m soooo happy with how it turned out.  Check out the end result!

Overall, we loved working with the Glidden paint – it was smooth, easy to use, and best of all – is VOC free – meaning that we were able to keep the windows closed on a hot California summer day and not die of toxic fumes.  In all seriousness, we didn’t smell anything that seemed toxic at all – if anything it just smelled ever-so-slightly like vinegar.  Erika and Morgan give this experience two thumbs up.  And yes, that was cheesy.

Disclosure:  I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program and was compensated for my time with regards to this post.  My opinions are, and always have been, strictly my own.

How to Stylishly Survive: Indian Summer

blazer, necklace, wedges, shorts

Sure, the temps are still going strong–but the calendar is telling us that Summer is drawing to a close. It’s the age-old battle of Farenheit versus fashion, ladies, and we need to be prepared.

Here’s my simple method for surviving the swelter while still maintaining a current look: blazer+shorts+acessories. It’s foolproof — all you do is add a tank or tee in your favorite color (or pattern, if you’re a daredevil!) and you’re set. Try it with different shoe heights. Experiment with fabrics. Play with color. You’ll be surprised how many combinations you can come up with!

We Covet: Vince Fall 2011

all items available at vince

I’m sweating. Literally. From the heat outside and also from looking at the Vince Fall looks-who could imagine throwing on a wool anything right now? Still, I’m browsing these amazing pieces and finding myself crushing on every one of them. If I have my street lingo in check, I would have to say I’m “sweatin’” Vince right now.

What?  Is it too early for bad humor as well as sweaters?

But seriously, folks…this collection has sophisticated cool written all over it. From slinky silk tops to glam fur vests to easy prepster sweaters and familiar skinny pants-there is something for everyone in this season. Most pieces easily work back into your wardrobe, reviving your old Fall favorites and there are a few show-stoppers thrown in-hello, fur jacket!

Which items make your heart skip a beat?

Things We Love: Emily Maynard’s Flower Necklace

I’ve only recently been ok admitting this – but I love watching the train-wreck that is the Bachelor and Bachelorette franchise.

I don’t even have cable but that doesn’t matter – I all but wake up on Tuesday mornings with a smile on my face because I know I can finally watch the week’s episode on Hulu.

Anyway, this week was the sad interview with Bachelor alum Emily Maynard.

Proving to be the sweet, classy southern woman we all know her to be she handled the interview with incredible grace.  My heart went out to her.

That is, when I wasn’t busy staring at her necklace.

I literally paused the interview in the middle of all of the sobbing and was all up in the interwebs because y’all I NEED THAT NECKLACE.

According to the Possessionista Emily’s necklace was one that she bought in the gift shop in Anguilla during her stint on the Bachelor.   Well boo, hiss.

Emily herself has apparently suggested the Birds of Paradise necklace from Stella and Dot as an alternative.

It will hold me over for now, but I’m still in search of the original.  Hey, random Anguilla gift shop – if you’re reading this – do you ship to Louisiana?

I NEED that necklace.

Hollywood Royalty: BAFTA Bash Hits and Misses

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hit Hollywood in royal style on Saturday night!  At around 8:04 pm Saturday night the duo pulled up to the BAFTA Bash held in their honor in a black Range Rover, flanked by police escorts.  All eyes were on the Duchess as she slid out of the car in a lilac Alexander McQueen gown, Jimmy Choo sandals and clutch, and earrings on loan from the Queen.  Prince William looked dapper in his tux, and the royal pair stole the spotlight from everyone in attendance, including the likes of Tom Hanks, Blake Lively, Jennifer Lopez, and Jennifer Garner.

They chatted with lots of Hollywood celebs throughout the evening – most of whom were insanely excited to met the Duke and Duchess themselves.  Jennifer Lopez’s date for the evening – her mom (hubby Marc Anthony stayed home) was so excited, in fact, that she tripped over her gown!

Obviously the Duchess was stunning, and ever regal in her McQueen gown, but let’s check out what some of the other celebs were wearing – shall we?

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GREATEST HITS

Blake Lively: Draped in lace and delicate embroidery, Blake Lively wowed in Marchesa.

Elizabeth Banks: The 30 Rock star turned heads in this va-va-voom number by Versace.

Jennifer Garner: This blue one-shoulder Yves St. Laurent number left us drooling. The perfect choice for meeting a Princess.

Nicole Kidman: For me one of the night’s standouts was Nicole Kidman, who shined (literally!) in her custom-made Elie Saab haute couture gown.  Nicole looks like she is prepared to meet royalty.

Elizabeth Moss: Looking like a goddess in her own right, Elizabeth Moss stunned in a J. Mendel gown.  Perfect for summer, but still appropriate for the occasion, she hit the nail on the head.

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BIGGEST MISSES

Jennifer Lopez: Don’t get us wrong, Jennifer Lopez looked sizzling in her Emilio Pucci dress but we think it was a bit inappropriate for the occasion.

Zooey Deschanel: While we big puffy heart Zooey (as well as Oscar de la Renta, who made her dress) we felt the length of this dress was too short for the occasion and the color was not the best on her.

Kristin Chenoweth:  We know she has the most amazing voice in Hollywood, but instead of looking statuesque, Kristin just looks like a gold statue.  Not her best look.

The One About The Dog Food

Not sure how often I’ve mentioned this here, if ever, but I have a dog.  My sweet girl, Lilly, is 12 years old. I adopted her when I was a junior in high school.

The sun rises and sets on Lilly.

Almost literally.  She is diabetic, so she gets insulin injections, like clockwork, every 12 hours.

She lives with my parents at the moment.  I’m pretty sure every time my mom has to jump through hoops to maintain Lilly’s health (like, every 12 hours?) she chants to herself, “I love my daughter, I love my daughter.”

Let me take this moment to say–thanks, Mom. xo.

Obviously, I jump through hoops to keep Lilly happy and healthy, and Walmart knows that you do the same for your dogs.  They’d love your help getting some insight into your dog food shopping habits and how you shop to best take care of your dog.  They have created a quick 5-minute survey that they’d really appreciate your feedback on.

Just think, you could be shaping the future of Walmart shoppers everywhere.

How many people can say that?

You can thank me later.

So don’t forget – click here to take the survey!

Disclosure:  I proudly participate in the Walmart Moms program, and this post is a sponsored post.  It’s how we pay the bills, y’all.  All opinions always have been and always will be my own.

Duchess Kate: Favorite Looks From Her Canadian Tour

Do you remember about a year to a year and a half ago when no one in the US really knew who Kate Middleton was?

No?

Me either.

Seems like she is a bonafide celebrity a-lister now, and rightfully so. I mean, the girl has some serious style.  And class.

Oh yeah, and she’s a real life Princess.

For heaven’s sakes, she planted a tree in heels this past week.  You can’t get more princessey than that!

What can’t this woman do?

Also?  What can’t she wear?  I think she’d look amazing in a paper bag.  (Though I will say that I still feel that Duchess Kate is too thin.  5 – 10 extra pounds on her frame would make me feel much better.)

Anyway, tonight Prince William and Princess Kate (apparently it’s ok to call her that) will arrive in Los Angeles for 2 days of glitz and glamour.  I plan on covering those looks in a separate post.  You know, cause you can never have enough Duchess Kate/Princess Kate/Kate Middleton.

Or at least I can’t.

Ok, on to her best looks of the tour, in order of appearance.

#1.  The Cecile Dress, by Erdem.

For her arrival in Canada, Kate chose this stunning, form-fitting lacy shift dress by Montreal-born designer Erdem Moralioglu.  She paired it with her oft-seen L.K.Bennett Sledge Leather Pumps and a beige envelope clutch.  Kate looked fresh and ready to go after her long flight – and her hair makes me jealous that my awesome stylist, Meggan, doesn’t travel with me everywhere.

#2.  The Nanette dress, by Reiss.

The Duchess of Cambridge shows women all over the world that it’s ok to wear the same dress more than once.  Take, for instance, the famous Nanette dress by Reiss that she wore in her engagement photos.  Kate embraced the colors of Canada for Canada Day by recycling this much-loved dress and spicing it up it with a diamond maple leaf brooch (on loan from the Queen), red Albini Square Cut Court pumps, Anya Hindmarch Fan Bag, and a red fascinator with red maple leaves made especially for the occasion by Sylvia Fletcher for Lock & Company.

Some criticized this look, saying it was too busy but I think the Duchess looks stunning.  What do you think?

#3.  Purple Dress, Issa London.

Despite my best efforts, I cannot pinpoint the specific dress that Kate is wearing here, only that it is an Issa dress.  She looked stunning and very regal in this gorgeous purple dress while attending evening celebrations for Canada Day.  The diamond maple leaf brooch again re-appeared for the occasion, as did Kate’s black Prada pumps.  The clutch she is carrying is another by Anya Hindmarch – this one the “Maud” in black – which initially made an appearance when the Duchess met President and Mrs. Obama.

#4.  Jacquenta dress, by Erdem.

Princess Kate chose not one, but TWO lacy, form-fitting Erdem dresses for her Canadian tour.  The second one was just as stunning, if not more, than the first.  The three-quarter length sleeve dress was the perfect choice for attending non-denominational worship services that Sunday morning aboard the HMCS Montreal.  She repeated her L.K. Bennett Sledge pumps and envelope clutch with this look.  She also wore diamond and sapphire earrings that match her engagement ring.

#5.  Bullet Dress by Malene Birger.

Kate looked chic and understated at the Somba K’e Civic Plaza in Yellowknife in a structured cream dress by Danish designer Malene Birger.  A bit of a departure from her decidedly British choices, and Canadian nods, Kate showed us all that she isn’t afraid to shake it up a bit in this linen-weave dress.  Back again were her famed L.K. Bennet Sledge pumps and I’m especially fond of the Kiki McDonough Citrine Drop earrings that she wore with this look.  Perfect, especially for the summer heat.

#6. Primrose dress by Jenny Packham.

This is the last look I’ll highlight from the tour (even though there were so many more!) but I felt that I just had to mention this one because a) I big puffy heart Jenny Packham and b) this is the brightest look we’ve seen on the Duchess so far this tour and it’s somewhat refreshing.  She looks fabulous in yellow, and this dress fills out her frame a bit for her because of its full skirt.  The L.K. Bennett pumps are back again (noticing a pattern) as is her trusty L.K. Bennett Natalie clutch.

Shark Rodeo for the 4th!

Everyone loves a pool party – and it had been ages since I had been to one, myself.  For an early 4th of July celebration this year we got together with my future brother and sister-in-law at her parent’s house to celebrate.  We brought food (check out our delicious bruschetta recipe!) but we also brought the fun — because what’s a pool party without pool toys?!

On our way over to the house this afternoon we stopped at Walmart and grabbed some pool toys to bring to the party.  Audrey Grace was thrilled that she was able to pick out some toys – she kept throwing things into the basket.  We had to gently remind her that we weren’t buying the entire aisle of toys, just a few select ones.  Here is what we ended up with:

An inflatable shark, inflatable turtle, variety “pool fun” pack (which included a ring, a beach ball, and a blow up boogie board with a clear see through window that Audrey Grace LOVED), a purple pool noodle and some sunscreen.  The shark, turtle, and Pool fun set were $5 each – which was unbeatable.  Especially when you consider the abuse that they all took…especially the poor shark…

The men always take turns doing their fancy-pants “pool tricks” whenever we all get together (ask my fiance about the famous “flying squirrel!), but this is the first time I’ve seen Uncle Bruce get in on the action!

Shark Rodeo from Erika Lehmann on Vimeo.

Uncle Bruce gives the shark a run for it’s money.

I love the comment at the end from one of the guys — “that was 8 seconds”.  Awesome.

The pool toys, as you can see, were a huge hit and made for a ton of fun!  Here is one last photo of Audrey Grace, my future SIL, and myself having fun in the pool!  Thanks Walmart for providing a gift card for all of the fun!

Disclosure:  I am a Walmart mom and this post is written as a direct result of that relationship. All opinions are my own, always have been, always will be.  You know how I roll, y’all.

Appetizer Idea For the 4th of July

• 8 chopped ripe plum tomatoes
• 5 chopped basil leaves (fresh)
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 pinch of dried oregano
• 1 dash of crushed red pepper
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 pinch salt
• 2-3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 loaf of Italian-style (or French) bread, cut into diagonal slices

1. Mix the tomatoes, basil, garlic, oregano, red pepper, salt, pepper and olive oil in a large bowl. If needed, add more olive oil until the entire mixture is coated.  Cover, and allow mixture to sit for 15-30 minutes for flavors to blend.
2. While you wait, preheat the broiler. On a baking sheet, arrange the sliced french bread in a single layer and brown both sides slightly in the oven. Remove from oven.
3. Place warm bread on a plate and serve with bowl of tomato mixture.

The perfect poolside snack for the 4th!  Morgan loved it!

Happy Independence Day!

Disclosure:  I am a Walmart Mom and this post is a direct result of my relationship with Walmart. All opinions are and always will be my own, because you know that’s how I roll. xoxo

Walmart’s Great Gas Rollback

Walmart has long been famous for it’s “Rollback” mantra, but this summer they are really putting their money where their mouth is and rolling back prices on gasoline!  I’m not sure how the budget is looking in your house, but the cost of filling up my SUV (yes, go ahead and throw tomatoes at me for driving an SUV, I’m used to it) makes a trip to the gas station an $80 trip, at minimum.

Do you know how many pairs of shoes I could buy with that?!

Walmart has struck up a limited time partnership with Murphy USA to make summer travel more affordable!  Per Walmart, folks in the following states can take advantage of the Rollback:

Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia) – Our Great Gas Rollback will take 10 cents off every gallon when you fill up at over 800 participating Murphy USA and Walmart Gas stations at your local Walmart using your Walmart Credit Card, Walmart MoneyCard or a Walmart Gift Card.  Not valid in all areas.

And for those of you in Florida and Alabama you will receive a 10 cent credit on every gallon when you fill up at participating Murphy USA and Walmart Gas stations at your local Walmart using your Walmart Credit Card.  Awesome, right?

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Walmart Moms program, and this post was sponsored.  All opinions are, and always have been, my own.