Easter Sunday

Hi There! I hope every one had a Happy Easter weekend.
My weekend was great...very low key with a lot of napping and a little shopping.
The weather was nice and church was so good.
I've been visiting a new church for the past few weeks and I am really enjoying the services. I normally don't like churches with big congregations, but I must say I feel really comfortable when visiting this particular church. Another plus is that it is right down the street from my house. This church has 3 services each Sunday so I have no excuses for not attending. Right? I've been going to the 9:30am service and that seems to be working out great. I love the fact that church is over around 11:15am each Sunday and I have the whole day to do other stuff and if I decide to go out to eat, the restaurants are not crowded. Plus, Plus, Plus, Plus!!!

Okay, so here is what I wore to church on Easter Sunday. I wanted to wear something with some springy colors so I chose this skirt that I picked up a few weeks ago. I was finally able to find a top to match on Saturday. I normally don't wear lots of patterned pieces, but I'm trying to step outside the box a little when it comes to fashion since I'm having to sort of rebuild my wardrobe (after dropping a few pounds). I decided to purchase this skirt because of all the colors in it. I can pair it with yellow, lavender, pink, white and this pinkish-purplish color top that I have on in the picture. So you see, I'll be able to get lots of wear out of this one skirt. The next time I wear this skirt, I think I will accessorize with a belt and more bulky pieces of jewelry.

For the shoes, I chose to go with these Cognac colored sandals that I've had in my closet for at least a couple of years. I'm really liking this Cognac color for my shoes and accessories because it is a neutral color that can be worn with so many different colors and the color won't take away from the outfit.

 Fashion Finds
Top: Macy's (clearance @ $11)
Skirt: Ann Taylor Loft (clearance @ $17.90)
Shoes: purchased years ago
Charm: Stella & Dot (part of a 3-piece charm set @ $19 on sale)
Bracelets, Ring, Gold Chain - Gifts


*sorry about the poor picture quality. promise to do a better job in the future.

Question: Did you purchase a new dress, outfit or shoes for Easter?

What's Happening...

Just a note to let you all know what's been happening with my blog...and me.
I've been trying to complete another project that I must get done so that I can concentrate more on the things I love (like blogging, shopping, hanging out with family & friends, working, etc.). Unfortunately, I have been procrastinating BIG time and not really getting much done. :( So this is the week that I'm making promises to myself to go ahead and finish up these projects so I can get on with my life. 



I've also been thinking about what the focus of this blog should be. My decision is to incorporate all aspects of my daily life. Right now, my main focus outside of this blog is finding a new job.  So I will be blogging about my experiences with that. I haven't been actively looking for a job in over 13 years, so this should be an interesting adventure.


In addition to job hunting, I'll be posting about the following things:

• Fashion Finds - I'm sort of rebuilding my wardrobe. It is in serious need of an update...I mean SERIOUS need. :) So I have been shopping on a tight budget lately and finding some really good deals on clearance in stores like Macy's and the Loft. I've also found some good buys in Marshall's, TJ Maxx and ROSS. These stores are like my favorite places to shop right now. I'll be posting pictures of myself wearing some of these great finds and letting you all know where I found them so you can go out and purchase them too (if you like them).
  Along with finding good bargains, I want to update my look and be a little more trendy. I feel that before my look has be very classic and to be honest...boring. I'm learning a lot by visiting other fashion blogs and will incorporating some of what I learn so I can develop my own style. This should be fun! :)
• Healthy Eating - Since I've been on my Healthy Lifestyle journey, I realize that the only way to really eat healthy is to prepare your own meals.  I never really liked to cook before, but I'm really beginning to enjoy it now. I use a lot of whole foods when cooking/preparing - fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, chicken and every now and then turkey. I stay away from processed foods as much as possible and try to eat out no more than 2 times per week. I'll be sharing recipes and healthy alternatives with you so you can improve your health, too.
• Exercising - I was walking about 2.5 miles every other day. However, I have slipped up in this area. So next week I will be starting the Couch25K program. This program helps couch potatoes begin an exercise program that will have you off the couch and running about 3 miles in a 10-week time period. Anyone want to join me?
• Business - I'll still focus on business & networking by doing the Business Spotlight and Upcoming Events sections. This will be my way of giving back and trying to uplift other business owners out there. We need to support each other, right? Look for new entries next week!

Your comments and feedback are always welcome so feel free to let me know what you are thinking.
Also, if you find some good deals and products, let me know. Send in a picture of you in your outfit. Send in that healthy  recipe. Who knows? I may be able to share it with every one else.

Have a blessed week and look for more frequent post starting this week.
Just remember, I'm new to blogging and this is definitely a learning experience for me.

-rena

Mall Score!

I had a lot of work I needed to do over the weekend. It was overwhelming...so instead I tagged along with E&K (my niece & nephew-her husband) to the mall. We ended up driving out to North Point Mall, about a 40 minute drive from Decatur. At first I didn't want to drive out there, especially since there are 4 malls within a 10 mile radius of my home, but I'm so glad I did.

You see, I had this Anne Klein denim pencil skirt on my wish list.  I saw the skirt online at Macys.com, but none of the stores in my area has an Anne Klein department. Online the skirt was $59, which was over my budget for a single piece of clothing, but I decided to take the plunge because of the versatility of the skirt. It can be dressed up or down; worn with heels or flats; sandals or shoes; jacket or no jacket. This skirt can be worn to work, church or just to hang out.  Switch out the top, shoes and jewelry and you can get lots of fashion combos with this denim pencil skirt. It's a classic signature piece to have in your wardrobe.

With my $10 Macy's Birthday Gift Card in hand, I went searching for the Anne Klein section. I found it, but no denim skirt. :( Okay. Don't give up. Just keep looking. I finally gave the clearance rack a really good look and guess what? I found the skirts. Oh no! They don't have my size! However, they had a size 4 and a size 8. So I'm looking at the skirts, feeling a little defeated. Not to worry...I go to the dressing room with the size 4 and 8. (I wear a size 6.) So I try on the size 4. Perfect fit around the waist; a little snug around the hips. I'm moving & bending & shaking. Okay. Maybe this will work. My niece agreed. I'm excited again.

So now I'm at the register ready to check out. The skirt is marked down to $29.50 on the clearance tag. I'm excited because I can use my $10 Gift Card and save some more money. I hand the clerk my gift card and she says "I'm sorry you can't use this card. Your purchase has to be at least $30." In my mind I'm thinking no problem, I will just add a bottle of water or a candy bar to take me over the $30 minimum. Then she says, "This skirt has been marked down to $14.50." What?!?!?! I'm about to jump out of my skin. I'm so happy! My niece hands me her 20% OFF coupon, which made the final price of the skirt $12!!!

So you see why I'm so excited, right? Mall Score!!! A $47 savings!!! I love shopping when things turn out this good. Oh and by the way, I checked online and the exact same skirt is still selling for $59.

Question(s) of the day: (Please leave a comment.)
What are some of the items on your wish list?
Have you had any recent Mall Scores? If so, tell us about them.

Catching Up & Introducing

Me & My Parents

Sending a big THANK YOU to all of my new readers. I appreciate you. Please share my blog with others.

I had a blast this past weekend at the CowDown (My CowGirl Birthday Party). It was so much fun riding a horse for the 1st time and riding on a 4-wheeler. :) You couldn't tell the older folks from the younger ones. Everyone just had a blast. So much fun!!! I will definitely never forget this birthday celebration with my family & friends.

Me on one of the 4-wheelers

Now that I'm back home, I'm finally catching up on things that I neglected to do last week. I spent most of the week shopping and was able to find some really cute clothes at very reasonable prices. I'll be sharing my finds with you during the upcoming week. I hadn't been on a shopping spree in a while, so I was really excited. Plus, I really did need to update my wardrobe since I dropped about 25 pounds over the past 9 months. I'll be posting more about that in future posts as well.

Please check out the Business Spotlight link at the top of the page. Each month, I will introduce you to  1 or 2 area businesses. This month I would like for you to meet Lois-Ann Clark, the owner of AABoomers.com - Home of the Savvy African American Baby Boomers.
If you would like your business featured, please let me know by leaving a comment or sending me an email. I'd be happy to share your business with every one.
I'll also be posting some Upcoming Events within the next day or two, so check back often to find out about local happenings in the Atlanta area.

Question(s) of the day: How did/will you celebrate your birthday this year?  What local events will you be attending during the months of April & May? Please leave a comment in the comment section.

Just a couple more pics from my b-day weekend celebration:

Horse & Buggy

See, I wasn't scared.

Birthday Celebrations!

Hello Smart Women (and Men)!
This weekend I'll be celebrating my birthday (actual day is Sunday)! To celebrate, I decided to do something I've never done before. Now, I have yet to make a bucket list, but if I did, this would have been one of the items on it.  What is it, you ask???
I'm going Horseback Riding! I'm so excited.

My dad (77years old) owns several horses and riding is his passion. So, since I've never been riding with him, I decided I would do that for my birthday. He is super excited. At first, I thought it would be just my parents and siblings and a few other close relatives...but somehow, it has turned into a party, which I'm dubbing my CowGirl Party. I've got the boots and the hat and I'm ready to ride! I just hope I don't chicken out. :)
Anyway, I'll be headed to South Carolina tomorrow for a fun-filled family weekend.
BTW, my Mom's birthday is 2 days after mine and my niece & nephew sorta hi-jacked my birthday and got married on it...Oh well, that just means we have lots of reasons to celebrate, right? It's a Family Affair.

I spent the week catching up on tasks that I've been neglecting and shopping. Gotta have a new birthday outfit, right? So next week, I'll really start blogging more (hopefully every day, but we'll see). I'll have lots to share with you: pictures of my birthday weekend and some spring outfits I found while shopping.

Question(s) of the day: How did/will you celebrate your birthday this year? Do you have a bucket list and if so, what's on it?

Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday!