Making Lemonade

We all know the saying, "When life gives you lemons... make lemonade!"  Life has been so impacted lately, and even during this busy week I need to take some lemonade time.  So don't worry, I plan to be back in action with regular posts next week!  In the meantime, check me out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (find me @3Pprettyblog) for updates.  And last but not least, here are a few sayings for you to enjoy that always make me smile...

*All images via Pinterest 

Friday's 4 (x2) pins

< Simple ideas for wall decorations that will be personalized and would make me smile every time I passed by! >

TGIF, 3P wonderfuls!  The day (of this week) that we have all been waiting for has indeed arrived!  Crafting and DIY ideas have been on my mind lately, and I thought on this happy day I would share some of these do-it-yourself projects that would make me very happy to complete!  The busy weekend ahead will not really allow for any project time, but maybe I can sneak a few moments in next week and complete something.  Anything, really, that is taken out of my crafting stash and turned into a completed project will make my inner Martha tendencies so pleased.  Or, if any of you manage to DIY some fabulous something in the next few days, do tell!  I will be so happy to hear about your project success!

Have a fabulous weekend, 3P style, and I will see you back here next week!

 < Simple homemade labels would add a nice personalized touch to my kitchen canisters, and would also be a nice addition to a cute food gift >

< My jewelry-loving self and arm partyer would absolutely adore this crafted bracelets!  Must DIY some jewelry, soon! >

< If a few more house projects are completed, I might enjoy these clever shelving project ideas as the next to-do! >



*All pictures via and edited by me

Office organization

 < Step into my office... >

I love an organized area, and my home office is no exception.  Although I have a little more decorating to do (i.e., hanging things on the wall) and a few piles to clean up (hence the reason only these photos are shown today), I really enjoy the comfort of this space.  The slight 'safari' theme that decorates this space is inspired by a print my man brought back from Africa- I will feature this one day on the blog, but just be prepared for authentic, organic art when I do.  Because I love a little animal print in my life, I was happy to splash a few spots and stripes around my desk to give off a girlie safari vibe.  I love working in this space and being surrounded by cheetah spots, zebra stripes, and leopard print, and although I have a little bit more work to do in order to feel that this room is finished, I really to love this office space.

 < A file caddy keeps documents easy to reach, and a few of my favorite DIY books are easy to grab when I am looking for some inspiration >

 < I love having memorabilia to look at every day- it always makes me smile! >

 < A zebra print trunk hides cords and keeps them neatly corralled >

 < A few storage containers keep like items in one place, and a small collection of safari animals liven up this desk ledge.  You can see my DIY calendar here >

< I made the wall hangings by stapling material around oil canvases.  Easy, and everyone that sees these loves them!  An extra chair sits next to my desk, and some vintage looking luggage boxes conceal paper items >

< The top shelf of a large shelf unit holds a few boxes and some more safari decor >

 < Reference materials and more organization boxes surround this little elephant guy >

< Pens, scissors, art supplies, envelopes, and cards are stored in these cute little drawers- would you ever guess all of that from the outside?  I just love hidden organization! >

Daily Dressing

Happy Wednesday, you wonderful 3P loyals!  Here are some more recent outfits for you to enjoy, and hopefully these snapshots will help you gain some outfit inspiration of your own!  The busy, busy schedule lately has not allowed for too many outfit photos while out and about, so this post contains a few home-turf shots of my recent street style.  I know a few of you are surviving the recent storms back east by staying cozy inside, and although I am thankful for the sunny California weather, I am really looking forward to fall (and being able to layer again!  Oh sweaters how I have missed you!).  Once you have viewed all of these outfits, be sure to vote in this week's Weekly Wardrobe Win!

< Outfit 1: green python- digitized >

Occasion: work

Shirt and skirt: LOFT (similar skirt)

Heels: Calvin Klein (wouldn't these be great for fall?)

Purse: Olivia + Joy

Jewelry: Target (watch), Ross (cuff), F21 (bracelet), BR and F21 (necklaces)

< Outfit 2: intentionally patriotic >

Occasion: work outfit in honor of 9-11

Dress: The Limited (old; other red dress options here, here, and here)

Blazer: F21

Heels: Jessica Simpson (similar here)

Purse: Target

Sunnies: Liz Claiborne

Scarf: vintage, thrifted

Jewelry: Stella & Dot (necklace and matching bracelet), BR, Target (bracelets), Kohl's (rings)

< Outfit 3: mint + a summer blazer >

Occasion: meetings

Dress: H&M (other mint dresses here and here)

Blazer: BP Apparel

Purse: Nine West

Heels: Guess (similar)

Sunnies: ON

Jewelry: The Limited (necklace; old) Target (watch), Tiffany, F21 (bracelets)

< Outfit 4: royal florals >

Occasion: work

Shirt: Tahari

Skirt: Elle (another floral option)

Belt: Target

Heels and purse: Guess

Sunnies: Jessica Simpson

Jewelry: J.Crew (necklace), BR, F21 (bracelets), Target (earrings)

< Outfit 5: favorite spots >

Occasion: casual Friday

Shirt: ON (other spotted options here and here)

Jeans and belt: BR

Heels: Guess

Jewlry: Simply Vera Wang (necklace and bracelet- another bracelet option), LOFT (rhinestone bracelet), BR (ring)

< Outfit 6: weekend stripes >

Occasion: kickin' it on the weekend

Shirt: BR (old)

Skirt: AE (similar)

Scarf: ON

Shoes: Union Bay

Sunnies: Steve Madden

Purse: Ross

Jewelry: Target (necklace), F21, Target, FOA (bracelets)

< Outfit 7: sparkles and spots >

Occasion: date night

Shirt: thrifted (also seen here; eying this cute peplum too)

Skirt: LOFT

Belt: BR

Heels: Jessica Simpson (love these)

Clutch: Olivia + Joy

Jewelry: Target (necklace and cuff), The Limited (bracelet and earrings)

< Outfit 8: pinks, corals, and sunshine >

Occasion: church

Dress: F21 (similar)

Wrap: LC Lauren Conrad

Belt and sunnies: BR

Heels and purse: Nine West

Jewelry: Target (watch), BR, F21 (bracelets), Stella & Dot (necklace)

Weekly Wardrobe Win

Newbies

< Burgundy accents for fall (I think this will be my favorite fall color this year!), a coral ring that will brighten darker winter outfits, and blue earrings with a bit of sparkle >

Remember when back to school shopping was a bright spot in those days right before school started again?  I used to feel so spoiled when my sweet grandma would treat me to some new outfits for the new year of school, and that is really what spurred my love of outfit planning and accessorizing.  So thanks, Gram, for all of those memories and for always encouraging me to be a stylish lady!  This month of September prompted me to pick up just a smattering of new items, which I will adore wearing and using this fall (and beyond).  After all, isn't it always a delight to wear something new, in fall most of all?  Tell me, what new purchases have you made for fall?

< Spotted flats from Old Navy >

< Revlon Violet Rush, Dove detangler, and Bbstyling lotion- so excited to use these products! >

< A few new books from some of my favorite authors >

< A fox sweater to join in the animal sweater trend, and a new-to-me patterned shirt from J.Crew >

Wonders from the weekend

< Walking on my alma mater campus brought back so many great memories! >

Happy Monday, 3P lovelies! Hope you all had an amazing weekend. Mine went by way too quickly (as usual), but was filled with smiles and good times. I enjoyed a nice sunny day visiting with family, some time at home to relax and work on a few projects, hosted a delicious barbecue on a cool evening, scarfed down too many homemade cookies, and celebrated good times with the grandparents, who were kind enough to visit with us on a stop during their road trip. This is going to be a busy week, so I am very thankful to have had such a pleasant weekend.

Whatever you are facing this week, make it a great one!

< Fun to see this Warhol tribute on soup cans at Target! >

< A beautiful, sunshine filled morning exploring some equestrian stables with family >

< Time for a little celebratory cheers! >

 < The beautiful September sunset in the 'big sky' country we call home >

Obsessed: NYFW designs

 < Breathtaking, as always- a covetable gown by Oscar de la Renta >

Its finally Friday, 3P pretties, and this means it is time to holler TGIF!  To conclude this week with posts full of all kinds of seasonal topics (summer outfits, autumn decorations...), I am sharing a few of my favorites from designers who have worked so relentlessly to put on great spring '13 shows this past week at new York Fashion Week.  Seriously- I.cannot.stop.looking.at.the.photos.  I mean, I am like a kid in the candy store gawking at all of the lovely photographs at the spring designs that were shown and the street style snaps that were taken.  I really would like to skip these cold winter months and jump straight into some of the outfits showcased in this post- would that even be considered model behavior? Heehee, I guess spring will really just have to wait... in the meantime, I will enjoy looking over pictures from this past week and dreaming up fashion ideas for next year!

Have a great weekend, and I will see you back here on Monday!

< Shades of envy from Lela Rose (left) and Kate Spade >

< Hot corn on the cob!  Love this style with yellow from Tory Burch >

< Love the pattern printed in blue!  Thank you, Rebecca Minkoff! >

< Sherbet goodness a la Rachel Roy (left) and Tracy Reese)

< An outfit I can easily emulate and feel like a fashionable lady- Elie Tahari, you have done it again! >

*All above photos via Pinterest and Facebook

Decoration inspiration: fall

< An adorable wreath that hollers "autumn!" in the simplest way >

My mind is really caught up in many different seasons right now- summer (because the daily temperatures around here are still in the high 90's), fall (because one of these days, the leaves will turn and autumn will arrive), Christmas (because this year has flown by and I feel like this holiday is right around the corner), and spring (many thanks to NY's fashion week, and all of the spring designs that have popped up online.  However, the only decorating season on my mind is in fact, fall.  In a few weeks (when the winds of the cooler months arrive), I will be dragging a few boxes full of harvest decorations down from storage, and start going Martha-like on each room in my house.  I may be quite the domestic decorator, but I really do love decorating for the different seasons of each year (you can see how I decorated my space last fall here and here)- and believe me, I come by this genetically and have several awesome women to thank for these kinds of fun skills.  So here's cheers to hot apple cider, pumpkin cream cheese muffins, and chunky knit sweaters... when fall actually falls!

< Tablescape/centerpiece ideas- little pumpkins galore >

 < Sweet mantle decorations- love the idea of using leaves from the yard to make a garland >

 < Front porch inspiration- I would really make these look more 'harvesty,' so that they could last all through fall >

< A vintage mirror and spray painted pumpkins >

*All above images via; collages created by me

Weekly wardrobe

Happy Wednesday, 3P pretties!  Another great day to share some of my style with you.  It is still feeling like summer in my part of the world, so a general lack of layers has been the right outfit answer almost every day.  I am almost tired of mixing summer brights into my wardrobe, but until it cools down a bit, those rich jewel tones of fall will just have to wait.  I always appreciate the love you readers show me on posts like this, so a big thanks to you, as always!  Remember to vote in this week's Weekly Wardrobe Win, and I will announce the winning look on Facebook next Monday!

< Outfit 1: a few shades of gray >

Occasion: work

Dress: LOFT (other gray options here, here, and here)

Purse: The Limited (old; currently obsessing over this bag)

Heels: Kristin Davis

Sunnies: Steve Madden

Jewelry: BR (necklaces, similar here and here), F21, Kohl's, Tiffany (bracelets)

< Outfit 2: black, white, and yellow all over >

Occasion: work

Dress: BR (similar, for a bargain!)

Belt: ON

Heels: Ross (old, but closed-toe version here)

Purse: Nine West

Sunnies: Jessica Simpson

Jewelry: Briel (watch), Simply Vera Wang (necklace)

< Outfit 3: red, cream, and gray day >

Occasion: luncheon

Tank: Simply Vera Wang (also like this tank)

Skirt: Ross (other red options here and here)

Purse: Olivia + Joy

Heels: Calvin Klein (similar)

Sunnies: ON

Jewelry: Briel (watch), Tiffany, BR (bracelets), F21 (necklace)

< Outfit 4: singin' the blues >

Occasion: work

Shirt: ON

Skirt: LOFT (similar)

Purse: Target

Heels: Nine West

Jewelry: F21 (necklace), BR, Ross (bracelets), Target (watch, ring, and earrings)

< Outfit 5: summer florals >

Occasion: work

Dress: Target (old, but similar here)

Purse: Nine West

Heels: Target (almost the same here and here)

Jewelry: F21 (necklace), Target, gifted (bracelets)

< Outfit 6: summer camp >

Occasion: casual Friday

Shirt: AE

Jeans: BR (similar options here and here)

Belt: Target

Purse: TJ Maxx

Heels: Nine West (love these too!)

Sunnies: Liz Claiborne

Jewelry: Target (watch), BR (bracelets), ON (ring)

< Outfit 7: blue lace >

Occasion: friend's going away party

Dress: Pink Rose (similar here and here)

Wedges: Nine West

Bag: H&M (comparable)

Jewelry: Lucky Brand (necklace), F21, FOA, Tiffany (bracelets), Target (ring)

< Outfit 8: green for the win >

Occasion: church and brunch

Dress: BR (old; loving this one too!)

Vest: ON (eying this design for a similar look in fall)

Heels: Simply Vera Wang

Purse: The Limited (old)

Jewelry: Simply Vera Wang (necklace), Target (earrings), ON (bracelets)

Weekly Wardrobe Win