Stay Cool

TGIF!!  Stay cool, and have a great weekend!

Ms. Middleton

This young woman deserves a round of applause, completely.  To step into the limelight in front of the whole world and stay classy, beautiful, and stylish is surely the sign of a strong woman.  You go, Duchess!

* All photos via InStyle.com, People.com, and PeopleStyleWatch.com

Happy 4th of July weekend!

Whatever your plans are for this 4th of July holiday weekend, I hope you have a great and safe time with friends and family!  Stay cool, enjoy some great food, and have a wonderful time watching fireworks!  Thanks to all of our veterans past and present, who have given so much to keep our country free and secure.

Have a fantastic next three days!

All above images via Sunset.com, RealSimple.com, HGTV.com, and CountryLiving.com

Fab Fashion

One of my favorite things to find online is an idea for a great outfit!  For today's midday post, I am happy to share with you a few blogs that friends have shared with me that offer great ideas for work wear and other outfits you need in everyday life.  These blogs inspire me to create new outfit combinations with items from my own closet, and sometimes motivate me to try new style and accessory trends.

Which blogs or other websites do you visit for outfit inspiration?

< See jane. >

< Corporette >

< Capitol Hill Style >

< J's Everyday Fashion >

In case you haven't heard...

An amazing new site has been created and launched by Taylor of Sterling Style and a collection of other fabulous bloggers.  If you are looking for insight on trends, fashion, beauty, shopping,  a peek into some of your favorite blogger's lives, and of course, how you might infuse glitter into your everyday life, look no further than The Glitter Guide.

Keep on sparkling!

Friday!

< Random kids having recess fun! >

Remember Fridays when we were younger?  Free play for recess, the snack bar, pizza parties, and spirit girl cheer time... ah, such fun memories.  The fact that I live down the street from an elementary school, who's bell rings for all recess and class times, reminds me of how fun it was being a kid.  My goal is to keep infusing my excitement for Fridays into the rest of my life!  Here are some things that remind me of Free Play and recess when I was growing up.  Tell me, do any of these remind me of recess time from your past?

Hope that you all have a great weekend!  Now, I am off to go find some red licorice...

< My favorite treat to buy from the snack bar >

< My friends and I used to use flowers like this during recess to make bracelets and necklaces >

< Aww... aren't these guys cute!  Two mascots from two different elementary schools I attended >

< Remember how fun four-square was?? >

< Ah yes, the fun that was had at those class pizza parties! >

< I had a Book IT! pin that I put a ton of gold star stickers on >

< Pom poms for cheering on the plays at Friday football games! >

We're having a heat wave

We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave, the temperature's rising it isn't surprising... okay, not really- only if there were an ocean nearby and way more humidity would I totally be able to convince myself that life is currently like living in a tropical paradise.  As I grew up in an area where triple-digit, dry heat summers were the total norm, I have my own methods for coping with rather warm weather: wear light fabrics in light colors, commit your outside time to early morning hours as much as possible, park in the shade, enjoy sherbet and popsicles, and play in the pool.  If I were actually enjoying a summer vacation (like the good ol' days in elementary school- remember?) right now I would totally embrace all of the aforementioned methods.  However, for now I am thoroughly thankful for air conditioning, fans, and iced teas.  For this midday post I am happy to share with you yet another awesome list from Real Simple, which contains 23 fabulous Ways to Beat the Heat.  In addition to the ideas I mentioned above, here are a few of my favorites from Real Simple's list for keeping your cool in the hot summer weather.

< Keep blinds closed to ward off hot sun beaming through your windows.  Curtains, shutters, and blinds in white help to deflect the sunshine. >

< Refrigerate a spray bottle filled with water to use to cool yourself down.  I also suggest running your wrists under some cold water for a few seconds, and drinking ice cold water. >

< Leave your oven off!  Turn on the barbecue, fire up the grill, and employ the wattage of your microwave- any of these options will help to keep you cooler, and will make you a "cooler" chef. >

What do you do to keep cool in hot weather?

*All images via Real Simple

Help Me Help You

For today's midday post, I have a few trivia questions for you.  Easy questions for sure, so no matter how your Monday is going have some fun answering these, and I will be so happy to use the results in future posts!  For any of the questions on this post, leave a comment and let me know, friend this blog on Facebook and write on my Facebook Page, or email me at ParticularlyPracticallyPretty@gmail.com.  Thanks so much!

Do you have any outfit questions for special or everyday wear?

 

Would you rather see more dessert recipes?

Or more main dish and side dish recipes?

Or both?

Are you looking for a staple shoe, handbag, jewelry item, or other accessory?

Red... or White?

:-)