What I Wore

 So as you can see, I finally got my hair cut! I'm really loving it so far! It's called a long bob, or "lob".

 It was another rainy morning, so I had to take pix inside again. I decided to wear this dress without a belt, and I really liked it. I'm kind of addicted to belts, so it felt weird, but good.
Dress: H&M
Sandals: Target
Purse and vintage owl necklace: thrifted

My daughter got her hair cut too, and it really turned out great!

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Shrimp Salad

 I know that summer is already winding down, but it's never too late to make a delicious and easy salad. And with Labor Day coming up, this would be a great addition to any picnic or BBQ. I love to eat it as a main dish with a great rustic bread or crackers, but it would also be great as a side dish! My recipe is pretty basic, which is why it's so easy, but if you want to you could add chopped onion, hard boiled eggs or maybe even some grape tomatoes. And, as for the dressing, I've also made it with the addition of a tablespoon of ketchup or mustard. Both are yummy.

My mom always used elbow macaroni in her shrimp salad, but my family prefers rotini.  Shell or bowtie would be excellent too.

1. Cut up your celery, thaw your peas, and drain the shrimp and olives. Place them in a large bowl and set a side. Boil the pasta for the recommend amount of time, but don't over cook, I like mine to have a little chew to it.

 2. Drain pasta, and place in the large bowl with the other ingredients.

3. Mix together the mayo, sugar and vinegar in a small bowl.

4. Mix the dressing into the large bowl and chill for a couple of hours or overnight.

Now your ready to enjoy with bread, for an easy meal that won't heat up the house! Delish!
Bye for now!

What I Wore

 I found this great off the shoulder top at H&M on clearance for $5, so I couldn't wait to wear it! I knew it was going to be a bit cooler, so I had planned on wearing it with jeans and a pair of sandals. But, it ended up pouring rain, so I had to wear some boots and a jean jacket. I'm still really happy with the result and I think I will get lots of different looks with this top.
Top and ring: H&M
Jeans and boots: Target
Jacket and purse: Thrift
Coin necklace: vintage
Feather necklace: F21
Chain mail bracelet: Renaissance Festival

This bracelet is a hand crafted chain mail piece that I purchase at the Renaissance Festival many years ago. I've always loved it, it make a very pretty tinkling sound.

Linking to:
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Five Free Things to do in the Twin Cities

 Unfortunately summer is just about coming to a close, we are already half way through August! There is still time to get out and have fun in the Twin Cities area. So here is my list of 5 great free things to do.

1. Take a Hike

There are so many great parks and lakes in the Twin Cities, and many are in the suburbs. Above is Palmer Lake Park, in Brooklyn Center, a suburb of Minneapolis. My family and I have gone on many walks there, during every season.  It has a paved 3.1 mile trail, and two recreation areas. We've seen lots of wild life there, including deer.

2. Mall of America

If you want to do some indoor walking, and do some window shopping at the same time, there is the Mall of America. As one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, Mall of America features—520 stores, 50 restaurants and attractions galore, including Nickelodeon Universe^®, the nation's largest indoor theme park. There are two hotels attatched and it has just undergone an expansion. And there is even an IKEA across the street.

3. Antiquing and Thrifting

One of our favorite things to do in the area is go to antique and thrift shops. They can be found all over the area, but one place we love is Stillwater.  It's a quaint little town just a few minutes away from the Twin Cities located on the St. Croix River. It's full of  antique stores, gift shops and local restaurants.

We especially love to go there in the fall when the leaves are changing.

 4. Como Zoo and Conservatory

 The Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is full of fun things to do. Technically is is free, but there is a voluntary donation of $3 for an adult and $2 for a child to help care for plants and animals. Our favorite things to do besides visit the giraffes and polar bear, include the Cafesjian’s Carousel (which was built in 1914 and only costs $2 to ride) and the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory full of beautiful flowers and plants.

Cafesjian’s Carousel 

 Marjorie McNeely Conservatory sunken garden

5. Swim in a Lake

Minnesota isn't called the land of 10,000 lakes for nothing, and there are many lakes in the Twin Cities that charge nothing to take a dip in. One such lake is Parkers Lake in the suburb of Plymouth, MN. It's a pretty little lake with a lovely beach and docks for boating. 

So there are some of the many fun and free things to do in the Twin Cities area. Have a great rest of the summer! Bye for now!

What I Wore

Dress and bangle bracelets: H&M
Purse and sandals: Target
Necklace: F21
Ring: Old Navy

Linking to:
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#iwillwearwhatilike
Turning Heads Tuesday

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Get To Know Me

So I was tagged by Lindsey of Have Clothes Will Travel to do the Get To Know Me challenge. If you want to see hers here is the link   Okay so here goes.

4 Places I've Lived

1. I grew up on a farm near the town of Sherwood, ND.
2. After college I lived in the capitol, Bismarck, ND.
3. I lived in LaCrosse, WI. for about 5 years.
4. The rest of my life I've lived in the Twin Cities, MN

4 Places I've Visited

1. In high school I visited New York City with my parents and sister. It was part of a trip to the East Coast. I really want to go back again with my family.
2. We also visited Banff in Canada. What a beautiful place, and another I would like to revisit.
3. I went to Washington, DC twice. Once on the trip in high school, and again in the late 90s as part of a business trip.
4. Yellowstone and Teton, WY twice!

 4 TV Shows I Watch

There are really so many shows I love right now, but here are a few:

1. Game of Thrones
2. Walking Dead
3. Orphan Black
4. Parks and Rec

 4 of My Favorite Foods

1. Pizza, especially the pizza at Pizza Studio!
2. Mac and cheese
3. Chocolate, especially dark
4. Strawberries

4 Things I Like to Drink

1. Frappuccino (coffee or mocha, no whip)

2. Diet Cherry Dr. Pepper

3. Milk

4. Water

4 Wacky or Odd Things About Me

1. When I get hot, my ears get bright red! It started in my 30s, and I have no idea what causes it!
2. I hate to watch a character in a tv show or movie go through something really embarrassing. It makes me uncomfortable.
3. I can't snap my fingers, no matter how hard I try.
4. I tried to make a daddy long legs spider my pet when I was little.

4 Pet Peeves

1. People who are late.
2. People who pee on the toilet seat in public bathrooms, yuk!!!!! Just sit down for pete sake!
3. Narrow minded or judgemental people.
4. People who don't use their turn signals. Do they not know what they are for?

I won't tag anyone, but feel free to try this. It's pretty fun!

Bye for now!

What I Wore

Okay, so about this time of summer, I'm starting to run out of ideas for outfits. So I've been scouring the clearance racks for something fun and cute to wear, but so far nothing. Money is a little tight after the big vacation, plus I would rather spend money on clothes for fall and winter! So I fell back on one of my dresses from H&M and kept it simple. I can't stop wearing those sandals from Target cause they are just so comfy.
Dress: H&M
Sandals and purse: Target
Necklace: gift from hubby many years ago
Bracelets: F21
Ring: vintage

Linking to:
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#iwillwearwhatilike
Turning Heads Tuesday

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What I Wore Part 2

Wow, two days in a row of outfit posts, crazy! I wanted to wear something I might not normally wear in summer. So I brought out this black print dress and paired it with sandals. It wasn't too hot of a day, so it worked.
Dress and necklace: H&M
Sandals and purse: Target
Bracelets: vintage
Ring: Old Navy

Linking to:
Visible Monday
#iwillwearwhatilike
Turning Heads Tuesday

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What I Wore

I recently found these cute tassel sandals at Target on clearance, so I decided to pair them with my white bermuda shorts and the top I found on clearance at Target. I really like these sandals, but they are not as comfortable as I'd hoped, the straps around rub my ankles. So I'll have to do a bit of modifying before I can wear them again.
Top, sandals and purse: Target
Shorts: Old Navy
Necklace: vintage with tassels made by me

Linking to:
Visible Monday
#iwillwearwhatilike
Turning Heads Tuesday

Bye for now!