Get Joanna Gaines fashion style for less

I blame it all on my recent visit to Waco, Texas. I am now obsessed with HGTV's Fixer Upper. You too? Seems like it since y'all {see what I did there?} about blew up the internet reading the exclusive Fixer Upper interview with a client on season 3. The reason I even knew about Fixer Upper is because I had a few people stop me and tell me that I looked like Joanna Gaines. One person clarified and said, I think it's because you guys have the same clothing style. I will take that as a compliment because I love Joanna's style, but I think what they meant is that we seem to have the same neutral wardrobe. It's funny because I buy at least 90% of my clothing at garage sales or thrift shops {you can read more about how to buy second hand clothing and saving on clothes for the whole family}. 

So, I decided to peek in my closet and see if I could find similar items and then I went to my favorite on-line thrift shop ThredUp to see if I could pair up the same style for a fraction of the cost so that you can get Joanna Gaines style on a budget.

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Paper Magnolia Wreath

I've sort of been on a Fixer Upper fan girl roll lately. It all started on a college trip with my oldest son to Waco where we got to stop in at Magnolia Market. I knew I loved Joanna's style I just didn't know how much I loved it until I left the market wanting every single item in the shop. Then I did a little interview with a season 3 Fixer Upper client and loved getting the inside scoop so much that I found myself googling all things Fixer Upper and binging on past shows. Chip and Joanna Gaines are smart business people who have done a great job with branding. One of the things I looked at while I was at the Magnolia Market was their signature magnolia wreath. At $95 each, it was a bit out of my price range, but they are pretty darn gorgeous. This one is a little less expensive but it still seems like these things are made of unicorn tears!

I decided to come home and make one of my own...with a twist. I used green scrapbook paper and used my silhouette machine to cut out the leaves. The whole thing cost less than $5 to make and I love it. I call that a win!

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Chocolate espresso cupcake with Kahlua creme frosting

Being a blogger is one of the most fun jobs ever! I get to do one of my favorite things {create} and participate in challenges that allow me to think outside of the box.  I'm part of a group of extremely creative bloggers called the Wayfair homemakers and recently we were give the challenge to take a cocktail and create a cupcake out of it. One of my favorite drinks is a mudslide, mostly because it's like a chocolate milkshake with alcohol in it, don't judge. It's delicious. 

So I immediately thought, how can I make that into a yummy cupcake, and will it really be just as good as the cocktail. I did it and it is just as good, if not better than the cocktail! I know you are going to want to try it yourself!

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How to plan the perfect college visit for your high school student

My oldest son is a senior in high school this year and while it feels like just yesterday I was holding his hand walking him into pre-school, it won't be long before I'm packing him up and saying goodbye for months at a time.

Let's not talk about that part though. Let's talk about the fun part where we get to travel and spend time together and make memories and plan futures. That part is fun and not as scary.

If you are in this phase of life with a junior or a senior in high school and college looks like it's in their future, this guide will help you plan the perfect college visit.

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Hand stamped muslin swaddle blanket

I don't know what it is but I love a good handmade baby gift. I've enjoyed crafting and creating baby gifts for as long as I can remember.  Babies are just so small and fresh and new and there is so much excitement about their impending arrival. It's fun to dream and remember all at the same time! The older I get, the less and less baby gifts I seem to be making for friends and family members. It's just sort of that season as we wait for them all to grow {which is exciting too!}, but thankfully, my youngest son has young teachers and sometimes I get to craft some hand made baby items for them. 

This time though, I wanted my 10 year old son to do most of the crafting for one of his favorite teachers. It's nice to have a gift handmade by a parent. It's even more special if it's created by a student don't you think? 

I could not be more excited about how well this hand stamped swaddle blanket turned out. If my 10 year old can make it, I know you can too!

 Come find out how!

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How to Get the Fixer Upper look without being on the show

Hasn't this week been the most fun?! I have really enjoyed sharing the exclusive interview with season 3's Fixer Upper client Jaime Ferguson as well as an inside peek into the Ferguson home. I know we all want to be clients of Chip and Joanna's but since it's a requirement that you live within 30 miles of Waco, Texas and that's not possible unless we all make this mass exodus, I've put together a few items for you so that you can get the Fixer Upper look as featured in the Ferguson home.
**Please note, items recommended won't always be the exact item found in the Ferguson's home. When it is, I have noted that. You can simply use this as a guide to get a similar look in your own home.***

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Inside a Fixer Upper client's home after the show

Are you a fan of HGTV's hit show Fixer Upper? I am! I just love Chip and Joanna's style and every time I see a show I think that's my favorite one. And then I see another show and I'm like, no, that's my favorite one! With every new {old} home The Gaines's put their hands on, magic happens. 

It seems like everyone has a new found love of shiplap thanks to Joanna Gaines and no wall seems safe anymore with the fun loving sledgehammer wielding Chip Gaines on the scene. Once that huge picture is split open and the new home is revealed to the family by the sweet syrupy words of Joanna saying "are y'all ready to see your fixer upper?" the viewing audience oh's and ah's right along with the clients who are getting to see their home for the first time.

What many of the viewers don't know is that most of what you see on Fixer Upper's reveal day doesn't actually stay with the house. The home is staged by Joanna, sometimes with items from the client's current home supplemented with some items from Joanna's shop Magnolia Market and other items that have been purchased for the home for staging. After the reveal, the clients have to make the hard decision on what items they want to purchase to keep in their home and what they want the crew to take with them. Remember, these clients are making these decisions usually after their budget has been spent on a complete home renovation. There are some tough decisions that have to be made!

My new friend Jaime Ferguson from season 3 of Fixer Upper {A Big Fix for a House in the Woods} has graciously offered to give us a little peek inside her home after the show. I know you want to peek inside, so come join me as Jaime opens her doors for us.

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Talk of the Town link party number 7

Welcome back to Talk of the Town!

 

Winter White Inside the Farmhouse

The Easy Way to Make Aged Looking Signs

How to Repurpose Headboards

 

X & O Valentine's Day Greeting

 

State Shield

Checkers Table

Sunday Verses: Valentine's Day

Gluten Free Mud Pie

 

Amazing Waterfall Dresser Makeover

Recent Finds: Neighborhood Freebies

Vintage Washboard Memo

 

5 Ways to Keep Your Teeth Clean with Invisalign

The Kia Goes With Us on a College Tour

Unfinished Wood Box Turned into Versatile Centerpiece

Easy Week Night Noodle Soup  

How to Make a Snowball Pom-Pom

Treat Yourself Good...with Epsom Salt

Wound and Wound: Spinning Candlestick Lace Holder

Thrifting for the Birds...A DIY Suet Feeder

 

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Exclusive Interview with Fixer Upper Client Jaime Ferguson

About a year ago, I had not just one person, but two people, on two separate occasions stop me and tell me that I looked like Joanna Gaines on the new HGTV show Fixer Upper. I don't have cable, though when we did eons ago, I loved watching anything on HGTV.  I had no idea who Joanna Gaines was but since I kept hearing this, I googled her.

source HGTV

Of course when I did, not only did her image come up {I will agree, it does seem like we have similar clothes in our closet and we both have long dark hair...}, but images of her home and work that she's done came up. Holy cow!

Me and Jojo side by side

Long lost sisters?  You decide

I instantly loved her style and I watched illegal YouTube videos of the first season. You know, the videos that people take with their phones of them watching their TV. I kid you not, one of them had a parrot squawking through the.entire.episode. And yet, I powered through because what's not to love about the hit show Fixer Upper.  {if watching illegal episodes isn't your thing you can find episodes here, legit and everything}

When my oldest son started looking for colleges, Baylor University caught his eye. I knew very little about Waco other than David Koresh and the Branch Davidians, but it seemed like Chip and Joanna were making fairly good work sprucing that town up so it was a location that stayed on my radar. Just a few weeks ago, with an acceptance letter in hand, we made our way to Texas for the first time making a stop in Waco. You can read more about our visit to Magnolia Farms and the Silos and five things you need to know before you visit.

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am about today's post! Are you ready Fixer Upper fans?

It seems like everyone is talking about Fixer Upper, and while I can't say I've seen every episode I do enjoy the show when I can catch it.  I was able to get in contact with Jaime Ferguson from the episode "A Big Fix for a House in the Woods" and she was kind enough to give me the inside scoop on what it was like to be a client of Chip and Joanna Gaines and share her experience on Fixer Upper after her family's move back to Waco, Texas.

source

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The Kia goes with us on a college tour

It's an exciting time of life for our family. Our oldest son is in his senior year of high school and has started applying at colleges. 11 colleges in 5 different states to be exact.  

Texas is one of those states, and with three universities in fairly close proximity of one another and one acceptance letter {and hopefully many more not far behind}, we decided that we should at least visit to see if Texas could be our son's next home away from home.  

We started and ended our college tour in Austin and were thankful that we had big red, our Kia Optima SX turbo to take us on our whirlwind trip from College Station {Texas A&M} to Waco {Baylor--and yes, we visited Magnolia Market} and back again to University of Texas {Austin}.

There is nothing like a mother son road trip! Thankfully, we have been able to experience a few of them. In case you missed it, you can read about our road trip this past summer to the Mumford and Sons concert in the Mazda 6.

While I am a mini van loving mama and plan on purchasing another mini van {the Kia Sedona or Honda Odyssey are contenders} when the time comes, I do enjoy driving a sporty sedan from time to time.  The Kia Optima did not disappoint! Come see what Aidan and I had to think about the Kia in case you are contemplating a new car purchase.

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Quick and Easy Week Night Asian Noodle Soup

It's so important for our family to eat dinner together as often as we can, but there are some nights that are more difficult than others to make that happen. Especially when we are on a tight schedule. I love this quick and easy week night noodle soup from my guest contributor Kate. This is sure to be a hit with our family and one I am going to start adding to our weekly rotation.

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5 ways to keep your teeth clean if you have Invisalign

I've had Invisalign for nearly a year and the end is near! I am on the last leg of my orthodontic treatment. I never had braces as a teenager and while I was thankful to miss out on that rite of passage, the older I got, the more my crooked teeth started to bother me. I was spending a lot of time in the orthodontists office with my three kids and while I was in for a consult with one of my them, I decided to get a consult for myself.

Thankfully, I had healthy teeth and dental insurance that would help pay for some of the treatment and now a year in, I'm so glad that I got braces as an adult. If you are considering getting adult braces, in particular Invisalign, I wrote a post with 15 things you should know before you get them.

Once you have them, you are going to want to know how to keep your teeth clean and fresh while you wear your aligners. I've got 5 tips for keeping your teeth clean with Invisalign.

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Make Your Own Wedding Band for Your Husband

Make Your Own Wedding Band for Your Husband

Last year, when I had about three followers and knew each of them by name, I shared with you a little gift that I made my husband for Christmas. I think making your own wedding band is a pretty cool gift any guy would love, so I thought I would share it with you again.

No, these pictures aren't off of some fancy wedding website, I took them this morning. Of a ring...ahem...the ring, that I made on a lathe all.by.myself...well, sort of. I did have a little expert help in the matter! But that aside, I whipped this little ring up for my hubby out of nothing but a hunk of old stainless steel.

Pretty cool, right?

And that my friends, is why I will never be able to buy another good gift for my husband for any holiday. How do you top that?!

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Unfinished wood box turned into versatile centerpiece

Do you ever get stalled out in your creativity? I do. Which is why you have seen less and less crafty tutorials here lately. I just haven't been feeling super creative. You know what I do when I need some craft inspiration though? There are two local craft stores that I go to. They aren't the big box stores, nope. They are locally run small stores and while they aren't owned by the same people, they seem similar to me and carry different products than the big box stores, though with less 40% off coupons.  Do you have a store like that? Something that inspires you when you walk in?

I start by strolling every single aisle. I don't want to miss anything. I was walking up and down being inspired and saw these unfinished wooden boxes. I actually was drawn to the little ones and then I flipped them over and saw that they were on clearance for $2 each. Then I saw the big box and it was only $4. I set my little boxes inside my big box just so I had enough hands and then my creative juices started flowing.

They could make a really cool candy box for a party. Add some fun filler around the edge and candy in the small boxes. They could be a succulent planter with rocks scattered on the sides. They could be...

They could be anything! Inspiration had hit and I took those boxes home with me.

Come see what I made. I had the most fun putting it all together.

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5 things to know before you visit Magnolia Market

Until last month, I had never been to the great state of Texas. My oldest son has applied for college in five different states, Texas being one of them. The draw of being thousands of miles away from home with a warmer climate while the rest of us are dripping with rain seems appealing to him, so with applications sent, and an acceptance letter in hand, we set off to Texas to tour three universities. 

One of those colleges is Baylor University in Waco, Texas. What I have known in the past of Waco is David Koresh. Of course now, with HGTV's hit show Fixer Upper, Chip and Joanna Gaines are leading the way to making Waco known for much more than the town with a crazy religious sect.

Our main objective while we were in Waco wasn't to tour Magnolia Market, though I was dying to step onto the grounds of those silos, it was to get a good feel of Baylor and see if it could be my son's next home away from home. In the meantime, I had to keep reminding myself that we were here for a college tour and if we had time, we would pop in before the market closed.

Glory of glories we had time! Plenty of fabulous time, so I was able to come to you with 5 things you should know before you visit Magnolia Market. You know, in case you find yourself in Waco touring colleges, or if you are a die hard fan making a trip with the soul purpose of visiting the market.

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Using a photograph to make a custom t-shirt with your Silhouette plus 17 inspiring silhouette crafts from other bloggers

How to use a Photograph to Create a Custom T-shirt with a Silhouette Cutting Machine

I am so excited about today's post! I not only have an awesome project to show you with my favorite heat transfer vinyl, I also am giving away the chance to win one of my favorite craft products of all time...a Silhouette Cameo! EEEKKK! Want to know what the cherry on top is? 16 other amazing bloggers coming together to show some pretty amazing Silhouette crafts. If you don't have a Silhouette yet, you will be adding one to your list!

My oldest son has become a pretty amazing photographer. He mostly uses his iphone for photos because it's what he has on hand. Last week, he was downtown Seattle with some friends at snapped a photo of the Space Needle.

Not only is the Space Needle iconic to Seattle, it also holds a special place in my heart because that's where my husband proposed.
I'm going to show you how I took his photograph and turned it into a custom t-shirt by using my Silhouette machine.

I also can't wait to share with you 17 pretty amazing Silhouette crafts made by some pretty awesome bloggers! Make sure you check them out! 

If you don't have a Silhouette, read on to find out how you can win a Silhouette Cameo II of your very own!

Pocketful of Posies - Sultry and Saucy One of a Kind DIY DIP Cups
Hobnail House - Silhouette Craft Blog Hop: Cut Vinyl Art Upcycle
In The Loop - How to Create a Silhouette Using the Silhouette Cameo
Craving Some Creativity - Silhouette Project Challenge: Distressed Laundry Room Sign
DIY Passion - Cheeky DIY Tote Bags that will Make You Smile

Our House Now A Home - A Silhouette Giveaway and Creating New Wall Art 
My Life From Home - Silhouette Challenge: What's Cooking? Recipe Holder
Holy Craft - How to Use a Photograph to Make a Custom T-Shirt with Your Silhouette
Knock it Off Crafts - DIY Otomi Coasters using a Silhouette Machine and Silhouette Giveaway!
One Project Closer - DIY Princess Party Decorations 
Dream Design DIY - Chalkboard Workout Calendar and Silhouette Giveaway
The Country Chic Cottage - Makeup Organizer
Refresh Living - Custom Word Throw Pillows with Vintage Fabric
The Deans List - Scalloped Milk Glass for Valentine's Day
Tried & True - "Life Is Good" Bicycle Lover's Tee

Tastefully Frugal - Valentine's Day/St. Patrick's Day Reversible Sign

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Talk of the Town link party #5

Welcome back to Talk of the Town!

Take a look at what you may have missed from your party hosts!

Wooden Shutters for My Entryway

Stenciled Initial on a Salvaged Screen

Easy Centerpiece DIY
Scrappy Shapes

DIY Farmhouse Wooden Shutters

recent finds/Cabin Fever

Valentines Day DIY Decor

Horn turned into a necklace creating wearable art
The one thing stay at home moms should be doing every single day
Craft room {in my closet} home tour

Forever Blooming Pom-Pom Bouquet

goodwill Blogging:Thrifty Jewelry Organizer (January 2016)

Here's what your hosts are talking about from last week's party!

Bead Board Heart Vase Valentine Wreath Door Hanger

Vintage Valentine's Sweater Wreath

Faux Galvanized Metal Wreath

Shabby French Painted Jars/Borcane Shabby Chic Frantuzesti

Pottery Barn Aiden Candle Holder Knockoff

DIY Mini Baking Mold Magnets

Queen of Hearts Dress Form...or Why I Still Play Dress Up!

Each week we are featuring a blogger and their blog to introduce you to the different bloggers that link up with us each week! Make sure to pay them a visit, and say hello while you’re there!

This week, our featured blogger is Diana from Adirondack Girl @ Heart

Diana loves all things vintage and antique.  She loves to fix them up and give them new life.

              Valentine's Day Gift Guide                       

                      This Week's Vintage Finds #112                            

Vintage Inspired Valentine Art  

What Do You Get When You Mix Vintage DIY & Friendship

Now, it's YOUR turn...

By linking up at Talk of the Town, you agree that your photos may be shared on social media to promote the party or featured in a round-up by the blog hosts.

A link back to your party hosts is always appreciated!

An InLinkz Link-up

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