Wardrobe Overhaul and Inspired Sunday Blog Party

Hello!  I have been absent this week, trying to stay cool in the HEAT and super high humidity which isn't typical for So Cal.  Because our houses aren't insulated and many don't have central A/C, this has been a doozy!  So what better way to beat the cool than to spend my last two Saturdays shopping with a friend! The stores weren't even very cool, but I managed to find great deals on desperately needed items.  My wardrobe had become so ratty, that I am not even able to donate many things. I did get years of mileage out of some of my favorites, which I will now lay to rest or cut up for the rag bag.

What did I buy?  Well, we discovered Designer Shoe Warehouse's clearance floor, and I, who was just along to help my friend pick out shoes for a dressy event, bought these: 30% to 70% off their already discounted prices:

The store manager let us continue our three-hour shopping extravaganza while they were cleaning up and closing the store. Super nice employees! 

Along with DSW, shopping at Ross has become one of my favorite ways to stay cool.  I love the deals and fashions there. This Calvin Klein dress was a steal, so I bought twins--black and beige and navy and gray. This style works really well on my curvy body:

These maxis from Ross also work really well, were 70%  off, and I figure I can change up the style with the shoes and my jewelry. They're a funky style, kinda like a mummy dress--bandages sewn onto a see-through base. You have to be sure to wear a body slip, or a tank and spanx. I made the mistake of only wearing one with a bra and gave quite a few men quite a flash of cleavage. I wondered why they were all smiling, and when I went to the ladies room I saw why, GASP, YIKES!  

I also bought a few nightgowns, some ladies' unmentionables :-), and 

quite a few tops, like these:  

My dresses all together:

This looks a bit over the top, but my clothes and shoes really were falling apart. My husband finally threw away two of my night gowns that were in rags being held on by the shoulder straps! (I should have taken a picture. For him to throw away anything really says something! They were just cool and comfy for me! Ha!)

So what has kept you busy? Lot's of crafty DIY projects that have really inspired me to get out the paint, cut a little molding, and finish up a few projects around my house (when it cools down).

Brittany's tutorial on painting a cabinet door with Annie Sloan chalk paint and wax was thorough and informative. She answered so many of the questions I had about this paint, and now I think I'm ready to paint a bookcase in my bedroom.  Thanks Brittany!

The Roccoco Roamer

Trisha from Glass Slippers and All Sorts of Stuff showed a project that's easy to do and provides quite a wow factor for the effort. Really cute, quick and easy to change up for seasons or events!

Magali from The Little White House on the Seaside managed an impressive feat with molding to bring an expensive paneled look to her deeply set windows with a little bit of elbow grease and a lot less money than a carpenter. Congratulations on a beautiful job, and thanks for the tutorial!

Julie at Love My Simple Home made these great wall hangings with bead board, paint, burlap, and rope.  So cute and her instructions are great. The link is broken, so hopefully she can fix it, send it to me, and I will link it. Her blog posts are warm and refreshing.  I need "simple" right now!  So much!

Thank you everyone for linking up. If you were featured, please be sure to display my button on your blog. And now, let's see what's going on in your neck of the woods!  Link anything that might inspire us, and I do mean just about anything!