that was then...

Ever notice how fashion goes round and round?
Timeless...but with a twist.
That was then, this is now but not too much has changed.





via : vintage photos, fffound, love taza

making a list

Husband and I decided that a new computer is a gift that we are both getting each other this Christmas. SO needed and SO necessary...my home computer is about 7 years old--ancient, archaic, neanderthal in computer talk--but, it still works and gets the job done albeit a bit slower than most. What will I do with all the extra time I'll have?!

got it

They were administering the H1N1 vaccine at my school today and who knew there would be such controversy?! About half the kids got the shot (which means the other half DID NOT get the shot) which helped me in my decision of biting the bullet and rolling up my sleeve to receive my dose.
I work with kids everyday and if I happen to be breathing in the same air as the kid that did not get the shot 1 hour before he goes home and is sick with the flu...I hope this might save me from some grief. But then again...the weight loss would have been nice.

That's Amore

Pizza is LOVE and that's what we've created on the newest tshirt from DRESSiNG oN THE SiDE . Loving the city skyline and the iconic lyrics from Dean Martin's classic "That's Amore".

home for the holidays

We were lucky to have two out of three of our kids (along with adorable girlfriends) home for Thanksgiving feast. The day after Thanksgiving gave us a "turkey croquette throwdown" with the men in the family all preparing their best recipe for croquettes with all the trimmings...the competition was fierce. Some like football and some like food competitions...delicious.

have a wonderful holiday weekend

Hope your weekend is filled with family, friends, delicious food, and lots of memories!
via fffound

Sofa Shake Up

Adding a few pillows and a sheepskin throw to my yummy chocolate brown leather sofa really helped to warm it up for the season. Today I start pulling out some boxes to add the real holiday spirit to tabletops and fireplace mantles. Next week is the tree...when do you start decorating?

I am a greedy girl

Click on over to Greedy Girl to win a tshirt from Dressing On the Side. Get! Scat! We want you to win!

the same, but different?

Did anyone else happen to see the similarites between Carrie Underwood's dress on the American Music Awards last night and Carol Hannah Whitfield's finale design on Project Runway? Or, maybe no one noticed because we were all staring in horror at Adam Lambert's debut performance of bump and grind.

Falling for the Bedroom

Who knew that when we painted the wall in our bedroom this summer that it would be so perfect for Fall and all of the autumn colors. Wishing I had about 3 or 4 more Hermes boxes to add to my bedside table. Someday.

why doesn't somebody tell her?

We don't care how long you've been writing articles for fashion and no one cares if this pompadour is your "trademark"...get rid of it, girlfriend.
(judges heidi, michael, nina, and guest judge with what looks like a knob growing out of her head)

ticket please

Here's a ticket for a great weekend...enjoy!

cozy and warm

If you're looking for an extra blanket for the guest room this holiday season or have been searching for some extra warmth for your own bed--get to Costco to grab this blanket. It's soft, feels great, and for the $26 price (!!) you can't beat it.

so cute. so cool.

What fun for the holidays! The next generation of instant photography that creates a credit card size pic to send home with your guests or to create some fun memories. The Fuji Instax Instant camera just might be the next "classic" on your gotta have it Christmas list. Found a great deal at B&H camera and video.

can't wait!

Althea, Irina, or Carol Hannah?? Who are you going for and who do you think will win? Color me more than curious when I read that "a shocking finale surprise" awaits us in part 2 of the Project Runway finale.

Blogging all the way to the bank

Why do I blog? It's fun. I like to share tidbits, ideas, or everyday nonsense that other people might relate to and I truly feel like "it's a small world after all" when someone leaves a comment.

Do I blog for money? Hell no. I would be on food stamps and homeless (can I get food stamps if I'm homeless? hmmm) if I depended on this free blog to bring in some cash-o-la.

Since I've been searching for ad space on blogs for my DRESSiNG oN THE SiDE tshirts that I'm shamelessly promoting, I realize that there are LOTS of people out there that do blog for money.

Not just a $100 here and there.

We're talking THOUSANDS of dollars a month in income.

I get it. But, I don't get it.

I get the concept of supply and demand in marketing.

The more people that read you = the demand to be a part of your blog= a higher price for ads.

And you know what? $25,$50, $75 for an ad space is fair. Fair for the independent shop/store/product and if the blogger gets ten or so of these ads--an extra $500- $1000 each month. That's great.

Now, here's where my muffin gets a little burnt.

I've been contacting some of the big guns aka the queens of the blog world about ad space. With the holidays approaching I began to think I would suck it up and fork over $150?$200? for an ad space from one of these uber popular blogs and get a few new lookers and possibly buyers on my etsy site.

WRONG

The ads on these higher level everyone reads me blogs run $600 to $800 DOLLARS per month for a TINY (think of a shoebox for a cricket's pair of golf shoes) advertisement.
AND--there's not just one or two of these ads on their blogs....oh no, my friend...there are a minimum of 15-20 ads going on. Let's do the math, shall we:
These big league bloggers are getting $12- $16,000 a month for just slapping your ad up on their blog, which works out to be OVER $100,000 a year for a space for ads. That's huge.

It's not like these bloggers write about the cure for cancer or world peace either...it's just fluff and fun things.

My husband would say "good for them. if somebody will pay them that much then they should ask for it. Get the formula."

But, here's where I turn into Obama and say "shouldn't there be ad space that EVERYONE can afford available on EVERY blog? Even the big blogs?" Think lower income advertising for those that are just starting out...a space for the small and meek. Why just give a space to those with the big bucks? Remember your humble beginnings BIG BLOGS.

I'm sure if I were in the ranks of the Queens of Blogdom (and to be perfectly honest, these Queens seem kind and gracious albeit a bit greedy) I might be singing a different story-- but right now I'm a lowly worker bee, a drone, and I get to buzz and bitch about what I want.

image: adam holtrop

*yawn*

Feeling a little sleepy...is this an illness creeping up? Decided to take it easy and stay home. Have a good weekend, everyone.
via: youre beautiful

Poladroid Dressing

We took a couple shots of new tees for Dressing On the Side and decided to have some fun with the Poladroid website. A little too dark for showing the shirts on etsy but I love the fun it creates.

dirty laundry?

I recently sent one of my Dressing On the Side tshirts to a website that was going to do a shout out about the etsy site and a little PR. It was a great post and when I asked if she had worn the Tshirt- and what she thought of it-she responded with:
"I tried it on but haven't worn it out yet. It's in my "to be washed pile as we speak!"
Which makes me think...do you wash all of your clothes before wearing them? Am I missing something in the "clean and sanitary" department?!

wizards of wit

How clever are these names? Maybe it's just my teaching background...but I am so enchanted with the blog's logo of "Fab over Fifty" and "Noun" located in Portland, Oregon.

*thanks to a cup of jo for fab over fifty intro.

detox

Maybe I didn't eat ALL of this but I have stuffed my face with more than enough sugar these last 48 hours to prescribe a week or two of detox-no sugar!!

Home on the Range

We've been starting to watch the series Deadwood through our "let's hear it for no commercials" Netflix .
Deadwood is an American Western drama that aired a few years ago on HBO. Set in the 1870s in Deadwood, South Dakota, the show is filled with historical fact and fiction in regards to that time in history and if you can get over the swearing in every other line, you'll be investing in an interesting and thought provoking show.
I can say that my husband enjoys the show more than I do, but what I find fascinating is that the setting is less than 150 years ago in our history.
During certain parts of the storyline when characters cannot reach each other, I casually say "if they only had a cellphone."
When the newspaper editor receives "the newest and best" camera that's the size of a Thanksgiving turkey and has to be used with a manual burning flash--I become in awe of the "fits in my pocket" point and shoot camera. The vaccine that the pony express rider took a week to retrieve...where's FedEx when you need them?
I just can't imagine that these people could begin to fathom what life would be like in a short 150 years from their daily life of riding horses, having no electricity, phones, indoor plumbing and all the other "necessities" of life we take for granted.
Besides an hour of entertainment and learning a new vocabulary of profanity, the show does make you think and wonder and that's what a c*cksucking, motherf*cking television show can do for you.