i will never be too old to play dress-up.

one of my favorite things about national holidays is dressing up for the fun (family-friendly) parades that accompany those holidays. i don't like to go overboard or anything but i do like to have fun with my attire and coordinating to the theme of the particular holiday.

back when we lived in dallas, we attended the st. paddy's day parade every year. i know, i know, st. paddy's day isn't really a national holiday here in the united states. or is it? one thing i do know, though, is i love to celebrate it by going to the parade with my family and collecting beads and candy. but even more than that, i love painting my nails green, throwing on a green top, and adding in a few other green accessories here and there.

st. paddy's day parade 2011

with the fourth of july quickly approaching, i am looking forward to a little (veggie-friendly) bbq, fireworks, and swimming. and most of all, i'm looking forward to the parade our whole family will be attending. luckily, i already own a lot of red, white, and blue clothing so it's just a matter of throwing it all together for a tasteful look.

july 4th parade 2011

here is what i will be sporting for this year's independence day:

via polyvore

classic and simple. and i love the nautical look the anchor chain adds to the outfit. i don't actually own this super expensive piece of jewelry but it's a nice touch if you can find it somewhere affordable. forever 21 maybe? the rest of the outfit, however, is in my closet and ready to be packed in my bags for our trip to the river where we will be spending the fourth.

how about you, what are your plans to celebrate our country's independence?

shop your closet.

i'm sure you've heard this term before. it's where you add a twist to clothes you already own to make them like new. it's a lovely thing for this full time mom living on a budget.

yesterday, i was putting away clothes that had been hanging out in my laundry room for about a year. a YEAR people! they weren't in my way and it was winter so i never wore them and blah blah blah. i have no excuse.

anyway, as i was putting these clothes away i discovered things i forgot i owned. not only that, as i was sorting through all my clothes i discovered even more clothes in my closet that i forgot about.

SIDE NOTE: i am OCD when it comes to my closet. everything is organized by type of clothing, length of sleeves, etc, then by color. i LOVE it. my husband thinks i'm a dork. this is nothing new, though.

you may be thinking that i either have more clothes than i know what to do with (which is only slightly true) or i must wear the same thing every single day (which seems to be the case these days).

here's the deal. i kind of have been wearing the same thing for the past year -and-a-half or so. for most of 2010, i was with child. the only maternity-wear i purchased was a pair of shorts and a pair of jeans. i refused to spend money on clothes i would only wear a few months (even though i somehow justified spending over $200 on maternity jeans. but they fit like a dream. well worth it!) i instead purchased a few dresses in my pre-pregnancy size that fit over my baby belly but i could wear post-baby by belting.

since alex was born, i have been nursing so everything i wear has to be appropriate for nursing when i'm out and about. so yes, i have been wearing the same clothes for FOREVER. and i am completely bored with it.

now that alex is nursing less, i am slowly mixing in "new" pieces from my closet that haven't seen the light of day since 2009. sorry north park, looks like we'll be taking a break for a while.

give it a try in your own closet. add a belt, a brooch, or just mix a top with shorts rather than jeans.