Dateless to I do

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

T-Shirt Mania

by Ashley

Happy Wednesday lovelies! Today I have a quick and easy tip to share with you about refashioning t-shirts. Earlier this year when the DALLAS MAVERICKS won the championship, I was lucky enough to get to attend a couple of the playoff games. During those games, they gave away playoff t-shirts to everyone in attendance! Awesome right...well...that t-shirt was an X-Large. But no problem because with a pair of scissors and some creativity you can turn any t-shirt into a FASHION statement.

I turned the Mavericks t-shirt into a halter. I cut down the neck to give it a slight v-neck. I cut the sleeves completely off, and I cut out the back of the shirt a little more than half way. How deep you cut everything is completely up to you and depends on how much skin you are willing to show.

Then I cut a slit down the middle of the back. And cut 2 inch strips to tie the shirt back together (to make it fit the waist).

Sorry I don't have more pictures. I made this shirt before we started the blog! But let me know if you have any questions. And it looks a little scandalous but you can always wear a bandeau top underneath to minimize the visible skin.

Here's one more that's really quick and simple. Take a t-shirt that is slightly big on you (not XLarge big), I bought a men's medium. Cut around the collar about 2 to 3 inches creating a large scoop neck. And that's it. Start small and trim the cut more as you go so you don't do too much.

See how the shirt falls off the shoulder? I was wearing an orange tank top underneath, and I knotted the bottom of the shirt in the back to make it tight around the waist. Oh...and I decided I should introduce you all to my fiance :) Isn't he adorable?!?

I have LOTS more ideas for shirts and I can't wait to try them! I'll definitely take more instructive photos on the next set of shirts.

And - in case you're wondering - those gorgeous earrings are $3.80 from Forever 21.

Let me know if you guys have any other tricks for making a large t-shirt fit or refashioning it into something trendy.

Hope you have a gorgeous Wednesday!!!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Wedgetastic Tuesday Shoesday

By: Danie

Happy Tuesday!

Especially happy because I get to tell you why I luuuurve wedges.

There is something nice about a shoe that is amazingly versatile. You can dress them up or down, whether you're a stay at home mom or a working girl wedges afford you comfort and style. Before I was a mom they were always my go to. After you become a mom feeling polished doesn't come as easily as it had in the past, so having that one "thing" that you can throw on so that you feel and look like you are fashion fierce just makes you feel good!

Wedgetastic II by datelesstoido featuring a white pearl necklace

These plum wedges by Steve Madden are even better in person, the plum color is vibrant and different. Sometimes I get stuck in that revolving door of black and brown shoes... not even realizing that I am "blanding" myself to death! Black will always be classic dont get me wrong but having a shoe that is functional and pops is nice every now and then too. :)

Sam Edelman

More wedges to feast your eyes on..

Steve Madden

Naughty Monkey

Monday, November 7, 2011

To Gerber or not to Gerber...

By: Danie

That is the question! For all of you moms to be and new moms, there comes a time when you have to decide how you will approach solid foods for your little bundle of joy. I am a chronic over thinker and I like to plan ahead and RESEARCH! Many hours had gone into trying to decide if we would go Gerber or homemade. My final decision was to make our son's food myself and the major contributor to that decision was the fact that a jar of baby food has an extremely long shelf life. We have been trying to cut down our consumption of things that come out of boxes, bags and cans i.e. things that have preservatives, so once we made that switch jars of baby food were really out of the question.

Making my sons baby food has been very rewarding, I feel like I am getting him off to a good start and it has been surprisingly easy. It has given me the opportunity to introduce seasonal fruit and vegetables into the little ones diet. For the first few months (4-6 mons) it is super simple- pureed veggies with water or pureed fruits with water. You should always mix fruits with cereal when you feed it to your little one. Then as you progress you can start to mix different vegetables (make sure that you have tested both veggies individually for allergies) start them on meats and even add some seasonings.

I use the Beaba Babycook it is an all in one steamer and processor. If you plan on making a large quantity, the steamer is not ideal however I usually make smaller quantities so it works for me. Since the little one isn't eating as much right now I also use covered ice trays to store, these are the least expensive that I have found. The wells are exactly 1oz, if you freeze your food in the tray then transfer the cubes into Ziploc freezer bags you have perfect servings and you don't need a lot or freezer trays. Veggies and fruit can last in the freezer for about six months.

Making your own baby food is a fun and rewarding activity. It may not be ideal for the mom that is constantly on the go but if you have the opportunity to do it even every once in a while, go for it! There is nothing wrong with using Gerber if you decide to go that route but always keep in mind that there really is nothing to it as far as making baby food if you have the time and tools.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Fitness Friday

We thought it would be a good idea to have the blog focus on fitness on Fridays. It's an awful feeling when you spend all week long eating right and working out and then go on a 3-day binge come Friday through Sunday. I'm not saying to hold back on the weekends from happy hour and social outings... but I always feel more confident in my body after a really good workout. The bottom line for me is that working out = being able to relax and have fun later.

I definitely know what it's like to be in a workout slump. Sometimes I go to the gym and just stare {literally} at the equipment... there's nothing new to do.... it gets boring... or {worst of all} I realize I am the only female in the gym and you don't want to draw attention to yourself.

Source: reasonstobefit.tumblr.com via Cris on Pinterest

I'm always letting these fears/hesitations get the best of me. I've got to get it through my thick head that the gym doesn't belong to the men, and there are thousands {or millions?} of resources on the web with new exercises for me to try. And MOST IMPORTANTLY... I will NOT look like the hulk if I life some weights.

I'm also always checking out social sites like Groupon or Living Social - there are deals for month of unlimited yoga or boxing... or even those Pole Dancing classes {that I really want to do but I'm too scared!!!}. It could be a great opportunity to try something new and get fit at the same time.

Ok - well I can't sign off on a Fitness Friday post without providing you with some fitness tips. So here is one idea that I've seen floating around Pinterest:

Source: sidebysideblog.blogspot.com via Ashley on Pinterest

Happy weekend y'all!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

H&M, where TRENDY meets ADORABLE

by Ashley

You know what today is? Well... for those of you in the Dallas area you know it's the day that H&M opens in Willow Bend. And even if you're not in Dallas, H&Ms are opening up ALL OVER! They are taking over, and I ain't mad at them. (Yes I say ain't.) Where else can does trendy meet adorable in a YOWZA kinda way...

Well H&M is nothing new but there may be four collections you aren't aware of:

1. The Versace collection!! Some pieces are a little too out there for me but here are a couple pieces I adore:

2. Kids collection so you can keep your little one's stylish too:

3. A collection for mama's to be:

4. A cosmetics collection:

Cosmetics at H&M by datelesstoido on polyvore.com

I love it all... and better yet - I LOVE that it's all within my budget!

All images are from H&M.com

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Designer Burp Cloths

By: Danie

Happy Hump Day! Well it would be a lot happier if my son would let me sleep more, good thing he is so cute :) I cant take all the credit for this next DIY, some must be given to Ashely's mom and sister. They had given me the cutest burp cloths for my baby shower and to my surprise I found out they had actually made them!

Small disclaimer you have to have a sewing machine for this easy project. Good news is that sewing isn't as hard as it looks! I got my sewing machine LITERALLY the day before I had made these, we got a cheapy $70 brother machine. Other than a tiny plastic machine I had when I was 7, I had no experience sewing- as in zilch, zero, nada.

Tools

Sewing Machine

Fabric {I used fleece, my son likes to snuggle with the burp cloths}

Burp Cloths {Gerber or Carters}

First you will need to cut the fabric to fit the center of the cloth, leave a extra 1/4 inch all the way around so that you can fold it over for a more finished look. You will also need to pin the fabric to the cloth before you start sewing.

Then you will need to sew your fabric onto the burp cloth, this will take all of five minutes. Just make sure that you are sewing where you pinned down your 1/4 inch flap.

BAM!

You are donesky.

Personalizing your children's stuff helps you keep track of their stuff! Slowly but surely I am getting a hang of this mommy business. Really this is an awesome project because you can have so much fun with it...dye the burp cloth, sew fabric or ribbon around the edges? These are awesome gifts for a baby shower {mine actually decorated my diaper cake}.

Ashley's sister made the one on the left, I made the ones to the right of that.

This really is an amazingly quick way to say bye bye to those boring white burp cloths. {So quick I went through the whole process again to refresh my memory and it took all of 15 minutes}.

You can doooo eet!!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Tuesday Shoesday #2 - Florence and the Machine

Today is a very special Tuesday Shoesday because not only do I get to showcase shoes that I love, but I get to base my picks on an amazing artist. Florence and the Machine released "Ceremonials" today (which I can't wait to rock out to!). I'm so excited that I took on Florence as my inspiration because she has AMAZING style sense. Her outfits are absolutely to die for and her strong personality shines through them all. So I'm sure you won't be surprised at all to learn that I couldn't choose just one....

1. Glorious Gold