Ever wondered how to fix a skirt that was too big?  All your questions answered at Beautifully Feminine.

I’ve started an new blog at Beautifully Feminine!

Here’s a portion of the about page:

This is a place where I want you to find encouragement to enjoy being a woman. I’ll share practical tips on how to apply makeup, find frugal fashions, budget friendly spa recipes and so much more.

To kick off this new blog I’m hosting a giveaway for Pretty Stinkin Green.

Hannah and Deb are giving away this beautiful red rose pillow!

Visit Beautifully Feminine to enter to win!

Fashion has always interested me.  One of the (many) things I wanted to be, growing up, was a fashion designer and model.  When I was thirteen I got to have one of my dreams come true….I went to modeling school!  ( I may even share some pictures from back then.)

We found a Christian modeling agency near us and I had such a great time.  Even though that seems like a long time ago, I still enjoy fashion and modeling.  ( I just think it’s sad how raunchy modeling has become.)

Pantone has the new fall fashion colors available for download here.  You can see the new colors as well as get some budget friendly advice about updating your wardrobe for fall!

By knowing what the “new” colors will be for fall, you can scout out your local thrift store, find the colors there and still stay in budget!

So are you excited about changing to fall clothes?  What season do you enjoy dressing for the most?

For more great tips visit Works For Me Wednesdays hosted by We Are THAT Family!

As a fair-skinned Mama with fair-skinned children, I have to think about the sunscreen issue a lot.  I don’t want the increased risk factors from getting sunburned, but I also don’t want a bunch of toxic chemicals soaking into our skin!  What’s a Mama to do?!

The solution: the Environmental Working Group’s 2009 Sunscreen Guide!

With this handy tool you can check the ingredients in your favorite sunscreen, see how your current sunscreens toxicity is rated and find the best non-toxic sunscreen for your family.

Enjoy your summer…safely!

I grew up eating wild mushrooms called Morels.  They are some of the most delicious things you will ever put into your mouth!

They grow better in the Northern states, but we still find a few in Middle Tennessee.

This is Matthew, our son, holding a Morel mushroom we found in our yard last year.  One of two…not quite enough to eat!

I had been doing some research on edible plants and mushrooms in our area, so Matthew and I went on a search in the woods around our house to see what we could find.  We found a tree that had fallen, but the large stump was still standing. On that stump we found… Oyster Mushrooms!  There are no look alikes in the US, so we were sure that we had the real deal.

This is what we harvested…about four pounds of free, tasty, gourmet mushrooms!

The best way that we have found to eat Morel and Oyster mushrooms is to gently pan fry them in butter.

After we harvested them, I put them in salt water to get rid of any bugs.  I rinsed them off gently and carefully.  Next I put them into a zip-top bag and coated them in flour.  Then I fried them in butter and salted them to taste.  They were so good!

The next time you go to the grocery, look at the gourmet mushroom mixes.  I bet you’ll see small oyster mushrooms in there!

For more information check out these sites:

General Mushroom Info

Edible Wild Mushrooms

(Time for the disclaimer:  Do your own research. Make sure you are harvesting in a clean area, not by a road, because mushrooms absorb heavy metals and toxins.  Don’t eat any mushrooms that you aren’t ABSOLUTELY  SURE are safe.)

For more real food fun visit REAL FOOD WEDNESDAY!

Wool Dryer Balls From Good Mama

My Mother in law just gave me some wool dryer balls that my aunt made.  I’ve been wanting to make these for a while, but have never taken the time to do it!

I used them on the mountain of laundry that I washed yesterday and they worked really well.  My aunt said that when she uses 8-10 of them she is able to cut her drying time in half!

Saving money and having no static cling… naturally, that Works For Me!

If you want to make your own dryer balls, GoodMama has the instructions!

Be sure to check back on Friday for the latest L. Herbert Design prints that will be featured at Nesting Place!

Want to win a free print from my store?  A High And Noble Calling is hosting a giveaway!

I don’t want to gross you out, but do you know what’s in an old makeup brush?  If I tell you, it may make you want to stop reading this and go clean your brushes right now.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Old makeup, bacteria, natural oils from your face and dead skin cells build up on your brushes. If you don’t wash your brushes regularly, you’ll irritate your skin and could also cause breakouts.

I’m cleaning my brushes regularly from now on!

Here’s how:

1. Wet the bristles of the makeup brush under warm, running water.  Hold the handle of the brush upright, so the base of the bristles won’t get wet.  The bristles are held in plcae by glue and if the glue gets wet your bristles may fall out.  Not good.

Well this Friday and Saturday is BlissDom!!! I’m very excited, but I’m still trying to figure out what to wear! Yesterday I went to Angela’s closet.   No this isn’t a fancy boutique even though the beautiful clothes and jewelry make it look like it is!

Angela is one of my girlfriends. She has great taste in clothes and we are about the same size…what a wonderful combination! When I went over to her house I was expecting to borrow a few things for BlissDom, but she kept saying “this is for you and this and this…”. Wow!  We found some great things for me to wear.

Do you have friends that are about the same size as you are? Try having a clothes swap! Since most of us are trying to save money having something new to wear for free is about as good as it gets!

I’m sure you have been seeing the same flabby to fit belly ads that I have. In moments of weakness and desperation I’m sure we all give those ads a second look. But, honestly, do you want to be locked into buying expensive “miracle fat burners” all your life? Not me! I’ve got to use my grocery money to buy food for my family, not “quick fixes”.

So, am I doomed to be fluffy forever? Nope. Welcome to weight loss in real life!

One of the best blogs I’ve found on loosing weight while still eating nourishing food is Kelly The Kitchen Kop. Here are a few of my favorite articles:

• Dieting With No Carb or Low Carb Foods

• Healthy Low Carb Meals

• All About Loosing Weight

I’ve also been reading quite a few blogs about nutrition and I’ve been learning so much. I thought I’d tell you about some of the gals that have been a real encouragement to me as I’m working hard to nourish my family.

• Stephanie at Keeper Of The Home
• Kimi at The Nourishing Gourmet
• Carrie at The Thrifty Oreganic

Christa Taylor - White Coat Dress

Cute and modest. To most women those words go together like mustard and watermelon! But Christa Taylor has proven that your curves can be covered and you still look great!

Christa Taylor - Swingy Tunic

Christa Taylor has designed fashion forward clothing that is still modest and affordable. Not only are you supporting a woman in business, but 5% of your purchase rescues and shelters widows and orphans in Cambodia. Now that’s something I can get excited about!

Christa Taylor - Babydoll Jacket

Get ready for the Modesty Carnival on February 2nd (see the details at Empowered Traditionalist)!