Set Sail

Hi all! How's it going? The week seems to be speeding by. --Aren't post intros awkward?-- I feel forced to comment on the week every time...it gets old fast. So let's just scratch what I just said. Eeeep!!

Last night Brian and I watched The Hunger Games. I was surprised he actually volunteered to watch it. I think he kind of liked it :] I still need to read the books! I know, what have I been doing with my free time!?! I thrifted the first book about a month back, I just need to sit down and take the time to actually crack it open now...

Alrighty - WARNING: This outfit shows a bit of skin. You have been warned.
I thrifted this nautical crop top(?) last weekend. Now I am not one to show of my midriff...but I had a $10 coupon to this specific thrift store and they wouldn't let me buy my items unless I spent the entire $10. This sounds like it shouldn't be hard at all but their items are ridiculously cheap. Anywho, coming up two dollars short I added this item to the pile and thought I would give it a go...

Southern (California) Belle - Redesign

Hi all! Happy Tuesday. Hope your day is off to a good start. My week is looking up :]

Today I want to share with you all my latest blog redesign for Ashley from Southern California Belle. She is a super cute lady with wicked style - if you haven't checked out her blog yet you most definitely should. She wanted a layout to reflect her personality and style, and well...here it is! :]



I had a lot of fun (as always) working on this project. She wanted something classic, simple, and girly - three of my favorite things. I also made sure to include her two adorable pups as cartoons at the bottom.

I really need to set up a storefront for this already... In case you all are wondering - I adjusted my prices and am charging $100 for a blog redesign and I also sell bits and pieces of layouts a la carte. Feel free to email me at Shyscoutblog@gmail.com for more information! Also, you can click the image above to look at previous blog designs by me in case you are interested.

Also, as promised - the lucky winner (selected at random by rafflcopter) for the Positivum USA floral crown giveaway is...

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Ashley from a Southern California Belle ^^^. Pretty crazy, I know. Congrats Ashley! And thank you all for participating.

Have a good day everyone!

Life Lately

Hi lovelies!! I apologize for my week long absence. Last week was beyond hectic juggling work, life, and sanity. Everyone has those weeks though - some times you just need to take a step back. I am back now though!! I will have the winner of the beautiful floral crown giveaway tomorrow. I was busy busy this weekend with a wedding and moving my brother out of his summer job/camp and the weekend sort of slipped away from me. Anywho... be on the look out tomorrow to see if you won. I hope you all have been up to fun things. I can't wait to sit down and play catch up. I am typing this post in the car at 11 at night headed home from the city so that I can drive right back in less than 8 hours - wah wah. I am looking forward to a less chaotic week :]

Other than work, what have I been up to?



1. Shopping! Alright, just DSW - but I did find two fantastic pairs of shoes for 70% off!
2. Buffalo Nickel, found this gem while rummaging around in my moms purse for change at dinner one night. Didn't get to keep it, but it is pretty neat. It is from 1927.
3. Flashback Friday - Ok...so this photo is old but Brian and I went out on a nice dinner date Friday and were able to relax after crazy days at work.
4 - 5. Wedding in Chicago. My mother's friend from work got married on Saturday on a ship at Navy Pier. After the vows the boat set sail and we cruised around Lake Michigan. It was such a beautiful wedding.
6. Grandma's heirloom - I wore my grandmother's ring to the wedding and I just wanted to show it off. It is one of my most special possessions. I never got to meet her but she sounds like the sweetest lady.
7 & 8. Mission - Thrift. I had a $25 coupon to an antique mall by my house that was about to expire so I made a point to get my shop on this morning before I left to pick up my brother (the now 6 hour excursion :-/ ). I picked up the cute pear teapot that I have been eyeing for ages and the pretty cameo set :] A little pick me up to end the crazy week/weekend.

Also on the bright side - I saw a crazy huge and vivid double rainbow for about an hour on the way home from my brothers camp. It sure was beautiful.

I am sorry if this is a bit all over the place. I just wanted to stop by and say hello. I am still here and working so hard to get back on the blogging track. I have so many fun ideas swirling in my head - now I just need the time. Hope your weeks are off to a good start. I have some fun posts for this week :] See you soon!

Pea in her Sundae's best

Hi all! It is Thursday already :] How is your week going? Mine has been pretty good. I meant to post this yesterday but was at work - you should check out my guest post on the lovely J from My Life in Lavender's blog!! J and I are collaborating on a monthly guest post series called "Seeking Style" focusing in on our personal style journeys. I am pretty darn excited about. Yesterday was the first post of the series. Her first post will be up on here early next month. You should definitely check out her blog if your haven't already, you will not be disappointed, she is pretty pretty awesome :]

Moving on...last night Brian, my mom, Sweetpea, and I went to "pooch at the park" night. I have to say - it was pretttttyyyy fun. So many cute pups and baseball! Unfortunately, we arrived late and pea didn't win the costume contest - the dog who won was only wearing a skirt *sighhhh. If they only knew/ had seen pea. Here are some highlights from the night -



Tehehe. Cuteness overload. I love that dog to pieces. Brian is pretty A-OK in my book as well.

Any fun plans for this weekend? I am seeing my brothers last show of the season - Some Enchanted Evening. The summer sure has blown by.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have you entered the Positivum USA floral crown giveaway yet?!?!
If not click HERE to enter. You have until the 24th. Good Luck!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pea pod

Hi Lovelies! Half way through the week - WAHOOO WEDNESDAY!! Tehehe. I am a smidge bit excited. Tonight - weather permitting - I am taking pea out to the ball game. I am hoping this helps work fly by.

Todays outfit - guess what!?! My dress that I ordered last Tuesday from ModCloth arrived on my doorstep yesterday afternoon. I had to give it a twirl and test it out. I must say - I am in love!! I wanted to try something fun with my hair for this look so I used Kate from Scathingly Billiant's (love her blog!) simple bouffant updo tutorial. I still need to work on perfecting it. I had to use a butterfly clip (yes the one with glitter and wings) from the 5th grade to help hold it up. I need to invest in some more bobby pins, haha.



My first official ModCloth purchase (other than stylish surprises) and I am hooked. I love the cute collar, lace, and mint green color. All of my favorite things in one dress!!! Also - the dress is great for twirling :]



Outfit Details: Dress - Jade with Love Dress, ModCloth | Cameo - thrifted | Belt - Dorothy Perkins | Purse - Urban Outfitters| Wedges - Payless | Pea-pod - my mom's friend from work.

Like the SweetPea-pod? My moms friend from work sewed it for us. It is from a baby carrier pattern and works so well for pea. Haha. She will let us do anything. I put her in it and she is happy as a clam :]

Have a good day everyone!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have you entered the Positivum USA floral crown giveaway yet?!?!
If not click HERE to enter. You have until the 24th. Good Luck!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Latest Blog Design

Hi Lovelies!! Happy Tuesday. Hope your week is off to a good start. I was hoping to have a Toy Army Tuesday post for today butttt the rain has sort of messed up my photoshoot plans - definitely A-ok with that. I am super excited that it has been raining. Thank you for sending the rain clouds my way :]

I do have some fun news to share though!! Last Friday I completed one of my blogger besties - Roni, from Roni Feels Nostalgic's blog layout. (The layout below is a condensed version - you should definitely click on the image to visit her awesome blog and say hello!)



I had a lot of fun working on this retro layout. Roni compiled a great list of things she liked I took it from there. I really love the look of retro cartoons so I decided to create one of Roni as the header, I then created the rest of the layout from that :]

I still need to set up my blog design shop, ughhh. If you are interested in a design though shoot me an email at shyscoutblog@gmail.com. I would love to work with you and help beautify your blog. For more examples of my work click HERE.

On an unrelated note - tomorrow I am taking sweetpea to her first baseball game. Tehehe. It is bring your pooch to the park day and I am beyond excited. There will be prizes for the best puppy costume - I will have to take a bunch of photos. I have a feeling she is going to win. Haha. Have a good day everyone.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have you entered the Positivum USA floral crown giveaway yet?!?!
If not click HERE to enter. You have until the 24th. Good Luck!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Positivum Floral Crown Giveaway!

Hi all! Happy Monday. I thought I would help brighten the start of your week with a fantastic giveaway from Positivum USA!! Positivum USA is an adorable store which sells handmade floral crowns and headbands in a wide variety of beautiful colors. The headbands and floral crowns are the perfect accessory to add a sweet and romantic touch to your wardrobe :]
I was so excited when Valerie contacted me telling me that the Malibu Sunset floral crown (my personal favorite from the shop) was up for grabs to one lucky ShyScout reader. Isn't the orange so pretty and perfect for the fall? Enter now for your chance to win!! The giveaway will be open until 12:01 am Friday, August 24th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck!!

Life Lately - Dixon, DH, Dresses

Hi all! Hope you have been having a wonderful weekend. My weekend has been a lot of fun. Friday after work I drove with my friend Lindy to visit our bud Billy at his families restaurant - the Dunton House or Arlignton Heights - we enjoyed some yummy food and Billy's company. After Billy got off work we headed over to a piano bar in town - the piano man was not that great but everyone was grooving to his music, haha. It was a lot of fun. Yesterday I went shopping and thrifting with my mom. We started out by visiting Brian at his stores grand opening and then headed over to Marshall's and Good Will. Later that night Brian and I celebrated his brothers birthday and then went out on the town with some friends. Overall - a pretty fun and productive weekend.



1&2 - My mom, pea, and I roadtripped up to see my brother in Cabaret last Sunday. While driving there we drove through Dixon - home of Ronald Reagan.
3&4 - Lindy, Billy, and I at the DH.
5 - A few dresses and owl salt and pepper shakers I picked up from Marshall's.
6 - $4 dress from Good Will.

I am excited for this week aaaand I just may have a giveaway headed your way :]

Thrifted Thursdays - This & that

Hi all! Happy Thursday. I am feeling much better today, thank you for all the well wishes. I also got the day off from work today. *does a happy dance. Not that I don't like my job - I love it - but catching up on some much needed sleep was so nice. Sweetpea and I slept in and just went on an hour long walk, she is one happy camper. I am excited the weekend is nearly here. Wahoooo

Another Thrifted Thursday here! Last week I showed off some taxidermy blowfish and told you I didn't pick them up because I already own one. Didn't believe me? Here he is...



I picked him up for 10 cents at my churches annual yard sale. He was just too cute to pass up. Unfortunately he has lost an eye over the years. I need to find him a replacement.



To add to my pyrex/bakeware collection I picked up these two gems. Ok, they aren't pyrex...but I love the cute little mushroom patterns.



My favorite thrifted items/ collection - my dachshund collection (Sweetpea included!)! I picked up the cute doxies smooching salt and pepper shakers a few weeks ago - too sweet. The dachshund holder was thrifted down at school a few years ago for my mothers birthday present. Aaaaaand my favorite thrift find (ok, so she was really adopted) EVER - Sweetpea <3. Without her I wouldn't have bothered collecting the rest. She is my little angel :]

Thrifted anything good lately? Have any fun plans for the weekend?

Have a beautiful day everyone!

Under the weather

Hi all! Hope you are having a good Tuesday. I am feeling a bit under the weather today - no fun. I always feel a bit thrown off catching a cold in the summer. In my head cold season = literal cold (fall/winter) season. Silly, I know. Anywho, my nose looks like rudolph's at the moment, haha. TMI?

Yesterday was when I began to feel icky. Not wanting to do much of anything after work I trolled the internet looking at beautiful items I wish I could buy. *sighhhh. I know I have a big girl job now but those student loans won't pay off themselves. I did cave though and bought one item -

Ta daaaaa! I bought the last one in my size. *Does a happy dance. Shopping is almost as good as medicine, right? This is my first official - non stylish surprise - purchase from ModCloth. I can't wait to twirl away in it :]

I wish I had more fun things to report. I need to break free from this same day to day routine and spice things up a bit. On a positive note - Toy Army Tuesday will be coming back next week!! Be on the look out.

I hope you all are feeling well and having some fun adventures - feel free to fill me in!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh, also!! Want $10 off your first purchase at ModCloth??
Click HERE for a free $10 off your first $50+ purchase at ModCloth.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's a jungle out there!

Hi lovelies!! Happy Monday, hope your week is off to a good start. This weekend I spent the majority of my time helping my brother prepare for his move and seeing his show Cabaret. The show was good - really provocative and depressing - but performed well. The woman who played Sally was fantastic! It also rained on Saturday :] Super exciting for Illinois. It has been ages. Anywho...the weekend flew by. I hope you enjoyed yours!

Today I have a fun summer outfit to share with you. Last week I was jumping for joy when I received this Jungle Book Dress in the mail from Sugarlips Apparel. Fun, isn't it? As soon as I saw the cute print and fun chain back detailing I knew I wanted had to add it to my wardrobe. I also love how light weight the dress is - perfect for this 90+ degree heat! The next day I had my awesome and incredibly wonderful boyfriend Brian take me out on a hot date wearing this number (not without taking some blog photos first of course) haha - did I mention he is a sweetheart?



I had too much fun dressing this look up and down with accessories and shoes (you can check out more on my Flickr). This dress is perfect for a hot date or shopping around town on a hot summer day. I thought it was also only fitting to take photos of this look in a jungle-esque setting - aka, Brian's mother's garden/koi pond.



With my newly brightened red hair I think it is only necessary that I incorporate more green in to my wardrobe ;]

Outfit Details: Dress - Jungle Book Dress c/o Sugarlips Apparel | Hat & necklace - Target | Belt - thrifted | Purse - Urban Outfitters| Flats - Payless | Wedges - Old Navy.

Any fun plans for your upcoming week? I think I need to start exploring the neighborhood I work in during my lunch breaks. There are so many incredible thrift stores calling my name :]

Thrifted Thursday - Orange & Teal

Hi all. Another Thrifted Thursday here! I thought it would be fun to show off one of my thrifted outfits for a change. This is a simple look that can be worn to work or out and about. I thrifted the dress a few years back, however, I am just now pulling it out of my closet - silly me. I love shopping my closet and finding new (or in this case - old) surprises. The belt was also thrifted quite some time ago.



Outfit Details: Dress & belt - thrifted | Wedges - Payless.

I like that my hair and the dress worked out to be complimentary colors (orange/red - blue/green). Off topic (sort of) - don't these photos look like I took them last fall? I took them on Sunday. The lack or rain here in Illinois has caused my poor trees to dry up and lose their leaves. I have been watering them on and off just to help them out a bit. Pretty crazy. Please send some rain clouds my way :]

Insta - finds: Cute girl's dress (I wish I had a kid...or that it didn't cost $18 dollars so I could have hoarded it for my future children) and HUGE blowfish. I already have a small taxidermy blowfish - haha, seriously though - so I passed on these two gems.

Thrifted anything fun this week? Any fun plans for the weekend?

Wardrobe Wednesday - I love Lucy

Hi lovelies!! Happy August 1st - where the heck has the time gone? Hope you all are having a good week. I am wishing it were the weekend already. I want to sleep in so badly, however, I will be moving my brother in to his first apartment in the city Saturday - so maybe it's a good thing it is Wednesday. Haha. Anywho... I cut and dyed my hair on Sunday and this was the result. Pretttty darn red, but I like it.



I couldn't help but feel like a modern day Lucille Ball when I put this dress on. I love the navy and white polka dot combo :] How do you all feel about asymmetrical dresses? I am still getting used to wearing this one myself.



I am thinking this dress needs a cute pair of red or white pumps to jazz it up a bit. Good excuse to shop, no?

Outfit Details: Dress - TJ Maxx | Belt - Dorothy Perkins | Purse - Silk Market | Flats - Urban Outfitters.

Looking at these photos I realize I am quite the ghost. Whoops. Maybe I should work on catching some rays. Catch you all on the flip side!