Yo Gabba Gabba Halloween

My son is obsessed with Yo Gabba Gabba. He loves to dance to all the songs when the show is on, and his Yo Gabba Gabba sticker book is one of his favorite things to play with. Don't even get me started on the over sized Foofa doll that (with Lamby of course) now goes to bed with him every night.
I decided this year I would match my son for trick-or-treating. He is going to be DJ Lance. His outfit is awesome and ended up costing about $35 (after shipping). I couldn't see paying for an adult costume for the short amount of time I'll be wearing it so I decided to make one myself.
I chose Brobee. You know the green thing with the long arms?! I figured I have to be able to make something for under $15 that would look like Brobee to kids. This was what I did.

I found a green shirt in the men's department at Target for $5. Perfect! I'll just turn it inside out!


I then found this great sticky felt at Michael's for $.99. Since I'm only wearing this once and for all of a few hours i figure I'll just stick the face on the shirt and then remove them after and have a big t-shirt. Works for me!


Next I free hand cut out the shapes to make the face. I used my son's sticker book as a reference and peeled the backs off and applied the face. Okay, this was seriously too easy! And it's looking like Brobee!


Next I needed to make a 3 cone head band. I already had a glue stick, a stapler, and red construction paper, so all I needed to buy was the birthday hats. I found these also at Target for $1.99.


I cut the B-day hats down and removed the elastic bands saving 2 to tie together on my new hat.


The last step was to use the glue stick and stapler and wrap the cones in red paper. This was a bit more time consuming then expected. I guess it's been a while since I've used a glue stick! ;) I stapled each cone to the next and tied the elastic band so it would stay on my head.


So that's it! I made a Brobee costume for about $11! My son loves it! What do you think?

Obsessing over lace this season

I am LOVING the lace trend for this holiday season! Here are a few of my favorite finds. Be sure not to mix too many lace pieces at one time, but it really is a must try in every wordrobe! Try a beautiful lace top or dress with curly hair or an up do and a red lip! Stunning!!!


Items in this set:


Lady Jane Dress | Mod Retro Vintage Dresses | ModCloth.com
$105
modcloth.com

Nude Lace Back Top
$47
missselfridge.com

KENNY 5709 BLACK SILK LACE COMBO BLOUSON TOP
$187
farfetch.com

Alice + Olivia Tiered lace skirt
$200
net-a-porter.com

Tibi Lace and silk shorts
$285
net-a-porter.com

dELiAs Cheryl Lace Butterfly Tank
$35
delias.com

Juicy Couture Lace bodysuit
$68
net-a-porter.com

Betsey Johnson set of 2 - black solid and black lace net tights
$20
bluefly.com

Simone Perele Nina Demi-Cup bra
$89
journelle.com

Faux Leather Floral Lace Pump
$20
amiclubwear.com

Jeffrey Campbell Tabitha
$79.90
lorisshoes.com

Diane von furstenberg bags BLACK CREAM
$460
matchesfashion.com

Santi CPM4301 Clutch
$138
endless.com

Victorian Square Lace Ring
$20
1928.com

Guest Blogger: Kasya from Candidkoosh

I wanted to thank Lisa Fergus soo much for letting me guest post on her blog Stilettos and Diaper Bags, although I am a new reader of her blog I have become a regular. My name is Kashya and I have a blog called candidkoosh where I try and post on everything that is rambling in my mind sometimes its design other times its life and this time its cooking, and thats what I wanted to share with you today.

This is probably the easiest ice cream recipe that I have ever made. If you like ice cream and face it most of us do succumb to it and if you like bananas than you will love this. And wouldn't you know it – It's a perfect recipe for anyone who has a dairy intolerance. So here we go, you grab a banana or two slice it into rounds, bag it and freeze it. After its sufficiently frozen all you need is a blender or I use my Cuisinart. Throw the banana into the machine and pulse- if its really frozen you can add a teaspoon at a time of milk or juice but not too much because it melts pretty fast from the heat of the blades.

I like to also add a handful of walnuts or almonds at the end and before you know it you have frozen banana ice cream. So next time you have a craving for some decadent ice cream and don't want to add to the bulge, try this instead. It's super simple and really delicious! Enjoy.

Last date night...for a little bit anyway

Top: Pea in the Pod
Jeans: Target
Boots: Bakers
Bib Necklace: Express

A few months back I wrote a post about Gold Class Cinemas. This is hands down my favorite place to go for date night. It may have something to do with the fact they give you a pillow and blanket, the seats recline, and they serve you food and drinks all movie long. Something tells me I'll like this place just as much when I'm not pregnant!

On this cool fall night I went with a long sleeved black top and some dark jeans. Black is slimming right?! haaa! Not sure that works if your 9 months pregnant but it was worth a try!
I paired it with this turquoise bib necklace that I found super discounted at Express over the summer. I then decided to put some boots on. That was not as easy as it sounds. I can't really reach my feet and it took me 10 minutes to get these on. Then I had to sit and let the hot flash and dizziness pass. I now know why the term barefoot and pregnant came to be! Or at least pregnant and in flat, slip-on shoes! ;)

Is that a basketball in your pocket or are you just 38 weeks pregnant?

Yes, it looks like I'm trying to smuggle a giant basketball around everywhere I go. This little lady (or obviously giant lady) is riding low and ready to come out! Okay, maybe she's taking her sweet ass time, but I'm sure ready! ;)
I've officially gained 40 pounds! I was hoping to keep it between 35-40 so I'm right where I planned on being. I'm not big on exercise (it took 11 months to loose the baby weight from my son because it came off naturally...I never worked out!) so I'm curious to see how long it takes my body to bounce back this time around. Who has time to work out when you are busy running around raising kids? Well, who has time during the first few months anyway! I'm sure after the bean hits the 6 months mark (and summer will be coming up) I'll find a gym with a day care just to get some cardio in. Maybe! ;)
Anyway, like I said I'm feeling ready to go. Lots of nights waking up to contractions, I feel hiccups so low down it scares me, more trips to the bathroom any one person should make in a single day, lots of excitement and anticipation on meeting her, you know....the normal home stretch feelings!

She better hurry up, I'm feeling the itch to put my Christmas tree up and it's not even November yet! Curse you nesting (raises fist and shakes it in the air)!!

It has been brought to my attention....

I was tagged in a tweet yesterday (on twitter) that said the following:

Nothing like someone BLATENLY copying your blog and twitter handle. Don't blog if you can't come up with your own name @stilettosdiaper

Yikes! So I click through to her page and see that her Twitter name is stilettodiapers. Yes, that's very close to mine! Since you are only allowed 15 characters in your header name on Twitter, I had slimmed mine down to stilettosdiaper. It told me the name was not in use, so I used it!
Turns out she has a blog too and hers is called Stilettos and Diapers: Because Changing Diapers While Wearing Stilettos is Sometimes Hilarious. And she started her blog in 2009. I began mine in January of 2010.

I wrote back telling her I had not copied and it was an honest mistake and she tells me to change my twitter name and think about changing my blog title! She also claims I copied her design and blog concept as well!

I have changed my twitter name. It is now @SADBblog . All new links are now up and if you were following me before on there then you still are. I did it because I don't want to have the same title as anyone. I agree! But I'm keeping my blog name. It's mine sweetie!
My husband actually named my blog, and I still say that it's quite brilliant. It describes me and my lifestyle!

Before yesterday, I had never seen, heard of, or heard from anyone that there was another blog out there with a similar name. I can see why she's upset, I'm bummed too, but lets get real.
We are both moms, and we both like heels. Can you imagine 2 people in the world existing with that in common!?! ;)
Come on! There are a million fashions blogs out there that list what they wear. There are a million blogs out there that are written about their mommy experiences. And I'm sure there are a million blogs out there that encompass both ends of this! You can't claim that you made this concept up!

I stand by my blog. I did nothing wrong. All of my experiences are real and mine! All of my mommy stories happened to me and they are mine to share! I did not copy her ANYTHING! I hired the very talented Fabulous K Creative to design my blog, and I love what design she came up with.
Just wanted you guys to know. It was bothering me that I was accused, and I wanted to clear the air!

Barefoot and 9 months pregnant

Dress: Motherhood Maternity
Tank: Pea in the Pod
Ring: Tiffanys & CO
Necklace: Stella & Dot

I was having a friend over for an afternoon hangout and this was the perfect outfit for the occasion. It's super cute and casual and my favorite part, it has no waist band! ;)
I paired it with this teal tank to give it a bit more color and threw on some simple silver jewelry. That's it! No shoes, no cardigan, no belts or layers. Yeah, I'm 9 months pregnant and getting lazy! It was bound to happen sooner or later!

This weeks "I want what she has!"/Giveaway update

Today is a very unique post. It is a combo of "I want what she has!" and an update on the giveaway we just did!
The Erin Gallagher Jewelry earrings went to Christy Arrajj and she sent me these photos to show just how meant to be it was that she got them! I had to get over my ring envy first! This ring is stunning!!! I am a sucker (as you know) for diamonds and sapphires, but this ring also has a beautiful aquamarine in the center. UMM.....I want what she has!!!!! She was given the ring as a Christmas gift from her hubby 2 years ago. Well played Mr. Arrajj...I like your style!

Ring: Helzberg Diamonds - $799.99

Okay, now that I've gotten over my ring obsession for the moment, yes, they look beautiful with the earrings! Thanks for sharing your pictures, I'm so glad you now have a matched set!

Guest Blogger: Mimi from Lipgloss and Binky

5 Must Haves for Every Girl’s Holiday Wardrobe

The holiday’s are upon us, and as exhilarating as they are with all of the mingling, twinkling lights, festive music and great food they can cause loud outbursts of the most common words known to the female vocabulary..What am I going to wear? Followed by, I don’t have anything to wear!
Fret not, I have done all of the leg work for you in outlining 5 pieces that are easily mixed and matched with items you already have to create the most fashionable and functional holiday looks straight from the runway to the office party!

1.) So cliché but so true, every wardrobe is incomplete without the fab, “Little Black Dress” (LBD). The LBD is available in any price point and I suggest choosing a knee length one. In the right fabric at the right length, this investment can easily change from an evening look to a day one with the addition of a blazer and a few accessories.
Dress: $129.00 Chicos

2.) Not your Mother’s Christmas Sweater! Nothing says chic like a fab sweater. Dressed down with the perfect jean or dressed up with a nice trouser this is a definite must have.
Sweater: $17.80 Forever 21

3.) Steal some of Rudolph’s shine with your own bling!!
All jewelry came from Charlotte Russe



4.) The staples..you know, a skinny jean and a good trouser!!
Jean: $59.50 Gap

Trouser: $39.50 Old Navy

5.) Last, but certainly not least...A fab bag!!
Bag: $250 Banana Rebublic


Have fun this season. With the plethora of shoe choices from the preppy flat to the daring thigh high boot, push the envelope. There is no better time than the holidays to make a daring statement!!
Mimi- Lipgloss and Binky

My new hair

Here it is folks! I went into Mario Tricoci with an open mind and a few suggestions and they talked me out of all of them! We ended up doing a semi-permanent glaze of a rich chocolate brown to give it shine and even out the color. The girl who cuts my hair took 2 inches off the bottom, swept my bangs to the sides (giving me a very Farrah Fawcett look) and also added layers in the front and a few in the back. I'll probably go back in the new year and get a more drastic color or cut change up, but I think they were right to talk me out of some of my ideas. The maintenance alone would not have been possible!
What do you think? Better right?!

In other news, tomorrow is the official "3 weeks until my due date" mark! I'm getting so excited! I plan on running one guest blogger per week until the baby actually comes and tomorrow will be our first guest blogger post! Get excited! Everyone has been sending such great guest posts back to me and I can't wait for you guys to read them all!

If you would have asked me last month when I thought this baby was coming out I would have said last month! It was hands down the most stressful month of my life to date! (that's saying a lot considering last time I was pregnant I planned my wedding in 3 months!) Some of these stresses were expected and some unexpected, but I got through it the best I could. And hey, she's still in the belly so I think that's a job well done! ;)
I'm so much more relaxed these days! The house is ready for the baby, my son is almost fully recovered from his surgery, my Christmas shopping is about half done (and wrapped! yeah, hate me all you want!), the kids have holiday clothes, all November B-day gifts and cards have been purchased, my bag for the hospital is packed and by the door, and the infant car seat is installed and good to go! I am ready! Oh, and my blog drafts is full of guest posts and other fun stuff for you guys. Okay, now I'm bored....I might be a little too on the ball! ;)

i think it's time for a new bassinet! Part 2

Here are some pictures of my new bassinet! As you can see, it came in a few pieces that I had to put together. I love assembling things! I'm the resident assembler at our home. Must be a carpenter's daughter thing! (At least that's what my hubby tells me as he happily passes all assembly jobs my way).
I found this bassinet at Buy Buy Baby. It was on sale for under $100 and then I had a save 20% coupon that I used as well. I think by the end of it I only paid $72! The only set back was it was on back order and I had to wait 4 weeks for it to arrive. No biggie!

It has the storage underneath that I love, but it also has a few fetchers the last bassinet did not have. This one not only has a mobile, flashing lights, a night light, and music, it also has a vibrating mattress as well! And hello..... it also came with a remote! This was an easy sale as far as I'm concerned!

This is going to be a save item for sure! All of the other thing that my kids grow out of we will now be handing down or selling because we are done having babies. I just like the idea of passing down the bassinet. Even if it's only for a few kids! ;) My youngest brother, my sister-in-law, my close friends, and some day (many years from now) maybe even my little sister will use it! Or not! Who knows! ;) It just seems like such a silly item to buy for a few months use!

What do/did you use for the bassinet? Hand-me-down or new?

I think it's time for a new bassinet! Part 1

This is the bassinet that has been in use for the past 5 years in my family. So far it has been the starter bed for my sister's 3 children and my son. Before that, it belonged to my sister's co worker and was the starter bed for his 2 children. I think it definitely served it's purpose!

It was very clear to me that it was time to send this one to good will and find a new one! The poor thing has been through a lot and has been stored at many different houses in between each of the kids. As you can see the the 2nd and 3rd pictures it was wearing down and actually started slanting to one end. (not just at the top either, the bed was actually slanted!)
I'm sad to see it go, but I know it's time for a new one! I loved that this one had storage underneath and that the bed just lifted off the base. I never actually ever used this feature, but it was nice to have the option if the baby was sleeping and I needed to leave the room.

Wanna see what I got as it's replacement? It was a super good deal and I had a really fun time putting it together! ;)
Part 2 will be posted on Monday!

Dear Jessica Simpson, I LOVE YOUR SHOES! Sincerely, Lisa Fergus

Since I got rid of 7 pairs of shoes last week I decided I need a pair of clogs. I know they're not for everyone. I'm not loving the lace up brown ankle bootie (or maybe I just haven't see one I LOVE yet), so I was thinking the clog would be my go to when others go there!
I'm a big fan of clogs. I had a pair in college and can't remember for the life of me why I ever got rid of them. Maybe to make room for this stunning pair!

Clogs: $89 Jessica Simpson at Victoria's Secret

What do you guys think? Are you clog wearers or this style just not for you?

Hair 911

HELP! My hair is out of control! I have not had it cut (or trimmed) since late February and my hair is starting to come to points at the ends. And the bangs, yuck! I need to have them sheered out or something. I also have not had a professional dye job in years! However, I did box color it myself in February. At this point I feel like there are copper colors pulling through and it's darker at some points and lighter at others. This is not on purpose people. And to top it all off I found 3 grey hairs last week!!!! I'm good with fine lines and wrinkles, but grey hair, oh hell no! Not at 31!
Well enough is enough! I have a hair cut and color appointment this Friday!

Okay, so what should I do? I don't want bangs again. It's not realistic that I will make it to the salon every 2 weeks for bang trims, and I really want to grow them out for another year or so.
Layers? Middle part? Side swept long bang? Darker? Highlights? Low lights? What the heck should I do?
Let's be clear. I will NEVER go shorter then a few inches off so don't tell me a bob! ;) Thanks for the help!

A day in the city with my boys

Top:Target
Pants: Target
Tank: Express
Necklace: Loft
Shoes: Payless

This weekend I headed downtown for the day with my boys. We had lunch on Dearborn and then walked over to the Chicago theater to see Yo Gabba Gabba live. The show was great! The musical guest was Citizen Cope and I think me and my husband enjoyed it just as much as our son! Okay, maybe our son liked it the most, his eyes were seriously bugging out of his head!

Since I knew we'd be walking around a bit and also sitting in a theater for a long period of time, I knew I needed to wear flats and cozy pants! This outfit did the trick! I was super excited to wear this top I picked up last week from Target. It was $4.00 in the juniors department! I think it's clearly a maternity top, but it is not supposed to be. Great find huh?! I really love the detail around this top!
I paired it with this cute tied chain necklace from Ann Taylor Loft. Simple yet effective!

This weeks "I want what she has!"

This weeks "I want what she has!" goes to Michelle Kuhlemeier. I love this ring! I know, I know, I'm a little obsessed with rings right now, but when you see a great ring you must share the info with your friends right?!

Ring: $52 Lia Sophia -Cosmos Ring

Loving these copper tones for fall and the price! I actually don't own any Lia Sophia jewelry, but after searching the website for this ring, I am liking what I see. I may need to make a few purchases! Great find Michelle!

Out with the old, time for new shoes!

Okay, I could probably blame this on a severe case of nesting, but lately I'm going through every room in my house and organizing things. This all began because I couldn't get the hall closet door to shut so I pulled out all the shoes and decided I could get rid of 3 pairs. I then decided to take this shoe energy up to my room and found 4 more pair I could live with out. That's 7 pairs ladies! And let me tell you, it feels good! Some were old, some were cheep, and one had a broken strap. I could find a reason to keep each pair, but in the end my golden rule is if I haven't worn it in over a year, odds are I'm not going to wear it again. And now I'm just taking up new shoe space!
I now kind of NEED to buy shoes right?! I mean, there are open spaces in my closets so I might as well fill them with great shoes! My hubby was so proud, he practically begged me to start shopping. Okay, maybe that's my interpretation of what happened, but hey, tomato tomato!
Jessica Simpson clogs coming soon and also a super cute pair of rain boots! Sometimes it pays off to downsize and keep things current! ;)

Holiday clothes for my kids

Sorry for the lack of post yesterday! I went shopping with my mother-in-law and was gone for about 4 hours. Yeah, we know how to shop! By the end of our little trip we had gotten my new double stroller, Christmas Eve dress and cardigan for the new little bean, and Christmas outfits for our holiday cards and Christmas day for both kids! Okay, so there were a few more things....one of which was a white fur coat for our daughter to wear next year?! Like I said, we know how to shop! ;) All of these clothes were purchased at Von Mour. What do you think?
Also, please note, I have already shopped for my son's Christmas Eve outfit! (he was not left out I promise!) This was a girly shopping trip!

New Beauty Test tube

In the October 4th issue of OK magazine I came across an advertisement for something called New Beauty test tube. I am always searching for new products, but I hate paying lots of money to only be disappointed. This caught my attention because they send you samples of the hottest new beauty products 4 times a year! This way you can try the product out before you buy the full size bottle! Brilliant!!
The cost is $29.95 (plus $8.95 S&H) for each test tube. In addition to the test tube filled with products, they send you an issue of New Beauty Magazine and (in your first test tube) you also get a $20 gift card to spalook.com!
I signed up on Sunday and can't wait for my first test tube to come in the mail! If you'd like you can check out their website here! You can get more information on the program and what brands they work with.
Obviously I will be keeping you updated on this! ;)