Mom’s day is right around the corner and we need to be thinking about what we’re going to do for our Mom’s in honor of Mothers Day, which in May 13^th… because we all know Mom’s are the best people on the planet!

This past weekend we were at the local department store, seeing what was new and getting an idea of what we’re going to see locally as it relates to fashion trends. While poking around the handbag department this wonderful man was buying a Mother’s Day present for his Mom… insert the collective “awwwwwwwwwwwww….”  He was buying her this lovely handbag made by a company that rhymes with broach that is really, really expensive!

We loved this idea, minus the expensive price tag. We wanted to get something especially nice for Mom without spending lots of cash on the present. Off to Goodwill with an idea in mind. We found these bags at the Saginaw store. One was $5.99 and the other was $3.99. Both bags are great for summer. My mom loves flowers, but hates the fact they wilt so quickly… so we found this really pretty framed flower print that will look wonderful in her kitchen. She will love it and think of me every morning while she’s enjoying her coffee. This was only $2.50 (half price). Then we found this cute little frame for $.99. I’ve put a picture of me in the frame. How great is that!  My smiling face looking at her all the time....  Lol!

We saved a ton by shopping at Goodwill for Mother’s Day. This gives us plenty of extra for a nice dinner with Mom and still staying within a reasonable budget. Just for fun we tucked a couple of Goodwill gift certificates into the handbag as a surprise. She’s going to love it!

Did you know: 55% of another person's perception of you is based on how you look? Makes the world seem rather shallow, huh? Even if we don’t’ like it – it does make a difference how you dress for a job interview. Let’s make sure you are putting your best foot forward when interviewing for a job.

Blue is one the best choices to wear to an interview. Blue causes its wearer to seem authoritative. At the same time, wearing the color blue makes a person seem trustworthy. The color black is an authoritative color, however, black should not be worn to interviews as a main color. The reason is that too much black can cause a person to appear distant and arrogant.  Other colors that work well for interviews are gray and brown.  Generally if you stick to a conservative cut, solid in color and matching pieces you'll be fine. 

You don’t need to go broke buying interview clothes. But you should invest in one quality suit that will look appropriate during your first few years on the job.

Women's Interview Attire:  Solid color, conservative suit .  Coordinated blouse.  Moderate shoes - leave the sky-high heels at home.  Limited jewelry.  Hosiery if you're wearking a skit - bare legs are not appropriate.

  Now that you have aced the interview use the pieces from the suit to create fabulous looks that allow your personality to shine through, yet are business appropriate. We’ve added a pink blazer, a couple of tops and two print skirts that coordinate with each other. You now have enough pieces to get you through your entire work week. The suit we found at Fenton for $4! Can you believe that? It was ½ price. The blazer $4.99, beige top and pink tops $1.74 each, dark print skirt $1.74 and light print skirt $3.49 are all from Flint Township. We have a week’s worth of work clothes for less than $20… and in some amazing colors.  Speaking of Flint Township, this location is now home to GoodTemps Alternative Staffing!

Love it or hate it, pink is one of the most universally flattering colors for women. 2012 is expected to have a resurgence of pink. Even the hoity-toity designer handbag company Louis Vuitton is showing a passion for pink. Ralph Lauren, Jason Wu, Marc Jacobs and a host of other designers have focused on P-I-N-K! Let’s all get girlie in pink this spring!

Some fun interesting “facts” about pink:

Pink of often associated with romance… think pink flowers.

Bright pinks can increase blood pressure and pulse rate.

Pink signifies happiness and joy in Catholicism.

Hot pink was first introduced to western fashion in 1947 by Elsa Schiaparelli.

First Lady, Mamie Eisenhower LOVED pink… yet another reason to love her!

Pink encourages friendliness and discourages aggression.

Hint to those on a diet – Pink makes us crave sugar!

Have some fun with pink this spring, be it for a spring wedding you are attending, a night out or a walk in the park. This color is guaranteed to improve your mood. We found these cute little dresses for $5.99 each. One was found at the Clio store and the other came from Holly.

What's for dinner?  A fab feast using serving items found at Goodwill.

The meal for our garden party was fantastic. We had cucumbers slices with ranch cream cheese for an appetizer. Gazpacho soup as a second course. Main course was a grown-up grilled cheese that was made with roasted eggplant, tomatoes and fontina cheese served with balsamic grilled asparagus. Dessert was double chocolate cake with fresh strawberries. OMG! Do you know how hard it is to photograph food this amazing without taking a bite out of everything!?!?!

Okay – so what we’ve done and what it cost us…. We have tons of stuff in these photos and did stay within our budget of $50. Things worth mentioning…

We made two pedestals using vases and plates. One held the cake and the other was home for the grilled cheese. The soup was served in a vase – which made serving very easy. Pour and enjoy. The asparagus was also served in a vase; which worked out beautifully. Two of our favorite elements are the cute little tea pot that is holding the tulips and the wonderful little fence that is perched on the top shelf of the baker’s rack. The baker’s rack wasn’t part of this project but it was a Goodwill purchase from 6 years ago. We love the burst of colors on the table. The blue table runner is simply a piece of fabric we found for $.99 and the chairs are dressed up using tea towels and yellow flowers.

The chandelier was a fun little creation. It was made from a condiment server turned upside down, votives, jars, glasses, necklaces and simple wire that was strung with beads from the necklaces and twisted into fun little curly-ques. The photo doesn’t do this piece justice…. It looks beautiful at dusk with the candles lit. In addition to the chandelier - we used a wine glass and a tiny vase for other candle holders too; to compliment the standard votive holders.  One other element worth mentioning is the blue mesh bag hanging off the rack. The tulips are real flowers – we tucked a drinking glass inside filled with water to make sure our flowers stayed fresh.

Grand total for our garden party supplies - $49.09. This does not include the food, the fresh tulips, the flatware or the furniture but does include everything else you see in these pictures. A fun time was definitely had by all. Huge thanks goes to the folks at the Flint Farmer’s Market. Our meal was created with vegetables, cheese and bread from the market.

All items found at the follow stores: Burton, Imlay City, Fenton, Flint Township and Lapeer.