Dear D'Arcy

By D'Arcy Vandenberg

Knowing your body type…and Dressing for it!

Knowing your body type...Shirt dress & Bauble bar Jewelry

Knowing your body type...Shirt dress & Bauble bar Jewelry

Knowing your body type...Shirt dress & Bauble bar Jewelry

Knowing your body type...Shirt dress & Bauble bar Jewelry

Denim Shirt dress sold out, similar here , wedge here, jewelry Bauble bar sold out this would work  here & here,  clutch with Tassel BCBG sold out, similar here or here

 

 

Hello Beautiful’s! 

Today I am chatting about knowing your body and what works on it!  All of our bodies have a strengths and weakness. For instance My strength is my long legs and my weakness is I am square, no waist and I hold any extra weight in my middle area. I am a Ruler= Straight up & down! With this type of a build I am going to play up my legs and draw attention away from my middle. This is why Shirt dresses work great for me (above) It flatters my figure. While Shirt/shift dresses work on Almost every figure, Its shorter style and no waist line make’s it’s my go to in a dress choice.  I don’t wear Dresses that draw attention to the waist, have a  belt at the waist or the Popular wrap dresses because it isn’t flattering on me.  Now for a person that has a little waist It’s a perfect.  (some would say wearing a belted dress gives my square shape a shape!!! It does not…it just make me look square) This is one of the reasons to know what works on YOUR body! You need to feel comfortable and confident!

When you know what works on your body it makes shopping easier and you know what styles you can eliminate.  Now this doesn’t mean you have to purchase the same styles time after time! It just means you have a better sense of the styles you are looking for. Boy does this help in the try on rooms!! 🙂

I have found with my body type I look better in pencil skirts verses A line skirts because A line skirts draw attention to waist and have flowy fabric around the leg area, where a pencil skirt draws attention to my legs and is structured for a more tailored look that suits my shape. 

Knowing what works helps you to look and feel your best everyday! Why try to wear something just because it’s in Fashion if it doesn’t look good on your body, you won’t feel Fabulous!  Dressing for your body type will change how you look and purchase clothes!  Most of all, You will Always feel great!  For more about dressing for YOUR body TYPE, I found a great article for you over at Who Whore What .

If you have any questions or want some tips from me on what I think would look great on you.  Please leave a comment below and I will have you send me some photo’s of you via email, and I’ll be happy to send YOU your personal styling tips:)

Thank you for reading Dear D’Arcy, OX D’Arcy

 

Bar Cart Friday….Vaction Ready & A Sparkly Coconut Lime Cocoktail

Bar Cart vacation Ready coconut lime cocktail

Bar Cart vacation Ready coconut lime cocktail

Bar Cart vacation Ready coconut lime cocktail

Bar Cart vacation Ready coconut lime cocktail

Bar Cart vacation Ready coconut lime cocktail

Happy Friday Beautiful’s! A great time to share with you My Bar Cart = “Vacation Ready” and one of my Favorite Cocktail’s, Sparkly Coconut lime cocktail! A Super easy Cocktail recipe perfect for Summer entertaining!   

I love a fun Bar cart Styling, Just the perfect little space to “play” with pretty things! Here I did a Summer theme, Pineapples, sunhat and sunglasses make this festive for a warm sunny day! Perfect to enjoy a cocktail….. Here’s one of my creations you’ll enjoy on any Sunny day!

Sparkly Coconut lime 

You’ll need :

1 glass, Ice, Bai bubbles in coconut lime, coconut water or Pellegrino, Malibu Rum or Vodka, 1 lime:

Fill glass with Ice, 1 shot of Vodka or Rum, Equal parts 1/2 Bai ,1/2 Coconut water or Pellegrino twist of lime and stir garnish with lime

With this basic drink you can get creative and add Watermelon, or any Berry fruit and it taste delish! Enjoy Your Friday! OX, D’Arcy

Freshen up for Spring Bedroom redo

Master Bedroom Spring redo

Master Bedroom Spring redo Queen size bedding

Master Bedroom Spring redo Queen size bedding Anthropology

Master Bedroom Spring redo Queen size bedding

Master Bedroom Spring redo Queen size bedding

Master Bedroom Spring redo Queen size bedding

Master Bedroom Spring redo Queen size bedding anthropologie

decorator book stack, pink & black, girlboss

decorator book stack, pink & black, girlboss, do not disturb hat

Hello Beautiful’s!  Today I am sharing with you my Master bedroom Spring make over. One of my favorite thing’s is to change my bedding and little touches in my room for the seasons in an affordable way. By having  good furniture and a Color pallet that allows you to change accessories and make little changes for BIG impact!

You can see what it looked like before for Winter here . With some of these easy to do tricks you can switch your room up too.    

For Spring I like to lighten it up…In all way’s, bedding, curtains and color. My Tip for being able to change the whole look of a room with just switching out accessories is to use a wall paint you love and can work with ALL the seasons. Our walls are Revere pewter by Benjamin Moore its a great go to Gray! (Gray’s work well with every color!) If gray’s aren’t your thing, shades of Cream and greens are great for bedrooms as well as working with all the seasons.

I love our White bedding from Anthropologie I bought a couple years ago, A similar bedding here . White I know is brave ( specially with a black cat that likes to sleep at the foot of our bed.) Switching out your bedding seasonally helps to keep it in good condition and easier on the wear and tear. Tips for keeping white’s white Here from a post I did last week. I have 3 bedding sets in different seasonal weights and colors that ALL work together. Whites, gray’s and blacks, which All of these colors can be accented with any POP of color. ( You could have 2 sets 1 for Fall/Winter- Spring/Summer) Living where we have 4 seasons it’s important to have 1 heavy set & 1 lighter set.

I added a pop of pale pink with a couple of throw pillows a blanket and some candles. Bringing in pink books at the end of the bed also helps tie in the pop of pink without having to go buy another item.  I always and I mean always have fresh flowers on my nightstand. It’s my splurge that puts a smile on my face. Waking up to flowers being one of the first things you see in the morning is just a blessing. How could you have a bad day? I will keep various shades of pink for the Spring season. (note Little Miss jumped up onto the Nightstand/desk just as I snap photo’s!)    NOTE the small amount of pink… I could easily change out the pink items for a different color say Tiffany Blue items for a different look and not having to spend a ton of money. (2 pillows 1 blanket a  couple candles and go through my books)

Changed out the Winter wreath and deer head for a Frame and our monogram. I keep seasonal items that I can trade out for a fresh look.  I also move things around in our home to freshen things up and give spaces a new look. TIP: I suggest buying Items you love and things that can go in multiple spaces. This way you can move objects from room to room. (You’ll always find a space for something you love!) So give it a try…Move stuff around!

Taking the curtains down and just letting the plantation shutters shine.      Spring Sunshine is just the BEST! 

Sorry, I didn’t really make any changes to our sitting room or dresser areas so I didn’t add new photo’s of those spaces.

I hope I inspired you to do a little change up in your bedroom for Spring. OX, D’Arcy 

 

Spring is in Bloom

flower print dress

flower print dress

flower print dress

 

flower print dress

flower print dress

 

 

Spring tulips

Daffodils photo of flowers

spring flowers

Hello Beautiful’s,  I hope you had a wonderful Easter and are enjoying the Spring blooms popping up. I love this time of year when flowers are are springing up, the trees have beautiful blooms and the smell of fresh cut grass fills the air.  I wanted to share with you the floral dress I wore for Easter that was under $40.00! A cute shirt dress with pockets and a puffy sleeve. I got so many compliments at church and it’s perfect for Spring! I paired it with my favorite wedge’s  and a cute statement earring . 

Do you love floral’s as much as I do?  I would love to know if you love wearing floral’s in the Spring!

Here’s a peek at the Spring blooms popping up around our neck of the woods…

I hope you have a lovely week & great weather. OX, D’Arcy

Tuesday’s Tip: Mac Make up… FREEBIE

mac make up, Louis Vuitton, crown

mac make up, Louis Vuitton, crown

mac make up, Louis Vuitton

mac lipstick

Happy Tuesday Beautiful’s!

Today’s tip day and I am sharing with you a little secret NOT every MAC make up lover knows….. 

Did you know you can return 6 empty make up containers…. Any 6 containers, Empty to a MAC counter and they’ll Give you a FREE lipstick of your choice?    Awesome Right?  I love this about MAC, and it keeps me coming back to buy their products!

 Some of my Favorite items are there Mineralize Skinfinsh (medium) , Prep & Prime B&B (Broad Spectrum), Sheertone Blush (Blushbaby) I love their brushes too!

Lipsticks and lip gloss colors I own and wear on a regular basis =       LIPSTICKS =Mehr, Lustre, Twig, Blankety, Creamsheen                       SLIMSHINE = Assertive                                                                                 GLOSS = Cultured, Please Me, Boy bait, Power supply

Did you know this little TIP?  What’s your favorite Mac product I would love to try it?

Have a Beautiful Day! OX, D’Arcy

 

Sale! Shop Some of My Favorite Summer Things

poppy apparel

Hello Beautiful’s! I am so Happy to share Some of My favorite SUMMER Things with you from Poppy Apparel.. Now on Sale and use my code at check out for an extra 10% off…Code= deardarcy

poppy apparel lace Lingerie

I love comfy and soft short sets for Summer sleeping and these are one of My Favorite set’s! Comes in black or blush and a steel at $23.99…Remember use My Code=deardarcy for another 10% off

So Cute and easy to pack for travel! Hint: get both colors you’ll be glad you did!

blush lace Lingerie

poppy apparel bra

The Gallia Bra is so cute to wear under Off the shoulder tee’s or sexy Summer shirts! Comfy and pretty this cutie is a must in ALL colors for $9.99

 

 

simple floral bikini

Simple Palm leaf 2 piece bikini $25.99 simple yet say’s “Summer”

Fleur field one piece swim suit

The Back of this Fleur Field one piece is just simply to die for! See one pieces can be sexy! SALE $26.99 use code =deardarcy for additional 10% off

pink rose gold watch

Nothing Say’s Summer like the color of Pale pink…Well at least to me:)…. This watch is a Blush and rose gold and is a steal at $15 (I say buy one as a gift too) 

pom pom sandal

Cutest Pom pom Sandals perfect with almost everything and great for Travel! On SALE for $58.99 don’t forget to USE my CODE = deardarcy for another 10% of at check out!

 

Well, I hope you have fun Shopping some of  MY FAVORITE Summer things ON SALE and don’t forget to use MY CODE for an Extra 10% off…Code=deardarcy

Happy Thursday! OX, D’Arcy

Tuesday’s Tip: Keeping White’s White!

keeping White's White

Mrs. Stewart's Liquid bluing, keeping Whites white

Mrs. Stewart's Liquid bluing, keeping Whites white

Mrs. Stewart's Liquid bluing, keeping Whites white

Mrs. Stewart's Liquid bluing, keeping Whites white

Keeping White’s white! It’s that time of year again we’re digging out our white clothes and it never fail’s they get yellow/Gray and dingy after a couple wears! Here’s how I keep my Whites White! Mrs. Stewart’s Liquid Bluing! Bluing restores the sparkling Whiteness.

One of the BEST secret’s my mom told me about years ago! Super easy to use, Just mix a few drops into your water until it’s light blue, then add your white load and add again to your final rinse. (directions are on the bottle) I have a top loading Washing Machine ( I am not a fan of front loaders so I am not sure how you add to water before clothes.)  My bottle is so old, because it last forever! I would think NEW bottles have directions for front loading machines. The Bottle does have directions for hand wash, white haired dogs and swimming pools!

Above I showed you a photo of my White jeans that are 6 years old, a New Tee shirt and A white towel that is 8 years old! You can’t tell the difference! ( I did not edit photo or use any filters so you could get the true effect)

I love white, It’s Fresh, Pure and So summery! Being a mom of BOY’S it’s not easy to stay clean!  A bleach Stick, baking soda and Liquid Bluing have been my tricks for years!  

Bleach Stick helps with a quick stain, run under cold water, add stick to stain let set for seconds (as soon as stain disappear’s rinse under cold water to remove bleach.) Then wash. I wash my Whites in baking soda about 1 cup for a full load! when my whites start to yellow I then use good old Mrs. Stewart’s!

Even ALL of our bath towels are white! Shown above they stay in perfect condition using these simple to use products….See Whites don’t have to be scary!

Hope My Tuesday’s tip helps you keep your White’s Clean! OX, D’Arcy

Tuesday’s Tip…Items every closet should have!!

Keeping your clothes Fresh, spot & Wrinkle FREE FAST …Items every closet should have!!

keeping your clothes spotless, static & Wrinkle free

 

clothing steamer

clothing wrinkle release

static gaurd

lint roller

olay face wipes to remove stains,

Hello Ladies, for this Tuesday’s Tip…I wanted to share with you some must have closet HELPERS…To keeping your clothes Spot, static, lint and wrinkle FREE!   These little helpers don’t cost a lot and are super helpful for a FAST fix! I don’t know about you but I am Always needing Fast fixes…These Items help me to keep my clothes Wrinkle, spot and Static FREE!

Downy’s Wrinkle release is My Go to for Quick wrinkled item’s!  So easy you just spray on, hang item before you hop in shower and when you get out it’s wrinkle free….This DOES NOT work on deep folded in wrinkles! It great on items that got wrinkled hanging in closet, got left in dryer to long or items you wore but didn’t launder! Here to purchase

Mini Steamer…Now this is a great handy little item (I hate to IRON) so this little guy can handle the Deep folded in wrinkles the Spray above cannot. Also perfect for those hard to iron/delicate fabrics! Here to purchase

Lint brush…is a must to keep fabric clean that like to collect lint or hair …I even use on my fabric/velvet hangers! (great for getting animal hair off throw pillows too) Here to purchase

Static Guard...A must for living in a DRY climate! Spray on clothes and presto NO cling…I have even used on my brush before for my hair!! Here to purchase

Face wipes or Baby wipes… these are Magic for removing a little stain quickly! I keep in my closet, bag, car etc….Here to purchase

A couple items not pictured,

1. I really suggest every fashionista has in her closet. 1 is a  great little mending kit! ( You can pick up at dollar store or at a craft store!) Needles, mixed threads, mini scissors,and some buttons! This really helps to do small repairs to your clothes. (PLEASE learn how to sew a button on or fix a small snag!) Here to purchase

2. Cloth shaver for Fuzz pill ball lint remover! Removes all those nasty balls from your sweaters and fabric that balls up! most are battery operated and easy to use. Here to purchase

3. Tide stick, just in case you stain is do deep for a wipe! Here to purchase

I hope you found my Tuesday’s tips to be helpful! I would love for you to leave a comment or question below!  Have a great day! OX, D’Arcy

Monday’s Muse

Street Style…

Outfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top

Outfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top

Outfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top

Outfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top

Outfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham topOutfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top

Outfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top

Outfit kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top

Outfit =Kut from the kloth leather jacket & jeans, gingham top, Marc Fisher similar here wedge sandal, Necklace found on our Idaho trip similar here , Gingham top similar here and Sun glasses Chic StyleBox, Nail polish here

Marc Fisher wedge

Street Style… Whether you need Monday’s Muse or Friday’s Date night… I have a effortless, Comfortable and Chic outfit you can grab inspiration from! White jeans, edgy leather jacket and Country gingham paired with this seasons hottest wedge sandal and cool pendant necklace.

Have a question on a outfit inspiration? Just leave a comment and I’ll be happy to help!    Happy Monday Beautiful’s! OX, D’Arcy

Sun Valley Idaho, Family Ski Trip!

Family getaway!

Idaho

Sun Valley Idaho

ski outfit #ootd

Just a peak into what’s in My Suitcase for a ski Trip! Black North face jacket here, Ralph Lauren ski pants sold out, Miss ski patrol thermal shirt old, Victoria secrets sports bra here, black leggings here and fun ski sock!

Dollar mnt. Sun Valley Idaho

Dollar mnt. Sun Valley Idaho

Dollar mnt. Sun Valley Idaho

Ski kid Dollar mnt. sun Valley

Dollar Mnt. Is my youngest son’s Favorite ski Park in Sun Valley ,While the Big boy’s like to go Ski at Sun Valley, so we go to both. Here we’re skiing Dollar but the Big boy’s skied the main part of the day at Sun Valley then Joined us!

Dollar mnt. Sun Valley Idaho

sun valley dollar mnt.

Dollar mnt. Sun Valley Idaho

The details in the lodges at both resorts are simple stunning….Here’s a sample of just the smallest detail, a sun in the handles in the bathroom!!!

Dollar mnt. Sun Valley Idaho

ski bunny Idaho

Just chilling watching my boys in the park! That’s one of the things that’s nice about this resort is you can sit on the patio and see the kids! This was the Day we arrived the boys just wanted to hit the slopes!  I knew I had plenty of day’s to do that!

Stuffed Croissants, Sun Valley Idaho

coffee 7 Sunday morning

Sunday Morning coffee , Fire and Stuffed croissants! A peaceful morning while the boys all slept! 

Vacation Birthday

Saturday was our son’s 14th Birthday! Our Family tradition is to Wake up to treats and presents…and of course I had to bring a touch of  birthday celebration with us! We Come to Sun Valley around this time every year and it’s one of his favorite trips!

Dollar mnt. Sun Valley Idaho

Dollar mnt. Sun Valley Idaho

Taking some Runs with the Birthday boy!

Sun Valley ski resort

Sun Valley ski resort

The lodge at Sun Valley Idaho….Sinclair Oil does everything with Class! They own  both of the resorts in Sun Valley and Snow Basin in Utah. From Beautiful chandelier’s to cozy sitting area’s to Fabulous food. You could just sit and enjoy the comfort while people watching!

Sun Valley ski resort

Sun Valley ski resort

Stunning views from the gondola! Sneaking a run with my cute hubby!

Sun Valley ski resort

Beautiful pit stop at the historic Round House for a drink and a little break! These are some very long runs we’re pooped! My girlfriend and her daughter joined us on this trip and it was so fun having some girl’s around! (please don’t mind my helmet hair!)

round house restaurant at Sun Valley

This is a peek at the inside of this cool historic Round House sitting in the middle of the slopes at Sun Valley. Inside and outside 5 star dinning. (also Open at night for dinner while viewing the stars!)

The Cellar Pub

The Cellar Pub

Sun Valley has a ton of Fabulous restaurants and bars! We loved the Cellar so much we ate there twice! Smoky Mountain Pizzeria grill was our son’s Birthday dinner pick! (we go here every year!) Some other Favorite’s are The Pioneer Saloon( No kids allowed), The Sawtooth Club, The Bigwood Bread cafe (this is one of my favorite Breakfast or mid afternoon coffee and sweet treat places)  Below I featured Kneadery which is a great county type Breakfast! One of my hubby’s favorite stops is Konitorei  in the Village at Sun Valley resort serving European coffee & desserts!

Farmers Daughter

The town is so cute and has a ton of Fun Gift & Clothing shop’s we enjoy browsing and shopping in! Sharon and I spent way to much money! LOL!

Even the Starbucks is eye candy! Every wall is covered in logs and vintage photo’s!

Kneadery,Sun Valley Idaho

Kneadery,Sun Valley Idaho

Kneadery, Sun Valley, Idaho

The Kneadery is Open for Breakfast and lunch only! A perfect stop on the way out of town!  Everyone enjoyed their breakfast and was full for the 4 hour drive home!

Ok… so I know your asking WHY did you go on a ski vacation…. When you live in a ski town? ….. Well we really don’t live in a REAL ski town! We have 3 cool Ski resorts and a lake, tons of hiking and its strikingly beautiful … But we don’t have a village, a tons of restaurants or a night life and most of ALL the break my hubby needs from RACE course Setting & TEAM coaching…His office is the slopes 6 months out of the year! The different terrain is refreshing and it’s one of our favorite ski towns! (Not to mention our Ski passes work in Sun Valley! How cool is that!!)

I hope you enjoyed a little peek into our family’s getaway and maybe you might want to check out Sun Valley the next time you want to go on a Ski vacation!

Now off to plan a BEACH vacation…it’s been one long Winter! OX, D’Arcy