Dear D'Arcy

By D'Arcy Vandenberg

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

Junior League Gala….(Decorator Chair)

My outfit and accessories 

A couple of pictures of mt hubby and I…

Junior league Member’s that could attend…We have 80 member’s

The center pieces for 30 Tables

 

The entry into the venue ….Is in the details, You should have seen the face of the venue manager as I was pouring sand! (I promise we cleaned it All up!) The glow of the lanterns walking up and the detail of sand just set the tone.

 

A little facebook message from our President, after the Gala! I was excited she loved how it turned out!

Another Junior League Gala in the Books…If you just starting reading or following me, I have been in the Junior League of Ogden for 3 years and the last 2 I have been Decorating Chair for the Gala. The Gala is our biggest fundraiser of the year needless to say it a big event! If you haven’t heard of the Junior League, in a quick response… it’s a wonderful organization across the country that helps empower woman through charitable work in your community. I love being part of such a wonderful organization that really GIVE’s back while building friendships. This year’s theme was LOBSTER UP… (there is a whole story behind it) The President each year picks a theme, which is normally something they feel strong about and sets the tone for the year!  This theme set the tone HUGE for this years Gala (a Night in white at the Cape)  A Fancy way to have a Nautical Themed GALA!   

A big challenge in many way’s…     You don’t want it to be decorated to casual (it’s a Gala)  The budget is close to 0 and it’s a party for 300.  Beach party wasn’t the goal it’s not a Luau or birthday party. So my goal was to feel like a dinner party at a  house on the cape, on a summer night. Knowing we asked guest to wear white ( we knew we would get casual white to fancy white attire) I didn’t want it to feel like a casual Beach party.  SO sticking with white linens Layered with Natural colored Burlap and fish net. Then accents of gold, natural’s and blue & green sea glass. Helped give it the feel of the Sea without the Bright primary’s of Beach balls.  Another challenge was we don’t live near the beach so finding objects to barrow was basically another 0… SO I did a lot of DIY projects! The center pieces were bottles & jars I have been collected for years (knowing I would need one day!)  93 bottles total, 30 of which were wine bottles a fellow member had saved.  I will share my DIY project with you at another time…  I think they turned out Darling for 30 centerpieces on a major budget!     

I have told you guy’s I love to collect item’s ( I am not a hoarder..HAHA)  I love to entertain so I have a pretty big collection of items for party’s…. I really didn’t own much for this type of party…But I did have Longaberger Basket’s, Vintage Ice chest, Vintage Ironing board, Adirondack chair’s , Vintage coke crate and bottle’s, succulents, white flower pots, A big Boat book shelf and some outdoor lanterns, fire pit, 2 wooden pallets, Burlap and Burlap table clothes. 30 table frames (TIP: look to see what you could use to help with the theme even if it doesn’t scream the theme!)   This really helped fill in a lot of area’s at the venue. Then I only had to purchase some key Item’s to really help tie it ALL together.  SEE it does help to collect!

Items I did purchase: At Homegood, TjMax, Michael’s, Amazon, Lowe’s….

Fishnet, shells, sea glass, pebbles, white flowers, anchor, nautical flags, nautical flag banners (4), rope… lots of rope, 2 posters & frames, rope knots, fishing bobs, Lobster pillow and beach towel, 30 big battery Candles and 50 votive candles, Ribbon, Strands of lights, Taffy for Party favors!  

Donated or loaned: White linens from Model linens & Large tropical plants J&J nursery …..

Above I showed groupings that I placed through out the Venue to have a pop of THE CAPE everywhere you looked. Have any questions or need tips on planning a party with what you have on hand? Leave a comment I will be happy to help

My love of entertaining and decorating is how I can give my time and give back. This is how I use my talents to help others. Being able to Do something I love helps this charity raise money to give back to the community. We ALL have a talent or a gift that we can use to GIVE BACK…I Hope I inspired you to use your talent’s & time in a way that can help others.  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

Easter Basket’s for the Men in your life!

This Tuesday’s Tip is how to Create Fun Easter Basket’s for The MEN in your Life! Creative and Fun items your Men will love! Your Hubby, College age Boy and Teen age Boy will love all these yummy and useful treats! ( Not to mention I have a Giveaway In this post) I’ve created an easy shopping board Here

Easter basket for men

Easter baskets for men

Easter basket for teenage boys

easter baskets for teenage boys

easter basket for college boy

old navy tee shirt and underware

old navy tee and boxers

starbucks gift certifacts easter basket filler

jord watch the frankie

Want to Win A Jord Gift certificate?

ENTER HERE: https://www.jordwatches.com/g/deardarcy Just for entering you get a $25.00 gift code! The winner will receive a $100 e-gift code to our site! All other entrants will receive a $25 consolation e-gift code at the close of the contest.

A FREE WATCH IS NOT PART OF THE CONTEST! Contest ends at 11:59 CST 4/16/17 and both gift codes expire 06/18/17

easter basket stuffers jord watch

easter basket stuffers jord watch

boys easter basket jord watche

Do you have A hard time trying to figure out what to put in your Hubby’s and Boy’s Easter basket’s as they get older? When they were little (the kids) it’s easier to find fun treats to fill up the baskets that’s NOT ALL candy!  As they have gotten older it get’s harder…and I found way’s that have made it easier.

I like to go with a theme..In years past I have done Spring break items, bathing suit,towel,sun screen, and a couple of treats they love. I have done sports theme, gaming theme etc. I found a theme helps keep me organized and not to go totally over board! (those baskets are only so big!)  This year I decided to go with a small color theme and their FAVORITE snacks!  My Boy’s really don’t love candy but they love chocolate and they really like snack foods…Heres for easy shopping…all your needs in one place. HERE

Here’s how I started….I went to Old Navy and picked each Boy out a tee shirt and matching boxers, then I went to Target, world market & TJ Maxx to looked for some gum and little treats that matched their tee’s. ( I didn’t go crazy on the Matching color theme, Although it would be really cute to do All 1 color!) I really wanted to concentrate on getting some of their favorite snacks. As each one likes different snack foods I thought this would be fun and practical! My boy’s will appreciate all their favorite snacks and a couple of new one’s to try! 

The Hubby…Do you do a basket for your hubby? It’s been a tradition of mine since we dated! My hubby doesn’t buy much for himself and He loves treats plus he snacks all day long so it was always really easy to buy him his favorite treats and put in a basket! This was my inspiration for my boy’s Basket’s this year! FAVORITE snacks…    This year My hubby is getting a extra Treat’s a JORD’S watch  Shop All Men’s watch’s =https://www.jordwatches.com/shop/men/#deardarcy    To shop my Hubby’s watch= https://www.jordwatches.com/series/frankie/dark-sandalwood-and-emerald/#deardarcy    

Some of the Fun snack’s my Boys and Hubby enjoy:

Starbucks drinks and Gift card, Kind bars, trail mix, sea salt dark chocolate bars, Reese’s peanut butter bar, Billy goat BBq chips, edamame, dried Mango’s, Organic peanut butter cups, whoppers, goldfish, Joe’s coffee, Amsterdam cookies, gum!

Non Food Items, Bath balms, Vaseline, tee shirt, boxers, Shower gel, deodorant,Starbucks card!   (you could do any Gift card mine would love In & out) 

For those of you without a lot of time a created a very easy shopping board on Amazon, everything you need to create a fab basket for the men in your life. HERE 

 Hope I helped you figure out some fun Easter Basket Ideas for the Men in your life!  OX D’Arcy

 

 

 

Watches Made From Woo

Spring Trend’s ( series 5) Pendant necklaces & Oversized Bag’s

Happy Saturday Pretty ladies!

I am Happy to share with you the last of my Spring Trend series!  (15 Top Spring Trend’s)  So today I bring you Pendant necklace’s and Oversize Bag’s….

I Love these two trends!

Pendant Necklaces are great because they elongate your neck and can be worn at any age. I love all the looks you can find in this style of necklace. From simple and plain to layers with tassel’s, crystal,s rocks and charms! You have a ton of options and it really dresses up a plain tee or tank. I have shown just a few of my favorite’s and in different price points for your budget. (Also worn through the pictures in my prior series.)

The Oversize Bag perfect for travel and even work! I love a large bag to tote ALL my work gear in… Ipad, organizer, wallet, make-up bag, notepad, lunch and….having a bag I can keep a little clutch in (to use when running in a shop or errand is handy) I feel like an oversize bag keeps my car organized as well! It’s my catch ALL!   This is another reason it’s great for Travel you can use for all of the above plus add magazines a small blanket scarf etc.  Oversize bag’s can get heavy so if using for a fashion statement or outfit accessory keep your content to a minimum! Here I showed some of my favorite’s for work, Travel and even the beach again in all price points for every budget. 

I hope you had a chance to read All of my Series on This Springs top 15 trends! If not Here is 1st  Here 2nd  Here 3rd  here is 4th 

Have a Beautiful weekend! OX D’Arcy

 

Spring Transition pieces

This Thursday I thought I would share some of my Favorite pieces that Transition into Spring well! I love the pretty color’s, and the romantic look this pallet has. Spring is tricky in Utah…You bounce from Winter to Summer in the Same week, so it’s nice to have pieces that look lighter then Winter colors but can be layered up or worn alone. Most of these items can easily be used in the Summer as well.

Today it snowed! Last week was beautiful and in the high 60’s which get’s ALL of our hopes up for Summer!  With pretty layer’s like these you can dress in Summer colors but be warm for a day’s like today! 

I hope you enjoyed my quick little post! Check back tomorrow for My Spring Ski Trip backing, OX D’Arcy

 

$58 ABERCROMBIE.COM ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CARDIGANS

$58 ABERCROMBIE.COM ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CARDIGANS

$34 YESSTYLE.COM CARDIGANS

$59 CHICWISH.COM CHICWISH SWEATERS

$60 NORDSTROM.COM TOPSHOP BLOUSES

$125 NORDSTROM.COM CUPCAKES AND CASHMERE JACKETS»

$25 HOLLISTERCO.COM HOLLISTER CO. JEANS

$248 DONALDJPLINER.COM DONALD J PLINER ANKLE BOOTIES

$118 HEELS.COM STEVE MADDEN ANKLE BOOTIES 

 $85 ZAPPOS.COMATHENA ALEXANDER SANDALS 

$25 ZULILY.COMBAMBOO SHOES

$39 ACCESSORIZE.COMACCESSORIZE CLUTCHES

$300 LANECRAWFORD.COMMIGNONNE GAVIGAN EARRINGS 

$70 DOMINO.COM BING BANG RINGS

 $12 AVENUE.COMAVENUE SUNGLASSES

$16 THEHUT.COM OPI NAIL POLISH

MARIECLAIRE.CO.UK INSTYLE.COM

 CABIONLINE.COM

Way to Wear…Flared Trouser jean

Happy Wednesday! 

I love sharing a way to wear something, with Skinny jeans being ALL the rage for the last couple of years it’s fun to add a different style of jeans into the mix. The trouser jean is a great jean for a dresser look. Perfect to wear with heel’s and a fun top. I love how they elongate the leg and the slight flare looks chic. This is a denim you could definitely pull of in a office setting or business meeting! 

Tip: This type of pant needs to be worn with a top that tucks in, otherwise its just to much fabric and doesn’t give the long sleek look you want with these pants.

 

Sts trouser sold out, similar here and here   Top Chic Style, leopard heels Sold out, Similar here, bracelet Michael Kors, suede clutch sold out, similar here 

Will you try the trouser flared jean? OX D’Arcy