Beautiful Cottagecore Dress From LaceMade

If you're looking for gorgeous dresses, check out LaceMade. They have beautiful dresses in the cottagecore style. Or when I look at them, I think of the word "whimsical." There's also corsets! I ordered a dress for Natalie during a sale, and here's what we received.

First off, the dress comes in a cute package:

This dress was called the Princess Belle Dress II. 

We had that parasol already because you never know when you'll need one.

The dress is not itchy and isn't heavy, so you can still wear it when it's warm out. This dress gave us Little Women vibes which is one reason why Natalie was drawn to it. She's obsessed with Florence Pugh. I'm more partial to the Winona Ryder version only because I grew up with it. 

You can find all sorts of parasols on Amazon. Also, it can take up to 2 weeks to receive your dress but it's worth it when it arrives!

Natalie does have another dress from LaceMade that she wore to New York. She got it in the clearance section so I don't think this one is sold on the site anymore:

It was chilly so she paired it with a white coat. 

There are so many styles to choose from. And not just dresses. Corsets. Skirts. Accessories. They do have sales, so sign up for their newsletter. We have never paid full price for a dress. 

You can learn more about LaceMade at the following

their website

Instagram

Facebook

How To SAVE With Temu

I've written about Temu before--it's a spot where you can get a bunch of inexpensive things. Sometimes even cheaper than Amazon, so always check! Plus, it's always free shipping so if you just want one item for under a buck, fine, it ships free! I tried to link up everything I purchased. Some I couldn't find because there are items that will get sold out quickly. 

Check out what I got this time and as I recall, everything was under $10:

This was a gorgeous piece for the porch:

This puts bling in your hair. It works well. We tried it out because we were worried for something only $6 that it might not work correctly but nope, it does what it should! You can get it here.

Need an inexpensive crown? You can find tons for under $5. Get it here!

These are mood changing lipsticks. They go from a red to a pink. I also got the doily for .78 cents. The lipsticks are under $2 and here. 

This mirror was a little over $4 and came in a variety of colors and shapes. Get it here!

In need of a purse? Temu has a huge selection for under $10. I had typed in vintage purses and a bunch popped up:

Into Nintendo? Temu has you covered. The Star was only $3 and the sunglasses were $4. There are other characters and you can get them here:

Temu is all about accessories:

There's cheap socks which you can get here: 

Compact mirrors:

And phone holders:

If you haven't downloaded add, click here and do so. You'll get a $100 coupon bundle. If you already have the app but haven't purchased anything and want to save, put inc01675 in the search bar. 

Again, everything is free shipping, so if you just want one thing, you'll get it shipped to you for FREE. 

Have you purchased anything from Temu yet? 

Finish your Cottagecore/FairyTale Look With Madison Braids

Natalie is always big on her accessories. She's always looking for something that will complete her outfit. 

Madison Braids has a bunch of braids that will give an outfit the perfect finishing touch. I know the fairy/cottagecore look is in right now, and these would go amazingly with that style. 

I don't know about any of you, but I am terrible with braids. I can never get them to come out right. Madison Braids to the rescue!

As you see, the braids blend in with your hair. You'll find many different shades of hair on the site. Simply find the shade that will work best for you.

How do you put them on? Like a headband, basically. Simply slide it onto your head and position as you like. There's an elastic underneath that holds it in place. 

Will people believe it's your real hair? Well, Natalie has gotten compliments on her braids when she's worn them out. People ask how she did it and are surprised when she takes off the Madison Braids and shows them. 

As you see, we have many different styles!

The braids would be perfect with a Star Wars costume!

If braids aren't your thing, they have ponytails as well! You can save 15% on your order by clicking here or type in AMBERMYERS if it's not automatic. 

Let me know if you get a braid and how it worked for you! (Shop here!)

Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with Hey, It's Okay. It's rude and I'll delete the link.

HEY, IT'S OKAY....

.....to be glad that family members were able to come out for Tom's retirement. I know it meant a lot to him! 

......to be excited to see the new The Little Mermaid this weekend with Natalie. 

.....to be sad that the last episode ever of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel airs this week. Natalie and I have been enjoying the show. People keep saying, "I hope Midge ends up with Lenny Bruce!" Um. Google Lenny Bruce. He was a real comic. 

......to not be doing much for Memorial Day. Mind you, Natalie will probably want to shop. 

.....to have been thrilled to find this mini Bullseye at Target. In the Dollar Spot (or Bulleye's Playground as I guess it's technically called now), they have mini garden items like houses, people, butterflies, etc...and one of them is this! Also, I'm highly amused that people are offended by the Pride section at Target. FFS, it's not targeting your children. But by all means, stop shopping there. Less people so I can shop in peace. (Go to TikTok and you'll see a bunch of outraged white women. I always think they're joking but nope, they are being dead ass.)

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

And Then He Retired From The Air Force

My husband Tom joined the Air Force in 2001. It was always his plan to join the military after High School. I didn't mind. My Mom was in the Air Force so I was used to the life of moving every few years. We got married when we were 19. We had a baby on the way. Tom had the rank of E-3 or Airman First Class thanks to being in ROTC throughout High School. 

We were stationed at the following: Offutt AFB, NE, RAF Lakenheath in England, FE Warren, Wyoming, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma..

There were many deployments in between all of that. He was gone a huge chunk of the time defending his country. 

His final base was Lackland AFB (or really, now it's called Joint Base San Antonio) as a Military Training Instructor. If your loved one joins the Air Force, he's the one yelling at them in basic training. That's him in the front in the hat leading his group.

 

It has been a ride. There were last minute deployments. Last minute moments when he couldn't join the family because the military always comes first. He was in Turkey for a year, came home, and was told a few months later that he'd be deploying. The Air Force will say they are the most family oriented but make no mistake, they will take their soldier whenever they please. 

I knew it was time for Tom to retire. He was getting burnt out. He's in Security Forces, or military police, and it's not an easy squadron to be apart of. Leadership isn't always the best, communication is crappy, and the hours can be rough. Being away from the family all the time and seeing your children get older and older took a toll. 

It was time for him to say goodbye. 

And so, the day of his retirement came. I got him a card with his DD214 on it--that's the retirement papers of the military. 

His retirement ceremony was held in a room at the Security Forces museum. It was fitting. 

He had a photo of his father nearby. He passed away many years ago but he wanted him to be part of the ceremony.

Tom got many awards. And then I got several awards for being supportive. It's just part of being a military wife, but I appreciated it. However, I am not one of those people who think the spouse serves as well. We don't. We're just there to support and pick up the pieces when a last minute deployment pops off. And trust me, it will happen. 

The kids also got an award for going along with the ride. It's not always easy to have to pick up and move and make new friends all over again. 

We were happy that my Mom got to be there, as well as Tom's Mom. Plus Tom's uncle from Houston, who preferred not to be photographed. 

What's next for Tom? He's not sure yet. He's taking some time off and then will start submitting his resume. When I shared photos on Instagram, people had asked if they could send something to him as a thank you for his service. He doesn't have CashApp or anything, but you can send something here and I'll give it to him. He appreciates all the kind words. 

We will be staying in Texas since we're close to my parents. (Oh, my dress is from Amazon here. It's incredibly comfy! Natalie's is from Goodwill!)

So here's to the next chapter. Whatever is supposed to happen will happen. And like we were there for him in the military, we'll be there for him now during this time of transition. 

Thank you to all who have served. It is appreciated because I know it is not an easy life. But it's one I know my husband will never regret. 

Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. You can link up any day of the week. All you have to do is make a list of what you're okay about. Simple! Please do not link up a post that has nothing to do with Hey, It's Okay. It's rude and I'll delete the link.

HEY, IT'S OKAY....

.....to have enjoyed my Mother's Day. I got a cute card and video from the kids, and then we went to see my mom. We headed to Mod Pizza to avoid the craziness of restaurants. 

.....to can't believe my son is finished with community college. It went by fast. I hope he likes his next college and does okay in the dorms. 

....to be excited that we're headed to Walt Disney World next month. My son's graduation gift from my parents was to be able to stay at the Yacht Club resort. His favorite park is Epcot so he likes that he can walk over to it whenever he wants. 

....to be proud of my husband for retiring from the Air Force after nearly 22 years. We have a celebration on Friday. 

....to love these braids from Madison Braids. If you want an easy way to change your hairstyle, this is the way to go. Natalie is wearing the Lulu Two Strand in Ashy Light Brown. You can save 15% with teh code AMBERMYERS or just click here and the discount should apply! Let me know what you get.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

And Then He Graduated Community College

When Tommy was younger and having constant meltdowns, I worried about him. How would it be when he got older? Would he be okay?

He's okay.

Having autism can be difficult at times. But it hasn't held him back. Sometimes he does things different. Sometimes he doesn't always relate to his peers. 

But he did it. He graduated with his Associates Degree in Video Cinematography. As an Honors Student, thank you very much.

He did not want to go to the commencement. He doesn't like to wait around. He didn't want to be amongst people he didn't really know. Mostly it was the waiting around though.

So we went to his college and took photos. He showed me his favorite spots. He pointed to where his classes were. 

"I relaxed here," he explained. 

He didn't have the typical college experience. He graduated High School in 2020 when Covid was still a worry. College classes were online for the first year. He was finally able to get to campus the last year and a half. 

It wasn't always smooth sailing. He had to repeat his math class because he was two points shy of the required points needed to move on. Math has never been our strong suit. But remember: it's okay if you need to try again. It doesn't mean you're dumb: it means you needed extra time to learn. And there's nothing wrong with that. 

I was glad he was still at home. Pushing kids out before they're ready is never a good thing. But his next adventure will be living in a dorm this fall. Am I worried? Yes, a little. If he's having a rough day, he can't easily relax and decompress in his room. But I know he needs to do this to grow. To learn. 

I have to let go.

Vintage Look: 1950s Wedding Dress

So Natalie is in theatre and they have a banquet every year. She was even nominated for a supporting actress award this year. Of course she wanted to be sure she got an amazing dress for the occasion. She always worries about shopping in local stores because she gets paranoid about showing up in the same dress as someone else.

I mean, the horror. 

This is why she shops on Etsy. I always give her a spending limit because if I don't, she'll show me these expensive (but gorgeous) gowns that we cannot afford. 

She loves vintage, so she's always searching for a classic look. In her budget. 

She managed to find a wedding dress from the 1950s. That came with a detachable cape. It was from the StyleFinderBoutique shop.

It's beautiful and in fabulous condition. It was a little big so we had to clip it in the back. 

She had a faux fur shawl to cover that up.

Her boyfriend is also in theatre so they had a fun night dancing. 

She did not win the award for Best Supporting Actress but she was inducted into the Thespian Society. Or it might just be known as Thespian. You get so many points for being in shows and when you have enough, you are in. Anyhow, she had to recite a pledge and she said it felt pretty awesome because all the shows she was in were listed and the director said nice things. 

I am glad she found her place in High School. It can be a tricky time not knowing where you belong. But she knows she does. In theatre.