5 Things I Think I Need Right Now…

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Wow! Where have these been? Chic new styles are in from Old Gringo! The Carla is a 6″ shaft genuine leather boot featuring a beautiful multi color floral embroidery with side zip and rounded toe. I love these paired with either my favorite jeans or tunic dresses for a trendy, boho – country look! I am thinking I could get away with these booties for Spring or Summer as well as Fall. That’s my thing…I love things I can wear universally since the weather is mild-ish in Texas!

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The ONTHEGO bag from Louis Vuitton is sold out in the brown color…but I love her! I will be on the lookout, and if we go to Italy this year as planned, I may try to pick one up as a vacation souvenir…or at least that’s how I would justify purchasing it.

I am trying to spend less on common purchases to work towards my inner self agreeing that more expensive purchases are rationalized. I need her in my life.

Chicken coup, Fancy chickens, fancy chicken coup, top glam chicken coups, Texas chicken coups, fancy girl chicken coups, gardens, garden shed

If you know meat all, then you would know that I have wanted a chicken coup for quite some time! My main reason for the delay has been that we moved to an area with more strict of an HOA so chickens are not actually allowed. While there was a bill in Texas last year, to attempt to override the bans that HOAs place on homeowners, in regard to chickens…it still has not passed.

I would have to build my chicken empire and then have to get rid of them due to HOA Nazis. I do understand though, that it should be looked at as a case by case issue. Some people would never clean up after their chickens, or would have makeshift chicken coups built out of crates or something. I would like to hope that my chickenry (my word) will be so fabulous, that I will rise above scrutiny. We will see if I take the plunge or not!

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Gardening is my jam! I have been planting tomatoes and peppers and whatnot here and there, but I need more room! I currently have a random concrete slab that the previous owners installed for whatever reason. It’s ugly, too close to the house and recently I thought of an idea for it!

A raised garden area would be perfect! There is nothing better than needing green onions for something I am cooking, and being able to go outside and cut some off of my onion patch. With a bit more work, maybe I could learn to be a more responsible, disciplined vegetable gardener!

I have had a huge composting area for a few years now and the soil is absolutely magical! f I have a plant that is near death, I can stick in my compost area and it gets brought back to life very quickly!

mirrored wall, smoked mirror ideas, antiqued mirror ideas, glam home and decor, decor, Luxor Living and Style, home decor blog

Since I did my remodel on our current house, I have wanted to add a mirrored wall with antiqued glass to the dining area much like what they have done above. At the time, the price quotes I was getting were crazy high, so I decided to spend money elsewhere because a glass wall is easy to have installed after move in. Later, I considered wallpaper but my focus is back on the antiqued mirror look.

I designed the house around the concept of a modern Versailles type of look, so the mirror fits in with my original idea. There is also the point that the house is not super large, so mirrors help to give the illusion of a larger room.

There are so many ideas out there for mirrors but the look above is my final inspiration. I will share if I get it done this year! You can see my current dining room here.

These are my top 5 things I am obsessing over right now…as you can see, a little bit of everything is involved…a little fashion, a bit of nature and some home decor!

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HOLIDAY GIFT CARD IDEAS in The Woodlands, Texas Area: BEAUTY EDITION

I have never been a fan of Gift Cards in the past, but as time marches on and society changes I am starting to see the value of gift cards as an ultimate blessing for some people this time of year.

We all have those friends or family members that do not do enough self-care. I hate that term, yet it is fitting. You can’t just grind yourself into the ground forever without nice breaks of peace here and there. For example, you can look at two women who are the same age…let’s say they are 50. While one woman takes great care of herself, eats well, takes time for spa treatments, dental visits and massages with her disposable income…and the other woman is unable to take care of herself to the same degree so a lifetime of bad decisions shows weary on her face. (From a song I wrote that no one has ever heard!)

My point is…the gift of luxury spa treatments can go a long way towards showing people the other side of living. Some people have the money but are so into the digits in their bank account that they have become accustomed to hoarding and scrimping and do not see the value of the occasional self-care perk.

With that in mind, I have chosen some great places to treat people to the world of Spa and Beauty Treatments by way of Gift Card in The Woodlands area of Houston!

WOODHOUSE DAY SPA in The Woodlands

9595 Six Pines Drive, #1270, The Woodlands, Texas 77380

The Woodhouse Day Spa has recently opened in Market Street and it has the most inviting, serene environment I’ve ever encountered in a Spa. They offer many different services (yes, even a seaweed detox bath experience) before or after your massage. They have various facial services, or perhaps a treat experience pedicure is the perfect perk. If you have a man or woman or even a couple that needs to decompress, a gift card from this place would be an amazing gift. Check out their website for more information! https://thewoodlands.woodhousespas.com/

HOUSE OF THAI

  • 7301 Fm 1488 Magnolia Texas 77357 832.521.5328
Photo of House of Thai - Magnolia, TX, United States. Very unique and cozy rooms!

This is an amazing place to experience Thai Massage. I was skeptical at first, but I have been trying to find treatment for a neck injury for the past 3 years. I needed deep tissue work and a mixture of Thai with traditional deep tissue massage really helps me to get through each week! This is a cozy cabin atmosphere off of FM 1488 and every therapist I have worked with has been extremely high quality. If you have someone that needs really deep tissue work as opposed to the softer spa experience in general, this may be the option you need. https://www.thaimassagemagnoliatx.com/

BEAUTY IQ MED SPA

20008 Champion Forest Drive, Suite 802, Spring Texas 77379

You may have someone that wants medical grade spa treatments such as botox or other fillers. If this is the case then Beauty IQ Med Spa may be the gift idea for you! It’s just a 10 minute trip to their Spring Texas location from The Woodlands, located just off of 99. They offer so many services that there is something for everyone. The Spa owner/director is a RN and can make anyone feel comfortable with the beauty services they offer! https://www.biqmedispa.com

Personally, I need gift cards from all three places! I hope this helps in these last days before Christmas giving!

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#extra

Stephanie Dawn Sjoberg, Houston bloggers, Luxor Living and Style, stylist in The Woodlands, over 50 bloggers, Michele watch, Forever 21 hat, black hat, summer style, Johnny Was in The Woodlands, Texas, shop in The Woodlands, Bosscat Beauty lashes, lashes, morange lip color, Mac lipstick, white blonde, black earrings, clip on earrings,
Stephanie Dawn Sjoberg, Houston bloggers, Luxor Living and Style, stylist in The Woodlands, over 50 bloggers, Michele watch, Forever 21 hat, black hat, summer style, Johnny Was in The Woodlands, Texas, shop in The Woodlands, Bosscat Beauty lashes, lashes, morange lip color, Mac lipstick, white blonde, black earrings, clip on earrings,
Michele watch
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Hey everyone! Just a quick shout to say hello and touch base! It has been a super hot summer and it’s a part time job just keeping my plants alive in this heat! And hair?!? How are you expected to have a cute hair style when it’s 100 degrees and humidity is at 75% ? For me, I decided I could wear a hat or two during the week to combat pointless time and effort spent on hair styling!

Although the top and embroidered shorts are from Johnny Was, the hat was from Forever 21! The interesting thing about that, is that I noticed the store was not as full of product as normal…so I asked the Assistant if they were by any chance closing down. He seemed confused and clueless as to why I would think that. I explained that I have worked in retail for years and whenever the product levels decline sharply, it’s typically a huge red flag. He dismissed my theory and mindlessly rang me up and sent me on my way. Here we area a few weeks later and news is leaking that Forever 21 is more than likely filing for Bankruptcy. The China tariffs are the kiss of death for retailers that were already struggling although I agree with the action. For those retailers with not a lot of margin – good luck. The other issue affecting retail is online shopping. When I remodeled our new house, I went into the Z’Gallerie store closest to me, to buy or order my merchandise…sofas, chandeliers, mirrors, etc. Apparently enough people didn’t do the same, so now there is now not a Z’Gallerie near me anymore due to bankruptcy and store closings. I buy from stores when possible and online is my second choice. I hope the Forever 21 news is wrong because who doesn’t love cheap extras now and then!?!

I’m not trying to be cute, I am trying to survive life! My boss said to me at the start of summer…what are you going to do? Wear a top knot every day? She said this after experiencing the humidity in our city and having a series of bad hair days. I try to have fun and would like to think that I have turned surviving humidity and heat into an art form.

Fun things are going on lately. I had ordered a new condo for my dogs (really it’s a custom built kennel) a year ago and it finally was delivered! I have not shared it here yet but I just posted a few pictures on my Instagram. My dogs love it and the quality is much better than I had expected! Wire kennels in my house were killing my soul!

The jury is still deliberating as to whether or not we are taking a vacation later this year. It seems we are insanely attached to our dogs and are reluctant to leave them. When we do go out of town we pay someone to house and pet sit so finding a candidate is sometimes a challenge. Not only that, i had a panic attack like a nut on our way back from Hawaii and I thought they were going to make me get off the flight if I didn’t calm down! I had a neck injury a couple of years ago, and it’s hard to seat in a crammed seat without being able to move very much. I think my mind was anticipating pain and discomfort . Luckily, I had some CBD oil with me for the flight so I took some and was able to get a hold of myself and survive the flight without further incident. Of course the mom thought I was a loon but I explained how my seat had gotten changed and that I typically have to sit where I can move and stretch. Either way, I know that I am having issues wanting to board another super long flight unless it’s first class and I’m properly medicated! We shall see what we decide to do!

My Bosscat Beauty lash orders are trickling in still, and although I can’t support myself with it, I am very proud of each box someone buys, because that is one less dollar for the mink lash industry, since my lashes are animal free!

That’s what I have going on this summer! Just enjoying the spare time I have and trying to set goals for the future!

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#summer2019

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scarf by Johnny Was, Prada glasses, Forever 21 hat, Marc Fisher wedges, Johnny Was The Woodlands tunic, Estee Lauder bag, Michele watch
scarf by Johnny Was, Prada glasses, Forever 21 hat, Marc Fisher wedges, Johnny Was T tunic, Estee Lauder bag, Michele watch
Luxor Living and Style
Stephanie Sjoberg
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gold Michele watch, Luxor Living and Style
scarf by Johnny Was, Prada glasses, Forever 21 hat, Marc Fisher wedges, Johnny Was The Woodlands tunic, Estee Lauder bag, Michele watch

This was a fabulous day! Church – (by live video stream from home), tasks around the house, swimming, followed by brunch, quick shopping and grocery store run, followed by naps, time with the dogs, grilling dinner outside and movie night at home before our Sunday evening bible study shows come on! It doesn’t sound exciting, but we had really nice, relaxing day.

That said, it was over 100 degrees according to the heat index. It sucks the air out of your chest. It makes your head sweat. It’s not super enjoyable unless you are in the shade. This is why I threw on a hat instead of trying to deal with hair. The choice of a light and flowing silk tunic made the heat bearable. I needed to grab a purse to throw in my phone and wallet because my “work” purse weighs about 10 pounds since I feel the need to throw in everything for my work days including the kitchen sink!

I thought it was super fun to grab a recent Estee Lauder “gift with purchase” bag that went perfectly with my over-floraled (yes, I am aware this is not a real word) look. I still love Estee Lauder and miss my beauty guru days so it was nice to use one of the zillions of freebies that you get with a product purchase! It’s also nice to have no one to impress. Although I do love a really nice handbag, I am not insane about it.

How many people do we know that do not even have $2,000 in their bank account, yet they have a $2,000 handbag? I often think of a day a few years ago that impacted me about finances. I was getting out of my car at the same time that another young lady was doing the same. She had on expensive jeans, a designer bag and a beaten up car she had wrecked…that had a hood that was being held down with brown rope, and a front headlight that was taped onto the car with electrical tape. It impacted me and made me look at myself and I made a mental note that the girl I saw that day will never be me. Balance is everything.

I find it hard to sometimes ramble about fashion yet not include financial aspects of things as well. Fashion and decor are so fun and it’s a great way to be artistic but it is ridiculous to pretend finances do not play a part of every aspect of our buying decisions. Everyone is not at the same place financially. A client was shopping with friends one day but wanted us to cram all of her items into a super small bag. She was shopping with ladies that were not as “financially sound” as she was and didn’t want them to know she had dropped $1,700 in 10 minutes because she didn’t want them to feel bad. ( Of course, my assistant manager and I laughed for months to come about the appropriateness of her self description and used the term financially sound as much as we could after that!) We found it to be such a gentle way of her stating , “I am rich and they are broke.”

I love certain things no matter the price point. I see so many bloggers who are married to doctors or have huge endorsement deals so money is no object. When they only show high dollar price points I wonder how it makes some people feel. You can still be glorious without always spending everything in your account! We could all be fabulous with unlimited funds. I think that it’s important to have long term goals and be the best you that you can be within the boundaries of your own circumstances.

The gold and diamond Michele watch was something I had wanted to buy for years but never let myself buy. I got an opportunity I could live with and was able to purchase it for half off of the regular price earlier this year.

When you are married, you have to be somewhat considerate when it comes to your spending because you would like the other party to do the same. In theory, anyway!

This summer is scorching hot, so it’s hard for us to get motivated to snap photos in the heat! I am glad to get a new post out and share my thoughts! Blogging helps me to learn and grow and I love it so much. ( I learned with this post, that I really need to quit thinking can trim the ends of my hair evenly and I will be getting a haircut right after this post goes up!)

How is your summer going? Comments welcome!

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Hallmark Day

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Johnny Was raincoat, Michael Kors bag, over 50 blogger, style over 50, Johnny Was The Woodlands
Johnny Was raincoat, Silk Tunic and scarf, Michael Kors bag
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Gucci Glasses, johnny Was raincoat, Johnny Was scarf

I was up most of the night due to a middle-of-the-night downpour with tons of scary lightening. The dogs were upset and woke up barking. The upside was that I got to throw on my new Johnny Was raincoat to go to my early morning doctor appointment!

By noon the sticky humidity had arrived, which forced me to peel down to my silk tunic that we totally forgot to snap a cute photo of.

I did get to feel like a person in a Hallmark movie for once in my little raincoat. (We had a Hallmark Movie weekend so the feeling they build up in you that your life is just not quaint enough…was still fresh in my mind.)

The Hallmark movies are usually so cute and clean! We love them. The happy music they play in the background would not be appropriate for my life though. Here I Go Again by Whitesnake or anything by Journey would be my background music.

The raincoats came in different prints and this one is reversible! There is this beautiful view and usually baby ducks are piddling about in the little park area at my doctor’s office so we took a minute to show off my adorable raincoat! Whenever it rains I know I will have my sidekick with me since tennis gets canceled in the rain. Sometimes this is a good thing, and sometimes not so much! Today it was great! Who likes hauling in groceries or running errands alone every week? I got to buy a watermelon because I had someone else to carry it and load and unload the car!

Today was a Hallmark Day. Simple. Clean. Very few curse words and joy in the simple things.

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A Bird Named Splash

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cardinal bird's nest, Luxor Living and style, blog, The Woodlands, Texas
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cardinal bird's nest, Luxor Living and style, blog, The Woodlands, Texas

I was so excited to come across eggs in a nest this past month! Previously, I’d been fortunate enough to find another one two years ago but this was a cardinal nest!

I found the nest tucked away at eye level and it had 3 little speckled eggs inside. Oh the joy! I kept checking every morning for about a week but the mom was always sitting in it, warming and protecting her babies.

One early morning, there were no more eggs. Instead, there were 3 tiny little one day old babies who didn’t even have formed eyes yet! Love!

I went out daily to hope and photograph the little miracles and loved watching them grow!

About 8 days later, I came home from work to find an empty nest. I felt empty and robbed! I researched and found that it was about the time the parents try to transport them to higher ground and work on a bit of flying.

Ken was piddling around the back yard watering and cleaning up…I was floating in the pool like a slug since I’d worked all day. Right over my husband’s head came the dad cardinal, flying along the side of the baby bird. It looked like a flight lesson gone awry. The baby bird lost his composure and face planted directly in front of me in the pool with his wings spread out! We were horrified and so was the dad bird, he wanted to help the baby bird but was scared and didn’t seem to know what to do. I threw my phone to the side, broke nail and jumped in to fish the bird out since he was still laying face down in the spot he had splashed into the water. Since the dad was clearly so upset, my fear was that he would drown himself to fish out his baby so he was looking on the entire time. I scooped him up carefully and checked to see if he was ok.

The baby bird was soaking wet and with both parents now flying and trying to get him to fly to safety but he couldn’t because his feathers were sopping wet.

Night came and he couldn’t fly although he finally tried, so we decided to take him inside for the night to dry off, knowing his parents would be at the bird feeder early in the morning. Mind you, he jumped onto my finger and seemed perfectly happy sitting there.

To keep him warm, I covered the cage with a dark blanket and he fell asleep on the perch within 15 minutes. Dude was like a week old…he was worn out. The next morning, the minute I heard peeps outside, I got up and took the cage outside near the feeder. We watched through the window when the dad came and saw him it was magical!

After about 15 minutes, he followed dad away, at his urging…and the whole family has been reunited!

They live in the trees that are higher in the backyard, so we see and hear them all the time! we wonder if he tells them about his adventure in our house.

I love birds and it was such a beautiful treat to see God’s little birds up close and in my hand. We are so glad we were there when he crashed in the pool so that we could help nature. I do realize that you shouldn’t interfere most of the time with the circle of life. I just really wanted to share my story!

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