georgia girl

Leaving

2011-07-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

Every time we leave the house, Rachel has a whole armful of items, Mimi the lamb is always there, and whatever random thing she sees as we are walking out the door. This particular day it was all stuffed animals, George the monkey and elephant (no name as of yet). Other times it's a bracelet, a bucket or a book, and usually there is a ball or two, she is obsessed with balls and can spot any round shape within sight.

As adorable as it is it makes it difficult to keep the car clean since she never remembers to bring them back in and my hands are usually full with other things. Someone recently gave her a gift and she has been using the gift bag to carry things out to the car and collect various treasures as we are out. It is always interesting to see what catches her little eye!

My home to-do list

2011-07-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

I am writing up my to-do list here to help motivate me to get them all done this summer. I have had some good luck lately on craigslist and at my local Goodwill's for furniture items. More luck than time actually since I now have a backlog of things I need to paint! What makes it difficult for me is I have to time my painting projects when Rachel is napping or when the hubby is home so he can keep her out of trouble so I have to work quickly, which is also why it takes me so long to finish something. I try to have everything taped and ready to go so when the opportunity arises I can get as much of it done as I can. I think painting furniture/crafting is my way of nesting this time around! Along with the given scrubbing and organizing, with a toddler underfoot though, those tasks are a bit harder than they used to be.

Here are the items I am going to be painting this summer:

1. Rachel's dresser and nightstand. These are the pics from the craigslist ad, I just never got around to taking my own pictures before I started painting. I am actually done painting the dresser, will post a picture once the side table is finished. Still working on the side table, I painted it turquoise and it's a little brighter than I thought it would turn out so it needs some work to tone it down. Really need to buckle down and finish Rachel's room so she can move into in August, well before the baby is born so that is at the top of my list.

2. A:rmchair: Once I decide exactly where it's supposed to go I can get started on taking the fabric off and painting it. The two places I am debating putting it is in our living room or in Rachel's room. She loves to look at her books and we still read her a bedtime story each night so she needs a chair in her room. If it goes in her room, I would do the upholstery in a bright pink, if in the living room a neutral color or I might go a little crazy and do a print like this:

Aviary in Robin

(I am lol at Rachel photobombing here)

3. this is one of my favorite pieces, I love the faux bamboo details. I would love to paint this a light aqua blue, it would give our living room some much needed color in a sea of brown, (and would tie in the fabric print above if I use it in upholstery or pillows) but a soft white may be a better choice, since everything else is white or espresso. Leaning towards being risky and doing the blue though

4. Bedroom dresser, this is a handme down from hubby's parents via his sister. It is very solid and in good condition other than the finish, it is pretty bad, there are dents, watermarks, permanent marker stains and crayon scribbles on it from a very hard life with 10 kids, so I am going to try my hand at sanding it down and restaining a dark espresso. It's the perfect project since it is already in bad condition so I can't mess it up more. This is such a big project though I may not get around to it this summer, it may next year before I can do it. I am ashamed to admit that yes, it is usually that messy, it's my dresser and no matter how much I try and keep it neat, sooner or later it ends up like this.

I have already upholstered a headboard for the master bedroom, it was soooo easy, it took more time to shop for all the items than it did to make it! Here it is right after finishing it, will take a picture of it over the bed one of these days. The fabric is Waverly Chippendale Fretwork in mist, I love it soooo much. I tried to do a nailhead trim around the edges, but it would have none of it, the nails wouldn't go in and after bending 3, I called it a day and left it as is. It's a little blah so I will try my hand at tufting it someday, but not right now

I am working on another side table, no picture of it but I am experimenting with antiquing it, it's very...interesting so far. Also on the paint list is the console in our foyer and waaay down the list is repainting our bedside tables. They are a light oak color and very blah, not the Hollywood regency/french look I am going for in our bedroom.

I am also learning to sew, yay! My mom is going to help me make curtains for the new nursery and I need to make some throw pillows for the living room and bedroom, very excited to take on those projects.

So look forward to some updates on all these projects, now that my list is public I have more motivation to get them finished!

OOTD: Coral Rush

2011-07-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

I love it when I find dresses that aren't maternity but still work with my growing bump, it saves money because I can wear it later after baby is born. This dress was on clearance at Target, I never thought to check out the Calypso line until I read some reviews on the Target website from some other expectant moms, so I am happy I did! I love the embroidery around the arms and hem, it's really well done and makes it look more expensive than it is.

obligatory bump view:

dress: calypso for target

belt: gap? fossil? can't remember to be honest

shoes: target

initial necklace: etsy

working on some paint projects that I hope to finish up soon and share, things take so much longer these days since I can only work during Rachel's naps and once she is in bed I am too tired to do much. I will be going home soon to visit my family and my mom is going to help me sew some curtains for the baby's room! So excited to learn how to sew, I would love to make some throw pillows for our living room and do a few other small projects once I get some practice.

I also wanted to share the sweetest shop on etsy for children's artwork, trafalgar's square. I found it through a facebook friend (thank you Rachel!) and I bought this one for Rachel's new room. I purchased it before we found out we were having another girl, but now that we know there's another little girl on the way, it makes it more special since it looks like two sister bunnies having a tea party together, so precious!

OOTD: Butterfly Kisses

2011-06-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to post for awhile but things have gotten a little busy around here so sorry it's late! We did have the ultrasound done 2 weeks ago and everything looks fine, baby has all it's toes, fingers and a perfect heart so we are happy! We are also excited to be having another girl! She already has a name, we are just having trouble finding a middle name, hubby and I like a few different ones but it is hard to settle on one. Rachel's middle name is after my mom, so hubby would like to use his mom's name but I don't really like the name to be honest, never have and he doesn't like his mom's middle name so we are looking at other family names on his side.

This is the outfit I wore to the ultrasound, in hindsight wearing a dry clean only shirt was not the best option because of all the goo they use for the ultrasound, but I was super careful to cover everything up so none got on the top, whew! I really love the whimsical butterfly pattern on the top, and it goes perfectly with my new cardigan from JCrew. I love the color yellow, it makes me so happy.

bump view!

top: nanette lepore (!!!!)

cardigan: jcrew

skirt: old navy maternity

shoes: cynthia vincent for target

belt: gap

This top was a very generous gift from a friend, she sent me a box of stuff that was too big for her and I love everything she sent, some of it will have to wait till after the baby arrives because it doesn't work with my bump, so it's nice to have some things to look forward to wearing after giving birth. If you are reading, thank you again Becca! She also sent me the famed Enzo no-clip curling iron, still need to try it out, I just never seem to have the time, I am lucky these days if I can run a flat iron through my hair! Plus now that it is warm I try and use my heat styling tools as little as possible because my bathroom gets very warm quickly, maybe the next date night the hubby and I have I can build some extra time in to try it out.

Favorite Nurseries

2011-05-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

Since we find out today what the baby is, I thought I would post some nursery photos that I love. I can't wait to get started planning the nursery and buying some new items for the baby!

Pottery Barn Kids

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via Design Sponge (I think)

Pottery Barn Kids

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Pottery Barn Kids

Dream Girl Rooms

2011-05-24T10:36:00.000-07:00

Since I am currently working on putting together a big girl room for Rachel, I thought I would share some of my favorite girl rooms. I have been collecting pictures for awhile so I am afraid I don't know who they all belong to, so I can't give credit to the designers or photographers except for the first two, the first photo is from Serena and Lily and the second photo is from Pottery Barn Kids.

(this is actually the color palette for Rachel's new room, yellow and pink!)

OOTD: Chocolate Cream

2011-05-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

I love this dress so much, I am sure I have posted it before but it is worth reposting to me because I love it so much. It has an empire waist which is the only reason I can still wear it because my belly is starting to get big, I don't have a side shot in this dress, but I promise I have some coming!

I am shopping for maternity clothes now, but am also spending a lot of time shopping in regular stores, it is harder to find things that work but totally worth it since I will be able to wear them after the baby is born vs. maternity clothes are harder to pull off post baby. So if you see any cute empire waist dresses or tops, let me know, especially if it's a maxi dress!!!

dress: patrick robinson for target

sweater: gap

shoes: target

sunglasses: marc jacobs

necklace: (even though you can't see it) etsy

sharing a few pictures of my little fashionista, she loves to put on my heels and wear them around the house, she gets so frustrated when they fall off though, it's cute to see how hard she tries to walk in them but it's more of a shuffle lol.

It's been awhile...

2011-05-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

I feel like this blog has gathered some cobwebs while I took a break. I didn't do a big post about why because to be honest I have toying with the idea to delete my blog. My interests have changed since I started it, I still love fashion, but to have a fashion blog, it seems one has to:

A. Have a large wardrobe already or constantly buy new things.

B. Be creative with your clothing choices/accessories

C. Post often

D. Have someone take your pictures or have a great mirror/camera

none of which I have or do, so that is why I have gotten discouraged with blogging. I may be taking some different directions coming up with the blog. I may post some of my favorite recipes since I love to cook, or I may post my newest home projects. Like right now I am currently painting some furniture for my daughter's room and getting ready to move her into a big girl bed this summer, which means she needs a big girl room to match! Home decorating has become a new passion for me in the past year so I will be sharing some of what I am doing with our house.

One other big change that has happened is that we found out in January that I am pregnant! The first trimester was harder, much harder than with my first pregnancy, the nausea was very random throughout the day and while I didn't throw up everyday like with the first, I wasn't able to eat very often since it was so random. Glad that is behind me though, I am currently 17 weeks along and we find out the gender on the 25th, so excited! Kinda feeling that it is a girl, but the feeling isn't as strong as it was with Rachel. We will just have to see....

Rachel's new shirt announcing her status as big sister

The last big event to happen is that Rachel turned 2! I cannot believe my little baby is so big, it really does feel like yesterday we brought her home from the hospital and I was a little terrified to be alone with her when my husband left for a few hours. We did just fine though (obviously lol) and I feel that I have a good handle on being a mom, just in time to take on the 2nd, which won't be easy juggling two children under the age of 3 without the help of family but we'll manage.

Here's a little trip down memory lane for me:

Just a few hours old:

First Birthday:

2nd Birthday:

Isn't it so amazing to see all the changes in her after just 2 years? Babies just grow so quickly, I am glad in someways because now she has some independence but part of me just wants her to stay a baby forever.

so that is what is going on in my life, will have to share some bump pictures later =)

OOTD: Scene Stealer

2011-02-24T19:09:00.000-08:00

This one is not the best picture, it's a little crooked, and I didn't place myself correctly in the mirror to get all of me in it. I had to be quick though and you'll see why in the outtakes! Right before I left the house, I switched the boots to cognac, I think they went better with the green cardigan, but I didn't get a chance to retake my picture.

I am really annoyed at JCrew right now because I have literally worn this cardigan 10 times in the past few years, and after I took it off, I noticed it has a rip in it! It's right around the neck, not an area of friction so it's just poor quality to blame. I am so close to swearing them off and never buying anything again but I know that won't last, just till something pretty comes along.....

skirt: old navy

tank: old navy

cardigan: j.crew

boots: nine west

And onto the scene stealer, my little peanut, so happy all the time! Well to be honest it's more like some of the time, but overall she is a very good girl, I cannot believe she is almost 2!! Starting to talk too, she seems to learn a new word everyday and is so proud of herself when she learns a new one.

looking at herself in the mirror, she was actually kissing her reflection but my camera was not quick enough to catch it which is really sad because it was sooo adorable!

she just wanted to be in the pictures so bad, she would pop in at the last minute, it was cute because you could tell she knew exactly what she was doing! Little scene stealer lol

OOTD: Copycat

2011-02-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

I originally saw this jumper on Overcaffeinated so when I saw it during a trip to H&M, I couldn't resist picking it up myself. It also comes in navy but I felt that the taupe was more versatile for mixing with other colors, but I wish it came in black too, I can never have enough black in my wardrobe.

I love the way she put navy and brown with it, will try that next time I wear it because it looks amazing on her!

sweater: jcrew jackie

necklace: stella and dot

jumper: h&m

tights: hue

boots: marc fisher

and it was really hard not to laugh when I took the picture because this is what was going on right before:

She's a wee bit obsessed with my bras right now, she wants to wear one just like mommy does! Mostly though she just tries to put them on and then gets frustrated because they don't stay on, she can get easily frustrated because things don't do what she wants them to do. It is so amazing to see this little person start to develop her own personality and to find little bits of myself and my husband in her, shining through like little mirrors reflecting back. Everyday brings a new joy with her as well as a new challenge and I am so happy I can be at home with her to discover them.

OOTD: Dahlias

2011-02-06T16:59:00.000-08:00

I promised a pic of my cardigan from a few outfits ago and finally got a good one of it. It is one of my favorite cardigans, it's so cheerful and the sunbursts remind me of Dahlias which I think are such pretty flowers.

I also want to comment on my boots, they were one of my gifts from the husband for Christmas, they are so comfy and I love the gray color! I thought that suede boots would be really hard to keep looking good but so far not a problem, I did spray them thoroughly with a waterproof spray and that really helped. I wish I had ordered a pair in black as well since I need a pair of flat boots, but they sold out on the site really quickly.

top: gap

cardigan: old navy

skirt: old navy

boots: nine west

ps. sorry about the dirty mirror, it is so hard to keep clean with Rachel around, she loves to look at herself in the mirror!

My Little Snow Bunny

2011-02-03T06:29:00.000-08:00

This week has actually warmed up but this picture is from last week, when we got a few inches of snow. Rachel hasn't had a lot of chances to play in the snow, the past few times she had a cold so we didn't let her play in it so she took full advantage of it this time and had so much fun!!! She actually cried when I made her come back inside lol. I hope we get one more good snowfall in before spring, especially since we *may* be moving into the deep south this summer, more on that later.

My new favorite thing

2010-12-23T09:10:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday season

OOTD: Baby it's cold outside

2010-12-17T12:35:00.000-08:00

It is getting very cold here in VA, we got some snow yesterday which I love, but since I am from GA where we don't get snow, I don't drive very well in it so that means I am home bound. Normally I would relish the opportunity to stay at home and snuggle up with my baby and read books together, but she had a cold all last week which means we had to stay in so I am going a little crazy being shut in so much! Luckily I am almost completely finished Christmas shopping (thanks to Amazon Prime which is amazing, free 2 day shipping is so worth it!) so I am not too set back with the snow.

This is not the best picture of my outfit, I just happened to snap it while we were in DSW, I saw the mirror and grabbed the chance to get a picture, but before I could take off my coat and get another picture of the whole outfit, someone came along and I was embarrassed at having them see me take my own picture so I high tailed it out of there! Too bad though because the cardigan I had on is really lovely, you can see it slightly peeking out from my sleeve, I will have to recreate this outfit again so you can see it.

coat: Old Navy

dress: Target , a few years old

boots: Marc Fisher

cardigan: Old Navy

sunglasses: Marc Jacobs

And in case you didn't notice, I have finally joined the ranks of those with smartphones, I have a droid and just love it!!! I really wish though that there were more accessories for it like the iPhone has, I really wanted a Hello Kitty case but only skins are available for the droid which do not have enough protection for it, I am pretty rough on my phones, especially now that Rachel likes to pick up my phone and 'talk', it is so cute to see her walk around jabbering away into it!

OOTD: Fall Floral

2010-11-23T12:52:00.000-08:00

I love this Tucker dress sooo much, the floral is so fall-ish and I get compliments on it everytime I wear it. The funny thing is that my husband dislikes this dress immensly, I don't know why but he does. I wanted to wear it to our family photos because I thought it would look amazing with all the fall leaves behind us but he vetoed it. Ah well, I can't say I love everything in his closet either.

bonus picture of it in action

we went to the zoo last week, it was Rachel's first time and we really wanted her to see elephants because she loves them, but they were already put up for the winter along with some of the other animals and the rest didn't cooperate, just sat there eating which isn't very exciting for a toddler to see. She did love seeing the lion though because he stood up and roared very loudly and she got a big kick out of that, as well as the tiger pacing around for his dinner.

I would not like to be the person to feed him, he was angry! He sat there and scratched on the door, while growling, very fierce

OOTD: New Boots!

2010-10-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

I recently took advantage of a piperlime code and got the Steve Madden Intyce boots in cognac, LOVE them, they are so comfy and I can't wait to wear the heck out of them this fall! They have been on my wishlist forever but I never could pull the trigger till now.

top: gap

skirt: old navy

necklace: stella and dot

Tucker for Target

2010-09-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

I know many bloggers out there have already covered all the Tucker items, so I am just going to show you what I picked up! I didn't think to get any pictures of me wearing the orange and navy camisoles so these images are from the Target website.

I picked up the orange camisole but don't really wear orange very much, I may exchange it for the floral, it seems like it may be easier to accessorize since it has more colors in it. I am really drawn to the orange though because it so fall-ish, and it's a very pretty muted, burnt orange which I am really drawn to this year. Which is why it may not be as season friendly as the floral too, what do you guys think?

and I did get picture of the dress I bought!

I am in LOVE! Can't wait to wear this all fall, just need to find the right belt now.

Don't you just love seeing little Rachel in the background, trying to push the cart? She picked out the tutu skirt herself, I am letting her have more of a say now in what she wears, she loves to play dress up all ready, it's amazing how girly she is even being so young.

so tell me, the orange or the navy floral camisole? Help me pick please!!!

OOTD: Sailor Chic

2010-09-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

I cannot wait for fall to start for real, I have been busy decorating the house with some fall decorations which I may post once I have everything the way I want it. I love everything about the fall, the coolness in the air, wearing my favorite sweaters, painting my nails dark vampy colors, Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks, pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie, and the leaves changing color. I am excited for our annual fall pilgrimage to the mountains to really see the leaves up close, this year Rachel will be able to enjoy it so much more than last year. She was only 9 months old at the time and wasn't crawling yet, now she is running all over the place and having tons of fun getting into everything. She is a like a whirlwind the way she goes from room to room, destroying any semblance of order I had! But her snuggles and kisses make up for every trouble, and hearing her little voice cry 'Mama' turns me into a giant bowl of mush, it's hard to be stern when she beams her million watt smile at you, I dare anyone to not melt under her smile and laugh!

Ahem, enough of my rambling about fall and my baby, on to the outfit, I am in love with these Gap jeans, they fit really well and are super flattering. I will get a lot of wear out of them this winter and fall since they look great with a camisole and cardigan, my usual cold weather staples.

(yes, I am in Target, I was trying on some Tucker for Target items, which I ended up buying a thing or two, more on that later)

shirt: Target

necklace: stella and dot

jeans: gap

wedges: payless

2010-09-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share a few new pix of my jewelry all organized and displayed.

The best part is that it was pretty cheap to do, I already had the cork board laying around the house, as was the votive candle holder so I just bought a can of spray paint for $4 and the tray was $2 at Target!

OOTD: The Switch, or A Change of Mind

2010-09-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

Now that the summer is drawing to a close, I am trying to put more effort into what I wear and not reach for my black maxi everyday. When it was hot I could use that as an excuse to wear it all the time, but not anymore. So I rummaged around my closet and pulled a dress out that I haven't woren in two years, I bought it right before I got pregnant and have only been able to wear it once since buying it. When summer started I was still carrying some baby weight so I pushed it to the back of the closet and never noticed it again till today. I tried it on and behold! it fits again!!!

Poor baby R has been sick this week, she started throwing up one night, I finally took her to the doctor when it seemed it was more than just a stomach bug, and it turns out she has strep throat! The antibiotics are doing wonders though, she is eating again and playing like nothing happened. I have been going a little batty though from being home all week alone so I decided to go see a movie today! I saw The Switch, which was ok, I would rather have seen the new Twilight movie but I waited too late, it's no longer in theatres, boo. Gotta say, I've never seen Jennifer Aniston on the big screen but all I could do was stare at her eyes, they are such a gorgeous blue! I also love her hair, always have actually ever since 'the Rachel' happened.

How cute is this kid? He was just adorable, I wanted to hug him the whole movie.

Sorry these are so blurry, I didn't realize till I downloaded them that I had the camera on the wrong setting.

I liked how my outfit turned out, but while I was out, it hit me that the dress would've looked really good with a red belt! So as soon as I came home, I took off the necklace, put on the belt and really love how it looks, better than the first outfit, wish I had thought of it sooner!

dress: Old Navy

wedges: Payless

necklace in look #1: Charlotte Russe

belt in look #2: target

OOTD - Clover and Daisy

2010-09-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

This isn't actually what I am wearing today, it's an outfit from ealier this summer that I never got around to posting, so now that I am in boring jeans and a black top, it's time to pull out a more interesting outfit to post. The sweater is from JCrew (they seriously have the best sweaters, don't they?) and whenever I see it, it reminds me of clover and daisies, hence the title. I also have to report that this was the last time I ever wore this top, I've had it for probably 4 years and it has seen better days, it's just too worn to wear anymore, plus it has a small stain on the bust that won't come out so I had to remove it from the lineup. RIP old friend. It's especially sad because it matches this cardigan perfectly and I know it will be hard to find something else that exact shade.

sweater: JCrew

top: forgot, it starts with an 'A' though and it's not Anthro

skirt: Old Navy

wedges: Cynthia Vincent for Target

OOTD: Ravishing Rosettes

2010-08-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite new purchases from Target, I love it so much I am considering going back for it in aqua and black, they are even cuter in real life! I am a little bummed at how fast it is pilling though, I feel like I have to pull out my defuzzer after every wear.

I am trying to grow my side swept bangs out, the last two times I got them cut the stylist butchered them so I've given up on them for now. Hopefully all the vintamins I've been taking will speed their growth along. I am also not sure what to do with my hair while it is growing out other than get trims which is kinda boring. Maybe I will try a different color as a form of change but I can never make up my mind what I want done, my indecisiveness can drive me nuts sometime.

top: Target
shorts: american eagle
flipflops: american eagle

OOTD: Dark Chocolate

2010-08-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

This is one of my recent purchases, I stalked this Anthro dress for awhile and as soon as it went on sale, I jumped on it right before I left on vacation, which turned out to be a good thing because when I got back, there wasn't a single one left online! I am lucky I was able to try it on before buying, which is when I noticed that the 'chocolate chips' are actually black, not brown like I thought, but since over half my wardrobe is black, it worked out even better!

dress: Anthropologie
cardigan: New York & Company
necklace: Stella and Dot
belt: Gap
shoes: Enzo Angiolini Maylies

here is a closeup of my hair, I want to take a minute to rave about Frederic Fekkai Ironless Balm, it is great! My hair doesn't normally get this straight in the summer, even with a flat iron so to get this with just a flat brush and a hair dryer is amazing!

I am currently working on painting my china cabinet, can't wait to show pictures once I am done! It is just taking a loooong time, much longer than I had anticipated which if frustrating me! I don't have any before pictures on this computer, but I can show a picture on it with just one coat of primer, you can still see the oak color coming through so I had to put another coat of primer on and finally the first coat of paint on last night. I will probably need 2 more coats to even everything out, which is normal when you are going from a dark color to a light one.

ps. One of my favorite blogs, Ashley Getting Dressed is having a giveaway! check it out here

Jamaica!

2010-08-23T13:38:00.000-07:00

We had such a great time, it was so wonderful to get away from it all and reconnect together as a couple, it really felt like a second honeymoon since baby R was with my parents. She had a great time with my parents and siblings, they all doted on her. She didn't seem to miss me too much since there were so many people around to shower attention on her but I missed her dreadfully. It was good for her to spend some time with them though since they live so far away from us, we only get to see them 3-4 times a year.

Anyway, on to the pics!

reading on the shuttle to the resort, we had to get up at 5:30 in order to catch our flight so my hair is all greasy and flat, ick

our first view of the beach, isn't the water so lovely?

this is my 'do you really have to take my picture?' face, I use it whenever DH insists on taking my picture

burying my feet in the pretty white sand. I had a pedicure before we left and love this color, very summery and beachy - China Glaze For Audrey

I thought that the bathroom signs were pretty cool

getting ready to go snorkeling

on the beach at sunset

out for a nice dinner, had to crop DH out, sorry. Notice my necklace though, it was a recent gift from DH, and it's from my favorite jeweler, Tiffany's! Very sweet and thoughtful of him to get it for me, he's a keeper =)

sorry this post is so picture heavy, hope you enjoyed seeing all my vacation pictures though!

back safe and sound!

2010-08-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

I had a fabulous vacation, the Caribbean was amazing!!! I will post some pictures later once I find my camera cord to download them. We are having a few computer problems too, I'm on my husbands laptop right now because my screen is no longer functioning. The computer is working fine but you can't see anything on the scree. It's fairly expensive to fix, getting a new lap top is looking like the better option. The biggest downside to this is that all my fashion pictures are on the other laptop and I can't access them unless we hook it up to a monitor which we misplaced in our last move, so it is a little annoying to not be able to get to my photos. So it may be a little while till I am posting pictures again. I also have done a little shopping and have some new things to post once I get a chance to take some pictures, so look out for those later!!!

pic from a cruise we took a few years ago to the Bahamas

Need book recommendations!

2010-07-26T07:34:00.000-07:00

I am leaving for vacation in a week and a half, and am looking forward to just sitting on the beach and reading. I need some book recommendations, I'd like to take two books, one fluffy, girly book and something more redeeming like something on Oprah's book list. Anything good you've read lately?

and I'll go ahead a give a mini review for this book that I just finished. I have always been fascinated with Henry VIII so I was thrilled when hubby gave me this book for Christmas.

I don't have as much time to read I did pre-baby so it has taken me 7 months to finish it! It is also a very big book, over 500 pages, so it's a marathon read. It was very interesting though, I learned a lot about Henry VIII and his relationships with his wives, I understand more how he went through six wifes, which was highly unusual in that time. Weir did a fabulous job of keeping it interesting but still sticking with the real facts. I am looking forward to reading the book she wrote on his children, but I need a break from the Tudors for a bit.

what happened to my background?

2010-07-24T06:34:00.001-07:00

is my background just plain white for everyone else too?

OOTD: dressed up and dressed down

2010-07-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

This has been a busy week for me, my husband had a work fuction in another city so baby R and I went to visit him and I got to get dressed up! It's always exciting to put on heels as a stay at home mom, the opportunities are sometimes few and far between. Even though these are my most comfortable heels, chasing down a toddler who can almost run was a little hard on my feet, so for the drive home I had to slip into my flat sandals.

This first outfit is from the drive up, we stopped off at a mall and when I saw this full length mirror I stopped to take an outfit picture. Yes it's in a public restroom, but the mirror was just too good to pass up! I also had to laugh at seeing baby R's foot in the pictures, she was kicking in her stroller, it's getting hard to do shopping with her now because her patience is very limited, we've had a few meltdowns in stores, embarrassing, but all a part of being a mother.

a rare sighting of my current bag, I usually take my outfit pictures upstairs and my purse is upstairs so I never think to take a picture with it. I also don't switch out my bags very often either so it would be this one every day for a few months till I switched it out for another.

cami: old navy
shorts: H & M
sweater: gap
bag: Rebecca Minkoff Matinee
sandals: same edelman

and now my dressy outfit, I love how everything came together so well, I really need an excuse to wear it all again!

please excuse the deranged, crazy look, this was the best picture that came out, the lighting was a little weird in the hotel room so all the others came out a little fuzzy.

dress: Patrick Robinson for Target
belt: anthropologie
necklacke: stella and dot
heels: enzo angiolini maylies

OOTD: Darling Damask

2010-07-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

I love this dress, I am a huge fan damask prints so when the Patrick Robinson line came out at Target a few years ago, I jumped on two of his dresses, this one and a solid black blubble dress. I wish I had bought a few more items from the line actually, so I still stalk ebay looking for the ones that got away.

dress: patrick robinson for target - 2007?
sweater: gap
shoes: BCBGirls
necklace: bought it while in Ireland
ring: ebay

closeup of my new ring, it's a knock off of an Elizabeth and James ring but from ebay, the seller is tanyp if you are interested in buying your own, highly recommend them!

and because I promised pictures of my new hair, I'll post them, but I am not entirely happy with how it turned out. I still see quite a big of red, plus my ends are still darker than my roots which is why I went to a professional and didn't just buy another box of hair dye and cover it myself. I'll give it more time and see how it turns out after I wash and style it myself. I also kinda hate the mom bob, but I guess my hair is at the awkward stage of growing out where it won't do anything but turn under or out, it is taking soooo long to grow, very frustrating.

OOTD: Summer Coral

2010-07-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

I just got my necklace from Stella and Dot and I love it! One of my friends is a stylist there so I took the opportunity to purchase this beauty when they had a sale and I'm so glad I did! I love how the necklace can be worn many different ways, the bee is actually a pin that can be removed and worn separately! It's a much needed pop of color in my sea of black clothes, I've been looking for a the perfect coral necklace for awhile and this is perfect for me. I've also made a few other jewelry purchases which I will post later once everything arrives.

top: gap

skirt: old navy

shoes: enzo angiolini maylies

necklace: stella and dot

ps. no, that's not underwear hanging out of my hamper in the background, just a tee

closeup of the necklace and my hair, say goodbye to the red, I have a hair appointment tomorrow to get it covered! I can't wait, my hair is looking sooo bad, so don't look too closely at the pic below!

Turns out I'm not the only one who loves my new necklace, baby R also likes it! What a little diva she is turning out to be!!!

It's too hot to be fashionable, or a summer OOTD

2010-07-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

It was seriously hot today, it has been all week. So I have been wearing a mishmash of unexciting, yet heat friendly dresses, finally got around to taking a picture of today's outfit. Sorry about the smudges on the mirror, baby R likes to touch the mirror and I didn't notice the smudges till I was taking the pictures, but didn't have time to clean it, I had to snap a quick picture and go run some errands.

I have been feeling very blah about my outfits lately, not just because of the heat, but also because I have put on about 7 pounds, ick. You may be thinking that 7 pounds isn't alot, but when I was almost fitting in a smaller size, this puts me squarely back in the bigger size, a little upsetting when you worked so hard to get the pounds off. Yet I am unmotivated to workout, mostly because of the heat, it's hard to make yourself get sweaty and workout when you are trying to stay cool. Sorry about the little rant, just had to get that off my chest. Now onto the outfit!

Exciting, right? at least it's comfy

dress: target
cami: gap
sandals: same edelman

and to make up for the boring outfit, a pic of baby R with her new lamb, she loves it!

Ice Cream and Ikea

2010-07-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

Baby R and I went to Ikea on Wednesday, while there we both tried their soft serve ice cream for the first time ever (after reading about Kate's trip to Ikea) and I am HOOKED. I am so sad that I didn't know they had it or I would've been getting it all along! It's so yummy, and baby R absolutely loved it as evidenced by the following pictures:

right after her first taste, ready for more!

momentarily distracted by some other customers

licking the last remnants off her fingers, it's that good!

ps. I have some special plans for the frame behind baby R, can't wait to show you what I come up with!

happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T07:58:00.000-07:00

We aren't sure what we're doing today yet, we may do a picnic for dinner, and debating on whether baby R would enjoy fireworks or be scared, they also start well past her bedtime so she may be so cranky that it's not worth it. It's supposed to be rather warm this afternoon so we will be spending the afternoon indoors unless we decide to go to the pool.

If you count my toenail polish, I am completely patriotic in red white and blue! Didn't really plan it out, it all just came together, don't you love it when that happens? On a side note, I love these sandals, they are so comfy and I love the little flash of glamour they give even my most casual outfits. I got them on Piperlime and with my rewards from Old Navy and Gap, they were only $10! Not bad at all.

tee: old navy
skirt: gap outlet
sandals: sam edelman
necklace: harold and jane on etsy

I miss my old car

2010-07-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

while I love my SUV, I really really miss my beetle. We sold her a few months after I found out I was pregnant, I loved every minute of driving with her, we had some good times together

I haz a new maxi

2010-06-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

It's really turning into a sickness, I can't help it

the best part? IT HAS POCKETS!!! Finally somewhere to stash my keys or my cell phone without seeing all the lumps because the skirt is full and hides them all.

Pardon the messy background, keeping ahead of baby R is hard, she is like a destructive whirlwind!!! I also didn't really style my hair, oops

OOTD: super boring blue

2010-06-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

I was trying to go a whole week without wearing a maxi dress but I've broken it twice, on Saturday and today, only posting todays though.

dress: NY & Co.

cami bra: Gap

Baby R and I just hung out around the house today, I was planning to take her out for dinner to Chick-fil-A after a trip to Home Depot, but as I opened the door, I happened to glance down and right below us was a big black snake! He was just sitting on our concrete doorstep, trying to keep cool I imagine but it freaked me out! I slammed the door and paced the foyer for a few minutes, when I looked back out the window, I saw it slithering into the bushes, not very comforting, at least when I saw him I knew what he was up to. There was no way I was going to walk past those bushes so we stayed in for the night and had some Trader Joe's Orange chicken (very yummy BTW) and fried rice.

Nothing frightens me more than a snake, and to make matters worse, when I told hubby about it later and described it to him, he immediately thought it might be a water moccasion which is very poisonous. After googling pictures and making me look at them, we're not really sure what it was. Just be forewarned that if you happen to be outside my house and see me doing some odd things, such as opening the door slowly, checking the doorstep and sidewalk before walking out, then running to the car as fast as I can, don't be alarmed, it's just my extreme paranoia, it will probably wear off in a few weeks =X

OOTD - Cookies and Cream

2010-06-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

I had a oreo today after lunch, and when I looked down to brush the crumbs off my top, I realized that I matched my cookie! I do love me some oreo cookies, as does baby R, she has already learned that mommy eats better stuff than she does so now whatever she sees me eating, she has to taste it even if it's a salad. She actually liked it too, but it's probably because my favorite dressing is on the sweet side.

On to the outfit now, yeah, I'm wearing my Nine West gladiators again, they are just so darn comfy and I just loooove how they look on! I tried to block off as much of my hair as possible because I didn't get to style it today at all, had to get up early for the carpet guy to come by and clean our downstairs and was lucky to squeeze in a shower before he came

headband: H&M
top: Gap
necklace: Vera Wang for Kohls
skirt: Target
shoes: Nine West

bonus picture of baby R eating a little debbie, wish you could hear her yummy noises, she's quite vocal about her sweets lol

OOTD - Indecision

2010-06-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

Our community has live music in a park downtown every Tuesday, it's nice to hear the local talent perform and hang out with our friends on our blankets. Rachel is quite the little moocher and goes from blanket to blanket getting a taste of what everyone else has for lunch! That's why I'm wearing leggings, the dress alone was too short for sitting on the ground. We had a nice time, but it was too hot to stay long so I didn't even pull out my camera to take pictures while we were there.

Anyway, on to today's outfit, I had the hardest time today with it, still not happy with how it turned out but it is what it is. I am determined to post more outfits as a way to motivate myself to not rely so much on my usual uniform of consisting of a black maxi dress and flip flops, so I'll post the good with the bad!

I really wanted to pull out my newest purchase, the Nine West balboa gladiators so I built the outfit around them. I constantly stalked them last year but never pulled the trigger till I finally found them on ebay for super cheap so I jumped on them! They are pretty comfy and other than my pinky toe occasionally popping out between the side straps they are are so great, love them! Here is the evolution of today's outfit:

but that felt like too much black so I added a red belt:

it still didn't feel right, the cardigan felt too drapey for the dress style so I changed it:

better but ended not loving the belt so this was the final take:

dress: Old Navy from a few years ago
cardigans: black - NY & Co. white - GAP
belt: Target
leggings: NY& Co.
necklace: Irish cross from my visit to Dublin
shoes: Nine West Balboa

The funny thing is that after all the fuss over which cardigan to wear it was so hot I eventually took it off anyway! Didn't take a picture of the dress alone though, oops!

Does anyone else ever go through a lot of different outfit changes/adjustments before settling on the right one?

matching piggies

2010-06-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

I painted baby R's toes for the first time this weekend, I was surprised at how good she was! um, other than grabbing the top before I had a chance to screw it shut, it could've gone very badly if I hadn't grabbed it so quickly. I got polish all over my hands but at least it wasn't the carpet! Next time I will watch her much closer, but once I was done, she had fun playing with her toes. I also did my nails to match hers, check it out!

Don't you just want to reach out and touch her little white legs? I'm pretty pale too but next to her I look like I have a tan!

polish: Essie Watermelon

OOTD: a rarity

2010-06-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

so this is my confession, I rarely post an outfit the actual day I wear it, I usually take a few then get around to downloading them later and post randomly if at all lol. This may change once I get my droid next month, super excited about that!!! So anyway, on to my actual outfit today

sorry about the mirror smudges, baby R likes to touch it, keeping it clean is constant chore

closeup of the ring which I luuurve

shirt: H&M
cami: random store
pants: Martin & Osa
shoes: Enzo Maylies
ring: cheapie from random store in GA

OOTD: To the Max

2010-06-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

I finally wore this maxi dress for the first time this after owning it for a few weeks. It's very comfy but super long. I washed dried it which shrank it a little but it still needs about an inch and a half off. The hem isn't finished so I will probably do it myself, it could end up a disaster like so many of my home projects but I certainly always give it my best try! Next time I will try layering a white racerback tank bra under it for some extra support, I didn't quite feel secure enough in it, but other than that, the dress is a winner! I am loving maxi dresses this summer, so easy to throw one on, a pair of flat sandals and a necklace and go!!

dress: JCrew
shoes: Cynthia Vincent for Target
necklace: Harold and Jane

A Flash of Color

2010-06-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

photographing a toddler is so hard, I recently got a Tea Collection order for baby R and a beach towel so I wanted to get a few shots of her with them but she moves so fast it's hard to do. I got a few good shots in but most of them were a blur of color like this one:

And this one:

I love this one, she is so happy in it!

back to blurry

so still for once!

and finally the best one of the bunch!

clothes: Tea Collection

beach towel: Pottery Barn Kids

Having fun at the pool

2010-06-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

baby R had never been in the pool before so I was really looking forward to this past weekend, one of my friends had a birthday party at the pool for her son. We all had so much fun!!! thanks to my friend Katie for taking these pictures!

Hubby gave me a great self esteem boost when he said I was the hottest mommy at the pool, I think he was being very generous, though it was sweet of him to say so, especially since I have a hard time getting in a bathing suit, this is the first time I've gotten in one in almost 4 years! This bathing suit is seriously flattering on, it's very retro-chic and you can go strapless if you like! More info coming soon on my Target blog here

I was glad to pull out my Eugenia Kim hat for the occasion, it was almost the exact same shade as my nail polish, China Glaze 'For Audrey'

Hat: Eugenia Kim for Target
bathing suit: Merona
sunglasses: Marc by Marc Jacobs

Happy Memorial Day! (and peach milkshakes are back!)

2010-05-31T20:51:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day always signals the beginning of summer. Looking forward to long days at the beach, grilling on the deck, and cooling off at the pool. One of my new favorite things about summer too is Chick-fil-A's peach milkshakes, they are soooo yummy! Baby R got her first taste of one today and she liked it so much I almost couldn't get it back!

Hope you had a great Memorial Day!!! Don't forget to thank a veteran, I made my hubby waffles and gave him a big hug and a kiss this morning to thank him for his service!

OOTD: DvF cubes

2010-05-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

My parents-in-law were in town this past weekend for a graduation, my 2 nephews and niece who are triplets graduated high school! I wore this on Sunday to church and lunch with all of them, I forgot to take pics of what I wore to the actual cermony. This was my first Diane von Furstenberg dress, I purchased it about 2 years ago, as a present to myself for moving to a new city and starting a new job here in DC. I've since added 2 more and plan to add more to my closet. I love the way the silk jersey feels, the way it drapes and how it will fit me whether I'm up a few pounds or down a few pounds. Every woman should have at least one DvF in in closet, wearing one makes you feel empowered, like you can take on the world - or your in-laws!

some outtakes to make you laugh:

The one of the best parts about having a daughter....

2010-05-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

is being able to buy things like this for her! I cannot wait till she is older and we can play tea party with it, but till then it will remain sitting safely on her dresser, just for looks.

you can get your own at Pier One Imports, in the clearance section!

OOTD: you will have to pry them off my cold, dead body

2010-05-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

you are probably tired of seeing my Cynthia Vincent wedges because I wear them all the time, but they are *that* awesome. Wish I had been able to get them in black too, maybe I will find them someday....

tank: old navy
skirt: victoria's secret
wedges: cynthia vincent for target
necklace: Harold and Jane on Etsy

OOTD: Ladies who Lunch

2010-05-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

baby R and I went out to lunch today with some friends so naturally we dressed up! These were taken after her nap and she was full of energy, so that's why I couldn't get her to stay still for a picture together. She did comply for a few on her own though as long as I let her play with my rings =)

dress: liberty of London for Target

shoes: Cynthia Vincent for Target

earrings: Michelle Chang Jewelry

(excuse the messy background)

all done!

2010-05-12T11:40:00.000-07:00

I finally finished painting our breakfast room set and I love it! It took much longer than I thought it would take because I had to put two coats of primer and two coats of paint on everything. Here is the entire transformation:

Before and after chairs:

the table primed:

And all finished! I still need to put on a 2nd coat to cover a few missed spots, but I think it looks soooo much better! I am really bad with paint too so if I can do it, anyone can! Now I just need a rug.....

Happy Monday!

2010-05-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

I had a pretty good Mother's Day yesterday, my sweet husband did the baby duties in the morning so I could sleep in a little, it was soooo nice! He even got her dressed which is really hilarious because he is such a manly man and doesn't typically have anything to do with baby clothes, especially little girls. I asked him why he chose what he did and he said 'well you like pink, brown, and green so she's wearing all your favorite colors!'

I thought his reasoning was cute even if everything didn't match. He was sorry he couldn't stay all day but he had some work to do so Rachel took me out for dinner to Panera Bread and we shared a bowl of broccoli cheddar soup and bread, that is the best thing on the menu in our opinions =) I didn't take a picture of my outfit since it wasn't anything interesting, just a maxi dress and flip flops.

I hope you remembered to call your mother and get her a gift! I am currently contemplating a few things on Etsy for my present, just can't seem to make up my mind....

I feel blond today

2010-04-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

too bad you can't change your hair color as easily as you do your clothes or I would be blond today.

ps. yes that is me, I went blond for a few years.

just another spring day

2010-04-29T06:24:00.000-07:00

I snapped these pics outside our house last week as we were getting ready to leave for playgroup, they were too sweet not to post! Our azaleas are doing very well this year, last year they looked really bad so we almost pulled them out, so glad we didn't now because they are beautiful!

Trying to pick a flower

She got one!

Then she tried to put it back....

Thanks for looking!

I didn't make the bed today

2010-04-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

but took an OOTD because I love my mint Euginia Kim hat soooo much!!! It's great to just throw on a hat and look cute even when you didn't wash your hair.

My skirt makes my hips look kinda wide, but it's so comfy I don't care. I need more skirts that are loose so I can sit on the floor with baby R so that's why I got it, pencil skirts are a tad awkward to get down and back up in without flashing everyone. I wore my Old Navy jersey skirts to death last year but they are too big now (yay!) so I need more casual skirts in their place.

hat: Eugenia Kim for Target
tank: Old Navy
necklace: American Eagle
skirt: Target
sandals: Target

Haircut and Hats

2010-04-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

I got my first haircut since the beginning of December, a long time for me! Trying to grow my hair out so that's why I waited so long, to jump start the growth. I've been taking prenatal vitamins, but just started Biotin, so hopefully that helps. I couldn't get a good picture because it's overcast here and the lighting is funny in my foyer. I asked the stylist for side-swept bangs that I can push to either side, not sure yet if I love them or not, she cut them farther over than I am used to, but they have grown on me quite a bit. I think I will love them in a few days once I am used to them.

shirt: Old Navy
Necklace: Vera Wang for Kohls

Also, I picked up two of the Eugenia Kim for Target hats

Mint:

Black:

I don't really like the way the black one sits on my head so I think I will take it back and possibly exchange for this one:

bonus pic of baby R wearing my hat

Cynthia Vincent for Target wedges

2010-04-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

I picked these up on Friday at my local Target, they only had 2 pairs and one was in my size!!! I was on the fence about keeping them till the ladies on fashionism talked me into it, they really are super hot and pretty comfortable too!!! Fit is true to size for me

a before and after

2010-04-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot of cleaning and home decorating lately, and one of the best ways to update furniture is to put a coat of paint on them. These are the chairs to our breakfast room dining set, we've had them since we got married, 7 years, and I have no idea why it never occurred to me to paint them before! It took a lot of watching HGTV to give me the push and I can't wait to finish the rest of the chairs and table! It just takes soooo long because I put two coats of primer on and then two coats of paint and each coat has to dry for 24 hours so I am very ready for it to be done

Such a simple fix that makes such a difference!

back to the land of the living

2010-04-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

All last week baby R was sick with a stomach bug, which I promptly caught (or may have been food poisoning, not really sure) but we are both all better now and feeling a little cabin fever from being shut in for so long. Well.... we did go to Target once or twice, I could be on my death bed and still drag myself to Target!! I can't wait to get some sunshine though so we can go out and play in it now that we are feeling better.

I have been busy working on some home projects which I will post when I get around to taking pictures, and I also have a great craigslist score that I can't wait to share!

My Little Fashionista

2010-04-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

We just got our Robeez order, which are baby R's first pair of big girl shoes with real soles. She's not too sure what to think about them though as you can see in the pictures. The soles are flexible, but a little heavier than the soft slipper soles she has been wearing. She refused to take any steps in them, just kept looking down at them so we'll have to work on that.

She has the fashion blogger poses down, doesn't she?

Robeez Mini Shoez Hibiscus MJ in Fuschia

and

Robeez Mini Shoez 3D Mouse in Pink

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

I have a black thumb

2010-04-02T21:19:00.000-07:00

Every plant I've tried to grow has died on me, I kill with love though. I always have the best intentions by watering although I sometimes forget a day. Not sure if the occasional lack of watering kills it or if it's the excessive watering once I remember. Either way my mother, bless her heart keeps trying to help me cultivate my inner gardner. This last visit, she brought me a strawberry planter with everything needed to grow strawberries. I'm sure I did something wrong while planting, packed soil too much or too loosely, put too much dirt on top of each plant, ect, but only time will tell if I can get them to successfully grow.The directions were not very helpful either so I don't have very high hopes in this endeavor.

happy birthday!

2010-03-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

my baby turned one on Thursday, hard to believe it's been a whole year, she has changed so much!

just a few hours old

just a year later and she's ready to eat some cake!

a few new purchases

2010-03-26T19:47:00.000-07:00

I placed a Kohls order recently and got two winners!

Lauren Conrad for Kohls dress, I need to find a ruffle slip under this to make it work for Easter, but I love it! The belt is from Anthro, shoes are Boutique 58

Lauren Conrad for Kohls ruffle skirt, adore this one so much, I want it in black now! Top is from Old Navy

And I got this Liberty of London for Target dress, I need to get the bust taken in a little, but this should be a cute dress to wear this summer around town running errands.

It is finally warming up here in VA and I am so excited for warm weather! Picnics in the park, playing with baby R at the playground, cannot wait!!! Now that she is walking we will be much more active and visit the local sightseeing spots, something I was not interested in doing last year at this time because she was so little and getting out (even to Target!) was so very hard to do.

who knew plastic baby toys could be so cute?

2010-03-18T22:53:00.000-07:00

I was online browsing for toys for baby R and came across these on the Toys' R Us site:

and I can't wait till she is old enough for one of these from Pottery Barn Kids!

thumb sucker

2010-03-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

We were at a birthday part a few weeks ago and someone snapped these pics of Rachel and I

busy planning my baby's party

2010-03-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

I recently sent out the handmade invitations for R's first birthday party, I am getting so excited for it, just a week away!

I also have some home projects I've been working on, a year and one month after moving in our house, I have finally finished painting all the rooms in the house! Except for the basement, that will stay white.

girly trench

2010-03-05T16:09:00.000-08:00

sunglasses: Marc by Marc Jacobs
trench: Target Merona from a few years ago

my dream master bedrooms

2010-03-04T18:56:00.000-08:00

me and my baby

2010-03-03T08:13:00.000-08:00

Kohls finds

2010-02-27T07:41:00.000-08:00

Becca on beaisforbeautiful posted a similar ruffled skirt from Target on her blog a few months ago, I've wanted to find one since then, so I was absolutely thrilled to see this online!!! Just have to track one down in store now....

Lauren Conrad for Kohls ruffled skirt, also comes in black and ivory

I am a sucker for grey and black! also Lauren Conrad for Kohls:

I have a similar one to this from last year, so I'd probably get this in black, the pink is so pretty though!

Elle rosette top:

Such a fun print, it makes me happy to look at it! I can see this with a denim pencil skirt or skinny jeans and a long cardigan. Simply Vera Wang top:

I've had my eye on this skirt for awhile, I really love it, it fits well but other than the color black, I'm not sure what else I would wear with it. Would be super cute though with black tights and pumps.

Simply Vera Wang:

to keep or not to keep

2010-02-26T08:09:00.000-08:00

I've needed a long black cardigan for awhile now so I bought this cardigan online at JCrew and am not sure if I should keep it or not.

always cardigan in black:

I haven't bought from JCrew in forever so I ordered up as usual, but it feels a little big on me, what do you think? I just threw it on over my jeans so pardon the unstyling

and I tried it on over this dress, what do we think? let's pretend I'm wearing tights and boots lol

Is it too long? should I keep looking?

Nutter Butter Pie

2010-02-16T05:37:00.000-08:00

This is the most amazing peanut butter pie, I made it this weekend and it is soooo good! No baking required either, which is win in my book! I do love to bake but sometimes it's nice to make something that you don't have to time perfectly and worry about overcooking. Sorry about the pic too, I meant to take a pic before I started eating the last piece but forgot....

Makes 8 servings, prep time: 15 mins

CRUST:
24 Nutter Butter sandwich cookie
5 Tbsp butter, melted

FILLING:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 tub (8oz) whipped cream, thawed and divided

Crush cookies and mix with butter. Press onto the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie plate.

Mix cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed till well blended. Gently stir in 1 1/2 cups of whipped topping. Spoon into crust.

Freeze 4 hours or overnight until firm. Let stand for 1/2 or until pie can be cut easily. Garnish with remaining whipped cream and additional cookies if desired.

Enjoy!!!

it must be cabin fever

2010-02-06T17:39:00.000-08:00

because I am considering getting bangs again! I have been growing my bangs out for the past 2 years, I did love my bangs but they didn't always co-operate, plus I moved and hadn't found a stylist I loved so I ended up growing them out after a few months. I watched 'Yes Man' this afternoon (freaking hilarious BTW, LOVE Jim Carrey) and Zooey Deschanel's hair in it is just adorable!

I couldn't find any good clips online and already deleted it off my DVR so these will have to do:

with Jim Carrey:

At a 'Yes Man' premiere

and this one is just because her makeup is so pretty here!

some other bang inspiration:

Reese Witherspoon

Lindsay Price

and no bang post is complete without a few pictures of Anne Hathaway in 'The Devil Wears Prada'

Baby it's cold outside...

2010-02-06T09:20:00.001-08:00

so we are getting a ton of snow here in Virginia, my husband measured it and we have 17 inches so far and counting! It's supposed to snow till about 8pm so no telling how much more we'll get before then! I'm already getting a little cabin fever, we'll probably spend the rest of the day watching movies and browsing online as long as our power stays! I may also use this opportunity to do some much needed organizing and cleaning, we'll see if I get bored enough, lol

the view from our front door:

measuring the snow:

our back porch:

my standard lounge/snow outfit, comfy and warmth is key!

hoodie: american eagle
pants: target
cuddling up with DH and the baby, watching the snow fall: priceless!

stay warm!

These boots were made for walkin'.....

2010-01-29T09:21:00.000-08:00

I want to give a shoutout to my favorite black boots by Marc Fisher, I wear them all the time, shopping, errands, mommy group, even with a 3 inch heel they are not a problem to wear all day long! It's hard to find boots that fit my ginormous calves as well so these were a great buy for me.

I am wearing the crap out of this anthro sweater!!! I am normally not very good at figuring out different ways to layer things so I am really regretting not buying it in more colors =(

dress: old navy
sweater: anthropologie
boots: marc fisher

Ladies Night!

2010-01-26T07:04:00.000-08:00

Last night I got to go out to dinner with some other mom friends, it was so nice to get to go out without the baby! Much as I love her, it's good to get some time away from her and husband was sweet enough to watch her for me and put her to bed while I was out! We were going to see 'The Lovely Bones' after dinner but dinner took longer than we expected and we were all tired and decided to call it a night.

Sorry that I haven't posted anything in awhile, I've been in a little bit of a funk lately, maybe it's a case of the winter blues, I don't know but I am feeling better now and plan on posting more in the future. We also been busy painting the bedrooms in our house ourselves, I'm become quite a good painter! I'm also decorating my craft room which I am very excited about! Will post some pics once I am finished but it will be awhile.

sweater dress: JCrew
boots: Marc Fisher
earrings: rockandgold on etsy

7 Years of Wedded Bliss!

2010-01-04T08:07:00.001-08:00

DH and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary on Dec 28th, I can't believe it's really been 7 years, there have been ups and downs like any couple, but the ups have far outweighed any of the downs, we've learned from our mistakes and are still working out the art of compromise. We've also done a lot in the past 7 years, lived in Europe for almost 3 years, moved back to Georgia for awhile with family before moving up here to Virgina 2 years ago because of husband's job, bought a house and had a baby, who knows what's next for us! I would post a picture of both of us on our wedding day, but DH is a very private person which is a pity because he looked sooo handsome in his uniform!

My mom watched the baby for a night so we could have some alone time. We went to a resort in Atlanta on Stone Mountain Park which we highly recommend, it was so relaxing to get away just us two. We also had a couples massage, loved every minute of it, we should make it a regular thing!

We didn't take any pics of the park since we've been to Stone Mountain before, but this was really cool, Snowflake Lane!

here's what I wore to dinner:

dress: Forth & Towne (so sad they are no longer around)
belt: Anthro
pashmina: Target
shoes: BCBGirls

closeup of my makeup, I hadn't done a matte, nude lip in awhile, I love ti so much I will be doing it again in the near future

Eyes: Stila Kitten and Diamond Lil eyeshadows, Urban Decay Zero liner, Lancome mascara
Face: Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, Stila Gerbera convertible color blush
Lips: Sephora lip pencil in Nude #114, MAC Freckletone lipstick

OOTD: heathered and faded

2009-12-13T18:29:00.000-08:00

I just had some Christmas shopping to do this past weekend so I was pretty casual, nothing exciting. I also got my hair cut, I tried a new stylist and she cut it too short, bleh. I am really thinking of letting my hair grow out again, it was sooo much easier to style and I never had to worry about getting a bad haircut because all the stylist did was take an inch or two off and add a few layers. I won't post a pic of it because I hate it, but you can see the length in the photo below. I'm a tad annoyed too that it will look like this in all the Christmas photos, maybe I should wear a sack over my head or just avoid the camera at all, but that will be hard since it is baby R's first Christmas =(

And I promise I was wearing shoes before, I was just too lazy to go downstairs and get them, nothing interesting, just black ballet flats, so comfy and cute for running errands on the weekend. I just love this Anthro sweater, it's so easy to layer over jeans or a skirt, wish I'd gotten it in more colors.

tee: Target
sweater: Anthropologie
jeans: American Eagle

Anyway, I am almost done with my Christmas shopping, just need to buy a few frames, print on some photos to put in the frames and I am done! Well, except for the wrapping, I haven't wrapped a single present yet, better get on it....

a very late Thanksgiving post

2009-12-07T23:00:00.000-08:00

sorry this is so late, as soon as Thanksgiving was over, I had to start shopping, cooking and decorating for Christmas, so it's been crazy! Plus the baby and I have had a bad cold this week and I am finally feeling normal again.

baby R and I watched the Macy's parade together Thanksgiving morning before I started cooking, how cute is this?!??

look at that smile!

We stayed home for Thanksgiving since my husband's family and mine are 600 miles away so I cooked an entire meal myself again this year. I thought it was pretty yummy, so did hubby, we both ate till we were stuffed! I am glad though that we are going back home for Christmas, I miss my family =(

my poor baby was so tired, she didn't get much attention from me all afternoon because I was cooking

post dinner:

this isn't a particularly flattering angle, husband isn't the best photographer, when you ask him how the picture looked, he says 'good enough' but I am posting this just because I am proud of myself for getting all dolled up for just the three of us after cooking a full meal. I am laughing now that I forgot to apply lipstick and yet I have a full face of makeup on!

dress: JCrew Phoebe from a few years ago (on a side note, I've had to diet like crazy to get back into this post baby and I finally fit, yay!)
shoes: Dolce Vita
earrings: tiffany's

How did you spend Thanksgiving? Where will you be spending Christmas?

OOTD: Girl's shopping day

2009-11-21T20:02:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, I have been taking pictures of my outfits, but too lazy/busy to post them so I will be posting a few this week with my current ones. Like this one is from last Saturday, but we'll pretend that it's from today. Last Saturday my husband had to work so the baby and I went shopping together and made a Old Navy/Target/Trader Joe's/Starbucks run.

she's obsessed with my ears, lol

cami: Gilligan O'Malley nursing tank
cardigan: Old Navy
jeans: American Eagle
necklace: American Eagle (wish I had a closeup, sorry!)
shoes: Loeffler Randall for Target

Today, we actually had a date afternoon which was so nice! We saw a movie and had dinner, I wanted to see New Moon and he wanted to see 2012, both were sold out so we saw the next movie playing, 'Law Abiding Citizen'. It was a good movie, but not at all what we were expecting from the previews. More gore and twists than was shown in the previews. Overall though, very cool, I especially enjoyed Gerald Butler, I've been following him since his 'Phantom of the Opera' days and he was as yummy as ever. If you aren't into dramas though then wait till it's on DVD, worth a rental for sure

OOTD: Turquoise Tuesday

2009-11-11T10:32:00.000-08:00

this is yesterday's outfit,

tissue tee - Target
dress - Target
tights - Simply Vera Wang
booties - Nine West
necklace - etsy

I actually won the necklace through a contest on etsy stalker, yay! it's from Harold and Jane, check out the necklace here and the rest of her great jewelry

OOTD: navy does go with black!

2009-11-06T11:57:00.000-08:00

I haven't taken an outfit of the day in so long, the baby was napping so I had a chance to really think about what I wanted to wear and take pictures, yay!

I added a long necklace after taking the pictures, but will probably end up throwing a pashmina over it anyway so I don't know why I bothered, lol

top: old navy
skirt: target
boots: Marc Fisher
can't see the earrings but they are from Tiffanys, a gift from my sweet husband!

curent read: Revolutionary Road

2009-11-06T06:19:00.000-08:00

Revolutionary Road, by Richard Yates

I just finished reading this, after seeing the movie I ran across it in the library and thought I’d give it a try. The movie was good, but the book was even better because the book allowed you to get in the characters heads more and understand their actions, something a movie can’t quite capture sometimes. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet did an outstanding job of personifying Frank and April Wheeler.

The book is set in 1955 in the suburbs of New York, Frank has a job in the city while April is a housewife and stay at home mother to their two children. They are both bored with their current lives and meaningless day-to-day activities so they decide to move to Paris, France for Frank find himself and so they can start fresh. This plan brings new life into their marriage but their plans are brought to a standstill when April finds out she is pregnant. Determined to go ahead with their plans to move to Paris, she plans an at home abortion but Frank talks her out of it, causing tension between them. This event coincides with Frank getting a chance to move up in the company he despises, but the lure of more money is giving him another reason to stay, causing even more tension and resentment between them. It all comes to a climax and a decision is made, but I won't give the ending away! There is much more I'd like to say about what I took away from the book, but can't find the words to express it, so if you'd like a better review, check out this one:

http://thebookladysblog.com/2008/12/10/book-review-revolutionary-road-by-richard-yates/

If you haven’t seen the movie already but want to, I recommend reading the book first. I wish I had because it will make some things in the movie clearer, I was a little confused at times. I may re-watch the movie now that I have finished the book, I think I will enjoy it much more this time around. Kate and Leonardo do not disappoint, giving stellar performances in their first movie together since Titanic.

ps. how beautiful if Kate's dress in the above picture? I loooove it

every girl needs one of these

2009-11-03T21:46:00.000-08:00

it's hard to look glamorous in pajamas so why not add some style to your sleepwear? I got one of these sleeps masks like Holly Golightly's in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', (one of my favorite movies of all time) and really love using mine.

you can find it on the fred flare website for $14. You can also get 30% off with the code 'preview' but only till 11/16/09. Get one for yourself today and pick up a few as gifts for Christmas while you're at it!

I am a huge Audrey Hepburn fan, so finding a cheap thrill to emulate her fabulous style in the movie really excites me!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

It was baby R's first Halloween, isn't she a cute pumpkin?

there's a fun story behind these pumpkins, we went to a small pumpkin stand near our house to pick them out, and while we were there, it started pouring rain! I ran for the car with the baby, but poor Chris had to quickly pick out our pumpkins, pay for them and load them into the car, he was absolutely soaked by the time he got in the car!!! Anyway, there are two sets of pumpkins, 3 each, there's a big one for Daddy, a medium one for Mommy and a small one for the baby!

Hope you had a great Halloween!

why are little girls clothes so cute??

2009-10-27T21:03:00.000-07:00

I made the fatal mistake of going into a 'Janie and Jack' store last month and now I cannot get a few items out of my head! They have the best baby clothes ever.

how adorable is this skirt? I would totally wear one too if it came in my size!!

super cute sweater to go with the skirt

and of course this beret to top it off

and the total for just these three items? $93.99

I have a hard time justifying it when baby R can only wear them for a few months, if only babies didn't grow so fast *sigh* maybe I'll ask for them for Christmas, Grandmother might want to spoil her a little =)

Two more items to drool over:

It's a baby capelet!!!

Too cute for words

one of my favorite fall/winter looks

2009-10-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

this is just a pashmina that I used as a scarf, one of my favorite ways to dress up a blah outfit. I wear them most often with jeans and a tee around town, but of course it works with dressier outfits as well!

Just fold it in half creating a loop, wrap around your neck longwise, then pull the ends through the loop, very easy!

ps. Sorry about the dirty mirror!

pics from our trip to the Shenandoah Mountains

2009-10-20T21:25:00.001-07:00

We had a great time, but it was so cold! It was supposed to be a nice, relaxing picnic, but it we were freezing so we crammed the food down our throats and got back in the car ASAP!

Rachel trying to sit up by herself, no small feat on uneven ground!

I swear I'm wearing a cute outfit under the hoodie, I even wore a chunky necklace but I had to take off to put on DH's hoodie =(

gah, I need a haircut badly, I need to hurry up and decide what style I want to do with it, you can also see my grown-out hair color, ewww

this one always makes me laugh, she was expecting a different food!

my smiley baby =)

We even went to a super cool winery, Shenandoah Vineyards, highly recommend their wine, especially their Rebel Red, it's a great red wine for white wine drinkers. I normally hate red wine, but this stuff I love! They also had some great wine wines, DH liked their table wine, but I prefered the Riesling, so we got some of both! Wish I had some pictures of their vineyards but alas, I forgot to take some.

love Victoria Beckham

2009-10-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

she dresses so ladylike but with an edge, plus she has the best shoe collection!!

this one is from her own collection, I love that she wears her own designs

just what you've always wanted to see!!!

2009-10-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

yep, that is the figure of a woman made of peaches! I stumbled across it in one of my google searches and just had to post, I may even put it as my title image, it is *that* awesome. Why would some make thisyoumay ask?

"Ella" is a giant sculpture made from about 24,000 peaches! It was created by BMF Sydney to advertise Ella Baché’s (slogan: "Skin good enough to eat") skin care products.

oh and by the way, Chick-fil-A's Peach shake rocks! Kinda craving one now actually....

I want this whole look

2009-10-09T01:29:00.001-07:00

everything about it is perfect, but especially the capelet! I am currently obsessed with finding the perfect capelet and I've come close, but not quite finding what I want. Well this is is, except black or gray would be a better color for me, but I love this so much, well done Natalie!

who doesn't love a cape?

2009-10-02T19:08:00.001-07:00

I've always been a sucker for capes, something about the air of mystery that they give off and the way they swoosh behind you.

Christian Bale was especially drool worthy in one

who doesn't love the Phantom?

and Darth Vader is the coolest villain ever

(you're totally humming Darth Vader's theme now aren't you?)

I love a masked man in a cape, I'm trying to convince my DH to go next year as Darth Vader and I can go as Princess Leia, but I still have some pleading to do before next year, I'd settle for Batman though as long as I still get to be Leia!

Anyway, all this was leading up to the fact that I want a cape this fall, not a full cape, I don't think I can pull that off, lol, but a short, cropped cape, also known as a capelet.

I tried on this Target cape yesterday and it was soooo unflattering, too much volume I think was why it looked so bad on, it may look better on you skinny minnie's though

I absolutely adore this one from Anthropologie, but ivory with a small baby is a death sentence

I like this one from F21, but I think it may have too much volume like the Target one

these from Tulle are pretty neat too, sorry for the links, the tulle website won't let me copy the pictures:

TULLE - tulle : jackets and coats : Vintage Wool Cape

TULLE - tulle : jackets and coats : Cape

I would prefer something more cape-like, but this one from Old Navy may be my best bet, because of my hourglass shape, my waist needs to be accentuated or I look shapeless. Now just to wait for it to go on sale....

my anthropologie order!

2009-09-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is so late, I got the order last week and I'm finally now posting about it, bad I know.

this is the blooming phlox tank in dark grey, it's a medium which fits perfectly. The grey is more of a blue grey, almost a dark navy actually to me. It's a tad sheer, but not enough to see through, I sometimes do wear a cami under it though

closeup of the flower detail, they are still a little flat from being packaged up

here's the tie front sweater by Moth, I absolutely adore it, already worn it twice! it will work so well transitioning to fall with long or short sleeves. I really want it in some other colors, planning a trip to Anthro sometime soon, so hopefully they will have some in-store.

Ignore the crying baby, she lost patience with me and my pictures, lol

still waiting on the belt, on backorder till October 10, hope it ships before then though *crosses fingers*

on a side not, these are the pants I posted about earlier, I didn't think I would ever fit back into them, but I do now, yay! I can also fit back into my skinny jeans, all I need to do now is get back into my premarriage clothes and I'm be really happy! Living in Europe for a few years added some pounds, the food there is so good!!!

something has been lacking in my wardrobe...

2009-09-21T12:28:00.001-07:00

and it's this lovely top from JCrew!

I know I recently had a post ranting about JCrew but that was before I saw this top, it is so lovely! This picture is actually from O Magazine, thanks to JCrew Aficionada for posting about this top in a post yesterday! It also comes in navy and ivory, but it's more standout in the pink color to me, sooo pretty!

it reminds me of this top from Kohls that I have in magenta, it's no longer in stores, but when it was, it also came in this green color and black. Sorry I don't have a pic of me wearing it!

Toddlers and Tiaras night!

2009-09-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

Did anyone watch tonight Toddlers and Tiaras? I try not to be judgmental while watching this show, but who am I kidding, these mom's are nuts! I just can't get over the little girls shaking their butts in their little swimsuits and acting all sexy, it's just so wrong! Pageant moms certainly are interesting to watch, some of them are like a how to of bad parenting. Now I know all pageant moms are not like this so don't go jumping down my throat, but the ones on the show really are a piece of work. Spray tans, fake lashes and nails, airbrushed makeup by a professional makeup artist, highlights, it's unreal what all goes into getting ready to go on stage. Can you imagine all the money that takes? Then they get so excited about winning $500 or $1000 when that is a mere drop in the bucket compared to everything they spent overall to get to that point.

I remember when I was a little girl, I went over to a friends house who was into pageants (they are pretty much a way of life in the south) and she was showing me all her crowns and trophies. I was completely green with jealousy at the time and wondered why my mom didn't put me in pageants, that maybe I wasn't pretty enough, but now I am so relieved my mother didn't put that sort of pressure on me. Learning to play two musical instruments was hard enough!

today is a momentous occasion

2009-09-16T20:44:00.000-07:00

5 1/2 months after giving birth, I am finally back in my pre-pregnancy clothes, yay! All you mom's will understand my excitement, I thought that after gaining 30 lbs of baby weight, I'd never fit it my old stuff again, but I do now! I've been working out a little, and eating more salads and less fast food and it's paying off. I also switched to diet Dr Pepper, no small feat for a Dr Pepperholic like myself, now that I've gotten used to the taste they are yummy, but it took awhile. Now if I can just keep it all up so I can reach my real goal weight, I'm just 17 pounds from it, wish me luck!

bonus picture of baby R and I at my BIL's wedding on Labor Day weekend

I'm so over JCrew

2009-09-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

How adorable is this dress?!? I used to love JCrew, but lately, I've been more into Anthropologie (a lot of this is because of Anthroholic's blog, she's created so many lemmings for me!), JCrew is so expensive and lacks the charm that Anthropologie has. I also detest their final sale policy, how do I know if it will fit when I'm ordering online? Not everyone has a store nearby that they can try it on first, it really is a stupid policy. I can't tell you how many times I've loaded up my cart with sale items but couldn't pull the trigger because of that policy.

I just placed an order yesterday so I could get free shipping, yay! I got this adorable sweater:

this top:

and this belt, which is on backorder till October, hope that it ships before then though!
I am so excited to get everything and will post pics once they arrive!!!

2009-08-17T20:45:00.000-07:00

tonight I made my favorite salad for dinner, it's called oriental salad and it's sooo yummy! Here is the recipe if anyone wants to try it:

1 lb bag of shredded carrots and cabbage
1/3 cup of vinegar
1/3 cup of oil
1/2 cup of sugar
one package of ramen noodles

stir the vinegar, oil, sugar and the seasoning pack from the ramen noodles together, then add the shredded carrots and cabbage, mixing well. Separate the ramen noodles and add right before serving.

Sometimes when I take this to a friends house for dinner, I mix the sauce together in a tupperware container, then toss the noodles and carrot/cabbage right before dinner. I've also halved it for just C and I for dinner, there usually aren't any leftovers =) which works out well since it doesn't really do well later, the noodles get all soggy, yuck

2009-08-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

I finally finished 'The Time Traveler's Wife, yay! And it only took me 3 months! It's not that the book wasn't good, it was, I just have so little time to read these days. I am normally a very fast reader, I read the entire Twilight series in 6 weeks, and those books aren't short! I love reading and I am sad I can't do much right now, but I know that in the future, after Rachel goes to school, I will have time again to read and will probably long for her to be a baby again.

Anyway, back to the 'Time Traveler's Wife', the writing style was very different, it was a little difficult at first to get into it because it went back and forth between Henry and Clare's point of view and between different years, but it got easier the farther I got into it, and the puzzle pieces started falling into place. I am so excited to see the movie, I am trying to get a mom's night out with some other moms, but if that doesn't work out, I will just have to leave the baby with Chris some Saturday afternoon and go by myself. Something seems so magical about going to a movie alone, maybe because I have only done it twice and it was so relaxing. It was so wonderful to not haggle over which movie to see and to have the popcorn all to myself, sans tons of butter and salt. I think what appeals to me now though is the the peace and quiet, lol.

Anyone else excited about seeing the movie too? Rachel McAdams seems so cute in the previews, I love her! I saw one of her first movies (The Hot Chick) and have been following her ever since.

I finally did it!

2009-08-10T22:08:00.000-07:00

after threatening to do it all summer, I finally cut my hair! I lost quite a lot of length, and while I am happy with the cut (right now anyway, it changes throughout the day) I do miss my long hair, it took me 4 years to get it long and I wanted it even longer, but it was time. It took too long to dry and style for me as a new mom, plus I was shedding like crazy, at least now the strands I lose will be shorter! The above picture was my hair size weeks ago, below is my new haircut!

I did hate it at first, but like it now that I'm more used to it. I feel like something is missing though, I will have to think about what it is before my next appointment so we can tweak it. I am thinking about dying it at home, maybe this weekend....

I finally won something!

2009-08-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

I think I must have the worst luck ever because I never, ever win contests, and pretty much every team I've ever been on loses (not that I'm good at sports anyway). I've never bought a lottery ticket just for this reason, I feel like a bad luck charm, so when I just found out that I won $20 in bevello bucks for entering their contest, I was ecstatic! I just need to figure out what to get now, no easy task with so many beautiful things to chose from! Good timing too because I need a little pick me up, Rachel is teething this week. My sunny, sweet baby has turned into a screaming, chomping little monster. I feel so bad for her =(