6.30.2011

Holiday Shopping


I decided to go on a virtual shopping spree at 3 of my favorite stores.

4th of July is the absolute best fashion holiday, and here are the pieces I would pull together from each store for some killer outfits.

#1.
 

#2


#3.

Which look are you feeling for this holiday weekend?

I think I'll be trending closely to the J.Crew look.

6.29.2011

WILW


1. Pandora on my TV
There is something about the fact that I can simply turn the TV on and blast out that I am seriously loving this week. 
My favorite channel right now is Eric Hutchinson. Check him out.

2. Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pretzels
Ohhhh, these are good. If you dip them in cream cheese - they're gonna blow your world up.

3. Long weekends
Well, who doesn't love long weekends, but this long weekend ahead of us I am SO ready for. I need a few days where I'm around people I love and that make me laugh. I have such a fun weekend planned, it is honestly the only thing getting me through this week. 

4. Jello Flag Cakes
My favorite 4th of July dessert! This low-cal dessert is always such a hit at parties, and couldn't be easier to make. The recipe I use is straight from Jello.com - it's another really easy "semi-homemade" recipe.


5. Softball Games
 I am so happy that I joined our work softball league this summer. It's such a fun night and I do it for no other purpose than to just have fun. Do you have anything in your life that you do ONLY for fun? 


6. Million Dollar Decorators
Have you seen this? 
Yes? 
Okay good...than I don't need to say anything else.

Except that I want to have a drink with Mary. I bet she drinks tequila on the rocks - no lime, no salt.
 Can we cross our fingers that today is better than yesterday.

6.28.2011

Dear Diary,

Today bit me in the ass....hard

Preface:
A while back, I was promoted to a management position, and the team I'm managing began their first week on Monday. It's a training week and things are crazy. I'm getting up around 5am in order to be at work before 7 so that I can get some work done before training starts at 9.

Chapter #1

I forgot my coffee at home so I had to go buy a starbucks (Non-Fat Chai Tea Lattee 1 pump vanilla) at 8:55, right before I had to begin our first meeting of the day. I got into the elevator and thought maybe the elevator smelled bad before I quickly realized I must have grabbed the wrong drink which was a nasty concoction of coffee and dirt. (I'm a coffee drinker, but S.bux is jet fuel that I cannot handle)

Chapter #2
I all of a sudden have a horrible cold. My body is weak and tired - my head feels like a bowling ball, my throat is scratchy, and I can't breathe out of my nose. Oh, and I'm leading meetings from 9-4 sounding like the lockness monster.

Chapter #3  
I'm trying to eat well and lose some weight, and I have a bowl of candy staring at me from 9-4.

Chapter #4
My iphone is still broken. I took it into the Apple store last week and they told me that had to update the software before they could swap out my phone - which they promised would fix the issues. Well, no surprise here, it didn't and now I have to go back to the dang store and get a new phone.

Chapter #5
I'm feeling very discouraged, unappreciated, and secluded at work. I think this is just because my overall mental state is in the shitter, but I kind of feel like Eeyore.

Conclusion
Reread this and grow some kahunas.

Flauxlers

Fake Flowers.

That is the topic on hand this morning.

What is your opinion of phony flowers?

Personally I love fresh flowers - preferably hydrangeas - but really, I'm not picky.

Problem is, real flowers are expensive and hard to keep up with, so what's a girl to do?

Well, I guess like any modern 21st century girl today...when you don't have what you want....you go out and buy a fake version. 

I took inspiration from one of my favorite bloggers, Honey Were Home. I honestly had to do a double take when  I saw her fake flowers, because they look so real to me.



I headed right out to Michael's to try and recreate some of her looks.

Even though I didn't find any good, fake hydrangea's I'm pretty happy with the energy these "Flauxlers"  bring into our home.
 


I'm still on the hunt for a hydrangea for the bathroom, so let me know if you see a good faker out there!

6.24.2011

Fashion Friday




It barely looks like I'm dressing for summer, but Chicago has been weird to us this summer. I'm hoping in the next few days I can put away my sperry's and rain trench, and pull out some skirts and flip flops!

Not too much on the agenda for the weekend.

Tonight, Joel and I are going on a much needed date night to Twist 


Saturday is supposed to finally be nice so we're hoping to get in a run along the lake and maybe even a trip to the zoo or a summerfest.
Tomorrow night we're going out with our friends Dan and Katie for a drink on the rooftop at The Wit followed by dinner at Tavern on Rush.

 


Sunday includes breakfast with my bestie Claire and a big cleaning job at home.

Hope you have a fun weekend ahead of yourself too.

Enjoy your last June weekend. 

P.S. How the hell did that happen?

6.22.2011

totally stylish

 

I've seen these little awards floating around the blog world for a while now, and I was so flattered when I got a sweet email from Sarah, at A Total Basset Case that she had awarded me one of my very own! 

Hear goes nothing!
7 facts about me:

1.  I cannot handle velvet. I absolutely hate it. When I was little, my cousin Liz had a velvet bed spread, along with 3 velvet throw pillows. I slept over at her house and my aunt and uncle figured I was being my over dramatic self, and made me sleep in the bed. The feeling of it all over my body ended up making me puke.

Yes. That is how much I hate velvet.

2. I'm a wino. I love red wine....like love it. My favorite kind of night is one that includes a bottle, yea kids, a bottle of red wine, candles, a bath, and some reality trash.

3. Which brings me to my next topic, I love celebrity gossip. Perez is my BFF. UsWeekly is my favorite newspaper. And reality shows are my news sources.


4. I'm a bath taker. I sort of mentioned that up above, but I take a bath every night.

5. I'm also a true Grandma at heart. I'm 23, I have no desire at all to go to "da clubs", stay out until 4am, wear stripper heels, or contract the clap in Panama City (sorry Jessica! haha). I go to bed before 10, I wear SPF 50 at the beach, I stay in on Friday nights, I like to clean the house, and can't wait to be a stay-at-home mom.

 
6. I suck at painting my nails.

 
7. I'm a work in progress.

 Okay, now it's my turn to tag two of my favorite girlies, one of which who is moving to CHICAGO!




WILW: Cupcake edition


I know this is nothing new, but these fun cupcakes put me in such a good mood, I wanted to share them with you. Spread the joy, right??













Ha! Too bad I have to go to work because I think I could recreate a mean hamburger cupcake!

Happy hump day!

6.21.2011

Stress

I work hard, for 8 or more solid hours in a day. I try and fit a workout during the day, and run any necessary errands that may need to get done. When I get home, I clean out my workout bag, straighten the house, and try and get a healthy dinner on the table. Ohh....and while I'm doing all of this, I'm throwing myself a pity party for how tired, stressed, and exhausted I feel. 

Like right now, I have a headache, and all I want to do is take a hot bath and go to bed.

But, I have friends I need to email, a boyfriend I need to catch up with, a blog I want to maintain, and family that I want to skype with. 

And the fun part is, I get to do it all again tomorrow. 

Here is the thing; this is life. It ain't goin' no where (<< I love to be ghetto)

Plus, I like my life busy. At the end of the day, I feel most productive and valued when I've completed a full days worth of work.

What I do need to change is my attitude, my perception of the day-to-day tasks. I need to find joy in working at my office. If I find what I'm doing to be fun and adventourous, it shouldn't be stressful or painful. I need to recognize that cooking dinner for Joel and I is a fulfilling reward, not an annoying chore. 
I know I'm not the only one who battles with this, but I'm sick and tired of being stressed, unhappy, and grumpy.

My life is TOO GOOD for those wasted feelings.

The mind is a powerful tool, and it truly dictates the way you live your life - or so I believe - and it's time that I start focusing on the positive in order to change my attitude. 

Stories and quotes (from TinyBuddha.com) really inspire me to change, and here are a few that I'm printing out, writing down, saying out loud, and truly listening to.






See, I already feel better!

6.20.2011

sneak peek

I've been a little M.I.A this week

....but for good reason

I was home in Crystal Lake this weekend and was able to catch some rays by the pool (with SPF 50, obvs.)

Made my black bean brownies for another bbq, and yet again, they were a huge hit.

We went for a sunset cruise along the lake

and then on Sunday my family and some cousins went to Arlington Race Track to take in some horse races.

I don't have time tonight to show you all the fun pictures I've been taking, but I promise to give you a big update later this week.

Life's been a wee bit crazay.

In fact, I just finished working for the day (It's 8pm....) but the business team that I am managing is being launched on Monday, so it's getting a little bat shit crazy at the office. 
Hope you're off to a great week!