Sweat in Style

One of my 5 new years resolutions was to make it to the gym at least 4 days a week. This means, that the fellow gymmers will be seeing me more than my friends. I think they deserve to see me sweat in something cute. It's the least I can do since I can pretty much promise my face is going to be red, I'm going to be sweating, and I won't be wearing makeup. Well, I may be wearing makeup if I go after work, but it envitably will be dripping off my eyes...which really won't be pretty. So, in accoradance with my new years resolution - I NEED new gym clothes! Gone are the days of my bar crawl tee doing double duty as work out gear. It's time to update the gym attire.

Here are some looks I like on celebs



Simple seems to be key here. Simple colors, maybe a hat, a change of fendi flats, and a pair of sunglasses seems to turn any workout outfit into a hit. My feeble attempt today (including black capri's, a white hanes top, chanel sunglasses, and a free people coat) doesn't seem to elevate me to Jessica Beil workout hotness....but it will have to do.

Cute to Boot

A boot conundrum:

Hunter Wellingtons $115

Burberry $195

I love both looks. Both are appropriate for work, both can be worn with jeans, both are classic styles. I'm leaning towards the wellies because they may be just a little more versatile.

What I really, really, want.

Entering the work force in one week. Working with 1st graders. It's hard to find appropriate teacher clothes, because I have to find a balance between professional, fashionable, and logical. Jcrew is sort of where my heart tells me to look. Jcrew, and a new pair of TB reva flats. Preferably in python. However, if for some reason, any color of TB reva flats land on my doorstep, I promise I won't care what color they come in.


I am also on the hunt for cotton tights. Again, I would like a spattering of colors. If I could find a combo pack of black, brown, and gray, I would be a very happy teacher.

A few other things that I desperately need in order to be the most fashionably, broke teacher I can be include:




I would have never thought I would don wayfarers, but I'm loving them. They may be a little trendy, so I'm gonna give it til Spring. If I still like um, me and ebay may have a date.

This is probably the first thing I will be getting. It's a classic scarf that instantly makes an outfit. It's an I-want-it-now kinda scarf.



And finally, some outfits that I wouldn't mind replicating every morning:

Sad, Sad, Sad

My sweet comet. I am so heartbroken to say that we had to say goodbye to this little baby yesterday. He lost his battle to a blood disease. We miss you so much.

Paradise

We woke up to beauiful sunrises, and got to watch sherbet colored sunsets

Only 1/2 the group!

Ringin in the new year

It looks like I waited too long to post this, because now, looking through these pictures only depresses me. Our trip was perfect. Great weather, great group, lots of hikes, swimming, and dancing. I even kayaked and snorkeled. Hannah got stung by a scorpion, and we made two trips to the E.R.

All in all, Mexico treated us well.

Adios Amigos

Tomorrow at 6:30am, a limo is arriving to take my family and I to our favorite home (sorry Illinois). No--Santa's sleigh is not arriving to load us to the North Pole (although we are on the short side). We are off to our vacation home in Punta Mita, Mexico! We will be spending the next 15 days in the sunshine, with a crew of 29 other family members who are meeting us there on Christmas Eve. I can't wait to

Walk on the beach...

take dips....

Make friends with the locals....

Take in the views...

Go whale watching in richity boats...

Spy on the beach hotties.....

Read about failed marriages....(I'm still bitter about this one)

See beautiful sunsets...(2-pictures-worthy)

Get a little crazy...

And toast in the new year!

Can you tell I'm excited???

For Emily

Joel and I celebrated our 3rd Christmas together. We exchanged the nicest gifts yet. Joel got a shiny new Swiss Army watch, and I received this david yurman bling below...


Not bad!

An Iowan no more...

University of Iowa, you have served me well. I just moved out of the lovely Iowa City, and am back at home. It doesn't seem long ago that I had moved into the dorms. I was so nervous to meet my random roommate, Jamie, from a small town in Iowa. I came in from a run and she and her family were moving in. There was no turning back. That year, she became my closest friend. She is so different from me; she is the life of the party, with no reservations. She is wild and crazy, loud and spunky, and anyone that gets the unique pleasure of meeting Miss Jamie, can't help themselves from loving her. Four years later, we looked at each other and couldn't believe that time had passed so rapidly. I am forever grateful for meeting Jamie and know that we will be in each other's lives forever.



Our next door neighbor in the dorms was Sara. Our little Sara who wore her pants too high, loved(s) pink, and kept us laughing every single day. Sara is someone I could spend days and days with. She and I could talk for hours, over analyzing every word we've ever said. Sara recently accepted a job offer in Chicago and will be moving to the Land of Lincoln in the next month. I'm so happy that I get to have you all for myself!



My last few nights were spent with all of the people I have truly come to love

1 for 2

I'll take it! Yipee!

Blizzard Warning

Blizzard warning is in effect. Do you think it could blizzard so bad that the Iowa City Public Schools cancel school Tomorrow and Wednesday? That would make me a really happy camper.

"G-O-D Hey! Give us a snow day" - Repeat at least 50 times.

When I was a wee young one, we used to chant this in order to produce a snow day. I think I will start my dancing now.

Please?

Dear Santa:

This is would make for a great teaching interview outfit. Thanks!
Love,
Tess

Thanksgiving

My personal 4th annual turkey trot 5k started off the next few days of celebrations. The weather conditions were not in my favor so I told Joel running for me was going to be a no-go. I told him to call me at 7am on Thanksgiving if it wasn't raining. Sure enough, I got the call. I was sleepy, and didn't want to run, so I told him I was out. For the next 7 minutes I laid in bed yelling silently at myself. Well, 8 minutes later I was frantically tying up my laces and shoving a banana in my mouth. I layered on lots of clothes and headed to the course. 500 people came out to run the turkey trot. It was raining, 30 degrees, and soaking wet everywhere. The course was a trail run so everyone was so dirty. The first 2 miles went fast and were fun, I was running slow, but steady. The last mile was the killer. I finished it without stopping, which was my goal, but my body could tell I hadn't been running for almost 5 weeks.




About an hour after our race, I headed to Chicago for a Thanksgiving dinner. I was so hungry by the time I got there I sort of ruined my dinner with all the yummy appetizers. It was great to hang with the fam and realize what we are truly thankful for. We made lots of great desserts and we were home by 7.







Saturday, we celebrated my momma's 51st birthday. My mom is the greatest. I love her so much, and she knows it. The girl is one of my best friends and I hope to be as cool as she is at the ripe age of 51.