Happy New Year and Hiatus...

Happy New Year all! This is the Christmas card that I send out to my loved ones and wanted to share how cute my sweetie is with all of you as well!  I love that we did not plan the fact that I am in all white and he is in all black!  Good and Evil? Ha ha...

Apologies for the unannounced hiatus.  I really do not know what happened!  I was out of town for Christmas in a land of no wireless (which every once in awhile is a good thing!) and Bean and I still have 2 more x-mas with family to go!  

So Merry Merry to you all and I will be posting my resolutions soon!  I will be a slow poster till after the New Year (as if I am a fast poster now...LOL!)  

Blogging is becoming such a release for me and I am sure that in my New Year's resolutions I will have a better commitment to what I want it to look like for me!

Thanks for all you support.

Loves!

Zara and The Black Nativity

I went to go see The Black Nativity: A Gospel last night and LOVED IT! I have wanted to see it for years and this year Sanjaya (from American Idol fame) was a character in it. He definitely wasn’t the star, as so many of that choir voices were amazing!

I was moved to tears during more than one performance… I wish I could have taken all of you with me!
This is what I wore and I love this outfit so much. It feels like my personality is hanging on the outside of my body…It really sums me up. Bright, complicated, soft, girly, and fun. Enjoy!

Dress: Zara
Shirt: H&M
Necklace: F21
Tights: TJ MAXX
Shoes: Nordstrom

Holiday Party...

In these polished, yet laid back styles, all eyes will be on you! These outfits stand alone, or could be the next big "power" couple! Blending the gold and silver accents on both looks say that we may be together, but we are still individuals. Cocktail or merger, anyone?

Did someone say "Black Tie"? by taralee8 featuring Rafe New York bags

Items in this set:
SEAM DETAIL BELTED PENCIL DRS at Warehouse (United Kingdom)
Tacchi
Rafe New York 'Joy' Long Frame Clutch at Bag Borrow or Steal™
Multi Strnd Turquoise Necklace, $230
Affordable Fashions - Bazaar.com

Holiday MADNESS...

Hi all~

Now that I am trying to be a better and more regular blogger, I have found that it isn't as easy as I thought!  Although it turns out to be my favorite part of the day, the day sometimes doesn't seem long enough.

I have outfit posts on my camera (but not uploaded to the MAC yet).  I am off for the weekend to my parents to celebrate my brother's birthday...

See ya on Sunday with outfit posts!

I leave you with this...

With the weather being in the 20's now, I wish I was back here!  

Loehmanns!

So for those of you who don't know, Loehmanns is like the designer TJ MAXX. I found out about it when I lived in So Cal this summer. I was SURE that we didn't have them where I live until I was driving on a random highway and there it WAS! In all its glory!

I think it is the only one in the state! Bean and I went to visit it the other day and it is so AMAZING! Designer clothes at discount prices (which to me is still too much to spend right now!)

I heart it. A LOT.

Mad for Monday Plaid

I am literally obsessed with these boots.  They slouch a little too much sometimes, but I forgive them.  The fold down option makes me feel a bit piratey (totally not a word but fitting just the same).  Arg Matey!  Happy Monday!

Boots:  Chinese Laundry

Socks:  (Leg Warmers) Goodwill

Dress: TJ Maxx

Vest:  Nordstrom

Bracelet: Aldo

Coat: Gift (years ago...)

Dinner with Friends

We get together with our friends every other week to catch up.  It is such a nice thing to look forward to.  I also made the mistake of looking up the calorie counts for the restaurant we were going to before we left.  I guess in my I am trying to lose 15 lbs mode, it wasn't  mistake but a plan.  Yikes!  How does broccoli have 10 grams of fat in it?  What did you do to it?  Ha ha...

Shoes:  Nicole via Ross

Shirt (worn as a shrug):  American Eagle

Jeans:  Citizens

Dress:  Quiksilver Womens

Belt:  TJ Maxx

Dancing with Myself (in mixed prints)

I love these photos for a lot of reasons.  They were taken at my most favorite place on EARTH:  The Madonna Inn.  It was my first time and there was a real band playing favorites from when my gramma was a girl!  Horn section and all.  I couldn't bear sitting down for one more second, so I jumped up and started dancing by myself.  My loving boyfriend just smiled and took these shots of me mingling with dancers 30 years older than me.  

I longed to be a part of what they had.  I want to be a old woman one day still blushing when my hubby asks me to dance. But I have to say...I rather enjoy dancing with myself!

(cue Dancing with Myself )

Dress and Cardi- TJ Maxx

Boots- ALDO

Earrings- Claires (and now lost... BOO)

P.S. This post would be a lot cooler if you play the music and really dance by yourself with reckless abandon!  

P.P.S. Also I may recycle old outfit pics till I can set up a remote to my camera!  But I will also put new ones up!  

~My first outfit post~ For Tieka!

Here we go with the underlining again... Does anyone have a clue what I have done to make it do that?!?  Oh well.  I'll deal.

So the above is my attempt to take a shot of my outfit yesterday inspired by Tieka over at Selective Potential. 

I am a newbie so please don't judge too hard.  I definitely have questions of how these amazing bloggers get such great quality photos!  I had to run back and forth pushing my timer on then run over and pretend to pose cute and aloof at the same time.  Maybe someday I will post the outtakes!  LOL!

Blazer: Thrifted (Goodwill$5 )

Jeggings (TJ MAXX $12)

Burn Out tee (Urban $23)

Tank (James Perse)

Boots (Chinese Laundry $45)

And so it begins!

(and look at that...No more underlines?  Odd!)

Family Dynamics

Let me start this post with the fact that I love my family. LOTS.

When we get together for holidays, I remember that as a kid this was the only time we were usually all together. My dad was gone for his job a lot, but was home in the winters for the most part. I think that is why I love December so much!

So as much as we all play a role in our family...I am forever the baby. Even though I now have a younger brother, I am still the baby. My dad put it all in perspective for me this weekend with a simple statement: It's the card you have drawn. And it's your choice to play it or not.

And BANG...It made me realize that I DO play it. It is like auto pilot is on when it comes to family dynamics in my family and on a normal day these dynamics are mostly on mute, but on a HOLIDAY it's as if someone turned on the surround sound!

Here is what I am thankful for about my family:

DAD: He is a goofball at all the wrong times, but when you need him to step up... HE ALWAYS WILL. He has a lot of odd wisdom. I love him.

MOM: She is the eternal peacekeeper, but in a quite non-partial way. It takes brilliance to not take sides. And when you get her alone, away from all judgmental eyes and ears, she is the funniest person I have ever met. I love her.

SISTER: She is the epitome of devil's advocate. She plays both sides like a dueling piano. She is a genius like that. She is really great at retaining information and is smart in a way that I will never understand. We are polar opposites and I love her.

BROTHER: He brings joy to all of us for the sheer fact that he is 12 years old.  What a fun time! I love him.

My family can drive me crazy in ways you can't even imagine (or in ways you can!)

But I am thankful everyday that I have them there to drive me crazy. Maybe one day everyone will realize that the family role they play is just that...a role...you can play it or let it go...

And one day I will be able to invite them all to my house and create the Holiday that I have always envisioned in my head. My home, my husband, my kids. But for now, I am thankful to be a part of someone else's dream.