Thursday, February 28, 2013

A Little Pinspiration

Well, well, well, look what struck again. A little Pinterest inspiration never hurt anyone, right? Really though, how the heck did we get dressed in the morning, plan a wedding, make dinner, have a baby or exercise before this magical creature came to life? I do know that my world is a little more creative because of it.

I saw this outfit to the left. I fell in love with the simplicity and wanted to copy it ASAP. Plus, styling red skinny jeans isn't the easiest task.

So, I put my own s-pin on it and came up with this little medley.

GET THE LOOK HERE:
Sweater: Target (exact) | Top: Old Navy (exact) | Jeans: Old Navy (exact) | Boots: Francescas (option) | Necklace: J.Crew (option) | Bag: Forever 21 (option)

What are your favorite things to repin? Fashion? Food? Family? Or just fun?

And before I go, I have to give a shout out to the hubs. He never fails me when it comes to being my photog. I would never have fashion posts if it weren't for him. There are not many men out there that would take pictures of their wives/girlfriends several times a week for a little blog post. He rarely complains, takes time out of his busy day and is EXTREMELY patient with me. He's pretty much a saint. I love you, Ross. Your efforts and thoughtfulness never go unnoticed, even if I don't always express it with words and affection. You are my partner in everything!

Linking up with Katie & Stephanie today!
And....
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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Random Wednesday #22 - Over Thinking

Top: Forever 21 (option) (option)| Skirt: J.Crew (exact) | Belt: Target (option) (option) | Wedges: Payless (option) (option) | Necklace: c/o K.O. Jewelry (exact)

Oh man, where do I begin? 

I have so much rummaging through my head right now. I don't know if it's from what blew in from the crazy "A" wind storm we had on Monday (hence the blown hair in the pictures) or if it's due to something we call life. The main culprit that is causing the whirlwind in my head is something I like to call, "The Over Thinking Woman" syndrome.

Do you suffer from it? I think there are a few of us that already joined the club/group. Feel free to sign up in the comment section below. 

I mean, I even went back and forth on posting this outfit. When Ross saw me he looked at me funny (insert me over thinking). I asked if he thought it was "cute", he responded with "it's different". In male terms this means it's not cute. Oh well, I went with my gut, wore it, took pictures and now it's posted here for all the world to see. Now I am thinking, "What do you think about it?" When does all this thinking end?

It doesn't just stop with a simple outfit post for a blog. It goes deeper. 

I am an over analyzer. I evaluate EVERYTHING. I run every possible scenario through my crazy head. Why did he say this? Why didn't she say that? Should I do this? What will happen if I don't do that?  It's a non-stop occurrence. It can drive a person to mix up a rum and diet coke...in moderation of course.

The thing is, I typically always go with my instincts. Are they always right? Heck no, but are they usually close to the bulls eye? The answer is yes. If there is one thing I am REALLY good at, it's sensing situations. I can read people like a book. I can almost always predict outcomes. It just get vibes...good and bad. 

You might be thinking, "Wow, this is kinda cool. I wish I could have this sort of sense of about people and life in general." Well, folks, I am here to tell you, NO, YOU DON'T. It sucks. 

Wanna know why? Because it involves something that I just mentioned a few seconds ago...OVER THINKING.

It's almost as if I focus on a single situation SO much that my "brewing" brings things to real fruition.. Does that even make sense? I don't know. I am just telling you how I feel.

Ross, my mom and several friends seem to have one thing in common, that's telling me to chill. Chill? What does that mean? I am not wired to just sit back and "chill".

If there is something bothering me, I want to hash out the issue immediately. I can't stop thinking about it or let it go if it's not brought to the forefront the moment it starts to get to me. That is how the good Lord created me. And He knows that I wish He made me slightly in the opposite direction. But guess, what? He didn't and there is a reason. Don't know why He chose me for the job, but He did. I have learned to live with it the best I can.

Okay, I am really starting to ramble now. Geesh.

The moral of the story, if you will, is that I know that most women out there DO over think situations, scenarios, life's what ifs.  

"Why did he/she do that?"
"Was that comment on her blog post aimed at me?"
"Why didn't I get invited to that party?"
"Why hasn't he/she called me back?"
"Did they think what I said was rude or judgmental?"
"Does this dress make my butt look big?"
"Why did they unfriend me on Facebook or unfollower me on Twitter?"
"Why was their text message so short?"
"Did I just screw up that interview? Why didn't I answer the question another way?"
"OMG. I made a complete fool out of myself last night. Does everyone think I am crazy?"
"My child doesn't do this or that. Do people think I have zero parenting skills?"
"Why won't they talk to me?"
"What if I do 'this' and fail miserably?"
"Should I stay at my dead end job, or do something that I really love?"
"I made HUGE mistake. Will people forget and forgive me?"

 Sidenote: Examples above are NOT all personal experiences; just scenarios

Have you asked yourself any of these questions? I would bet my life that you have been in at least one of these situations and asked yourself the same exact thing.

You know what? That is okay. It's a slice of humanity and IF we didn't critique what life throws at us we wouldn't be human. Or at least a human with a heart and soul.

Truth is, life sucks sometimes. We all go through seasons, change and growth. One minute all is fine and dandy and then you blink your eye and all hell breaks loose. 

It's all in about how you deal with it. Some may wipe their hands and walk away. Move onto to something else. Not let it bother them. Not give two shizzes.

Others will choose to analyze the heck out of the situation, ask a million questions, push buttons and go the added mile to get their answer.  Rethink. Re-evaluate. Recreate events. Put waaaaaaay to much thought into a particular incident.

At the end of the day, we handle "life" in our own way. That's what makes life interesting.

But I will say, go with your gut. It is a pretty brilliant little organ. It might not always mean that the ending turns out how you expected, but I least you did what you thought was right at the time.

If it didn't turn out as expected, pick yourself up, lean on the people who take care of you and move onto over thinking the next thing that comes your way. Kidding!

Did this resonate with any of you? Or am I the Lone Ranger? Okay, I am doing it again. I am just gonna let your comments speak for themselves.

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One thing I don't have to think twice about is Miss Kelly.

Kelly blogs over at Messy.Dirty.Hair. She is one of those girls that will back up her friends and stand up for what she believes in. She is not afraid to stay 100% true to herself. It's one of the million things I adore about Kelly.

So what's the meaning behind her blog name? Let me sum it up for you, it's called being real, natural, embracing yourself and loving who you are, regardless of your flaws.


If you don't already know, Kelly came up with, in my opinion, one of the BEST blog ideas ever. It's called the Messy Project. It's has been a HUGE success and a genius way to showcase fashion for all walks of life. She personally picks out one item every month. Sends it to four other bloggers (plus gets one for herself) and then they all style the same piece on the same day and blog about. I actually participated in the project back in November and sported the same shorts that Kelly is wearing below.


And I must admit, I am a tad bit envious of how Kelly can rock just about any hair color known to man. We'll just call it 50 Shades of Kelly.

Kelly is also a VERY active blogger and is a social media butterfly. So, if you have your own blog, you are gonna be excited about this. She is giving away an advertising spot on her blog worth $50. Someone is going to show up at the bottom of every single one of Kelly's posts. Talk about some serious exposure.

Be sure to enter below and hop over and tell Kelly hello! I know she will be crazy excited to meet you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

   **If you are linking up today, I kindly ask that you follow my blog and link back to it in your post. Oh, and go meet some new friends! 
 
Because Shanna Said So

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy , Lauren, Sarah and Alisa

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Monday, February 25, 2013

What's with the fascinators?

Oh.my.word. I am one exhausted little lady today. This weekend was a non-stop staycation with some of my most favorite loves in all the land. I consumed more food in three days than most people would in an entire week. And we mustn't leave out a couple cocktails here and there. I need to detox like nobody's business. I must admit, it was worth every single calorie, fat gram and pound that was added to the scale.

 
I told you guys on Friday that I would be celebrating at one of my very best friend's baby shower. It was the cutest theme ever (Joy you are genius)

BACKGROUND: We all wore fascinators because Momma-To-Be and her hubs created that baby in her belly at another best friend's wedding that was held in Ireland last year. If you didn't already know this, the Irish are more famous for wearing fascinator hats to weddings than the British. We thought it would be fun to reenact the time of when Baby Jameson was conceived. So, the facinator theme was born.

 
I still crack up when I look at these "mug shots". And let me tell you, we got some looks from people. We were definitely the talk and stare of the afternoon tea. Guess, where I scooped up my fascinator? Claires!! Yes, you know, the place where teenagers go to buy their accessories. I scored this little number on the Valentine's Day clearance rack for $6.00. Yes, I won cheapest hat. You know I am budget kind of girl.

We had the shower at Walton's Fancy and Staple on 6th Street in Downtown Austin. Sandra Bullock owns it and we all had our fingers crossed she would pop in to sip some tea/champagne with us. No such luck. This place is ADORABLE, the food was heavenly and I highly recommend checking it out if you are nearby.

Two fun details: 
1. The baby shower game we played was match the celebrity couple to their baby. All of us girls are pretty up to date with celeb gossip, so this was a serious race to the finish. The guest of honor kicked all of our tails and got all her answers right. This is such a fun idea if you are looking for an easy and fun baby shower game.

2. The winners of the game won a set of "Royal Family" tea bags. Freaking hilarious to have Prince Harry take a "dip" in your tea cup.

Karolyn, I love you so much and was honored to be part of this special day. I can't wait until sweet Jameson is here to hold and kiss.

We ended the day at Austin Cake Ball Kitchen and Bar for one last calorie gorge before everyone had to head back home. This place is super cozy, but sleek and modern at the same time. They have fab cocktail choices, yummy apps and the balls are the bomb. The only complaint is that they don't serve full meals anymore. All that was available to eat were tapas and cake balls. We were STARVING; we hadn't eaten since 11:00 AM that morning. Needless to say, between the six of us we ordered pretty much every single appetizer on the menu times two. I am sure the servers were doing cartwheels in the back when they handed us our bill, but also shocked mortified by how much food six girls could consume in two hours.

I figured after all the food and alcohol that entered into my body, I needed some sort of exercise. Putt-putt golf it is. Sunday was full of sunshine and warmth, so we headed to the "golf course" for a couple of rounds. I wonder how many calories I was able to burn? Guess I should go Google that.

Boo that this weekend came and went, but I have no fear, it's happening again in less than one month. Round two in March for another baby shower with the same girls...different Momma-To-Be. I think I may need prepare my body a little better this time, maybe eat like it's my job the entire week before. 

Have a great week, friends!!

I am linking up with:
Leeann Monday Morning Gossip
Sami Weekend Shenanigans
Molly and Carly for YOLO Mondays.


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Friday, February 22, 2013

Rejuvenated

GET THE LOOK HERE:
Top: Target (exact) (option)| Vest: Old Navy (option) (option) | Jeans: Express (option) (option) | Scarf: Francesca's (options) | Shoes: Urban Outfitters (exact) (option) | Bag: Target (exact)


Yesterday, I took the day off from almost everything related to blogging or work. Yes, I dabbled a little on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and answered a few (very few) emails. Besides sitting down and writing this post, blogging/styling projects were non existent. Did I miss interacting as I normally would do on a Thursday? Of course. It actually felt sort of weird, but refreshing at the same time.

After writing a novel on Wednesday about how I am struggling with finding a healthy balance in my life, I decided that I needed to take charge and make things happen. I caught up with a few girlfriends, marked things off my list that have been lurking for days, enjoyed the glorious sunshine and had a long dinner with my family. This may sound crazy, but taking just one day for myself left me feeling rejuvenated.

I was actually even thinking about skipping out on today, but I had sort of thought the outfit I wore to dinner last night was somewhat blog worthy. Plus, most importantly, I needed to chat with all you ladies before the weekend.

Speaking of weekends, I have been waiting for THIS one for almost two months. It's my girl, Karolyn's, baby shower. Her sweet bundle of boy joy will be arriving in April. You might remember me being in her wedding back in May. That baby bump didn't take long did it?
I get to spend the ENTIRE weekend with some of my most favorite ladies in the whole wide world. We have all been friends since college and have seen each other through thick and thin. These girls are my life lines and are like family. We only get to see each other every few months. It won't get too crazy though, three of them are preggers. I DO know that there will be plenty of laughs, probably a few tears and massive amounts of picture posing.

Alrighty, gotta run. I have a lunch date with an old, dear friend. You know...the one I completely forgot about meeting on Tuesday? Yep, not forgetting this time because Momma's "balance" is in full effect. Okay, let's be honest...it's in half effect. Gotta start somewhere, right?

Happy weekend, sister kitties!

P.S. You guys killed me, in a good way, with all your genuine and sincere comments on Wednesday. I read every single one. Some made me laugh, some made me cry and ALL of them touched my soul. I am blessed.

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