The Wedding Diaries: Bridal Shower Part 2 & The Bachelor Party

We had a very exciting and action packed weekend that started with Chris leaving for Nashville Friday morning. He headed about 5 hours South with friends and family for his bachelor party and from what I hear they all had a great time. Their celebration included golfing, shots, cigars, pretty girls and a live concert so I think it’s safe to say the groom to be properly partied for his last days as a bachelor.Chaos watched over his blanket.

I’ve been fighting seasonal allergies all week so I spent Friday night doing laundry and watching TV with the furbabies. 

 

Saturday morning we were up and out early to take a walk and enjoy the beginning of a beautiful day. In the afternoon the furballs lounged in the sun while I headed off to shop for my own upcoming weekend in Music City. 

Iced coffee in tow, I picked up some cute things from Target and TJ Maxx before braving the mall and the countless high school girls on the search for the perfect prom dress. I was ten years older than all the girls in the dressing room and waited in line for nearly half an hour but I finally walked out with what I had been looking for: a pair of short overalls. I wasn’t sure about jumping on that trend but for some reason I kept having dreams about wearing them! The pair I ended up with came from the junior’s section at JC Penny. I had to go up a couple sizes from what I normally would wear but they were on sale for $25 so I think it was probably worth all the hassle.

I met my mom for pedicures later on and it was so nice to be pampered a bit. I took my pretty pink polished toes home to hang with the kiddos for a little while and then headed back out to meet a very special someone. My friends Lisa and Joey welcomed their beautiful baby girl Zoey Saturday morning weighing in at 9lbs and 23 inches long. Everyone is doing great and I was so excited to hold my new little “niece”. She has perfectly plumped cheeks for days and more hair than I had until I was probably 3. Can you handle the cuteness?!

Sunday graced us with more beautiful weather and I started off the day with coffee on the couch. I talked to Chris and my dad to ensure all the men had survived the weekend and were gearing up to come back home. After a lazy morning I headed off to brunch hosted by my aunts for my second bridal shower. I am beyond grateful that I got to celebrate with more family and friends and their generosity is amazing. I honestly don’t know where Chris and I will put all of our gifts!

 

The guys fought traffic to get home but Chris finally walked in the door by late afternoon and the furbabies were so happy to see him. We sat on our back patio to enjoy the nice weather and some drinks and Chris told me all about his Nashville trip. Ares and Chaos are hoping the weather stays nice for their walks this week but they are also okay with sleeping away rainy days. I’m certainly hoping all these April showers we have been getting will lead to lovely May flowers next month.

Have a great week everyone!

Bag Lady: Summer Totes

 Here's the deal. My very bad kitty chewed up the charger cord for my laptop. I know it was Little O because he has become notorious for destroying cords. What I don't know is why he did it. I would swear I left the bedroom door shut because I knew the cord was out and didn't want him to get a hold it. Anyway, Chris thinks he MIGHT be able to fix it but we've been really busy. I'm hesitant to buy a new one, since they are kind of pricey, if the current one can be salvaged so right now I'm a laptop down. While Little O just hangs out by the back door living the life of a stay at home cat, I'm impatiently waiting to have a computer back at home and trying to blog during my lunch break. I'll keep you all posted on the situation but I'd like to turn to happier things, like summer bags. 

Striped Yellow / Gray / Striped Blue & Green / Chevron / Zebra / Multi-Striped / Tan / Silver / Striped Black & White

I realize it's just now Spring, and feeling like it, but I am looking ahead to cold beers on summer nights, iced coffees and carrying a fabulous new bag around on my arm. Usually I am by far and away a shoe girl as opposed to a bag lady but I like a fun new tote every now and then. I generally have a hard time finding purses I like but this year the designers must have had a girl like me in mind. After perusing just 2 websites I came up with 9 bags that I absolutely love and would go for any one of them. 

You all know by now about my love of monograms and have seen Marley Lilly items pop up from time to time so it's no surprise to you that half the bags on here are from that very site. Stripes are my favorite pattern, clearly, but I especially love colorful stripes for summertime. All the ML totes are completely affordable and if you are a monogram maniac like myself, you should head on over there to check out more of their styles. I could see myself carrying any of the three striped choices around with me this summer with ice cream in my other hand and the tan scalloped purse is the perfect accessory for any outfit. 

The Dillards picks are pricier, and ones that I might never pay that much for, but you can't blame a girl for lusting after them! The MK zebra bag with the tassels is just too cute and the Dooney & Bourke chevron purse screams summertime. The gray, black and white striped and silver totes are all so versatile they could be used in any season but I feel like summer is the best month to show off a bag. You wear less clothes so it's easier to focus on the accessories! 

Anyone else have popsicles, flip flops and fireworks on the brain?

Spring Shopping: Steals & Deals

When people see my wardrobe or all the pet supplies in my home they sometimes get the wrong idea of our spending habits. I’m one of those people that stopped growing when I was around 14 and haven’t fluctuated much since. There are items I’ve had in my closet for years because they haven’t fallen apart yet and I still love to wear them. It’s also about finding the balance of trendy pieces and classic pieces and knowing what to save on and what to splurge on. I have to add that I have a mom who gifts me with clothing items just because she’s that awesome. I actually don’t shop that often and when I do I try to be smart about it. 

 Body wash / Self Tanner / Make-up Palette / Tank / Candle / Shorts / Bowl / Jacket / Backpack / Bone

There are deals to be had all over the internet (if you don’t make it out to store very often like me) but you won’t know about them unless you sign up for the e-mails. I know it’s a pain in the butt to get hundreds of e-mails a day but if you only sign up for websites you will actually make purchases from it’s not a big deal to delete unwanted promos a few times a day. Another trick I learned is to go ahead and place items you like in a cart in the color and size you want. Even if you don’t plan to buy the items right away they will stay in your cart unless something goes out of stock or is no longer available in the size or color you selected. When that site has a sale you will get an e-mail to let you know and then all you have to do is enter the code to check out and you’ve saved on everything you wanted. Filling a cart and leaving the site also sometimes has the added bonus of the site offering you a discount just to get you to make the purchase.

Learn which places continue to carry your favorite styles and fit you well and just pop over in your free time to see if there’s anything new you like. Splurge on things you know you’ll wear a hundred times over, are classic enough to last a couple years or can transition through several seasons. Save on items you aren’t sure about yet, like a new style, something super trendy that likely won’t be “in” next year or something from a site you don’t have ordering experience with. 

If you’re shopping for your furbabies, apply the same principles. Try not to buy too much if you’ve got a puppy or kitten. I know the teeny tiny things are cuter than hell but they grow so fast they won’t last long. If you can’t resist, definitely do your best to save on those items. Once the furball is full grown it’s safer to splurge since your purchases

(except food) should last longer. Dishing out the dough for pricier coats or chew toys might hurt a little but I can tell you from experience it’s in your best interest to go with tried and true brands that cost extra. You will save money in the long run because you won’t be replacing them nearly as often. Use wesbites like Baxterboo and Amazon to get deals and look for e-mails with big savings on end of season items. You can almost steal dog coats this time of year. When you find a brand you like, don’t be tempted to keep trying out more. We have and love Ruffwear and Nylabone products and continue to shop these brands because we know they are worth the money. Food is something we splurge on because we are very conscious of what we are putting in the 4 furry bodies in our home. Saving on other necessities and fun stuff allows us to keep spending more on what we think is most important. 

There were (and still are) some fantastic deals to be had for the holiday weekend and I jumped on the band wagon. 50% + free shipping at JCrew, BOGO half off at ae.com, 40% off rain jackets for the pups, sign me up! I’m trying out Candelles soy wax mason minis for the time after reading countless of outstanding reviews. I wanted to try a few scents so it’s really nice that they offer the mini option and they are well priced to boot. American Eagle has been a favorite since I was probably 12 because I always find something I like, the prices are good and the clothes fit my body type well. J. Crew has great classics like the chino shorts that come in a variety of colors and a few different in seams. The Urban Decay Naked Palette is probably something every make up wearing girl should have. The colors are amazing and I’m fairly certain one palette could last years. I will be honest, I’m not a Kardashian fan but I bought the self tanner last summer on a recommendation from an Ulta employee. I was looking for another product (which was more expensive) but she pulled the pink and purple bottle down and told me it was awesome for the price and wouldn’t overwhelm my fair skin. She was right. I often use just a squirt of foam in the morning on my face after I moisturize and let it darken under my makeup. I get compliments all the time. I’ve used Philosophy body washes before but I’m usually not a super floral scent kind of gal. The packaging sucked me in on this one though and my weakness for all things seasonal. Nylabone is our favorite for pretty much anything the dogs put in their mouths other than food. Clearly Chaos isn’t complaining. Ruffwear makes fantastic long lasting products across the board. Take my word for it, you won’t be disappointed. 

 

Happy shopping!

These Are the Days of Our Lives: 4-02-15

So I don’t know what the deal is but for some reason your comments don’t show up on the blog posts but I am still getting the notifications and your e-mails. Until (okay IF) I figure that whole business out just keep doing what you’re doing because I can see what you’re saying even if everyone else can’t. That being said, I received a very sweet e-mail and some comments over the past week about how together I seem to have my life. WHAT? While I am beyond flattered, I have to be honest that most of the time we are just winging it. There’s usually a generalized plan in place each day and sometimes it does go just that way but other times the shit show begins and we spend the rest of the day improvising with plan B or C or chalking it up to oh well and trying again tomorrow.

This is going a little beyond my comfort zone but I thought it might be a good thing give to you all a better look into a day in our lives. Or a few. Once you see what really goes on over here, you might rethink how together I actually have it, but at least you’ll have a more realistic perspective. I wrote this first one throughout the day so I wouldn’t forget anything and documented it with some pictures. I gave a generalized idea of what I plan for throughout the day and then talked about what actually happened. If I do future posts like this I will just write about what actually happened.

5:00 AM

My alarm wakes me up at this dark hour and I turn it off and roll over to get a few more peaceful minutes of rest. This morning I'm struggling so I stay in bed a little longer than I should.

5:15 /5:30 AM

I haul my ass out of bed and feed all the kiddos. I wish someone would serve me breakfast in bed. Instead I do my morning get ready routine. Sometimes I can stretch out my lying in bed while debating calling in sick time if I wear my hair up, but usually I fix it because I prefer to wear it down. Today I’m going for half assed curls that hopefully look like I went for the “I woke up like this but really I spent forever styling it this way” look since I am getting a bit of a late start.

6:00 AM

I nix the curls because I find out it's raining and just go for straight then get dressed in an outfit I’ve already had picked out. It’s hard enough getting up this early let alone becoming coherent enough to choose something decent to wear. I plan a week’s worth of outfits every Friday so that’s one less thing I have to worry about in the morning. Once I’m dressed I take the dogs out to potty. They aren’t fans of doing their business in the dark so they do it quick and then stand outside the kitchen watching me make breakfast. We eat a lot of oatmeal around here with it being quick, easy and healthy and lending itself to a variety of ways to make it. Today it’s ½ cup dry oats mixed with water, tossed in the microwave for a minute, then stirred with a spoonful of almond butter, a drizzle of honey, a small handful of walnuts, a sprinkle of ground flaxseed and some berries on top.

6:30 AM

 

I leave no later than this time so I can make it to work by 7. The Kane show on Kiss 107FM is my favorite and I listen to those guys every morning. When they take commercial breaks or play lame songs I hop over to B105 for some early morning country jams. This morning Kane and Intern John have me laughing out loud.

7:00 AM

 My work day begins. I am the only person who does my job so I always have work waiting for me that no one else is going to do. Some days are crazy busy and others I have time to e-mail my friends, but it all evens out. I’m busy this morning with a list of renewals to update.

9:30 AM

 

I take a little snack break. Usually I keep a box of Nutrigrain or Kashi bars in my desk drawer. I take a walk around the office to stretch my legs or daydream about my upcoming honeymoon. Today I just fiddle around and put some lotion on my hands (Burt’s Bees Hand Salve is the shit) and try to will the thunderstorms away.

12:00 PM

Lunch time. I have an hour for lunch that I can really take whenever I choose to, but unless I have a meeting this is usually the time I eat. I pack my lunch pretty much every day so I go heat it up and eat at my desk. Today I have roasted red potatoes and scrambled eggs with stir fry veggies (tastes way better than it looks).These days I take this time to do wedding stuff or make personal phone calls (about wedding stuff). It’s really been cutting into my online browsing. Geez. I know, first world problems. Even though I’m about 35 miles from home I can often run quick errands since the stores I shop at most are in close proximity to my office. Today I work on the picture slide show for our wedding reception.

3:00 PM

Snack time. I try to eat smaller amounts and more often throughout the day so I don’t end up pigging out on bad stuff when I get home. In the afternoons I bring veggies with humus or peanut butter, almonds or seeds and a cheese stick or an apple. Today I munched on celery with peanut butter, almonds and string cheese (remember how I said I’m vegan-ish? I don’t eat dairy every day, just sometimes).

4:00 PM

 

It’s quittin’ time and I begin my long trek home. Sometimes it takes me just over half an hour and sometimes closer to an hour. The latter is rough but that’s when I plug in my phone and let iTunes play (sometimes I even sing along, although not well as I have been told). It’s raining today so that slows everybody down and irritates me. I turn up Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon and bob my head to the beat.

5:00 PM

Normally this is dog walking time. We do a 3.3 miles loop from our place down a busy road to the nearby college campus and all the way back. The boys are loving the Spring time weather we’ve had lately but not today. The thunder is roaring and the sky is black so we are staying inside where it’s dry instead. I get out my yoga mat and weights and hit play on whatever YouTube workout video I’m into. Today I’m working out with Kelsey on EXHIT to sculpt my abs (okay I’m trying to GET abs). Chris takes a cat nap since he worked overtime today.

6:00 PM

Dinnertime for the furballs. Again, I wish someone would make me dinner and serve it on cue every night.

6:30/7:00 PM

This probably sounds a little backward but I don’t make dinner for dinner. While Chris was working nights I would be so hungry after my workout I couldn’t wait to make a whole meal so I would do a smoothie or a power bowl because those are quick, easy and still healthy. Later on I would make a meal for us to split for lunch the next day, which would actually be Chris’s dinner at work. It worked out so we are sticking with it. If anyone is interested let me know and I will share some power bowl and smoothie recipes. Tonight it’s a berry banana smoothie. 

  

7:15/7:30 PM

On the menu for lunch tomorrow is quinoa, veggies in garlic and broiled chicken for Chris, cannellini beans for me. Chris heads to off to the gym and to pick up some allergy medicine. It’s the most wonderful time of year. NOT.

8:00 PM

Get a shower. Enough said.

8:30 PM

 

Time to finally finish the slide show project to send it off to the videographer tomorrow. Normally it would be laundry/cleaning/watching Grey’s Anatomy on the couch but that will all have to wait. 

9:30 PM

 

A little training since we didn't get to walk today. Chaos is always more cooperative than Ares. Their personalities are night and day.

10:00 PM

 

 

The dogs go out to do their business one last time for the day and then off to bed. Don’t forget Ares’s blue blankie! Lights out, alarms on, bedtime for everyone. 

TGIF!