Marriage by Design

Happy Valentines Day, Every Day the 14th!

2012-02-14T10:43:00.000-06:00

In keeping with my 3 year tradition, those are Outkast lyrics in the title.

I've never been big on Valentine's day.

I think Husband and I have only been in the same place at the same time once for this holiday.

People are always feeling bad for me on Valentine's day.

Rest assured people, this is not my first rodeo.

Husband and I met in college.

He went to school in Duluth and I went to school in the Twin Cities.

See?

From the start we were apart. (and i'm a poet and I didn't even know it... har de har har)

Then, very soon after we started dating, Husband transferred to North Dakota and I moved back to Nebraska.

Let me just cut to the chase: Husband and I didn't live in the same city until a few months before we got engaged.

It gets better.

Exactly 30 days after we were married, Husband was offered a co-op position at NASA in Houston.

I was still in school.

So Husband moved to Houston and I stayed in Nebraska.

Wait. It gets better.

In June of 2007, Husband and I decided to move permanently to Houston.

I found a job.

Husband had like 2 classes to finish.

So after 3 months, Husband went back to Nebraska and I stayed in Houston.

When he came back in Dec of 2007, he took his oil field job.

And here we are today, apart for Valentine's day.

People think that the way we live is crazy. But you have to know the history.

The history is that we have learned to live apart when we have to.

Our relationship started this way.

And we are stronger because of it.

So Happy Valentine's Day Husbando!

Even though we've done this a thousand times before, I still miss you like crazy.

(the pups do too...)

Last Minute Date

2012-02-13T10:33:00.000-06:00

So some of you know that Husband was called out 10 days early.

Not happy.

Allegedly, he'll get an extra week off when he gets back.

I'll believe it when I see it.

When we got the news that he was leaving early, we decided to go on a nice date.

This is what I wore on said date.

The Deets:

Dress: BCBG, gift from my Mother in Law

Tights: Betsey Johnson

Shoes: Charlotte Russe

Bracelet: Gift from my Mom

Earrings: Thrifted

So Husband discovered that we have roof access. Once I got up there I realized that the penthouses on the top floor have direct access from their units.

Then I felt kinda weird.

I could see into people's living rooms while taking these pics.

Awkward.

Also, how cool is this bracelet? It has the subway system embossed on it.

Freaking cool.

I'll never get lost.

DIY Dry Erase Board

2012-02-07T10:22:00.000-06:00

Sorry I was MIA yesterday.

We had a Super Bowl party Sunday and it got a tish bit out of hand.

I'm still recovering.

I did this little project this weekend. It took 2.5 seconds.

Husband has a mini office in our bedroom.

He is a nutty professor and uses 23,405 post its to remember things.

Cut to me pulling my hair out cuz my bedroom is covered in a billion post its.

So I asked him if he could please stop using post its all the effing time and use a white board instead.

He agreed.

I still have some style though and I wasn't about to hang a fugly white board above the desk.

I'm not sure where I saw this idea. Probably Pinterest. But it was the first thing that popped into my head when I was thinking of white board alternatives.

Supplies:
1 frame with glass
paper or fabric
chalk

I drew pinstripes on my paper but you could draw any pattern.

Then put the paper in the frame.

Are you wondering why I'm even explaining this ridiculously simple project to you?

Me too.

Here's the final product.

I'm encouraging Husband to use this little dry erase board by leaving dry erase markers all over his desk.

... And hiding all the post its.

InstaFriday

2012-02-03T09:56:00.000-06:00

Sorry I've been MIA lately.

Blogging for 2 is hard.

2 blogs not 2 people (for all of you who are patiently waiting for me to reproduce)

So in true 'I can't keep up with my shit' fashion, I'm posting cell phone pics.

Its ok if you click next on your google reader. I totes understand.

2 weeks ago Husband and I went to Hoboken, NJ to watch a Giants game. While waiting for the bus to take us home, I decided I needed some food to soak up the beer. I found this Walgreens. Ummm, pretty sure this is the most beautiful Walgreens I've ever seen. I spent 20 minutes walking around and snapping pictures of the ceiling and the walls. Too bad those pesky shelves got in the way.

On the same trip to Hoboken Husband came running out of the bathroom at the bar and asked me for my phone. In my slightly intoxicated state I handed it over. Turns out that was a great decision.

Well, that explains why Husband kept going to the bathroom at the bar....

A friend of a friend had a birthday party that just happened to take place at a nice hotel downtown. Turns out the room that this party was in was a 2 story penthouse at the top of said hotel. The rumor going around the party was that this was Russel Brand's hotel room from 'Get Him To The Greek'. I can't verify this because I only took pics of the view. natch.

After the party we went to Katz's deli aka where Meg Ryan had an orgasm in 'When Harry Met Sally'. See the sign? It says "Where Harry met Sally. Hope you have what she had! Enjoy!".

This is Shiner's "mom, stop blogging and snuggle me" face. I can't say no to that snaggle tooth, so I'll see you all on Monday!

Happy Super Bowl weekend!!

Late Night with David Letterman

2012-02-02T12:23:00.000-06:00

Very early yesterday morning Husband set out for Jimmy Fallon tickets.

Unfortunately, he wasn't taping yesterday.

So Hubby wandered over to the Late Night studio to see if they had any stand by tickets. He entered the lottery and won 2 stand by tickets.

For Dave's 30th anniversary in late night no less.

All before I woke up or even knew he had left.

So later that day we checked in at the special podium at the theatre.

Apparently, we were overly enthusiastic.

The podium guy put a blue sticker on the back of our tickets. Which means we were deemed enthusiastic enough for premium seats.

Starbucks just paid for itself.

Then we waited and waited and waited to be let into the theatre.

Husband and I ended up in the 3rd row, close to the CBS Orchestra.

While waiting for the show to start, the Orchestra played, then they showed us a hilarious video reminding us of the 'rules' that was hosted by Alec Baldwin, then the warm up comic told some jokes. He was actually quite funny.

Then Dave came out and talked to 2 people in the audience who were wearing Late Night sweatshirts.

Then the taping started. Because it was the 30th anniversary we expected some surprise guests or some sort of celebration but they really didn't do anything, which was kind of sad.

Howard Stern was the guest. I'm not a super fan of his but he was really funny during the interview.

During part of the show, Dave took the money filled envelope labeled 'Brad Pitt' from the front of his desk and handed it to Howard who pretended to throw it to the audience. All the bills just fell right in front of Dave's desk, which was actually no where near anyone. During the commercial break, Dave came into the audience and actually handed some of the money out.

We didn't get any, unfortunately. But we were SURE we'd be on camera during that.

Wrong.

The camera just missed us.

During another commercial the camera panned over the audience and captured us.

It was really really really hard to see us cuz they slapped the preview for tomorrow's show right over us.

I did manage to capture us in a screen shot off the full episode online before they put the preview over us.

Clear as mud, right?

When the show was over, we thought for sure we'd be on camera at least twice.

It ended up being one 'don't blink or you'll miss us' shot.

I'll take it.

And as a bonus, Husband took an illegal cell phone pic of the theatre as we were leaving.

He may or may not get arrested if anyone from CBS reads this blog.

I'm pretty sure he's safe.

Current State of Affairs

2012-01-31T11:54:00.001-06:00

I got this idea from Rare and Beautiful Treasures.

I don't have anything to write about at the moment.

So I concocted some randomness for ya.

Current Guilty Pleasure: chocolate from Trader Joes and watching random HBO sports movies on Sundays

Current Nail Color: none, unfortunately. I used the rest of my January budget this month on yarn for my scarf so I can't afford a manicure. I can paint my own nails about as well as a 3 year old child.

Current Playlist: a mix of Al Green, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Zero 7, Lupe Fiasco, Lloyd Banks, and No Doubt. Doesn't get much more random than that.

Current Read: I'm sorry to admit that I'm about to start reading "Lies that Chelsea Handler Told Me" In my defense, it was on sale at Urban Outfitters for $9. I try and rotate trashy books with intelligent books. Too much intelligence makes me smarter than Husband and I think that would make him insecure.

Current Drink: Coffee (duh) and tons and tons of water. My skin is not used to the dry weather anymore. So to avoid drying up like a prune I drink water like its going out of style.

Current Food: Blueberries from the produce stand on the corner, chocolate from Trader Joes, and potato latkes. Sounds healthy right?

Current Favorite Show: Normally, I would say How I Met Your Mother but they are on their 3rd week of reruns so they are on my shit list as of late. So New Girl will be my answer for today.

Current Wish List: sun to stream in my apartment. I really think its just the daylight savings and the scaffolding that is in front of our building that makes this apt cave like. My solution as of late is to just turn on all the lights. Electricity bill be damned!

Current Needs: writing inspiration, blogging topics, better picture taking skills

Current Triumphs: Landing a 6 week trial as a fashion blogger on a new site called Forever Dope (please see 'Current Needs' above) After 6 weeks they will evaluate my performance and decide if they want to hire me on. You guys. This is the dream....

Current Blessing: Husband being home.

Current Excitement: February. So I can have more budget for yarn to make more scarves. I may have a problem that rivals my chocolate/wine habit. watch out.

Current Mood: Nervous. Mostly about writing about fashion and writing about fashion for someone else. eek!

I PROMISE to be back later this week with some home decor stuff and some diy stuff. And I promise to stop breaking that promise like I seem to keep doing.....

PS don't forget to click on those little buttons under "contact me" to follow me on FB, Twitter, Pinterest and Bloglovin (especially if you are coming here from my personal FB page)

Housekeeping! You want me fluff your pillow?

2012-01-30T07:47:00.001-06:00

Happy Monday peeps!

You may have noticed the cute little buttons to the left of this post.

My bestie and graphic artist extraordinaire, Jeannie, did those for me.

She's a peach.

So, now you can follow me on facebook, twitter, bloglovin, and pinterest just by clicking on those little buttons.

(this message is especially for people who get here through my personal facebook page. I'll be phasing out posts on that page as to not annoy people who want nothing to do with this lil old blog)

Oh and for the stalkers out there, if you don't want me to know you're following me go for the Bloglovin option. I can't tell who follows me there.

Whew, now that all that housekeeping shiz is out of the way, here is what I wore to the Broadway show "Relatively Speaking".

The Deets:
Jacket: Gallery, purchased at TJ Maxx
Dress: H&M, Bought by my awesome Husband :)
Shoes: Madeline Stuart, purchased at Ross
Tights: No clue
Earrings: Vintage, purchased at my Aunt Kathy's antique store Nutcracker Sweet

Husband and I watched Friends with Benefits on DVD the other day.

It was way more funny than I had anticipated.

There is a scene where Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis go to this grotto type area in Central Park.

After a quick Google search we found out it was Bathesda Fountain.

Freaking beautiful.

Its right across the pond from the Boathouse Cafe in Central Park, which I plan to frequent often once the weather turns nice.

P.S. I'm still breaking in these shoes months after purchasing them. They give me blisters on the tops of my toes of all places. Anyone know a good way to make that cease? Like now.

Insert Clever Title Here

2012-01-26T07:10:00.003-06:00

I know this week has been a little bit fashion overload.

Don't worry, I have some awesome decor stuff cooking.

Because I'm sure you're sick of seeing my face everyday, I've enlisted Husband for this post.

Some of you who know Husband may have noticed that in the last 2 years he has gone from t shirts and jeans to snappy dresser.

He looks good all the time.

Which forces me to change out of my sweatpants to avoid being mistaken for a homeless person when we go out together.

The proof is in the pudding.

The Deets:
Sunglasses: Thrifted
Blazer: Hardy Amies purchased on Ebay
Shirt: Tommy Hilfiger purchased at TJ Maxx
Belt: Perry Ellis
Jeans: Flypaper purchased at Ross
Shoes: Steve Madden Outlet
Messenger Bag: Fossil Outlet

Pretty handsome, right?

Also, you may have noticed, that most of his stuff is from an outlet or online source.

Homeboy does NOT like to spend a lot of money on anything.

I've been a victim of this practice many times.

But he still manages to come up with awesome stuff for super cheap.

Wish that would happen to me every once in a while.

And Then Loreal Paris Ambushed Me

2012-01-25T07:20:00.002-06:00

So I'm walking through Bryant Park, minding my business, when a rep from Loreal Paris approached me.

"Hi! Would you be willing to answer a couple of questions in exchange for a free sample?!"

"umm sure"

What I realized, a brief second later, that this interview would be on camera...

I was assured it was only for an internal sales meeting, not national syndication.

whew! Thats a relief.

I already spew my opinion all over the internets on a daily basis.

Video confirmation of my awkwardness is not necessary.

This is my awkward face.

You guys, this was a terrifyingly awesome experience.

I sweat through that sweater under my jacket.

Nerve wracking.

The questions were easy though: What don't I like about my foundation, What would I think about a foundation that does x,y and z, etc.

The guy that asked me the questions was really nice. Because I was so nervous for no apparent reason, I kept looking at him instead of the camera. So we had to do a couple of takes of me saying the same thing over and over.

Awkward.

My awesome free samples of Magic Perfecting Base.

Not a bad score for walking through the park cuz the sidewalk was too crowded.

I actually finished a project

2012-01-24T10:53:00.000-06:00

Please don't act so shocked.

I'm not known for my patience.

I've been known to throw a tantrum when I get frustrated.

Ask Husband.

He's pretty proud that I finished this scarf without throwing my knitting needles.

The Deets:

Sweatshirt: Target; I immediately purchased this sweatshirt when I saw Lilly at Lilly's Style wear it here. I wish I would have ordered it a size smaller but for $12 and free shipping I can't really complain.

Jeans: 7 for all Mankind

Hunter Boots: REI; I swear to jeebus I'm not trying to wear these everyday. Its been raining or snowing all week. I bought these boots and the most perfect time.

Scarf: Self made! Hell to the yes.

I fell in love with this yarn at the yarn shop. So I got 2 skeins (which I just learned is the name for a ball of yarn, I have been calling it a bolt... like a bolt of fabric, cuz that makes total sense)

I thought Husband was gonna die when He saw how much each skein was. $15 if you are wondering. And I bought 2.

And for those of you that knit, this is the easiest thing I've ever done.

I used US 15 circular needles, Rowan Drift yarn (not sure what color, I threw the wrapper away) and seed stitch.

I cast on 130 stitches

then put my marker on and joined the round

Row 1: *k1, p1 (* repeat until the marker)

Row 2: *p1, k1 (* repeat until the marker)

I just repeated these 2 rows until I ran out of yarn.

The measurements worked out to be 5" wide and 56" around (its an infinity scarf obvs)

Easiest thing ever.

So easy in fact that the only reason it took me 3 nights to complete is I was watching TV the entire time I constructed this.

Anything I can do while drinking wine and watching TV is my kind of project.

Wicked Snow

2012-01-23T11:17:00.000-06:00

This is a random mishmash of stuff that happened this week.

First, Husband got me tickets to Wicked for my birthday.

This is the 2nd Broadway show I've seen and it was awesome. Broadway shows amaze me. The talent is amazing, the sets blow me away and I always wonder how these people can keep their energy up for 8 shows a week.

Insanity.

To save my ever loving life I could not find an outfit that looked cute to wear to this show. After tossing everything I own onto the closet floor, I pulled out my ol black and white ensemble from EBEW. It's hard to find what to wear when you're on the arm of that fashion plate.

The walls going up to the theatre were illustrated with the map of Oz

The amazing set. Lots of moving parts and things dropping in and people disappearing into the floor. Very cool.

This week was the first snow that Husband and I have experienced in 5 (or possibly more) years. I woke up to take the pups out and Husband shouted to me "it snowed... a lot"

I haven't been that excited since a snowday in high school.

I tore to the window and squealed when I saw 5 inches of fresh snow on the ground.

I've been waiting for this day for a long time.

My dogs have never seen snow. My hypothesis was that Sheldon would freaking love it and Shiner would hate us forever for making her go out in such conditions.

My hypothesis was 100% accurate.

See how Shiner has 2 paws off the ground? She isn't moving. Thats how she stands in the snow. At one point she actually sat so far back on her bum that all 4 paws were off the ground. She hated every second of it.

Big Sheldon on the other hand freaked his freak and wanted to play in the snow and sniff it and roll in it.

So Husband took him to the dog park and I took the diva back inside, where she gave me the death stare for the next 4 hours.

And now, the best part of this snow business: My mom sent Shiner booties for christmas.

If we thought she hated snow, we were about to see a whole new level of hatred.

Be prepared to laugh your ass off.

Casual Friday

2012-01-20T11:54:00.000-06:00

Today is a lazy day.

And the laziness started yesterday.

Now that all the hoopla from my birthday is over, lethargy has set in.

The Deets:

Sweater: Husbands

Leggings: Target

Shoes: Gypsyz Sweater Boots, Gift from MIL

Necklace: Gift from Hubby, from Etsy

Yesterday Husband and I needed to go to Homegoods and TJ Maxx.

I was feeling super lazy so this is what I put together. It is the comfiest outfit I've ever worn.

It came in handy when halfway through our shopping trip I was stricken with a migraine.

Husband knew it was bad when I told him I needed to leave TJ Maxx. He usually has to pull me out of that place kicking and screaming.

I came home and went to bed in this outfit.

These sweater boots are awesome. At first I wasn't sure how to wear them. Thank God for Pinterest and Google Images.

They are like slippers that I can wear outside. They have a hard rubber sole. Whoever invented these things is a genius.

They must be as lazy as me.

What to do when blog block strikes

2012-01-19T11:59:00.000-06:00

Blog about your shit from Pinterest.

Duh.

This is gonna be half super cool pins and half Pinterest love fest.

Pinterest has changed my world and I tell it so every freaking day.

Without Pinterest how would I have designed this whole apartment before we even lived here?

I would have completely bogged down my comp with saved pics and, truthfully, would have forgotten where I saved them. And I'd never find them cuz I wouldn't have named them anything that makes sense.

Fail.

I have boards for projects for my moms house, my dream house, and my non existent children's rooms.

Pinterest, without you I would have hours of free time and I'd hate every second of it.

Husband thinks you are turning my brain to mush.

What he doesn't know is I have a board solely dedicated to remaking his wardrobe.

He looks good because of Pinterest.

Take that.

Source: urbanstylevibes.com via Rachel on Pinterest

My dream house has a yellow fridge.

Source: Uploaded by user via Rachel on Pinterest

Whoever came up with this effig genius idea needs a nobel prize for interior design. Why didn't I think of this and sell it to people for obscene amounts of money?

Source: prettystuff.tumblr.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Now that I have my super cool Hunter Boots, I've been pinning pics like this like its my job. I will wear these suckers till they die.

Source: kendieveryday.blogspot.com via Rachel on Pinterest

I pinned this outfit and loved it so much I knew I had to make it mine. So I learned to knit and now I'm making a scarf like this one. Only mine is teal. Its rude to blatantly steal someone else's outfit. So I had to switch it up.

Also, I need to learn to smile like Kendi. When I try to do this smile it looks like I just ate a lemon or that someone just farted in my vicinity. It is not attractive.

Now, from my favorite board, some parting words of wisdom. (also, you can follow this shit show on pinterest, HERE.)

Source: imgfave.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: redbubble.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: someecards.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Rachel on Pinterest

28 is the new.... well.... nothing. There is nothing new about being 28.

2012-01-18T09:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was my birthday.

30 is waaaayyy too close for comfort.

Its like when a big stinky guy sits next to you on the subway.

You just close your eyes and hope it goes away.

Even though you know damn well its gonna stick around and haunt you.

"Don't you need to see my ID? No, well, maybe you should check, its out of state! Seriously, you might want to double check. Really? Damn. Give me the biggest mimosa you have. NOW."

The Deets:

Black T: JC Penny

Faux Fur Vest: Kohls

Jeans: Charlotte Russe

Booties: Charlotte Russe

Clutch: Thrifted

Coat: Agacai

See. My face in the first pic is saying "eff this late 20s shit"

So, in complete rebellion, Husband and I ventured to Hoboken, NJ to drink and watch football.

I don't handle cheap pitchers of beer like I used to.

Reason #59 why getting old sucks.

Booze intolerance.

I'm working on building a resistance.

Look what I got in the mail...

2012-01-16T11:07:00.000-06:00

Husband randomly showed up and the very next days these little beauties were hand delivered. 4 days early even.

I'll say thats a good week.

The Deets

Sweater: Target

Jeans: 7 for all Mankind

Boots: Hunter purchased at a ridiculous discount at REI

Scarf: Thrifted from Flying Worm in Omaha

Earrings: clip on hoops from my aunts antique shop; Nutcracker Sweet

Husband and I have a membership to the Guggenheim. The exhibit that is there now is out of control. Totally weird and off the wall bizarre. But super awesome.

The artist is Maurizio Cattelan and he is retiring. So the Guggenheim suspended some of his most famous works from the rotunda. There is a retirement party Saturday at the Guggenheim and because we are members we get to go. Pretty excited to get dressed up and hob knob like we are big shots.

I've heard that getting drunk at an art gallery is very New York.

Guess Who

2012-01-12T09:16:00.000-06:00

Guess who I found on my doorstep last night.

Looking a little rougher than he does in the above pic.

Africa isn't conducive to looking good and maintaining swagger.

At about 7pm last night somebody buzzed our apt from the front door.

Which isn't unusual as we are apt 1 and anyone and everyone who wants to get in buzzes our apt.

So I asked "who is it?"

And Hubby said "come outside"

I almost died.

Homeboy can't keep a secret to save his ever loving life.

The ONLY other time I was truly surprised by Husband was when he proposed.

6.5 years ago.

Well he succeeded this time.

Good thing I (sorta) cleaned the house yesterday morning.

Because I Can't Keep Resolutions for Myself....

2012-01-11T05:07:00.002-06:00

I'm making them for our apartment.

Cuz its ~~easier~~ much needed.

I personally think that the hard part is over. Downsizing from 3000+ sqft to 400sqft (a generous estimation) was NOT easy.

I gave away a lot of my prized pieces. (to friends. I refused to sell them to strangers. I need the option to visit my favorite items if I so choose)

Now that we are all moved in and sorta settled, I realize we could stand to get rid of a few more things.

The point of moving to a teeny apt is not to enjoy said apt. Its to enjoy the city in which it resides.

Living better with less was the whole idea behind our moving to Manhattan.

So this is goal/home resolution #1: get rid of more shit. Unfortunately, the closet is gonna get the brunt of this. As much as I love my clothes, I need to pare down to the best quality and most loved items.

Real estate is a premium in this apt. Only the best stuff survives.

Once I acomplish that, I need to organize a little better. (goal #2)

I've gotten off to a good start. I cannot stress to you enough how small this apartment is.

Sex and the City, this is not.

And don't get me started on Friends.

I need to get sneakier (totally a word) about hiding and concealing things.

Also, Husband is allergic to clutter. Its a proven and tested fact.

The problem with a microscopic living space is that normal stuff sitting out looks like clutter.

So, I need to get the 'stuff that needs to be out' organized so it looks like 'stuff that needs to be out' and not 'shit that will send Husband into a tailspin'

The upside to teeny apartment living is cleaning takes me about 2.5 seconds.

Thank the lord.

I put my time in with the Houston house. I deserve a practically self cleaning apt after the hours I spent cleaning a 3 story house.

Goal #3 is kinda dumb.

I want to hang our art and I want it to look profesh.

None of this 'college dorm room wall' crap.

This is a big kid apartment.

Summary to this very long and wordy post:
Goal #1: Get rid of crap
Goal #2: Organize remaining crap
Goal #3: Get all of our art on the walls and make it look legit.

3 goals for an entire year = low bar and easily attainable

Just how I like it.

Black and White

2012-01-10T12:31:00.000-06:00

I don't wear a lot of white.

I'm the girl that spills on her outfit every single day.

And I like red wine.

And red wine stains.

Everybody, Everywear's theme for this month is Black and White.

My plan = wear lots of black and a little bit of white.

However, this is one of my most favorite dresses and I've only been able to wear it once.

So I winterized it.

The Deets:
Black Sweater: Honestly can't remember where I got this. But I wear it all the time.
Dress: Vintage, no tag. Bought in Omaha at Fairmont Antiques and Mercantile One of the coolest antique/vintage shops around. (dress last worn here in the summer)
Shoes: Charlotte Russe. These shoes are the bizzle. I have them in grey as well. I wear them all the time. They are so broken in and comfy.
Belt: Original to the dress thats under the sweater.

When I go outside I'll prolly put black tights on. Its chilly again here in NYC.

Hopefully, this will be the last indoor outfit post you'll see from me in a while. Rumor has it that Husband should be home by the weekend.

Now that I've said that I'm sure he'll be trapped for another 4 weeks.

The oilfield rocks my socks (sarcasm)

Sickness Silver Lining: Hunter Boots

2012-01-09T07:35:00.003-06:00

Day 5 of absolute infection.

I swear when I walk my dogs people think its the zombie apocalypse when they see me.

So what's a girl to do when she's all grody and sick?

Shop the internets... duh.

After hours of googling, I FINALLY found Hunter boots that were under their usual $125 price tag.

And they aren't electric orange (or some equally offensive color).

They are 'bitter chocolate' and I am doing a hideous, zombie like, happy dance because they are $86.93.

Whammy!

So if you have a size 8 or 9 foot you can order them too, HERE

Also, shipping is free!

You're welcome.

Now I'm on the hunt (get it? hunt/hunter... har de har har) for fleece boot socks that aren't $40.

I did find a pattern for knit boot cuffs. I'm thinking if I could figure out how to attach the knit boot cuff to an existing wool or fleece sock then I could make something that looks like this:

Source

Without the 'Hunter' tag of course.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to make something like this? How would I sew the cuff to the sock without closing up the foot hole?

I'm a total newb at sewing and knitting.

If you couldn't tell.

InstaFriday

2012-01-06T08:15:00.011-06:00

So remember yesterday when I said I had a 'freezing temp' allergy?

Well now its a full fledged sinus infection.

yay.

So I sorta stole this post.

Over at Life Rearranged, Jeannette posts Instagram pics on Fridays.

Well I don't have an Iphone (someday) but I do have a billion cell phone pics.

So without further delay, my week in ~~Instagram~~ Android pics.

This would be me at Serendipity. Enjoying a lovely Serendip, which is coffee infused with nutmeg. If you're wondering, its awesome.

Beers my friend and I consumed with 2 lovely British ladies and 2 randoms from South Carolina. We were at McSorleys, also known as the oldest bar in NYC. Premium people watching/meeting at this particular watering hole.

After my friend went back home, I decided to keep the sleeper sofa folded out and snuggle with my pups. Shiner absolutely loved snuggling and rolling around in the blankets. Homegirl would stay in bed 24/7 if she didn't have to pee or eat.

This is a pretty accurate picture of my blogging situation. Sheldon feeling very jealous of my much beloved computer and Shiner showing that she could give a shit about what I'm up to as long as the TV is on.

Well nuggets, hope you have a baller weekend. I'll be self medicating with various sinus medications, chocolate and ~~wine~~ peppermint tea.

The Cold Hard Facts

2012-01-05T08:28:00.000-06:00

Fact: I have not experienced winter in a real way in 5 years.

Fact: It is currently 13 degrees outside.

Fact: My dogs tolerate the cold better than I do. And Shiner pup is the biggest damned diva dog you'll ever encounter.

Fact: I grew up in Nebraska and went to college in Minnesota. What the hell is my problem? Back in those days if it wasn't below zero it wasn't cold.

Fact: After walking the dogs this morning my nose ran like a faucet for hours. I fully believe that I have developed some undiscovered 'freezing temp' allergy. I am prescribing myself lots of chocolate and wine.

Fact: I am a huge baby cuz Husband has been living in 100 degree heat for the last 6 weeks and when he gets home I'm positive his body will go into shock and demand lots of ~~wine~~ beer and chocolate to bring it back to life.

Fact: I will be a hermit until the temps reach 30 degrees again. Unless it rains. Then I'm definitely staying inside and watching You've Got Mail for the billionth time.

Rockettes and Rockin Tights

2012-01-04T08:20:00.001-06:00

So my friend and I went to see the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular.

The theatre was amazing. Very art deco. Very me.

Here's what I wore:

Don't you love my freakin freaky tights?! Here's a better look.

The Deets:
Dress: H&M
Tights: Gift from my sister (Thanks Miss Marti!)
Shoes: (you guys know the drill...) Target
Sweater: Ross I think.

The bathroom at the Radio City Music Hall was super cool. They had old timey vanities.

Of course we had to take pics putting our ~~lipstick~~ chapstick on.

At the moment, this dress is the only thing I can think of to wear these tights with.

I may have to comb through my closet a little bit and figure something out. (or perhaps hit up an after Christmas sale or 2)

They are just too psychedelically spectacular not to wear.

When sky blue gets dark enough To see the colors of the city lights

2012-01-03T08:17:00.000-06:00

When my friend was visiting, we did every tourist 'thing' you can imagine.

This included going to the top of the Empire State building.

It was gorgeous.

But it took us 2 hours to get there.

First we started in a line outside.

Then a line inside.

Then a line to get into security.

Then a line for seemingly nothing.

Then a line for a picture (which we had zero interest in)

Then a line for, what would turn out to be, the first elevator.

Then another line for a second elevator.

FINALLY we got to the top.

This would be the lobby and the second of the bazillion lines.

Right?!

Title lyrics from John Mayer's Neon

I'm on a bit of a song kick lately.

Real Life Fairytale

2012-01-02T07:58:00.002-06:00

Starting the year off right with a long over due outfit post.

My friend came to visit and I conned her into taking pics for me.

I wore this outfit on a warmer (mid 40s) day to Grand Central Station, The Chrysler Building and Central Park.

The Deets:
Cape: Gift from my MIL, Anthropologie
Sweater: Ross
Jeans: Charlotte Russe
Boots: Ross, tag says 'Nicole'

I schlepped my ass all over the city in this outfit.

Be impressed.

I feel like some red riding hood type character.

If red riding hood wore a green cape and lived in a small apartment in Manhattan.

Which got me thinking about fairytales (following this effed up train of thought? good.)

and then I thought of this song.

Which I just so happen to listen to whilst bebopping all over this city.

See. It came full circle.

Also, this song is a more adult, and hilarious, take on the fairytale girls we were obsessed with as kids.

Enjoy!

Make It Work!

2011-12-26T07:29:00.000-06:00

So I was walking down Broadway to the local Staples (I needed a mic for Skype so I could actually see my family on Christmas) and who do you think I saw?

Tim freaking Gunn.

I froze.

Then I was like "get your phone out, fool, and take a pic"

I was too slow on the draw.

All I got was his backside.

Good enough for me.

I only wish that I was wearing something more fabulous than a sweatshirt and jeans.

PS I have not worked up the courage to go up to a celeb and ask them randomly on the street for a picture. So you may be seeing more backside pictures in the future.

Happy Christmas

2011-12-23T14:29:00.000-06:00

Hope you are all have an amazing Christmas with your families!

See you on the flip side.

2012 beeches!

In the meantime, here is my fav Christmas song this season. I've had She and Him on repeat all Dec.
Its perfect 'walking around the city' music. Enjoy!

Just In Time for Christmas

2011-12-21T07:40:00.001-06:00

The most amazing thing I've seen since the snuggie.

Pajama Jeans for Men.

Because guys jeans are normally soooo uncomfortable. (eyeroll)

Behold.

Just in case someone wants to buy these as a gag gift: From Here

That room is actually pretty adorbs despite the hideous pants on that guy.

Description is as follows:
Dark Wash has realistic designs of patches, rips and what looks like your favorite pair of
boxers peeking out the top; the back has the same great details

No one wants to see your favorite pair of boxers peeking out of the top of your REAL jeans.

Please don't simulate it with 'pajama jeans'

I pray to jeebus that I see someone wearing these on the subway. I'll snap a pic if I do.

Here is the 'dark wash' version.

1990s boy band anyone?

I Cannot Kill A Book

2011-12-20T06:10:00.000-06:00

When I was at the Etsy event earlier this month, I fell in LOVE with all the decor made with book pages.

I knew I could DIY some of the things I saw.

However, I have a problem with tearing pages out of a book.

But I'm totally cool with stuff made from dismembered books.

Kind of like how I totally love steak but I wouldn't dare shoot the cow.

Thats why I love Etsy (and my local butcher) I can enjoy what I like without actually killing the thing from which its made.

Here are a couple of totally cool things I'm considering purchasing from Etsy.

I already collect Gs, Ts and Rs. This particular G is awesome. From here

I absolutely NEED this pendant light. She also has side and table lamps. But this shade has my name written all over it. From here.

I've been seeing these book wreaths all over the blogoshpere for a while. I ~~know~~ think I could construct one of these. But after the funeral wreath fiasco, I can't be so sure. I'd make Husband tear out the pages though. From here.

This might be the easiest thing ever. Once again, I'd need to find a pre-destroyed book. From here.

Am I the only one who wouldn't dream of destroying a book? Am I the only nerd out there?

(I could probably rip up a physics book, but Husband would probably have a problem with that. It's a serious dilemma I have on my hands).

Exactly How Did We Fit All Our Shit In This Apt?

2011-12-19T14:08:00.001-06:00

It wasn't easy, let me tell you.

We sold 99.9% of our stuff before we left Texas. That was a start.

I had been researching ways to appropriately downsize (read: Pinterest addiction) for months before we actually moved.

This is what I learned: Hide your shit.

That is exactly how we fit all our stuff into this apartment.

Its cleverly (I think) disguised.

I'm only gonna tell you about the living room today. The storage is too much for one post. Trust.

Instead of buying a sleek TV stand or mounting the flat screen to the wall, we used our buffet from our former dining room.

It has 3 drawers and 2 doors and they are all very full.

Drawers:
1st: batteries, misc remotes, other tiny items that can fit in the silverware dividers.
2nd: My Halloween decor. Its the only place where it would fit. Halloween stuff was one of the last things unpacked.
3rd: Puppy stuff; leashes, treats, meds etc.

Doors:
Left: Top shelf: Candles and candle holders Bottom shelf: Wii and misc Wii accessories
Right: Top shelf: More decor stuff :) Bottom shelf: DVDs

There are also 3 bins under the buffet stuffed with Dog toys, Dog sweaters, and Human hats, gloves, and scarves.

Behind the couch we have our bookshelves.

And from what you can tell they are beautifully (I think) staged.

Wrong.

The bottom 2 shelves are full of bins (which are full of shit) and more decor items. Some that are still in their bubble wrap.

My plan is to see what I use in the coming year. If it doesn't come out of its bubble wrap, it gets sold on Etsy or donated to Goodwill.

Between our couch and the bookcases are the chairs for our table.

The table that has 6 drawers (3 on the front, 3 on the back) chock full of, you guessed it, decor items.

I swear to jeebus that I got rid of 99% of my decor stuff. But there are some things a girl can't part with.

The table folds up nicely and serves as a side table as does our filing cabinet.

Double duty is the key to hiding your shit.

The last thing that helps my living room stay organized despite being packed with shit, is the basket that holds the guest bedding (for the pull out couch of course).

Life saver. And it looks cute too.

Central Park in the Morning

2011-12-16T09:56:00.000-06:00

I took the pups to Central Park this morning. We usually go to Riverside park because its closer and it has a dog run but I wanted to switch it up.

Plus, in the 1.5 months I've been here, I have yet to venture to Central Park which I'm pretty sure is a sin in this town.

Happy Friday nuggets!

The Talk

2011-12-15T10:12:00.000-06:00

My day at CBS's The Talk was an absolute BLAST.

I can see why my cousin loves working there. Everyone was so fun and nice.

Once I got through security and signed my waiver form, they led me to my seat. The way that the studio was set up in New York was different. There was the IN studio audience and then there was people sitting outside.

Since I was VIP (my cousin rocks) I got to sit inside and I was right behind Julie Chen.

When the ladies walked in I got to shake all their hands.

Including Mrs. Osborne who is my hero. She swears and tells the truth and I freaking love her.

These are screenshots from the episode online. So the quality is pretty bad. And thats all you see of me. My hair and my back. I was going to wear my hair up in a cute ponytail so you could see my face but I burnt the ever loving shit out of my neck while curling my hair. I didn't want to appear on TV with what looks like a hickey on my neck.

Once they made their way to the table they started talking (obvs). I was surprised how hard it was to hear them. It makes sense I guess, they don't project the sound from the mics into the room cuz there would be feedback. I'm assuming.

Right before Donnie Wahlberg (swoon) came out they took a commercial break. 3 guys ran in and literally unscrewed the table top and carted it off and brought in a new one that was much bigger.

Then Donnie came out.

And I died.

He is super hot in person. I was all flushed and excited.

Brought me back to my NKOTB days.

He was wearing a plaid blazer and old school black high tops. I wish he could have stayed for the whole show. I could listen to that man read the phonebook.

Mrs. O did a little stint as Mary Poppins so we watched that clip. Then they gave us all tickets to the Broadway show. Score!

The next guest was Gayle King. She was impeccably dressed and very well spoken. I really enjoyed listening to her talk.

Right before all the ladies went outside to end the show, I pulled Sheryl Underwood aside as she was gettign her coat on.

She's an Omaha native and I gushed all over her about how I think she's hilarious and awesome. And then, in true Omaha fashion, we just kept saying things about Omaha only Omahans would know.

Runza!

Crossroads!

Mr. Cs!

Then she gave me a big hug and I died again.**

Here are some pics I took. They are with my cell and only from the outside. We couldn't bring our phones out inside the studio.

Mrs. O as she was whisked away into a fancy black Escalade.

** so after the show I tweeted that it was awesome to meet Sheryl and she tweeted me back and followed me! I feel so special :)

More Christmas Swag

2011-12-13T20:46:00.000-06:00

I got my much sought after evergreen bough this weekend.

It is everything I hoped it would be and more.

I clustered some of my glass ornaments together on the bough. I have these clippy poinsetta flowers that I clipped on the edges to hide the hooks.

I hung a pincone ornament in the middle. It just looked naked without anything there. Also, I used suction cup hooks to hang the sparkle ornaments on the window.

I put our nativity on top of the bookcases, added the gold candle holders from our wedding, and put the snowy candles on the white candle sticks.

Here is how our tree looks during the day. I had to remove our window AC cuz it was letting in freezing cold air. It was quite the task. Now the tree is centered, which looks a thousand times better. See those presents? Those are for my sibs. (get excited kiddos. Those presents are awesome. Trust)

Today is a dream come true. My awesome cousin got me tickets to see a taping of The Talk while they are in NYC.

I looked who would be the guest today and I squealed.

Its Donnie Wahlberg.

I was a child of the 80s and New Kids on the Block were my dream guys.

I had a giant button with Donnie's face on it.

I only wish I could find that button. I would wear it with pride to the taping.

Canal Street and a Long Lost Cousin

2011-12-12T05:56:00.003-06:00

My 2nd cousin, Teresa, came down from her home upstate to visit the city.

We haven't seen each other in about 15 years (or so. we aren't actually sure). We met at Bryant Park which has a really awesome Christmas market and an ice skating rink. It really wasn't that crowded either.

The shops are really nice and they are semi permanent.

I can never resist a skyline shot.

More shops

Then we headed to Canal Street. It was such a shit show down there I didn't get any pics. It reminded me of Mexico. People are yelling at you to come into the shops, ladies are selling jewelry off their bodies, guys are selling watches out of their coats. It was nuts! I succumbed to temptation and bought a really cute bag and a knit ear warmer thingy.

Then we ventured to Little Italy and ate our faces off. It was amazing. There is a guy that sells nougut off of a cart. He just cuts a chunk off and hands it to you. Amazing.

Then we stumbled on an indoor park. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen! There was turf on the ground and fake trees an flowers. They piped in bird sounds and wind. There were also farmers market type vendors in there too. People were lounging just like they would in a regular park. One of the vendors informed me its open from October through mid February. What a cool idea for winter!

Next, we went to Union Square and walked around their Christmas market. It was crazy busy but they had a lot of cool stuff, including evergreen boughs! (I've been searching high and low for those and now I know where to find them.)

Finally, we went to Harold Square for some discount shopping. I was more interested in taking pictures of the legendary 34th street Macys.

Here we are in front of Macys. Thats my little ear warmer thingy I got on Canal Street. My plan is to take it to my knitting class today and ask them how I can make some for myself. It doesn't look like it should be too difficult. But what do I know, I'm just a knitting newb.

**pics of my evergreen boughs and my awesome knock off purse to come**

Holiday Photo Card Event @ Etsy

2011-12-09T10:46:00.001-06:00

Because my friend N is such a peach, she invited me to a little holiday party at Etsy.

They set up 3 backdrops for funny holiday card photos.

N and I had an absolute blast posing for the photo booth pics.

This was the New Years Eve photo booth. There was a guy on the side that threw confetti right before the photo. His timing was impeccable.

This was the Twin Peaks photo booth. N and I thought it looked like a Minnesota lake cabin. All the props in all the booths were from Etsy sellers. There was some really cool stuff, like the piece of felt pie I was eating in the pics above.

Here is a few more pics from around the event.

This little fireplace was where they set out the champagne. Aren't those little flames cute?!

These are the backdrops for the photo booth pics. That white stuff all over the floor is the confetti that the photo booth guy kept throwing.

They also had a craft table set up where you could make an ornament or decorative envelopes. I didn't get a pic of it but I sure had a blast crafting and stamping.

Etsy is located in a part of Brooklyn called DUMBO which stands for Directly Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. This would be a really bad pic of the Manhattan Bridge.

On my way back to the subway I passed the Brooklyn Bridge as well.

Thanks Etsy for a super fun night!

Downsizing Christmas

2011-12-07T14:32:00.001-06:00

Before we moved from Houston to Manhattan, I was forced to downsize my 6 Christmas decoration boxes down to 3.

It wasn't easy.

But now that we are here I'm glad I parted with the stuff I found in the 80% off aisle at Hobby Lobby.

I was only able to display 1/4 of what we brought.

Looks like I'll be rotating the decor from year to year.

The obvious challenge here is space.

If our layout were a little different I could have fit a nice 5 to 6 ft tree in here.

But doorways got in the way so I have a baby tree on our window sill.

There are approximately 15 ornaments on this tree.

We also don't have a mantel in this apartment.

So I took the swag that used to go on the mantel and placed it on one of the mirrors.

And the bookcase now houses our stockings.

I have a couple more trinkety (its a word) decor items around the apartment but its been raining nonstop for the last few days and the pics were a little too dark to be blogged.

Sorry nuggets.

**update**
We finally got some sun to shine into our apartment so here is the rest of our Christmas Decor
Enjoy!

Table for 1

2011-12-06T08:55:00.000-06:00

The Deets:
Sweater: Charlotte Russe
Jacket: Vintage, my moms
Jeans: Gap, hand me downs
Shoes: Charlotte Russe
Bracelet: Gift, from Paris
Earrings: Vintage

P.S anyone know how to NOT make my belt stick out and make a bump like it always does? so annoying.

I decided to take myself out for a little brunch date.

Anybody remember the Sex and the City episode where Carrie gets caught in the rain and she goes into a cafe and the guy tells her "singles at the counter!"?

Thats what happened to me today.

Despite horrendous service, I liked my little brunch outing.

I went to Cafe Lalo, which is from 'You've Got Mail' (are you surprised?)

I had a Parisian Breakfast which is a croissant, jam and a cafe au lait.

It was super yummy and I got to people watch from the 'single' counter.

The other thing i just love about this place is their coffee. Its always super yummy and they serve all coffee with a baby Toblerone bar. Ummm, hello perfection!

Knitty City

2011-12-05T05:18:00.000-06:00

Now that Husband is back at work, I have been taking my outfit pics inside. Haven't quite worked up the courage to set up my tripod on the corner and pose in front of hundreds of people.

Still trying to navigate this new point and shoot. Please excuse the lighting slash graininess. I'll figure it out eventually....

The Deets:
Sweater: Kohls
Long Sleeve Shirt: JC Penny
Jeans: Charlotte Russe
Boots: Nicole purchased at Ross
Scarf: Thrifted, Flying Worm

Husband has been overseas for a week now.

I'm slowly venturing out on my own in the big city.

So in the pursuit of learning a new skill and meeting new people I signed up for my very first knitting class at a place called Knitty City. It is the cutest teeniest place I've ever seen. I'm super excited about my class today. I just hope I can make it though the full 2 hours.

I'm not known for my patience.

or attention span.

NYC Month in Review: November

2011-11-30T13:59:00.000-06:00

New York is such a odd place.

You see crazy shit all the time so I thought I'd tell you about some of the crazy, random people/stuff I've seen this month.

Saw Keiko Lynn in Times Square. I was all ready to run up to her and freak out "omg I love your blog and you are so amazing and I wish I could do my make up like you!!" but I was literally running to get our payment for credit checks to our brokers office. I was sooooo bummed.

Husband sat next to Richard Kind on the subway. He was reading his ipad. He looks exactly like he does on TV and to this day, I still wonder what he was doing on the subway.

I saw a guy peeing in a phone booth. I can't decide if I'm more horrified by public urination or the fact that there are still phone booths on every corner here.

The very first HOUR I stepped foot in New York, I saw a guy with a cat wrapped around his neck running at a full sprint through through Penn Station.

I'm sure December will bring more oddities.

Day of Gluttony aka Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T18:55:00.000-06:00

We've been going nonstop since we moved in.

Thanksgiving weekend was no exception.

Husband was obsessed with going to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

I was not interested.

I did, however, agree to go to see the balloons be blown up.

Which solidified my decision not to attend the parade.

It was bonkers. People and babies and strollers were all jammed into one little area just to see Buzz Lightyear laying on his side halfway inflated.

People were everywhere

This is part of the Natural History Museum. The balloons were being inflated on the streets surrounding the museum.

So Husband woke up at 5am on Thanksgiving day, met up with his bestie J and went and watched the parade in the cold.

I woke up at 8:30, made some coffee, and snuggled my dogs on the couch and watched the parade on TV.

I think my idea was better.

Ty was camped out towards the start of the parade.

Sesame Street

Cee Lo Green

Scotty McCreedy

Former Nebraska baseball player Joba Chamberlain

The most amazing man, Neil Diamond

Johnny Weir

Later that afternoon, we crossed town and joined our friends J and N and a group of their friends for dinner.

We ate (and drank) our faces off.

The End.

Tourist for 2 Days

2011-11-18T20:52:00.000-06:00

Since our entire time in NYC has been spent unpacking and schlepping to IKEA, we haven't been able to do much in the way of exploring.

My inlaws came to visit for 2 days and we totally took advantage.

The first day they were here we decided to get dinner and a show. When they asked for a suggestion, I answered in a millisecond. I've always wanted to go to Cafe Lalo. You know, that cafe from You've Got Mail.

Because if you've read this blog at all, you know that I'm obsessed with that movie. I watch it multiple times a week.

Problem much?

The food was amazing. The desserts were phenom. Also, its 1.5 blocks from our apartment. Danger.

After dinner, we went to a Broadway show. My first Broadway show ever. And it was Spiderman Turn Off the Dark. The acting was just ok, but the effects and the movable sets were freaking awesome.

Today, we went to the Today Show.

See the blonde in the black jacket to the right of the reporter? That would be my Mother in Law. She picked the most primo spot on the plaza.

Husband and I on the Plaza.

Michelle Williams was interviewed right by us. She is teeny tiny. I don't believe that she's actually had a child. Not possible. She looks fantab and she had the sweetest personality, in the interview at least.

After the Today show we went to ground zero. We didn't get to see a whole lot but we did get to walk by the new World Trade building.

Then Husband just HAD to go see the occupy Wall Street protesters. Most of them had left the park to do some sort of march so this pic of the protesters is pretty sad.

I'm super exhausted from all this walking and bouncing around. But we had a total blast being tourists in our own city. Can't wait to explore some more. Once I take a giant nap.

The (almost) Finished Apartment on 85th

2011-11-17T11:10:00.001-06:00

Its as done as its gonna get.

My in laws are coming to visit today.

So today is my deadline to just let it be.

Disclaimer: it is raining outside so the place looks super dark today. Its not normally this cave like. Also, some of these are a little blurry. New camera has a learning curve.

This is what you see when you walk through the door. The living room is to the right.

Blurry shot of the kitchen. The front door is to the left and the living room is behind me. Also, please note our dishwasher. This is one of the rarest finds in Manhattan.

View from the front door looking a bit to the right. I was sooo happy to have my books back! This whole room was formed around that rug. I almost didn't get my beloved rug cuz Brooklyn Ikea was sold out. So I convinced the lady to let me buy the display. I even got $100 off. THAT is how you bargain shop my friends.

View straight on. I'm standing in front of the TV for this shot.

Just as a reminder, this view looked like this a few short days ago:

Sleepless nights, beer and amazing pizza took this shit show to what you see above and below.

This is a shot from our closet. The kitchen is to the left of the green chair. The window looks down on an air shaft. Not a great view but it does give the living room some sunlight.

This is taken from behind the couch. Kitchen is to the right, the door on the left is our closet (which is amazing btw) I need to declutter under the buffet a bit. Details.

Just past the living room is a teeny hallway and in that hallway is our bathroom. Our shower is surprisingly large and there is a shiz ton of storage in that mirror. Thank the lord cuz I have a ton of bathroom stuff.

Obvs. the bedroom. The closet is to the right. Our closet is technically a "walk through" like Ms. Carrie Bradshaws closet. However, once we hung our clothes it no longer allows for walking through. See:

See our bed through the clothes? barely? no? well its there.

Back to the bedroom. I hauled my booty up on the window sill to take this pic. These windows face the street. I was nervous about this in the beginning but its surprisingly quiet and blinds and curtains help with privacy.

Here is the desk area. Husband has spent like 99% of his time here.

View from our bed. That wall of curtains is our storage wall. I want to add 2 more curtains so it looks less like a puppet theatre but Husband claims the curtain wire won't support more curtains. I think he doesn't want to make a third trip to Ikea Brooklyn. That pile of laziness on the floor would be the dogs. We took them to the dog park this morning and they are now in comas.

That's all I have for you now. The in laws will be here until Saturday. I hope to be posting more next week now that I can feel like a normal person again. Tootles!

General Mayhem

2011-11-14T11:31:00.000-06:00

We are almost done unpacking.

It goes a lot faster in a smaller space.

However, it is much more challenging.

Its like playing tetris with boxes.

I should have finished product pics for you by tomorrow.

Especially since we have internet now.

**happy dance**

The day after we took possession of the apt we went to Ikea in Brooklyn. We took the Ikea ferry over, which was kinda fun.

Sorry this is so blurry. We were zooming along on the ferry.

Me with all 4 of our extremely full carts.

We had a hiccup at the check out. Our charge card got shut down cuz we paid some bills in Houston and have been charging in NYC. So we had to wait an hour for it to be reinstated.

So lame.

We missed the last ferry back and had to take various subways and shuttles back to Manhattan. It was interesting to say the least.

Once everything got delivered our living room was packed.

Wall to wall packed.

But we put some stuff together and we gained some room.

By that time the pups and the hubby were passed out on the couch.

Trust me the place looks 10 times better today. We worked our booty's off.

These 2 pretty much fatted out and ate the whole time.

Lazy asses.

New Apartment Floor Plan

2011-11-09T21:55:00.000-06:00

Hey Kids

We move in tomorrow and when we do I'll take some good pics of this place.

But until then, I'll post the floor plan.

An actual floor plan and not a crappy free hand drawing.

Lets take a little tour shall we?

You walk right into the kitchen through the front door. Nothing of note here except that there is a dishwasher. Unheard of in New York. Also, there are counter tops and cabinets. I couldn't figure out how to draw them with the program I used. So use your imagination.

The Living room is 14ft by 11ft 3 1/2in. We are putting the bookcases behind the couch, much like this pic from flikr:

source

Accross from the couch is the buffet from my dining room moonlighting as a tv stand. This piece has a ton of storage so we'll store the dogs leashes, umbrellas, etc. in the drawers and doors.

The bedroom is long and skinny with measurements of 14ft by 8ft 2in.

Because the door to the closet will bump the bed, we'll be removing the door. Across from the bed will be a wall of storage. We will conceal it with either curtains or those screen thingys from ikea. The desk will also go in the bedroom. Mostly cuz it doesn't fit in the living room.

Can't wait to show you guys some actual pics of the space. I promise I'll take them tomorrow when I get there.

Adventures in Apartment Hunting

2011-11-08T17:49:00.000-06:00

It's slim pickins in the city this fall.

Which people have been telling me isn't normal.

So our timing couldn't be worse.

Right now there are 2 contenders.

The first one I only got terrible cell phone pics. But I did manage to draw an awesomely bad floor plan.

You're Welcome.

Please be aware that this is totally NOT to scale. The bathroom def isn't as large as it appears.

This place is larger than the other option. But its on the first floor, which makes me a little nervous. But it does have a Carrie closet. Like a mini Carrie Bradshaw closet. Makes me want this one real bad....

Here is the second option:

Here is the Living room. Awesome parquet flooring and super tall ceilings.

Here is the teeny tiny kitchen. The way I figure it, I won't be cooking a ton in New York.

Here is the narrow bedroom. It will work but not ideal.

The location of this apartment is stellar. Also its really pretty. Obvs.

Unfortunately, we don't really get to pick. Its all up to the landlord or management company. So, we wait.

After I saw the second apartment, I went walking around the upper west side.

Riverside Park

Hudson River

81st and Riverside Drive

I Love Fall.

When Bad Goes to Worse

2011-11-05T12:35:00.000-05:00

I am about to board a plane for Houston.

Some shit hit the fan with the sale of the truck.

Something that I absolutely HAD to be there to do in person.

So lame.

We currently have an app on an apartment.

We won't hear until Monday.

Husband will be half way to NYC with the truck and dogs by Monday.

So pretty much this has to work out.

I really really really hope that on Monday I'll be deliriously blogging to you about my awesome new apartment.

Seriously peeps. We need some prayers, good thoughts, vibes, positive energy, or whatever can make this work out in our favor.

Until Monday....

Day 1 in NYC = Frustrating

2011-11-03T21:03:00.000-05:00

I'm currently in NYC with functioning internet. Thanks to our awesomely accommodating friends J&N.

I had planned to post some awesome apartment pictures from my showings today.

But alas, there are none to show.

Let me tell you a sad story:

I boarded a 5:15 am flight and hit the ground running with the apartment search.

And then it came to a screeching halt.

Budget + 2 dogs + Need to move ASAP = 2 apartments in the whole upper west side that meet our requirements.

2 measly teeny tiny, 5 flights up apartments.

No bueno.

So now we are regrouping.

Reassessing our options.

And we have to do it quickly.

Which is why I have a bowl sized glass of wine in front of me and Husband on Google chat.

This is serious shiz.

The good news is, I'm still confident in this move. I know its the right thing.

I'm really hoping that I have some pics to show you tomorrow.

Until then send me some good real estate vibes.

New York State of Mind

2011-11-02T12:07:00.002-05:00

I've been MIA lately.

But I have a good excuse.

We got a tenant.

We got exactly 10 days notice to get the hell out.

Cut to me screaming with excitement and horror.

We've been non stop packing, donating, trashing, and bubble wrapping.

So much so that lil nugget shiner thinks bubble wrap is her bed.

I leave for NYC tomorrow.
Awesome posts to come.
I know that's a sweeping statement but anything is better than what you guys have been getting.
See you on the east coast!

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Its Finally Fall in Houston... Kinda

2011-10-20T07:14:00.002-05:00

It finally feels like fall in Houston!

Well as "fall" as it feels here.

Our leaves don't change color and our grass always stays green.

But its in the low 70s during the middle of the day and that feels more like fall than 90s.

I wore this on a totally ill fated day. I won't go into it. Just one of the most supremely awful days I've had in a while.

At least I was warm and cozy while I was melting down.

Deets:

Sweater: Target

Skirt: Target

Tights: Target

Boots: Brand is Nicole, purchased at Ross

Scarf: The Flying Worm in Omaha

Earrings: Gift from my inlaws, vintage

FYI it was a freakin wind tunnel when I took these. My skirt is blowing and not the victim of static cling.

I never knew how lucky I was to have Husband take my pictures while he was here.

It takes about 10 times longer for me to take my own pics.

Do you know that I took no less than 15 pictures of the back of my boots and that was the best one I got?

Needless to say, I'm very excited for Husband to come home, for more than one reason.

But mostly to take my outfit pics and make me coffee in the morning.

Apartment Therapy

2011-10-19T14:00:00.000-05:00

So you may have noticed that I dropped off the planet for about a week.

I was in a real crab ass mood.

I figured I'd spare you the overly dramatic word vomit and just complain to my dogs instead.

Allow me to sum it up:

House still on the lease market + Husband has been gone for 6 weeks + Husband won't be home till end of the month + I can't decorate for fall because my decor is all packed = Major drama filled attitude.

So since I'm trapped in my vacant home with my very bored dogs, I started looking for inspiration for our non-existent NYC apartment.

I may have a complex.

Thanks to Pinterest.

I've pinned about a zillion inspiration pics from Apartment Therapy.

Here are a couple of my faves.

I'm going much more eclectic and modern in this apartment.

Very outside my comfort zone. But this style is much more suited to the city.

And Husband.

And it feels cozy. And I need cozy. I'll be experiencing winter again for the first time in 5 years.

I have all the furniture/rugs picked out. My plan was to post a mood board at some point but I don't have office on my mac and I can't download photo editing software for various operating system issues. (my technology woes continue). Once Husband comes home and rescues me from my technology hell, I'll put together my plan and, of course, share it with you peeps.

Until then, please excuse sporadic posting.

I'll try and dream up things to write about.

Unless you want to hear about how many times I've watched You've Got Mail?

I average 4 times per week.

And I've been cutting back. Believe it or not.

Geometric

2011-10-11T10:03:00.000-05:00

I got this dress to pic Husband up from the airport.

I thought he'd be here this weekend.

Not gonna happen.

Some sort of staffing problem... Whatev.

I couldn't wait to wear it anymore.

The Deets:

Dress: TJ Maxx

Shoes: Target

Bracelets: Forever 21, the long one is a necklace that I wrapped around my wrist

Watch: Fossil, Thrifted

I love this dress for a couple of reasons.

Its so comfy. I love the pattern. Also, with black tights and a turtle neck this will transition nicely into fall.

Which will be really nice if it would drop below 90 in Houston.

You may notice that my hair is in a bun again. But I have a good reason: it was pouring rain yesterday (yay) and the humidity is out of control.

This is our golf course flooded. Whoops. Prolly need to take that sign down now that our house is for lease :)

I actually did something in this dress. I went to Starbucks and went and did a little shopping.

I was so excited about this dress I may or may not have forgotten to take the tag off until I got to Starbucks.

Klassy.

Nothing of Note

2011-10-10T13:37:00.000-05:00

Because I don't have a ton to say today (please keep your shock and awe to yourselves), I have posted a ton of pics.

You're welcome.

The Deets:
Shirt: Buffalo Check Button up from J Crew Its a mens small. The women's button ups always cause buttons to pop in a particular place. Listen up J. Crew! Ladies with larger chests like your store. Please make shirts that fit me. Thanx.
Pants: Banana Republic These used to be much longer. Like I considered taking them to the tailor and having them hemmed. One trip through the dryer and now they are flood pants. Looks like I'll be taking them to the tailor to let the hem down.
Shoes: Ross Not sure of the brand. I just got these the other day because I thought they would look really cute with a colored pair of tights. I bought some eggplant colored ones in celebration of the purchase.
Belt: Husbands This is a belt that broke and I rescued it from the garbage
Earrings: Vintage Gift from my lovely inlaws

Thats all I have for you kiddos. I didn't even do anything in this outfit.

I lied.

I went through the Starbucks drive through.

That doesn't really count though.

Guest Post: African Open Market

2011-10-06T07:59:00.000-05:00

Husband is working in Angola at the moment. A few days ago he went to an open air market. Husband always comes home with interesting art and sculptures and places like this are where he buys them. He was kind enough to take pics on his last trip.

The market places in Africa are some of the best I’ve seen in world. There is a sense of craftsmanship and authenticity to the items. Items are commonly constructed from marble, soapstone, ebony, malachite and even ivory. The unique market I visited today was an hour south of Luanda, Angola. What made this market unique was the abundance of animal skins and crafts.

Items available ranged from sculpted sea turtle shells to cheetah and boa constrictor skin. I was amazed at how many cheetah skins were available. One of the strangest finds was elephant tails. Not sure what you’d do with an elephant tail or how much one cost but the option was there. Speaking of elephants, ivory was one of the biggest commodities offered.

Everything that you could possibly thing of was available in ivory with many types of jewelry, book marks, combs, figurines, utensils and polished tusks tips. The carving and sculpting of each piece was done very well. Many of the craftsmen would work on pieces when they were not selling.

The prices were very high and I can’t speculate on the legality of the ivory supplier. I know there are many ivory products available legally from culling over population on national parks but Africa is always dicey.

If these items are not your thing you could get a live parrot. For 30,000 Kwanzas ($300) you could own an African Gray Parrot. It might seem like a steep price but not compared to the $1000 price tag in the US.

And lastly is the stuff I purchased and the prices paid. Keep in mind Angola has ranked number one in the world several times for the most expensive country. However, prices in the marketplace are always determined by negotiating.

Wooden bracelet - $5

Ebony rings - $5 for both

Malachite bracelets - $10 for 3

Paintings - $30 for 2

As Seen On TV

2011-10-05T08:30:00.002-05:00

So back on Monday I told you about my new favorite appliance.

Sorry, coffee maker, you are now second.

This is the dreamboat I was referring to.

I have never bought an "as seen on TV" product before. Mostly because I just figured none of that crap was ever worth the money.

Wrong.

This thing is amazballs.

I've been playing with it almost everyday since I purchased it. This is the system that works for me so far.

First, I blow dry my hair. obvs.

Then I use this John Freida Finishing Creame. It keeps my hair from going bonkers while I curl it. Prevents fly aways and baby hairs from going rouge.

Then, I tease my roots a bit with a comb and this Treseme Hair Spray.

Then I use the curling iron to curl big sections of my hair. Then spray it with the hairspray and touch up crazy baby hairs with the finishing creame.

This whole process takes about as long as it did to straighten my hair.

Its been an adjustment to wrap my hair around the barrel with my hands instead of twisting it up like you would with a traditional curling iron.

This baby even comes with a super stylish heat resistant glove.

And here is the finished product.

If you don't know, Houston is the land of humidity. These 2 products are amazing for holding curls. I used to always straighten my hair here because curls were a futile effort. As soon as I stepped outside it would all be flat. For whatever reason, the combo of these products and this curling iron have saved my curls.

And the day I took this picture, it rained. My curls were in tact after the downpour! I didn't get super wet but still, with humidity like that usually they are long gone.

Now I'm about to do something on this blog that I've never done before: post a pic from when I woke up. Only because I need to show you guys 2 things. 1) My curls are still there after a rainstorm and sleeping 8 9 hours. 2) remember what I said yesterday about that eyeliner. Yeah, still there looking amazing.

Please ignore the giant handbags under my eyes.

So now you can expect me to have my hair down and curled in almost every outfit post from here on out.

Its just too much fun to cheat the Houston weather.

Cheapy McCheaperson

2011-10-04T08:22:00.002-05:00

So in between packing I go out and shop or get coffee or something. Anything to get me away from packaging tape (which, btw, I found a piece of in my hair the other day)

While I was at Target, I saw some makeup priced from $1-$3.

I was as shocked as you are.

So I thought it was worth a shot, considering my trip to Target was for concealer and eyeliner.

And if my face breaks out, well, its not like I get out that much anyway.

And my dogs don't care about my face, as far as I know.

Verdict: Pretty awesome.

Its called e.l.f which apparently stands for eyes, lips, face.

Its not as good as some Clinique stuff I've used in the past but for a total of $7 for all 3 items its very comparable to cover girl stuff.

I tested out the concealer, the cream eyeliner, and the finishing spray.

The concealer ($1) was pretty good. It smelled nice and went on very easily.

The cream eyeliner ($3) is the best. It comes with a little brush that is very easy to use and it stays on. When they say use eye make up remover, they mean it. I slept in my makeup one night (don't judge) and the next morning it wasn't even smudged.

The mist and set spray($3) I will admit I bought because it sounded fancy. I have no clue if it does anything. Mentally I feel like I've 'set' my make up. So I can accidently touch my face and not freak the eff out that I've smudged it. Total mental game I'm playing with myself. (again, don't judge)

So now that I've tried out this e.l.f. brand, I'll probably go back to Target and purchase a few more items to test.

Assuming, of course, that my dogs appreciate my getting all fancied up for them.

Back in the Saddle

2011-10-03T10:14:00.000-05:00

It is still hotter than the surface of the sun here in Houston.

Its October and it feels like August.

This may or may not be the first time I've been in a legit outfit since I last blogged.

It's possible.

The Deets:

Top: Marshalls

Skirt: New York and Co.; Thrifted

Shoes: Aerosloes

Necklace: Gift from my Mother in Law

Bracelet: Forever 21

Sunglasses: Charlotte Russe

You guys, I got a new curling iron.

Can you tell?

a) I'm wearing my hair down in 100 degree heat and b) not only is my hair down it's curled.

This curling iron is the bomb.

So bomb diggity in fact that it will have its very own post sometime this week.

Thats how life changing this piece of equipment is.

Stay tuned.

PS please forgive my SOTC pics (that's straight out of the camera for you blogging rookies) I am still learning how to use this Mac. I now know how my mom feels when I try and teach her how to use her computer.

Much wine has been consumed.

Help me jeebus.

Technology:1 Raych:0

2011-09-29T14:29:00.000-05:00

Its about time for me to brush the dust off this poor, neglected blog. It's not my fault. All my technological devices conspired against me.

They must have known that Husband is out of town.

I almost forgot how to use a computer since I haven't had one to use in almost a month.

Don't worry, I'm not going to regale you with all the happenings of the last 3 weeks. (there isn't much to tell, truth be told)

For your convenience, I have put the last few weeks of my life in bulleted form.

You're welcome.

Normal, sarcastic, picture laden blogging will resume tomorrow.

- Our house is now for lease. Selling was making both of us crazy. (mostly me) My impatience is at an all time high.

- We've had 2 showings since the house has been for lease.

- I got insanely excited for each of those showings and convinced myself that we'd be in NYC by the end of the week.

- I came home after each of those showings to find that someone had used our small bathroom. I don't know about you guys but that just weirds me out.

- Then, I convinced myself that these people had used our bathroom because the second the lookie loos walked through our door they fell madly in love with our house and felt the need to mark their territory so to speak. Or as my mom said, they were testing the plumbing.

- Neither of those showings garnered a lease. obvs. Cuz I'm still here. Wasting away in the God awful heat of Houston.

- I've sold 90% of our furniture. I have the couch I'm sitting on, the bed I sleep in, the TV and the stand it sits on. That's about all that's left. Its really naked in here. (can you say cart before the horse?)

- Husband has ordered an insane amount of electronics. He bought me a tablet for blogging (blogger hates tablets fyi). That tablet happened to be defective. I didn't notice this until I tried to upload pics and the tablet corrupted all but 14 of the pics. After that little nightmare, Hubs found a nice point and shoot camera for hardly anything. (hell hath frozen over I tell you). Then, when the (new, non corrupt) tablet and blogger started hating each other again, Hubs found me this lovely refurbished mac book. Now my technology dreams have come true.

- I have watched You've Got Mail no less than a dozen times. That movie is like self inflicted torture. I watch the neighborhood I should be living in while drinking wine and eating cheese and chocolate only because I don't want to buy a ton of groceries. God forbid I have extra food when our house leases (any minute now...)

- I went to Ikea and picked out all of our furniture for our (non-existent) NYC apt. I know that I'm almost 30 and I should buy grown up furniture, but Ikea will deliver as much stuff as we want from their Brooklyn store to our new apt for $90. I'm sorry but that's all I need. No heavy lifting for me = sold.

I'm officially old. Its 9:26 PM and I am falling asleep as I type this. Apparently, this blogging thing is challenging my brain.

I'm out of practice.

Awkward and Awesome

2011-09-15T10:37:00.000-05:00

cuz this is about all I can do at the moment

Technology is slowly trying to kill me

Awkward:
- My house currently resembles a furniture auction house. People have been walking through and claiming what they want. And then I mark each with a post-it so I dont forget who bought it and accidentally give it to someone else.

- I have been at Starbucks everyday for the last week. The baristas are starting to recognize me. But a girl has to steal internet somewhere. How else would I get any blogging done?

- I haven't worn make up in so long that I kind of don't remember where I put it.

Awesome:
- Husband got me a tablet so I could blog. Still having trouble figuring out how to get pics off the camera and on to the tablet. details, details.

- We have located a reputable NYC broker. Now we just need someone to lease our house. Any takers??

- I've been surviving on wine, cheese, and chocolates and I've actually lost weight. Probably because its a bazillion degrees out and I've sweat through all the clothes I've worn this week.

Well nuggets, that's all I have for you. pray that technology moves on from trying to destroy me to doing something useful. Like creating calorie free Starbucks salted caramel hot chocolate.

Tootles!

I feel blue....

2011-09-07T10:39:00.000-05:00

Lots of random shiz happening today.

Husband is leaving for Africa. Cabinda, Angola to be exact.

I've been using his computer because mine is a piece of dooky. However, when I went to use my comp today I realized I left my power cord in Minnesota.

Fail.

Also, we canceled our internet and cable so blogging has been sporadic at best. Starbucks is my new best friend.

I've cried approxamately 3 times in the last 24 hours.

Because Husband is leaving?

no

Because I'm selling every piece of furniture I own and meticulously picked out over the course of 3 years?

no

It's because we are selling our beloved motorcycle today. I'm tearing up just thinking about it.

My priorities are out of whack.

Obvs.

So, this blog post may be the most random assortment of useless information in the history of useless information, but I thought I owed you an explanation as to why a) my blogging has sucked lately and b) why my blogging will suck for the next week, or at least until my father in law sends me my power cord.

Please excuse me while I mourn our motorcycle.

Ladylike

2011-09-06T10:35:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been absent. I was driving for forever and a day.

Husband and I are in Houston again.

Cue the collective groan.

This house, absolutely, does not feel like our house.

It smells like it did the day we moved in. I feel like we are renting it for the weekend.

My view has changed as well. The sky is hazy and it smells of smoke.

If you haven’t heard, nearly the entire south central area of Texas is ablaze.

Thankfully, It isn’t us.

Now that I’ve sufficiently depressed you, here is an outfit I wore when I was still blissfully walking around Omaha.

The Deets:

Dress: Thrifted; Fairmont Antiques and Mercantile (this store is awesome. Its part antique shop, part candy shop and part antique theater that plays old movies everyday for FREE!)

Shoes: Charlotte Russe

Clutch: Coach

Sunglasses: Charlotte Russe

I got this dress for $24. Also it fits me perfectly. Best thrifting experience of my life.

I felt like such a girl wearing this dress. Not like I don't feel like a girl all the time, its just that I don't ever feel dainty or NOT like a bull in a china shop.

Except for when I wore this dress.

Effin ladylike.

Lighten Up, Its Just Fashion.

2011-08-31T11:16:00.000-05:00

Anyone out there watch Project Runway?

Remember Santino's season? And he sang that song in the work room?

No?

Here's a little refresher:

This has been in my head for days now.

And every time I think of it I laugh to myself.

Pretty sure most everyone is convinced I'm crazy.

I went thrifting the other day (shocker) and found this adorbs skirt.

It was $24 which is way more than I would normally spend on a thrifted skirt, but I said to myself "lighten up, its just fashion"

And then I died laughing and bought it.

Here it is:

The Deets:

White T: Agacai

Skirt: Thrifted from The Flying Worm in Omaha

Shoes: Target

Sunglasses: Charlotte Russe

Earrings: Vintage twist posts, gift from my SIL

Bracelet: Forever 21

Clutch: Coach

Thoughts:

1. I swear to jeebus that nail color was completely coincidental

2. I can't wait to get back to Houston but only for one reason: I want the rest of my closet back. I need a more interesting shirt to go with this skirt. It deserves better.

More Fried Food Than You Can Shake a Stick At

2011-08-29T11:02:00.000-05:00

Husband, Brother in Law and I went to the Minnesota State fair recently.

Our mission was simple: eat as much fried food as humanly possible.

Spoiler Alert.

Mission Accomplished.

We started out nice and easy with an old favorite, mini donuts. (as Husband is so wonderfully displaying)

Then we got serious. Fried candy bar serious. If you've never had a fried candy bar, get your hiney to a state fair immediately and try one of these suckers. I have fried Resses in my right hand and a fried Snickers in my left. (which happens to be my favorite)

After that display of excess, I needed a drink. Only at the Minnesota State Fair can you get an ice cold glass of milk for only $1. Hit. The. Spot.

Speaking of Minnesota traditions: this would be fried walleye on a stick. It was fantab.

And in an act of total kid fun: Husband and Brother in Law tried their hands at go karts. They were the oldest by 15 years, and that is a very very generous assumption.

Brother in Law bought a bucket of cookies. Holy awesome. There were even some leftovers for him to take home.

And finally, the Piese de resistance, fried pickles.

Oh Mylanta.

Literally.

Awkward and Awesome

2011-08-25T11:26:00.000-05:00

I totally ~~stole~~ borrowed this idea from The Daybook.

I needed a topic and my day is full of packing up all our shiz cuz we are heading south tomorrow.

Sad Panda.

But we'll be taking our sweet ass time by going through the Twin Cities, Omaha, and Kansas.

Anyway.... Awesome and Awkward

Awkward:

- Going to pay for my thrift finds with a credit card when the shop only took cash/checks. (seriously, who uses checks anymore?) So I ran to the bank. ATM is broken. Try to go inside. 15 people in line. Back in the car and finally go through the drive through and get my $15. I was shocked my clothes were still behind the counter when I got back. Only in Minnesota.

- While renewing our vows, my in-laws neighbor decided to jump on his seadoo (that's Minnesotan for jet ski) and rev the engine for 10 minutes straight. No exaggeration. Husband and I nearly died laughing.

- Watching Bachelor Pad with my Father in Law. Enough said.

Awesome:

- Motorcycling with Husband on the bike he wooed me with. I was always a sucker for the badasses. Little did I know Husband is a nerd with a badass exterior. Win-win if you ask me.

This is a SCANNED pic from Sept 2003 of me with 2 friends on said motorcycle. Husband and I weren't even dating at the time. 3 years later we'd be married. (cue the collective awwww....) Moral of the story: chicks dig motorcycles. And nerds.

- Renewing our vows in front of our families and good friends. (minus a few)

Besties fo' Life!

- Being able to go to the Minnesota State Fair tomorrow and eat a fried Snickers, cheese curds, and mini donuts. Not to mention seeing the Princess Kay of the Milky Way's head carved in butter. I'm about to get really chubby, folks.

- First Husker game of the season is Sat. Sept. 3rd! I get to watch it with some pretty awesome people, too. I'll give you a hint: scroll up. See those peeps? I get to hang with them again very soon.

I'm one lucky girl.

Guest Posting: Verbal Melange

2011-08-24T09:41:00.000-05:00

Howdy Peeps! Today I'm guest posting for the lovely and talented Emma over at Verbal Melange. It's a yummy food post so go and check it out. CLICK TO VIEW POST

Here's a little preview to get your taste buds a tinglin'

See you tomorrow!! Smooches!

Just Call Me Thrifty McThrifterson

2011-08-23T06:00:00.002-05:00

I wore one of my $3 thrift finds yesterday.

And get this, I wore it to do more thrifting.

Must have been good luck cuz I had awesome haul yesterday.

To the tune of a $2 fossil watch. And that's just the beginning.

Thrifting in Minnesota is the bizzle.

The Deets:
Top: White Stag, Thrifted in Osakis, MN
Jeans: 7 for All Mankind
Shoes: Aerosoles, purchased at Famous Footwear
Sunglasses: Snakeskin Cateyes, Charlotte Russe
Belt: Agacai
Bracelets: Forever 21
Earrings: Thrifted

I'm guest posting at Verbal Melange tomorrow! Go check it out and show some LOOOOVE!!!!

Last Night I Nearly Died....

2011-08-22T10:31:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, we've spent most of the summer in Minnesota with my in-laws. We are staying in the basement with our dogs. So last night, while snuggled up watching an episode of Sons of Anarchy (best show eva btw), my dogs start freaking their freak. Husband turns to me and says "did you see that?!?"

I did.

It was a bat.

Dive bombing us.

So naturally, I took the covers wrapped myself up and hit the deck.

I peeked out once only to see the bat coming straight at me. And I screamed.

Bloody murder.

I had good reason for thinking my life was over.

A few months back my father in law had a dicey encounter with a bat in the garage and had to get a bazillion, painful rabies shots.

Thankfully, my handsome hubby saved my life.

Needless to say, I had a hard time falling asleep. I kept dreaming that a bat was tangled in my hair and that I had to get rabies shots in my face. (why my face? cuz my dreams like to freak me out)

Then I had a dream that another bat was dive bombing me, this time in the pitch dark.

Then I heard my dogs bark.

Then I saw my husband running around.

Then I realized this was not a dream.

It was another bat dive bombing me AS I SLEPT.

I died right then and there.

the end.

Husband came to the rescue again and actually said to me in my half awake stupor: "nothing is happening, you're fine, go back to sleep"

Go back to sleep?

Not in a million years, my friend. Not even if you drugged me.

Our Vow Renewal and Backyard BBQ

2011-08-19T07:40:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned last week, Aug 12 was our 5th wedding anniversary. And because we looooove each other soooo much we threw a little BBQ shindig. Oh, and we renewed our vows. It was fun times as you can see by these pics. Enjoy!!

Head over to Tiffany Anne Art to see more pics. Like her page cuz she's a bomb diggity photog and also she's my darling SIL#2. Show some love peeps!!!

House Stalking: Edney's Lake House

2011-08-18T11:09:00.002-05:00

My Mother in Law's Friend Deb Edney was nice enough to let me creep around her lake house yesterday. This is one thing I absolutely love about the lakes here in Minnesota: the old lake cabins.

When Deb and her husband Jim bought this house on Lake Miltona (mill-tone-ah) it was boarded up and was in need of some serious renovations. They restored the existing house and added on an addition which includes: 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a laundry room, a den, and what they call the chimney room. I dare you to find where the addition starts and the old house ends. Spoiler alert. You won't be able to.

This is how you approach the house from the road. All of the stone planters and birdbath are original to the property. See the window next to the door with the window box? That's where the old house used to end. See, I told you the addition was undetectable.

This is the view of the house from the lakeshore. See those two windows on the left? Addition. Just blew your mind again didn't I?

When you enter the house through the door facing the street, you walk onto the screen porch. I recently sat on this porch with my MIL and SIL #1 and drank copious amounts of wine. Might be the perfect summer lake activity.

From the screen porch you enter the kitchen. This is the original kitchen and this lil island is where the main sink used to be.

How cute are these chairs?! She matched the paint from the original cabinets for these. The little window valence thing is original to the house as well.

That white door is the door from the screen porch into the kitchen. See the island? That's where the kitchen used to end. The kitchen beyond the island was originally the bedroom.

Here is the former master bedroom/ brand new kitchen. Deb matched the new cabinets to the old ones and added a cute window seat.

Here is a shot of the original cabinet design.

How awesome is this stove?! well I'm about to blow your brain again: its brand new. That top door hides the control panel. HOW COOL IS THAT?! It's a genius idea: the look of old without the possible problems that cooking with an antique stove could bring.

From the kitchen you walk into a little hallway, to the right is where the bathroom used to be. It now houses the pantry.

See the dark spots on the floor? that's where the tub used to be. See the wood floor beyond that? Thats where the new addition starts. But first let me show you the rest of the original house.

This is the original living room. Beyond the fireplace is the chimney room aka addition. To the left is the front porch.

To the left is the lake. How cool is the fan?

This is the chimney room.

Now lets move back to that little pantry. If you keep walking through to the new addition this is what you'd see to the left.

That blue window was originally an exterior window. Deb is a smarty and put mirrors where the glass should be. Genius. The door at the end of the hall is their Master bedroom.

Here is the awesome laundry room which contains a bath tub sized sink.

The sign above the window may be the best thing I've ever seen.

This is the main floor bathroom which contains the original tub. She bought old medicine cabinets and put them in all the 'new' bathrooms.

The lights are all antiques too.

Cool right?

The old original house used to sit on a 4 ft crawl space. So Deb and Jim added a full sized basement. Downstairs there are 3 bedrooms and a bathroom. I'll show you my favorite room: the girlie room

This is the view from the door. Love those old rod iron beds. The light fixture is baby pink glass but you can't really tell in this pic.

Here's a view from the other side of the room.

This is the downstairs bathroom. Its a little smaller so I didn't get a super good pic. Notice the antique medicine cabinet. She's a smart cookie that Deb.

So that's Deb and Jim Edney's awesome lake house. I wish I could have shown you every room in the house but you'd be reading for hours and hours. Plus you'd be super jealous that I get to go over to their little cabin and drink wine and creep around.

Skirts and Tunics... Don't Mind if I Do!

2011-08-17T12:38:00.000-05:00

I went on another thrifting excursion yesterday, this time to a little town called Osakis (ohh say kiss). I love that every other town in MN needs a pronunciation key.

Here's my haul:

LOVE this skirt from The Limited. It needs to be hemmed up a little bit. Good thing I'm staying with my in-laws! Mother in Law may be able to help in this department.

I have been looking for a pleated skirt FOREVA. I finally found this one but it's a tish bit tight and I have to wear it really high up on my waist otherwise it won't zip. But at $3 I couldn't pass it up. Its a "make it work" skirt, or, possibly, a "practice on the sewing machine" skirt.

This is an XL tunic from Walmart. I have never thrifted Walmart clothes before but I loved this Ikat print. And even though its about 7 sizes too big, it will look awesome belted with some cute leggings or skinny jeans.

Oh, and did I mention I got all of this for a grand total of $9? Yep. And Minnesota doesn't charge sales tax on clothes.

Double Score.

House Stalking: Golberg Guest Suite

2011-08-16T12:57:00.000-05:00

There are some bombass cabins/houses here in lake country so I'm starting a little series to show you how awesome they are.

First up: My in-laws new guest suite.

This is what the room used to be:

Yep. It used to be a hot tub room. I'm not gonna lie, I miss it. Husband and I used to cook in the hot tub and watch movies. But now it looks like this.

This is the new addition part of the guest suite (still a few things to do like put in the switch plates and the vent covers)

Through the blue doors is the existing guest room.

This is where the hot tub used to sit, right in front of the fire place. The bathroom is through the door to the left and the living room is through the glass doors.

View from the french doors leading outside into the guest room. The beam on the ceiling marks where the new addition begins and the old hot tub room ends.

And from the guest room into the sitting area. (obvs the trim still needs to be put up but you get the picture)

Here is a terrible rendition of the floor plan of the guest suite. The theory behind this renovation is to create another 'master' on the main floor. So when my in-laws get to the point where they can't make it up the steps, they will turn the sitting room section into their bedroom and the existing guest room into their closet/dressing room. Cool huh?!

Coming up this week: pics from our vow renewal, some more house stalking, and more from life on the lake.

Toodles!!

Lake Life in Pictures

2011-08-15T14:52:00.003-05:00

Howdy nuggets!

Had a super busy weekend:
- Husband and I celebrated our 5 yr anniversary by renewing our vows (super awesome pics to come)
- We ate our faces off (ummm. we had chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting. YUM OH)
- My sibs and mom were here and we played some serious wiffle ball, croquet and bocce ball. Like, hard core competitive. Like, my little sister threw her croquet mallet, competitive.
- 2 of my best friends in the whole world were here and we demonstrated some of our super cool dance moves. Pretty sure we got my father in law out on the floor. we are THAT talented. (I may or may not post pics of this... I need to see them with sober eyes first.)

Until I get around to posting about all of this, here are some pics from this weekend. Happy Monday kiddos!

Sister was the first to bat in the wiffle ball showdown.

Then Husband hit her with a pitch. See the wiffle ball mark on her leg?

That's my baby brother. He's taller than me. Excuse me while I cry and hold his baby picture....

Husbands flops marked the pitchers mound. We iz simpl folk.

This is SIL #1 and her pug named Tater Tot aka baby pig.

My mom and MIL with Shiner and her massive snaggle tooth.

I introduced my fam to lake bathing. Its the only way to bathe.

My Sister is starting college this week. Excuse me while I cry and hold her baby picture....

Also, she's a model. Can't you tell?

Then Husband came out of nowhere to show us how it's done

Doesn't this make you want to bathe in a lake? no? ok. well. your loss.

Up in the Air

2011-08-12T08:12:00.006-05:00

FIL, aka Pappa Jeff, is a pilot of small planes like this one:

He took Husband out on a little flight around Alexandria and the chain of lakes this morning.The chain of lakes are 5 lakes that all connect: Lakes Darling, Carlos, Le Homme Dieu, Geneva, and Victoria. I would have gone but that plane is a true 2 seater and I had more important things to do like watch Modern Family and NOT throw up from motion sickness.

Here is the route they took around Alex. Husband used a fancy app on his phone to do this. cool huh.

In Laws live on the Eastern shore of Lake Le Homme Dieu. SIL#1 lives near the end of Lake Victoria, which isn't labeled for whatever reason. Its Southeast of the last 'a' in Alexandria.

That beach between the 2 lakes is Rotary beach. We go there with the pontoon most days and prop up the sea legs (google it) and swim and bake in the sun. And drink beer. Lake in the foreground is Le Homme Dieu, the lake in the background is Carlos.

Heres another shot of it, its to the left of the road. You can hardly see the beach cuz the water is so ungodly high this year. That little triagle of pine trees is known as the "three havens" area. The lake to the left is Lake Le Homme Dieu and the lake to the right is Lake Carlos.

A wake boarder... Husband just couldn't resist.

This is the In Laws house. See the parallel parked pontoon? We Husband had to do that cuz the pontoon sits on its sea legs and if a big storm comes with the water this high it will smash it into the rocks. So we husband had to move it to shallower water.

Random Fact: Today is Husband and My 5th anniversary. See those big flower pots on the patio by the lake? We are renewing our vows between them tomorrow!

The building with the red roof is Bug-a-Boo Bay Restaurant. The have docks along the shore so we can boat there to eat. Its pretty fun. The lake in the foreground is Lake Le Homme Dieu, The lake behind is Lake Darling.

This is Pappa Jeff landing.

Hope you enjoyed this aerial tour of Alexandria and the chain of lakes! Tootles!!

Barefoot is Best: EBEW Pattern Mixing

2011-08-10T11:59:00.001-05:00

This is my first attempt at joining the Everybody Everywear phenom.

side note: every time I see "Everybody Everywhere" I think of the cleanup song we sang in Kindergarden. You know which one I'm talking about? Its been in my head for like 48 days straight now....

So the challenge this month is pattern mixing. I did not go bonkerpants with this one. I am new to this game and I didn't want to get too big for my britches.

Walla. Husbands pinstripe shirt over my tribal (?) printed maxi dress.

And no shoes.

We're at the lake people. Shoes are for lake rookies.

It looks like I got confused and thought the theme was white button down, but look closer....

Bam! It actually has a teeny tiny pinstripe. I live on the edge.

That's my puppy Sheldon. He likes to be in the outfit pics...

... cuz he wants to show of his bombtastic new collar. My puppy has style.

When Boats Attack

2011-08-08T18:07:00.000-05:00

Sorry this is so late poodles.

We had a boat emergency.

See the water here in Alexandria is so super de duper high that the boat lifts can't even lift the boats out of the water. So, since the boat lift we have was kinda still in the water, and the waves were large enough to surf on, our boat made a break for it.

Husband ran out and jumped in the lake and held the boat from floating away.

I, because I'm an amazing wife, grabbed my camera and started taking pics.

Then Husband made me drive the boat in circles in the middle of the lake while he and SIL#2's boyfriend moved the boat lift into shallower water.

Momentous day we had.

And the most important feat: I drove the boat for the first time ever and didn't capsize/sink/die.

Husband standing on the submerged lift trying to prevent the boat from escaping.

The front of the boat is supposed to be way to the left up under the canopy.

this is SIL #2's BF. He is holding the boat while husband went to get the fully charged battery. Cuz of course the battery would die when we need it to start the absolute most. Also the knob fell off of the electronic lift so husband had to directly connect the wires to power the lift WHILE standing in the water. He's so lucky he didn't die.

Hopefully I'll have a normal post tomorrow. Unless of course the pontoon you see in the background tries to make a break for it too.

Tootles!

Super Awesome Thrifting

2011-08-05T15:41:00.000-05:00

I don't know what it is about the Midwest but thrifting here is awesome pawsome.

I used pawsome instead of possum because possum makes me thing of possums and those things are gross and not awesome at all.

Here is my latest haul.

Super colorful scarf, 2 sets of non pierced earrings, and a super oldy moldy book.

These are the earrings that disfigured my earlobes. I am so sad about that because these are hoops and I have always wanted to wear hoops. Not many non pierced hoop earrings out there folks. Trust me I've done the leg work. Especially, at $1 which is what I bought these for. I'm trying to figure out if I can loosen up the clips so they don't take my earlobes off the next time I wear them.

Love these little twist back earrings. They are my only colored pair that I own so far. $2 baby. Whammy!

I've been on the hunt for scarves to wear on my head like this. And I found this one for $2 and wore it here.

And my favorite find of all is this book. After looking in thrift stores we went into a used book store.

I died. I looooove that smell. Moldy oldy dusty smell of old books.

So I was drawn to this one because of the cover, first, and then because of this.....

I will instantly buy a book with an inscription. Always.

Used book sellers, listen up: if you have a book that has an inscription I will buy it. Much to Husbands disappointment.

Just started reading this book today. I almost never read the old books I buy but for whatever reason I feel like I need to read this one. Shall let you know if its good.

Happy Weekend Peeps!!

Art in the Park

2011-08-03T16:46:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posting. My computer died a harsh death and Husband's computer and my camera can't play nice. So we had to perform some technology CPR.

Like I've stated before, this lil town has some serious culture. Including a yearly art show hosted by the city park. Husband and I went this weekend.

We had a blast walking around and looking at all the fun art pieces. We even got cheese curds. Minnesota represent!

Husband is quite dapper so I talked him into doing some outfit pics. I'm very persuasive.

His Deets:
Polo: Hand me down from a friend
Shorts: JC Penny
Boat Shoes: H&M
Watch: Some sort of vendor in Malaysia
Sunglasses: H&M

And I of course took some outfit pics. I really need to get that awful look off my face. Don't you just want to ask what the hell my problem is? I sure do. I need some outfit pic coaching. Seriously.

The Deets:
Top: Forever 21
Dress worn as a Skirt: Gift from Husband from Gabon
Shoes: Ross
Bag: Fossil
Sunglasses: Charlotte Russe
Earrings: Vintage from Yesterdays in Alexandria
Necklace: Forever 21
Bracelet: Gift from Husband from Equatorial Guinna

Those earrings were a steal for a $1. They are clip-ons which is essential since I don't have my ears pierced. However, they dented the shiz out of my earlobes and they still hurt till this day.

Beauty is pain.

Right.....?

I'm on a boat!

2011-07-31T19:46:00.000-05:00

All we did this weekend was boat around the lakes.

We are incredibly spoiled.

The only thing going through my head was this song:

**Disclaimer: this is a swear heavy song... like F bombs all over the place. Watch at your own risk**

The Lonely Island may be the best thing ever. Its my boating soundtrack.

Our pups had their first boating experience. Sheldon LOVED it. Prolly cuz he loves hanging half his body out of the car window when we go anywhere.

Baby Shine was forced to swim... which she was very unsure about.

When we got back Sheldon launched himself into the parked Pontoon. Oddest dog ever.

Second Day of boating was a blast. Pups swam again and I wore a kick ass scarf I thrifted (post to come about that excursion)

This is where this boy belongs. On a boat....

...with a beer....

....looking very 'Mad Men'

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

2011-07-28T10:48:00.000-05:00

Last night we saw Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Theater L'Homme Dieu here in Alexandria. (FYI the locals pronounce it la-homma-do)

It was obvs based on the movie but this is the Broadway version so it was a musical. How clever is that? Of course my favorite character is Muriel of Omaha. She also had some of the funniest lines.

Coincidence? I doubt it.

This is what I wore to the performance. Yes, I'm aware that I wore this shirt 3 days ago. It's new and when I get a new shirt/skirt/shoes I wear it incessantly until Husband tells me said article of clothing needs to be washed.

The Deets:
Shirt: New York New York
Dress worn as a skirt: Marshalls last seen here
Belt: Unkown
Shoes: Target
Clutch: Coach Outlet
Watch: Gift from Husband
Necklace: Forever 21
Earrings: My Granny's
Headband: Stolen from Sister in Law

This is the retaining wall leading to the lake behind my in laws house. They just re did all this stone work and it is sooooooo nice! I'll show you more pics of this back yard very soon!

In other news, it's hotter than balls here. Like Houston hot. Such is our luck. We drove 2000 miles for the same weather.

At least there's a lake out the back door.

And a pontoon.

and beer.

Omaha, Somewhere in Middle America...

2011-07-27T11:54:00.000-05:00

This may be the most random post in the history of posts.

Husband and I stopped in Omaha for a bit before we headed to MN. I spent a good deal of time with my siblings which is always fun.

I am the oldest of this brood.

See that one in the back on the left?

He was born when I was 14. He makes me feel old on a daily basis. Also, he is now taller than me which makes me think I could be shrinking.

See that one in the back on the right?

She's a model and is exactly 9 years younger than me. I am jealous of her skin and her long hair. Am I the only person who has developed bad skin in my 20s?

See the 2 jokers on either side of me? They keep me young.

See that hat on my head? I love it cuz it means I don't ever have to do my hair if I don't want to.

Are you still here? Cuz this blog post has gotten off track. It happens.

The boy on the left above is dating the girl on the left below.

I stole these pics from this lil lady. I have been a bad picture taker. She's so fun and nice to talk to when Husband and my brother drag us to the bar (please see pic above and our utter excitement). Check out her blog here. She's an almost teacher, a turtle momma, and a hockey fanatic. aka fun times.

Yesterday was our first full day in MN.

We took the pups swimming in the lake. Sheldon was terrified. Which is odd cuz he swims freely in the gulf when we are in Texas.

Why the clam waters of a lake terrify him and the giant waves of the ocean don't is beyond me. I don't try and decipher Basset Hound logic.

Tonight we are headed back to the local community theater that I visited last time I was here. I'll give you my honest and very respected review tomorrow.... also perhaps an outfit post.

Sorry for the randomness of this post

Title = lyrics by the Counting Crows. I was obsessed with this song in high school.

Calling this 30 for 30

2011-07-25T12:14:00.000-05:00

Its ovah.

I made it half way. And now I'm quitting.

Everyone else is done. Also, I did not pick my 30 items wisely.

6 shirts and like 4 dresses? How dumb was that?! I put 2 sweaters in there too. Cuz the super sauna weather in Houston calls for a cardigan. Idiot.

So I'm posting this outfut as my '15'. Nothing but the jeans were included in my 30 items. eh, I'm sure you don't care.

The Deets:

Top: New York New York

Trouser Jeans: Agacai

Shoes: Aerosoles purchased from Famous Footwear

Clutch: Thrifted, Scout

Bracelets and Necklace: Forever 21

Please excuse these pics. It is nice to have Husband here to take pics but he always forgets to mention when I have light blotches on my face. Or shadows, etc. He's learning. Its a process.

We arrived in Omaha on Thursday night and Friday I went out with some of my oldest and dearest friends. Here we are.

From Right to Left: Rachel #2 (known for 25 yrs) Jeannie (known for 23 years), and Leah (known for 13 years). We all went to grade school and high school together. It was so nice to see them considering we haven't all gotten together like this in over 4 years. Serious fun.

Today I'm taking off for Minnesota. Omaha was a blast but nothing compares to boating and bathing in the lake.

Smooches!!

Day 15 of 30: Rainy Pool Day

2011-07-19T09:58:00.000-05:00

I'd like to point out that most everyone doing this challenge is done.

Not me. I''m a total underachiever.

Half way baby. Good enough for me.

So we had a super de duper busy weekend. One of our friends had a baby and said baby was being baptized. Which, of course, calls for a weekend long party with a pool and copious amounts of booze.

That's just how we roll.

The only problem is the pool party day was kinda rainy. Here's what I wore to the pool.

I swear I'm not frowning. It looks like I just smelled something nasty. Which is entirely possible with that lil pup sitting right there.

The Deets:
Dress: H&M (the straps are my bathing suit that happens to be the same exact color as the dress)
Sandals: Ross
Bag: Fossil (aka my new favorite thing)
Hat: Forever 21
Dog: Squinch baby Shiner aka the most attention seeking animal on the planet.

The sun did end up coming out eventually. And we swam and drank and the next day we watched the cutest baby ever get baptized. And then we ate BBQ.

This is Texas. duh.