Alyson Is Neat

Hi, my pants don't fit

2013-11-12T12:00:00.000-06:00

photo courtesy of daniel c. white photography

(seriously, this guy is amazeballs)

I have no clue who would be reading this but I have to get something off of my chest (or in this case, my hips). My pants don't fit.

I'm not talking all of my pants, I'm just talking some of them. It happened when I was sitting at work and most likely dropped crumbs of either bagels, muffins, cupcakes, pumpkin bread or chocolate into my lap. I looked down and there was my underwear. Yep... my pants had split and I didn't even know it.

You see, I'm having a problem. I'm at a point where I'm pretty happy with the way my body looks. I've been on a steady regimine of hot yoga for the past six months. Things are much firmer... and by things I mean thighs and booty. In fact, part of my problem is that this "yoga butt" is really only happy in stretchy pants.

I go back forth through being devestated that I've once again gone up a size... but maybe I've gone up a size for the right reasons. Like I said, I'm happy. In the past few months, I have been a lot gentler to my body. Through yoga, I have been able to see how much strength my body has and how that strength has made my person stronger as well.

I struggle back and forth if I want to go into why this past year has been difficult and why I took time off from blogging, but I'm over all that shit already. I'm happy. I like my life.

And I'm pumped to buy new pants.

PS - Yeah, I'm going to try and post some more.

So... Where have I been?

2013-04-02T13:07:00.000-05:00

I am sitting here staring at my screen just wondering where to begin. In my head, there screams this voice that says, "You have let all of your readers down." But the reality is that I have not let anyone down (I will come back to this). People just tell me they miss reading my blog. So, here it goes. I might do a series of posts of what has been going on in my life, but I want to talk about the biggest one.

It is not something I begin to share easily but the more I talk about it, the more other people have shared their stories. A little less than two years ago, I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Oh god, my hands are shaking just writing this out.

What does this mean? For each person who suffers from OCD, it is a little different. It is less about the compulsive side of it (for me) and more about the obsessive part of it. The most significant part of my OCD is what is referred to as automatic negative thoughts (ANTs for short). When I am introduced to a stressful situation or something causes an emotional response, these ANTs jump to the worst possible conclusion. I then, obsess on these thoughts, much like a record skips. This is the most harmful part of my OCD because it causes my anxiety to skyrocket. As someone who already suffers from anxiety, the ANTs do not help.

For the past six months, I have been working with my primary care physician to learn about what medication I can take. Also for the past two years, I have been working with a counselor to suggest what habits I can change in order to help me cope with this. I'm heading towards a good place now. It has been rather dark and dim lately though, but I am getting better. I recently switched up my medications and have seen a dynamic decrease in my "obsessive" area. I don't have to sit and watch five episodes of television show in one sitting and I don't talk incessantly about the most random stuff that only I find interesting... Just so strange how things manifest themselves.

So, remember how I said that there is a voice in my head that says "You have let all of your readers down"? That's an ANT. The compulsion part of my OCD is definitely in the way that I react to these ANTs, mostly in anger. And to be honest, I am still trying to figure that part out. I think once I am able to pinpoint my compulsions I will be able to understand what environmental factors are triggers.

Can I just say, it was such a relief to be told that I had OCD? Really! I have always felt strange, weird and just different from other people. I would watch other people react to things and think about how I would react... and it just wasn't normal. Being able to label something gives it less power over you.

Part of managing the ANTs is to remind yourself of truth. My counselor said, "Thoughts are just thoughts, they are not facts." Anytime one of those ANTs pipes up and says something negative, I get to think about what is true, "I am loved. I am strong. I am awesome."

If you have any questions about OCD, or if you have OCD, or suffer from any kind of depression or anxiety and need someone to talk to, feel free to e-mail me or leave me a comment down below. It can be pretty lonely out there, and everyone needs someone. If you think you are suffering from a mentall illness but have not been diagnosed, I highly encourage you to talk to your doctor. They will help you come up with a plan and also be able to conduct the right kinds of tests to properly diagnose you.

Back from sabbatical

2012-09-12T11:00:00.000-05:00

Shhh... let's just not discuss that I went absent for a wee bit too long. Here is the gist of my sabbatical:

Still working two jobs, but concentrating on visuals for the store. I spend most of my time at my second job hugging mannequins. They don't hug back. Sometimes you get hurt (physically, so many bruises).

I'm running a 5K. I'm not going to lie, I feel so cool saying, "Oh, I'm training for a 5K." I've never EVER been a runner. I can remember me pitching a fit anytime we had to do distance running in gymnastics or in PE. Now, I like it. My race is in October and I'm pumped.

And I got promoted at my "real" job. So I've been able to really concentrate on paying off my debt.

I'm still dressing oh... so... cute... maybe you'll get to see it soon. Maybe...

But I do plan on kicking up my blog again. I've missed it a lot!

Workin' it!

2012-03-12T12:51:00.001-05:00

I realized I hadn't updated since I talked about hopefully getting a second job. Good news, I got it! Hooray. I actually started training this Saturday. Helloo supplemental income! Can I just say that getting out of debt is HARD. Every little surprise that comes up (such as my shower head crapping out on me last weekend), makes me loathe spending money on that surprise rather than paying off my credit cards. However, my new showerhead is incredible. I also just want to shop. It is hard because I feel like I'm only half committed to not buying clothes. I should probably go re-read my blog post about want vs. need.

How am I coping with this whole ordeal... yet again? Television, sewing, crafting, pinteresting (oooh, I like that... if it is worthy of being pinned, it is pinteresting), and working out. Pinterest is so great for finding fitness inspiration. I just keep thinking if I can't buy good looking new clothes, I'll just try and look good in the clothes that I already have. I easily get bored with working out. Also, my body adapts to work outs within a week and a half, so if I don't change it up, its not nearly as effective.

I love this upper body workout from Shape. The whole program is 2 reps of 8 different arm/abs workouts. There is a version of a one armed pushup that wrecks me but my arms are already looking toned and bonus, my shoulders and back look fantastic. Did you know that triceps respond quickly to muscle training? I try to remember to do a few chair dips in my office.

I love the girls from Tone it Up. I really love the community they have created, and all of their workout videos are really motivating. My favorite lately has been the Beach Bum video. This 6 minute workout has been part of my morning combination before I hit the shower. I usually will keep my yoga mat by my bed, so I can just roll out of bed and get my booty workout for the day.

Like I said above, I can get really bored with workouts really fast. Randomabs.com has been the perfect solution. Each day they post a random ab routine. They can vary in intensity and focus, however, it is always something different every single day. They walk you through your form, and show videos on how to do some of the moves.

What keeps you motivated? How do you stay motivated to working out or just accomplishing your goals?

Images via: Shape.com, toneitup.com, randomabs.com

Budget Post: I'm getting a second job.

2012-02-20T12:51:00.001-06:00

In an effort to remind myself that you guys actually like the fact that I'm not a cookie cutter, got my shit together blogger, I need to come clean. Its time that I admit to myself and to everyone else besides my facebook friends. I'm getting a second job.

Honestly, its the hardest thing to admit that you need a second job. It is like failing at life 101. Ya know that class we took that told us if we went to college and got a degree and worked hard we wouldn't have to go through and do the same things that our parents did? Instead, despite their warning you got a stupid ass credit card and here you are seven years later and you are still trying to pay that sucker off. Dear 19-year-old self, Wear sunscreen. Don't get a credit card.

It isn't the job itself that makes me feel like a failure. In fact, I'm pretty sure if I get the job, I'll love it. I realized that all I do is go to work and hang out with Sam. In order to achieve the things I want in my life, I have to do something bigger about it. No one is going to hand me the keys to a house. I'm not going to win a car, despite my luck with winning things. My bills aren't going to just go away one month. As Jillian Michael's says, "If you want results, you're going to have to work for it." I'm strong enough to admit that if I want things, I need to be prepared to earn them. Am I going to be exhausted? Yes. Am I going to have less free time? Yes. But, will I be closer to being debt free by the end of 2012? YES, I will. And that is better than anything I can do with my free time right now. Oh and this goes without saying but I'm pretty much not buying clothing again. Simply because I know that is one thing I can eliminate. Perhaps, I should eliminate going out to eat.

Words of encouragement and pats on the back would be fantastically appreciated.

Weekly Money Check up - Jan. 24th, 2012

2012-01-24T13:18:00.002-06:00

1. The most I’ve spent this last week was on getting my hair done. I spent so much on it, that I'm embarassed to type it out... I'll just keep it a secret, let's just say I could have bought at least two weeks worth of groceries. It was worth it though. I'm so happy with the way it turned out (can't you see my elation above). You can also see the glands under my tongue. Gross... I should really think about this stuff before posting it on the internet.

2. Today I am thankful for unspoken forgiveness. Let me get really honest: I suck at long distance friendships. Sunday night, I was throwing myself a huge pity party. The theme: "Classic questions Alyson just can't answer about herself right now." Perfect time for me to call either one of my two best friends in the whole world and just have some support, talk to them about their lives, have some comfort in knowing that, "Well, shit Alyson... no one's life is where they thought it would be... [insert perfect anecdote here]." It is nice to know that even though I've been a really crappy long distance friend, that when my friends and I do finally catch each other, its like they never left.

3. Money can’t buy happiness. One free thing I did last week that made me happy was finished all of my laundry. It really is the little things that make me happy. Not having a giant pile of clothes staring me in the face at the end of my bed. And of course getting to watch episode after episode of How I Met Your Mother. Oh and I guess this is free too... I bought a juicer... with a gift card from Amazon. Hence... it was free. Oh... and I watched the Bachelor! Last night! It was good... I hate how much I love that show.

4. I will consider this week a success if I can wake up 30 minutes later and still make it to work on time. It is amazing what cutting off 10+ inches of hair will do for ya. And a blog goal: to take pictures and blog about one outing this week. It will include a lot of instagramming.

5. The craft I am currently interested in right now is sewing. Before you say, "Cop out! You love to sew!" I haven't sewn in quite awhile. I get out of the habit of sewing because in the summer I don't want to be inside covered in scraps and in the winter I just want to curl up with my grey comforter and sleep. Sometimes, I wonder if I am a bear because I could totally hibernate all winter. That's ridiculous. I'm not a bear. I have 4 sewing projects that I want to work on, wait, make that five if I count making curtains.

Check out the original: Weekly Money Check Up over at My Pretty Pennies.

Fortune Cookie

2012-01-23T12:49:00.000-06:00

On Friday, my colleagues and I ordered some Chinese food to be delivered. I love Sesame Chicken. However, I don't love all Sesame Chicken. More than Sesame Chicken, I love egg drop soup. Delicious.

Of course the highlight of any chinese food meal is... the fortune cookie. Most fortune cookies are pretty vague. They all say something poetic about life or something incredibly generic, right. My fortune, "A pleasant surprise is in store for you tonight."

Yeah. Right. I tried to guess what it could be. Now it couldn't be something cynically hilarious, because it had to be pleasant. Here were my guesses:

1. My Netflix streaming wouldn't take FOREVER to load as usual.
2. Some elves came in my house and washed my dishes and folded my laundry.
3. A pony (duh, always going to be a pleasant surprise)
4. I am actually awake when Sam calls to say he is off from work.

What actually was my pleasant surprise:

1. A 102 point word on Words with Friends
2. My slanket was already out on the couch (because I had left it there from the night before).
3. Two pieces of cheese on my grilled cheese sandwich I had for dinner.
4. Elves did not come do my dishes or my laundry. Why pleasant? It would be creepy to know that elves were crawling around your house going through your underwear.
5. No pony, which also means, no pony poo.

Sometimes you just have to accept that a pleasant surprise can be something small.

Recipe: Creamy Tomato Soup

2011-12-13T13:04:00.000-06:00

I learned long long ago that even though Campbell's has the soup market down, I prefer to make my own tomato soup. It is just way better. (Although chicken and stars... so good) Honestly, tomato soup can't be screwed up unless you add too much salt or unless you spill it. I've been eating this a lot for dinner because it goes so well with a cheddarella (please refer to Weeds season 1 for what a cheddarella is).

Ingredients:

1 16oz can of whole tomatoes
1 T of chopped basil, fresh or dried
1/2 medium onion, chopped, sauteed
Season Salt
Cream (you can use half and half too)
Combine tomatoes (and juice in can), basil, onion into a blender. Blend for approximately 3 minutes until well blended. Some people like it chunkier, I like it smoothe. Pour into a medium sized pot and set on medium heat.

Stir in 2 T (or more if you want... it really doesn't matter) of cream. Make it look pretty and stir it around. Okay... keep stirring until well blended. Cook until hot.

Enjoy!

Really... that's it.

A post about snack crackers

2011-12-09T12:25:00.001-06:00

Thank you all for your comments and for seriously making me laugh... hard. So here it is a post about cheez-its... Not really, its just a picture. There's not much to say but that they are delicious! They go great dropped into creamy tomato soup.

I think I'd be able to enjoy ~~life~~ the holidays more if I wasn't so damn broke. I have money for presents but this chick is eating crackers and soup for lunch... and have done this three days out of the five, and then three nights out of the five for dinner. I'm not so broke I need money, its just eating weird stuff for dinner so you don't have to go to the grocery store. Putting $5 of gas in your car to get you towards payday. Basically all the normal things that normal people are doing because the economy sucks so much and so we can all pay off our student loans.

In theory, my whole year of no shopping was supposed to be the year I also paid off my credit cards. Instead it was more like "the year I went out to eat way too much and then none of my pants fit". And then simultaneously had giant disasters happen. Not only was I not able to buy clothes to replace said pants, but I had a fancy little pizza pooch (what if it had glitter on it and that is what made it fancy... I just shuddered thinking about that). I did get one card paid off, but it is now teetering back at its limit. *le sigh Fact: I have two credit cards teetering at their limits. Oh... joy.

But I noticed something. When a bill is automatically coming out of my checking account each month, I budget for it. Seems simple right? It is like I tricked myself, but in a good way. So, let's see if this method will work. I am going to currently pay $100 a month on my discover bill ($60 over the minimum). Oh wait... I have to trick myself. So the reality is that my discover card minimum is $100 a month... not $40 (but it really is $40) and it comes out of my checking account on the 16th.

Just call me the sneaky budgetteer, like a musketeer or a bucaneer but without a sword.

One reason why I'm feeling the pinch of the penny is because I got some shoes repaired. My gold flats and my vintage woven loafers. Both shoes I wear a lot, so getting them repaired seems logical. But it was $45 to replace the soles on my gold flats and then $20 for them to mend my other pair... I have got to get at least five more years of wear out of both of those shoes. Which I will, right? Sure. Do you get shoes repaired or do you typically just replace them? Thoughts?

Anyone else out there broke this Christmas?

PS- I totally just blogged about cheez-its AND soup.

Why I Decided to Continue Blogging...

2011-12-05T13:30:00.000-06:00

Let's not talk about the fact that I've been MIA for several months okay? Shhh... Really let's just not talk about it and move on. You forgive me? Okay great... now that's out of the way... I did want to discuss why I decided to come back.

When I first started this blog, I wasn't shopping for a year. That was my slant. "Great dress." Gee thanks, I've had it since senior year of college. "That shirt is awesome!" I totally dug through my friends piles of clothes before they sent them to Goodwill. I was that person. Then, my year was up. I learned a lot. I realized how much I expressed my emotions through shopping (bad Alyson). I learned how to cope with life without shopping (kick ass Alyson). But most importantly, I made some very sincere friends. They aren't the friends that you have because of proximity and physical closeness. These are the friends that you have because of the simplest form of similar interests, they make you laugh, of course, you genuinely care about them (which is how I feel about all my friends). This is why I want to continue blogging. But what to blog about?

Things I don't want to blog about:
-designer collections I will never be able to afford.
-shoes that I can't walk in.
-the stuff that people email me asking to blog about
-details about my job (that and I can't... seriously, its why I have a disclaimer)
-how much I love Forever 21 (b/c I don't love F21, ack!)
-what I wear every. single. day.

Things I do want to blog about (and most likely you don't want to read):
-excel functions and pivot tables (looooove)
-Cheez-Its
-Frozen pizza
-my super awesome talented hottie boyfriend (okay you do maybe want to read about that)
-how awful traffic is
-how awful winter is
-soup
-how I can't stand the competitiveness between bloggers

Things I do want to blog about (and you'd like too):
-my thrift store finds
-crafting
-product reviews
-recipes
-funny stories from my life
-some outfits, not all
-finances
-being a professional who is also a creative person
-the importance of knowing the conditions of the places where you buy stuff
-cool stuff I find on the internet
-people doing cool things
-my own personal struggles in life
-women's issues
-cool places I go
-books

So where does this leave me? Well, if you follow my blog because you think I have a great pouty blogger face, then just stop it! That is just one thing I don't enjoy anymore. I don't enjoy sharing my outfits everyday. I like what I wear, and I get enough satisfaction from that. I may still share an outfit or two that I'm particularly proud of; an awesome thrift score, great boots, an awesome outfit, etc. But this lady's days of setting up my tripod and avoiding people is over. There are a lot of reasons. They all come down to, sometimes I just don't care, and that is okay. It really is okay to sleep in an extra 20 minutes, not wash your hair, put on black pants and a cardigan, and walk out the door.

I do love thrifting. I love it a lot. I'm also a huge thrifting advocate and I tell everyone they should do it. I invite people to come thrifting with me all the time, but I tend to be a tiny bit maniacal about it. I have a method, I go a little crazy, and then I wish my hands (always wash your hands and your purchases). Over half of my clothes were previously owned by someone else, and I'm not grossed out about that.

I am incredibly passionate about my job. If you remember the year of no shopping then you were also here for the, "Oh shit, I got laid off." You may have been also here for the "I got a job!". I honestly couldn't imagine myself anywhere else. I love my job. I love the people I work with and I love the bigger picture of working where I do. More importantly, I actually love straddling the line of being professional but also appropriately showcasing my sense of style and creativity.

I miss writing. I miss writing clever remarks. I miss being informative and passionate about what I write about. A girl can only obsess over jeggings for so long. There is a myriad of social issues related to the fashion industry and to women that I want to talk about. I want to challenge myself, and research things that are hard so that I can express how I'm coping with that. I'm incredibly passionate about buying things that do not come from poor sweat shop-like conditions. Working in fashion manufacturing makes you realize that not every place that makes clothing is a sweat shop, but not every business cares about the cost of human lives.

What do you think? Can I do this? Well, I'm going to do this. Thanks for sticking with me. I promise nothing terrible happened. I wasn't sick... I was just sick and tired and unmotivated. I hope that this new structure will elevate my desire.

Brooklyn

2011-09-27T06:11:00.001-05:00

It is safe to say that I have an obsession with the Brooklyn Bridge. I think it is just beautiful. Just a little peak from my trip to New York that happened 3-4 weeks ago.

I also just love this shot that Sam took. He really is an amazing photographer with a really great eye. When I look at this picture I just think of one word, "hope".

I'm still on a bit of a hiatus as I'm still getting some things in my life together. Thanks for sticking around.

Dress Shorts

2011-08-30T22:53:00.000-05:00

I realized I never said what I was wearing on Saturday so here it is:

Top: Target
Shorts: H&M
Shoes: Payless
Necklace: Vintage

By the time you read this, it might already be Wednesday!

Nordstrom Fits America

2011-08-29T08:00:00.001-05:00

*I want to write an initial disclaimer, this will be about bras. I will be discussing my own personal bra size. You have been warned.*

So... who has been fitted for a bra before? Until Saturday, I thought I knew my bra size. Before I give everyone the big reveal, I do want to talk about an amazing service at Nordstrom's. They are opening a brand new store at The Mall at Green Hills here in Nashville. This weekend they gave a sneak peak of their lingerie department for any female willing to be fitted by one of their fit specialists. These fit specialists will be a staple to the Nordstrom lingerie department and they know their stuff. Did you know that 8 out of every 10 women are wearing the wrong size bra? At Nordstrom's their fit specialists take you into a private fitting area and measure underneath your bust, then they bring in their most basic bra in your correct size. Nordstrom's carries lines from DKNY, Betsey Johnson, Kensie, Calvin Klein, Chantelle Intimates and Hanky Panky just to name a few. They also carry a huge variety of sizes from 30AAA to 44J, and literally every size in between.

I took a few friends with me and we all had such a blast! I walked in wearing a 34B bra which even I'll admit is not even my right size. I bought it way too long ago and to be honest it never really fit me, I just thought it was pretty and it looks great if I am wearing something that is semi-sheer and black. However, to be honest, it barely even covered my breasts.

Once our sizes were revealed I was shocked how off I was on my size. We played around with some different styles and silouettes. The fit specialists even put us in the DKNY Super Glam bra. It increases your bust size by two cup sizes and is meant to give an augmented look.

We could not stop giggling at how ridiculous we both looked. Who needs a boob job when you can just buy what we were calling the "Vegas bra"?

At the end of the day, we all walked away with new bras, and I even threw out my old ill-fitting one.

After trying on tons of bras and even going up another size from the original new size, I finally settled on a beautiful underwire demi bra from Chantelle Intimates and a pair of black Hanky Pankys too match.

I absolutely love the detail on the strap. It is just so pretty! And the fit is amazing. I now feel incredibly supported in my new size bra. So what size did I end up going up to?

A 32DD.

I was wearing a band size too big and cup sizes that were 3 sizes too small. I am still so shocked when I put my new bra on and how amazing it fits.

Nordstrom at The Mall of Green Hills opens on Friday September 16th. As that date approaches, I will definitely share some of the festivities that will be going on to celebrate the grand opening.

I did get a chance to take some shots of the lingerie department. I cannot wait for the store to open so I can go back and pick up some more bras. Seriously, such a great selection!

Ahh, I love Betsey Johnson anything.

I just want to say a huge thank you to all the wonderful people at Nordstrom's that worked so hard to put this all together. This was such an amazing event, with terrific food and drinks. A huge shout out to Lindsey in cosmetics who did such an amazing job doing my make up for the event. Thank you for letting me be a part of such a fantastic event!

I Don't Get These Shoes

2011-08-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

At all...

Doesn't Pee-Wee Herman wear a version of these shoes in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure? They seriously remind me of clowns, and someone please slap me if I ever in the next year come around to these shoes...

all images via weheartit

You have been neglected

2011-08-23T08:07:00.001-05:00

I have really been neglecting my blog (well all blogs). I had over 300 unread posts the other day...

I am having major balance issues in my life right now, but it isn't anything I feel overwhelmed by, ya know. Juggling a job, a blog, working out, house-work, social-life is a tad bit exhausting. I am also really trying to savor the last little bits of summer. I love summer.

This is another one of the fabulous dresses sent over to me by BeBop Clothing. It has pockets! I also tried to capture the exposed zipper in the back, but it really just looks like I am trying to show off my butt. This dress accessorizes itself with the exposed back zip, draping, tie belt, and neckline. I can't wait to pair it with a black blazer once it cools off.

Dress: c/o BeBop Clothing (follow them on facebook)
Necklace: Jess LC
Shoes: hand me down from a friend

My Favorite Shirt

2011-08-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

I can remember buying this shirt. It was May of 2008 in Chicago. The last day Lisa and I were there, it had turned unseasonably cold. I remember ducking into Urban and going upstairs and scouring the sale racks. This shirt reminded me of a shirt my mom used to wear. Because of so many wears and washes, this shirt has turned so soft. I love how I can throw it on with a pair of cut offs and head out for a beer, or tuck it into a pencil skirt for work.

Does anyone else think about the costs per wear of an item? I do this a lot. I love for my clothes to have a pretty low cost per wear and despite the fact that I have a closet full of clothes, I love wearing them all.

Shirt: Cheap Monday
Skirt: thrifted
Belt: Gap (probably 9 years ago though)
Bracelets: Mexico, Claire's, Friendship
Shoes: Wanted Ritzy Loafer

Been a Hard Day's Night

2011-08-08T08:25:00.000-05:00

Day

Evening

Another week begins! Did everyone have a great weekend? I did. I spent lots of time with friends, drinking lots of beer, finishing it up with lots of mimosas, a nap, and curling up on the couch to watch some movies.

A few weeks ago I was contacted by BeBop Clothing to try out some of their stuff. I basically just talked to them about the things that I liked, what holes I had in my wardrobe to fill... a week later, a box shows up at my door with loads of goodies.

One thing I was desperately wanting was a white dress that could go from the office to evening. Because the heat is just oppressive, I paired my white dress with a seersucker blazer, belt, pendant necklace and flats. I just cannot wear heavy accessories in the summer. Neck, chest, wrist sweat is not cute.

To transition this look, I ditched the glasses and the blazer, and threw on my favorite cheap-o sandals from Urban Outfitters. I got so many compliments on this dress. And it was such an easy piece of clothing to wear!

Dress: c/o Bebop Clothing (like them on facebook)
Blazer: Old Navy (sorry guys, its from 6-7 years ago)
Belt: Target
Gold flats: Banana Republic
Sandals: Urban Outfitters

New York City

2011-08-03T11:12:00.000-05:00

I have some news yall. First things first, I finished Friday Night Lights. Such a good show, right? Second, I'm also really happy with who Ashley picked on the Bachelorette but really, I don't see how she chose. And finally, I will be spending my Labor Day Weekend in New York City thanks to the fantastic folks at Kensie.

WHAT?!

If you follow me on twitter, you have already known for weeks. I entered the contest to win a trip to New York City, and I won. When I got the e-mail, I wanted to pee my pants and hold my breath and cry at the same time. I am still super shocked.

Sam and I are going on a 3 night trip to New York City, and we need suggestions! I want this to be a full trip. Full of friends. Full of laughing. Full of food. Full of aching feet. Full of beer. Leave your suggestions in the comments!

If you want to meet up, just shoot me an e-mail.

I am so excited to share this trip and I am so excited to see friends.

A huge huge huge thank you to Kensie for hosting this sweepstakes and sending me on such an amazing trip. I really cannot thank them enough.

Dear Wednesday, It is hot. An ode to summer.

2011-07-26T13:00:00.000-05:00

This summer has been brought to you by, new hair cuts...

Seersucker shorts

Billowy cotton tops

Shiner, Ruby Redbird beer (sooo good!)

And old leather flip flops.

Typically when I get home from work, I just want to sit out in my front yard with a beer in a pair of shorts until I get tired of swatting mosquitos.

Shirt: thrifted, J. Crew
Shorts: a gift from Tori
Shoes: my six year old rainbows that could not fit more perfectly to my feetsies!

Guess what I see... a weekend on the horizon!

Welcome to Nashville Rachel Chester!

2011-07-26T08:00:00.006-05:00

I am constantly getting asked to do photo shoots (yeah right... sheesh sarcasm does not translate well in written form). Rachel Chester, photographer, friend, new Nashvillian, former New Yorker, from Texas, blogger... asked me if I wanted to do a photo shoot a few weekends ago. Just something fun, not too serious. I was excited.

I picked out a few locations in my neighborhood, grabbed a hat and we were off. It was so much fun and I'm so glad to have this lady around.

The Rio Mart closed down several months ago, but thankfully it is just sitting abandoned and no one has painted over the building. I have always wanted to take pictures outside of it, and was thankful that Rachel was willing to try out my crazy location!

A huge thank you to Rachel for asking me to do this!

Field of Dreams Dresses

2011-07-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

Surely I am not the only one who has discovered that you can put items in your shopping cart at Urban Outfitters and they stay in there? Those items will stay in there until you remove them from your shopping cart. This is fantastic because you can keep an eye on something until it goes on sale. It is like a wishlist but less complicated, and less emails to your friends and family. Basically, "If you stick-it-in-your-shopping-cart, they will put-it-on-sale-eventually."

I know, its a stretch for the Kevin Costner film reference.

When I first saw this dress on Urban Outfitters, it was instant love. But... the price was not right. I put it in my shopping cart and waited. Several weeks later, it went on sale. Thankfully, it was still at my local brick and mortar store where they were also offering an additional 30% off sale. Unexpected bonus, its by Cooperative and Made in the USA.

Dress: Cooperative, Urban Outfitters

Blazer: Gap

Necklace: local boutique

Belt: J. Crew

Shoes: Target

Still busy

2011-07-19T22:21:00.000-05:00

It is so hard to find time to blog when I get to hang out with this man after work. I have outfit pictures, post ideas, all of it but for now, I just want to soak up as much time with Sam as possible.

Top 5 Things to do When You Haven't Been Blogging

2011-07-12T20:00:00.002-05:00

I have clearly been incredibly absent the last few weeks. I could give all the common excuses, that its hot but really its just hot and I've been lazy, wanting to grab a few more minutes of sleep instead of taking pictures. So here is what I've been up to in pictures that are not from me because I keep forgetting to take pictures (must get better at pictures!)

1. Canoeing

This weekend I went canoeing with friends. I also got incredibly sunburned! This skin hasn't seen sun (actually been burned) in about 2 years. I'm such a good little fair skinned lady, always wearing the sunscreen. Well, except for this time. If someone can please explain to me how my left hip got sunburned, I'd really appreciate it. I don't get it.

2. Camping

Okay I lied. I did take some pictures. Sam and I went camping at Rock Island State Park. There are so many places to hike and find stuff like this, a gorgeous waterfall of ice cold spring water. There is a river that has tons of swimming holes filled with ice cold spring water. An old mill across the street from an old spring full of ice cold spring water. Did I mention that the water was ice cold? Oh, I did okay.

3. Sweating

I'm such a Texas girl. I love summer. I love warm nights. I love the humidity (sometimes). I love how the heat hits you like a wall when you walk outside... It is hot in Nashville. Texas hot.

4. Blowing up sparkly things

I am very thankful for the rockets red glare, and the American flag. Yes, I get it. Most people in other countries hate America and the fact that I'm from Texas doesn't make it any better because most Americans that are not Texans, think Texans are obnoxious (Texas Forever!). I love fireworks. I love all the cool ground ones the most. I also really love to light smoke bombs and then run through the smoke. I pretend to be a super villain. Did you also know I'm a huge dork?

5. Working

If I have been working, then why am I also putting up a clip of Parks and Recreation? Well, despite the fact that I work in a cubicle... I think my work place environment is most like the Pawnee Parks Department. The team of people I work with are really funny, AND our department loves to throw a good party. I also don't know if working is typically a top 5 thing to do when you haven't been blogging, but it does take up a lot of my time.

I'll be getting around to prancing in my back yard, taking pictures of myself twirling and what not soon. Perhaps I'll take pictures of Sam and I drinking beer or grilling. For now, I'm going to go get some chocolate pudding.

All images via weheartit.com

Shake, Rattle and Roll

2011-06-23T08:00:00.004-05:00

This might be my new favorite dress. I love a good "wiggle" silouette. For bizarre reasons, I have always struggled with being less that satisfied with certain parts of my body. This is ridiculous because it is dresses like this that make me realize what a fantastic figure I have. This dress just skims my body in all the right places, providing structure where it is needed.

This week has seemed unrelenting! I am ready for the weekend to get here. I'm ready to sip my coffee without haste. Although, I will say I got a pleasant surprise at the gym yesterday. I was changing into my yoga clothes and I turned around my yoga instructor was back from her hiatus. I was so thrilled, I hugged her twice. Hi, yeah, I'm awkward! Thankfully, I was just picking up my work pants from off the ground... so its not like I was half dressed or anything.

It is hug the people you love day... so just do it. Hugs are good, and people probably need them.

Dress: vintage, purchased from Tiny Boot
Belt: purchased from Muse boutique
Shoes: Nine West, DSW

You Were Always Fine

2011-06-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

Sam and I went camping this past weekend, and among the multitude of bug bites, I also skinned my knee. Major bummer. But it was fun and we had a blast. I definitely want to do more camping when the weather cools off, or even going somewhere that is a little cooler this summer?

Last night, Sam and I had a dinner-in night. He picked out this pasta recipe. I had a bottle of wine on storage. Watched some netflix and just had a relaxing night in. The best part, well besides getting to spend time with Sam... okay so the best part of the food, LEFTOVERS! I'll be the envy of the lunch table with my creamy shrimpy pasta.

Like anyone else, I'm obsessed with Groupon. However, I only buy groupon's that I know I will use. I bought tickets to the Nashville Rollergirls double header for Sam's birthday and because of a mistake with how much the tickets were, I had a $20 credit. When the Jewel Mint groupon came up, of course, I knew exactly where my groupon credit was going. This necklace is one of the pieces I purchased. I rarely buy new jewelery and most of the stuff I have is from when my Mamaw passed away and the cousins all got some of her costume jewelery. It was so exciting to pick out things that are eclectic and beautiful.

Dress: Gap. $19
Shoes: Old Navy, $10
Necklace: Jewel Mint, Groupon