a few favorites

some of my favorites from 2009

2009 is coming to an end. it was a very good year. there were a few setbacks and some bumps in the road but life is a learning process. i feel like i've learned a lot and grown into myself a little more. i launched this blog which i hope will get better in the next year. it helped me get comfortable in my own skin. i think i'd forgotten how important fashion, style and beautiful clothes are to me. so to all of you that read my little blog...thank you and happy new year!!

lovely blogger award

the lovely dea at the dea diaries nominated me for my first ever blogger award! I'm supposed to reveal seven random(and hopefully interesting)facts about myself. I must still be in vacation mode because this is proving to be extremely difficult.

1. my parents forgot my sixteenth birthday. seriously. it was like living my own personal version of sixteen candles except hunky jake ryan did not come to rescue me from my nightmare. in their defense they bought me a car a few months earlier but a happy birthday would have been nice.

2. i modeled as a child. this probably explains why i hate having my picture taken as an adult(ironic for someone that relies on self pictures everyday for their blog)

3. i hate chipped nail polish. this means that i do my nails at least twice a week. it drives doug insane because he hates the smell of it.

4. three of my four kids were "natural" births, meaning no drugs. this was not by choice. the longest i've ever been in labor is 10 hours. they usually come so quickly that there is no time for any drugs. i'm sure it was super painful but thankfully i've blocked it all out:)

5. i am the youngest of four but my brother closest to me in age is sixteen years older than me. my other two siblings are eighteen and twenty years older than me. i basically grew up as an only child.

6. i went to spain when i was 15 with my school. we were eating lunch at a sidewalk cafe and someone swiped my friends purse off the back of her chair. i was the only one that saw it, so i chased down a thief on the streets of madrid. he took one look at a screaming american and dropped her purse and walked away. what was i thinking?

7. i have nine tattoos. i still like most of them but there are a few that i regret. fyi:it is really difficult to convince your teenagers that tattoos are not the best idea when you have a bunch of your own.

merry christmas!

twas the night before christmas.

christmas eve...heading out for dinner.

henry got a snuggi for christmas...he looks thrilled.

out with my best girls and i'm over the moon happy in my new rodarte for target dress!!

i hope everyone had an amazing holiday! i can't believe how quickly time has passed the last few days. to be honest i've had such a great christmas that i forgot to grab my camera to capture a lot of those moments. one of my best friends was here from memphis and we had such a great night out on the town(note to self...the next time the bar tender tells you it's 1/2 bottles of wine night...RUN!!). i had a fantastic christmas eve with my kids and the love of my life and we had a quite day christmas day at home with kids playing dj hero and eating and sleeping and eating some more:) these are just a few of the captured moments.

christmas is hard for me. my first marriage imploded during the holiday season and try as i might to move on a little bit of that sadness has always lingered. this year i tried really hard to stay in the moment, to allow myself to feel those tiny moments of sadness and pangs of regret, but mot to dwell on it. next year my oldest will be off to college it won't be the same so i really want to enjoy this. i did! this year wasn't without a little stress but it was the best christmas that i've had a long time. tonight i'm sitting here eating the last piece of my mom's amazing sweet potato pie and i know that i am truly lucky. merry christmas!

carrie on

this makes me ridiculously happy...happier than it should. i know there are some that hate or are indifferent to carrie and crew but i cannot freakin' wait!

weekend update

a quick outfit shot

me and the honey

it is nearly impossible to get teenagers to pose with their parents

and not look miserable. i think we did okay:)

details:

necklace~anthropologie

babydoll dress~ f21

grey textured tights~hue~macy's

grey cardi~express

nude patent leather shoes~steve madden

hello all! i hope you had a wonderful weekend. we had a jam packed weekend filled with family, friends and lots of good food. it was a ton of fun, but i am soooo tired. these photos were taken saturday night at doug's mom and step dad's house. it's a kind of casual get together but i really enjoy dressing up for the holidays, even on days where get a little snow and heels aren't the most practical idea i've ever had.

the dress is from f21 twist parisian collection. the top is jersey material and the skirt is a silk like fabric. there is an attached crinoline which provides a really cute extra detail. i love the slightly abstract polka dot print. it is a babydoll dress which i feared would either be a little too cutesy or make me look pregnant! however, i found the dress pretty flattering. i added more definition to the waist by belting it. the tights are a grey open weave texture. they didn't keep me very warm but i think they looked super cute with the dress. i'm sure you must be getting tired of these steve madden shoes, but in all honesty they are probably the best shoe purchase i've made in a while. they really work with just about everything in my wardrobe.

did anyone else set their alarms for 3 am to get a first look at the rodarte for target collection? i missed out on the anna sui line and i was determined not to miss this one. i ordered several things. they are pure perfection online and the early reviews i read were mostly positive. i am a bit concerned that i didn't size up enough(damn that junior sizing!!) and one of the dresses i ordered is already sold out online. i'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything fits, although all of the christmas goodies my neighbors have dropped off today probably have helped but i'm not a girl to turn down homemade fudge, cheesecake squares or rice krispie treats:)

i'm not sure how much posting i'll get to do this week but i hope your holiday prep is going well.

blue christmas

details:

striped rugby sweater~the gap

jeans~target

necklace~anthropologie

blue shoes~steve madden

friday..wow!!i can't believe how exhausted i am. i've paced myself this holiday season but i really need a night off to lay in bed, catch up on all the magazines and books that are stacked on my night stand and drink a decadent cup of hot chocolate. but, on of my best friends is coming into to town today and tonight we are grabbing a few happy hour cocktails, tomorrow night we celebrate christmas with doug's mom, step-dad and siblings and sunday we are having an office party. so, it seems like i won't get much rest this weekend.

today i really opted for comfort. these wide leg jeans are the most comfortable jeans i own. this gap sweater is so warm and cozy. the stripes remind me of the prepster days of my youth. i decided to pile on all shades of blue by adding the necklace from anthro and the blue suede shoes. have a happy friday!!

every rose has it's thorn

details:

v neck sweater~target

cream and black floral skirt/necklace~f21

polka dot tights~american eagle

shoes~harajuku lovers~nordstrom

seriously...i'm loving forever 21 these days(i pretty much love them all the time). i have found some fantastic skirts from their twist collections. this skirt is so cute and really well made. my one complaint is that the crinoline rides up a bit and it's a little on the short side. i have been looking for the polka dot tights that have been popping up all over the blogosphere. i was actually looking for some that were a little more sheer. these are more of a mesh with polka dots. i found these while christmas shopping for my daughters. i had a coupon so they'll do for now. i found this sweater in target. it is super soft. i bought it a few sizes up because i wanted it to be more on the slouchy side. to add a little spice i paired the look with these funky suede harajuku lovers shoes. after looking at the pictures i'm not sure if i like them with this outfit.

i'm finished shopping for christmas!! i can't believe i'm finished. i started wrapping gifts last night and i'm hoping that all the wrapping will be done by sunday. my last christmas related chore was sending out the christmas cards. i put those in the mail this morning. i have to pat myself on the back for being so ahead of the game. tonight it's cookie baking time...yum!! have a wonderful thursday!