Accessorizing

As much as I love fashion and clothing, I am not a jewelry connoisseur (although I am trying to be).  I enjoy my scarves in the winter and an occasional hat or head wrap in the summer if I am feeling extra ambitious, but rarely, on a normal day, do I put a necklace on in the morning and take it off as I am dressing for bed.  It is usually off within 2 hours, floats around in my purse for 2 weeks only to follow with a week in my car's cup holder...that is until I try it out again for size (and then repeat).  Instead of glitzing up this week, I am just going to carry around one of these.  And I mean everywhere.

Anyone want to join me with the perfect summer accessory?

They would pair perfectly with this Marc Jacobs number (especially that blue one!).

Check, check, check!

Apartment -  Check!

Sofa -  Check!

DIY furniture -  Check!

 A few more coats, a couple reupholsterings, a little signing of the lease, and a few vows to repeat...the gentleman and I are on our very merry way to becoming a real live married couple. 

This is good.  Very very good.

{I was going to do an outfit post, but I was in scrubs all day and now with this heat all I can do is sit in front of a fan with a little cotton sundress.  I'm a burning up.}

OK, now I am relaxed...

I have spent one good full day at the pool this summer.  It was awesome.   And even though it is blasted hot outside, it finally feels like summer. You have to have a few of these sweat inducing days for it to fill up your tank in preparation for fall and winter. My summertime love tank is getting nice and full.

I think we are turning into a Mexican meal

I think Michael and I are turning into a Mexican meal.  Our go-to celebratory, lazy day, hungry-and-I-don't-care-what-I-eat, and dinner with friends meal is Mexican (and a margarita, of course).  Thursday evening last week was spent with two of our friends downing tacos, laughing and trying to figure out how to blend the perfect margarita.  It is such a breath of fresh air when you spend time with your favorite people during a busy week...and when you all take a walk outside.  Which we did.

Casual

{Dress, Target. Shirt, Anthropologie.  Hat, H&M. Shoes, Cynthia Rowley.}

My days are filled with classroom sitting, errand running, furniture painting, and cleaning up little sticky hands and mouths.  It's awesome.  But who wants to do all those things in high stacked black wedges and silk tops?  As much as I love all of those things, a cotton dress and flat sandals are much more practical.  Let's liven it up, shall we?

It's a perfect, casual, summer get-up.

Oh, and remember when we would all do this? Ha!

A Love Story

A Love Story


I told you I would tell you our little love story (or big to us) like 4 months ago, so here it is...finally.  My lagging bum apologizes.

Mike and I were introduced by a mutual friend back in the spring of 2009.  He and my friend were working together at the same company and since he was new-ish to the area, she, being the hospitable person she is, invited him to our church.  There, we met and became friends.  And for me, that's exactly what it was and stayed...friends.  But to Mike, not so much (I feel like I need him to write this part...but he ain't here right now...I'm having to deal with that and you will have to as well).  Mike claims he basically started falling immediately.

So spring, summer, fall and winter came and went and were filled with fun times together with our friends.  We went to parties and baseball games and drank margaritas...he came to Starbucks to "work" while I was there working and tried to get me to come over and watch How I Met Your Mother...and I stayed uninterested.

This went on for nearly a year until he finally asked me to grab some coffee with him.  We both knew what was going to happen that evening...he was going to spill his love filled guts to me (I knew everything already and he knew I knew, but still nothing had been said directly between us...so this was the time).  We sat and chatted and he finally came out with it.  I listened and smiled and told him thank you for telling me and how nice it is to hear that someone thinks and feels that way about you.  But, in the end, told him I didn't feel the same way...(I am such an idiot!  I know people...I know).

So more months passed and we remained friends...we were good friends and I enjoyed him as my friend and I saw him as my friend and thought I would see him that way always and forever (trying to stress "friend" here).

But something began to change in my heart.  I remember the day he walked into Starbucks with his backwards Detroit Tigers hat on (he looks so studly when he wears that hat) and I looked up to see who was coming in and my belly became flooded with butterfiles.  And then I became covered in butterflies.

It was weird and I was like, "whaaaat was that?"

Since that moment things have changed.  And they changed fast.  We began to hang.  Like hang hang, not friend hang.  And he told me he loved me.  And I told him, "thanks for telling me"  (Idiot!  I know people...I know).  Then we were bf/gf.  Then a few weeks later I said I loved him.  So we loved each other and couldn't believe the ways that God had moved and worked to bring us together (you'll have to ask Mike more about this because the Lord was at crazy work and speaking to Mike always telling him to keep pursuing me...even after multiple rejections).  Then we talked about marriage.  We both knew once we dated we would get married.  And we wanted to get married.  We talked with God, our families, friends and everyone told us to do the same thing.  Get married.  You're ready.  And we were.

So we are getting married.

And it's the best thing that God has given me.

I'm still all covered in butterflies.

(Here is a little taste of what the best day of the year is going to be like...October 21 are you here yet?)

He's awesome

I get to marry this kid...heck yeah!  

You are rocking this fiance thing.

ps. come back tomorrrow to hear our love story:)

Mild or Spicy? Take your pick.

The other day I showed up at Mike's place and he goes, "Whoa, are you wearing lipstick? Is it on me now?"  That comment of course came after Mike laid an I'm-so-happy-you're-here smooch on me.  You see I never wear lipstick.  My makeup routine consists of a touch of concealer, a swipe of mascara and maybe some eyeliner if I am feeling motivated.  So when I showed up with my bright reddy/pinky/orangey lipstick on he was a little shocked...and then he said, "I don't like it"...um, rude!!!  Jk, Michael, you're not rude.

Anyway, what do you think?  Mild or SPICY?

{lipstick, Covergirl lip perfection in Fairytale)

If you're a fan of lipstick you should go purchase this lovely shade.  Throw on some sunglasses and a pair of shorts and you'll feel like you're in Morocco. 

Cultural Envy

I was always so jealous of the people who grew up in a very distinct culture (ya, I know America has its own culture, but why can't I be 100% Italian or Brazilian or French? Mutt).  

So because I am not those things, sometimes I like to dress up as if I am.  So on this hot Sunday I dressed up in my recycled India Sari silk wrap dress/skirt and gold jewelry, put on my red shoes and pranced to church and back and then decided to change into shorts and a T.  It is way too hot to wear silk on a 95 degree day.

{Dress, street market.  Belt, H&M.  Sweater, F21.  Earrings, gifted.  Bracelets, gifted.}

DIYourselfers

Mike and I became do-it-yourself-ers over the last week.  Goodwill and Home Depot have seen their fair share of us and we are thorougly covered with paint specs and sanding dust.  It was so fun to tackel some projects, or at least get started on a few.  Our tables and chairs and bookcases all need some tlc before they can go into our new place (which is still tbd), but we have a vision and it will be sooo spectacular.  Just trust me!

Pining...

3 things I am just plain pining for.

(All from NastyGal)

The fourth

Happy fourth!  

This year's holiday was the best yet.  Why you ask?  Because it was spent with my splendid future husband.  Eating hamburgers, sweating your butt off at the parade, and watching fireworks are so much more fun with a handsome boy by your side.

We really did sweat our little bums off.  Did anyone else overheat with us?