So, today is my birthday...27! Which is almost 30...which is scary! Matt went on his annual ice fishing trip which usually I would pout about but it was a great excuse for him to put me on a plane to San Jose to visit my BEST friends and roommates from college. Last night they took me to see Kenny Chesney which was amazing! I even got carded (even more amazing!) We had a great time in our boots snuggling in blankets on the grass. You will have to wait to Monday to see what we were up to today on my real birthday. :) Here's to wishing that this year is full of health, job security, friends, family, good clothes, and lots of blog followers. ;)

 kelly, diana, and me

 loves of my life!

 laura, what would i have done with out those reindeer socks? Or piggy back ride?

 snuggle bunnies

 blondes really do have more fun :)

cowgirls rock!

jean shorts: j crew

blouse: anthropologie

sweater: nordstrom

boots: steve madden

crossbody: nordstrom

Ok so I was all prepared for my post last night and left it on my desktop so I would remember to post it when I got home from work. Needless to say on my way to Ontario airport I realized I forgot. :( I usually don't post on the weekends but I owe you one tomorrow! Tonight I am flying to San Jose to visit my best friends and college roommates Diana and Kelly. We are going to see an Alan Jackson concert! I will take pics and post them tomorrow. My apologies! Have a great weekend!

I love fashion. By no means am I an expert but I enjoy reading about it and trying new things that I see other people wearing. I love reading what other girls are wearing like here and here. I find it helpful that these people also tell me where they acquired their lovely items. Here’s the problem: I want to post outfits, but not be a total dork about it and be caught posing left and right. How does one do this?
The only way to solve this is to give the “outfit post” a test run and hear what you have to say. You tell me “yea” or “nay.” Your opinion matters to me! Because I do not lead an extraordinary life, I’m assuming most of my sporadic outfit posts will be of me doing regular stuff such as walking the dog, going out to dinner with Matt, riding my bike around the neighborhood etc. I am very apprehensive about this. Here goes nothing!  

 just me, gettin' the mail!

pretty in pink

Blouse: Nordstom Rack, Juicy Couture*

Necklace: Forever 21

Jeans: Ann Taylor Loft
Flats: Banana Republic

nailpolish: Chica Boom by Orly

watch: Michael Kors

*Thank you to Brooke for my adorable birthday top! It is a perfect “teacher” top and you know the older my body gets the more I love modesty in my clothes! :)

So what do you think? Keep it up or forget it in the future?

Confession: I am addicted to nail polish. And not the cheap stuff. O.P.I, Essie, China Glaze, and Zoya sell the best kind. They really fulfill my urge to splurge. Because of my addiction (combined with my uncontrollable type-A personality) I have organized them according to season/shade. I have  see- through nudes, barely- there pinks, sheer grays and flirty lilacs for spring!    

my spring collection

You can catch me in the act at least once, usually twice, a week. I plop down in front of the TV to catch up on Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries (my fave!), or 90210. I buff, add base coat, polish two or three coats, and then add top coat. BTW, this is the BEST top coat in the world.

I find myself allowing my nails to get a tad long for nude or light colors but I have to keep them short for dark or bright colors. I have a thing against long nails with obvious colors. Every addict has their preferences, right? If there were a “patch” for excessive nail polishing I would be the poster child for it. Are you addicted to nail polish too?

My brother Kevin, and his fiancé, Tiffany may in fact be the most attractive, kind- hearted, God-loving couple I know. My husband Matt and I had the privilege of being a part of their proposal. Kevin popped the big question in Morro Bay (near San Luis Obispo) where he and Tiffany attend college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (my alma mater!). I will let the photos do most of the talking but he did propose while on a horseback ride on the beach where Matt and I were hiding with our Flip and camera. The rest of the day was spent shooting photos in the scenic areas of SLO. Later that evening we surprised Tiffany with an engagement party with her friends and family that came to SLO for the occasion. Overall, it was a perfect day. If you are engaged or married, how did you or your significant other propose?

 

cute idea from my friend Carrie

taken before the big day

 

on one knee

 

so happy!

 

they're excited

 

the bling

 

two peas in a pod

 

the rock

 

precious 

 

an old barn perfect for photos

 

all you need

 

can you believe this picture was not enhanced? 

 

gum wall

 

training wheels are off!

 

 a sweet pair

 

watch out...here they come!

just cut from the yard

our statement piece for spring

Last year we got serious about planting (and taking care of) bulbs to grow calla lilies. Matt and I have decided that we learn by making mistakes (lots of them). So, it was a big surprise to us when these flowers turned out so well! We have four bushes that give us at least ten lilies a week and are actually four feet high! Trust me, for us this is a miracle! We should have planted these in our front yard for shrubs when we bought out home four years ago. We are still anxiously awaiting the day for our supposed "shrubs" out front to own up to their name. These lilies have given me (and my neighbors) much joy for two reasons: one, I didn't kill the plant and two, I have a beautiful, free, fresh centerpiece every week! 

… Easter’s on its way! For me, Easter is about more than a fluffy, white, bunny that brings chocolate (and Peeps!). This is a time to celebrate Jesus Christ rising from the dead. Our family acknowledges this by attending the Easter service at church and spending the rest of the day celebrating His love for us. Matt and I flit between his family and mine (luckily they both live in the same city) and try not to stuff ourselves too full at any one meal, so we have room to sample all the Easter trimmings at each location. Trust me, this has taken years of practice and we have become pretty good at it. I am quite proud to say that in the (almost 27!) years of my life I have successfully squeezed an Easter basket out of my parents every year. Who says that once you get married (or once your older than 12) you are banned from the basket? Usually my basket consists of Reece’s Peanut Butter Eggs, Starburst Jelly Beans, Peeps, money, nail polish, socks etc. Tell me, do you still get an Easter basket? What’s inside?

peeps and pink = perfection

 the adorable cupcakes my cousin brought to Easter (bonus..they were Funfetti!)

Easter Eggs

I’m not sure that an Easter has ever gone by without me dyeing eggs (maybe in college). I have tried many different ways to decorate eggs including tye dye, sparkle, stamping, stickers, etc. but I always return back to the classic dyes. Their colors are so vibrant that, to me, there is no other way to go. Usually, egg dyeing turns into a competition between my youngest brother, Jake, and me.  We line up our eggs in the egg carton, his on one side mine on the other, and ask my parents which row looks better. They play nice and say that they are both equally amazing (but we know what they really think…mine win!). This year I spent part of Easter weekend at San Clemente beach with my husband Matt and my less competitive brother, Kevin. Our eggs are pictured below. You be the judge. Who wins this year’s chocolate bunny? 

 yes, I did look up directions on how to make hard boiled eggs...

the tie dye look was not intentional but turned out fun

 

if I were an egg I would want a cute belt

Matt and I enjoy DIY projects so these chairs were the perfect find. Some friends of ours deemed them as junk so we moved in for the kill. They were in pretty bad shape with some wood slats broken or missing, and the paint was shot. After much debating between the two of us about what color would suit them best, we decided to paint all four a traditional shade of red. I already have throw pillows with red blooms printed on them and a red tile bistro table on our DIY deck (more on that later!) so the chairs would match perfectly. Originally I thought sanding them and spraying them with red paint wouldn't be so bad. However, after five seconds of sanding I was sweating (and whining). Matt didn't have it so easy either, the paint sprayer was not being cooperative but eventually he got it working and wanted to paint everything in sight (boys.).  

before

 

after

 bistro table from Target

 outdoor throw pillow from Pottery Barn

 flower from our garden :)

 It is no secret that I am a girly-girl. There is something so feminine and sweet about heart-shaped jewelry. It brings me back to my childhood when my mom would buy me colorful stick-on earrings in the shape of hearts that I would so proudly wear on special occasions like going to the grocery store or playing dress up with our family dog. I’ve decided that I’m never too old to enjoy sugar and spice and everything nice. Tell me, do you wear jewelry with hearts? Or is it too sweet for you?

                                                Tress Heart Ring from Gorjana

                                           Necklace from a boutique in San Luis Obispo

earrings: vintage Forever 21 :)

Oh, to be a parent! Of pets, that is! Matt and I have two wonderful pets, and one psycho kitty. Bella is our darling yellow lab, Stanley is our friendly gray kitty, and Scout is our devil rescue kitty. Over the past three weeks each one has come down with a certain ailment that prompted a vet’s immediate attention. I think God is preparing me for life with real children...

 STAN

Three weeks ago Stan was not getting off of his bed or eating or drinking. We took him to the vet where they completed a rainbow of tests to check for kitty AIDS, obstructed intestines, broken bones, internal disorders etc. Finally, we decided on giving him a dose of antibiotics and voila! Our kitty was new again! Needless to say we were relieved and maybe let him sleep on our bed a couple nights…

BELLA

Yesterday, when I returned home from work I noticed Bella had found a “treat” in the yard. Unfortunately, this treat was roach bait and not something that doggies should be snacking on. I panicked (as good mothers do) and grabbed her and the box and rushed her to the vet. Of course Bella had wolfed down the whole package (why stop at one?) and was wagging her tail like an idiot. Turns out roach bait isn’t lethal to dogs and after the vet made Bella vomit she was good to go. Despite feeling “high” the rest of the evening from the medication she was back to her happy self. 

SCOUT

As terrified as I am of our other cat, Scout, when she is sick or injured I still feel the need to care for her (as good mothers do). Last week Scout got in a cat fight, naturally, and came back with an infected paw. We knew she was suffering but had no idea how to corral her into a cage. Thankfully, we have neighbors who love all animals and managed to trap her in our dog crate. My fearless husband drove her down to the vet where she was treated (but not without scratching the vet). She now sits contained in the dog crate in our kitchen while she heals. Just know that if a burglar breaks into our house, I’m releasing the cat!   

Last night for dinner Matt and I made fish tacos. We had sampled them at our local Trader Joe’s and were hooked! Our ingredients were simple and included light breaded fish pieces, cabbage, corn tortillas, spicy tartar sauce, and fresh cilantro from our garden. While lime or lemon would have been tasty to add, we did not have any ripe citrus on our trees and I was too lazy to go to the store. I love going out to our garden to pick fresh herbs. It makes me feel thrifty because I am saving money and confident because I haven’t killed it yet!

With the warm, balmy weather approaching I snagged Boscia's blotting tissues up yesterday at Sephora. Bonus* they even have spring-ish packaging! I am totally enthralled with blotting my face on my way home from work to see how "dewy" I had become in the 8 hours since putting on my make-up (kind of gross, I know). I love how the tissues take away my shine without removing my make-up with it. These tissues are also great at blotting thick lipstick and are infused with green tea to soothe the skin. The slim packaging allows me to slide them right into my purse pocket. Perfection.

If you know me then you know that I truly love to be organized. I even enjoy organizing other people's things (my mom, husband, and college roommates know this all too well). A day of organizing can be just as fulfilling as a day of shopping. Okay, not really, but I do love it! This project began as an idea from my husband. He was getting pretty tired of untangling the knots out of my necklaces and suggested that I use my old photo board from college to get organized (mind you this is SO not is character). I used simple, clear push- pins to hold up my baubles. Now I have my necklaces organized and an interesting piece of art for guests to look at when they stay over. Tangles, be gone!

Wine Tasting

On Sunday we had the pleasure of taking a day trip to Temecula with another couple to go wine tasting. The weather couldn't have been better at Ponte Winery and South Coast Winery. I loved not having to tote around a heavy coat. We had a long, lazy lunch sipping wine and laughing about everything. If I could get married all over again I would definitely look into these wineries...they're stunning! 

Ponte Winery

Rikki and me loving our wine in the sunshine!

Matt and me

The sweetest set of birthday plates.

loving the fresh air

1. yellow crochet tube dress: Forever 21

2. aviator sunglasses: Juicy Couture
3. watch: Michael Kors
4. necklace: Dogeared
5. wedges: Franco Sarto

next year's glass of wine...