out with the old, in with the new

dress-the limited, cardigan-target, belt-thrifted, tights-gap, booties-dsw, purse-michael kors via tjmaxx

Happy New Year's Eve!

I can hardly believe it is the last day of the year, but I am so excited. I just know that 2011 will bring great things.

I wore this outfit to a wedding last night. The wedding started at 6pm and I don't get off of work until 5pm, so I brought everything I needed to get ready to work with me. I had a necklace that I wanted to wear with this, but I forgot it :( oh well. I still like how it all turned out.

The wedding was beautiful. We had a great time and enjoyed spending time with friends.

Since it is about to be the New Year, I toyed with the idea of posting some resolutions. I am hesitant, though, because I hate it when I don't stick to them. At the same time, I feel like when I make something known - I am held more accountable.

I'll keep it simple:

• Become more active in the blogging community. Hopefully attend a meet-up or two.
• Stick to a budget. This is a serious one since hubby will be starting school and will not be able to work. Our income will drop significantly, so this one is a biggie.
• Complete the Princess Half Marathon and continue running afterwards.
• Go somewhere that I have never been.
• Upgrade my camera and improve my photography skills.

Have fun tonight and be safe!!

dear 2010, thanks for the memories

Holy moly, another year has flown by.

I am pretty sure that we all say that every year, but I guess that is because it always seems to be true.

2010, thanks for all the memories.

There were good times and not so good times.

But always a lesson learned.

Here is a little recap of 2010:

• I turned 25. That's half of 50!
• We went to Cancun for my best friend's wedding. I was matron of honor and hubby was the best man.
• We got our first puppy, Jack.
• Hubby had his birthday and turned half of 50 (that's right, i'm older. i am a cougar).
• I started a blog.
• My sister and the kiddos came to visit us. (here, here and here)
• The in-laws came for a visit for the 4th of July. (here and here)
• I went to California. (here, here and here)
• There were a few house projects.
• Hubby did his first triathlon.
• We went to Idaho. And I rock climbed for the first time there.
• We took Jack camping for the first time.
• Zoey joined our family.
• We celebrated our two year anniversary.
• I started running. Did my first 5k. And signed up for my first half-marathon.
• We went to Florida for Thanksgiving.
• Jack turned ONE!!
• I went to Idaho, again.
• We made lots of amazing Christmas memories. (here, here and here)

We are really looking forward to everything 2011 will have in store for us.

Especially hubby starting school, yay!

I also want to say a HUGE thank you to all fellow bloggers who have supported this blog. I love all your comments and e-mails, you guys are so sweet! I feel like I have a whole new ginormous group of friends :)

Cheers to a new year!

i love impromptu date nights

Yesterday evening, hubby and I had to run into town and do a few errands. These errands included returning this gift that hubby got me. ha! I was nervous that there would be a lot of traffic and crowds, but actually it wasn't too bad. It was fun to get out of the house and spend some time with my hubby, even if it was to run errands.

Since the crowds weren't bad, we finished up earlier than I thought. This seemed like the perfect time for an impromptu dessert date night. So off to Olive Garden we went. The OG was packed. Luckily we were just getting a dessert, so we snagged the last two seats at the bar and enjoyed a scrumptious white chocolate raspberry cheesecake while people watching. I can't think of a better way to spend a Monday night :)

it's maybe not the best time for a false alarm

button up - target, jeans - nordstrom, boots - dsw

I am pooped tonight. First day back at work after a holiday is always killer. I got used to sleeping in a little and staying up passed my bed time. It's times like these that I miss being in school and getting a real Christmas break.

Currently as I sit in bed typing this, zoey is on my lap purring and hubby has weaseled his way onto my pillow and is fast asleep. I am super tempted to yell, "EMERGENCY!!" and scare the pea-wods out of him (I may have done this a time or two before and it may have been insanely hilarious to see him karate chop the air). I think I may pass on this opportunity because I have this bad feeling that I may end up getting punched in the kidney by hubby or clawed to death by zoey. But I will still laugh to myself at the thought of it. ha!

I think I should probably join my hubby in his peaceful slumber. I have work tomorrow (of course) and I think I should be a little more prepared that I was today. Or I atleast need to try and push the snooze button no more than 2...or 3 times.

Goodnight my loves!!

a little glimpse of christmas day

How was your Christmas? I hope it was very merry :)

This year we had our first white Christmas in Tennessee. It was really a special treat for me because I grew up in Idaho, where it really doesn't feel like Christmas without some beautiful white snow.

Hubby had to work Christmas day at the hospital, so we waited until he got home from work to open our gifts for each other. He got me an ipod nano!! I am so excited because this will be great for running. And it's super cute too; shiny pink with an engraving on back - 'For my Princess Amber XOXO.' How did I find such a sweet guy?!

Jack absolutely loved the snow. He ran around and played in it all morning long. My brother threw him snowballs and Jack would catch them in his mouth.

Overall, I had a fantastic Christmas. At the end of the night, hubby and I felt so blessed and thankful. Although it's been a rough year, we are constantly reminded of our many blessings and we are excited for what's in store for this next year.

*i wish i could take credit for this snow frog, but my brother and i came across it in my aunt's neighborhood. isn't it the coolest?!

merry christmas 2010

merry christmas!!!

i hope you all had a wonderful day :)

just dance

Earlier this week we hung out with some friends and they 'convinced' Jason and I that we should open just one gift each.

Okay, really this is what happened. Jason convinced them to try and convince me that it would be a good idea. Little did he know that I already knew what was in store. You see, over a month ago I got Jason one of his Christmas presents that I knew he would love, but also it was something we could enjoy together and with friends. I found this gift for a killer price, so when I got the 'intuition' that he got me the exact same gift, I just decided I would play along. After all, I knew we would be returning the one he bought (hubby is not quite up to my bargain shopping skills).

This is how it went down:

I made sure that we would open our gifts at the exact same time. I was sneaky and put his in a larger box with weights to throw him off.

And then we all danced!

closet makeover, part 2

I did it. I purged my closet and these are the unlucky pieces that didn't make the cut. When I set them out on the couch I was like - holy moly that's a lot of clothes! I was tempted to take a few back, but I had to stay strong and just say goodbye. There are still plenty of more awesome pieces left in my closet. I am planning to take my bags of clothes to Plato's Closet and hopefully make some money. Whatever they don't buy, I will donate.

How do I feel after the big purge? Great! It's crazy because I can already tell a major difference. Getting dressed is so much fun now. There are no more anxiety attacks and near breakdowns when I walk in my closet to pick out an outfit. And it is so much easier for me to find new remixes. It's like a whole new experience. I love it.

What's next? Well according to Kendi, the next step is to Assess. She gives some great tips on taking inventory of your closet and deciding what is needed and what is wanted. She also suggests putting some outfits together ahead of time and trying new remixes.

Here is my need list:

khaki pants

long gray cardigan

solid color turtleneck

khaki skirt

Here is my want list:

colored pencil skirt from j.crew

red suede heels from urban outfitters

bb dakota hasley red dress

a dress from shabby apple

can you hear me now?!

blouse-target, sweater-gap, jeans-banana republic, boots-famous footwear

It's been a little while since I've mentioned it, but I am still sick. Really the only thing that is still bothering me is my ears. Last week I found out I had an ear infection in my right ear, but I have already finished the antibiotic and now both ears have been bothering me. ugh.

I went back to the doctor today and sure enough, my inner ears are clogged. As a result, I have an Rx for a nose spray and a pill (no antibiotic this time). I am not really a fan of nasal sprays. In fact, I don't like them at all, but if it will make me feel better I suppose I will just put up with the spray.

It's actually been a little amusing. Since my ears are clogged, I sometimes am not aware of my volume. When I think I am talking at a normal level, turns out I am whispering. Sorry hubby for getting mad at you for not listening when really it was my fault. On the flip side, sometimes when I think my voice level is normal; I am actually yelling in hubby's ear. Sorry, again, hubby for giving you a headache.

Good thing our vows included 'in sickness, and in health.' Guess he's stuck with me ;)

time to get dressed up. . . and my cute hubby.

top-urban original, skirt-h&m, belt-old navy, tights-gap, shoes-dsw (seen here and here)

Today is officially the first day of winter and also it's supposed to be the shortest day. So naturally, when I got home from work it was already too dark to take photos outside. This can only mean one thing, inside photos! Silly, what else did you think it would mean?!

Sorry for all the business and distractions in the background, but I was cold and the fireplace sounded like the best spot to take some photos. Plus I really want to show off our Christmas decor at every chance I get. Can you blame me? It's only the most wonderful time of the year with the most wonderful decorations!

Today was our office Christmas lunch and I wanted to dress a little extra special for the occasion. This is probably one of my favorite tops. It makes me feel really cute and fancy.

Oh and here is my super duper handsome hubby. He is a nurse, so he is typically always wearing scrubs. As a result, I always get excited when he puts together a nice outfit. Doesn't he look hot?! Watch out ladies, he's taken. ;)

sweater-hurley via sam's club, button up-ae, jeans-gap, shoes-patagonia

my weekend in review

Saturday night we went out with some friends (Kelly pictured w/me). Hubby was really excited because he got to wear his new bow tie. He is such a cutie when he gets dressed up. I think this bow tie look is here to stay. Yay! ;)

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Also this weekend, some presents mysteriously showed up under the tree. I have had hubby's gifts wrapped and under the tree for a while now, but now there are two for me!! AND there is something in my stocking. The mystery is so exciting, but don't worry - I don't peak :) Although it is quite tempting to shake a box or two.

Other events of my weekend not pictured:

• Sunday afternoon my aunt and I ran 8 miles!! This is a huge deal for me becuase I have never ran this far in my life! It was quite the confidence booster. Only a little over 2 months to the big race!
• My bestest friend Lindsay and her boyfriend Landon are in town!! I just love every chance I get to see them, since they live all the way over in California. I will no doubt have some photos to share this week since we will be hanging out again and hopefully again!!

I hope you had a lovely Monday!! Only 5 days til Christmas!!

blogger's remorse...just a little bit

I have to admit, I had a little blogger's remorse after yesterday's post. It made me feel vulnerable to share our hidden messy secret with, well a whole lotta people. I am the type of person that whenever I know people are coming over, I make sure our house is super tidy and clean and looks extra nice. As you can see, our closet does not look extra nice and I would be mortified for a guest in our house to see that horrible mess. But alas, I have blogged and people have seen it, which means it is too late to take it back. Really I decided to just quickly push the 'Publish Post' button, because I knew that by posting this, it would hold me accountable. There is no turning back now.

via

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! I am sure looking forward for some time to relax and hopefully get over this lingering sickness!

it's time to come out of the closet. closet makeover, part 1

I have decided it is time to do what appears to be impossible. This project has been haunting me for way too long now and I have been putting it off by saying, "I'll tackle that this weekend" or "I'll do that once the season changes" and the classic "That will be my New Year's resolution."

These excuses will no longer work. After reading Kendi's blog post today, it has become clear to me that I need to get my butt in gear. The impossible project will begin now.

Here it is folks, the disastrous room that hubby and I call our closet. (please don't judge us, really I am super embarrassed to show these photos to you, but I can't hide it any longer) I call it a room because it is truly massive.

Our closet has so much potential and yet this is how we use it. It is so frustrating, really. I look in my closet and many days say out loud, "I have nothing to wear!" Clearly that is not true, but the bottom line is that my closet is not working for me. So I have decided that I am going to go along with Kendi's 'Create a Working Closet' series and see if it is possible for me to transform this chaotic room into something that works for me (and hubby, of course).

So these are the before photos, and next week you will see:

Step One: Purge

a wee bit of bathroom photos

dress and cardigan-target, boots-dsw, belt-the limited, necklace-f21 (last seen here and here)

It's been a little while, so I thought it was time for a little wee bit wednesday! Oh and bathroom photos, of course.

{one} did you buy a christmas tree this year?nope, we have an artificial tree, which we bought last year.
{two} what is your favorite holiday tradition?i love decorating for christmas and listening to christmas music. so far hubby and i dont have a lot of traditions, but putting up all the christmas decorations is something we enjoy doing together.
{three} do you open your gifts on christmas eve or christmas day?we usually open one on christmas eve and the rest on christmas day.
{four} at what age did you stop believing in santa claus?hmmm. im not really sure about this one. maybe around 3rd or 4th grade?
{five} do you fill stockings?of course!
{six} handmade presents or store bought presents?hmm. there’s a time for both i think.
{seven} do you have a favorite christmas meal?meat pie that my aunt makes! i know it sounds funny, but it is so good.
{eight} is your christmas tree real or artificial?artificial. but i think maybe next year i would like to get a real one.
{nine} what is your favorite christmas song?there are so many!! simply having a wonderful christmas time by paul mccartney comes to mind right now.
{ten} did you send out christmas cards this year?we are still working on it....haha

good to know

via

I have been grouchy and complaining the last few days and today just may have been the worst. It probably wasn't an accident that I came across this poster.

Sometimes you just need a friendly reminder.