can you spot the difference?

I'll give you a hint . . . it's my hair.

Okay so that was more than a hint, but it's my game so I guess I get to make the rules.

I chopped it off and gave it a fresh color and it feels soooooo good.

I love it.

I went to a new hair stylist (thanks to another deal on livingsocial) and I was a bit nervous, but I am very pleased with her work.  The only thing I told her was I wanted it short, but I have to be able to put it in a pony tail.  I think she may be a keeper :)

This is what I wore for our date night.  I thought it was a great outfit to debut my new do!

What do you guys think?!

top-volcom, cami-f21, jeans-nordstrom, shoes-steve madden, earrings-simply vera

it doesn't get cheaper than free

top and pants-banana republic, necklace-f21, belt-the limited, shoes-urban outfitters

(a work outfit from last week)

I had a fantastic weekend!

The weather was beautiful and the temperature was perfect.

Saturday night hubby and I had a date night (sorry no photos this time).  We went to Jason's Deli (remember this time we went there?) for dinner; which was free thanks to a gift card from my sister.  We ended the night with a movie, True Grit (it was very good); also free thanks to gift cards from my wonderful in-laws.

Free date night = super awesome

Sunday morning my aunt and I did a 12 mile run in 1:57:29.  

I almost can't believe it.  

I feel like this past week our running has really been bumped up a notch and we have taken it to a new level.  I think I might even venture to say I am starting to enjoy running.  

It has really been a process for me and I believe it is because I have been learning to run.  Just like any other sport, there are different forms and techniques and you really have to find what works best for  yourself. It has taken me a while, but I think I am finally starting to learn and develop a running style that works for me.

Perhaps running will have more of a presence in my future than I thought.

fashion beauty friend friday!

This is my first time participating in Fashion Beauty Friends Friday and I am so excited!  This week the questions were about technology, which is always fun to talk about.  I think this may become a routine on my blog :)

1. What technology do you use in blogging?

     I use a Canon Rebel xti and my Droid Ally for cell phone photos.  Our computer is a MacBook Pro.

2. What computer and online technology do you use?

     I use my iPhoto for simple editing and enhancing of my photos.  If I want to do any color changes or any other effects, I use the free online editing site Picnik.

3. What is your process for taking pictures?

If it is a weekday and my hubby does not work, I take my photos when I get home from work.  On the weekend, we will do photos whenever we have the time.  The whole process for my photos takes about 5-10 minutes.  easy peasy.  First we make sure the light is good with a few test shots and when we get it right, I just try several poses and looks and voila. I typically end up with about 30ish to choose from.

4. When is comes to backdrops for your photos, what do you consider? Do you scout locations or shoot the same spot daily?

I do a bit of both.  In the winter time, it gets dark so early that we really don't have enough light left to scout for locations.  That is why you have been seeing most of my outfit posts around my house.  I much prefer to scout locations when we have the time.  

5. If you could splurge and get one new piece of equipment, what would you be buying?

For sure a Canon EOS 5D.  I have had my eyes on one for quite a while, I have always been a Canon lover. I know that it is a bit out of reach for our budget right now, so I would totally be happy with a Canon 7D.
 (my birthday is coming up next month, hint hint hubby)

closet makeover, part 4 {ode to tjmaxx}

I found this awesome storage bench at T.J.Maxx this past weekend (the same trip i found these).  I walked by it about two times and then decided I should show it to Jason.  I figured it was probably priced over our budget, so I really just wanted to tell him this was what I was looking for.  

Jason liked it and when he turned it over to see the price it was only $50!!!  I couldn't believe it!  It was marked down from $149.99 and we couldn't find anything wrong with it.  We snatched it up and now it sits perfectly in our closet.  Oh T.J.Maxx, you are too good to me.

---------------------------------------

Ode to T.J.Maxx

There is a store that I adore

They have great deals from the ceiling to the floor

Designer brands and great variety

For bargain shopping, there is no place I'd rather be

T.J.Maxx is pretty neat

Recently I found some awesome shoes for my feet

It's true I once was a T.J.Maxx employee

Too bad they didn't give employees stuff for free

Thanks T.J.Maxx for all the great deals

I'll be sure to stop in the next time I need heels

--------------------------------

I'm thinking about a career in rhyming.  What do you think? ha!

I haven't decided yet what I want to store inside, until then it's Tina's new home. just kidding!

let's play guess the new item

button up and necklace-f21, skirt-h&m, tights-old navy, belt-the limited, shoes-guess via tjmaxx

I am the type of person that loves to wear new clothes.  

I know you are thinking 'duh, who doesn't like to wear new clothes.' 

Well what I mean is, if I buy a new shirt today, I will wear it tomorrow.  I don't like items to just sit in my closet with the tags on.  Because that would mean I probably didn't need it.  And now that I am on a new clothes budget, I am only supposed to be buying needs items.  

I bet you are sitting at the edge of your seats wondering which piece of my outfit is new.  

Drum roll please......

my shoes

I love them.

And I love T.J.Maxx.

I think I should write an ode to T.J.Maxx. Stay tuned, I feel an ode coming on!

hello, meet my sweet tooth

I have a confession to make.  I gave in to the weakness of my sweet tooth.  Not just one, but two nights in a row!

It started out very innocent.  I wanted to surprise Jason with cupcakes from Gigi's because he had a rough day at work.  But the moment I tasted the deliciousness, I was in trouble.  So the next day I asked Jason if he might have the time to make a Gigi's run and of course he did.  

We cut each cupcake in half and shared.  They were beyond yummy.  My favorite is chocolate; anything with chocolate.

What's your favorite sweet treat?

happy monday!

sweater-nordstrom, shirt-old navy, jeans-banana republic, moccasins-thrifted, ring-f21

How was your weekend?  Mine was pretty good, no complaints from me :)

And how about your Monday?  Mine was actually okay.  Usually Monday's make me want to run around the office screaming and pulling my hair out.  (maybe that was a little dramatic)  But today was sunny and beautiful and I got to visit with some wonderful people.

Let's rewind back to the weekend so I can give you a little running update.  Last weekend you might remember that I failed miserably at my attempt to run 11 miles.  Not only was my aunt out of town, but I had zero motivation and energy.

I am happy to report that this weekend went much better.  My aunt and I were only scheduled to do 3 miles, but to make up for the previous weekend, we did 8 miles and it felt great!  We had one of our best paces yet.

Only 31 days to the big race!!

This outfit was the prefect thing to wear when hubby and I did our errands after my run.  These moccasins are so comfy.  Can you believe I found them at a thrift store for 2 bucks?! Brand new, never been worn, genuine leather and amazing comfort. A definite score.

we're {gogh}ing to a paint party

Friday after work, I met up with my friend Rachel and her sister Amy for a girl's night.  

A while ago we had bought a deal off of livingsocial for Gogh Paint-n-Party and we were so excited to try out this class.  None of us had been to one of these parties before. 

How it works is there is a painting that everyone in the class tries to mimic a certain painting.  I knew right away that I wanted to make more unique, so I changed up the colors.  I really love the way red and blue look together and that it what I decided to go with.  

It was cool to see how each of our paintings ended up different.  We each added our personal touch and preference.  I think we did pretty good if I do say so myself :)

It's probably been about 3 years since I have painted.  I had forgotten how much I love to paint.  It is one of those hobbies where I can truly forget about any stress or worry that I might have and fully concentrate on the task at hand.  Painting is so relaxing and also very rewarding.  I just love the feeling I get when I finish and see what I have accomplished; a unique, one of a kind creation.

I think I need to start painting again.

office inspiration

via

Today I wanted to share some inspiration with you from a fabulous new blog I found today, Honey We're Home. I can tell this blog will easily become one of my daily reads.

One of our next projects on our list is our office. And I just love how Megan designed her office. My hubby probably wouldn't care for the color scheme (even though I think it's amazing), but that is something we can switch up easily.

Now for some exciting news, today hubby and I are featured over at Tieka's blog for her Guy Behind the Camera series. I have been a reader of Tieka's blog for a while now; if you aren't following her already, you should definitely check it out!!

Happy Weekend Friends!!!

{wo}man's best friend

This morning I dropped Jack off at doggie daycare before I headed to work.

I feel like he has been a little depressed lately. Maybe because of the weather and that fact that we don't take him out to play as much. Our backyard is pretty much a mud pit, so it makes it difficult.

All day I thought about Jack and hoped that he was having fun with all his friends at daycare. I know I know, it might seem a little crazy that we take our dog to daycare, but he loves it!

I am a strong believer that animals should be treated like part of the family. Our pets certainly are. They are like my kids. I suppose they are helping my fight off that baby fever that seems to be going around. ha!

So today I am thankful for Jack. He shows Jason and I unconditional love and he is a joy to have in our house. We love you Jack!!

Have you hugged your dog today? ;)

{jack with his weimaraner friend, lucy}

professor plum

jacket-tjmaxx, scarf-nordstrom, sweater-lauren conrad, pants-express, shoes-urban outfitters

We finally picked up our dry cleaning this week after it had been ready for, oh probably about a week and a half. Almost every pair of my nice work pants was in that load. I'll just complain about this once, but I hate how expensive dry cleaning can be and also the fact that so many of my nice work clothes require it. Okay, I just had to get that out. phew.

I like this sweater because it kind of reminds me of a mullet.

Business in the front, party in the back. oh yeah!

The lace adds just the right amount of sexiness while still being work appropriate.

On another random note, I think I have plantar faciitis in my left foot. The heel to be specific. It has been bothering me on and off for a while now and it flared up tonight during my run. It's a really good thing I have a super duper caring hubby that will massage my feet for me :)

closet makeover, part 3

So here it is friends, finally! My closet re-do.

It took me a little while because I had to work with our new budget. I am not 100% done with this space, but I wanted to go ahead and share the progress with you anyway. Go here to see where I started and how I got to this point.

I got a total of 11 new organizational pieces since I started the re-do.

1 cube organizer - 39.99 (target)

4 storage cubes - 4.99 each (target)

2 shoe shelves - 7.49 each (target)

1 belt hanger - 4.99 (homegoods)

2 jewelry organizers - 14.99 (marshalls)

1 necklace hook (w/ 3 hooks) - 7.99 (hobby lobby)

total: 117.89

To help with the cost of this project, we sold our old coffee table for $120. Also we made a total of $37.75 from Plato's Closet by selling some clothes. My jewelry armoire is also currently on craigslist listed for $175, so hopefully that will sell soon too.

{this is my new necklace hook and my jewelry organizers}

{my new shoe racks}

{my new cube organizer with 4 old cubes and 4 new cubes}

We have a 3 cube shelf in our office that I will be adding to the closet soon for hubby to use. I also am hoping to get a couple organizational pieces to put on top of my cube organizer and I also want to add a curtain to the window so it won't look so....white.

And I realize I still have a lot of clothes. I am planning to do another purge once the season changes. Promise!

i'm not wearing pants

dress-wet seal, cardigan-target, belt-thrifted, tights-tj maxx, socks-target, boots-famous footwear

After cleaning out my closet and looking through my outfit posts, I noticed that I am almost always wearing pants - mostly jeans, really. I never realized it, but I guess I just like wearing pants. Truly, if I could, I would probably wear jeans everyday in the fall and winter seasons. But in the summer, I love wearing short, skirts and dresses!

You'll notice in these photos that the snow in dwindling down. It makes me sad really. I love the snow, it reminds me of when I lived in Idaho (the first 18 years of my life!). I have greatly enjoyed the scenery of the sparkling white snow. I am hoping that maybe we will get a snow or two more. In fact, according to the Farmer's Almanac, we are supposed to get a couple more snows. I guess we'll just wait and see!