a very big thanks.

 

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I would like to say thank you to everyone who wrote, text, or called this past weekend.  Your words of sympathy and love were not only needed but truly made the process easier to go through.  My grandfather passed away last Thursday at 91.  RIP Pops

xo

holiday party.

I'm pretty sure your probably thinking right now Halloween Party!

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Wrong.  Hello Christmas Party!  I am currently in the midst of planning an awesome holiday soiree and have narrowed it down to a few invitations that I really love.  (Side note:  Not to worry I will not be posting about Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza related things from now until January but invitations do have to be ordered sooo I figured why not? Bare with me!)

These are my favorites...

The top was originally my roommates and I's number one pick but after seeing the mingle and jingle and a few others that they recently added on the website I'm not so sure.  What do you think?

Also I really want to do a gift exchange of some sorts I think they are so fun, last year I went to one and gave scratch-offs!  I was telling my friend the other day that we were throwing a party and she said, "Yay!" then immediately responded with, "Please no @#$%# gift exchange."  Womp womp womp.  Are they really that bad?  My mother despises them, as in if she has to buy a random gift she will complain from the moment she knows its inevitable that she has to buy one and continue on with how stupid they are once she has received and opened the exchanged gift.  Mrs. Clause, otherwise known as me likes them.  Thoughts?

xo

All invitations are from Tiny Prints

why do i act surprised when monday rolls around?

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Well its Monday again, I don't know why I say that like I'm surprised?  I've been extremely busy since about 6:30am which means at about 9am I was ready for 5:30pm.  

I found some cake in my fridge this morning and seriously considered having it for breakfast but nevertheless I was in a hurry so I finally ate breakfast today around noon which technically makes it lunch but I really want pizza so I'm going to call it breakfast and eat again in an hour.

This is a great example of everyone that ever walks into Target.  I mean hello who can walk away from the $1 section without picking up at least one thing?  I'm sure there is a way to use the inanimate object I just bought in a brilliant way I just have to find it on Pinterest first.

I successfully took advantage of my Netflix account this weekend which is surprising due to the fact that most months I pay about $18 and never return a single DVD or watch anything online.  My friends however all have my e-mail and password and watch to their content.  Hmm...

I'm turning 25 this January.  I really want to go to Vegas.  Something to know about me, I love Vegas.  The lights, the action, the hangovers.  That being said I'm more than likely not going to make it to Vegas for my birthday.  Sad face.  Being 25=no money.  Sometimes reading about it however eases the pain a little.

Just discovered this website (seen any recent links on my blog from this place recently?).  Read it, it will make you cooler.

Its almost the end of October which means its time to start getting ready for Christmas!  Eeeeee!  I came home last night to find my roommate glittering up a nice selection of picture frames, candle holders, and other select items.  We celebrate the holidays in my house like the radio stations do, November 1st to January 1st. 

xo

 

fall handbags.

gyori // gerke // feltmann // winland // tonai // faulker // fabiank // wenger // tonai

I was browsing around the mall the other day and checked out some of the great accessories in Aldo.  Come to find out their fall line of handbags is really great this year.  I am absolutely in love with the green Gyori.  This one I looked at in person and was pleased to find out the structure and parts of the handbag are good pieces.  I hate nothing more than cheap looking gold on a bag and sometimes its hard to find good pieces at the $50-$150 price point but these I feel really up the ante.  

What is your favorite?  Do you get a new bag every season or do you like to find one that works all year long?  I like to switch it up quite often and usually get a new one each season plus I exchange them out with older pieces that I have.

xo

the coolest thing.

 

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I came across one of the coolest things today.  Instagram magnets or what they like to call StickyGram.  If your like me most of your photographs consistently stay in the digital world.  Every once in awhile though its really cool to have them printed out and display them (imagine that!).  That being said a lot of the images I take are random, might look weird framed, or are simply of my cats.  Hence, they are not the best images to be considered actual art.

Enter StickyGram.  How awesome is that fridge above.  I love that the magnets are small so they resemble your actual instagram photos.  So for instance my favorite meal I had in NYC will continue to look cool once its posted up on my fridge, along with Richard (Cat #1) and George (Cat #2), and the many other images I have captured in my life and travels.

I am seriously in love and ordering some now!  Do you display your Instagram photos ever?  Or are you like me and they always stay on social media?

xo 

rainy days.

 

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The weather here has been pretty dismal here for the past two days.  Add to that dropping temperatures and all I want is to crawl up in front of a fireplace with a cup of soup and a good book.  Nevertheless I don't have a fireplace so I'll just turn on the heat, but the soup I can work on.  I'm making a pretty simple chili tonight with some cornbread and plan on relaxing and staying inside. 

I had a pretty eventful weekend but did end up getting quite a bit of rest.  Friday I took a dear friend to dinner for her birthday.  We were able to try a new place out that we ended up loving.  Saturday I had to work a few hours then went to the World Beer Festival in the area.  I tried a lot of different beers and a few ciders that I loved.  Sunday I spent lazing around, went to some friend's house and watched football and capped off the weekend with Chinese and a movie.

Is it feeling like fall where you live yet?  Usually in NC the weather is a bit more mild this time of year and definitely not cold yet but maybe we are getting a head start this year...

xo 

healthy eating.

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 Along with my changes in exercise I've tried to make changes to my diet as well.  Not huge I'm eating paleo or no longer eating carbs changes but trying to incorporate more vegetables and proteins into my diet.  I eat very little meat and would love to make the switch to a full blown vegetarian however a change like that is hard, and requires a lot of planning and cooking and...I hate to cook.  That being said small changes are things that stick and many small changes over time will lead to a much healthier lifestyle.  Here is a sample of my old eating habits routine and my new one.

Old Diet:

Breakfast- Reduced Fat Lance Toast Cheese Peanut Butter Crackers, Diet Coke

Snack- Protein Bar, Diet Coke

Lunch- Lean Cuisine of some sort that I have in the fridge or salad from mellow mushroom

Dinner- Egg sandwich with chips, another lean cuisine, or a dinner out where I would most likely get sushi, Mexican, pub food, or a salad of some sort.

As you can see this is bad.  I'm getting no nutrients, no fruits and vegetables, nothing of much substance at all.

New Diet:

Breakfast- Green Smoothie (Spinach, Raspberries, Banana, Greek Yogurt, Fat Free Vanilla Almond Milk, Almond Butter), Instant oatmeal, or waffle with almond butter and a banana sliced on top

Snack- Rice cake with a little bit of peanut butter and a diet coke

Lunch- Lean Cuisine (if I'm rushed), sandwich and chips with carrots, or a take-out salad

Snack- I'll have a pear, grapes, or some string cheese.  If none of that is available I have a few pretzels and a cup of coffee.

Dinner-Choice of one of the following Stir fry with squash, zucchini, and onion with a little brown rice or chicken sausage with half a sandwich thin plus some carrots or a small salad, salad with spinach, almonds, cherry tomatoes, a little cheese, and a lite vinaigrette caesar dressing.

With my new changes I am eating a lot healthier as well as getting a lot more fruit and veggies.  I'm trying to eat out much less and drink at least 96 ounces of water per day.  One of my weaknesses is Diet Coke which I have cut back on a lot but I still have to have at least two per day or I get serious caffeine headaches  I figure two isn't that bad so I'm okay with that.

I like to keep the following in my house so when I'm in a rush I can just grab and go...
~Baby Carrots
~100 Calorie Pack Almonds
~Instant Oatmeal
~Snack Size bags of chips to take for lunch
~Pears
~Raspberries
~Lean Cuisines
~Avacado
~Tortilla Chips
~Fresh Salsa

Having all these things on hand gives me a number of things I can snack on or if need a quick small meal I can throw something together easily.  Do you have any staples you always keep in your house?  Is anyone else trying to change up their diet for the better?

xo  

health kick.

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I've been on a bit of a health kick lately.  Trying to eat healthier all the time as well as get in at least four days of exercise a week.  It makes me feel so much better but getting to the gym or the pool has always been something I struggle with.  

I grew up as a year round swimmer.  Which means from about the age of 9 until I was 18 I worked out six days a week no matter what.  During Christmas vacation, spring break, and the summer up that count to about nine times a week.  You can now understand how my four times a week seems pretty pitiful compared to what I use to do and it still sometimes feels like an act of god for me to get out the door and go.  Slowly though I'm getting back to a regular routine.  After years and years away from swimming and any sort of steady gym routine I feel like I can finally say that I've found a few things I like and am sticking to them. 

On average I try and swim twice a week.  I belong to the Masters team in my area so they are good workouts that I do with a team.  The other two or three days I squeeze in a class during my lunch hour.  Luckily there is a gym right across the street from where I work so its easy and convenient to get in a workout.  When I swim my day is basically get up, work, swim, bed.  Doing that three or four days a week is fine but makes me feel as if I have no life sometimes I need to squeeze in some time with friends or a dinner out during the week to keep me sane.   

I've also found that I love organized exercise.  I need someone there telling me what to do or I get lazy.  Enter group exercise classes.  I try and go to two or three times a week.  They vary from cycling, cardio/crossfit type classes to yoga and Pilates, basically I show up at the gym and the class that is going on during lunch is the class I do.  No thought needed.

Here is an example of my old habits verses my new ones.

Old Exercise Routine:
Monday- Rest
Tuesday- Swim (1 hour 15 min)
Wednesday Rest
Thursday-  Swim (1 hour 15 min)
Friday- Rest
Saturday- Rest
Sunday- Rest

New Exercise Routine:
Monday- Swim (1 hour 15 min) or Rest
Tuesday- Cardio Class at the gym or Swim (I only swim twice early in the week if I am trying to go three times that week)
Wednesday- Swim (1 hour 15 min)
Thursday- Cardio Class at the gym
Friday- Spinning Class or PiYo (Combination of Yoga & Pilates)
Saturday- Rest
Sunday- Rest

As you can see I simply added a few things in.  I love the cardio classes as they provide cardio as well as a lot of Crossfit type exercises such as push-ups, up downs, and other related exercises that help with weight training as I currently do not do any of that.  I would like eventually to add in weights and some weekend exercise even if it is only walking four or five miles in the morning.  Something is always better than nothing.  Anyone else changed their exercise habits recently?  Or has anyone else out there done Crossfit?  I heard it really does improve your strength and fitness levels.

xo

recap.

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Lately it's been pretty quite on the blog.  However, I have seemed to get a lot crossed off my to-do list in real life.

Some of the never ending list:

...Paint the chalkboard wall

...Get the fish scale piece hung and fix the corners

...Organize the tool box

...Clean up the desk nook

...Put pictures in the frames on the gallery wall

...Find a console table for TV

...Find a piece to use as a bar

...Find a stool to use for vanity

I'll be sure to post some of the progress this week in my apartment.  Hopefully the weather clears up so I can get some good light.  It feels as if its been raining here constantly, but it does make me feel like fall is here so its not all that bad!  How was your weekend?

xo