olympics

have you guys all been watching the olympics? i know we have! i have told you before that i am about as far from sporty as it gets. i am super active but organized sports just aren't my thing. i'm not good at watching organized sports either. it is like pulling teeth for RT to get me to watch golf, baseball, football, whatever. but not the olympics .. i frickin love them!

so far i have been most enthralled with men's swimming .. although i am slightly annoyed that the commentators are spending the entire time dogging on phelps and pitting him and ryan lochte against each other. two americans! get it together people!! i also have really loved the gymnastics .. both men's and women's. and the women's beach volleyball was very exciting on saturday. and .. and .. and .. it is all awesomeness!

via 

via

on a completely unrelated note .. i face-timed with my sister and my mom earlier today. my mom had never used face time before. FUNNIEST THING EVER!

happy monday!

eyes

RT is having lasik right now as i am writing this. i am so excited for him!! i had it a couple of years ago and it seriously changed my life. for those of you who have had it you understand .. it is so awesome to be able to see perfectly without glasses or contacts!! it will be especially awesome for RT because of his job. 

so this weekend we are going to take it easy. we have to go to his post-op appointment tomorrow morning but other than that we have nothing on the books. what about you all? big weekend plans all around?

RT gave me this dress for my birthday this year. he did such a good job don't you think?? i love the suspenders detail and the thin pinstripe that from far away reads grey. i still think i might hem it up a little bit but i clearly haven't gotten around to that .. since january .. don't judge me. 

happy weekend!

top: Trash and Luxury

dress: LA Gal (vintage)

shoes: Luichiny

Aria

a couple of weeks ago, i got home from work on a day that RT wasn't home. i let the dogs out, made some dinner and sat down on the couch to watch some tv. only to find out our satellite wasn't working. {i'm about to embarrass myself so get ready ..} originally i thought a night without tv would be pretty nice but here is the thing .. i don't have children .. my husband was not there .. my dogs can't speak english .. within about thirty minutes i was BORED!! so i decided to see what netflix had to offer and i discovered Pretty Little Liars

i had heard of the show but never watched it. why didn't you guys tell me how awesome it is?? i am completely hooked now and have successfully watched all of season one and almost all of season two and then it's on to three for me.

all of the girls have pretty fun style but aria is my favorite wardrobe wise. her clothes are a little more edgy .. funky .. different.

well .. i'm off to drown myself in some more teenage girl drama!

happy thursday!!

via: polyvore

Designer Stencils: LEOPARD SKIN / Sequin cocktail dress / Haircare / Haircare / Film frame / Aria Montgomery / Pretty Little Liars Trend Alert Black and White Stripes / ABC Family - Style - Style Blogs Detail / Aria Montgomery / Lucy+Hale+Pretty+Little+Liars+Season+3+Episode+B6CahmOZY99l.jpg (JPEG... / Lucy Hale, Aria Montgomery, Pretty Little Liars / pretty little liars | Tumblr / Lucy Hale/Aria Montgomery

what would you know if ..

every now and then i like to get a little more serious here. a little more heart felt. a little more in depth. i don't do that enough really. i am a surface level person. surface level is safe. surface level is not vulnerable. surface level floats comfortably above my beautifully crafted wall behind which I actually exist.

so in an effort to get real .. what would you know if you really knew ME??

.. you would know that winter is my favorite season and i love winter clothes more than any other kind

.. you would know that if you asked me to pick a favorite book i probably couldn't do it. i love to read i read all the time. i would be better at listing authors. i have read every book nicholas sparks has ever written. i have read every book that janet evanovich has ever written. i have read many books by krisitin hannah. i have read every book that robin jones gunn has ever written. i have read many many books by j.a. konrath.

.. you would know that i like to have a tv on while i fall asleep

.. you would know that i am a little bit crazy about things being clean and tidy. it kills me for someone to come to my house if it isn't up to my standards.

.. you would know that i love to cook.

.. you would know that i am terrified of heights. to the point that i can go full blown panic mode.

.. you would know that i have a severe panic disorder and have had panic attacks that lasted days. no sleep. lots of pacing. lots of crying. lots of rapid breathing. you would also know that i have had lots of help learning to control these attacks and they don't get that bad anymore {praise GOD!!}

if you really knew me .. you would know that i am a lover to my core. i love people. i love animals. i love nature. i LOVE

.. you would know that i am a glass-half-full person and always try to be positive even when it's hard

.. you would know that i am in sky high heels almost every day to the point that my feet are actually more comfortable in heels than in flats

.. you would know that i am a sucker for chick flicks. i  have a ton saved on our dvr and i watch them over and over

.. you would know that i am hyper-sensitive to and weirdly attached to smells. everything/person in my life has a smell correlated with it.

.. you would know that i have a serious sweet tooth and that i have dessert after dinner most nights. i love fruity candy and fruit pie/cobbler and frozen yogurt and really just anything sweet.

.. you would know that i am not a thrill seeker. i hate roller coasters. i have zero desire to sky dive or bungee jump. i like to stay safely on my feet on the ground thank you very much.

.. you would know that i am a morning person and that i adore the early morning hours in my dark house with a cup of coffee and my devotional before the rest of the world around me starts to stir.

.. you would know that i love to snow ski and hike and just be outside in colorado doing just about anything anytime.

if you really knew me .. you would know that marrying RT is the best thing i have ever done.

.. you would know that my friends and family are my world.

.. you would know that my dogs are my babies and that being an aunt is one of my favorite things.

.. you would know that i love red wine and going out to dinner.

.. you would know that lazy sundays are what dreams are made of.

if you really knew me .. you would know my deepest hidden secrets. my fears. my dreams. my insecurities. my passions. ME

happy tuesday!!


*post inspired by casey*

top: madison marcus

pants: georgie

shoes: lauren conrad for kohl's

sunglasses: steve madden

tutu friday

it is just a tutu kind of day. to me .. tutus are a happy item. you can't wear one and not feel happy and sort of like a little girl who wants to twirl around and around to see her skirt float up around her. my top is actually a body con dress that has an exposed zipper all the way up the back. i like having that close layer under the skirt because the tutu sits out away from my body and i constantly feel like my bum might be showing. you know how that is .. when you can feel the breeze .. don't even try to act like you don't know what i'm talking about. i opted out of a necklace just to keep it simple and slipped into my floral wedges to add a little something visual. 

do you all have big weekend plans? RT is working tomorrow {for the last time before he is off for TWO WHOLE weeks!!! WOOHOO!!} so i will probably just veg and work on a grocery list and then tomorrow night i am going out with some friends because my friend mazie is home visiting from miami. she moved there a couple of months ago for work and this is the first time i will get to see her since then. get excited!

happy weekend!!

Top: Lush 

Skirt: American Apparel

Shoes: Steve Madden

light

i am sure all of you photography experts out there know that having all of the light behind your subject is some kind of major faux pax but i am no expert and i think it has kind of a fun effect on the final photo. it's all dreamy looking. 

today has been especially busy at the hoop. we receive SEVEN boxes of fall merch and it took several hours to get it all out of the boxes, unwrapped, hung up, steamed, tagged and put out on the floor. tomorrow i am going to tackle outfit pictures to upload onto our facebook page but today .. i am pooped.

i feel so girly in this ensemble right now. the layers of ivory tule and lace. the flowy ruffled bell sleeves. the nude booties with ruffle detail. it screams ULTRA FEMININE. or at least as ultra feminine as i tend to get. i am just not a navy-shift-dress-and-pearls kind of girl. {in case you hadn't noticed ha!}

happy thursday! 

Top: Mink Pink

Skirt: See You Monday

Shoes: Gianni Bini

Change

this picture has absolutely nothing to do with my post today but no picture really does so i just picked one at random all for your viewing pleasure ;). it is relevant to me because in just two short weeks i will be back in this general locale soaking up the sun for a long weekend and it couldn't get here fast enough!

i don't know why but i get the itch to change the layout/look of the blog all the time. obviously today is another one of those days. i was looking through old posts last night and realized i was bored with the look of it all.

hope you like it!

happy tuesday!

Happiness

we are back from a weekend in OK and boy was it a good one. one of RT's best friends from high school got married and it was such a fun night. i'm not sure if it's just me but now that i am married i enjoy weddings even more. i can relate so fully to how the bride is feeling. watching her walk down the isle with her dad, saying her vows, looking into her HUSBAND's eyes, the first kiss, hearing the officiant announce them for the very first time as mr. and mrs. the first dance, dancing and eating and celebrating with all of your loved ones, leaving through an isle of the people who mean most to you, and embarking on your honeymoon and your new life as a wife. all of it. it is so amazing and i wish everyday was my wedding day. the great news for the two who got married this weekend is that, in my experience, it only gets better and better. it all just makes my love and appreciation for my husband bubble up to the surface. 

i am terrible at keeping up with things unless i have a purse and i forgot to bring one {besides my giant catch all} so i did not take my camera in .. meaning i didnt take any pictures. but my sister-in-law got some great ones and she promised to email them to me. so for now i only have this one taken on RT's phone. and actually .. it's one of the better pictures we have take in a while so i am ok with it {ha!}.

we drove home last night and we were all pretty pooped. it takes a lot out of you to play hard with sweet little girls, old friends and family. need proof? 

Happy Monday!

peeking ears

oh hey there little ears :)

tonight i am headed to the lovely state of OK. one of RT's friends from high school is getting married tomorrow night. i am so excited to have some time to visit his family. we don't get to visit near as often as we would like. RT's mom is so sweet and she came down last night, took me out for yummy dinner and spent the night all just to take RT back with her this morning. he is in the wedding so he has to be at the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner tonight but i have to work today so i can't leave town until after six. his mom made the trip just so that he and i only have one car and can ride home together sunday. thank you sandy! you are awesome!

the only thing is that the last time {which also happens to be the one and only time} i drove up by myself i got lost. ok not actually LOST per say .. i just went the really really long way and it ended up taking me about an hour longer than it needed to to arrive at my destination. FAIL. so RT wanted to go over my route with me and print it out and look at a map together and i felt like a big fat silly head. so .. wish me luck as i venture into the abyss all alone with my audio book. if i don't blog soon .. you will know why.

happy weekend!

dress: love sam

belt: urban outfitters

shoes: dolce vita

Love

Hey there all of you! How's it going on this fine wednesday?? Can't complain on my end. I got up this morning and went with RT to take Zoey to get groomed. Sister was starting to look a little scraggly. I dropped him off with our friend Ben to go play golf. Went home and had breakfast with Layla. Got ready. And came to work. All good things :).

I have had this skirt FOREVER and you have all seen it many many times but I just keep loving it and so i just keep wearing it. I am a teeny bit obsessed with all things maxi and the purple color of this skirt seems to go with everything. I am also mildly crazy about cropped tops right now and have found myself tying up anything that isn't actually intended to be cropped. Don't really know why that is but I like the outcome {ha!}. This blouse is great because the grey is neutral and the flowers are multi colored and bright making the shirt incredibly versatile.

Every now and then I go through phases where I feel like my bottoms or my tops have gotten boring. I have worn them all too many times and it makes me feel like I have NOTHING to wear. Which if you looked in my closet, would make you roll your eyes at the very least. None the less that is happening to me right now. I am tired of almost all of my tops. It is about time to do a big clean out and start collecting new.

Happy Wednesday!

Top: Rebecca Taylor

Skirt: Anne Segal

Shoes: Charles David

Is It Fall Yet??

Today, at the hoop, we started receiving clothes to transition into fall. I love all seasons but cold weather is my absolute favorite. And cold weather clothes make me so happy. I love big chunky soft sweaters .. skinny bottoms with silk tops and leather jackets .. boots .. hats .. coats .. gloves .. scarves .. ALL OF IT!!! So when I unpacked these tops ..

.. i started to wish for fall :(. Only about four or four and a half months to go!!

The good news is that we are having a cold front here in the wonderful TX. It isn't supposed to get above 95 this week. I might start shivering.

Happy Monday!!

An Outfit .. A Memory .. And Some Shoes

 

On the 3rd I wore red white and blue to work to be festive for the impending holiday. I am a girl who loves a theme or a costume of all kinds. Any reason to dress according to a theme is alright by me.

 

On the fourth RT and I had some friends out to my parent's house on the lake. We floated 90% of the time but we also took a few spins on the banana behind the boat {I have neck soreness to prove it ha!}. We ate some extra yummy food .. including homemade fresh peach ice cream {yum!} all prepared by my mom who is awesome beyond belief. We played some games and ended the night with fireworks. Love it!

 

On the fifth I ordered these shoes from Nasty Gal. I am a Jeffrey Campbell junkie and RT and I are going to a wedding in OK next weekend so I obviously NEEDED these shoes. I would have NOTHING to wear otherwise. Alright alright so that is a load of hooey but they were just too cute to pass up.

 

Happy Weekend!!

 

The Fourth

I saw this idea on pinterest and I just had to try it ..

 

 

.. I took an old pair of jean shorts from target .. ripped out the hem .. cut them off .. painted stars on one side and stripes on the other using silver fabric paint .. let the paint dry .. set it with the iron .. washed and dried them .. and TA DA!!

 

Perfect for the fourth of July if I do say so myself :) worn with a tie dyed tank that I have had forever and my grey Jeffrey Campbell litas.

 

RT and a bunch of our friends are heeded out to my parents house this morning to play on the lake and hang out. What more could I ask for than a day spent with family and friends out on the lake?? It is supposed to be excellent weather today too!! Not quite 100° which to some people might still sound crazy hot but we are texans and anything below 100° is pretty decent. Hot but more than bearable.

 

 

What are your plans on this lovely independence day holiday?? Hopefully you are all going to enjoy a nice relaxing day off!

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

Blocked

 

sailing around a lake at sunset enjoying a cocktail and great friends sounds like heaven right now. instead .. I am at work. not that that is a bad thing, I love my job .. but it's not the lake ya know what im sayin??

 

i don't know if any of you have noticed but I haven't had much to say on my blog lately. most of the time I am an extremely wordy person but recently I have had a hard time finding things to say. i have a lot going on around me and my mind is running ninety to nothing but I can't seem to translate it into actual words. sorry about that. I love my blog and I don't ever want it to be boring for you guys to read but I also don't want to force a bunch of randomness if I'm not really feeling it. hopefully I am only temporarily blocked and will have much more to say very soon.

 

in another note .. I am extra excited about a little independence day DIY project I have been working on so be sure to check back in on Wednesday to see what thats all about.

 

Happy Monday!!

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