still a rockin'

hello world!

we are back from our big family disney cruise and y'all .. it was seriously awesome!! i will post pictures and what not soon. one thing that is so weird about being back though is that i still feel like i am rocking from the waves. my sister and i were laughing this morning because we were trying to balance in our work out class and that is hard to do when you are riding the waves {ha!}.

anyway .. as fun as being out of town is .. it is always nice to get back home too. we had a pretty long weekend of traveling and getting home and getting the dogs and all that jazz so being back at work and falling back into my normal routine is a welcome activity.

did you all have a good thanksgiving? i hope so!! it honestly didn't really feel like thanksgiving to me haha. we were on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean and i had italian food for dinner. it was super delicious italian food so i am definitely not complaining but it just didn't really feel like thanksgiving at all.

so for me .. thanksgiving came and went without even really a first glance and now it is officially christmas season which happens to be my most favorite season of all!! RT put up our house lights before we left and i put up the tree and all of the inside decorations yesterday. we are super festive and i am already loving every minute of it. i even turned on some Christmas music for a little while at the store this morning {ha!}.

happy monday!!

top: joie

jeans: citizens of humanity

shoes: dolce vita

headband: anthropologie

a diva .. a family affair .. and a birthday girl

i took this picture of layla at work and it was too perfect not to share :)

tomorrow morning .. at an hour so early i can't even bring myself to say it out loud .. my parents are picking RT and me up to go on a vacation with my mom's entire side of the family for a week. there are 40+ people going!! we had a big family to begin with but then all of the cousins started getting married and having little chitlins and now we are this giant mass of humans.

i can't even begin to explain how excited i am to be going!! we haven't been on a family vacation like this since i was in middle school i think. and to top it all off .. this isn't just any vacation .. it's a disney cruise!! all of my siblings and cousins have young kids and this is truly going to be a trip that will cater to every single one of us. when the age range is 5 months - 81 years .. appealing to the group is a HUGE task to say the least.

AND .. tomorrow is my niece emery's birthday. she is turning 4 which is nothing short of impossible  and what better birthday could you ask for than a disney cruise that your entire family is on. i would have died for a birthday like that when i was a kid.

so .. to you emery .. i say .. you go girl!!

be back in a week guys .. everyone enjoy your thanksgiving and be sure to eat lots and lots of yummy food!!

happy weekend!!

some chili y'all

a few weeks ago i made this chili for dinner and it was extra delicious so i thought you guys might also like to try it :)

 

i made it in the slow cooker which is even better because i just put all the ingredients in before i left for work and then when i got home .. viola! dinner is served!!

 

here is how i made it ..

 



put a whole small ham hock in the bottom of the slow cooker

saute an onion .. a bell pepper .. and three or so cloves of minced garlic

brown up about two pounds of whatever ground meat you like. i used turkey but you could use beef or pork or veal or whatever suits your fancy. once it is fully cooked .. pour it over the ham hock

pour in the sauteed veggies and add three tablespoons of tomato paste .. three tablespoons of chili powder .. one tablespoon of cumin .. and one cup of whatever beer you happen to have on hand

next add one can of drained and rinsed beans {again you can use whatever kind you happen to have on hand/like .. i used pinto} .. two cans of petite diced tomatoes {DO NOT DRAIN!!} .. and one can of mexican style tomatoes and green chilies {DO NOT DRAIN!!}

quarter up six or so tomatillos and put those on the very top. your slow cooker might look like it is WAY TOO FULL of food but so what .. it gonna be SO yummy! put the top on it ..turn the slow cooker on low .. and get your booty to work because you are probably running late

after you get home .. take the top off .. and just stand there for a minute with your face over the pot and enjoy the smell. you think i'm kidding but i'm not .. this is very enjoyable .. the smell is quite lovely. then stir it up .. laddle it out .. top it with whatever kind of fixins' you prefer {i used cheese, cilantro and sour cream} .. and enjoy!

happy wednesday!!

tomorrow

you know how you are always advised to live for today? you never know if today could be your last so live each day to the fullest ..

ya well sometimes that is really hard

don't you think??

sometimes you are just waiting for tomorrow to come
anxious for the things that tomorrow will bring
thinking of what you will experience
wondering if tomorrow might .. just possibly .. change everything

do you guys ever feel like this??

it is like when you were a kid and on the first day of school your teacher said something like .. christmas will be here before we know it .. and you thought to yourself .. yea right crazy lady!! christmas is NEVER gonna get here!!

sometimes it feels like tomorrow will never get here ya know?

but then .. if you are lucky .. it does

tomorrow simply appears

and then .. just like yesterday it is gone

and most of the time .. it was just a day

a day like most of your other days

a blessing none the less but just a day

but sometimes .. tomorrow changes everything

who you are going to be from now on

where you are going to go in this life

what you are going to experience

who you are going to know

never underestimate what tomorrow might bring

happy monday!

friday five

five things one my want want want list ...

1 ..

black milk galaxy leggings {drool}

i don't know why but i am really obsessed with fun funky legwear right now .. if you are too and you have yet to check out the black milk website i advise you do go there NOW! basically every legging they have is ah! may! zing!

2 ..

seriously asos?! this playsuit is exactly what my holiday wardrobe dreams are made of!!

3 ..

again with the legwear .. these are by betsey johnson and i am in l.o.v.e!

4 ..

L.A.M.B + leopard + wedge = WOW!

5 ..

i really haven't been buying basic denim lately but my go.to dark skinnies are quickly becoming faded comfy slouchy skinnies so it is time for some new and these j.brand are just what dr. denim ordered

happy weekend!!

a sussie

when my mom gets something for us that is a gift but isn't for a particular occasion she calls it a sussie. she always has and honestly i didn't know until very recently that "sussie" isn't a word that everyone uses. but anyway .. this shirt was a sussie from my momma.

next week my entire family {40+ people!!} are going on vacation and i have been keeping up with all of the emails dealing with travel .. confirmations .. reservations .. etc. that is what the sussie was for. my mom really didn't want to be in charge of dealing with it all and she asked me too. i don't mind at all and she obviously didn't need to get me anything but i have been eyeballing this shirt at the hoop so i'm being a gracious receiver {ha!}. tanks momma! it is super cute right?!?

hope you are all having a great week!

happy wednesday!!

top: sam + lavi

pants: joe's jeans

shoes: jeffrey campbell

coming home :)

 

RT is boarding the plane to come home to me right now!! i'm so excited to see him!! he left on thursday of last week for a vegas trip with some of his friends. he has had a great time and i am so glad but i am ready for him to be home. the trip always seems way longer to the person who was left at home doesn't it?

 

on a different note .. i love this dress .. and these boots {ha!}. i have had them both for several years now but i haven't gotten tired of them yet. the dress is vintage and the shape is so classic. it is timeless and flattering and the colors are great for fall. they are not too bright but still very colorful. even though i love the fall and winter and love clothes for those seasons .. sometimes all the dark dark dark gets a tiny depressing. i love mixing bold colors into my cold weather ensembles.

 

happy monday!!

 

dress: vintage

belt: hand-me-down from nana

boots: frye