The ABC's of Me

I'm still trying to get my life back together after this long holiday weekend of Thanksgiving, Anniversary, cycling, going to the beach, putting up Christmas decorations and getting a Christmas tree. I think I'm ready for a long weekend my husband and I have planned for Santa Barbara and it's only Monday! I've seen this on a few other blogs and thought it was cute so here you go:

Animals: None

Bedsize: Queen… I LOVE my bed, and I like to snuggle so it is perfect.

Chores that you hate: I would love to pay someone to do my laundry. I just hate it. But I’ll wash dishes all day long.

Daring: Not so much



Essential start to your day: Coffee and more coffee.

Favorite color: Green, although looking at my house I seem to be liking grey these days.

Gold or Silver: I would say “white gold”.

Height: 5′ 4, on a good day 



Instruments you play: I played the piano and of course everyone can play the recorder…

Job title: Stay at home mom, formerly Audit Senior Associate

Kids: One for now, but eventually two or three

Love: Coffee, candy, husband, daughter, family, friends, decorating

Mother’s Name: Susan

Nicknames: Al

Overnight hospital stays: Just when I had the baby

Pet peeves: When people don’t put their blinker on when they are driving {hope my husband reads this}

Quote from a movie or tv show: I’m a woman, we don’t remember quotes from movies or t.v.

Right or Lefty: Lefty

Siblings: I have 2 wonderful sisters.

Time you wake up: Usually 6:30

Underwear: Like, do I wear them??

Vegetable you hate: I’m not sure I’ve ever had a vegetable I hate…



What makes you run late: The fact that I have a child



X-Rays You’ve Had: I guess only at the dentist. Knock on wood I haven’t broken a bone.

Yummy food you make: Roasted chicken

Zoo Animal: Baby pandas!

Getting Dressed Up

I love to get dressed up every now and then and the holiday season usually gives me at least one occasion to dress a little fancier than usual. There seems to be sparkles everywhere I turn. Here are a few things that  I am loving right now {if I could buy whatever I wanted}:

If you want to splurge:

kate spade sparkler missy - $155

Aqua v-neck sequin sweater- Bloomingdales 

Tahari Rosalina Sequin Front Top, $88

French Connection Fast Sam Sequin Dress, $298

Zara Sequin Skirt, $128

And some cute stuff for at a more realistic price:

Sequin Ballet Flats, Love Culture, $18

Sequin Tank, Old Navy, $35

Sequin Cami, Old Navy, $25

Sequin Tee, J Crew, $60

Sequin Skirt, Zara, $49.90

Sequin Dress, Zara, $39.90

Happy Thanksgiviversary

Yes, Happy Thanksgiviversary. You see today is not only Thanksgiving but my wedding anniversary. We got married the Saturday after Thanksgiving so inevitably every few years we knew our anniversary would fall on Thanksgiving. Four years ago today we had the most amazing, beautiful and memorable wedding. It is a day I will never  forget. I truly married my best friend and couldn't imagine my life without him. I don't  look at my wedding photos that often but I decided to take a look a few days ago. I'm pleased to say I still love everything I chose. Here are just a few of many pictures: 

 Just Married

 Pretty much our marriage in a nutshell. 

 My new family

Some of the many details:

I can't believe how much our lives have changed in the past four years {like how much we have aged} I can only imagine what is in store for us in the years to come! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Staying Organized {Part 2}

I recently posted about my love  necessity of keeping track of things in a calendar. We'll I was out and about doing a little Christmas shopping and picked myself up one of these to keep me organized:

Something bright and fun to start 2012 off in the right direction. 

Favorite Things- Cosmetics

Growing up in a house with all sisters and a mom who I'm pretty sure her greatest fear is running out of mascara, we had a lot of beauty products. And I think there isn't a better gift to give {or receive} than some nice make-up. Here are a few of my everyday favorites. And the beauty about cosmetics is you can get some great stuff at really affordable prices. I do splurge on a few things, but if I calculate my daily use cost {the accountant in me} they are actually quite affordable. 

Cleanser:

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser, $18

Moisturizer:

Kiehl's Sodium PCA - Oil Free Moisturizer, $26

Foundation:

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup, $12

Powder:

L'Oreal Bare Natural Powder Foundation, $8

Blush:

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Blush - $24 {last one lasted me 2 years!}

Bronzer:

Bare Minerals Bronzer, $19

Eyeliner:

I just purchased this Bobbi Brown Dual Ended Liner, $24 but I am also a big fan of:

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner, $21

Mascara:

L'Oreal Double Extend Mascara, $8

I tend to use a bunch of different eyeshadows. Here a few fun gift ideas that have some really great shadows in super fun colors:

Bobbi Brown Cool Party Eye Palette, $45

Bobbi Brown Ultimate Party Palette, $65

Stila Dream Eye Palette, $39

Laura Mercier Baked Eye Palette, $48

Staying Organized

To say I have an "A" type personality would be a serious understatement. One of my many "A" type personality traits would be my need of a calendar and how much I rely on it to keep me organized. I have tried using one on my phone but something about writing down things keeps me more on track. My 2011 calendar was nothing but boring and I'm determined to get something a little prettier to sit on my kitchen counter. I'm trying to decide between these:

Dozi

Sarah Pinto

Ellie & Em

Letter C Design

Ally Lau

A Thanksgiving Table

I'm cannot believe Thanksgiving is in one week! This year is extra special because my husband and I are celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary. We have a nice getaway planned for early December but will be celebrating Thanksgiving with our families. I'm not having it at our house, but look how pretty these tables are! My mom always makes the table look so pretty. It's amazing what a few candles can do {not that she only uses candles}. Maybe the tables below will give me some inspiration for some things I can do for a few Christmas dinners I have planned. 

Martha Stewart

Layla Grace

Better Homes & Gardens

Better Homes & Gardens

Children's Books

We have been reading a lot around here. Someone in particular appears to be a big fan of books these days, and it isn't myself or my husband. I'm not sure where she picked up this love for books but I'm definitely okay with it. CNN had an interesting article on the importance of children watching their parents' read and the impact that had on their reading abilities. You can read the article here. 

There are so many children's books out there, in fact if you search Amazon for board books you will get over 262,000 results! Here are a few of our favorites at the moment:

And I am currently reading this book:

I'm only a couple of chapters in, but highly recommend it for anyone married a long time, married a 

short time or ever planning to get married.

Happy Reading! 

 

Family Photos- What to Wear

Were getting family pictures taken this week for our Christmas cards. I've been trying to figure out what to wear. I asked the photographer and she recommended a bright coordinating color, accessories and layers. I decided our coordinating color would be hot pink. Apparently the days of wearing a black top and jeans are long gone. 

The little one has this jacket and I thought it would be pretty cute in pictures.

I'm going to pair it with this dress from baby gap:

 

I have some hot pink and cream tights to match.

I found a great green plaid shirt {that for some reason is not online} with a hot pink stripe at H&M for 

husband.

I was planning on wearing this shirt from JCrew: 

 

Now I just need to figure out a couple of fun accessories. 

What you wear definitely makes a difference!

This photographer has great tips on what to wear. Check it out here.