Merry and Bright

{Christmas Sparkler}

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Merry Christmas to all! In the past few days filled with family, food, gifts and laughter, I have been reminded how blessed I truly am. 2012 held many changes for me, and at times I felt like nothing could go right. However, as the year draws to a close, I can easily see how lucky I truly am. I wish much love and blessings to all of my family and friends.

Happy (Early) Turkey Day



{Thankful}

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Happy (early) Thanksgiving! I'm so thankful for all of my dear family and loving friends. Hope everyone has a wonderful time with loved ones this Thursday!



Smile

{Smile}



Just a little reminder...bring it on, Fall. I'm ready for ya.

Lovely Lunch Date

{My mom and I loved this painting of two kitties. It was positioned over a neighboring booth.}

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This afternoon, I had the pleasure of joining my mom for a much overdue lunch date. We chose to visit one of our favs, Cafe Provence, in Prairie Village. And it sure didn't disappoint! We started with a variety of salty olives (pits included—the read deal!), and my mom had a delicious peach carrot soup and the goat cheese salad. I chose the chicken crepe, complete with mushrooms, fresh green beans and a yummy beurre sauce. (And I remembered to take pics this time, before I cleaned my plate!) It was a wonderful afternoon with delightful food and of course, marvelous company. Je vous remercie beaucoup pour le dejeuner, manan!

{Starters}



{My mom's fresh salad. Yes, that is a ball of rich goat cheese, and yes, it was so gooooood!}

{My chicken crepe. I may have been a few bites in before I remembered to take a pic. I couldn't resist!}

I Scream, You Scream...

{Thank you, Baskin Robbins}

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Happy first official day of summer! What better way to celebrate then with a scoop of bubblegum (my all time fav!) on top of strawberry lemonade sherbert? Yum!

Life Lately

Summer has been keeping me busy!! Here's a glimpse of what I've been up to...

We headed down to Power and Light for the Eli Young Band show last week. It was packed, but it was definitely a fun show!

Check out my new rose gold watch I recieved for my bday.
I love love love it! Thanks, Mama!

We hit up PBR to hear a friend DJ last weekend.

Caught a Royals game.

And finally, caught up with Lo at Happy Hour. We highly recommend the "Senorita" cocktail at Zocalo...

and the Dragon and Volcano rolls at Kona. Yum!



Happy Summer!

{Sun on the lake}

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It’s finally here! School is out, I’m three hours away from officially starting my summer break, and…it’s pouring. Sounds about right. Hopefully, the gloomy weather will clear out and the sun will shine down soon. I’ll be spending tomorrow (my birthday!) on the water…wish it was the beach (or even Tablerock Lake), but hey—a day out on a boat is a fabulous way to kick off summer in my book. Hope everyone has a relaxing and fun-filled Memorial Day weekend!

Little Letters

{I need to remember this}

(Just to clarify, I totally stole this idea from the rockstar diaries.)

Dear Pinterest,

You totally make my day, week, month and year. You may be somewhat distracting, but I love the (p)inspiration. Thank you, Pinterest inventors. You rock.

Dear Uncle Clark,

Thanks for taking care of my lawn so I am not the white trash neighbor. The yard looks fantastic. (I’m sure my neighbors, who spend hundreds of dollars on lawn service and have perfectly sculpted shrubbery, appreciate it as well.)

Dear radio stations,

Please stop playing “Call Me Maybe” and “Brokenhearted.” They get stuck in my head and make me want to pull my hair out. Also, anything by Katy Perry can be permanently deleted from your playlists. Thanks.

Dear OPI,

Thank you for creating the shade “Charged Up Cherry.” The bright coral color on my toes is totally making my day right now.

Dear Lo,

Please bring back Lo&Mids. I so enjoyed your creative posts and artsy musings. XO

Dear parents of the overly privileged and arrogant student,

Thank you for calling me a “rotten and unfair teacher,” but I’m not changing the grade your son earned this semester. (Yep, earned, not what I “gave” him.) Tell me, how is it “fair” for me to give your son special treatment, just because you caused a ruckus? Have a wonderful summer, raising your kid who will no doubt end up living in your basement forever because he is in no way equipped to live in the real world without you to call his future professors, bosses, and anyone else who presents adversity in his overindulged life. (Yep, it’s finals week, folks…my least favorite week ever.)

Dear Marcel the Shell (with shoes on),

Thank you for always brightening up my day. You’re pretty charming and I think there should be more videos of you on Youtube.

Dear summer,

You can’t come quick enough. I’m countin’ down the hours.

{Come on, summer}



Busy Weekend

This weekend, the weather was lovely, and luckily, I got to spend some quality time outside. On Saturday, my friend Michelle organized a golf-themed pubcrawl through the Waldo area. The girls really got into it, with brightly-colored argyle socks and polos. (The boys looked pretty smashing, too—lots of mismatched prints and colors.)

With Lo

(Ignore our vampire eyes. Darn flash!)

Then, on Sunday, I attended my cousin’s graduation party (congrats, Ellen!) and headed back to my parents’ home to celebrate my amazing mom.

Ice cream cake from DQ—it’s our once-a-year indulgence!

Pretty sunflower bouquet

I stopped to snap a pic of the windmill in the field across from my parents’ street. I love that although my  parents' house is just a few minutes from subdivisions and highways, there is still a little bit of country out there.

Shot from my parents’ back deck. I love my little neighborhood, but sometimes it’s nice to have some room to spread out.

Countin' Em Down

Sun, sun, sun!

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As the school year winds down this May, I have found myself particularly antsy for summer. This year brought some new challenges and situations for me professionally, and I am ready to finish it up, recharge over June and July, and start fresh in August. With only two weeks left of school, I think I may be counting down the days with more enthusiasm than the kids. (And this gorrrrgeous weather we've been having isn't really helping my focus.) Come on, summertime!

Minty Fresh

I’m kind of having a mint moment over here. These images from Pinterest have sparked some wardrobe inspiration. My quest? More mint!

{Sheer mint blouse}

{Love love love the pleats!}



{Topping this pretty dress with a peach blazer is so springy.}

Can you tell I'm craving a pair of mint skinnies? Haven't found quite the right pair just yet, but these are all fab looks... 

{Mint skinnies with stripes}

{Mint skinnies with pointy metal-toed flats (SO in right now!)}



{Mint on mint}



{Mint skinnies on the beach}

Another Special Day...

Happy Birthday, Daddy-o! Much love!

(Another birthday...my parents are only ten days apart! April is a very celebratory month for my fam.)

My Life, Lately...

…or at least according to Instagram. 

Happy Hour with a few friends at Kona

Celebrating Lo's bday

Cheerleading tryouts for next season. The hair, the bows, the drama...oh, the drama!

Pretty in pink! Fresh pink toes in fresh green grass...

...and sweet pink Peeps! Looks like I've got all my ducks in a row.





April 12 is a Very Special Day...

Happy Birthday, Mama! Love you! XOXO

Lilac Love

{The defining scent of springtime}

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On a perfectly calm, 75 degree evening last week, I had some time to myself and decided to take a walk through my neighborhood. It was a lovely night—people were out mowing lawns, walking their dogs, or taking leisurely strolls through the tree-lined streets. As I’ve mentioned before (here), my neighborhood is so charming. Every house is a little bit different from the next. As I turned a corner a few streets down from my own, the ultimate smell of springy weather hit my nose: a lilac bush. The sweet scent made me smile, and in my recent Pinterest sessions, I’ve taken notice of the lovely soft shade of purple. I’ve definitely got to find a few pieces to mix into my spring wardrobe.

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{Flirty skirt with plum suede pumps}




{Lilac Hermes shoulder bag}



{My fav look. The pleats, the hat, the shoes (oh, the shoes!) and the setting...jadore!}





{Love the pastels}




{Lilac pants from Anthro}





{Easy way to add a little pop of spring color...OPI's Do You Lilac It?}



Welcome to the Arm Party

{Love the shot of hot pink mixed with the chunky chain bracelet}

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This spring, I am all about the Arm Party. Layer it on and layer it up (your arm, that is!). Bring on the chunky watch (I am craving one in rose gold from Michael Kors), the many bangles and bracelets, and be sure to add a pop of color. My fav look? A mix of metals (I like the gold but loooove the soft rose gold), a hint of rhinestones, and one bright color or pattern. Mix it up and let the party begin!

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Check out this inspiration I found on Pinterest…

{This might be my fav...I neeeed that rose gold watch!}

{Diggin' the leopard print}



{This is a business Arm Party. Totally wearable for work!}