Busy

Super busy morning, this morning, giving me just enough time to snap this picture with my phone. My in-laws are coming over for supper tonight, so I was getting some stuff ready this morning. 

Anyways, happy Thursday everyone! One more day till the weekend :) 

Blazer: Nordstroms Rack

Dress: borrowed from mom

Plaid shirt: Forever 21

Tights: Forever 21

Boots: JCPenney

What I Read Wednesday

This week's book is What The Nanny Saw by Fiona Neill. I ran across it on a really cool book blog, S. Krishna's Books. 

It tells the story of Ali, who is a nanny for a very wealthy family. She has never been a nanny before so is kind of figuring her way out in this position. The story starts out towards the end of her job, when the husband, Nick is in trouble with the police, but the reader doesn't know why. Ali then goes back two years to tell the whole story.

I really enjoyed this book! In fact, as soon as I finished it, I passed it on to mom to read because I knew she'd love it too. It is filled with very colorful characters and you feel like you're getting a background peek into the life of this very wealthy family. I want to pick up Fiona Neill's other book!

Polyvore

I made this fun spring outfit on Polyvore. Think it'll help wamer weather get here faster??

Striped set by kenz2410 featuring j crew shirts

High Five for Friday

Linking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk for High Five for Friday!

1. After seeing Chrissy at Prayers & Pearls cute diy sharpie mug, I knew I had to try it out. Found white mugs at Dollar Tree and then a gold paint Sharpie pen at JoAnn Fabrics. Decorated them and then stuck them in the oven on 350 for 30 minutes. Turned out cute didn't they?
2. Just purchased this Tervis tumbler a couple days ago. Everyone who has one loves it. Can't wait to try it out!
3. I made apple dumplings and ice cream Sunday night to have after supper. Yum :)
4. Last weekend my husband and I went to St. Louis. Of course we had to stop by the casino. Didn't win anything, but had a great time.
5. Ordered these cute lamps at Kirlands. They'll be perfect for our living room!

And last but certainly not least, I'm sure you guys notice that our blog got a make-over. Doesn't it look awesome?! I had Erin at Love, Fun and Football design it for me. She asked me a few questions like what were my favorite color combos, any specific themes I wanted, the type of font I preferred, etc. She came up with this design right off the bat. Couldn't have been more perfect! Erin was also so easy to work with and really quick. If you're wanting some help with your blog, be sure to check her out

Summer dresses

Is there anything easier than a cotton dress to throw on during the spring/summer? While scrolling through Oldnavy.com I found these awesome t-shirt dresses. They are so cute and will be perfect to dress down with flat sandals or up with wedges and a blazer.

What about you guys? What's your go-to outfit for spring or summer?

Women's Tab-sleeve Tee Dress

Women's Tee Dress

Women's Maxi Tee Dress

What I Read Wednesday

I just re-read the book The Dive From Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer for probably the 20th time! It is one of my all-time favorite books. When I was a senior in college I just happened to run across it at the library and thought the cover looked neat, so I picked it up. 

The Dive From Clausen's Pier is told from the view point of Carrie, a girl in her early 20's who has been dating the same guy since she was a Freshman in high school. On Memorial Day weekend her and her friends and boyfriend Mike go out to the lake to cookout. Mike decides to dive off the pier into the lake and hits his head which causes him to be a quadriplegic. Carrie had been considering breaking up with Mike before the accident but afterwards is filled with lots of questions and worries and isn't sure what to do.

I'm sure my short summary of it doesn't do it justice. It's a fantastic book. I'm not exactly sure why but something about this story resonated with me. I've never experienced this exact situation but we all know what it's like to feel a relationship slowly disintegrate. The way the author describes it made it feel like she knew exactly what I was thinking. Please pick it up and read it!

New outfit

I love this new outfit I just got. My husband and I stayed in St. Louis over the weekend for Valentine's Day and of course I got a little shopping done :) I really love this blazer but it's a tad bit too big. I'm going to see if my Grandma can take it in a little.

Blazer: Marshall's

Striped shirt: American Eagle Outlet

Pants: American Eagle Outlet

Heels: Payless

Bag: Zulilly.com

TJ Maxx

Today's outfit is pretty simple. I found this top at TJ Maxx a couple weeks ago. My aunt and cousins are the best TJ Maxx shoppers ever but then when I go in there I can't ever find anything. I found several things on this trip though. I think the secret is to take your time!

Plaid shirt: TJ Maxx

Jacket: borrowed from mom

Belt: American Eagle

Jeans: American Eagle

Boots: Gojane.com

High Five for Friday

Linking up to From My Grey Desk for High Five for Friday.


1. I have been obsessed with this tortoise necklace from J. Crew that of course they don't sell anymore. I actually bid on one on ebay a couple weeks ago and didn't get it. Luckily for me, Monday morning I was checking out Veryjane.com and they had an identical version for a mere $13! I scooped it right up :)

2. How cute is this pillow my mom made? She took a cloth napkin and sewed it over an already existing pillow as a cover.

3. This is an encouraging post from Proverbs 31 Ministries blog. Nicki shares how moving away from God isn't always intentional, therefore we need to stay vigilant about spending time with Him. 

4. Last night to celebrate Valentine's Day my husband and I went to Cracker Barrel with our parents. Of course I had to get their apple dumpling with ice cream. Delicious!

5. My husband surprised me with my favorite candle for Valetine's Day! We agreed not to get each other anything, but he apparently wasn't listening :) If you guys haven't smelled this candle before, you are missing out. One whiff of it instantly transforms you to a beach!

Sun & Sand Yankee Candle

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

Top: borrowed from mom (Loft)

Pants: LC by Lauren Conrad from Kohls

Boots: JCPenney

Necklace: Veryjane.com

What I Read Wednesday

This week's review is on Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. She is the author of the super popular book, Gone Girl. Sharp Objects is her first novel. 

Most of you have read Gone Girl and know that while it was an excellent book, it was also very creepy. Multiply that level of creepiness by ten and you've got Sharp Objects. The main character is Camille who is a journalist for a Chicago newspaper. She is told to go to her hometown in Missouri to cover a story about a couple young girls getting murdered. Camille has never gotten along well with her mother, so she is hesitant about heading home. After meeting Camille's mother and the rest of her family, I can definitely tell why! Creepiest fictional family ever. Especially her mother and half-sister. While covering the story, Camille also starts to investigate the crimes. That's where I'll end my summary!

I really did not enjoy this book. Actually I've had it for probably about 6 months. I tried to read it once and couldn't. Over the weekend I was desperate for a book and picked it up again. My biggest problem was her family. I just couldn't get over the weirdness. Anyways, don't waste your money. Pick up Gone Girl instead!

Details

I love to take a plain piece of clothing and accessorize it like crazy. In this case I have a plain, gray sweater dress that by itself would probably be a little boring. But add a plaid top, cool necklace, polka dot tights and tall wedge heels and it's a lot more interesting!

Dress: Gap

Plaid shirt: Forever 21

Tights: Express

Shoes: Target

Necklace: J. Crew Factory

High Five for Friday

Happy Friday! Linking up to From My Grey Desk for High Five for Friday.



1. Have you heard of Zulily.com before? They have some great deals on clothes and home items. I bought this adorable purse this week.

2. I made some great recipes this week. I got them both from Emily Bites, a healthy recipe blog. You should try them out!

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Chicken Parmesan Casserole

3. We got our new furniture at our house this week. I'm in love with it!

4. Have you guys seen the previews for the movie Side Effects? It comes out today. Looks so good. Can't wait to see it!

5. I was so excited to come across these cute throw pillows at Walmart.com. For $12 a piece, you can't beat that price! I bought 5 of them.

Pinned here.

Happy Thursday

Happy Thursday! What better way to celebrate the upcoming weekend than with red heels and polka dots! :) Have a great day.

Sweater: borrowed from mom 

Polka dot shirt: Francesca's Collection

Pants: LC by Lauren Conrad from Kohls

Necklace: Forever 21

Shoes: Payless

Purse: CJ Banks

The Sunshine Award

Thanks so much to Jaime at Toby's Tails for nominating me for the Sunshine Award. How fun! Be sure to stop by her blog too. It's super cute!

So, here are the rules of the award: If nominated for this award, you must include a link in your blog to the person/blog that nominated you. You must also answer some questions about yourself, nominate fellow bloggers, link their blogs in your post, and inform them that they have been nominated.

Questions:

Who is your favorite philosopher? This is easy: Jesus!

What is your favorite number? It's most definitely 24. My dad raced a racecar most of my life and this was his car number. It's always been a favorite in my family.

What is your favorite animal? My dogs, Gus and Drake of course :)

What are your Facebook and Twitter? Well I don't have a Twitter account but you can find me here on Facebook.

What is your favorite time of day? Morning. I love first thing in the office when it's still quiet and I'm drinking my coffee. On the weekends I get up immediately and make coffee and read my book. So cozy!

What is your favorite holiday? Christmas

What is your favorite physical activity? Umm....I'm not much of an outdoor girl. Does watching baseball count? ha!

What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink? Coffee

What is your favorite flower? Lilacs. Growing up we had a huge lilac bush in the backyard. Smelling them now, makes me think of my old house.

What is your passion? Growing in my relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, reading. My absolute favorite past-time for sure.

Below are the fellow bloggers that I've nominated:

Lindsey @ Lindsay J Everyday

Kayla @ Love Lucy Girl

Erica @ Love, Life, and Faith

What I Read Wednesday

This is the story of Wallis Simpson who was born poor but was supported by rich relatives. It tells of her dreams, happiness and heartbreaks. Wallis eventually marries and divorces twice and then falls in love with a King, who gives up his crown to marry her.

I was somewhat familiar with the story of Wallis Simpson, so it was nice to learn more about her. It was definitely an interesting read!

Not sure

Still not sure how I feel about this outfit. Little by little it just happened. I had the pants (my favorite dress pants) picked out and then just went from there. If nothing else, this outfit is comfortable!

Vest: Kohls

Shirt: Gap Outlet

Pants: American Eagle

Purse: Aldo

Necklace: Kohls

Shoes: Payless

Exhausted

Today was definitely a "cut the head off the photo" day. I got not sleep last night. For some reason I just couldn't fall asleep. So off I went to the spare bedroom to read a book and eat dark chocolate peanut butter out of the jar :) Anyways, here's the outfit of the day. Happy Monday!

Button-up: American Eagle

Sweater: Loft

Jeans: Loft

Flower pin: Claire's

Purse: Express

Mom's closet

While raiding my mom's closet this week, I ran across this dress. I'd never worn it before but thought maybe I could do something cute with it. So, here's what I came up with. I think it turned out pretty cute. I love boots with dresses :)

Oh, and by the way, thanks again for the Starbucks this morning mom! 

Dress: borrowed from mom

Shirt: Target

Tights: Forever 21

Boots: JCPenney

Necklace: Veryjane.com