Merry Christmas!

Between two sick babies and unfortunate weather, this is Christmas at our house. 

Not a happy way to spend your first Christmas :(

First haircut

Karson's hair is finally long enough to need a trim.  He did a great job and was very somber throughout the whole thing.  

Getting his cape on. 

All done and eating his sucker the wrong way. 

What a gift...

I awoke today at 5:42 to the sound of my phone ringing. Usually this is startling at such an ungodly hour, but on the day after the first snowstorm of the season hit our area, this can only mean one thing: SNOW DAY! As a teacher, I think I appreciate these days even more than when I was a child. I happily answered the phone and my hope was confirmed; School is canceled! I still had to get up and go downstairs to see our school district scroll across the closings at the bottom of the screen. Something about seeing it always leaves me with a cozy (put on another layer and get back in bed) feeling. Well, unfortunately my ten-month-old had other plans and he awoke around 5:50, so I turned on HGTV and was able to sit down and relax rather than rushing to get myself and three babies ready!

We started the day by making pumpkin pancakes

And we have already created some artwork masterpieces

And now I am sitting by the fire and enjoying my coffee :)

Happy Snow Day everyone!

Rock Chalk

We were able to make it to a KU game this year with some wonderful friends and we all had a blast!

The court

The kids "waving the wheat"

I think darling husband has finally seen the light as he was actually excited about the game AND wore the KU gear I bought him for his birthday!

Five things that make me happy today...

1. A warm fireplace, complete with stockings.

2. The perfect pair of gray boots for cold winter days.

Pour la Victoria Dahlia Boots at Shop Bop

3. My new nail polish. Love this color right now!

Essie Mint Candy Apple Nail Polish

4. A warm cup of coffee, complete with whip cream.

5. And last but not least, my sweet baby boy. Happy 9-month birthday Karson!!

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas...

One of my favorite things about the holiday season is the sensory overload for all....my favorite being the smells associated with Thanksgiving and Christmas. Here are a couple of my favorite scents that only come around this time of year...

I've waited all year to get out my Vanilla Bean Noel

Found here

Another cult fave that I wait all year to get out of my vanity:
Twisted Peppermint 3-in-1 found here

And I can't leave out my favorite bath indulgence....LUSH!!

Snow Fairy Shower Gel found here

So, without further ado, I am going pour myself a glass of wine and go take a Peppermint bath.

Fall Cravings

Fall is my favorite time of year for a plethora of reasons: gorgeous foliage, fabulous weather, my Princess' birthday and of course, fall fashion! This year does not disappoint and it is even more exciting for me as I was pregnant last year and maternity clothes just aren't quite as chic regardless how many ruffles they add or how gorgeous the color. A couple of things that I am currently coveting:

Gumshoe Sweatercoat from Anthropologie found here

Miss Albright Winding Ruffles Boots
found at Anthropologie

That's what big sisters are for...

A much needed Closet Renovation

I had so many goals for my maternity leave. I am bad about that...I set goals that are not realistic given the fact that I have a newborn who will be up many times overnight and two other children, thus not allowing for naps. Somehow, I still tell myself that I will be able to paint the hearth room, organize the laundry room and have the house spotless and dinner on the table when darling Pookie gets home. I found out very quickly that this was not so. However, I was determined to do something, anything that would make life easier when I went back to work. What better place to start than my closet. That is the only thing that gets me out of bed most days...determining what I will wear and then trying on at least ten other outfits, but finally going back to the original.

I started by going through and getting rid of clothes that I no longer felt a connection to. This energized me as it already made my closet look bigger and brighter. Then, my little helper who is also a little fashionista got in on the project by finding my Shop Your Closet book and insisting that my closet look exactly like the one on the front cover. It took us a few days and many breaks but the end result is fabulous and I love walking into it each day. Now, on to my summer projects...

My jeans and pants

My shoe wall with purses on top.

My awesome jewelry boards that Little Fashionista and I made together.
(Another maternity leave project)

I blame him!

So here is a little story about how I became a handbag ho...and by that, I mean that I like bags...okay, I have an addiction to bags. Ok, so there is a small detail that I left out...I like high end handbags. I was always just fine with getting my purses at Target or TJMaxx and Liz Claiborne was a big deal to me. However, that all changed when I was dating my darling husband. You see, for our first Christmas together, he gave me a Coach purse. This was the gateway drug. From there, I started looking at other bags in that price range and just happened to fall in love with a few...Rebecca Minkoff, Hayden Harnett, Louis Vuitton (okay, not the same price range at all) and the mother of all...CHANEL! He doesn't see the correlation, but to me, it is all Darling Pookie's fault! So with that, I will show you what I am coveting at this second...

RM Morning After Mini Mini in Paper White

It is the grandchild of Rebecca Minkoff's Morning After bag. I own a Morning After Mini in Cognac and it is one of my most carried bags, so having one that is a bit smaller would be perfect! And I have always wanted a chic white bag for summer. I think that this size would be perfect to throw my wallet, lip gloss, phone and sunglasses in and be out the door. It runs $295 which seems like a deal to me seeing that her Morning After Mini is $600. So see...I am being a frugal fashionista by getting the little one, right? I almost hit submit...until I saw this beauty, which is also a fabulous color for summer...

Rebecca Minkoff Morning After Mini Mini in Pool

Same bag, different color. Now I don't know which one I need. What are your thoughts?

My hair is one thing that I tend to put the least effort into. It is the last thing I do before I walk out the door and the thing that I enjoy the least about getting ready. The combination of these two things means that my hair usually looks like crap...that is, if I style it at all. Some days it is just easier to put it in a ponytail and move on. Well today I decided that is all going to change. Even though my hair is hard to manage, very fine and NEVER does what I want it to, I am going to start taking better care of it and maybe then it will do what I want it to.

After reading some reviews on makeupalley, I decided to order some styling products that were rated really well and a new flat iron! Bonus: It's purple!

I ordered from folica.com and all of the products were on sale, plus there was a 10% code AND I got 6% back by going through ebates! As Pookie says, "It's like getting it for free!". That is one of the advantages to being married to a pretty boy; he never gets mad when I spend money on hair or skin products because he is as bad as I am :)

Anyway, here is what I got. I can't wait to try everything! At least my hair will look good for a few days :)

Phyto Phytojoba Intense Masque

Jonathon High Shine Hairspray

Solia 1" Tourmaline Flat Iron

Do you have any hair products that you couldn't live without?

Best Invention Ever.....

I am a cami girl. I have to have a cami under everything so as not to reveal too much, or to smooth those unsightly "lines" from having babies, or to make tops longer that don't quite cover my freakishly long torso. I fell in love with the seamless microfiber camis from The Limited and wore those for quite sometime. That is, until I went on a birthday shopping spree at Anthropologie. I had a 15% off coupon, so I was determined to get as much as possible since I knew this opportunity would not happen again until my birthday next year. On my way to the fitting room, I saw these wonderful little creations and had to see what they were all about. Well, what an ingenius invention! It is a seamless reversible cami that has a scoop neck on one side and a v-neck on the other side, eliminating the need for more than one cami of the same color. This pretty much takes of any combination of tops out there. I only bought one (in cream) but I will slowly be increasing my collection and I am kicking myself today for not getting a couple more while I had my coupon. They are $24, which to me isn't crazy expensive for a good cami, but when you factor in that it is two camis in one, it becomes a bargain!

Purple dreams

A few purple things that I am currently in love with.

OPI Done out in Deco Nail Polish

JCrew Cashmere Argyle Cardigan

JCrew Short sleeved ruffle cardigan

For the Love of the Game

This is where you will find Kellen any time he has free time. It doesn't matter if it is 35 degrees outside, he is shooting baskets, winter coat and all. He loves the game!







I apologize for the grainy pics...they were taken through the window, but were too sweet not to post.

Rekindled Love: Ann Taylor Loft

It is a well-known fact to those that know me and know my closet that I am a big fan of J. Crew clothes. However, in the past few seasons, the fit of their tops has changed and sadly as much as I still love their styles, they just dont flatter my long torso anymore. Thankfully though, many other stores have come up with designs that are very similar (and sometimes even cuter) to J. Crew and almost always cheaper! I stopped in to Ann Taylor Loft today to try on a skirt that I saw online and I was excited to see that one of the tops from J. Crew's current season had been knocked off my Ann Taylor Loft and happily the ATL one fit me perfect and was so much more flattering than the J. Crew version, plus $5 cheaper!



J. Crew Rosette tee $39.50

AT Loft Tee $34.50

A great rainy day project...

I have been looking for a nice looking, yet practical way to store my necklaces for....well, forever. Right now I have them in about three different places and I never know where to look for a certain necklace. Not to mention that the places they are stored in are neither convenient nor easy to see what I have. I started looking at different ideas online and decided that Grace and I would take on a rainy day project and make our own jewelry cork boards. We went to Hobby Lobby to gather the materials and came home and got started. It was super easy and a lot of fun. I am excited about how they turned out...now I just have to wait for the husband to hang it up so I can start using it...

Materials:
Frame (I used 11x14)
Glue gun
Fabric (1/2 yd. will cover 2 11x14 frames)
Stapler
Scissors
Exacto knife
12" square cork boards (comes in pack of 4)


Step 1: Remove the glass from frame, but keep the cardboard insert as well as the cardboard guide. Use the cardboard to cut the cork to the exact size of frame using exacto knife.

Step 3: Glue the cork down to the cardboard insert.


Step 4: Cut fabric to desired size around cardboard. It should have at least an inch of extra fabric around all sides.



Step 5: Pull the fabric tight and staple in place around all sides.


Step 6: Put finished cork back into frame. Put back of frame back on (you will have to work a bit to get the positioners back into place, but they will fit so that you can hang your frame). Put push pins into cork where you want to hang your jewelry. I put a dot of super glue on them so that they will hold my heavier necklaces and stay in place. I put my pins about 1.5 inches apart for necklaces.

Step 7: Finished product :)


**Will update with pics of the frames in closet once I bug Matt enough to hang them for me!**

The perfect nude pumps

I have been plagued with the daunting task of finding the perfect pair of classic nude pumps for ages. I am 5'8'' and while I love the feeling that wearing heels gives me, I don't trust myself with 4 inch stilettos. This is particularly heartbreaking when nearly all of the heels that I fall in love with have at least a 4 inch heel. Well, thanks to the wonderful ladies on Makeup Alley, I was introduced to a beautiful pair of nude shoes with under a 3 inch heel! I got them today and dare I say, they are near perfection. The pinkish nude color is perfect on my skintone and the almond toe can be worn with jeans or dressed up and look equally fabulous! They look much more expensive than their $20 pricetag! Stay tuned tomorrow for my outfit where they will make their debut.
Apt. 9 "Modest" Pumps

Spring has sprung

What is it about the spring colors and styles that always make me want to buy, buy, buy. Spring has only just begun and already my wishlist is a mile long. I could spend my entire paycheck (or rather, my husband's as I am on maternity leave right now) on Anthropologie's new collection.

Here are a few of my favorites...

1. Anthro Behind the Clouds dress
2. Blue ruffles tee
3. Chocolate Chip Blouse
4. Level 99 Gray trousers
5. Ann Taylor Loft polka dot tulip skirt
6. Anthro ruffle jacket
7. AT Loft White crochet shirt
8. AT Loft Slate rosette tee