Feeling . . .

proud for finding these leggings for $2 at Jcpenney. 

tunic: old navy maternity   leggings: jcpenney   boots: kohls  scarf: discovery 

thankful for a date night on Friday.  Old movie theatre, $5 tickets for Silver Linings Playbook, and delicious sandwiches while we watched.  

excited for our 20 week ultrasound this week to find out if our little baby is a boy or a girl!
anxious for our appointment to see if everything is healthy with our baby. 

annoyed that these boots slide down and never stay straight up when I wear them.  

confused as to why I ever paint my nails because they look like this the day after. 

happy that it is almost March!  Which means my February giveaway is almost over and I have a few large and medium ad spaces open for March.  Check out details here!

Happy Halloween

vest: old navy  shirt: american eagle  leggings: jcpenny  boots: kohls

This is my ideal comfy outfit for a chilly Fall day, like today.  Tonight I will be spending my evening sitting on my couch, eating Chris' delicious chili, watching Survivor, and greeting the one adorable trick or treater we'll get. 

Despite yesterday's post, I wasn't a total Halloween scrooge this year. 

This year I found out we were going to a costume party the morning of, so I had about 2 hours after work to figure out a costume.  Thanks to a borrowed hat and shirt from my sister-in-law and the Target dollar spot for some big glasses, I was Where's Waldo?

Now if only I could control Chris' costume choice.  I will happily say I didn't have anything to do with his costume, as he chose to be some annoying character from South Park. Which I am the farthest from a fan of.  But I am impressed with his robot making ability.  

Maybe once I have kids I'll be able to control what costumes they are.  At least for a few years, right?

Happy Halloween!

Birthday Wishlist and New Friends

boots: kohls (now on sale for $45 online)   jeans: kohls (similar)  tank top: target ($3)  sweater: ? 

Unfortunately this picture has nothing to do with the rest of this post, but it's an outfit I wore this weekend.

Any creative transition between these two would be appreciated. 

My birthday is less than two weeks away. 

Thanks to a million blogs, etsy and pinterest I have no problem coming up with a wishlist.

Here's some things I'd love to get for my birthday!

mustard cardigan / horse sweater / cowboy boots
monogram necklace / elephant scarf / teardrop necklace

Chris did you read this post?

I should probably more be asking "Mom, did you read this post?"

Something that is probably way more exciting to you than what I would like to get for my birthday is a chance to meet some pretty neat ladies.  I feel honored to have them on my blog this month and they are definitely some girls that you should get to know!


First up is Montana from Sara Montana Says

blog // twitter // facebook 

I have loved getting to know Montana through her blog!  Blogs like Montana's are my favorite to read because they combine all things of real life.  Like really exciting moments, hard and painful moments, and then everything in between.  Montana blogs about fashion, recipes, life, as well as her adorable etsy shop.


Next up is Kait from GridIron Lipstick

blog // twitter // instagram

This picture alone is a good sign that Kait is really fun.  I'd place money on the fact that she is more fun than me.  Case in point - this picture is her making a snow angel in Super Bowl confetti.   While she claims to be far from a fashion blogger, she wears some pretty cute outfits and posts about her sweet love story too.  

I'm so excited to have Julee and Kim from DIY Louisville again.


blog // twitter // facebook

I can't imagine you missed their introduction last time but in case you did, you need to three things about these sweet, talented ladies.
1. They know how to dress and post adorable outfits.
2. They share some really delicious recipes, like these Autumn Muffins.
3. They are extremely talented in the craft making department, like these adorable fabric acorns.


Finally, meet Bethany from Northwest Betty.

blog // facebook // bloglovin'

Bethany is one of the girls from who I feel so blessed to have meet through blogging.  We have emailed back and forth countless times, as we have both found ourselves struggling with infertility and how to handle it.  I am so thankful for her open heart through such a painful time, as well as her wise words and outlook on life.  I'm also thankful for the beautiful pictures she posts and every chance to get to look at one of the cutest dogs ever!

You should definitely go check out these ladies.
and feel free to buy be one of those presents for my birthday too.

Interested in being one of my sponsors in November?  Check here for more details and email me!
katiejvale@yahoo.com

YOLO Mondays   Monday Meetup
Monday Mingle

Holding on . . .

dress: kohls ($3 clearance)  bracelet: made by me  boots: kohls (on sale!) 

After each failed fertility treatment we've had, I've learned something new from it.

One of the things I'm learning is that I want to approach our next attempt differently.

This time I want to not hold on to all the "what ifs" and try to enjoy the other things in my life. 

At the beginning of summer I tried on a pair of bright yellow pants at the Gap.  They were $10 but I didn't buy them because they were a little tight and I was convinced I'd be pregnant soon so they wouldn't fit for long.

I didn't sign up for a handful of races this summer and fall that I had wanted to do, because I thought I'd be pregnant.

While these things are little, not only do I grieve a failed cycle ,

but also the things I feel like I missed out on.  Even if they are a $10 pair of pants.

(which embarrassingly I've thought about many times)

While some things have to be put on hold while we go through a cycle, some things don't.

When some friends at school asked if I wanted to sign up for a gym membership so we could take different classes together, my first response was going to be no.

What a waste of money if I only do it for one or two months and then have to cancel?

Then I thought about it and signed up.

I don't want to put everything on hold as we sit and wait for this part of our life to happen.

Worse case scenario, I lose a little money on a month's membership, don't get to participate in a race I paid for, or only get to wear a pair of pants a few times.

It's so easy to let this consume every aspect of my life and I don't want it to anymore. 

So today I'm working on letting go of planning all aspects of my life and taking advantage of what I can enjoy now.

Like being able to wear my fringe boots and $3 clearance dress.

call me blessed   ONYT

Fall Accessories and a giveaway

I'm really excited to share with you one of my favorite blogging friends today!
Carly is a fellow teacher, who shares my love for clothes and I'm sure for Target too. But who doesn't?
I still need to learn a thing or two from her about beauty products.  I could use some serious help in that department.  Her husband is also in a band and I'm pretty sure he is becoming famous.  In that case then so will Carly, which is another reason to become friends with her. :)
She also has a sweet giveaway at the end too!

Today Carly is sharing some of her favorite fall accessories with you today.
My favorite fall accessory this year will most likely be my new fringe boots,
but now I want what Carly is sharing too!


Hello fabulous For Lauren & Lauren readers! I'm extra excited to be guest posting for Katie today, because she was my VERY first blog friend.  She wrote me the sweetest emails, and was so encouraging! 

I'm Carly....and I blog over at Lipgloss & Crayons.  I write about fashion obsessions, beauty products, teaching, and my life in the City of Angels.  

As much as I love summer......I'm READY for fall.....I'm crushing on fall accessories....a few in particular.  I've rounded up a few of my favorite fall accessories for you to enjoy.  The best part.....they're available at prices everyone can afford! 

1. Leopard Scarf // 2. Red Satchel // 3. Tortoiseshell Necklace // 4. Brown Riding Boots  

1. Leopard Scarf // 2. Red Satchel // 3. Tortoiseshell Necklace // 4. Brown Riding Boots

1. Leopard Scarf // 2. Red Satchel // 3. Tortoiseshell Necklace // 4. Brown Riding Boots

What fall accessories are you loving? Stop by Lipgloss & Crayons and tell me your favorites!

Thank you so much for your post Carly - I am impatiently waiting for Fall weather.   And I love all of them, but I'm pretty sure my cheap self will be after the ATM items.  I'm so excited because Carly is giving one of you a $10 gift card to Sephora AND a medium ad space on her blog.  Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

It's OK

dress: c/o sugarlips   boots: lauren conrad/kohls  (similar)

It's OK that one thing that gets me excited about going back to school is getting to wear more of my clothes.  While I love flip flops, sundresses and not having to blow dry my hair, I do enjoy getting dressed in the morning for work. 

And this dress is perfect for school.  Comfortable, lightweight and cute.

I will most likely be wearing it next week for my first week of school. 

It's OK that even though it is still hot I had to try this dress on with my new boots.  I've wanted these boots since last year but never found my size.

It's OK that they surpassed my $15 rule by $35.
I've wanted them for over a year so I justified it and am ready for Fall!

It's OK that I can't decide what dress I should get from a giveaway I won. 

Owls or stripes?

Now I probably wouldn't buy the owl dress with my own money, but I figured if it's free it might be nice to get a fun dress.  However, the striped one is really cute too.  

What do you think?  

Linking up to:
It's OK  Fashion Link -Up