Weekend Recap!

Whew! What a fantastic weekend we had! As much as I love lazy weekends where we literally stay in our jammies the entire weekend, I really enjoy accomplishing projects and being productive more! Being busy actually makes the weekend feel longer than when we waste it away doing nothing!

Friday evening was spent with just Baby Reef! The hubby was out of town for a Coach's Clinic which meant I got to watch more season one episodes of White Collar and snuggle with the pup! I did manage to clean up more Christmas stuff and straightened up our living area! Not an exciting evening to most but it was nice to come home from work and just relax with nothing to do!

Baby Reef hanging out with momma on the couch!

Saturday, I woke up at eight, which is so not the norm for Saturday, had my breakfast smoothie and put myself together for a morning of antiquing with my neighbor {we will call her "C"}! Before getting started, we headed to Starbucks and laughed with the drive thru worker at how completely inadequate we were at being professional Starbuck customers! We learned we don't know what size XL is {Trenta by the way} and I NEVER can pronounce Chai correctly! After getting our Starbucks fix for the month {since we aren't Starbucks junkies} we headed out to the stores I was familiar with only to find one closed, one overpriced, and one with a little old lady who followed us around the entire store literally talking our heads off! We booked it out of there when she was changing the RECORD on her record player! Sweet lady but I lost count after the 8th time she told us items were on sale and that her dear husband was in heaven!

While headed home we happened to randomly see another store that looked as though it had potential! We made a quick U-turn and headed in! Boy were we right! This store was a little gem and I'm quite upset I'm just finding it when, apparently, it's been there for the last 13 years! So many pretties to look at; jewelry, glassware, furniture, pictures, lamps, dressers, beds, and the list goes on and on and on! I scored a beautiful Duncan Phyfe round lamp table for our office/library that matched the rich mahogany furniture we already have in that room! Great price and great condition! "C" purchased the cutest coral colored vintage stud clip on earrings for only $2.50!! I seriously can't wait to pay this place another visit and find more pieces to compliment our home and my jewelry box!

My new accent table for the library/office!

The hubby came home from his conference in the early afternoon and considering the foggy gloomy weather we opted for a small afternoon nap! Who doesn't love those? Once we woke from that we decided to get ourselves together and head to The Cheesecake Factory for dinner! We hadn't been in a awhile and decided we needed to go somewhere with a 1,000 item menu list and cheesecakes that literally stick to my hips! After waiting 45 minutes for a table, browsing the menu wasn't too tedious. We tried a new app, their fresh made guacamole and I ended up ordering the Bang Bang Chicken and Shrimp while the hubby ordered Fish Tacos! Both of our meals were scrumptious and we were proud of ourselves for trying something new! Of course we ended the evening with an order of cheesecakes - TO GO!

30th Anniversary Cheesecake! Yuuummmm!

After dinner we headed to HomeGoods since I wanted to look at area rugs and window treatments! That place is probably my favorite store on the planet! I could spend hours in there!! We had no luck with rugs but did find some window treatments and photo frames. The hubby also found a recliner but the price tag was a wee bit more than we were willing to spend for HomeGoods. Once we arrived home I immediately hung up the new curtains and HATED them, though I did leave them up thinking I may like them the next morning! No such luck, plus the hubby hated them too! Whew, glad he and I can agree on such things like home decor!

Curtains I had hanging before!

The linen curtains I just could not learn to love! And no the walls are not yellow! The light makes it seem that way though!

Yesterday morning, we headed to brunch with the hubby's grandmother, mom, stepdad, uncles, aunt and cousins! Always a great time and pretty great food too! I indulged in one too many scones - they were fantastic! After brunch I went and exchanged the window treatments and while at TJ Maxx I saw the same recliner chair that was at HomeGoods the night before! The only difference was this chair had a clearance sticker on it, with a price I would pay! I still had no idea where exactly it would go in the living room so I passed up the purchase.  I then headed to Lowe's to look for the curtains C had sent me a photo of earlier in the morning! Found them, bought them and I'm quite pleased with them! Once I arrived home, I told the hubby and C about the chair and how I passed up the deal! Somehow, C convinced us to go back and get the chair, so we did, along with a new lamp for the new table! C helped us move furniture around and figure out a good fit for certain pieces and I have to say I like it! After 3.5 years of having the same set up, it will take an adjustment, but I really like the different look! Not to mention our library/office is coming a long great! C also fed us some of the best chili I've ever had! It had just enough kick but the right amount of sugar to sweeten it up! It was a huge hit! I will definitely snag that recipe from her as soon as possible and I will be sharing!

New table with New lamp!

New Curtains! Just need holdbacks and we need to move the desk to another wall!

Hubby in his new recliner!

Needless to say we had a pretty eventful weekend, the majority of Christmas stuff got transferred to the attic, the hubby has a new "man" chair, and I finally decided on curtains for our office! I made a decorating decision! That's a huge deal so the weekend was definitely worth it!

Hope you all had equally fantastic weekends!!! Happy Monday!!!

January's Second Sponsor Guest - Meet Jill!

I've been acquainted with Jill for some years now as y'all will learn below and in recent months we have really connected over our eagerness to build our blogs and learn the ropes of newlywed living! Jill is beyond sweet, an extremely hard worker, and one serious fashionista! See my little blurb to the left about trying to find my inner fashionista? Well I owe that to Jill! Following her on Instagram and her blog has really inspired me to be more creative with my wardrobe! She inhibits a classic style but always adds her own piece of fun and flair to make it uniquely hers not to mention she's a true beauty both inside and out, which is a class all its own. Enjoy meeting Jill...

Hey lovlies! I'm really excited to be guest posting for Lauran, as she has a really inspiring approach to blogging and a tremendous appreciation for her loyal readership. I feel honored to be here with you all today! I've known Lauran since our college days at George Mason University, and while we were acquaintances on campus, we've become friends since graduating, as we've both leaned on one another for blog inspiration and footing! And being a very recent newlywed myself, I've found Lauran's take on matrimony refreshing and fun!

Growing up in what Bostonians like to call the 'dirty water', I decided to venture out of Massachusetts when looking at universities, and ended up in the dirty south for college! While most Northern Virginia folks consider themselves more Washingtonians than Southerners, as a Bostonian, anywhere past Maryland is south for me! I ended up falling in love with Virginia and the Washington DC area during my collegiate years, and stuck around town after college, landed a career in Public Relations & Marketing and met the love of my life, who just recently became my husband in October! We had a lovely wedding up in Boston, a day that will forever be imprinted on my heart and in my memory, and a fabulous honeymoon in Italy! As a new wife who has been having so much fun redecorating our home, navigating a career and gaining some traction with this whole blogging thing, I could say I've been staying pretty busy lately! I hope you'll hop on over to my blog Dirty Water, Dirty South for lifestyle & fashion inspiration as well as recommendations in both the Washington DC and Boston area, if you ever have the chance to visit! 

Now, let's dive right in, shall we?! I know that Lauran blogged her 'What I'm Loving' Wednesday post yesterday, but since we're embarking on a new year full of promise, opportunity and renewed creativity, why not share with you all what I'm currently loving right now...for some added inspiration ;-)

Instagram.
Who doesn't love Instagram???!!! It has become my go-to social media platform lately. There is just so much motivation to be creative! It's such a great spot to genuinely appreciate and reflect on how the world is viewed by different eyes. There are some incredibly talented people out there! Since I'm seriously addicted, I figured you guys must be as well! Why not start off the new year with some new, fresh inspiration! Here are a few of my favorite Instagrammers who post some of the most beautiful images that I truly swoon over:

 Roséline of @thisisglamorous posts all things girly & very, very pretty. 

Fashion Illustrator, Dallas Shaw, posts some serious style inspiration over at @dallasshaw

For all things interior, Seattle-based designer Brian Paquette has just the right touch (as well as a fabulous sense of humor!!) Follow him! @brianpaquette

What Was Once Old.
I was always that little girl that spent hours in my grandmother's closet trying on her jewelry and rummaging through her drawer of rouge and perfume, sampling every color and every scent! While every girl loves something new, I tend to gravitate towards beautiful pieces of clothing, linens and china that was once owned by the generations of women before me. I imagine the woman who used to wear these pieces or adorn her dinner table with these items while entertaining. I received my grandmother's silver as a bridal shower gift last summer, and stumbled upon a stunning 1950's Chanel blazer at a Northern Virginia consignment shop last spring. I beyond cherish these pieces and hope that I will be able to pass them onto the generations that will follow after me! Here are a few vintage styles I'm loving that are currently making a come back:

From top, left to right: 1940's Bernard 'Etoiles' China, 1970's Oscar de la Renta beaded dress, French Victorian lace wedding gowns, Victorian-era ankle booties

Piperlime in SoHo.

My favorite online shopping experience, Piperlime.com, launched its first free-standing store in New York City this past September! If you're ever bumming around SoHo, you'll find it on Wooster Street, which is such a quaint little neighborhood to peruse through! I had the opportunity to visit their new store over New Year's Eve while visiting a friend up in the Big Apple and trust me when I say, it offers everything you would find online and then some, including some very stylish employees who are more than willing to help you put together some really unique ensembles!

Coach Willis Bag. 
Ask and you shall receive! The Coach Willis Bag was at the top of my Christmas list this past holiday and my amazing husband really got the hint ;-) It's such a versatile bag, allowing for both work & play. And the color seems to fit every wardrobe piece I own! A great investment staple that I plan on wearing for many years!

For more details on what I'm wearing above, come visit me over at Dirty Water, Dirty South!

Thank you for allowing me to share a bit of the day with you! Salut! ~ Jill

I know one thing, I'm flying over to her post to find out where she found her hosiery! I have to agree with her, EVERYTHING old is new again! I am in love with all things vintage and I'm in the process of redecorating my home, as well, with antiques and vintage inspired pieces! Be sure to check out Jill's links in this post! You will drool over her gorgeous wedding {which was featured on Style Me Pretty}, take an instant vacation through her Italy photos, and want to snag her authentic Chanel/Chanel blazer! Happy Thursday my loves!!! I hope you enjoyed meeting Jill, she was a joy to share with y'all! 

If you are interested in Sponsoring/Guest Posting please e-mail me at Lauran.Huffman@gmail.com I am now booking for the month of April!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

It's here, It's here, the middle of the week is here!!! Already we are flying through the month of January!!! Where is time going and what am I loving today?! Check it out below!

1. Getting back to the gym! Monday was my first night back in MONTHS! My Zumba instructor even said "Hey girl! It's been awhile"! Why yes, yes mam it has! What a great work out I had too. It felt good to sweat, to get my body moving, and to feel that much better leaving the gym knowing I just did something good for myself! I'm hoping to head out for a two mile walk on my lunch break today and hit the gym tomorrow night! I certainly don't mind the sore feeling the next morning either! It's a reminder of the good I am doing for myself!

2. Using up my Flex Spending Account before it runs out! Long story short, when I had to get my wisdom teeth pulled, I asked the Dentist office to run the numbers so I knew what price tag I was going to be looking at. I was looking at a $1,000 procedure, including my insurance, or so I thought. Great. Dandy. Fine. To help with the cost I opened up a Flex Spending Account at work with the total amount of the teeth extraction. The only intended purpose of the card was to pay for the wisdom teeth removal. After the dental procedure, I had to pay for the service. Duh. Well, the receptionist tells me "That will be $94.00".... Excuse me?!... $94.00 is FAR from a grand! It's unclear where the mistake was made when the dentist first ran those numbers but now I've had to come up with ways to spend the rest of the account before it runs out in March! The list provided is limited to mainly band aids and pregnancy tests! Literally everything else needs a prescription! Can you imagine.... $900 worth of First Response tests?! ha! Anywho, since I now need glasses {that's a blog post all its on} I have successfully spent the majority of the card! Now I have no fears of eating $900 at the end of March!

3. The Duchess of Cambridge's 31st Birthday today! Yes, the gorgeous and oh-so-classy Princess turns 31 today!! I hope she has one of the happiest of birthdays yet! I'm excited to read about how she spends her day, sans alcoholic beverages of course! More so I'm excited to see what she decides to wear to celebrate her birthday!

4. My second sponsor post for tomorrow! I can't wait for y'all to meet Jill! She has some of the best fashion sense of anyone I know! And yes I know her in real life! I wish I could pull off half of the creative ensembles she creates! Not to mention she has the sweetest personality too and I know you all will love her!! She's a Boston native now residing in D.C. and living the whirlwind newlywedded life! Be sure to stop by and meet her tomorrow!

5. White Collar starts back in two weeks!!! The best part is I've gotten the hubby hooked on it so now he can enjoy watching it with me! I don't know why I considered couch/TV time important, but I think its great when you can sit and enjoy the TV program together! I'm not a fan of watching TV in separate rooms or being in different rooms while you are both home for that matter!

What are y'all loving today?! That the work week is half way over?! Yep, add that to my list too!

Friday's Letters!

Here we are, another Friday, another weekend on the way! This weekend will be busy like most as we will be celebrating my momma's birthday tomorrow and then celebrating Christmas with my Dad, Stepmom, brother and sister on Sunday, since they were in NYC for the holidays! I also hope to get some purging and organizing done on some down time, that is if I find any down time!

Via

Dear New Antique Chairs, I am so thrilled Mallory was getting rid of y'all and that I was able to snag you at an unbelievable deal! Y'all are going to look fantastic in our office/library! Dear How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Thank you for being on TV last night! You must know how much I love Matthew McConaughey! You do know he was only 33 in that movie right? Annnnd that he welcomed his third child into the world just a week ago?! Dear Crossfire Series, I think you are better than Fifty Shades! However, I am royally irritated that you left me hanging in book two and I now have to wait until May to purchase the third book! Dear Homemade Leg Warmers, I made you out of an old sweater and I love you. Enough said.  Dear Fears and Intimidation, Can you please refrain from making me feel inferior to others? Can you also stop causing me to be terrified to chase my dreams? Furthermore, can you simply just take a hike?! You are really inhibiting me from reaching some serious goals I'm yearning to achieve! Please and Thank you!

Hope you lovies are having a fabulous Friday!!! Have an equally fabulous weekend and I'll see y'all Monday!!!

My First of Many Guests for You - Meet Tasha!

I met Tasha several months ago through my mom! They attend the same church and my momma had scheduled a little movie night for some of her girlfriends at a local movie theater! Tasha and I bonded over the fact that we were blubbering messes during the ENTIRE movie! And when I say blubbering mess... I mean crying so hard you have a sinus headache the next day mess! Seriously. If you need a good cry, check out Unconditional... it's a tear jerker heart string pulling movie! None-the-less, Tasha is a super sweet gal and I was ecstatic when I learned she was also a blogger! My most favorite thing about Tasha? She could be a Kate Middleton look-a-like! The gal is GORGEOUS and has a dead ringing smile like the Duchess! So, without further adieu, here's Tasha...

Happy New Year, everyone!  I'm Tasha from Three Men and a Girly Girl!  I met Lauran a few months ago and love keeping up with another REAL housewife!  I'm super excited for this opportunity to guest post for her, and I hope you all will enjoy my New Year's Resolutions for the home!

I've taken five of the most popular resolutions and applied them to ways to create a new home for the new year! 

 

1.  Shed Some Pounds - Purge!

If you can't remember the last time you've used it, worn it, or your kids have played with it - donate or sell it!  The less unnecessary items you have, the easier it is to keep them in order.

2.  Get it Together - Organize!

Start small!  Choose a drawer, closet, etc. and organize one room at a time.  It's so easy to get overwhelmed if you try to tackle too much at one time!  

3.  Save Money - Create!

One of the best tips for saving money on home decor is to DIY!  Also, scour thrift stores, Craigslist, Home Goods, etc.  Be patient and wait for the right piece at the right price!

4.  Enjoy Life - Explore!

Don't be afraid to branch out and try something new!  New colors, patterns, styles, etc.  You might find something new that you really love, and if not, you can always return it!

5.  Family Time - Capture!

We all love spending time with family, but sometimes we forget to capture special moments.  Take plenty of family photographs and display them in your home for unique, personal, and special decor!

These are just a few ideas that I've found helpful and will be working on in our home for the new year.  Remember, your home should be a unique expression of your family!  Find what works for you and yours and run with it!  

It was great to share my 2013 Home Resolutions with all of you!  Come and visit me over at Three Men and a Girly Girl anytime!  Hope you all have a blessed new year!  What's your #1 resolution for 2013? 

Tasha must have known I needed a list like this!!! Hope you enjoyed meeting her as much as I enjoyed sharing her!!! Have a fantastic Thursday my loves and if you are interested in Sponsoring with me contact me at Lauran.Huffman@gmail.com!

No Resolutions, Just January 2013 Goals!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 
I hope none of you are suffering from tooooo much fun last night, but none-the-less I hope you rang in the New Year doing something spectacular! I am so ecstatic to see what 2013 has in store for me, my family, friends and all of my fans!!!

Via

I'm not one to make New Year Resolutions! I don't like writing a list of items to do or not do throughout the New Year because usually in the end I fail them all! I don't like disappointing myself! Instead, I make monthly goals! They are more reasonable to work with and I usually do far better at meeting the goals for the month than meeting them for a WHOLE year!

This is what I am hoping to accomplish and maintain for this new January!

1. Get back into the gym at least twice a week. I was doing really well with my gym visits a few months ago. We then became really busy and I started to fall off the work out train. I can tell! I don't have as much energy and I've put some serious weight on! It's time to get serious again and maintain a healthy lifestyle!

2. Purge and Organize the house, one room at a time. Somehow in the last 3+ years we have accumulated A LOT OF CRAP in our home! Part of it is, I can be somewhat of a closet hoarder. I look at EVERYTHING with sentiments, therefore it is very hard for me to toss things! For instance, cards, I don't throw cards away! I feel the the giver of the card spent valued time picking it out just for me {or us} and I hate the idea of throwing away such kind words and thoughtfulness! That is just one of our many cluttered problems! We are running out of space and EVERYTHING looks a mess even when it is all put away! It is driving me bonkers! I plan to go from room to room and work on organizing and getting rid of items we no longer use or need! I'm actually really excited about this because I think it will help with my nerves and stress at home!

3. Bring/pack lunch everyday for work - no eating out. I did really well with this when I was doing well with my gym routine. After the gym went out the window so did my work lunches and I started ordering out A LOT! Thai food, deli sandwiches, large salads with copious amounts of dressing! All bad. All full of sodium. All making me feel gross! Treating myself every now and then is okay, maybe once or twice a month, but everyday is DONE! I will also partake in a 3 day juice cleanse to help clean me of the crappy food I have allowed myself to eat! I need to use 2013 to really focus on my health and I intend to start NOW!

4. Continue to work towards a career in PR, volunteering my time to businesses and organizations for hands on experience - DON'T GIVE UP. This is probably one of my most important goals! I know I have shared with you all how very career oriented I was when attending college. After graduation I settled for a job I did not end up liking and this HAS to change. I refuse to spend the rest of my life being miserable at work. Considering I am at my place of employment the majority of day I have to like it! I was meant to work in PR, I know that, and I am not giving up on that!

5. Schedule actual planned date nights with the hubby. We do date nights quite often, but usually all it consists of is dinner. Not that there is anything wrong with that but sometimes it lacks excitement. I want to work on planning at least one to two date nights a month that actually consist of us doing an activity of sorts. I'm thinking of a cooking class, beer/wine tasting, ice skating, or even batting cages! I like the idea of doing something fun and different! It keeps you from being so repetitive and predictable.

6. Book our June trip to Jamaica. My cousin is getting married in Montego Bay, Jamaica at the end of June, which also happens to be our 2nd wedding anniversary month! We could not be more excited for this vacation and celebration!!! However if we don't book the trip soon we will not be going ha! Not funny at all! We have to book it this month and that's that!

7. Have at least one girls night with any or all of my gal pals. This is something I am terrible at and I need to make more time for my girlfriends. Whether it is a wine and movie night with my neighbor across the street or dinner with several friends, this needs to happen! I spend a lot of time with the hubby and I wouldn't trade that time for the world, but I also need to show my girlfriends how much I still appreciate them. To say I've been lacking with this is an understatement and I'm disappointed in myself for that!

8. Send out thank you cards for both my birthday and Christmas gifts! You already know I send thank you notes for EVERYTHING! If you are new to the blog, well now you know! Anywho, I need to get to writing and thanking everyone for some amazing gifts!

9. Arrive on time to work, every morning. It never fails. I am always 5 to 10 minutes late for work every morning! Granted I have to go through a tunnel and over a bridge to get there and my 17 mile commute is usually 45 minutes to an hour, but I need to really make sure I wake up on time and leave my home on time. It has kind of become a joke between my bosses and I, but it really is unprofessional and that needs to change!

10. Keep blogging! I really enjoy blogging! It is a creative outlet for me that allows me to share my life, ideas, struggles, etc. with others! I hope to really continue to post regularly! I am really looking forward to taking my little part of the internet to new levels this month and this year! I hope you all stick around to enjoy!

Happy New Year!!!!!! From us to you!

How do y'all feel about New Years Resolutions?! Do you have any HUGE goals you hope to accomplish this year?! I'd love to hear them!

Be sure to check out my new sponsors for the month on my side bar!!! They will be feature posting throughout January and I can't wait to introduce them to you all!!!