Bust It Up.

Interrupting my regularly-scheduled post today (loving your comments, by the way!) to let you know about a great sale going on at Joss & Main.

First of all, it's a curated showcase from one of my favorite blogs, The Hunted Interior.  Kristin is so dang talented and reading her blog is always inspirational.

And secondly, one of the items in her collection is an item I bought a few months ago and have been LOVING.  It's the Victoria Bust.  She is only $27.95.  At that price, I bet she will sell out soon.
 

I have her sitting on a chest in our entryway.  She is 16" tall, heavy, well-made, and fun to dress up.  I'm thinking she is going to need a shamrock headband soon.  I've been so happy with this purchase.

Here is how she looked in our home at Christmas:
 

Kristin has so many other awesome items in her curated collection.

This is an invitation-only shop and lucky for you, here's your free invitation!

Key Word: Something

Happy Friday! Wheeeeeeeeee!

Last night I was kickin' it solo at the house.  Ian was out of town with Drake in tow, leaving just little ol' me at la casa.  While I'm used to hanging out by myself in a hotel, this was something different.  Every creak and refrigerator rattle had me a little jumpy.  And I grew qute bored.  Although, I will say it was just lovely turning off all of the ceiling fans, getting takeout, and watching TV shows that consisted of tears, gossip, and too much wine ... yep, RHOBH.  Why can't I quit you!?

 

Today I thought I'd try something a little different. 
I'd love to turn to YOU! 

I'm truly interested in what you think, and I hope you will play along.

I'm curious... what is:

::: Something you enjoy reading on my blog

::: Something you would love to see me to blog about

::: Something you'd like me to divulge (go on ... ask!)

Up for playing along?
I hope you are.
Ready... go!

Like Butter, Baby.

My thoughtful manager celebrated my final week of travel by leaving miniature yellow daffodils on my desk.  How sweet is that!  I've been traveling weekly since the start of the new year, and I'd be lying if I said that it was a walk in the park.  I pushed through it, though, and with the help of Facetime, Gone Girl, and cabernet sauvignon, I survived it.

Those bright and sunny daffodils inspired me to pull together some equally sunshiney wishlist items.  I absolutely love wearing yellow, especially this soft and buttery version.
 

 
Here are the sources if you've got the shopping bug like I do:
 
{1}
V-Shaped Keyhole Top - Forever 21
$15.80
found here
 
{2}
Alice + Olivia Hoffman Leather Moto Jacket
$898
found here
 
{3}
ASOS Jocasi Leather Envelope Tye Dye Clutch Bag
$66.65
found here
 
{4}
7 for All Mankind Gwenevere Skinny Leg Jeans
$150
found here
 
{5}
BCBG Mabel Mermaid Skirt
$338
found here
 
{6}
J. Crew Tippi Cardigan
$65 (on sale from $85)
found here
 
{7}
BCBG Double Wrap Waist Belt
$38
found here
 
I think this hue looks equally good on blondes and brunettes.  Would you sport this buttery yellow color?

A. Liz {Confessions}

Week two of putting it all out there.
Time for a little "I Confess" session!

I confess...
I bought new tires yesterday.  Four new tires.  I purposefully didn't look at the receipt when I signed it because I couldn't bear to see that high triple-digit number staring right back at me.  Don't get me wrong, I knew how much it cost before agreeing to the deal, but seeing that number again would have killed me.  I'm still sick over it.  To salt the wound, I found out that had I gotten my tires properly rotated, they probably would have lasted another 10,000 miles before having to be replaced.
 

Source: 2013yearoflettering.tumblr.com via April on Pinterest

{I feel like I exchanged a boatload of life for those tires}

 
I confess...
I have watched far too many Harlem Shake videos on You Tube than a self-respecting 31-year old working woman should.  And I'm not done.
  
I confess...
I have an utterly unhealthy girlcrush on Lana del Rey.  Seriously -- it's bordering on embarrassing.  Join me in the girlcrushing.
 

  

I confess...
I have this strange need to go to sleep on a quarter hour ... 10:15, 10:45, 12:30.  I know it's obsessive.  I think I do it because it's easier for me to compute the very minimum hour I must be waking up in order to get my desired 8 hours of rest.  Umm, nerdfest!  Type-A much?

I confess...
I've never seen or read Gone With The Wind.
Somebody snatch my Southern card from me.

I'm happy to be linking up again today with Confessions of a Northern Belle!  What do you confess?

Mountains: My Favorite Things

We recently escaped to the mountains for the weekend.  I realize that I often use that phrase, "escaped" to the mountains, and I considered just now swapping that word out for something less cliché ... however, it's the perfect word for this scenario.  I truly feel that it is an escape.

There's just something about the two-hour drive around the craggy mountains and up the winding roads, that is therapeutic; and what follows is even better.  

Very little planning.  Very little social media.  Very little television.  Very little calorie counting. 

Lots of snuggling.  Lots of exploring.  Lots of cheese.  Lots of conversation. 

Here are some of my favorite things:

The Ol' Greasy Spoon

Not the name of the restaurant, but just what Ian calls it.  Our favorite little diner that has no-frills coffee, flaky biscuits, and the best mushroom and Swiss omelet this side of the Mason-Dixon.



Downtown Boone
The sweetest, hippie college town.  We always make a trip to the Mast General Store and some of the ski shops.  On this trip, we bought our 2013 Farmer's Almanac and an $8 deviled egg platter from an antique store.
  

Visits With Our Horse Friends

There are horses in Valle Crucis that we almost always stop off to see.  We can't drive by without giving them some lovin'.

Pure Relaxation

There is nothing sweeter than being in a warm hot tub with snow swirling around you.   

And some classy beverages (HA).

And the frozen, icy spikes of Ian's hair.  It was crazy how fast his hair froze.
  

Comfort Food
A lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches (sourdough and Havarti) with tomato soup.  Simple and tasty.
 

Prepping For The Zombie Apocalypse
Ian loves getting in some target practice up where it's safe to do so.
   

Seeing Drake In His Element
He can't get enough of the chilly air and the snow.  It is so heartwarming.
 

A Wood Burning Fireplace

We love the ease of our gas fireplace at home, but this one is the real deal.

Bunding Up For Dinner
Minus the feet.  Who wears stilettos in snow?!  Me.
   

A Post-Dinner Nightcap
Snuggled back at home, we love to have one more drink together before calling it a night.  Preferably to some great tunes on the stereo.
  

It's easy to fall in love with this place.  Everything about it is just perfect.  The perfect escape.

Small Steps For Health

Working in wellness, I focus a lot on the very small steps you can make for better health.

Telling yourself you will cut a thousand calories from your daily diet or that you will go from a non-existant workout program to one that gets in you in the gym all seven days of the week is hard.  Maybe even impossible!

But small changes, that's something I can wrap my head around.

Did you ever see that magazine advertisement that showed all of those plates with just a little bit of food left on them?  All of those small bites added up to a lot of food.  A lot of potentially saved calories over a week's, month's, year's time.

Recently I've been focusing on some really small things I can do that will hopefully add up to better health for me.
 

Green Tea
I used to be a great green tea drinker, and then I got on a coffee kick.  Green tea has so many health benefits, and I'm starting to add it back to my diet.  Our office breakroom has 100% organic green tea packets for the taking.  Sometimes I'll brew it with just a small amount of hot water (enough to cover the teabag for it to steep) and then I'll add ice cubes and cold water so that I can drink it cold.  When I first started drinking it back in high school, I had to have sugar or sweetener in it, but now I drink it straight.

Move More
At the start of the year, I was given a new type of pedometer to check out, and I've been wearing it daily.  The one above (Omron; $32) is also one I've used before, and while larger than the one I'm currently wearing, it's probably my very favorite one.  Having the ability to sync the pedometer up to your computer to track progress is key.  The standard goal is 10,000 steps per day, but that's pretty difficult to hit for the average person who works in an office and isn't a big runner.  Wearing this makes me aware of days I need to rethink watching my beloved Housewives and instead lace up the shoes for a quick jaunt around the neighborhood.

Hydrate
It became apparent to me that my water intake could probably stand a little boost.  I own three of these plastic cups with straws, and on the way out of the door in the morning, I grab one.  If I have time to fill it up with water before heading to the office, great.  If I'm pressed for time, I just toss an empty cup in my lunchbag.  During the day, I remind myself to keep filling it up.  The quick walk to the water cooler adds more steps to my pedometer (about 200 steps each trip back & forth) and I'm drinking more water than I ever did on days that I didn't keep it right next to my laptop.  Out of sight, out of mind.  Right in sight, on the mind.

Which of these steps do you do?
What other small steps do you incorporate into your life?

Saturday Sip & Shop XVIII

Sip:

Source: kirantarun.com via April on Pinterest

Citrusy Champagne Sangria

 

***

Shop:

 

Source: rstyle.me via April on Pinterest

ModCloth Go For The Marigold Dress, $49.99

Ummm... I positively need this dress.

Philosophy Faves {Changed My Skin!}

Two Christmases ago, my mom gave me a few Philosophy products.  One of those products that I immediately loved was the Purity face cleanser.  I got the medium sized bottle and -- no lie -- with daily use, that one bottle lasted me for 13 months.  Longer than a year!  Much longer than any other facewash I'd ever owned.

Right when I was ready to purchase another bottle, my friend and fellow blogette Christina at Carolina Charm tweeted that Ulta was giving away great freebies with any Philosophy purchase.  Done!

I saw her tweet while gassing up my car and I literally changed my route and headed straight to Ulta.  The freebie was the Miracle Worker trial set.  These smaller-sized anti-aging products are valued at $72 but the trial set is available for $40 (here).

I'm not trying to be overdramatic, but I can truly say that this trio of products has completely changed my skin.

My normal skin type is what I guess you'd classify as normal with a smidge of a T-zone oil issue and some hormonal breakouts (love. ugh.).  In the winter, it can get a little dry, especially on my temples.  I never really thought I had an issue with large pores ... until I started using this system.

The pores on my nose have shrunken drastically -- and better yet, the pores on either side of my nose are almost nonexistant.  Honest.  My makeup is gliding over my skin much easier and having more of an "airbrushed" look. 

I haven't been paying much attention to whether or not it's helping with smile lines and wrinkles, but probably because I can't stop staring at my nonexistant pores.  And the smoothness of my skin.  It's crazy.  Someone get me away from the mirror!

To me, the retinoid pads are sized a little larger than I need, so I cut them in half.  You use them all over your face and on the back of your hands.  It's worth noting that I have used a dermatologist-prescribed retinol cream before, but these work better. 

I know I tout the wonder of a lot of beauty products, but this is one I would put at the top of the list.  GET IT.  I wholeheartedly stand behind this trio!
  

What I've Loved:

Trial Set: $40

(Full size) Retinoid Pads, 60 count: $58

(Full size) Concentrate: $62

(Full size) Moisturizer: $58

Purity Cleanser: 8oz $22, 16oz $33, 24oz $41 

What I'm Trying Next:

Anti-Aging Eye Cream: $60 

The Microdelivery Peel Kit: $69

I know that initially the prices may be a little higher than you are used to, but when you combine the fact that everything lasts so long with the fact that it works SO well -- it is worth it, in my book.