wish list

Tyler told me to start thinking about what I want for my birthday! So I decided to do a little shopping today :)

First stop, etsy.com

adorable elephant necklace

love this print

beautiful!!!

1000 Places to Visit Before You Die

I'll Be There - necklace

Adorable

Baby Whale

beautiful

love these asymmetrical studs

I'll add to this post as I find more goodies :)

Cheers!

lady dates

As you guys know, I'm on my 12-day-summer, and I have been trying to squeeze every ounce of fun out of it as I can! While still trying to read & relax and get my ass in gear at the gym. It's been an interesting combo of ambitions, that's for sure! And during my break, I did manage to get together with two of my girlfriends for some much-needed lady dates!

On Wednesday, Erin and I decided to meet up at The Bent Fork in Loveland for some wine and dinner. Beforehand, I decided to check whether I could find any coupons for The Bent Fork, since it's a little pricy. On facebook, I saw that if you "check in" there with your phone, you can get 20% off of your entree. Awesome! Except for the fact that my phone looks like this:

Does it look like my phone has check-in capabilities?

No.

So I proceeded to ask The Bent Fork on facebook whether I could just write in my status or something that I was going to ear there and if I could get the 20% off deal. Their response was WAY better than anticipated! They said if I could get 10 people to "like" The Bent Fork on facebook, they'd give me a $25 gift card! Say whaaaaat?!?! Okay! Apparently I have some pretty quick-acting awesome friends on facebook, because within an hour of me releasing a "pleaseohplease like The Bent Fork so I can get a gift card" plea into facebookland, over 10 people got it done! So that was completely AWESOME to get an unexpected gift card! it kind of helps offset the gas money I spent driving down there, and then I felt I could be a little more indulgent with my meal! [by the way, this was my "last meal" before I started the body for life challenge :) ] I had a divine salmon salad, sweet potato french fries, a chilled glass of Riesling, and Erin and I split an insanely delicious caramel brownie dessert.

Then, since Erin and I are chattier than almost any two gals I've ever seen together, we decided to stroll around the shops for a bit. I made a few purchases - but they are totally justifiable! I am starting work at a clinic this fall as a PA Student, and I am in need of a few new business casual pieces. Up 'til now, my wardrobe has been full of:

a) scrubs 

b) American Eagle 

c) 2 suits and 

d) cleavage revealing tops and dresses.

Clearly none of a - d are appropriate for a business casual workplace. So, I feel completely justified in my Banana Republic [clearance!] and NY&C [only $15] buys. Okay, maybe a tad guilty since I'm over-justifying, but whatever  :)

We had a FAB night - and I love this girl!

Lady Date #2 went down yesterday with my girl Pro! [wow, just realized both dates were with fellow bloggers!] Lindsey came to Denver so that we could hit up the Tattered Cover, drink some tea, have some lunch, shop, and see a movie! Going to the Tattered Cover was on my 101 Things All Coloradans Should Do List that I found online a while back, so we decided to check it off the list! The Tattered Cover is a good-sized bookstore with a quaint feel. It offers both new and gently used books, a small coffee shop, and plenty of cozy chairs with which to park yourself with a good read. 

We enjoyed strolling around the store with our uber-hot teas, picking up interesting-looking books [we totally judge books by their covers, and wine by their labels for that matter!], and exclaiming, "Ooooh, did you ever read _______? It's so good" whenever we passed by one of our favorite reads.

And can you believe it - I didn't buy one single book! Oh I wanted to. I LOVE buying books. I am so proud of myself. I have at least 5 books at home waiting to be read, and I know with fall semester starting up on Monday [10 classes - 24 credits - YIKES] I won't be finishing my book stash anytime soon! I felt very responsible in that moment of resistance!

We sort of abruptly ended our book-perusing time as my large green tea had found my bladder, so we headed off to Cherry Creek for some lunch at Kona Grill! This place is quickly becoming one of my favorites for 2 reasons:

1. Lunch meal specials and happy hour specials

2. The food is SO. GOOD.

I mean, I got this fantastic spinach salad with strawberries, kiwis, cashews, blue cheese, chicken, and jalapeno raspberry vinaigrette that was probably the best salad I have EVER tasted! I was totally in love with it. I also got a spicy tuna roll! All for 10 bucks! Worth it! 

 Here's Lindsey's plate! Isn't sushi just so beautiful?!? And props to Pro for eating the real deal! My version of sushi is exclusive to they kind wrapped in rice and seaweed!

After our perfect and satisfying lunch, we strolled on over to the movie theater to catch Horrible Bosses. On our way, I found a cute pair of black shoes with a small heel on clearance at Bakers! And since I had a gift card to Bakers, it wasn't even really a purchase at all! [okay, that kind of talk is when Tyler compares me to the main character out of Confessions of a Shopaholic. Justifying purchases so much that they cease to even be purchases anymore, haha.] They are super cute and will be perfect for clinicals. Although - Erin, I'm now wishing I bought some of those business socks at NY&C haha :)

Anyway, we watched Horrible Bosses, and it was pretty entertaining! I'm always rooting for Jennifer Aniston, and boy - did she bust out of her typical nice-girl role in this film! The movie was a bit raunchy, and Colin Farell made me want to vomit instead of swoon, but it was pretty funny. Kevin Spacy played a great villain as usual, and the cast seemed to work really well together! 

In all, another wonderful day spent with a wonderful lady!

I'm so happy I had the time to see a few of my girls! I certainly didn't get 1-on-1 dates with everyone I would've liked this break, but I'll take what I can get! Knowing my impending doom beings Monday with microbiology, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, obstetrics, neonate, medical spanish, clinicals, physical diagnosis, psychosocial aspects of healthcare, and clinical reasoning. Damn. *sigh* 

It's off to the gym I go! Day 3 of Body For Life is underway and going well! Last night I lifted the shit out of my legs, and today it's cardio!!! 

CHEERS [to lady dates everywhere!]

the cutest hair accessories EVER!!!

Good morning!

I feel compelled to share one of my best fashion finds with you! Kathryn Clark, hair accessory designer of Elli's Bowtique, is a hair fashion genius!!! I think she originally started designing with babies in mind, but she has made 3 headbands for me, and I ADORE them!!!

This was my first order from Kathryn. I asked her to make something with two bright rosettes and some sparkle, and she came up with the perfect thing for me! I love this headband so much! And it's on a really stretchy band that doesn't a) hurt my head or b) fall off of my head! Perfection!

This is one of Kathryn's designs I just had to have for my own. I love this one!

This is my latest one from Kathryn, just arrived in the mail today! Will be SO fun for fall!!!

I custom ordered this one for a friend of mine's newborn baby girl, and it just arrived today too! She comes up with the most perfect combinations! When I ordered it I simply asked for something with neutral colored rosettes and maybe a feather...and this is what she came up with! It's absolutely perfect :)

You can find Kathryn's etsy store at www.ellisbowtique.etsy.com to peruse her beautiful creations or you can email her at Ellisbowtique@yahoo.com if you have a special order in mind! 

If you could use a fun hair pretty for yourself or if you know a little girl who would be tickled to have one of Kathryn's special creations, order away! I promise, she is incredible to work with! Prompt, durable work, and really reasonably priced! I'm talking each headband is only $7 or $8!!! 

Happy shopping!

Cheers :)

heaven in the form of a jacket

Hello, lovelies!

I hope you are finding yourself at a happy place in the middle of the week :) I certainly am in a happy place! Namely because I had a some fabulous date with friends today! After a sweat sesh with my Andrew this morning, I headed out to the Outlets at Castle Rock for a lady date with Pro. We only shopped for about an hour, but don't worry, I managed to find myself a little congratulatory treat :) At the Columbia outlet store, there was the rack of clearance fleeces... The one that I fell for sells for $100 at stores, sells for $85 online, and was selling for $60 at the outlet. THEN it was on sale for $40...THEN we got 20% off! My total {tax included} was a whopping $34!!! HELL YEAH! What a steal. Here's a picture of my beautiful new jacket :)

The microfleece is as soft as silk, there are slimming side panels, a hood, and even surprise thumb-holes in the sleeves!!! ADORE :) And even better, Pro got one in the Black Cherry shade. Scrumptious! Shopping is 100 times better when you're with friends! 

We then went to have a quick lunch and were off to see the movie Morning Glory! I loved Rachel McAdams, and she easily played the energetic and quirky protagonist of the story. Diane Keaton was just as lovely, but I didn't really get attached to Harrison Ford's SUPER grumpy character. I wouldn't say it's a good movie, per se, but it was cute :)

Oh, and one more purchase to talk to you about. Have you tried Extra's new dessert delights sugarfree gums? They are FANTASTIC!!! They have Strawberry Shortcake, Key Lime Pie, and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream! I haven't tried the Mint Chocolate Chip, but I have to say I am a super fan for the Key Lime Pie flavor! It's like the crazy gum that tastes like actual food in Willy Wonka's factory! Except I promise that you won't turn into a giant piece of pie :) Haha, soooo good. 

That's all for now :)

Must get to work on my Christmas Cards!

I'll be posting what they look like tomorrow!

Cheers!

when a sick girl goes to target...

Hey friends :)

I want to thank you for your sweet well wishes yesterday! I went to the doctor, and have a respiratory infection. Blah. She said my lungs are filled with mucus...yummy image, right? So I left the doctor's office with three prescriptions and a note for work, and headed to Super Target to get my prescriptions filled. As you know, when you drop off a prescription {or 3}, you have a wait a minute {or 20} to get them filled. What's a girl to do during that 20 minute window? Shop, I guess... *sheepish grin ensues*

There are a few fall trends I have been eyeballing, and I decided to give them a test try-on. And I ended up buying 4 of them :) 

1. A fabulous oversized teal neckwarmer. Similar to this but in a gorgeous teal color!

2. A heather gray hat with a hint of sparkle. Like this but the lightest shade of gray:

 

3. A caramel brown skinny braided belt to pair with my fall cardigans. Similar to this, but better :)

4. A gray and white striped wool button-down cardigan. Complete with short sleeves and a way better high-neck than this example. 

Obviously I couldn't find exact pictures of my purchases, but that's okay. I am happy with my little trip to fall accessory land, and I am currently lounging in a long sleeve white tee, my cardigan, long underwear pants, wool knee-high house slippers. Perfect sick-wear {yep, I just made up that category!}.

Thanks Target, much love. Aaaaand before I forget, much love to the Veterans of our country. One of my favorite sayings about Vets is that "all gave some, some gave all." How true. Thank you, from the warmest part of my heart, to all those who have/are/will serve our country. It is a blessing to have these brave individuals among us

Cheers :)

back on the decorating horse!

Hey hey! Happy rainy Monday to you all! It's actually a welcome change in weather today here in in Colorado --- yesterday it was 100 degrees, too much too much heat! Today is much cooler with a bit of cloud cover and a few sprinkles of water and I'm loving it! It made me in the mood to get working on my decorating! A few months ago I made a lot of progress on my living room and bedroom...and then I kind of stopped working on them. Haha. I stopped for two reasons: 1) Lazy 2) Low fund$z for the decorating. Dammit. 

Alas, today I was inspired to get my butt in gear and I have some progress to show you!!!

First:

As you know, I LOVE shadowboxes! Here are the ones for Penny and Gryffin I already made a few months ago and I just got around to hanging them today:

I am going to get a black cube to hang on the wall between the boxes and put a candle int he cube or something. I'll show ya when I do it :)

Second:

I made some mini shadowboxes today!These ones have love quotes I wrote in them, are lined with pretty silver ribbon, and filled with green glass pebbles. Perfect addition in our bedroom!

 I even made a pretty little yellow heart to hang inside :)

Third:

I FINALLY got a new comforter and sheets! HOORAY! This was pretty much the last major piece to complete the bed area in our bedroom! I LOVE IT!!! It's by Springmaid and I got it at Target.

And yeah, I know it needs ironed :) And I need a white bedskirt, still...

It is brighter yellow than it looks...I  need  want a new camera

The pretty pattern on the bed!!!

Fourth:

I got all my jewelry under control this week! Got a new polishing cloth and I polished probably 50 pieces of jewelry - rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings! Looks crazy better! I also got a pretty new earring holder :) from Target, of course!

You can't tell me this isn't to die for!

Fifth:

I have been meaning to finish our 1/2 bathroom downstairs for quite some time! It was super easy to finish, it was just a matter of finding the right pieces! I found what I needed at Michael's today!

Before:

After:

I love the deep purple flowers!!!

Is that picture not gorgeous? $15 for print and frame!

The other side of the bathroom so you can see how the silver stuff ties in. 

Sixth:

I wanted my lovely and now shiny necklaces to be displayed on something that matches my new mostly white bedroom. So here is my awesome necklace rack, and I am going to paint it white!

In the process of being painted...

Seventh:

This is the BIGGEST project I have decided to undertake...the redoing of my dressers in my bedroom. I am going to have to sand it all then paint it white. I am also getting silver hardware on the drawers and I might sand the edges for a shabby chic finish when I'm done! So here's the dresser now:

I've got my work cut out for me!!! I'm tired just thinking about it! Haha. But hopefully I get goin on it next week :)

Well that was enough productivity around the house for one day for me...it's off to the gym now! I have an 8-mile run to do. *sigh* Hopefully once I get started I'll be in the mood for it, because I can tell you I'm not in the mood right now! lol.

Hope you all are having a GREAT start to the new week!

*cheers*!!!

ummmm PS I ordered the CUTEST candle ever today! It's this little silver elephant guy from BlissLiving Home:

Here is the website: http://www.blisslivinghome.com/carved-elephant-p-1322.html

Anyhoo - I saw it in Marie Claire and I'm super excited for it :)

our last hurrah

This last weekend was such a blast! It was our last hurrah - so to speak - before Tyler went back to school {starting his 2nd year of med school}. We sure made the most of it!

After our dessert-filled night Thursday, Lindsey, Tyler, and I went to Cherry Creek Mall on Friday morning for some back-to-school shopping. Lindsey and Tyler went back to school yesterday...and I just thought I should probably be supportive of them and do a little shopping myself! Haha. Any excuse to shop. Well, I did limit myself to Pac Sun & Forever 21, and I kept it under $100! And I stuck to accessories and practical fall pieces like cardigans, sweaters, and zip-ups. Success!

Here is the little sister photo sesh we had while Tyler was doing a fashion show for us :)

Happy shoppers!

After our shopping extravaganza, we packed our CRV full of all our camping gear, and headed across Denver to drop Linds off in Golden where my dad works. Then off to Deer Creek Campground just outside of Bailey for some camping with Pro and her man! The last camping trip of the summer! We ended up finding the most AWESOME campsite! 

To get to it, you had to cross this creek on these tree trunks {yes, we did carry all our camping supplies across this! And no people fell in, but each puppy did once!}

Want to see mountain beauty??? Check out our little tent home:

The babies found a sun-spot to curl up in :) Little twin puppies!

Our campfire kicked ASS!

With my honey!

Penny made a new friend!

We had soooo much fun! And the puppies had their usual camping hangovers all day yesterday = sleep sleep sleep! Here is what they did IMMEDIATELY upon walking through the door when we got home Sunday afternoon:

I hope you all had a great weekend, too! I finally finished the His Dark Materials series {Golden Compass}, and I'm glad I finally read them! Now I am moving on to Water For Elephants {Thanks, Pro!}. Have any of you read that book? I have heard great things about it, and I'll keep you posted on it! 

Happy week to you :)

Cheers!