Sunday, January 30, 2011

Wardrobe Challenge - Skirt 8


I still have yet to figure out a good way to take pictures of myself. :) But I do not claim to be a professional. This is just a fun little thing to do on my blog. So please leave all negativity & criticism for your own blog, thank you.

After 2 days of laying around Tim's apartment (seriously, on Tuesday we just rested thinking 'oh we can go out & do things on Wednesday... however the weather had other plans & we only left the apartment 1 time each day) Anyway, I decided to put on a bit of color :)

I picked this skirt up @ the thrift store (of course!) & super duper love it! It is very versatile & it fit really well.



After Tim was off work we went out for drinks @ a hotel bar. It was pretty nice & quiet. I love when I can talk to the person sitting next to me with out having to raise my voice. I had a Bailey's & Coffee. It was pretty yummy.



The hotel has this neat bar area. Each little booth had its own tv. So I got to see some of the Australian Open. It was pretty comfortable too.



This guy who was working there reminded me & Tim of Zach Galifianakis. Do you agree?



The bartender was nice enough to take a picture of us. :)

(skirt: thrifted, boots: F21online, tank: F21store, cardigan: Old Navy)

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Yogi Trail Mix Bars


(work out clothes & heart apron)

I so love Jenna's blog Eat,Live,Run. Jenna is a great writer & I love reading her blog & getting food ideas & seeing her messy kitchen :)

She posted about a week ago about these trail mix bars. It definitely is more cost effective than buying my favorite granola bars so the other day I went shopping to get supplies & last night I made the bars.











*I think 1 cup of honey made it too sweet, so next time, I will be using 1/2 cup of honey. They are delicious & so easy to make! *

Yogi Trail Mix Bars

makes about 16 bars

1 cup honey

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4th tsp salt

2 T granulated sugar

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup oat bran

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

3/4 cup dried cherries, cranberries or berry blend (I used a blend of dried cherries, raspberries and currants)

Combine the honey, vanilla, salt, sugar and peanut butter in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about four minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients except for chocolate chips. Pour the boiling honey mixture over the oat mixture and toss well. Finally, add the chocolate chips and fold together (being careful not to overmix and melt the chocolate).

Press mixture into a greased nine inch pan and pat down with wet hands. Chill in fridge for an hour, or until firm, before cutting into bars.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Hey There, Hi There, Ho There

September 2010

Hello There Blog Land :)

It has been a few days, eh? I have been doing my best to stay warm. I woke up the other day & it was 1 degree! I did not feel like wearing a skirt. & then I kept putting on my jeans, wool socks, & fuzzy boots.

Today I saw that it was 35 degrees & I put on my skirt & tights & then I looked outside... 2 feet of snow! I knew I would have to climb through mountains of snow, so I changed into jeans, wool socks, & fuzzy boots. :) Which was a good thing because my boots soon filled with about a shovel full of snow!

It is so pretty out!

(I need to go home & do laundry) & (I really should work on Etsy stuff) & (Do some reading) & (some knitting too!)

Anyway... I may be going somewhere in May to help out some friends & it is pretty exciting for me but it not 'official' yet so I am not going to write about it yet.

Right now I am wishing for Florida though & these sweet people:
(January 2008 - I cannot believe that was a year ago... oh the sadness)

Friday, January 21, 2011

Helloooo JCrew!

Tuesday evening Tim & I found a thrift store (Goodwill) it is actually really close to Neil & Amber's. Almost everything there is 7.99. Also, almost everything there is a very nice brand. So I could not pass up this awesome BRAND NEW J Crew sweater! It is so pretty! I also got another really pretty J Crew BRAND NEW sweater. Looooove It! :)

(Pictures take in a Target dressing room )





Sweater - Thrifted J Crew, Scarf- Wal Mart (a couple years ago!), Jeans - Old Navy (couple years ago), T Shirt - Big Lots Mod Tee, Boots - F21Online

Wardrobe Challenge - Skirt 6

Last week I wore pants more than skirts. I had one day of lounging in yoga pants & I remembered how comfortable it is! :)

Tuesday I did wear a skirt but did not take pictures, it still counts as a day in the challenge.


Quick Picture @ Urban!
Skirt- Thrifted, Leggins - F21 Store, Coral Shirt- Old Navy, Tank - Macy's, Boots- Target, Coat - F21

I asked Amber & Neils turtle if I should wear pants or a skirt: "Dixie, if you think I should wear a skirt today keep your head out of the shell, if you think I should wear pants today tuck your head into your shell"

Obviously you see what she decided, & I am glad! :)

City Day Two

We woke up Wednesday morning feeling a little sluggish. We did lots of walking Tuesday! & oh yah that is right the weather Tuesday was so blech. Wednesday looked a little bit brighter. Tim googled places to eat breakfast & he found this nice little dinner a couple of blocks away called 3 Deckers. It was yummy & a good price. While we were there we decided to skip the tasting that day - Yay! Went back to our friends place, lounged around, then got ready to enjoy the day. First we set off for H&M (there are none close to me in NJ) I was in & out in about 15 minutes. So disappointed in what they had there!

Then there was a minor communication error with Tim that really had me upset. So frustrating. After a talk about that, we found a cute little cafe (it is like a fancy Panera) & had lunch & dessert there. It was OH.So.Good! It is called Le Quotedien.


My yummy organic iced tea lemonade.


Delish Black Bean Soup!


Tim's Roast Beef Tartit!


My Chocolate Croissant - soooo good!


Tim's Mini Chocolate Mouse , also so good!

After that, I went to Urban Outfitters - it was my first time being in an actual store. (Once again, I have never lived near one). I liked it a lot.

Then Tim & I went to a pub for some drinks until leaving for Trenton.


Jenn- Magners , Tim- Guinness


Enjoying the Guinness


Magners on Tap - Wooo! (Tim is not good @ using my camera - haha)


2 Iced Capp Supremes for the Road!


Tim sure is excited about his Timmy H's :)

City Day One-Ish

I say one-ish because we left for NYC on Monday Evening. :)


All Packed Up & On the Train - Yay! It was a bit frustrating getting ready to go bc Tim was still @ work & nothing was really set i:e - what time we were leaving, how we were getting to the train station, when would we eat dinner, etc.


Pretty Purple Nails


Glasses All Lined Up for the Tasting


Barrels of Wine!
(this place was so pretty! I enjoyed being there)


However, after 2 hours of tasting, I was done :) So I just walked a block to the Starbucks to read & enjoy a mocha. I was sooo tired though, I just sat there & stared blankly out the window, haha. ALSO not how the barista spelled my name with 2 N's (the correct way!) I was so excited! The Italian guy @ the pizza place did the same thing too, Yay! :)


Tim & I met up with Neil @ Genesis - it is this nice restaurant pub. Yummy food! There was a sign posted saying that on Thursday the service would be interrupted for the filming of Blue Bloods - so neat! Also that whole block had signs on it about the filming. It would be so awesome to see a show filmed! I looked up what shows that take place in NYC that are actually filmed in NYC. I admit I was way excited about it!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Out of Town

Tim & I are NYC for a wine tasting - well actually 2 wine tastings. We left last night & stayed at a friends place. Today was interesting - it is miserable weather here & after 2 hours of tasting I was done, so I went to Starbucks & tried to stay awake. (I slept terribly last night) Overall today was pretty good.

There is a wine tasting tomorrow & I hope to do some shopping before that. We did get to a thrift store today after the wine tasting & I got 2 great J Crew sweaters!

We only brought Tims computer & I do not know how to work the photo settings so when I get back tomorrow I will upload my outfits. :)

See you then!

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Movies of 2010

The other week, while Tim & I were waiting for our food @ Longhorn Steak House (courtesy of my mom & stepdad) we made a list of the movies we had seen in 2010.

Holy. Moly. A lot.

(not in order of release)

Sherlock Holmes - first movie of the year, it was better than I thought it would, I liked how it was more action-y :)
Alice in Wonderland - a fun movie, I love Johnny Depp a lot, Tim was not that impressed with it
*Date Night - oh.goodness. this movie had me laughing the WHOLE time. Loved it. The extras at the end were super funny too. Love the actors in it.
*How to Train Your Dragon - Wow. I had no idea that I would love the movie as much as I did. Such a sweet movie with awesome lessons in it.
A Solitary Man - Pretty good movie. The ending was clever & I still wonder about it. I am sure it hit home for a lot of people.
Inside Job - a documentary about insider trading, it was ok. Matt Damon narrated it.
Other Guys - Super Funny. Mark Wahlberg is such a great actor.
Machete - Was not sure about it when we went to see it. I am not a Jessica Alba fan but the other characters made up for it. I enjoyed how it was filmed. I like blood & guts :)
Social Network - Tim & I did not want to see this movie at all, but then we heard nothing but great reviews from everyone so we gave in & went, I enjoyed it more than he did but it did not blow me away.
Unstoppable - We just wanted to be entertained. & boy were we! It sounds typical, you know- runaway train, needs to be stopped. It was so much better than I thought it would be. Reminds me of my dad. In fact I called him right after. Then I looked up the facts about the movie, makes me like Denzel Washington less. *hmph* But I still really enjoyed it!
True Grit - Very entertaining. It is correct what everyone says, it is hard to understand Jeff Bridges, but it was funny.
The Town - Tim & I were so anxious to see this movie! We left a little underwhelmed :( There was too much hype for it. (partly my fault) But I still enjoyed it.
*The Fighter - Seriously SO darn good! Christian Bale blew me away in this movie. I have always loved Christian Bale & I left the movie in more admiration for him as an actor. So beautiful. I REALLY hope he gets at the least a nomination. Wow.
Shutter Island - I love suspense movies so this was right up my ally. I enjoyed the twists in it. Kept me on my toes.
Inception - Don't get your undies in a bunch... Yes I thought this was a good movie. Yes I need to see it again. I liked it. (Hello Joseph Gordon Levitt!) I really enjoyed it. But I did not feel the Wow when I left.
Wall Street 2 - Tim & I liked the 1st one so we went to this one. It was pretty good. Love me some Michael Douglas!
Toy Story 3 - A cute movie. As always funny. The 'lessons' the family learned was so expected & I got bored. I loved the Ken/Barbie interaction.
Iron Man 2 - Action movie? Robert Downey Jr? Yes please! I was pleasantly surprised & loved it!
*Scott Pilgrim - Awesome! Great! Loved It! Seriously go see it. It is just so cool. So is the soundtrack. Just perfect.
*Easy A - The casting in this movie is spot on! I laughed the whole time. It was perfect. Emma Stone is hilarious. Just loved it. A great movie!
Green Zone - A good movie. We rented it. I like other war movies better. But I liked the aspects of this movie.
Hot Tub Time Machine - Just as dumb as the previews made it sound. But when you are having some beers with friends & eating junk food, it is a great movie :)
The Good Guy - I love love love Alexis Bledel & I am so glad she did this movie. It is different from anything she has done & I loved her in it & I loved this movie.
Repo Men - Very interesting, futuristic sort of movie. I liked it. But that is all I remember about it. Oh, Jude Law is very attractive, haha.
Greenberg - There were maybe 3 funny parts. It is a dark movie for Ben Stiller, he did a great job but I do not want to see it again!
(the following movies I saw alone)
Black Swan - I enjoyed this movie. Super interesting, I was still thinking about it a few day after I watched it. Will watch it again.
Eclipse - What can I say? I went with some people when I was in Florida. It was cute.
Sex & the City 2 - Tim paid then he went to watch hockey with his brother. I was a little disappointed but as always the fashion was amazing. Love it!
Leap Year - So predictable, a little drawn out, Amy Adams is amazing though!
Dear John - Better than I thought it would be. I have not read the book so that is why I saw it. The soundtrack is nice.
Valentines Day - I loved this movie! The cast of characters was so great. Such a sweet wonderful movie!

I told you it was a lot! :)

The movies with the Astrix, Italicized, & Bolded are my top picks for the year.

I HAVE to say that we saw The Kings Speech after the new year (but it was released in December) The Kings Speech is one of the best movies I have ever ever ever seen. Seriously. The rest of the movie year has very high bar to live up to! (or maybe I will just not see any movies for the rest of the year! HA!)

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Wardrobe Challenge/Skirt 5

*Yesterday I wore sweat pants (cute ones) all day, it was lovely :)*

These photos are not edited because I do not have my computer with me, well I do, but the power cord is at my house & I am at Tims house :)


Striped T- Forever21Store, Cardigan- Forever21Online


Look @ how cute that little pocket is!


Skirt - Thrifted, Black boots - Target (super clearance!)

(On our way to Panera - YUM! )
Hat- Dollar Tree!!!

This morning @ like 11am or so I asked Tim what we were doing for the day (he has Tues/Weds off) He said 'well I thought we would go to Panera' Those words always get me into high gear :) So we had some lunch there, went to Wal Mart (where they now sell Essie nailpolish!), went to the Nobles & then back to his house.

I made some yummy Chicken pasta tonight (last night I made some yummy nachos) :) I like cooking for him. Before dinner I went downstairs & asked him what we were doing tonight & he told me that we would go to the Salvation Army for half off day - Yay! What a fella! :)

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Wardrobe Challenge/Skirt 4

Look @ me on a roll with posting my pictures :)


Skirt from H&M - when I had to go to AC for work stuff I always had some down time so I got to go to H&M - always exciting for me! :)


Sweater from F21Online - I loooooove this sweater!


Pretty scarf from BigLots (courtesy of the fella) I spilled some peppermint mocha on it today... now smell extra lovely :)


Boots & Leggings from F21store.


& the obligatory blurry self picture :)

Saturday, January 08, 2011

Wardrobe Challenge/Skirt 3

Today is a dreary snowy day. I really love snow so that is not what is making it dreary. I just have so many memories & I am wondering when they will hide themselves away & only come out on rare rare rare occasions :(

I should have taken a picture - well ok I should NOT have - but this morning I looked pretty hot! Oh wait, not really. I had on Tim's big glasses (we have a near same perscription) & his gym pants & one of his tshirts. I wore that to drive him to work.

The glasses look like this:

Pretty sexy right? (picture taken a few weeks ago - I wore the glasses to drive home in, lol)

Because I am in a funk today I decided to add a bit of fancy to my outfit...


Lace tights! (Dont you worry I layered another pair of tights under them!)


Purple cord skirt (GAP) from Salvation Army (2$!) I love this skirt!


(Striking a Pose) Striped shirt from Old Navy


Lace Tights & Awesome Boots from Target

I layered a pretty sweater from F21 over it & was out the door!

Now I am @ B&N and thinking about investing in sweats so I do not look *so* ridiculous in the mornings - haha.

Thanks for reading! Please leave kind words! :)

Wardrobe Challenge/Skirt 2

A pretty basic outfit for Friday.

Jean skirt from Target... bought last year (maybe) actually at Target :)


I wore it with a striped shirt from Old Navy


& of course I had to add some pretty tights. :)

Friday, January 07, 2011

Wardrobe/Skirt Challenge

If there is one thing I cannot resist at Thrift stores it is a cute skirt for under 4 dollars! :) Because of this I have many, many, many skirts.

See:

I am not sure if you can see them all. There are 33 skirts there! & I took out the ones that are not 'seasonal' (if you will, haha) --- you know the pastel-y flowery ones.

There might be 4 skirts total that I bought at an actual store. But you can guarantee I bought it on sale! When I was promoted at UIH my dress code was well, dressy! So I went to a few thrift stores & found all sorts of fun, dressy, pretty skirts. (I would say half of them are Ann Taylor or LOFT!) I love them all! I of course have a few favorites.

So this is my challenge.... to wear all of my skirts!
Here are my rules (they are mine because I made up this challenge)
1. I cannot repeat a skirt
2. I do not have to wear 33 skirts in 33 days (I can wear jeans or a dress in between if I want!)
3. I can buy more skirts at thrift stores
4. I will document each day I wear a skirt.

To start, this is what I wore yesterday:

LOFT skirt bought for 4$ @ Goodwill! Wahoo!

Light blue shirt - ModTees bought @ BigLots (Oh.My.Gosh - these shirts are SO soft & a super deal- packs of 2 for 10$! - yes please! I bought 4 packs (ok Tim paid for them, lol) light blue, brown, pink, navy blue, white, black (2)

Awesome brown boots from F21 website. I did not know if they would work out & they are wonderful! I went to order the black ones - they are out of my size! Boo.

So that is my challenge. I am pretty excited about this. I hope you enjoy the posts! Please leave kind words! :)