fun with accessories: a safety pin

I love a good conversation-starting piece of jewelry, and this necklace is no exception. I think the safety pin throws most people off, because nearly every time I wear it at least one person has to inspect it a little more closely before pronouncing, "Wow, I love that!" In fact, I can anticipate that anytime I wear it around my BFF I will for sure "lose" it for the remainder of the day. While mine is a sample I picked up from work, I bet it would be pretty simple to emulate: silver chain, large safety pin, lots of a fun charms... viola! 

Oh yeah! And, here's the rest of the outfit I wore with it on Sunday. Lots of layers and repeat offenders from here, here, here, and here.  I just can't get enough!

a nomad

I was once told by a very wise woman that I am like a nomad.  Which is actually not too far from being a true statement. I am constantly on the go and thinking about my next destination. I prefer not to stay-put for too long, because I don't want to miss out on anything. Not that permanence is always bad (I do love being married).  It's just that there is so much to see and do in the world, why not explore as much as possible?

Well, this outfit reminds me of that wise woman's statement. I see the nomad, the wanderer, the woman with her huge bag of tricks ready to take on the world.  I like it... a nomad.

what i've learned in 1 year

enjoying a wonderful little wine garden with a live band - Lindwedel Wine Garden

To say that the hubbs and I had an amazing time this past weekend might be a slight understatement. However, returning home has been less than stellar. Our kids dogs keep getting out of the backyard, we both have ridiculous amounts of work piling up, and as a result we have been slightly crabby towards one another all week. Welcome to life and marriage. If there's one thing I've learned in the past year it's that they're not kidding when they tell you it's for better or worse. But, if you work at it, the better does out weigh the worse. So while I cope with returning to reality this week I choose to focus on the better, which are some very fond memories from this weekend. This is including but not limited to: zip lining (which sadly I have no pictures of), a helicopter ride, 2 bottles of wine, a bird's eye view with a hot tub, beautiful surroundings and some great company.

flowers and fish pond outside the fish hatchery

amazing view from our private deck at Cameron's Crag B&B

even more amazing view from a helicopter with the doors taken off

Table Rock Lake from the air

delicious wine with a name that fit the moment

it's all fun and games until someone ends up with a fly in their wine

another amazing deck view

a very relaxed and happy couple

and the winner is....

Congratulations, Brianne! I'm so excited that you get to enjoy a piece of Britta's work! It is truly beautiful and amazing. I'll be emailing you shortly to get your mailing address and to find out which necklace you prefer!

reality bites

This past weekend, the hubbie and I had the most amazing time relaxing and celebrating our first anniversary!  We spent three wonderful days enjoying a Branson, Missouri B&B with our own private deck and hot tub nestled in the trees, high above Lake Taneycomo. There was wine tasting, helicopter rides, zip lines and live bands in beautiful gardens. Needless to say, going back to reality yesterday was slightly rough...

is it possible to dress up a plaid shirt?

I don't know, but I sure tried! And, would you believe that it is a K-Mart shirt, no less? Okay, probably. It's not the greatest quality, but who cares? It's cute, and it satisfied a plaid craving like the one I woke up with last Tuesday. Plus, it set me back an entire $10! I paired the outfit with my suede peep-toe booties (which was a splurge, but sooo worth it!) and I felt pretty on trend for fall. Okay, so one more fun fact for the day: my toe nail polish is actually from Payless! Did you know that the shoe retailer is offering beauty products in a select number of stores? I am absolutely in love with this deep maroon color.

Free Friday: Tobias Designs - giveaway closed!

I'm so excited about this week's giveaway that I'm just going to jump right in! Britta, from Tobias Designs, has been so kind as to agree to give away ... read more

and the winner is....

Congratulations to Alisha L! It looks like you get to do a little online shopping this weekend :) I"ll be emailing you with all the details about the CSN gift certificate shortly!