Happy Much!?

Hi y'all...its been awhile I know! 

 Just updating you with a few things going on in my crazy life.  I will be having some surgeries and treatments starting soon so its gonna be a rough-rodeo-spring for me.  I am not ready to go into detail and share all that at the moment as I'm still processing it myself.  HOWEVER I love to blog and I wasn't blogging because I haven't had the energy (both mentally & physically) to get any projects done.  And I was thinking to myself how silly that was...I love to blog and write and I would just have to get over myself and find a new "something" to share.  So I was up to 6 am last night...not by choice mind you...and was pondering what I would post here every week.

So at least 5-6 posts a week will be coming your way starting today.  Obviously surgery days and recovery I might not have much to post but I will try my best.  

So WHAT am I going to post?

Well a little bit of everything!  

Things that made me happy that day or put a smile on my face.

Quotes that make me think or say "aha"!

Books that I'm reading that I think everyone would love (or maybe not)!

Recipes I've tried or want to try soon.

Other people's project links that I think are super-cool!

Places, Events or things my family is doing!

Photographs of mine.

My journey along the path of wellness and nutrition

(starting Paleo diet this week)

and more!

So they won't all be long, drawn out posts but rather small snippets of things that have intrigued me, made me happy or things I just feel I need to share.  

As soon as I'm better I hope to start finishing some of those unfinished projects but until then you and I will have a conversation of sorts...right here on this blog every day.

Sound ok?

And you can always find me on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram...I have a serious addiction to most forms of Social Media that can't be cured. ;)  And hey when you are laid up in bed it makes you feel like you are still part of the world lemme tell ya!

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Kitty Cat Love

This is a sweater I picked up at Target last week.  Why?  Well because I thought it was cute, it made me smile and ummm I have 6 cats so I AM the crazy-cat-lady LOL.  My daughter made fun of it...pah what does she know because I wore it to the mall and had 7 people compliment me on it. So what does she do?  She goes and buys a tank top from Urban Outfitters with....yup you guessed it...cats all over it bwahahaha!

Anywho it goes brilliantly with my peach skinnies from Gap I got this past fall and my gray pointy-toe flats.  Its a little quirky but comfortable and makes a statement...what that statement is I'm not sure...maybe I'm "goofy" hahaha!  But I love it!  I didn't see the sweater online so maybe its an "in-store" only item but its by Mossimo from Target.

And y'all know I'm a fanatic for Essie nail polishes right?  

Well I flipped over the NEW Resort 2014 Collection....love every color!  I actually bought the mini cube set from Amazon...that way I get all the colors in small doses (because I rarely use all the nail polish in a bottle so why buy the huge bottles unless I absolutely love it, right?).

The Spring 2014 Colors are cute too :)

Essie Resort Fling 2014 Cube

Essie Mini Resort Collection 2014 Cube

Enjoy your Monday!

Winter Style Files

Winter Style Files

I love fashion...always have, always will..its just something that makes me happy.

Now I'm not a total fashionista...I don't wear some of the latest absurd trends nor do I pay gobs of cash for items and I don't spend hours looking at clothes.  But I do like to take trendy pieces and add them into what I already own and add a few classics along the way.

And Polyvore.com is a GREAT place to play around with clothes...like a big closet..except the clothes are free to dress up in.  I like to create fashion-boards of styles I like and then save them...gives me an idea of what to look for online or in stores.  

Below are two that are my current faves and I'm setting out to buy a few things that are similar.  These are styles that have some classic elements but also a few trendy and fun items thrown in (keep trendy items cheap, pay more for classics is my motto).

Warm White Winter by sjdean 

White chunky knit sweater, $24 / Jacket, $315 / MICHAEL Michael Kors cream skinny jeans, $66 / Steve Madden brown slouch boots  $133/ Nica shoulder bag, $88 / Olivia Burton watch, $115 / River Island earrings, $7.98 / With Love From CA brown infinity scarf  $17/ Edward Bess lip gloss, $41 

The Links above are the actual items I pinned...I just liked them...doesn't mean I'm buying them but its a good launching point.  Nothing I pinned is too expensive except the leather jacket and I expect to pay about $200-350 for a nice jacket like that...but it will last and last. I have a black one already and am debating over whether to get a dark brown or cream one...love dark brown but the cream /camel one speaks to me too.  And those boots...oh I have a thing for boots lemme tell ya..borderline obsessive ;)  And that scarf..only $17...yup its definitely a must have for me..cute and animal prints are IN y'all!  The rest of the items I have similar ones of...I got the cream skinny jeans at Abercrombie though.

These are my new boots from Nordstroms by Dolce Vita..aren't they cute?

They are super comfy too...the black ones fell into my cart this week...they will be here Saturday!  I'm a shoe-addict what can I say...but I do wear them I promise!

Scarlet Biker Girl by sjdean 

Acne Studios dress / IRO black vest / Mango side zip black pants, $32 / Valentino engineer boots / Rebecca Minkoff handbag $185/ GUESS bracelet $32/ Luxury Fashion earrings / Pieces black metal ring, $6.77 / Loop scarf $17/ Hourglass Cosmetics blue lip gloss, $34 / Essie nail polish

I like the classic elements in this look..but with a side of biker girl thrown in ;)  A little fun with fashion I say.  Leggings are always in style...just remember to cover your tush..that's just not attractive in my opinion.  Love the black leather vest and motorcycle boots with studs...gives it a bit of "bad girl" right?  And the scarlet breaks up the monotone look and its just a fun color to add in.  The boots are like $2000...ummm yeah no...I love ya Valentino but I found boots similar at Zappos for under $150 :)  I have the leggings, sweater, rings, purse, lip gloss and scarf already...just need the vest and boots but on a cheaper price scale.

These are my other new boots...they are by Franco Sarto (one of my fave shoe designers) and super comfy...I wanted a flat black boot since I have already have lots of heeled boots...nice for slick weather.  Good for wearing with jeans and leggings this winter!  Although I've been thinking of getting me & Alexa some Hunter boots like these here (I want grey & she wants the feather blue).

Are you a scarf addict like me too?  They add such a nice pop of color or pattern to your outfits AND keep you warm when the weather is chilly.  I cannot wear turtleneck shirts/sweaters anymore because I feel claustrophobic in them (yup I'm odd like that and will start sweating & pulling at them like a weirdy) but I can wear loose scarves with no issue and they keep me warm.  If you have older sweaters or shirts they can revive them a bit and change it up for you.  I'm totally NOT a scarf snob..I don't care what the brand is as long as its a color/pattern I dig and its not scratchy.  And I love these scarves from Amazon.com...only $5-8 each and they come in SO MANY colors.  I have about 7 of them that Alexa and I share. Check out the other scarves on Amazon too for great deals and styles.  As much as I love the Kate Spade scarves I just cannot justify that price KWIM?  If you have scarves that aren't infinity loops...just tie the ends up tight and poof there you go...just tuck the ends under when you loop it around your neck and no one will know.

This is what I narrowed my purse choices down to for this fall/winter. ..I love the styles and the colors will go with most of what I have.  I have a black purse and a scarlet patent leather purse by Coach that I use during the winter as well...but it is time for a new brown one.  If you invest in a Coach purse and take care of it, it will last forever.  I use purses from 10 years ago still...they are worth the investment if you can swing it.  So not sure which one (although I'm leaning towards the first one)...oh hard decisions..I like these kind of decisions though right?

Y'all know I love my Essie nail polishes...they last forever and have the best selection of colors.  This fall these are my fave new colors they've come out with.

Don't Sweater It is a pinkish-beige...Cashmere Bathrobe is a sparkly graphite grey..Vested Interest is a grayish-green that looks great with jeans (its on my toes now) ;)

Buy Essie on Amazon.com as you can sometimes get TWO for the price you usually pay for one in the store..no lie!

And I love this Essie Miss Fancy Pants I have on now...its a nice greige color..good neutral for fall!