RODEO STYLE

Let me just wipe the dust off this old blog. Goodness. It's been a while. 

First things first, I have become addicted to Hawaii Five-O. Like ridiculously so. I blame the cold I got in February. It had me down for the count and laid up in bed. And...on a whim I just started watching the show. And now, I can't quit. I've watched almost all 6 seasons (IN A MONTH!)....and I'm starting to panic about what I'll do between finishing this season and the time until next season hits Netflix. And then the time between that and when the new season starts this fall.

I may need to get a life.

Ahem.

In possibly less depressing news, I've also REALLY got into putting together looks or inspiration boards on Photoshop. Mostly interior design stuff (we are finnnnnallllly moving this weekend)...but also some outfit inspiration. 

I thought I would share my most recent look...

shirt / jeans / boots / clutch / silver bangle / cross ring / gold bangle / bead bracelet / necklace / earrings  

So fun, right? I love black and denim and turquoise. I think it's classic and timeless. And all the accessories and sparkly boots give it some sass. Y'all know I'm a sucker for cowboy boots. And the best thing about this is it could win me a free pair of boots!! King Ranch Saddle Shop is giving away a free pair of boots. All you have to do is share your favorite rodeo look on Instagram or Facebook and tag the photo #krrodeostyle by this Friday, March 31. Easy peasy!! 

MAKING 2017 HAPPEN :: HELLO FEBRUARY

image source

Happy LOVE month!!

So, I was an awesome blogger last month! Yikes.

In my defense...I was a busy girl. Lots going on.

First...the not so great....

The Cowboys lost their playoff game. So sad. SO SO sad. Now it's quiet time until baseball season. I seriously think I go through a mini-depression when our season ends. I just look forward to Sunday football SO much. Ha. I probably need a more exciting life.

I am STILL struggling with Weight Watchers. I just can't get it together. And...if I am being completely honest, I haven't wanted to do what it takes to get it together. I hate that this is a battle that I have to fight. Like, WHY???!!! I hope to share more of this in the upcoming weeks. But...there is a little light at peeking through this tunnel...so it's not all bad!!

And...the HIGHLIGHTS!!!

I got to see my baby brother play hockey for A&M!! The team was in town a few weeks ago so we all went to watch. LOVE that kid!!!

I got my hair cut!! I'm still getting used to it a little shorter ... but I feel like it's totally manageable now. Before, it was a mess...and always in a bun. But the bun was too tall for getting in and out of my car. HA. Obviously, not ideal...or cute.

I just peeked at my January goals...to see how I fared. I love that I didn't set these super precise goals. I think I knew that the month was going to be crazy and gave myself some grace. AND...surprisingly, I didn't do too awful! Is it sad that 'not too awful' is my measuring stick for success?

But, I did TOTALLY rock my #tricianaeeveryday2017 challenge on Instagram. So looking forward to keeping this up!

I wanted to share my February goals. It's pretty much more of the same... cultivating better all around habits.... but I also have a few specific things I'd like to make happen this month.

MAKING FEBRUARY HAPPEN

1. Cultivate daily healthy habits. I have a list of health related activities I want to check off each day- my daily steps (5k for Feb), 100oz water, eating more fruits and veggies, finding and keeping a skin care routine, tracking my WW points, etc. I have a little graph and I check off each item...so it's kind of like a game. Because, I'm 10. Ha. 

2. Cultivate personal growth. Along with my healthy habits, I want to work on my potential. I love learning, but I also have a tendency to get a little (or, a lot) lazy. So this checklist includes daily reading, see more live music, work through my foreign language app and share a picture a day (#tricianaeeveryday2017) on my Instagram. 

3. Cultivate relationships. Keeping in line with the previous, I'm pushing myself to be more present in my relationships. To reach out to friends and family. To spend more time with the people I love. To step out of my comfort zone and actually interact with new people (insert scared face here).

4. Cultivate my relationship with Jesus. This is the most important for me. I think my pulling away from Jesus, even though it was unintentional, was a big part of my problem last year. I'd rather do life with Him...and that means I need to pour into that relationship. I'm reading my Bible daily (thanks to the She Reads Truth app), participating in Bible study at church, and just making prayer an essential part of my day. 

And...the fun stuff.....

5. Enjoy my Houston trip!!! Going to a mini-conference and a few weeks and I just really want to soak up every little second of it!!

6. Start the moving process. Y'all!!!! I'll be sharing more of this journey and my thoughts (as well as a home tour!) in the following months...but I'm just so excited to have new little place to call home. 

7. Simplify/Deep clean. This comes with the moving process, naturally. But...let me just say that my car and makeup bag are the two main reasons this is a goal. Shameful. 

8. See some live music!!! Just something that C and I LOVE doing, and haven't done near enough. I love a date-night centered goal!!!

9. Complete my Weight Watcher specific goals. I love seeing these on Instagram, so I did my own set. I think this is TOTALLY doable for me. With the exception of BBG. I thought I would do that in January and just struggled with it so much. I'm doing the pre-training. I thought that would be great because I'm so out of shape. HA. I need some pre-pre training. But...I'm going to try again. In fact...I'm going to do day 1 when I get done writing this. Pray for me. 

MAKING 2017 HAPPEN :: HELLO JANUARY

Happy New Year y'all!!! Hope these first 3 days have been kind to you!!

I have definitely been enjoying the last 2 days....C was off yesterday, so we just continued our little stay-cation holiday. He's been off a TON in December. A week for vacation. A four day weekend, and then the three day weekend this past week! So much fun...I'm sad it's all over!

BUT...as I mentioned in my last post...I'm also really excited for all the changes this new year will bring. I know a lot of people feel like January 1st is just another day. I am not one of those kind of people! HA!! I love all the hope and promise of the "clean slate". And...I am taking full advantage of it!!

source

I already feel a change in my attitude. Which is honestly where the MOST change needs to take place. Last year, I thought long and hard about my "one little word"- my word for the year. I picked shine...because it sounded good. And then, brutal honesty....I proceeded to live the exact opposite of what the word shine means. I just had a foul attitude all year. It was like I fell in a pit of mud and could not get out. And I felt like I was bringing everyone else down while I squirmed around in the mess!

In December, I really started praying over what (if any) my word of 2017 would be. I just kept coming back to shine. I love it. AND....I am really trying to embrace it this year. I realize we can't avoid the mud, that life is bound to sling it...and we are going to fall into it...or possibly, get pushed into it. But...we just can't lay around in it feeling sorry for ourselves. Right?!

So this year...I'm all about SHINE. I love that the word covers so many different aspects of my life. Physical, Mental, Spiritual. There are some sincere areas of my life I want to work on...and some completely frivolous. And..for the first time...in a LONG time...I'm excited. Excited for each new day and each new adventure. FOR CHANGE!!!

I have some "resolutions" I hope to tackle this year; like to read the Bible, to travel, to move to our new place, to read 52 books, and to complete a few 5ks. But, for the most part, I'm just going to focus on my monthly goals.  I am following Lara Casey's POWERSHEETS this year, and she is all about 'Making Things Happen' and 'Cultivating What Matters'...so those are sort of my guiding principles as I plan for the month.

MAKING JANUARY HAPPEN

1. Cultivate daily healthy habits. I have a list of health related activities I want to check off each day- my daily steps (5k for January), 100oz water, eating more fruits and veggies, finding and keeping a skin care routine, tracking my WW points, etc. I have a little graph and I check off each item...so it's kind of like a game. Because, I'm 10. Ha. 

2. Cultivate personal growth. Along with my healthy habits, I want to work on my potential. I love learning, but I also have a tendency to get a little (or, a lot) lazy. So this checklist includes daily reading, see more live music, work through my foreign language app and share a picture a day (#tricianaeeveryday2017) on my Instagram. 

3. Cultivate relationships. Keeping in line with the previous, I'm pushing myself to be more present in my relationships. To reach out to friends and family. To spend more time with the people I love. To step out of my comfort zone and actually interact with new people (insert scared face here).

4. Cultivate my relationship with Jesus. This is the most important for me. I think my pulling away from Jesus, even though it was unintentional, was a big part of my problem last year. I'd rather do life with Him...and that means I need to pour into that relationship. I'm reading my Bible daily (thanks to the She Reads Truth app), participating in Bible study at church, and just making prayer an essential part of my day. 

Here's to an amazing January!!

PEACE OUT 2016

I just wrapped up my last email for the day...and realized it was my last work related email for the year! So fun. It's crazy to think that December is over already. I realize I say that every month...but seriously, where did it go? 

Naturally....I can't believe the year is over.  Y'all know I love the promise of a new month...and especially a new year...but I don't want to rush these last few moments of 2016. I'm looking forward to C being off the next 3 days. We've got some fun things planned as well as some serious lounging time on the docket. Love when he is home!!! I've gotten SO spoiled to all his vacation days this month!! 

I've been doing a lot of reflecting this week. There have been a lot of great things that happened this year. Lots of family time and fun road trips. New experiences and new friends. And, certainly the Dallas Cowboys are a bright BRIGHT spot for me! Ha.  But 2016 has also been a difficult year - mostly of my own doing. We had some issues at the beginning of the year that I let get to me in a major way, and I never really snapped back. I just felt defeated all year long. And....I'm officially over that feeling!! 

source

I am SO looking forward to changing things up next year. I have a tendency to make lists and get excited but then quickly lose my motivation. If you've been following my blog for anytime at all...you've no doubt witnessed this pattern. I think a lot of my problem was not really knowing what I wanted. Total lack of motivation...in just about every area of my life. I've been doing a lot of soul searching...and it's come down to asking myself WHAT I want....and then following it up with WHY. And, that seems to have unlocked an entire section of my head and heart. 

AND THAT IS SO EXCITING!!!

Seriously...I'm not sure how to adequately share my excitement over the changes I'll be making in 2017. Like jumping up and down giddy - excited. I can't wait!!

I hope each of you has an amazing last few hours of 2016...and here's to new beginnings in 2017!!

LET'S CHAT :: CHRISTMAS DECOR

Hey!! It's Tuesday!! That means it's time for another Talk About It Tuesday! And apparently...it's the only day of the week I post anymore. Ha!

So, we thought it would be fun to have some Christmas prompts this month...but you can always post about whatever you want to "talk about". Today's prompt is Christmas decor. Which, I LOVE. But, sadly...I'm not pulling out any of my decor this year. I KNOW...such a bummer. But we are about to move and and all of our stuff is in storage...and it's just not the year for all of that. 

I did want to show my tree though...from last year (or maybe the year before?). I just LOVE the traditional green/red/white but with a fun twist.

And here is my wreath. I think it needs some stuff though!!

I am working on my mom's tree this week (late!)...and we are doing gold and red...so I'm excited to see how that turns out. I thought I would also show some my FAVORITE Christmas decor inspiration. If you don't follow Dina...well, you should!! SO MUCH FUN!!

I can't wait to see your Christmas decor! And be sure to check out my friend, co-host (and marathon runner!) Melissa.

LET'S CHAT :: A CHRISTMAS WISH LIST

Hey y'all..it's Tuesday! Which means it's time for another TALK ABOUT IT TUESDAY!! Today, I'm talking all about my Christmas wish list.

C and I don't always exchange gifts. If we go on a trip or do something more exciting than usual around the holidays, we sort of call that a gift. This year, we are going on vacation the week before, so we promised we wouldn't buy each other gifts. I mean, we still end up getting a little treat..but nothing major. And I'm so okay with that. I really do cherish just getting to hang out with my family. I do LOVE buying gifts for other people though. Especially kids. And...I'm not going to lie...it is always fun to get a little something special!

Here's a few of the things I've been eyeing recently (or in some cases...for a while). 

perfume / monogram necklace / cd / earrings / phone case / dak prescott jersey / glitter keds / dishes

That perfume smells SO amazing. I've been wearing the same perfume for years and it is time to mix it up. I am loving this scent!!

I've been eyeing this necklace FOREVER. This is one of the items that is actually on my weight loss rewards list. Just in case. 

Miranda can do no wrong. And, yes, I still love cd's. 

I may be the only girl without a pair of Kendra Scott earrings. I want a pair SO bad. The turquoise is my favorite.

This phone case is adorable!!

I NEED this jersey. And...I'm going to need it before the Super Bowl. Cause you know we are going to be playing that day. GO COWBOYS!!!

Funny story. I saw these shoes at Kohl's the other day. And I laughed because I thought they were childish. I tried them on to take a silly picture. But, then I fell in love. OOPS. Now I want them on my feet all the time. 

Every time I go to Anthropologie, I eye these dishes. And every time,  I try to convince myself I don't want or need them. I'm a plain white dishes kind of girl, I tell myself. But these are just so dang pretty. Food will taste better on them. I'm sure of it. 

What's on your list? Be sure to visit my co-host Melissa and then link up!! 

Also joining Victoria and Sarah! 

HELLO DECEMBER

Well, now that the 2nd day of December is almost over, I thought I'd come share my goals for the month! I still can't wrap my head around the fact that the year is almost over. SO crazy. C and I were sitting on the couch (watching the Cowboys win!!!) last night and said we could not believe that Thanksgiving was a week ago. It feels like yesterday!

I'm not even going to pretend that I have it together, like ever. But this year has taken the cake for being OUT.OF.CONTROL. Y'all know that The Sound of Music meme with Julie Andrews dancing in the field with the caption "this is me not caring about..."? That basically sums up my year. The dot dot dot and everything. Yikes.

But...I so do not want the year to end on that note...so I'm going to try my darndest to make the most of these last twenty something days of 2016.

First, a check in on my November goals:

NOVEMBER GOALS

1. Make my monthly checklist/graph (and do it!). 

2. Blog more. I have some fun stuff planned for this month, so this should be easy!

3. Go to my Weight Watchers meetings and recommit. 

4. Finish the 30 Day Shred (level 1).

5. Try to take a photo every day on Instagram (follow me!!). 

6. Read 5 books. 

7. Go to Waco/Silos with my Grandmother (and C!).

8. Celebrate our 8 year anniversary!!!

9. Clean dressers and organize paperwork.

10. Get Christmas Cards done!

11. Do my first 5K!

Not great. But not awful. I did go to most of my meetings this month (except Thanksgiving week). But I'm not sure "recommit" would be something I could check off. Ha. I also failed miserably on the 30 Day Shred. Our current living situation makes this a bit tricky...and requires extra planning for space...and obviously I just didn't make that a priority. I think I read a book this month? So not a year for reading. I did get my Christmas card pictures made. Just need to get the design done! I'm putting off the 5k...maybe I'll do it this month...but for sure in January!

One thing I wanted to do was make some Weight Watchers specific goals. I see a lot of girls on Instagram doing this, and I thought that would be fun. And, hopefully...motivating for me.

Here's what else I'd like to do this month!

DECEMBER GOALS

1.  WW goals

2.  Make my monthly checklist/graph (and do it!). 

3.  Blog more

4.  Enjoy vacation!

5.  Try to take a photo every day on Instagram (follow me!!). 

6.  Start brainstorming ideas for making 2017 FABULOUS.

7.  Go see Christmas lights. 

8.  Clean dressers and organize paperwork. 

9.  Get Christmas Cards done!

10. Slow down and enjoy the season!!!

LET'S TALK :: FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MOVIES

Hey y'all!! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I was so sad the 4 day weekend was over yesterday!! I love hanging out with my family (especially C). We had so much fun over the break...and I may have gotten a little spoiled to having him around all day! 

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to dive in to Christmas!! AmIright?!! I thought I would kick things off with a Talk About It Tuesday :: Christmas Movie Edition! Fun!!!

Let's just get this out of the way first: I've never seen It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street or even A Christmas Story. I know! You'll soon see that I prefer my Christmas movies of the cheesy variety. Totally okay though, right? 

British movies for the win!! I also LOVE to watch the Harry Potter series during the Christmas season..it's not especially Christmas themed...but it fits.

My kind of classics! C has NEVER seen Christmas Vacation! I've tried to get him to watch it several times and he always falls asleep?! I don't get it!! When I was younger, my entire family used to spend Thanksgiving at my grandparents, and would all curl up and watch it over and over and over.

I told y'all, CHEESY!!! But there is something so fun about these films. We just watched Christmas with the Kranks Sunday night!!

More classics, in my opinion. And after you watch these, you should probably follow up with the sequels. Especially if corny is your thang!

So The Family Stone is a movie I have mixed emotions about. I HATE watching sad movies. I get so mad when a movie makes me cry (again, cheesy is where it's at). And this movie made me ALL kinds of emotional. BUT...I also cried from laughing SO stinkin' hard...so it works out. And y'all? The 12 Dates of Christmas is pretty much the ultimate in cheese, but I can watch it over and over and over. Probably because Zack Morris is in it.

And, what's Christmas without a little Vince Vaughn? I love 4 Christmases. So cute.

What are your favorite Christmas movies? Feel free to link up and Talk About It!! Don't forget to visit my friend and co-host Melissa!

**Also linking up with Shelly and Katy as well as Crystal for their Tuesday link-ups. Be sure to check them out too!!

LET'S TALK :: ANNIVERSARY

Happy Tuesday Y'all!!!

Excited for the second week of Talk About It Tuesday. So glad you are here (and you are linking up, right?! RIGHT?!!!). Be sure to check out my friend and co-host, Melissa, for her post!!

It's my anniversary!! Well, mine and C's anniversary. I can not believe we have been married 8 years. We have officially been married as long as we dated. HA! I have spent the last 16(and a half) years with C...and I still feel like I need to pinch myself to make sure it's real. I love him SO SO SO much.

We met at work. I had just started working a temp job in "real" office. Prior to this, I'd worked in a gym and ice cream shop (LOL). I was having a hard time with the whole "adulting" thing of getting up early and sitting at a desk all day. I really thought I was going to leave at lunch and not come back when C came through the office. He'd been on vacation the first several days I worked...and thank goodness I didn't fall prey to my irresponsible nature before he returned. I ended up working there for almost 5 years, right along side him. Not exactly right beside him all day...because I would probably be telling a completely different story right now (can I get an amen?!) but at the same location.

He's the most gentle, patient human being I know. I am a hot mess like 98% of the time and always a bit frazzled. But he keeps me somewhat sane. And, for that, we are all grateful!! He's a hard worker and has an enormous heart. He would do just about anything for anyone. And he's a COMPLETE GOOBER. Like hiding and scaring me, chasing me down the aisle (acting like a gorilla) in Target goober. Sometimes I'm afraid he's going to work my last nerve, but then he makes a joke and I fall in love all over again.

We have been through a lot together: mostly good times, but sometimes this world is heartbreaking. I'm so very glad to have him in my corner, holding my hand, and cheering me on. I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else. I can't wait to see what the next 8 years (and many, many more) hold! Thanks for making me a MRS, C!

What are you talking about this Tuesday?!!

MONDAY RAMBLINGS

Happy Monday!!! The weekend just FLEW by. But they all do.

Yesterday would have been my step-dad's 59th birthday. He passed away in 2013 and I miss him SO very much. His favorite place to eat (other than my mom's cooking) was Texas Roadhouse. So, the first birthday after his passing, C and I went to Roadhouse to eat and sort of celebrate him. Then we went again the next year. And last night, we ate dinner at Roadhouse for the 4th time without my dad. It's definitely a sad day, but I do enjoy spending it where we would have likely spent it anyway.

I got new Nike's on Friday. I have been walking more and more in this quest to lose weight. My poor old shoes (which I LOVED) had pretty much been worn out. I wore the new ones for a quick workout on Saturday and a 3 mile walk this afternoon. They are very comfortable, but I am still breaking them in, so by the end of the walk today, I was definitely feeling it. Looking forward to those walks getting easier! That probably has more to do with my weight than my shoes...but still.

Speaking of weight loss, I stumbled upon Heather's Instagram right at the beginning of her journey. Unlike my past attempts at weight loss, Heather KILLED it!! She is down 80 pounds!!! She also has a fun Insta feed and blog. I LOVE her Mani-Monday's...and I think that is something I want to start doing. At least, when I have something to show. I mean, right now, my nails are really pathetic. But, I'll show some of my most recent nails :)

These were my Cowboys nails for the watch party we went to last weekend. The blue is Sinful Colors Ciao Bella and the silver is my favorite silver...it's Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in Celeb City.

Y'all!!! The COWBOYS are KILLING it. It is SO much fun to watch. Also fun to watch? This just cracks me up!


And this....which, I LOVE. You wouldn't think picking up your own trash would be that big of a deal. But, for whatever reason, this made me smile.

Remember kids: if at first you don't succeed, try again😊 pic.twitter.com/oeaA1yF7CX

— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) November 21, 2016

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for Talk About It Tuesday, where you can post about anything you want and link up with us!!

LET'S TALK :: MAGNOLIA MARKET TRIP

Hey y'all!! Welcome to the first ever "Talk About It Tuesday" link up!! I'm so glad you stopped by and I hope you will link up your blog post below. And don't forget to visit my co-host (and friend!) Melissa.

So for today, I thought I would talk all about our little trip to Waco last Thursday.

Y'all are probably all familiar with the show Fixer Upper on HGTV.  I remember stumbling upon it mid first season. I could not get enough of it!! I just adore Chip and Joanna: them, their family, their designs. LOVE it all.

I talked about them so much, that we decided to just go see the shop last year. Waco is only a little over an hour from here, so it's an easy little trip. They were still in her original shop on Bosque. I was shocked at how tiny it was. But, it was all so very Joanna. And it was quite the place to be; there were a ton of people there...on a random day in the middle of the week.

My grandmother has been talking about going for months, so C called her up a few weeks ago and asked her if she wanted to go with us. Such a sweet man!! The new silos have been open over a year, but it's still really busy, so we planned for another mid-week trip.

We got there a little after 9 and it was already so crowded. We parked near the bakery...and y'all...the smell was AMAZING. We knew we were stopping for kolaches on the way home, so didn't indulge...but it could have been so dangerous. I've heard the cinnamon rolls are to die for. Next time!

I have seen pictures all over Instagram of people visiting the new silos and market, but I guess I didn't know what to expect. When we went last year, we drove by the silos, but it was all still very much under construction.  I couldn't believe how it was all pulled together. And so pretty.

The landscaping was incredible. I wanted to rush home and redecorate AND plant ALL THE FLOWERS! I just kept taking pictures of plants. Ha!

This is the only picture I got inside. It was VERY crowded in the upstairs part. And it was like sensory overload. I seriously could have bought one of everything, but I didn't know where to start! So, I bought a t-shirt. HA!! I told C that it was just a warm up trip. Next time will mean business!

Such a fun trip. So grateful for that time with my husband and my grandmother. If only we could have seen Chip and Jojo!!

Also linking up with Crystal for Tuesday Talk. Be sure to check her out. 

FRIDAY FAVORITES

It's Friday!! This week just seemed to zip by. I am so looking forward to this weekend. We have had plans every weekend, and this is the first one in a while where it is just going to be C and I. We are heading out on a little mini road and shopping trip tomorrow and I am TOO excited about it!!

Speaking of exciting...I thought I would link up with a few blogs and share my favorites for this week!

NFL Memes

1. The Dallas Cowboys won (in overtime) Sunday!!! The first part of the game was a little iffy and I was feeling the stress. By the end of the game, I was bouncing off the walls.. SO intense...but so so so amazing. I am telling you...it's SO much more fun to be a fan when you are winning!! Added bonus? C's old boss is a huge Eagles fan...so he likes to give me a hard time. He was A LOT of talk all day Sunday but suspiciously quiet on Monday!! Ha. 

2. The CMA's were on Wednesday night and they were the best they have been in a while. I LOVED hearing a lot of the older music. It reminded me of my childhood. Here are my favorite looks for the night. I thought I would also share my favorite performances, but it ended up being like 10 so I'll just say again that it was awesome!! 

3. I will share my favorite new song though. Little Big Town performed it at the show the other night. It's so good. And, Taylor Swift wrote it!!

4. I finally painted my nails yesterday. They were looking pretty sad. I love the look of fresh nails but I HATE painting them. Even though the fall weather is still not quite here, I broke down and painted them a nice fall color. It's "flirt" by Sally Hansen. I also love using their base and quick-dry top coats.

5. I got this magazine a few weeks ago when I was sick, but I am just now going through it. Like everything else from Chip and Joanna, it's amazing. AND....we are going there next week!! My grandmother is a huge fan of the show and she has been wanting to go to the shop for a while. C and I went last year, but it was right before the silos opened, so we are excited to go back with her!!

Have a great weekend!!

[linking up with Momfessionals, The Farmer's Wife, and A.Liz Adventures]