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! 

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?!!

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. 

LET'S TALK :: CLOTHES, CLOTHES, CLOTHES

Today's Prompt: Share your style. What fashion trends do you love, frequent, or avoid?

one / two / three / four / five / six

I LOVE clothes. Of course, if you saw me in person, you might question that statement. I'm in (and have been in) a bit of a style rut. I work from home...which basically means yoga pants and t-shirts. I've also lost about 30 pounds (YAY!) so a lot of my clothes are too big (again, YAY). I seriously have about 4 "dress up" outfits for church or non yoga pant wearing activities. Ha. 

But, something has got to give. I desperately need to break down and get some new stuff. I'm a big fan of denim (especially distressed). I don't wear a lot of dresses. I struggle with finding ones I think are flattering. I do love a good maxi dress though. I think they always look cute paired with a denim jacket.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE cowboy boots. I don't mind brighter colors but I tend to gravitate towards blacks, greys, navys, browns. I love lace. And leopard print. I also like lots of jewelry and big big bags. 

I don't know if I am a trend type of girl. I like the basics. They really never go out of style. 

LET'S TALK :: MUSIC

Today's prompt : Put your iTunes/music player on shuffle and share the first 10 songs that play.

So, in my quest to lose weight, I keep telling myself I'm going to go the gym. If only telling myself did the trick, right? Anyway, I have to have music or a magazine or something to help pass the time when I'm doing cardio. I hadn't updated my iPod in FOREVER so I actually did this the other day. Here's just a few (12 instead of 10...because I can't read) of the songs I transferred from my iTunes to my iPod. 

1. Need to Breathe :: Multiplied

2. Luke Bryan :: Crash my Party

3. Randy Rogers Band :: One Woman

4. Josh Abbott Band :: She's Like Texas

5. Cole Swindell :: Let Me See Ya Girl

6. Darius Rucker :: Southern Style  

7. Taylor Swift :: Wildest Dreams

8. Miranda Lambert (& Little Big Town) :: Smokin' and Drinkin'

9. Thomas Rhett :: Crash and Burn 

10. Bart Crow Band :: Wear My Ring

11. Eric Church :: Wrecking Ball 

12. Aaron Watson :: That Look

I like pretty much all kinds of music...though I tend to lean more towards country. I was a huge Hootie & the Blowfish fan back in jr. high (don't do the math!)...and in my eyes Darius Rucker can do no wrong. Ha. Same goes for Randy Rogers, Need to Breathe, Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan....If they sing it, I'll love it! 

Oh and Aaron Watson. Do y'all follow him (or his wife) on social media? I LOVE them. He's super talented (and a super nice guy!). 

As far as "new" music goes...sometimes I'm kind of behind. I usually listen to sports talk (I KNOW! Such a dork.) in the car. If that gets boring...I'll turn it to music. That's how I found Cole Swindell and Thomas Rhett... these two songs make me want to have a car dance party! I finally downloaded them.

Some of these are a little older....She's Like Texas and Wear My Ring are songs I could (and have!) listen to over and over and over.

Wrecking Ball by Eric Church just makes me miss my husband. Ha. Definitely a "grown up" song, am I right?!

So what's on your playlist?

LET'S TALK : MAY FAVORITES

I Regret Nothing: A Memoir / Fitbit Flex  / Essie / Burt's Bees

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Just like this month, the weekend went by TOO fast. We have had SO much rain this month...so much. But, the last two days have been PERFECT!! Lot's of sunshine. We even went swimming today. My white legs nearly blinded everyone! Ha.

This month was kind of wonky, what with my Dad's surgery and all the stress involving that. While those days at the hospital seemed to drag on forever, I feel like the rest of the month happened while blinking. But, there were some bright spots...and I thought I would share some of my favorite "things" that I have been enjoying this past month.

NCIS. Y'all! Where have I been? I know this show has been on FOREVER. But, I just randomly caught an old rerun a few weeks ago...and I've been dvr'ing (that's a verb right?) every episode since then. I just adore this show!!

Rodan + Fields REDIFINE Multi-Function Eye Cream. Loving this. I have some serious dark circles and puffiness...not to mention some fine lines trying to pop up. I got this after seeing some positive reviews. So far? I love it. I've only been using it about 3 weeks...so I'll try to update again here in a month or two.

Jen Lancaster's I Regret Nothing. Not quite done with this one...but I've laughed so much. I always love her memoirs though. I HATE that I missed a chance to see her this month. She was doing a signing in Dallas, but we were at the hospital in Fort Worth. Anyway, so far it's really cute. I feel like we are kindred spirits...so I always get a kick out of her stuff!

Essie Mint Candy Apple. Such a fun color. I've had this for a while...but I'm really digging it here lately (on the toes).

Fitbit Flex. C got this for me at the very end of April. I LOOOOOVE it. It's a little shocking some days to see how very sedentary I am. I mean, I knew I wasn't running a marathon everyday...but I was SHOCKED at how few steps I normally get. Definitely challenges me to move around a bit more.

Burt's Bees Lip Balm. LOVE this stuff. I always love stuff with mint in the ingredients (I love the tingly feeling..ha). This has been a long time favorite for keeping my lips in check. If I'm not careful...my lips will get SO dry and peely. It's not cute.

So there ya have it....what I've been loving this month. What are your recent faves?

LET'S TALK BUDGET

I'm skipping today's blog-tember challenge. Mostly because I didn't look forward and plan accordingly to do the guest post.

I didn't look forward and plan accordingly.

Ladies (and guys, if you are reading)... if ever there were a statement to fully encapsulate my lack of maturity, there it is.

And, as such, I thought it was fitting that I continue to confess my sins to y'all on this lovely Thursday.

Oh my goodness. I am the worst at this. It's weird, because my husband was really responsible with his money before we started dating. And, I'm really really good at numbers. I also have a type A personality (with exceptions). So, you'd think creating and sticking to a budget would be cake.

Not so much.

I'm type A personality in so much as I can assure it will be perfect and without conflict. This is obviously a rare occurrence. So mostly, I'm the exact opposite of type A. Ha.

I mean, somewhere in my mind (bless it's heart) if it can't be perfect, it should be a complete mess. Makes sense.

When we were first married, we did Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University at our church. We loved it! We were inspired! We were motivated! We were going to be debt free! We were going to be rich! We were going to give give give!!

Until we got ready to do our budget. C was working weird hours (and got paid per hour- not salary), plus he had a side job with odd hours. I worked part-time, never making the same each month (and I only got paid once a month). I was also doing freelance design stuff (as I am now) and that is never consistent or reliable. So when I sat down to do our budget and try to organize everything... all I had to work with were estimates and guesses. WHAT?!!! What if I under budgeted? What if I over budgeted?

TOO MUCH!!!

So, I didn't do it. I mean, we went from using our credit cards and writing checks/using our debit card to paying cash for everything. And that was great. We tried to pay our bills PLUS some extra as to pay down our balances.  But we never got on the debt snowball train. We never got 'gazelle intensity'.

And, nearly 6 years into wedded bliss... we are pretty much exactly where we were. We aren't worse off (which is a blessing, of course). But we definitely aren't any better off (big picture, I mean). Sure, C only works one job and makes quite a bit more money (yay!) but our rent (yes, rent) is higher as well as most of our monthly expenses. Granted, we don't have to scrape together pocket change to buy dinner of the dollar menu at the end of the month (yay!) but I really thought that we would be in a much different place at this point in our marriage (and certainly at this point in our life).

I had an EPIC melt down yesterday. I don't know what happened, but I just got super frustrated.... WITH MYSELF. After bawling for about an hour about approximately 295 things, it boiled down to one question: "how did we get here?"

If it can't be perfect, it should be a complete mess. 

And it is. Everything in my life that brings me heartache fits into that statement. Relationships? check! My weight? check! Dreams and goals? check! Family? check! Budget? check! check! check!

But, one thing at a time. And as overwhelming as all those issues are, budget seems the easiest to tackle.

So, after reading Hannah's post, I read Victoria's post. And then I sat down and crunched the numbers. I got aggravated and threw crumpled up pieces of paper on the floor. But, I now have a framework budget in plan and I've even started labeling my envelopes.

I keep reminding myself that this is a learning process. It doesn't have to work perfectly the first month. Or the second or third. Or ever, I guess. But, as long as I'm not moving backwards or running myself ragged and basically staying in place... then I'm progressing, right?!

C and I do have big dreams and goals. It's high time we start looking forward and plan accordingly!!!

Do y'all budget? Do y'all do the envelope system? Do y'all pray? Ha!  Cause I may need it!!

LET'S TALK ABOUT CLOTHES

I'm loving the prompts Bailey picked for blog-tember. I always went through blogging lulls in the past because I never felt motivated to post about anything. Ha. Anyway, today's topic is all about fashion trends...the good and the bad.

While I wouldn't say that I'm all that into fashion...I do like clothes...and I do enjoy looking as cute as I can. That being said...I'm in a bit of an outfit rut right now. I told myself that I wouldn't buy any new clothes till I lost some weight. And, since I have not had any success there in quite a while...things are getting kind of sad around here.

Anyway...I'm not sure I'm much of a trend follower. I've never really liked to "dress up" either. I'm a big fan of (distressed) blue jeans. And leopard print. And stripes. I think these are all pretty timeless...so hopefully...I never have to worry about being out of style. 

one/two/three/four/five

I live in Texas, so cowboy boots have always been in style...but I feel like they are a bigger trend here lately. There are so many styles available...and I adore pretty much all of them. They look great with jeans, shorts, dresses, etc. I even wore cowboy boots to my wedding reception.

one/two/three/four/five

As for things I'm not loving? I don't know...I guess to each their own.

But, you won't be seeing me in super short shorts or high waisted pants any time soon. I also don't like wide leg pants. Maybe because I'm short? Not a big fan of skinny jeans either...but that is probably because there is nothing skinny about me.