90 miles to cuba, part 4

This was my “travel back to Colorado” outfit. Not pictured: a Colorado State University crewneck sweatshirt I put on when I got chilly.

In case you're wondering, ingredients for the perfect travel outfit include, but are not limited to:

- comfortable pants (stretchy skinnies)

- a comfy (mint v-neck) tee

- the option of a scarf

- a sweatshirt or sweater

- cozy socks in your carry on

- and I put close-toed shoes in my backpack, as well (I knew it wouldn’t be 70 and sunny when we landed in Denver…).

That purple backpack up there is a real trooper. I’ve had it since I started 5^th grade – I was REALLY into purple during that time, hence the bright grape color. Oh, and my name embroidered on there, too. My name is really Anne (with an E! always an E!), but most people call me Annie. It’s ALMOST vintage. So I should hang onto it until the big purple backpack trend comes back around?

Happy Monday!

shirt: Old Navy

scarf: WalMart

jeans: c/o Aéropostale

sandals: Target

backpack: L.L. Bean

90 miles to cuba, part 3

I wore this the one evening when it was COLD COLD COLD in Key West. Normally, I’m more than prepared with jackets, and layers, and options. Not this time. So, I was a little chilly through dinner at the A & B Lobster House, then strolling around Duval Street. We stopped in at Sloppy Joe’s, Captain Tony’s, Kermit’s Key Lime Pie, and The Lazy Gecko before we headed back to our condo because my teeth were chattering so bad.

This dress is a versatile little number – I’ve worn it to a country concert, on vacation, and to a work awards ceremony (in the summer, before this dress shrunk a few inches in the west). I just change out the shoes and accessories, and switch up my hair for a different look.

dress: Kohl's

wedges: thrifted (ELLE)

bracelet: Target

90 miles to cuba, part 2

This was an outfit I wore one evening in Key West with my family. We biked to Duval Street to listen to a live band at a little wine and jazz bar. My sis-in-law and I ended our evening with champagne. And it made me think that I'd like to end every evening that way. Cheers.

shirt: J CREW Factory

bermuda shorts: Aéropostale

sandals: Target

purse: thrifted

bracelet: Target

90 miles to Cuba, part 1

Over Thanksgiving week, my family got together in Key West. My parents had been before (and my Dad several times before my brother and I came along), but us kids hadn't.

Here's a summary of our trip: the creation of our own bike gang, Key Lime Pie (dipped in chocolate, on a stick), beer, lounging at the pool, my parents scuba diving, more beer, wine, snacks, running with my Dad, sleeping in, listening to the ocean, lounging IN the pool, golfing, shopping, exploring Duval Street, getting caught in the rain on our bikes, karaoke at Coyote Ugly, Sloppy Joe's, Captain Tony's, an Irish pub or 2, and a low-country boil for Thanksgiving Dinner. 

The humidity does crazy things to my hair (see above). I curled it one evening and it went flat in 5 minutes, so I abandoned that idea for the rest of the trip. I kept the makeup, hair, and outfits pretty simple all week - I was on vacation, after all...

tank: from a friend (Lauren Conrad via Kohl's)

shorts: Maurice's via Plato's Closet

sandals: WalMart

sunglasses: H&M

purse: thrifted

And this I wore one evening when us kids biked to Duval Street to check out the bar scene. On the way there, we got rained on, and looked like wet rats for the rest of the evening. No joke - it wasn't just sprinkling, it was POURING. I took these pictures after I'd dried out. And below is my sister-in-law just a few minutes before our rainy bike ride. Doesn't she look great in her jumpsuit and Jack Rogers? Girl has serious style.

shirt: Aéropostale

shorts: Maurice's via Plato's Closet

sandals: WalMart

not what I wore for Thanksgiving

This is not what I wore for Thanksgiving.

But if I'd had a more "traditional" Thanksgiving with a turkey and stuffing, I'd have warn something like this - stretchy skinnies, and a roomy button up. And see how I accessorized with my scarf, jacket, and purse??

Instead, I wore my bathing suit and lounged by the pool in the sunshine.

Instead of turkey, my brother and sis-in-law made a delicious low-country boil.

Instead of stuffing or sweet potatoes, we had a delicious conch ceviche. 

Instead of falling leaves or snow, we had lots of sunshine and a delightful sea breeze.

I've spent the past few days at the beach with my family, and heading home is going to be rough...however, I'm very thankful for the time I got to spend with them.

Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for reading!

buffalo plaid: Kohl's

scarf: from a friend

skinnies: Aéropostale

jacket: Target

booties: Old Navy

purse: T.J. Maxx

Mr. Picks Mondays: Black Friday Swag

Late on Thanksgiving night, I left the comfort of my warm house to pick up my friend, Amanda, to do some Black Friday shopping. We had BIG plans: we were going to hit up our local outlets, stop at a HUGE outdoor mall, check out Kohl's, maybe go to Target, and see what other places were open for the day that has now become  than Thanksgiving: Black Friday.

However, for all of our plans, bottled water, and coffee in travel mugs, we didn't make it past the outlet mall. After waiting in lines at several stores, and power-shopping & power-trying-on through several others, we made our final purchases and called it a night. I was home, snuggled in bed by 2:30.

This lacey sweater/sweatshirt was one of those final purchases. I picked it up at rue21 - don't think I've been in to one of those stores in a very long time, but good thing we went in that night morning. I found this lacey sweater/sweatshirt and another striped cardigan. I modeled my purchases for my Mr. later that day (after much-needed sleep), and when it came time for him to pick this week's Mr. Picks Mondays, he picked out this lacey sweater/sweatshirt & my mint jeans. He knows me too well - he knows that new clothes burn a hole in my closet and I just can't wait to wear them! 

I've got some more Black Friday swag lined up for you this week - find any great Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals you couldn't wait to wear?

lacey sweater/sweatshirt: rue21

mint jeans: Lauren Conrad via Kohl's

boots: Rackroom Shoes

scarf: made by me!

linking up over here & here (for the first time!) today

30 for 30: Day 27 & Day 28

Day 27

I feel like I spent this day running around like a chicken with my head cut off – work was BuSy! And then, since I’d been slacking, I had to go to the store after work to get everything for our Thanksgiving Dinner. The grocery store was a MADHOUSE. [Note to self: don’t ever, ever, ever, EVER wait again until the day before Thanksgiving to go shopping] People were blocking the middle of the aisles (pet peeve of mine), cutting each other off, and generally not being very “thankful” the day before Thanksgiving. 

*harumph*

However, I did make it out alive, and with all the fixin’s we needed for the next day! Oh, and the liquor store was a happenin’ place – I gave them some business, too, in the form of wine (white for myself & my mom, and red for my Dad). The Mr. had plenty of beer in the fridge, and my mother-in-law likes to bring her fancy cocktails when she comes to visit. This time it was “Hot Apple Pie" (she threw a Halloween party this year and made a “Dumpster Sludge, which was a really gross-looking brown-ish gray color, but was really quite yummy). I didn’t have any (I just love a good Pinot Grigio, or Riesling), but imagine Apple Pie, but with vodka & caramel & other yummy flavorings instead. Sounds pretty delicious, right??

Day 28

Day 28 was Thanksgiving. My mother-in-law came to visit, along with her sister and her husband. They are the first company we had in our new house (my folks came up Saturday - Sunday, so they were a close second)! Everyone loved our new home (we do, too!) and our meal feast was AAAAAMAZingggggg.

My sweet Mr. wanted to be in charge of the turkey – he didn’t let anyone else do anything to it. 

He also made sweet potatoes and apple dumplings (from my new Pioneer Woman Cookbook!).

He followed the recipe and prep and carving instructions in the book for the turkey, and it. 

Was.

DELICIOUS. 

I’m not normally one to go gaga over turkey at Thanksgiving, but as soon as the delicious aroma of turkey began to fill up the whole house, I couldn’t wait to dig in.

We had a nice Thanksgiving Dinner, just the 5 of us. There wasn’t a lot of stress – we’d told our visitors we’d still have boxes everywhere, so they weren’t expecting our house to be put together. We didn’t end up having boxes EVERYWHERE (we grouped a lot of them in the basement or the garage…aaaah, the joys of having a basement AND a garage!), but we did have them placed in corners and a few in every room.

All in all, a nice & relatively quiet Thanksgiving, made even more special by the fact that we celebrated in our new home – just one more thing to be thankful for :)

linking up here today

30 for 30: Day 6 - when I MET THE PIONEER WOMAN!

me & Ree - so worth the wait in line! and the drive! and the time off from work!

Last week, The Pioneer Woman came to Colorado on her latest book tour (A Year of Holidays - recipes for a whole year of holidays, beginning with New Year's Day, and ending with New Year's Eve). 

You better believe I went. And I got a picture with her (above, from my Instagram. 

And she signed my newest cookbook (and my previous one, too).

My sister-in-law introduced me to her sometime last year, and I'm so glad she did (thanks, KB)! P-Dubs has THE. BEST. recipes. Seriously. Everything I've made from her book is a HUGE hit at our house. I read her blog daily, and have her show on The Food Network set up to record on our DVR every week. I like to think we would be best friends in real life. Can I tell you I was SO awkward when I met her? I feel like I know so much about her, and she has no idea who I am 

*sigh*

I even took the afternoon off of work to make it to the signing, and my best friend came with me, and patiently waited in line with me. She's such a good friend - those are hard to find!

I could go on and on about how much I love the Pioneer Woman, but I'm going to suggest you check out her blog/cookbooks/show - let me know which of her recipes you make (and subsequently fall in love with). We're hosting Thanksgiving at our (NEW!) house, and have already drooled over the Thanksgiving section of her new book. And Christmas. And New Year's. And Valentine's Day...

my best friend is such a good blog photographer - she "directs the shot" and helps pose me

I was really proud of myself for this outfit for several reasons:

1) I don't care to wear tights, as I think they're uncomfortable. However, I wore these all day, and even longer than I normally would, as I didn't get home and into my pajamas until waaay past my bedtime.

2) I did some MAJOR print mixing here. Stripes AND houndstooth?? I patted myself on the back for this one. 

3) I think I look a teensy bit Parisian chic, which is something I'm obsessed with lately. We were sitting in the "fashion" section of The Tattered Cover (the location of the book signing), gleaning as much information about Paris fashion & becoing "tres chic" as we could without taking the new books home with us, as both of us agree it's more important to buy food and gas than books about clothes...

*sigh*

Someday...

thanks for coming with me, L. I really had the best time <3
also, I'm sorry I have blurry picture taking skills

linking up over at Simply Lulu Style, because I LOVED meeting the Pioneer Woman, AND spending the afternoon/evening with my best friend :)

Mr. Picks Mondays: a wee bit behind

Hi hi! Sorry for my extended (and unintended) absence - this week got away from me, once again! And this next week looks to be a busy one, too. Actually, let's be real - I'm pretty busy until October. 

November, really. 

Eh, more like closer to Thanksgiving. 

So, see ya never? 

I kid! 

But bear with me, please! Promise I've been wearing clothes AND taking pictures of them for ya ;)

Have a great week!

shirt: Old Navy

chambray: thrifted

shorts: Old Navy

sandals: Shoe Carnival