Family Dinner

that's a speakeasy behind me. been there 1 time. and it was neat.

 

sparkly shoes again! it's not that I WANTED to wear them, but that I HAD to. my heels were covered in blisters from my trip to Vegas, so something without backs were (was?) necessary #truestory

Mama, embarrassed by my lovin'

 

A few weeks ago, my parents came through town on their way home from Yellowstone. They swung by my work and got the grand tour, then headed downtown, where my Mr. & I met up with them for dinner. They had taken a guided kayaking tour and camped for a few days. They were full of stories of nature, and excitement for their hot showers and REAL bed they had slept in the night before. 

They're pretty neat. And they go on cool trips. And SOMETIMES us kids get to go. But SOMEONE in our family has to work, I guess 

 *sigh* 

I'm a martyr over here, Mom & Dad. 

 I kid! You know I kid!

I mean, when you've been married (to the same person) for 30+ years, and have built successful careers doing what you love, and have the time AND money, it's totally acceptable to go cool places without inviting your grown children. I'm sure D & I will do the same. Someday. 

Sort of related to the above topic, my parents call my brother and I their "bios" (biological children) and our spouses their "golden children" or the "chosen ones." Guess that proves who they like more. 

Their daughter-in-law and son-in-law, obviously ;) 

aaaaaand, linking up over here today 

Shirt: J. Crew (thrifted)

Pants: Target (thrifted)

Shoes: RocketDog via DSW

Bag: Isaac Mazrahi Live! (thrifted)

cute Mom & Dad: my sweet grandparents :)

Mr. Picks Mondays - It's Not Easy Being Green

bows & bows

and more bows

Happy Mr. Picks Mondays, a few days late! Like I keep telling you, the weeks continue to get away from me.

For whatever reason, this shirt doesn’t see a lot of wear. Probably because I still have a TON of stuff in my closet…going through and getting rid of some of it has been on my to-do list for a few weeks now. Where has the time gone??? We’re cruising right along into August. Summer, don’t go! Although lately I’ve been thinking of great ways to layer my clothes when the cold weather has arrived…

Happy Wednesday!

Shirt: Maurice's
Jeans: Trends
Shoes: Steve Madden via DSW

Linking up here today, with all my bows!

Bulldog Shirts are the Best Shirts

SO excited to finally have a bulldog shirt!

I FINALLY got a bulldog shirt! After months of looking, wishing & sighing, sending emails with links to my Mr., and asking friends to keep their eyes open for me, I found one! This is cause for celebration, my friends! I found it at a J.Crew Factory store when I went shopping in Wisconsin (can't find it online). I debated buying more than one so that when I wear the first one out, I'll have another one to wear, but then I thought "Show some restraint, woman!" and only came home with one.

Some people (my friends & family) think my obsession with bulldogs is weird. But I beg to differ. I love those little nuggets, and why not wear them on my shirt? It's a nod (albeit as subtle as a train wreck) to my affinity for bullies, and a wee bit funny, like "Hey, I've got a wrinkley dog on my shirt. Neato, huh?"

How is this different than wearing camo if you're a hunter, having cat items if you love the felines, or wearing dinosaurs/fish/birds/pineapples/the logo of your favorite team or band? I love my dogs, and I love wearing them on my shirt. Plus, they lend their wrinkled selves to being put on clothing/decor items (we have several...). So, I'll happily wear what I LOVE and if you ask me about my shirt, I'll tell you about my shirt & how I have 2 great pups. Cool? Cool.

Also also, my sandals are from Life Is Good circa 2006 from my sweetheart. I love the brand, and what they stand for, because yes, life IS good! Check them out, if you like to wear happy things :)

Happy Monday! Stay cool out there, we've been hit with another heat wave - slowly melting...

linking up over here today!

Stripes & Shorts

love these two nuggets. and they love me, too. promise.

I wore this over a week ago to work, and then of course to walk the pups. Walking both of them at the same time by myself can be a bit overwhelming - imagine two 50 pound dogs going in different directions, very slowly...oh, and every time they get close enough to sniff your leg, you get a huge schmear of slobber on your pants. It's a good look. Oh, and stairs are challenging - their bodies are too long to fit on one step, but too short to straddle two steps. It's funny, really. Anyone interested in seeing a video of them going up & down the stairs? Just say the word and I'll share.

Shirt: Old Navy via Goodwill
Shorts: Old Navy
Sandals: WalMart

Aaaand, guess what I'll be doing tonight??? 3 guesses. C'mon.

Going to the Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Eli Young Band & Kacey Musgraves concert!!! My sweet husband got me tickets for our first wedding anniversary in June - the first anniversary is paper, and guess what the tickets are made out of? Paper. Fancy, huh? So, we'll be there, and listening to Kenny sing about tequila, Eric sing about Springsteen, Kacey sing about silver linings & arrows, and the boys of EYB sing about crazy girls & Padre. I'm REALLY excited, if you can't tell, but him, not so much. He's not a big country fan, but, he knows what makes me happy. And he did admit he IS excited for the Kacey Musgraves show - we've been listening to her a lot lately in preparation for the concert, and we both really enjoy her lyrics and style of singing.

So, here's to cowboy hats & cowboy boots, two-stepping, and summer concerts with my handsome husband!

Linking up over here today with my stripes

Housewife in Purple

these are the shoes I wore for our wedding, with a shiny 2012 penny glued to the bottom

I found this dress at a thrift store and it reminded me of something an old-fashioned housewife might wear. So, I brought it home and then cut several inches off the bottom to bring it into this century. I added a bright belt and punchy shoes to finish the transition into this decade. What do you think? The top is a bit boxy, but I think it helps to balance out the short & flowy skirt.

On another note, ya know how sometimes the days just get away from you and you can't seem to catch up all week? And then the weekend seems like the perfect time to recharge, but all of a sudden your weekend is filled up? And the next one, too, and the one after that? Yeah? That's me lately. Color me exhausted! But in a good way - lots of time spent with friends & family and big changes at work for my Mr. & I.

I'm so looking forward to putting my feet up this evening and doing nothing. Some people go out every Friday night and are amped up for the weekend. I'm the opposite - there's nothing I look forward to more on a Friday evening than laying low and having a movie night with the Mr. and the pups. Am I the only 20-something who feels that way? Weekends are the perfect time for me to regroup and get myself mentally, emotionally & physically ready to tackle the week ahead.

On that note, have a great weekend! I've got some blogging catching up to do, sooooo, yeah ;)

Dress: thrifted
Shoes: ALDO
Belt: Target

Linking up over here and here today ;)

Navy & Neon

I know, I know. I tell my real life friends about my blog, and then POOF! disappear for a few days. But I've been busy (I know everyone says that and it's my least favorite excuse to hear come out of peoples' mouths because it means "I was too busy for YOU") but, I was busy! I mean, I went to Vegas. BUSYBUSYBUSY. So, cut me some slack, will ya?

I went to Lost Wages for a dear friend's bachelorette party for a quick 48 hours - pictures to come! We  had fun, but Vegas isn't really my speed - it's a bit too fast. Consider Sin City the fast lane - I'm waaaay over in the right lane, with the little old ladies merging. Regardless of the difference in speeds, we merged lanes and had a fun girls' trip. I think our bride-to-be is ready for her bride-dom & wife-dom (just made those up - ya like?)

And here's that maxi skirt again. And twirling. Again ;)

I'll be here the rest of the week, simply because my life is slowing down for the next 2.5 days, but then picks up again right after! Whoever said summer is a slower time was confused...it just doesn't stop!

shirt: Kohl's

skirt: thrifted

sandals: WalMart

jewelry: Kohl's

linking up over here today :)

Mr. Picks Mondays - Neutral. like Switzerland.

The Mr. picked out the lace top, and I decided to take neutrals for a spin. I'll be honest - I kinda like it. It's not something I would have worn before I had this here little blog. Look at me, steppin' outta my getting-dressed-box! (it's pretty small, and is filled with matching items & a wee bit of adventure)

I realize the pants look REALLY long & REALLY flared, but, boho is back, right?

Either way, enjoy the rest of your week! I've got more headed your way :)

lace shirt: gift

pants: Hollister Outlet (2008)

Sandals: Mi Amore (Sears, 2009)

linking up over here, with Coffee Beans & Bobby Pins and FACE IT Catalog