Maxi Dress

The main thing that I knew I really wanted to add to my wardrobe this summer was a maxi dress.  The first time I tried this dress on at Target, they didn't have it in my size.  The next time I was there I looked again on a whim, and they had it!  I'm so glad, because this dress is one of my favorite things in my closet.

You guys know how I feel about my jean jacket, and when the weather calls for it, I love pairing it with this dress!

{I don't remember why I decided not to wear shoes in these pictures.  Oh well.}

Dress: Target
Jean Jacket: American Eagle
Necklace: Kendra Scott (it was a Christmas present, in case any of you think that I'm threatening my low-low habits)

Did you have something that you wanted to add to your wardrobe this year?  Spill!

wedding outfit, 2012

We had one wedding on our calendar for 2012, and it just happened last weekend.  This means that I only had one "wedding outfit" to put together for the entire year.  This was it! (um, try to ignore how wrinkled the dress is in these pictures.)

In the interest of being "real" or whatever- I didn't actually wear this entire outfit to the wedding on Saturday because *wait for it* I am the worst about wearing heels.  I consider myself to have a pretty high pain tolerance and stuff, but when it comes to heels, I am a big giant baby.  I actually wore those heels to my graduation and decided that I was INSANE.  Then on the morning of, I decided to go with my pearls instead, because as you can tell in the bottom right photo, the necklace was just a little too long.  BUT I did wear that dress!

In case you were wondering, this ensemble is the epitome of low-low.  My dress is from a J. Crew factory sale.  It's actually the same style that my bridesmaids wore at my wedding, but was much cheaper.  I really like the dress, but it has some awkward stomach room when you sit down.

(now for the part that makes me gag a little bit)

Dress- J. Crew
Shoes- Steve Madden, from Marshalls
Necklace- Kohl's

How many weddings are on your calendar for 2012?  What did you wear?

because now I have a tripod

(I don't know why I am insisting on doing this again because while the picture taking part is fun, when I go to hit publish I feel nervous and silly.  But it's too late to turn back now.)

You know that old addage that you should dress high-low?  As in have one piece that is nice and expensive, and then one bargain piece to balance it out?  Well, if that's the rule, then more often than not I'm dressing low-low.  There's not a lot of "investment" going on in my wardrobe.  But I have picked up some bargain pieces that make me feel like I have something to wear when I get dressed.  That's one of the great things about not having to get dressed every day- one piece really does make a huge difference.

I know it's hard to believe, but last week it was cool enough to wear that outfit.  And I've worn that striped top a lot in the last few weeks, but now it's a little warm for it.

So here's the part that makes this a real outfit post:

Shirt- H&M
Watch- Amazon (I have two, LOVE THEM!)
Jeans- American Eagle (from a few years ago)
Sandals- Kinos my mom bought over 5 years ago and handed down to me- I seriously wear them every other day.

What's your favorite thing in your closet these days?  I always am looking for my comfiest cotton dress to throw on, it seems like I can't have enough cotton dresses!  Maybe one those will appear in my next outfit post?

Wanna hear what's in other people's closets?  Check out this sweet vlog link up!

makeup

I had so much fun talking nail polish with you guys that when Rachel posted this week's Top 5 Tuesday topic, I couldn't pass it up!

As you can see, I'm really simple (or boring, take your pick) when it comes to my makeup.  I mostly focus on my skin and a lot of times I'll just skip the eye makeup.

My moisturizer (1) and foundation (2) are Clinique.  The moisturizer pictured in the lotion, but it also comes in a gel and I have that in a pump.  I use both, usually switching to the gel in the summer because it's lighter.  The foundation I wear is the same foundation I bought when I started wearing makeup.  It's called Almost Makeup, and I buy it in Light.  I've thought about buying something different, but it's just the perfect consistency, it's light but it covers pretty well.

My bronzer (3) and blush (4) are MAC, and I just love them!  I've used that color blush since my senior year of high school, and I'm only on my second compact.  And I wear it every day! (well, that I wear makeup, which these days is not every day)  A little goes a long way, and it lasts forever.  The only thing I don't like about it is the name, because it's really pink and therefore makes no sense.

And finally, I three my favorite lip product up there, Vaseline (5).  I have a lot of those little tubes, and I just love how it feels and how it looks like you're wearing lip gloss when you put it on.

I guess honorable mention would have to go to mascara, which I usually wear too, but I'm not married to a particular one so I just didn't put it up there.

How about you?  What beauty products do you use every day?

Don't forget to head to the link-up and check out the other posts!

spring updates

Our couch is the futon that my family bought when I was probably around 10.  It came to college with me, and now it lives in our apartment.  Lately I've been feeling like the futon's look wasn't doing it for me.  So we switched the futon cover that it's had for years to one that was on it for a short period of time when it was first purchased.

The cover we switched to is kinda boring and our old pillows didn't match, so I decided to go ahead and get some new pillows.  I'd been keeping an eye out for a few weeks, and yesterday I scored some at World Market.  Sorry for the weird pictures.  To give you an idea of the size of our apartment, it's too small for me to get far enough away to take a picture of the whole couch.  If you could have seen me trying to take these, I'm sure it would have been pretty funny because I kept backing up into things.

Here's the old cover (not on the couch as you can see, haha.)

... and the new/old cover with the new pillows!

Aren't those napkins pretty?  Don't worry, you be seeing more of those.

It felt so good to switch covers and get some color into our apartment!  Have you been making any changes to your home for spring?

nail polish

I'm the worst about painting my nails.  I almost never do it.  I'm pretty good about painting my toes, but even that only happens about once a month or so.  I've kind of turned into a nail polish snob because I realized that for me, the success doing it yourself really all depends on the nail polish.  That being said, I only have a handful of colors (I think you can tell that I don't use them very often!) and I thought it would be fun to show them to you guys.

I have to admit that I've never even used Lincoln Park After Dark (or Cosmo Not Tonight Honey either... but I just got that a few months ago!)  I bought it because I'd seen other people rave about it, but when it comes time to paint my nails I never pick it.  My all time favorite is Sand in My Suit.  I wore that on my toes at our wedding!

You might have noticed my new shade I had on yesterday. I'm not sure I'll paint my fingers with it again but I think if I were tan in the summer it would be cute for toes!  But I have to tell you guys that the kindergarteners I subbed for yesterday were very complimentary about it!  So it has the youth vote.

That last picture?  That's why I don't paint my nails.  I did it 3 HOURS before I went to bed, and I woke up with sheet print on my index finger.  Not cool.

What are your go-to colors?


P.S.  I linked up our engagement photos yesterday on Just a Touch of Gray!  What a fun link-up!  Go check out all the pretty pictures.

Top 5 Tuesday

I'm linking up with Rachel from Just Peachy for the first time EVER today!  I've seen many of you participate before, but I've never gotten around to it.  This week's topic is favorite things from 2011.

1. Movie

My favorite movie this year was The Help.  I LOVED it!  Brian loved it too.

Source: alexacall.com via Kate on Pinterest

2. TV Show

I have been terrible about watching TV this year.  But the one that Brian and I consistently watch when it comes on is Parks and Rec, so I'm going to go with it!

Source: flannelanimal.tumblr.com via Jessie on Pinterest

(Honorable mention goes to Cheers which Brian and I have watched a lot on Netflix.  We started this summer and we're already on season 6!)

3. Song

I have been pretty obsessed with Florence and the Machine this year.  "Shake it Out" was my favorite from the Ceremonials CD that came out this year.




4. Thing that happened

Our wedding, of course!

5. Christmas present

I got so many wonderful things this year, so I'm going to go with the one that I wasn't expecting.  My Christmas list for my parents was really vague this year, which was awesome because I got to be totally surprised.  My mom found me this pair of black Aigner boots, and I LOVE them!  They are so pretty.

Source: paradisefashions.com via Kate on Pinterest

Happy Tuesday!  I'm going to do a more comprehensive 2011 recap later in the week, so make sure to come back and check it out!  If you're stopping by from Just Peachy, I'd love to hear from you!

Stockings!

I have the cutest husband. Today he took a break from studying to surprise me with these stockings that he bought for our first Christmas. He picked them out all by himself! Isn't that so cute? He did such a good job!

I love them!  Now I just have to find things to put in Brian's stocking.  Since we will be at our families' houses at Christmas, we have decided to celebrate our own mini Christmas here in our apartment before we head north.

We are still working on how we are going to split the holidays once we get there.  In the past, Brian and I always just made sure that we saw each other, but for the most part stuck with our respective families.  It was so much easier!  If you have a significant other, how do you split your holiday?

10 Gifts Under $25

I really struggled to make a Christmas list this year.  Between the wedding and my birthday, this year I have received an overwhelming amount of gifts and I just feel like I don't need anything.

But of course, I have been hounded by a few choice people for gift ideas, and in my search, I compiled this list of gifts that I think many girls would be oh so happy to receive.  For the most part, they're pretty practical but maybe things you wouldn't splurge on for yourself.  I supplemented the list with some things I already have (you know I have those slippers and you might recognize the cardigan).  Some of the prices are sale prices so if you see something you like act fast!

1. Personalized mouse pad, $16
2. Mr. Darcy Mug, $16
3. Drawn In, $17
4. Foot Duvet Slippers, $19
5. Black Ampersand Tote, $16
6. Gold Initial Charm Necklace, $24
7. Wooden Doily Coasters, $21
8. Heritage Cardigan, $20
9. Personalized Note Cards, $20
10. 5 x 7 State Love Print, $10

What's on your Christmas list this year?


P.S. Thanks for the input about Polyvore yesterday!  I wasn't feeling adventurous last night, so this was made in Photoshop, but I'm think I'll have to give it a try sometime!

my first ever giveaway!

I'm so excited to share this giveaway from Shabby Apple with you guys today!  I've never done a giveaway before and I'm excited that my first one is from such a cute company.  Seriously, check their stuff out!

Shabby Apple has generously offered to give one of their Key to Wonderland necklaces to one of you lovely readers! 

Now besides the fact that you know how much I love Alice, how cute is this necklace?  I'm thinking it would be perfect with a blazer and a frilly blouse.

How to enter:

**Sorry international friends, you must be a US resident to be eligible.**

• Comment on this post to enter.  If you do not have a blog to link to, make sure to include your email! (1 comment per person please!)
• You must like Shabby Apple on Facebook.
• For extra entries you can follow Shabby Apple on twitter or their blog (make sure you mention it in your comment if you do!)

Also, if you haven't already, don't forget to follow Stripes and Polka Dots by clicking the "join this site" button on the sidebar!

Good luck!  Entries will be open until midnight on Nov. 1 and the winner will be announced Nov. 2!

Friday morning snippets

Wow!  That last two days have been so exciting for my blog.  I love meeting new bloggers and the response I got on Wednesday was awesome.

I'm subbing for a first grade teacher today.  I'm sporting my new watch, which came in the mail Wednesday afternoon (yippee!)  It's not the color I expected... it's definitely more periwinkle.  But it's a bright happy color that doesn't clash with all of the shades of pink I wear, and that was mostly what I was going for.

I'm still rereading Harry Potter.  I started the 5th a few weeks before the wedding because I missed reading and wanted something familiar; I just didn't have the brain capacity for anything new.  I took a long break in between the 6th and 7th.  I'm woefully behind on my goal to read 12 books this year on Goodreads.  Not happening.

Source: weheartit.com via Kate on Pinterest

Today is the last day of September.  Can you believe it?  I'm always a fan of October (my birthday is on Tuesday... how can you not love your birthday month?)  I just feel like time is going by so quickly.

Have a wonderful weekend!

wrist candy

I can't believe it's already Friday! It's been such a gray and yucky week, I'm hoping for some clear skies on the horizon!  Fall better deliver some nice weather.

I was a little busier this week because subbed four of the five days.  Today I was an elementary school PE teacher which was lots of fun.  Those little guys are so cute.

I've been looking at watches the last couple of days because I really need one when I sub.  It's just awkward to carry my phone around, I feel like I'm breaking the rules.  Plus half of the time I pull it out and it's turned off!  Today my phone must have fallen out of my pocket five times while I was playing kickball with the fifth graders.  They were judging me.

I'm thinking this pretty little guy.

Source: amazon.com via Kate on Pinterest

For $10.50, you can't go wrong!  All the little elementary schoolers are gonna be jealous.

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Big Purchase

Brian and I have made a couple of pretty big purchases in the last week... we bought a new TV last weekend, and then on Monday we ordered a new computer.  Both of which were very exciting, but pale in comparison to the mother of all purchases that I am hoping to make in the next month or two.

I want a DSLR.  Bad.  I can't remember the last time I wanted an object as badly and for as long as I have wanted a camera.  Living in Lexington makes it worse.  There are so many cool things begging to be photographed, and my 5 year-old mediocre point-and-shoot isn't up to the challenge.

But the question is... which one do I want?  I've read message boards, scoured blogs, looked up prices... I'm pretty sure of the quality that I want, but the big debate is... Nikon or Canon?

(I keep hoping Ree will just give me a Nikon D90, but despite my wishing and praying it hasn't worked out.  Yet.)

I know there is no answer to this question, but after my initial bout of research, I had decided that the Nikon D90 was the object of my heart's desire (independent of the Pioneer Woman, although taking photography clues from Ree is never a bad idea.)  But I've seen some conflicting stuff lately, and now I'm not so sure.  I'm probably splitting hairs at this point, but since I have a little bit before I bite the bullet I want to make sure that I make the most informed decision possible.

So what I really want to know is, do you have one of these things and if so, do you swear by your brand?


(This site sums up these two cameras quite nicely, but I want to hear what you guys think)

P.S. AND if you feel like being extra helpful... I've read that I might be better off just buying a camera body and a high quality lens to start with rather than buying a kit... thoughts?

Easter Weekend

As I mentioned last year, I don't typically go home for Easter. It will be interesting to see what Brian and I do next year, since this year it fell during a really stressful time for him with finals. Even though I didn't get to see my family, I did see Brian and I got a lot of QT time in with my friends. Also, I would say that food played a large role in my weekend (as it often does).

This was the weekend of delicious brunch. Three days in a row. It was awesome.

On Friday I ate at the Tavern and had pecan pancakes, my favorite. Yum

On Saturday I ate at the Nook and had a biscuit with sausage gravy, scrambled eggs, and fried potatoes. It was soooo good! AND it was free! My friend had a milkshake spilled all over her, and management was nice enough to give all three of us our meals for free! She definitely took one for the team. We left a big tip.

And finally, for Easter Sunday I had huevos rancheros for brunch. The whole Mexican eggs thing has never really appealed to me, but this was AMAZING.

I honestly couldn't pick a favorite if I tried.

In news other than food...

On Friday I saw finally saw The King's Speech. I loved it! And what better timing than to watch it the week of the royal wedding?

Yesterday I went shopping with my friends after lunch. I got some nude heels (which I've wanted forever!) for a really good price at Marshalls. I also got a good deal on a dress at TJ Maxx. It was really fun.

Today my roomies and I made mimosas to go after brunch and went and sat on the lawn in our sun dresses. It was awesome. I didn't take pictures. So just trust me when I tell you that it was beautiful.

Afterwards we came home and drank some more mimosas and watched Ever After, which I love. Then we made dinner and watched some more movies on TV (there were so many tonight!) We also watched a special on TLC about the royal family which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I hope everyone had a happy Easter!

technology is not my friend

Sorry for not posting all week, but when I finally got around to it yesterday, my computer decided to crash and burn. I'm currently writing this from my roommate's desk (she is shopping, lucky!) My computer loaded and everything only for me to see that all of my files had disappeared. I'm hoping Brian can maybe work some magic and see if the files can come back. Otherwise I might be in need of the Geek Squad.

I hope you all have a happy weekend! It started out with beautiful weather last night, but it is pouring rain today. Here's to some sun later in the weekend!

Operation FIWD*

Two weeks ago today I posted about my new fitness goals and a little bit about how I was planning on achieving them. As of today, I have been tracking my food and fitness using MyPlate for two weeks.

I have also started training for the 10-Miler. So far, so good. My dad is really into running and he altered a training program for me from a book he has (I should probably ask which one.) Basically the theory is that you run two short runs and one long run over the course of the week. On all runs you are supposed to schedule short walk breaks. Typically I walk for a minute after each mile. I was skeptical at first, but it seems to be working pretty well. I have been able to complete the long runs so far using this system.

One hiccup in my 10-Mile training plan was when I left my running shoes at home. I always forget something. This time it was the shoes. I used an old pair for a couple of runs, but I pretty much wear my shoes into the ground and it became apparent that my body was not pleased. After my last experience at DSG I decided to bite the bullet and head to our local running specialty shop to have my gait analyzed. I came home with a pair of these:

{Nike Zoom Structure. I think they are kinda ugly, but my shins don't hurt any more!}

On Sunday I went for my first long run in the new kicks. Often times my feet bleed when I get a new pair of shoes, but that wasn't the case this time! I ran 5.5 miles and my feet and shins were feeling good at the end. The rest of me, not so much, but it's progress.

*Otherwise known as Operation Fit Into Wedding Dress. I PROMISE that this is not me being one of those girls who gets engaged and says "Oh em geee! I have to be *thisbig* when I get married!" I promise. And I'm not turning this thing into a running blog either. So stay put.

Wedding Wednesday: Registry

Yesterday Brian embarked on a journey to our local shopping mecca to register for our wedding gifts. I printed off a checklist, crossed off the things I knew we didn't need, and headed off expecting to use the list.

As you can probably guess, that isn't really how things worked out.

Yesterday Brian and I signed up at Macy's, got our scanner, and were entirely overwhelmed. Many of the things that you register for are things that will last you for many years, so it would make sense to have some clue as to what you want in each item. The problem is that we don't have the time to research each and every item on our registry. Then there is the fact that we just don't need many of the typical things that people register for, because both of us live in apartments at school and have had to buy a lot of basic things.

One of the main things that I know I definitely want is china. I know that these days a lot of people have stopped registering for china, as they feel it is impractical or something. But I like dishes too much to pass up this opportunity. Plus, I really intend on using them. However, I've been having trouble committing. This is what I'm registered for right now:

{Lauren by Ralph Lauren Mandarin Blue}

But I'm really tempted by these:

{Kate Spade Larabee Road}

{Crate and Barrel White Pearl}

So many decisions! There are things I like about each of them, and I haven't ruled out adding more patterns to the madness. I guess I have a little while to decide.

Despite our confusion, Brian and I had a really fun time picking things out. I don't like to gush about him too much on the blog, but he really is the best. He basically just manned the scanner and pointed it at the things I wanted, occasionally making helpful suggestions. And he was ever so patient when I was indecisive. It made me all the more excited to actually use some of the things we registered for when we are married... in less than 220 days!

Wedding Wednesday*: Bridesmaid Attire

Now that Christmas is over, I need to make some major headway on my wedding to-do list. There are save-the-dates to be sent, wedding website to be worked on, registries to be made... all kinds of fun stuff! First up is to go bridesmaids dress shopping. I'm thinking that our first stop will be J. Crew. But before we look at pretty pictures, let's start with what I know to be my criteria so far.

1. I want navy.

2. I want short, but not too short.

3. I want a fabric that won't be too hot since it will be August.

Oh, and I want the bridesmaids to be happy, obviously. That being said, there are a few dresses that have caught my eye in wedding-blog land...

{Photo by Jill Thomas via Style Me Pretty}

This is the J. Crew Cotton Cady Erica dress, and I really like it. It's simple and strapless, and I like how the texture of the fabric looks.

{Photo by Missy Cochran via Style Me Pretty}

This is one of my all-time favorite weddings, and I'm sure that I've linked to it in other posts. The bridesmaid's dress is the J. Crew Silk Tricotine Sophia dress. The fabric is lighter than the first and there is more coverage up top. I really like the back, which you obviously can't see in the photo.

I'm torn on which one I like better. I can't wait to see how our shopping adventure pans out!

*I get that today is Thursday, but all the days have been running together for me lately. I meant to post this yesterday, but obviously that didn't happen. Oops.

Winter Break

I'm home! I finally turned everything in and headed home on Wednesday. Since then, I've been eating a lot of my mom's chicken soup and trying to fit everything Christmas into the ten days that I'm home before the actual day.

{circa 1994}

On Thursday my mom and I got in a little bit of shopping before the snow came down too much, and then I reenacted the scene above (minus the little bro- he didn't get home until the next day.) I still have a ton of shopping to get done. It's been really busy, but it's been so fun to catch up with family and friends. I love being home.

Brian is still chugging away at his finals. I can't wait until he gets here! Until then I'm going to frost cookies and put glitter on snowflakes (I never knew how to make six-pointed snowflakes before!)

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! Only one week till Christmas...

Winter Workouts

I went to the gym tonight for the first time in at least two weeks. I don't usually skip it for so long, but between Thanksgiving and then that cold I got, I just hadn't made it there. I had to force myself to go tonight. I am so unmotivated to work out in cold weather. I think my body goes into hibernation mode and just wants to curl up in a blanket.

The other issue of going to the gym in the cold is what to wear. I don't like to work out in long pants. It seems like too much of a pain in the butt to wear pants over your shorts and then take them off. And my capri-length workout pants are really frumpy at this point. The best option seems to be something like this:

{Target}

BUT, as comfy as these look, I am concerned that they will a) look bad on me and/or b) present some PL difficulties. I see other people wearing similar things to this all the time, but my only experience with stretchy pants (like I'm assuming these are) is that both a and b were VERY true.

Do you have a winter workout outfit that you love?