Fall's Calling Me...

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I'm not sure what it is, but there is something so invigorating about Fall. So refreshing.

I love it. I adore it. I live for Fall.

I love the weather, with its cool, crisp mornings. Going through boxes of sweaters and jeans, scarves and boots. I'm almost giddy just thinking about it! I love gazing down the long aisles of fresh school supplies! I'm a paper and pen addict, and I used to LOVE going to get new notebooks and folders... Around the end of August, I swear I can smell football season. I absolutely adored football games in high school. I cheered my freshman year, and danced the remaining three. I loved it. Most of my good guy friends played, and it was a pretty small school {Small Town Girl, exhibit A}, and we all just loved it. Being on the yearbook staff had its perks too, as we got to go down on the field to take pictures...

As you may (or may not) know, I call Kentucky my home. And while we may not be Vermont-like famous for our fall foliage, I think the photo above can atest to the fact that they are still pretty spectacular in a good year. That photo was featured in a 2002 article in Southern Living about Louisville, Ky, home of Churchill Downs and the Derby.

I am eagerly awaiting the return of Autumn...

"No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace as I have seen in one autumnal face..."
Quote by John Donne

To hold me over until I actually get a chance to go shopping, here are some of my wants for this upcoming season:

I heart sweaters. Particularly sweaters in jewel tones. This lovely comes from our dear friend Ann. $39.50

I'm also loving this outfit, would be perfect for the office...

I am totally in love with JCrew's boatneck tee...and I adore the pin...$34.50

My love of handbags definitely comes into play as the seasons change...I've been on the lookout for a tan/brown "go-to" bag that I can wear with almost anything, and can hold my universe, with room to spare...And it never fails, when I find one that I adore, it is by none other than Michael Kors. I love him! He's a genius! $348.00

Well, gotta go. Work to be done!

Anyone else have a love affair with Autumn?

Seven Words...

So You Think You Can Dance FINALE! AGGGHHHHH!

Here's my PICK:

JEANINE! LOVE HER! Source

With Phillip, from one of my favorite routines! Source

I just think she's a beautiful woman, an INCREDIBLE dancer, she's really come into her own on the show...She's been one of my faves since the beginning! I will be so jazzed if she wins tonight!

It's about TIME we have another GIRL win!

Hope ya'll are watching!

6 Months

Our sweet baby girl is 6 months as of yesterday! I can't believe how big she's gotten!

PS-Sorry I've been such a bad blogger...it's been crazy lately! Hope you all are having a great August so far!

Green Guilt...

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I have to get something off my chest...I've been feeling a little guilty for a while...

Since the 2007 release of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," everyone has taken a much greater notice of our Mother Earth and how we've been treating her...Which is great. Awesome.

I'm all for Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

And cue the green guilt:

We don't eat organic. {No where even close, actually.}

My 5 month old daughter doesn't sport cute cloth diapers, and I don't make her pureed food. She also doesn't wear organic onesies, or sleep on an organic mattress.

We both drive a Toyota, but not a Prius, that's for sure. {And we both have over a 30 minute commute!}

Sometimes, we're known to drink our water from a plastic bottle! And when I go to the grocery store, those nice, eco-friendly totes that I have bought {I promise!}, are left, forgotten at home on the counter or under the sink.

We don't compost. {Even though we've discussed it, since we'd like to start a garden next summer.}

I may wear Bare Escentuals, but that's about as far as my green beauty routine goes...Even though I do love some Burt's Bees every now and again.

In saying all of that, I do try to contribute at least some...Those plastic grocery bags {I can hear the gasps} that I inevitably come home with every week, are stored up and then returned to the store so they can recycle them.

I'm also working on using up all of my household cleaners to be replaced with greener alternatives, such as Clorox's GreenWorks line of cleaning supplies. I've even tried the baking soda+vinegar mix of cleaning our tub, but my hubby didn't appreciate the smell too much. Or the fact that I also cleaned out his lunchbox with this concoction...

I guess I've just been feeling a little guilty while reading about how so many others are choosing to go green, and doing a fantastic job at it.

So, forgive me, Mother Earth. I'm doing the best I can, dang it!

Mrs. Newlywed is at it again...

In honor of her blogiversary, Mrs. Newlywed has had some fabulous giveaways! She recently gave away an ADORABLE pair of monogrammed loafers! They were fabulous, I must admit.

Next up is a giveaway for a 2010 Donovan Designs wall calendar AND a pocket size Lilly agenda. Yes, both. They are fabulous.

Check it out here to enter for this fabulous prize!

{Fabulous is my new favorite word! I'm going to pull a Paris and try to get it copyrighted.} {snicker}

Heartstrings...

Sorry I've been a little MIA around here lately...it's been crazy the past few days...and honestly, I haven't really had anything I consider worthwhile to blog about...

Yesterday, I was perusing my daily blogs when I discovered MckMama. I love her blog, and her family seems sweet as sugar, not to mention I love her photography.

I know she's been around for a little while, but I just discovered MckMama and her family yesterday! And I just can't fathom, can't wrap my brain around what her and her family have been dealing with...Her sweet 8 month old baby, Stellan, almost didn't make it into this world due to a severe heart condition, Supraventricular Tachycardia, where his heart beats too fast for his body to keep up. They've battled his condition since before he was born, and are now waging war again...I've cried, I've smiled, I've laughed as I've read through her blog and their story...

He is currently waiting to be flown to Boston Children's Hospital for an ablation...not really sure of the specifics, but it is a very risky procedure for someone this age and size...I just can't imagine what she is going through...Poor baby...it's just heart breaking...I look at Ava as an almost 6month old, and I just can't bear to imagine what Stellan and his family is going through...

If you haven't already read their story...please, take a couple of minutes to read about them and pray for this sweet baby boy...

Jewelry Love...

No matter how many pieces I accumulate...I LOVE buying new jewelry!

For our one year anniversary last summer, my wonderful, loving, thoughtful hubby bought me this:

Tiffany & Co. Tiffany Notes Round tag bracelet. It's one of my favorite pieces! As much as I love it dearly, {and him for thinking of it}, it's my ONLY piece of blue heaven at this point in time. I'm all for quality over quantity, but I love buying cheap trendy pieces of jewelry to update my wardrobe. I hate clothes shopping, and I rarely buy any new clothes unless I'm in a certain mood. Instead I use jewelry for updates. I love going to my jewelry box each morning and picking out each piece for the day!

I always wear my watch & wedding set, and most days a ring on my other hand, a bracelet, earrings, and a necklace also. (Wow, listing all of that out sounds like overkill, but most of my jewelry is simple silver.)

I was browsing around on my lunch break today and found these lovelies at various stores:

This multi-strand beauty can be found at Lerner New York for $29.95. I love the black ribbon woven through the chain...

And for a sizzlin' summer evening...Belk: Nine West Bright Things Worn, orginally $95.00, on sale for $71.25. Would be very cute with a maxi dress and other skinny bangles.

I also love big, gaudy cocktail rings...With a larger statement piece, you can leave the rest at home. Too many things and it will be overwhelming...

I thought this was cute from The Limited: $19.50

Next up is a new browsing favorite: All the Rage Online: $27.00

For other recessionistas out there-The following pieces are all $10.00 and under! Found at http://www.alltherageonline.com/

I love these earrings: $9.00

Cute bangles: Also $9.00!

Another pair of very cute and summery earrings; $5.00!!

OK, my virtual shopping trip is over for now...hope you got some cute jewelry ideas for the sweet summertime!

Happy Anniversary!

Yesterday was our 2 year anniversary! Happy Anniversary to us! We just got back from vacation, so this is a day late...but in honor of our big day, here's a favorite of us from that day two years ago!

Mr. & Mrs. B~7/14/09

The Babe's Room

I had planned on posting the rest of the pics of our new landscaping, after it was finished, but alas...I can't find them, and I'm too lazy to go get up and get the card out of my camera. I instead have my external hard drive plugged in and went looking around on it, and found these instead: My precious girl's nursery room...Her Daddy put long hard hours in on the paint, chair rail, and molding (moulding?). I think it turned out pretty cute. The crib and chair are from JC Penney's, and the bedding is Wendy Bellisimo "Floral Patchwork," {or something like that!} I love how it turned out...simple, soft, and sweet. Just like baby A!


The chair side table is one of the cheap-o 3 legs-screw-into-table-top that you can find at good 'ol Wal-Mart, and I just threw a simple brown cover over the top with the round glass topper also. The lamp was a bring-over from our old apt...The changing table is my old desk, with new knobs, fresh paint, and a changing pad we threw on top. (Gotta love re-purposing and recycling!)



I can't wait until she finally actually uses this room!{lol}

RANT: Nail Salon

Yesterday afternoon I decided to cash in my mani/pedi birthday gift certificate from my Mom. As I was sitting in my chair, soaking my feet, a lady came into the salon and took the chair next to me. *stepping up onto soapbox* I can already imagine the kind of feet that walk through those doors that these people see on a daily basis. I'm sure there are pretty feet out there somewhere, but not everyone can be blessed with pretty feet. Hence, the main reason for a pedicure in the first place.

However:

To the lady in the next chair over: Please SHAVE your 3 inch (no kidding) leg hair growth before you step in for a pedicure. {Granted, my legs were not day-after shiny smooth either, but I at least didn't have a fur coat on...Gross!} You know when you go in for a pedicure that they are more than likely going to give you a hot towel, lotion your feet, ankles, shins, and rub you down. If it's that big of an emergency that you need that pedicure that very day, run home and swipe at least up to your knees! Or stop in at a gas station or grocery store, they have travel razors!

I about died when I looked over and saw what the poor manicurist had to endure. Can you imagine!? Sick! I felt so sorry for her!

*stepping down off soap box*

Thanks!

Summertime Favorites...

I say that Fall is my favorite season, but Summer is a close second...My Birthday is in June, our Anniversary, my parent's anniversary, and both my Dad & MIL's birthdays are all in July, so we always have a lot of celebratin' goin on! Not to mention Independence Day. Along with that, there are the requisite faves, like vacations, longer afternoon light filtering through the windows...I just love it.

One of my other favorite things about summer is "SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE!"

I love this show. I danced in high school, and am just amazed at what these dancers are able to do w/ their bodies. I was and never will be very flexible, it's a wonder I made the team in the first place, but anyway...One of my favorite things (are you seeing a pattern here at all?) about SYTYCD is the lovely host, Cat Deeley. She just seems to be the sweetest thing ever. And her fashion on the show is amazing. I love watching each week to see what she's wearing...

Last night I needed a break from all the MJ coverage that I couldn't seem to get away from, so I decided to catch up with DVR friends and watch last weeks' SYTYCD epi's.

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Anyway, I was sooo glad that Karla and Vitolio went home...they were good...but now it's getting down to the wire and I don't want to see some of my favorites sent home!

Will be ready and waiting to watch tonight's episode!

Anyone else a fan?

Five Months...

Hangin out...

Sweetie pie is five months old already! I can't believe it! Time definitely flies when you're having fun!

I've taken her picture on each "monthly" birthday to document her growth! It's a really cute idea, I recommend it to any new mom!

See ya later alligator!

Outdoor Upgrades, Part II

Our Friday holiday was spent updating the front landscaping...I say the term "our" very loosely, as I was basically the ice water runner...LOL. Nick's BFF Matt came over to help, and baby girl and I watched from the side-lines. They started by ripping out the scraggly boxwoods that were barely hanging on...

The before-before: {This was before we installed the concrete curbing.}

In progress: the new yellow bushes are in the ground, and our weeping cherry white snowfall tree is hanging out on the corner... next up: more lava rock!

This was mine and Ava's view at one point...LOL:

{Just hangin' out with Mom...} I kinda <3> her!

Before:

After:



More pictures to come later! :)

How I Spent my Wednesday Afternoon...

I'm a huge Bakerella wannabe! {I love her stuff, she's incredible!}

Now-Who wants to come and pick these up so I don't have to stare at them all week and weekend?

PS-For something even sweeter, check out MrsRealLife's awesome summer giveaway! She's got some super cute stuff that is perfect for the sweet summertime! Contest can be found here!

PPS-Happy July!

Outdoor Upgrades...Part 1

In an effort to beautify our home, we decided to go with concrete curbing to add to our "curb appeal." LOL The man who owns this curbing company actually lives in the next subdivision over, so it was really convenient for the both of us! Here are some pics of the project in progress, after the curbing was complete. This weekend, we'll be filling in with more lava rock and hopefully some more greenery and pretty flowers! :)

This area needs the most help...the boxwoods need to be removed, as well as the unknown dark purple bush in the middle. The curb man suggested something taller, such as a weeping cherry tree, over there on the corner of the house where he brought the curb around. Any suggestions on what else we can put there in front of the big window?

This tree will also have some pretty lava rock put down around it as well.

I sense sore backs and blistered fingers this weekend! We'll have to be sure to slather on the sunscreen! Ouch!

Any big 4th of July plans for you all?