Friday, September 28, 2012

[OOTD] Casual Friday

Well hello friends!

It's been awhile since the last outfit post, so how about ending the week with one?

Please excuse the lighting - I had to snap this midday and they're a bit bright.

Top, Sunnies: Old Navy | Jeans: F21 | Shoes: Candies via Kohl's | Bracelet: H&M




This week has been insanely busy. Monday we got back from my Grandmother's birthday weekend, then Tuesday I took the day off and pampered myself with a salon trip for highlights, a cut, and blowout, then met up with a girlfriend for a spa pedicure. Wednesday night was my dance night and last night I went bridesmaid dress shopping with my friend Jena for her wedding. We ended up finding gorgeous Ralph Lauren one-shoulder dresses for our bridesmaid dresses...this may be the first one I ever actually re-wear!

What have you been up to this week?

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

[Life] UK: The Pictures

WARNING: Picture heavy post! 

Up, up and away!



Our hotel, the Botley Park


The hotel was actually a Golf & Country Club as well!


Nightly reading
Team bowling




Chris getting his trophy back with a kiss!




At the pub

The UK office

Saturday shopping

Sangria and Tapas

The white flags have all the Olympic sports on them!

McDonald's serves ROLO milkshakes!!!


Driving on the other side of the road....and car.

Can't be in the UK without having fish and chips!

Pub pooch who sat next to me my entire dinner.

The boss's trampoline meant my coworker bouncing around the boss's kids!

British Starburst have the strangest flavors...they're quite gross, too.

The side of the ice cream truck that comes to the office says "Often licked but never beaten" haha

These are awesome.

The bottom of the pint glass says "Spot On"

Mmmm chicken curry sandwiches!!

Happy Wednesday!!

[Fashion] How Great a Stylist Are YOU?

Real Simple has a fun game posted today - they put together a number of outfits and asked professional stylists what they would add to an outfit to finish it. Then we, the readers, can play along and guess which item of 4 a stylist picked for each outfit.



I was pleasantly surprised that I got more than half on the first or second guess. The ones I missed were ones where the stylists surprised me and went with something that was a bit more matchy-matchy than my tastes.

So....

How did you do?

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

[Fashion] UK: the Outfits

When I was in the UK a few weeks ago, I didn't have a chance to snap outfit pics. I did get to take a few mirror pictures and a few other pseudo-outfit photos and I thought I would share them so you can see what I did with what I packed.

Outfit I wore for our team bowling/dinner night

Office wear

Weekend shopping and tapas/drinks

Sunday-watch a soccer game in the pub-wear

To the office

Casual Friday

Office wear

Office wear with coat

Without coat

Tomorrow I'll try and post pics from my trip. Have a lovely Tuesday!

Sunday, September 23, 2012

[Random] Sunday Soup #6

Welcome to this weekend's soup!! Lots of fun links and completely random things to waste your time on this day of rest. Enjoy!

Regardless of your political leaning, you have to admit it's funny that the president acknowledged Talk Like a Pirate Day.


This is what happens where my best friend lives.

The Corgi Cam is so cute.

This will blow your mind.

Did Apple jump the shark?

(Side note, I am not really a big fan of Apple. I know I have some readers that are die-hard Apple fans. So I wanted to clarify that I do not hate the products themselves or the people that buy them, but I hate Apple's marketing ploy of turning their noses up at everyone else and equating Apple ownership with being better than the rest of the world. I don't appreciate the elitist view they propagate when their products are quite comparable to others out there.)

Friday, September 21, 2012

[Life] A Letter to my 90 Year Old Grandmother

{This weekend is my Grandmother's 90th birthday. What did she ask for for her birthday? A party. Yes, a party. And from what I understand, her party is going to have 60+ guests. Awesomely loved lady, that grandmother of mine. I will actually be traveling up to PA for the weekend to be there for her big celebration. In honor of her big day, each of the family members were asked to write a letter to her. Below is mine.}


It's quite possible my fashion sense runs down the family tree from this lady...


Grammy,

Rudy Giuliani, the ex-mayor of NYC, was once quoted as saying "What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance.  They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life.  And, most importantly, cookies." I happen to agree with him. Especially on the cookies part. Really. I look forward to your rollout cookies every Christmas. They're still my favorite.



Today we're all here to celebrate the amazing woman that you are. You have touched the lives of each and every person in this room - and most certainly you've made a huge impact on me. All those attributes Mr. Giuliani spoke of are a part of who you are: loving, kind, patient, comforting. Even humorous. You always have a joke to make me laugh every time I call you, and we all know what it means to do "an Emma". You might want to remember, Grammy, that the difference between tvs and microwaves are the handles.

My Grandmother was a Rosie the Riveter - the one in front is her!


Some of my fondest childhood memories have you in them: going with Pop to meet you for lunch at Sears, playing at the playground, taking a trip to your childhood home and seeing where you grew up, going to late night Christmas Eve services with you and Mom.

Me and Grammy playing at the playground - notice her heels!! Haha


I feel really, really fortunate that I was lucky enough to grow up so close to you. I got to spend so much time with you over the years, and share so many holidays and birthdays and life events with you, and I'm so happy you were there. You have taught me so much, like the importance of family and a great pair of heels. There is so much about you that I admire.



I admire your light. You have this inner light that just shines, all the time. You're so vibrant, and active, and social. You're the type of woman who asks for a hot air balloon ride for her 70th birthday. The type of woman who in retirement seeks out adventure - road trips across the country, trips to the other side of the world. You have a such an amazing zest for life and I aspire to be so many things that you are.



People love being around you because you're so welcoming and fun and you can light up a room. You haven't lost a bit of your youthfulness. I mean, you're really not a day older than 21. I am so proud to know you, proud to be your granddaughter, and proud to share in this special day with you. I hope, when I'm 21 for the 50th, 60th, or 70th time, that I have the amazing verve for life that you do. I hope I still love with all my heart like you do. I hope I still want to give of myself and my time, like you do. I hope I still want to travel, and volunteer, and spend time with my friends and family and just enjoy life to the fullest like you do. I love you, Grammy, so much more than I can ever say. Happy 90th birthday.

My mother and grandmother


All my love,
Jamie


Hubby and Grammy at our wedding







Grammy with my mom's twin brother