[Blogging] Housekeeping

Just stopping by to mention few housekeeping things:

1. Next week begins my new blog format (yay!). I wrote this awhile back and since then have been cleaning out and posting posts that were already drafted along with any outfit photos I had stashed away that don't fit in with what I'm trying to do with my blog revamp. For now, all I want to say is that there will be a different topic/theme/correlating idea each week, and all the outfit posts in a given week will fit into the same one. There will be life/discussion content interspersed, of course, but I'm trying to be more focused here!
2. I did not forget about 52 in 52. (Remember that??) I just happened to decide to do it before I left the country, so I put it off, knowing I would not watch movies the 2 weeks I was in the UK, and then it kind of fell by the wayside. No more! I will start that one off this weekend, and hopefully the first post about it will appear soon after.
3. Tomorrow I'm going to be blogging about thrifting - I've gotten some amazing deals and I'm excited to share! Especially because I've been notoriously bad at thrifting. This latest streak is a Festivus miracle, for sure.

Changes are a-brewing! So exciting!

[Life] Weekend Wrap-Up

I know I said on Monday I'd update about my weekend. I decided to wait until I had some specific pictures before I posted, so now it's time for an update.

As you've read before, I was asked to be the Matron of Honor in my friend Jena's wedding. I was completely flattered that she asked me, and was honored to be a part of her wedding. This past weekend was the big day, so Friday we had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.

Venue

Jena and Jason provided the alcohol and this is what they started with!!!

Jena and Jason have been dating for about 3.5 years. I was with Jena the night she met Jason (and told the story in my MOH speech, haha) and it's been awesome to watch their relationship grow and change. Warning: lots of pictures ahead!

Many of the below pictures are from Kurz Photography. One of the owners, Brittany, has been friends with Jena since they were young. As a gift to Jena, Brittany decided she'd take pictures at any time during the wedding/reception that she wasn't being a guest (aka eating or dancing). It was such a sweet idea, and she captured some amazing pictures, starting with our getting ready at the hotel. Brittany is an awesome photographer - you can find Kurz Photography here (they do travel as well if you happen to be in a different city!). All photographs with the Kurz Photography watermark are copyright Kurz Photography; all others were taken with my personal camera.

Heather and I were cracking ourselves up and this pictures caught us as we were losing it!!

The beautiful bride

The first look!

Aaaaaand my favorite picture of the day. Thanks Brittany for prompting this one. :)

Congrats Jena and Jason!!!!

And to finish off the weekend, I went go-karting with the hubs and our friends Lea & Raja.

Car track

Track maps

Head socks, on both Lea and the hubs!

The corner that my hubs wiped out on every single lap. The first few times I thought he was waiting for me. Then I realized he didn't know how to get around the corner.

How was your weekend?

[Beauty] Tumbleweed

Ladies, can we talk about something important for a minute?

This.

Frizz.

I can't take it any more. I have spent years and years trying to find the right product or combination of products so that my hair will not look like this. I have lovely curls that will not air-dry (or diffuser dry) defined and sleek. I either end up with a curly version of this, or crusty curls, which is an equally ugly yet totally different issue.

Now, for straight hair, I can go from the above to this, simply by using a flat iron:

But the problem arises when I want to wear my hair curly. Air drying = frizz. Diffuser = frizz. I've tried products, but 9 times out of 10 product = crunchy curls or wet looking curls, both nasty.

Curly haired girls....frizzy haired girls....HELP! What product/combination of products work for you??

[OOTD] Another Week

Another week......another outfit post!

Top: H&M (old) | Skirt: NY&Company (last seen here) | Heels: Boscov's (Summer 2011) | Scarf: Ebay | Bracelet: LOFT

I had the most fabulous weekend - I'll be posting later today with all the details!!! Stay tuned. :)

[Shopping] Dressing Room Diaries

Time for another round of DID I BUY IT?

First up, a plaid button down from Old Navy.

I did NOT buy it. While it wasn't bad, it wasn't great. This is the problem of us larger-on-top women - perfect in the top, but baggy at the waist.

Next, a navy blue Old Navy button down.

Didn't buy it. I didn't love the way the material clung to me at odd places, making it just sit strangely on my body.

Next, a cardigan from the Gap.

I hemmed and hawed over this one. I really liked it, and it was $20, but I had gone specifically to Gap for something else, and money was tight enough that I couldn't justify $20 on something similar to what I already had at home. Although in retrospect, I wish I had bought it, because the only other long sweater cardigan I have is short sleeved, and I forgot that part.

Moving on.

Grey sweater from LOFT.

I loved this sweater. LOVED it. But the one I'm wearing is an XL - now, I'm all for trying on sizes other than what I usually wear, especially since oversize is trendy right now, but while the picture might not look like it, this particular sweater gathered pretty badly at my waist, making me look bigger. They had my size in this in purple, but I didn't love the color, so I didn't buy either. You can see it better in the pic below.

Speaking of, polka dotted pants, also from LOFT, are next.

Didn't get these. The butt was saggy. The material was not stretchy. And for someone with very minimal curves like myself, this can make or break a pair of pants.

This is the purple sweater in my size (same as grey above)

Already mentioned I didn't get it. Forgot I had a pic, haha.

I actually kind of liked the length of the larger one better.

Last from LOFT, a lacy skirt.

I had no idea how to wear this one. Where it hit was entirely too high on my body because of where my waist is. A big NO here.

Next...a Gap sweater.

I love this sweater. LOVE it. I was iffy at the time, so I didn't get it, then went back for it a day later and it was completely gone in my size. The next size up was too big. This one bums me out a bit.

Another Gap sweater:

Didn't love it. Didn't buy it.

Lastly, a sweater from the Limited.

Love this one. AND actually bought it!!! Out of everything here, this is the only one I currently own. That's so not like me. But good for my wallet!!!

What have you bought lately?

[Linkup] Try It Tuesday: C'est La Vie

Just popping in quickly today to announce a temporary suspension on "Try It Tuesday". I will continue to use Tuesday posts to try Pins, but I'm temporarily suspending the linkup. There just hasn't been enough interest for me to keep it up right now.

Of course, in true-to-my-life form*, I saw 2 linkups with the same theme start in the last month, and these other bloggers have a lot better reach than I do. Also, they're using a different day for their linkup, so other bloggers can't easily combine links.

I do have a few blogs that I'm sponsoring in the next month or two, so I may try again if I gain enough readers - but for now, until further notice - no more Try It Tuesday Linkup!

*{Note: I say true-to-my-life form because I have what my hubby calls a curse. Things happen to me that couldn't be replicated if you tried 100,000 times. It's like I have a beacon for things to go not really "wrong", but odd. Like, if there is a sewer grate 20 feet away from me, somehow I will drop something in it from that far away. Perhaps I should start keeping track of these and blog about them, because it's kind of ridiculous how often this kind of thing happens to me. Anyway, before I decided what I wanted to try for a linkup, I paid careful attention to the hundreds of blogs I follow to see if anyone was doing a Pinterest linkup. There was none. Until I started mine. And then there were 2-3. And then I found a new blog that's been linking up with one for months. So goes my luck. Or curse. Whatever.}

[OOTD] So Tired I Didn't Try It

Sorry, guys, but no Try It Tuesday for me today. I have been so busy I haven't been able to do any pins! I haven't even been able to catch up on my blog reading (guys, my rss reader is backed up from last Tuesday). However, I wouldn't want to let down anyone who happened to do a pin post for today, so the linkup is still at the bottom!! 

Top: INC via Macy's | Jeans: Target | Shoes: Payless

I wasn't entirely sure when I bought this if it was a dress or a top - it's short so I'm going with tunic. I really loved the lace overlay.

[Life] Weekend Wrap-Up

I'm not gonna lie - the past 9 days have been rough.

First of all, thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by Hurricane Sandy. I know it's a bit late, but my entire last week of posts were all scheduled pre-hurricane (and so are the next week's worth). I knew I'd have a hell of a week and wasn't able to jump in to update a post to mention it. I have a lot of friends who were/are affected, since I grew up in the area that was hit. My parents were without power for a few days but fortunately that was the worst of it. It was a devastating event and we were all quickly reminded how strong Mother Nature can be. 

As I said, I've been busy. I hosted a Halloween party two weekends ago, taught all 5 days last week, and then hosted 2 more parties this past weekend. The class I taught is one I've just learned the material for, and I had a very trying student in the course, so I had a rough go of it. I also spent hours every evening going back over the next day's content so that I could better deal with said rough student. That, coupled with planning the bridal shower and bachelorette party I hosted, left me with zero time. Like I said, rough week.

But the reward was in the weekend. I was honored to host the bridal shower for one of my closest and dearest friends.

I also got to host an accompanying bachelorette in honor of Jena!!!

We got a room at the Hampton Inn to crash at after the festivities - and started out with champagne in paper Hampton cups. This led to many a rendition of "White Hampton Cup! I fill you up!"

Then, our friend Lea hosted all the ladies at her apartment.

We had an impromptu dance party to the Wobble (hey, most of us are dancers!!!)

The whole crew

Next up, a local club....

And we ended up in VIP...I think it was the veil??

Overall, the night was a blast!!!

I'm so excited and honored to stand by Jena's side next weekend as her Matron of Honor, when she marries Jason, her best friend and love of her life. <3