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Hey there! I'm Holly. A 40+ year old insurance-nerd wife, mom, beauty lover, and about a million other things in between.
This is the place where I share about our lives, what I'm currently loving, books I'm reading, plus-size style, beauty recommendations, health + fitness endeavors and anything else I'm finding interesting at the moment.
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Monthly Archives: September 2011
30 Days of Denim – Day Seventeen
And just like that, it’s been feeling like fall around here. A little bit overcast. A few nights of crispy cool air. Mornings that take just a little longer than usual to heat up. It’s like I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel.
(Let’s hope that light isn’t a train coming right for us!)
That said, I guess I need to get my white jeans wearing out of my system, eh?
Here’s what I wore:
Shirt: Rhapsody (Total TJ Maxx purchase.)
White Jeans: Gap
Red Wedges: Target
Earrings: That’s a good question. I’m going to go with Claire’s.
Speaking of earrings, when I look at the photo I feel like I was a little lazy with the accessorizing but sometimes when I wear white pants I feel like, HELLO I’M WEARING WHITE PANTS! Do you feel this way? And then it makes me feel a little less likely to add the bling you know?
In hindsight, the pants aren’t as loud as I thought they were, so maybe next time I will just bathe myself in diamonds. Or maybe just put on a bracelet.
Either/Or.
*****
What did you wear today?
Join the group and play a little show and tell.
30 Days of Denim – Day Sixteen
I have issued a challenge to myself: I will now show you EVERY striped piece of clothing in my closet!
Oh wait, I think I am already doing that. Hmmm, that’s not much of a challenge then is it? Well, it’s Friday and I don’t feel like being challenged so there! I feel like drinking 10 cups of coffee because I stayed up too late reading a book that I am really enjoying and for that my fashion is suffering! A good detective story will do that to a girl.
Here’s What I Came Up With Today:
Shirt: Banana Republic
Necklace: Banana Republic
Bracelet: Target
Capri Jeans: Ross (FYI, these are the ones that came with yesterday’s free belt! haha)
Heels: Merona for Target (I promise I’m not tipping over in these, it’s just the way the photo looks)
I actually love this shirt though and have to force myself NOT to wear it every day. It feels like silk but is washable! I think they call that rayon…LOL I don’t know — I love the color, the pattern, the texture. It’s a good shirt. So even though I’m making a weird face, trust that I am generally happy with this outfit.
Garrett was actually telling fart jokes while taking these pictures so unfortunately I’m either making a fake smile/annoyed face like I am above or laughing hysterically.
Yep, I don’t have that cute supermodel — oh look at me, ha ha ha, I’m laughing — kind of face. But then again I bet high fashion photographers don’t tell fart jokes on set. Well maybe they do, what do I know?
Anyway, I hope you all have a lovely weekend. Are you so ready for it? I know I am!
*****
What did you wear today?
Join the group and play a little show and tell.
Life Changing Kitchen Tips – Volume One
Yes, I love hyperbole, so let’s get that admission out of way first thing.
HOWEVER.
These little kitchen tips that I’ve picked up recently are so brilliant that I just can’t keep them to myself any longer.
Tip # 1: Avocado Storage
Tara changed my life by letting me know you can freeze avocados. Did you know this? Man, you are smart, because I didn’t know this. Her suggestion was to cut in half, remove pit and freeze in a ziploc. I’m sure you get bonus points if you have a vacuum sealer, but I do not. No bonus points for me.
I’ve now frozen avocados mashed and whole and both turned out just fine. I generally buy my avocados at Costco and sometimes they get ripe before we can eat them all. Throwing them in the freezer? Totally solved my waste problem. I have only frozen them for a couple of days so far (we REALLY like avocados around here — we’re Californians after all) but I did not notice a weird texture change or anything once defrosted.
Tip # 2: Stirring Natural Peanut Butter with No Mess
We buy lots of almond butter and other weird nut butters because in a past life we were giant hippies. Oh also: because they are delicious! I mean cashew butter? Have you tried this? You will die. But it does irritate the heck out of me when I pull them out of the fridge and the oil has separated and I have to stir the whole thing up because it makes a giant mess. Yes, I realize these are First World Problems, but still.
Life changing solution # 2 comes from Sarah who told me: turn the jar upside down in your fridge. Gravity will stir it for you. I mean — WHY THE HELL DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT? And it works! And it is awesome. Now I have more time to stand around in my kitchen and lament the fact that my diamond shoes are too tight or how Garrett’s money clip is just sooooooooo small.
Tip # 3: Keep Your Apples From Turning Brown When You Slice Them (without citrus!)
Garrett loves when I out his quirks on the internet and one of them involves apples. He loves them, but will only eat them sliced (what?) This baffles me, but whatever. The problem is, he also will only eat them when they are not brown. Which gives a window of opportunity of what, three minutes that he can eat apples? So I could never really pack them in his lunch.
But then I found this idea: Slice up an apple and wrap it in a rubber band — it will keep the apple in one piece and it won’t turn brown. I mean, the brilliance of that? Not lost on me.
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Did you know all of these, smartypants? If so, enlighten me! Tell me some other kitchen tips have changed your life?
30 Days of Denim – Day Fifteen
We made it!
We are at the half way point. The summit of style, if you will. HA!
I think the thing that I am most shocked about is that I haven’t repeated too many items of clothing. I mean jeans and shoes, yes. I don’t have 30 pairs of jeans. Or shoes for that matter. Well, maybe shoes, but only because some shoes are only for certain occasions.
I guess I’m shocked about everything else because I am definitely the type to say – “hey, this shirt is clean and out of the dryer, why not wear it again?” So I am actually pretty stoked that I have yet to do that during this little experiment. But you are not here to talk about how I hate to fold and put away laundry, are you?
Anyway, enough analyzing. Let’s talk denim. Wait, forget denim. Let’s talk shoes. Today I wore a skirt and it was solely because I wanted to able to look down all day today and see my Missoni for Target score. I couldn’t even get there until noon, but there was one lone box holding the pair of shoes I wanted in my size on the shelf. It was like a little a style guardian angel had my back.
After all of the brouhaha yesterday, I feel sort of ridiculous that I am so excited about a pair of shoes, but I am. Judge away. They are making me so excited for fall. But you all already knew that.
Here’s the outfit I built around the fact that I wanted to wear my New! Darn! Shoes!
It’s jeans and a tee shirt — high heels edition! Alternate Outfit Title: Who cares what I’m wearing, look at mah purdy shoes!
Denim skirt: Gap
V Neck Tee: Caslon for Nordstrom
Necklace: Target
Belt: That shit came free with a pair of pants I bought at Ross. What???
Shoes: Missoni for Target
The chunky wood heels on these shoes make me so happy! You can tell by the dorktastic smile on my face.
*****
What did you wear today?
Join the group and play a little show and tell.
A Little Wednesday CrossFit Love
I’ve tried a lot of new things in the last year but the one that has changed me the most — inside AND out — is joining American River CrossFit.
The thing about CrossFit is that from the perspective of an outsider it looks extreme. It looks like a cult. It looks like a whole lot of effort and thanksbutnothanks I will just get up and go to the gym tomorrow and do my usual routine and that will be just fine. I know how it looks because at one time, I thought all of those things too.
But after 11 months of CrossFit, I have found a place where I not only enjoy working out — I crave it. I am being 100% honest when I tell you that I have to force myself NOT to go the gym these days, and that is a place where I NEVER thought I would be.
A Few Things I Love About ARCFit:
*I love the that all I have to do is show up and someone else has thoughtfully programmed what I need to be doing that day.
*I love that EVERYONE checks their egos at the door. Well, everyone who is successful. (I will admit there are days where I am not successful.)
*I love that I am encouraged to make goals (NATCH!) and even more encouraged to achieve them.
*I love that I get to push myself in ways that I wouldn’t have thought of by myself.
*I love that in pushing myself I am becoming so much stronger physically AND mentally.
*I love that the gym feels like an hour a day that I get to hang out with awesome people who are totally (and genuinely!) behind me.
*I love the feeling of being totally behind all of those people as well.
*I love the community.
*I love the BAD-ASSERY that happens on random Tuesday night, squeezed in between a full day of work and preparing dinner.
*I love what the rehashing that Garrett and I do together on the car ride home does for our relationship.
*I love the anticipation I feel first thing in the morning when I wake up and check out what today’s workout is.
*And of course, I love the results.
Tonight on ESPN 2 the beginning of a 12 part mini series about the CrossFit Games will be airing. Check it out or DVR it if you are at all interested in the CULT-ure of CrossFit. 😉 It’s sure to be inspiring!
If you watch it, let me know what you think!
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Also, this weekend while Garrett will be drinking too much whiskey at a Bachelor Party in Nashville, I will be participating in a CrossFit event called Fight Gone Bad. Almost 1000 CrossFit affiliates participate in this 17 minute workout from hell. (Interesting video history of this little event can be found here.) The event raises funds for Special Operations Warrior Foundation, CrossFit Kids and Camp Patriot. If you are interested in donating a buck or two (literally — ever $1 counts — AND YOU CAN PAYPAL!) head over to my little fundraising site.
Every little bit helps!
30 Days of Denim – Day Fourteen
I have put together 14 outfits thus far and by my count this is the 8th outfit that involves stripes. One must first admit they have a problem, yes? I didn’t even know I had that many different striped things in my closet. Hmmm…the more you know.
You know what I think it is though? Stripes are the gateway drug. You see it’s only been in the last year and a half that I have even entertained stripes because I realized I was always wearing solid colors. Solids are fine, if not a little boring worn everyday right? But I am WAY SCARED of buying anything patterned. I just…well, just not yet. But I’ll get there.
Again, one must keep their very superficial goals in mind, you know? 😉
Stripes are my gateway drug to patterns. Maybe I will get there in the next two weeks, maybe not. For now,
Here was my inspiration:
And here is what I came up with:
Yes, it’s kind of an easy phone-it-in outfit, but the green stripes with brown! I was in love! In hindsight, I probably could have accessorized more but I was too obsessed with my glittery shoes to think about accessories.
Cardigan: Merona for Target
Tank: Gap
Jeans: Gap Slim Boyfriend Jeans (a favorite, obvs. God, they are like pajama pants!)
Gold Ballet Flats: Payless
Earrings: I think these are a hand me down from my mom
Speaking of shoes, I totally scored two pairs of shoes at Target yesterday despite all that Missoni madness. One on my lunch break and one that my mom scored for me from her Target. I am not the type of person who can let something sit in my closet, I want to wear it IMMEDIATELY, so my guess is they’ll turn up around here shortly. Did you score anything fun from Target yesterday?
*****
What did you wear today?
Join the group and play a little show and tell.
30 Days of Denim – Day Thirteen
Today’s inspiration is out of my comfort zone. But I guess that’s a little bit of what this project is about, isn’t it?
So let’s do this:
I like this for all the obvious reasons: it looks comofortable, casual and stylish – the holy trinity, yes? But my version is pretty form-fitting and that is still taking a bit of a fake it til I make it kind of confidence to pull off.
Here’s what I came up with:
Let’s talk about the boots for a minute, shall we?
I do not have tiny calves. At all. Even a little bit. In fact, after losing almost 100 lbs they are actually 1/4 of an inch BIGGER than they were when I started out on this journey. Talk about unfair, my friends. (Also unfair: my ring finger is the same size. Both of these things are difficult for me to comprehend, DAMNIT!)
Anyway, that was a bit of a sidebar.
Boots are basically impossible for me to find and require a two part experiment. 1: Will they fit around my Incredible Hulk Calves? and 2: Will they look flattering? You see, Number 1 does not guarantee Number 2. I feel like these boots do okay at both and I just recently picked them up with a coupon code that made them $24, shipped — and you know how I am with bargain shoes! I think for $24 it’s worth the experiment to see if I can get comfy with the idea of a more form fitting silhouette.
Shirt: Old Navy
Jeans: Old Navy “The Diva” Skinny Jenas
Boots: Right here – check them out if you also have trouble finding good fitting boots.
Now it’s official — Mother Nature, BRING ON FALL!!!
*****
What did you wear today?
Join the group and play a little show and tell.
30 Days of Denim – Day Twelve
12 Days of Denim is a lot of denim.
Today was the first day that I got up and was like, “Really, jeans again?” I looked longingly at my pencil skirts and capri pants and then moved down my closet to the denim section.
But then I thought of this dress!
This dress is sort of denim-ish. It’s not technically made out of denim but I won’t wear it to work unless it’s a casual dress/denim day so I thought it was the perfect mix today.
Dress: Merona for Target
Cardigan: Merona for Target
Shoes/Bracelet: Target
I feel like this will be a good transitional dress from summer to fall. Maybe you will see it again with boots and tights before the month is through if Mother Nature cooperates.
Please, Mother Nature: COOPERATE!
So ready for Fall!
*****
What did you wear today?
Join the group and play a little show and tell. I know one of you will one of these days…
Staycation + Guest Bedroom Update
I took last week off because between the paid holiday, a previously scheduled day off and some extra vacation time itching to be used it just seemed like a good idea. 9 days of life uninterrupted by work was ridiculously awesome. I wish I could tell you I went some place exotic and did some amazing things, but I actually just went about my life without having to work in 9 hours of productivity based on someone else’s goals each day.
When I put it that way, it was bliss, actually.
I still woke up early but got to drink my coffee with a good book while I waited for my freshly baked muffins.
I still hit the gym, but did it in the morning instead of having to rally to get over there after a full day of work.
I still saw friends, but I didn’t have to worry about staying out too late, or whether I was drinking a little too much wine, or what time I would have to get up the next morning.
It was the rejuvenation equivalent of a fantastic voyage without the vacation hangover or the suitcase to unpack. And since I hate unpacking suitcases, it was kind of ideal.
The only downside was I didn’t plan meals because I thought, “Oh I’ll have all the time in the world to cook.” What this ended up looking like in real life was 3 nights of Happy Hour appetizers for dinner, a (very non-Paleo) evening at our favorite Mexican Restaurant and one evening I even had Nutella Cream Cheese Blondies for dinner. As you can imagine, my body is begging to get back to reality.
My mind, on the other hand, not so much.
The only productive Project-Like-Things I accomplished were pulling up what wasn’t producing in my garden, a closet/attic purge that required car loads (CAR LOADS!) to Goodwill and then a little bit of furniture rearranging to create a little bit of crafty space in our guest room. Oh and some boring deep cleaning! No there are no pictures of that, but HOT Damn, if I don’t love a sparkling clean house!
I’ve long wanted to separate my office stuff from my crafty stuff and felt like the guest room was the perfect place to do that. It is sort of awkwardly shaped and large so it was my mission to squeeze as much furniture and storage in there as possible.
Here’s what it looked like before:
And here are a few poorly lit and blurry pictures of what it looks like now:
Attention AndreAnna and Liz, these beds have your names on them.
Hey, that sounds creepy! 😉
And yes, the purging did involve QUITE A FEW books. Though mostly just moving them around.
I’ve learned a lot in the last year about balance and managing stress in my life and what truly makes me happy. While I love travel and new experiences, it turns out taking 10 days off and squeezing in 900 different things DOESN’T make me feel better. I feel so grateful to have had this time off to decompress, rejuvenate, spend time with Garrett and get some things done around that house that had been on my To-Do List, all without adding extra stress to my life.
I’ve tried hard this year to create a life that I don’t want to escape from, which is a concept that I wasn’t always sure was possible, but so far I am enjoying getting there. It’s back to reality this week but I’m going to try and let the calm of last week inform the hustle and bustle of this week. Life is all about choices, and today I am feeling pretty happy with mine.
30 Days of Denim – Day Eleven
Today I felt inspired by orange. Aside from mustard, orange might be my new favorite color for fall. Mostly because both look so good with gray and navy which I have an abundance of in my closet. Win.
Here’s my inspiration:
Here’s what I came up with:
In the photo this sweater looks a lot pinker, but I promise it is more orange. Let’s meet in the middle and call it coral. I feel like if I was having this conversation with Garrett his eyes would be rolling into the back of his head right now from all of the color talk.
Maybe yours is too.
Jeans: Gap Slim Boyfriend
Belt: Target
Tee: Gap Outlet
Cardigan: Gap Outlet
Gold Loafers: Target – still love these!
Comfy, Sunday outfit. I don’t know about you but I’m not quite ready for Monday to come tomorrow. After 10 days off, I think this one’s going to hurt. I’m off to enjoy my last moments of freedom!
*****
What did you wear today?
Join the group and play a little show and tell. I know one of you will one of these days…
