Hey there friends!

I'm off in Chicago hanging out with Dana, Leeann, and Chris but don't worry you're in good hands!
You know how I love my music posts, and today my little love bug Helene is here to share her favorite holiday tunes. Not only does this girl live in one of my favorite cities, but she's just so much fun! Check  out her song picks and then go over and check out her blog. 

Good Morning Loves!

I'm at work for a few hours, then it's off to Chi-town. I figured since I'm about to spend the weekend with my first and sweetest blog friend Dana, that I would pull one of my favorite of her ideas out of the archive. Maybe this will entice her to start doing it again herself? We shall see ;)


Am I the only one.. that thinks it's insane that Jessica Simpson is pregnant again? If I was pregnant as long as her, and got as big as she did.. I would never want to get pregnant again.


Am I the only one.. who cries EVERY. SINGLE. TIME I watch Parenthood? That show makes me so dang emotional and yet it's so good that I can't stop watching.

Am I the only one.. who packs their entire closet into a suticase when they go on vacation? God forbid I get there and don't want to wear what I have packed. There must be options, and lots of them!

Am I the only one.. that thinks GIF's make everything better? Yep, they do!


Am I the only one.. who doesn't understand why people steal cars, from college students? My brother's car got stolen from the front of his house. I want to find who did it, junk punch them, and say "You know why.." (name that movie)


Am I the only one.. who is going to Chicago for the first time and is really excited to take pictures in the reflection of the bean? I mean it's for the blog.

Am I the only one.. that hates the process of flying on an airplane? Go to the airport, check your bag, ride the tram, find the terminal, get on the plane. It's sort of exhausting, right?

Am I the only one.. crying over the fact that Gavin and Colbie are all up in each other's lives? When will he come to his senses and date me instead hmmm?


Help me out ya'll.. do you agree with any of these?

Have a great Thursday! Check back tomorrow for some Christmas music fun :)

Oh hi there.

It's Wednesday! Which means tomorrow is the big day.. I fly to Chicago to see Dana, Leeann, and Chris. Go ahead and ask me how prepared I am.. Have I packed? No. Have I finished their gifts? No. Something tells me that tonight is going to be a long night!

Let's talk Wish Lists. I usually make them for my Birthday and the Holidays, but now that I'm older they almost seem silly. Oh well. Nobody can say I didn't give them any ideas right?


one. Apple MacBook Pro
This one is my dream item. I've had my current MacBook for about 6 years and I'd love to upgrade. The problem is that a new laptop is crazy expensive and even with all of my Christmas money combined, I would still be paying a pretty penny for it. I'll probably keep dreaming..

two. J.Crew Pave Link Bracelet
I know that everyone already has this bracelet, but the more I see it the more I love it. I think it would be a great complement to any of my watches! I've seen a few knockoffs so something tells me that this will be the next bubble necklace? Let's hope so because $125 is pretty expensive!

three. Bauble Bar Mini Monogram Necklace
I have a Bauble Bar nameplate that says "Samantha" (yes I do in fact have a full name haha) that I got last Christmas. It's still in great condition and I wear it almost everyday. I think one of these dainty little monograms would be a great addition to my jewelry box.

four. Ciate Mini Mani Month
What could be cuter than an advent calendar filled with tiny bottles of nail polish? I saw this in person at Sephora on Black Friday and I think it's the cutest idea! Let's be honest, a girl can never have too much nailpolish. Right? Ps. There are still 3 days until December ;)

five. Zoe Karssen Sweater
I hate that this sweater is so expensive but I can't get it over how cute it is! I've been keeping my eye out for a different option and I haven't found anything I like. If someone knows where I can get a slouchy sweater with a cute phrase written on it.. let your girl know.

six. Steven by Steve Madden "Intyce"
What's that saying? If you find something you like, you should buy it in every color? Or something like that. These are my favorite boots and the cognac color has never let me down, so why not bring the black ones into my closet too? I think yes!

seven. Case-Mate Glam Case
Something else I've been eyeing for months. I know these are great cases, and you can't go wrong with glitter. Plus they have really cute colors. Gold and I are besties right now though. I'm sort of kicking myself for not buying one when I had a 30% off code on Monday. That's where you come in Santa..

What's on your wish list for the Holidays?

Hey Lovies!

Is anyone else glad that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over? I sometimes feel like they overwhelm me to the point that I feel like I have to buy everything because "It's on SALE and it's my last chance!" While Black Friday may have damaged my wallet a bit, I stayed strong against the pull of Cyber Monday. From what I saw on Twitter though, many of you snatched up some great deals. You go Glen Coco.

Today I want to share a little story about 13-year old Sami.

She was about to start her freshman year of high school and was headed up to Six Flags in Denver with her best friend Ellie for some Summer fun. While standing in line for the oh-so-scary water slide, they met some boys who happened to be visiting from Dallas, Texas on a Boy Scout trip. Insert squeals and excitement! It was decided that these boys would accompany Sami and Ellie around the rest of the park and go on rides with them. This is obviously a 13-year old's dream!

While walking through the park and riding roller coasters, it appeared that one of the boys, Kyle made it a point to stay near Sami and sit next her on all the rides. This was new to Sami, since Ellie happened to be older, taller, and prettier and nearly every guy they knew was obsessed with her. Who knew that a 15-year old (gasp) older boy could be interested in her?

Soon it was dark and time for the boys to part ways with Sami and Ellie. Since this was back in 2003, teens didn't have cellphones yet and long-distance certainly wasn't free on land lines so what were Sami and Kyle to do? Well, exchange AIM screen names of course! They would continue their "relationship" as kyletx10 and samistar89.


Since it was Summer, they are able to chat all day long for hours on end and soon they were infatuated with one another. They were even able to hook up microphones so that it could be voice chat. No video though, this was 2003 after all. Soon they took it to the next step and added each other to the oh-so-coveted spot of the away message. Kyle love's Sami and Sami love's Kyle, so that all of their friends knew the status of their young love.


When August rolled around, they both went off to high school and their time was spent at football games and dances. They didn't have time to spend chatting on AIM like they used to and before she knew it Sami realized it was over when she signed on and noticed that Kyle's away message had changed. Instead of Kyle love's Sami, it was Kyle love's Sarah. Her little freshman heart was broken! Thank goodness MySpace was right around the corner and a whole new world was upon her.

Ohh the good old days of AIM. Do you have any funny stories?

one. Brunch at Snooze after shopping from 6am to 10am on Black Friday. two. Chinese for dinner and the beer that will always remind me of a trip to China Town in NYC. three. Buffalo Wild Wings with the family to watch the heartbreaking OSU vs. OU game. four. Getting my Christmas decorations ready for my tree!

one. I'm kind of kicking myself for not picking up this dress at Madewell. two. I finally got my gold card from Starbucks. So official ;) three. Essie- Where's My Chauffer four. Getting ready for Chicago with my new gorgeous red coat!
My four-day weekend went by way too fast, but I enjoyed all of the family time with very little drama. It was relaxing and fun and I did way too much shopping!
What did you do this weekend? Link-up and share!

First of all.. Happy Thanksgiving!

I know I said I was on a blogging hiatus until Monday, but I just had to post this.

Happy Birthday to my very first blog friend and my wonderful link-up cohost , Dana!


It's no fun to have your birthday on a holiday (especially on Thanksgiving when you are a vegetarian AND gluten/dairy free) so she needs all the love we can give her.

Ps. I'm not trying to call out her age, but girlfriend does not look a day over 21 right?

If you are reading this, go to her blog here and leave her some love!

Dana,
I am so happy that we met and became friends through this crazy blog land. I hope you have a wonderful day filled with lots of love and fun. I can't wait to celebrate with you one week from today and I know we are going to have the best time! See you soon :)

Good Morning Dolls!

It's the day before Thanksgiving so what else is there to talk about than being thankful? We're not getting mushy over here though because I've already seen enough of that around the blogosphere this week!

I'm thankful for getting off early today and not working on Friday. Who wouldn't be thankful for a four-day weekend? Now if my weekend could start right meow I would be happy!

I'm thankful for ice cream, especially that of the salted caramel variety. It's turned around many a bad day and it's pretty delicious too.

I'm thankful for Chris and Dana (and Leeann too even though she couldn't make it to our Google Hangout) and their ability to embrace and love my snark. I'm also thankful that I get to spend the weekend with them next week! Ps. I die for baby Jacob could he be any cuter?


I'm thankful for Starbucks and coffee in general because it keeps me from being a grumpy biotch at work.

I'm thankful for middle parts and how they make my face look skinnier. Holler!


I'm thankful for mimosas and the fact that I will be enjoying them as I help my Mom prepare Thanksgiving dinner.

I'm thankful for Gavin DeGraw and his beautiful voice, and his beautiful face too. Duh.

I'm thankful for Whitney, Brooke, and Ty because they are my pretty princesses and they make me laugh on the daily.


I'm thankful for Black Friday because it's a great excuse to go shopping and spend some money. Pshh as if I really need a reason.

I am thankful for GIFs and how they always manage to fit perfectly in any blog post I want them to.


I'm thankful for Instagram because it provides endless entertainment and gives me a platform to post my very professional selfies taken in my car, in the work parking lot.

Okay fine one mushy one..

I'm thankful for you, my readers and the fact that you take the time to read my ramblings everyday. Kisses to each and every one of you :)

What are you thankful for?

I am taking a little blogging hiatus until Monday to spend time with family and I hope you will too! Don't forget to link-up on Monday for Weekend Update so we can all see how crazy your Thanksgiving weekend was. Happy Thanksgiving!

Ohh hi there.

This week is for the birds. It should be slow and easy because it's a holiday week, but instead it's craziness because there is two less days to get work done. I'm over it already, and counting down the hours to tomorrow at 2pm when I hopefully get to go home!

one. Friday night I babysat my cousin and she spent the night at my house. How cute is she in her footie pajamas? Lily was jealous, obvs. two. Snooze for Brunch = my favorite Bloody Mary three. The most delicious thing ever! Open-faced cuban sandwich with and egg and hashbrowns or "Havana Dreaming" as Snooze calls it. four. A trip to IKEA. I haven't been in over a year and I just wanted to buy everything and redo my whole house! I settled on a colander, a loaf pan, and new sheets.

Saturday afternoon I went to see Twilight Breaking Dawn Part Two and it was AMAZING. I wasn't as excited for this movie as I was for the other's, but I still couldn't wait to go see it and it was hands down the best movie of the series. The ending was incredible. I'm so sad the series is over now!
Sunday brought cleaning, laundry, groceries, and the Katy Perry movie. All of which was either fun or relaxing!
Who's ready for a short work week? I know I am! 
What did you do this weekend? Link-up and share!

Hey Lovies!

It's finally Friday and next week is only 3 days long. Woo hoo!

Today I want to talk about Thanksgiving..


I think it was last week that I wrote my post saying I was excited for my whole family to be in Colorado for Thanksgiving, and don't get me wrong I'm definitely still excited. Okay mostly just to see my cousins, but don't tell the rest of my relatives that. Let's get one thing straight here though, we are not the family that sits around the table and says what we are thankful for. Never have and we probably never will.

We have this one small issue.. let's call it the Thanksgiving Curse. No one is quite sure how it works, but all I know is a whole bunch of family members plus lots of food and boom, one or more people start acting crazy.

I'm not sure if you've picked up on this yet, but I'm pretty outspoken and straightforward. I didn't get this way just out of nowhere, it's how my entire family is. Everyone is loud, everyone is right, and everyone's opinion matters the most. 18 of those people all in one room? You can only imagine how that turns out.

In years past, I've been known to join in on the crazy. Speak up when I think someone is wrong, and sometimes get in arguments. This year though, I'm just going to sit back with a glass of wine in my hand and watch it all unfold. Better yet, maybe I'll sneak some Xanax into the mashed potatoes. Then we can enjoy a peaceful meal together without someone wanting to kill someone else.

Does Thanksgiving make your family act crazy or is just mine?

Happy Friday, see you Monday for Weekend Update!

Ps. You can also find me over here today, holding down the fort for my girl Whitney!

Hey there!

As much as I like to sit here and blog about how much I love this and I love that, you should know that I also enjoy throwing out how much I dislike things. See also : A Few of my Unfavorite Things and my Over It List. So since I've always posted about songs and music I do like, I thought I would make a list of songs or artists that I cannot stand. Fun right?

This list mostly stems from one thing.. work. There are two different kinds of days at work: days where we all listen to our own Pandora stations and days where we listen to the dreaded radio. You see this radio, it sits just inches from my desk and it plays the same channel all day long. Shoot me please.


Oh, and I usually insert YouTube videos for the songs I talk about, but why would I want to subject you to that kind of torture?

one. Rihanna "Diamonds"
This song. It just plays over and over in my head after I've heard it on the radio. Drives me nuts. Oh, and did you watch her perform this on SNL last weekend? Very strange.

two. Carly Ray Jepsen "Call Me Maybe"

That's all I have to say about that.

three. Demi Lovato "Give Your Heart a Break"
My five year old cousin LOVES this song and knows all of the words, but I prefer when she sings it.

four. Taylor Swift "We Are Never Getting Back Together"
At first I thought this song catchy and I even bought it on iTunes, but after hearing it maybe 10 times I was so over it. I didn't want to like the rest of the album but it grew on me and there are a few songs I love.. so theres that.

five. Psy "Gangnam Style"
Nope, just can't do it. Fun fact: Apparently my little brother listens to Korean music so he's been listening to this guy for a couple of years. Weird.

six. FUN. "Some Nights"
The radio completely ruined this song for me. I liked it, and then I heard it so many times that I never want to hear it again.. ever.

seven. Anything by Adele
Another perfectly good artist ruined by the radio. I jammed to her CD for months and never got sick of it, and then they started playing the same 5 songs over and over and just beat them to death.

eight. Anything by Train
(except Meet Virginia because I love that song)

nine. Anything by Pit Bull
That guy gives me the heebie jeebies. Seriously though!

ten. Anything by One Direction
I won't ever accept another boy band that's not N*Sync, Backstreet Boys, or 98 Degrees. Sorry I'm not sorry!


What songs make you change the radio station?
 

Hi Lovelies!

We had our first real snow fall in Colorado this past weekend which got me thinking about the clothes I wear in the Winter (or in Colorado's case Spring and Fall as well). There is a short list of things that are must haves, because I wear them so often. So if you live somewhere cold you probably agree, and if you're planning on traveling somewhere cold you might want to have these things.

one. Striped Dress
The one I have is black and white, but any neutral colors will do. The important thing is that it's versatile. It has a long sleeve, but that can easily be rolled up. It can we worn with or without tights or leggings. Wear it with boots or flats, and throw on a scarf if you want. It's a very easy piece to change up with the weather or your mood.

two. Tights
I could never live without my black tights. My favorite are my SPANX ones. They are thick, as well as good quality and I've worn a pair for two years without a single snag. I have a couple different pairs, but my favorites are the reversible which are black on one side and brown on the other. Genius right?

three. Oversize Sweater
This is my favorite piece for the weekends. Throw this on over a pair of skinny jeans with a scarf and boots and you've got my go-to outfit for cold weather. It's cute, comfortable, and warm! When I was making this list I decided I didn't have enough of these sweaters, so my mission this weekend is to add to my repertoire.

four. Silky Button Up
This really is the perfect shirt. You can wear it with a skirt, jeans, under a sweater, or with a scarf. In a perfect world I would love to own one my Equipment because they are perfect, but they are also $200, so I'll stick with one from Old Navy. I know J.Crew has a great option as well!

five. Faux Leather Leggings
I fought these for a long time, because I didn't think they were right with my body type, but once I purchased them and realized just how comfortable they were I knew I made the right choice. They go with alot, but look best with tunics or dresses (things that are longer).

six. Black Skinnies
A black pair of skinnies can be worn casual or dressy and that's my favorite thing about them. They are a great substitute for leggings when you're not sure if your top is long enough, because nobody wants to be that girl. Definitely a closet staple for me!

seven. Dark Wash Skinnies
This is just a given. Everyone should own at least one pair of dark wash skinnies that fit comfortable and hug in all the right places. They should be long enough to wear with flats or heels, but also tight enough to tuck into boots. My two favorite pairs come from NY&Co and Forever21.

eight. Pencil Skirt
I just bought a dark black pencil skirt that has leather accents and I know it's going to be on heavy rotation in the Winter. I can wear it to work with an appropriate top and I can also throw on some sequins and my leather jacket for a night out.

nine. Leather Jacket
I live for my leather jacket in the winter! Of course I have my warmer jackets for the snow, but leather is my go-to. Make sure you buy one that is roomy enough for a thin sweater so you can get the most use out of it. I throw mine on almost every time I run out the door.

ten. Tall Brown Boots
The Steve Madden Intyce. These are the best boots I've ever purchased and I know countless people that agree. They are the perfect cognac color that can be worn with brown or black, and they are simple so they can be casual or dressy. I wear these with jeans, leggings, dresses, and skirts. You name it and I've probably worn these boots with it!

eleven. Leopard Loafers
Another new edition, but such a great shoe. I treat leopard as a neutral so I wear these with everything and any color. If you're not sure about the leopard, just stick with a simple black loafer or flat and you will wear them with everything.

I left out any accessories, but my go-to for those is a couple of scarves, a great watch, and some long layering necklaces.

Do you live in a cold weather place? What are your must haves?

Hey Girls Hey!

There are a few things I need to get off my chest, so here we go..


I Confess.. I'm as intrigued by the show Catfish as I am appalled. Not five minutes in to the episode I could tell Sunny was "dating" a girl. I mean it's not rocket science people, did you hear the voice on the other end of the phone?

I Confess.. I once had an entire "relationship" over AIM when I was in 8th grade. I met a boy at Six Flags in Denver, he lived in Texas, and we chatted on AIM everyday for months. I should really tell the whole story at some point, it's quite hilarious!



I Confess.. I sometimes like the people I meet through my blog more than I like the people in my real life and I'm completely okay with it. See also: Why don't we all live in the same place?



I Confess.. I've lived in my place for a year and a half and I still haven't decorated it. This weekend I'm getting this show on the road, I have 31 days to get my place looking pretty.

I Confess.. there is one show that I will almost always watch when it's on TV, even if it's one I've already seen. What show is it? Diner's, Drive In's, and Dives. YES. Love it.

I Confess.. I'm having a sleepover this weekend with my 5 year old cousin and I can't wait. She called and said "Can you come pick me up and take me to your house.. and paint my nails?" I DIE.

I Confess.. My girl Whit convinced me to buy boxed wine, and I didn't hate it. Don't tell my Dad, he will disown me.



What do you confess?

3 hours and two breaks for wine refills later we had the most epic skype blog date in history!  Sidenote: How cute is Miss Ella?
Saturday and Sunday were spent at home relaxing and cleaning. It was snowing and I don't like to drive in the snow if I don't have to! As you can see it was very exciting!
What did you do this weekend? Link-up and share!

Hey Ladies!

Does anyone else feel like the election made this week seem twice as long? That's how I feel, which makes this Friday seem even better! Plus I have nothing (and I mean nothing) planned this weekend so it should be pretty relaxing.

In other news, I had my first DVR casualty of the Fall TV season last night. You're probably thinking I'm a looney tune but Glee moving to Thursdays is really cramping my TV style. Last night Glee, Vampire Diaries, and Grey's Anatomy were all on at 8pm so one had to be cut. I picked Grey's because it's the easiest to watch online. Good god I am more TV obsessed than I thought. Moving on..

Time to link-up with the Vegas Vixen Miss Bargain Blonde..

Favorite Collaboration

Bauble Bar + Essie

Ya'll this is a genius idea. Basically you pick one of the six bangle/nail polish combos, add two more bracelets, and get the whole thing in a cute clutch for $50. Yes, that's three bracelets, one nail polish, and one clutch all for $50. What a great gift right? For yourself and others ;) Also, if are a first time Bauble Bar customer, you get $10 off your first order by clicking here. The only question is which of the six will you choose?

Favorite Purchases

Forever21 Chain Trim Faux Leather Jacket


Is it possible to have a love affair with a jacket? You see, last weekend I spotted this jacket in my Mom's closet (ya she's pretty fashionable) and I about died. I hate the way they've styled it in the photo, but it's Chanel-esque and faux leather and pretty much perfect. I tried to steal it from my Mom but she wasn't having it so I ran to the closest Forever21 and snatched it up for myself. I can't wait to wear it with everything, from skinny jeans to dresses.

Favorite Freebie

Crest Whitestrips

Have ya'll ever heard of Influenster? It's kind of like Klout where you sign up, hook up your social media accounts, and they send you fun things to try and share about! The first thing I got was a box full of fun things for Summer and then I found these guys in my mailbox. The best part is I had been thinking about buying some, and now I get to try them for free! Cool huh?

Favorite Recipe

The yummiest guacamole EVER

Did you guys know that I have a guacamole addiction? It's always been there, but this recipe pretty much pushed it over the edge. I love how simple it is and that I can whip it up pretty much anytime I want.. as long as I have an avocado. This girl always has pretty fun and healthy recipes on her blog, and I can't wait to try more of them out.

Favorite Blogger

Brookie from Tales from my Fairytale

Yesterday, this girl brought tears to my eyes with her sweet words. You can read them here. This is what blogging is all about people. Brooke is gorgeous, kind, funny, and an all around great person. If we're being honest here, she makes me want to be a better person and those are the best kind of people to have in your life. I am so thankful for her and the friendship that we've started! One day we will skip down the street holding hands with Whitney.. and it will be the best day ever. Love you Brooke! xoxox

What was your favorite thing about this week? Link-up with Lindsey and share.

Have a great weekend and see you Monday for Weekend Update!