Category: Friends, Meetups, & Linkups

Friday Favorites Linkup: Fall Edition

Okay first off let me just say these past couple of weeks have been cray cray.  I know I’m always saying that but darn it….life is CRAZY!  Connor missed 4 days of school last week.  He came home Monday from school with over 103 degree fever.  Two Doctor visits later and we finally got a diagnosis after a blood test of pneumonia.  Thankfully he’s back at school this week and things are somewhat normal.

Okay, so gals you know I love to share my favorites with you all.  My lovely friend Kim and I are starting a link-up every Friday called “Friday Favorites”.  You can share what you’ve been crushing on lately.  I love to hear about what you are thinking too 🙂

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This week’s theme is FALL!!! 

What are some of your fall favorites.  Thank your LORD that tomorrow has a high of 83….please oh please let the weatherman be right for once.

Beanies.  I love me some beanies in the fall….they are perfect for those days when you just don’t want to fix your hair and just throw it on and go.  And you still look half way cute….right?

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Boo at the Zoo.  Yes, it’s full of wild hoodlum children, but there is just something about getting out among the community and being a part of a fall event.
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The Goldbergs.  My favorite TV show.  I love Beverly and can’t wait for all my fall shows to come back on.  I can’t wait to see what Beverly does to embarrass her kids and what she’s scheming this season 😉1541

School supplies.  I love everything related to back to school and I could spend hours looking at all the different pens, pencils, and notepads.  I may have a slight stationary/pen addiction….BBP_5771

These labels are from Mabel’s Label’s and we adore them.BBP_5767

I have the need to washi everything.  I love this pumpkin washi tape from Silent Poetry Arts.  Also, love pumpkin spice lattes, but here in TX I’m still enjoying my iced esspresso.BBP_6940

My friend Ellen came to visit me and introduced me to Charlotte Tilbury makeup.  Oh my gosh y’all I’m in LOVE with this gold cream eye shadow.  It doesn’t feel like a cream, it isn’t sticky.  It’s a great shadow and perfect for fall!
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Halloween costumes.  Connor tried on this dinosaur at Pottery Barn Kids. Sooooo cute!
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Here are the up-coming topics for the Fridays to come.  We would love for you to join us and feel free to leave your link below 🙂  Happy weekend friends!

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Wining & Dining & Other Randoms…

I’m having so much fun with my new Nikon D750. I’m going to start booking some Valentine’s day shoots soon so I can play with my new toys 🙂  One of my favorite companies MOD STRAPS has the cutest camera straps.  I love a little bit of bling…isn’t this just fabulous?  They are now selling in Target too 🙂
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I usually don’t like glitter polish, but this one in particular has been a favorite over the past year. I ordered a second bottle. It stays on forever and it not chunky and flaky like some glitter polishes. It’s from Julep.
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One of my best friends since high school makes the coolest jewelry. Her name is Ellen and you can check her jewelry out on Facebook at Elle Designs.
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Connor is getting so big 🙂

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I met up with some of my best blogger friends and we went on a wine tour at Lost Oak Winery.  We had the best time catching up, girl talk, and drinking lots of wine!  It was very interesting to learn how wine is made.  I’m ready for another girls day or night out again.  If you are new to blogging in the Texas area or just looking for a great community check out Texas Women Bloggers.  I’m sure you’ll never meet a stranger in this group!
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2014 Year in Review + LINKUP

 

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Welcome my pretties to the 2014 YEAR IN REVIEW LINKUP!!!  Grab a cup of coffee & join me 🙂

Go HERE to participate!!!

What did you do in 2014 that you’d never done before?

This is SO hard!  I can’t think of anything I have never done before off the top of my head.  I ate new foods, tried new little things, but nothing too extravagant.

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions? Will you make more in 2015?

I vowed to lose 25-30 pounds.  And no, I probably actually gained MORE weight this year…of course it’s right after the holidays.  I do want to eat better & not make a goal to lose weight, just to be healthier.

Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes, someone in Terence’s family is always pregnant or having a baby.  I love all my little nieces and nephews.

Did anyone close to you die?

People I knew died.  Not any immediate family & for that I am HAPPY.

What countries did you visit?

Stayed in the US this year…next year I’m ready to get out of dodge!

What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?

will-power, self motivation to chase my dreams, not be afraid of being my true self.

More family time.

What date from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory?

My sister had a beautiful wedding this past summer.  I’ll always remember that.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Growing my photography business.

What was your biggest failure?

Oh I fail every day at something.  I am far from perfect, but I try my best.  I am really bad at meal planning and grocery shopping.  I struggle with that the most.  The last thing I want to do when I get home from a long day is cook.

Did you suffer illness or injury?

No *knock on wood*

What was the best thing you bought?

A new Nikon D750!!!!  So excited!

Whose behavior merited celebration?

My husband.  He puts up with me and all my flaws.  He’s very structured and disciplined…and I am very free-spirited.  He keeps me grounded and focused for sure.

Where did most of your money go?

FOOD. Ugh.

What did you get really excited about?

Photo shoots- My passion….anytime I get asked to take photos or have a new event I get SO excited!  I love weddings and the vibe you get from all the love in the air 🙂

What song will always remind you of 2014?

Taylor Swift- Blank Space

Compared to this time last year, are you:

Happier or sadder?

Happier

Thinner or fatter?

Fatter. Blah.  I am “Plushious”

Richer or poorer?

Richer

What do you wish you’d done more of?

Exercising & spending time with distant family.

What do you wish you’d done less of?

Working

How will you be spending Christmas?

I went to Arkansas and we had Christmas on the farm there.  We also had Christmas with Terence’s family in Texas too.

Did you fall in love in 2014?

No, I already am.

How many one-night stands?

Zilch.

Who were your best friends?

I don’t have any BEST friends here in Texas…I wish I could find one.  My best friends have always been my girlfriends from high school and of course my twin sister Bonnie.

What thing did you do that was meaningful to others?

Capture memories and take photos that will hopefully last a lifetime.

What were your favorite TV shows?

The Goldbergs, The Black List, & so many more!

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Yes.  Not hate…just dislike.

What was the best book you read in 2014?

The Crossfire Series (Thanks Nicole!!!)

What was your greatest musical discovery?

Taylor Swift 1989 album= LOVE.

What did you want and get?

A new camera.

What did you want but did not get?

To move closer to my husband’s job so we can have more time together.

What were your favorite films this year?

I can’t even REMEMBER.  We watched a LOT of movies…I can’t think of a stand out favorite though.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

33.  Spent the day with my family.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

A personal chef.  Ha ha!

What kept you sane?

My MEDS.  No joke.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Beverly Goldberg.  Overbearing Mom of the year.

What political issue stirred you the most?

Obama everything. SUCKS.

Who do you miss?

Our old President.  My family in Arkansas.

Who are the best new persons you met this year?

I met some great blogger friends and so thankful for them!

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2014.

Life is short. You can’t take it with you.  Pick and choose your battles.

Quote that sums up the year:

Your future is as BRIGHT as your FAITH.

 

Weekend Update

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How was your weekend? My was CRAY CRAY!!! That’s how this time of year…it’s go, go, go!

Saturday morning we got up early to go to REI in Southlake where they had a brand new store opening.  The first 100 customers got a gift card so we got there an hour early only to find about 200 people already in line.  #FAIL

Connor needs a new coat because he has outgrown the one he had last year.  Kids be expensive yo!  We ended up ordering him one.  Hopefully it will get here soon because I feel like a horrible parent sending him to school in a fleece and all the other kids look like Ralphie’s little brother bundled up in their winter wear.

We had good family time though walking around Southlake Town Square and checking out the Christmas decoration.

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Terence is in need of new glasses.  He tried these on, they are WAY out of his comfort zone and much more trendy than he would normally wear.  What do you think ladies???  He needs an opinion:

20141115_105156Later that afternoon I went to take photos of this little nugget.  He is such an angel and gave me baby fever like BAD!  He is so adorable!  I don’t do babies a lot, but he was such a doll.  Check out my fall galleries HERE.

This isn’t a full resolution photo because I grabbed them off Instagram.

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Saturday night I met up with some FABULOUS gals I’ve been blessed to become friends with through blogging.  If you live in Texas then check out TEXAS WOMEN BLOGGERS it’s a great way to get connected to other bloggers in your area.

We had a yummy dinner and fellowship.

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Yesterday I stayed in my jammies all day and got caught up on some editing….

And TODAY I finally FINALLY finally got my eggnog latte!!!!!

HALLELUJAH!!!

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Trick-Or-Treat 2014

We had a pretty laid back Halloween.  Of course we always dress up where I work every year and that was fun!  This years theme was “What did you want to be when you grew up?”  There were some interesting costumes for sure!  I was an artist 🙂

Only my boss thought I was a muffin….uhm???

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I went to Connor’s Halloween parade at school and after that we came home and started passing out candy.  When it got darker I ended up just throwing the bowl on the front porch and we took Connor around the neighborhood.  It’s so fun watching him every year and our neighbors are so sweet!  Nothing like a candy coma for a kiddo right?

There are certain houses that go ALL OUT decorating and we have a house like that down the street.  Everyone lines up to go to that ONE house.  Every year they get more and more decorations.  I was proud of Connor for walking up and not being afraid like he was last year.

Oh, did I mention I went to a haunted house with two of my co-workers?  Those gals are crazy!!!  We had the best time mostly because I was laughing so hard at them.  We pushed Sherry in front, I was in the middle, and Sue Ellen was in the back with the creepers following her.  I have never been to a haunted house but the reason it’s so scary is not because of the stuff in it…it’s because it’s so DARK in there!  We kept bumping into walls.  I lost a pair of earrings.  Thank God Sue Ellen didn’t lose her hearing aids!  It was quite the experience.

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Best quotes of the night:

One legged haunted house dude:  “I’m going to cut off your leg!!!  I need a new leg!”

Sue Ellen:  “You don’t want mine…it’s old and tough!”

Scary old lady in haunted house:  “Hisssssssssss……”

Sherry: “You look JUST like my ex-sister in law!”

Those two had me cracking up the entire night.

Here we are before going Trick-or-Treating.  Connor was of course…..Batman.  My days of choosing costumes is O.V.E.R.

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 I’ll write soon on my feeling about the eggnog latte…OMG. It can’t be true. #bringbackeggnoglattes