Sunshine Cupcakes!

Wedding day: getting ready - the boys

2012-02-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

*Welcome to Wedding Week! Check in at least twice a day for photos, updates, stories and happy memories from our wedding day, November 19, 2011!*

Elsewhere in the hotel, the boys were getting dressed for the big day. They had gone golfing all morning and got dressed in probably 15 minutes - I'm jealous! From what it looks like, they were relaxed and happy.

Except Ryan, who has that adorable nervous flush in several photos :)

Hot damn my husband cleans up nice.

And what wedding pre-gaming is complete without passing around some hard liquor?

The Man with the Mustache is Ryan's good friend Daniel, who came out from Havasu just for the wedding! I love a man that can rock a good pair of bright red suspenders!

Ryan and Tim, his best man, practiced the ring hand-off. As you'll see later, this practice did not necessarily pay off...

And of course when boys get together and have idle time, there is almost always a strange secret handshake happening.

And some brotherly wrestling, too.

All cleaned up and ready for a weddin'!

*All photos by Efrain Robles*

Wedding day: getting ready - the ladies

2012-02-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

*Welcome to Wedding Week! Check in at least twice a day for photos, updates, stories and happy memories from our wedding day, November 19, 2011!*

On my wedding day, the girls picked me up and we drove to the Carefree Inn & Resort, where we got ready in my "honeymoon suite".

Hillary's photo

The resort was nice enough to let us in several hours early so we'd all have enough room to get ready. The girls did their own hair, Caitlin did our make up, and my aunt did my hair. It was low key, laid back and fun!

Funny anecdote time! We got to the hotel around 11 and the wedding wasn't til 4, so we ordered sandwiches for lunch ahead of time because we knew we'd be starving. Our lunch order arrived a bit late around 3, right when we were supposed to be leaving for the venue to finish getting ready, so I was becoming one HUNGRY bridezilla. We had to scarf em down in a matter of minutes, and luckily our photographer captured this beautiful moment:

God bless maids of honor who have no problems shoving food into a bride's mouth.

My friend Caitlin gave me a beautiful, natural makeup look which I loved. The face massage part of getting your makeup done by a professional makeup artist is THE BEST.

The girls looked beauuuutiful.

It was definitely happy chaos :)

(And if you're wondering where Robert was, he was there watching TV because, as he said, "IT TAKES ME FIVE SECONDS TO PUT ON MY SUIT".)

Pre-prep snuggling - Hillary's photo

At 3, we drove over to the venue to get dressed in the little chapel that we'd exit to walk down the aisle. There, my mama zipped me into my wedding dress - the same dress she wore on her wedding day.

Then I got SUPER nervous, mostly excited, and absolutely full of butterflies. Efrain captured this photo of me taking a deep breath - one of several!

YIKES

And after what really felt like five minutes, I was ready to get hitched!!

*All photos by Efrain Robles unless otherwise noted*

Mixtape

2012-02-11T12:55:00.001-07:00

My friend Vanessa made me a mix CD and dropped it off at our apartment last week. Her sister's fiance is a DJ and passed on some songs she thoughts we'd like.

Like? Understatement. Ryan and I are huge fans of dance/electronica/trip hop and Vanessa knocked this mix out of the park.

Mix by sunshinekara on Grooveshark

Here's the tracklist:

Dance Yrself Clean (Cuisine Version) - LCD Soundsystem
GHOSTS - The Hundred In The Hands
Sleepyhead (Le Chev Remix) - Passion Pit
Everlasting Light - The Black Keys
Icarus - White Hinterland
Don't Move - Phantogram
Dreamboat - Psychic Powers
Free - Graffiti6
Always Loved a Film - Underworld
Synchronize (feat. Jarvis Cocker) - Discodeine
Dancehall Queen - Robyn
1517 - The Whitest Boy Alive
Dollar - Aloe Blacc
Desert Island - Architecture in Helsinki
Heartbreaker (Discodeine remix) - Metronomy
Peripheral Visionaries - Young Galaxy
American Mourning - Bikini
Midnight City - M83

ENJOY! :)

Typical

2012-02-07T18:38:00.000-07:00

Like a true urban hipster, I am finally the owner of a beautiful white iPhone!!!! There's a sassy yellow case on its way (go ahead, feign surprise at my color selection) and I'm loaded up on some apps that I've spent time exploring last night and today.

Like a true blogger, I've been instagramming the bejesus out of my life. See?

Our first night together

Workin' on mah fitness - making this a new goal

Burgundy lips for a training

Lunch at aforementioned training - YUM-O. See all that healthy stuff?

Started my 6th set of Invisalign today and already noticing much straighter teeth!

My love bug

I had to wait 4 days to get it shipped to me because the Verizon store was out of the phone (HOW DO YOU RUN OUT OF YOUR BESTSELLER? I'D LOVE TO KNOW) and it was a very, very, very painful and long wait. Painful! Now that we are together, we will never part.

Follow me on Instagram - sunshinekara

Aaaand leave your absolute must-have apps in the comments! I've already got My Fitness Pal (aka the devil), AllRecipes Dinner Spinner, ShopShop, Pinterest and a moon phases app (haha, don't laugh).

Other tidbits: I love Michelle Obama, especially on the Ellen Show - I heart Revlon cosmetics - I can't wait to pick up our 2nd Bountiful Baskets contribution on Saturday morning - I love my husband! - I learned a lot about grief and bereavement today at an all-dray training and I can't wait to apply it at work.

ALL HAIL THE IPHONE!! I TOTALLY GET THE HYPE!!!

Get ready for...

2012-02-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

WEDDING WEEK!

Over the week of Valentine's Day (Feb 13-17), keep your little eyes peeled for a full recap of our wedding! I'm going to include professional photos, non professional photos, before/after photos of my dress transformation from vintage mama's dress to modern Kara's dress, our wedding playlist, funny stories and more!

I can't wait to share it with you!

Sometimes you gotta let life take the reins

2012-02-05T16:56:00.004-07:00

Life has served us up a heaping dish of suck this week, so today we're recouping on the couch at home by ourselves with our pup. (Don't worry, it's manageable suck.) I've got some chicken breasts, carrots, potatoes and thyme going in the Crockpot and we're settling down to watch the Superbowl. (Neither of us has any affiliation with each team, so I'm just going to shout "YAY!" anytime someone gets a touch down.)

When I'm having bad weeks, my job is a great distraction. I love it so much that I throw myself into it fully - and it's real hard to worry about your own petty problems when you're facilitating the emotional growth of other human beings. So I'm listening to those "God messages" this week and shutting up.

In the mean time, I'm newly obsessed with lip crayons and thinking about going out to a local CVS to grab one of these:

via

...only because I saw them on Keiko Lynn's blog and I'm obsessed with her Makeup Mondays. (Some of my other beauty favorites are AshleyTIA's youtube channel and Emily's blog.) I never wear a ton of make up and I always feel stupid trying out something new, but those ladies could pull off anything and I worship them for it!

I also bought myself some new running shoes that fit and have pledged to exercise regularly again (I'm recruiting local gym buddies...come work out!) and cut out a lot of sugar in my diet. I don't eat a ton, but on days I have a soda or a donut it seems like ALL DAY that day is full of sugar. I need to reel that back in. Now is a good time to revamp some of my routines and exercise should be a priority!

I hope you are all having a great, lazy Sunday and may lip pencils always cheer you up after bad days. <3

Take me to the movies

2012-02-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

Wanna go see a free movie next Tuesday? Well then today is your lucky day!

Click the link here and follow the instructions posted above. You just might see me and the husband there! :)

PSC Launch Party!

2012-02-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, the day before my birthday!, the Phoenix Style Collective hosted our first event!

We held the party at the GROWop downtown, co-owned by our friends Kenny and Josh (one of my fellow founding fathers). It was a beautiful space that people really enjoyed, not to mention it is PACKED with beautiful vintage, handmade and found objects!

Brendan, manager of local favorites Smeeks and Frances, came by and donated not only his time but also a HUGE tray of delicious gourmet cupcakes and snacks and also his skills as a button-maker!

Thanks, Brendan :)

I know that I'm speaking for my fellow founding fathers (Courtney, Josh, Chelsea and Katherine) when I say that the night was simply magical for all of us. There's nothing more fulfilling than pouring your heart and soul into an event and seeing it turn out not only successfully but SUPER successfully.

It was also a really great chance to catch up with friends - old and new! Matt and Marissa are some of our favorites. Matt was our wedding officiant and he is also a rather hilarious stand up comedian!

The button-making was really a fantastic addition to the evening :)

We got to raffle off some AMAZING prizes, check out our blog for a full list of sponsors!

Hi, Josh :)

Another really fun part of the night was the photo booth room! I really can't wait to see what craziness Brenda Eden captured, haha!

Hi, Courtney! Still dreaming about your lipstick ;)

Huge thanks to the food truck that came out to support our event! You need to stalk Luncha Libre stat...I can personally testify that the offerings are stellar!

We ended the night with some front lawn dancing, hugging, and laughing.

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who contributed in making our event one of the happiest nights of my life!

Did you attend the event? Post a link of your recap on our blog.

Kids, therapy, and activities

2012-01-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Since settling into my new full time position as a marriage and family therapist, I've gotten to start enjoying the luxuries that being a full time employee has to offer. Namely, an office. Because I was part time for the past year and an intern for the year prior to that, I've never had my own office space or even a place to leave my stuff. Since I joined the Full Time Crew last week, I've claimed office space of my own and ~~peed all over everything to mark my territory~~ started making the space more personal to accommodate my needs in sessions.

First up? The formation of "Kara's Art Box", a cardboard box full of markers, coloring pages, stickers, glue, fuzz balls, and all sorts of other art supplies that I use to get connected to kids and teens. You'd be amazed at the things that come out of a person's mouth when their hands are occupied - if you've ever researched EMDR, I think it's the same principle. When you're distracted by focusing on a mundane task, undiscussed emotional garbage comes to the surface and is easier to talk about. Sorry, did I lose you for a sec in nerd talk? Let's refocus.

The bottom line is, kids love activities. Therapists use activities to gain participation in therapy. Therefore, kids love therapists! (Isn't that how that works?)

That's why, when a rep from Arizona Way Out West & Wacky contacted me to see if I'd like to take a look at an activity book they published, I couldn't wait to bring it in to work and show it to my clients.

It's an Arizona-focused activity book marketed for children and young adults, and it's chock full of fun AZ history and factoids.

Basically, if it's got things to color, puzzles to do and crafts to make? My kids want to see it.

For me, it's a nice change from coloring my 50th picture of Strawberry Shortcake in a week and a welcome opportunity to brush up on my state's history. You're familiar with javelinas, right? The scary wild boars that roam around in the desert and chew on helpless creatures with giant foaming fangs? Oh, no? Well, you can find the book here and get started.

All in all, I'm looking forward to settling into a good groove at work where I can challenge my clients to think, have fun, and also maybe get a little emotional healing done somewhere in there :)

Next up on the list: comfy blankets for my office, hanging my degrees and my license on the wall, and investing in some therapy games.

WORK IS AWESOME.

YOU pick the clog...Ugglebo Spring/Summer 2012

2012-01-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Can I ask you guys something? How many times have you been instrumental in the development of a new line of shoes?

BECAUSE TODAY IS YOUR CHANCE!!! No, seriously!! This is so fun!

My friends at Ugglebo Clogs are putting together their styles for the Spring and Summer collections for 2012 and are looking for feedback from REAL WOMEN who are actually going to be purchasing these styles. That means YOU!

What I'm looking for is your feedback on the above 12 styles, specifically the following:

1) What do you like about them? Which are your favorites?

2) What type of base do you like the best - wedge, semi-wedge, tall, short?

3) Do you like a dark wooden base or a light wooden base?

4) Do you like the staples or the brass nail heads better?

I am personally absolutely obsessed with 7 and 11...I LOVE a great wedge and I think the styles are so versatile. I prefer clogs with brass nail heads rather than staples - I think they give the clog a little extra je ne sais quoi? I also love the slightly athletic vibe of number 2 and the beautiful cutout detail in 12.

Leave your feedback in the comments below, and your thoughts will be instrumental in choosing what styles are produced for the spring/summer seasons!

Twenty five

2012-01-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday today!!

I'm starting off 25 right...Bountiful Baskets pick up in the am, brunch and thrifting with bestie and her husband, naps upon naps, house party!

24 was an amazing, fantastic, productive, award-winningly awesome year. Can't wait to ring in 25 with my closest friends :)

PARTY!!

A walk around my city

2012-01-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

You know what, dudes?

Phoenix is truly a unique place.

I'm thankful for this community of misfits, creatives and professionals that I get to be a part of.

TOMORROW

2012-01-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

Phoenicians, what are you up to tomorrow night?

Because if you're interested in free wine, beer, coffee, munchies and a MOST EXCELLENT raffle, you need to be at this event:

I'm not gonna tell you what we're raffling off, but among other fabulous and amazing things, let's just say there is a pair of much-coveted concert tickets floating around in the stash...

Find us on Facebook, Twitter and our blog for more!

DIY: liquid handsoap

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

You guys. I made soap.

I'm newly obsessed with Pinterest (find me here!) and recently saw this really intriguing idea on the Bleubird blog that just so happens to be making the rounds on Pinterest: homemade liquid handsoap for pennies compared to what everyone (me) pays for Mrs. Meyer's.

I followed the directions listed on the blog and let it sit overnight.

And voila! Liquid soap!

A bar of Yardley soap (I picked English Lavender) was about $1, a bottle of liquid glycerin was about $4, and a gallon of water was free from the sink. I used 2 tablespoons of the liquid glycerin for the recipe...meaning the entire gallon of handsoap this recipe yields cost me barely over $1!

What's your favorite Pinterest household project?

What I wore: all black

2012-01-21T14:11:00.002-07:00

I've been in a serious all-black outfit mood lately - I don't know what it is. I'm still as sunshiney as ever as far as moods go...but I love me an all-black ensemble. Easy, slimming, doesn't require much thought - count me in!

Contrarily to my all-black thing that I've got going on lately, I've been on the hunt for some obnoxiously colorful jeans! I love the colored jeans trend and have serious doubts that I'll be comfortable enough to pull it off, but I'm really determined to try it. I think I'll start out at Forever 21 because I'm just way too thrifty to throw down upwards of $80 or $100 on a pair of pink designer jeans. It's just a whole lotta look.

(Speaking of a whole lotta look, is anyone else watching Project Runway All Stars? I'm wondering if I'm the only one who watched the entire Miss Piggy episode thinking to myself, "Don't these people know she's a PUPPET?" Like, I really didn't get it. I need someone to explain these things to me.)

And speaking of random television, Ryan and I just got introduced to Portlandia and it's safe to say that I'm obsessed. I don't know why, but those feminist book store owners reduce me to fits of giggles every single time and gosh dangit if I don't love Fred Armisen in drag. And the episode with The Decemberists?!?! I had a total fangirl moment. "Sparklepony...."

Sorry, this post took a really strange turn. I'm just really happy that it's the weekend and that I have BOTH DAYS OFF. I think the novelty of having a normal schedule has caused some temporary insanity over here.

Unintentional ombre

Giddily yours,
Kara

Outfit details: jacket, Target - top, gift from Karen Kane - shorts, ancient - tights, gift from in-laws - boots, Blowfish Shoes - necklace, Moorea Seal - glasses, gift from GlassesUSA.com

Introducing: the Phoenix Style Collective

2012-01-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

This year, I've made a promise to myself to get more creatively involved in this beautiful community of mine. A huge part of that has been my commitment to the creation of the Phoenix Style Collective - a group of five Phoenix-lovers that works to link the tastemakers of Phoenix's fashion and style industry. We believe that style is about more than just clothes - it's about everything with flair. Fashion. Design. Art. Food. Community. And so much more!!

Sound like something you want to be a part of? Forget want...I think you NEED to be a part of this. Our first event is coming up, so mark your calendars...

So I'll see you at the GROWop on the 27th, right?

Don't forget to check out our blog for updates, inspiration, and fun things to see and do around town.

New specs: GlassesUSA eyeglasses review

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'll never forget the day in 4th grade that I got my first pair of glasses. My mom and I held hands as we exited the eyeglass store at our local mall, and I literally gasped when I looked at a tree in the distance and I could see its leaves. In 8th grade, I was finally deemed mature enough to wear contacts. I can remember sitting on the couch at home wondering why my eyes felt so dry - wearing contacts would definitely take some getting used to, but it was nice not to have to rely on a pair of glasses for sight.

Now, in my ripe old age, I enjoy wearing eyeglasses again to break up the monotony of wearing contacts. Plus, glasses bring an extra element of style to an outfit and can add balance to your face. When GlassesUSA.com contacted me recently, it was perfect timing - I haven't had a new pair in over 5 years!

After quite the uncomfortable eye doc visit (my right pupil was dilated WAY bigger than my left; made conducting therapy rather awkward), I picked out these two pairs:

The Adams:

And the Bettys:

(I love the detailing on the side of these!)

I absolutely love them both. The Adams are sophisticated and classy for my therapist look, and the Bettys are a little funky and stylish. I wish I could go back in time and tell my 8th grade self that wearing glasses is cool and to stop trying so hard to fit in! :)

The ordering experience with GlassesUSA was absolutely a breeze - the site is very user friendly and the PRICES are FANTASTIC, no joke. Regarding shipping? They were at my door faster than I could even track the package online. I would absolutely recommend them to a fellow four-eyes looking for a fun new pair of glasses. And the best part? You don't even have to wear prescription eyeglasses to enjoy GlassesUSA - you can order glasses without a prescription, just for fashion's sake!

Wary of ordering such an important, every-day accessory online? Don't worry, the virtual mirror makes uploading your photo a breeze so you can try on your favorite pairs virtually.

If that isn't just the most awesome thing ever, I couldn't tell you what is.

Good news: if you're looking to buy glasses, GlassesUSA is offering Sunshine Cupcakes lovebugs a little deal...

**Take 20% off any pair of eyeglasses and get FREE US shipping with the code: New2012

**Take 10% off any order. Code: Blog10

If you need me, I'll be on a walk around the neighborhood, continuing to admire the fact that I can see the leaves on the trees.

La Fashionista: Jewelry Edition

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Have you guys met my friend Kelli yet? She is a renaissance woman in every sense of the title - she cooks, sews, bakes, writes, crafts, knits and bowls with ease and finesse while I scratch my head and wonder how she manages to fit "sleep" in there somewhere. She recently moved to Colorado to pursue snowier pastures, and every month we've pledged to publish a shared fashion post on our respective blogs. This month's theme? Jewelry. Forever one of my favorite ways to be fashionable.

Dear Kelli,

As a fellow gal from AZ and recent transplant to Denver, I'm sure you'll appreciate the sentiment behind one of my latest fashion purchases: "You can take the girl out of the Southwest...but you can never take the Southwest out of the girl."

In November, just before our wedding, I took my mother- and sister-in-law to Frontier Town in Cave Creek (where we got married) to poke around and take in the scenery. When I laid eyes upon the mud hogan-housed jewelry shop there, it was all I could do to keep from running.

Inside, among several Southwest-inspired costume pieces, I set my eyes upon this beautiful faux-turqouise necklace and knew it had to be mine. My midwestern in-laws giggled at the blatant Arizona-ness of it while I envisioned myself in several ensembles with the colorful necklace being a focal point.

And you know what? I wear it with everything. Out to dinner with my husband, topping off a printed dress and sharp blazer. With a casual chevron-striped tee and jeans. In a professional white button-down and grey pants for work. On our honeymoon in Jamaica with a fuchsia dress.

It's one of my favorite pieces of jewelry to wear. Wherever my travels take me, I know that every time I put on this giant, heavy necklace, I'll smile a little and think of my forever home: the Southwest.

Kisses and cactuses,
Kara

3 years

2012-01-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Three years ago yesterday (or today, perhaps - we've never quite been able to remember the exact date!), this very handsome, tall gentleman walked into my college apartment and wrapped his arms around me.

We'd spent the month prior sheepishly texting and talking on the phone while he spent winter break at his family's house in Indiana, recovering from ACL surgery. (My mother in law still makes fun of Ryan about his nervous twitch every time his phone bleeped during that month!) Our courtship was verrrrry long but very sweet, and the month of giddy texting came after over a year of shyly avoiding each other at parties until our dear friend Sarah finally took Ryan aside and said,

"KARA IS FINALLY SINGLE, RYAN, SO YOU SHOULD PROBABLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT IMMEDIATELY."

(Sarah, ever the queen of subtlety, gave the keynote speech at our wedding.)

So, Ryan finally made a move. From 2,000 miles away!!! And when he came home to take me on our first date - a day early - we threw all date plans out the window in favor of getting in all the hand holding, hugging and kissing we'd been missing out on for the past year.

I still feel that silly in puppy love when Ryan wraps his arms around me. Now, we have a wedding anniversary to celebrate, but I'll always cherish this one the most. It was the time I knew that those arms were the only ones that really fit.

Happy anniversary, my love. Here's to many, many more.

What I wore: a lazy Friday

2012-01-15T14:06:00.002-07:00

On Friday, Ryan and I slept in and made ourselves breakfast at home. After I gasped my way through a Tivo'd episode of Project Runway All Stars, we ran errands and spent the evening hanging out with one of our favorite people.

It was a great way to celebrate my last funky weekday off: I've accepted a full time position doing therapy! The agency I've worked at for the past 2 years offered me the job recently and I very happily accepted it - this means no more working weekends, no more working 2 jobs, no more uber high stress levels. And most importantly? I get to do what I love every single day.

4 inches - gone!

Lazy days off with Ryan are my favorite days and now I'll be able to have them on the actual weekend like the rest of the world!

Jeggings, a roomy blouse and my favorite clogs made it a casual chic sort of day. (Some of you are judging me for wearing jeggings and to you I say - don't judge it til you tried it!)

Three cheers for a REGULAR Monday-Friday job with WEEKENDS OFF!

Outfit details: top, jeggings - NY&Co, cardigan - Old Navy, scarf - Target, clogs - gift from Ugglebo Clogs, glasses - gift from GlassesUSA.com, tote - Vera Bradley

Good news, chickadees - Ugglebo Clogs is running a great special right now! If you buy a pair of Ugglebo Boots or Shearling, you can take 30% off a pair of Urbans too!

About Ryan

2012-01-13T17:45:00.002-07:00

Let me tell you all a little something about my husband (eee! still gives me a thrill to say that):

He is meticulous.

I caught him on New Year's Eve in the kitchen, rocking my apron, deep into appetizer preparations for the house party we'd been invited to.

Over the course of a few hours, he carefully assembled stuffed mushrooms, bacon-wrapped water chestnuts and sweet potato chips. It was all delicious and a huuuuge hit at the party!

It was a charming reminder of how well we balance each other out. Where I am flighty, messy and careless, Ryan is calculated and focused. He pays attention to details that I sometimes think I'm too good to worry about. My projects have a tendency to sometimes turn out with what I'll call a quirk - the malformation that is usually a result of me not working carefully enough. Ryan does everything with purpose and care and his projects almost always turn out perfectly. The man can make a recipe and have the end result look better than the photo in the cookbook!

It's yet another reason why my husband will always be my hero. :)

Very random things

2012-01-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

I just successfully talked myself outta buying one of these:

Because one of these would be equally beneficial and the price is significantly less gag-worthy:

(My parents-in-law got me an Ulta giftcard for Christmas that has been burning a hole in my pocket. Have I ever told you that they get me the most amazing gifts? They do.)

I am jonesing for a raspberry/blackberry iced coffee like this one that I got last year while scoping out our wedding venue in Cave Creek (via Janey's Coffee House):

I can't stand it when people fixate on certain things in every single one of their Facebook status updates (i.e. "My baby had a blowout again today! So much poop!" or "I'm working out 900 times a day and I can't wait to show you the umpteenth photo of my bare stomach so you can all look at my 'abs'!"). Sometimes if your statuses aren't funny/witty/unique/sarcastic/raunchy, I wanna unfriend you. Because I post eloquent things like this (guilty as charged):

I ordered some new eyeglasses and I can't WAIT to get them (details coming soon!):

I also FINALLY ordered some business cards for this here blog o'mine from moo.com and I can't wait to get those either (super affordable, super cute, tons of pre-designed templates for lazy folks like moi).

I'm still watching Intervention.

Finally? Cut 4-5 inches off mah mane. Pics soon. Loving 2012 so far :)

What I wore: polar bear tee

2012-01-08T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! How has your new year been so far? Mine has been great - an inexplicable blend of hard work on the job yet feeling more refreshed than I have in several months.

A schedule change is imminent for us (details coming soon) and in the meantime we're enjoying our newfound time off together. We love to walk to the local shopping center near our apartment and take in the sights. I call this photo: Man Lounging.

Our pound puppy loves the fresh air and mama/daddy time, but peeing in the grass next to Ryan's head got SOMEONE in trouble.

Sorry Dad

My mama ordered me a super cute polar bear t-shirt for Christmas from a promotion Coca Cola has been hocking called Arctic Home - it's a charity in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund to protect the polar bears that Coke has used to tug at our heart strings every Christmas. The website is actually really interesting.

My dad owns a small vending business, so brands like Coke and Pepsi and Frito Lay and Keebler have been part of my life from the get-go! There's almost always a vending-related Christmas gift every year for at least one of us :)

Photobombed.

Really though? It's just a damn cute shirt. For a relaxing day on a walk to get coffee, my polar bear tee was comfy and fun.

Miss Eva Diva is a natural show-stealer. I've said it a zillion times on this blog, but adopting a shelter pup is one of the best things I've ever done. It's impossible to define the kind of love you can share with an adopted animal.

Did I mention that it's been about 75 degrees in Phoenix lately?

On this day, I celebrated the start of a fresh year with everything a girl could ever want. The unconditional love of a husband, family, friends and pooch that won't waver. Employment that pays my bills and, more importantly, keeps me fulfilled. A little apartment to call my very own.

And a polar bear shirt.

Outfit details: sunglasses, cheapos via TJ Maxx - tee, Coca Cola Arctic Home - skirt, Forever 21 - tights and scarf, gifts from mama in law - earrings, Target - rosette flats, Chinese Laundry via Amazon (I wore these at my wedding!) - turquoise ring, belonged to my grandma, she gave it to me when I got my Master's degree <3

Book Haiku Review: Catching Fire

2012-01-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

Making good on one of my goals for 2012...

I want more bloodshed,

Lose the love triangle, please!!

Too much like Twilight.

My goals for 2012

2012-01-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

There were many days in 2011 that I felt overwhelmed. Most often it was the happy tired you get when things are going well and you have a lot to feel thankful for, but regularly I was just plain burned out.

I promise I will not do that to myself in 2012. Several times in 2011, I told myself "I will never do that again". This mantra was often repeated after I'd worked 9 days in a row, a 50 hour work week, overbooked my social calendar to the point of flaking out on other friends, etc. And you know what? I did do it again. Several times. Not happening anymore.

In 2012, I want to settle down a little bit. Ease into my job. Ease into married life. Enjoy spending time with my friends, family and husband. Be a better wife to Ryan and a more thoughtful friend. I've narrowed this plan down to a few goals:

1) Bake more, cook more, and create a weekly meal plan.

Homemade enchiladas

I want to be that girl that brings delicious appetizers or desserts to parties. I want to grocery shop twice weekly and keep fresh food in my house at all times. I want to cook delicious, healthy meals for me and my husband. I want to try new recipes and expand my repertoire. I want to make every single recipe in The Pioneer Woman's cookbook.

In 2011, we ate a lot of microwaveable meals and things we could cook in a jiffy. Sometimes I'd forget to eat lunch until 2 pm and end up scarfing down a plain can of tuna and granola bar instead of the hearty meal I should have been eating with lots of protein and fiber. I don't want to do that to myself anymore. I want to plan ahead and always have something healthy and homemade on hand, even if I precook and freeze it myself.

2) Read more for pleasure.

Reading in Jamaica

You know what I learned about myself? I like trendy books. I enjoy reading the novels that earn Oprah's golden seal of approval. I like the YA novels everyone's buzzing about on twitter. I like diving into the "it" book that's about to come out in theatres. In 2011, I read a decent handful of popular books - Steig Larsson's The Girl trilogy (well, 2 out of 3 so far), Tina Fey's Bossypants, Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games, Kathryn Stockett's The Help, Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants - and I want this to be a continuing trend.

I've always loved books and magazines and enjoyed the many hours my parents would spend reading me books and bedtime stories. My parents instilled a great love of reading in me from the days my mom took us to the library and I filled my basket with Roald Dahl books week after week. I want to get back to that organic joy I grew up with when I opened a brand new book and dove into another world. I want to embrace spending time at the library and curling up with a piece of literature.

3) Remember birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and celebrate them.

Birthday cake I made for Adam last year

I love so many people so much, and sometimes I feel like I'm sort of terrible at expressing this. When I love you, I love you wholly and I'll probably tell you without a hint of embarrassment (maybe over and over if I've had a couple of adult beverages). I regularly sit and think about the friendships I've cultivated over the years and how thankful I am to have such relationships in my life. The thoughtfulness extended to me by so many of my friends deserves to be returned!

I want to be the friend/sister/daughter/wife/daughter-in-law/sister-in-law/cousin/whatever that remembers you on your birthday and sends you a card in the mail. As much as I love giving gifts, I'm promising myself it doesn't need to be extravagant. I just want to show you how much I love you. And in 2012, I promise to start showing you that on a regular basis.

***

Here's to truly enjoying 2012. I'm going to sit in the proverbial porch swing this year and watch life go by instead of race through it like a bat out of hell. I can't wait to take you all with me on this slow-paced journey :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR, friends, I love you.

Wishing you many blessings and much love in 2012.

2011: My year in review

2011-12-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

2011 was quite possibly my favorite year yet. Well, maybe it was a close second to 1994 because there were some really good movies that year (Forrest Gump, The Lion King, Ace Ventura!) and my baby brother was born, but really I think this has been the year of the most personal growth.

While 2009 and 2010 challenged me in very unique ways, 2011 was my first year of what I'd consider to be "real life". I began a career, planned my wedding, got married!, and continued to develop my expertise as a therapist. It was truly fantastic.

In 2011, I...

Turned 24 during an indulgently fun downtown birthday party thrown by Ryan and Robert, who did a pretty excellent job in Bits' absence (she always planned my birthday parties until she left for graduate school). I think I might have embarrassed myself, but my friends and I had an excellent time.

(Thankfully, no photos were taken.)

Got my first real job as a therapist. Then, because I needed to outdo even myself, I got another job as a crisis counselor. I found them both challenging in unique ways and am endlessly grateful to have had the experience. I'm looking forward to Year Two of my career and hoping it settles down a bit :)

Contracted Valley Fever. I'm still so grossed out by how disgusting my legs looked due to the subsequent rash, so I'm still not posting any photos of that. Not fun. Here's a picture of a bunny with a pancake on its head instead.

Began planning our wedding. November 19, 2011 was a date we looked forward to and planned for all year!

Started documenting my outfits. This was a fun way to get creative with my wardrobe, get involved in the blogosphere and challenge myself to use my camera more frequently.

Attended an Arcade Fire concert that I think was the most magical live music experience I've had in a long time, maybe ever.

Had a bridal shower thrown by my best friends.

Attended the AZ Blogger Meetup!

Fell in love with a few new-to-me brands, and continued a love affair with many others. This part of my year flourished due to participating in a super fashionable collective of girls and guys I like to call PHOENIX FASHION BLOGGERS. Pictured: Blowfish Shoes, Flapper Doodle and Philosophy. Not pictured: Karen Kane, Moorea Seal, Fossil, Steve Madden.

Studied my booty off, panicked about, stressed over, and more importantly, passed my state licensure exam to become a licensed therapist. Huge step for my career and definitely a feather in my cap :)

Was showered with love and bridal gifting in Indiana with my in laws. Also attended (read: got rained on and almost killed Ryan at) LOLLAPALOOZA.

Started straightening my teeth. Again.

Spent many fun days with my weird, wonderful friends.

Drank a lot of coffee.

Celebrated with my husband when he was accepted into and began law school.

Started some fun blog partnerships!

Road tripped to Roosevelt Lake and Jerome with my honey and our mangy mutt.

Married this guy :)

Went to Jamaica on our honeymoon!

Check in tomorrow for my goals for 2012 :) As wonderful as 2011 has been, I'm excited to kiss it goodbye and have a fresh start.

Have fun and be safe tonight!

Happy 2012!

Awesome stuff I got for Christmas

2011-12-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

It was a preeeeeetty great Christmas this year as newlyweds :)

(Disclaimer: there are a lot of photos of me sans makeup in this post. You've been warned)

We all got some really excellent gifts and got to spend some great quality time with my family. My grandpa has started making cornhole sets for the family by hand (he's pretty rad, I know), so we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day cornholing ourselves to death. I think my favorite part of Christmas was watching my little brother (he'll be 18 in February) get the ultimate surprise Christmas present: a 12 string acoustic guitar! We gave him little, unexciting gifts all morning like new boxers and plain white t-shirts...giggling all the while because we knew the whopping surprise that was coming. His face when my mom brought the guitar out was absolutely priceless and it was the highlight of my day!

Eva got some presents that she was pretty stoked about, including Beggin' Strips, a new indestructible squeaky toy and some tooth treats from her Grandma and Grandpa S!

I was pretty spoiled myself, taking in a good haul of cute socks (I asked for "fun socks" haha), gift cards and some Christmas ornaments that Ryan and I can build our collection from. Amongst my favorite gifts were these ones:

New eyeshadows from my brother. He got me the L'Oreal one sweep eyeshadow (the one for green eyes) and a Revlon set. I read a lot of negative reviews of the L'Oreal one sweep but I wore it on Christmas day and I thought it was great! I think smudging the applicator back and forth on the eyelid makes the colors blend better, and I found that it wore well all day after I put primer on.

via

New candles! My grandparents bought me the Yankee one and my brother bought us a couple of the Paula Deen ones. Yankee candles are so great but I'm way too cheap to buy them for myself, so I asked for them for Christmas :) Yay for yummy smells!

via here and here

A beautiful Krust clutch! My husband bought me this clutch after listening to me swoon for several months over Kristina's sharp, stylish designs. I absolutely love the oversized envelope style! It came packaged so cutely :)

Pardon the hair and lack of makeup

There are a ton of beautiful holiday bags in her shop right now!

via

And my favorite gift? The Fuji Instax Mini 7s!!

via

I've wanted one for a year but never could justify spending the cash on it myself. Ryan bought me the camera plus TEN rolls of film so I have 100 photos to take! I tested out a few on Christmas day when we went over to my grandparents' house. I'm still getting the hang of getting the photo to match what I'm looking at in the viewfinder...

...and I just read a few reviews that suggest to aim the photo a bit high and a bit left of center due to the distance between the viewfinder and the lens. Problem solved!

Looking deranged and ruffled with my new toy!

I foresee some good times with my little Instax.

Ryan got some good things too - a new golf bag, a Kindle, a Michael Jordan highlight DVD box set (eye roll) - but my favorite gift he got were his new Cubbies pajamas:

How was your holiday weekend?

OMG, shoes

2011-12-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a good shoe month for me. On Cyber Monday, I bought me up some of these fierce Blowfish shoes that you saw recently...

And I also got my first pair of clogs a couple weeks ago!! I showed them to you a couple of days ago on this here blog. I love having versatile, stylish and comfortable shoes in my wardrobe.

In Jamaica, your wardrobe should consist of 3 things: a swimsuit, something to put on over it, and some sort of flimsy flip flops. I preferred the au naturel route as seen here:

What was your favorite recent shoe purchase? Wedges? Booties? Thigh high boots? Link it up and let's all look at some fine fine shoe porn.

A Honeymooner's Guide to Jamaica

2011-12-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

From December 12-21, Ryan and I got to experience the beautiful country of Jamaica to celebrate our honeymoon and the beginning of our lives as married people. We, along with what seems like the entire population of Canada (no exaggeration, probably 80% of our fellow tourists were Canadian), ate food, drank drinks and relaxed as much as humanly possible.

I thought I'd share a little guide for having a successfully indulgent honeymoon in case any of you would ever like to enjoy a trip to balmy, beautiful Jamaica:

1) Indulge in the many buffets, restaurants and cafeterias. All of it. Several times a day, even at times that are not mealtimes. Just eat. This is particularly true if you have room service included in your all-inclusive trip!

(Note: all of the food is fresh and handmade without preservatives or processing, so calories don't count!)

2) Do ponder the many mysteries of travel in a foreign country. What is this flushing system? How do you work it? Full egg = #1, half egg = #2? Vice Versa? (I opted for a button-mashing technique and hit them both at once.)

What is the difference between Diet Coke and Coca Cola Light? Does anybody know?

3) Enjoy the beautiful, clean beach. Even when it's cloudy. Because the clouds move so fast, the sun will be back in less than 5 minutes!

4) Buy souvenirs from the locals, not solely from the resort. Jamaican coffee is excellent and so are colorful honeymoon dresses! Go off resort property and haggle with locals. Don't give her the $20 she quotes you, tell her you'll give her $15. But don't be a stingy jerk, because these people make souvenirs by hand and make a living off selling them on the beach.

And never, ever be rude. You're in this country to enjoy its people and its culture, so when someone wants to thrust ganja into your hand (which will happen very often in Jamaica), you don't need to freak out. You politely say "no thank you!", shake their hand, and they will assuredly tell you, "No problem, mon" and to enjoy the rest of your vacation.

5) Enjoy the infinity pool! And the swim up bar! Unless you're like me, and the swim up bar rendered you stupid the first night of your trip. In which case, sit poolside and watch your husband have some Red Stripes.

6) Speaking of Red Stripe, DRINK! If your resort is all-inclusive like ours, get your hands on every single fruity, coconutty beverage you can handle. Red Stripe is the national beer in Jamaica and can be found on tap everywhere. There are pretty girls in cute outfits wandering around the beach all day replacing your drink before you've hardly made it halfway through!

7) Enjoy the entertainment! Do the cardio class on the beach! Play beach volleyball! Go see shows in the theatre! Visit the disco and get all sweaty with tourists and locals!

One afternoon, there was a live steel drum band on the beach just because.

Brave the theatre shows! My tip: come in just after the show begins as to avoid being "volunticipated" to participate by the entertainers. If you participate in these events, there's approximately a 98% chance you'll be asked to shake your booty for the audience.

The disco next door comes highly recommended, unless you have a seizure disorder, in which case I would not advise looking directly into the strobe lights.

8) Have a balcony photoshoot. This requires no explanation.

Most importantly, though?

9) Enjoy your new husband :)

(We stayed here and we would highly recommend it.)

What I wore: clashing florals, Ugglebo clogs

2011-12-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Wanna know what I wore every single day on my honeymoon in Jamaica? A bikini, some sort of coverup and a pair of silver Old Navy flip flops. Easy and carefree, but not exactly thrilling fashion. You can imagine how excited I was to come back home to my little apartment and my little collection of chic clothes!

What's worse? Right before we left, I got a little package in the mail from a little company called Ugglebo...

...who manufactures amazing handmade Swedish clogs. In Sweden! While the clogs stay true to tradition with a solid wooden base, the styles are modern and super functional. With three collections, it's nearly impossible to pick just one favorite style...the Urban collection is my favorite, but there are some great clogs in Ugglebo Boots (the Chukkas, swoon!!!) and Ugglebo Classics as well.

Frolicking around Jamaica in my rubber flip flops made it that much sweeter when I came home and was reunited with these beautiful handmade sweeties. I love the celery green Nubuc leather - I feel like it's a really versatile neutral - and the medium wooden base is beautiful. With a little height and some sassy brass nail heads, I have a feeling these will make a seamless transition between work and play.

The care and craftsmanship involved in making each clog is obvious in the quality and beauty of each pair. I like putting art on my walls, why shouldn't I wear it on my feet? The mini flyer that accompanied the clogs said that it might take some time to get used to wearing them due to the wooden base, but I thought the design was comfortable and I had no trouble getting used to strolling around in them.

Yesterday, I had to tackle an appointment I've been dreading for the past month: getting a new driver's license with my married name at the MVD. To pump myself up for the hideously unpleasant affair, I snazzed up my Ugglebo clogs with my favorite Levis skinny jeans and a floral top/scarf. Dressing up for something miserable at least makes it slightly less unbearable, no?

It partially worked - while the FIRST driver's license picture she took was fierce, the woman misprinted my apartment number and I had to do it all over again. In the second picture they took, my hair is all ruffled on one side and it sort of looks like I was attacked by birds.

You win some, you lose some.

(Many thanks to my daddy, who dealt with my constant "artistic direction" while taking these photos and simultaneously criticizing my clashing top and scarf. He got a lesson on why mixing prints and patterns is very "now". It's a good thing daddies put up with such nonsense!)

Outfit details: sunnies, Michael Kors via Nordstrom Rack - scarf, NY&Co - top, Forever 21 - jacket, Target - skinny jeans, Levis - watch, Fossil - Swedish clogs, gift from Ugglebo Clogs

Happy Christmas Eve!!

Jamaica, mon.

2011-12-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

After several delayed flights, one terribly unhealthy airport meal, two grumpy married people on a plane, several free tomato juices and an in-flight viewing of a poorly edited version of Crazy, Stupid, Love. (goodness I hate the punctuation of that movie title) later...

WE.

ARE.

HOME.

I'm happy to be back for several reasons - many of which are exciting and many of which you will hear about very soon! - but I really do miss walking out on my ocean view balcony every morning and seeing this:

We had an amazing time and I can't wait to tell you all about it!! In upcoming posts, look forward to a Honeymooner's Guide to Jamaica, my thoughts on the bores of beach footwear and a public proclamation regarding my feelings on Red Stripe.

In the mean time, you can find me snuggling up against my dog and a burrito. Extra guac.

Honeymooners

2011-12-12T10:21:00.004-07:00

We out!

Back in a little bit :)

Fashion gives back at The Mint

2011-12-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night, I put on my holiday smile and drove out to Old Town Scottsdale for the Fashion Gives Back event hosted by Phoenix Fashion Week.

Held at The Mint, a fabulously posh restaurant/bar, the event was a charity event to benefit a nonprofit called Arizona Helping Hands.

After checking my lipstick in the intimidatingly cool (yet confusing) unisex restroom/powder room area, I ventured into the lounge to check out the hubbub.

It was so cool to see the world of local fashion step up their charity game and come out for a good cause. There were a ton of local sports celebrities, radio DJs and news reporters at the event. I even spied Miss Arizona 2011, Jennifer Sedler! She looked pretty beautiful in all those sparkles, don't you think?

I had the real pleasure of speaking with Angie Van Daele, who was at the event representing Arizona Helping Hands. She described the organization as "the little guys that catch what falls from social services", which made my little bleeding heart sing because I see the "what falls from social services" she described every single day at my job.

The "elves" from the nonprofit were hard at work wrapping gifts and placing them under the pretty white tree. They couldn't wrap quickly enough, gifts were coming in that fast.

It was a really well organized event in a great location. I personally loved seeing my two lives come together - maybe blogger Kara and career Kara can coexist in the same body afterall! Isn't it funny how I still can't take off my therapist hat even at fashion events?

It's gonna be a wonderfully fun, fashionable Christmas for some local kids and families in need, and I'm happy I could be a part of it. Thanks, Phoenix Fashion Week, The Mint and Arizona Helping Hands!

Date night: Crafeteria

2011-12-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

For December's First Friday, the 6th annual Crafeteria event took place. It's a big fantastic craft fair where 100% of items sold are handmade. Having invested a lot of time in the local fashion and craft community in Phoenix this year, I was so excited to go see several of my good friends at the event, not to mention shop local/handmade!

With the promise of food trucks, husband came along for the ride...literally! We made like the true urbanites that we are and rode the light rail to the event :)

Metro chic

Once we arrived and said our hellos, we beelined for Short Leash, a food truck that sells DELICIOUS gourmet hot dogs that are handmade by a local business, Schreiner's.

It was the first time either of us had tried Short Leash and we were NOT disappointed. Ryan got a boring bratwurst, but I got the Igby, which was amazeballs.

Ryan had never been to Smeeks before, the local adorable candy store, so I had to show him around.

The adorableness is rampant inside!

We didn't have any cash, so we couldn't add to the photo booth wall, but we'll be back, Smeeks!

It was awesome to see that Crafeteria had a HUGE showing. We were there from about 8-10 and there was a steady crowd all night. I heard that it was busy busy busy from 6, when it started, and for the rest of the night.

All in all, I had a blast :)

I had a great time saying hi to my friendsies. Best of all, Ryan and I got to spend the evening together enjoying and appreciating our beautiful city. We love it here.

Bloat brought to you by Short Leash

Some of my favorite Crafeteria artists: Folding Chair Designs (bought a cute headband!), Space Cadet (swooned for several minutes over these earrings), and LIGHT/DARK (picked up a lil somethin' somethin' for our friends).

What handmade gifts have you bought for your friends/yourself this holiday?

Outfit details: jacket, Target - top & headband, Forever 21 - jeans, Levis - bag, vintage Dooney & Burke (hand me down from my tia Dee Dee) - necklace, Moorea Seal - boots, Blowfish Shoes on super sale for Cyber Monday!

Another sneak peek

2011-12-03T00:05:00.001-07:00

More teasers ;)

And just think...these aren't even the professional shots!

O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree!

2011-12-01T21:54:00.001-07:00

Guess what came from the UPS man today?

OUR GIANT FAKE PRELIT CHRISTMAS TREE!

We immediately popped on the "holiday" genre on our iPod and got to work. Eva was not thrilled. She generally dislikes change of any sort; it confuses her. Knots up those few brain cells she's got up there.

Someone help me

It was so fun to put our new ornaments on the tree!!! We got this one from some fellow newlyweds:

And this one from some other fellow newlyweds! It's our wedding invitation, cut into strips and curled up and popped into a clear ornament. SO SO SO CUTE.

Our First Christmas <3

Even though Scroogey McScroogerton tried to tell me that this tree would be too big when I ordered it, it fits perfectly in a little nook of our apartment. I took the opportunity to tell him, "I told you so". Marriage is fun :)

We don't have a "real" tree topper, so we used a handmade card that our friend Loren made for us when we got engaged! I know, we're totally that couple right now. I'm ok with it.

And now, a montage of us attempting to pose cutely in front of the Christmas tree with an uncooperative and nervous dog.

Merry Christmas!!

Keepin' it real

2011-11-29T22:17:00.001-07:00

Sometimes a girl's just gotta put on a fluffy scarf & tall socks, throw her hair into a ridiculous bun, and wear mismatched pajamas.

Invisalign is making my lips wicked chapped and the corners of my mouth are splitting - I can't figure out why. Has anyone else with Invisalign noticed this? It makes eating super difficult because I can't open my mouth all the way without discomfort...not to mention how sexy it is to take these puppies out and pop 'em back in after meals. They're not easy to get off which makes public eating pretty much a no-go. Ryan and I went to grab froyo today after he finished his first law school final (yay!) and I changed my name with social security (extra yay!). As I took my Invisalign out and put them in their cute little plastic safety box, Ryan looked at me and said, "Do you HAVE to do that here?"

Basically, straightening your teeth is really hot.

In other news, I've been wishlisting. If you're Christmas shopping por moi, click here: My Elfster Wishlist. (I know that's a ridiculous thing to post on here, assuming you all are clamoring to buy me gifts and whatnot, but it's more of a convenience for my friends and family who lurk ze blog :] )

Night night!

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear

2011-11-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

OMG you guys, Christmas is around the corner!! Let's reminisce about where we were last year just before Christmas.

I was about to graduate, quit my student job, finish my internship, move out of our home and away from our roommate into our first apartment together. I was hunting for full time jobs. I was about to be engaged. I mean...we're talking teetering on the edge of nervous breakdown! Needless to say, while all that was going down, getting in the Christmas spirit was not at the top of my list of things to do.

This year, however. THIS YEAR. We are newlyweds. I have a full time AND a part time job. Ryan is in law school. We can afford to eat things other than Ramen. We're stable in our apartment and are finally not in a state of constant flux.

Logical next step? Use wedding gift card money to order a GIANT CHRISTMAS TREE!!!! Specifically a 6 and a half foot tall prelit Colorado spruce, from Target.

I should take this opportunity to remind you that we live in a 1 bedroom apartment. It's small. There's hardly enough room for Ryan's limbs.

Ryan: "Babe, maybe you should order a 4.5 foot tall one instead? So it will actually fit in our living room?"

Kara: "NONSENSE, POOPY PANTS!" *places order*

And that's how it was :) Stay tuned for photos of the Christmas tree that will surely take up 80% of our living room.

While we're at it, let's zip on over to DownEast Home and order some seasonal home goodies from their new line!!

I've shopped at DownEast Basics before for clothing, but when I heard that they are launching a home decor part of the line I was thrilled! Trendy yet classic? Check. Seasonal goodies? Check. Perfect for a new wife who's consumed with nesting for the holidays? Check, check and check.

I picked up this pinecone garland and Ryan had the brilliant idea to turn it into a wreath for our front door.

I also snagged a cream colored leaf pillow for our bedroom. It's great because it's reminiscent of a snowy winter scene, but since we live in the Valley of the Sun, this is about as close as we're gonna get to a winter wonderland.

DownEast Home is running a "Spruce Up Your Home for the Holidays" sweeps right now where you can win a home makeover worth $500, and you can sign up on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/downeasthome. It's super easy...I did it a few days ago :) Can you imagine what you'd do with $500 extra bones to decorate your house? So fantastic.

Check out my peeps at DownEast on Facebook AND Twitter. They have some seriously great holiday stuff and it's super duper affordable!

Peep the blog in a few days for some photos of our enormo artificial Christmas tree and some of our new ornaments!! How are you styling your home for the holidays? Do you think it's too early to decorate?

**Many thanks to the kind folks at DownEast Home, who sweetly gifted us our pretty new holiday decorations!**

Things I'm obsessed with lately: wedding gift edition

2011-11-26T21:16:00.001-07:00

Man, I wish someone woulda told me how amazing it is when you get married and people thrust gifts at you. I'm talking oodles and oodles of thoughtful storebought, handmade and sincere gifts. And cards. And gift cards. And money. I can't even wrap my head around how awesome it is that people shopped for, picked out, and bought us such beautiful things.

I mean, WOW. We're going to be writing thank you notes for the next 4 years.

Every single gift we got was my favorite gift and I mean that wholeheartedly. We got kitchen things, bedroom things, house things, electronic things, and more kitchen things. We literally had nothing nice in our kitchen before (picture stained pots, pans and knives of unknown origin), now we have quality items that will last forever. And one gift that's changed our lives for the better: a french press. SWOOOOOON.

I could go on and on. But I'll spare you.

Here are a few of the pretty things we got that have been putting a constant smile on my face.

Wedding art.

We're trying to step up our game in the class department, so this year we've been slowly collecting artwork for our love nest. We got the items on the far right for our wedding and I love them: the kissing fish is a custom piece all the way from Paris (thanks Abbey and Dan!!) and the yellow piece hanging below it is the text from an American Indian marriage ceremony. Both so thoughtful, unique and very us.

Here's a close up of the Dia De Los Muertos art hanging on the far left. Dia De Los Muertos and calavera art is really popular and very iconic in AZ and the southwest, and the tiny banner in the heart translates to "my love". The detail in this piece is incredible and we think it's a cool addition to our art wall, which pretty heavily features a lot of our love for AZ culture. (Don't worry, Indiana folks, there's a giant triptych of Chicago on the opposite wall above our bed and about nine million Cubs banners/hats/paraphernalia lurking on other walls.)

The Dutch Oven.

It deserves to be capitalized because it is THAT amazing. I'm in constant awe of the versatility of this thing and all the stuff you can make in it. Everything from stew to apple cinnamon crumble to jalapeno cornbread. I made Pioneer Woman's perfect pot roast in it this week and it was to. die. for. It's even so pretty and shiny, we keep the dang thing sitting right there on the stove all the time.

My special wedding perfume.

Ryan's sisters ever so thoughtfully surprised me with this perfume at my bachelorette party because one of them had watched me just about die over it at the store earlier in the week. It's Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture. It's perfectly feminine but not too overkill. I wore it to all special wedding events and on my wedding day...it will forever remind me of this magical time :)

A handmade quilt.

Okay, so this isn't the best photo, but one of my aunts MADE us this AMAZING quilt and personalized it for our wedding. I don't know if there's anything more special than a handmade wedding quilt. I fully intend on taking excellent care of it so our kids and grandkids can enjoy its beautiful craftsmanship. (Aside: Ryan said, "This will make a perfect picnic blanket!" Wrong, babe. This baby isn't touching dirt, ever.) There isn't a single flaw in the thing (trust me, I looked). It's very special.

And this isn't wedding related, but I'm obsessed with it anyway...

New drugstore makeup.

Wet 'N Wild chubby eye pencils, Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me (brief review: I like it). Nothing like a cheap pick-me-up on a slow work afternoon!

Not pictured: super fancy new knife set, adorable personalized Christmas ornaments (stay tuned for those), beautiful crystal beverage dispenser (sangria anyone?), expensive whisky.

We have a LOT of very thoughtful folks in our lives, and certainly none of it has gone unnoticed.

Love,
A very grateful and humble newlywed

What I wore: leather leggings, Karen Kane, and a newsworthy smile

2011-11-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

While I wait for professional wedding photos to get put together (well, I'll likely start posting nonprofessional ones soon because I AM SO EXCITED), I have a couple posts in the works to just catch back up with real life!

Getting married was absolutely perfect and it was such a blast. I really cherished the time I got to spend with my parents- and siblings-in-law and it was indescribable how awesome it was to show them the places we love to go every day (coffee, restaurants, places to shop, etc). Ryan's family is always up for ANYTHING and traipsed around Phoenix like a bunch of troopers :)

But now that everything is settled back down and out of town guests are back in their own beds, I'm happy to return to the routine and calm of our normal (but married!!) lives.

Like outfit photos :)

The Monday before our wedding, I collected my bestie/bridesmaid Hillary for some serious cupcake supply shopping. Instead of a wedding cake, we opted to bake a variety of cupcakes and serve those instead (HUGE success). Hillary agreed to accompany me on the shopping spree to ensure that we had all necessary ingredients.

Hillary and her husband just moved into a new house, and it was such a beautiful sunny day that we had to capture how much fun we were having in front of the pretty cactuses in her front yard!

I rocked a side braid and mixed patterns/textures. I was super comfortable and I'm learning more and more that comfort is at the top of my list of requirements for getting dressed.

And because a major part of our friendship involves talking in strange accents and goofing off in public (because I suppose our friendship never really grew out of its middle school origin) we tested out some yoga maneuvers in the front yard. (Note: leather leggings are excellent for front yard yoga.)

Hillary called this one: "Snapping Turtle"...though I'm pretty sure that's not an actual yoga pose.

Hillary is one of my very best friends and I'm incredibly grateful for her friendship :)

And just for fun...I HAD to include this photo of her being interviewed by the local news about her thoughts on stores opening on Thanksgiving for early Black Friday shopping. We were on Channel 5 that night! The description under our name was "shopper" which made me giggle a lot.

Life is always an adventure when you have someone awesome by your side :)

Outfit details: top, gift from Karen Kane - leather leggings, Asos - boots, Target - scarf, Charlotte Russe - sunglasses, Ray Ban Wayfarers - purse, gift from Dillards/the Sak - necklaces, E. Ria designs & Brighton - ring, Charlotte Russe

Do you believe in magic?

2011-11-21T10:03:00.001-07:00

Words to describe how perfect our wedding was escape me. It was the happiest, most magical day of my life. Stay tuned for professional photos...I couldn't resist sharing this one with you in the meantime.

Love, Mrs.

The happiest day of my life

2011-11-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

I'm getting married today!!

What I wore: Christmas ornament?

2011-11-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Confession: I struggle with mixing patterns and textures when I put outfits together. It doesn't come naturally to me. I read other fashion blogs and bemoan my inability to just haphazardly grab pieces out of the closet and make them work together, whether they match or just go.

Most of the time, I vary between having an irreverent desire to wear whatever the f I want despite its ridiculousness (read: leather leggings, jeggings, SO MANY 'EGGINGS) and an acute embarrassment in realizing that sometimes my clothing choices make me stand out. I'm not a spotlight person and sometimes I get really uncomfortable wearing things that make people look at me, whether it's in a flattering way or a "what the hell did you put on" way. I'm insane; I know this.

On this particular work day, however, I threw caution to the wind and felt fun! I mixed a plaid top with ruffles, a skirt with gold fabric, and shimmery striped tights. End result: SHINY. Both in the Firefly sense of the word as well as the literal one.

Gold earrings complimented the skirt. Coincidentally, I got a lot of compliments on the earrings. I felt a bit like a Christmas ornament if we're being honest...and that's not a bad thing.

I pretended to be mature by painting my nails a demure shade of pink and wearing a professional looking watch. I bought this Fossil watch at an outlet store recently for probably 65% off the original listed price and I'm in love with it. I have several Fossil watches and I love them all. Blurry photo be damned...watch, I love you!

So I suppose the lesson learned here is one that any amateur fashionista should know: if you feel awesome in what you're wearing, it doesn't matter how sophisticated or ridiculous it is. It's how you feel in it that matters.

Shiny.

Outfit details: top & earrings, Forever 21 - skirt, tights, & boots, Target - ring, via Nordstrom Rack - watch, Fossil

Adding some organization to the chaos

2011-11-10T16:33:00.001-07:00

Yet another odd side effect of being just over a week away from the wedding is my crazy crazy urge to NEST. Nest, nest, nest. I've been gripped with a desire to throw everything away and organize what's left. And let's be honest, in a 1 bedroom apartment that can never be a bad thing.

Back in the day, I did this jewelry organizer tutorial and absolutely loved how it looked on my wall for the past year and a half. However after awhile, I grew tired of picking up a pair of earrings and dropping one or grabbing a necklace covered in dust. As much as I love to display my jewelry, I don't think it's protected when it's open to the elements.

Aside: last Christmas when I asked my notoriously difficult-to-shop-for mother what she wanted, all she said was "some of those plastic organizer thingys so I can use them to hold my jewelry". I was aghast at the boring practicality of this. Like, you don't want to put them out on your dresser in a bowl? Or hang them on a cork board? Or fashion a bust of a hand out of clay and put them on there? You want a Christmas gift worth less than $10??? BOOOORING.

Fast forward to this week. Guess what I done did.

I have done turned into my mother.

I bought myself a little, shallower organizer for my rings.

Two deeper ones for bracelets, necklaces and BIG BIG earrings (my favorite).

I'll go ahead and go on record to say this: maybe my mom is kind of a genius. But don't tell her I said so. No joke, all of my jewelry fits in these 3 little containers. And I have a lot of sparkly things.

My jewelry is now organized, better protected and doesn't run the risk of rusting or getting ruined.

DANG YOU, MOMS! WIth your genius and thrifty practicality!!!

Plastic craft organizers are from Walmart - approximately $5 apiece.

What I wore: baking accessories

2011-11-07T16:39:00.001-07:00

Whew, are we really only 12 days away from THE WEDDING?! (Hint: we totally are.)

I. Feel. Awesome. I've had a head cold for the past few days, but my anxiety levels haven't been this low since before we got engaged. Almost everything is ready and planned down to the minute. Decorations have been crafted (thanks to Katherine, Brianna, Marissa, Hillary and Krysta!!), programs have been brainstormed and put into production (thanks Sam!), and RSVPs are all in.

So what's left to do?

BAKE!

I've got a pumpkin pie in the oven and a big batch of turkey chili in the crockpot just waiting to be topped off with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and Fritos...basically, today is my dream day. I might even get crazy this afternoon and organize my jewelry! Egads!

As much as I enjoy getting dressed up, many off-days I prefer jeans, boots and a printed top. This "winter weather" in Phoenix calls for warmer footwear and even a jacket!

I also got some good work-related news this week - I'll be switching my work days at one of my jobs, so now my work week will be Sunday-Thursday with Fridays and Saturdays off! My soon-to-be-husband has Fridays and Saturdays off also...so we've spent the last few days texting each other throughout the day about all the things we can't wait to do on lazy weekend mornings.

Life is basically awesome, is what I'm saying.

Outfit details: top, Old Navy - jeans, Levis - boots, Target - purse, The Sak, gift from Dillard's - watch, Fossil - headband, Target - apron, gift from Hillary!

Braiiiiiiins

2011-11-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

So. I'm an old lady who's getting married in less than three weeks, who goes to bed early, and who doesn't like dressing up like slutty pumpkins.

As such, the only thing I've been interested in celebrating this Halloween is sitting on a couch and drinking wine. That, and the zombie walk in downtown Phoenix! We missed the start of the walk, but Ryan, Robert, Adam and I walked over to Heritage Square to enjoy the afterparty.

There was a food tent, beer!, and spooky decor.

I had to stop a couple of folks for pictures to show you just how awesome all the zombies looked....

ZOMBIE BRIDE. Genius. That's kind of how I feel sometimes in these few days before the wedding!

And omg, check out this guy's baby-revolving-head-thing:

Its eyes were glowing red. PEEING MY PANTS.

Even the police were spectators!

And after about an hour of that nonsense, we opted for a wine run at CVS, a couch at a cozy apartment, a couple boxes of pizza and Hocus Pocus. "All Hallow's Eve has become a night of frolic, where children wear costumes and run amok! AMOK! AMOK AMOK AMOK!!"

For Halloween night, we sat like old folks on Robert and Adam's front porch and handed out candy to kiddies. In our regular person clothes. It was perfect.

Happy Halloween, fellow geriatrics :)

Karen Kane fashion show

2011-10-31T17:11:00.002-07:00

Yesterday, I had the very cool opportunity to put on my fashion blogger hat and attend a fashion show inside Dillard's at Scottsdale Fashion Square mall. I grabbed two of my beautiful, stylish lady friends (fellow fashion bloggers Courtney and Katherine) and headed to the store.

Lemme get yo numbah

The event featured clothing from Karen Kane, a brand based out of California.

The future of Phoenix fashion

It was so much fun to walk into Dillard's and see a pop-up runway! Super stylish, Phoenix. The folks in attendance looked really excited to see some fun looks come down the runway.

Michael Kane, the Director of Marketing for Karen Kane, said his hellos before the show. We had the chance to stop and chat with him after the show, and he was really friendly and very involved in the brand. It was great to see someone so invested in his work.

And the show began! It featured actual customers of Karen Kane - not professional models. I thought that was absolutely awesome. The coordinators did a great job of picking out women of varying sizes, shapes and ages which made it really easy for attendees to actually envision themselves in the clothes. That was what impressed me the most!

The holiday collection offers up a ton of SPARKLE!! And can you even handle this model? She was having an absolute blast. Spirit fingers, megawatt smiles, posing with fierceness Tyra couldn't even handle...definitely put a grin on everyone's face!

I also loved the sweaters in the fall/holiday collections. We saw a lot of cozy, comfy warm-looking sweaters - a popular favorite with us was the Native American print one on the left.

We also saw a lot of comfortable separates accessorized with fun jewelry, shoes and handbags.

There were a couple of LBDs and skirts that were gorgeous!

Also? Fancy pants. I think every woman should own a pair of python patterned jeans. I'm so not kidding about this.

Overall, it was a fun fashion show full of awesome energy and great clothes!

My favorite things about Karen Kane:

- Her clothing line includes sizes 2-16 and there's a plus size line as well. I love it when companies create a line for women of all shapes and sizes!
- They are transitioning to having all of their products manufactured in the United States. Yay for not outsourcing!
- Karen Kane has had a loyal following of women in their 30s and 40s for yeeeears, but they're working on attracting a younger crowd in upcoming seasons while still staying true to the brand.
- Everybody - truly, every body - can find a piece from each collection that will be flattering and stylish.

Courtney, Michael Kane, Sheila!, moi, Katherine

I picked up a Karen Kane item before I left, so stay tuned to see how I styled it to make it my own!

Many thanks to Scottsdale Fashionista for tipping me off about the show, and to Dillard's, Scottsdale Fashion Square and Karen Kane for having me. Other bloggers in attendance? Courtney, Katherine, Dustin, Sarai, Kristianne, Angela and Lauren. Go say hi!

Karen Kane fashion show aka SPARKLYS

2011-10-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, I'm going to be attending a fashion event at a local Dillard's (Scottsdale Fashion Square) for Karen Kane's Fall/Holiday fashion show.

I'll be back in the next week or two with a full recap, but let me just show you this:

I'm not even messing around.