Thoughts on Thursday: Cleaning out my Closet {literally}!

Linking up with Annie from Home of the Malones and Natalie from East Coast Chic again for Thoughts on Thursday.

Have you ever kept clothing items that currently do not fit you because you think "oh this will fit later" when I: 1) lose that extra five pounds; 2) tone those legs; and/or 3) my butt magically shrinks?  Maybe it is just me, but ever since around age 18, I have been perpetually holding on to certain clothing items with the thought; I will fit into these smaller clothes one day. Well, when is that day going to come? Possibly never.

I am not saying that you shouldn't have fitness goals; I always have and will, however, I think at some point I need to accept the fact that it may be a tad unrealistic to fit back into that size 0 pair of Jcrew shorts.  I mean let's be honest, I am turning the BIG 3-0 this September {still in DENIAL}.  Evan and I plan to hopefully start a family in the near future. If I am being honest and realistic; do I really think given our future plans that I will get that small again? Maybe, but I really doubt it. I can't wear these clothing items now, what makes me think that after kids I will magically be able to fit into them then?

Like I said, don't get me wrong; I think it is wonderful to have fitness goals {and I have plenty of them}; however, I may just be setting myself up for failure if I expect to fit into clothing that I wore when Evan and I got married {think working out 6 days per week, personal trainer and my own personally tailored diet plan small}. I mean I looked GREAT, but who has that kind of time all the time? I digress... 

So, with all of this being said, I cleaned out my closet this past weekend, being honest and realistic with what I think I will actually be able to fit into in the future. I also got rid of all those "teeny bopper" shorts with the 1.5 inch inseams {long overdue in my opinion}. I asked myself two questions as I completed my closet purge: 1) would I feel comfortable wearing this around other mommies in the future and 2) does it fit {or nearly fits...i did keep a couple of things that almost fit currently}.

After cleaning out my closet, I realized there was a deeper significance in my actions than just merely making additional closet space. Getting rid of  those too small clothes was a form of acceptance of my current physique. I can diet and exercise all I want {and I do and will continue to}; however, there is only so much I can do. I am the way I am {to an extent} and I need to stop living for the time that I can fit into some of these clothes; because it may never happen.

Taking it a step further, holding onto those clothes is another example of me living too much in the future and not enough in the present.  I am so guilty of letting the present pass me by because I am always striving to improve myself, inwardly and outwardly in the future. Although I believe it is great to be constantly striving to better yourself; this thinking causes me to always be looking to the future and not enjoying the present. I think enjoying my current size and appearance is at least one step in the right direction. So, maybe with my closet purging, I have made a small step in the right direction {I hope} towards living in the present and not merely striving/hoping for the future.

 

Things I am Loving Lately...

Linking up with the Let's Be Friends Blog Hop with Southern Beauty Guide.

This is definitely a random assortment of items and definitely less than glamorous; however, these are some rather practical items that keep me going during the day. I especially love the Zella leggings and Sarah Potempa half-up bun tool.

True North Almond Pecan Cashew Clusters - I am OBSESSED with these! Sorry, I could not find a picture to post them on Polyvore.  Not only are they really healthy and packed with protein {170 calories for 5 clusters and 5 grams of protein}; but they are delicious. I love to have them as an afternoon snack at work with a Cafe Americano from Starbucks. Makes the work day a little more enjoyable. I have bought them on Amazon.com in the past, however you can also find them at Sam's Club and BJ's Wholsale Club.

Vaseline Cocoa Radiant Body Moisturizer - I unfortunately do not get a lot of time in the sun during the summer, thus I generally use Jergen's Natural Glow Lotion on my legs during the spring and summer so I do not look too pasty.  Unfortunately, using just the Jergen's lotion causes major streaking in the color on my legs. To help combat the streaking, I have discovered that if I mix this Vaseline moisturizer with the Jergen's lotion; I seem to avoid the crazy streaking colors on my legs. This stuff is also super moisturizing!
 

Zella 'Live In' Reversible Leggings - I found these at Nordstrom and I have two pairs {probably going on five...ha}! These are some of the most flattering leggings I have ever owned. I believe they are meant for working out; however, I plan on pairing them with boots and other casual outfits as well this fall. They are currently on sale at Nordstrom for $33.90 and they are worth every penny!
 

Green Mountain Nantucket Blend Coffee K-Cups - I love these k-cups; however my absolute favorite K-Cups are the Green Mountain Coffee Focus Blend and Defend Blend. I could not find a picture on Polyvore, so I settled for my third favorite K-Cup,  Nantucket Green Mountain Coffee K-Cups. Maybe it is just in my head, but the Focus Blend really seems to help me focus just a little bit more at work and the Defend blend has vitamin C and E in it; it can't hurt, right!?
 

Sarah Potempa Half-Up Bun Tool -  I started with the full 'Wrap-Up'; however my favorite is this 'Half-Up,' that I use for a low bun. I love this look for work and it is great for second day hair!

Caffe Americano ,  Cafe Misto , and Teavana Oprah Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks - Don't get me wrong, I am well versed in Starbucks. Well, I thought I was until recently. Maybe I was just behind, but I just discovered these drinks at Starbucks recently and I am hooked. I love all of these and unfortunately have started a bad habit of wanting one of these around 3pm EVERY DAY. Eeek....I must stop!
 

 

 

Weekend Recap: style, good food, and relaxation

Linking up with Biana for Weekending and Meg for Mingle Monday again today.

  

This weekend was fairly low-key in our household and I am not complaining about that one bit! I caught up on our laundry, cleaning, and miscellaneous grocery shopping that I have been putting off. Additionally, we were able to cook a bit more than we normally get to. I used the opportunity to try two new recipes: Cilantro Lime Baked Shrimp and Vanilla Bean Cupcakes {I will post this recipe soon}! I cannot rave enough about this Cilantro Lime Baked Shrimp recipe that I found via Pinterest.  Not only is it delicious, but most importantly it is super easy and VERY quick to make. It's perfect for those nights where you are starving and need to whip up something quick and easy.

 

 

 

 

 

We paired the Cilantro Lime Baked Shrimp with quinoa and black beans.

 

 

On to the Vanilla Bean cupcakes. I tweaked several recipes I found on Pinterest for these. I will post the recipe as soon as I can get it together! 

 

 

Also, pictured below, are two dresses that I purchased at Jcrew Factory recently. I absolutely love both of them (for different reasons). You can find them here and here.   Both are in the clearance section right now, so I would recommed grabbing them while they are still available.

 

  

This dress is perfect for work during the summer time and the best part is that it is super comfortable! I wear a size 2 for reference as I like things to be roomy and not too tight {especially at work}.

This dress is perfect for the weekend. We went to Craft Beer Guys Friday night and this was the perfect casual dress to wear. Generally, I do not think I look good in long dresses {considering I am only 5'2''}; however, this dress works really well for me!  I wear an XX small in this one in case you are thinking about buying it.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Weekend Recap: Rained Out

Happy rainy Monday! I am linking up with Biana for Weekending and Meg with Mingle Monday for the first time!

 

As I mentioned on Friday, our plan was to go camping this past weekend....unfortunately that did not happen due to all of the rain we had this weekend. Evan REALLY wanted to go camping and we found out that our campground has a pretty crazy cancellation policy {pay the full amount unless you cancel more than 1 month in advance}; so we packed up the car even with the less than stellar weather report and headed to Asheville. Unfortunately, the closer we got to Asheville, the more it rained and finally, we just decided it wasn't worth it. It was projected to rain ALL weekend in Asheville. So...we stayed in a dog friend hotel in Flat Rock, where we have stayed before {I recommend this hotel for anyone who needs a dog friendly hotel in the area, however I will discuss why another time}. Our plan was that maybe by Saturday it would miraculously stop raining and we could camp Saturday night. Unfortunately, it was still raining Saturday morning and thus we had a leisurely breakfast and headed home. All was not lost though! We stopped by the Gaffney Premium Outlets and we found some AMAZING steals that I still very excited about!! Although we did not get to go camping, the deals we found in my opinion make the weekend a success! We spent the rest of the weekend painting and installing the shelves we got at the outlets and spending some quality time with Bella {as pictured below}.

 

Bella with her Daddy "dancing"

We stopped by the Yankee outlet store and I ended up getting four of their large candles for $44. This was their sale, but since I am not a regular in Yankee outlet stores, I am not really sure how great a deal this is. Anyone know?

Pottery Barn fake flowers are my favorite fake flowers. They are just much higher quality than a lot of the flowers you can get at other stores. Unforunately, the prices of them generally reflect that. I got these at 40% off their normal prices. Additionally, got this vase for $15.

I was MOST excited about these shelves from the Pottery Barn Outlet! We got each shelf for $7.77 each in the clearance section. I looked these up and they retail for $59 each in the regular store. We plan on putting these in the upstairs bathroom.

 

As exciting as the two shelves above were, we found another shelf in the clearance section that had a small dent in it. Evan assured me that he could fix it with wood putty and since we planned on painting it white anyway, it would be good as new. This shelf from Pottery Barn Kids retails for $79; however we got it for $20. We needed a shelf to put above the bed in our other guest room. This will be perfect for that space.

I will post pictures of the shelving installation and more room updates soon hopefully! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Oh Hey Friday: An odd assortment of camping, shoppping, and signs

Linking up with the lovely ladies, Karli and Amy for the first time! My latest thoughts this Friday morning...the Nordstrom Sale that is currently going on and Jcrew Factory's equally amazing sale! Here are my very random five for today.

{ONE} Camping this weekend

Evan, Bella, and I are headed to the mountains {Asheville specifically} to camp, hike, and {hopefully} relax! I found a couple of great ideas on Pinterest like the one below. I will recap our weekend camping next week. This is our first time taking Bella! 

Found this great idea from Remodelaholic that makes campfire smores much easier and fun. I love the idea of removing all of the packaging to make assembly easier and of course also love the s'more variations pictured here. We are definitely trying Reeses and Rolos in our s'mores. I will let y'all know how well this works!

{TWO} Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale

I broke down last week and got a Nordstrom credit card. I shop at Nordstrom A LOT as it is one of my favorite stores; so it makes sense for me to have the card, so I get all of the special priveleges and early access to sales, right? That was my rationalization for opening yet another retail credit card. Here are my recent sale purchases:

 

{ONE} UGG Australia 'Brett' Water Resistant Suede Slipper
{TWO} Cara cuff jewelry
{THREE} Leith round scarf
{FOUR} Sperry Top-Sider 'Gold Cup - Authentic Original' Boat Shoe Tan
 

{THREE} Happy Sign Surprise Personalized Yard Signs

 

 

 

How cute is this!? A cowworker's husband put this together for her 29th birthday. Also put a sign similar to the one above in her yard this morning. I am remembering this company for future! They will set the sign up whenever you request and will take the sign down when you request.

{FOUR} Jcrew Factory's Current Sale

Jcrew Factory has a lot of sales, but the current one is pretty HUGE. Not only are a lot of their dresses and shorts drastically on sale, but you get an additional extra 50% off clearance items!! Here are some of the items I could not resist:

{FIVE} Patagonia Sale

I received a flyer in the mail yesterday notifying me that Patagonia is having their semi-annual sale online from July 24-29th and in store July 24th-August 3rd. Can't wait to check it out!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

 

Master Bedroom Updates

As you can probably tell from my past several weeks of posts, we have been busy painting, decorating and updating {not that we really need to update since our house is only 2 years old}; however, we want to start a family soon. And with this in mind, I am in a bit of a frenzy to get the house as close to the way I want it as possible before any little ones make an appearance! Shall we call this nesting? Probably. Given that our "starter home" should last us well into having our second child before we make a move to a larger home, I figure why not invest some time {and money of course} into it?

This past weekend we completed our latest project; painting our master bedroom. I have been talking about doing this for at least 6 months. With this room completed, I am happy to say that at this point, we only have two rooms left in our house that I want to paint/tweak (at the moment that is). Because, let's be honest {and my husband is painfully aware of how I am}; after these next two rooms are completed, I am sure I will not think we are really done. I will ALWAYS come up with more home improvements and projects; that's just my nature. Sorry hubby!

Master Bedroom:

Cornices {we made these ourselves-more to come on these}

Shelf {Pottery Barn}

Bedspread and shams {Martha Stewart}

Toile pillows {Etsy}

Monogrammed pillows {Pottery Barn}

Lamp Shades {World Market}

Large oversize basket for pillows {Pottery Barn}

Monogrammed throw {Pottery Barn}
Bedroom Set {Haverty's}
King Size Bed {Sealy King Size Foam Mattress}

Before painting:

 

After Painting:

I think the color adds a good bit to the room. I love a pale, calming blue!

DIY Fridge Liners

In the past several months, I have come across a number of pins on Pinterest for DIY fridge shelf liners and I thought why not? I improvised on the materials I have seen others use, as I used book adhesive covers instead of clear contact paper and used decorative paper from Michael's as it was cheap and comes in so many patterns/colors. All in all, I think the liners add a little something to the shelves in our fridge; plus, the fridge got a good cleaning during the process. Win win, right? I hesitate to show what what our fridge looked like before...

 

Materials:

Clear Book Cover Adhesive from Staples

 

Decorative Paper from Michael's

 

Directions:

 First, I gave the fridge a good cleaning and threw out any food that was spoiling and/or things we just did not want anymore. Second, I measured and cut the decorative paper into the size that would fit onto each fridge shelf. Third, I applied the book cover adhesive to the paper and cut the adhesive to slightly overlap the decorative paper. Finally, I applied the paper and adhesive to the fridge shelf. {Just a side note; make sure that each shelf is completely dry before placing the paper on the shelf. This probably goes without saying, but just in case}.

 

Before adding the liners/organization/cleaning:

 

 

After:

Super easy! Literally took me 45 minutes or so to complete the whole project!

"Great Room" Updates

Instead of a third bedroom, we have what we call the "Great Room;" which essentially is a large family room upstairs. This is the largest room in our house, so finding furniture to make the space more cozy took some time. We started with a large sectional from the Sofa Mart in Concord, North Carolina and added other furniture over time. For the most part, the room is completed at this point.  I say this, but I am sure I will tweak things over time.

 

Sectional {Sofa Mart}

Coffee Table and Media Console {World Market}

Chevron Pillow Covers {Hobby Lobby}

Pillows {Ikea}

Burlap Curtains {Hobby Lobby}

Curtain Rods {Hobby Lobby}

Chevron Table Overlay {Etsy}

Rattan Baskets {Target}

Bar Cart {Joss and Main}

Miscellaneous Throw Pillows {Pottery Barn}

Grand Chenille Throw {Pottery Barn} On sale now for $39.99

Misc. Original Paintings {randomly pick them up at random thrift and antique stores for super cheap and generally get original oil paintings}

Floating Shelf {Pottery Barn}

Desk {Target} 

I found my inspiration for this little project {here} on Pinterest. I found all of my supplies at Hobby Lobby. It literally took 45 minutes or so to make.

Bella made a random appearance in this picture. She was exhausted from playing all weekend in Sharps, VA. This is a bookshelf that Evan made for me while in law school so that I had somewhere to put the million books I accumulated. We have actually painted it with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in the past year so that it coordinates with everything else in the room.

 

Our bar cart is still a work in progress as you can see. At this point, I have merely put some items that we already had on it and have not spent any time "styling" it. I will post a better picture later.

 

 

This is where we store important documents, etc. The chair is actually from Ikea and was painted with the same Annie Sloan Chalk Paint used for the book shelf {above}.