Surviving the Holidays: {Fa La La}

via Rue Magazine

Glad tidings on this Tuesday morning …so delighted you stopped by.

Today is technically my Thursday at work, as tomorrow will be my last day for the week. We leave for the Windy City on Thursday morning and I couldn’t be happier!

So I finally finished my tree over the weekend and I think it turned out pretty well! I would show you, but  the fact that I am (for whatever reason) completely unable to move photos from my camera to my desktop is hindering that process at the moment. Which also means the photos of my cupcake will not be revealed today either. It's ok to cry...I know you're positively deflated.

Sooooo, we're gonna talk about something that requires no photos from le camera...Christmas songs.

I've got pretty nice playlist on regular rotation on my iPod, so I'll share a few of my favs with y'all and you can share your favs with me, m'kay?

Baby, It's Cold Outside- Glee Cast
This song is BRAND spanking new from the kids of Glee and I love it...so fun!

Wish List- Neon Trees
Another new one from a band I have grown to enjoy very much this year...check it out.

Love Came Down at Christmas- Jars of Clay
Cool sounding guitar intro and neat lyrics.

Joy to the World- Bebo Norman
I love his no-frills, straight acoustic guitar version of this Christmas classic. Plus I like to say his name. Beeeeboooo. Beeeeboooo. Bebo. (Ga'head, try it).

Go Tell it on the Mountain- NeedToBreathe
My fav band and one of my all-time favorite Christmas songs. What more can you say?

Born to Die- Bebo Norman
Gorgeous, goosebump-inducing song.

Carol of the Bells- The Bird and the Bee
Very cool, whimsical rendition of this song.

Oh Holy Night- Celine Dion
Oh man, does Ms. Dion do this song justice...wow.

Angels We Have Heard on High- MercyMe
I like their dramatic take on this older Christmas tune...nicely done, boys. Nicely done.

So I'm curious to know, what are some of YOUR favorite Christmas songs? What's on your holiday playlist right now?

Be blessed, lovelies-

Chic Mountain Retreat

Turner Retreat in Ketchum, ID

Hey guys and dolls! Welcome back from le weekend! I hope everyone enjoyed the chilly but gorgeous past couple of days as much as I did.

I'm usually all sour and embittered about Mondays, but seeing as how this week is a very short one for me, I'm actually pleased as punch : ) Yes, I just said "pleased as punch"...it's ok to judge me.

I'll spare y'all the extensive details, but I had such a wonderful birthday weekend! S gifted me with a trip to the spa for a 1 hour hot stone massage, gorgeous flowers, a delicious dinner at one of our favorite restaurants and some of my coveted Philosophy products from Sephora....in other words, the boy did good ; )

He and my mom also schemed together on a birthday cake, which was a giant cupcake with off-white frosting, silver and gold edible beads and topped with a pink Chanel look-alike purse decoration...perfection! I'll post pics tomorrow or as soon as my camera decides to cooperate.

It was such an amazing day and I truly appreciate all of the sweet well wishes from all of you fabulous vixens too!

So I recently ran across this AH-MAZING spread in Elle Decor and wanted to feature it on here today, for any of you that haven't seen it yet.

Meet the Ketchum, Idaho mountain retreat of Rusty and Mary Lynn Turner...

Inspired by a love of all things French and repeated visits to Provence, this rustic oasis boasts a 1,000 square foot great room, hand-selected ceiling beams and loads of natural lighting.

Designed by Turner and her daughters Marie and Emily, this chic retreat is nestled smack dab in the middle of the soaring Sawtooth Mountains.

The combination of steel and oak helps to balance the Old World and the New.

Although few of us are so lucky as to own a weekend house like the Turners', it doesn't mean we can't pull elements into our own living spaces to recreate a similar feel.



Surveyor Floor Lamp, Vintage Large Grapevine Corkscrew, Antique Buffet, Stone Mason Bowl,  Antique Rug Pillows
Collage by A Blonde Ambition- please seek consent before re-use : )

 Don't forget about the High Heels High Hopes event tonight at Maude...it's the perfect opportunity to finish your Christmas shopping AND help a great cause!

P.S.- Tomorrow I'll be showing pics of my Christmas tree, so be sure to stop by and take a peek!

Be blessed, lovelies-

Happy Birthday to Me

As of 8:00 a.m. this morning, I am 26 years old. See, even from Day 1 I've been a morning person : )

Good gracious, I remember being 16 and thinking 25 sounded ancient.

26...geez, I couldn't even imagine! Oh how time flies...

Seriously though, I'm SO thankful to be at this place in my life and to be blessed with another birthday. I wouldn't go back to being 16 if you paid me. I've never been more comfortable with myself in my entire life- my spirituality, my body, my self-esteem, my goals, my beliefs, etc.

via Chloe Aftel

In the words of my blogger friend Kimberly from yesterday's comments, we ladies are like fine wine and George Clooney- better with age!

Thank you all for your continued support of the blog and most of all for your friendship- it means the world.

Here's to the next 26...may they be just as fabulous...

Be blessed, lovelies-

On to the Next...

via Una Bella Vita

Are you aware that today is Thursday? And, if so, are you as elated as I am that the weekend is right at our fingertips?

My blog, (as are most of yours), is sort of my version of a journal, so today please forgive me as I take a moment to make a new list of "goals" for my 26th year on this planet, on the eve of my birthday. I try not to do a ton of ME-focused posts, but since it is my blog and it is my birthday week...well...

Can you smell the self-indulgence?

Last year around this time, I wrote down a few goals and ideas of things I wanted to do or accomplish in my 25th year. I wrote these down on actual paper (remember that stuff?), or I'd link back to the post.

This year, I thought I'd do my list here, for all the world (or at least 803 superb followers) to see:

Take more road trips- Ever since mine and S's recent trip to Nashville, I've been craving more and more of these. Good thing we are heading to the Windy City next week for some sight seeing and Christmas shopping!

via A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Read more books- I'm busy. You're busy. We're all busy. I'm not going to whine and cry about how I'm so very busy and my life does not allow for time to read words on pages. Because I sure do make time to read Perez Hilton everyday (hangs head in shame...) Back in 'Ye Olden College Days, I was an English major. So it's about time to start acting like one again.

via A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Keep killing it in the gym- I must say, I've been doing very well these past few months about hitting the gym at least 4-5 days a week and I can really see the results. I have definition in my arms, muscles in my legs and a nice curve to my back side (oh the things you never wanted to know...)

And (I'm sorry...I hate when people throw around numbers, but I gotta) I'm back in a size 2. Holla.

Practice playing the piano again- This might prove to be difficult, seeing as how I do not have a piano in my second-floor apartment....hmmm.

Dance more often- I think dancing more in general would be a good thing, whether solo in my bathroom while getting ready in the morning, with a group of girl friends while we're parked at Sonic during our daily Happy Hour runs or with my sweet guy on a Saturday night.

Reconnect with old friends- I had a chance to catch up recently with some old friends, which made me miss them oh-so-badly. My goal this year is to make a bigger effort to call, email and visit my longtime pals more frequently.



via

 Take a self-defense class- An episode with two absolute creepers in the gym earlier this week reaffirmed my belief that a self-defense class probably wouldn't be a bad idea. I should probably also get new pepper spray in case said self-defense class never happens.

Call my grandparents more often- I love them, my Memaw and Papaw, my Grandma and Grandad. They are special people and I do not talk to them often enough. Done and done.

I think that's a pretty well-rounded, do-able list, no? We'll have a little eval this same time next year and see how it all played it, but I'm pretty optimistic.

Until tomorrow...

Be blessed, lovelies-

Trend Watch Wednesday: {Purr for Fur}



Knitted Grey Crochet Back Faux Fur Gilet from Topshop; Sam Edelman Shalin; Trina Turk Folkloric Jacket; Sno Cream Faux Fur Halo Headband and Melie Bianco Uri Faux Fur Hobo with Tassels

Good morning, fellow style mavens!

Before we get to the post, a quick and shameless plug:

As I mentioned last week, myself and some other Northwest Arkansas fashion lovers are blogging on this fabtastic new site, StyleBy.Me, started by my friends Anna and Josh and chock full of trendy goodness. For instance, today I'll be talking about nuclear physics and biomolecular engineering.

Kidding.

I'm talking trends of the fashional variety.

By now, I’m sure you’re all very aware of fur’s popularity and dominance in fall fashion. For Gucci’s sake, you’d practically have to live under a rock not to have noticed the plethora of dyed, hooded, jacketed, bagged, shoed and headbanded fur goodness that’s been thrown our way by designers like Zac Posen and Dennis Basso this season. It’s been several years since we’ve seen pieces so luxe and indulgent and, (not surprisingly), I’m a fan.

Why the sudden re-emergence of the fur trend? In times of economic downturn, the fashion higher-ups look for ways to renew our desire for luxury. Enter heavy metals, embellishments, leather and, you guessed it- fur, dah-ling. True, this may seem a tad contradictory, but it stands to reason that fur played such an important role in so many collections this fall and winter.

Items from Maude Boutique in Fayetteville, AR

Ready to give in to the warm fuzzies? Here are a few tips to consider when purchasing fur (real or faux):

-Stick to natural colors
It is entirely possible to find beautiful faux fur pieces for a fraction of the cost of the real deal. The trick is to stick to shades of fur that occur naturally in the wild (i.e. not hot pink, lime or chartreuse). Ask yourself: “Are there actual animals this color?” If the answer is yes, then by all means, fur away.

-Accessorize with fur
Adding fun pops of color, like burgundy shoes or a purple belt can bring a modern dimension to an outfit. Also, gold looks FAB with fur, so look for 70’s inspired vintage pieces to complete your look.

-Pet it
No, really. If you’re at a store scoping out a cute fur jacket, give it the rub test to see if it sheds. Also, check the floor and the area around the item. Is your fur shedding its winter coat (pun intended)? Don’t buy it. Chances are, it will only get worse after you wear it.

Will you purr for fur?

Be blessed, lovelies-