Let It Snow

Two things: 1) We are back and, most importantly, alive; 2) I have a new found appreciation for Southern weather, I don't know how you Northerners do it.

So needless to say, I am a teensy bit behind on blogging. S and I were some of the thousands of victims of the blizzard that swept through Illinois and Missouri on Sunday morning.

The trip to Chicago was amazing, but things got crazy REAL FAST on Sunday when we left the city to head back home.

About 2 hours after we'd been on the road, traffic came to a standstill because of this.

We were literally right behind the 20 car accident and probably would have been in it, had we not stopped to get gas about 5 minutes prior. It honestly gives me chills to think about it now...needless to say, we have been counting our blessings endlessly since Sunday. Thank you God for protecting us!

There were many cars on fire, overturned semi trucks and large portions of the road that were literally charred due to the blazes.

We sat parked on I-55 for about 3+ hours and really started to wonder if we would make it home! Thankfully, we did : )

We did end up staying the night with S's brother and sister-in-law that live in St. Louis for the night. There was just lots of black ice on the roads and we were exhausted after being in the car for 12 hours straight.

We finally got home yesterday and my car looks like it's been put through the ringer...or a ginormous snowstorm....

I'll be back to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow, but wanted to let you guys know that I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. Thank you to those of you who follow me on Facebook and were so kind to pray and send positive thoughts after I posted the pics on Sunday when we were stuck on the interstate. We appreciate it tremendously!

Until tomorrow...

Be blessed, lovelies-

Trend Watch Wednesday: {Well Red}

photo via Refinery 29

Holiday season is in full swing and it’s no doubt that many of us are sifting through our closets and racking our brains for party looks. The LBD will never go out of style, but this year, why not consider something a little bolder?

In the latest issue of Glamour magazine, Michael Kors suggests embracing the Little Red Dress as a sexy alternative to the black staple. It’s fun, it’s fresh and it’s unexpected!

A few things to consider when looking for your perfect LRD:

• Experiment with different shades of red. If you’re fair skinned, try looking for garnet and ruby reds, reds with blue undertones. If you’re of the olive variety, orangey reds are a sure fire winner.

• Go for the gold. Forget silver, gold is the ticket when accessorizing a red dress. Small touches of gold can be very chic with all shades of crimson.

photo via CoolSpotters- Jenny Packham Fall 2010 RTW

• Don’t go all matchy-matchy. Forget pairing your LRD with red shoes, a red clutch or red jewelry. You’ll end up looking less like a style maven and more like Holiday Barbie. Instead, wear a chic pair of nude colored platforms or black leather booties or black stilettos as a wiser footwear choice.

• Don’t over accessorize. Red packs a powerful punch on its own, so there’s no need to clutter up the look with a pile of necklaces. Choose one or two simple pieces of jewelry and let the dress do all the talking.

So how do you guys feel about substituting your LBD with a LRD? Would you be willing to go red this holiday season?

Be blessed, lovelies-

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-