busygirl

miscellany monday: hello sunshine.

1. Yes the sun did make an appearance yesterday.  Although brief it was so lovely.  And it made the snow twinkle which just tickles my fancy.

2. We went wine tasting...again.  I'm forseeing this as a regular activity in our future!  Friday night's was a high-low tasting.  Three cheap wines, three expensive and you had to guess whether it was wallet friendly or blowing the bank.  Of course Adam's favorite was out of our price range, but maybe I'll surprise him one day.  Or not.  Cause I'm a-okay with my $9.99 wines.

 
3. Saturday night we took it easy.  Adam's best friend came over to play xBox and instead I caught the two of them yelling at the Miss America pagent on tv.  Apparently hubby was upset that Miss Texas was eliminated.

4. I'm completely coveting this print and have been for some time.  I think I need to just bite the bullet and order it, because it's just so perfectly said.

 
5. Our friend spotted a coyote in the area, which makes me want to run home and cuddle my puppy.  I never realized we had them in Ohio.  I guess we'll have to be extra careful with the dog outside, we don't want him to end up as a snack.

6. I have an addiction to Words with Friends and WordFeud.  I'm alright with it though.

fashion friday: let's talk hair, part 1.

I have a roundish, heart-shaped face.  Sigh.  If only I had that oval face that can pull off just about ANY look.  Oh well, I'm stuck with what the good Lord gave me, might as well work with it!

Figuring out the best types of cuts for your face shape is crucial to avoiding disastrous hair decisions.  Such as a blunt bob on a face like mine.  Let's just say I'd look more rollie-pollie than Victoria Beckham sleek.  Not sure what's a go and what to avoid?  Here's a cheat sheet with your celeb lookalikes!

Round: Think layered cuts below your chin or longer.  These elongate your face and make it look slimmer.  Keep the ends of your hair wispy like Cameron Diaz's style.  Avoid blunt, short cuts, these just empathize the roundness of your face. 

Square: Adding texture like Gwyneth does softens your angular features and creates a very feminine look.  Keep hair shoulder length or longer.  Avoid blunt, short cuts.

Oval: So coveted!  And versatile! Congrats, you can pretty much pull off any hairstyle. Long waves or a short angular bob, go for it!  If Jessica Alba can pull it off, you can too.

Long: You can pull off almost anything, although it's a good idea to avoid long, sleek styles that emphasize the shape of your face.  Instead opt for a chin length, layered bob.  Or if you love your hair long, make waves like Gisele.

Heart: I can't say I'm not completely in love with Reese's face shape and hair, especially her bangs...LOVE.  Keep the attention on your eyes by adding side-swept bangs.  Avoid blunt bangs and choppy layers.

Next week?  Let's tackle the hair dye situation.

in one ear and out...

We had a small gaggle of people over for dinner on a few nights ago. At which I made the executive decision that serving oranges and stale pretzels as a meal was not acceptable in 98% of the world.  So to the pizza shop we went.

Actually it was more like to the internet we went.  I ordered the pizza online.  Informed Adam it would be ready in 20 minutes.  Gave him an order rundown and price.

So off he went.

My phone rang with the news that they didn't receive the internet order.  No big deal.  They'll have it made in 15 minutes.

My phone rang again 16 minutes later.

Adam: Just out of curiousity, where did you order pizza from?

Me: Marcos, why?

Adam: I think I know why they didn't get our order...

He went to a completely different pizza place.  That we don't ever order pizza from.  And has no idea why he had it in his mind that I had ordered pizza there.  Sigh.  He hears what he wants to hears.

miscellany monday: brr.

1. Oh my lord is it cold in Cleveland.

2. We had a weekend of constant change.  As in, every original plan fell through and we were making our minds up on the go.  Sometimes I'm not sure why we even have a calendar in the kitchen, it's so covered in crossouts and scribbles, who knows where we're supposed to be when!

3. But as a result of making plans on the fly, we were able to squeeze in a wine tasting at The Olde Wine Cellar with a few of our friends.  About two hours later, we were stumbling out into the snow, full of cheese and good wine.  And for a steal, the tasting is only $10 a person!  I guess it can't hurt to check out local wine shops for events instead of waiting for a weekend trip to the winery.

 
4. Sunday morning meant breakfast out with my grandmother and mom, and then off to Miles Market for fruit and veggies that don't cost an arm and a leg.  And I was reunited with one of my favorites.  His name is Jack and his house has a steeple.  And I have to drive 30 minutes to see him.  But it's ok, he can be bought in bulk.

 

5. Ricki was the poster puppy of snuggles this weekend.  Which I adored.  Except that I have an inkling that he might just be making up for his less-than-perfect behavior on Friday night.  Cause really, there had to be a valid reason for him to go in my purse, remove every single item and strategically place it around the living room.

6. I'm in a purging mode.  I tackled the second bedroom's closet this weekend and created a space for wrapping paper, cards and our financial stuff since we're currently housing it in our second dresser.  At least now guests can hang up a few items, or even throw some clothes in the dresser if need be.  Aren't we just the bed-and-breakfast hot spot now?  Free drawer space with every stay!

featured!

Our wedding photographer featured Adam and me on his blog, check it out!

what a perfect quote.

I want health and healing and holding close. I want similar souls. I want passionate yeses. I want to hear jazz with my eyes closed, and dig my toes into the sand dancing. I want to climb to the summit and yell and sleep under the stars. I want to laugh my head off and play marbles and sleep in and eat croissants in bed with butter and marmalade and spill coffee and wear lace and trip holding your hand because I am listening soo closely. 

Thanks to this lovely lady for posting it :) 

fashion friday: splurging with confidence.

As I've grown older, I've become less of a bargain hunter (although who doesn't love a good sale?) and more of a splurger on those things I just love.  Especially when it comes to my clothing.  I would much rather have a gorgeous skirt I can wear again and again than four ehh-okay skirts that I might toss on in my scramble to get ready in the morning.  But then change my mind and throw on a go-to outfit instead.

This past year I managed to change my shopping mantra and cut down a TON on my clothing budget just by implementing three little rules:

1) If I wouldn't buy it at full price, I shouldn't buy it on sale.

2) If I can't think of three outfits I can make out of the piece (realistic outfits that I would wear to places I actually go to...no red carpet moments here) then I shouldn't buy it.

3) ALWAYS try on something before purchasing.  None of this: Oh I'll just get it and return it later.  Because I just never get around to returning things.

And it actually worked.  Instead of buying an armful of ill-fitting, just-okay shirts because they were on sale for only $14, I've instead bought a few shirts that were in the $40 range that I love, they fit wonderfully and I actually wear them all the time.

 

So, in celebration of my shopping success, I decided to apply this concept to my huge walk-in closet that was bursting at the seams.  I'd love to blame the fullness on my husband's obsession with coats (he has 27!) but I can't really look past the entire row of clothing I have hanging in there that just taunts me.  There's no need for one person to have so many clothes.  Particulary when my outfit of choice is sweatpants.

So on my day off Monday, I took EVERYTHING out of our closet and went through it.  If it had a tear, stain or was pilled, out it went.  If I couldn't think of three outfits to wear it with, out it went.  If it plain just didn't fit right, out it went.  I managed to pare down my closet to half a row, filled with clothes I actually like and will wear.  And although it was hard to see so much money spent on clothes go out the door (to Goodwill), it's so much easier to find everything when you don't have to dig through the filler items in your closet. 

If a piece doesn’t work, look at it this way: You paid for it once in cash, and now you’re paying for it in valuable closet space. If it’s not right for you, bite the bullet and let it go.

I love knowing that everything in my closet looks great on me and...there's room for some new purchases!  Of course, with our new money-saving plan, those purchases might be a bit fewer this year.  But it's nice to know that the new items will have plenty of space to hang.

Another tip?  We actually group our clothes together in the closet: for him: dress shirts, polos, tees.  For me: sweaters, pants, long-sleeves, short-sleeves, tanks.  And then within each category, everything is in rainbow color order.  So we can always find what we're looking for in a hurry.

saving some green.

While I don't have any specific resolutions this year, I suppose saving some moolah would top my non-existant list.  Adam and I aren't rolling in the dough by any means, nor are we living the frugal life.  We live comfortably, within our means and treat ourselves occasionally.  But seeing as we're hitting the mid-twenties, I'd love to have a bit more of a nest egg beneath our belts.

Especially since bambinos are in the future, and by future, I mean NOT NOW (sorry mom).  More like in two years.  But regardless, I've heard they can be quite expensive and I figured we should start saving our pennies now.  So what's the plan to beef up our bank account?

 
1) We opened a savings account.  I know.  We've been surviving on our checking account without a second thought since interest rates have bottomed out.  But a quick trip to the bank to talk with an expert brought the the surface the benefits of having a place to stash cash, even if we weren't raking in some free bucks.  And on the plus side?  We can't take money out of the account unless we walk into the bank.  That means no quick transfers online, no dashes through the ATM.  Our savings will stay savings without impulsive withdrawls.

2) I'm thrifting for a piggy bank.  With spare change hiding in every corner and under every cushion, why not keep it in one place.  A quick trip to the bank and we could be treating ourselves to some Arby's for dinner!

3) Go one day a week without spending money.  While we won't be pushing for four like John & Sherry, I'm sure we could manage a day a week without swiping the credit card or pulling out some dollars for our Starbucks run.  Which is tempting, considering there is a Starbucks in my building about 100 ft from where I sit.  Hmm, coffee fumes.  But I keep it as a Friday treat and brew my own at home the other four days to save some cash.

4) Hit up the local market.  After walking out of the supermarket in disbelief that we had just spent $10 on THREE peppers, Adam made the decision that we needed to go back to farmers market shopping.  Where peppers are not only delicious but reasonably priced.  And we can load up on fruits/veggies for snacks rather than relying on processed foods from the grocery.  As far as eating out, well, we actually eat at home almost every day.  We're not big on fancy restaurants, we're big on huge home-cooked meals.  So saving on the ingredients puts us ahead so we can create in our own kitchen. 

5) Pick a captain.  This is where we fell apart a bit in 2010.  With Adam and I both paying bills, things were lost in communication.  Appointing one person to pay bills helps keep a closer eye on them.  Fingers crossed that person isn't me, cause well, who wants to pay bills?

6) While buying a car sounds more like a splurge than a savings, it actually cut down on our expenses.  The drop in insurance alone saved us in our monthly budget and the gas mileage is nearly the same as my old car, so our cost at the pump will remain the same.  Not that I condone running out and buying a car on a whim, but the numbers managed to work out for us.

7) Unsubcribe to store emails.  It was like breaking up with someone.  Really.  But not having that inviting email sitting in my inbox shouting that everything was 40% removes the temptation to peruse online.  And saves me from impulse purchases because they're on sale.

So there's our plan for 2011.  Save a few pennies with minimal effort.  I think it's doable...or at least hope it is.  Any other money-saving tips?

wordless wednesday: nephew's 2nd christmas/1st birthday

Remember this Christmas baby?  Here he is, on his first birthday!

our first sleepover.

What does one do when they have a sleepover at 25?

Play with the puppy and spoil him with treats.

Help Uncle Adam put plants in the fish tank and name all the fishes.

Have an impromptu dance party.

Eat our weight in popcorn and watch Looney Tunes in our pjs until we finally drift off to sleep.