saying goodbye to 2009

i can't believe 2009 is thisclose to being over. done. finito. another year for the books, time to start a new year, and a new chapter.

i had A. LOT. going on in 2009. when i look back on all of it...it's kinda crazy.

i started the year an engaged lady...i'll end it as a married one. becoming Nate's wife is probably one of the best things that has ever happened to me....even if it doesn't feel much different than the 2 years we lived together, and the 1 we were engaged for.

which brings me to a resolution

#1. be a kickass wife.

i know everyone says that marriage is hard work....but so far, ours hasn't been. i'd like to keep it that way....at least internally. we can never predict what the world will throw at us...but we can make our bond as strong as possible. this man makes me laugh, and works hard to stop me from crying, and pretty much spoils me rotten...so i gotta give him his props.

2009 was also the first time the hubs was EVER on a plane...and only the 2nd and 3rd times for me...and our first trip out of the country. we gotta keep that going.

#2. keep traveling

it may not be anywhere far, and our passports may stay with just atlanta and amsterdam stamps...but i wanna hit the road this spring, and go show the husband someplace he's never been. maybe somewhere we've both never been.

and last, but certainly not least,

#3. live with NO regrets.

i've made this resolution every year since i was in high school. i'm a firm believer in the fact that EVERYTHING, good and bad, happens for a reason. and finding those reasons means there's no reason to regret anything that happened. because it happened FOR. A. REASON.

so tonight, when the clock counts down and hits the beginning of a brand new year, i'll be in my living room, with the love of my life and the very best friends i have...and i'll welcome it with open arms.

bring on whatever you've got for me universe...i'm SO ready =)

christmas for a book nerd.

i love books. always have. i spent more time in elementary school in the library than i did in class...because i'd finish my work, then skip off to get things to read.

this is one of FOUR books i took on my honeymoon...between the crazy long flights and the crazy long layovers...this girl needed something to read.

i won't even lie....THIS BOOK IS INCREDIBLE. i loved every single page of the 500+. it's the story of a fictional teacher and his wife who worked at columbine high school...and the aftermath of the attacks there. SO. GOOD. even the husband read it and loved it...and he's a home improvement book kinda guy.



so he got me this one for christmas. i haven't started it yet...but if it's wally lamb, i know i'll love it.

then, i had 2 barnes and noble gift cards from last year...and the year before. call me a slacker...but i always have a hard time spending them even though i love getting them....because i don;t buy just any book. i love cheesy girl books...but i read them in 2 days, so it's a waste to buy them. but when i find an author i LOVE, i shell out.

john irving can do no wrong in my book. i first read A Prayer for Owen Meany in high school...10th grade AP composition. if you've seen the movie Simon Burch, you know the general story....but not nearly as awesome. our teacher told us it was a "bastardazation" of the book.

i've read a lot of his stuff, so when his new book came out last month, i knew i had to have it. i asked for it for christmas....but ended up buying it instead.

and then there's jasper fforde. i discovered him when i bought his first book, The Eyre Affair, for super cheap before my spring break sernior year in college.

digest that for a sec....I BOUGHT A BOOK FOR SPRING BREAK. anyways...it's about this detective, Thursday Next, who's searching for a criminal stealing characters from books and holding them for ransom. it turned into a 5-part series, and i am OBSESSED. it's the perfect thing for book nerds....cuz it's all about book jokes.

this is his newest book...that was supposed to come out IN JULY. i was all excited, because i went on amazon that day to order it...and it said the release date was moved to december 29th. FML. i was so mad.

but now this and the irving novel should be on my doorstep when i get home....nothing like ringing in the new year with brand new books!

plus, BOTH only cost me $5. bless you gift cards, and gift card givers.

what are your favorite authors? ever read any of these?

i need your prayers...but not for me

see that dashing guy in the bowtie? he married us (clearly). his wife taught the hubs in high school...and they've been like second parents to him since then. and now they're more like in-laws to me than my ACTUAL in-laws (which is a WHOLE other story).

so the hubs and i went to ATL this weekend for a trip to the GA aquarium...and on our way, we got a call from Mrs. C. Mr. C was in the ER...then we found out he was in emergency surgery, for either appendicitis, or something else causing an infection.

surgery went fine, and he went home yesterday.

this morning, i get a text saying he's back in the hospital with complications.

i need prayers for BOTH of them please....for him to be healed, and better, and back to his awesome self....and the same for his wife.

i HATE feeling helpless...i hate it. it makes me mad and frustrated and sad and like i'm just....useless. and that's how i feel right now...knowing people that i love are hurting, and i can't fix it.

i fix things....or at least try to. so this kinda sucks for me.

so if you could just a little something good to the universe for me, i'd appreciated it.

on a side note...watching USA this weekend, they had a commercial for some website they've set up about "characters" since their slogan is "characters welcome". one girl said "i believe in all paths to God."

amen sister.

how i spent my sunday

i promise, tomorrow i'll get to the "oooh, check out what i gots for christmas" bragging...but first, a little family introduction.

this is bojangles knowshon. for all you non-UGA fans who think i'm a terrible parent....knowshon moreno was an awesome player at UGA the year before and the year we got bo...until he went pro. still a little bitter.

but anyhoo, this little guy is 20 pounds of pure pug energy...."prone to obesity" like the internet says? i wish!! he never stops moving...and so the hubs and i figured we needed to find him a friend. we're always perusing the pups at petsmart, looking for the perfect little guy to hang with him. it takes a lot to be as cool as Bo...cuz he's pretty much the coolest.

blog friends, meet Keno. no, he does not actually have laser eyes...but that might be kind of cool. he's a beagle/some kind of herd dog mix....his body is bigger than bo's, but he has TEENSY legs!!

we saw him at petsmart this summer, for 2 weeks in a row...and then he was gone! in my head...i was always comparing other dogs to him. "oh, that one is not as cute as the dog i wanted"...so when we saw him back yesterday, i was thrilled...and mad! i thought someone had adopted him and brought him back!! but apparently....this particular shelter moves dogs around to different adoption sites, trying to find them homes. so keno was on a different route...then he got a wicked case of fleas. so they had to keep him away from the other pups till he was better. and now he is...and now, he lives with us!

Bo gave us this look like "who is this dude who keeps peeing on MY bushes in the yard?? and sitting on MY couch??". but i think they're gonna get along just fine...they're already fighting like brothers, and bo keeps luring keno into chasing him around!

rocking the funk

i'm the first to admit...i tend to latch on to celeb trends...or at least the ones that i haven't really seen before, and want to start rocking myself.

and i have to say...i LOVE the whole dainty charm on a necklace thing...especially if there are several necklaces involved. i have the monogrammed ones, and a couple others...so today, i bought myself a little present.

it took some waffling, cuz i wasn't sure about being the girl rocking a t-rex necklace...but for $20, it had to be done. imagine this with a ruffly girly dress, and some rocking boots. i am IN. LOVE.

it's a dinosaur for crying out loud!!

sadly...the hautelook shop was sold out of a tiny gold fortune cookie (and yes, i'd wear them together...it's very godzilla vs. tokyo, no?)...so when you're in need of a cooky cookie (hah, i crack myself up), i go to one place....etsy.

and then i found an awesome shop with fortune cookies, and SOOOOOO much more.

this one is called "love takes work". how freaking adorable is this?? a heart AND a hammer. there's also a wrench and a saw version too.

i am so crazy about this it's hardly even funny! it's cold and silver...and the best part is most definitely the rain drop. i would wear this ALL. THE. TIME.

and for all you four-eyes like me...this can't be beat. even though i'm a contacts girl now...i'll always be a glasses girl at heart. i love how retro they look too!

all of these precious necklaces are from Lanyapi's etsy shop, and they aren't more than about $25 apiece...so please go check it out...but DON'T steal the ones i want =)

why i almost cried at winn dixie

last night, i hit up the grocery store with mom for some last minute christmas goodie ingredients.

side note: anyone else love the tiny carts at inn dixie?? the hubs won't let me get them when we go together, cuz he says they make him feel ridiculous. whatevs.

anyhoo, so i got my tiny cart full of stuff, behind mom in line...when the bagger guy says lane 7 is open. so i toddle (toddle?! is that a word??) on down there, and get in line behind an older guy, probably 60's, with 3 things.

then cashier says she can't ring him up, she's waiting for a lady to get back inside, she ran to her car to get her money...the woman says "she's young, has a baby boy and another little girl."

so we're standing there waiting, and in comes the girl...looking for all the world overwhelmed by trying to find her lost money and dealing with 2 kids under the age of 3.

she tells the cashier to take one of the beef stroganoffs off her bill, she only has $20. the cashier obliges, and the girl goes on her way.

then the older man asks what the lady put back because she couldn't pay for it...and then tells the cashier "put it on my bill" and tells the bag boy "run this out to her and tell her merry christmas."

OMG ya'll, i'm standing there, trying not to tear up because this old guy was just so sweet!! it was probably a $2 box of hamburger helper he paid for...but the rewards he'll get from the universe have infinite value.

no matter what your religious affiliation or beliefs, people like him are really the spirit of christmas. giving with no reservation, and giving to give...not to get anything in return.

i'm gonna try and be a little more like that guy.

turning into my grandmothers

right this second...i'm wearing an adorable grey and highlighter yellow striped sweater. and a long necklace that's a pewter chunk chain, and the bottom is a bunch of clear, black and grey crystals.

which brings me to the conclusion i came to last night at target.

i'm turning into my grandmothers. not my mom...she's a silver and gold, always wears the same jewlery kind of lady. so is my sis for the most part.

me...i'm a little different. which means i totally take after BOTH my grandmothers, who have boxes full of jewelry and necklaces hanging on the wall.

if it's chunky, and covered in rhinestones...i'm on it like white on rice. hence...my latest purchase, that inspired my revelation.
these are from target, for a whopping....$10. i love love LOVE them!!! they're much prettier in person....the gold is brighter, and the center stone doesn't look nearly so fakey.

i'm rocking them tomorrow for my last day of work, and my "party" with my BFF's for christmas. these babies, black sweater tee, hunter green cardi, skinny jeans and black ballet flats...SO. HOT.

any other "grandma jewels" lovers out there??

last minute gift

i spent all weekend wracking my brain as to what to get my grandmothers. one is in her 80's, the other in her 90's....lets face it, these ladies have pretty much everything they want. so what's a loving granddaughter to do?!?

i went with the age0old grandma tradition....pictures. that's right, both of them are getting a box of chocolates, and what i call a "grandma approved" 8x10 of the hubs and i....no arty shots for them, just strictly straight on, smiles on our faces.

no lie, my mom asked if i could smaller ones. no mom...i think my grandmothers need to see me in my 8x10 bridal glory. get over it.

then she said "you better have gotten me one too."

oh mom....so demanding. and yes...i did get her one....but not just ANY 8x10.


i got her one of these!! except....it doesn't say noodle time. and it's not of a blonde child we don't know.

it's a collage print from walgreens.com, and for $3.99, it's a steal!! i made mine with family pics from the wedding....me and mom, me and dad, me and sis. you can add up to 20 photos...and make it landscape OR portrait. there are lots of background colors to choose from too.

the only thing i DON'T like is that you don't have an option to put the pics where you want them...only refreshing the collage until you get something you like. but for $4...i can deal.

if you want one, i can save you some cash! use the code 33COLLAGE and get 33% off. AND you can get them printed at your local walgreens and pick them up, instead of waiting to have it shipped to you...so this could be wrapped and under your tree in a $5 walmart frame tonight!!

stocking stuffer savings

are you looking for a little something something for someone's stocking....or perhaps your own?

how's about free??


CLICK HERE to print your coupon for a free lip item from bath and body works with ANY purchase. anytime i get these offers...i roll up and buy a mini bottle of sanitizer...for $1.50. and get my free stuff. cuz...i'm pretty sure $1.50 is the cheapest thing they have.

also, today only, pottery barn is offering free shipping on ANYTHING (except furniture)....except i'm in a fight with them.

if an item is no longer available...DO NOT PUT A PICTURE OF IT ON THE FREAKING WEBSITE. ugh....it only gets my hopes up....and then crushes them.

NOT. COOL.

bragging on my baby sis

this is my awesome baby sis...who's really my only sister, and NOT a baby...but i always call her that.

or squirt. since she was 2.

this is more like how we really are with each other...total goofballs. we quote "friends" ENDLESSLY. sometimes...we text quotes to each other. cuz we're nerds.

anyways, she graduated college this week, with an exercise science degree. she's been working the whole time during school too...so she rocks. a lot. she suffered through some sort of mystery death disease on my wedding day...she was miserable, but you'd NEVER know in the pictures. such. a. trooper.

so i HAD to spoil her a little for her big accomplishment

so i got her this necklace from zales. i LOVE it....i tried to talk to hubs into letting me buy 2...but i figure maybe he's got me a little something something for christmas...so i was good.

isn't it adorable?? for only $100...you can't beat it. hit up your local store, or the website if you know someone who'd love this too!

a little tuesday reflection

i'm a glee-k, i'll admit it. i rock out to both soundtracks in my car, i'm giddy like a school girl when the show is on, and i'm soclose to a grief counselor for the fact that it won't be back into APRIL. damn fox execs and their allegiance to idol....

anyhoo, i'm doing what i do this morning, and the rain has finally stopped and the sun is peaking through the clouds, and at that moment, THIS SONG comes on. go listen, then come back =)

see, i have a serious emotional connection to "lean on me"....more than just about any other song. i contemplated playing it at the wedding, but i was afraid i'd bawl even more than i already did.

see, my grandfather is hands down one of my favorite people in the world. when i was a kid, he used to let me drive in the pasture at their house, and he and my grandmother had cows i got to feed, and i had one of my own named "bebe". i used to yell 'COY!!" at the top of my lungs in store bathrooms to hear the echo, because that's how he taught me to call the cows.

when i was 9, he died from colon cancer. i'm so blessed that i really don't have any bad memories of him...just good ones. once he got really sick...my sister and i didn't go visit anymore, and i'm so thankful that's the case.

anyway, the day he died, he'd been in and out of consciousness all day. my mom and grandmother were in the room with him, and had the radio on to drown out the machine beeps....when "lean on me" came on. and he woke up. and was lucid. and talked to both of them, and told them he loved them.

and then he was gone.

we literally had to change the radio station when this song came on for about 5 years. my mom would be a wreck. then slowly...she embraced it. we all did.

to this day, anytime i hear this song...i have to listen to the whole thing. if i need a good cry...i put it on. if i need a really good smile and to have my heart warmed...i put this song on.

it's like my papa jr's way of telling me he's watching out for me, and watching over me =)

spending other people's money

the hubs and i spent the weekend braving the cold and the rain to get some christmas shopping done...and to spend some of our wedding gift cards!!

our first stop....bed bath and beyond. for THIS beauty ::cue hallelujah chorus::

i am a wise woman...and talked the hubs into letting me get this with our cards, on the guise that he gets ot benefit from the all the goodies i make.

plus, that way...it's his freakish metabolism fighting the widening waist...NOT mine.

we knew we had at least $200 in cards...and a couple we didn't know a total on. so we went in ambitious.

turns out...we got this....

plus these STELLAR flocked hangers, PLUS an ornament for the in-law's....for $35. oh how i heart me some gift cards. the best part? the mixer had a $30 rebate with it...so we'll pretty much get everything for less than $6.

by the way have you tried the flocked hangers? BEST. THING. EVER. they don't put points in your shirt shoulders, and they take up so much less room in the closet....i'm probably gonna give the mister....10. and keep 40 for me.

think our gift card adventure ends here?? no. way.



oh kohls....how i love you. we rolled up with $75 in gift cards, plus a $10 off $10 if i used my discover card. so we got this cooldaddy fryer (love the name!!) plus a sweet wooden spoon...for $3 and change. holla! AND since we "spent" $50, even if it was a gift card....we got $10 in kohl's cash to spend this week. which is pretty much free money. love that!!

and then yesterday, i made one of my favorite treats for a christmas party!

this is peppermint bark. aka the BEST. STUFF. EVER.

and it's so easy it's almost wrong.

you get a block of white chocolate almond bark....it's in a big block, at walmart for like $3....way better to use than the good stuff. trust me.

chop it all up, melt it in the microwave. add a splash of peppermint extract.

then take a box of candy canes, and unwrap them all. then put them in a ziploc...and get ready to get aggressive. or let your husband/boyfriend/angry neighbor help....you just gotta bust them up.

then dump the busted up canes in the white chocolate mixture, and spread it on a cookie sheet. if you wanna be fancy...you can put a layer of dark chocolate on too. me, i'm lazy. so mine always gets red sprinkles....sometimes green if i'm feeling awesome.

a tasty last-minute gift

is there anyone who DOESN'T have a few people on their shopping list that have everything? or don't want anything? what do you do? you love them, or tolerate them, and you want, or have, to get them a gift.

well i'm here to tell you....one of my girls will HOOK. YOU. UP.

i "met" the lovely lady behind the ahhhh-mazing food blog Vintage Victuals back in my wedding planning days....as the now-husband lovingly refers to them, she was one of my "knot minions." internet friendships are the best =)

anyhoo, this girl can cook up A STORM. all her food is amazing, and her baked goods are even better. so when she decided to open an etsy shop...i knew it would be amazing.


i mean, how freaking CUTE is this?! all the dry ingredients you need for the perfect gingerbread...plus an adorable cutter, PLUS there's the super cute retro labels and oh-so-southern christmas decoration....i just love it.

but she's not just about gingerbread ya'll. she has all sorts of cookies...and bars, and brownies, and breads....all yummy. and for less than a couple venti latte's...you can't beat it!

so go right now, and visit her ETSY SHOP, and buy someone you love (or yourself) a yummy holiday treat. you won't regret it!

for less than a fill-up at the gas station...

i got this super cute sweater dress!!
you can't really tell...but it's got ruffles across the front v....so. presh.

and for $15? shut up.

here's the deal....go HERE.

anything on this page, if you use the code 25VS, you'll get 25% off the price listed. and if you do it today, use the code SHIPFREE for free shipping. do the percent code, THEN the shipping code.

ta-da, a $15 dress!!

a gift for mom...and one for me.

how did i get shopping done before boutique sites like ruelala and hautelook?

no clue.

so today, i get an email from HL saying "hey hales, check out dylan's candy bar today on our site....we know you love candy. and bright colors. and candy."

that might be a paraphrase....but it was kinda like that.

this is the first thing i found....these earrings are for my mama. she is the QUEEN of fun earrings...last year for christmas, i got her tiny silver chinese food boxes. it was rockstar. so i hope she'll love these too....i think they'll be precious with a black shirt!

i also find immense humor in the fact that she'll be a dental hygenist...rocking lollipop earrings.

and thus, with one present down....i think to myself, again "hales, don't YOOOUUUU want something too?!".

when i talk to myself in that voice...i have a hard time ignoring me.

so i got this hoodie....but in dark blue, with pink cuffs. SO. CUTE.

again...i love me some candy, and i love me some hoodies...so this was totally a "spoil myself cuz i had to work thanksgiving and just got the paycheck from it" gift....but that's okay right?

if you wanna hit up the hautelook for yourself, CLICK HERE for an invite from me...they have awesome stuff!

so frustrated

see these girls?? they are my best friends in the WHOLE. WORLD. i love these ladies like sisters...i honestly can't imagine my life without them.

and thus....i love finding the perfect gifts for christmas.

except i tapped out all my good ideas....for bridesmaids gifts. less than 2 months ago.

earrings, lip gloss, nail polish, monogrammed tervis tumblers...the works.

and now i have NOOO clue what to get them for christmas!!!

so i need ya'lls help....i need your favorite places, like etsy or wherever else...for fun, funky things...jewelry, home stuff...i gotta get cracking!

decorating the tree

i'll admit...i'm not a matching ornament kind of girl. we had a tree with all matching ornaments in our apartment....but that's cuz it was all we had. now that we're married...and even last year when we were engaged...i've wanted to get into the sentimental ornament game.

i can remember loving decorating our tree when i was a kid, and seeing all the boxes of the ornaments we got each year, and hearing about the ornaments my parents got before my sister and i were born....there's one for their first christmas, and a ceramic crawfish from a trip they took to new orleans.

so i want that for my kids too...when we have them. in several years. we bought a glass evil eye from greece on our honeymood, and a tiny ceramic pair of clogs from the airport in amsterdam...so now we plan to get them anytime we go somewhere.

i've also thought of making some of you lovely ladies buy me fun ornaments from far away =)

anyhoo, the hubs and i hot up hallmark this weekend, cuz i had coupons....and here's what we brought home.
if you can't tell, it says "our christmas together" and the little star at the bottom says "2009". we ended up getting this one....because all the wedding ones said "our first christmas together". and technically....this is our 3rd christmas together. i know it's semantics...but it seems wrong.

then we got this one!! it's so cute....i love the kissing fishes. we used to have goldfish when we first moved in together....sadly, they didn't make it past 6 months in our house....but the last one that died was REAL old. so this was totally appropriate.

if you want to do some hallmark shopping of your own....how's about $5 off a $5 purchase?!

CLICK HERE to print yours!!

a little friday post about my love

i stole this little ditty from the lovely Mrs. Southern Belle. thought you might wanna know a little somethin' somethin' about the boy that settled this former self-confessed "lip slut" down =)


What are your middle names?
mine is faith, his is randolph. he has his dad's first name...and i have the same middle name as my mom. and yes, my first daughter will have the same one too =)

How long have you been together?

our dating anniversay is 2 weeks from sunday, it'll be 3 years. we've been married almost 2 months.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
about 2 weeks....apparently, it took a little while to get my infectious charm into his head...

How old are each of you?
i'm 26, he's 27

Did you go to the same school?
technically, yes....we went to the same middle school, but not at the same time. but one of my BFF's mom taught him in high school.

Are you from the same home town?
yep, we grew up less than 5 miles apart, and knew a lot of the same people...it's amazing we never met.

Who is the smartest?
we're both smart in different ways....he's way more numbers and computers smart...i'm words smart. plus, i'm a jeopardy rockstar. seriously....try me.

Who majored in what? he's still working on his degree, because he's been working non-stop since he graduated high school....i think he's a computer science major? is it bad i don't know? and i have a bachelor of arts in journalism with a concentration in broadcast news.


Who is the most sensitive?
ooh, me...i'm a crier. as evidenced my 1/2 of our wedding photos.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?

actually out? this mexican place in town where we go on fridays. it's our thing.


Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
that would be santorini, greece for our honeymoon....AMAZING. i love love LOVED it there.


Who has the worst temper?
hmm....mine goes off easier, but i think his is scarier...

How many children do you want?
at least 2....we both have siblings, and i want that for my kids. as for how many after 2...we'll see =)

Who does the cooking?
me. he doesn't really excel in the kitchen.

Who is more social?
oooh, me. he'd be a hermit if i let him...i'm trying to break him of it.

Who is the neat-freak?
him...so i'm trying to be better about picking up around the house so he doesn't have so much work.

Who is the most stubborn?
hahahaha, we're both pretty stubborn....but mostly with other people, not each other.

Who wakes up earlier?
him....i'd sleep ALL. DAY.



Where was your first date?
an italian place, called mediterranean cafe (that sadly is now a mexican place), then to see "casino royale", then we met up with some friends downtown.

Who has the bigger family?
omg, me. i have a HUGE family....tons of cousins and whatnot. about 70% of our wedding guests were mine.

Do you get flowers often?
not anymore....but he won me over when we first started dating with them =)

How do you spend the holidays?
we have what we affectionately call "running the gauntlet". we open our presents at home, then we go to my parents for breakfast and presents, then his parents, then our officiant/family friends, then BACK to meet my parents for chinese buffet for dinner. oh, and christmas eve is my big extended family holiday.

Who is more jealous?
neither really...

How long did it take to get serious?
not long at all...we were "official" in december...and started talking about getting married by february.

Who eats more?
him!!! he's a machine...and tiny. BOOO.





What do you do for a living?
umm....he does something with computer programming. i don't really get it...but i know he kicks ass at it. and right now, i produce 2 news shows at my local tv station.

Who does the laundry?
we each do our own.

Who’s better with the computer?
him...what with it being his job and all!

Who drives when you are together?
usually him...he likes driving, i like riding...it's a good marriage.

What is "your" song?
we have an unhealthy love for "don't stop believin"....he and his groomsmen actually processed to to the string quarter version of it...and our first dance was "when the stars go blue".

smelling like the holidays

don't you want to smell like this? cookies and milk? the food of the big man himself...SANTA. if it's good enough for a guy rocking red velvet and white fur....it's good enough for me.

and you can have this awesome for yourself...for free.

cuz see, my ROCKSTAR friend Prepperoni is hosting a giveaway...and you gotta enter. you just gotta! see, i love you enough to share this with you...not keep it a secret in hopes if winning.

so go, would ya?! tell her i sent you =)

crazy good deals

you're not gonna believe this deal. 3 sweaters, AND a scarf for $30.

see how pretty this yellow is?? i love the scoopneck...i'm also getting a v-neck in red, and a pretty aqua.

and i've been needing a black scarf....and for free?? HECK. YES.

it's all from Victoria's Secret, and the secret to the savings can be found HERE. yes, i'm too lazy to copy and paste all the instructions....plus, this way it's step by step!! it ends tonight...so hit it up girls! it'd be great for gifts if you still need to get some shopping done =)

a little holiday love

i can't believe it's december!!! i can't believe christmas is THIS MONTH. i love me some holidays...this morning, i jammed out to the american idol christmas cd....that kelly clarkson tears up "my grownup christmas list."

i spent the weekend getting my house ready for the holidays...it's a little amateur, but until i actually have a dining room table and a nice upstairs....this will have to do.

that man on the tv is a storm chaser. but he's not as cool as reed timmer. who i didn't know exisited until the hubs and i got sucked into a 4 hour storm chasers marathon on discovery.

but back to the task at hand....i finally decided to rock out our mantle for the holidays. our officiant and his wife (who i LOOOOOVE, and pretend are my in-laws since my MIL is...lets just say less than desirable) gave us the candlesticks in the middle last time we visited them. DC is a ROCKSTAR when it comes to scoring deals at flea markets and such....those sticks are all crystal, not glass. CRYSTAL. and she got them all for like...$15 or something insane. one day she will teach me her ways...

the fat silver candlesticks? i got those FREE like 3 years ago from ulta, it was one of those "free with any $30 fragrance purchase" or something....i still love em.\

once we get our tree all situated...i'll get a picture with my actual camera...

and what goes best with holiday decorations??

THESE.

omg ya'll....i love love LOVE these bad boys.

they have tiny crunchies on the outside....TINY. CRUNCHIES.

they're like junior mints' better looking, cooler, captain of the cheerleading squad cousin. if they were in "glee"....they'd be puck. and regular junior mints would be finn. they're good...but not as good. or delicious.