Sunday, November 27, 2011

Photo Booths

Today are my good friends Joey and Katherine's one-year anniversary (happy anniversary you two!) For their wedding, they had the best party favors - a photo booth! You could take as many pictures as you wanted, and there were even props you could use to make your pictures more special. Everyone had so much fun getting their picture taken. Two strips of photos were printed - one for the guests to take home and one to be placed in a scrapbook for the couple - a really nice, personal touch! These photo booths are such a unique and great way to entertain your wedding guests and make them feel like they're a part of your special day. 


Saturday, November 26, 2011

Black Friday Shopping 2011


Black Friday. Is it really worth it?

Let me regale you with my Black Friday shopping. I initially had every intention of just going to Dick's Sporting Goods and then on to Anthropologie (their first Black Friday sale ever!) but upon seeing that Belk was giving away gift cards to the first 250 customers and opening at 3 am (!), I decided to go there first. I had my eye on a particular item (sorry! Can't say what it is because it's a Christmas present for one of my faithful readers :) and I had an additional 20% off coupon. PLUS, I just knew I had to try for one of their gift cards - the values ranged from $5 to $1000. I must say, I was very anxious all Thanksgiving day, anticipating the daunting task of getting up early, waiting in line, and fighting through the crowds. But my in-laws assured me that I would have no problem with Belk. Surely, I would easily be one of the first people in line because let's face it - no one goes to Belk on Black Friday. WELL! Let me tell you about my day. First of all, I didn't get any sleep because I was simply too excited about shopping. So I got up at 1:20 am. I didn't really feel rushed to get to the Avenues, so I leisurely ate my breakfast, got dressed, and around 2 am, decided to start heading out. I figured Belk would be giving out the gift cards at the indoor entrances so I decided to park at the Food Court because I knew that entrance would be open (the mall opened at midnight). Well, the parking lot was PACKED, but I got lucky and found parking pretty easily. If you are not familiar with the Avenues, the Food Court is on the opposite end from Belk, so I had a pretty long way to walk. As I was approaching Belk, I noticed that there was no one there, and I thought, "Yay! First one in line!" but the closer I got, I noticed there was a sign at the entrance. It said, "Gift cards will not be given at this entrance. Gift cards will be given at the outdoor entrances." I thought, "Ok, that's fine. The outdoor entrance is not too far from here. I'll just walk outside and wait there." WELL! Apparently, a lot of other people were excited at the idea of winning a $1000 Belk gift card, because when I walked outside, there were about 200 people already waiting in line.

Crap.

So I mosied on over to the end of the line and got out my iPod and iPad (yes, I come very prepared for these things) and within the first couple minutes of Kelly Clarkson's "What Doesn't Kill You" my iPod died. Crap again. But one of the things I like about Black Friday is meeting new people in the lines. So I got to chatting with this nice couple behind me. We talked about what we wanted to get and our chances of being one of the first 250 customers. It seriously looked like we were at the cutoff point. One guy not too far behind us actually counted and he was number 235. But occasionally we would see people getting out of their cars and getting in line ahead of us, presumably with the people who were saving a spot for them. Anyway, long story short, we get to the entrance and the nice couple and I exchanged good luck's and we were one of the lucky 250! But don't get too excited - it was only the $5 gift card. Triple crap.

But I did get what I was looking for and hightailed it out of there. Store number 2 - Dick's Sporting Goods. They were scheduled to open at 5 am and at this point, it was only 3:30 am. So I headed on over to the Town Center, and when I saw that no line had formed at Dick's yet, decided to walk around. I wandered in to Abercrombie, where shirtless models were posing for pictures. I wanted to get a picture with them, but since I looked so disheveled (it was 3 in the morning after all) I decided it wasn't a moment that I wanted captured on film. After that, I walked around some more, but ended up going back to Dick's where a small group of people started to gather. So I decided to wait there. Plus, one of the employees informed us that they were going to open a bit earlier at 4:30 am. I thought, "Great! This way I can get in and out quickly and head over to Anthropologie." So I sat down, and got out one of my snacks (like I said earlier - I'm very prepared. Well, except for the iPod). But these people I like to call "church freaks" started coming around, giving out free coffee and donuts as a way to lure you in so they can bore you with details about their church. I am not cool with this, so I promptly called my brother so I could look busy. Anyway, I walked to the entrance of Dick's and waited, and a crowd started to gather at the door. At 4:30 on the dot, the doors opened and I was the first one in! On the list - Nike running shorts, size small. I especially wanted to get to Dick's as soon as it opened this year because every other year when I decide to go at a later time, ALL the size smalls are gone. And I'm always looking for a good deal on Nike shorts. Anyway, I got a couple cute pairs and headed on out. The time - 4:45 am. So on to Anthropologie...

Ok, so this was the one store I was most anxious about. It's Anthropologie's first Black Friday sale ever, so I didn't know what to expect. Plus, I REALLY wanted the Charlotte Taylor Adelie penguin blouse I blogged about a few weeks ago - it had recently gone on sale for $99.95 and Anthro's Black Friday deal was an additional 50% off sale items from 6 am - 11 am. And just like the Nike shorts, my size always seems to be the first to go. So I wanted to make sure I was at Anthro bright and early. Well folks, I was the first person in line. In fact, I was the only person in line. So of course, my chances were looking good. They were looking even better when I had to sit there for an hour and listen to passersby make comments such as "I hate Anthropologie" or "Who would wear any of this crap?" while pointing at the window display. I kept telling myself, "This is a good thing. At least those people won't be any competition." So there I sat, all by my lonesome, playing Family Feud on my iPad for about an hour. But then about a quarter 'til 6, a line started to form and it was looong. And I was at the front!!! So as soon as the door swung open, off I went to the sale room in the back. I found my penguin blouse pretty quickly and when I turned around to continue my shopping, IT WAS TOTAL MAYHEM. Women were everywhere, and the penguin blouses were flying off the rack. I thought I was the only one who liked penguins, but apparently not. Anyway, we were all rummaging through the racks, standing shoulder to shoulder, shoving and pushing our way through all the women (and the poor men who were dragged along), clothes, shoes, and accessories flying everywhere. And you know what? No one was mad. It was like it was understood that this was the way it was going to be. Some women were even helping each other. How nice. A far cry from the chaos seen at Walmart. Anyway, I had a successful trip at Anthro - I GOT MY PENGUIN BLOUSE so I'm really excited about that. Here are some of the other things I bought:

Seyes Ruling Tee by Ett Twa

Adelie Blouse by Charlotte Taylor

Bojagi Pullover by Postmark

Hip Cinched Blouse by Maeve

Draped Lapel Pullover by Charlie and Robin

Side-Snap Turtleneck by Moth

Devote Jeans by Citizens of Humanity

Farrah Skinny Jeans by AG

Visionaire Flare Jeans by Joe's 

Shirr and Pleat Skirt by Eva Franco

Painted Plaid Dress by Maeve

Saffi Belt

Bow Trinket Flats by Pilcro

Imprinted Palette Egg Caddy

I got a few other goodies that I can't tell you about (for my other faithful readers :) Of course, there were other items that I wanted, but alas, they were sold out in my size. Overall, I think I had a very successful Black Friday. It was stressful, it was tiring (24 hours without sleep!), but it was also fun. So was it worth it?


YES!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Kate Spade Watch Hill Zippered Darcy

Kate Spade Watch Hill Zippered Darcy
www.katespade.com

A couple days ago, Valerie and I went to the St. Augustine outlet to do some shopping and spend some long overdue girl time together. We went to the Kate Spade outlet where Valerie got this super cute Kate Spade purse. The style and chain straps of the purse are a very classic design reminiscent of the iconic Chanel bags, while the stripes and patent leather give it a preppy, modern touch. It's also a very good size for holding all your essentials - bigger than a clutch, but smaller than a standard tote. Since it was an outlet store, Valerie snagged this purse for $199, a pretty good price for a Kate Spade bag.

This purse was featured in the January 2010 issue of Elle magazine. Check it out!

www.katespade.com 

www.katespade.com  

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Valentino Ruffle-Top Tall Motorcycle Boot

Tough meets cute.

Valentino Ruffle-Top Tall Motorcycle Boot $1395
www.neimanmarcus.com

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Friday, November 18, 2011

Schmidt

L.L.S. Ladies Love Schmidt.

I find New Girl's Schmidt absolutely hilarious, and he's currently my favorite character to watch on TV. You really just don't know what he's going to say next, but you can bet that it will be something that calls for a dollar in the douchebag jar.


Sure, Schmidt is a complete tool, but he's also so oblivious to his douchebag-i-ness that it makes him somewhat endearing. Plus, he's just so darn funny! Here are some of my favorite quotes from Schmidt:

"You got some Schmidt on your face" after slapping Jess' ex-boyfriend in the Schmidt Happens episode.


"Okay. Uh, country's broke...Betty White's back" summing up what happened in the past two years to Winston in The Peen What Jess Saw episode.

And all of these are from the Hank Sgiving episode. It was a good episode, alright?

"The most sexy holidays are the 4th of July, Independence Day obviously, Women's History Month, and Christmas."

"My Lasik eye is freaking out" and "It's like a Prince video in here" while fanning out the smoke from the flames that erupted as a result of trying to defrost a frozen turkey in the dryer. 

"You really think she'd eat me up? Like buffet-style, like all you can eat? 'Cause I got that prime rib, yo. Carving station, plates are warm, sneeze guard, kids eat for free...I mean, except for the last..." in response to Jess saying that CeCe would eat him up.

Only Schmidt can bring life to these quotes and make them even more hilarious than simply reading them, so if you haven't tuned in to New Girl yet, give it a try on Tuesday!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

New Girl

blog.bettyelainedesigns.com

Does anyone else completely adore the show New Girl? It's quickly becoming one of my favorite shows on television, and maybe even of all time. I love the premise of the show and how all the characters seem to click together. Sure, the guys seem exasperated at times by Jess' antics, but overall they have a great dynamic. If you haven't watched the show yet, it's about a girl named Jess (played by Zooey Deschanel) and three guys who share an apartment together - Nick (Jake Johnson), Winston (Lamorne Morris), and my personal favorite, Schmidt (Max Greenfield). After being cheated on by her boyfriend, Jess needs to find a new place to live and therefore moves in with Nick, Winston, and Schmidt. Hence the name New Girl. The show basically follows the dynamic of this unlikely grouping - how Jess, the epitome of weird gets along with her newfound roommates and friends. To say that the guys put up with Jess is an understatement. She has an odd habit of singing at random moments, saying all the wrong things, and just plain being awkward! But she is cute (or as Entertainment Weekly phrased it, "adorkable") At times however, I find that her cuteness can be over the top. I know Deschanel is known for playing Indie, quirky roles, but sometimes I think her character Jess takes it too far (c'mon, the false teeth were just ridiculous - see below). However, I thought Tuesday night's episode Hank Sgiving provided us with just enough of Jess' quirk without being grating. I liked the fact that she had a crush on her coworker. To me, this made her seem more real and normal, even if her crush was just a male version of her - random singing, dorkiness, and all. 

nymag.com

I think if the show's writers continue to place Jess in more normal scenarios (breaking up with her boyfriend, having a crush, etc.), it will help balance out her quirkiness. As a result, she'll be relatable to the audience who don't necessarily need all her eccentricities, while still satisfying those who do love all the "adorkableness."

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

French Fries


So John and I started a bet about three months ago. I bet him that I could give up French fries until Halloween. Yes, this was a big deal. I LOVE french fries, and up until I made this bet, I was eating them at least once a week (I know, it doesn't seem like a lot, but those fried calories add up!) It started out as a simple goal to motivate myself to get into better shape (when I was working out with my personal trainer, I gave up sweets and fried foods and as a result, was in the best shape of my life), which of course turned into a bet with my husband because he is the most COMPETITIVE person alive (even when it comes to simple bets with his wife, he HAS to win). So here we are, three months from the day we shook hands, and I am proud to say that I did not have a single french fry in the last three months. And I figured the best way to celebrate this would be to go to my favorite place to get fries – Cruisers at Jax Beach. They have the most heavenly fries, sprinkled with just the right amount of salt and pepper (in other words, a lot!), served with a side of ranch sauce – yum!


Give me fries and ranch sauce, and I will be as happy as a clam :) And now for some fun stuff.

cooknwithclassparis.blogspot.com


www.flickr.com/photos/laureenmedina

French Fries Wallet by Toddland $29.95
fabnob.com.au

French Fries Plate $6.00
www.urbanoutfitters.com

Monday, November 14, 2011

Sleeping

This past weekend, I got really sick so I had stay home from work today. I slept for over 10 hours last night, which is a MIRACLE considering I'm lucky to get even 6 hours of sleep on any given night (my mind just never stops racing!) AND I took two naps today. I know my husband will literally cheer and give me a high-five when he gets home from work because he'll know this is quite an accomplishment for me. I just have this bad habit of not knowing how to relax - I'm always stressing over something. So when these rare moments come along when I do get some sleep, I relish them.

Dita Von Teese for Moschino Eye Mask

Probably another reason why I don't sleep all that well is because I have such particular sleeping conditions. It has to be really cold, really quiet (sometimes I wear earplugs to block out my screaming neighbors), and really dark so I wear an eye mask. Check out the really chic eye mask Dita Von Teese designed for Moschino above.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Christmas Trees

Ok, so I'm a bit obsessed with Christmas. I just love everything about this time of year - the weather, the cheeriness, the fact that the malls stay open later... And even though it's not Thanksgiving yet, I've already put up my Christmas tree. I mean, the earlier you put out your Christmas decorations, the longer you can enjoy them, right?!


Friday, November 11, 2011

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Monday, November 7, 2011

Girls From Savoy Lemon Liftoff Blouse

Girls From Savoy Lemon Liftoff Blouse
On sale $59.95 (originally $118)
www.anthropologie.com

Continuing with my love for the color yellow, I decided to write about the Lemon Liftoff Blouse by Girls From Savoy that I recently purchased. I was excited to see Emma Pillsbury wearing it on an episode of Glee.


This woman is my style icon. I love everything she wears. I absolutely adore her penchant for cardigans, statement jewelry, pencil skirts, and vintage-inspired blouses. 

The Lemon Liftoff Blouse was sold out in my size at my local Anthro (and online) so I took to eBay to purchase this top. When I read the online customer reviews, many people said that this top runs a bit small, especially in the arms. I ended up bidding on a size 0, without ever having tried on this size before. The smallest they had at Anthropologie was a size 4, and it was HUGE, so I figured the size 0 would fit just fine. But the customer reviews were still making me a bit nervous, so I anxiously awaited the arrival of this blouse in my mailbox. When John saw yet another package for me in the mail, he said, "It's like Christmas everyday for you."

Anyway, the size 0 fit perfectly. However, I can see why some people would say the top runs small. The arm holes fit me just right - if my arms got any bigger, I would have to wear it unbuttoned (even more motivation to hit the gym!) The bodice is nicely fitted, which I really like. It's easy to put on and take off with the side zipper. It's made of a nice quality silk and the ties in front can be worn as a bow or simply tied in a knot. And the best part (aside from the fabulous yellow color)? The OWLS! They are so cute!

You'd think with this top being bright yellow, it would be difficult to find things to pair it with. But surprisingly, there's so many different ways to wear it. I always stress that fashion is meant to be fun! So if you have this top, enjoy finding different outfits to throw together. And if you're looking for inspiration, check out the collages below, created by other fashion lovers for polyvore.com.

lemon+green Glee

Emma wears her Lemon Liftoff blouse - Look 2 WWEPW: Lemon Liftoff Blouse

Emma wears her Lemon Liftoff blouse Lemon Liftoff Blouse

Lemon Liftoff Blouse Lemon Liftoff

Can you guess which one is my favorite?

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Ikea Trollsta Sideboard

Speaking of yellow...

I really love my Ikea Trollsta Sideboard, as seen in my dining room in the picture below. (I use the phrase "dining room" very loosely here, as this is just one big open space off the entryway. One day we hope to have an actual dining room - with walls!)


I bought this from Ikea a few years ago when I was single. When John and I got married and I moved in, I knew it was coming with me, and there was NO WAY I was getting rid of it, even though it's not exactly John's taste. I just love this pop of bright yellow! Even though I don't use it as a traditional sideboard, it's still a great way to store your items. I personally store photos, photo albums, stationery, and scrapbooking materials in here. Sometimes when John is looking for something like an envelope or a thank you card, I joke about taking him on an orientation of where things are stored in our house. 

Ikea Trollsta Sideboard

I purchased this sideboard for about $250, which really isn't a bad price. One of the reasons why Ikea furniture is so cheap (aside from the fact that it's made of particle board) is because you have to assemble it yourself. Which I don't mind really - in fact, I quite enjoy doing things like that. And even though I mentioned that this is made of particle board, it's still a solid, heavy piece of furniture. We live on the third floor, and this was a PAIN to get up the stairs. When we move, I have no idea how we're going to get it back down. 

My Mom got me the area rug shown here (from Target!) I love yellow and grey together, and I thought it would make a great complement to the yellow sideboard. The room divider next to the window is also a gift from my Mom (from Home Decorators Outlet!) It has my favorite quatrefoil design.

The painting on the sideboard was purchased from a silent auction at John's school. I believe it was painted by one of his students. I really love the combination of colors and the bright pop of orange. 

The dining table and chairs were a hand-me-down from our friend Chaz. It's good enough for me and John right now, but one day we want to get a really nice, big dining table for dinners and entertaining. We really like the rustic, industrial look and John has always wanted one of those long benches. We went to Pottery Barn the other night, and found one we really liked.

Pottery Barn Dining Table in Wax Pine $1899
www.potterybarn.com

John actually liked the darker color, but I think the lighter color shows off the characteristics of the wood better. They are both nice-looking though.

Pottery Barn Dining Table in Rustic Mahogany $1699
www.potterybarn.com

For now though, our tiny dining table suits us just fine. However, I would like to get a cute tablecloth to put over it, just to add some character. I really like this round Mina Tablecloth, found at Anthropologie. The design is whimsy and cute, and I love the dark navy blue color against the light cream background.

Mina Tablecloth 72 in. round $78
www.anthropologie.com 

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Yellow Fireplace


I love yellow! John would never approve, but I think it's such a fun way to display your fireplace. And the collage of prints above adds a nice touch. Now if only John and I could find a house with a fireplace...