Bows Bows Bows

Bows. Just add them to the long list of my obsessions. Bows in hair, bows on clothes, bows on jewelry -- I'm a sucker for it all. I was once told that bows are for children and it looks silly on grown women. We agreed to disagree and bows still hold a soft spot in my heart. If done right, bows add just the right touch of femininity to any outfit or hairstyle. I like bows on ruffles, lace, and pastel colors, but I also really love bows paired with edgier outfits. There is just so much you can do with them!

Do you love bows?

What is your favorite way to rock one?

Where do you find your bow accessories? Let this girl know!

 

Oh, How Pinteresting

Happy Wednesday, lovelies! It's my third ten-hour work day in a row this week (boo summer work hours) so I'm not feeling too creative this morning. No worries though! It's Wednesday, which means it's time for my favorite link-up! Link up with The Vintage Apple and show off your favorite pins!

**If you haven't already, make sure you enter for your chance to win a gorgeous, handmade scarf of your choice from Desiring Joy here!**

Anchors Aweigh

First of all, I would like to point out that I've always thought the term was 'anchors away'. I guess you learn something new every day!

I have a soft spot for all things nautical. I think it really started with my Grandpa. He loved anything to do with the ocean and seemed the happiest when he was at their condo in Georgia. I mean, the man wore shorts and boating shoes to climb an iceberg!

When my Grandpa passed away eight years ago (I honestly can't believe it's been that long) I found myself being drawn towards anything nautical -- anything that reminded me of him. I like to think I rocked the boat shoe trend way before it was even popular, all thanks to an old pair of my Grandma's. I recently just bought my first pair of Sperry's -- thank you Nordstrom Rack for the incredible discount -- and if I could wear them to work, they would be on my feet all day err day.

There is something about navy and white stripes that is soothing to me. Add a little pop of red and my heart is content. Side note -- those flats need to be in my closet when I get home from work.

**If you haven't already, make sure you enter for your chance to win a gorgeous, handmade scarf of your choice from Desiring Joy here!**

Do you have a soft spot in your heart for the nautical trend?

What is your favorite way to wear it?

Desiring Joy Giveaway

Happy Monday, ladies! Do I have a treat for you! If you've been around here for a while, you may remember this post where I introduced you all to a friend of mine. Anna and I met in college and she is now running her own Etsy page Desiring Joy. Her store is filled with gorgeous scarves, all brightly colored for the summer months! She also designs invitations, so if you're looking for something beautifully crafted, you need to check it out!

Here is a little bit about Anna's shop:

I am the stay-at-home wife of a wonderful, understanding, and smoking hot husband. He allows me to put tons of time and energy into making Desiring Joy a great place for my customers to shop.

I named my shop Desiring Joy because I believe that everyone desires to find joy - not just happiness, but real, deep down, pure, joy. The root of my joy can only be explained by my personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and the knowledge that I am wonderfully and undeservedly saved by grace. I feel blessed that I am able to share the product of my God-given gifts with the whole Etsy community by sewing and selling things I love.
This shop is all about beauty. Every woman knows it - the moment when your eyes lock on something that would make you feel gorgeous. It's the perfect accessory to an outfit, it's your favorite color, it's the piece to your wardrobe that you've been missing. If I can help provide that excitement to any person, I am one happy girl.

Scarves may be a small thing, literally, but the way they can make a woman feel beautiful and confident is nothing short of awesome.
If you'd like to find out more about my photography, please visit http://desiringjoy.wix.com/desiringjoy.
Enjoy my shop! 

Anna is graciously giving away one of her beautiful scarves to a Yours Truly reader. I honestly cannot say enough about her craftsmanship! I personally own two of her scarves and wear them all.the.time! Here are a few summer scarves she made that I have my eye on.

Use the Rafflecopter tool below to enter for your chance to win one gorgeous scarf from Desiring Joy. The winner will be announce this Friday, June 21st. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Things They Never Tell You About Puppies

When you think about getting a puppy, rainbows and unicorns and fluffy clouds all go through your mind. You think about snuggling on the couch together, taking long walks in the park, and if you're me, dressing your pooch up in adorable clothes and parading them around for everyone to see.

Don't get me wrong, it's all true...for the most part. There are some things people don't tell you about puppies. So, all of you puppyless people out there, let me ruin your dreams of the perfect nugget.

One

Housebreaking is not as easy as it seems. Just when you think they're finally getting the idea, the little fricker will squat down right in front of you leaving yet another puddle on the carpet. The best though is when they do their business outside and come back in just to pee some more. Apparently, Riley is not the best at getting it all out at once.

Two

You can't cuddle with a teething dog. Sure, they'll lay down for .2 seconds until they decide your arm/fingers/legs/foot/ear looks like a good chew toy. No matter how many chew toys are laying around, Momma's hand always wins.

Three

Oh you want to sleep in Saturday morning? Think again. The nugget needs to get out of that jail we call a kennel at the ass crack of dawn. The whimpering and puppy dog eyes won't stop until you let them out -- no matter how still you try to be (believe me, I've tried.)

Four

Your puppy will embarrass you in front of as many people as possible. You taught him how to sit? Great! But when you go to show off how smart your nugget is, he won't sit. Nope, he'll just run around and bark and, more than likely, bite the nearest foot.

Five

They'll ruin you. You'll spend every last dollar on new toys, treats, or even different shampoos until you find one that leave his coat shiny. You'll let them get away with almost anything because they're just too darn cute. And you'll think about them the entire time you're at work -- don't bother getting any work done.

I love my nugget and all the joy he brings to my life but geez -- teaching an eight week old puppy how to pee outside, not bark in the middle of the night, and sit is a tough task. I wouldn't give it up for anything though. That little nugget is as spunky as they come, but I wouldn't want him any other way.

...except for the teething. He can cut that out any day now.

Happy Friday!

Playing House

With the wedding right around the corner, Justin and I have begun looking for a place to live. We haven't lived together before, so this is a really exciting new step. We originally thought that the only thing we could afford would be to rent an apartment for a while -- boo to throwing money out the window and stupid apartment living -- but we recently found a condo nearby for an amazing price. I almost can't believe the price! I have an appointment set up with the realtor tonight to take a look at the condo, so fingers crossed it is as nice as it looks in the pictures!

Naturally, my decor-mind has been going crazy since finding this place. Of course I have expensive taste and I know that our first home will look nothing like the pictures I pin on Pinterest, but a girl can dream! Plus, Justin has an uncle that does amazing remodeling work, so you never know!

Here's some of my inspiration for our future home -- wherever it may be!

I gravitate more towards neutral colors -- I think it gives a home a warm and welcoming feel. Plus, you can change up accent colors as often as you please without having to redecorate a whole room.

I'm really excited for this new stage in life. Getting married to my best friend and starting our life together will be amazing, no matter where we live.

What is your favorite part of decorating your home?

Oh How Pinteresting

It has been way too long since I've linked up with my favorite Oh How Pinteresting. Work has been extremely, painfully slow the last couple weeks and I've spent waaayyy too much time on the ol' Pinterest. Am I complaining? Of course not! Here are some of my favorite pins as of late.

What is your favorite pin?

Happy Wednesday!

Five

It's been a while since I've dedicated a post to all things me, and since I have some new followers, I think that is just what I'll do. Heck, it's been so long since I've consistently posted, all of you veteran readers probably forgot everything you knew about me! So, here we go!

One

I'm obsessed with whitening my teeth. It was really bad in high school, to the point that the dentist told me I needed to stop. I've cut back on stripping away my enamel and killing my gums, but I'm still obsessed. I actually just bought a brand new whitening system in preparation for the wedding that comes with a nifty LED light. You can find it here.

Two

I'm a reality TV junkie. Real Housewives, the Kardashians, Guiliana and Bill -- you name it. However, my apartment is the death trap (no joke) and our TV recently died. Like donezo for shunzo dead. I've been missing RHOC, RHNJ, KUWTK, and so much more -- I don't know what to do with myself. The summer premiere of Pretty Little Liars starts tonight, and if ABC Family didn't put their shows up online, I would seriously consider crawling in a hole and dying.

Three

I eat bananas from the bottom. Which I hear is actually the top of the fruit and the way the monkeys eat bananas. I don't understand how people can peel bananas from the top. That stupid stem always breaks off. And then what are you supposed to do? Try to squish it out?!

Four

My biggest pet peeve is when the sheets on my bed comes untucked. I have such a hard time sleeping if the sheets are perfectly tucked under the matress. And don't get me started on the fitted sheet. If that thing comes off, it's WWIII.

Five

I use an obscene amount of lotion on my hands every day. Justin hates it and thinks I'm weird. But what am I supposed to do? Let my hands be dry?! I have this patch of eczema on my left pinky finger which always requires extra extra lotion. And it can't be just any lotion. I prefer the thicker hand cream, so you know what that means, greasy hands for dayssss.

Share something about yourself! I would love to get to know you better.

Happy Tuesday!

Wedding Wednesday: Details

Our wedding is finally three months away! Now that all of the big stuff is out of the way, it's time to focus on the details -- and I must say that stresses me out more than booking all of the vendors. There is still so much to do! Burlap and lace table runners, wedding favors, flower arrangements, framed table numbers, seating arrangements....oh my! As much as I despise wedding planning, I'm kind of looking forward to working on the small details. There's something about the little touches that brings an event together. These next three months are going to be a whirlwind of wedding madness, but getting to marry my best friend will be worth it!

I just bought that guest book off of Groop Dealz this morning! I think it will make the perfect coffee table book once it's filled with messages from our friends and family. You can find that burlap banner and many others here.

Just Up In The Gym Like Fergie...

Except I don't really go to the gym....

It's that time of the year again when everyone and their mothers are scrambling to start a workout routine before swimsuit season hits. At least, I know I am! Especially since J and I booked our Mexican honeymoon, I've been desperate for motivation to workout.

My usual workout routine -- mainly just running -- isn't cutting it for me this year. I actually despise running and only do it because it's a quick but effective cardio workout. And when I say quick, I mean quick. 30 minutes max -- this ain't a marathon people. But I was getting bored. I rarely went running because, well, I had more interesting things to do!

So, I hopped aboard the Tone It Up bandwagon! And I'm so happy that I did. I'm sure most of you have heard of Tone It Up, and if you haven't, go check it out! The TIU girls are amazing, adorable, and make any workout fun! The free workout videos that they post on their blog are the perfect addition to any cardio routine. If you become a Lifetime Member, you also get access to a nutrition plan, which I hear is awesome. I honestly was skeptical about the Tone It Up workouts at first, but I honestly am in love.

If you're really lacking motivation, nothing helps more than a new workout wardrobe. I know, workout clothes usually cost an arm and a leg (ahem Lululemon) but if you look in stores like Target, TJ Maxx, or Marshalls, you can find cute items for a great price. I prefer brightly colored workout gear. There's something about neon shoes that make me feel more legit.

 

I may or may not be hunting down that lavendar watch. I like wearing a watch when I run so I know just how long I've been torturing myself and when I can stop. Sadly, the adorable one I used to own was lost in the move last August and I haven't purchased a new one since. Also, rose water facial toner is the bomb for a little post-workout refresher.

 

What are your workout must-haves? Have you tried a Tone It Up workout?

Weekend Shenanigans

Happy Monday!

I have exactly 49 minutes until I have to provide lunch break coverage in one of our full day classrooms so I thought I would crank out a little blog post. I bet you didn't know that part of the job description for a Social Worker in sitting in a dark room for a couple hours while kids nap so teachers can take a lunch break. Yeah, I didn't know that either. But that's neither here nor there....

I had a pretty fabulous weekend, if I do say so myself. Friday after work I headed over to my cousin's house to get my hair done and visit with her and her adorable kids.

Fresh highlights are enough to make any weekend a success. And I'm lucky enough to have an amazing colorist as a cousin. Double win for me? I think so.

Saturday, Justin's baseball games got cancelled. Wonderful for me, disappointing for him! We got to spend a couple extra hours together, so we grabbed some lunch and headed to the park. While we were there, we noticed that the kayak and canoe rentals were finally open, so being spontaneous, we decided to risk our lives by renting a double kayak. It's a shame I have no pictures, but seeing as Justin almost killed me on a tandum bike last summer, I figured my phone was safer on shore.

We bickered like an old married couple, I pouted when Justin intentionally splashed me with nasty river water, and I "took breaks" from paddeling every 5 minutes, but we had so much fun. It was fun doing something together that we never get to do. And with our work schedules being the complete opposite of each other's, getting to spend large chunks of time alone together is always special.

Sunday was dedicated to getting things done and shopping at the mall. Justin and I have an Engagement session with our wedding photographer this Sunday, so I needed to buy outfits. I bought Justin a plain white button up, because he doesn't own one (huh?) and for myself, a simple coral dress. I'm planning on pairing it with some brown wedges and calling it a day -- simple but sweet. Pictures to come, obviously!

I, of course, couldn't take a trip to the mall without stopping in Sephora -- even though I said I wasn't going to go in.

And my new favorite obsession? Starbucks Iced Coffee with milk. I need to stock my fridge with this!

Since our wedding budget is getting pretty tight, Justin and I decided to try and make our own wedding invites. I found an invite on Etsy that is super simple and rustic looking that I know I can recreate. I bought brown cardstock and white lace doilies -- found in the cake decorating section of Michaels -- and started the process.

I'll dedicate a whole DIY blog post to our wedding invites when they're finished and mailed off!

And now it's Monday, and I'm sitting here at work wishing I was on the beach somewhere. I'm still convinced that I was born to be some trust fund baby, living off of my parent's fortune, vacationing on the most secluded beaches. I'm just not cut out for this working life.

How was your weekend?