Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has a blessed and very merry Christmas! From our house to yours!

High Five, It's Almost Christmas

I can't believe we are in the single digits before Christmas! I am sooo close to being done with my shopping. Thank goodness for the weekend to finish it all up! I always manage to still be shoipping at the last minute.

I had such a good week that I almost did a High 10 instead of High 5!

1. I had such a blast designing and sending out our Christmas cards this year!
2. Ever since my mom broke her leg on Thanksgiving, we have been trying to help around the house when we can. Putting up my parents' 12ft Christmas tree is always a project. Loved seeing two of my favorite boys working together!
3. I have the best friends in the whole world. Can we talk about this hat?! I am in love with this hat. It's warm, cozy and my absolute favorite character!
4. We had our first annual company holiday party and white elephant gift exchange this week. It was a blast! One of the VPs' wife made this! She nailed the logo!
5. On Saturday we had our department holiday party and I got to debut the famous tulle skirt! This is my manager and I at dinner. Aren't we cute?!

And what's even better than my High 5?! The fact that you're reading this post means the world didn't end and the Mayans were wrong! WOOOO

Try not to waste your whole weekend at the mall with all the other last minute shoppers!

Linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk and Jeannette @ Life Rearranged.

.

Sew Me Marie

I've received a lot of encouragement through your comments and after thinking about it for quite some time, I've decided to open my very first Etsy shop! I am actually opening it alongside of my friend. She is the one responsible for turning me into a crafty person.

I love our shop name: Sew Me Marie. Finding names that aren't already taken on Etsy is pretty challenging, but with a little brainstorming, we found one! We share the same middle name, Marie, so that definitely had to be incorporated into the name. I'm pretty happy with our end result.

For now I'm selling what you've already seen here on my blog:

• Ribbon wreaths (of any kind)
• Burp cloths
• Pacifier clips (these are actually new!)
• Grown-up tutus - just added due to the overwhelming response from yesterdays post!

I'm sure as I explore more DIY crafts, I will be adding them as well. I hope you check it out! If you want something you don't see there, feel free to email me and I would be happy to accommodate in any way I can.

Sew Me Marie Etsy Shop

Happy shopping!

Getting Back on Board

Ever since I lost 25lbs right before my wedding (read about it here), I managed to gain back 10lbs almost instantly and have since then tacked on another 5-10lbs depending on the month. I'm getting dangerously close to my original starting weight, so now it's time to get serious. I will NOT let myself get back there!

Since I'm no longer running the marathon, I figured this would be a good time to embark on a new journey. A journey of eating healthier and running regularly (short distances only please) to become comfortable in my own skin again (and to not have to buy back all my too big clothes I donated two years ago). Not to mention it's the perfect time to get in shape before my Disney cruise!

AHHH!!! We're so close!

 



Today is week one of my weekly weigh-ins. I'm sure your asking, "Why is she trying to lose weight right in the middle of the holidays?" Well my friends, once you find the motivation to make a change, you can't wait until it's convenient to you and those around you, you must cease the moment, never look back and run with it (no pun intended)!

For starters, I will pack my lunch, drink tons of water, run after work and cook a descent dinner. I am not doing a crash diet or eliminating any major food group. I am just focusing on moderation. I've learned that's the only way for me to be successful. If I start too strong and make drastic changes, I will fail. You will see that I am by no means a health nut, so my focus will be portion control and eating at home instead of going out.

So without further ado, here are this weeks stats:

Weight - 154lbs
Waist - 30.5in
Hips - 41in
Thighs - 24in
Arms - 11.5in

I will do measurements once a month in hopes to see a more significant change.

In other news, I can't wait until tomorrow to show you my completed DIY tulle skirt tomorrow!

Crafty High 5

One more week down, means one more week closer to Christmas! It's so strange to think that we are already half way through December! This week went by super fast and I'm looking forward to a nice weekend at home (with some fun thrown in there of course!)

Here are my top 5 fave things from the week!

1. Another ribbon wreath! I FINALLY finished it. I know the husband is getting tired of these wreaths (here, here and here), but I just can't get enough!
2. I finsished! This is the skirt I'm going to wear to my company's holiday party. I cannot wait! Don't worry, a tutorial will be up next week along with pictures of how I wore it.
3. My friend got me this festive iPhone 5 case for me from Zulily! (I told you, polka dots are my thing right now)
4. I have the best Blogging Big in the whole world! She redesigned my site and gave me a new logo, color scheme and buttons. I am so lucky and owe her big time! What do you think?!
5. Of course I can't resist my photogenic cat, Milo. He is such a handsome man! (insert crazy cat lady comment here).

I hope everyone has a fun weekend! Let me know what you're up to!

Linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk and Jeannette @ Life Rearranged

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

It's been a while since I've done a Disney post so what better way to get going again then to post about the most perfect and festive event Disney has to offer! Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP). You are probably thinking "this sounds very similar to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP)."

img src

 

Well you thought right! It is! the premise is the same: You buy a separate ticket for a select night in December, you get a special parade and fireworks show, AND (the best part) free cookies and hot chocolate all night! Maybe it's just me, but this sounds like a much better deal then the trick or treating at MNSSHP. Don't get me wrong, I love both, but if I had to choose, MVMCP all the way!

You walk in and you are greeted with a very picturesque scene of snow falling on Main Street with a spectacularly lit Cinderella Castle at the end. It is one of the most magical memories you will have. The castle is covered in lights that make it look like it was dipped in ice.

img src

 

Again, since you have to buy additional tickets to this event, you will see less crowds. This is a good opportunity to get on those rides you might not have been able to ride during the day when the park was open to the public.

As far as the parade and fireworks go, they are magical! There really is no other way to describe it. The parade is complete with dancing reindeer and nutcrackers. Just go see it for yourself!

If you love the holidays as much as I do then this is the party for you! There's still time to plan a trip to Disney for the holidays! Be sure to check out their website for available dates buy your tickets early as they will sell out!

Other must do's at Disney World in December:
Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights - Disney's Hollywood Studios
Candlelight Processional - Epcot
Gingerbread House - Grand Floridian Hotel and Spa

 And in the spirit of Christmas at Disney World: Here we are on our trip from last December!

Gold, Blousy Polka Dots

For this week's What I Wore Wednesday (WIWW) I kept to my theme of, yep you guessed it, polka dots! I promise I own non-dotted clothing. Maybe next week I'll prove it.

I found this shirt from Target a few weeks ago and I instantly fell in love with it. Sheer blousy shirts are very popular right now and this gold glitter polka dot blouse shirt was just my style! (Not to mention comfy) It reminded me of a Kate Spade shirt but for like 10% of the price at a mere $18!

Pair this shirt with some skinny jeans (I'm wearing black) and some pumps to dress it up or flats to make it more casual and there you have it. A fun outfit for a night on the town!

Another way to dress this outfit up is all in the accessories (something that is NOT my strongest suit). I'm really starting to get into gold (hence the shirt) so I dug up this bracelet from the Kate Spade outlet (now all I need is the ring and earrings to match, just in case the husband is reading). ;)

What are your thoughts on blousy shirts? Do you prefer gold or silver?

I'm linking up with Lindsey @ The Pleated Poppy for WIWW!

 

Weekends in December

I love weekends in December. It's hard not to wake up happy when your house smells and looks like Christmas! Weekends in December are busy, not the bad kind of busy where you hardly get a moment to breath, but exciting and fun busy. There is shopping to do (one of my most favorite things!), parties to attend and crafts to be made. This weekend we did it all.

Friday night we went to see Rise of the Guardians at a "new to us" movie theatre. The theatre was in a local town center we had never been to so we enjoyed walking around and seeing all the shops before the movie. Seeing Christmas-y things like this never gets old.

Saturday we woke up early and ran errands (only fun ones of course). I am attempting to make a skirt I found over at Delusions of Grandeur (tutorial to follow next week) so the fabric store was top on the list! Apparently everyone and their mother needed to craft Saturday too. I successfully got all my supplies for $20 which made me super happy!

We had a holiday party to go to on Saturday night which was a blast. Not only do I enjoy my Christmas decorations but I LOVE seeing how other people deck their halls too! Look at the unique tree topper my friend does!

A top hat! How cute is that?! She bought the hat from JoAnn Fabrics and cut a hole in the bottom so it would fit on the tree. Isn't she crafty?

 

Sunday was another busy day. Church in the morning followed by a beautiful Redskins victory! The rest of the day was spent working on my tulle skirt. I can't wait to debut it this weekend at my company's holiday party! Too excited to wait, here is a sneak peak:

Please note: This is a work in progress!

Linking up with Molly @ still being [Molly] for YOLO Mondays

High Five for Fun

Looking back, my week was pretty awesome! Sure I was tired and cranky at some points, but who hasn't had those moments by the time Friday rolls around?!

I get more and more excited about Christmas as we get closer every week. I love the way the house smells, all the parties and just seeing everyone's lights as you drive down the street. It really is the best time of the year!

We had a busy but super fun week. I seriously considered making this a High 10 instead of High 5!

1. I made these onsies for my nephew to take his monthly pictures in. Super easy, I just bought the template from etsy at: www.etsy.com/shop/braikdesign and then printed it out on iron on transfer paper.
2. Speaking of my nephew. Here is little Jacob! He and my sister-in-law came up to visit last night and today. Isn't he cute?!!
3. I got this beautiful Kate Spade bag at the outlets this week for a steal! Ready to hear the breakdown? It was originally $298 marked down to $125 then 50% off that and an additional 30% off of that! It came down to $45! You can't get a knock off at that price.
4. We were able to go to the Redskins vs. Giants game on Monday night and it was a BLAST! Thank goodness we won!
5. I decided to get a festive/fun manicure last weekend! Its a dark purple with gold on top. I pretty much love it.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoy those holiday parties these next few weeks!

Linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk and Jeannette @ Life Rearranged.

Polka Dot Time

I know you've seen it everywhere this season, including here, but I am totally in love with polka dots of any kind!

I am also really in to colored jeans this season. Who would have thought?! Remember when colored and patterned shorts and jeans where HUGE in the 90s. I still giggle when I see some of those outfits we wore. Now don't get me wrong, I am in love with colored jeans and have totally jumped on that bandwagon, but why patterned jeans?!! I'm not saying I'll never try it, but for now, I think I'll pass.

I digress. For this week's What I Wore Wednesday, what do you get when you mix bright yellow jeans and polka dots? A super fun outfit that stands out in a crowd! Ok, so maybe these are a little bright for everyday wear at work, but I say if you can't express yourself at work what fun is that?!

I have to apologize again this week for my poor photos. I can't seem to get my act together and have the husband take pictures of me with the real camera. Maybe I need to figure out my self timer and invest in a tri-pod.

Top: Old Navy

Jeans: LOFT

Shoes: DSW (old)

Who knows, maybe next I'll find some cute polka dot pants and then give patterned jeans a try! Baby steps....

Linking up with Lindsey @ The Pleated Poppy for WIWW!

Training Tuesday - The End

I don't even know where to begin. I have been struggling with my marathon training for about a month or so now and have let myself fall behind. Not just a few miles behind, like nearly 10! I have hit a point with training that I need to decide to either commit and accept that I won't get all my miles in or walk away (also known as quitting).

This weekend was pivotal for me. If I got my miles in, then I think I could have stuck with it. But alas, I didn't. I have used every excuse under the sun to talk myself out of these runs so I got to thinking, "Is this something I actually WANT to do?" Yes I know, we've all been through these moments when it comes to running and I've read so many success stories of people just pushing through. I feel that this is deeper than that. I'm not nervous excited about the race, I'm dreading it. Is that how it's supposed to be?

I hate the idea of quitting and throwing away my registration fee, but there isn't an ounce of desire left. Here are some of reasons excuses as to why I'm walking away from my marathon aspirations:

• It's winter which means its cold. I do NOT want to get up at 6am to run in 30 degree weather. That is torture to me.
• The thought of spending 3 + hours running on the weekends when they are getting so jam packed with the holidays is an incredible time commitment I guess I'm not ready for
• I prefer running after work and with my hour plus commute home, it's dark by the time I get home.
• No one is running the race with me in Disney nor do I know anyone training for a marathon who would do long runs with me. Which makes a long run alone an even more daunting task

Again, I know these are nothing but excuses and I have no REAL valid reason, but to me it comes down to happiness. I'm a firm believer in doing things that make you happy. In the beginning, running was hard but it made me happy. I loved the way I felt after a run even a 7 mile run. But these long distances are strictly painful. I'm not getting the joy out of it that I used to. They are mentally and physically hard.

I think I have decided that I need to train for a marathon that maybe takes place in the fall so I'm not stuck training in the winter. I am not giving up this dream of someday running a marathon. I just don't think this year was my year.

Sorry for the Debbie Downer post, but I wanted to be honest and do my best in justifying my decision. I'm still a little disappointed in myself and this decision, but all in all I think it's the right one for me. I will continue to run on my treadmill short distances to stay in shape, but as for long distances, I'm taking a break.

I can't thank everyone enough for their support in my training up till now and I hope to have your support in the future when I can put my whole heart into a marathon.