High Five!

Short and sweet high five for this week! Hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys the snow we got in VA!

1. My friend and I at dinner last night. Good times!
2. Bentley LOVES the Mustang!
3. Last weekend we were blessed with some warm weather to ride around top down!
4. Packed bags all ready for work trip to Puerto Rico
5. Love being able to break out my Jacks and show off my funky pedicure!

Feel free to follow me on Instagram for more pics of my trip! Mbolt16

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

Fish Extender Tutorial

A few weeks ago I posted about the Fish Extender program on the Disney cruises. If you missed it, you can read all about it here. OK, now that you're all caught up, I'm going to show you how to make your very own Disney Fish Extender!

Like most projects, your first step is to gather the materials. I used canvas because it was on sale at Joann Fabrics. You only need two different colors; 1/4 yd for the pockets and 1/4 yd for the background. I also bought ribbon to use as my trim. You can get a similar effect by using bias tape.

The black fabric should be only 8 inches wide and as long as you want it to be (it should be longer depending on how many people are in your room). I had extra fabric so I folded it in half so I had an easy loop at the top to hang it by. The pockets should be 5.5 inches long and 11 inches wide. The pockets are longer than the background fabric so when sewed on they create a pleat (more on that later).

Now that you everything is bought and cut, it's time to design what you want. If you have an embroidery machine you can download templates to embroider from Etsy (example). If you don't have an embroidery machine, I would suggest you buy applique's from Etsy and just sew them on (example). You don't even have to get that fancy. You can do iron on designs too! There is no right or wrong way to do it. The only rule is: make it personal!

We only have two people in our room, but be sure to add pockets for every member in your family! I wanted to keep with the Mickey and Minnie theme, but also incorporate our favorite characters. I found the Mickey with R2D2 mouse ears here and Ariel with mouse ears here. Then I just added our names using Disney font.

So happy with how these turned out!

Time to sew the pockets! First take the ribbon and press it in half and sew to the tops of your pockets only. Next take the pocket and press the bottom seam under and make your pleats. Now sew each pocket along the bottom to the background canvas.

One of the last steps is to take your ribbon and sew it up the two sides and along the bottom to finish the edges. The top should remain without ribbon so you can put a wooden dowel through it and tie ribbon so it hangs outside your door!

I decided to add some more embroidery to the top to give it a more finished look. So there you have it, my completed Disney Fish Extender. It's by no means perfect, but it only cost me $6 in fabric and about $10 in embroidery designs! Much better than the $30+ price tag you'll find on Etsy!

If you have any questions on how to make your very own FE, let me know and I'd be happy to help! Happy crafting!

Super High Five!

Even though we had dreary grey skies with cold rain and no snow, I managed to have a pretty great week! Kept myself busy and spent some quality time with my family.

I couldn't help myself from sharing more than just 5 awesome things from the week. I felt like I needed more. :) 

1. I found an awesome picture that is everything I could ever want in a picture. A vintage style poster for the Disney Fantasy ship with Ariel sitting in front of it. Needless to say it is now my background on my cell phone. :) 
2. See previous
3. Started working on our Fish Extender for the cruise! What the heck is a Fish Extender?
4. Over the weekend we decided to put up the Disney Monorail we got for Christmas. 
5. It even talks! (only disappointment is it doesn't tell us "to please stand clear of the doors" in Spanish like when you're really in Disney)
6. The doors open and you can put characters in the car! I'm aware that only children should get excited about this stuff, but I really can't help it!
7. Last night my sister and I got together and I did an at-home Keratin treatment. It worked so well! I've never felt her hair so smooth and soft before! You can get it at Target, it's called: Organix Ever Straight Brazilian.
8. Found this perfect belt at Forever 21. Who doesn't need a fun gold belt WITH a bow?!
9. If you follow my on Instagram you might have seen the shoe drama I was having. All of these super cute shoes were $9.98 at Target and I couldn't decide which ones I needed wanted. I chose to get the navy and purple ones. In love!

Whew! Told you it was a super High 5 week! Hope my weekend is just as good as last. No big plans again and I couldn't be happier!

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

What I Wore Wednesday - Summer Lace

I love everything navy blue right now and what girl doesn't love lace? So when I saw this dress, I just HAD to have it. I've mentioned before how I like to buy dresses that I can wear all year, so getting this dress was inevitable. Pair it with tights, boots and a sweater for the winter, or alone with your favorite sandals for the summer!

Sorry for the poor picture quality. I really need to invest in a tripod so I can get some decent pictures every now and again. Hopefully you get the idea though.

 Dress // Target

Sweater // Target (old)

Necklace // Caroline G.

Bow // unBOWlievable

Linking up with Lindsay @ The Pleated Poppy for WIWW!

Training Tuesday - 1.15.13

Even though I'm not actively training for anything, I'm still going to keep up with Training Tuesdays to track my progress. Ironically enough, Sunday was the Disney Marathon, and I would be lying if I told you I didn't feel an ounce of regret. I know I made the right decision all around, (you can read all about it here) but a little piece of me wonders how would I have done?!  Something I've learned is to not dwell on failures. Sure, I punked out and didn't do the race, but it doesn't mean I'll never have the opportunity again. Hopefully, next time when I get the itch to do a marathon, I will look back on what happened over the last few months and decide to fully commit. For those of you who ran the marathon, CONGRATS! I was there in spirit cheering you on and can't wait to hear all about it!

With all of that being said, it is another week and I am still meeting my friend at the gym bright and early before work! I am on week 2 of these 5:45AM work outs and I couldn't be prouder of myself. I've always wanted to do morning workouts so my evenings would be free, but I never could make it happen...until NOW!

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Today I am down another pound . I always wish the weight would come off faster (was hoping for 2lbs a week), but they say the slower the better, right? Only 6 1/2 weeks before the cruise and I plan to live in a bathing suit (without feeling insecure) for a week!

Speaking of bathing suits....I'm having major drama trying to find one. Anyone recommend a certain brand or store to get a bathing suit? I NEVER buy swimsuits but because of the cruise, I'm going to treat myself to a new one! I prefer modern one pieces or a skirted bikini. Let me know your thoughts!

Linking up with Helen @ Helen in Between for Tell Me About it Tuesdays!

Playing House

Is it already Monday?! I shouldn't complain. My weekend was both relaxing and productive so I couldn't ask for anything more. Exactly 1 year ago on Saturday (Jan 12th) we closed on our house. It's amazing how fast a year flies by when you're having fun!

Saturday was spent "winter" cleaning by officially organizing and storing our Christmas decorations and scrubbing the house. It was in major need of some TLC. We spent the evening playing board games and making a home cooked meal. Simply put, we stayed in and played house.

Love my house back to normal after Christmas!

We were really hoping for a warm and sunny Sunday so we could take the convertible out, but unfortunately we were with heavy fog all day. So depressing and gross out! But alas, we made the best out of a bad weather situation and cooked breakfast at home, hung out with the family and ended the evening with a nice dinner out.

Here's a typical weekend outfit. Didn't feel like looking like a bum or dressing up, so here's my happy medium! Nothing jazzes up a dreary Sunday like a Disney t-shirt and glitter Toms!

 Thank you BIG for my Disneyland shirt!

So as you see, nothing majorly exciting happened, but sometimes those are the best weekends. We laughed, played and worked as a team to get the things that needed to be done, done.

Hope you had a great weekend and got some sunshine with the unseasonably warm temperatures!

 Linking up with Molly @ Still being Molly for YOLO Mondays

HighFive, Low Five

This week had all the makings to be a good one. Then one thing after another happened and my high fives quickly turned into low fives. Not as dramatic as it sounds, but it was the first time I struggled to come up with 5 positive things! For instance, I had ordered my gold glitter Toms and when they came they didn't fit! Then I ordered a new bathing suit for the cruise and it looked awful on me! And don't get my started on what happened to my sports teams this week. See? Nothing big, just ruined my high five moment!

1. So Milo decided he would nap ON my husband's head. I was cracking up watching this. They both slept like this for about 20 minutes!
2. Starting a new running routine where I work out before work. Saw a vast improvement in my time from Tuesday to Thursday. Pretty happy about that
3. All decked out to watch the Redskins in the playoffs....then they loose. The highlight of that day was using my new koozie (to drown my sorrows in of course) and wearing my official Redskins knee socks!
4. the Notre Dame Championship game was a highly anticipated game in my house. Of course, this game turned out to be another heart breaker. We are kinda glad football is done until August, no more broken hearts.
5. I love the Target dollar spot. I found these plastic Star Wars cups for only $1! 

Looking forward to some spring weather this weekend! No major plans, just seeing where the days take us!

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

Fish Extender? Say what?

I know I've mentioned it a few times, but in case you aren't aware; I'm going on a Disney Cruise! In just 51 short days, I will be boarding the Disney Fantasy for a 7 night cruise to the Caribbean and I couldn't be more excited! We booked this cruise about 10 months ago, so to be down to 51 days is pretty exciting.

In gearing up for the cruise, I joined a group on Facebook that is for our cruise week! Here you can meet people and ask questions to the veteran cruisers. I discovered this entire underground gift exchange program that happens on the ships (I'm pretty sure it's a Disney thing, but let me know if you've done something like this on another cruise line). On my first Disney Cruise in 2010, I noticed people had their doors decorated and had cute bags hanging from a hook outside their stateroom with notes, candy, and gifts. Immediately I felt left out of something. If you know me, I DON'T like feeling that people know something Disney that I don't!

I'm happy to report that this year I will be a full participant in what they call the Fish Extender Gift Exchange. A what?!?! The hooks that are outside the stateroom are in the shape of fish and are traditionally used by cast members to hang announcements, notes, and appointments while you're on the ship. Somewhere along the line, people started making cute pocketed hangers to hang from the fish (hence fish extender) that will hold more and denotes who in the room gets the note. It's like a fun mail system!

How cute!

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This particular one is from Etsy. Many people choose to make their own and theme it for their family. I, of course, am choosing to make ours. We have my parents, my in-laws, and of course my husband and I going on this cruise, so I will be making 3 of them. I really can't wait to get started!

The idea evolved and grew to what it is today. You sign up to participate and you bring little gifts, notes, candy, or whatever you want to place in each of the pockets. It's encouraged to bring extra goodies in case you see a fish extender not on the list. When you sign up you give the names, ages, and mention if you are celebrating anything special while on the boat. This way you can plan to put special surprises on those days!

I hope I haven't lost you in all this madness. Even I'm overwhelmed by it all! I will be sure to keep you updated, as I make my very own fish extender. I'm in desperate need of ideas to either make or buy for all the passengers. Help!

All That Glitters is Gold

So I've mentioned it before, but I am really becoming a golden girl. I used to only wear silver but I'm not sure if it's my every growing love for the Redskins (burgundy and gold) or just because I'm seeing it everywhere lately, but it's official, gold is my new favorite!

Some of my "must have" gold basics are Jack Rogers Navajo Sandals (every girl needs a pair of jacks) and Glitter Toms. I of course have clothes with gold in them to add even more sparkle (as if the gold glitter Toms weren't enough!).

For today, if you haven't already guessed, the theme is GOLD! I have been waiting to wear this dress in the winter but couldn't because I didn't have a sweater to go with it. After searching for nearly a year, I finally found an understated gold cardigan that works perfectly!

Which do you prefer? Gold or silver?

Dress // Lilly Pulitzer

Sweater // Old Navy

Scarf // Mudpie

Earrings // Lilly Pulitzer (similar)

Bracelet // Kate Spade (similar)

Linking up with Lindsay @ The Pleated Poppy for WIWW! 

100th Post Celebration!

I cannot believe that I've stuck with this blog for so long. Usually I'm the kind of person that dables in a bunch of different things but truly never sticks to one thing for long (yes, I'm aware that this is a flaw). So to make it to my 100th Post is quite the accomplishment! (Go ahead, throw the confetti and hoot and holler! "thank you, thank you")

Ok, now that's out of the way. Sure, this blog consists mostly of my own inner thoughts and ramblings, and rarely do I post anything of true relevance, but believe it or not, I've learned quite a bit. Not only has it been a learning experience becasue I didn't know the first thing about the blogging world, but I've been learning a lot about myself (cheezy, I'm aware). However, most importantly, I would not be writing this post today if it weren't for YOU! The fact that you stick around and follow along with me, is more then I could have ever hoped. So for that, THANK YOU!

Now, onto what today's post is really about. My weigh-in...dun dun dun. So a few weeks ago (before the holidays) I told you I'm getting back on board to run more and eat less. I promised I would keep you posted with weekly weigh-ins and monthly measuremnents. Because of Christmas and New Years I didn't do my 2nd weigh-in until now.

Not bad, huh? A loss is a loss right? I feel like this week is already off to a better start than last. I ran for the first time in a very long time on Saturday and again this morning! Yep, I couldn't be prouder! I got up and went to the gym at 5:45 this morning and boy do I feel good! Trying again for Thursday.

How is your weight loss going?! I like to here about how other people are doing in hopes to keep me motivated.

Weekend Recap!

This weekend was both good and bad (mostly good). Started Friday off right with seeing Les Miserables. It was fantastic! Some of the best acting I've seen in a long time. Just be prepared to sit for three hours with tears running down your face while increasingly becoming more depressed as every minute passes. If you're not familiar with the story, just know it's depressing (as if the title doesn't say it enough!)

Saturday I met up with a new running buddy! We met at a New Years party and live pretty close to one another so it's perfect! This week I am attempting to meet her at the gym on Tuesday and Thursday at 5:45. For those of you who know me, know that mornings are not my best time of the day. So here's to hoping I get out of bed!

Now onto the bad part of the weekend. My beloved Redskins lost in the first game of the playoffs! It was nice to watch the game with friends but heartbreaking to watch them loose. There is always next year though! I think I'm more upset by the fact that they didn't at least score 20 points so I could get a free subway sandwich today.

Hope everyone had a great weekend and is ready for the full work week ahead! Oh yeah, and tonight is the big Championship game. Go Notre Dame!!!

Looking at this guy makes my Monday just a little bit better!

Linking up with Molly @ still being Molly for YOLO Mondays!

Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Programming...

I know I have been hit or miss on here lately. But like everyone else, I was enjoying time off to spend with my family. Aside from the obligatory Christmas and New Years post, there hasn't been too much substance. Starting now all that changes. I welcome you back to your regularly scheduled programming beginning with my favorite day of the week...High Five for Friday!

1. My two favorite neices and I on Christmas Eve at my parents.
2. The Redskins vs Dallas game on Sunday was a BLAST! We are the Champions of the NFC East and I couldn't be happier. Wish us luck at the playoffs beginning this Sunday!
3. My nephew all snuggled up with his giraff and my in-laws on Christmas.
4. Milo was especially cuddly this one day (I stop everything to enjoy this short precious moment when he's not destroying my house my breaking my glassware).
5. Etsy orders have started to come in! Can't wait to deliver the goods!

I hope everyone was successful on their first week of New Years Resolutions. My biggest resolution this year will be to blog everyday (Monday-Friday) and start using my real camera instead of my phone for my pics!

Jeannett @ Life Rearranged.

Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013

As we all said goodbye to 2012 and welcomed in 2013, I found myself reflecting on the significance of the past year. What were my highlights? Was it a good or bad year? I 'm going with good!  Here are some of the good great things that made 2012 another successful year!

• January - My husband and I bought our very FIRST house
• February - I ran my first half marathon (Disney Princess Half Marathon) in Disney World 
• April - My second niece, Hadleigh was born
• June - My mom surprised me with a trip to NYC for my birthday
• July - Started this here blog and have loved every minute of it, but most importantly the little support group that came along with it - Thank YOU!
• September - Took a nice long week vacation to my most favorite place on earth: Disney World, duh!
• October - My first nephew, Jacob was born
• December - Opened my first Etsy shop!

I didn't recap every month because some months just flew by and I hardly remember them happening. I guess the saying "time flies when you're having fun" is true!

I hope everyone had a wonderful start to 2013! How did you ring in 2013?!