This Life, Redefined...: Alex and Ani

Showing posts with label Alex and Ani. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Things I Bought to Make Myself Feel Better, Part 2

I am maybe, kind of, a little, COMPLETELY in love with Alex and Ani bracelets. I'd picked up a few a couple of years ago, including a lucky shamrock bangle that I'd given to my sister for Christmas, and apparently, she's worn it enough over the years that my mom decided to get her one with her new sorority's Greek letters on it for this past Christmas. And because my mom is a little technologically challenged, she had me order it for her.
And, well, I'm really bad at shopping for other people without also shopping for myself.

So...

Let's just say I now jingle a lot when I walk, and leave it at that.

(I got the original idea for the initial bracelets from this Style Lush post, but when that post went up, I had no idea that Caitlin was going to be a Caitlin, and I didn't want to order one to represent Brigid without also ordering one for her sister, and then I forgot that I wanted to order them at all. Until my mom asked for my help. Thanks, mom!)

Friday, July 8, 2011

Pretty, pretty colors...

I am not going to lie...this whole casual Friday thing is something I could really, really get used to.

Just in time for them to move me back to the main office, otherwise known as the land free of jeans, I'm sure.

I'm off to Cincinnati (and Indiana, of course) this afternoon. And I can't wait!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Sweater: Old Navy

Jeans: Gap

Necklace: Charlotte Russe

Bracelets: Alex&Ani/James Avery

Watch: Gilt.com

Shoes: Steve Madden

Friday, July 1, 2011

Here's Hoping...

The worst part about the Friday before a holiday weekend is wondering whether or not your boss is going to give you the go-ahead for early dismissal. Since Steve, B, and I are heading up to my in-laws' place on the lake for the weekend, and traffic heading north of Atlanta starts to get a little intense around 3pm on a normal Friday, I either need to be out of the office by 2pm, or Steve may just leave without me, and I'll be making my way up there on my own after traffic dies down later tonight.

First world problems, huh?

Have a great holiday weekend, all!!

Sweater: Ann Taylor Loft

Jeans: Michael Kors

Shoes: Nine West

Bracelets: Alex&Ani/James Avery

Necklace: Tiffany

Watch: Gilt.com

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Back on the wagon...

Guys? Yesterday was big.

Crazy big!

Because yesterday morning, I actually pulled my lazy little butt out of bed at the crack of dawn (ok, 5:30am, which is actually before the crack of dawn, I think...), and put it on the elliptical machine! And it may have only been for thirty minutes or so, but that's thirty minutes more of activity than I've done in several months now, so...

Yay me!

Sweater: Old Navy

Skirt: The Limited

Bracelets: Vintage Cuff, Alex & Ani, James Avery

Shoes: Nine West

I posted about coveted spring purses over at Style Lush yesterday, so feel free to drop by and add your favorites to the mix (because I need even more pretty purses to drool over, of course...)!

Friday, March 11, 2011

May Flowers...in March!

The one good thing about instituting two shopping bans in back-to-back months? Getting the chance to blow your monthly budget in one fantastic weekend.

In addition to the dress I wore yesterday, I added another dress, a tunic, three pairs of tights, a couple of tops, and several pieces of jewelry (all on sale, of course!)

Included in my little shopping spree? This little day brightener...

I will MAKE spring show up early this year, I swear. 48 degrees and raining?

Not in my mind.

Dress: White House Black Market

Shoes: Nine West

Necklace: Old Navy

Bracelets: James Avery/Alex and Ani

2014 List

1) Send more mail...thank you notes, birthday cards, and 'just because' messages.

2) Be nicer, in general, to my husband and family. They deserve a much less crabby me than the one they were stuck with for most of 2013.

3) Make more of an effort to communicate with the long-distance people in my life. I got away from facetiming with my sister on a regular basis, and I miss it. Plus, now that she's making me an aunt, I think it's even more important that we get back into the habit of seeing each other every week. I do not need her new baby asking 'are you SURE you have more than one sister?', just because Aunt Mary lives in Indiana and Aunt Tara lives all of the way in Georgia.

4) Call or email or even text my friends from college more than I do now, which is hardly at all. Just because we can pick up after not talking to each other for months like no time has passed at all does not mean I should keep letting all of those months pass without the talking. I'm afraid the picking back up can't keep happening in a friendship like that.

5) Do one fitness/health related challenge each month. - You know all of those '0 to 1,000 sit-ups in just 30 days!!' kind of schedules that pop up on Pinterest all of the time? I'm going to start doing those. One each month. Fifteen minute plank? I'M COMING FOR YOU. I'm also throwing my meat-free/sugar-free/alcohol-free months in this category, as well.

6) Run another organized 5K. - It was so much more fun than I expected. Minus the running up a hill part, anyway.

7) Renew my vows with Steve, in Vegas, by Elvis, for our 10th anniversary in October.

8) Create an art wall somewhere in my house.

9) Organize a workspace for me

10) Attend The Blathering in Seattle. - Charleston was such a great time, I'd love to make it back for the Seattle trip.

11) Read at least two books a month.

12) Take Brigid camping.

13) Find a yoga studio and start taking classes regularly.

14) Write something, anything, not blog related.

15) No spending money on new clothes this year. Using gift cards and rewards points are fine, but I need to get out of the habit of spending money on new stuff, just to make myself feel better. I swear, shopping is my addiction, but the high I get from buying a new sweater probably isn't enough to justify the amount of money I spend on clothes I don't need.

16) No buying anything at all unless I absolutely need it. I have a bad habit of stocking up on things at sales (candles, lotions, make-up, beauty products), even if I have a cabinet full of the same stuff already at home. I will use the cabinet full of crap before I add more crap.

17) Be more consistent in updating my family blog, because my parents give me a hard time when I let it lag, and my personal blog, because I'm not as happy with myself when I let it lag.

18) Find a general practitioner and get a physical.

19) Post at least one picture a day on Instagram, to get myself into the habit of taking more pictures of my sweet girls, since I find entire events have passed where I've forgotten to photograph said events. Like Christmas. Sadly.

20) Get a haircut. - You can laugh at this one, if you must, but I did not get one single haircut in 2013. In fact, I haven't had a haircut since before Caitlin was born in November of 2012. I do not even know how this happens, but I know it must end. Soon. I think a Locks of Love kind of donation might be in order. My hair, it is long.

21) Make an effort to get to know the neighbors. - I tend to not get dressed/leave the house on the weekends, and this extends to not fraternizing with anyone who lives near me, because I'm afraid people will judge me for my make-up free, sweatpants clad weekend laze. I should probably get over that.

22) Write more thank you notes. - I am terrible at writing thank you notes. I should not be so terrible.

23) Buy new rugs for my new house. - The sunroom and foyer, in particular, need something fun.

24) Be more fearless in forming and maintaining relationships. - There are many times where I think of something I want to send to someone, whether it's an email, text, card, or what have you, and I don't, because I'm afraid I've maybe overestimated whether we have the type of friendship where I can do something like that. I don't want to worry about stuff like that anymore.

25) Put together an Advent/Christmas activity calendar for Brigid and Caitlin. - I did that for Brigid when I was home on maternity leave after Caitlin's birth, and it was so much fun. I didn't get the chance to do it this year, and I feel like I missed out on some part of the excitement of the season. I'm bringing it back.

26) Institute a once-a-month date night with Steve. Or date lunch, I guess, if necessary.

27) Institute a once-a-month girls' night, whether it be with my old college roommate, my SiLs, or the neighbors. I should get out of the house at least once a month with people who do not live in my house.