This Life, Redefined...

Thursday, January 6, 2011

The camera? Yeah, I'm still learning...

I read my first book of the year!

Ok, technically, I finished my first book of the year, because I had started this one a really, really long time ago. I have a pile of about seven books like that, so it seemed as good of a spot as any to start my 'read more' resolution. Most of the books, I will probably have to start reading again from the beginning, because I have absolutely no idea what's going on in them since it's been that long since I've picked them up. But this one? It was Al Franken's Oh, the Things I Know!, and I didn't really feel like I was missing that much by picking up where I'd left off. So book #1? Check! On to book #2...

And on to today's outfit, which I will admit, is not the most exciting thing I've ever put on. But I love the dress, and I was in a hurry, and at least I put a necklace on this morning! That's more than I would have done in the past, believe me...

Also, I don't have a tripod yet, and I haven't quite figured out how to use the digital screen to preview my shot, so it's all trial and error right now. And that means that I end up with pictures like this:

Oops. Anyway, I tried again...

Awkward. Oh well...I'll get there, eventually.

Dress: Calvin Klein (from the Saks outlet...during a 60% off sale!)
Necklace: New York & Co (I think...)
Boots: DSW

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

This might be the surest sign that I'm getting old...

My mother-in-law bought me a couple of really adorable blouses from the Banana Republic outlet for Christmas this year. My first thought when I unwrapped them?

'These blouses will look fantastic tucked into a skirt for work!'

Somewhere, my flannel-clad 16-year-old self is shaking her her unblow-dried, non-straightened, pony-tailed head in amazement.

I'm experimenting with the self-portrait/timer function on my camera...hence the cut-off head. I'll get there, I think.

Blouse: BR Outlet

Cardigan: J Crew Outlet

Skirt: The Limited

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Biggest Blogging Loser!

So, one of my 2011 resolutions was to eat right, exercise more, and lose the extra weight I've been carrying around for the last few years. I am 5'2, and I weigh (on average) 145 pounds. That's a little high for my height and frame, and while I have curves that are never going to go away, I could stand to lose a little something. And to that end, I joined the biggest blogging loser challenge sponsored by Jennie, and I'm already loving the conversations that have been going on around day one (which was today, actually).

Due to the holiday diet that I've fed myself the last few weeks, I'm weighing in a little above my average weight as of today's weigh-in at 148.5, but I'm ready to get started. One weigh-in, every week, for twelve weeks. Here I go...

Wish me luck!!

If you're interested in following along with the challenge, check out Jennie's blog, She Likes Purple, or the Twitter hashtags #bbl or #biggestgbloggingloser. You can also follow me on Twitter, if you want, @taralynn404.

Monday, January 3, 2011

What do you wear with navy blue?

It's hard to tell from this awesome iPhone self portrait, but the dress is white and navy. It's kind of a shapeless shift dress that does nothing to flatter my body type, but it's been in my closet for a couple of years now, and as I'm on a mission to finally wear what's in my closet, this was something that needed to be done.

So I belted. And I cardiganed. And this is what I came up with.

And I actually really, really loved it! It's nice when things work out that way...

Dress: J Crew OutletSweater: Lands End CanvasBelt: H&MBoots: DSW

Saturday, January 1, 2011

I should absolutely be asleep right now...

...but I thought I'd post theses pictures first!

Pre-NYE night:

T-Shirt - Forever 21

Sweater - Express

Jeans - Gap

Shoes - Kenneth Cole

Actual NYE night:

Blouse: H&M (I bought this blouse 5 years ago...tonight was the first night I wore it...hooray for shopping your closet!!)

Skirt: Banana Republic Outlet (Christmas gift from my mother-in-law)

Boots: DSW

And a very happy new year to you and yours!

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.