No Neck and Sonnet’s GORGEOUS wedding

Actually got my husband to take a picture with me…

He hates pictures, not the fact that I’m being silly or that I’m taller than him thanks to 4″ heels

I also got to watch this…

Opening Day of Spring Training 2011 between the San Diego Padres and the Seattle Mariners

And enjoy this…

J3 about to show his cousin Ry-Boo some love

In other words, I was in Phoenix for 15 glorious days.  No Neck and Sonnet were kind enough to put us up and we were able to see my Mom, Tree Hugger, Darth B and Ry-Boo quite a bit.  I ate like a queen, yet I didn’t gain any weight.  Why?  I think it was all the stairs I climbed at No Neck’s, the thrift shopping with Mom, the looking at houses (yes, we’re still on a kick that we might get to move back home) and just meandering in general.  We had a great time, but then it was back home to reality.

Although I lost a few pounds prior to the wedding, I’m still not losing the inches I want.  Then J2 called one night from work and had me look up this website. And right then and there I knew my next challenge that would get me into the gym on a regular basis.

In case you didn’t skip over to the site, the event is called the Warrior Dash and it’s basically running a 5K except with a ton of obstacles thrown in the mix.  You climb up cargo nets, scamper over giant hay bales, wade through streams and then-at the very end-you belly crawl through the mud under barbed wire.  Now THAT’S my kind of competition!  Apparently some of J2′s co-workers are competing in the one here in North Texas in a couple of weeks, but we decided to actually train and try the one in Central Texas in November.  On their website, it says this is how you train:

With that being said, I have attempted to control my diet thinking that those aforementioned parts would miraculously tone themselves up. Uh, yeah, right. When you’re rapidly approaching 40, just diet does not work anymore. It helps, but does not change the fact that as we age, our muscles lose their firmness. Especially those that gravity seems to pull at more LIKE MY ASS. What I once proudly flaunted in a tiny swimsuit at the lake now looks like two cats fighting under a blanket when I walk. The toned, tight stomach that was always my pride and joy (thank you genetics for a lot of that) now falls in the “muffin top” category. Although my thighs have never been my favorite body part, at least once upon a time you could see the definition in the muscles. Now, that’s a figment of my imagination (you know, where you keep thinking you see something that’s really not there…yep, that’s what I’m talking about). So it’s time to get serious…seriously.

The Heir to Blair does a little link up on Mondays called McFatty Mondays. I love Ms. BA because she is wonderfully honest and her struggles with her weight (even though I think she looks fab) are an inspiration. In hopes of getting my tone on, I’m linking up with her while I force myself to exercise while continuing to watch my diet. Granted, today is a bust because J2 made dinner reservations at some swanky Italian restaurant in Grapevine and brought me chocolates and wine, but tomorrow it’s the gym, good healthy food and NO ALCOHOL. Not having my cocktail or glass of wine at the end of the day will probably kill me, but it’s going to be worth it not consuming those extra calories and it may just kick start losing a few inches off my hip area.

See, No Neck and Sonnet’s wedding is in 12 days and I don’t have a dress yet. I bought a smokin’ hot Nicole Miller one online, but when it arrived and tried it on, my best friend (T-Spot) said it made me look “hippy” and no, that is not “hippie” that means “wow, you look huge in the butt and thighs”. There are many reasons why she is my BFF and her honest opinion when I ask for it is one of them. After that assessment I’ve been frantically searching for a pewter or gray dress that hides my problem areas and is age/wedding appropriate with no luck. If I would just lose a couple of inches off my butt this wouldn’t be an issue!  ARGH!  It makes me even that much more disgusted and motivated at the same time to make a change.

When you don’t feel good about yourself, it’s hard to see the things in a positive light.  Melissa from A Working Mom’s Closet and Hope  from Hope and the Dress Code is hosting a little get together called Fabulous in February: A Month of Positivity where people name the three things they like about themselves every Monday. As I am struggling with self image, this week it seems appropriate for me try and see some good, so here they are:

Physical Aspect: I really like my legs from the knee down, hence why I am on the search for the perfect dress that is at least knee length! Plus, I look forward to getting my great calves back while working out
Mental Aspect: When I get my mind set on something, consider it done! I am bound and determined to shave some inchess off in the next few weeks (hopefully ten days), so let’s see how many I can shave off before the big wedding.
Spiritual/Emotional Aspect: I like that I’m a bit of a softie and that sappy commercials make me cry, as does my husband saying sweet things or my child learning something new. On days like today, my husband loves it. When I cry during AT&T commercials, he makes fun of me but it makes me, “me”.

And…here’s the really embarassing part.  Here are the measurements of my “problem” areas so that I know what I’ve lost (because pounds to me don’t really matter, inches do).  I can’t believe I’m sharing this, but what the heck!

Muffin top area (not really my waist, but not my hips either)- 34.5″

Butt:  41″

Hips/Thighs at widest point:  42″

So, wish me luck and if you have any great workouts you do, please let me know.  I am always open to suggestions and such.

Oh, and have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!  Give those you love a great big hug, and for those you really love, something special

“Til next time,

Nicole

Lucky Brand shirt dress: Thrifted from the Goodwill Boutique

Jeans: my trusty Big Star’s

Boots: Mossimo Supply Company, a gift from my mom for Christmas that I seem to live in lately

Belt: I think it’s from Target, but it’s so old who knows!

Then along came today…the weatherman says that before we get slammed with another ice storm tonight it’s going to be a whopping fifty-three degrees!  I know, stop the presses, pull out all your summer clothes and wear them all in a day if you can.  So I did-kinda.  See, the girls on over at Everybody, Everywear challenged the FBFF community to showcase how you wear a the classic blazer.  And since I wanted to free my legs from jeans and sweatpants hell, I pulled out my favorite summer dress and winterized it with my favorite blazer and a pair of warm tights.

Dress: London Eyes, thrifted from the Hurst Goodwill.  This dress caught my eye a while ago and although it’s a tad big, a belt helps alleviate the tent look (the belt is from another shirt, but I wear it often with dresses)

Blazer: Semantiks (Nordstrom brand) , thrifted from the Rufe Snow Goodwill.  I had seen it on a Monday, decided that it wasn’t worth the $9.99 price tag it had on it and then when I came back two days later for half priced sale day it was still there.  It’s hard for me to find blazers with sleeves long enough for my freakishly long arms, and this one is perfect.  I wear it all the time with jeans too.

Tights: Wolford, found here.  These tights were a splurge, but I needed a good pair of warm tights that weren’t going to snag so easily.  Having a kid increases snags ten-fold!

Black patent pumps: Pulse, thrifted from the Camp Bowie Goodwill (my husband noticed they still had the $25 price tag on the bottom this morning, which I was glad he caught before I left the house)

Turquoise colored jewelry: Made by me years ago to go with another top, but I love that it matches this dress

It was actually quite funny-I just received The Lucky Guide to Mastering Any Style: How to Wear Iconic Looks and Make Them Your Own yesterday and was flipping through to see where I “fit in”.  I have always thought I was more of the classic look and sure enough, that’s me for the most part.  The really funny part though was is that the blazer is my iconic piece!  I have to agree, since I have at least ten in my closet.  Has anyone else read this book?  If so, what is your style?

Well, this has been a lot of fun!  I can’t wait for Liz and Linda to announce their next challenge.  If you haven’t jumped on board already, this is a challenge that’s a lot of fun (and minimally time invasive).  Thanks ladies!

‘Til next time,

Nicole

No Neck and Sonnet are not only having a baby, they’re having a little BOY!

(I was going to film myself doing the happy dance and insert it here, but then realized that would scare everyone and not worth the risk)

I was a bad blogger and didn’t write about when No Neck called me back in December on a Friday night with the news that Sonnet had peed on the ‘ol stick and it said HE KNOCKED YOU UP (sorry about not filling you in, it was during finals).  And that I was the first one to know because they were afraid to tell my mom due to the fact that the wedding isn’t until the end of February.  Actually, they were more worried about telling Sonnet’s parents  because my mom is pretty darn cool and they knew she wasn’t going to really care just as long as she gets another grandchild.  Sonnet’s the baby and only girl in their family though and her Midwestern parents believe that there is a progression to things, like love, then marriage, and THEN the baby carriage.  I felt beyond honored.  So honored that I only scolded my baby brother for a minute for not listening to me when I told him not to get her pregnant before the wedding because really freakin’ expensive form-fitting wedding gowns don’t look great with a baby bump.  I was just thrilled.

See, when Darth B and Tree Hugger got pregnant, I didn’t have a baby yet, nor was I pregnant and didn’t really “get” it-you know, the whole idea of what a miracle this entire process is and how it impacts everyone’s life around you.  Then Ry-Boo was born, I had J3 and now my baby brother, the brother whose diapers I changed, is having baby.  I am in awe…

Now if only my body would cooperate and get pregnant, Baby T could have a cousin close to his same age.  Alas, that’s a different post for a different day…

So ’til next time,

Nicole

All About the Apparel:

Dress: Tiana B, thrifted from the Hurst Goodwill.  I was done trying on everything and in a bit of a hurry to get out the door (due to my super fussy kid) and saw this on the rack.  Of course, I had to have it as I am in love with all things watercolor-ish at the moment, so I threw it in the cart and brought it home.  LOVE IT.

Belt: Xhilaration from Target, bought on clearance a few months back

Tights: I’ve had these for a couple of years and don’t know the brand, but I bought them at JC Penney

Shoes: Chinese Laundry Lucky Strike, bought at Nordstrom Last Chance Clearance Center in Phoenix back in October, but you can buy them by clicking on the link

Necklace: Forever 21, bought a couple of months ago

(Close up of the necklace {and the new hair color})

Of course, my husband was NOT fond of the color combination.  His reaction was, “since when does purple and red match?!?”  But he let me go out with him anyway.  Lucky me

We headed out to a restaurant that J2′s co-workers had been telling him about, La Familia Mexican Restaurant in Fort Worth.  La Familia is located down by Montgomery Plaza at 841 Foch Street.  It sits in a little strip mall and looks a little…well, let’s just say its looks are deceiving from the outside.  You walk through the doors, through another set of doors and then into this beautiful room.  Someone from “the family” greets you at the door, shows you to your seat and immediately, you have someone waiting on you.  We ordered the flaming margaritas (they come out with a sugar cube that’s been lit on fire, you make a wish and then blow it out–sooo cool!) and the Queso Ala Parrilla for an appetizer.  When they brought out the queso, they lit it on fire to combine the ingredients further and OH MY HECK it was HEAVEN!  I could live on that stuff!  We each ordered a combination plate so that we could try different things and everything we tried was top-notch.  We will be heading back very soon.

Our next stop on the date night journey was to the movies.  We had wavered back and forth between seeing Black Swan and True Grit, but J2 chose Black Swan.  We should have chosen True Grit.  Black Swan was not my favorite movie, but I can see why it’s up for so many awards.  It just wasn’t that great to us.

All in all, it was a great night!  Thanks to all those from The Pleated Poppy and Harper’s Happenings for stopping by and sharing date night with me.  See you all soon!

‘Til Next Time,

Nicole

(Left stack, Top to Bottom-The Renaissance Soul: Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One by Margaret Lobenstine, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, For Sale By Owner by Steve Berges, The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, Eat Right for Your Type by Dr Peter J. D’Adamo, The South Beach Diet by Dr Arthur Agatston and The 4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferris)

(Right Stack, Top to Bottom:  If You’re Clueless about Starting Your Own Business by Seth Godin {and a few others of his, he’s brilliant}, The Boss of You by Lauren Bacon and Emira Mears, The Girl’s Guide to Starting Your Own Business by Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio, Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco, The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin, The Crafts Business Answer Book by Barbara Brabec, Mommy Millionaire by Kim Lavine, Patent, Copyright & Trademark by Richard Stim, Preparing Effective Business Plans: An Entrepreneurial Approach by Bruce R. Barringer, Photoshop CS4 Quicksteps by David Bouton and Carole Matthews, Incorporate Your Business by Anthony Mancuso)

Every year when the new year rolls around, I am normally trying to figure out what my resolutions are, and then I realize that I didn’t accomplish a darn thing from the resolutions from the year before.  Therefore this year, I’m trying something new.  Chris Brogan, author of Trust Agents (which if you do anything on the web, is a must-read) wrote a post about his three words for 2011.  So I decided to try it as well.  Instead of making resolutions, everything I do or want to do will be guided by these three words.  They are:

Accountability-this is to myself and to those around me.  When I say I’m going to do something, I need to do it by its due date and do it to the best of my ability.  No more excuses on why things aren’t getting done-I need to plan better and just do it!

Confidence-I tend to doubt myself and my abilities a lot.  I struggle with getting things done because I don’t think I can, even though everything is sitting in front of me.  This includes my creative endeavors, my blog and my personal life.

Transformation-For the past couple of years I have let myself get into a rut.  I used to be in pretty darn good shape, I ate well and mentally I felt great.  I’ve let that slip, so this year will be my “butterfly” year.  I’m going to transform myself into the better version of me.

So in summary, I’m going to ACT this year to make it a great one!  And all of those books are a part of the process.  Over the next few months I’ll be reviewing the books I’ve read in hopes someone else can benefit from them too.

With that in mind, I am in the process of moving my blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org.  If anyone has any tips on making this easy (and on how to create a site that’s both a blog and a retail site), please let me know.  This is such a huge step but it’s one I’ve been wanting to do for over a year now.  So look for a new site soon!

That’s all for now-Happy New Year everyone!  Make it the best on yet, I plan to!

Nicole

Stay safe this weekend, and here’s to a fabulous 2011!

Nicole

Photo courtesy of Steve Rodriguez

Yep, that’s Brooks blocking one of the two extra points he got his meaty paw on and batted down.  What a stud!  Due to the game being on a Thursday night and a time zone behind, I overslept and missed class on Friday morning, so no outfit shot.  But I did go to class on Monday and although it was quite chilly outside, I took the opportunity to wear one of my latest and favorite finds.

White French Cuffed shirt:  NY & Co-I found this in my mending pile but can’t figure out why it was there.  I love their shirts because the sleeves are long enough for my freakishly long arms.  I think I’ve had it for a couple of seasons though (at least).

Olive/Black/White animal print skirt:  Merona, thrifted from the Rufe Snow Goodwill on half off day with the tags still attached (total price:  $2.09-LOVE IT!)

Black tights:  Xhilaration from Target

Shoes:  Tahari, thrifted from the Rufe Snow Goodwill

Necklace that you can’t really see:  F21 (this season)- it’s a solid silver chain in back with three thin strands in the front

Belt:  Target (T-Spot said it looked like something Lucy Lawless’s character in Eurotrip would have worn as the domineautrix in the Amsterdam scene when Cooper goes to the sex shop.  Nice!)

I just love this skirt because of the versitility.  I have imagined it a variety of ways, but since some of them are a little out there and I tend to get the raised eyebrow from a few of my classmates, I played it safe.  But, since I’ve been in a rut lately, how would YOU style it?  I promise, give me some ideas and if I have the items in my closet, I’ll try them all and showcase them on here next week.  Even if it’s crazy I’ll at least try it out and everyone can vote on their favorite.  Also, I had a reader email me and ask me how I find great items at Goodwill and other stores, so tomorrow there will be a post on my thrifting commandments.  Check back in for some fun!

As always, thanks to all stopping by from the The Pleated Poppy and Harper’s Happenings

‘Til next time!

Nicole

***Oh, and I should clarify on my lack of political correctness.  We have called T-Spot’s sister Sexy Midget for years now due to the fact that she barely stands five feet tall, making me just shy of being an entire foot taller.  I think an ex-boyfriend of mine called her that originally and it stuck.  It is by no means an attempt to be disrespectful of anyone that is vertically challenged.  But note in the picture below that J3, at sixteen months old, is officially more than half her height (he is 33″ tall, she 60″ when standing up very straight).  Muhahahaha….***

So back to my wardrobe dilema.  I have had this sweater for a while now that I luh-uve, but couldn’t find the right pants.  I haven’t been able to find a pair of skinny cargos that fit right (either too short or too snug in the booty) and in my mind that’s what the sweater needed to be paired with–that is until I found the skirt.

Cowl Neck Sweater:  I have no idea-there’s no tag in it, but I bought it from the Goodwill on Rufe Snow

Bubble/Tulip Skirt:  Miss Bisou, thrifted from the Hurst Goodwill

Over the Knee Socks:  Target

Shoes:  BCBG, thrifted from one of the Goodwill’s in Phoenix (I just can’t remember which one it was so long ago)

Flower Belt:  thrifted from the Rufe Snow Goodwill

Earringss:  I was supposed to wear these in my first wedding and forgot to put them on, hence why I still have them

I would never go for a bubble/tulip skirt, but I thought I might be able to alter it when I grabbed it off the rack because of the shape and the size (it’s a size bigger than what I normally wear).  When I tried it on, all I could think about it how perfect it would go with these socks.  I love these chunky knit socks and when I was in Target the other day they now have them in red, my favorite color.  Needless to say, I’ll be heading back to pick up a pair soon!  When I walked out in this outfit my husband just took one look at it, shook his head and said, “You do realize it’s 40 degrees outside, correct?”  to which I replied “Well yeah, that’s why I’m wearing socks.”  and he said “and I hate them.”  Ah, such is life!

 
Hopefully some time soon I will get my rump to the gym, lose a few pounds and start really blogging.  I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been in a bit of a funk, it’s the end of the semester and I just want some time to myself.  That should come very soon and then maybe I can get some real posts up.  Until then, this will just have to do!

For anyone visiting from The Pleated Poppy, Harper’s Happenings or anyplace else, welcome!  I do have one small favor.  The Sexy Midget has a friend named Robin that I’ve met a couple of times and she was just diagnosed with breast cancer.  She started blogging about it a few weeks ago and I have to say, not only is she funny, but she’s also very informative.  She’s got three posts up, so it’s a quick hop but please say hello and wish her well in her journey to kick cancer’s butt.

http://wellness-warrior-robin.blogspot.com/

‘Til next time (stay warm!),
Nicole