January Check-In

 

I love how you can see John reflected in my sunglasses!  

2013 got off to a decent start, but then I was knocked out by the flu for about 2 weeks.  Not awesome, you guys.  With that in mind, I don't think I did very well on my goals for the month.  

1. Do a project, mostly sewing -  I haven't done any sewing, but I did have craft night with my friends at the beginning of the month.  I made some art for the bathroom.  Now I just need to paint and put up my new decor (that I bought last summer).  
2. Work out - I met my goal of 3x a week for the first 2 weeks, and then I got the flu.  You aren't supposed to exercise when you have the flu, so I took off exercise for 2 weeks.  I'm back on track this week.  I won't call it a success, but I don't feel too bad about failing, since I have a good reason/excuse.    
3. Tackle a project around the house - good thing this says "tackle" and not "finish!  I have started preparing to paint the bathroom.  So far, I have picked out a color of paint, and started taping around the trim/doors/counter.  I'm hoping to start actually painting this weekend.  
4. Cook a "real" meal at least 3 days each week.  Same story as #2 - I was on track with this until I got sick and then I was in no shape to make dinner.  I'm getting back on track this week.  
5. Stick to a clothing budget - I did pretty good this month.  Just $10 over my budget.
6. Read 50 books in the year - I finished 3 books in January, and I am about halfway through another one.  I'd say I am on track for the year.    

All in all, it's not as bad as I thought it might be.  I just need to get back on track and stay motivated.  I'm going to keep the same goals for February, and hopefully stay healthy enough to be successful this time!

Tank, Tee, and Jeans: Gap
Cardigan: J.Crew Factory
Shoes: Converse

Super Casual

You might remember from this outfit that I can wear pretty much whatever I want to work.  I think our dress code says something like "if you can wear it to the gym, you shouldn't wear it to the office", but I'm pretty sure some of the guys wear gym shorts. Long story short, we have a very casual work environment.  I really like it, because on days when I am feeling lazy or under the weather, it's completely acceptable for me to throw on jeans, a hoodie, and chucks and call it good.

T-shirt, tank, jeans: Gap
Hoodie: Target
Shoes: Converse via Target  

Office Olympics

Last week, my company held the annual Office Olympics.  We do ridiculous things at work sometimes, like Rock Band Tournaments and Office Chair Parades.  The Office Olympics are just one of these things.  The day of this event also happened to be one of the first chilly days of the fall.  I thought it was a pretty good excuse to bust out my new Ben Folds Five hoodie.  (Seriously, blogger doesn't think hoodie is a word!)

My team got 8th out of 14 total teams.  This basically means we are the winners of the bottom half.  We also couldn't think of a clever team name, so the organizers just called us "Team MLDJS", which is the first initial of each of our last names.

Every year, I hope to discover a talent that I hadn't previously known about.  No luck this year.  I did learn I'm not particularly skilled at catching a ping pong ball with a lint roller or throwing a pool noodle like a javelin.  Maybe next year...

Shirt and Jeans: Gap
Hoodie: concert souvenir
Shoes: Converse

OTI: Choose Your Own Adventure

Open To Interpretation week is drawing to a close, and I had a hard time picking my own inspiration.  I was looking at my Pinterest board, and just wasn't sure what to pick.  Usually when I pin something, I wear my version pretty soon, and I haven't had time to pin lately.  So, here is one of the pictures I love, but haven't been able to figure out yet: 

Jessie from Style and Pepper

And here's my version:

Extreme close-up

To be honest, I felt like this was a really cool outfit when I looked in the mirror at home.  Then I got to work, and felt super self-conscious.  I think this look is better suited to walking around in New York, instead of sitting in my office in Nebraska. Hopefully my co-workers don't think I'm completely crazy. 

Top: Gap
Scarf: H&M
Skirt: George
Shoes: Converse

Zoo Day

One full week of crazy fun with my sister and nieces is over and I'll be recapping our adventures in the next few days.  On their first day here, we went to the zoo.  These pictures don't even begin to capture the amount of fun we had.

One of the highlights of the day was watching this guy's training session.  White tigers are so beautiful!

Of course we had to pose with the jeep. 

Adventures in the rainforest

 
This isn't really an outfit post, but when you go to the zoo, comfort and function have to take precedence over fashion.  I was excited to wear my new shorts and tank top from H&M.  The hat and sunglasses are pretty much a necessity.  I was going to wear my white visor, but I didn't really like it with my outfit, so I borrowed John's new hat.  I put my hair in a braid because I thought that would be cuter than a ponytail.  And tennis shoes were also a must, since I knew we would be walking around quite a bit.  SO, there you go.  If you are ever in Omaha, make sure you check out the zoo.  It's pretty great.

Tank top and shorts: H&M
Hat: Adidas (stolen, I mean borrowed from husband)
Sunglasses: Fossil
Shoes: Converse

Airplane Museum

This past weekend, my parents came to visit!  It was so great to see them.  The last time the were in Omaha, we went to the zoo and the pedestrian bridge downtown, so this time, we ventured west to the Strategic Air and Space Museum.    When we got there, a tour was just starting, so we were able to join it.  Our tour guide was wonderful!  He had some really great stories, and it was way more interesting than just walking around reading all the signs.

This little plane was so cute, I just had to take a picture.   

John and me in front of the SR-71 in the front of the museum.  

And I made my parents pose by the rocket out front!  

I feel like I failed at taking pictures of the weekend.  I didn't get any pictures of myself with my parents! 

Mom and Dad, thanks for driving all the way out here to see us!

Shirt & Jeans: Gap
Shoes: Converse
Purse:  Thrifted knock-off Hermes.

Baseball Season!

It has been a crazy week!  All good things, I just haven't had as much time for blogging as I would like.  Spring is definitely here, and I am loving every minute of it!  Birds are singing, the sun is shining, trees are budding, and it is officially baseball season!

Wednesday night, John got tickets to the Creighton baseball game at the fancy new ballpark downtown.  We started out in the club seats and then got called up to the suite.  I could definitely get used to that kind of luxury!  It was a beautiful night, and turned out to be the fastest baseball game ever.  Creighton beat Louisiana Tech 3-1, in about 1hour and 45 minutes.  

After the game, I had John snap a few photos of me in front of the stadium.  I'm not sure how I feel about this outfit.  I had on different shoes at work, but changed into my Chucks for walking around downtown.

Quick story about this shirt:  I was out shopping with my sister and niece a few years ago.  It was just a couple days before Christmas.  I saw this shirt, and I thought it was kind of cute, and I didn't have very much purple in my wardrobe at that point.  I think it was about $4 or something.  I had my niece with me, who was probably about 4, so I held up the shirt and asked her if she thought it was pretty.  She looked completely horrified and said "Everyone would see your tummy if you wore that shirt!"  So I had to explain the beauty of layering a tank under sheer things.  Then she conceded that, yes, it was a pretty shirt and I could buy it. 

Shirt:  Target
Jeans: Gap
Shoes:  Converse