Favorite Books of 2014

It's been a good year for reading!  I read 63 books this year, and 12 of them were 5-star ratings for me on Goodreads.  I think I'm getting better at picking books I will enjoy, and not just reading things that I think I should read.  In no particular order, these are my favorite books of the year:

• The Rosie Project:  quite possibly my favorite book of the year.  So sweet.  So funny.  I'm impatiently waiting for the sequel, which should be available for me to pick up at the library any day now.  (my review here)
• MaddAddam: the third book in this trilogy was my favorite, but you have to read the first and second ones first (which are also great).  I need to read more of Margaret Atwood's books! (my review here)
• Orphan Train: I still can't believe this is based on real things that happened.  The history and the main characters were quite captivating.  (my review here)
• The Storied Life of AJ Fikry:  this was recommended by a few people and they were right.  Books about people who love books are quite lovely.  (my review here)
• Big Little Lies: so much drama, but written in a way that seemed believable and interesting instead of obnoxious.  (my review here)
• The Lost Wife: beautifully written account of such a sad time.  I was shocked to read the author's note at the end that this was based on a true story. (my review here)
• Hyperbole and a Half: Allie Brosh is just hilarious.  (my review here)
• One More Thing: I'm not normally into short stories, but these were witty enough to win me over. (my review here)
• The Eyre Affair: fun and nerdy, just what I like.  (my review here)
• Ready Player One: the first book I read this year was an early favorite.  Another nerdy plot that was just fun to read!  (my review here)
• Beautiful Ruins: somehow, I didn't write a blog post reviewing this book.  I read it back in June, and now I can't remember specifics about what I liked.  But I gave it 5 stars, so it makes the list!  
• We are Called to Rise: sad but beautiful.  There was just enough closure that I wasn't mad at the end, but I still wanted a few more chapters to wrap things up.  (my review here)

What were your favorite books of the year?  Anything I should add to my ever-growing list?

Happy New Year's Eve!  Be safe tonight and have fun.  I'll probably skip posting tomorrow, and then be back at it for 2015.  (Seriously, how is it 2015?  We live in the future!)

Holiday Week

Well, it's that awkward week between Christmas and New Year's Day.  I'm working this week, but not quite back into the normal swing of things.  Plus it's exactly ZERO degrees right now, so going outside is going to be an unpleasant experience.  (I'm writing this before I venture out to go to work).
We got back from New Mexico on Sunday evening, and I'm fairly exhausted.  Then I had 2 of my best friends over last night to hang out and catch up on life.  I'm thinking tonight should be quiet, and maybe I can rest up for NYE tomorrow.  I'm not sure if I'll even make it to midnight.  Hashtagpregnancyproblems.

I still need to write up my Christmas week recap at some point, and my favorite books of 2014.  Maybe I'll have time on Thursday, if I'm not sleeping all day.

Anyway, I hope you are all having a nice week (and that it's warmer wherever you live).  This outfit was from before Christmas, when it was cold out, but not zero.  I won't be out taking outdoor pictures today, for sure.

Sweater: Gap (similar)
Top: JCF
Skirt: Old Navy (similar)
Tights; Old Navy (similar)
Boots: Madden (exact)

Maternity Clothes

So now that my little big secret is out, I can share that I've done a little bit more shopping than my monthly budget posts have included.  The good news is that I've only spent my birthday money on maternity clothes, so far.  So none of this came out of my actual clothing budget.  I've tried to keep it to a minimum, but the following things caused me to spend all my birthday money, and then I got a few Christmas presents, as well:

• I bought 2 Belly Bands right away.  These were amazing in the first few months, and I could still wear my pencil skirts and some of my normal jeans.  Now, I like wearing them under dresses for a little extra streamlining.  
• At a certain point, none of my jeans fit very well, even with a belly band.  So I ordered a couple pairs of skinny jeans from Old Navy.  Then I found a bootcut option at Gap, and then my sister gave me a hand-me-down bootcut pair from her last pregnancy. Then I saw some black "treggings" at H&M on black Friday for $12, so I snagged them, too.  So hopefully those 5 pairs of jeans will get me through most of the winter! 
• Tights!  Even though my regular tights still fit, they dig into my tummy in a not awesome way, so I've ordered quite a few pairs of maternity tights.  Old Navy is the winner for tights so far, but they don't have them available online very often, and don't have many color options, so I'm somewhat stuck.  H&M and Target are my other go-to places and I have mixed reviews on their maternity tights.  I think I'll need to buy a few more pairs of navy and gray.
• Speaking of winter, everyone says it's the best time to be pregnant, because you avoid the hot summer misery.  This may be true, but it also means I needed to buy a coat that would actually button.  I took the plunge on this H&M option because it looks so pretty on the website.  It's pretty in person, too - but it happens to shed quite a bit.  White fur.  All over my new car with black interior.  But it's very cozy, so I'm glad I got it. And it's half price right now, so if you happen to need a maternity coat, there you go!  
• Younker's was having an additional 40% off everything sale, so I checked out their maternity selection online.  There were a lot of dresses marked down to $20, and then an additional 40% was so tempting.  I got 3 dresses (here, here, here).  They are not for tall people, but I think they will work okay for a bit, and then I might just have to wear them more like tunics.  
• Kohl's gift card!  I've had this for at least a year, but I rarely go into Kohl's, because there's not one conveniently located when I'm shopping.  I heard they had maternity stuff, so I went in and got a couple tops.  One is a black/white marled looking sweater.  The other is a cream ruffle/tiered tank.  I think both will be frequently worn in the coming months. 
• Old Navy sweaters - Christmas gifts from my in-laws!  They got me this one and this one.

So there you have it - my maternity wardrobe in just a few bullet points.  I'm sure it will grow as I grow, but for now, I've been making use of my flowy dresses and elastic waist skirts.  And I'm trying to wear all my woven shirts while they still fit!  I'll probably have to break down and buy a maternity chambray before too long.  

Linking up with Fran for Budgeting Bloggers, even though this isn't really a budget post.  It's a "closet additions" post, so I think it counts.  

Happy Post-Christmas Day!

Happy day after Christmas!  I hope everyone had a great day.  If I had to guess, I bet I had a pretty good day.  But I'm writing this a few days early, because we are spending the week in New Mexico, so I don't really know!

I think this is the last time you'll see these jeans for awhile.  The belly band trick just isn't going to cut it anymore.  Hopefully I can fit into them again next fall/winter.  And hopefully red skinny jeans are still acceptable.  Wait, are red skinny jeans even still acceptable now?  I mean, I like them, so I guess I don't really care!

I'll be getting back home this weekend, so hopefully I will be able to share a Christmas week wrapup soon!

Cardigan: H&M (similar)
Top: Target (similar)
Necklace: F21 (similar, similar)
Jeans: Old Navy (similar)
Shoes: Gap factory (similar, similar)

Merry Christmas Eve!!!

Well, happy Christmas Eve to you!  It seems like this year flew by, probably because every year feels that way.  But anyway, I hope everyone has a lovely day tomorrow!

Cardigan: Gap (similar)
Top: Gap (similar, similar)
Skirt: Gap factory (similar, similar)
Boots: Steve Madden (exact)

Some Random Thoughts

Confession: this is a maternity dress.  I've quickly learned that you can be tall, or you can be pregnant, but if you happen to be both, retailers are not interested in creating clothes for you to wear.  This dress seemed fine the first time I wore it.  And then this time, it felt waaaay too short.  So I think it will have to fall into tunic status and only work with jeans or leggings from now on.

Can we also talk about chocolate brown?  Is this no longer an acceptable color in fashion?  I bought these brown tights, and then got them home and realized that I don't know if I have anything to wear with them.  I added a brown cardigan to my wishlist a while ago, and haven't seen any options around.  It seems like camel/cognac/oatmeal are taking over right now.

Dress: Younker's (similar)
Cardigan: Limited (similar)
Belt: Urban Outfitters (similar)
Tights: Target (similar)
Boots: Rampage (similar)

Dress as a Skirt

Oh, look!  It's my maroon dress pretending to be a skirt, and not paired with leopard print!  See, I can learn new tricks!  Honestly, I don't love this outfit, but it was sure comfortable!

Sweater: H&M (british version!)
Necklace: F21 (similar, similar)
Dress as a skirt:Loft Outlet (option,option)
Tights: Target
Boots: Steve Madden (exact)