Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge - Day 3!

Holiday Decor!

Eric and I have not got out our decorations or got a tree yet because we are just getting over being sick/just didn't feel like it this weekend! I have found some fun projects on Pinterest that I hope to make soon! Here are some of my top picks.

This looks so easy! Just spray paint an old (or cheap) picture frame, get some ornaments, tie a ribbon and voila, you have a super cute frame for the door! I might make one for inside and outside!

Spray painted pine cones! I wish we had pinecones you could just find for free around here, but I will probably just go to Hobby Lobby and grab some. I think I might make them glittery too! You can put them in a bowl, in a hurricane vase, wherever! Easy and simple decor!

I like this look for the dining room table. Get some small ornaments, some vases of varying heights and candles and fill! Easy peasy!

Simple wooden letters + scrap book paper. This would look great on our mantle! I might get some more Christmasy looking paper. I think all you do is use like modge podge to attach the paper.

And to save the best for last! I love this (and I have the corks thanks to my love for wine)!  I think this is super cute and so easy looking to make! Definitely doing this one!

So there you have it! I will be sure to let everyone know when I attempt these projects and how they turn out. I hope we can decorate this weekend. I have my half marathon on Sunday, so it will have to be Friday night/Saturday! 

Last but not least, here are some Ollie pics from this morning. I took the sheets off the bed this morning to wash and had a little fun with Ollie. It is hilarious to put them over his head and watch him try to find his way out!

 After I traumatized him, he went straight to the couch. He is tired this morning! He did not want to get up  (and neither did I). It was warm and toasty in the bed snuggling with him!

 Sleepy, sweet boy! At least he is not jumping at the door wanting in and out this morning!

Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge - Day 2!

Is anyone else freeeezing this morning?? I am!! It is cold in Dallas! I didn't want to get out of bed because Ollie was keeping my legs warm under the covers! I am allright now because I have a big sweat shirt on, my coffee and a bowl of oatmeal to warm me!

Today is the second day of the blog challenge I am participating in! The topic of the day is to write about your favorite Christmas tradition. In our family, we always get together with my grandmother, aunt and cousins on Christmas Eve at my parents house. We usually go to Christmas Eve service first (depending on the time) and then come back and have chili. That is our tradition! My mom and dad make a huge pot of chili and have Fritos and cheese and corn bread to go with it. If I didn't have this on Christmas Eve, I don't know what I would do! This makes me want to make a big pot of chili right now! I think I will ask my mom for her recipe! Pretty sure Eric and I are going to disagree on it though. I think he likes less soupy chili than my family makes.  Oh well! It is good and he can eat it!

A second tradition that we always do is a cousins picture on the stairs. I went through my photos and couldn't find more than one from just a couple of years ago, but we have been doing this since we were little. All the cousins (my brother, me, Jenna, Avery, and Drake) all line up from oldest to youngest (top to bottom) and take a picture on Christmas Eve. We have now added spouses and Mason, my nephew) and Jackson (my foster brother) into the mix along with dogs sometimes, which has made for some interesting photos!

2009

2010  - see Ollie creeping in the pic??

I hope we do another one this year!! It will have a new addition, baby Merritt!

Fabulous Holiday Blog Challenge - Day 1!

In an effort to be more creative with my blog posts, I am going to be doing a Holiday Blog Challenge

Today's topic is to write about your favorite Christmas gift ever. When I think back on my childhood Christmases, the main thing that stands out in my mind is my American Girl Dolls. I started getting these dolls when I was probably around 8 and I loved them! I remember other family members asking if I was okay with only getting all American Girl stuff and I totally was! My first love was Molly!

Molly was a little girl who lived during World War II. Her father was gone in the war and Molly and her family had to survive without him. I loved these dolls not only because they had the most awesome, realistic accessories, but there were historical fiction stories to go along with it. These are great for young girls because it is teaching them something about history as well. After Molly, came Samantha, Kirsten, Felicity, and Addy.  I loved playing dress up with the girls.

Molly's Christmas Dress

 Molly's Party Dress

 School supplies!

Birthday cake and tea set

My mom still has the dolls all wrapped up carefully at her house. I actually got the Girl of Today (modern doll with blonde hair blue eyes that looked like me) for my 16th birthday because my mom wanted to complete my collection and we gave my mom Josefina as a joke the next year. We have lots of American Girl dolls at my house! We actually would put them in their Christmas dresses and display them at Christmas, but haven't in a while. I think we need to break them out and do that this year! What is crazy is you can still buy these today! Some of the girls have been retired, like Samantha and Felicity, and they have added new ones that were not around when I was little. I think it will be so fun when I have  a little girl to let her play with them (carefully of course!). These dolls definitely were my favorite Christmas gifts and I am so glad I have them and the memories of playing with them!

Thanksgiving & Yummy Brown Stew Recipe

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Our holiday plans unfortunately got derailed last week and we had to cancel a trip to Greenville, SC to spend Thanksgiving with my brother's family and my parents. Eric and I both have had a nasty cold for over a week now and since there is a new baby in the family, we didn't want to risk getting the baby sick, plus it is just no fun traveling and being away from home when you are sick. We were really disappointed to not get to make the trip and meet Merritt, but they are coming here at Christmas, so we will meet her soon! Luckily, Eric's parents were doing Thanksgiving at their house, so we joined them for a yummy Thanksgiving meal and then ended up back on the couch to rest. We are feeling better, but Eric is still suffering from a nasty cough. I am suffering from having to listen to it! (Kidding, love you!)

Friday, the plan was to go to Fort Worth to see Eric's parents horse Fritz compete in a cattle herding competition.  They bought Fritz a few years ago and he has been getting trained by a professional and this was his first competition. Although he didn't win, Blair had a great time!

Just Eric ended up going because early Friday morning, I got a text from Brittany asking if I was in town and wanted to go look at bridesmaid dresses, so of course, I had to go do that! We had a fun girls day out trying on tons of dresses. I think we found the winner! We will see which the bride picks! Can't wait to wear it! :) I wish I had some fun pics of all the dresses, but Brittany took them all!

The White Rock Marathon is this weekend and I am running the half! I have been worried about my training since I was sick all last week, I was not able to run and started getting anxious. I tried to run on Wednesday and made it about two miles and couldn't breathe well so I didn't push it. I knew I needed to get one more long run in before this weekend, so yesterday, I set out for an 11 mile run. I ran the first 5 miles by myself and then picked up Ollie to finish the remaining 6. I knew I would need him at the end! It was a cold and windy day and I was still weak and out of shape from not running all week, but I managed to finish all 11 miles. I can't say I am impressed by my time, but I am not going to give up my goal of under two hours next weekend.  I actually had a scary moment during mile 6 of my run. My legs were tired, Ollie was pulling me, and somehow I lost my footing and totally ate it. I fell right on the sidewalk. Luckily, I had a water bottle in my left hand and honestly, I think it broke my fall. It is all scraped up along with my right knee. I am just glad I didn't land on my hand and break my wrist!  Ollie just stood there and was no help and it took me a few minutes to kind of come out of the shock of falling. I was bleeding pretty badly, but decided to keep going and not go home to clean it up. I am sure anyone who saw me running thought I was crazy because I had blood all down my leg. My knee is pretty scraped up and it hurts, but I am okay. My knees are super sore today from the 11 miles and I am hobbling around. Hopefully it will go away and I can train the rest of the week to finish strong on Sunday!

Last night was my friend Tracy's "non-bachelorette" party! We had a blast celebrating her last night of singleness before she gets married on December 10th. Post with some fun pics coming soon on that! After being out super late last night and being sore today, I have been quite unproductive today. I enjoyed a lot of couch time, a nap, and a bowl of homemade beef stew! Eric got tired of seeing me acting so miserable so he went to the grocery store and came home and made this awesome Brown Stew from the Better Homes & Garden cook book. It was so good, so I thought I would share the recipe with you guys!

Brown Stew

2 lbs of beef stew meat cut in 1 1/2 inch chunks
2 tablespoons fat (didn't have, so he used 2 tablespoons of Crisco)
4 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic
1 medium onion, sliced
1 to 2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
dash of allspice
3 cloves
6 carrots, quartered
4-5 big red potatoes, cubed (bite size pieces)
1 lb (18-24) small white pearl onions (you have to peel before using. To peel, boil in water for three minutes and then rinse in cold water and peel.)

Thoroughly brown meat on all sides in far; add water, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, sliced onion, bay leaves, and seasonings. Cover, simmer 2 hours; stir occasionally to keep from sticking. Remove bay leaves, garlic.

Add carrots, onions, potatoes. Cover; continue cooking 30 minutes or till vegetables are done.

Remove meat and vegetables; thicken liquid for gravy. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

It was so good and perfect for this cold night on the couch! I really am lucky to have a husband that enjoys cooking so much! He was actually really proud of this meal! The meat was so tender and it really hit the spot! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday! I can't believe it is almost December!!!

What Not to Wear

Do any of you ever feel like you could be on an episode of What Not to Wear on TLC? I have watched this show for years and love Stacey and Clinton. I enjoy watching them take unsuspecting people who can't dress and whisk them away for a week in NYC and a complete wardrobe overall and makeover. I can't say that I don't wish they would come surprise me with a $5000 shopping spree!

 

I do normally like to think I am a fashionable person. I sell jewelry for a living! I clean up quite well if I do say so myself! But there are days I leave the house and I can't help but think of Stacey and Clinton in the back of my head and what they would think of my outfit. They would be so disappointed!  I use the excuse of oh, I am just running to the grocery store and the dry cleaners, what does it matter? The outfit usually consists of some sort of athletic gear, Nike shorts being a favorite. Well, last week I ended up stopping at Nordstrom on one of those little quick trips and honestly I began to feel self conscious! I have to say since quitting my office job and starting Stella & Dot full time, it has been harder to get dressed up every day as I did going into an office! There are days I am super cute, wearing my jewelry because I have a show, a meeting, or a training. But there are those days when I am sitting in front of the computer working and don't see a soul! I caught myself doing it yesterday, wearing tennis shoes, Nike capris, a t-shirt and my North Face, no make up, hair in a pony tail. I saw myself in the mirror at the dry cleaners and thought ughh you look terrible. Granted I am sick this week, but still, no one knows that! I took my parents to the airport this morning and have lounged around all morning in this.

Be glad you don't see my face. I am actually on my way out the door to the doctor right now. (Side note - Eric and I are both horribly sick, snotty, and coughing. We were supposed to go visit my brother's family and new baby Meritt, but had to cancel our trip. We would just be miserable and in no way want to get the baby sick. I am so sad.). Although I feel like that outfit (gross) and almost just thought what the heck, I am just going to the doctor, I showered, put on some jeans, a tank, a cardigan, and a bit of make up, and I now feel slightly better (hair is still in a pony but clean!). I also have to drop off some look books to a December hostess, so I didn't want to completely scare her. It is easy to dress as a What Not to Wear candidate, but I am going to make an effort to not.

Do you ever feel this way?? How do you make yourself presentable when you don't want to take a lot of time? Any tips?

It's a New Day

It's a New Day - that is the slogan for Weight Watchers. I have not blogged about it at all, but most of my family and friends know I have been following the Weight Watchers program since May and since it has worked for me I wanted to share my experience. Warning: This post is long and a lot of you might not care at all about it, but if it  helps one person, then I am glad!

The first time I started Weight Watchers was in December 2008. Eric and I had met in January earlier that year and as most new couples do we fell into a routine of eating out a lot,  having beverages and not exercising. I remember the exact moment when I realized that I needed to change my habits. I was with my mom at the outlet malls in Austin and we were shopping for Ashley's Bachelorette party and I had to buy a size I would never have thought I would wear at the Michael Kors Outlet. It was an awful feeling. My mom and grandmother had been doing Weight Watchers and both had success with it, so I think I said to my mom, embarrassed, "I think I need to join Weight Watchers." Or she told me she would pay for it if I did it, I can't really remember, one or the other! We both realized I had gained weight.

I attended my first meeting right after Thanksgiving and could not believe my weight. My starting weight was 160.6. Yup, I am putting it out there. I was almost disgusted with myself for letting it get that bad. I couldn't believe it, I didn't feel like I was some super huge person, I just had gotten a little "softer" and obviously the proof was there. I started tracking my points using the Weight Watchers eTools and the iphone app and getting back to the gym. I always ate a very healthy lunch and learned to turn away from temptation and exercise portion control. I attended meetings every week. I am a big advocate of the meeting. By the time Ashley's wedding came at the end of January, I had lost about 6 lbs and it did wonders for my self esteem being a bridesmaid. Over the next couple of months I lost almost 20 lbs by June.  I felt great. I was working out regularly and bought new clothes. That dress I wore for the bachelorette party was out of my closet.

Here is where my problem came. I was happy with my weight but didn't pick a goal weight. I wanted to lose more, but got satisfied with where I was. I stopped going to meetings and tracking. I would go every once in a while to see where I was and I didn't gain much at first, but slowly but surely the pounds came back on. We got engaged and I felt like I was in happy planning mode. I started going to meetings and weighing in again. I went up and down for a couple of months and the last time I went was in March and I weighed 146 (down from the previous times). I went to the doctor right before our wedding and I remember weighing around 150. But I was fine with it. My dress fit, I was happy, not stressed. Wedding day came and went. Best day ever, by the way.  I felt comfortable with my body on our honey moon in a swimsuit. We got back and I decided I needed to be the homemaker wife and start cooking. I found tons of great recipes and learned my way around the kitchen. The recipes were not the healthiest though and don't even get me started on the baked goods I was baking... I ran a half marathon in December 2010, so I was running a lot. I didn't lose much weight but I think that is what saved me at first from gaining it all back. After the race, I stopped running. It got cold, I was burnt out, excuses, excuses. I "hibernated" all winter.

Fast forward almost a year later. I didn't have a wedding to think about, a dress to fit in. I was cooking and enjoying it. I was not running regularly. It is now May 2011 and my pants are starting to get tight. I start running again outside some, but it is hard to get back into it. I am struggling with three miles at an awful pace. Once again, I had to buy a dress for an event and I bought a that same size I bought before. I loved the dress and I was comfortable in it, but ughh that size! It was a 10 by the way in a Nine West dress.

After that, I told myself it was time to make a change and since I knew Weight Watchers worked, it was time to go back. My first meeting back was May 3rd and I weighed in a 159. One pound away from 160. I was so glad I went and didn't feel bad about myself, but motivated to lose it. And this time I was super serious about it. I have lost the weight quickly, but safely. I consistently lost and hardly ever gained. I went to the gym religiously. By now it was the Texas summer and there was no way I could run outside, so the treadmill became my best friend. I reached my goal weight on August 2nd, 140 lbs. I lost 19 lbs in three months. I went from my size 6 pants being too tight to having to get rid of baggy size 4s. All of my dresses are going to have to be taken in. It is a great feeling and most of all I am proud of myself for sticking with it. Since I reached my goal and liftetime status, I tracked at first and I have stayed within 2 lbs of it, some weeks going lower even. But once again, I am feeling like I have got off track. Part of the reason for this blog post is to recommit myself to tracking. I am never going to have to go back and be almost 160 lbs again. I will not be a yoyo dieter. Weight Watchers is a lifestyle and while yes it has helped me make healthier decisions (and the fact I run so much) has helped me not gain a lot back, not tracking will take its toll on you. I am back to tracking this week and will be weighing in next week. With the holidays upon us, it could be very easy to get too relaxed and pack on some pounds. I don't want to do that and I will not.

 Feeling great! September 2011

So that is my story! I wanted to incorporate my Weight Watchers journey into the blog before, but never did because I just felt like it was too personal, no one cared, or it was even almost embarrassing to go to Weight Watchers and admit I had a weight issue. I know there are lots of women and men out there who's weight is a constant struggle, so I wanted to share how this has worked for me. I am not perfect and like I said, I am recommitting myself to tracking and making sure the weight stays off this time. I would love to hear your weight loss or WW story if you have one! This post was more of my story, but I will post some of the tips I have found to work for me soon! Thanks for listening if you got to the end of this! :)

What to give this Christmas

With Christmas coming up, I wanted to do a blog post about featuring some items from Stella & Dot that would make fabulous Christmas gifts. As you gear up for the holidays, and start making your shopping lists, please keep me in mind for any jewelry or accessories needs you may have for yourself or your gift recipients! I strive to provide the best customer service possible and provide each of you, whether you are near or far, the ultimate personal shopping experience with Stella & Dot - either through having a show for you and helping you earn free jewelry, offering personal styling appointments, tips, or suggestions, or helping you with your online purchases. Additionally, I am always grateful for any referrals you can provide or for you to pass my information along to your jewelry-loving friends! Word-of-mouth is a big part of my business and I appreciate all you do to help spread the word!

Thank you all again and please feel free to contact me anytime (email button to the side), or visit my website for information, to view the collection, or to place an order! Of course, I am always delighted to receive a call from you that may not pertain to Stella & Dot, too! ;-)

Now let's get on to the goods! There are many more beautiful things out there, but these were hand picked by our Chief Design Officer, Blythe Harris!

On the Mark Necklace

$49.00 

Simple and delicate.

Initial Charms

$29.00

These are great to give moms with their kids initials and birthstones on them.

Chantilly Lace Chandelier Earrings

$49.00

 Soho Key Pouch

$44.00

Perfect for organizing your purse.

 Soho Wristlet

$68.00

I love using this for a night out so I don't have to carry a purse. It fits everything I need.

Annabelle Necklace

$69.00

This necklace is rose gold which is very in style right now, but not a lot of woman have it. Rose Gold is a relatively new plating technique. Any woman would be thrilled to have this necklace.

Third Time's a Charm Necklace

$69.00

Junk charm necklaces are very popular right now. 

Give the gift of luck with this whimsical charm necklace

 Caroline Pendant Necklace

$59.00

A modern take on junk charm necklaces, the shiny silver pendant paired with a delicate rose gold nugget gets an organic touch with the adjustable brown leather cord.

 

Madeline Pearl Necklace 

$98.00

The must have pearl necklace in every woman's collection. This delicate necklace can be worn long or short with any occassion.  It is one of my personal favorites and best sellers.

If you have any questions or would like to place an order, please contact me or visit my personal Stella & Dot website!

The Crazy Trio!!

So I have spent yesterday and some of today, organizing pictures from about 5th grade til the present. It is quite apparent I have a slight photo addiction. I have the most pictures probably from the college era. When I was not studying (haha) , my time at the University of Texas was spent primarily with these two girls, Ashleigh and Brittany. The three of us were (and still are) the best of friends and we liked to have fun, so we called ourselves the Crazy Trio. We met sophomore year living in the same apartment complex and connected when we realized we were all members of a group on campus called the Wrangler Darlins. The two of them were best friends from high school, but somehow this threesome worked and they welcomed me in! We became really close junior year and still to this day we are all best friends.

Brittany is engaged and just moved to Kansas City, MO and Ashleigh has been on the west coast in LA for several years now. Despite our distances, we have remained close and always will. Since I have spent the last day or so organizing my pictures, I decided to share some (of the less embarrassing ones) pictures of the three of us. There are many many more where these came from and most of them are now going to remain locked on my computer forever, no one needs to see them! The three of us have actually been emailing back and forth looking at some of the funnier ones today and had some good laughs! I hope they agree these are some of the more attractive, less incriminating photos! I love you guys and am so glad my college life is full of these fun memories!

Fall 2004 - one of our first nights really hanging out together (and where the picture taking madness began)

 Note the Halloween Goblet (classy we were....). I remember this night. We went to Midnight Rodeo.

Hula Girls! Wranglers Halloween Party 2004

Our first Texas OU Weekend in Dallas together - 2004

80s chicks??

 

Hanging out at Zilker Park

Hook 'em Horns!

Texas OU Weekend our Senior Year 2005

 They were both bridesmaids in my wedding last summer and Ashleigh and I get the honor of being in Brittany's wedding next June! So excited!

 This is the last picture taken of the three of us together, my birthday last December, along with our friend AJ, who is just as much as part of this crazy group as the rest of us! Love you guys and I am so grateful to have friends like you!

Let's hear it for the Boobies and the Ponies!!

Where did the weekend go?? I always feel like this on Sunday. We had a fun and busy weekend and I just now am able to sit and relax. Friday night, my friend Karla and I went to dinner at Nick & Sam's Grill, our signature spot. We shared a bottle of Shiraz and I had the special, a pulled pork ragu over fusilli pasta. It was so good! After dinner, we met up with some friends at a new wine bar, Alcove. It was a neat little place. We continued the night at The Nodding Donkey, which is a "Texas Sports Saloon".  It goes without saying that when 8:00 a.m. came around the next morning, I was not feeling it! But I got up because the Susan G. Komen 3-Day comes right by my house and I wanted to get out there and cheer the ladies on! My boss from the job I just quit and my friend Tracy's mom were both walking. Casey went with me and Ollie and we met up with Tracy and her family. Ollie was a good cheerer and he made many people smile as they passed us! I never saw Cathy, but we did see Tracy's mom who was walking for the team "Judy's Jewels". Seeing these women (and men!) walking 60 miles in three days was so awesome. It is truly inspiring and I am amazed at the dedication that they all have!

Ollie, Casey and I showing our support!

 Tracy and Cate showing cheering on Gran!

After cheering on the walkers, I rushed home to get ready to head down to SMU for Homecoming. We always have a good time on the Boulevard, tailgating and seeing everyone before the game. I can't help but get sentimental when seeing Perkins Chapel, where we were married. I snuck in and took a moment to reflect on our wedding day and remember how lucky I am.

 June 19, 2010 - Eric and I stood in this exact place and exchanged our wedding vows. Best day ever!

 Eric's sister, who is also a SMU alum, brought Blair down for her first "boulevarding" experience. Here is Blair in her SMU gear! 

 Trying to get my phone...

 With her cute SMU bow and Cheerleader shirt.

Go Ponies!!!

SMU played Tulane and won! It was a beautiful day for a football game. After the game, we got some dinner at Texadelphia (yum!) and came home to watch more football. I might have fallen asleep sometime during the night on the couch. It was a long day!! Eric and I went to Buzz Brew's for breakfast this morning and now he is off playing golf with my dad. Happy Sunday!!