"you know there are those key moments...

in life when it's possible you can be really, genuinely cool and I'm going to fail just a hundred percent!"

Well it's days like today that really make me laugh at myself. I struggled earlier this morning as I thought about what to introduce you all to today. And I wasn't feeling super inspired. I had to fight with an insurance company and a car shop about fixing my car and the time at work has just been passing by so nothing was really coming to mind. So there I was shopping at my all time favorite, home away from home store when it came to me, but not before a stupidly embarrassing moment (don't feel too bad - this is pretty much par for the course...) I'm standing in the deli section intently reading every ingredient on the pre-made salad boxes (I started a new cleaner eating sort of thing today - more on that later) to make sure there was no sugar in the dressing when I heard a guy a little ways behind me telling a little girl that she was going to eat salad for lunch. The little girl responded that she didn't like salad - it was gross and she wasn't going to have any. The guy answered back again that she was absolutely going to try it. This went back and forth a few times as they approached the deli counter. The guy left his cart and walked up next to me to begin examining the salad as well. As he picked one up, he asked which one I thought was the best and commented that it looked like I had really done my research... haha. I replied "Not hardly, but I think I'll go with the chicken, apple salad." At that point, I looked up into a tan face and beautiful blue eyes and of course glanced at the left hand where no ring could be found. He made another remark about needing to pick the best option and sideways glanced at the little girl who was still pouting. And instead of being really smooth, calm, collected, quick-witted and confident (I mean let's be honest - even one of those attributes would have been great), but no instead, some sort of mumble jumble came out of my mouth about his hands being full - stuttering ever so slightly, my face turning redder by the moment. And that was it. I turned and walked away wondering why I couldn't get it together and furthermore why I would have chosen such a rude statement in the one moment I had. It would have been way too easy to light-heartedly comment on how important it was to choose the correct salad or to say something to the little girl about how she should give salad a chance. Or even if I had decided to go the "hands full" route, I could have at least followed it up with how cute the girl was... But no I just landed on "wow you've got your hands full." Ugh. Unfortunate for sure. And since that encounter all I can think of are better endings to that story.
But, as I was hanging my head in shame at the check out line and barely listening to the couple of beeps, it hit me!
Today's Meet-Someone-New Monday
has to do with my favorite store in the entire world,

Now, I know I have an extremely loyal tendency so once I pick something, that's it. And for me, Target has been the go-to for years. Some weeks I actually go to Target more days than I do not go to Target. Sometimes I go twice in one day. I go on bad days, on good days, when I need nail polish, a new shirt, shoes, a greeting card, or when I need to pick up lunch. I buy gifts there and almost never leave without something really fun in tow. Last week, after searching at several other stores for a certain type of battery, I thought I would just check at Target since I was already there anyway and low and behold, they had it. I am telling you I'm a believer. And today just confirmed it even more. So there I was, kicking myself for the lack of etiquette, as the cashier says "That'll be $6.75" ***Note: Never in my entire life have I made it through this store with a less than $10 purchase. I am telling you this alone is an absolute miracle! And then I swiped my Target Debit card and the amount immediately changed to $6.13. How could you not perk up after something like that. I just saved money! The great thing is that every time I go to Target this happens. You see over New Years last year, my Aunt Sheryl told me I just had to get a Target Debit card. I know what you're thinking. I was skeptical too! But ultimately her wise words won me over and I gave in. She told me and now I'm telling you that since this is not a credit card, you eliminate the risk of interest. You see, Target came up with an idea to create brand loyalty. They connect to your bank and have a debit card system that works just like your bank debit card, only at Target. So you swipe just the same, enter your pin just the same and the money exits your account just the same. The only difference? You save 5% on every purchase - did you hear me? EVERY PURCHASE! So when I bought my travel gear for Guatemala, 5%; when I needed new clothes for my birthday, 5%; when I'm in the mood to buy my nephew something (which turns out to be always), 5%. And the thing is, I would have been shopping there anyway because I already had that kind of brand loyalty. So thanks, Target, for giving me one more reason to shop at my favorite store - not that I needed it :)
I am passing on this information so that you (yes, you) will jet out to your nearest Target pronto. I can't promise a blue-eyed beau, but I don't think you'll regret the 5% savings, ever :)
Happy Shopping!

It's the first! That means two things: Refresh Day and Pinspired!

Just hearing the word August brings so many conflicting emotions.... I am suddenly feeling the need to soak in the last days of summer while also rushing out to buy school supplies. The sun has gotten increasingly hot here in Texas so of course we are still in summer fashion. However, everything in me wants to send all of my friends bouquets of sharpened pencils and each day I become more and more excited about the taste of pumpkin spice. It is coming - I can feel it... *sigh* :)

Alas, on this first weekend of August, my sisters, mom and I will be heading to the beach for an end-of-summer girls weekend to properly celebrate what has been one of my favorite summers. And I am thrilled! 

Note: for those of you starting to feel bad for my Dad and brother-in-law, you are in good company. They are troopers to put up with the five of us. And honestly, will probably enjoy the weekend break from all of the chatter. But we still feel badly for not inviting them to the beach so I am sure we will make up for it by bringing back some fabulous souvenir...

Okay I am finally linking up to a couple of my favorite blogs on my first ever - Get Pin-spired post!

In light of heading to the beach for one last hoo-rah, I decided to look to Pinterest to refresh my beach wardrobe and "get pinspired" (Thank you, Shaeffer!) for girls weekend. We are pretty chill on vacation so as I was searching, I carefully bypassed the beachy party clothes (although some were fabulous) and went straight for the relaxed, simple look. Immediately, I fell in love with this pin..

Here are my creations (using the clothes I already had in my closet!):

First, I combined two of the pictures on the original strip. I love the white shirt with these Miss Me jean shorts - I looked for these shorts so you could buy them too, but I couldn't find them. I originally bought them at a small boutique in California and they have gotten some great wear. The necklace (similar one here) was a gift from my Granny for my birthday last week! I think she said it was from Kohls, but I couldn't find the exact one on their website. I love these color combos! 

This outfit really surprised me! I love how simple it is and definitely think it will be great for the beach. However, I would have never thought to put these colors together (thank you, Pinterest!) The shirt is really old and from New York and Co, but their clothes hold up so great so I will probably have it for several more years. And these shorts are the best ever! I love shopping at Loft :) These shorts are the 4", but they also have them in 6" for you lucky, longer legged women! And my hat from Dillards that I have worn out this summer. I looked for a link for you, but couldn't even find a close one at Dillard's. Macy's, however, has tons of cute ones.

I was telling my roommate about the Pinspired Party that I was linking up to today. And, of course, she wanted to join in the fun! I mean who wouldn't want to?!?! Since she doesn't have a blog, today I am featuring her outfit as well. You may remember when I introduced you to Katie here. Well here is her Pinspired look - so chic and great for a workday :)

Way to go, Katie :)

I hope you all are finding a fun way to kick off this first day of August!

what the what?!

July 31... THIRTY FIRST! Is that a joke? I mean weren't we just settling in to Summer and celebrating my favorite holiday (the Fourth :) and starting to plan pool parties? How did this happen? July was completely nuts as usual and it sort of feels like a blur. I am not ready to say goodbye to it yet so I thought I would re-live some of the greatness that was this month...

The month started off with me having a nice short week and looonnnnggg weekend for the fourth.

On July 2, I went to a Rangers game with some great friends. We had awesome seats and ended up being on TV! It was epic :) And it happened to be free fedora night! So we each got to take home a fancy Texas Rangers fedora... LOVE! :)
Then my family hung out by the pool and cooked hamburgers and had a classic July 4th. We climbed on my parent's roof to get a small glimpse at fireworks in the area and stayed up late talking and enjoying the beautiful (not too hot) weather.

Later that weekend we had family date night at the movies and went to see Monsters University (so cute!) My sweet nephew (who's car seat can just barely be seen behind my dad's head...) even wore monster pjs and was so calm and quiet for his first movie theater experience! At just 7 months old, he did great - we were super impressed :)

The next week, two of my sisters and I left for an adventure week in Guatemala! Becoming a "guategirl" was definitely a highlight of my July. We explored the city of Antigua, climbed a volcano, spent a few nights at an avocado farm, and one night at a fancy hotel in the city. Overall it was an incredible experience. We caught up and read and rested and laughed and fought and played. Everyone should go there at some point. You won't regret it!

Then my birthday week began with a roadtrip to Galveston with my two best friends! Spending time at this beach house is always a favorite part of the summer. We fished and read and relaxed. The group consisted of four guys, my best friend (Amanda), and me. Amanda and I acted like the "dorm moms" and cooked the meals for the weekend - with help from her amazing hubby! It is so fun to play house like that :) And I never regret taking a road trip with those two. Amanda and her husband each picked the most incredible people to marry and I am so blessed to call them my best friends!



And then BIRTHDAY WEEK BEGAN! There were so many surprises along the way. On Monday night at our weekly bachelorette party, Amanda brought ice cream treats for everyone. On Tuesday night, Amanda and Will cooked dinner for me and then took me to see Despicable Me 2 (because they know I love to go to the movies on a weeknight :) On Wednesday, my roommate and I celebrated National Tequila Day and had Mexican food for dinner. On Thursday (actual birthday), my roommates woke me up in the morning with Starbucks and a Kolache (YUM!). Later, my Dad, Mom, sisters, nephew and Amanda went to lunch and then my friends took me for sushi and a girls night out! On Friday we layed out by the pool all day and then had family dinner that night. On Saturday we layed out again all day and had a golden birthday party that night. All my friends came to celebrate and everything was decorated in gold :) It was a nuts-o week but so so so much fun! Click here to read about some of the awesome gifts I got!

   

Pretty much my July was incredible. Precious time spent with my sisters, my sweet sweet nephew, my mama and dad and my great friends. This is how July is supposed to be. And although I'm sad for it to be over, I am so happy at the way it went. Here's hoping August brings as much joy and celebration!
Hope your July was a time to be treasured as well :)

Erin Condren (and other fabulous designers!)

Okay so I wrote this yesterday and meant to post it yesterday, but I didn't... So pretend like my Monday post actually came to you on Monday...

Hello Friends! Today I will be introducing you to a few new "friends" of mine :) This weekend was absolutely wonderful. From just getting to hang out with my amazing friends and family to dancing, eating, opening presents and laughing, this was one of the best birthdays yet! Despite the fact that my family started to come down with some type of cold on Friday, we persevered and they made the weekend so special. Later this week (or next!) I will be posting a fashion segment about my outfit choices for this epic golden birthday weekend so stay tuned! Until then, I want you to meet some of my new birthday presents because you probably need to look into these for yourself... Or put them on your next birthday, Christmas, Labor Day, Random Tuesday(?) wish list...

drum roll, please... It's....
Meet-Someone-New Monday

To start off with, you should know that my mom is A-MAZING! She is the absolute best at listening ever-so-carefully to us and then snagging exactly what we want for our birthdays - it's awesome - seriously I don't know how she does it! And this year was no different. Other than the first listed below (which I picked out myself), she nailed it. And she finds such joy in finding the perfect gifts for her girls. :)

                   First up: my new Erin Condren planner!

This planner is the planner to end all planners. It comes with sections for keeping track of birthdays and anniversaries (which is a big struggle of mine!) and it is super durable. You can customize it yourself to put your name on it or a picture of your family or pretty much whatever you want - seriously if you need to get organized for the fall, go here: http://www.erincondren.com/store/ and fall in love with that cuteness!

Second: my new Vera Bradley Weekender Bag:

A few weeks ago, my mom and I were picking one out for her and I just fell in love with this bag! It is so practical and will definitely accompany me on all of my weekend trips! My favorite feature is that it has a strap on the back to slip over rolling luggage, for easy carrying in an airport - LOVE! This print is Summer Cottage - simply lovely :) There are several prints on sale right now too! Go get you one! :) 

Next: my new Scout Beach Bag!

In case you are not seeing a theme here, I just want to let you know that anything cute, I instantly think I need :) This Scout bag was SO unexpected! I bought one for my best friend Amanda in the Swirly Temple print *side note: The names of these prints, Vera, or OPI Nail Polish just kill me. I would love to meet the team behind that!* but I had no clue I would be getting one too :) They picked out the striped "Very Canary Island" print. I am not sure how they chose because all of them are super cute. 

I was so blessed to receive several other gifts (some will appear in my fashion segment :)  One gift, not pictured but SO loved, is a picnic blanket to keep in my car - this has been on the "wants" list for about 9 years, literally. Everyone should have one of these! This is a similar one, but not the exact same print as mine: The Best Picnic Blanket

This blanket is so great because it doesn't get grass and dirt stuck to it - you can just shake it off, zip it up and you are good to go - you never know when you might need one around - Thanks, Amanda! :)

I love when gifts are so thoughtful - like my roommate who got me a London pillow, or my sisters filling the beach bag with 25 things for me (including Shawn White gum and a stuffed llama from Guatemala)! Everyone really went above and beyond to make me feel so loved and valued - to the point that I was completely speechless (which doesn't happen often to me)! I could go on and on about the jewelry, clothes, sweet book from my Mama and Dad, figurine from my Granny, lime holder from my cousin, framed picture from a friend, cupcakes, cakes, dinners, etc, but I think it would take days for you to read through all of it. I am so grateful for the gifts, yes, but mostly for the time my precious friends and family put into making sure I felt blessed. They are wonderful and truly outdid themselves.

Birthday Blog

Today at lunch, my oldest sister asked me to do high-lows of the last year. Because she knows and could sense my dread of this type of question (too much pressure to be profound and say the exact right thing... stupid perfectionism), she immediately followed  up the question with "These don't have to be the things - just a few highs and lows..." With the pressure removed, I just answered the first things that came to my mind... Ireland, New Years Eve Party, becoming an aunt... all highs of course. But what I noticed was that the first things that came to mind were good things. And honestly it wasn't until I was back at the office later this afternoon and really started cataloging my "for real" list that I realized it was kind of hard for me to think of negative things... Not that they are not there, because ultimately I thought of several. And to be candid here for a minute: there were some rough moments this year. But the good things so far outweigh the rough moments to the point that I had to really think about what they even were... 
I know that the Lord has blessed me with a personality that naturally sees the good in any situation, that finds joy and delight in little things, and that can overlook a bad moment and discover that most of the days are better than good. *Cue inspirational music here* 
The things is I am super blessed - by my family and friends and conversations and laughs and the little things. Some days I let myself get too cloudy to see it and in those moments I'm thankful for people on my team who care enough to fight for me... Thankfully the sunny days far surpass the fog and I am so grateful - for books, coffee mugs, sunshine, car blankets, new beginnings, pictures of the past, my mama, country music, wedges, parties, pink martinis, oreo cupcakes and the people who have made me who I am. My friend Molly texted me today to say Happy Birthday and followed it up with "I hope everyone spoils you today" I laughed, of course, when I read that, but the truth is, they did. I am super blessed and super loved and way more than once a year, I am reminded of that. But today, I thought maybe I should share it with you.
Thank you to those of you who went above and beyond to celebrate me today. You are more precious to me than you could know. 

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

little baby Katie

Hi friends! I hope you have had a great week. It has been absolutely nuts for me, but as promised, I am keeping up with my new tradition of...
Meet-Someone-New Monday

For this week's edition, I have decided to introduce you to my roommate. She was among my first friends I made in college and pretty quickly I knew we would be friends - whether it was from the late night adventures or the constant smell of vanilla coffee coming from her room, I cannot be sure. But early on, her heart and love for people was evident and I was blessed enough to be on the receiving end of it. Now over the years, she has shown some more flare and sometimes her sassy tone is so thick it cannot be measured, but beneath all of that is a loving and caring and faithful friend who will stand up and fight for you regardless of the obstacles you face. She has a gift to see another person's needs and readily experiences heartache along with those she loves. She cried with me when my last roommate got engaged and she celebrated with me when my nephew was born. Though we disagree and have definitely gone to battle on opposing teams, we can most always move on and up and continue to walk closely through life together. Throughout college we double-dated to several date functions and formals and there is no one else I would want on my side through those events. We introduced ourselves as "Hi we're Katie" We dressed up like mariachi people. We have chased the sun.

She likes outdoor music and small town festivals. She loves coffee. She could play cliff, kiss or marry until the cows come home. She bakes a mean cinnamon scone and taught me how to cook homemade pancakes. She enjoys reading and can quote most movies from beginning to end. She keeps up with celebrity drama. She is great at painting her nails. She is frugal. She would post a selfie every day if I let her (but knowingly she asks my permission). She plans ahead to eat dessert by eating less at a meal. She takes care of herself. She challenges me. She wouldn't be mad if Adam Levine showed up on her doorstep with a bouquet and ring. She lets me borrow her jewelry, her dresses, her books, her coffee mugs, her advice. She is straight laced, but she takes risks. She knows she's beautiful.
She is definitely someone worth celebrating.
So today, I want to wish my sweet roommate a very, very...
Happy Birthday, Katie Lee!

I am oh so happy and thankful to know you!

poor Monday...

Happy Monday, Friends!
Dontcha just hate it when people say that - happy Monday? Is it even possible for Mondays to be happy? Well typically I don't think so but a few weeks ago, the inanimate Monday took on a whole personality that turned rather Eeyore-like when she heard that I didn't think she could be happy... I have a problem with inanimate objects suddenly having feelings and personality. Most days it's a curse (like when poor Dorie (my car) has a bad day, or when my straightener just doesn't feel like heating up, or when I apologize to the table I just ran into), but I will tell you that it does make life a little more fun and a little less frustrating :) So awhile back, I decided that I needed Monday to have more of an identity and since I enjoy writing, I thought it should also connect to my blog. So I have decided to do a weekly post.....

And that brings me to my point that today is (drum roll, please)...

Meet-Someone-New Monday!

Each week (or whenever I decide to blog on a Monday - let's not get crazy over-promising here...) I will be spotlighting someone in my life that I think you should meet or I will be introducing you to someone (or something) I just met myself.
Today I would like for you to meet Mr. and Ms. Starbucks Barista.
Very rarely have I ever had a bad experience at Starbucks. I mean sometimes all I need is to walk into a coffee shop and suddenly whatever mess I have found myself in seems a little smaller. This morning when I woke up it was strangely dark outside and it was absolutely pouring. Obviously I was going to need something more riveting than work to get me out of bed - I know you know what I'm talking about. Some days I just need a little extra encouragement to get the day rolling - and did I mention that it's Monday??? So I told myself that if I just got up, got ready and got in the car, I could go to Starbucks on my way to work. And today, that was enough motivation. So I got up, got dressed, got in the car (with my homemade coffee in hand) and drove to Starbucks. Since I had to run an errand for work this morning, my usual Starbucks was not on my way so I resorted to visiting a new one - luckily there is caffeine waiting in a white recyclable cup on just about every corner. This Starbucks (really it's more of a kiosk) is located inside of the Tom Thumb on 3040 and Valley in Flower Mound, TX. When I walked up to the counter, I was greeted by a huge smile and two people who seemed to be morning people. Both olderish (fifties I would say?), both seemingly happy to be there, both acknowledging and completely understanding that today is Monday, both hoping to wake up their few customers with light conversation. I wonder if "Are you a morning person?" is in the list of interview questions for coffee shop staff. Just by a person's facial expression, you could tell if you're talking to the bluebird of happiness or mr. grumpy gills. Now I know there are some of you out there who think that if you met the bluebird of happiness at 8 AM on a Monday morning, you might have to cause bodily harm to the poor guy, but that was the great thing about these baristas. They were calmly content, happily chatting with each other and those of us waiting, graciously brewing and decorating with foam, and purposefully connecting with each face. As I was left, I paused to consider that maybe for them it really was a happy Monday. And perhaps the rain wasn't so bad. And maybe I should just stop and recognize that five minutes can just be five minutes or it can be a chance to bring a little light, a little laughter and a little optimism. Funny enough, I decided Monday needed a little bit of a new perspective weeks ago, long before I had met Mr. and Ms. Starbucks Barista, but as I was leaving today, I thought it the perfect way to begin Meet-Someone-New Mondays :)

So, thank you Mr. and Ms. Starbucks Barista. I appreciate all that you do.