Cons

Here are a few things that suck about being a blogger: coming up with new content, acting like a perfectly sane human being when your neighbors walk by as you are posing in front of your house, the fact that you would lose all your readers if you posted in the sweatshirt and yoga pants that you prefer to the cute mixed pattern/pop of color/trendy masterpiece you created. Yeah, most of the time it's great fun, but sometimes it sucks a big one. Today it was freezing, and I mean FREEZING! I rolled on down to the park and even left the car on so it would stay warm while I was taking photos. After five minutes of being out in the wind, I was so totally over the adorable outfit that I was excited about putting together earlier. The rings on my fingers were so cold that they hurt my hands and I was two seconds away from snot dripping down my face. I spilled my coffee all over my arm. Too bad it wasn't hot any longer, and then, it started sleeting. I got fed up with this so-called photo shoot, drove straight to the grocery, and got all the ingredients for a big ole lasagna. The second I got home, before I put the groceries in the fridge, I changed into my sweatshirt and yoga pants immediately.

With that being said, we are in the Virgin Islands for Thanksgiving, so this freezing cold weather couldn't have had better timing.  I have never been so ready for the beach in all my life!  It won't be all fun and play, though. One of the tasks at hand while we're there is to find a place to get married and I have no idea how that is going to turn out.  As much as I love style and design, planning is certainly not my strong suit.  I'll let you know how it goes!  In other news, and speaking of something that I'm super stoked about, WW is going to be getting a major facelift in the next couple weeks.  It's about time y'all have something prettier and more professional to look at, so I finally bit the bullet and can't wait to see the results.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!  I hope you all enjoy friends, family, and football!

Button Down: J.Crew Factory (in store only)

Vest: Target (old) this season's version

Denim: J.Crew

Bag: (no brand) via K-Sera Boutique

Boots: Dolce Vita (old)

Necklaces: Max & Chloe (use link Black20MC for 20% off!), Brina Box, K-Sera Boutique

Bracelets: J.Crew, Stella & Dot, Cara's Boutique, Hermes, Banana Republic

Rings: K-Sera Boutique

xoxo,

sarah

A Change of Scenery

I'm sure you guys are beyond devastated that I didn't take pics in my back yard, but I'm trying to mix things up a bit, be adventurous, get a little cray!  Hopefully you'll enjoy it from here on out.  I had the pleasure of doing a styling session at Ann Taylor in the Southlake Town Square a couple days ago, so this is where I snapped these pics.  I'm getting used to this blog game and I was even nervous twirling around like a Disney princess in front of random strangers. Score!

So, lets talk about this dress because I had so many compliments on it.  Can anyone guess where it's from?  Kate Spade? Wrong!  J.Crew? Lilly? Wrong again!  I got this sweet little number at F21 a couple months ago and I absolutely adore it.  The fabric is thick and it's even lined.  I love how the back dips and even though this isn't the best sleeve cut for my body, I love the higher neck and all the pleating in the front. So cute!

We flew into Atlanta yesterday and will be here until Sunday morning.  My best friend is getting married on Saturday evening and I am so excited!  We came in early just so we could relax for a bit and today I plan to visit some boutiques.  Have you guys seen this show on Style called Pretty Wicked Moms?  Well, my Texas bestie and I are pretty obsessed with one of the gals on that show, Emily, who owns a boutique here called Swank, so that is definitely on my list.  We conveniently booked a hotel room that is within walking distance.  Bless my poor, sweet fiance's heart.  Look for some fun dressing room pics on Instagram because I didn't bring anything to wear!

 Dress: Forever 21 Classic Striped Woven Dress 

Belt: Xhilaration Bombe Neon Belt in fuchsia

Heels: Banana Republic Ivonne Pump

Bag: Louis Vuitton Monogram Idylle Speedy 30 Mini Lin (retired)

Bracelets: J.Crew Classic Pave' Link Bracelet, Stella and Dot Renegade Cluster Bracelet

Happy Friday Loves,

Sarah

The Next Episode

Continuing on with the Target Binge 2013 theme, I wanted to show you guys this super cute dress that I picked up on my bender.  It's about an inch longer that I would like for it to be, but at $27, I felt like it was made well enough for me to rationalize the cost of tailoring.  I do wish I had some neon pumps to accessorize with but I made do with the belt.  

Speaking of Target, did any of you join in the rat race for the 3.1 Phillip Lim Capsule Collection?  We went out of town for the Texas A&M - Alabama game, so we didn't get home until early this afternoon, but after my nap I ran over to my local store to see what they had.  I've not had great luck with the fit of previous capsule collections, but I did try on a few items that I absolutely loved.  I only purchased two items because the sizes were limited, but I'm pretty excited about them.  The only pieces that I really wanted to see were the bags, but one of the employees told me they were long gone early in the morning.  I looked online and saw that they are in stock at the Target by my office, so I guess I have plans for lunch tomorrow!

Dress: Merona Women's Ponte Stripe Dress in Xavier Navy

Belt: Xhilaration Yellow Bombe Neon Belt

Heels: Christian Louboutin Simple 120

Bag: American Apparel Large Leather Carry-All Pouch

Bracelets: J.Crew, Stella & Dot, F21

xoxo,

sarah

More stripes

With all the house madness going on over the past several months, I haven't exactly been the picture of health.  Eating out became a way of life simply because we were too exhausted to cook and couldn't make it to the grocery store.  Since moving, things have gotten to about 70% normal, but things aren't fitting me the same.  I wanted something super easy and comfy to just throw on and not feel like a stuffed sausage.  That's where this awesome tank dress from Target came in.  Not only was the price tag perfect, but it has a little style with the longer hem in back.  I've worn it about 30 times in the past two weeks, even getting a raised eyebrow when I wore it to bed a couple nights ago.

Getting back into shape is going to be tough, especially in the middle of bikini season.  I've already thrown in the literal towel for this year, but hopefully by next year, I will be back to feeling good again.  I've joined a new gym since moving, which I absolutely love, and just need to make better choices with portion control and what I eat.  I'm not one of those naturally thin girls, I definitely have to work at it, and since I turned 30, it's become about 50% more difficult.  How do you guys do it????

Dress: Xhilaration

Jacket: H&M in stores (love this one!)

Wedges: Steve Madden Westii

Wallet: Kate Spade Wellesly (newer version)

Necklaces: Francesca's, in store

Ring: Francesca's, in store

Bracelets: Stella & Dot Renegade Cluster, F21 similar

xoxo,

sarah

So....

It's been awhile, I guess.  Who am I kidding?  It's been a long time and that post on April 30th was just a blip on the radar.  I feel like a real jackass, because I know that so many of you, like me, really look forward to posts from certain bloggers.  Now, I don't want to ass-ume that I am one of your top five bloggers or anything, but I know it's nice to have something to look at every now and again.  So, rather than bore you with apologies and other non interesting diatribe, I'm gonna tell you what I've been up to.  You may want to grab a pillow and blanket for this one.

So, last I had a lot of interaction and response from you guys was when I renovated my home and posted the before and after pics.  That was a really awesome process and honestly, if I could flip homes for a living, I think I would be the hap-hap-happiest gal in the world, although sometimes I feel that way now.  Our market here in Texas is HOT!  There are tons of buyers and no inventory, so sellers are putting their homes on the market for top dollar, and getting paid more than they even ask for.  The downside to this is that people are making offers on multiple homes, and unbeknownst to the sellers, multiple offers get accepted.  This causes fall out during the option period because the buyer has to chose a house.  This happened to me three times!  Each time, my home was on the market for mere hours before it was right back under contract, but for whatever reason, I had three sellers back out.  We ended up closing on an offer that was $10k over listing, which allowed me to negotiate for repairs that I didn't want to make and it ended up being a very positive transaction.

Now, backtracking a bit.  While that home was under renovation, we had already bought a new home in my dream hood.  After some questionable back and forth with the seller, we ended up getting a great deal and right before the market turned.  The new house needed major construction, including a full gut inside, a/c, foundation, new pool, landscaping, you name it.  So, I had two renovations going on at once, while living in the one that I sold with two dogs and a boy.

Do you guys know what I do for a living?  I can't remember if I've ever actually written extensively about it, but I am a mortgage banker and have been for the past 8 years.  On top of both of these renovations and the market going absolutely cray-cray, my business which was already pretty great, skyrocketed suddenly and I was working until 9 and 10 every night.  Total nut job.  Good for the wallet, but not good for the stress and workout routine.  More on that in another post.  Additionally, I added a team member at the office who

The new house is literally my dream home.  It's so awesome that I can't even describe how happy I feel when I walk into it each day.  Plus, I got to design it from head to toe, buy new furniture, and am in the process of implementing every cool home idea I see on Pinterest.  It's not totally decorated, but all the construction is finished as of Tuesday.  My closet was the grand finale and I can't wait to show you photos of it all!

On another note, here's an outfit!

Top: J.Crew Factory Stripe Sleeveless Popover

Skirt: Old Navy (old) similar in a gorgeous color

Heels: Mossimo Viveca Pumps similar at great price

Bag: Alexander Wang Emile

Necklace: J.Crew Crystal Cluster Necklace (sold out)

Bracelets: F21, Stella & Dot, J.Crew Classic Pave' Link

Also, will you guys make sure that you follow me on Bloglovin' since Google Reader is peacin' out.  Thanks, love ya, kiss kiss!

xx-

sarah

Black Watch

I found this Black Watch plaid jacket on one of my many Target expeditions a few months back.  I had been eyeing one from J.Crew, but because of the ratio of #'s of wear vs. price, it didn't really make sense.  When I love a piece, but it's pattern or print is pretty distinct, it's not something that I will choose to wear very often, simply because it's too distinct.  At $25, this blazer was at a great price point for me, plus the details were an added bonus.  The pop of tangerine under the lapel and the seersucker print cuff lining sold me immediately.  It's wool and warm, which I appreciate in the arctic temperatures we are having here in Dallas.  This particular plaid is rather versatile since it has both navy and black, so I can play off either color.  I'm having a love affair with navy and black right now, and can't believe that I didn't gravitate towards it earlier.  Those age old "rules" of fashion, i.e. white after Labor Day, patent leather in the summertime, and black and navy is a no-no just don't apply to me anymore and I am so glad they don't!

Blazer: Merona Women's Tailored Blazer at Target

Top: J.Crew Blythe Blouse, color no longer available, but these bright colors are beautiful!

Denim: Ann Taylor Knit Denim Skinny Jeans - LOVE!

Heels: BCBGeneration via TJ Maxx for $23, similar here and here

Bag: Alexander Wang Emile

Necklace: J. Crew Factory Brass Plated Crystal Necklace

Bracelets: Kate Spade, vintage Hermes, Banana Republic, Stella & Dot Renegade Cluster, J.Crew Classic Pave' Link

Ring: Yochi Republic Ring

xoxo,

sarah

Bank or bargain?

When the crisp weather take over Texas in the last months of the year, I rejoice because I get to break into my blazer arsenal.  I'm a sucker for a blazer, kids.  It's pathetic.  I pick them up everywhere I go.  I just love the tailored look they bring to any outfit and are great for the office, date night, or running errands.  It's like you don't have to make any effort as long as you are wearing a chic blazer and pretty lipstick.  

I had been eyeing the J.Crew Tipped Hacking Jacket in Double Serge Wool and had almost talked myself into it's $298 pricetag when my bestie pointed out a fabulous alternative at Target, the Merona Women's Tailored Blazer w/ Binding.  It's not the same quality, obviously, but it has a ton of detail for a $35 jacket.  I love the pop of fuschia under the lapel and the seek sucker printed lining is adorable when the sleeves are popped.  I also bought it in Blackwatch plaid and can't wait to show that one off!  God, I go crazy for a deal!

Blazer: Target

Tee: J.Crew Vintage Cotton Tee in Bright Blueberry

Denim: The Limited (old)

Heels: Christian Louboutin

Bag: LV (ret.)

Necklaces: J.Crew Pearl Twisted Hammock Necklace & J.Crew Factory Brass-Plated Crystal Necklace

Bracelets: J.Crew, Banana Republic Outlet (in stores), Kate Spade, F21, vintage Hermes

Did y'all notice that I got my hair did?  First time in eight months. Thought I'd freshen things up a bit!