HE PASSED!

I just realized that the title of this post could look very ominous. Everyone is alive and well! By passed, I mean that Steve... passed the Bar!!! 

We found out last Friday, so it was a great kick-off to the weekend. :) I am just so happy and relieved for him. He worked so hard and I could not be more proud.

Turning a New Leaf

Lovelies - doesn't it feel like fall?! It sure does where I live. It's sweatshirt and Uggs weather for sure, and I'm pretty happy about it.

I went to Target yesterday to pick up a prescription, and of course wandered through the clothing and shoes (of course!). I picked up these two numbers... totally different, and love them both equally:

In other news... as fall officially begins, I've decided it's time to "turn a new leaf." Yes, I'm getting cheesy with the autumn references. But I've decided it's really time to get in shape again. Once upon a time, I ran every day, could wear whatever I wanted, and never had to worry about a muffin top. But during that time in my life, I was unhappy in a lot of other ways and going through a breakup as well as the death of someone close to me. I think, as the years have progressed, I have associated being thin with being unhappy. And I just don't feel that way anymore... I feel happy, excited, content, comfortable, blessed... all feelings that (so far!) haven't been good for the waistline! ;) 

So after taking a good look at myself in the mirror the other day, I've decided not only to change the way I eat and work out, but to change the way I think. I want to associate being fit and in great shape with part of my happy world. I've been sort of ignoring the fact that I'm not 100% happy with my body, but I realized the other day that if I don't make some changes, then my body will never change either. So I ran out to Target and picked up Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, plus some Slimfast Bars and Shakes to get me started. I won't continue eating these forever, but am hoping they just kind of give me a jump start. And let me tell you... the 30 Day Shred is no joke! I did the first workout yesterday and was pouring sweat and am feeling it today. Exciting!! 

Here's to turning a new leaf this fall. :)

xo, Jen

Friday Funnies :)

WOAH. This is my third post in a row. Three days in a row?! That's unheard of! But since it's Friday, I thought we could all use some laughs to kick off the weekend. So here are some Friday funnies. Enjoy them! Free free to share some of your own (my dear 2 followers, mom, and hubby :))! 

1. Where were you when the CEO of your company walked in to your office? Surely you weren't standing bent over in front of a fan, hair blowing back, eyes closed, saying "This feels amazeballs!" No, surely you weren't. And neither was I. Ok, yes I was. Lucky for me I have a boss with a sense of humor! 

2. Some ecards that made me crack up and say "that's so true" :

HA! This is us, sadly. We have about 5 tupperwares in the 'fridge right now.

...Because it's weird!

I don't think I've ever "let it cool" 

Anyone else guilty of this?! Poor Steve. :)

3. Three words: Honey. Boo. Boo. It is absolutely shameful to admit, but I know I'm not alone. Those episodes are sometimes cringe-worthy, sometimes hard to watch, but always hysterical. 

xo, Jen

$30 Watch and $2 Nail Polish?!

Few things get me so pumped as a great deal. Don't get me wrong... I won't buy something just because it's "cheap," and I definitely won't buy something if the quality is cheap. But if I love something, and it's inexpensive, I feel like I hit the jackpot! 

So imagine my joy when I found this watch at none other than American Eagle:

The metal on the watch is actually a rose gold, though it appears more yellow gold in this photo. I like the masculine look..and the price at $30. :)

The other two little gems, I picked up at Target. ELF nail polishes, for $2 each. Yes, $2! 

 

I got the two colors above. I love the nude/pink and am excited to try the deep teal for fall. 


Back to American Eagle: the store you shopped in during high school and never thought you'd set foot in again (unless you're me, because I love a good cable knit sweater and soft hoodie!). Because of my fun finds in their jewelry section (I also picked up a pair of rose gold hoops), I decided to peruse their website, and found some surprisingly cute jewels! Check it out:

AE Triangle Earrings

AE Rhinestone Cuff Bracelet

AE Bar Necklace

AE Ikat Print Scarf

xo, Jen

Oh, October!

Well, it's official! Worst blogger ever here!!! ;)

I can't believe it's OCTOBER. As we speak, I'm sitting at my work desk (yes, taking a break from work!) with a mug of hot chocolate and thinking of all the fall fun that is to come. We've already gone hiking, canoeing, to the town fair (mmm fair food) and to Fright Fest at Six Flags... and there's a lot more in store for this month. 

Things have been crazy busy at work and in my personal life, as well. Two weekends ago I went away with my company for our work retreat, which was ah-mazing. They really outdid themselves. Amazing hotel suites, stunning wine cellar tour, Oktoberfest... it was such a fun time. Last Wednesday I traveled home specifically to eat fair food. Crazy? Maybe. But I've never missed a year at the fair in my life, and it was my mom's day off work, so it kind of worked out perfectly. We got to spend the day together and have fried vegetables and waffles and icecream for lunch (diet gods, forgive me!). :) 

I'm tempted to just do a "photo dump" of the last few week's activities, but honestly, it would just be too much! So I'll move on to the present. I'm sooooooo excited because this Friday I am... drumroll please... getting my hair done!

You don't understand. It has been a year since I've been to the hair salon. One. Year. And although I'm happy that my hair has grown nice and long now, it's lost all shape and style and is justttt out of control. So I booked an appointment for Friday during my lunch hour, and will be getting a wash/cut/style (no color, I couldn't decide what, if anything, I want!). 

Here are some ideas for the cut:

 

 

 
 

Clearly, I'm thinking layers and bangs. :) We'll see!

Hope October is treating you well!

xo, Jen

So Long, Sweet Summer

I don't know about you, but these cooler temps and shorter days are really making it feel like FALL is almost here. :) I'm cold in the morning when I run out of the house in my shorts to walk the pup, and all of the sudden I'm craving pumpkin and apple anything.

Yep, fall is on its way. 

But we've been squeezing every last bit of fun out of summer, too. We've been so busy, in fact, that I haven't updated this dusty little blog in weeks! Here's a glimpse of what we've been up to:

Cotton Candy drinks were the drink of choice at my dear friend Becky's bachelorette!

 We ate dinner at a delicious steakhouse (naturally, I didn't get steak)

Becky, bridesmaid Ashley, and me :)

This picture of me is absolutely heinous, but nevertheless, we visited the drive-in movies with some friends

We met our great friends Sarah & Jamie for dinner in our old college town :)

Before we knew it, it was Becky and Paul's rehearsal... the day before their wedding!

The beautiful bride.

My love and me at the wedding. <3

bridesmaids!

Indulged in a little wine tasting with the ladies from work

Cheers!

Lucky to have fabulous coworkers :)

The vineyard was on a property called Sweetwater Farm. I want to renew our vows/live there. 

It's been a busy few weeks, but we've loved seeing everyone and are gearing up for a busy next few weeks! Family get-togethers, a weekend work retreat, Six Flags trip, Rutgers football game, brewery tour, haunted house, and a girls' weekend are on the agenda! Happy September!

xoxo, Jen

Fall Fashion... Getting Excited!

Well, it's officially happening. 

The weather is gradually getting cooler, the days are gradually getting shorter, and fall is creeping up on us little by little. And while I do love me some summer, I'm getting really giddy about fall's arrival! There's something "ahhh" about fall. For me personally, when I think of fall, I think of the town fair where I grew up (last week of September... can't wait for toasted cheeseburgers and waffles & icecream!), football games, sweatshirt weather, pumpkin and spice everything, cozy sweaters, apple cider, hayrides, corn mazes, decorating,  and beautiful fall leaves everywhere. :)

So the upcoming season got me thinking about my dream fall wardrobe. I know that I'd like to invest in a cozy wrap sweater, chambray shirt, a couple of blazers, and maaaybe new boots. Here's what else I'm drooling over:

I clearly go for the cozy/classic look... with a twist. 

What are you lusting over this fall?

xo, Jen

TGIF!

YAY! It's Friday! 

What are ya'll up to this weekend? 

Steve and I are meeting friends for dinner tonight at Bonefish Grill... yum. Maybe this time I'll actually get fish. ;) Tomorrow we have friends coming from out of town and they have a little one, so we're going to a museum in Philly and then to my favorite place ever for dinner... THE POP SHOP! This is the place that has a whole menu of grilled cheese. I mean, seriously. Sunday is absolutely free, and I hope to get to the pool. 

But for now I think it's...

Happy weekend. :) 

xo, Jen

To My Husband

This is just a Wednesday post about my husband, and why he's a keeper... which explains why I've held onto him for so long. :) 

• Every morning, S packs up my laptop, planner, and work notebooks in my work bag for me so I can easily head out the door. He does this quietly and like clockwork. 
• When someone compliments Layla (our golden retriever, if you've forgotten) saying that she's beautiful or sweet, S lights up like a proud father. 
• S does the best impressions... of people, but also of certain sounds. He gets them all spot on, and it cracks me up every time.
• He will stop on the sidewalk and save a worm, a beetle, you name it. He hates to see any little living thing struggle. It's sweet to see a man help something so small.
• He cherishes our daily walks (we do sound like we're 80, don't we?!) as much as I do and always makes time for them. 
• S will always back me up. This is different than always giving me my way or telling me I'm right (he doesn't do that, and it's probably good), but I know that when it comes down to it, he's always in my corner.
• He still opens my car door. Almost 10 years later. It's the little things. 
• He tells me daily how proud of me he is, and celebrates my victories more than I do.
• S talks about what kind of dad he wants to be, and I just know he'll be the best. It melts me to think about.
• He is always silly with me. There is a lot of laughing and tackling in our house. 

These are just a few of the reasons why I love my hubs. What better day than a Wednesday to take a little time to appreciate them?

xo, Jen

Summer Daze

Yes, of course I had to use the cheesy play on words ("summer daze")! But seriously... where has this summer gone? How are we halfway through August? 

August took on a whole different meaning about ten years ago. It was always back-to-school shopping madness and butterflies in your stomach, and all that mattered was who would be in your homeroom. Ah, those were the days. ;) I don't care that I'm a full-fledged "adult" (I put that in quotations because, really, when do we ever feel grown up?) with a full-time job... I still crave notebooks and pens and new clothes. And I don't think we should ever have to give that up. :)

Anyway. Enough ranting and reminiscing. In the past couple of weeks, S and I have been trying to enjoy every minute of summer that we possibly can. And now that he's finished with the Bar (YAY!), we were able to go to possibly my favorite place on the planet. 

Stone Harbor.

The first stop was Springers Icecream (obviously).

We then proceeded to lay on the beach all. afternoon. 

Next up, it was Quahogs for dinner... the hole-in-the-wall looking crabshack that is ah-mazing.

It was a perfect beach day. The epitome of summer.

And although I'm not quite ready to give up summer, I am looking forward to fall. In fact, I've already got my eye on some must-haves for the season. Maybe that post will be next, if I ever remember. Ohhh blogging. 

xo, Jen