New Years Eve 2011

This year I am spending the New Year in Ellijay, GA with a group of college friends. Since almost everyone has graduated and moved away from Orlando the only time we ever get to see each other are for big events like weddings, UCF homecoming football games, holiday vacations, and I'm sure sometime in the future baby shower. We've headed up to Ellijay once before for a spring break in the mountains and it was a blast - we went horseback riding, climbed a mountain, had bonfires in the back yard, and watched Deliverance (a "horror/thriller/utter-crap" movie that was filmed on the same river that the house we stay in is on).

We still have no official plans for New Years, but me and the girls have decided we want to dress up - even if we do just end up hanging out at the house.

This would be such an adorable outfit to wear for the occassion!

Wordless Wednesday



Merry Christmas!!

I hope that everyone has a very merry and blessed Christmas!

This year December 25th is going to be a quite day for my family beause my dad is out of the states for work. It will just me, my mom, and my grandfather, and we will be going to church and then having a small dinner.

We will be celebrating a late Christmas in the beginning of January once my dad is home - my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew will be in town from Michigan, and my younger sister will be in town as well. We will be celebrating Baby O's (my nephew) first Christmas with lots of presents!



Wordless Wednesday



Secret Santa Pays Off KMART Layaway Accounts

This story is just so inspiring. It makes me truly believe that amidst all of the selfishness, conceitedness, and greediness, there really is some good still in the world.

Being a broke college student doesn’t allow me to do something like the man in this story did, but I try and do the best that I can. During high school I organized canned food drives for Thanksgiving, and now I donate money whenever I can – mostly involves dropping a few dollars into the Salvation Army buckets in front of stores this time of year.

Someday I would love to be able to do something like the man did by paying off peoples layaway bills.

So much more than a little black book...

While in the process of addressing Christmas cards I have realized just how unorganized I am. Sure, I wish I could be more organized and I usually try with to-do lists, my darling Lilly Pulitzer Agenda, and my wall calender, but to no avail my organization skills are greatly lacking.

At the moment my "address book" consists of torn off labels from envelopes of everyones address (tacky, yes, I know) I just have never had to time to sit down and write them all down into an actually address book. I might just have to go out and purchase one of the following address books in order to keep one of my other New Years Resolutions of being more organized in 2012.

Address Book 2 by mhowes87 on polyvore.com

Monsoon Flora Address Book
£8 - monsoon.co.uk

BARBARA WIGGINS Cracked Gold Foil Leather Medium Address Book
$27 - boutique1.com

Vivienne Westwood A6 Blue Squiggle Address Book
$35 - viviennewestwood.co.uk

Smythson Peridot Green Fashion Diary
$330 - my-wardrobe.com

Leathersmith of London Black Oxford Address Book
£26 - liberty.co.uk

gybe-ho boatwear giveaway hosted by Nautical by Nature

I recently came across a great company, gybe-ho boatwear, through another blog, Nautical by Nature, who is having an amazing giveaway this week.

Looking through their website I found some great t-shirts that I am adding to my Christmas gift list – my parents and my aunt would love some of their items! I also found an adorable t-shirt for my little nephew, Oren! And since we are celebrating Christmas a few weeks late because my dad is off working on a boat in the Caribbean I still have plenty of time to order them and have them at the house in time for "late-Christmas" as we are calling it.


These are a few of my favorite items:

Since I love all things Massachusetts this t-shirt is perfect for me! Also interested in getting a Florida one, too!

Love this shirt - it's a long sleeve tee and so great for the holidays!

Super cute!

Perfect shirt for my nephew, Oren. My parents named their dinghy to their sailboat after him (their first grandchild), so obviously he has sailing in his blood!

Check out Nautical by Natures blog and enter the giveaway to win an awesome custom shirt!

Kate Spade Color of the Month - NAVY!

So this is my first Polyvore set - I have seen it on so many other blogs and I thought I would give it a try - and what better way to test it out that with the Kate Spade color of the month.

I simply love all things navy - it is the best way to transition all things nautical from summer into your fall and winter wardrobe. And with so many Christmas and New Years party's on the horizon I had to glam it up with some glitter.

Kate Spade Navy Color of the month by mhowes87 featuring sparkly cocktail dresses

Sparkly cocktail dress
$83 - modcloth.com

Jane Norman mini skirt
€49 - janenorman.co.uk

Christian Louboutin high heels
£635 - net-a-porter.com

Christian Louboutin high heels
£635 - net-a-porter.com

Kate Spade patent leather handbag
$345 - nordstrom.com

Dorothy Perkins navy clutch
$39 - dorothyperkins.com

Amrita singh jewelry
$100 - amritasingh.com

Antique diamond ring
jewelry.1stdibs.com

 

Welcome back!

Just as I have gone through many changes since 2009, so has this blog. It has been remodeled, neglected, revisited, edited, reformatted, and restructured, but it has always been something in the back of my mind that I would like to expand upon. In my attempts to turn this into something I can be proud of, I am starting one of my New Year’s Resolutions a little early – I am hoping to get more in touch with my blogging self and be more open and willing to document things in my life. I also am interested in following and being involved on other peoples blogs – there are so many great blogs that I follow and am interested in interacting with them.


Cheers to the holidays!

Wordless Wednesday