My outfit Monday

Today marks the 61st day of my "shopping detox."
(AAK! Has it really only been 11 days since my last post on this subject?! COME ON!!!  This thing is taking FOR-EV-ER...)
Since I'm on the subject of not shopping, I felt I should also inform you that I went to a town highly loaded in retail stores and did not buy one single article of clothing OR accessory.  Thank you.  Thank you very much!
I was and am pretty proud of myself, although Aaron is to be credited as well.
You see he text me to come pick him up at the exact moment I was briefly "checkin' out" the Jason Wu collection at Target.
Coincedence? Probably.....
So anyway, here's the outfit I conjured out of my own closet out of my own brain.

Earrings: Etsy, Cardigan: Gap, Blouse: Ann Taylor-thrifted
Skirt: J. Crew, Tights:??, Shoes: Madden Girl- ??



Sorry Pinterest...you don't get to claim all all of the inspiration....my brain still works.....sometimes.

The day-trippers

Gosh it feels good to get out of town, even if it is only for a day!

Despite wintry conditions and late starts, we managed to make it over the hill for Aaron to take care of a couple things, for me to kill time and shop a little while he was busy (but not for clothes....even though I went to Target, I know!? Right?!) then return to the Schoolhaus Brewhaus for a fantastic German lunch.
We had a super friendly and "sehr neidlich" (very cute) waitress named Heidi, who made the trip to the restaurant that much more enjoyable.  We can't wait to go back for dinner!

Check out the menu....

Here is what we ate and drank:

A delicious plate of Eintopf
(sausage, homemade sauerkraut with a creamy tomato
and bacon sauce over a bed of spatzle)....YUMMERS! 



2 pints of Optimator-a German beer

And Doner kebab- a german type of gyro

We were super pleased with the whole day.
We finished our lunch, drove home (all the while listening
AND
singing along to the Avett Brothers....mostly me).  Then we 
stopped by our favorite corner street market
to pick up some beers (Aaron)
and a new Moscato from Australia (me).

All things considered, I think the day went
over-the-moon well
and was just what both of us needed!

Hope you all have a good weekend!

Lazy no more!

As mentioned in my last post, I have been lazy bones and I truly don't know what my problem has been.

Is it stress? Fatigue? Genetics?

So today when my alarm went off, I rolled over to Aaron and said "you make the call, are we getting up early or not?"

He said no.

(I thought "thank you, thank you, thank you....." and went back to sleep)

 I got to sleep in so late but still didn't want to get up.  Like ever.

Uh-oh....

But I did get up and decided to make something good for our un-official lazy day.

Enter Pear Streusel Breakfast Buns (my weekend name....just joking!)

These muffins came from a 'Magnolia Bakery' cookbook, so I was expecting amazing-ness.

After a whole hour of chopping and blending, this is what I ended up with:

Pear Streusel Breakfast Blobs

They turned out to be some very-un-amazing "muffins" that cooked over....ALL OVER the edges of the muffin pan AND my oven and burned, baby, burned.

So my next plan of action should've been to open every window in my smoked out house and clean my oven thoroughly, right?

Boo! Who wants to do that?

So instead Aaron and I went for a bike ride around our side of town.

The weather was beautiful and I look forward to doing it again!

But it couldn't last all day.  I had to face the music some time- the stove still had to be cleaned.

So I did.  Then ( to save you from a super boring post) I did a whole bunch of other stuff around the house!!!

I'm not only so proud of myself that I had to share but have also started a new project throughout the entire house:

"The simplify project"

(more on that later)

Lazy Whitney has been put to work!



Dem Lazy Bones

Life in these here parts have been pretty boring but life seems uber busy at the same time.  Does this make any sense?

So when the end of the busy, stressful work week comes I realize that I finally have a day to do what I want.

But what I want to do usually turns into doing nothing.

And that? Doesn't really go over well with my husband who would like do something.....

anything really.

I usually feel really bad and end up doing something "against my will"...griping about it the whole time.

I know, real nice eh?

So imagine my surprise...nay...JOY when I found so many pins about this exact dilemma on pinterest.

Behold and enjoy my newest non-interesting-interest:

 DOING NOTHING!



pinterest

 

pinterest

See? Even nature feels this way sometimes!



pinterest



pinterest



pinterest

By the way? I have done some things today....thank you cards and reading counts, right?

Day 50 of the never-ending challenge

Yes it is only day 50 of my 100 day challenge

and yes I'm afraid I will drag this "no shopping" theme into my blog posts for as long as I prevail.

After all, I'm not one to suffer in silence.  I like to make others aware of my misery (at the very least), if not miserable themselves.

But enough of that!
How have I done so far?
I haven't caved yet!

I'm really doing okay......yes, okay with this whole thing.

So far.

But I've come to realize what I miss the most and I have to admit I'm surprised.

I don't miss malls, internet shopping or amazing retail stores of that type but

I miss my thrift shopping!?  Yes, despite the screaming kids and some creepy clothes that should be tossed, I miss finding some awesome, one of a kind deals that give me serious street cred.

I miss is so much that I'm pretty sure a little part of me dies every time I read on someone else's blog that their shirt or skirt has been thrifted!
What?! Lucky....

But alas, I have started a list of things I'd like to be on the look out for when I can shop again.
Here's my little listy-loo:

A mint colored A-line skirt

pinterest

A black blazer

pinterest


Yellow flats

dsw

and last but not least.....
A navy polka dot dress (or shirt or skirt...or both) AND a yellow cardigan



polyvore

 And that my friends is all I can think of tonight!
Only 50 more days to go!

Bananas Foster Bread

Hmm...spotty bananas? Check.

Rum? Check!

Pinterest for a little inspiration? Mmmhmm.

Bananas Foster Bread

(and as far as I'm concerned, the only banana bread that will be made in my house from here on out.....)

Check it out!

Eureka!

Ever since a larger TV appeared in our house, we've needed to find a stand/table that would prove to be both functional and look good in our home.

We looked around and haven't found anything we remotely liked.

Then I found a couple ideas on Pinterest and knew what I wanted to find.

Something like this maybe:

 via pinterest



pinterest



pinterest



So imagine my surprise when Aaron found this guy on Craigslist!

We are going to touch it up a bit and replace the pulls, but over all it was love at first sight

(and the price was right too!)

I'll show you the "after" photos when we get it all figured out!

Fudge Oatmeal triangles (or bars....whatever)

Baking was pushed aside for the past couple of weeks as I attempted to "be good" and stay away from most carbs.

I fought the carbs and the carbs won.

Let the baking begin!

So I decided to try this recipe that I've had for a very long time, but have never made myself

(however a friend would make these bars and they did  not disappoint).

Go ahead and make them, pour yourself an ice cold glass of milk and enjoy!

Beware! You can't eat just one (but really should due to the huge amounts of butter).

Fudge Oatmeal Bars

Mix 2 C. packed brown sugar, 1 C. of soft butter or margarine, 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla together first.  Then stir in 2 1/2 C. flour, 1tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt and 3 C. oatmeal. 

After mixing all of the ingredients take 2/3 of the dough mix and gently press it down evenly in the bottom of a greased jelly roll pan. 

Set aside and make the fudge mix:

Heat over low heat 12 oz of chocolate chips and 14 oz sweetened condensed milk until chocolate is completely melted and mixed well with the milk.  Then add 2 tbsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp salt.

THEN....

pour and spread the fudge mix over the first layer of dough.  Then take the rest of the dough and randomly spoon over the fudge layer.

Bake at 350 degree F for 25-30 minutes.  When bars are cool cut into triangles.

Enjoy!

Show and tell

I'm sure I must have done show and tell somewhere in my elementary school career

(clarification: as a wee student, not a teacher)

but I can't remember one to save my life.

So.....I thought I would make up for it and share with you a current favorite song I heard by a one Mr Jack Johnson- 'Imagine':

and then a video my sister told me about yesterday that cracks me up so very much:

Enjoy!