a wonderful wedding weekend

This weekend was wonderful. I took the day off Friday to head to Naples for a wedding at the Ritz-Carlton. And while taking a day off alone could have made for a spectacular weekend, the rest of the events made it even better.

When driving south to Naples from Tampa, you have to drive over the sunshine skyway bridge that connects the opening of Tampa Bay to the Gulf of Mexico, and I have a very strange fascination/fear of that bridge. It is gigantic. Cruise ships have to be able to get under it, and they close it when it's too windy. It's a suspension bridge, and I honestly took more pictures of it than I did anything else the whole weekend. I'll just share one...

Can you see how massively gigantic it is in the distance? Okay, I digress.

When we arrived, we started acting like celebrities from the moment we dropped our car off at the valet. The hotel was beautiful and amazing, and because we had been monetarily planning for this weekend for a few months we were able to really enjoy the lavishness.

PS All of these pictures were taken with my new iphone. The camera quality is pretty impressive.

Tim was a groomsman in the wedding and headed off the rehearsal while I squeezed in a run, then I showered and we were off to the rehearsal dinner at Shula's Steakhouse. It was delicious. I enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine with my steak, creamed spinach, steak fries, and cheesecake.

 I needed a picture of myself with the giant mint-filled martini glass.

We headed back to a bar at the hotel for a little while before calling it an early night. I had plans to get up and run 11 miles the next morning.

And run 11 miles I did. By myself. On the treadmill. It was pretty terrible, but I did it and got it out of the way so that I could enjoy my time at what I knew would be a beautiful wedding. Then I went to breakfast with a girlfriend and met up with a few of the other girls for manicures and pedicures.

We did this while the boys got ready while being photographed by the photographer and videographer. No pressure.

Before heading out to the beach for the wedding, we all met in the lobby for a drink.

 And while it had rained throughout the day and rained later in the day, the rain held our perfectly for the duration of the wedding. You can even see the clouds waiting in the background.

I'm not going to post any of the pictures I got of the bride or groom, because she has a blog and I want her to be able to unveil the first pictures of herself, but I had to include one of my Timmy waiting for the bride to come down the aisle.

Afterwards was a beautiful and insanely fun reception. Each of the bridesmaids and groomsmen walked in to their own song, the cake was made of cheesecake, and the liquor was top shelf. We had an amazing time.

Along with the amazing valet, it was wonderful to have a housekeeper that organized your makeup on the counter for you, chocolates with your turndown service, and a bellman help carry your bags to your afore mentioned awaiting car. 

So we returned Sunday to the reality of our lives only a little worn down from our amazing weekend. It's back to work tomorrow with a long week ahead, but I can say one thing for sure: there is nothing that lights the wedding planning fire under you like attending such an amazing and immaculate wedding. I'm in planning mode. Now someone tell me what to do first...

How was your weekend?

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the future

Running has become so much more to me than something that I have to do. While I'm not saying that I'm always rip-roaring to go when I head out the door to go run, I do look forward to it and feel lazy if I go more than a day without running. I joined a running club, and it's been so motivational and inspirational to run with other people. And depending on the day, it really keeps my pace faster.

I'm hooked. People warned me. And because I'm hooked, I've signed up/committed myself to a number of races coming up and planned a few others. 

Here's what's on the books/planned:

November 20: Women's Running Magazine Half Marathon

I'm already registered, and I'm excited to make this half marathon #2. Last year there were 6,000 people running, which is only a little smaller than the Wine and Dine. The start is only 45 minutes from my house, so I won't have to stay in a hotel the night before, which is nice. The course is flat, and we get to run through Tropicana Field, where the Tampa Bay Rays play. And, it's sponsored by Publix, so I'm thinking there should be some good post-race food.

November 24: Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 8k

This is at home in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and I hope that my dad, mom, and sister will come cheer me on. My dad and sister haven't seen me run, so I would love for them to get to see me. Plus, it's an 8k, which is a distance I haven't run, so it'll be a clear PR.

December 17: 23rd Annual Say No To Drugs 10k

This seems to be a pretty big race. I haven't signed up yet, but I'm pretty sure I'll be doing it. It only costs $19, which is a good price for a chip timed race. And, it'll be a reason to keep running after the Women's Half and Turkey Trot.

January 8: Walt Disney World Marathon Relay

The Marathon Relay is a new event this year. Someone at work asked if I wanted to do it with him, and I was super thrilled. I get to run the first half of the marathon (a half marathon) through Epcot and Magic Kingdom. Then, we tag off and he takes the second half, which is the route that I ran in the Wine and Dine. He said he's run through Magic Kingdom so many times in previous races that he wanted to do the second half. I'm excited too because I love Disney blink. I'll get the Chip and Dale Medal on the right, which I think is really cute!

February 12: Rock 'N Roll St. Pete Half Marathon

I already signed up for this one when I found a discount code, and I can't wait to participate in my first Rock 'n' Roll event. I'm hoping to collect some of the heavy medals this year (where they give you more medals depending on how many Rock 'N' Roll events you do). I'm sure there will be HUGE numbers at this race, and I'm looking forward to it. It will be half marathon #4, and I'm hoping that by this point I'll be able to break 2:00:00. That's my goal.

Those are my plans up until February at this point. I'm sure I'll fill in a few weekends with shorter races, but I'm scared to run events and not PR. I'm afraid it will discourage me, and I have to talk myself out of that fear.

What races do you have coming up? Anyone else coming down to the Disney Marathon Weekend? It would be fun to do a meetup!

I'm off to Naples in the morning to go to an amazing weekend! I'll take pictures! :)

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money and celebrities

I'm in such a strange mood, and I really just feel like word vomiting, and since this is my blog, I'm going to do it (and yes, that was a run on sentence, and I don't even care).

Yesterday I was getting gas and the tv above the gas pump told me that Michael Jackson made $275 million this year. 

I don't make $100,000 (I wish), but I just wanted to remind myself of the above.

Does this frustrate anyone else? Does this seem fair? My initial thoughts when I heard this included, 'where is this money going?' and 'how can I get in on it?'. 

Then, this morning on my way to school I learned that Lindsay Lohan has agreed to pose for Playboy and is earning $1 million. 

That disturbed me more, I think. I'd be willing to contribute to the fund to see that she doesn't pose in that magazine. I think the things that she does and the way that she acts are atrocious, and it makes me mad to no end that people will continue to let her act this way and pay her. 

And although this probably isn't news to anyone, as I've read it three times in blogs in the last hour, Jessica Simpson wants $500,000 for the rights to announce that she's pregnant.

Do we look like idiots? Are celebrities having a hard time making money right now too? But Dear Lord I'm just worried some news source is going to do it. And then where does that leave us as a society?

I'm not a celebrity (clearly, I can't even make $100,000 alive), but that doesn't stop me from living like one. Speaking of which, I've got to go make sub plans for Friday, do the dishes, and lick my own engagement party envelopes.

Any other celebrity gossip I haven't accidentally caught up on? I normally don't know these things (or care), but this has all been thrown at me in the last 24 hours. Thought I'd share. And I apologize in advance for continuing to refer to Michael Jackson making $275 million dead.

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5 things

Sorry I haven't posted a lot this month. I don't know why. Or I kind of do know why but don't really know what's gotten into me. I do care a lot about my blog, and I love having it and connecting with people through it. I love posting on it and hearing your comments, but in the last two weeks I've been more interested in reading other blogs or enjoying down time than posting anything myself.

It's not that I don't have anything to say...I'm sure I could come up with something. I have ideas from time to time of what I want to say, but I just haven't followed through with them a lot. So, to jumpstart my posting...here's 5 really random things.

1. Couch 2 5k

I was just thinking yesterday about how 8 short months ago I couldn't get up and run one quarter of a mile without falling over sideways in agony. And now, I go out on Saturdays or Sundays and run 10+ miles on a regular basis. 

If you're trying to get into running, just do the couch to 5k plan. Seriously. Start tomorrow. It's slow, it takes time, but it's so worth it. The feeling of accomplishment when you run your first 30 minutes straight into your first hour, half marathon, etc. are so worth it. Just trust me?

2. kate spade iphone case

I bought this one on Monday...after the 30% off sale...because I forgot about the sale when it was going on. Isn't that the worst? Luckily I still got 15% off.

3. day off

I'm taking the day off of work on Friday to head down to Naples to go to a wedding at the Ritz Carlton Naples. I'm pretty thrilled, because it'll be a wonderful wedding. It'll also be a perfectly relaxing weekend to enjoy time with Tim. He's been working so so much and doing so so much school work, and I miss him.

4. grocery stores and cooking dinner

I still hate them. I wrote a blog post about grocery shopping a long long time ago when I first started this blog, and it makes me laugh. I like to cook when I have time, but a lot of times lately I have wanted to do anything but make a grocery list for the week or cook dinner each night. I saw this on pinterest today when I was looking for easy dinner recipes, and it fit my thoughts perfectly. I definitely get into bed each night thinking this...

Source: annetaintor.com via meghan on Pinterest

5. Wedding Planning

I have done quite a lot on this front without updating you all. I'm sending out engagement party invitations tomorrow, and once I'm sure everyone that reads this has gotten them, I'll post them on here. I'm so pleased with them, and the eggplant color matches the color of the envelopes that I ordered off of etsy perfectly. It was like they were meant to be together. We have a few other things pieced together, but I'll wait to post until I have more time to devote.

How are things going with you? 

Is this post entirely too random?

It's the best I've got right now.

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another erin condren deal!

I'm sure you've seen around the blog world about everyone's love for Erin Condren. I am of course not an exception. I was in fact looking today to order an address book to store all these wedding addresses I've been collecting, and I happened upon another deal!

I was thrilled! 

Today on Plum District you can get $50 in Erin Condren product for $25. Plus, you can use the code FABULOUS to get 10% off of that $25!

I'm going to get holiday cards, an address book, and some notepads, because I definitely bought 2 of the deals.

So, here is the link to the deal today only on Plum District. And after you buy it, you can find several other codes around the internets to get even more money off. If you don't know of any other codes, let me know and I'll email some to you. 

And I promise I'll be returning tomorrow with a real post. Life has just gotten hectic as of late. 

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fall decor

I've seen so many amazing posts on fall decorations (my favorite here), and I've really been meaning to do some decorating of my own. I mean, unless this one light counts as decorating.

I've been so busy, so it really never even made it onto a to do list. But after we came home from the grocery store yesterday, Tim asked why I hadn't put out the spider votive holder yet. I was so surprised, because I didn't think he cared. I thought it was so cute that he remembered one specific little thing that I had bought last year for Halloween.

So with that, I started putting out the Halloween and fall decorations. Halloween decorations were always some of my favorites that my mom has. Over time, she's gotten me little things that are like the ones from home.

She always has a pumpkin on the counter filled with candy to get you in trouble.

Candles help the room smell fresh but also add a fall feeling to the air.

 

She got me this haunted house this year. It's the exact one she and dad have at home. I love it!

I love the spider look to this votive holder without being gross or creepy (obviously Tim loves it too).

I picked these up at the store today since Tim seems to really appreciate fall decorations more than I realized.

 

I really like decorating with pumpkins because they can be left out past Halloween (or turned around to have no face on them). I'll pull out my cornucopia here in a few weeks and place that at the center of the dining room table. I'm just not sure I'll do with all those pumpkins I got today.

Do you decorate for the holidays? What's your favorite one to decorate for?

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looking back (on last week and this weekend)

Hiii. Did you notice I've been away for a little while longer than usual? Sorry bout that.

Last week was a short week at school (Wednesday-Friday), but can you begin to wrap your head around the idea that those three days felt like about 10? Between grades being due, comments for every kid being due, teaching classes, and ensuring that every other hat that I wear at school was on straight, it was a hot mess. 

But. While stressful, some fun things did happen to mitigate the difficulty level.

1. I joined a running group at a local running store. After my half marathon October 1st I took three days off, ran 3.1 miles on Thursday, 6 miles on Sunday (in my new shoes), and then joined the running club on Tuesday to start training for Half Marathon #2 (Women's Half Marathon St. Petersburg)! It has been so much fun so far. We ran 50 minutes intervals on Tuesday, 50 minutes tempo on Thursday, and then a long run this weekend. The girls in the group are right around my age and vary in speed and goal level, which makes it so much fun!

2. I met a girlfriend from Junior League at The Pub after work to partake in a beverage or two. I had read about it on Meghann's blog and couldn't wait to try out the taps.

It's a very high-quality iPhone picture, but you get the idea. You have this card and scan it and you then get to pour as much beer as you want. I tasted quite a few with only a few ounces before choosing one to actually drink. 

The chips we had weren't very good, but the ahi tuna sliders I had were fantastic! It was also nice to just enjoy some girl time after a long day and heading into another one...

3. Although Thursday was the longest day of my life this year, with me laving the house at 6:40 and getting home at 8:20, I made it home unscathed. And had a pretty good run at the running club to boot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Weekend~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After school Friday, some of the teachers went to go see the high school performance of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. I remember reading it in high school and wish I could have seen it then. It really helped me understand the point of the play. And wow. What an insane way to look at America's history during the Salem Witch Trials.

Afterwards, we went out to dinner and to celebrate the end of our longest short week ever. Per my suggestions from a few weeks ago, we went to The Pub. (Hm. I must have really been excited about trying this place and suggested it to multiple people).

And while I would have loved to have headed home and put on pj's at 8:15, it was off to a birthday celebration at World of Beer for one of Tim's friend's birthdays. I love WOB, because they have a zillion beers to choose from, so when I want to be adventurous I can, but when I want what I know I can have that too.

 source

And since I was so so sleepy, it was a night of having what I know. I enjoyed one Woodchuck cider and  enjoyed the company before calling it a night.

On Saturday I slept until 11:45 AM. I'm not even kidding. And I had gone to bed at 12:30 AM. Tired much?

With the little bit of a day that I had left I cleaned, did some work, and enjoyed me time. I got in a good run on my own, and I cooked dinner for me and Tim to enjoy while watching the Alabama game and the Florida game.

Sunday was a fun day for me for a few reasons. 

On Sunday morning I got up and ran 10 miles with the running club on Bayshore. I took one picture on my phone, but you have to see the route to get the idea of the views I was looking at the whole time. Aren't Garmin watches the coolest thing ever?

And somewhere on Davis Island, this was my view.

Not bad, huh?

Because my hip has been bugging me a little, I ran a half marathon two weeks ago, and I ran ten miles, I decided that an ice bath was necessary.

 And yes. It was cold. But it felt great! I definitely understood why people do them, and I'll definitely be doing it again.

And after a warm shower and a quick decision, I headed to the apple store to get the new iphone.

And although I was next in line to get the white one when they ran out, I went ahead and got the black one because, like Veruca Salt, "I want it now!"

And that's pretty much the end. I played with it for the rest of the day and asked Siri to sing me a song, to tell me her favorite color, and a few other funny questions. It's pretty sweet to be able to speak my text messages, I have to say.

And that, my friends, was my last week. Thanks for reading.

I had to do a read all on Thursday of last week. Please share with me!

How was your last week?

What did you do this weekend exciting?

Did you get the new iPhone? Did you figure out any fun things to ask Siri?

And for fun, what's your favorite beer/cider? (My favorite cider is Woodchuck Granny Smith and I don't have a favorite beer. I love so many.)

And if you made it this far...thanks! 

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Shopping the website: JCrew

I've been so so good this month with not shopping (and also not going to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks...which I've promised Tim myself that I wouldn't do this month), and I plan on continuing that streak. Because we're saving for the wedding, there's not a lot of room in my budget for clothes that I don't necessarily need. That doesn't mean I don't still want clothes that I see online. And I know I just mentioned how I realize I don't have to shop at expensive places for nice clothes, but sometimes when those stores send me emails I can't help but take a peek. Is that so wrong? ;)

JCrew has been so unimpressive to me lately, so when I actually went into the store the other day to look for a necklace, I was shocked to instantly see two things I loved. That hasn't happened to me in that store in forever. I walked out empty handed, but when I got one of those emails I remembered that I had seen some stuff I liked, so I clicked.

...and I clicked and clicked and clicked.

J.Crew has stepped it up I must say. I loved so much of what I found on their website. And while I'm still not shopping for a while, I added a bunch to my virtual cart so that in case it does on sale and in case  it goes 30% off sale, I would be prepared. Wow. Things add up fast.

all images from JCrew's website

Have you clicked over there lately? I'm adding a piece or two to my Christmas list...and I might buy one of those Chambray shirts (I tried one on at Old Navy a few weeks ago and it fit me really funky) since I've been looking for a while.

But for now, it's still all just an online illusion to me. But it helps to share with you. And maybe if you make a purchase you can tell me and I can live vicariously through you?

What do you think? Any favorites from there lately?

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function over form

I am totally not a function over form person, and just titling this post that was hard for me. I usually look at something and decide if it's pretty before I decide if it would work for it's intended purpose. This is pretty much true of everything, including kitchen measuring cups, soaps, shoes, and bags. I mean, I continue purchasing Tory Burch shoes, even though they are some of the most uncomfortable things out there (I hate that it's true, but it totally is).

But, this weekend, for what might be one of the first times in my entire life, I literally ignored beauty and went for function. I needed a new pair of running shoes; once you run 400-500 miles in a pair, they're pretty dead. And shockingly, I had acquired that much mileage in my good old Nike Frees.

I loved them. They were light, flexible, and purple. When I wore them with my purple headband and purple shirt, I really looked so put together (which I often don't in my regular clothes...oops). So when it came time to say goodbye, I fully intended on buying another pair of Frees. I was actually planning on ordering them from the Nike website so that I could customize them to my color choices.

I just wanted to make sure that they were good shoes for me before I did it, though. So I took them to a running store and did a gait analysis, and she pretty much told me they were the worst shoes for me. She said that it explained my IT band pain and the pain in my hip. Apparently when I run, my feet roll inwards a bit, and these shoes were offering no support of my arch for that purpose, which was then leading to my IT band pain.

She said, "let me bring out shoes for you."

I said, "okay."

But then I never got to look at the wall of shoes, and I never got to tell her what I liked or what colors were my favorite. And I'm pretty sure she didn't care.

She brought out three boxes of shoes, and I loved the different Nike ones because they were pretty. But they felt funny. And I didn't really like the Saucony, because they weren't pretty. But they felt great.

So I took a lap around the store track, and I was sold. And I was mad. Because they weren't purple. They were white. With silver and blue. And mesh. And they were heavier and not as flexible. And really they just looked so ugly to me. But since I'm going to keep running and train for another half, I guess it's important that I have shoes that will make my legs not hurt versus shoes that will make my eyes not hurt (because apparently it doesn't matter if running shoes are pretty?).

So here they are...

And I guess they're not horrible, but they're not what I wanted. But they're what I got. And I ran 6 miles in them yesterday, and there was a world of difference when I finished. There was no hip pain or knee pain or I just stopped running pain. And it was lovely.

Oh well. I'm sure that as I continue to run in them with no pain I'll grow to love them and hate the ones I had before. But for now it's sad to me that I won't be able to match my entire workout ensemble. 

Is there anything you've recently purchased that was for function that you didn't necessarily love the way it looked? 

Am I wrong? Are they not that bad looking? Are my eyes just so set on purple?

And if you run, what shoes do you wear? And did you get them fitted for you or how did you pick?

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"IT" List

Happy Friday Ladies! Take some time to check out these great links!

• gs lillian shares these quirky loafers and flats she found - how fun are these? Check out her blog to see more fun styles! (find gs lillian on twitter!)
• sweetie pie style never disappoints with her simple and inspiring Monday posts.  This "just breathe" photo has me swooning! (find sweetie pie style on twitter!)
• lex and learn tries stuffed peppers for the first time... yum, these look amazing! (find lex and learn on twitter!)
• rachael, really gives us the scoop on gel nails. I love her insight here - have you ever tried them? (find rachael, really on twitter!)
• little girl in a big world is vowing to shop her closet... I need to be better about this too! (find little girl in a big world on twitter!)
• everyday mom style shows us her sideline attire - all you 'soccer moms' know what I mean! And I love this outfit... perfect for a stylish mom! (find everyday mom style on twitter!)
• spot of whimsy is totally in fall mode... check out her gorgeous farmers market pictures and other snapshots of fall! (find spot of whimsy on twitter!)
• fabulously average sports an adorable fall outfit including stripes and a few bold colors.  How could it get better than this? (find fabulously average on twitter!)
• the style dossier has a flapper/20's gal hair (and makeup!) tutorial.  Just in time for Halloween! (find the style dossier on twitter!)
• simply bold is loving ponchos for fall!  Me too! See how she styles them up!
• chic or treat shares her favorite beauty finds at Target - I always love a peek in to a fellow bloggers "shopping cart" so to say!  Check out her picks! (find chic or treat on twitter!)
• take me for a twirl shares her favorite podcasts... are you a podcast addict too!?!? Check out her favorites! (find take me for a twirl on twitter!)
• good life for less releases her newest e-book called "Blog Bits" where she dishes on how to grow and monetize your blog.  Check it out if you are interested in taking your blog to the next level! (find good life for less on twitter!)

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a coffee, some chocolate milk, and a list

This week has felt like an exceedingly long week, and somehow all over the internets people have four day weekends. Who are these people and where do they work? I'm in. 

Because Wednesday was community service day at school, which are usually on Thursdays, it felt like Friday all day yesterday. The worst part of thinking that Thursdays are Fridays is realizing that you have to go through another one. But, that's okay. I had a treat yesterday morning to make it better. 

A free treat. Which makes it all better.

I love that Starbucks gives a free drink for your birthday. I asked if there was a size requirement, and there was not. So of course I got a venti. Iced nonfat latte. Yum Yum. And it definitely did soften the blow of a not-Friday-Thursday.

The day wasn't too long, and after tutoring and coming home, I was looking forward to reheating leftovers so that I could focus on my first run back since the half marathon Saturday night (oh you get it? you're over me linking back to my first half marathon?). I didn't know what it would feel like, but it felt good! Better than I expected actually...just hoping I'm not sore again tomorrow.

And when I came back from it I drank a big glass of chocolate milk, which I've been so surprised to learn is one of the best post-run recovery drinks to have. Between the balance of protein and carbohydrates it speeds recovery for your next workout (source here). Who knew.

 

Having it come from a bunny wearing a mask jumping out of a pumpkin only adds to the sweet deal.

After long runs (7-8 miles plus) I drink a protein shake, but I don't want to lug out the blender for a 3-5 mile run...6 just depends.

And thank goodness for Wednesday and Thursday nights on tv. Between Suburgatory, Modern Family, The Office, Top Chef, Project Runway, Up All Night, and Happy Endings I have plenty to watch. Otherwise, when my kids ask me if I saw some History Channel or Discovery Channel special about something we're talking about, I might actually be able to say yes; and who would want to watch tv that makes you think?

Oh, and my race photos were posted. And yikes, some of them are so unflattering. But, I told you I'd share! ...I am going to buy the first one (for $25...can I be this photographer?).

 

 

Only some of it's sweat. I ended up with 1/4 of each water cup down my front side.

Even though I don't have Friday off, I do have Monday off. So for my long weekend, I need goals. Here they are:
1. Buy new running shoes.
2. Organize my closet/clothing storage system (and by organize I mean create one).
3. Clean downstairs.
4. Do all laundry.
5. Preschedule at least 2 blog posts.
6. Write 3 classes of comments.
7. Run 6 miles and finalize and start the new half marathon training plan.
8. Finish grading all papers due back to the students.
9. Menu plan and grocery shop for less than $100 for the whole week
10. Take clothes to the cleaner, bag up at least a bag for Goodwill and drop it off.

Long weekends are so productive for me...what are your plans for the weekend? Is yours a long weekend?

And I got so overwhelmed come back from Orlando this weekend that I missed a few days of blog posts and had to click read all. What did I miss? Please please tell me and give me links to fun or important posts of yours.

I can't wait to relax, relax, relax this weekend.

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those all belong to me?

My mom came down this past weekend to support me in my first half marathon, but she stayed with us in Tampa for a couple of days after the race. On Monday, I had to go to work, and her plan was to lay low around the house until I got home. She had intended to go to the mall or find something else to do with her time.

When I got home, I saw what she had occupied her time with: ironing. My mother laundered and ironed almost everything that I own. And I was amazed and so very thankful. I truly didn't expect it, not did I ask her to, and it was such an amazing surprise.

Aside from realizing how amazing my mom is, it also made me realize how insanely large my wardrobe is and how terribly unorganized I am. I just keep buying clothes, because I don't realize how much I have. I am ashamed to say that I don't necessarily have a system of organizing my clothes. A lot of times they're in baskets or folded in random drawers in piles. 

It makes me want to start shopping my closet more and piecing together new and different outfits. It also makes me want to stop buying clothes and start organizing and keeping up with the ones that I do have. Because I looked through my closet, and I thought, "hey! I really like the shirt!" 

I literally forgot I owned things. Does that happen to you?

And all that being said, it's insane how much I spent last month on clothes alone. It was a bad month for me budget-wise, between shopping, Disney, Anna Maria, and a few other things. And once I was over budget, I threw in the towel. Yikes.

For this month, I'm going to not buy one single thing related to something that I wear (except this exception I have in my head that will allow me one gift for my birthday to myself for less than $100 and a new pair of running shoes), and I'm going to shop my closet! 

Between shopping my closet and organizing my drawers and clothing space, I think I'll be able to get back to some outfit posts that even I'm excited about. Because I'm going to be completely honest...I've not been overly excited about my clothes lately. Do you get bored with yours?

So between what I learned last month about where to find cute clothes for less, and my goal this month, to shop my closet and nothing else, I really think I should get a hang of what I actually need when shopping and what I just want because I don't know whether it will fit into my collection or not.

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