Christmas Tree Shopping

I had the day off on Thursday, so Aaron and I took that time to buy our Christmas Tree.  We thought it would be a good idea to do it during the week to beat the weekend crowds.  It was a great decision, there weren't too many people there, and we didn't waste any time waiting inline.  Which also meant there weren't tons of people everywhere, so it was easy to snap a few photos, and I only felt awkward about it once.  At one point we took a break from checking out the trees to photograph the experience (and my outfit), and then mid-photo this nice guy came over to check if we needed help, and that made me super uncomfortable.  I didn't want him to think we just came to take pictures, and not actually buy anything.  

This is where we got our Christmas tree from, Linvilla Orchards.  We could have cut our own, but we were feeling lazy, so we just picked from the precut trees.  Though, while we were checking out the cashier said the precut trees were a little better looking then the cut-your-own trees this year.  Which made me feel better about being a bit of a slacker.  I love their giant poinsettia made of red cloth and wire.  DIY inspiring!

I usually always make the hubby pose for a photo for me, before I hand the camera off to him.  I don't always show the pictures, but he's got such a cute smile, I had to share.  

The jacket is Aaron's early Christmas present to me.  I absolutely love it.  When I tried it on I knew I would be going home with it.  It fits so well, like it was tailored just for me.  The rest of the outfit is my go to look for this season.  A plaid flannel, and jeans just scream fall/early winter.  I have a rather long torso so I always pair my tops with a long tank top, and I enjoy playing with the combo of colors together.  I love a good pair of jeans, and this is the pair I measure all other jeans against.  I bought them from the Levi's store in Manhattan on our honeymoon.  They are from their Bold Curves line, which is so perfect for my body shape.  I usually have a problem with jeans having too much material in the waist, and then the back always gaps open, but that is not a problem with this pair.  

Jacket--  Land's End from Sears

Flannel Top--  Delia's

Tank Top--  Target

Jeans--  Levi's

Shoes--  DSW

Belt--  Target

Sunglasses--  Flea Market in Los Angeles

Hope ya'll are having a great weekend.  I spent today getting the rest of our Christmas decorations up, including dressing our freshly bought Christmas tree.  I plan on sharing photos of all the fun festivities tomorrow.  Happy DIYing, chris!

This Is Me #11

Today I am going to try something a little different with This Is Me.  I'm going to use outfit photos with my five tid-bits about me.  

1.  Stitching together eloquent words that form a cohesive sentence, that fill you with emotional wonder, is not my forté.  

shirt -- H&M + DIY

tank top -- Target

shorts -- Target

shoes -- DSW Dirty Laundry + DIY

bracelet --  DIY

2.  I almost failed spelling in fourth grade.  I had a special teacher that I sat with in an empty room who helped me during spelling tests.

3.  I'm good at remembering names and faces.  If I forget someone's name I really give myself a ration of poo for letting it go.

    

4.  My most popular date spot with Aaron is Ikea.  We usually leave with a stuffed animal in hand, and our bellies full of swedish meatballs. 

5.   We used to have two pet rats. Rink-rat and Shanks.  Now we have two stuffed rats to commemorate them.  Of course not real rats.  We aren't in to taxidermy.  

Hope ya'll enjoyed, and happy DIYing, chris!

Bright Patterns Make Me Happy

More photos from Bennington, Vermont.  This is the outfit I wore on Friday for the graduation ceremony.  Well, really just Peter Dinklage's speech.  

This is a new dress I got at Target recently.  I was having a rough few days, and I decided to do some retail therapy.  This dress did just the trick.  

I didn't think I liked this photo at first, but I like this in-between moment Aaron caught.   

I love the angle of this photo.  I think I look thinner and taller.  I'm making a funny face, but everything else is so lovely I couldn't leave this one out.  Aaron took this photo standing at his normal height.  He must tower over me all the time.  I always seem to forget he's a foot taller than me, and things must look different from up there.  Hehe.  

Uh-oh, my hair kind of looks grey on top.  Maybe it's just the way the light is hitting my head ...  I don't dye my hair, so it's not like my roots are growing out, and showing under hair dye.  I always forget to take photos of the back of my outfits.  I thought this back was worth remembering.  :)

For this photo Aaron stood like a sumo wrestler, with his knees fully bent, and his feet spread wide apart.  It was easy to smile.  

I love the colors and pattern of this dress.  This is my first maxi dress, and this one makes me feel so pretty.  I want to go buy more.  The material is luxurious, and makes me want to lounge around all day.   I guess I was hesitant to jump on this trend, because I was worried a long flowy skirt could label me a hippie, which for some reason is a label I've always resisted.  I guess I've always been adverse to labels though.  Anyway, back to the dress, the colors and pattern on this dress are anything but hippie, perfect for outdoor events in the spring/summer.  :)  

Dress -- Target

Cardigan -- H&M

Sandals -- DSW by Mix No. 6

Sunglasses -- Target or H&M

Hope ya'll are having a great week so far, and happy DIYing, chris.  

What I Wore ...

On our mini staycation two weekends ago.  

Dress -- H&M

Sweater -- T.J. Maxx

Tank-top -- H&M

Leggings -- American Apparel

Sandals -- DSW by Mix No. 6

Bag -- Jo Totes

I mentioned in Sunday's post that Aaron and I took some outfit pics on our mini staycation for our anniversary.  I'm wearing the same dress from this outfit post, but I've paired it with different layers.  I've also worn that sweater a ton, maybe a bit too much, as seen by my header ... I love layering!  Aaron makes fun of me for how many layers I usually have on, but I love mixing colors and textures!  The color and pattern of this dress is so girlie and cute, but it's super low cut, and short in the skirt, so I'm always pairing it with things to cover myself up.  This pair of leggings and tank top match perfectly, and there are bits of this color in the dress' flowers.  American Apparel calls this color Evergreen, I would normally think of evergreen as a darker color with less blue.  I'd call this color dark teal or aquamarine.  Whatever color this is, I love it!  

I wear my hair down all the time, but sometimes I like big curls in my hair.  I'm not one to spend too much time on my hair, so this is how I achieve that look.  I put my hair up in a messy bun while it's slightly damp.  To make it cute for our little anniversary date, I wrapped a vintage cloth belt around the bun.  I've kept this belt since I was a kid to use solely as a hair accessory.  I found it on a dress in my grandparent's basement when I was probably about seven.  Not sure what happened to the dress, cause it didn't fit me at the time I didn't pay it much attention.  

This bag from Jo Totes is amazing.  I can't rave about how awesome it is enough.  I love these leggings too.  I got them more then six years ago, and they've held up well.  The little white buttons are just perfectly adorable.  I'm not a foot person, and I generally like to keep my toes covered, but I couldn't resist the flowers on these sandals.  Plus strappy grecian or gladiator style sandals are my favorite.  

Yay for jumping, the beach, mini staycations, Aaron, nice weather, and the ocean!  Happy DIYing, and have a great tuesday, chris.