picture post

alas, i have my camera again (thank you, r). i found a bunch of pictures i had forgotten about, so i thought i would share a few with you :) 

(that is r haha - funniest boy i know, besides perhaps the crazy boy below)

taking a much needed break from the picture below :)

(thanksgiving treats)

thanksgiving dinner at m's mom's house

an outfit post i forgot to do!

sweater: uo, striped shirt: tj maxx, jeans: ae, shoes: moccasins, necklace: nordstrom rack

my best friend since the fourth grade, c

my brother, n,  & m!

post christmas dinner with my grandma

well, i think that about covers it. not having a camera is especially poopy, so i am very happy to have it back! especially when my phone camera is sub-par hehe. xoxo.

outfit challenge

today marks the first day of my thrift store outfit challenge :) please let me know what you think! i absolutely love this chambray shirt. 

(the shirt got very wrinkled under my down jacket this morning. it is freezing here!)

shirt: thrifted, jeans: nordstrom rack, boots: ross, necklace: f21

next week i will try to wear more than one thrifted item. 

are you ready for the weekend/new years?! i am ready to sleep in, visit a few other girlfriends who are in town, celebrate my brother's 18th birthday tonight with my family, and relax with m. have a fabulous weekend! xoxo.

inspired

it is funny how seeing your far away friends can really put things into perspective. after seeing h and k, it made me realize 1. how much i adore/miss them, and 2. how different their lives are from mine. these girls are truly making a difference; k is a teacher in new orleans, while h rebuilds houses destroyed by katrina and coordinates volunteer projects. while i am immensely proud of these girls, and love them dearly, it made me want to try to do something different... 


volunteering is something i am incredibly passionate about and makes me feel as though i have a purpose. i hope to become more involved in my community, and to continue working with children. while i would love for my career to be something along these lines, it is not currently an option (yet). however, i have thought of a few differences i can make in my day to day living (perhaps an early new year's resolution?):

• start walking and taking the bus more often
• increase my current time commitment to my little buddy
• find somewhere i can volunteer once a month on weekends (a soup kitchen, local church, etc.)
• read more / watch tv less
• write about something i am passionate about (other than on this little blog hehe)
• stop wasting $$ on unnecessary items

the last (above) difference is what inspired my new challenge: thrifting... i came across a few blogs today dedicated solely to thrift store shopping (see here and here). i aspire to do this! it will significantly decrease the amount of money i waste, force me to stick to my monthly budget, and introduce me to new people and practices. i decided to begin my challenge today. while i currently own a few thrifted items, i was curious as to what else is out there. here are a few things i picked up today (all of which cost $32!):

i cannot wait to show you some of these items! 

so happy!

oh my goodness, oh my goodness! today i get to see two of my very best girlfriends! they are in town for the holidays :) both k (skinny mini) and h (heavier) live in new orleans. they are doing incredible work building houses, teaching, volunteering, and inspiring others with their admirable work ethic. i wish, more than anything, that i could be there with them. since graduating, we have only been able to see each other once a year; this is utterly insufficient considering we previously lived in the same building at school and were only few doors down from one another :(

this is the three of us exactly one year ago! 

skinny mini, me & heavier

(pardon my crummy cell phone picture)

coffee run this morning with m

he is so handsome! 

shirt & moccasins: nordstrom, jeans: american eagle

i am ready to be back in my apartment where i have a full length mirror (not the best outfit combination today hehe), my jewelry, and do not have to dig through wrinkled items in my trunk (my trunk = my closet currently). 

on a slightly different note, last night was crazy! i went to dinner at m's mom's house. we were doing the dishes and starting a movie when the power suddenly went out. it was extremely windy, so m assumed a tree had fallen down. sure enough, at the very top of his mom's driveway, a giant tree was down. we stayed until the fire department came and he was tired of my begging for frozen yogurt :)

cake batter + dulce de leche + pistachio = random, but delicious! 

today i am thankful

(picture found on google)

i am thankful for...

my space heater at work

warm jackets

coffee (!!!)

a break from the rain

m still being here!  

frozen yogurt

spending time with family & friends this past weekend

chocolate chip cookies

long weekends

text messages from the far away girlfriends

finding one of the dogs i am taking care of after searching for her outside all morning (eek!)

forgot my other glasses after spending all the morning searching for the dog! 

sweater & jeans: nordstrom, shoes: dsw, glasses: old

poor m tried to take my picture this morning. he took 928031, all of which i vetoed; sorry, m! thankfully d arrived and snapped the above photo :) xoxo. 

the perfect day

today was probably the best, and most relaxing day i have had recently. i didn't allow myself to clean or workout (two of my favorite activities when stressed). instead, i...

• took the day off and slept in
• m got me coffee so i could sleep later:) and i vaguely recall him letting the dogs out at 6am
• laid in bed until 1:30 watching tv
• went to lunch with one of my favorite girlfriends - she is home for break from gonzaga! 
• volunteered/played with my little buddy this afternoon. i helped him finish his fish sticks so he could have ice cream :) he then proceeded to tell me that my outfit did not match, and he hoped i did not wear this outfit to work (thankfully i was only with k today, so hopefully i am okay... who knew little 11-year-old boys were so observant!)
• ate satsumas and cake batter ice cream for dinner (maybe i should rethink not going to the gym...)

here are a few leftover pictures from christmas and today! 

a new collar and bone for christmas!

m loves helping me house sit when lego's are readily available

the girls on christmas eve

me: "muffin, look at all of the apache items in this room [of f21]!"

k: "oh wow, try this on!"

me: "oh my goodness, it is a cape/scarf/sweatshirt!!!!"

(sadly, i did not purchase this gem)

meet k! 

(pictured above: the outfit that did not match)

tomorrow it is back to the real world: waking up early, going to work, etc. etc. xoxo.

post christmas celebrations

i cannot believe it is monday and that christmas is already over. it went by far too quickly! i was able to spend christmas eve with m and his brother, sister, and dad. we went out for a delicious steak dinner (potatoes and salad for this vegetarian), and visited their cousins, aunts and uncles. i had so much fun hanging out, feasting, and laughing hysterically with them! 

yesterday, i was woken up by bailey and my mom. we exchanged gifts and inhaled the most delicious cinnamon rolls for breakfast. i also found out that my little brother is going to wsu next fall. congratulations little brother!

view from m's mom's house christmas afternoon

i am babysitting her this week! meet daisy :)

she is forlorn when deciding which toy to choose...

i wore this to go out to lunch with my family and grandma

shirt: anthropologie, jeans & boots: nordstrom, bracelet: christmas gift

this is my lunch/feast - grilled cheese and tomato basil soup :)

i hope everyone had a fantastic christmas/holiday weekend with loved ones! xoxo.

happy christmas eve!

m is here!!! we spent last night shopping, drinking coffee (hot chocolate for him), cooking, watching movies, and of course, playing with these two:

kona playing ball with m

my favorite - bosco the bulldog (that is his face haha)

eeeeeek! tomorrow is christmas and i have not begun wrapping my presents! step one: find christmas presents (they are currently at my parent's house, in my car, and scattered throughout my apartment). step two: purchase wrapping paper and... ahem... borrow (a few) boxes from work. step three: pick up last minute purchases, wrap, and load everything in the car. 

m and i are spending tonight with his dad and extended family. i love them :) must find cute outfit because m's sister is a model. i want her entire wardrobe. 


happy christmas eve everyone, and have a wonderful christmas. xoxo, megan & m. 

awkward

we made it! through the week that is. this girl is taking a nap after work (fatigue + food baby = desperate need for napping). 

awkward picture (#28128390142809) hehe

morning predicament: straighten hair or get coffee

(can you tell which i chose?)

shirt & boots: ross, jeans & necklace: nordstrom rack, hair: rat's nest

these little guys are nine west via ross ($22!!!)

m is picking me up after work so we can finish (his) holiday shopping. cannot wait for him to get here! xoxo. 

drained.

readers, do you ever feel completely and utterly drained? exhausted. frustrated. emotional. unmotivated. guilty. i feel guilty for not being more excited about the upcoming holidays. 


this week has seemed to drag on and on. i think i am upset primarily because i am exhausted. perhaps a nap, trip to the gym, and a treat will do the trick. 

words of encouragement for myself and the rest of my tired friends :)

(not a very good picture today)

tank: uo, sweater: ann taylor loft, jeans: nordstrom, shoes: target

purple! 

what do you typically do to get out of a funk? i would love to hear suggestions! i am hoping a night of rest will do the trick. xoxo.

holiday giving

i love this

found here on one of my new favorite blogs :)

yesterday was a very special day... i had the opportunity to deliver the holiday gifts my coworkers and i collected for the place i volunteer. we filled stuffed the car with toys, clothes, games, and toiletries. needless to say, the organization was incredibly happy :)


last night i went to volunteer at said organization with my little 11-year-old buddy. when i got there, he was in time-out because he wanted to sit by the door and wait for me instead of participating in a group activity. poor guy :( however, we celebrated christmas and spent our time together building and racing his new transformers... i mostly watched him because "i am not very good at fighting/racing the transformers" :)

i look so different without my glasses!

dress: opal, boots & necklace: nordstrom, tights: nordstrom rack

on the agenda for the rest of this week: dinner tonight with my mom, pick up m at the airport tomorrow night (!!!), finish catching fire - beyond addicting, bake peanut butter cookies for d, wrap my gifts, work work work + take care of the doggies! and then... christmas :) xoxo. 

high five

five things i am happy about right now :)

1. leggings + toms = pajamas at work! (see below)
2. our holiday toy drive at work is complete! gifts for over 40 local foster children - a major success :)
3. my pumpkin spice latte this morning. delicious.
4. finishing the very last of my christmas shopping tomorrow with my mom!
5. m coming to visit on thursday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

shirt: nordstrom, leggings: f21, shoes: toms, necklace: jcpenney

adorable!

our tree (before the last few gifts were brought in)

thank you to my amazing coworkers for your participation and immense generosity!

this morning, as i was shampooing my hair, i looked down and saw the english bulldog i am taking care of. apparently he wanted to take a shower as well (while wearing his doggie christmas onesie). silliest dog i have ever met. he smells good now! xoxo.

monday morning madness

monday morning, i am not ready for you! i need a few more hours of sleep. okaythanksbye.

the weekend seemed to fly by! i finished my holiday shopping, went grocery shopping with my mama (god bless her for buying me some healthy food), babysat a few munchkins, read, and hung out with c!

us at the dance party!

on a slightly different note, i did not get near enough sleep, broke my phone and subsequently lost all my contacts, and was unable to meet up with the girlfriends :( buying a new phone is not fun when your contract is up in 5 months. no deals whatsoever.

i am house sitting this week for m's aunt and uncle. they have two adorable doggies (one of whom insists on spooning me all night). they seem to have gotten into some trouble yesterday while i was gone because i came home and found stuffed animal fuzz everywhere, along with wrapping paper and some strange small beads... (s, if you are reading this, i promise to clean it up before you get home!)

sweater: target, tank, jeans & shoes: nordstrom

muffin!!!!!!!!!!!!



hope you had a great weekend! xoxo.

guest post

hello megan's beloved followers! my name is ash, and i have been a close friend of megan's since our freshman year of college - it is safe to say that she has put up with me for almost 6 years :) for those of you out there who have attended a university/are currently attending, or have been in a similar close-knit environment, you know that the individuals you initially become friends with quickly evolve into your family. you meet when you are young, silly, wild individuals who stay up late and set ten alarms in order to make it to class on time (though you might not always make it!). you stay up all night talking, eating pizza, venting/crying, watching grey's anatomy, and frantically writing the history of music paper you didn't know was due the next day (megan actually did this!). then, as you continue through your classes and become a year older, you begin to mature; you go to bed early and find yourself setting one alarm while making it to class more often than not. you have a paper done the day before it is due (maybe not the day before...) but you are more aware of the due date. i have seen megan, as she has me, grow into a beautiful person that i am extremely proud of. it is hard to believe how quickly the past six years have gone by and see how we both have changed!

i check this blog via facebook weekly and love every post i read! when she asked me to do a guest i was honored and slightly intimidated - i do not want to disappoint you, readers! 

that's us!

in honor of the upcoming christmas holiday, i am going to share my top five favorite things:

1. treats!!!!! much like megan, i am a girl who loves a good treat. i currently work at a coffee shop that serves amazing baked goods. sometimes it is torture going into work hehe. see below for a picture of the shop's 2011 holiday cookie :)
2. friends! for me the holiday season means some of my closest friends return here! sadly, i am not close enough to see megan, but we make up for this by frequently texting. two of my closest friends, m and t, will be in town next week :)
3. holiday drinks! i love creating any kind of drink - whether it is a coffee or one with a tiny bit of ahem... alcohol. my most popular drink thus for at the coffee shop is a white chocolate peppermint americano. to make this, get a regular americano + white chocolate powder, peppermint syrup, and soy milk... delicious!
4. giving gifts! as cliche as it may sound, i love buying gifts for others.i begin saving $$ during the summer, and typically have everything purchased/ready to go by early november.
5. holiday movies! every year i snuggle up in my apartment with a friend or two and have a full day of holiday movies. my favorites are: home alone 1 & 2, the gremlins, all i want for christmas, miracle on 34th street, the christmas story, the santa clause, how the grinch stole christmas, elf, to grandmother's house we go (i love mk & a), and i'll be home for christmas. this is the perfect opportunity to incorporate delicious treats and a tasty drink.

holiday cookie

white chocolate peppermint americano

well, there it is! i hope you enjoyed my guest post and have a wonderful holiday season. xoxo, ash.

repeat offender

has this week been especially tiring, or is it just me? today's outfit has more to do with comfort than fashion :) and i cannot get enough of my moccasins this week! minnetonka, i love you.

this is my dear friend/coworker, c!

she has the best style and sometimes let's me share her magnificent wardrobe :)

her outfit - dress: queen anne dispatch, sweater & scarf: gap, tights: horse shoe, boots: clarks, necklace: local craft show

my outfit - t-shirt, jeans & moccasins: nordstrom, sweater: f21

i am in love with these tights!

i am ready for the weekend to commence. i have a lot of christmas shopping to complete, a few girlfriends to see, sleep and baking to catch up on, a ton of reading to do, and a dance and ugly sweater party to attend :)

remember the little event i mentioned in my previous post to m? he bought a plane ticket today so he can attend with me as my date!!!!!!!!!!! maybe i will do kind posts directed towards him more often :) have a great weekend everyone! xoxo.

dear m,

i just wanted to take a minute to tell you how much i love you. thank you for always reading this little blog when i text/email/call you frantically saying "new post new post new post!!!!!" thank you for helping me finish my senior year in college, attending my (lengthy) graduation, and supporting me during the chaotic time i spent searching for a job. thank you for being the one i know i can count on to talk to when i am happy, sad, stressed, annoyed, and in need of emotional support - i am especially grateful for that. thank you for being patient with me, i know that has not always been easy. thank you for (only sometimes) scolding/discouraging my shopping addiction. thank you for introducing me to coldplay, fast driving, and donuts. most of all, thank you for your faith in our relationship and for staying with me whether we live a few minutes from one another, or several states away. i love you!

readers, i apologize for the seemingly sappy post, but i promise it is 100% genuine. i miss m very much :( here are a few photos detailing our relationship...

the first year:

more recently:

me, m, m's sister, mb, - she introduced us!!!!! and her boyfriend, g

m, when you read this, i hope you think "oh, i must visit her in january" for a certain event... ahem... but if you cannot, i understand. happy two and a half years together! love, mowgli.