Window Shopping Spree- Project Life!

Happy Thursday!!

One of the things I missed most on my blogging hiatus was the wonder that was window shopping with a purpose! There's so much out there that I will never actually purchase, and gosh darnit- I plan to explore it all!

Now- this week's edition comes from my new found obsession with Project Life.

I came across this trend thats been rocking the scrapbooking world some time ago but I never really understood it. 

You should know I have boat loads of scrapbooking supplies. Tons. I think of myself as somewhat of a scrapbooking hoarder and I find it hard to use the cute scraps and stickers I've accumulated. 

Worst of all? 

I have no scrapbook to show for it.

:/

It's true! I have tons of little projects I use the the goodies for but due to extenuating circumstances, the last scrapbook I was working on met an unfortunate end that involved a dumpster... whoops!

On first glance, I thought- Ummmm... It's a strange photo album that you put squares of paper into.

Oh how wrong I was!!

Instead of working on one giant page, you combine all those scrapbooking skills of journaling and embellishing and your favorite pictures into one tiny 4x6 or 3x4 card- like a tiny scrapbook page! And I love tiny things!! Then you slip those cards into the page protectors and it's a big 'ol smorgasbord of awesomeness.

(Alright, so my description of it isn't great. In fact, if you haven't heard of Project Life, you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. So just go look it up!)

The issue with all this? It's expensive! So rather than blowing all my money on it right now, I shall indulge in a window shopping spree...

:)

I should also mention I do plan to venture into this world of crafty goodness... I'm just not ready to throw down all the money it takes to get the super adorable things that are out there. But holy poot, do I love the things I've come across so far-

1. Binder- It's teal, it's chevron- need I say more?! You gotta have somewhere to stick all those pages!

2. Studio Calico Project Life Kit- Like many of the Studio Calico kits, this one is sold out. They come out w/ a new one every month and they are chock full of fun pages and stickers and embellishments and all sorts of wonderfulness! Obsessed.

3. Allison Kreft Card Pack- I have a friend of mine to blame for introducing me to Two Peas in a Bucket. I want everything they sell on that site!!!

4. Smiggle Pen Case- Because what good is all this new stuff without an adorable new thing to help organize it?

5. Becky Higgins Core Kit- A whole bunch of basic cards to help the project take off. And in my favorite colors?! What could be better?

If you still haven't caught the Project Life bug, head over to Pinterest and do a little search... I guarantee you'll want to indulge in scrapbooking all over again! 

You know- the more I worked on this post, the more I wanted to actually order some of these things. Lucky for my bank account, some is sold out.

But for those things that aren't... 

:)

We all deserve to spoil ourselves every now and then.

Why not?

If any of you Project Life-ers out there have tips on getting started, send them my way!! OR if this has inspired you to give it a shot, let me know that too. I'd love to see what you guys come up with.

Maybe I'll have something to show for all this soon...

Till then-

A Pre-Birthday/Ruby Red Window Shopping Spree...

Hey...Hey... HEY!!!

Guess what?!?

Tomorrow's my birthday!!

I've been dreading turning 25 for at least the past few months and for some reason, this week I've been so excited!!
I've had a phenomenal first part of my staycation- loads of yummy food and some wonderful friends!
(spoken like a true fat kid!) There's still a whole lot more to come in the next week so I'm thrilled. It's going to be busy and chances are I'll be exhausted by the end... but I'm ok with that!

Tomorrow is the also the Princess Half Marathon Expo so I'll be starting my day by going to pick up my race packet... AHHH!!!
What a way to start my next year of life- by proving to myself once again that I can run 13.1 miles all at one time!
GO ME!!

Since it is indeed my birthday, I like to treat myself. I'm indulging in outings and food and planning on a little bitty shopping spree at some point.
Since I've been trying to decide what to focus my mini shopping spree on, I thought it would be a good day to bring back...

Window Shopping Spree Thursday!!

Oh, I seriously missed doing these!
This week I'm sharing a little shopping list I've been putting together lately. For some reason, I'm growing increasingly more and more fond of red accents in my wardrobe. I've been rocking my red wayfarers for over a year now and I will seriously wear them with anything!
I've been wanting to add red pieces to my wardrobe so here's what I'm thinking...

1. Red Shorts- I'm not sure when I decided I was brave enough to venture into colored bottoms... goodness knows my curvy bum may not be the best silhouette for colored pants, but I seriously want these!
2. Red Headband- I found this one on etsy and I LOVE it. Confession- my desire for a red headband stems directly from my current obsession with Gossip Girl. And in this case, obsession is an understatement... whoops!
3. Red Cardigan- I recently cleaned out my closet and I kid you not, the majority of my closet is sweaters and cardigans. And still, all I can think of when I look at that chunk is "How do I not have a red one?!"
4. Red Toms- I actually started wanting these when I saw them on an 8 year old who came to my show... Is it wrong to take fashion inspiration from an 8 year old?
5. Red Big Bag- Fossil?! I'm shocked! This may not be the first time this bag shows up on my blog, but it's the first time I've had it here in red!!!
6. Red belt- I've come to find lately, that any shirt or dress can be made a million times more fabulous with a color pop belt! So I want one in red.

...Have I gone over board with this whole "red" thing?!...

...

Maybe.

I'm ok with that though!

We all go through color spouts.

I'm loving bright colors in general right now. Bring on more blues, greens, and yellows! But for some reason, my wardrobe is just screaming for these accent pieces...

I do still have another week of staycation...

I'll let you know if I go through on any of these purchases!

Hope everyone has a wonderful "My Birthday!" tomorrow! Have a cupcake in my honor! :)

A Holiday Goodness Window Shopping Spree...

Gobble gobble and a Ho ho ho, my lovelies!

I don't know what it is about this time of year that makes me want to bake non-stop. I'm not even kidding. I get home every day with the urge to try some random recipe or to make something that looks festive. As you may have heard by now, I grew up in a house where culturally, the Holidays were very Latin heavy. Food in general was always Latin heavy. The extent of our holiday goodies was flan, natilla, tres leches, and turron. If you don't know what those are, look it up! They're almost all some conglomeration of sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and sugar... what else could you need?!? Absolutely delicious and I PROMISE, if you're good, I'll share my ever so coveted flan recipe for New Years...

Any hoot- As tasty as those treats are and as much as I love making them, I'm actually referring to making more main stream Holiday goodies! Cakes, pies, cookies, you know- things with names my lovely readers can actually pronounce! 

A little back story as we try to understand why I love Holiday baking so much!

**This is the part where you all go "Yay! A story!**

I have a teeny tiny immediate family. I have one sister, my mom is an only child, and my dad has one brother. From my one uncle I have my one aunt and my only 2 first cousins. Extended family goes on for days and days but when you're talking Christmas morning, that's what I've got. I have always loved this and I've never felt even remotely like I was missing out. I got the huge family for things like Noche Buena (Cuban Christmas Eve) and then the actual holiday was always just the little group of us with now just the Grandmas from either side. 

And I think that is perfect!

Because of this, I've always felt very close to my immediate family and I adore them. 

(My memories of childhood activities could fill a blog all on it's own... 

but let's focus on this blog one post at a time shall we?)

Enter my Tia Rachel.

My favorite, though only, aunt is easily my inspiration for all of my baking endeavors. She, though she has always tried her best, is not Cuban nor is she a fluent Spanish speaker. And I love her all the more for it! I've always loved the fun and diversity she adds to family gatherings...

Let's all take a moment to acknowledge that I just referred to my non-Spanish speaking Aunt as adding diversity to our holidays... Sure did grow up in Miami... ohhhhh boy.

She's also where I learned to use all my nonsense words. Scooby-dop, neener neeners, and my favorite, my nickname from her, Pachina. I think we all have one, but this is the aunt that would always have some fun crafty project up her sleeve and every sprinkle known to mankind for holiday cookie decorating! She also had a chocolate/candy business for a while and I always looked forward to getting the peppermint bark. I would hoard it from the rest of the family! I later found out my sister doesn't even like chocolate and peppermint, but that's entirely beside the point!

Now I, in turn, find it almost impossible to pass up another container of fun sprinkles or the opportunity to try and make some random pie or cake. Especially at the Holidays, I think of her a whole lot.

I love you, Tia!! 

In honor of the holidays and my unwavering love for all things sweet and delicious this time of year, I decided to dedicate an entire Window Shopping Spree to Holiday baking!!

...I should also point out that this Window Shopping Spree is comprised ENTIRELY of Williams-Sonoma goodness... What can I say? Williams-Sonoma is quite possibly my favorite place to window shop. So jump on the band wagon people!! I walked in yesterday and my heart about melted from the warmth I got looking at the wonderful goodies. Le sigh... Someday I will walk in there every season and go to town. And I will throw amazing holiday parties with the lovely things I buy there! And everyone will be jealous so happy to be there...

1. Pie crust fancy pants cutters- Plain crusts are boring! But when you jazz them up with these festive shapes, people get so impressed! And they're so easy to use. Pretty much, I just like playing with them a whole lot.

2. Holiday sprinkles- Not only are these adorable embellishments for any sweet treat, they stack with all your other Williams-Sonoma sprinkles! So you can keep them organized and even display them neatly. My heart! 

3. Star cookie cutters that make a tree- I'm always so proud of my names for things... This is such a simple concept but how cute would that look in a table scape and then, oh hey! We can eat the tree! 

4. Cookies that become a holiday scene- Basically, you use the cookie cutters to make the puzzle pieces that come together to make that adorable Holiday scene. How stinking cute is that? Another great way to dress up the table with edible goodies!

5. Pumpkin Quick bread- You should all know, I get so sad when the season for this mix ends. I try to nab as much as possible so it lasts me a little longer... It's my favorite and I use it as one of the things I bring to any get together during this time of year. Go buy some- so easy and so delicious!

6. Fancy-Festive Hot chocolate mix- UMMMMMMMMMMM- I know, total shocker that I would be obsessed with these, right? Not like I have a blog named after the product or anything... Oh wait. These need to be in my kitchen immediately if not sooner.

In fact... I think the holiday spirit and these gorgeous mixes have inspired me to host my first giveaway here at Cup 'a Hot Chocolate... I think it's safe to say everyone should keep their eyes and ears open in case something pops up in the next week or so... :)

So do you guys catch the baking bug this time of year at all? What are your favorites or go to recipes? I LOVE trying new things, so let me know!

I would also like to apologize for any amount of time you may waste today on the Williams-Sonoma website because of this post... It's only fair if I went down, you all go down with me!

**Don't forget to follow on here and head over to my twitter page so I can keep you updated when I get new fun posts up...Especially if, oh I don't know, a give-away were to come up some time soon...**

Window Shopping Spree- Giving thanks that we can give back...

Happy Thursday everyone!!

Now before we can move on to spreading Christmas cheer, we all have to have our fair share of turkey and pumpkin pie eating! That's right people- Thanksgiving needs its time. I LOVE Christmas, it's my very favorite time of the year. But still, I think it's important that we have this time of year to reflect on our blessings and all of the things we're thankful for. I really like that for the whole month people make it a point to stop and give thanks when we don't always make it a point to think about and verbalize our blessings! Even on the crappiest day, there is something or someone to be thankful for!

For this week's window shopping spree, I decided to highlight products that give back! Around this time, we all start doing our Christmas shopping. There are so many incredible items out there that give back to some amazing foundations. So not only do you get your Christmas shopping done but you're also making a donation to a wonderful cause, no added expense on your part. 

Take a look at some of the fun things I found when I looked for gifts that give back...

1. Those Really cute Toms shoes- In case you've been living under a rock, Toms are the shoes that donate one pair of shoes to needy children for every pair purchased. They started out simple but are coming out with new designs constantly! They even have some adorable flats being released for Spring of 2012!

2. Rachael Ray Baking goodies- The products with Rachael Ray's "yum-o" branding gives back entirely to her special foundation. She developed it to empower kids and their families to have a healthy relationship with food and cooking which continues to be an important issue as we keep battling  obesity in our youth.

3. Gorgeous whistle necklace- These necklaces are sold in different finishes by the "Falling Whistles" campaign that fights for peace in the Congo. This symbol encourages its wearers to be a whistleblower for peace.

4. Rustic "Feed" bags- These bags, made from environmentally friendly materials, help to feed children all over the world. This bag in particular feeds 2 children in school for an entire year through the United Nations World Food Program.

5. "This Season on Broadway" snow globe- Every year, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids sells a special snow globe that features all the shows that appeared on the great white way that year. They sell a ton of products but this is a foundation near and dear to my heart since I'm a proud member of Actor's Equity. The foundation works tirelessly using their resources and talents to raise money for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses.

6. OneHope Wine- This is extremely impressive and one gift I'm sure alot of people could give to someone. This charity brand donates 50% of their products back to the cause. Each wine has a specific charity attached to it but as the purchaser, you also decide on a charity to donate some more of the money too. Brilliant!

How cool is all of that? And there's so much more out there if you just go looking through causes that mean something to you! Also- Amazon has a ton of partnerships with some great foundations where they will donate a percentage of whatever you buy back to them. I'm sure a ton of you order from amazon, why not do it in a way that will give back?

So here's to a season of being thankful and giving back as much as we can! Let me know of any other fun ways to give back you all know about too! 

Until next time...

Window Shopping Spree- "Extreme Craft Room/Blog HQ Makeover" Edition!

Thursday! :) Mmmmm... It's silly how much I love looking forward to the "sunday" of my weekend. You'd think, it means I have to go back to work tomorrow, why would I like it so much? I don't know how it works for all of you- but "sunday" is the most relaxing day of the week! It's almost always the stay in your pj's all day kind of day. Today in particular, I am going in to work at the '30s style dinner theatre I perform at. But until then- you couldn't pry these pj's off me if you paid me! Plus- a certain someone made French toast this morning... :) I am a lucky, lucky lady.

As if that weren't exciting enough- it's Window Shopping Spree Thursday!! When I went to start perusing the internet for this post, I felt a little stuck. I have so many great ideas for post Halloween shopping sprees that I cannot wait to get to!!! Sadly... we are still in October... 

That's a little unfair of me to say to October- 

October, you're a lovely month! I thoroughly enjoy celebrating you in all your spookiness. Please understand, I'm just a little anxious to get to my favorite time of year. Nothing personal!

Then- inspiration struck! October is a very topsy turvy month around here. Things get insane and well, a mess. It was probably about the end of September that I realized I would have to dedicate a weekend to a cleaning frenzy. Once the person's event was over, spend some serious time deep cleaning and organizing. So thats what this past "weekend" was for. Everything turned out great!! Everything except his "man cave" and my "craft room." Those rooms still need some serious work... 

I haven't been able to work on any craft projects in a while because I find it hard to be inspired in an unorganized space. Said craft room has yet to be fully set up... So "Cup 'a Hot Chocolate Headquarters" has been the couch... **wahh wahh** (Which is actually the Debbie Downer sound, not a cry... I wish there was a better way to explain that...)

So this weeks shopping spree- A Craft Room/ Blog HQ makeover!!! UGhhhh if only!!! Even when everything in there finds it's home, the room will not look anything like this... A girl can dream though, right? Oh- and this makeover is brought to you almost entirely by the Pottery Barn website... What can I say, I'm a sucker for pretty and slightly over priced home decor. 

1. Drool worthy craft room furniture- Little odds and ends with a bunch of random drawers and shelves? Yes please! If you go to the page of that collection- just scroll down and include EVERYTHING on the page. And my room's furniture is complete! Seriously though- how perfect is that set for a craft room?

2. Wheeley "Craft in progress" chair- I find that as much as I always want to have a big comfy chair in there, I constantly have to roll around to grab random thingss while I try to finish a project! So a matching chair with wheels is a must have.

3. Blogging/"visitor in my hq" chair- But I obviously need a big comfy accent chair too! Sometimes people stop by while I'm crafting. And, I do all my best blog writing from a comfortable position. 

4. Color pop organizational boxes- I dont know what it is about greens, gray blues, and yellows that I love so much right now. Still, seeing these all nestled into the cubby holes with all my random crap neatly organized in them- be still me heart! Such a sucker for neatly organized stuff.

5. 13" MacBook Pro- A new MacBook? How the hell did that get on there... I mean if it's there I shouldn't delete it... And I mean, the computer is getting a little slow. I can't very well blog in a new hq with a laptop I can't depend on! :) That's a reasonable excuse, right? 

6. Multipiece wall organizer- I LOVE these things!!! A way to set out and organize all my thoughts and plans right up on the wall in front of me. I pin this sort of stuff every time I come across them. I'm sure If I worked at it, I could piece something like this together slowly but surely thanks to HomeGoods. But that's the logical and sensible, cost efficient way to do it. Thursdays are not about that!

Le sigh! My dream room... Do you all dream of having a perfect room like this too? What are your must-haves when you sit back and imagine that perfect room to inspire you? And where do you guys normally find those pieces that fit perfect in those rooms? 

Excuse me while I continue to imagine I'm writing this from that room I just made in my mind... :)

Lots of love and energy to all you lovelies!

Falltacular Window Shopping Spree...

Hello lovelies!!

So I took the puppy out this morning and, surprise surprise, IT WAS FALL! I know! Crazy how it happens just like that... Too bad it will be back into the 80s down here after this weekend. But for now, I shall wear my boots and maybe even a sweater for the lovely breezey weather. Now- I should note that my "sweater weather" is mid 60s... Have I offended anyone my saying that? Hey! I take what I can get!

I know by this time of year where a lot of you are, it's starting to get down right cold. When you've lived in Florida your entire life, 50 degrees is peacoat and scarf weather! That's winter though.

Today, we celebrate Fall!

Even though leaves don't change colors down here, there is still a certain something that changes in the air. I'm sure there are scientific reasons and cold fronts and all that, but it goes beyond those things. I'm talking about that feeling you get just being outside around this time of year. As we head into the warm/fuzzies time that is the Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year's trifecta, (I suppose we could lump Halloween in there but what the hell would we call that? A quadfecta? I made that up... don't google it.) the world in general gets a little cozier. We start spending more time in coffee shops and appreciating nature without complaining about it being too hot. There's something about wearing sweaters and the drop in temperature that makes everyone want to hug. Is that ridiculous? I honestly believe there's a drastic rise in hugging at this time of year. I love it.

 Am I alone in noticing these things? Do you think a certain something changes when we hit this point of the year?

Any hoot- for today's window shopping spree, I've put together a comfy cozy fall outfit. 

Nothing too extravagant, just the kind of thing you'd want to be wearing to walk around outside and take in all the loveliness! Possibly with (but not limited to) a pumpkin spice latte in hand. I'll be honest, I could have a pumpkin spice latte in hand doing anything at this time of year.

1. New dark blue jeans- Call me crazy but I always have and always will love Gap jeans. It's so frustrating for me to shop for jeans because of my curvacious Cuban hips, but I find their jeans tend to fit me rather nicely! And I LOVE dark denim in the fall!

2. J. Crew silky emerald top- Most importantly, it looks delicious!! And I love adding pops of jewel tones with my neutrals this time of year. And how adorable are the little buttons at the cuffs? Silly that I'd fall for a little detail like that but I love it.

3. Grandpa looking sweater- From Anthropologie... I am too short to pull off these long sweaters- but I wear them any way. It's like walking around all day with a blanket. I approve! 

4. Blowfish kicking booty boots- Really just to show people "even though I'm feeling cuddly in this Fall weather, I can still throw down if need be!" And I really just love the boot situation going on in fashion world.

5. Yet ANOTHER fossil handbag- Are you sick of my fossil bag obsession yet? I realize I include them slightly too often, but I want one. Santa better be reading my blog... He'll have more a heads up when he gets my Christmas list that includes 3 different sized Fossil bags and a matching wallet. Such overkill. I don't care.

6. One of those La Mer watches that I want in every color- This is just one of MANY of these watches I want. They come in every color and you can even custom design one! Wrap watches have my heart right now.

So... can I wear this right now? Today would be a good day for this outfit! Despite the whole hangin out on my couch still looking for my voice thing... Whoops!

Have you added any new fall type goodness to your wardrobe? New boots/sweaters/ bags? I'm always looking for new stores and websites to look for stuff on- where do you guys like to shop for this sort of thing?

Happy Thursday everybody! Don't worry- Your week is almost over. I, however, am back to work tomorrow! Oh the joys of my backwards weeks!

Window Shopping Spree- "Stuck on the couch with a cold" Edition!

Today I was planning on doing another fancy pants outfit with a price tag that makes me want to hurl.

But my throat hurts and my body aches and I don't really feel like looking up that sort of stuff-

I just want to look up some comfy cozy "stay on the couch all day" goodness. When I was little and I'd have to go home early from school, my mom liked to put together care packages to make me feel better.
**Thanks Mommy! lol**

Toys, treats, random odds and ends to keep me entertained! This is no different.

Forgive me if this is boring to any of you, but this is a collection of what I wish was with me to waste a day doing nothing when I feel like poop! Fancy shmancy and cool/exciting will resume next week!

For now- I'm dreaming of these lovely purchases...

1. U Shaped Body Pillow- I have wanted this forever!!! It's so fantastically unnecessary and my pets would totally get jealous because nothing else would fit on the couch with me- but I would SO cuddle up to this. Delicious.

2. The Nook Color- Another product I REALLY don't need. I have an iPad... It has a Nook app... Oh well!! I also happen to be of the "I like having real books to then put on the bookshelf" mindset. But! When I'm sick on the couch, my area tends to get over run with medicine, and tissues, and books, and magazines, and any other obnoxious thing you can think of. This would at least eliminate the number of books!

3. A Kate Spade Case for said Nook Color- If I'm going to get an unnecessary tech item, I obviously need an unnecessary case for it. That's just common sense people.

4. Rosetta Stone in Italian- I want to learn Italian SO bad! If I have no choice but to remain on the couch, why not take advantage of having nothing else to devote my attention to? Can you imagine- "I had a cold so I started learning Italian! I got the stomach virus and thats when I really mastered it!" I think it's brilliant.

5. Nancy Drew Computer Games- Whoops, is my geek showing?! I'm really not a gamer by any means, but at some point in college I started buying these games to do "non-course work related, mindless fun" and I never turned back. There are 25 games in the series so far and I'm only missing 6... They're such a blast though!! You solve the mystery-adventure game, as Nancy Drew, and go through all these really hard puzzles in the process. Oh dear... I just gave up some serious cool points revealing that... I'm sure the image of me on a couch, surrounded by snot rags in no way affected my cool points though. Neither did referring to them as "cool points."

6. A snacky treat gift basket- I'm ever so slightly starving with zero motivation to get off this couch to prepare anything for myself... This would come so in handy!! Just reach over and grab something with enough preservatives in it to make it from whatever random store it came from to my coffee table! Yum!

Although I didn't put up a picture of it, mainly because I don't need to purchase it, another big comfort for me is white rice with a fried egg mixed into it. This will more than likely be today's meal of choice (insert brown rice though) as it has been with every cold since the beginning of time. Or just my life. I've always called it "Wehweetoh con fwehfweetoh", which is my phonetic interpretation of how I would always try to say "Arroz con huevo frito" (rice with fried egg in Spanish). But good luck navigating through that phonetic interpretation. lol Maybe I'll say it out loud in a vlog some time soon if you're lucky.

So what do you all do when you're stuck at home, sick? Comforts, wishes, anything you'd be embarrassed to admit happens under such circumstances? Come on, I admitted to my Nancy Drew games!

Till next time...

Spooky- Scary Window Shopping Spree...

It's October!! It's my person's favorite time of year mostly because it's Halloween-y time! And Halloween-y is his favorite! (Is it strange that I refer to it as Halloween-y? That way it's sort of cute and not at all terrifying!) I came home the other day and the apartment was all set up with those old school Halloween cardboard cut-outs he's been toting around for years. I know you know which ones I'm talking about! I love those things! It is not Halloween without them and seeing all the stuff as I walked in just made my night! I lit my pumpkin patch yankee candle and basked in the Halloween goodness!! 

In honor of the start of this months festivities, and of course my lovely person who lives for October the other 11 months of the year- A Halloween-y themed Window Shopping Spree!

Before I really get into the meat of it, I need to extend a welcome to all my new followers! I'm SO excited you guys have decided to stick around and see what else I have in store and I hope you keep having fun here! 

For all you newbies- Thursday in my world is payday! Yup- it's the day the mouse gives me a little chunk of change for my troubles and I hoard it all away so I can pay for my bills and hopefully save up for bigger "someday" purchases! In an effort to "save more, spend less," every (I use the word every loosely! Girls not perfect!) Thursday I put together a "Window Shopping Spree." Sometimes fashion, sometimes home decor, sometimes a smorgasboard, but always chock full of things I would LOVE to buy if money were not an issue. It's actually a lot of fun! Shopping with no budget? Yes, please and thank you. Sure it would be nice to click the "proceed to check out" button, but my bank account always thanks me once this post goes up! Check out some of the other window shopping sprees here!

Without further ado, my spooooooky-scaaaaaaary Halloween-y Window Shopping Spree!

(Disclaimer: Halloween is a cheesy and hokey holiday. This is some cheesy and hokey shtuff!)

1. Halloween Lantern Lights- Leave it to Pottery Barn to come out with classy Halloween decor... and I want it all! 

2. Fancy Pants Twig Gate- I live in an apartment and have absolutely no use for this awesome light up gate... But it's Thursday so who cares?!

3. Light up Pumpkins- Now these are a versatile investment! Good for Halloween and generic enough to work for Thanksgiving! Pumpkins have never looked classier!

4. Creepy Skeleton Drink Dispenser Stand- I just think this is SO cool. AND you can personalize it with your monogram. If I was having a respectable grown-up party I would have to buy this... and the matching condiment set. 

5. Cauldron Mugs- I now believe coffee should not be had out of anything BUT these Williams-Sonoma mugs at this time of year. That's a fact.

6. Spooky Town!- I need to preface this by saying- growing up, my mom always had the most kick ass Christmas village! There WILL be similar items when I do the Christmas decor edition of WSS (and Christmas is my favorite so you've been warned). As hokey as it is- I would LOVE to start a Halloween village! And they add new houses every year so it's like never ending fun :) Call me crazy but I think they're so cute. Maybe after a couple more paychecks and coupons, I'll take a little trip to Michael's...

Man... my apartment would be the coolest! Someday I'll indulge in all of these things... and be the most outrageously decorated house for every holiday so people could always talk about the crazy lady down the street. I'll know I've made it when I achieve "crazy lady down the street" status.

Do you guys go all out for Halloween? Are you old school decor or some of this newer "vintage looking" decor thats especially popular this year? I'll be on the look out for finds at Home Goods and Ross and I'll let you all know if I find anything good! 

Till next time...

"If I was a rich girl" Window Shopping Spree...

Thursday!!! Hurray for another window shopping spree...

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned quite a few times that my wardrobe of choice, probably 90% of the time, is the jeans and a tshirt look. This is how I live the majority of my life! Considering I mainly just have to get from point a to point b in order to change into a costume, it's the most convenient! And if it's a day with no costumes involved, it's nice to not have to fuss.

But let's be honest- what girl doesn't like all the fuss of getting really dressed up for a special occasion? I thought, since my 1 year anniversary with the person is coming up I would do a window shopping spree of my ideal outfit for an evening out on such a day. Most of the time I feature things that, budgeted right and with the right amount of ramen noodles, totally doable purchases! 

Today that is not the case!

I have gone all out to put together this outfit. Chock full of designer crap and ringing in at a nauseating $16,749. WHAT DID SHE JUST SAY?! $16,749. 

I think I just peed myself a little- that's the down payment on a house!

Thank goodness it's thursday and on "Window Shopping Spree Thursdays"- real money means nothing! So here it is, the current outfit of my dreams-

1. Oscar de la Renta dress- a whopping $4,990... thank goodness it's not $5,000 because that would've been ridiculous! It's the high class cousin of the dress I featured last week!

2. White gold aquamarine earrings- The most reasonably priced item today at $599. I can't tell you how long I've been drooling over these...

3 & 4. Mikimoto pearl bracelet and necklace- Yes I already have a set but clearly not Mikimoto. Coming in at $1,170 and $3,300- I'd say it would take me a little while before I could splurge on these staples.

5. Christian Louboutin shoes- These need no introduction. If I could only have 1 of these things, hands down I'd go with the shoes. Too bad they're $3,995

6. Louboutin evening bag- This sparkly handbag is $2,695. I'm in love.    

Now, it's a good thing I posted this all now because you all have plenty of time between now and February to save up for my birthday! I'm so thoughtful that way. And I crack myself up.

But seriously- How can anyone justify throwing down that kind of money at one time? If you can, more power to you and I absolutely hate you am ever so slightly jealous of your life. Now that you've seen my picks, if money were no factor, what designer staple would you splurge on?

Till next time...

A Florida Fall Window Shopping Spree...

I say it every week, but I love when Thursdays roll around! 

There are few things quite as lovely as pretending to spend my money all willy nilly like... Except maybe actually having the money to spend frivolously... A girl can dream!

This week, I focused on things I'd want to be wearing in these next couple of months. I cannot reiterate enough- Florida fall is not like fall on the rest of the planet! We don't get the joys of color changing leaves and to be completely honest, you can probably go right on wearing your shorts (as long as they're khaki, trendy, or fabulous!) So my autumn inspired fashions may not SCREAM this time of year to some of you. For me, these are exactly the things I could rock whilst sipping on my pumpkin spice latte...

1. Pretty Fall colored dress- Courtesy of Modcloth...Why yes, I do have dresses much like this in different colors... I don't see why that matters...

2. Business-y looking fun skirt- Anthropologie rocks my socks! I like that fall means I can wear semi serious looking clothing for no apparent reason.

3. Delicious looking hoodie- J. Crew has this amazing knack for making wonderfully cozy looking casual wear that I'd never guess costs as much as it does. But who thinks about price in a nap worthy hoodie?

4. "Florida Autumns aren't cold" top- Also from Anthropologie. 2 good reasons on this one- it's adorable and because I can!   

5. Blowfish ankle "kick some booty" boots- I love all Blowfish shoes. You can go look them up, say to yourself "Surely, she doesn't mean these!" But I can assure you- yes, even those!

6. Skinny, Casual, I'm so cool Fossil watch- Because I'm casual and so cool... and because I can't possibly do a window shopping spree and not include Fossil.

There it is peeps! This weeks shtuff I wish would magically appear at my place! :) Hope you enjoyed it! 

What do you consider your "staple Autumn items"? And what the hell is the difference, if any, between Fall and Autumn? 

till next time...

A Pet-centric Window Shopping Spree...

If anyone is surprised this weeks window shopping is solely focused on pet goodness, you clearly haven't been by recently...

Day 3 of Bentley being home and so far so good! I was so worried about crate training and house breaking but *knock on wood* we lucked out and got ourselves a pretty kick ass pup!

He took to his crate IMMEDIATELY if not sooner. Why wouldn't he, though? It's the home of his comfy bed, best toys, and where he gets treats and food! I was surprised that he loved his bed too. I feel like pet beds are often for the owners benefit. We buy them thinking- "This is adorable and I'm being so thoughtful investing in a comfy spot for my furry friend," but the pet will inevitably take to a random spot on the tile before going anywhere near said bed. Not the case with Bentley bug. even when he falls asleep off the bed it's only a matter of time before he rearranges himself further back. His crate is SO much his little place, that when we're playing with him, once he's had enough he just walks into the room and straight into his crate. It's perfect!

House breaking has been a breeze so far. I have no doubt I've just officially jinxed myself... I mean, the little guy is 8 weeks old! He's bound to have accidents at some point. Sure have had to take him out at 6 am! But it's easy to tell that he's whining because he has to go potty when he DOES NOT whine otherwise. (Except a couple whimpers when he's having crazy eyes-half-open dreams). I was so concerned about waking neighbors because puppies apparently whine all night when they first come home. Bentley sleeps. Unless he has to go potty, or he's eating, or wants to play. And when I haven't woken up in time, he goes potty on his puppy pads. Thank all that is good for this little blessing in the process. Still working on getting up and down the stairs to go potty though. And burying his face in this grass. Worms are not puppy food!

As for the puppies and cats, I'm proud to say there's been NO hostile behavior or body language. The cats are just really curious but not quite prepared to play with him. There's been no barking or hissing and no negative posturing on either end! I'm really looking forward to the cats not being (for lack of a better word) scaredy cats and actually enjoying their new playmate. I'm sure it's only a matter of time...

And without further ado- My pet-centric window shopping spree...

1. Headless Horseman Halloween Costume- the person gave me the green light for pet halloween costumes and I could not be more sad that this doesn't come in a smaller size!! Target has ADORABLE pet costumes. Quite frankly, Target has everything. I'm on the lookout though!

2. Kitty Cat Pirate Hat- Arrrrrrrrrrgh! Cats do not do as well with costumes but holy goodness, if I wouldn't love to see Rusty in this hat... I'm starting to sound like a crazy lady...

3. Martha Stewart Puppy Harness- I am beyond obsessed with her line at PetSmart. It doesn't help that the puppy model is a Boston...

4. Martha's Puppy Robe- I am very aware this is completely unnecessary. If I only "bought" necessary things during my window shopping sprees, these posts would cease to exist!

5. Martha Pet Food Scoopers- All things Martha Stewart Pets. In my house. Now.

6. Awesome Cat Tower- Overpriced? Yes! Would this stop the cats from sleeping on top of the fridge and kitchen counters? Hell no!

Ahh pointless pet products! How I love you all! I do spoil the zoo we've got but I'm not remotely this crazy. Besides- I've learned quickly that if puppies have a whole lot of toys they are less likely to disturb your stuff. Like the Dog Whisperer taught me- just redirect the behavior! It absolutely works.

Do you all have any pointless goodies for your pets? Please share so I don't feel as bad :)

Until next time...

Window shopping spree- A Smorgasboard!

Another Thursday... Hooray!

Before I get to the good stuff (who doesn't love a free for all window shopping spree?!) I just want to touch on a little something.

This morning I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Bleh! I don't like when people say this and put negative energy out there! This happens from time to time though, and I think it's almost necessary so we're forced to sort of take a minute to press our reset button. We often get so caught up in thinking or obsessing over the most random, minuscule  things, we lose sight of the amazing things happening in our present day to day life. I've been counting down to vacation, looking forward to bringing home Bentley, just constantly thinking about what's next, that I wasn't appreciating right now. So I took a deep breath this morning and reminded myself. I'm so blessed to have the life I have and the people in it that I do. I never mean to take it for granted but we all do sometimes. There's no way to be perfect in this and I'm not going to pretend I won't probably get back caught up in the dumb stuff in an hour. But right now, in this moment, I'm grateful for what I've got- and life couldn't be better. :)

Now that the gush is out of the way-

Window Shopping Spree time!!

I'm not gonna lie, I sat down at my computer today and had NO CLUE what I'd want this week. So I just started randomly searching things. I think that's apparent in the random arrangement of this weeks shtuff!

1. A Boatload of awesome quilting fabric- I am OBSESSED with the Fat Quarter Shop and I almost always find exactly what I'm looking for when I stop by their site. Even if I have no clue that I'm looking for it! Right now, I really want to get cracking on a Halloween quilt and some cozy quilts for our furry children!

2. Another Fossil bag?!- Is it that apparent that I love Fossil bags? I was in the store the other day and had to seriously restrain myself while the person bought a watch. This is the Weekender... Yes, I would love to galavant on weekend trips with that on my arm!

3. Cute peeler set- My sole purpose for wanting this set is to make zucchini "pasta"... I think that's reason enough! Italian food with limited carbs? Not an issue when it includes one of my favorite veggies! Bring it on!

4. Bow tie dog collar- EEEEeeeek, Squeeee and all sorts of other "How flipping adorable is that" sounds. Too bad this was vetoed about as soon as the page loaded... P.S. You're no fun anymore! Bentley would ROCK a bow tie. And I wouldn't make him wear it all the time! Only when he needs to be fancy. Duh! At least I'm not trying to put sweaters or bling on him!! (No offense meant to those of you that may regularly dress your pets... whoops...)

5. Ball Mason Jars- Random, you say? Have you been on pinterest lately?!? There's probably a zillion different projects begging to be made that call for mason jars. I have none, therefore buying some would only be logical!

6. Martha Stewart Craft Hutch- I LOVE craft storage. Stick Martha Stewart's name on it and I love it even more! Put a chalkboard on the door- my goodness, could it get any better?!? Amazing!

There you have it my lovelies! This weeks ever so random objects of my affection. Any of them strike your fancy?

You should know, I did do a fair amount of actual shopping this week- solely vacation based! I'm saving it all for the trip but next week there may be a special Window Shopping Spree- vacation edition in preparation to gear up!

Until next time!

Window Shopping Spree- Etsy Obsession Edition

Hello there lovelies!

Sorry this week's window shopping spree is a little late. Looks like that cold that's been making its rounds decided it was time to stop by my place. Bleh! There was also another exciting development around here earlier this week- that's a whole post for another day though! Stay tuned! It's guaranteed to put a smile on your face and there's a bunch of pictures that go along with it. Squeeee!! I can barely hold in my excitement.

But I will...

This week I did the entirety of my window shopping on that brilliant site known as Etsy. In case you've been living under a rock with no human contact not yet had the pleasure of perusing the site, do yourself a favor and check it out. There's loads of handmade amazingness- clothing, art, paper goods, craft supplies, home decor, furniture, antiques... pretty much all things gorgeous. It's no wonder anyone can waste so much time on this site. They have EVERYTHING! While this list could've been massive, I limited myself to my usual 6 items. They're gorgeous and I want them. *Insert innocent grin here*

1. Chalkboard To-do list- If you take a gander at my Pinterest boards, it's no secret I have a bit of a chalkboard obsession right now. There's even 2 just on this weeks spree! But combining lists AND chalkboards- my heart! The seller has a bunch that say different things, but I can especially appreciate this one. Procrastinators unite! ...later!

2. Cork top kitchen jars- I've been wanting to find the perfect countertop canisters for my kitchen and I daresay these would be it. I love them! They're so simple and yet stinkin adorable with their "dash","pinch", and "spoonful." Even cuter? There's a splash of bright color on the inside.

3. Dainty clutch with obnoxiously huge flower- Obnoxiously huge flowers have a place in every piece of apparel! I'm not sold on the practicality of a clutch but damn if I don't think they make an outfit look fantastic.

4. Sparkly star bobby pin- So simple, and yet, I can see this dressing up any ordinary outfit/hairstyle. There's tons of stuff like this on Etsy and I think they would all be lovely additions to my life. This one little bobby pin would be a perfect start.

5. Vintage suitcase pet bed- Why? Because there's no place a vintage suitcase doesn't belong! Completely random and completely ok in my book.

6. Mother of all chalkboard/key/mail/organizer thingy- Ummm... Yes please?! How fantastic is that?! There's a ton from this seller that are even bigger and more fabulous. Check them out!

Obviously, this is such a minuscule sampling of the sort of things you can find on etsy. Just about anything you can think up- you can either find it there or find someone that can make it for you. How brilliant is that? Check it out and let me know what you find.

I'm always a little sad when my window shopping spree is over. But worry not! There is a vacation in my near future and I am ill prepared. Perhaps in one of the next couple of weeks there will be an actual shopping spree on thursday... a mini, not nearly as extravagant one, but just as fantastic because it'll be for a lovely, lovely getaway... *le sigh* 

Till next time!

Window Shopping Spree- Closet Makeover!

Thursdays are quickly becoming my favorite! I love wasting time surfing online stores for odds and ends- especially when I'm pretending money is no object. There's something so freeing about it. I'm so used to hemming and hawing on all these pages thinking "If only!" and "Well should I?" But now I shop around for the sole purpose of bringing you some delicious shopping inspiration. You'd think it would just make me sort of sad that I can't actually place the orders but I really have a blast picking the stuff out. You should try it some time.

This week's "window shopping spree" is brought to you by the *Krystina desperately needs to update her wardrobe* movement. There are things in my closet that have been there since freshman year... of highschool!! I've been really good about donating clothes in the past 6 months but there are pieces that I legitimately still wear that are that old. In case you haven't noticed- fashion has changed just a little in the past 10 years. Crazy, I know! I keep not wanting to shop for new clothes, though, because at the present time I'm losing weight! Why would I throw down some serious moolah on a wardrobe revamp if I could possibly be in a completely different size another couple months from now? Such a dilemma! So just as I always do- I put off the actual shopping trip for another day.

Thank goodness a window shopping spree doesn't require me to choose a size. I don't even need to try it on, so no chance of my dreams being crushed if something doesn't look how I imagined it. These choices will forever live in my mind, making me look fabulous and fitting perfectly. :)

1. Beautiful old school looking summery dress- Thank you Anthropologie, for never failing me with your large quantities of adorable dresses that NEED to be in my closet. It is listed as a "ONE SIZE" dress though... how is that even possible?

2. Adorable flowy yellow top- This cuteness is a ModCloth.com find. I've been told in the past that I shouldn't wear yellow... that's impossible when I come across tops like this one.

3. Gingham keds- I'm not sure why, but I am seriously wanting a pair of keds. Don't judge me for it- they're gingham and awesome. You cannot argue with that.

4. Jersey top that isn't a tshirt- My daily wardrobe almost solely consists of tshirts and jeans. It's a good exercise for me to see this and remember, there are other options out there!

5. Bandeau frilly bikini top- I'm a big fan of J. Crew swimwear especially when it involves removable straps. I saw my sister struggle to get rid of her bikini lines before her wedding and I don't want to suffer that fate... even if I am starting a couple years early. I'm bound to get married at some point, and when I do, I'll be prepared. Thanks to strapless bikinis... (That is some ridiculous logic right there.)

6. Cute bow-belted shorts- I have a really difficult time buying shorts because of my gi-flippin-normous hips and thighs gorgeous curves, so let's pretend these would look awesome on me! They're so stinkin' cute, I won't accept any other reality but this one.

There they are folks! Is it over already? Don't fret, I'll be "not spending my paycheck" again next Thursday!

*If you've stopped by and like what you see, feel free to head over to the right column and click "join this site" to make it easier to keep up with the latest around here! Thanks!*

DMB and a Window Shopping Spree...

Jam packed post today as I tackle what could've been 2 separate posts. Im being an over achiever. :)

First things first- get out your puke buckets kiddies, it's about to get mushy for a hot second!

A year ago today, the handsomest guy I know had an extra ticket to the Dave Matthews Band Concert in Tampa. Our first official date. When I think about it, I can still imagine how nervous I was and how ridiculous the butterflies in my stomach were when he would just put his hands on my waist.

I should also mention I was sick as poop that day! I almost passed out standing in the "Groo Pit" and had to chug down ridiculous amounts of water. But damn if I wasn't going on this flippin' date I still wanted to go on the date but was not overly excited about it. Luckily, the verge of death passed as soon as Dave took the stage. The night ended up being so incredible we joked about how impossible the first date was going to be to top. The past year has proven, time and time again, it's not impossible. He never fails to make me feel like the luckiest girl alive.

At the DMB Concert, 7/28/10, and then a year later at his sister Carrie's wedding, 6/11/11 

If that was too much mush for you, I highly recommend you steer clear of this blog come October when it's our actual 1 year anniversary. And yes- it did take until October for us to officially call ourselves official. To my knowledge, we were exclusive from the start but it doesn't count until they awkwardly ask you to be their girlfriend. :) The more awkward the better!

Now for the window shopping spree!

I can't believe it's time to pretend to spend money again already! Weeks go quick. But fake money is always there. Thank goodness. This week's window shopping spree should really just be called "Krystina could waste an afternoon on the Restoration Hardware site" seeing as that's where more than half of this comes from. I was fantasizing about not living in an apartment and actually having the money, space, oh and did I mention money? to go all out and have an incredible home. Blah blah home is where the heart is blah blah blah as long as you make it yours you don't need material things. Right, got it. Let's put all that aside for just a minute and indulge in these incredible things you will never find in my house. Oh but they'd look so nice!! Let me reiterate, last weeks list, some of those things were doable with a little saving. With this list- that is not even remotely true! A girl can fantasize.

1. Adorable cubby holes- Pottery Barn is a haven for all decorations that look old but are brand new. Yes, please, and thank you! I have no clue what I would keep in those tiny cubby holes, but does that even matter?

2. Old rustic looking shelves with ladder- Courtesy of Restoration Hardware, this is the sort of thing that you would consider unsafe if you came across the real thing in an actual abandoned shipyard. But if you charge me a lot of money for it, I'll want it. Point here being, I want it.

3. Cozy looking wingback bed- I want to wake up here, not get out of bed for hours on end, and finish many books here. That just looks delicious.

4. Door looking room divider- I assume it's obvious at this point that I'm amazing at making up names for products. I don't know why I love this but I think it would be happy in my make believe house.

5. Gi-freakin-normous trunk that's actually a desk-y office type thing- I'm sorry, how awesome is this?!  It makes no sense whatsoever but it's incredible. Restoration Hardware should also seriously reconsider renaming it, with my title. It's much more fitting.

6. Greatest outdoor furniture set known to man- I call it this referring to the entire package- fire pit and ocean front view included. Was that not part of the price? Strange. You need to really peruse all of the collection to get the whole wonderfulness of it, queen size daybed and all!

There you have it ladies and gentlemen- this weeks very luxurious and fanciful installment of my window shopping spree. It took a serious toll on my non-existent bottomless bank account. I'll have to work some make believe over time to get ready for next week.