I finally made it to a baseball game!

Sometimes a night out with your mom is just what you need.  My mom has always been my best friend and one of the people I call with any kind of problem/news.  We haven't gotten to have a girl's night out in so long, but we finally got our chance a little over a week ago!

My mom is a HUGE baseball fan and loves the Pittsburgh Pirates.  She has season passes and everything.  Earlier in the week she called to ask if I wanted to go to a game with her.  I was super excited because I had never been to a baseball game and it was also a firework night.  I'm more of a football and hockey girl but I love sports so I knew it would be fun.

It did rain on us a lot but my mom is a smarty pants and brought rain ponchos!  Mine was super huge on me but it definitely worked!

She also surprised me with tickets to see the musical "Cats" beforehand.  She knows that I LOVE musical theater (and her boyfriend isn't into it) so she bought us the tickets to the showing before the game.

We ended up spending almost 12 hours together while my hubby watched the little one!  It was a great night out.

And to make the night even more awesome, the Pirates won the game in overtime! hahaha!  Yesssss....

linking up at The Grits Blog and Treasure Tromp

Business casual outfit idea

Pictured:  Blazer  |  Top  |  Pants  |  Necklace  |  Flats  |  Ring
Get the look for less: all at Charlotte Russe: Blazer, Top, Necklace, Pants, Flats, Ring

It can get a little bit boring dealing with a business casual dress code, so sometimes it's fun to throw something with a bold pattern into the mix.  I have been really addicted to stripes lately and the black and white stripes add something more fun to this outfit.  Without the fun blazer and statement necklace this outfit may be just another boring outfit, but add in a couple fun things and it changes the whole look!

Do you have a dress code at work?  Do you feel like you fall into a slump sometimes when picking out your clothes?

Let me tell you 'bout my beeest frieeend...

As I was looking through some of my posts from the last couple months I realized that I haven't introduced you to one of the most important men in my life...

His name is "Momma's Boy" aka "Handsome".  I'm sure you can see why...

Right before I graduated high school, I started working at a pet shop.  I still consider it one of my favorite jobs ever!  I barely made minimum wage but I got to hang out with all kinds of furry and not so furry friends.

One day when we were about to close for the day, a woman came in with a litter of kittens that she wanted to get rid of (happened all the time), so what we always did was take them in, get them cleaned up, and schedule for a vet to check them out the next day.  One by one the vet checked them out and "okayed" them for sale, but when she got to the last 2 she found a level 3 heart murmur in the them both.  That made them "unsellable".  There was a teeny tiny orange and white guy (baby Momma's boy) and a little black and white boy.  My best friend took home the tuxedo kitty and named him Ozzy.

As the vet continued to give a check up to the little orange boy she noticed a bad upper respiratory infection, ear mites, and a gooey infection in his eyes.  She said he probably wouldn't last the week.  So, I decided he was coming home with me and getting all of the love that he could for that week, instead of living in some cage.

A week went by, then a month, and the vet was amazed to see that he pulled through.  She said with his weak heart she never would have expected it, and also that he may not live as long of a life as a normal cat but he was doing so much better.  Well, he is now 8 years old and still has me wrapped around his little paw.

His name was originally Gizmo but he followed me around constantly, so I kept saying "you're such a little Momma's Boy" and I guess he like that better.  He can be such a little butthead but I love him like crazy.  He's been with me through so much and I don't know what I would have done without him.

Who would play you in the movie version of your life??

Have you ever been watching a movie and wondered, if there was a movie about my life who would play me??  I have, and it's not like I have an overly exciting life or anything...maybe I just have a crazy imagination

ME- Mila Kunis
We don't really look alike but we seem like we have very similar personalities (from her movies).  In a lot of her movies she is sort of the tomboyish girly girl, if that makes any sense.  She has a sarcastic sense of humor and isn't afraid to make fun of herself.

MY HUSBAND - Jason Statham
Because, why not?!  I mean, look at him!  But seriously, I have always thought that my hubby resembles him.  He doesn't have the sexy accent though.....but he can fake it!  In all of his movies he has a walk like he means business and so does my husband, Chris.  They both also know martial arts!

MY MOM - Goldie Hawn
Not only does my mom already sort of resemble her but she LOVES her.  My mom has a bubbly, goofy personality when you get to know her....and she's also very found of the "bling". haha!  My mom is always complimented on her smile and that's one of the things that Goldie Hawn is known for!

MY BFF - Zooey Deschanel
My best friend Nikki, is a lot like Zooey Deschanel from The New Girl.  When she gets nervous and/or drinks a little too much, she can not get herself to stop talking.  She rambles and talks so fast that you can barely understand her. lol. She's always optimistic and friendly, and is super gorgeous but doesn't know it or act like it.  Besides, who would not want to be friends with Zooey Deschanel?!?!

Do you look like any celebrities??  Who do you think would be cast in a movie about your life?

Best night out in a long time

Today is my first time linking up at Grateful Heart Monday over at Ember Grey!  This week I am grateful for a long awaited night out with my husband.

The weekend after our anniversary we were able to get someone (my mom) to watch the little one for us, so we could have a nice night out.

My husband isn't very good at planning things, BUT he did make us reservations for 6pm at the fancy restaurant where he proposed.  Other than that we thought maybe we would catch a movie...   Well, Paige ended up taking a longer nap than expected so we ended up missing the showing time for the movie we wanted to see.  We were trying to figure out what we wanted to do on the way to my mom's and my husband got an idea....but he wouldn't tell me what it was.

We still hadn't eaten lunch so he surprised me by taking me to The Cheesecake factory!  I loooove cheesecake.  And all of their food is amazing. We split a lunch and got a dessert to split.

After we left there we saw that they were having an art and music festival literally right outside!  So we shopped around a little there and then we headed to Hofbrauhaus right across the street.  Hofbrauhaus is a German restaurant/bar that brews their own beer on site.  And wait until you see their mugs.....

Yeah, HUGE!!

Once we finished our ginormous beers there we decided it was about time to head to our restaurant, The Monterrey Bay Fish Grotto.  It is an amazing restaurant on Mount Washington overlooking a beautiful view of Pittsburgh.

Most amazing food EVER!

I'm not going to lie, this was a very expensive night out but it was absolutely amazing!  It probably won't happen again until next year but it was worth it!

Sunday Social

1. What is the most difficult thing you have been through?
When my husband and I were trying to start a family we had a very difficult time conceiving and then after a year of trying we found out we were pregnant...  and then we miscarried at 12 weeks.  It was devastating.  But it brought us even closer together...and we now have a daughter who is a year and a half old.

2. What was your best birthday?
Probably the first year that my hubby and I started dating.  My birthday is right before Halloween so we went out to a karaoke bar for their costume night with a bunch of my friends and had some drinks.  My husband and my best friend are great singers.... Me? well, I will stick to cheering them on from the audience. haha!

3. What has been your favorite thing you’ve done in your own city?
Zipling!  We have a park somewhat near us (about 40minutes away) that has an attraction called Go Ape.  My husband and I went last year and it was sooo much fun!  They have obstacle course that you have to get through and then at the end of each level you zipline through the trees to the next course.  We are both very athletic and adventurous types so we had a lot of fun.  I should write a post about that soon!

4. What is your idea of the perfect date night?
Lately?  Just being able to go out and have an actual conversation would be nice. haha!  When you have a little one that requires all of your attention, any night out is perfect.

5. Have you ever been to a blogging conference? If so which one(s)? If not do you want to?

I haven't yet, but I would really love to!  I see so many bloggers posting about theirs but unfortunately I haven't seen or heard about any in the Pittsburgh area.

Horned Owl watercolor painting

It's been a couple weeks since I posted some of my new art.  I've been really busy working on my Etsy shop (post coming up about that soon, so stop back!).

I've still been trying to improve on my watercolor skills, so I decided I wanted to try an animal.  Owls are my absolute favorite so I started with a horned owl.

Here are some progress shots:

My daughter is just as obsessed with owls as I am, so I think I may frame this one and put it in her bedroom.  She even has a big pink stuffed animal owl that she sleeps with.  It's almost as tall as she is! haha!

I'm actually pretty happy with the way this one turned out, especially for it being my first try!

What do you think?

Style Icon: Jessica Alba

Jessica Alba has always been my ultimate favorite style icon.  She has a really classy and put together look while still being finding a way to look casual.  

Girl can rock a scarf!

She has a great way of adding a special edginess to her outfits that I LOVE.  She takes a girly looking dress and makes it fierce with her accessories and jackets.  I am constantly finding myself wearing leather jackets with girlier prints/fabrics now.  

I would love to have her closet!  Even her dress picks are to die for!  These are my favorites!  I'm not sure if I am brave enough to rock a leather dress but it is sooo cute!  I love the way that she can switch back and forth from beautiful good-girl to sexy badass.  Notice the soft detailing and chic look in the first outfit, daring look in the middle, and then a mix of the two in the last one.  Perfect!

 I've noticed that some actresses go a little overboard when picking out their dresses for the award shows.  They try to be too shocking or make a new fashion trend.  Jessica Alba's looks are more timeless and traditional.

Who is your ultimate style icon??

Packing for vacation with an 18 month old & a giveaway!!

via

Next week we are taking our first weekend vacation with our daughter who is a year and a half old.  We are going to my family reunion (which just so happens to be near the beach) for 4 days and 3 nights.  I like to be over-prepared so I've been working on this list for a couple months just to make sure I have everything we need.  

I'm not really sure how well the 7 hour car ride is going to go with our VERY active little one, but my guess is that she will be screaming like crazy after the first hour... I hope I'm wrong.  We bought her a couple new toys to give her throughout the car ride just to keep her busy.

MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS:

* Money/Debit Card
* Photo I.D.
* Cell Phones and chargers
* Camera and accessories
* Hotel reservation info
* Prescription medicines

BABY STUFF:

* Small toys and/or books
* Sippy cups
* Diaper and baby wipes
* Pack n Play - for bedtime
* Favorite toy- her stuffed owl
* Travel stroller
* 2 bathing suits
* 6 outfits (just in case)
* 3 sets of pajamas
* 2 pairs of shoes/sandals
* Blanket
* Swim diapers
* Diaper cream
* Diaper bag

FIRST AID AND PERSONAL CARE:

* Sunblock- (for adults and baby)
* Tylenol/Aleve (for adults and baby)
* Bug spray
* Benedryl
* Travel size dish soap (for washing slobbery sippy cups)
* Toothbrushes and toothpaste
* Deodorant
* Shampoo/Conditioner and body wash
* Razor and shaving cream
* Hand sanitizer
* Face/Body lotion
* Snacks- lots of 'em!
* Hairbrush
* Insect repellent
* Daily Vitamin
* 3 Beach towels
* Plastic bags (for soiled or wet clothing)

FOR MYSELF:

*Beach bag/purse
* 2 pairs of sandals
* 1 closed-toe pair of shoes (just in case we go to an amusement park)
* 1 beach cover-up dress
* 2 bathing suits
* 3 tank tops
* 2 shorts
* 3 night clothes
* Undergarments
* Makeup
* Jacket (for when the sun goes down)
* Sunglasses

We are also bringing a small cooler with drinks and fruit.

I can't really include a list of my hubby's things he packed because he is the typical male.  He goes into the bedroom, grabs random stuff, and he's good to go. haha!  Men!

Did I leave anything out??  What would you bring on a trip with a little one?

I am also co-hosting a giveaway over at So Much Sunshine for an $80 gift card to Target! Who doesn't love Target....besides my bank account.  To enter use the rafflecopter below:

Taylor - TMPhotography //Julie - JM Artwork // Erin - South to Southwest // Kasi - Birch Juice Blog

Anne -Love The Here and Now // Sarah Christine - Sarah Christine Style // Brittany - Blissfully Britt // Erica - So Much Sunshine

a Rafflecopter giveaway

OUTFIT: Sometimes you just feel like dressing up

Have you ever just woken up one morning and decided that you wanted to look nice that day??  That happens to me sometimes.  I think after more than I would like to admit a day or two of nothing but bummy, just around the house clothes, I got tired of looking blah.

I was just going to throw on the usual maxi dress but my daughter picked out this skirt for me....and she's only 17 months old. haha!  She picked out both her clothes and part of mine that day. haha!  I can't remember how long it's been since I wore a mini skirt... and you can tell from my pale legs that it's been a while.

Needless to say my hubby was pleasantly surprised when he came home from work.

The whole outfit ended up coming from one place, Wet Seal.  

All of the pieces of this outfit are pretty old but you can find similar items here: 

Skirt- here, here, and here  |  Top- here or here  |  Necklace- here or here  |  Belt- here |  Heels- here or here

The top is actually really flowy but I wanted to give it a peplum look by adding the skinny belt at my waist.

What do you think?

linking up with: Let It Shine Monday , Manic Monday- More Pieces of Me and On the Daily Express, Pink Sole , Lipstick and Crayons, Style Elixir, Transatlantic Blonde, Rhea Et Cetera, Because Shanna Said So, The Pleated Poppy, Tucker Up, Get Your Pretty On, Tres Chic Fashion Thursday, Summer Style, 

Sunday Social

 

1. Tell us about the family you grew up in, parents, siblings, grandparents.
In one word...HUGE! haha!  I have 8 siblings! (siblings, half siblings, and stepsiblings) My dad's side of the family is really huge...and they are crazy.  Every year we have a family reunion and when I was younger there were close to 300-400 people there!  As the years went on, they have gotten smaller and smaller though.  My dad's side of the family are the one's with "short fuses" and my mom's side are USUALLY the more reserved side.

2. Tell us about your husband, fiancé, boyfriend, significant other.
My husband and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary last week!  He is my best friend in the whole world.  I've known him since I was 13 years old. haha!  I posted all about our wedding, wedding details, engagement, and honeymoon last week.

3. Tell us about your children. If you don’t have children, talk about your fur children.
We have a daughter named Paige who is almost a year and a half old.  She has nonstop energy and never sits still for long.  She's so smart already and makes her momma proud every day.  We also have a kitty named Momma's Boy who is around 8 years old now.  He is a little sweetheart but sometimes he makes us a little crazy too.

4. Tell us about your best friends. How long have you known them? How did you meet?
My best friends are Nikki, Angel, Jess and my mom.  Nikki- I have known for about 11 years.  She is the first person I call to tell anything.  We act like complete goofballs all of the time.  She is also the godmother of my daughter.  Angel and Jess I have known since elementary school.  We are the type of friends that don't get to see each other much but when we do everything picks up right where we left off.  My mom is the best mom in the whole world.  We've always been really close.

me and nikki

5. Tell us about any other special people in your life.
My father in law is also an amazing person.  He always tries to help us in any way that he can, and he LOVES hanging out with little Paige so sometimes my hubby and I can sneak out for much needed date days.

Wedding Week: Our Honeymoon

This is my last post of the Wedding Anniversary Week posts.  Thanks for hanging in there with me and letting me remember every detail.  I hope you enjoyed your peek into our wedding festivities.

For our honeymoon we wanted to do something really cool that neither of us had done before, so we booked a cruise to Cozumel and the Grand Cayman Islands.  I had never been on a cruise before so I wanted to give that a try.

We quickly found out that I get motion sickness.  haha!  I don't get sick to my stomach but I feel like everything is spinning.  The best way I can describe it is if you've ever drank just a bit too much and closed your eyes and felt like everything was spinning.  It was pretty miserable.  Unfortunately I didn't even get to leave the cabin much.  I spent almost the whole time in bed....and not for the reasons people usually are in bed on their honeymoon! haha!

I was so relieved when we got to the Grand Cayman Islands because I was able to get off the ship for a while and have a relaxing day on the beach.  The water was so beautiful!

The next stop was Cozumel and we got to swim with dolphins!!  Coolest experience ever!  They were so sweet and gentle.  I got dolphin kisses and rode on her back.

Have you ever scheduled an event or trip only to have it not be what you expected??  Where was your favorite vacation?

Wedding Week: Our Wedding

Today my husband and I have been married for FOUR years!  I can't believe how fast time went by...  They say time flies when you're having fun.  We've been together for almost 6 years and I can honestly say that they have been the happiest years of my whole life.  

I was always one of those girls that never wanted to get married....and then I started dating my now husband.  I couldn't have made a better choice.

We got married on the beach in Ocean City, MD.  I've already shared with you Our Engagement Story and The Details, but now I thought I would share some pictures and memories  from our wedding day..

GETTING READY

CEREMONY
You wouldn't know it from the pictures but it was actually POURING down rain the whole morning of the wedding.  I remember crying, thinking that there was no way I was going to be able to have the perfect beach wedding that I always wanted.  I looked out the doorway and up at the sky and asked my Pop Pop (my grandpa, who passed away) to please help make the rain stop.....  And just like that the rain stopped!  I'm not even kidding!  The rain held off for the whole ceremony, but did start back up a bit for the pictures.  It was REALLY cold too. My bridesmaids were troopers!

RECEPTION
I remember my heart racing and still being in shock that we were actually married.  I felt like I won the lottery. Between you and me, I still think I did.  The whole day went by like a whirlwind!  There were a lot of silly little things that didn't go as planned but no one seemed to notice.

Thanks for taking the time to share our memories with us!  I love looking at all of these photos.  It still feels like a dream...

Tomorrow I have a honeymoon post to keep Wedding Week going, so stop back tomorrow to see how we celebrated!

Wedding Week: The Details

Yesterday I shared our Engagement Story with you so before I post our wedding photos on our anniversary tomorrow I thought I would give you a sneak peak of some of our little details as a teaser for tomorrow.

My hubby and I had our wedding on the beach in Ocean City, MD so we had a lot of beach wedding decor.  Unfortunately, I had never heard of Pinterest yet so I didn't get to use any of those ideas!  Poo!  I just had to let my imagination do the work for me! lol  We also had a VERY small budget so we kept everything pretty small.

My favorite beach theme detail that we picked was our wedding cake!  I thought it turned out amazing!  As soon as I saw the cake topper online I knew I had to have it!  The cake designer did an amazing job matching the icing to the cake topper too!  All of the seashells and starfish were made out of chocolate.

Another one of my favorite things I decided to add was a locket that I tied to my bouquet.  My Pop Pop (my grandpa) was the most important man in the whole world to me but before he got the chance to give me away at my wedding he passed away.  So, the day wouldn't be the same if he wasn't there holding my hand as I walked down the aisle.  I gave the locket a big kiss and started my walk toward my husband to be. 

  

My friend actually made all of the bouquets for me!  I decided that fake flowers were the way to go because I thought that real flowers would wilt in the heat.  Also, I keep EVERYTHING so I thought it would also be great to keep my flowers forever!

Left: Centerpiece.  The centerpieces were large bowls filled with sand right from the beach and some seashells and starfish sprinkled in there too.  I was going to leave it at that but my mom thought it was too plain and added the flowers.  She's better at the fancy stuff than I am.  They looked much better in person than they do in the pictures.
Middle: Guest book.  My mom bought this for me at Things Remembered.  It is SOOO beautiful....but probably really unnecessary because we had a pretty small wedding (50 people). lol  I think only half signed it.
Right: Gift table.  I wish I had a better picture for you but I don't.  I strung shells on some twine and laid it across the table and sprinkled a few more just to add "something"

Since our ceremony was going to be on the beach and it was the end of July, we expected the weather to be really hot (it wasn't, it was COLD and rainy).  I didn't want anyone getting overheated so we put a large tub filled with ice and water bottles on the beach to help guests cool down.  I designed a cute little label for them and everything.  I don't have a picture of anyone with an actual bottle BUT here are my adorable labels..

I never realized how much time and thought goes into picking out songs either!  It took forever to decide! 

OUR WEDDING SONG PICKS:
First Dance: "I Could Not Ask For More" - Edwin McCain
Father/Daughter Dance: "I Loved Her First" - Heartland
Bouquet Toss: "Single Ladies" - Beyonce
Garter Toss:  "Another One Bites the Dust" - Queen
Cake Cutting: "I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz
...and towards the end of the night my hubby surprised me with a song that he wrote for me himself <3  He's pretty amazing ladies!!

And last but not least, THE DRESS!!

I probably only tried on maybe a dozen dresses, but when I tried this one on, I just knew it was perfect!

Stop back tomorrow for Our Wedding Story!

Wedding Week: Engagement

On the 10th my husband and I will be celebrating our 4 year wedding anniversary!!  It's crazy how time flies! So this week I am going to share with you our wedding story.  Every day this week I will be posting wedding related posts so you can "remember" with us.  Here we go...

THE PROPOSAL STORY:

It was our one year anniversary and he wanted to keep everything a secret...even where he was taking me!  He just told me to wear a nice dress because it was a fancier place.  Normally he will give me hints about what he got me and let me try to guess what it was.  Not this time!  He wouldn't budge!  He ended up taking me to this restaurant in Pittsburgh on Mount Washington called The Monterrey Bay Fish Grotto.  It was BEAUTIFUL.  The restaurant is on top of a tall building overlooking the whole city of Pittsburgh.  All of the walls were made of glass so you could see the city lights and he planned it perfectly so we could see the sunset.  They had the most amazing food ever.  

As we were waiting for our dessert to come out he said we should stand in front of the window and look at the beautiful view.  He was standing behind me with his arm around me and he whispered in my ear: " I wanted to take you to the top of the world to tell you that you mean the world to me".  Then he took his hand off of my waist and I turned around to see why.  When I turned around he was down on one knee.... and since I am a giant sized idiot I was thinking "oh, he's tying his shoe"...(yeah, face palm moment)

He pulled the box out of his pocket and asked if I would be his wife.  And then the most embarrassing thing happened, I tried to say yes and I just squeaked at him.  That's all that would come out!!  So then I realized people were staring and I got flustered and started sort of flapping at him.  I squeaked a few more times and decided to give up and just pull him in for a big hug and kiss.  Everyone applauded.

ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS:

I had a friend that was an aspiring model who had a friend that did her photography, and as an engagement present we got a free engagement shoot!  They may not be the most professional photos ever but I love them!

Of course, I HAD TO add in the Steelers pics.  I love my Steelers! haha!!

 We decided to do a super casual one because that was more "us".  That was my favorite tank top back then. haha!  Pretty sure I wore it ALL THE TIME.

 This last set ended up being my favorite.  It's something I've never seen done before.  A shoot in your pjs!  And the photographer caught us goofing off (the patty cake picture).  My hubby and I are always acting silly and I just think that he caught "us" more in these ones.

Here's one more set of photos for you ladies because everyone always wants to see the ring...he did good!

Did you have engagement photos taken??  If so, did you add in any details that were special to you as a couple?

Tomorrow I will be sharing some of the details in our wedding so stop back and visit!