All Things Christmas!

Happy Monday Friends!!

I can't really take for serious that Christmas will actually be here next week!!  Eeeeekkk...I'm so excited!!!  Not that I'm not ready, I totally am, it's just crazy how fast this year has gone!!

Since I'm in full on Christmas mode, I'm joining The Blended Blog for the All Things Christmas Link-up.  Later this week I'll be sharing my Christmas Decor, so today it's all about the Christmas Entertainment...movies, music and books!  (I think I added the books but I'm a fan of Christmas books sooo....)


I am totally THAT GIRL that's been watching ALL THE HALLMARK CHRISTMAS MOVIES since the day they began airing on October 26th!!  It really has been that long!!
I know they are super cheesy and uber predictable but I just can't help myself!! This year there are more than ever!! My all-time favorite Hallmark Christmas movie they never replay enough.  It was called Finding Christmas and the leading man, JT Hodges, is a country music singer in the movie and in real life!!

Hallmark

Also, something of note....not only is there one Channel for  Christmas Movies, there's two!!  Hallmark Movies and Mysteries has some great movies, too!  Check out Hearts of Christmas....it's  my fave HMM movie!!

Hallmark Movies and Mysteries

Finding Christmas is very much like one of my most favorite Christmas movies, The Holiday.  I just love Jack Black and Jude Law in that one!!  And how cute is Arthur?!? I've seen The Holiday so many times and I could never tire of it.

Another favorite Christmas movie is Love Actually.  Actually, it's one of my all-time top 5 favorite movies! I have a Christmas morning tradition of wrapping all my gifts while watching Love Actually and drinking mimosas!  #solitarylifeatitsfinest

As you can probably tell, I'm more of a TV watcher this time of year! So in my house it's more TV then music during the holidays, but I do have a bunch of Christmas songs I love.  When I was a classroom teacher, every year for Christmas, I'd give my class a homemade Christmas CD of songs that I burned as a gift.  It was always a hit with my students and their families.  I like mixing the traditional with the more modern.  To hear some of my favorites and ones I included on my CD, head to my Christmas Playlist on You Tube here!!

Over the years, I've gotten into reading Christmas books. A co-worker gave me a Christmas book as a gift one year and I've loved it so much, I started reading that author's books.  Anything by Richard Paul Evans reads like a favorite Hallmark movie.   One of my favorite Christmas books ever is entitled The 13th Gift.  I read it years ago as an Advanced Readers Copy and just saw it on a fellow bloggers list, so I'm thinking I'll pull it our again this year myself.  It's based on a true story!
I blogged a little bit about it here!

Over the weekend  I finished reading One Day in December by Josie Silver.  I really enjoyed it.  It was maybe a bit longer than it needed to be but overall a good read!  Recommend!!


What are you reading, listening to or watching that I may be missing??  Let me know in the comments below!!


Have a great week!  See you back here for a Christmas Home Tour Tomorrow!!

Merry and Bright!

Wednesday!!  Whoop! Whoop!!  Luckily this week seems to be flying by!  With so many holiday things on the horizon, it's all coming quick!  Decided to jump on with my TBB Besties today and share a fashion post.  Today's prompt is all things Merry and Bright- to share an outfit that makes you happy and brings you joy!  Do pajamas count?  Just kidding!  I'll be sharing those next week!

Today's look has been on repeat ever since I got this hat.  I get lots of reactions to this hat and got the biggest reaction to this outfit as a whole, not too long ago!  And that just made me really giddy (and still does!) so this outfit just makes me happy.  It's not holiday-ish but that's ok!

I was hesitant about this hat at first, but now I wear it all the time and love it...haters be damned!!


Sharing this sweater too, just because...my students really liked it!  HA!  I've totally become that teacher that dresses for the holidays!  Eeeekkkk!!  But the kids love it and notice!!  This look was a hit with them.  And that made me happy.  These days it's been increasingly hard to find the happy in what I do quite honestly...so I'm gonna take it and run with it!   I have a holiday gingerbread making event to go to on Thursday and I think I may wear this!! And this sweater was like a $3.99 bargain at LOFT after Christmas last year!! So if that isn't a testament to save some of your money for those after Christmas sales...I don't know what is!!

Hope you are wearing something today that makes you smile too!  Have a Happy Wednesday!!

TBB Asks!

December already!  What?!?  As much as I am sad to see this year coming to an end, I am excited for all the Christmas festivities I have on tap.  Joining my TBB Girls for the first of the month fun, TBB Asks!  This month, it's got a holiday twist!  Obvi!!  So much fun!  Join us!!

1. Candy Canes?  I can take 'em or leave 'em really!!

2.  Christmas Morning early riser or sleep in?  I am old...I no longer sleep in, EVER!!

3.  Black Friday Shopping?   YES...but only online.  I am not a fan or crowds.  My sister and I shopped in our pjs all day, drinking persecco and eating leftovers!

4. Christmas tree up in November?  YES!  My mom and I have our tradition of putting up my tree together.  For the past few years we've done it the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

5. A Pinterest Christmas?  NAH!

6. Christmas Glam or Ugly Sweater?  There is a time and place for it ALL!!

7.  Stucking Stuffers...Wrapped or Unwrapped?  Well my mama's the only one who still gives me stocking stuffers these days and for as long as I've lived, she been wrapping them!  I like it!

8.  Traditional or Modern Christmas Songs?  I like a mix of both!  Love  Frank Sinatra singing about those J-I-N-G-L-E Bells??  My FAVE!  And who doesn't love a lil *NSYNC Merry Christmas Happy Holidays or Britney's My Only Wish this Year?!?  LOL

9.  Fruitcake?  Actually I've never had it...and don't ever intend to.

10.  Is your Christmas Shopping done?  For the most part, YES.  The only gift I have to get is my Secret Santa.  But we haven't put together our lists yet.  I do a Secret Santa with my sisters and brother-in-laws.  We pick names then put together a list with three gifts we want and send it to everyone. Then our secret santa can choose what to get us.  So it's something we want but still a surprise because we don't know what they'll choose!

11. Snow in December?  There can be.  We've actually had our first heavy snowfall on November 15th, so I'm fairly certain that there will be more snow this month.

12.  Classic Show: Charlie Brown or Rudolph?  As a child we watched all the Christmas Shows.  These days, give me ALL THE HALLMARK CHRISTMAS  MOVIES!!  (I'm actually really liking the ones on Lifetime too this year...LOL)

Heading over to The Blended Blog to link up my TBB Asks now, you should too!! Or let me know your answers to the questions in the comments below!!

Ho-Ho-Happy Holidays!!

I'm over at The Blended Blog today!

Happy Friday Friends!!

Is it just me of has this been the longest week ever??  The first five days after a long weekend are always the hardest, huh?

I'm super excited I really got back to blogging this week.  I linked up with The Blended Blogon Monday and Wednesday and even resurrected Throwback Thursdays for the holidays!

And today, you can find me over at TBB for  our Friday Features Link up! It's when we showcase some of our faves from the weekly linkups!  Head on over there to give it a read and link up your own faves posts as well!!

Have a great weekend!  See you right back here Monday for TBB Asks...the Holidays Edition!!

Bringing Back the Throwbacks...for the Holidays!

I'm so excited for the holidays!  I thought I'd resurrect the Throwback Thursday posts to share some of my favorite holiday posts.  They might be new to some and a first time read for others.  To me, there faves.  I hope you enjoy!!

Usually I post something on the blog on the anniversary of moving into my home, but I didn't this year.  This past August was actually my 5th year here!!  Crazy scary how fast time flies!!

So in the spirit of the Holidays, this Throwback Thursday, I am sharing the first Christmas Home Tour I ever did on the blog.  It's the first time readers got a peek inside my home at Christmas.

I am all decorated for Christmas already this year, but plan on posting this years home tour later on in December...stay tuned!  For now, let's turn back time!

Holiday Looks!

Wednesday!  Woo Hoo!!  This week has seemed like the longest, huh?  Or maybe that's just me!!  Ugh!

It's been forever and a day since I've posted anything fashion related to the blog, but today I'm giving it another shot!!
As I sit down to write this post, I'm realizing Holiday Looks probably means Christmas.  But Me being Me is going to save all those for the December Prompts!  So today I'm showing showing my love for Small Business and sharing my Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving looks that show off tops I purchased at a local boutique.

This Saturday I was on the couch sick with a sore throat and cold, so I unfortunately I didn't shop Small Business Saturday like I usually do.  Then my mom reminded me of something, I very rarely leave my town so...I Shop Small all the Time!!  I gathered she was right, so I felt a bit better!

I love this little shop in town called Say More Boutique, and when they recently had a Sip and Shop Sale event at the store, I attended.

If you read my post yesterday you may remember that I don't really shop without a purpose.  If I get something, I have a specific place or event I'm going to wear it too. I went shopping that night wanting to find something to wear for both my Friendsgiving celebration and Thanksgiving day with my family.   I succeeded!

I shopped and shopped...and shopped some more!  I may have shopped way more than I thought I was going to, but the store has such cute stuff and who doesn't like snacks and drinks while you shop!?!?  I've gotten pretty friendly with the owner too, so I like supporting her and women in business doing great things in my town!  You can shop her boutique online too, here!

This first look I wore for the Friendsgiving that I hosted here at my house!  Loved the colors of this easy, breezy top and thought it was really a different spin on the animal print top. While it's not really heavy or wintery at all, it worked because with the turkey baking for hours in my small house, I was still comfy.  And to be honest, I'm thinking this could really be an "every season" kinda top!

Animal Print Ruffle Sleeve Smocked Top

I really like that the animal print is subtle!

Stella and Dot Fringe Necklace

Here I paired the top with the Express Faux Leather Leggings!

Since I really wasn't the one cooking or hosting for Thanksgiving, I went bold with this top.  It's huge sleeves were super fun and I loved the high neck of it.  I have a lot of mock neck tops these days.  The Fall color was perfect too. I thought this whole look was very Thanksgiving worthy actually!!  (Even though our temps were in the low 20's and I could've been wearing a winter parka!!)  We just did not get enough of a Fall in my opinion, so I'll squeak out every last bit of it, even if it's in my outfits...lol

The ruffle sleeves are big! But I really liked that they're different...and pretty damn fabulous!!

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  And looks forward to the upcoming craziness that December brings!!  There's hope for me yet, posting on Wednesdays thanks to my bestie and blog photog, Mel!

Link up with The Blended Blog every Wednesday in December too, with these fun and festive prompts!! 

Now head on over to TBB to check out Vanessa's  holiday looks! Link up your own post too! 

 No Blog? No Problem!  Share your OOTD and your Holiday Looks with us using #theblendedblogstyle!

My Christmas Wish List

Jumping on the bandwagon a little late today but I had so much fun reading everyone's post from the Link up at The Blended Blog today, that I've decided to write my own Christmas Wish List.  Now that Thanksgiving And I really liked the way Toronto SAM put hers together so I'm modeling my own after it!

NEED

 I really NEED a new watch!  Mine broke, going on years now to be honest, and I just haven't replaced it.  Do I have a bunch of watches that just need new batteries?  Sure!  But what fun is that?  LOL  I've been loyal to Fossil for years and years and years, so I'm going to stick with fossil.  I really like this one!!  It's only $57 today!  I may have to buy it and give it to mom to give me!!  HA!!

WANT

If I'm honest, I'm the kind of person that doesn't really want anything, until I see it...if that makes any sense! The TBB Ladies of Hilton Head can tell you that every store we went into I said I didn't need or want anything, but then I came out of the store toting bags on bags on bags!  Did I take advantage of Black Friday Sales...definitely!  Am I thinking that for Cyber Monday next year I wanna take a sick day??  YUP!  I buy lots of what I want, buy if I buy something like clothes, I won't buy it if I don't have an idea of wear I'll wear it.  I guess that's rationalizing it, but..hey!!  I took full advantage of those Black Friday Sales!!

WEAR

I'm totally that girl that sports the Ugly Christmas Sweater!  My teacher friends and I wear them on the last day of school before break every year.  Last year my friend and I hosted an Ugly Sweater Party and last year was also the first year I instituted ugly sweaters at my family's annual Cookies and Cocktails celebration.  This year I gave my friend the idea to have an ugly sweater party at her Cheese Shoppe/Wine Bar in town!! I was so excited when she told me she was having it and calling it Chedders and Sweaters!!  How fun and cheesy is that???  This is the Ugly Sweater I'll be wearing that night!

My family really brought it for Cookies and Cocktails!!  And I may have outfitted all my sisters with their Ugly Sweaters!!

READ

A book is forever part of my Christmas Wish List because over the Christmas Break I actually have the time to read again.  Last year mom gave me Sisters First, which I read in two days and really LOVED!!  Lots of times she'll give me a Christmas book.  The year before last she gave me Debbie Macomber's Twelve Days of Christmas. It's about a blogger!!  I can't wait to see what book mom gifts me this year.

What's on your Christmas Wish List? Let me know in the comments below!  And if you have your own wishes, link them up with The Blended Blog too, HERE!!  

An attitude of Gratitdue!

Since any day is a great day to count my blessings, I'm sharing my TBB Asks posts today!  This time around it's the Thanks and Giving Edition!  I kind of can't believe Thanksgiving is already around the corner.  And I get so mad when one day it's Halloween and then poof...it's Chrsitmas!!  Thanksgiving get totally forgotten in the crush.  (In all honesty though, I am totally on the Hallmark Christmas movie train!! HA!)

But back to the issue at hand...Giving thanks!!  Here are my answers to this month's questions!!

1. Have you ever kept a gratitude journal? 
I have actually...and really wished that I kept up with it. At night before bed I listed 5 things about the day I was grateful for.   I never keep up with journals or diaries....maybe I'll get back into it.

2. Hosting Thanksgiving?  I am not hosting Thanksgiving, have never and probably will never.  My sister hosts our family Thanksgiving and always does a great job.  This year though, I am once again hosting FRIENDSGIVING!  I'm glad to be bringing it back with a different group of friends then in my previous years!!  It's this Sunday and I'm really looking forward to it (but kinda wish the besties and I kept up with the tradition ourselves! Read about our very first Friendsgiving here!) And when I say hosting, I really just mean, we are using my house!!  HA!  As long as I don't cook the turkey, anyone is welcome to the use of my kitchen!

3.  Favorite food from the Thanksgiving meal?
Is it wrong to say my own Green Bean Casserole??  That is the ONE thing I make (for Thanksgiving AND CHRISTMAS) and just love!!  I really enjoy all the side dishes...more so than the turkey itself!!

4. One thing is Nature I am most grateful for...most definitely THE SUNSHINE!  It's beautiful in the sky ALL THE TIME!!  When it rises in the morning, when it sets in the evening and when I'm enjoying it all day long during those hot summer days, getting my tan on.  But all year long, I'm just a happier person when the sun is shining!

5. Pumpkin Pie?  Heck YES!!  And I really like the Costco Pumpkin Pie...go get you some!!

6. Traditional Cookbook?  Not really sure about this one! But I'll attempt to answer!  I don't really cook but when I do, most of the time, it's from this family cookbook that we girls created for our Mom on Shutterfly for her birthday a few years ago.  We all contributed recipes from it, and got our own copies.  Other than that, I'll just look online, even though, oddly enough, I have a whole shelf of cookbooks!!

7. Oven Baked or Deep Fried Turkey?
I've had both.  Lots of times we have the deep fried turkey as an appetizer and the sauce my brother in law makes for it is totally delish.  The deep friend turkey is so delish.  Maybe that why I'm more of a side dish girl!  Perhaps I fill up too much on that!

8.  Leftovers?  YES!  I enjoy leftovers!!  Often times I take the turkey, cook it in gravy and make an open face turkey sandwich/soup kinda combo!!  SO YUMMY!!

9. What is one household product you are most grateful for?
Ummmm....that would have to be my electric wine opener!!  NOT Kidding!

10. Most grateful for home cooked meals or restaurant meals?  I like this question!!
Well, I eat out most often so I am most grateful for a home cooked meal.  I enjoy eating meals that others cook, and because I didn't cook it and they are offering it to me and welcoming me into their homes to it it, I am that much more grateful for it.  My family cooks some awesome meals!!





So fun!!  Heading over to link up with TBB for TBB Asks and check out all the fabulous Thanksgiving fashion ideas from today's Fall Fashion Frenzy!  Link up too, here!!  Thanks for stopping by the blog today...I'm grateful for you!! 

Friday 5...Fave Purchases!

Deena | Abbie | Lana | Shaunacey | Katie | Alison | Sarah

Happy Friday!!  Is is just me, or has this been THE longest week??  I am so happy Friday has finally arrived!   I've been looking forward to this post. 

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting up with some of my Blended Blog Besties in Hilton Head South Carolina...the day after a hurricane blew through!!  

Did we have adventures...right outta the gate!  A day spent in the airport, a crazy one-armed cabbie, cockroaches, oh my!!  

But enough of that crazy!!  On to the good stuff....the sun, the sand, the food, the wine, the blog fun...and most importantly, the shopping!!  And boy did we shop! It was a ton of fun!

Actually Shaunacey and I shopped a little less than the others (maybe because I spent all my money on day one!)  But then I did a thing, my usual thing...I shopped online...while Shaunacey and I were at the pool!!  Online Shopping is just my thing!!

So since we did lots of shopping,  today we're all posting our five favorite purchases from our shopping spree!! 

I actually went into shopping not needing a THING!!  But then I kinda had this problem...I pretty much purchased something from every store I entered!!  I think this is probably because, at home, I really don't shop in stores AT ALL!  All my shopping is done online.  Shopping in actual stores?!?  I kind of forgot what it was like!!  So I had a lot to chose from. (Definitely not as much as much as Abbie though, who is now my shopping idol!!  She bought ALL THE THINGS!!) 

I don't doubt, that eventually you'll see all my purchases on the blog, today I chose my top five!!  Hope you like 'em!!

Michael Kors....eeeeekkkkk!!  I don't have much Michael Kors!  But I was so excited to find these two things .  This jacket is going to be a staple...for like...ever!

This scarf is the perfect match to this coat!  And is another fave purchase! It's one I ordered online by the pool Sunday and was at my door by Thursday!  It's Stella and Dot, which Shaunacey is a Stylist for...so basically, I bought all the things!  And am now a club member!!  LOL  I love that I can wear the scarf now in the fall, but I can also wear it every other season as well!

 This was my other purchase from Michael Kors.  This fun dress is a totally cool twist on the LBD.  And was a total slurge!! But I know I'll wear this.  And the thing about shopping with these girls...  Everyone is so complimentary!  They thought it looked great on me! I'm harder on myself!  I was totally drawn to the dress and really love it!

I've decided I'm no long comfortable in photos!!  I hate the way I look in all of these!  Ugh!!

I'm not sure why I had no intention at all of ever getting pants like this, but after seeing them on Alison in Express and how go she looked in them (just to try things on mind you!), I had to try.  And since all pants were buy one get one FREE, why the hell not!!  And now I freaking love them!!  They're a little hard to see in the photo but...

My last favorite purchase was another thing I bought on a whim...and when I bought it, I had no idea it would end up being a fave, but it totally is!!  It bought this bag to use as a new work bag this year.  I realize that we're at the end of October already, but up until now, I've only been bringing my purse to work.  Granted it's a big purse but.  I just figured, "I'm spending 11 hours at this place...I'm not ever bringing anything home!  THAT was a lie I told myself!  So I'm so happy with this purchase!  And my school friends have complimented me so much on this!!  It's perfect!

My moto for the weekend was "Buy it Now, Hyperventilate Later!!  So I've be paying for these purchases and all the rest for quite sometime!  But no regrets!!  Nothing beats shopping and laughing with friends!!  Now head on over to their blogs to see what these fabulous woman bought!  They are all a bunch of supermodels that look great in everything!!

Deena | Abbie | Lana | Shaunacey | Katie | Alison | Sarah

Thanks for stopping by the blog today!  I hope your weekend is a great one!  Do a little shopping!!

Soup Group Blog Hop!

It's Tasty Tuesday around these parts, and for something a bit different today I'm joining some fellow bloggers for a Soup Group Blog Hop.  So if you've landed here from Gail's Blog, thanks so much for stopping by...I hope you'll stay!

While I am not much of a cook on the daily, I do break out the crock pot a bunch of times during the Fall and Winter months.  I love the comfort of a hearty soup or chili...especially ones that will last me a few days!

I'm sharing a recipe today, that's not my own, but one I absolutely love and each time I make it, I swear it comes out better...LOL  A few years ago, I joined Casey for a Clean Week Challenge that was just for crock pots.  It seriously was so much fun.  Today's recipe was actually the very first of the week, and ended up being my favorite!  I've made this every Fall since the challenge.  I passed it along to my cousin actually and she entered it into a chili contest among her neighbors where it won rave reviews.  I do believe she kicked it up a notch with some spice!! Over time I've made it less "clean"

Here's my version the recipe:

Fall Chili....because chili is kinda in the soup family, right?  :)

It's lots of ingredients but it all gets thrown in the crock pot!

1lb. ground turkey, lean
-brown in skillet before throwing in crock pot!

1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, diced
1 cup of frozen corn

1 15 oz. can Fire Roasted diced tomatoes (basically now when anything calls for diced tomatoes, I use the fire roasted!  So good!)
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
(the Clean version of the recipe calls for low sodium tomatoes...over time, I've grabbed what I can get!  LOL)

1 15 oz can of each:

• chili beans
• kidney beans
• black beans

1 15 oz can pureed pumpkin (not pie filling!)

1 TB chili powder

1/2 TB cumin

Salt to taste! Add at the end...you make not even need any.  I add a dash of pepper also!

Shredded cheese and scallions to garnish at the ending when plating.

When the meat is cooked, place everything in the crock pot and stir to combine.

Cook on low 6-7 hours or high or 4-5 on high.

I always prefer the low setting!  

The finished product!  YUM!!

Thanks so much for visiting today!  I hope you'll try this recipe, and when you do, please let me know what you think!  I'd love to hear!  

Now please hop on over to Penny's blog to see what delicious-ness she has in store for you!!

Fall Traditions with TBB!

Is drinking a boatload of Pumpkin Ale in the Fall a tradition? No??  Moving On!!

I'm excited to share today, because this year, after years and years of just talking about it, my bestie, Mel (you know her!) and I began a new tradition of Apple Picking out East!

We've been wanting to do apple picking for so long and we finally did it.  We went on the most beautiful Saturday in early Fall.  It wasn't too cold or too, too hot!  And because neither of us like people (ha...jk!), we went nice and early before all the crowds. Out east in the summer and early fall is a bear with traffic and tons of people!

We had the best day!

It was early in the season but we had a great haul...ya really had to get in there!!

Mel found her PERFECT apple!

Us in the orchard!

After apple picking and apple cider doughnuts we headed out to a place called the Riverhead Ciderhouse!  Because, after a day of apple picking, you can't NOT go there!!

I'm a huge fan of this place!!  It was Mel's first trip!!

We rounded out the day with a trip to a local brewery for some pumpkin ales  and a yummy lunch at a favorite spot!!  All in all it was a great day.  We can't wait to do it again next year!!

Linking up with my blog besties over at The Blended Blog!  You should too!  Can't wait to read all about everyone's Fall Traditions!!