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!!