Wish List.

It is no secret that I love to shop. But after paying off/selling Luke's car, paying off a student loan, and paying the majority of a credit card all last pay check(s), Luke and I have been a little strapped on cash (a.k.a. Sara is grounded from spending money for a couple of weeks, ha!). So lately, I've been doing a lot of online browsing and spring/summer wardrobe planning. Here are a few of the things on my wish list...

{Darby Earrings in Palm-Chalcedony. via} 

{Isn't this outfit the cutest?! I love the red wedges too! via}

{via}

{I want to go to the Brooklyn Flea on a beautiful summer day wearing these! via)

{via}

{Spring/summer wallet? via}

{This one has been on my wish list for a while now. Maybe a good birthday present from the hubs? via}

What's on YOUR wish list?

TinyPrints Baby Shower Invitation Review

{Photo Credit: TinyPrints}

Many of my friends have recently announced that they are expecting or have just given birth to their precious little ones. Although I sometimes can't believe that we're finally here, it's just that time of our lives! Graduation, weddings...now babies. :)

With pregnancy announcements come baby showers and TinyPrints has some of the cutest baby shower invitations around! I recently had a couple of samples sent my way so that I could get some ideas for upcoming baby showers I'll be helping host.

{Cutesy samples I received in the mail!}

As I was browsing the website, I was impressed at how TinyPrints doesn't only have girl-themed invites and boy-themed invites, but they also have a variety of couples shower and gender reveal party invites too! Down the road (like, a few years--sorry mom and dad!), I'll definitely consider TinyPrints invitations for my own baby showers. After all, Luke and I did order our save-the-dates from their sister brand, Wedding Paper Divas, and our last two Christmas cards have been made by their other sister brand, Shutterfly. I guess you could say I'm a fan!

{Photo Credit: TinyPrints}

My good friends over at TinyPrints provided these invitation pictures and samples for my review.

Friday's Letters

  Dear Mom, Dad, Emily, Claire, and Becca...I miss you guys so, so much. When I think about you guys all getting together on a Sunday, eating Mexican food, and hanging out, I get super jealous. I hate that living in New Jersey means I miss these days with you. I want to plan a trip to Texas soon so that I can hug all of your necks and tell you how much a love you. Chasing dreams is always the hardest when you have to be apart from family.   Dear Aubrey and Sarah...I cannot even begin to tell you two how excited I am to see you in just a couple of months! I am already planning our days in New York and New Jersey. Get ready to shop, eat a ton of amazing food, and see some of the gorgeous sites that have made me fall in love with NYC. But more than anything, I'm just excited to be with you. You are more than just my friends, you are my sisters, and I can't wait to share life with you again for a few days.   Dear New Jersey...Stop being so damn cold. I am training for a half marathon and your bitter 35 degrees/feels like 12 degrees is killing my long Saturday runs. And I I want is to wear a dress without tights. Pleeeeease?!   Dear Farica...It was so great catching up with you this week! I love that even though we're many, many miles away from each other, we can hop on the phone and laugh the way we used to on your front porch. I miss those nights of just hanging out and being there for each other. I value your friendship so much girl. And someday, I'll figure out which time zone you're in! ;)   Dear Luke...I feel like I haven't seen you all week. I can't wait for this weekend so that we can spend some time together again. Let's go to Tito's for some chips and guac, k? You smelt so good when I hugged you this morning before you left for work. Sometimes I still can't believe God let me marry you. I love you so much!   Dear Weekend...thanks for being a contant. I will still have to do a little work while you're here, but there is something about working on the weekend that is a little less rushed and a little more relaxed.  I just love the way you remind me to take it easy every so often and to enjoy the little things, like sleeping in, hot apple cider, cozy blankets, and time with my little family.  

It's Ok Thursday

It's Ok...

...to be slightly depressed once you've caught up on all of your shows on Netflix. Now what am I supposed to watch??

...to let your iPhone run out of battery and then purposely not plug it in to the charger for a couple of hours. Sometimes you just need a little peace and quite.

...to paint your nails red. Then to immediately take the polish off because you just aren't sure you like the color, only to repaint them the same red color once again. A girl has the right to be indecisive!

...to browse swimsuit websites in February when its 30 degrees outside. I can't justify spending money on a new bikini right now, but it's still fun to have your top 3 picked out (hurry summer!).

...to skip a run or two while training for a half marathon. Umm, NO. That is actually NOT ok! But that's what I keep telling myself since I've sucked it up this week. 4 MILES TODAY! Please, someone hold me accountable. :)

...to treat your pets like they are your children. Baby talk, cute puppy clothes, letting them snuggle with your in bed. I mean, come on. They are our children!

...to tell yourself that ranch-flavored rice cakes are healthy for you since they aren't ranch-flavored Doritos, even if you do eat the entire bag in a span of 24 hours (whoops!).

...that the delivery guy from the Asian food place down the street knows your delivery order and dogs by name. *embarassing*

Have a lovely weekend.

{via}

{via}

Aren't these pictures beautiful? Tomorrow, we're going into the city and I love the way the excitement of being in NYC never gets old. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, whatever you're up to.

:)

Loves of my life.

 

  Since work is crazy for both of us, we're waiting until this weekend to celebrate Valentines. A date tonight just wouldn't be possible. But I'm excited about going into NYC on Saturday, so that makes up for it! And plus, I'm loving this guy every day of the week, not just on Valentines. :)   And of course, my sweet pups too. I think they think everyday is Valentines because when we come home from work, they attack our faces with puppy kisses and snuggles. It's the best!   Happy Valentines y'all!   "We love because He first loved us." -1 John 4:19

What I'm Loving Wednesday

What I'm Loving Wednesday, y'all!

{Being that I'm working from home this week, this one made me laugh!}

{I need this outfit!}

 {I haven't watched this show in forever, but I'm SO into it this season. Btw, is anyone else scared of Jillian Michaels?? I know I am!}

{springtime = peonie season. MY FAVORITE!! via}

{My new favorite clutch for spring. via}

{This top}

{Essie "Play Date"}

{These words}

Dancing In The Minefields.

Luke and I weren't 19 and 21 when we got married, but we might as well have been. Young, naive, but crazy in love and ready to face whatever life wanted to throw our way. I love this song by Andrew Peterson and I really think it describes what Luke and I have been through over the last few months. A new state, a new town. New jobs, new adventures, and new challenges within our own relationship. New minefields. But with God in the center of our relationship, no matter how often we forget, we have nothing to fear. And we hold tight to the promise that He will never leave or forsake us, even in the middle of the storms.
 

Listen to this song. It's beautiful. :)

Well I was 19, you were 21
The year we got engaged.
Everyone said we were much too young,
But we did it anyway.
We got the rings for 40 each from a pawnshop down the road.
We said our vows and took the leap now 15 years ago.

We went dancing in the minefields,
We went sailing in the storms.
And it was harder than we dreamed,
But I believe that's what the promise is for.

Well "I do" are the two most famous last words.
The beginning of the end.
But to lose your life for another I've heard is a good place to begin.
'Cause the only way to find your life is to lay your own life down,
And I believe it's an easy price for the life that we have found.

And we're dancing in the minefields,
We're sailing in the storms.
And it was harder than we dreamed,
But I believe that's what the promise is for.
That's what the promise is for

So when I lose my way, find me.
When I lose loves chains, bind me.
At the end of all my faith to the end of all my days,
when I forget my name, remind me.

'Cause we bear the light of the Son of man,
So there's nothing left to fear.
So I'll walk with you in the shadow lands,
Till the shadows disappear.
'Cause He promised not to leave us,
And his promises are true.
So in the face of this chaos baby,
I can dance with you.

So lets go dancing in the minefields,
Lets go sailing in the storms.
Oh, lets go dancing in the minefields,
And kicking down the doors.
Oh, lets go dancing in the minefields,
And sailing in the storms.
Oh, this is harder than we dreamed,
But I believe that's what the promise is for.
That's what the promise is for.

If you're going to train for a race, you better look good doing it.

Ok, I guess you don't have to look good doing it, but I always find that when I'm wearing cute workout clothes, I tend to run faster and longer. Looking cute while working out really boosts my confidence! Same thing with a great running playlist. Plus, my face is literally beet red after I finish a good run, so I need all the cuteness I can get, ha!

{After my first half. No lie, red face!}

Last year for my birthday, Luke gave me some really nice half-marathon training gear because I was in the middle of training for the Nashville Rock and Roll Half (one of the BEST races ever!). I loved these Under Armour tops and running capris, but I was shocked at how much he'd spent. With my next half marathon scheduled for the middle of April, I'm in need of some new workout clothes, but I'm just not willing to break the bank. Anyone else with me?

So after a little online research, I decided that it's time to check out Old Navy's active wear. Luke and I traveled a few miles down the road from our house to the closest ON to check their stuff out. Not only was I impressed with the quality of clothing and the selection, but the prices were amazing! Not one item I bought was full priced. 

{Luke loved the way this tank fit, he made me buy it in three different colors. And at $10/top, I wasn't about to argue!}

{I'm all about the long-sleeved running tops right now, especially in the northeast! Those long Saturdays runs are going to be super cold practically up until race day}

{Ok, so to be 100% honest, I didn't need this windbreaker. But it was on sale for $18, so I couldn't say no. I'll wear it walking into the gym, ha!}

{And lastly, some running pants. Luke was a big fan of these. I'm not normally into this style, but they were surprisingly comfortable and again, on big-time sale! So, we'll see how I like them after my first run in them}

So, if you're looking to change up or update your workout wardrobe, I would definitely check out Old Navy's activewear line. No one is paying me to write this, I'm just really that impressed! I mean, what girl doesn't like looking cute while running/training? :)

Happy Monday y'all!

We went for a drive.

After church, Luke and I decided to drive around our snowy little town to check out the beauty Nemo left behind. Snow, although we've seen 4-5 snows since we moved to Morristown, is still a little foreign to us. Being from South Texas where it never snows, Luke and I have seen more snow over the last 3 months than we have our entire lives. And it really is so beautiful!

The rest of our day has been spent lunching, shopping for a few necessities, and relaxing because we know Monday will be here all too soon.

Hope you all have had a nice weekend!

Nemo.

Nemo caused some crazy lines at the grocery store yesterday.

And it literally snowed ALL DAY LONG! But we are completely fine. :)

Our little Mo-town is nicely covered in 8-ish inches snow and our pups are having the best time running around in it. 

Thanks to everyone that called, texted, and wrote on my FB wall to make sure we were ok. 

Luke and I plan on lounging around most of the day, hot apple cider in hand. 

And if you weathered Nemo along with us, I hope you are safe and cozy, wherever you are. 

Currently

Working from home today and for the next 3 weeks. So excited! Don't get me wrong, I have a ton of work to do and will continue to stay really busy, but I've done nothing but travel for work the last 5 weeks and I'm TIRED. Bring on the Keurig coffee, comfy clothes, and furbaby snuggles!

Training for my second half-marathon, the 10th Annual More Fitness Women's Half Marathon. I'm trying a new training plan this time around and I'm really liking it! I'm not so sure how my long run is going to go this weekend with so much snow on it's way. :)

Monitoring the weather over the next 72 hours. They are calling this blizzard "Snowstorm Nemo." Where Luke and I live shouldn't see more than about 6 inches of snow, but it looks like the northeast coast could get anywhere from 2-3ft. CrAzY! Can you imagine the flight delays, road closures, and power outages? Please keep the northeast in your prayers. 

Praising the good Lord because we sold Luke's car!! His car was left in Texas after we moved because you just don't need two cars where we live. But that extra car payment + insurance on a car we weren't driving was hurting us. It took 3 months and a few days, but we're so happy to have a little financial relief!

{via}

Patiently awaiting spring. I mean, seriously. I need some sunshine in my life! I can't help but look at all of the spring fashions all over Pinterest. Spring means that summer isn't too far along and soon we'll be eating on quaint little tables outside the cafes. I sure hope that the ground hog not seeing his shadow really does mean better weather is around the corner sooner than later!

Paying bills. It's just that time of the week y'all. #sonotmyfavoritething #canyouusehashtagsinablogpost?

What are you currently up to?

Sometimes, life is hard.

There are many reasons to blog: to keep a record of life so that one can look back on how far they've come, to stay in touch with family and friends, to share life's big announcements/accomplishments... But today, for me, it's just to let go. To say that last week was really rough. Last week brought new challenges to work, to my personal life, to my spiritual walk. By Friday, I felt defeated and tired. You can always tell when I've had as much as I can take because I don't want to talk about it anymore (and I'm a talker!). I was disappointed and angry and hurt.

I thought a weekend at home with little to no distraction would lighten my load and give me some peace, but honestly, I have to admit that I'm still a little upset. It probably doesn't show on my face as much now, but my heart still hurts. I still feel a little defeated and worn down. None the less, tomorrow is a new day and the beginning of a new week. And I'm hopeful that God is going to give me the strength I need to move past last week and into a new one. 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness! "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him."

Lamentations 3:22-24

And to start off on a good foot, here are a few things that I'm excited for this week:

-Beginning the 40 Day Bible Challenge with Liquid Church 

-Luke and I attending our first LC life group 

-Traveling Monday-Wednesday and getting to be home Thursday and Friday

-Beginning a new 10-week half marathon training plan (that is going to kick my butt!)

-And last but never least, continuing to love on these three. They are enough reason to wake up feeling blessed. 

City adventures with sweet friends.

{NYC, I love you too}

Last weekend, one of my best friends/college roommates/sorority sister visited NYC with her mom, mom's friend, and mom's friend's daughter. Of course, I had to take advantage of her being so close, so I took the train into the city to meet up with these lovely ladies!

{Cat and I at The Plaza}

 While Cat and her posse attended a matinee showing of The Newsies, I met up for a quick bite with an old NYC friend. Stevie and I interned at CBS News together 3 years ago and hadn't seen each other since last March. The last time we were together, we talked about Luke and I moving back to the east coast and now here we are! We also stopped by the New York Public Library to see the new Charles Dickens exhibit. It was awesome!

{I can't wait for our double date in the city with our boys!}

After saying goodbye to Stevie, I grabbed a quick cup of coffee and then met back up with Catherine, her mom, and friends for dinner. We went to the cutest Italian restaurant, Casa Nonna. It was SO GOOD! I would definitely recommend it if you're ever in NYC and in need of some great Italian food.

{Coffee on a blustery city day}

{Fun dinner atmosphere}

And of course, Cat and I made sure to sneak in a Times Square picture before I headed back to Morristown.

It was so great to see Cat in the city! The last time we were both in NYC together was Spring Break 2010!! Cat--thanks for letting me crash your vacay and spend the day with you, your precious momma, and friends. Love you girl!!

And NYC--It's always lovely to spend the day captivated by your beauty. Thanks for being a constant in my life. You're good for this girl's soul.