Style File 1.11.11 & An Award

Blouse: F21 | Cardigan: LOFT | Pants: Gap Always Skinny | Ballet Flats: Guess 
Necklace, Large Ring & Bracelet: F21

Happy Tuesday Lovelies! The hubs and I just got home from a 5K run in the FREEZING cold! I am so proud of us. Week 2 of Training is a go! WOOT! Also, I have to give a shout out to my bestie Laine. She is a badass and is running the Arizona Rock n' Roll Half Marathon this weekend. GO LAINE!

And...I was lucky enough to get a bloggy award from an awesome new blogger right here in Dallas! Cutie-pie Hayley over at Cheap Girl Chic World made my day with a fun blog award. Check out her blog and follow her! Its so important to support and encourage fabulous new bloggers.

So now I'm supposed to share 7 things about myself. (I also received blog awards in December from Jen over at Pretty in PDX and Jo at Daily Haiku. Check out 7 things about me from that post.) But I managed to think of 7 more things to share (hey, no one said they had to be super interesting right?)

1. I'm getting my hair cut this weekend and I can't decide whether or not to get bangs.
    Like these. Any opinions?

2. I LOVE to cook! 3 of my fave recipes: Curried Beef Short Ribs, Tortellini Soup
    & Paula Deen's Peach Cobbler.

3. Right now I'm reading The Pillars of the Earth & The House at Riverton.
    (My fave books are historical fiction.)

4. I am working toward my ultimate career goal of having my own design business.
    (Need a logo? Invitations? Anything wedding or baby? Check my portfolio.
    Insert shameless plug here.)

5. This is embarrassing, but I'll tell you anyway. My hubs and I took dance lessons
    so we wouldn't look like a couple of morons at our wedding reception. On wedding
    day, we head out to the dance floor where I proceed to freak out and tell husband
    just to sway back and forth. Apparently I was too freaked out to box step.
    Husband says I owe him $95.

6. I hit the In-Law jackpot. Seriously. (I'm not even sucking up! Ha!) The hubs has
    amazing parents. I love them very much. Its such a blessing to have another set
    of amazing people to be related to.

7. Fave shows right now: How I Met Your Mother, Chopped, Glee, and yes, its sad, but
    I can't stop watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Its like a car wreck.
    With wine & Botox.

XO
-L 

Weekend in Pictures...

Spending a lazy Sunday in our PJ's, making a late breakfast of waffles, turkey sausage & yummy coffee, working on my blog design (in my fave moccasin booties), reading, napping...and its snowing outside.

Perfect Day.
XO
-L 

Dear Husband...

Happy Friday lovely readers! I have an announcement... I've decided to devote my Friday posts to my husband. Why? Well, I love the concept of Today's Letters and read it everyday. The Loerkes are such a sweet couple and their blog is such an inspiration to celebrate all of the moments in marriage-both big and small. I love the idea of being able to go back through these posts and remember the millions of things that make my husband so amazing. So here we go...

Dear Husband...
This year, we celebrated our first Christmas and New Years Eve as marrieds- here's to a bazillion more. I love that we are making our own traditions-like having a Christmas Date & opening our gifts just the two of us and exchanging ornaments every year as keepsakes.

We are one week into our training for our first Half Marathon and you are THE BEST training partner. I look forward to our runs together so much! I couldn't do this without your encouragement and support. When we were almost home last night and I really wanted to stop, you put your hand on my back to let me know you were right behind me, and I knew I could make it the rest of the way.

Thank you for bringing me coffee in bed every morning and kissing my nose before you get up. And for being so sweet when I have bad dreams- you know just what to do to make me feel better.  I want to always remember all the funny, sweet, amazing things you do for me.

You are the best. I'm so lucky to be your wife.

XO
-Wife

Check Mate

Buffalo Check Boy Shirt: J Crew (Christmas Gift from the Hubs)  |  Black Wool Cardigan: 
Banana Republic  |  Jeans: Seven Dojos  |  Seychelles Kiss at Midnight Pump: Anthro
  Braided Belt: Gap  |  Key Necklace: Gift from Hubs on our Honeymoon  

Ok, is anyone else watching the Biggest Loser right now and bawling like a baby? Um, cause I am. This show just kills me. So many of the contestants have had hard lives and gone through lots of things and you just want to see them succeed. It also feels poignant as we are doing our half marathon training. On our run tonight I just kept thinking about my mom and dad, and my mom's best friend KJ, and so many runners that inspire me-along with people that I have lost to disease. I get a little emotional thinking about it, but it gives me strength to know I can take care of myself and run for those who can't. I can't wait to see where this journey takes me- it already feels so rewarding.

I truly love stories of triumph over adversity-sometimes I even cry when people when on game shows. Does that make me emotionally unstable? Possibly. But I'm cool with that. 

On another note, I don't know if you guys have noticed, but I've kind of turned this into a personal style blog. With some craftyness, life stuff, recipes, design & decorating thrown in for good measure. I think I like where this is going...I hope you do too. I am always open to (hopefully constructive) feedback.

XO
-L 

Say Hello to my Little Friend

Striped Olle Cowlneck: Anthropologie  |  Long Sleeve T: Gap  |  Pants: Gap Really Skinny  |  Boots: J Crew
Stone Pendant Necklace: F21  |  Men's Watch: Fossil 

I'm making a New Years Resolution to be healthier. Revolutionary right? Ok, so maybe I'm not the first one, but so what? I love the idea of starting a new year and resolving to be your best. But, like a lot of well-meaning peeps, I usually start out super-psycho-strict, work out an hour everyday, & eat only asparagus and then poop out a week and a half in. Ridiculous. So this year I am going to choose to get healthier in a sane way. And besides the half marathon training we're doing, I have a new toy.

Meet my new Body Media Armband. The hubs discovered these nifty little gadgets at his work- where literally everyone has one. So, not wanting to be the nerdy kid without a doohicky strapped to his arm, he bought us each one. This little guy monitors your calories burned, steps taken & even sleep patterns. Then you enter all you eat in your online food diary. All these things in combination let you know if you need to be walking more, eating less, working out more and sleeping more. Neat huh? I'm loving it already!

Oh yeah, and this is what I wore today. I am so in love with this top. Its perfectly slouchy & comfy-the perfect way to head back to work when you're not allowed to go in your PJ's. Happy Monday Lovelies!

XO
-L