San Jacinto

Before I get started on this post, I wanted to say a huge "thank you" to all of you who welcomed me back to blogland last week.  Your comments were so encouraging and just what I needed to be reminded why I love blogging.  Thank you for your kind words and for being the most wonderful readers around!

When we were home in Texas over the holidays, we took advantage of our downtime and scheduled in some good old fashioned Texas sightseeing.  As a native Texan, I've seen all the big stops (i.e. the Alamo, the Capital, the JFK memorial, the major universities, etc.) but my dad thought it would be fun to hit the road for some of the less traveled sights.  We had so much fun scooting around Texas, taking a few daytrips from Houston.  For one of our trips, we headed to San Jacinto, home of the most decisive battle in the Texas Revolution.  And since I rarely paid attention in history class, it was quite the educational day trip :)

The monument itself is quite breathtaking.  It's the world's tallest memorial column, located in La Porte, Texas, about 25 miles southwest of Houston.  My favorite part was without a doubt the enormous Texas star that sits atop, recognizable from any angle.  Have I ever told you how much I love being a Texan? :)

The day itself was pretty cold and windy for Texas, though I can't help but chuckle as I type that weather report sitting in Chicago now.  Oh what I would give to be back in the "chilly" Houston weather.  Ha!

It was an all boys + Allison day, which ended up being a ton of fun!  My uncle flew in from Atlanta for a quick overnight visit, and he always manages to liven up the party.  Any time we get to see him, we know we'll be entertained.

Even though Matt isn't a native Texan, I think he is surely an adopted one by now.  Marrying a Texan gets you some street cred, but spending 5 years there for graduate school, well, that definitely shows a level of dedication.  I was also glad my boots could go for a spin.  With all the Chicago snow, they haven't seen the light of day for several months now.

And of course, a few Instagram snaps from the day...

The view from the ground and proof that yes, everything's bigger in Texas.
A few (very) good men.

I was in LOVE with this door.
The view from the top.

Does anyone else enjoy being a tourist in your own city or state?  I must say, I was surprised how fun it was!  I'm ready for Chicago's weather to warm up so we can resume our Chicago sightseeing.  PS: looking at these pictures makes me a little homesick for Texas.  I'll have to fix that later this week with a little bbq and Dr. Pepper :)  

Hope your week is off to a fabulous start!

Lately

Hi there; it's me.  I know it's been a while since I've blogged.  It's actually been a long while, huh?  Things around here have been busy, and I haven't chosen to make time for this little internet space of mine.  There have been several contributing factors, and if I'm being honest, one factor was that I wasn't sure anyone was still reading this little blog.  I think we often get swept up in blogland, (I know I do), and sometimes that means we jump from blog to blog, without commenting or sticking around to say hi.  But that is something I'm trying to change about the blogs I read, and I hope that if you're reading this blog today, you'll leave me a quick comment or hello, just letting me know you're here.  Because sometimes, it's nice to get an extra smile, hug, or hello...even if it is virtual :)

In an effort not to ramble on for paragraphs about what I've been up to lately, I thought I'd keep it a little more simple...

Reading the study materials for my upcoming licensure exam.  So.not.fun.

Listening to Lana Del Ray at work and Beyonce + Britney at the gym.

Eating healthy!  Several months ago, I made a renewed commitment to live a healthier life, and I have been pretty surprised at how much I've transformed my diet.  I'm feeling fuller, more energized, and more motivated.

Watching the Biggest Loser (team Danni!), Elementary, and lots of HGTV.

Travelling to Ohio for my Granpa's 90th birthday.

Saving for a house, eeek!  Our house hunt has gotten a lot more serious lately, and I'm hoping to have some exciting news to share within the next few months.

Drinking tea!  After years of yearning to be a tea drinker, I've finally acclimated and found several teas that I really like.  I've traded in my morning coffee for chai tea, and I'm enjoying a rooibos in the afternoon.

Chatting more frequently with my bestie in Texas.  We've given up on being able to have frequent long phone conversations, instead realizing that twenty minutes here and there is better than waiting for the "perfect" time when we both have three free hours.  Never.gonna.happen.

Buying a lot less!  I literally can't remember the last clothing purchase I made.  (See three lines above about saving lol).

Pinning recipes and home inspiration.  (Find me here.)

Wearing snow boots.  After a relatively mild winter, Chicago has gotten quite a dusting of snow over the past month.

Embracing weekday ponytails.  Sometimes twenty minutes of sleep is just too good to pass up.

Planning several meet ups, play dates, and coffee chats with girlfriends.

Enjoying small, daily rituals.  After years of grad school craziness (aka no structure), I'm learning to find comfort in small moments of structure and predictability.

I'd LOVE to hear what you've been up to lately, either using one of the word prompts above or using one of your own.  And a big thanks to all of my lovely and loyal readers who emailed to check on me; you rock!

Insta-Outfits

Given my long commute and the early darkness of winter, "real" outfit posts seem to be a thing of the past.  However, I didn't want anyone to worry that I've been running around naked, so here are a few recent outfits :)

Gap sweater, LOFT cords, LOFT scarf, Ann Taylor tee, my great aunt Bunny's brooch, David Yurman ring

Limited faux leather dress, Ann Taylor black tee, Ann Taylor belt, Ann Taylor bib necklace, Nordstrom watch, thrifted bracelet

Banana Republic dress (super old), Ann Taylor striped tee, Ann Taylor blazer, Hue tights, my nerd glasses (no, they're not prescription; they're just for fun!)

Thrifted houndstooth top, Zara skirt, Gap scarf, Target headband

Thrifted sweater (loving the leopard!), Ann Taylor ponte knit pants, Gap scarf

Thrifted floral dress, Kohls motorcycle jacket, Ann Taylor belt, LOFT necklace, Talbots earrings

LOFT dress, Benneton blazer, Ann Taylor belt, Nordstrom watch, thrifted bracelets and rings

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Christkindlmarket Girls Day

Since the month of January is already flying by, I thought I should consider posting my holiday pictures.  Proof that the new year did not include the goal of being a more timely blogger :)  Near the end of December, I had a half day off work, and I couldn't think of a better place to spend it than the Christkindlmarket.  The market is located downtown in Daley Plaza, and it is one of my favorite Chicago holiday traditions.  Vendors come from all over the world to create an authentic German Christmas market right in the heart of Chicago.  I was thrilled to visit on a weekday, as the crowds were much lighter, leaving less time standing in line and more time wandering with yummy food and drink in hand!

Oh how this place warms my Christmas loving heart!  It makes the bitter, below freezing temperatures much more bearable :)

Big Christmas trees and latkes, two of my most favorite things!

While Christmas cheer is the first reason I go to the market, gluhwein is a close second.  This hot, spiced wine has become one of my favorite holiday drinks since my parents moved overseas.  It is oh so yummy, and the cute little boot mugs make it extra special to enjoy!

No day is too cold when gluhwein is involved :)

Sweet pastries and beautiful Chistmas ornaments are in every corner of the market.  This was actually my first year to go inside the ornament house, as the crowds are usually too crazy.  Additional incentive to go on a weekday!

A blurry but happy picture as we said goodbye to the market and headed for some shopping on Michigan Avenue.  And a quick train snap of my purchase for the day... a fushcia beanie!  I've never been able to pull off the beanie look, but my friend Christie was encouraging when she said, "If anyone is meant to wear a hot pink beanie, it's you!"  Done and done :)

If you ever come to Chicago during the holidays, the Christkindlmarket is a must.  And if its possible to go on a weekday, even better!  PS: see past Christkindlmarket trips here, here, and here.

Happy New Year

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Happy New Year to all of my lovely blog readers and friends!  Things have been a bit quiet around here, as I took some time off to travel to Texas and be with my family for the holidays.  Matt and I got back to Chicago late Sunday night and then spent a simple New Years Eve at home together, with a yummy homemade meal and a glass (or two) of red wine.  It was simple and sweet, just what I needed after the craziness (and awesomeness) of the Christmas season.  I've got lots of fun pictures from the holiday season to share, so I imagine I'll be back later in the week to start the catch up process.  But until then, have a fabulous start to 2013.  May it be the best year yet!

The CTA Holiday Train

If you follow me on Facebook then you already know that last week, I had a three year long Chicago dream come true.  I got to ride the CTA Holiday Train!  I have literally been wanting to ride this train since the minute we first visited Chicago, but after years of no official sitings and only mythical stories, I was beginning to think we'd never meet.  But then, last week, in a moment of pure fate, I got the chance to experience the CTA Holiday Train and all of it's goodness.  I was on my way home from work when the train driver came over the intercom and announced that the CTA Holiday Train was just five minutes behind us.  So you better believe I squealed with joy, jumped off the train, and eagerly awaited the arrival of the oh so magical Holiday Train.  I was literally jumping up and down with excitement, totally in disbelief of my holiday luck.  I'm so excited to show yall the pictures!

The face of pure excitement!  And look, here comes the CTA Holiday Train, eeek!

I was literally squealing like a third grader as the train approached!  Aren't those lights incredible?

And in true CTA Holiday Train fate, Santa's sleigh stopped right in front of me.  I literally reached out my arm and screamed, "Santa!"  It was a totally Will Ferrell "Elf" moment.  (For full effect, watch around the 30 second mark in this video.  Literally.  I was out of control.)

The inside is totally decked out with holiday lights, tinsel, red bows, and candy cane ribbon.  Even the seats are Santa themed!

See that little lady in the left of that picture?  She was an elf; the train had a crew of elves...passing out candy canes!  I mean, does it get any better?

To create space for Santa, they removed several cars, replacing them with flatbeds.  A perfect space for Santa and his crew :)

The CTA Holiday Train was every bit as magical as I'd hoped.  I literally ran to meet Matt, shrieking when I saw him, "I saw Santa, I rode the Holiday Train!"  I was a total Christmas crazy, with no shame at all :)

To view the CTA Holiday Train schedule, click here.  And if you're not in the Chicago area, take a few seconds to watch the video on their website.  Its pretty dang awesome.  So cheers to Chicago dreams coming true, Christmas fate, and the CTA Holiday Train!

Oklahoma Weekend

A few weeks ago, we were so blessed to be able to take a long weekend to head to Norman for OU Dad's Day.  It's no secret that Norman is an incredibly magical and special place for me, and I love any opportunity to go back and visit.  But when it's combined with football season and getting to see my family, it's an extra special treat.  I also love getting to see my sweet brother live life as a OU student, sharing some of the same Sooner connections as me, yet making his own path at the same time.  But let's be honest, in the eyes of this obsessive big sister, he does no wrong!

Saturday started off with a trip to the Sig Ep house, which oddly enough is right across the street from my old KKG digs.  We stayed and hung out for a bit and then headed to the Union to support my brother as he chaired a big campus event.  He is making his overinvolved sister so very proud :)

I am convinced that OU is the most beautiful campus on the planet.  And during the fall, well, it simply takes the cake.

I love that Matt has become an honorary Sooner, embracing the traditions and spending time in Norman.  He tries to argue that he hasn't drank the Koolaid, but I can tell he's loving the Sooner spirit :)

Yep, this happened, for the second year in a row.  Absolutely no shame at all.  Kappa love.

Another highlight of the trip was getting to see and hug this pretty lady.  We don't get to see each nearly enough, so it was really great to see her.

Sunday morning we headed to brunch to support Ryan in another campus event.  It was also a great chance to relax after a crazy game day, before hugging my parents goodbye, as they drove back to Houston.

And of course, it wouldn't be a long weekend without Instagram...

*Did I mention we drove from Chicago to Oklahoma?  Someone (ok, ok, I'll confess; it was me) majorly misjudged the trip.  I thought it was a 10 hour drive.  Turns out it was just around 13 hours.  Oopsie.
*Ulta's Smoke Screen + OPI's Rainbow Connection mani.

*We left a cold and dreary Chicago for a sunny and 75 Oklahoma; the weather was perfect on gameday!
*Two of my most favorite people in the whole wide world :) 

*It's gameday in Norman ya'll!
*Going back to OU is always so special; it was such a growthful and happy time in my life.  I feel so grateful and full of joy when I get to visit. 

*It's always a joy to see this awesome guy when I go back.  Quy and I were both overachiever, overinvolved, OU nerds together, and he never fails to make me laugh :)
*700 College...rah rah for KKG!

*It's so fun to not only be an OU alum, but also to be a Sooner sister.  I really wanted Ryan to go where he wanted to go, and I can't lie, I'm glad he chose OU, because it's such a fun bond to share! 

*Sibling besties.
*Matt really wanted to visit the museum, so we popped over Sunday afternoon for a leisurely visit. 

*After we said goodbye to my family in Norman, we headed north for dinner and a slumber party with Kelsey and her husband Chris.  Kelsey is one of my most favorite people, and I always feel full of joy when I am with her!
*What's a roadtrip without weird, random candy superstores in the middle of Missouri?

All in all, the weekend was incredible and just what my soul needed.  When I went back to work on Tuesday, several coworkers asked about my trip, and I replied, "I didn't know how badly my soul needed nourishing until I was in Norman with my family."  The weekend was just what I needed, and it was the perfect hold me over until Christmas!  So cheers to football season, long weekends, and time with incredible friends and family!

 

Thanksgiving Snaps

It's been a week and a half since Thanksgiving, and I'm just now getting around to posting pictures.  So I'm not the best blogger, ehh, I'm okay with that.  Matt and I traveled to Phoenix to spend a few days with his family, and we had a really lovely time.  Our trip started off with a bit of a snafu, but in the end, we made it, safe and sound.  Of course, Matt and I packed our fancy camera, and the whole time I kept thinking, "I should really break out the real camera," but then I remembered my new motto, and I decided to leave the camera be and focus on spending time together.  In the end, definitely worth it :)

*Since we were going straight from work to the airport, I tried to think of something that would be appropriate for work, yet still comfy for a late night flight.  I decided on leggings, an oversized flannel, a black blazer, a leopard scarf, cowboy boots, and big gold jewelry.
*O'Hare is really beautiful around the holidays.  Real world Home Alone :) 

*Shortly after we arrived, we found out our flight was delayed until 1:30 am.  Not quite what we were hoping for, but we made it work with a little Mickey D's.
*As we wandered around the airport, we noticed they were beginning to set up cots for stranded travelers.  We said a quick, "Oh no, that sucks for people."  Little did we know... 

*As our flight was delayed later and later, we started to get restless, so we wandered for a bit, adding several books to our "must read" lists.
*Remember those cots?  Once we got word that our flight wouldn't leave Chicago until close to 3:00 am, we ended up setting up shop on the cots.  But even as we were stranded in the airport, I couldn't help but be grateful for the awesome guy next to me, the family we were going to see, and the jobs that afforded us time off.  It wasn't the most pleasant experience, but we made it.

*We arrived in Arizona just before 6:00 am on Thanksgiving.  Tired and groggy, but really thrilled to be there!
*Anthony, Matt's brother's husband, did the whole Thanksgiving meal, and oh my goodness, it was incredible!  Thank you Anthony for an amazing meal! 

*Oh how I wish I could have this meal as we speak.  So so yummy.
*Matt and Jack were able to get in lots of snuggle time on this trip.  Aren't they cute? 

*We also got to meet this little cutie.  Sadie is a new addition to Matt's family, and she and I had some lovely bonding time!
*True to the Davis family, we did some fierce Black Friday shopping.  Matt's mom was so kind to treat me to some awesome lovelies.

*Thanksgiving was pretty much a three day food affair, and these ice cream Oreo sandwiches were just one of the many yummies from the week.
*The weekend had the most perfect ending when my Sooners had a crazy awesome Bedlam win.  The game was insane, Boomer!

We headed back to Chicago super early on Sunday morning, and then started the super exciting process of househunting!  Matt and I have been working really hard the past few months, getting serious about saving for a house.  And now our hard work is paying off; we're looking for our very first home!  A very awesome ending to a very awesome Thanksgiving trip.  I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and that you're enjoying a lovely start to the holiday season!

Rebelling Against the Shoulds

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It's been a while since I've blogged.  Three weeks to be exact.  And while I thought about saying, "Things have been busy," I decided against it.  Because, in all honesty, they haven't been that much busier than normal.  Sure, work has been a bit hectic, we've been traveling, and I'm back to working at Ann Taylor for the holiday season, but things haven't been too crazy.  The truth is, in the past few weeks, I've adopted a new mentality.  I've decided to rebel against the "shoulds" lately, letting go of all the things I think I "should" do, instead focusing on the things I want to do.  Instead of thinking, "I should blog tonight," I've decided to enjoy my evenings at home with Matt.  Instead of thinking, "I should curl my hair," I've embraced messy hair on the weekends.  Instead of thinking, "I should do laundry," I've been fine to reach into the back of my closet for less worn items.

The "shoulds" often get us into trouble.  They cause us to give priority to things that society or someone else value, rather than the things we value.  The "shoulds" serve as that nagging voice, trying to make me feel guilty for what I'm not doing well, rather the things I am doing well.  The "shoulds" cause me to live in the future, rather than existing in the present.  The "shoulds" drain joy from the moment, sacrificing spontaneity.  So as we enter this holiday season, I'm choosing to rebel against the "shoulds," putting aside what others want from me and focusing on what makes me happy.

Do the "shoulds" get you into trouble?  If so, will you rebel with me and embrace the life you truly dream of?

Oversized

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I don't know what it is about fall, but it makes me want to oversize just about every top I wear.  The bigger the better.  Oversized knits, men's flannels, button ups, and heavy sweaters.  I can't get enough.  I can't help myself.  It just lends itself to feeling oh-so-cozy.  Paired with leggings and boots, its a no fail fall outfit.  I think I may need an oversized intervention.

Am I the only one out there who can't get enough of all things oversized?