welcome to football town

I live about 20 minutes from MetLife Stadium and I am loving all this hype about a cold weather Super Bowl. In all honesty, I am not sure I’d be willing to pay for a ticket to pretty much wear as many layers as I can to see a football game – even the biggest game of the year. I am on the band wagon of a Super Bowl should be played somewhere that actually feels like a vacation. Give me sunny weather, a balmy 70 degrees and I am ready to watch some sports. I’ve lived in cold weather climates for my entire life, freezing your tuckus off is not fun for anyone. I do love though that today at work one of my colleagues told me it’s going to be warm on Sunday – hovering near 30 degrees, now that’s what I am talking about. It actually will feel warm compared to the 15 degree world I’ve been living in, but that still doesn’t make me want sit outside in the evening.

I am looking forward to watching the game from the comfort of my own home, complete with some homemade chili and following along on my Super Bowl grids. It’s not looking like a good grid night for me anyway – I participated in two people’s grids- one where I have 0-5 (Broncos- Seahawks) and in the other I have 5-2, 0-5, and 8-7 (Broncos – Seahawks) – so here’s hoping to some wacky scoring to get to an ending in 5 Seattle. This is my last weekend fully home for a couple of weeks so some Super Bowl and fabulous commercials are a perfect way to end a good weekend. If you haven’t seen this commercial by Budweiser with the cutest puppy ever, I highly suggest you watch. Before game time I am putting a 10-1 bet that this will be one of the best commercials of the night.  Now I want a puppy, and horse, oh an a cute cowboy.

Enjoy your Super Bowl Weekend readers!

(map from pinterest)

it wasn’t yet the spring

I feel ready for spring now - I've already started hoping that the groundhog does not see his shadow this coming weekend. My bones feel cold and my bed has more blankets on it then should be legally allowed. As I mentally prepare for warmer weather,  I recently purchased this lightweight jacket from Athleta in hopes it will make spring happen sooner.  Have you started any spring shopping yet?

ground control

Greetings from the airport, where I am taking a break from doing a bit of work to catch up on my writing here. Per usual, when I fly, I am delayed which is typical. I've gotten so use to the delays I always keep a few things up my sleeves to keep myself entertained. Some of my favorite ways to past the time is to people watch, some reason travel brings out the worst in people - at least when you are at the airport - tensions are high, people want to eat, use the rest room and everyone has a different pace at what works for them. I also think heading to the airport bar is another great way to watch people- and use nice plates with plastic silverware. I also find this makes me way more relaxed for my flight. I enjoy looking in the bookstores to see what's on the latest best seller list and see if there is any books I should add to my must read list. Reading is one of my favorite ways to pass the time though, and in true airport fashion, any magazine purchased feels like a little guilty pleasure.

(photo via pinterest)

happiness list

This is the first happiness list post of 2014 - which seems crazy to me, but as someone who doesn't blog daily it makes sense it takes a few weeks to get here without driving you all batty.

This video by Conan O'Brien and his trip to American Girl Place in Los Angeles. It's long I'll give you that but it's ridiculously funny. I always wanted Samantha when I was young enough to covet one of these dolls, but never had one of my own. I still ask for this each Christmas just to annoy my mother.

Finishing books one and two of Game of Thrones. I am  completely hooked but feel like I should read some of the other books waiting for me on my kindle for now. After I get through another book or two, I'll definitely be ready to start on book three.

Getting an extra day on a business trip so I can see my family for a day, particularly looking forward to seeing Norbs for a couple of hours. He and I have plans to play while his momma gets her hair done - I truly love our little "dates".

Planning a vacation in a few weeks – to a place that’s long been on my list. I am very excited to have something planned so early in the year and finally get a spot checked off my places to go, things to see list. There will definitely be more on this later on.

Loving the song “Throw it on the Fire” by Jon McLaughlin. I love the music and the lyrics, but the string instruments are amazing.

Have a fantastic weekend!

falling slowly, eyes that know me

A surprise blizzard… well sort of, I am not great about watching the news but I feel like this winter storm came on fast and sort of unannounced and it’s been amazing. I left my house walked to the subway, and then when I got out of the subway the winter wonderland was just starting and I was a giddy child all day. I have a desk by a window so all day long I kept being like it’s snowing – I am sure my neighbors were getting annoyed but I don’t care. Winter is coming people, get with the program.

I think I’ve become nostalgic for those winters from my college years, where there would actually be snow on the ground for weeks on end. I use to love the fact that classes were never cancelled and I’d have to trek across campus in knee high snow and then sit in a classroom with puddles of slush that had melted off everyone.  There’s also something about the stillness of a winter’s night (next storm I am totally planning a late night walk) that’s makes you feel like you are a part of something greater than you.

retail therapy

After a heinously long week last week this weekend was all about taking it easy and getting some much needed rest. My Saturday was almost as lazy as one can get, I went to the gym to offset the sedentary week and then did a little shopping at the Loft to take advantage of the sales and the birthday coupon I had burning a whole in my pocket. I went in with the mindset of buying the top at the beginning of the post, I think half the bloggers I follow have featured this as a really cute item on their radar. I made it to the store, looking like the gym rat I pretend to be, and started looking for this top and there's only one on a display sized XXS. I wanted this so badly that I asked the sales girl if there were any in the back, and she told me the saddest story of how a customer accidentally spilled coffee allover all the shirts they had. I was a bit bummed but settled on the two tops below, which in honesty will probably get more wear then the top above.

After my shopping trip, I did a little food shopping at Trader Joe's and then headed home for a long hot shower and pajamas the rest of the day and I got caught up on my DVR. While I watched my shows, I drank Shirley Temples with the leftover soda from my birthday party and the grenadine I had on hand - I forgot how delicious these are.

Sunday was followed up with an early morning spin class that made my legs burn after the squat heavy workout from yesterday. I also finally took down my holiday decorations after thinking I should have done it at least a week ago - oh well. I also watched the Patriots not make it to the Super Bowl - but you cannot win them all.

Hope you had a nice weekend, and if you are not working this MLK day, I hope you enjoyed the extra day away from work!

(all images from the Loft)

merci beaucoup

It's not too late to send out your holiday thank you notes! I saw these cards on sale at JCrew today which prompted me to make a little purchase, because it's never too late to send a note of thanks. The best part with the code FUNSALE all sale items are 40% off today. Do you regular send thank you notes out?

longest week ever

Together again
Gee, it's good to be together again
I just can't imagine that you've ever been gone!
It's not starting over, it's just going on!

It's a very long work week, but at least some of my favorite coworkers are here in town keeping me company. Hope you are having a lovely week!

(photo via pinterest)

monogram love

There's something about finding anything with my initial on it, it just makes me feel like I get a bit of personalization and I love it. I upgraded my iPhone back in November and I was so sad to lose my monogrammed case that I instantly ordered a case from Etsy with a J on it, just so I wouldn't not have to live without a J on the back of my phone. A bit obsessive? Absolutely, but that's what makes me who I am. Shortly after Christmas my mother and I took a trip to Marshall's (P.S. Marshall's and T.J. Maxx seem to be better in New England then down in the tri-state from what I've found), and when scoping out the holiday sale items I found cocktail napkins with a J on them. I had to have them - like any reasonable person. I used the napkins for my birthday and look forward to bringing them out again the future. 

how dare you

I cannot stop listening to this song. Sarah Darling has a few great songs out there that have made there way on to my current play list (some on severe repeat). Not only do I love "How Dare You" but "Home to Me" also is one that makes me pretty happy. I think it's time to plan a trip to Nashville.

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

15 before 2015

I totally missed the 30 before 30 posts that I keep seeing (I am old, well not really, but I am over 30 so that just seems silly to start a 40 before 40, because well I don’t want to). Instead, I am going to set a small list of goals for the next two years, and hopefully check in with this list from time to time throughout the years. Might I never touch this, sure – might I really feel better about having some goals out there. Here I go…

Get to Paris  and take the Eiffel Tower photo

Spend an afternoon in the Met, the Guggenheim, and the MoMA

Workout 3-4 times a week, every week

Read Non-Fiction regularly (ideally, every fourth book I read).

Get a pet – I really want a dog – and have a hankering for French Bulldogs (intsagram obsession). A dog might be too much so maybe I am looking at a little kitty to keep me company, or glare at me or whatever cats do. Two years to figure this out (it’s going to be a goldfish).

Get completely out of debt, student loans, credit cards, all of the above and save more money. I’ve started a little log for each month to track my progress for 2014. I hope to be debt free by December 2014, if not sooner.

Shop less. I love new clothes, I love online shopping, but I have so much already, it’s time to get rid of things before getting anything new.

Give up alcohol for Lent. 40 days, 40 nights. I am never attempting this for New Years as my birthday is so close to the beginning of the year. I just feel like a break from drinks might do a body good. Plus Fat Tuesday is a great last party night.

Volunteer my time to an organization. I tend to be a person who will write a check, or donate some money to a cause, it’s time to donate my time.

Spend two weekends a year exploring a city I’ve never been to in the United States. It’s time to start taking advantage of those weekly airline deals, the book 36 Hours, and see some of the United States.

Purchase a home. I love my apartment, but it’s time to graduate to homeownership in the next few years.

Stop allowing for completely lazy Saturdays in front of the television. I am so guilty of allowing myself to park it in my jammies (and no, not just my Christmas jammies) on a Saturday and waste the entire day watching television. One thing that might help this is that Soapnet is off the air, so no more 90210, One Tree Hill or Gilmore Girls to suck me in during the weekends.

Work on being more green in my everyday life. I am a disposable water bottle girl, and it’s so bad for the environment. I’ve also been trying to make the switch to bar soaps and shampoos to better the environment as well, the bonus is my hair looks so much better with bar soap and requires much less washing.

Get this work life balance thing under control. I am very guilty of working over the weekends, on vacations and late nights. I’d like to normalize a bit and be less of a workaholic.

Learn to snowshoe – I’ve always wanted to do this and I am going to make it happen.

Some are more ambitious than others, some are fun, others serious, all and all I like it. I’ll check in from time to time with an update to see how I am progressing. It’s fun to have a list of things to accomplish. Wish me luck!

(quote via pinterest)