Weekend Finds

Carrie Bradshaw once said that a single girl spends her weekend purchasing. I, my friends, am no different. 

Since I never know when my next weekend off will be, I take full advantage of them! I shop 'till I drop, Clean until my back hurts, and drink like a fish! This weekend was no exception. The after Christmas sales are still going strong, and I am taking full advantage. 

Here are some recent purchases:

Pine Cone Hill Kaftan

Do ya'll wear Pine Cone Hill pajamas? They are the absolute best! I usually wear the two piece pajamas, but i ventured out to the Kaftans--success! Bedfellows, here in Tallahassee, had a 25% off sale on Saturday, so I snatched this dress up! 

Yummi Tummi 

I first heard of this brand on none other than The Real Housewives of NY. The creator, Heather Thomas, is definitely the most normal. This shape-wear is the most attractive I've seen before. Dillards has it for 2/$18, so I figured if it didn't work, no harm.  I bought both the boy shorts and briefs. I'll keep you posted how I like them!

Candles, Candles, and More Candles

*Candles are the new cats for single women. I'm bordering on that crazy, candle lady*

The two above are Simpatico, found locally at Bedfellows, but you can also get them at Anthropologie for $2 less! 

Volcano Blue is my go to. I literally have three in my living room as we speak. I try to always buy them locally from Carrie at Cole Couture. I recently added the smaller version to 2 candle sticks that I got on sale from Target. I really love the smell, and they last a decent amount of time for the price. 

I'm such a computer noob, but you get the general idea of the small candles + the candle sticks. 

Target Addiction

Ya'll....I have a confession. I am addicted to many, many things. Target takes the cake though. Their recent home brand, Threshold is amazing. Their spring line is no different. I need it all! {There I go with  the word need again!}

I mean, seriously, look at these things:

The only problem is that the size of Target end tables seem so short to me! Has anyone else noticed this? I really want these to go on either side of my bed, but they seem like they're going to make the room like off. I can't forget the best part: $69.99/each! {and 15% off with purchases over $125 + 5% back for Target debit card + another 2% for ebates! For Realz!}

The parrot? Totally necessary!

*All the other images are not online yet, so I will definitely be doing a Target Addiction Part 2! 

OK, confession: I have already bought the Orange pillows. 

Another brand I love at Target is Gilligan & O'Malley. Their pajamas, robes, and undies are so comfortable {and most importantly, cute!} 

This plus a white, blocked monogram? Heck Yea! 

Ok kids, Happy Sunday-- Let the mimosas & trash TV marathons flow!

Return to Blogging + Christmas Trees

There is a time in which you realize you have almost everything you could possibly need.

(that sentence is the epitome of human existence, isn't it?) I don't need anything, and on the flip side, who could possibly have everything they possibly want? not me. 

I have a really good feeling for 2013. Lets face it, 2012 was not my best. One the one hand, I left a dead end job that I hated; I ended friendships and relationships that were toxic, and my family has never been happier. On the other, I'm pretty sure I gained 20lbs--I'm too scared to look. WHO owns scales? Surely only sadists. I spent every day of 2012 searching. looking for what was next. what's the next job? who is the next friend? what is the next purchase? when is the next day off? 

2013: I've made a commitment to you. I will not wish you away. I will enjoy you, and I will take time to fulfill commitments to myself and my {blog} readers. I'm talkin' to you mom & dad. 

so, to sum it up: i'm back, bitches! 

oh, and we love Christmas [trees]

Mom & Dad's trees are something to look up to. That woman can do two things very well: manage others & decorate a Christmas tree. Oh, don't forget Talulah Grace pouting because her horrible mother {me} but her in Christmas pajamas. 

Not going to lie, my Christmas tree is pretty rad. Blurry, but rad. 

Lastly, when will someone start compensating me to spend 40 hours a week wrapping presents? I mean, c'mon. 

new beginnings, bla bla bla

i know this post should probably be filled with pinterest sayings and bible verses, but i overate at lunch, so I'm gonna spare my readers  myself the agony of that nonsense.

I GOT A NEW JOB. a job that Ive searched and searched and searched and searched some more for the past..oh, 6 months, I've known it was time for a change. i knew I didn't see myself in my current job for the long haul; i knew i saw myself in fashion (more on that little 360 change later); i knew i needed to get back into said field for the sole reason of if I have to work for the next 40 years--i better enjoy what I'm doing.

so what will i be doing? well here's the catch. you know the story. girl knows what shes good at but fights it. refuses to face the facts that she is good at it for a reason. what, may you ask? retail. i am damn good at retail. more specifically, management. i know how things should and {more importantly} should not be managed. it is a field that i fought and fought. i applied and interviewed EVERYWHERE except on the store level. so finally after some serious soul searching (shout out to the many friends that sat with me while i inhaled mic ultras while soul searching. STOP THAT JUDGMENT. i like my soul searching with booze.) I decided to apply for a management role in the new DSW opening. I immediately clicked with everyone I interviewed, three rounds of interviews later....i accepted a position!

i could not be more excited; i truly feel this is where I'm supposed to be. i know this is a team that I'm supposed to be on; they want to work with me, and I want to work with them. I can't wait to see what the future holds.

now...back to the real reason i have this silly blog...to document things I'm currently obsessing over. In my defense, these have been on my wish list for a while, so I'm thinking new job + alittle extra money in the bank...mama deserves these! (deserves is such a funny word...what i deserve is, is a swift kick in the ass!)







Michael Kors Jet Set Tote



Karen Walker Sunglasses



for good measure, here is obligatory pinterest quote:

i don't really have a connection to this quote and my getting a new job, but it was the first one i saw on Pinterest that wasn't about love & babies, so it worked. and i loveeee me some aibileen clark.

house house house

hf by myfirstnameisrachel on polyvore.com

but seriously, my house has been on my mind! someone: buy me all of these things. thx!

on my radar..

about once a month i go through the need to completely overhaul my house. luckily for my sanity, i have absolutely no funds to follow through. with that being said, there are a few websites and items that have been on my mind as of late.

Circa Who

i found this store through one of the blogs i follow--I'm sorry, i cant recall--it is located in West Palm, and is amaze balls. I mean, every item is exactly what I've been looking for. their prices aren't awful either.

i really love this as a entertainment system with the TV mounted above. ugh, i want,want,want! Its only $375+$275 for wrapped shipping. seriously debating if certain things fall into place... ;)

this piece is out of my price range, but since when does that stop me? I love this dining table, and I imagine it with these chairs from Overstock.Com (<--which incidentally, i forget about all the time..what a fantastic site!)

Bedbuggs

this Etsy site is so darling; I've had my eyes open for throw pillows for sometime, and i just love these...so different & fun! the middle picture of wall art, and i think it is a relatively new product, but what a neat idea!

id be lucky if these were the only things on my brain lately, but i just wanted to touch base with my little blog that could.

ps. have y'all read 50 Shades of Grey? I know its not award winning writing, but as someone who has never read books with this sort of story....i was hooked! i found myself deeply enthralled in their, albeit, strange love story. it took me a few days to step back and realize that type of love and i are never ever going to match. i don't know if that's a good or a bad things. hmph. 

pps. happy fathers day to my sweet,sweet papa. i am so thankful to have been raised by a stay at home dad who taught me so much! he taught me to never take shit from anyone (his words, not mine. occurred when i was 5 at the McDonald's playground after a boy threw a ball at me while we were in the bouncing ball bin), to always know when to walk away from something that isn't working, to try and be friends with everyone, to never go to bed upset with mom, to be fiercely and unforgivably loyal, and most importantly, he brought me into this world and he'd take me out.

summer pastels

summer pastels by myfirstnameisrachel featuring a fringed shawl


just a quick mid-afternoon update. I saw this scarf on Pink Peonies (if you're not reading her blog, start now.) and fell in love, so great for summer! i'm normally not a huge pastel person, but this gives new meaning to the word!

ps. stay tuned for, what may become, a weekly feature--my "need" list on friday.

mish-mash

yello + navy by myfirstnameisrachel featuring a striped tote

Happy Thursday, y'all! I am loving navy & yellow right now! I don't have tons of yellow in my closet, and according to my polyvore..that is changing asap. confession: i think it may have to do with the CNBC's special on Mickey Drexler, and how he always looks for yellow to pop in the J.Crew stores. Speaking of, did y'all see the special? life changer. "cut back. sell out. buy more great products!" AMEN!

did anyone catch the premier of RHONY? i admit, i slept through it, but I'm so, so curious as to how it went??

there are some seeerrious things goin' down in the life of rachelamy. wowza. as they say, "times they are a changin'"

you know what doesn't change? (and god willing, never will) good times with good friends, family, and drinks!

Rebecca and I watching Game 3 of the Heat vs. Celtics! Heat lost, but the night made up for it in fun memories and pretty pictures! (what...a true sports fan..)

this is Talulah being clingy because she knew i was about to leave. you can't see it, but I'm wearing a dress from The Webster collection at Target. runs really big, but super cute & comfy. This was before Midtown's Bar Crawl to support The Tallahassee Ballet. What an awesome event! The swag bags were out of control, not to mention the weather was incredible. One of my favorite events I've been to recently.

I'm a picky drinker. the bartender was finally able to make a surprise drink that I didn't cringe at (this coming from the Mic Ultra, $7 bottle of wine drinker)! I loved our summer inspired drinks--so festive. Lauren over at La Petite Fashionista would be proud!

there is a local Cuban restaurant that is incredible. one of the main reasons is this drink: The Gordo's Smash. Us grown folk have to split it in half to ensure we can walk in a straight line and/or drive home, but let me tell you...it tastes just as good as it looks.

today was kind of just a mash up of recent happenings, which i think will be my regular until i get some semblance of normal in my life. (ha! please!)

i have instagram!

i love a good bandwagon. i hopped right on to the instagram wagon as soon as they released the app for my shit android, and then i forgot about it...so here is a flood of instagram photos:

i think i finally found the perfect pink polish, Essie's "Off the Shoulder". That + Volcano Candle + new monogrammed tervis water bottle....happy lady right here!

this picture seriously cracks me up. she looks so peeved.

seriously, look at these two. mess #1 & mess #2

my sweet bucked tooth baby. anytime I'm on the computer, so comes and sits on the keyboard until i put it away. not spoiled at all. nope.

oh right, that would be my ceiling...coming apart.

i cant decide if i love or hate this picture. i look alittle drag queen-y in it, but oh well. it was at Miranda Lambert, which was SUCH a fun concert, but for real, when/where would a live, country concert NOT be fun?!? correct answer is never.

Heat vs Celtics

Heat vs Celtics by myfirstnameisrachel featuring fitted shirts

big week! big week! The Heat play the Celtics Mon (WIN!), Wednesday, and Friday...needless to say, theres gonna be a lot of hootin' & hollerin' coming from the house with the pink floral wreath.

and obviously, I'm pulling for the HEAT. (see: Lebron)

side note: i have NO business commenting on sports, but i really, really enjoy basketball. mainly i like a sport where beer is served, and i can trash talk. oh, and super tall, attractive black men (for that matter, white men too. I'm not picky when it comes to millionaire athletes). hell yes.

makeup + morning

makeup + morning by myfirstnameisrachel featuring laura mercier tinted moisturizer

not only do i love clothes, shoes, and jewelry, but i love makeup + skin care products. the easiest way to describe it is, i am a big ol' product whore. Sephora is my mother-ship. there is no reason for this post other than i just love polyvore, and sometimes my mom needs recommendations on products.

1. Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash: i received this in a 500 point reward gift from Sephora. It is the perfect mix of gentle and exfoliating. after two days of the sample, i immediately ordered the full size.

2. Murad Eye Cream: I've been in the market for eye cream for a while. After {yet another} Sephora reward gift, I've fallen in love with this product. its pricey, but i think you get a generous amount for the price. besides, its eye cream! how much are you really be going through?

3. Liquid Eye Liner: I actually use the Sephora brand. it costs all of $10, so worth it.

4.Essie Nail Polish: In a perfect world, I'd keep my fingers and toes in a light to bright pink 24/7. In my world, I average a perfect manicure about 3 days out of every month. Regardless, Essie is always my go to.

5. Clinique Face Lotion: this is the tried and true face lotion. not too heavy, but my face doesn't get itchy by the end of the day from being too dry. i think the price is perfect too. {close runner up is Philosophy's Hope in a Jar}

6. Laura Mercer Tinted Moisturizer: this product lives up to the hype. I could not swallow the $42 price tag until i received this in a {seriously, another} Sephora Reward Gift and fell head over heels. i switch between this and Benefit's Some Kind of Gorgeous. {I've also really been wanting to try Benefit's Hello Flawless Oxygen Foundation...has anyone tried it?}

7. Too Faced Leopard Bronzer: this is one of my staples. I've been using it for years. Lately, I'll even use it as a blush because of the pink under-tones.

8. Bobby Brown's Shimmer Brick in Rose: Another staple. I've had three in about four years. You can use it as eyeshadow, blush, and highlighter. You cant go wrong with this product! I highly, highly recommend!

9. Nars eyeshadow: I like this combo palette; its really simple when I'm not actually wearing a full face of makeup {usually m-f at work}

10. Bobbi Brown Smudge-proof Mascara: The other non-negotiable. I have crazy long eye lashes {humble-brag alert!} and I always look like a hungover mess by the end of the work day with any other type of mascara. this is my saving grace. LOVE IT.

I didn't include links, because well...I'm lazy.

What I'm Wearing Wednesday

NOTE: around 5 hours after posting this, i realized...uh...it is in fact, tuesday. holy bananas ya'll.

to avoid putting anymore terrible quality non-Iphone pictures up; i've taken to polyvore. seriously, what was life like before polyvore? so to be fair & honest, some of the peices im wearing are older and not on polyvore. my actual dress is from Gap and my actual open cardigan is from talbots. but this is the general idea of my outfit today.

i have to confess, i was really dreading yesterday. isnt it funny how you dread and dread something that turns out to be a great? {i have no reason to call it a great day other than nothing terrible happened, and in my book, thats reason for celebration!} i came home to sweet talulah ready to play catch and cuddle, so much so, she was still ready to play catch and cuddle 5 hours later...at bed time. needless to say, today was a large tervis coffee day.

also, i've started the Couch to 5K training program. does this mean i get to buy new running shoes & work out pants? i'm thinkin' yes. {should mention: by "started", i mean I've done week 1, workout 1} only 9 more weeks left. what...a crock.

happy tuesday, ya'll!

You Gotta Regatta

 

 

 

You gotta regatta is quickly becoming one of my favorite prints of Lilly's 2012 Summer line. I really wish it came in one of the tunics or elastic waist Cissy skirt. oh well, i'll definitely survive with either of these options.

One in Every Color, Please

Lets all take a second to admire the Lucille dress at J.Crew. I want all 4 of them. like, yesterday.

*pardon my dust as I try to learn how to post polyvore creations on here. I am computer illiterate in all areas other than excel & email.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

what makes y'all happy? I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what will make me happy. As I've mentioned before, I don't feel it comes naturally to me, and I do tend to feel that I'm always reaching for it {and often falling short}

will the perfect job make me happy? will getting down to my goal weight make me happy? will buckling down and making more progress on my house make me happy? will having a larger salary make me happy?
i. don't. know.

i do know that these things make me happy:

Talulah Grace has nooo sense of personal space. She literally tries to lay on my head. Here she is trying to sit on my shoulders. and it melts my heart. every time.

this crazy lady is my numero uno. she makes me so, so happy. we recently learned to facetime. um, hello, we live in the same city. not attached at all. nope.

lately, I've been a couponing machine. it truly makes me so happy to save money. i got everything above for around $100.00. in addition to around 3 weeks of groceries, i got 2 scarves, several makeup items, and several cleaning supply items.

I've been feeling a bit down, but I have to sit down and realize that I have so much to be thankful for. I have a beautiful little  child dog, a great family, great friends, beautiful clothes in my closet, and enough extra money to enjoy an occasional happy hour.

take some time and figure out what makes you happy, or at the very least, what you're thankful for.

xo

raa