movie time

I am super excited to have a day at home with my hubby. He surprised me by loading up on snacks and movies. We sometimes get in a rut and go months and months without watching movies. I always forget how much I enjoy movies, and the how it takes me away from the real world for a while. Horrible Bosses is one of our movie selections that I am particularly excited about-I heard its pretty funny. Can't wait for some popcorn, soda, ice-cream and movie time!

i heart target

Target is one of my favorite stores on the planet. I love it for a few reasons-they always have a great assortment of new stuff, including scarves, clothing, shoes, makeup accessories, home goods and cards. I also love how shopping at Target makes me feel-like I am in a place I never want to leave. I popped into Target a few days ago and I adore the $1 section at the front of the store. Although I don't always find what I need from there-I found some great items last week that I was giddy about. They had clipboards with fun prints & office boxes in super fun prints also. I bought a total of 6 clipboards-trying to do something creative with them in my office space, and two of the boxes for mail accessories. In the card section I found some super colorful thank you cards that I just had.to.have.

labels, labels, oh my!

Mission organization 2012 is calling my name! I am on a mission to transform different areas of our house to be more organized! I found these amazingly cute labels at the container store a few weeks ago and just had to show them off. They are super fun colors, perfect for any container, and they were a great price. My mission is to plan, plan, plan so that I am only organizing once. As soon as I have tackled some fun projects I will absolutely use these labels & will share my organized spaces with you.

strawberry , mango and pomegranate martini topped with fresh raspberries

My hubby and I love trying new cocktails, and needless to say, we have a shelf full of different alchohols. Recently, we decided to use only what we had at home to try a new drink! What we ended up with was a  strawberry, mango and pomegranate martini, topped with fresh raspberries. It was delicious! I limited myself to just one, but really enjoyed it and would recommend it! We took 2 shots of strawberry vodka, two shots of mango and one shot of pomegranate. We chilled over ice and shook it like crazy in our cocktail mixer. Then we drained the ice and served chilled. Super yummy. Also good with a few jelly-bellys on the side for a snack ;-)

a card from my brother

During the Christmas holiday my brother came home from Japan. He has been living oversees now for over two years and this was his first trip back home! We had a great time catching up & reminiscing about old times. We even spent one evening going through old photos, which resulted in tons of laughter!
While my brother was in town, he found a card he bought me a long time ago and forgot to give me. The outside of the card was written to my maiden name-so it was at least 2 years old :). I just LOVED the card so much, I had to frame it, and was able to find the perfect spot in my bedroom for it. This will always remind me of the amazing relationship I have with my bro-and will remind me of him while he is in Japan....love you Kyle! xoxoxo

the card from my bro

My bro & I

thank you's ...so important yet often forgotten

A must have in our household are standard thank you cards. There have been far too many times when I have used the excuse of "I forgot to pick up a thank you card" and have therefore, not sent one. I have kept thank you's on hand for about the past 3 years, and LOVE the ease and convenience of having these. I use them all of the time! I also made sure that I bought a variety...super girlie ones, and basic boy ones, so that my hubby can use them too. I would encourage everyone I know to get in the habit of always having some thank you's on hand. You never know when you will need them! PS-who doesn't LOVE getting a card in the mail! 

fun accessories when your home office is your work office

I love having the opportunity to work from home, but I really love finding ways to make my work area truly functional. Some must haves that I would recommend for anyone who works from home are: a great pad of small sticky notes. I use these in my planner incase times or dates of appointments change. Plus I love how it gives a basic planner pops of color. Another must have-a planner :). I also recommend cute yet functional paper clips. I have these near me at all times. Another great item to have is a notebook for writing. You can use this when you are on the phone to jot down notes, or to create to do lists.  I also love how pretty filing folders brighten up a basic space. Much better than the plain ones we used in school.

I also LOVE having great ways to keep paperwork organized yet easy to access. As you can see here-pretty green organizers brighten up even the most basic spaces. And my #1 favorite all time must have for working from home....SHARPIES! I love these for color coordinating meetings, to do lists, agendas, etc. They make work more fun.

my fairy garden

One of the best gifts I received this Christmas was from crate and barrel . Not only is this gift super cute without anything inside of it-but it is a great gift for creating your own garden! My hubby and I spent a few hours at the garden center today creating our very own garden. We included a bench, some plants, a stone path, and yes, a birdhouse. I just love, love, love this! I can't wait to decorate it a bit for the holidays...with Valentines day around the corner, I think this little garden will need some "love" inspiration. Maybe a miniature rose plant?

Friday, Friday!

Friday is one of the best days in the week! Its always a day of excitement and anticipation for the weekend. One of my favorite Friday nights, not too long ago was when my hubby was out of town and I had the house all to myself. Since this doesn't happen often, I cherish a day or night alone at home. On this particular Friday, I had the opportunity to clean the house (and keep it clean since my hubby was gone), make one of my favorite dinners, paint my toes, surf the internet, buy a powerball ticket, drink some wine & watch HGTV. True bliss....Happy Friday!

happy, happy new year

I am beyond thrilled that a new year is upon us. For me, a new year means several different things : An excuse to set new goals,  an opportunity to re-evaluate finances, and many chances to dream of all the great things that can be accomplished in the new year.  For me, some of my new years goals are to organize my home so that its super conducive to both my hubby and myself. Plan some great trips, even if they are only quick weekend get-aways. Make some home-made goodies for gifts and holiday decor. Reflect on all of the great things in my life, re-decorate some rooms & take more photos! Cheers to a happy new year ahead

goodbye christmas goodies...until next year

our tree-and some gifts with fancy ribbon

 This time of the year is super-bitter sweet. I love the time spent with friends and family, home baked goodies, and new year ambitions. I always get a little sad when packing up christmas goodies to be boxed up until next year. As much as I hate packing things away, I love the feeling of a less-cluttered home when the Christmas items are gone. Goodbye Christmas, bring it on new year!