High Five for Friday

tank top: old navy maternity    jeans: ross maternity   shoes: target   cardigan: rue 21 (diy elbow patches)
1. I've started considering my leopard flats as a neutral and assume it is okay to wear them with anything.  Please don't tell me if that isn't true. 
2.  This week was teacher appreciation week and one of the days the students could bring in a special treat for you.  One of the girls made me a diaper cake.  I loved it!  

3.  I made this BLT pasta salad this week.  I am definitely ready for more summery meals and this one was perfect.  

4.  I am slowly getting better at curly my own hair.  The first time I tried it I walked out of the bathroom and asked Chris what he thought.  He told me the back looked like an 80's rockstar.  Definitely not a compliment.  

5.  Last month I won these beautiful earrings from Sandra at Litva's Jewelry.  I have loved getting to know and working with Sandra.  She has her own jewelry shop filled with gorgeous pieces, like these feathered earrings or this wrap bracelet.  And today she is giving one lucky reader a $40 credit to her shop!  If I won I'd have a hard time choosing, but am pretty sure I'd pick this.  

Enter below!  The winner will be contacted after the 13th. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

If you knew me . . .

scarf & shorts: old navy  shoes: target  shirt: loft

If you knew me . . .

You would know that the thought of wearing a turtle neck, scarf or anything around my neck used to freak me out.

You would know that it is rare that an hour goes by when I don't think about being pregnant. 

 You would know that patience is something I so badly need but struggle with - from small things like the internet loading to big things like waiting for God's timing.

You would know that I think that I have the best husband in the world.



You would know that I have a lot of insecurities, especially around big groups of people.

You would know that I can become too dependent on sticking to a routine.

You would know that I would almost always choose a night at home than anywhere else.

You would know that if I had three wishes one of them would be that my sister and her family lived close to me.




You would know that one of my best qualities is being loyal.

You would know that my favorite flavor of jelly beans are licorice and buttered popcorn. 

On Your Heart

A scenic walk

dress & flats: Target  belt: thrifted

Last weekend Chris and I went on a walk in the forest preserve by our house.

The first few years of marriage I would often get frustrated when we would go on walks.  To me I would go walking with the intention of getting some exercise, meaning I'd want to walk at a decent pace.  Well this rarely happened, as Chris' "comfortable" pace is quite slow. 

Over the years I've learned to look at our walks more as time together and then I don't get annoyed at how long it takes us.  

Due to Chris' love for nature, as well as his ADD we often stop many times throughout our walk.  

This is typical throughout our walk: 

Those are perfect raspberries, we need to find some to pick. 

Did you hear that cat bird?  Listen. It is mimicking me. 

Taste this raspberry. In't it delicious?

Do you hear that bullfrog? We should find him.

We should pick all these raspberries and make jam.

Why didn't we bring a bucket?

Look at this (those white flowers that are old dandelions I think).  

Then proceeds to blow and throw multiple in the air.  

Guaranteed our future children will love going on walks with him. 

Birthday Girl

dress & scarf: old navy  shoes: target

Wearing leopard flats and a polka dot scarf is about as far as I've come with the whole pattern mixing trend.  I have a long way to go but you have to start somewhere, right?  

May is a full month of important dates and celebrating for us!
Friday was my niece's first birthday.   

Lena Jane -

You are the sweetest, cutest, happiest, most precious little girl I know.  I feel honored that we share a middle name, and get beyond excited when people tell me you look like me.  I can't wait to be the aunt that you can call to tell your secrets to and hopefully that I can give you advice.  I look forward to shopping trips, sleepovers and celebrating you and all the things you will accomplish.  You are more loved than any little girl I know and I am proud to be your aunt. 

Happy first birthday! I wish you didn't live so far away so I could celebrate you in person. 

I love you!  

Love,

Dress your Age

 shirt: forever 21  jeans: kohls  shoes: target

It never fails that every time we have a parent event at school I get some comment about looking too young to teach.  As the years have gone by, they have become fewer, but there is always at least one. 

At open house last week one of my students' grandpas came up to me and asked me how long I've been doing this.  When I told him 5 years he replied, 

"What, did you start when you were 12?" 

Why, yes I did.  Isn't it amazing they let 12 year olds teach 9 year olds these days?

After telling him I started after I graduated college he then began a long string of odd questions like, 

So is that your desk over there?

Do you sit there all day?

Do the kids really sit in desks like this? 

Do they sit there all day? 

Needless to say it was a long, very awkward conversation.  

 Now it just makes me laugh, whereas it used to make me feel self conscious,
 but as people always tell me, I know I will appreciate it someday.  

Pleats & Shoes

skirt: Kohls  shoes & shirt: target  

I've seen a lot of pleated skirts around blogs and pinterest and I think they are so pretty.  I found this one at Kohls the other week and it was only $7.  I debated about buying it for awhile because I think it is a little too close to matching my skin color.  

When my sister is home it is pretty much a given that we will go to Target at least once.  I bought these wedges for $8.  And I bought two more pairs of shoes while she was here. 

The sandals were only $4 and then while we were out of town for the wedding I realized I forgot to pack a pair of flats to wear at the rehearsal.  So I made another trip to Target and bought these leopard flats for $15.  Can't complain about having to solve that problem!

Add up my recent purchases of a skirt and three pairs of shoes and it is only $34. 

I think I need to find a new job as a bargain shopper. 

Now despite the fact that these were all incredibly cheap I should probably stop buying shoes and clothes for awhile.  Not only do I really not need any more shoes, but my closet is running out of space!

whatever wednesday   what I love wednesday
what I wore