wore // bright yellow to match the sun.

if you read about our anniversary outing  then you probably saw me wearing this outfit.  i knew it was going to be a hot one that day so i decided to wear this bright yellow tank to coincide with the summer heat, plus i love the way yellow looks with a tan. 

it was a comfy, light outfit so it worked well for the day.  racerbacks are my favorite kind of tank, however they are hard to find sometimes.  i got these for about eight bucks so next time i go out, i may pick up a few more.

also i'm pretty new to shorts.  well, not new per se, but since i was young i have always worn jeans throughout the summer, except for on certain occasions.  i'm trying to be better about wearing shorts while my legs are still thin and look somewhat young before i'm seventy and regret it.  these are about as short as i go, too.

anyway, this is my look.  my clothes are pretty simple, as you'll see in most outfit posts, but i think they still look cute.  this was at the end of our day so my hair is basically plastered to my head, dripping sweat, and sticky clothes, but i couldn't pass up the bright flowers.  enjoy.

tank: macy's

shorts: tj maxx

sandals: newport news {old}

necklace: world market

bracelets: made by me

paddleboats & the boathouse.

st. louis has a lot of great things to do, so on our anniversary we decided to eat lunch and hang out at the boathouse in forest park.  it's a beautiful place because it's located right on a lake, has amazing outdoor seating with a nice breeze off the water, gorgeous views, and it's super relaxing.  i also love the fact that it's pet friendly so i love to see the different breeds of dogs and cute water bowls all over the place.

the temperature that day was around 95, but we were able to sit on the patio with an umbrella and luckily the breeze from the water kept us somewhat cool.  we ate well and shared one of my fav desserts - bread pudding.  this one was banana + pecan and was just ok, so i was somewhat disappointed.  the waitress offered us a free sundae but since i'm lactose intolerant and wanted bread pudding i asked if she would switch.  did she?  hell no.  thanks. . . 

although the temps were blazing, i still had my heart set on paddleboats so we did just that after our meal.  it was so relaxing and the trees, wildlife, and scenery were so pretty and neat.  fall would most definitely be the best time for this because it sounds fantastic to be out on the lake seeing the changing of the leaves wearing jeans, boots, and a sweater, with the smell of bonfire in the distance.  i'm not wishing summer away however.

it was a really nice day to enjoy our 5th year as a married couple, do something we haven't done before, and have a fun, relaxing, hot summer day.

if you ever visit st. louis or live here and have never been, it's definitely a must-do thing.  i love it.

i've never seen such beautiful clouds.

i don't think these pictures need too much explanation.  how beautiful and colorful are these clouds?  when i looked at the sky as the sun was setting, i knew i had to grab my camera because they looked like pink, gray, and charcoal puffs of cotton and fire.

so pretty!  i wish the sky was like this more often!

happy 5 years to us!

today was our 5th anniversary!  when i say i don't know where the time went, i seriously mean it.

5 years ago today we were surrounded by 20 some people as we were married and celebrated on the beaches of jamaica.  we celebrated today by hanging out and having a fun time with each other.  i'll post pictures and what we did in a different post one day, but had to share this cute pic. we were both severely hot, sweaty, and exhausted with these st. louis temps & humidity, but could not resist a photo op.

now it's time for bed so i can be up at 5 to start my day working a couple 12 hour shifts.  i think i'll sleep well tonite because we are definitely worn out from the fun day we had (:

i love you, sh!

ck one summer.

i have a couple favorite perfumes, but my signature smell is patchouli and that's what most people know as my scent.  every now and then i like to add some additional fragrance and i'll choose the perfumes i have on hand.  i am not really into buying new perfumes, but when i saw and smelled this one i knew i had to have it.

i think the coloring and the bottle drew me in first, plus i've always loved ck one.  the turquoise and bright green combo really grabbed my attention, plus it has textured water beads on the bottle that looked neat.  the smell of this is something i can't even really describe.  all i can say is that it's refreshing & clean. i think it is supposed to have a water, floral, citrus, spicy, smell if that makes sense.  one of the first things i think of when it hits my nose is summer though, so nice job!

yesterday at work a guy asked me birthday options for his girlfriend. i was thinking of this perfume so i asked if he remembered ck one from back in the day.  he kind of looked at me odd and said no.  hmm.  he told me he was 22 and i almost did a forehead slap for two reasons. . .1) it made me feel very old being almost 10 years older than him and 2) ck one was popular when i was in high school and then sorta faded out.

point being, this is a unisex fragrance, so it's not too girly, not too manly.  since i wear it, i cannot honestly really see SH wearing it, but it also is not too young or old lady like.

i am seriously in heaven with this.

another point of interest.  i guess they make this an annual summertime thing, so each summer there is a new scent.  that's good and bad i guess.  i look forward to the next one coming out, however i'm not sure if this seasons will then be available when i run out.  i guess i'll figure that out when the time comes.  the pretty price tag on this runs about $50, so i am not looking to purchase a second bottle right now.

do any of you wear this yet?  if not, you definitely won't go wrong.  this could potentially be my next signature smell, second to the patchouli, that's how much i love it!

post-surgery thoughts.

friday i had surgery.  if you remember me talking about my issues with body in this post, this was to help fix it.  i won't go into detail because most people get grossed out when it comes to stuff like that, but hopefully i'm on the mend.

if you know me, you know i'm highly anxious and worry incessantly.  for some reason i was not that nervous about surgery.  as i layed in the hospital bed prepping to go in, my mom and i even mentioned that.  i believe she even texted my dad to tell him the same thing.  i think because i have had issues with my periods and everything related since i was a teenager, this was nothing new for me.  if i was having surgery for my heart or cancer, for instance, i can't even imagine how much of a panic i would have been in.

plus, nurses rarely make good patients.  luckily, i think i was a pretty good patient for my nurse, but she is half the reason i felt so at ease, i think.  she was super nice, friendly, and had one of those soothing voices.  she made me feel completely comfortable, explained everything, and was so caring.  it really made me realize how important it is to be caring & empathetic. not just in a hospital setting, but in life in general. it can certainly turn a tough situation into an easier one, or at least tolerable.

if you think about a time when you were uptight, nervous, or dreading something and someone comes along and eases your mind, it can make all the difference in the world.  sure it can't work for every situation, but wouldn't it be nice.

also, it made me realize that we {or i} take my health for granted a lot of time.  so i may never be able to have kids or my hormones might get all screwed up, but at least i'm overall healthy and still able to function in a day-to-day manner. this was a simple outpatient procedure, not something i had to be admitted for and then monitored for days and days. it could have been much worse - or could still get that way, but let's hope it doesn't.

anyway, much of the day was pretty much a blur with lots of sleeping, pain meds, and lounging, but i was still able to remember some.  i really need to start appreciating things more than i do and not take so much for granted.  it's definitely hard, but there are plenty of people that are better than i am about it, so why can't i?

my mom had this cute gem waiting for me as i got out of the operating room.

she's such a sweet blog friend (:

when i got back from here -

i had this waiting for me, wrapped, and shipped from Allison.  

before i went to florida, she had seen my post on what's got me down at the moment, mentally & physcially.
little did i know that when she asked for my address, she would be sending me a care package full of my favorite thing - candy!

what a sweetie.  friends like that are really hard to find, especially via the net.

i was so happy when i got home and laid eyes on the sweet surprise.  what a way to make a girl feel better.  i may or may not have devoured them all the next day.  hey, i was born with a sweet tooth, what can i say. . .

tell me, have any of your blog friends ever sent you anything in the mail or given you a gift?

i still can't believe the few really good friends that i've made in this little world of blogging.  a couple of my most loyal and trusted friends are right here and mean the world to me.  although we haven't ever met in person {yet!}, i still feel like we've known each other for ages.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

the GIVEAWAY is winding down!

ootd: a coral wedding

last weekend i attended one of my friend's weddings at a beautiful cathedral in downtown st. louis.  it was also pride weekend so the church and neighborhood were decked out in a variety of rainbow things, but unfortunately i forgot to put my card in my camera so i have nothing. zilch. no pics of the beautiful bride, church, or festivities, but i did stop and grab the card before the reception. 

luckily i was able to snap a few pics of the dress i was wearing because i loved it.  like most of my clothes, it was a solid color, but it was so summery and lightweight that i did not want to remove it at the end of the nite.  so glad i purchased it and the sticker price of eighteen bucks made it a hundred times more likeable. 

if they say rain on a wedding day is luck, those two are going to have a great marriage.  it was sunny for some of the day and proceeded to pour and storm the rest of the evening.  in between the wedding and reception, the mr and i went to houlihans for wine {blue moon for him} and some apps. it was a great day.

dress: h&m // wedges: aerosoles // jewelry: by me  {sorry, couldn't find dress or wedges online}

how was your day?

1 - smile at strangers.

2 - slow down.

3 - say thank you.

4 - give lots of compliments.

5 - dress nicely.

6 - wear perfume. 

7 - observe & listen.

8 - be charming.

9 - laugh.

10 - wish people a lovely day.

out of this list i pretty much do everything except for slow down.  i am so impatient and my life is always go, go, go.  as the saying goes, i rarely stop to smell the roses.  i'm always on a mission, moving on to the next thing.  with my racing thoughts, constant distractions, and impulsiveness, it can make life rather tough.  i definitely think that if i slowed things down a little and quit worrying so much, i would be happier, even if it was just a little (:

don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY!

☆ GIVEAWAY ☆ two boho headbands from MURABELLE.

i bought this for a bday nite out on the town. sparkle city!

when ashley from murabelle said a giveaway on the blog would be perfect for her headbands, i got the biggest smile on my face.  i am in love, or should i say obsessed, with her products.  there are so many different styles - boho, feminine, simple, & colorful; scarves, nautical, lace, tribal, and wraps. 

she also has a line called fit happy for those that love a band while at the gym, hanging out, or just to wear. these are becoming increasingly popular and i'm pretty sure one of these is next on my list.

also, these dent-free hair ties have become everyone's favorite lately and i have loved wearing them. since my hair is shorter, i don't wear them as often anymore, but they still come in handy and look great on my wrist!

this is my beautiful cousin, LAUREN.  she made the perfect model for these bands.  doesn't she have the prettiest hair and most gorgeous eyes?!

aren't the headbands just lovely?!  her prices are out of this world too.  i am so happy with everything i have ever purchased from her and she is awesome to work with. 

there will be two winners - one will be receiving the lace band and the second will receive the purple & turquoise chevron. 

good luck!!

{if you like murabelle or purchase from her store, tell her i sent you her way, please (:} 
she is always posting sales and deals on her facebook page so be sure to like it.  for instance, check out the super cute and unique 4th of july bands - i am so bummed i missed out on this one.  definitely one of a kind!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*giveaway open to all US residents.