boot love

last year i was brave and bought my first pair of boots, other than my timberlands i had in 7th grade of course. i say brave because i thought boots were "trendy", and i'm not very good at pulling off trendy. i found this pair of boots on the clearance rack at tjmaxx for $30 and went for it! i thought, real leather and this cheap, it can't hurt! turns out they were sam edelman boots that were originally over $200, i had no idea but impressed my fashionista friends with my find.

after that i fell in love with boots. i realized they aren't trendy, well maybe they are, but for me they are practical, they keep my feet warm and add style. with such luck with my first find i was picky with purchasing other boots and wouldn't settle for less than a good deal.

enter target. i have a narrow foot and high arch so target shoes doesn't always work for me. however, i'd been wanting a pair of riding boots and ankle boots (yes my boot love is a little excessive) but didn't want to 1) buy some that weren't real leather or 2) spend a lot of money...i'm a high maintenance shopper.

my mom and i were in target a few days after christmas and she found these boots...real leather and for some reason 50% off on clearance. they are still regular price online so they must have just needed to make room for new inventory. check out my finds:

these riding boots are so comfortable and a great color. i've gotten numerous complements when i wear them, and yesterday a coworker asked if they were frye boots, the ultimate boot compliment!

these beauties are not as cheesy as they look in the picture. they are a little lighter and more distressed. they look cute with jeans or a skirt!

i'm glad i waited for something that met my shopping standards and with both being 50% i got two pairs for the original price of one. that is my kind of bargain!

blog love

i love blogs. i love the learning, reading, and sharing of life that happens. this year i got many ideas for christmas gifts and it gave me an opportunity to bake, craft, and save!

design a-peele blogged about these great etsy earrings which i ordered for a friend! so cute!

imperfect provided the instructions and printable tags for these smore jars, they were a hit!

also from imperfect these totebags or "treat bags" as my niece called them were a perfect inexpensive gift. with 5 young nieces and nephews we are always looking for gift ideas. these were the most popular, or at least the most entertaining gifts and hopefully useful!

my dear friend is living in russia doing college ministry. she is a fellow dietitian and a fabulous baker! she posted this recipe that she adapted from betty crocker and they were delicious!

i'm thankful for blogs in this season to keep me creative and thrifty!

two thousand eleven

eleven is my number. it's my birthday and anniversary (neither my due date or our planned wedding date) so it kind of chose me. silly as it may be, it fits me. it's prime so it's indivisible yet it's symmetric. all the mathematical rambling to say, i think it's going to be a good year :)

starting the year off right with mini chocolate fudge cakes with ganache frosting

historically (that sounded a little dramatic) i am not good at keeping resolutions that i make for the new year. i'm a little better at those that i make at my birthday, but still not the best. so i'm trying a new idea, monthly goals. several blogs i've seen do this, and it seems like it would be better for me. so for 1/11...

-lose the 5 pounds i didn't have room to gain over the holidays (this is really so i have room to gain for all the king cake i will be eating :)

- purge stuff. it's not my nature to do this, but when i do it reminds me of what is really important and makes me feel better in general! check out this blog for challenge to purge 111 things in 1/11. with us in temporary housing i think this is a good a time as any!

- budget. this is something we haven't prioritized and i'm excited to become more disciplined in this area. did i just use excited and disciplined in the same sentence?

- exercise 4 times a week. not my ultimate goal but starting at a tangible goal is key for me.

- finish one book. i have this issue of starting books and never finishing. let's go as far to say that there are dozens of books i've started.

so that's it. i have overall 2011 goals of taking more pictures, being better at getting birthday cards/presents to people, learning how to be a better wife, and being more disciplined in general but let's stick to the january goals for now!

happy 2011!