So I've been thinking...

A couple things have really been on my mind that I need to get out in the open.

First - It was an amazing person who one day thought to him (or her) self, "Hum - I have this peanut butter, I have this chocolate, why don't I magically insert this peanut butter into a perfectly shaped mini cup.  I bet it will be a hit among the people."  And a hit it was Mr. Reese, a HIT. IT.WAS.  I have been living off of frozen (cause everything is better frozen) peanut butter cups and almond M&M's.  This is not a joke.  I am addicted and my stomach hurts. 

Second - Standing while working.  It's my new thing.  For a good three weeks or so I have had this back thing.  Hurts to sit, hurts to move, blah blah blah.  I have decided I sit too much and it's not helping.  Now I stand.  I was a little fidgety at first and found myself looking around and staring at things that needed to be dusted.  But it's getting better, my house is dust free and I am confident this will save my back.  My 50 year old self is already thanking me.

Third - Big calves and leather boots with no zipper do not go well together.  I bought a ridiculously expensive pair of boots.  My practical side got the best of me and I exchanged them for an even BETTER, less expensive pair.  But there is no zipper.  I have big calves.  It's a well known fact.  When I tried them on, I had to pull with all my might to get them on and Ben had to pry them off.  I thought my circulation might get cut off.  Don't fear though - leather stretches!  I am confident if I wear them enough they will stretch to my perfect calf size.  This means I am always wearing them.  Always.  With PJ's, with my robe while I am doing my makeup, I even took a nap in them, and right now in fact with my Nike capris. So cute.  I think it's working, I can get them off myself.

Fourth - Shared keys mean family.  I bought this for our new place.  Completely adorable, right?!

A place to put our keys.  This means we will be a little family and our keys will never be lost. Is this what they call nesting?

Introducing...

Alright, here is goes.  I am starting a new blog, a supplement to this blog, not a replacement.  My new blog with follow my year long challenge of no shopping...
I was hoping to be further along on the design and personal content before I wrote this post, but I just didn't make it!  With that said and understanding that the design will probably change a few more times, check out my new blog!  http://www.lifewithoutshopping.com/... and wish me luck!! :-)

Oh, for the love of shoes

I love shoes. I really love shoes. I especially love heels. I seriously can't get enough. I have really little feet. I have spent my whole life wishing my little itty bitty feet were just a bit bigger. In my younger years I used to by boots just a little too big so I would feel more proportional. (I am over that now). I am very picky about my shoes - the heel, the toe, the fabric and yes, even the comfort are all taken into account when purchasing a new pair. I have acquired many wonderful shoe companions over the years. Knowing all this, you can imagine my excitement when my friend Tara told me about a local store in town that sells designer shoes (sizes 5 1/2 - 6 1/2) for almost 75% off! WHAT?!

The next morning I woke up and went straight to this little gold mine of a store. It was nothing short of a Christmas Miracle! Designer sample shoes, 75% off. There were so many fabulous pairs that fit my little feet perfectly. I spent almost 3 hours in the store. The shop workers thought I was moving in, I would have. I wanted 5 pairs, but I left with one. I have to pace myself, heaven knows I will be back - hooray for these little feet!

They did NOT look cute!

Enough said... I think I give up on the capri search for 2009. I'll try again next year.

On A Lighter Note... I Love Online Shopping

And I am super stoked about my latest purchase! I am counting down the seconds until they arrive at my doorstep (well I would count the seconds if I knew what time they were arriving).

UPS scheduled arrival date is 7/17/09. I literally think the anticipation is killing me! I need everyone to put out positive thoughts that they will fit cute. It's REALLY hard to find a good pair of capris when you're short. This is my second try this summer... the first ones are still in my closet waiting to see if I find a better pair. Here's to hoping these are the ones!Erica... do you think your UPS man can pull some strings for me... let's get these here faster!! ;-)

Ode To My Shoes

Lately I find myself completely obsessing over shoes. I find myself doing all things shoe related... thinking, day dreaming, coming up with new shoe designs and then spending hours online or in stores looking for that perfect pair that I have imagined in my head. Those who know me know that maybe this is not that far out of the ordinary. The obsessions usually go from shoes to skirts/dresses to jackets and back to shoes. Typically, I have no shame in my obsessions (or love) of beautiful fabrics, textures and patterns but I really have more than enough to choose from. I realize a lot of the problem may be that I don't even know what I have! Now in a perfect world my closet would look like this: I would love to have a big enough space where I could see everything I had. It would really be a good investment because I would probably buy less. If I could see that beautiful pair of patent leather heels in the corner I wouldn't go out and buy a new pair. So instead of obsessing with buying new I am turning to a new obsession - organization.

To be perfectly honest, I always thought my closets were pretty organized, aside from the small pile of clothes off to the side from the 12 outfits I tried on earlier that morning that didn't work out and I didn't have time to put away before I ran out the door. But my closets have always been at least organized by color. The problem is the shoes. When I lived in Salt Lake I had a wonderfully huge closet. All my shoes were set out so I could see them. Now - I have 2 little closets which really works out fine, but I no longer have the space to nicely organize my shoes. So while I work towards the beautiful closet above, I need something to work for now. Here are my options, pros and cons listed below...Pros: I really love the pattern on this one. It is hung over the door and I feel like if you had to look at it every now and then it wouldn't be a huge eye sore.
Cons: It only holds 20 pairs of shoes. I would probably need more than 2 and I really only have 2 doors to hang a shoe rack on.

Pros: Same pattern as above. I could possibly use this in conjunction with the above rack.
Cons: I have no idea how this thing works or where you are supposed to put it!

Pros: This says it holds 50 pairs of shoes. I could maybe even fit more since a lot of my shoes are heels.
Cons: It is a stand alone and you would always be able to see it. Huge eye sore.

Pros: This one also hangs on the back of the door so it wouldn't always be visible. It holds 36 pairs of shoes, I could get 2 and then have room at the bottom of my closet for taller boots.
Cons: The reviews said it's hard to put together and let's be honest the pattern from the first option is really awesome.

I really need help making this decision.

So In The Know

Have you ever been watching your favorite TV show and wondered... "I wonder where they got that necklace, I would really die to have one of those?" Well I have. Most specifically, my beloved (and cancelled) Lipstick Jungle has the outright most fabulous jewelery that I have probably ever seen. Just about every episode I would think, "Who designed that and I wonder if I could have one?"
Well a little google search had just what I needed. http://www.seenon.com/ is an answer to our prayers, my friends. All you have to do is look up your favorite show and this site can tell you what they were wearing and where to get it! It also will let you watch an episode and you can tell it where to stop when you see something you like! This is amazing - Now, I feel so in the know!

Loving my New Jewelry

My good friend Heidi has an awesome jewelry company called ChIcK HaRdwAre. While I was in Utah I bought some jewelry from her that I LOVE, so I wanted to give her a shout out! First, she made me this awesome watch. I had to lay it out so you could see the whole thing. The awesome thing about it is you buy the face and the band separately cause the band is interchangeable. It's like a super cute bracelet and watch all in one! She is so creative and makes bands with different styles and colors of beads. I need a few so I have one for every outfit!

Then, she made me this cute necklace. It is a silver chain, then she creates really cute charms to dangle at the bottom. I got some to match my watch, but since they are interchangeable I can take one or two off when it doesn't go or I can have her make more when I need a different color.
My favorite is the cute zebra charm... I love animal print! I think my next order will definitely be a crystal charm and a silver and crystal watch band. She is so talented and her jewelry is very affordable and really well made. If you love it as much as I do I can put you in contact with Heidi - she has so many more cute designs! Thanks, Heid!

And the winner is...

I found it! I found the dress for graduation... It took a little longer than expected, too close for comfort actually. I bought a few dresses that didn't work and they will be returned shortly, but 3 days shy of graduation I have made a decision. And of course, it's polka dots! I have to tell you, it was hard to make a decision. I mean, I will be looking at this dress in pictures for the rest of my life! So without further ado... the winner is...

Let me tell you the reasons why this dress is perfect -
a) It's cap sleeved so I don't have to feel weird about wearing spaghetti straps nor do I have to search for the perfect sweater to go over.
b) It's a wrap with a great tie - as Stacy and Clinton say, it's best to accentuate the smallest part of your body, which on most of us is our waist.
c) I love polka dots.
d) It was on sale!
e) It comes with a slip that is not attached, therefore I can use it for other things in which I may need a slip.

Next, I needed shoes for the ensemble. The dress is Navy (although it may look black in the photo), and the graduation gown is black - therefore I could not wear blue shoes. So I decided my options were red or green.

While searching for shoes Ashley (Pike) said to me, "Amber on Friday you will be walking into a new chapter of your life!" To which I said, "And I want to walk into that chapter in the perfect shoes!" We laughed, but I was serious so here are the shoes I will be wearing...

So I am thinking red accessories and the outfit is complete. Man! If I knew I would be able to do this much shopping just looking for a graduation dress, I would graduate everyday!