Currently...

I stole this idea from Kaelah's blog. I loved the simplicity of this post so much that I thought I'd do it over here on TSF. :)

READING: the free books in the Amazon Kindle library and found some pretty decent ones. I will say, I've had to download and start a few ridiculous ones that I ended up deleting, but definitely some gems.

WONDERING: how much longer Hewitt can go before he needs to be groomed. I know, random, right? He's not THAT scruffy yet, but I'm thinking if the warm weather is here to stay, it should be sooner rather than later.

FEELING THANKFUL: for my family and friends. Also, for a job that is challenging at times...but mostly challenging in a good way. It's stretching me!

EATING:  a lot of green beans lately. They are some of my fave veggies...out of the 4 or 5 I'll eat. ;)

WATCHING: a whole lot of nothing lately.  I still need to watch the 1 hour Office retrospective special that aired last week. This is that time of year when there isn't a whole lot of stuff I want to watch on tv. Any summer suggestions?

WORKING ON: My body. I've been running (okay...let's call it wogging) and trying to incorporate other cardio and weight/strength training at least 4x per week. I did a cardio kickboxing routine on Tuesday night from this little redhead minx via an Exercise TV youtube video and I still can't sit down without cringing. My mom is training for a 10k...sometime in the future, so I've been running with her...even though I've not ever run a 5k. I'm up to about 20 min of non-stop jogging. That's a big deal for me...and my non-exercising self. :)

LOVING: hand-me-down clothing from mi madre. She's a pretty stylish mom who loves to shop at stores that I LOVE but usually can't afford like The Limited, Gap, Loft, etc. So far, I've received 2 tops and a sweater! Score!

ATTEMPTING: to plan a deep sea fishing excursion with M and I. I've never been deep sea fishing, but I'm willing to try it out!

WANTING: a cupcake. Always.

 [via]

OOTD: Top Perfection

Do you ever see an item of clothing and instantly have a love affair with it? Is that just me? Welp...so...that's awkward...

Heh. But, I saw this top on a coworker and literally stopped her in the middle of the hallway to ask about it. It's-the-most-perfect-shirt-in-the-history-of-shirts. Navy blue with green stripes, 3/4 sleeves, a boat neck and a ZIPPER?!?! Seriously, perfection. Also, I don't normally shop at the store I bought it from because I find it pretty expensive...however, it was on clearance AND I had a 40% off coupon. Score!

And this shirt is way versatile. I've worn it to work with a pencil skirt or dress pants and heels and also on the weekend or for more casual events with jeans and flats. I just love it. Now, I could probably "jazz" this outfit up a bit with a statement necklace and darker jeans. But I like that this look is casual "caaj" as I say it and not fussy.

Top: Loft (similar, similar)
Jeans: Old Navy 
Shoes: Payless (similar, similar)


~April

Bring Back The Buzz

Today, I don the team colors of yesteryear. Today, my hometown NBA team is expected to make an announcement many locals are excited to hear: that the team name is changing back to something it used to be in the 90s.

The team of the 90s was a huge part of the city. The city loved the team and the  team loved the city. Perhaps it had a lot to do with the fact that the 90s environment was once of acceptance for the NBA for the most part. Before we had lots of overpaid, misbehaving athletes in the league. (Well, that's just what I think.)

Anywho, today, it is expected that Charlotte will be bringing back The Buzz, the Charlotte Hornets! Not only is that exciting because the team will be back in the city it was actually named for "hornets", but it brings back one of the greatest color combinations ever in professional sports history: teal and purple. 

So I say: Bring Back The Buzz!!

 

PS: I also feel the need to say that my heart is saddened at the footage and photos I've seen from the Oklahoma tornado yesterday. My prayers are with all that were affected.

OOTD: Yellow and Gray

Yellow and gray are a very, VERY trendy color combination right now. For rizzle. Go to Pinterest and type in "yellow and gray" and see what kind of awesomeness comes up. It's crazy!

But yellow and gray happens to also be a fave color pairing of mine. Why? Well, for one, it always reminds me of this song, which, coincidentally, always makes my sister cry. HAHA. I think it's a nice mix of happy and sad. Yellow is muted a little with gray and gray is made a little more interesting with the addition of yellow. They are like a yin and yang. Well, sort of. Or, maybe not at all. Just in my head.

Cardigan: Old Navy
Tank: Old Navy
Pants: Target (similar, similar)
Shoes: Gift from a friend (similar, similar)
Necklace: Gift from a friend (similar)

What are your thoughts on yellow and gray?

Mini, but brief tirade: It's "gray" not "grey". It's only "grey" with an E if you're European (British) or if it's a proper noun or name. Just wanted to put that out there. Let's use gray with an A, okay? Unless you're a Brit...in which case it's grey, favourite, colour and biscuit. Okie dokie?

Linking up with Molly and Meg!
Linking up with The Pleated Poppy for What I Wore Wednesday.

~April

Pinterest Copycat 2

Hi friends.

I apologize for the spottiness in posts this week...I was out of town at a conference for work. Maybe this will make up for it?!?!

I hope to do even more of these in the future. I love taking outfit inspiration from someone else and making it my own. Here, I copied this jeans and cardi jacket look. I picked up this swing cardi/cardi jacket at Target on clearance for $7!! It is a different silhouette than I normally wear but I loved the colors so much that I figured I'd at least give it a try. :)

Pinspiration Photo
Cardigan Jacket: Target (similar, similar)
Jeans: Levis
Pumps: Marshalls (similar, similar)
Tank: Old Navy

I feel like the outfit is a little plain. It needs a jazzy accessory or something, no? But, I wanted to keep with the integrity of the inspo outfit. Well, the headless lady has on a watch, but I don't do watches. I tried. I cannot pull them off. I have fat and freckled forearms so they are not quite prime real estate for a statement watch. HA!

~April

How Do You Say Goodbye?

Today is a sad day for me.

Though I risk sounding quite melodramatic, I simply must share my feelings today.

My absolute favorite tv show in the entire world is ending tonight. I have watched The Office from the beginning of Season 2 and now own almost all of the seasons on DVD. This tv show, unlike any other, has been a HUGE part of my life over the past 9 years.

I can remember watching episodes of The Office the first week or so when I'd moved to Wilmington because it provided me with something familiar when everything around me was unfamiliar. It was a quick remedy for my homesickness.

I can remember lying in bed watching episodes of The Office when I couldn't fall asleep or when I was too afraid to fall asleep during a thunderstorm. It was a source of comfort and peace.

I've watched episodes of The Office with family, friends, boyfriends, animals and coworkers.

I've seen my own life twist and turn just like the characters' lives on The Office have. As they have grown, so have I. As I have changed, so have they. My life isn't exactly like theirs, but looking back over the progression of the last 9 seasons, I can see my own life as a series of subsequent events...one action leading to another and one event producing another.

Just like my own life is scripted.

The office has been with me through many ups and downs in my life and I continue to quote from it regularly. Even to people who haven't seen it. I just explain the scene I'm quoting from until they understand.

I can't remember another television show affecting me as much as this one.

So, after tonight's finale, I know I will probably feel a sense of emptiness. I know it sounds dumb to feel like that over a fictional tv show...but I can't help it. I feel like this show is my family. These people are a part of my life. I want for this to be a real office with real people so badly!

And so, how do you say goodbye to a show that is awkward, comforting, hilarious, heart-wrenching, happy, sad and every other gamut of emotions?

Well, I guess you really can't. Goodbyes are a b.

Jim Halpert:	You're not leaving tomorrow. You're leaving today right?
Michael Scott:	Maybe.
Jim Halpert:	Wow, so that's it huh? Just, four o'clock and you are gone for good.
Michael Scott:	Why am I so sad? Am I doing the wrong thing?
Jim Halpert:	Absolutely not. It's just that sometimes... goodbyes are a bi---h.
Michael Scott:	[pulls out a recorder and speaks softly into it] T-Shirt idea, goodbyes stink.

~April

Pinterest Copycat! An Ode in Outfit Form

The other day a friend told me, "I keep up with you on Facebook, but you don't always post a lot on there. So, I usually keep up with you more on Pinterest."

Now, if that ain't tellin', I don't know what is, y'all.

But, to be fair, a lot of what I pin/repin on Pinterest are cute outfits that I feel I could replicate using what I already have in my wardrobe. Very eco-thrifty of me, right? ;) I pin a TON of cute outfits (like the one I copied today) from this blog. But I also have some other adorable pinned outfits too. You can see my fashion/style board by clicking here.

Anywho, first (or is it technically 9th??) in this Pinterest Copycat series is this gray and white striped look I pinned a few months ago...

Let me first say that I must be some sort of a sadist to put myself directly next to this toothpick-without-a-head. That's the only weird thing about that website, BTW, is the fact that none of the pics include this chick's head, but I digress... Anywho, I wanted you to see the comparison. I mean, at least I tried to stand like her...and I cut a part of my body off in the pic...but I feel like I did y'all a service by cutting off my feet instead of my head. Then there would be two headless pics in one blog post. That's just creepy.

Cardigan: Eddie Bauer (similar)
Tank: Old Navy (similar, similar)
Jeans: Levi's
Bubble Necklace: J Crew via Ebay

Happy Tuesday!

~April