Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone has a blessed and very merry Christmas! From our house to yours!

High Five, It's Almost Christmas

I can't believe we are in the single digits before Christmas! I am sooo close to being done with my shopping. Thank goodness for the weekend to finish it all up! I always manage to still be shoipping at the last minute.

I had such a good week that I almost did a High 10 instead of High 5!

1. I had such a blast designing and sending out our Christmas cards this year!
2. Ever since my mom broke her leg on Thanksgiving, we have been trying to help around the house when we can. Putting up my parents' 12ft Christmas tree is always a project. Loved seeing two of my favorite boys working together!
3. I have the best friends in the whole world. Can we talk about this hat?! I am in love with this hat. It's warm, cozy and my absolute favorite character!
4. We had our first annual company holiday party and white elephant gift exchange this week. It was a blast! One of the VPs' wife made this! She nailed the logo!
5. On Saturday we had our department holiday party and I got to debut the famous tulle skirt! This is my manager and I at dinner. Aren't we cute?!

And what's even better than my High 5?! The fact that you're reading this post means the world didn't end and the Mayans were wrong! WOOOO

Try not to waste your whole weekend at the mall with all the other last minute shoppers!

Linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk and Jeannette @ Life Rearranged.

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Sew Me Marie

I've received a lot of encouragement through your comments and after thinking about it for quite some time, I've decided to open my very first Etsy shop! I am actually opening it alongside of my friend. She is the one responsible for turning me into a crafty person.

I love our shop name: Sew Me Marie. Finding names that aren't already taken on Etsy is pretty challenging, but with a little brainstorming, we found one! We share the same middle name, Marie, so that definitely had to be incorporated into the name. I'm pretty happy with our end result.

For now I'm selling what you've already seen here on my blog:

• Ribbon wreaths (of any kind)
• Burp cloths
• Pacifier clips (these are actually new!)
• Grown-up tutus - just added due to the overwhelming response from yesterdays post!

I'm sure as I explore more DIY crafts, I will be adding them as well. I hope you check it out! If you want something you don't see there, feel free to email me and I would be happy to accommodate in any way I can.

Sew Me Marie Etsy Shop

Happy shopping!

Getting Back on Board

Ever since I lost 25lbs right before my wedding (read about it here), I managed to gain back 10lbs almost instantly and have since then tacked on another 5-10lbs depending on the month. I'm getting dangerously close to my original starting weight, so now it's time to get serious. I will NOT let myself get back there!

Since I'm no longer running the marathon, I figured this would be a good time to embark on a new journey. A journey of eating healthier and running regularly (short distances only please) to become comfortable in my own skin again (and to not have to buy back all my too big clothes I donated two years ago). Not to mention it's the perfect time to get in shape before my Disney cruise!

AHHH!!! We're so close!

 



Today is week one of my weekly weigh-ins. I'm sure your asking, "Why is she trying to lose weight right in the middle of the holidays?" Well my friends, once you find the motivation to make a change, you can't wait until it's convenient to you and those around you, you must cease the moment, never look back and run with it (no pun intended)!

For starters, I will pack my lunch, drink tons of water, run after work and cook a descent dinner. I am not doing a crash diet or eliminating any major food group. I am just focusing on moderation. I've learned that's the only way for me to be successful. If I start too strong and make drastic changes, I will fail. You will see that I am by no means a health nut, so my focus will be portion control and eating at home instead of going out.

So without further ado, here are this weeks stats:

Weight - 154lbs
Waist - 30.5in
Hips - 41in
Thighs - 24in
Arms - 11.5in

I will do measurements once a month in hopes to see a more significant change.

In other news, I can't wait until tomorrow to show you my completed DIY tulle skirt tomorrow!

Crafty High 5

One more week down, means one more week closer to Christmas! It's so strange to think that we are already half way through December! This week went by super fast and I'm looking forward to a nice weekend at home (with some fun thrown in there of course!)

Here are my top 5 fave things from the week!

1. Another ribbon wreath! I FINALLY finished it. I know the husband is getting tired of these wreaths (here, here and here), but I just can't get enough!
2. I finsished! This is the skirt I'm going to wear to my company's holiday party. I cannot wait! Don't worry, a tutorial will be up next week along with pictures of how I wore it.
3. My friend got me this festive iPhone 5 case for me from Zulily! (I told you, polka dots are my thing right now)
4. I have the best Blogging Big in the whole world! She redesigned my site and gave me a new logo, color scheme and buttons. I am so lucky and owe her big time! What do you think?!
5. Of course I can't resist my photogenic cat, Milo. He is such a handsome man! (insert crazy cat lady comment here).

I hope everyone has a fun weekend! Let me know what you're up to!

Linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk and Jeannette @ Life Rearranged

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

It's been a while since I've done a Disney post so what better way to get going again then to post about the most perfect and festive event Disney has to offer! Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP). You are probably thinking "this sounds very similar to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP)."

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Well you thought right! It is! the premise is the same: You buy a separate ticket for a select night in December, you get a special parade and fireworks show, AND (the best part) free cookies and hot chocolate all night! Maybe it's just me, but this sounds like a much better deal then the trick or treating at MNSSHP. Don't get me wrong, I love both, but if I had to choose, MVMCP all the way!

You walk in and you are greeted with a very picturesque scene of snow falling on Main Street with a spectacularly lit Cinderella Castle at the end. It is one of the most magical memories you will have. The castle is covered in lights that make it look like it was dipped in ice.

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Again, since you have to buy additional tickets to this event, you will see less crowds. This is a good opportunity to get on those rides you might not have been able to ride during the day when the park was open to the public.

As far as the parade and fireworks go, they are magical! There really is no other way to describe it. The parade is complete with dancing reindeer and nutcrackers. Just go see it for yourself!

If you love the holidays as much as I do then this is the party for you! There's still time to plan a trip to Disney for the holidays! Be sure to check out their website for available dates buy your tickets early as they will sell out!

Other must do's at Disney World in December:
Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights - Disney's Hollywood Studios
Candlelight Processional - Epcot
Gingerbread House - Grand Floridian Hotel and Spa

 And in the spirit of Christmas at Disney World: Here we are on our trip from last December!

Gold, Blousy Polka Dots

For this week's What I Wore Wednesday (WIWW) I kept to my theme of, yep you guessed it, polka dots! I promise I own non-dotted clothing. Maybe next week I'll prove it.

I found this shirt from Target a few weeks ago and I instantly fell in love with it. Sheer blousy shirts are very popular right now and this gold glitter polka dot blouse shirt was just my style! (Not to mention comfy) It reminded me of a Kate Spade shirt but for like 10% of the price at a mere $18!

Pair this shirt with some skinny jeans (I'm wearing black) and some pumps to dress it up or flats to make it more casual and there you have it. A fun outfit for a night on the town!

Another way to dress this outfit up is all in the accessories (something that is NOT my strongest suit). I'm really starting to get into gold (hence the shirt) so I dug up this bracelet from the Kate Spade outlet (now all I need is the ring and earrings to match, just in case the husband is reading). ;)

What are your thoughts on blousy shirts? Do you prefer gold or silver?

I'm linking up with Lindsey @ The Pleated Poppy for WIWW!