Quiet Revolution

My outfit from today, my black eyelet skirt, grey cardigan, baby blue obi belt, and oxford heels.  Oh, and the magic necklace of course!

Slowly, over the last 6 months, I have begun my own quiet revolution.  I've begun complimenting women when I think they look fantastic.  Because I know when I get a compliment from a stranger on anything, it makes me glow from the inside out.  Today I was reading this article at Already Pretty about women's bodies and beginning a quiet revolution.  Please check it out, it's an amazing post.  


Let's start a quiet but strong revolution.  Let's begin loving ourselves and loving women.  Too often we judge.  Too often we hate on other women, and I'm tired of it.  Every woman you know or meet has fantastic qualities, and when we are kind to one another, we begin to glow.  So I challenge you, set out to make at least one woman feel good about herself a day.  Compliment a stranger.  Tell a close friend or co-worker why you think she's awesome.  Pay forward what you would want to hear.  


And above all, please, love yourself.  You're too great not to.

Glorious

Today is one of those days.  Beautiful.  Serene.  Puffy white clouds, sunshine.  G and I had lunch at Panera (can I just say their black bean soup is delicious, but do like I did and ask for some red onion to put in it----I took red onion rings and chopped them up and mixed in).  Then before heading out into the warm light we picked up a pain au chocolat to enjoy.  We drove back to the hotel, sat on a bench and shared the treat.  Simple things, but good things indeed.

I think we're both still tired from yesterday.  The day before we had gone to Old Navy and picked me up 2 dresses, a skirt, a tank top, t-shirt, a one-shoulder shirt and a cardigan for about $35.  Not bad.  I am still trying to pair down my closet but needed some clothes that fit a bit better.  And a dress for less than $5 that I had tried on and liked before?  A nice little pick me up.

Yesterday we went out just to get out.  We didn't necessarily need anything, but wanted to look around.  First we went and had a late breakfast at Clementine.  They had a homemade sausage that had corn and mushrooms in it that was like nothing I have ever had before....I kept stealing bites since it was G's.

We hit up Off Broadway, a shoes store I had never heard of, and I picked up some cute (and oh so comfortable!) grey suede ankle boots.  

We stopped in at a beauty store for me to finally pick up some new nail polish.  A bottle of Russian Navy later and we were out the door.  Painted my nails today and I LOVE this color.  I've always been afraid of darks, but it looks great against my pale skin.  I'm currently looking for a charcoal grey color next.

We stopped in the Gap outlet.  I picked up a nice, semi-nautical blue and white dress that I plan to rock this fall (just adding in some warmer tones).  I first picked it up in a large, but realized quickly that while the large was fine for now it would be too loose by Christmas.  However, my thing is to not buy for the future, it needs to fit, but went ahead and tried on a medium.  Well lo and behold it fit!  It will definitely look better as I slim down (since I like these style of dresses to be more loose and swishy), but it works for now too.  

(it's hard to see on the hanger, but it is a very drapey dress, with loose sleeves, and a nice, defined waist.)

The Limited was having a 40% off everything in the store, including clearance.  Nice, but since the only thing I had was a medium size dress that I doubted I could get into, I wasn't that excited.  But when it fit I was almost jumping for joy.  I've been looking for a simple, but not boring, long casual dress, and this will work beautifully.  Especially next summer when I am hoping we will have a backyard set up ready for a Spanish BBQ (sangria, tapas, oh yes!).  

And finally we dropped into the Saks 5th Ave outlet and it was there that G finally found some sunglasses.  He has such a long and narrow face that it's been a difficult search.  But of course D&G came through for us.  His first fashion love, I say.  Now my only conundrum is how to justify getting the Ray Bans I want, since my justification used to be that they were unisex and we could see how we both looked in them.  

The day is still young, and the sun still glorious in it's light.  G wants to go for a "stroll".  His word, not mine.  And I am in my new skirt that calls for twirling.

What I've Been Up To

So, it's been 2 weeks since I got home. Whoa. Time flies. G and I were discussing how I haven't posted. I'm apparently a very bad blogger. Bad Kalee.

But I have been having quite the interesting time. We've balanced staying at my Grandmama's house with living at my parents house when we've had things to do. We've also been busy with each family, including a bbq at my house where G's parents came, although of course I forgot my damn camera!

I met my niece for the first time and fell in love! Seriously, I adore her, and I am happy to report that the feeling is mutual. She would reach out for me and I was the one who could get her to stop crying during the few times she was tired (normally she rarely fussed at all, a very happy baby!). I would tell her, "You're too pretty to cry, so quit it."

I also finally got my eyebrows waxed and cut my hair! Seriously, I was deliriously happy to have that done for the first time in 2 years! And with the better water here my hair is finally starting to get better. My stylist (who has been doing my hair since I was 10) was shocked and a bit freaked out by how thin my hair had gotten and even murmured about how much was falling out as she styled it. So let's cross our fingers that Maryland turns out to have decent water quality!

We also bought a new (to us anyways) car, signed up for a cell phone plan and are looking into houses. It's more than a tad bit overwhelming. But I do love the car. We bought an '08 Ford Fusion, and the best part is that the seats are dark so Sophie's hair won't show up all the time!

Yummy fruit that we foraged.

The mini horses that we fed apples to. Don't worry, they were wild trees sown from the seeds from trees on the farm.

"ALPACA!!!" I finally yelled this while outdoors and they looked at me. This was just one close up with a perplexed alpaca.

This is the phone booth Garret spent weeks in to call me from the UK before he got a phone.

Ready for take off! We got the seats with all the leg room!

My birthday cake my maman had made for the BBQ. Yum!

Me and my bestie, T. We finally had some great coffee talk!

Me with my niece, she ate and fell asleep. Hand blurry since I was rubbing her back.

New haircut, not the best pic, but eh. I had it cut with long layers to give more movement.

Took Cascone's pasta sauce (a KC institution----G and I had prom dinner there) and added cherry tomatoes from my parents garden, mushrooms, and onions.

Vintage dinner time. My grandmama's pink china, silver and crystal. I have the original receipts and luckily can find replacements for anything I need or extra pieces!

Garret and I had breakfast at Ray's Diner here in town. It's been here since 1932 and has delicious breakfast and lunches!

My outfit yesterday. I need new jeans but I'm kinda in between sizes!

Sophie and my mini dachshund Audrey passed out!

Shopping and Packing

So, G and I have done a bit of shopping lately, you might have noticed.  When I found out that my beloved Noa Noa's Bury branch was closing, I got the 3 skirts.  But that was after buying things at TKMaxx like crazy the day or so before.  I told you about finding the great deal on the Elie Tahari jacket, but I didn't mention that we picked up 3 French Connection shirts at a huge discount for G.  He loves them because they're 100% cotton, and they are a slimmer fit.  And getting one in a charcoal, one in blue stripes, and one in brown stripes he will most definitely be wearing them often!  We also picked up a Scotch and Soda shirt from Javelin using part of the gift voucher they gave us for the VAT.  It's purple striped and G looks fantastic in it! It came with the cutest little cuff links, which swayed G.....he's been looking for shirts to wear cufflinks with.  

We also picked up 2 pillows for our future living room in Maryland.  We have a fantastic vintage coffee/tea set that we have decided to go with color wise for the living room.  We are planning on making a trip up to Soho in NY to go to the Thomas Paul studio to look at rugs.  We found one we love online, it goes well with the colors of the coffee set, but I want to make sure it's sumptuous in person.  It's a big purchase price wise, and we want to make sure it's worth it and will hold up for a decade or so (hopefully longer).  

Thomas Paul Rug Flora in Chocolate, Aqua and Green

The pillows have some similar colors, but are a wonderful stripe (and I LOVE stripes).  And since they're Belgian velvet and have down inserts, they will make a nice little pillow on some chairs we want to get eventually.  (all of this will be done/bought over time, but we're pretty good at coming up with a look and working towards it.  For instance I want some espresso brown silk dupioni curtains, but will wait until I can find a great deal on ebay.)  We're basically trying to make our home a bit more grown-up as we go along.  It's a slow process, but we're enjoying it.  I love looking at couches, trying to decide which ones will work best for us.  I want some more structured pieces for sure. 

This is the Pottery Barn Greenwhich Sofa, which I am lusting after majorly.  Structured, but not too fussy.

Silk Dupioni curtains, I want them in an espresso.  

Photo from potterybarn.com

And right now I am also packing up my clothes for the move.  I've pulled our 2 suitcases we bought before our honeymoon and am trying to see what will fit in them.  I've made a list of things we will want for a few weeks at home.  And some things will get packed just because if God forbid something happened to our shipment there are some things I would mourn if they were lost.  I know they're just things, but some of them are family things, like my antique old OLD mother of pearl and brass opera glasses.  I would die if things like that went missing.

So far I have found that the list works wonders.  It lets me see what I really need to pack, what is useless to pack, and helps me remember some things I would have otherwise forgotten.  Once the suitcases are packed, then the rest of the clothes that we are keeping is getting boxed up in totes.  It's the most organized I've been in a long time, and it feels fantastic.  I've also made a strict rule of tossing things out that we really never wear.  And this weekend they are getting dropped off at charities in Bury (since they get more turnover there, and can ask for higher prices, therefore making more money for the charities).  

I won't say it's been easy.  I tend to keep things "just in case."  But I am trying to stay strong and really streamline my closet, and our life.  We're looking at 2 bedroom townhomes in MD right now, so it won't be an itsy bitsy place or anything.  But as mentioned in the last blog, we are planning on starting a family at some point, so we won't always have a spare room.  And really, I like having fewer options for clothes, it makes things simpler.  It's not that I really will have a lot less clothes, but I am trying to think before I buy about what in my closet it can go with.  And how many different ways I can wear something.  I am also insisting things fit me now, instead of buying anything that I need to lose even a pound for.  Yes, I will probably lose that pound, but who needs that pressure?

Feeling Sexy

I am loving my life lately!  I am now officially too small for some of the clothes I wore on my honeymoon.  My shorts I wore today are cute, but they are slung low, because that's the only place they fit!  I've been a wee bit excited about it!  And after weighing myself last night for the first time in about a week and a half I realized that I am really close to weighing the same as I did when I was 13!!!  Okay, yes, I was a bit overweight at 13, but I haven't seen these numbers on the scale in over a decade, so I am get to be thrilled.  

And because of that I am becoming more than a bit obsessed with trying on my clothes and putting new combinations of outfits together.  And shopping.  Yesterday while in Bury we stopped in at Noa Noa, one of my favorite stores that is based in Denmark (it's where I got my purple dress I wore on Easter).  And I found the most amazingly cute linen dress and leather belt.   (please excuse how tired I look in the photo it was nearly 3 in the morning).

However, now that I have this dress I want this bag.  I think it would be great on the plane home this summer.  But with plans to possibly being buying our first home and eventually getting around to having babies, should I be splurging on a purse that I probably don't really need?  (G is being completely supportive and thinks I should get it, but Im the one who has buyer's guilt)  And I also need to figure out what shoes to wear with this dress.  I could do a simple dark brown leather or I could punch it up with a bright green or purple.  Or I could pull on a gladiator (which I desperately want for this summer).  Hmm, any suggestions?

Lately I have been feeling more relaxed about myself.  It helps that everything fits (or is too big, but that's less frustrating than everything being tight), so I  no longer have the days where I cry and refuse to go anywhere like I'm 5.  And I have been feeling sexier.  I've been making more of an effort.  Currently I am trying to curl my hair some days since G likes it and it gives my hair more body.  And I am playing with make-up trying to figure out what really works for me and how to apply it (I'm usually the quick make-up consisting of maybe a cream eyeshadow, some mascara and lipgloss type of girl).  And I have been realizing that when my life is chaotic (and really, when is it not? I try to stay away from that stuff on here) I feel more uneasy, so I have been allowing myself to relax more and not answer the phone if I don't feel like it, or just go on a walk to de-stress.  So far so good.  

What are ways you de-stress?

A Day In The Sun

(This is the version of a nicoise salade I made on Friday night)

I know, I know, it's Monday, the picnic was Saturday and I am just now getting around to writing about it at all.  I'm kind of a bad blogger sometimes.  Eh.  But after the picnic it was one adventure after the other, and I just kind of put it all off.  

The picnic was fantastic.  I put on a cute skirt and off we went with our blanket and picnic basket full of yummy goodness.  I had cut up a few carrots into sticks and half an English cucumber.  I made some roasted chicken breast sandwiches on ciabatta bread with tomato.  And I even put a bowl of strawberries in the basket to munch on.  We had almost a full bottle of red left, so in it went as well.  It was a nice day out, the abbey was very crowded with people lying about, picnic-ing or tossing a frisbee or kicking a football.  We found a spot near where we were the last time we had so much fun at the abbey and spread out.  We ate, we drank, and we read a couple newspapers his parents had sent us from back home.  At one point G got made fun of (I heard it, he didn't......but we both giggled when I told him about it!) by a teenager who was saying, "I don't have a picnic blanket.  I don't have a picnic basket.  I'm frou-frou-y, but I am not that frou-frou-y.  Isn't it romantic?  Doesn't it make you want to vomit?"  Imagine that said in a very whiny British teenage voice.  It was quite funny and since it was only the group on teens around we decided that making out on the picnic blanket was a good punishment for them.  

My friend Nancy (who I went on the cruise with) lives there so we usually park our car at her place and walk to the abbey.  We had told her we were going to be in town, and that we might grab some coffee, so when we went back to the car to drop our things off we knocked to see if she was awake and wanted to grab coffee.  She had gone to market earlier, so we sat around and chatted about things going on.  All of us are leaving this summer, around the same time, so it's a busy time.  

Three hours later we were walking out the door to drive to Cafe Rouge for coffee.  I was a tad bit nervous, because it was now nearly 8, and on a Friday night that can be bad.  Sure enough Cafe Rouge literally had one table open, so we grabbed it (it helps that the people who work there love us, so they try to find room for us).  We grabbed some coffee and a banana and chocolate crepe.  Delicious!  And it was a good boost for the night because everyone we love there stopped to chat and I got a couple comments about how pretty my skirt was.  It's going to be hard when we leave, since I love finding a place where you get to know the people.  It makes it's sad to say goodbye.

After that we went home and decided that we wanted to head out for drinks and maybe try to find some live music or dancing.  We ended up at a pub about 15 minutes away, but when we sat down with our drinks we realized that everyone was more sexily dressed, and the DJ was playing more hip hop/dance music.  We downed the drinks and then headed back to base (told you it was an adventure) where I proceeded to change out of my skirt, shirt and flats into long jeans, a tank top with shrug and some high heels.  I also completely changed my make-up and curled the ends of my hair.  I'm quick, so half an hour later we were back at the pub drinking and dancing the night away.  I had a blast, but it's been a while since me and heels hit the dance floor (and got low, low, low on the dance floor) so my thighs have been sore ever since.  It was worth it though.

(This is us before heading back out, I had drank a pint very quickly, so I must admit I look a little dazed.)

On the way home we stopped of at a roadside stand and got chips and a cheeseburger with grilled onions which while horribly unhealthy was fantastic.  Then we crashed on the couch, calling our families and chit chatting before finally heading to bed to pass out.  

Yesterday we stayed in bed most of the day discussing some things coming up.  And now G just left to go back to work after stopping in for lunch and working out.  Today I need to clean some more, as I continue to get the house ready to move.  I know I said I would post about changes, but that will have to wait until next time, this post is already so long!

Two More

Here are a couple more pics of me as I clean out my closet.  I am hoping it will be finished this week.  The addition of glasses of red wine did make us tend to be goofy and also get sleepy quicker.  Hmm, perhaps we should not drink and clean.  

Two of my more casual looks:

G loves me all dressed up and cute, but he always says he loves me in hoodies.  So while most of mine have been thrown out or donated since my days at university, this one sticks around for cold days in the house.   

Playing With Photography

So as previously mentioned I am cleaning out the closets, and it's turning out to be a bunch of fun.  G is playing photographer to my model and I am coming up with some cute outfits!  And when all is said and done I am going to take my favorites and post them here.   

For now, here's a sneak peek!

Goodness

Our car is fixed and we are heading in a bit to pick it up!  Woohoo!

Due to lack of car G and I have been walking everywhere.  Yesterday total we walked around 5 miles, which while it is only a couple miles more than we usually walk, I definitely felt it worked off anything I ate!  We stopped off at the park here on base to take pics of the ducks.  I love how protective the males are right now.....how cute the little duck couples are.  

(One of the planes we have on display here)

I have been making more of an effort to dress in clothes I love everyday.  Today I threw together this outfit quickly.  Comfy jeans, comfy tank top, and a cardigan over it because today is quite overcast.  A simple beaded headband to make me look like I did something with my hair.  And some red shoes to add a punch of color! (actually as G was taking the pic he commented that he really liked the red shoes with it.....which is nice because he's not the guy to notice those type of things!)

This weekend will be fun, I think.  If the weather is nice I think we will finally have our picnic in Bury.  And we might even bring the lovely Sophie along so she can romp and introduce herself to every child within a five mile radius.  

Lately I have been kinda deep in thought about crap that is going on in our lives, and the lives of those we know.  Lots of planning, lots of plotting.  And of course the occasional admittance that "thou shall not kill" is pissing me off lately, because I could name a bitch or two who really need to make better uses of their lives.  Apparently I need to go to confession.  But as G and I begin the next chapter of our lives it annoying to realize that as much as I would love to shut everyone else's crap out of my life, they're family, and it just isn't easy to have their problems not affect you.   

So I am trying to think positive.  I have a husband who is wonderful and thinks the best days are days spent with me.  I have a family who is extremely tight and we go to battle for one another when needed.  I have great friends who when I come home this summer better be ready to go out and dance the night away.  I have a neighbor who is great for the self-esteem......pretty much every time I see her she comments that I am getting so skinny and my outfits are cute!  And last, but of course not least, I have my health, I have my sanity (thus far) and I have a belief that life is overall pretty damn fantastic.