life skill: goal posters and vision boards

(photo credit: @TheChampagneDiet on Instagram)

As we approach the end of 2015 and head into a new year, I just wanted to share a quick life skill that I think could make your new-year-transition the best yet!  Making new years resolutions is great and all but how many people actually follow through?  Do you think it's because people are lazy?  Or just get too busy?  Do you think people set unrealistic expectations for themselves?  

I personally think it's none of the above, but rather, a lack of a clear vision on how those goals or changes are going to be accomplished.  The world has plenty of room for spontaneity, however, in my opinion, truly successful and happy people are those that don't mind spending some time planning.

So today I'm talking about vision boards or goal posters... whatever you'd like to call them.  I am most definitely a visual person and I was first taught this skill in my Mary Kay training (God bless Mary Kay!! for real y'all).  Having visual reminders as to what you really want to accomplish is a huge step in actually accomplishing those goals.  Have you ever made a vision board?  The further into Mary Kay I've gotten, the more I've realized that this is a skill that so many people I look up to have honed. 

Holiday Gift Guide for the Entrepreneur / Office Supply Obsessed

You may have seen on Instagram the other day that I found the perfect planner to go with my tumbler.  I decided to purchase this Sugar Paper Polka Dot Planner at Target the other day and I love it because it's like a more affordable version (1/3 the cost!) of the Kate Spade planner.  The Kate Spade planner is smaller and includes 17 months, but I prefer having a larger planner because I have a ton of things to write down!

As the holidays approach, so does the end of 2015! (Wha?!) If you're shopping for an entrepreneur, or somebody slightly obsessed with office supplies (psstt, that's everyone shopping for me!), I've got a great gift guide for you!  Gold is still a very popular accent in homes and offices, so you really can't go wrong with anything below!  I'm in love with this white and silver globe (also comes in other colors)!  You can click the thumbnails below to shop the items!  Hope you're having a great weekend!

What's your favorite item?  I also love the "Girl Boss" sign!  If you're a blogger, it's a must have! 

Shop these items:

go-to faves

I feel like I've been on-the-go for weeks straight!  I know everyone's schedule gets hectic this time of year, but I feel like I've been bouncing around all over the place.  With Thanksgiving, my brother's birthday, family time, my Mary Kay business and my married life, I've had a lot on my plate.  Today I'm taking a quick moment to show you two go-to items lately.

This red sweater has seen multiple occasions recently.  I've worn it to church, Thanksgiving dinner, and a holiday open house in the past week and a half! The sweater is Cynthia Rowley and was a gift to me awhile ago so I don't know where it was purchased.  I did find a few new ones on ebay if you're interested!  You can find a size medium HERE and HERE (sorry I'm not seeing another size; I'm wearing a size XS if that helps).  I love that it is lightweight (Merino Wool) but also long enough to wear over leggings or skinny jeans.  This would make a perfect sweater for the holidays!  It has a slight orange undertone so I feel like it works on more people's skin than some other reds.  Here's another similar option in cashmere and it's on sale!

My other favorite item lately is my new tumbler.  It's really easy to get dehydrated in the winter months, simply because I gravitate more towards hot beverages like coffee.  But when I carry a tumbler around with me all day, I'm much more likely to keep up on my water intake.  It's important to be drinking tons of water, even in the cold.  This Kate Spade Gold Polka Dot Tumbler  is super cute and affordable!  It makes a fantastic gift!

I'm really feeling the Christmas cheer!!  How are y'all doing now that it's December?  Next up for me is our tree and decorations!  I've been gone too much lately to get it done yet but my home is aching for some Christmas!

chunky cableknit sweater

I love birthdays and I love when people give me clothes!  My amazing mother-in-law picked out some beautiful things for me so today's outfit is a mix of old and new.  Temperatures have dropped in Texas and I'm already cold (shocker!  I'm either hot or cold!)  This chunky sweater is definitely helping though!  And I'm already finding these denim leggings to be super versatile!  I've had this hat for a few good years now and if you've followed me for awhile, you've definitely seen these flats.  I've linked the new items below :-)

faux fur vest + boot skirt

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite outfits lately!  (All items linked below, keep reading!)

happy birthday marines!

First of all, let me say, that being married to a Marine is probably the most wonderful thing that could have ever happened to me.  Chris and I knew each other in high school, even though we never dated back then.  Knowing him back then and knowing him now, I can tell you that there are many similarities like his sense of humor and being so outgoing and friendly... but now it's like a better version of the goofy high school prankster that I flirted with.

circle seven five: friends-giving picnic + fall layers

It's finally feeling like fall in Texas!!  Weather where we can actually layer and you're still chilly in the shade... and you seek out sunny spots to warm up for a few minutes... omg it's the best!  The rain we've had lately has been rather nasty, especially the tornado that was spun out last Thursday.  But by the weekend (after some more Saturday morning rain) we finally hit a nice point. 

I was a little worried since I got up early on Saturday to start my crock pot and I was watching it pouring rain outside.  But by the time I needed to head to Dallas for our Circle Seven Five Friends-giving Picnic, the sun was popping out!  The ladies of CSF did an amazing job selecting a beautiful park for us and even though the ground was still a little too wet for any of us to want to spread out on blankets, there were enough picnic tables for us to set up our friendly feast.

Omni Hotel Fort Worth: Destination Chile

I recently had a fabulous opportunity to attend a wine and food tasting at the gorgeous Omni Hotel Fort Worth and today I'm sharing my photographs!  I took my friend Amber and we had a blast!  I can't even tell you how many wines we tasted (oops) but everything was delicious.  Not only did they have an Empanada bar set up with multiple choices, they also passed around food while we enjoyed the roaring fire inside the Cast Iron Restaurant.  Foods ranged from a delicious starter soup to mini desserts.  Everyone at the Omni was extremely friendly and it was a great experience!

plaid twins: life lately

So the other day I sat down and wrote a really long, personal post... and then I never posted it!  I'm not sure exactly why, except that I felt I just wrote too much and it'd probably be boring to a lot of people.  But now that it's a few days later, I'm realizing that it was more of a release than a "share with the world" kind of thing.

My husband calls me a writer.  Usually, I don't really feel that's accurate.  Sharing outfit details and food pictures doesn't so much make me feel like a professional writer.  But for the first time (besides my childhood diary), I actually sat and wrote the other day, just for me.  I thought I'd share it but now I know that I won't.  Because it just made me feel better.  And it wasn't a bunch of bitching or anything, just a lot about changes and my career choices based on my personality, and things that I've been struggling with.  

state fair 2015

"Howdy Folks!"  Welcome to my Texas State Fair post!  I had a BLAST yesterday at the fair with my husband and good friend Amber!  She suggested going this week on her day off, and truthfully I didn't think it was going to happen.  It has been an insane week for me and Chris... lots of changes happening and so much to get done (more on that soon)... so I really didn't think we'd be able to find the time or the funds to make the trek to Dallas.  BUT, we decided to do whatever we could to get things done in the last few days so we could squeeze it in.

LC Lauren Conrad Runway

Things have been hectic lately... I'm sorry it's been a bit since I posted!  The past few days I've been in Austin.  I've been moving boxes, furniture and sweating like crazy.  THAT does not make for interesting days or cute outfits... obviously.  And frankly, not much social media time either, as you may have noticed.  But I'm finally back to a routine and sharing a favorite top that I bought about a week and a half ago and have already worn multiple times.

Great Texas Food Truck Rally

I say it a lot... I like to eat!  So when my friend Kristina mentioned a LivingSocial deal for the Great Texas Food Truck Rally, we immediately bought tickets.  So Chris and I headed to Dallas on Saturday to meet up with Kristina and her husband and do some food truck grubbin'!

Bands on the Bricks

One of the best things about living in downtown Fort Worth is Sundance Square and the many things they offer there.  Not only is a great space to just take an evening stroll, shop, eat or simply sit and enjoy, they hold numerous free events year round.  This month, Wednesday evenings are full of free music thanks to the Bands on the Bricks event.  If you haven't already checked this out, mark your calendars for next Wednesday 5:30-7:00pm.

fall favorites

I'm dreaming of cold crisp air and layers!  Chris mentioned going to a high school football game the other day (we met in high school) and all I can think about is the weather getting cooler, bundling up in layers and snuggling on the bleachers of the school where our days of flirting began... with some hot chocolate of course ;-P

I'm sharing some fabulous favorites today as I browse capes, ponchos and vests!  Links below!

denim head to toe: white bell bottoms and sleeveless top

Have I mentioned lately that I'm loving the '70s vibes this fall?

I wore this outfit last Saturday to a couple of really fun events.  First, Chris and I headed to the local Fort Worth brewery, Martin House.  We were excited about this event, A. to celebrate a friend's birthday and B. because we drink Martin House brews but had yet to visit the brewery.  We were pleasantly surprised when we looked up the location and realized it right outside of downtown Fort Worth... like seriously, we could walk there if we really wanted to! (that may or may not be a good thing!!)

Kate Somerville ExfoliKate review

Hope y'all had a great long weekend!  Can you believe summer is "officially" over?!  I can't!  Where has this year gone?  I had a pretty relaxing few days... mostly full of Simpsons watching with my husband, eating (what else is new) and mimosas galore... totally acceptable on a holiday weekend! ;-)  One more thing I did to relax was finally try a skincare sample that I received in my goody bag at the TCU Alumni Frog Chic fashion show!

Honestly, I don't usually use skincare samples I receive.  I know that may sound weird, but I'm in love with Mary Kay and have been for 7 years now (there's a reason I'm a beauty consultant... I love a good discount and I love sharing Mary Kay with others).  Since I tried Mary Kay, I haven't used anything else.  And for good reason... I haven't needed to try anything else... I still don't need to but I figure, surely some people out there think I only talk Mary Kay because I sell it.  Well, that's not at all true.  I talk about it constantly because I love it, it works, and you pay drug store prices for department store quality.  That's the truth.  So I still won't be spending my money on other brands, BUT that doesn't mean I can't experiment once in awhile when I'm handed samples of products.  So I tried my first skin treatment the other day and I'll use this post to let you know what I think! (P.S. be kind haha... it takes guts putting total no-makeup pictures of yourself on here!)

Sample: Kate Somerville ExoliKate Intense Exfoliating Treatment

The social house fort worth

If you're looking to get social this weekend, you may want to try The Social House in West 7th!  (If you're in Dallas, there are also locations in Uptown and Addison).  Chris and I went here for the first time a few days ago and we were really impressed with the happy hour.  Of course, any place that has 100 different beers on tap is right up our alley! ...even though I did drink wine :-P 

150 years of Fort Worth

You may have seen parts of this exhibit on my snapchat (username: TX.Sass) on Monday.  Chris and I had the afternoon together and we were looking for a little something to do that was free, air conditioned and wouldn't take our entire day, since we also wanted some relaxing time.  This 150 Years of Fort Worth history exhibit was just the thing!

We passed the downtown exhibit on our walk last week and I made a mental note.  On Monday we had lunch at the Paris Coffee Shop and then it hit me in the car on the way home... perfect afternoon activity!  We visited the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History a little while ago and really enjoyed it, so we knew that this satellite exhibit would be great too!  And best of all, it's located downtown and it's FREE!  So we drove home, said hi to our animals for a few minutes, then walked to the nearest Molly the Trolley stop.  If you still haven't given Molly a try, it's a must in downtown!  Although downtown is very walkable, this heat is ridiculous sometimes!  No one wants to arrive at their destination covered in sweat.  Molly the Trolley is free and the AC is always blasting!  It is such a cute way to get around town.

gaucho pants + sparkle

Gaucho pants are back, and if you're looking to be a little more daring with your silhouette, now's the time.  As we've seen lately (especially in my Frog Chic Fashion Show post), the 70s are back.  And that doesn't just mean bell bottoms... It also means interesting wide leg pants in all sorts of shapes.  You may have worn a pair (or two, or three) of stretchy gauchos a few years back... probably with some sort of platform flip flop (guilty!).  You may have even been wearing some this past spring/summer.  This laid back, easy breezy pant was perfect for the hotter months.  But as we transition into fall, what I'm loving right now, and seeing a lot more of, is a more structured look.  The fabrics are sophisticated and it's more about the silhouette than the flow.

the beauty of Fort Worth

When I have a stressful day or week (like I have this week), one of my favorite things to do is take a long walk.  I'm constantly discovering new places and beautiful scenery in Fort Worth.  There are places right under my nose that I am still finding for the first time.  Yesterday was a gorgeous evening and Chris and I enjoyed a 3 1/2 mile hike around downtown and along the Trinity River.  Here's a few of pictures!

TCU frog chic: fall trends 2015

Last night I attended one of my favorite events of the year: the TCU Alumni Frog Chic Trend Event.  Hosted by Neiman Marcus Fort Worth, this event is always fabulous!  TCU alumni enjoy sips, bites and a fall fashion show highlighting the trends of the season.  I have to say, I'm obsessed with everything we're seeing for fall. UHHHbsessed (just for emphasis!)  From 70s vibes, to winter whites and multiple layers, I loved every single look.  And of course, being a TCU event, they always throw in an abundance of purples to get you in the mood for football season (go Frogs!)

Here's a handful of my photographs from the event, including every runway look.  And as if this wasn't enough pictures, I'll be putting every single photo on my facebook page later today, so you can see shots of each outfit from every angle.  As you scroll below, I'll point out a bunch of fall trends.

london calling: thakoon for designation

"American designer Thakoon Panichgul puts a British spin on his signature feminine-tomboy style. Classic menswear shirting; mash-ups of English rose prints, checks and plaids; and three-dimensional knits are made to be mixed and layered." - Kohl's

I've been previewing the Thakoon for DesigNation collection and I'm obsessed with so much of it!  We're still sweating here in Texas, but I know some people are lucky enough to be getting close to wearing fall fashion.  So here's another Designer Collaboration to add to your wish list!  

I'm loving the deep blues, maroons and the various checks and plaids, mixed with florals!  Everything is so chic.  The High Street Kensington Floral Fit & Flare Dress and Ribbed Mockneck Capelet is probably my favorite look.  

This collection is launching September 10 and you can preview everything HERE.