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.