Can you stand it!?

Me: "Babe, did the photo come out ok?"
The Fiance: "Perfect. We look just like a little family."


My nephew Noah shortly after his Christening

A few quick things that are HUGE things

1. Have successfully completed one week of engagement. It's been amazing. No snark.

2. Met my future in-laws on Tuesday. They're wonderful.

3. My future in-laws met my parents and the rest of the family. It went very well and I only had to sneak one glass of wine in the kitchen when no one was looking.

4. My fiance is moving in 3 weeks!! Time to clean the closets.

5. I'm exhausted.

Want to be my stylist?

It's time to put that lovely Anthro gift card the boyfriend gave me for Christmas to work. After a few months of feeling pretty blah about all their stuff, I think we finally have a few viable candidates for Jeb's wedding this summer. I went on the website today and saw so many I loved. Think summer, think Maine, think seaside. Here we go...

I like this one because it's a little different from the ordinary. It's a lot of color without being a floral. Did I mention it has pockets? Swooning. The downside is that there's a high possibility of it being too short and not having any room for the ladies. That mannequin is wicked flat-chested.

Very Stepford Wives no? My mom would love this one and tell me it looks very classic and that I'll have it for years. Again, pockets. The model in one of the photos was pale and blond and the dress really worked. Reality check: I am not a model. Will I roast in the sun if I wear black? Hmmmm...

This one probably requires tricky undergarments. I keep picturing it with a really cute belt and a HUGE straw hat. It looks so comfy too.

I liked this one a lot when I first pulled the photo but the more I look at it I just keep seeing that scene from Empire Records when Renee Zellweger when she comes out of the stockroom in an orange apron and nothing else. I'd probably look like a linebacker with all those ruffles anyway.

I like this one a lot and it's a departure from all the black and navy that's been cropping up in my wardrobe. A little too safe?

Right after I make a crack about having too much navy I come up with this one. It just feels fresh but still a little retro.

Last but not least, I obviously wouldn't wear white to someone elses's wedding but if I had an unlimited budget I'd buy this one in addition to a dress for the wedding and start working on my tan.

Keep your fingers crossed that they have all of these in the store so I can try them on!

What Snowicane?

Nobody told this girl that we were in the middle of Snowmageddon as I skipped down the street Friday in my new spring trench and green hunters enjoying the 40 degree weather. I made myself even more of a cliche after stopping at Trader Joe's and picking up a fistful of perky yellow daffodils to carry home. By the time I got home, I was so thrilled with myself that I broke out the old digital camera and played artistic director.

Admittedly, I was slightly influenced my the daffodil post on Design*Sponge the week. Seriously. How could you not be ready for Spring with some of these suckers around?

TJ's didn't have quite the same selection as a New York farmer's market so I went for the monochromatic look and snapped a few pictures in the last bits of daylight. The one downside to this apartment is the lack of natural light. I'm blocked in on 3 sides and on the first floor so I keep the shades down most of the time. I'll have to explore some rental-friendly, privacy-keeping, light-maximizing solutions if I'm going to keep the Springy Sentiments alive.

One other thing that kept the endorphins running high was the little surprise from the UPS man that was waiting on the back deck for me. Makeover photos to follow...

Is it really almost March?

So barely a post in February. Way to go.

Needless to say, there has been a lot happening and I've barely noticed the month going by. My latest attempt to pretend that I belong in the world of high finance is to take the Series 7 exam. Obviously, if I tell people at work I'm going to take it, I better pass it in order to avoid ridicule and possible termination. So woo hoo!

I bit the bullet last week and signed up for the 4 day intensive study class in mid March and I'll take the exam the following Friday. Did I mention that in between that Jessie will be visiting to celebrate my first ever St. Patrick's Day in Southie? Great planning. So I'll have my best friend in town surrounded by more drunks per capita than anywhere else on the planet but I'll need to take it easy so I don't fry all my brain cells before the test. Why do this you ask?

This was the only class I could take before the boyfriend's parents come over from Ireland in April to meet me. The last thing I wanted to worry about while they're here are stock options and settlement periods for various treasury instruments. I'll have enough on my plate trying to prove my worth as a potential life partner for their son. Again, woo hoo!

On the brighter side, I recently proved that I have the ability to roast a chicken and cook all the traditional accoutrements so at least I have a semi-impressive menu to wow them with.

I promise to come back in March with a sunnier attitude and posts that contain some visual interest. I think the fact that I'm reporting for jury duty tomorrow is bringing me down a bit. Keep your fingers crossed that the courthouse has WiFi so at least I can get through a couple practice tests.

What's the five year plan?

I've been obsessed lately with the idea of finding a run-down foreclosure and fixing it up bit by bit until it's almost completely unrecognizable. I think I've been spurred on by the fact that the boyfriend spends everyday doing this as a carpenter and has expressed a desire to do the same thing with our own house. There's a lot less anxiety on my part knowing that I won't have to handle the measuring, math, leveling part of it.

Of course, I'm certainly not the first person to do this, and not the first to blog about it. I found this awesome website the other day when I should have been focusing on Roth IRA conversions and year-end reporting. Oh well. Check out this website: http://www.brooklynlimestone.com/

Click here for a link to one of their before and after posts

What are today's happy pretty things?

Emersonmade! I'm gushing over these gorgeous flowers. These are the types of things that I'd wear if I didn't know that all of my friends would laugh at me. Maybe I can get away with it now that Jessie lives in Denver...

All of these photos came from www.emersonmade.com

Love the scale! Love the colors! Love the styling in all of these photos. Can I be her please?

If anyone buys one of these clutches without getting me one I'll be a little upset.