New Year Resolutions

With the end of January near (I know I can't believe it either), I have only recently began thinking about my New Year resolutions. Usually I don't even take the time to make them, but this past year I made only one & was able to stick to it. I am proud of the outcome of Love 3 Boutique so far & know that this is only the beginning.

This year I have an entire list that I plan on sticking to. Some of them, you may think are stupid little things that don't need to be made into a resolution, but those little things are big things in my life. I feel like putting them in print & letting everyone know about them will help me to keep them.

So here we go:

1.   Save money (The Husband & I really want to buy a house!)

2.  Get on better sleep schedule (Anyone who knows me, knows I am an extreme night owl & it's extremely rare if the Husband & I go to bed at the same time.)

3.  Lose weight (I know, I know...how generic.)

4.  Pay off credit cards (We don't want any debt!)

5.  Post on blog at least 3x per wk (I'm gonna start w/ Mon-Wed-Fri).

6.  Work on Love 3 Boutique product at least 1 to 2x per wk (I am so busy all the time & when the Husband & I see each other I don't want to do anything but spend time w/ him!)

7.  Buy all family/friends Christmas by Oct. (This past year we were finished by the end of Nov. So we're shooting for earlier than that).

8.  Pay off car early (We're scheduled to be done in July!)

9. Decorate & organize cheaply (Always looking for ways to liven this place up!)

10.  Be more tidy (I'm kinda messy but I love organization, so I'm gonna kick it up a notch & start tidying up my messes.)

So here's to keeping to them!

What are some of your resolutions for this year?

A Farewell To CHUCK!

Okay, so I postponed my original post for today because something big is happening tonight....My FAVORITE SHOW is having its SERIES FINALE!!!

Some of you may have never heard of it & some of you may have, but have just never seen an episode. I'm here to tell you that you missed out!

In the summer of 2007, The Husband & I had just moved into our apartment and finally had a DVR that we couldn't wait to use. We kept seeing these promos for a new "dramedy" series, Chuck. It looked funny and we decided to record the pilot episode to see what it was like and ever since then we've been hooked & I've been in love!

The series has had ups and downs (not to mention that its premiere season was during the writer's strike & I was so happy to see it pull out a win unlike so many other shows).  There were so many times I remember reading that it was on the "chopping block". At the end of season 2 they even started a new campaign:
"Chuck stars Zachary Levi and Adam Baldwin Lead 400 Fans to Subway to Save Show. The Finale and Footlong campaign asks fans to BUY A $5 FOOTLONG from Subway on April 27th, the season finale of Chuck."
This show's fans have always been there to back it up!

I don't allow The Husband to delete ANY episodes until I have that season on DVD, and Yes! I do watch the DVDs as well.  I love the actual character, Chuck, which Zachary Levi plays so well.  I think a lot of it is that he's just such a goofy, nerdy, fun, loving guy and that really reminds me of my husband!    I've laughed a gazillion times & cried a few as well. I know I'm gonna ball tonight when I watch the final episodes!  So, here's a promo for tonight and one day soon when you're sitting at home trying to think of something to watch, start season one of Chuck because it's absolutely amazing and you won't regret it!  I wish everyone from the show nothing short of GREATNESS in the future & can't wait to see what journey they take next!

 ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!

Evolution"HAIR"y: How my hair has changed over the course of our relationship!

This year, the HUSBAND and I will be celebrating our 10th year together!  I understand that we haven't actually been married for 10 years, but to me it's still kinda a big deal!  I'm going to be doing several posts pertaining to the "Evolution" of our relationship (ex:  tips on how to have a strong relationship {at least some things that have helped us}.)  Some posts will be just goofy ones with photos of how we've changed (fashion, hair {see below}, our design style, etc) and some may be over things that have happened in the world over the last decade.  I am excited to be doing these posts and I hope that you're excited to view them!


Today, I tackle the subject of something that has changed A LOT over the past decade....My HAIR!  Anyone who knows me, knows I get bored with it all the time.  Now that I'm trying to grow it out super long, it's harder and harder to find ways to change it up.  I like my hair blonde so this also limits me.  So, I'm gonna take you back to late 2002 when we had only been dating a short while.

2002:
 We were SO young!  Seniors in High school, goofing off during Once Upon A Mattress rehearsal.

May 2003:
A week before our high school graduation at our Baccalaureate.  (He was never a fan of the "crunchy" look, as he so sweetly put it.)

December 2003:
Our first Christmas photo taken as a couple.

June 2004:
All dressed up for his sister's wedding.

June 2005:
I think we might be even more sweet on each other now! ;)

February 2006:
Celebrating at a friend's wedding!


Okay...so I've been trying to grow my hair out since the last time I really chopped it off, which was May 2006:

It all started with me wanting to have long NATURAL hair for my wedding day....which at the time was no where in site (just because we weren't engaged yet.)  Since then, it's turned into some kind of obsession with trying to get it as long as possible.  I feel like it is stuck....protesting that it doesn't want to be any longer. 

May 2007: 

Trey kinda hates it when I put too much dark in my hair.  The man doesn't care if I cut it off just as long as it's blonde.

April 2008:
At, yet another wedding but this time for a family member.

January 2009:
The ONLY time that I have ever had full dark(er) hair.  I loved it at first but then discovered that it was just too much to keep up with.  Plus, the Husband really hated it.  It was however the first time in my life that my eyebrows matched my hair color.

June 2009:
Our engagement photos.  I had a wild "hair" and decided to add some pink and purple to the mix.  

November 2009:
As you can see, late in the year I went the total opposite and went way blonde, which would stay til after our wedding.

April 2011:
I decided to try some bangs....man, they just got on my nerves!

Which brings us to now, January 2012! 

My goal is for it to be as long as SJP's in the last photo!  I hope you guys have a great rest of your week!

        

HAPPY HUMP DAY!

Peace, Happiness & Love 3 Boutique!!!

Guest Blogger: Jenna from VitalityYogaNow.Com

Yoga and Creativity

First off I have to say that I am so excited for Heather Brown and Love 3 Boutique
for asking me to be a guest blogger. I have known Heather for many years (she had
a pixie cut and I was a brunette!) and she has to be the most creative genius that I
know. So Heather, thank you and I love you!

As for me, I teach yoga. One of the most common questions I hear is “what can
yoga do for me?”. If you gave me all day, I still couldn’t cover the benefits that yoga
would bring to your life. Most people correctly assume that yoga will help you gain
flexibility, which is very true. But yoga goes so far past that. Not only will you gain
flexibility, but you will also improve your balance and gain strength. Yes you read
me right! Yoga can make you stronger.

Yoga also strengthens your immune system, lowers blood pressure, increases
lung capacity, eases anxiety, fights depression, helps you lose weight, increases
concentration, the list goes on and on….

For this article, I’m going to focus on another benefit: Tapping into Your Creativity.
If you take away one thing, take this: Tension in your body = Tension in your Mind.
It’s a vicious cycle. When you become upset, stressed, worried, etc about something,
your breathing becomes shallow and your muscles in turn tense up. With less
oxygen intake and tight muscles, your body cannot circulate energy freely. This
creates tension in your mind, which causes more “runaway” thoughts and feeling of
distress and anxiety. To unlock the door that’s separating you from those amazing
ideas that are inside of you, you must be relaxed in body and spirit.

Yoga or any intelligent body movement strengthens your mind-body connection,
showing you where you are tight in your body and helping you to release that
tension which in turns helps you relax and slow your mind down. Now your mind
can open up and the creative thoughts can flow freely.

So take a few moments to move your body, sit down and focus on your breath. Feel
the peace and love fill your body, and open your heart and mind to that creative
genius inside…

Love and Laughter
Jenna
VitalityYogaNow.Com

Quirky Thursday

10 of my FAVORITE things!

Starting off a new year, I'm always into trying new things

and I hope that most of you are too!  So here are ten of my favorite things that if

you've never tried out...you should.

1.  LipFusion Lip Gloss- It's not only pretty but it's supposed to have "lip plumping" abilities.  Honestly, I just love the cool, tingly way my lips feel when I use it. ;)

2.  Philosophy Body Wash-  Ummm...you come out of the shower smelling like a delicious dessert (And let's be honest ladies...most men secretly want that...ha ha)

3.  Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm-  I'm what some might call a "chapstick-a-holic".  I don't go anywhere without my chapstick and go absolutely BONKERS if I accidently leave it at home.  Plus, it gives your lips that cooling sensation and I love that.

4.  Coochy Shave Cream-  Yes, I understand that some might think that the name is "crude" or "inappropriate" and to them I say, "Grow up...we're big girls now".  This stuff is AWESOME and leaves you without any razor burn anywhere.  Even your man can use it for his face, I promise that even he will love it.  Not to mention that it can also be used as a hair conditioner.  

5.  Scarves-  It's winter time and I just can't get enough of these beautiful things (just ask my husband). I wish I could have fit them all into one photo.  I wear these bad boys all year long, depending on the weight of the scarf, of course.  They're a great way to dress up something as simple as a t-shirt & jeans (which is my favorite kind of attire).  

6.  Tootsie Rolls-  If I haven't told you the tootsie roll story(s) yet...it's because I'm saving it for Valentine's Day.  

7.  Starbucks-  I'm addicted...I totally love my Gold Card and don't even wanna know how much I spend there a year.

8.  Aprons-  I wear an apron for just about everything, because if you're artistic and anything like me, you probably make a bit of a mess when you work (drives the husband nutts!)

9.  MUSIC-  I could never imagine a world without music!  It makes my heart and soul smile.  It's my escape when I need to get away and the thing that makes me happiest in life, second to my husband, of course.  Sometimes a single note can give me a chill.  Music is a connection that I never want to lose, whether it's singing along to an overplayed song on the radio or just belting out my favorite musical, music just always feels like home.

10. Hair Accessories-  If it's not obvious enough...I love them!  I feel like they're a way of getting that inner child out and a really fun way to just express yourself!  

I hope that you have a WONDERFUL Thursday and maybe try something new today.

What are some of your favorite things?