Sunday Storytime: Promises to Keep

This week I read Jane Green's Promises to Keep. An emotional story about the important connections in one's life, this book really reminds you to take advantage of the days that you have with loved ones and not to take anyone or anything for granted.

Sisters Callie and Steffi are polar opposites. Callie is very happily married with two beautiful children. Every day is a joy and is celebrated, especially after having conquered breast cancer. Steffi is a free spirt who wanders through life from one chef job and one rockstar boyfriend to the next. When an opportunity arises to leave New York and dog-watch out in the country - and get free rent at an adorable little cottage - Steffi jumps on the opportunity. She's ready to find herself and not be defined by her rocker boyfriend or by her job.

Callie has just been cancer free for the past five years, but then she's diagnosed with an incurable disease. This earth shattering news brings her entire family together, even Callie and Steffi's divorced parents. Through putting up a strong fight along wide of Callie, the family grows closer. The importance of love and relationships becomes much more apparent and more important to everyone involved.

While it was a sad and tear-filled book, it was also very inspiring and eye-opening. Pretty sure I called my mom right after I finished the book to tell her how much I love her. :) 

I give this book

It's true.

It's true. And I love you all. Hearts.

Audios lil' Muffin (and Cara)

My friend Cara and her dog Bella, aka lil' Muffin, are moving back home to Arkansas and last night was her going away party. She's so excited to move back to family and she's got an amazing job. We're all sad to see her go, but so happy for her! Congrats missy!

I realized that I never took a picture of my entire outfit, so this is as good as you're getting this time.

Top: Gap - Black Jeans: Old Navy - Boots: F21

Have a great weekend everyone!

Extreme Couponing

Have you guys seen this show yet? I'm a little bit obsessed and secretly want to be included in this club. I must admit that I don't understand how they do it though. Where do they get all of those coupons from?! I'm addicted to the show and trying to figure out how I can do something similar to what they're doing. I'll be honest though, I don't need a 15 year supply of spagetti sauce. Maybe just a 5 year supply....

Dress + Tank: Target - Jacket: H&M - Sandals: Dollhouse

I really love my...

Jean + Army Jackets: Old Navy - Shirt, Leggings, Boots + Purse: Target

...Target purse. If you guys haven't noticed I really love my cross-body Target purse. Honestly, changing purses is one of my least favorite things so I try to never, ever do it. I mean, what a pain in the butt to have to move all of my junk from one purse to the other every darn morning? No thank you. The great thing about this Target purse is that it really does work with most of my outfits, so obviously I love it.

See, look at how many times I've worn this thing.

I did not wear this today

Today it's raining. Again. So I don't really plan on getting my umbrella and going out there for pictures today. These pictures are actually from Sunday when hubby and I were out running errands and made a lunch stop at the Denver Diner - which I love.

Shirt: H&M - Dress: F21 - Tights: Gap - Boots + Belt: Target

Sand Dunes National Park

Hubby and I had an amazing weekend. We're really trying to take advantage of the great things to do in Colorado, especially with the very real possibility of moving. This weekend we made the long trek to the Sand Dunes National Park. It's quite the sight to see. I mean, it's not natural to have a desert in the middle of the mountains. But yet, there it is!

If you can't tell, the girls were really excited to go crazy in this giant playground.

We parked the jeep, put on some hiking shoes and started the long and very grueling hike up to the highest peak of the sand dunes, called Star Dune. This is the tallest sand dune in Amercia. I really wasn't expecting the hike to be that difficult. I mean, they didn't seem that high and hubby and I hike mountains all the time. But wow. I about died. It took us a little over an hour to hike to the highest peak and boy was I tired. It was worth it though.

After hiking, we were exhausted. We had some more fun with the camera and then took a little nap.

Shirt: Urband Outfitters - Headband, Pants + Boots: F21

Sunday Storytime: Never Let You Go

This week I read Never Let You Go by Erin Healy. After finishing a book, I like to research the author and what the intention or inspiration of the book was. And during this post-reading dig, I was surprised to find that this is a religous book and a religous author. Now, I'm sure that the author made this was very obvious throughout the entire book (it makes sense now looking back), but anything religous goes right over my head. But this really explains the turn of events in the last couple of chapters of the book.

The story starts with Lexi, a mom of a beautiful nine-year-old daughter named Molly. Lexi works two jobs, struggling to make ends meet and would do anything to keep Molly happy and safe - especially after the unbelievable past that Lexi has experienced. Seven years ago, Lexi was deserted by her coked-out husband shortly after her sister was murdered (by Lexi's secret lover) in the middle of a shopping mall. And this intricate and entangled past all comes rushing back to her. All of the people in her past suddenly show up -  in the same week.

Lexi's husband, Grant is working on getting his life back in check. After being caught as a drug dealer, he spent his time in jail and is now working at a new job. He's clean and is trying to reconnect with his wife and become a part of his daughters life. But Lexi doesn't want anything to do with him. He was the one that abandonded them. He deserted them for seven years and doesn't deserve to be forgiven or to be brought into Molly's life.

Grant's drug lord, Ward, comes back into the picture and does his best to bully and scare Lexi into speaking at the trial of Norm, her secret lover from seven years ago. Threatening to do harm to Molly, sneaking into their apartment and planting drugs, Lexi had to seriously consider Ward's threats eventhough she could never forgive Norm for the murder of her sister.

Then things started to get strange. Ward sneaks in and out of Lexi's locked-up house unnoticed. He does things that no one else could - make lights go out, hide in the shadows for no one to see him. Everything that was happening to Lexi was so coincidental and she feels like she is losing her mind. Starting to lose control of her and Molly's life. She couldn't lose Molly.

Just when things were at it's worst and Lexi was starting to lose all hope, a man named Angelo appears and befriends Lexi and helps her through her rough times. He always seemed to be there whenever she needed him - both emotionally or in a time of danger. She could always count on him give her advice, even if she didn't always understand it. But Ward is still after Molly and Grant won't leave them alone. She's being attacked by strange people and is still trying to remain sane enough to work and pay for her and Molly's survival.

How is Lexi going to keep her daughter safe, when she's losing her grip on real life? Will she forgive her husband for leaving? Will she come clean about her own past - and how she had a hand in her sisters murder? And how are these strange coincidences happening? Or are they even coincidences?

Eventhough I was a lost cause on the religous undertones of this book until the final pages it was still an amazing read. The lines of reality were bent in the way that I had to continue reading to understand what was happening! Every day I was excited to read more to see if I could figure out what was really going on in Lexi's crazy, messed up world. It became a game to uncover more information to help shed light on the real story. A great read, reigious or not. I give it 4 stars.



Happy reading!

Built for a man, made for a woman

Shirt: Victorias Secret - Vest: The Limited - Tie: Husbands -
 Jeans: Gap - Shoes: Steve Madden

Haaaappppy Friday! Today was another Bloggers Do It Better challenge and as I'm sure you can tell, I love challenges. Gives me inspiration on new things to wear.  Today's challenge was Prep School. The one and only rule was you had to wear a tie. At first I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make this look work, but I love it! I may just have to steal this tie from the hubby full-time. Be sure to check out everyone else's entries in the challenge. There are some really good ones!

My camera decided to try something new, without telling me. Not really sure why these photos turned out this way, but I kinda like them! Way to go camera!

I do my best thinking at night

Sweater: H&M - Sweatshirt, Jacket, Skirt + Belt: Target - Boots: F21

I always do my best thinking at night as I'm laying in bed trying desperately to fall asleep. Why is this when I always come up with my best ideas? I know that I was being brilliant last night, but of course my mind is completely blank when trying to remember how amazingly smart I was. Someone should really invent something that records your thoughts while you're falling asleep - and maybe sleeping too! I would be interested to see what my dreams are. I know I had some pretty crazy ones last night. I had to remind myself when I woke up that, no, my good friends sister did not die in a fire...

Darn you blogger!

Shirt: F21 - Pants: Gap - Shoes: DC - Belt + Purse: Target

Right before blogger had it's little hiccups for two days I had added a "Link Love" section to my blog. I had about 20-25 blogs that I'm really loving right now linked up through my site - and now thjey're all gone!! All up and disappeared. I've been waiting to see if it would reappear like some of our posts did, but no. Nothing so far. SO looks like I will be re-doing it. I feel like I'm in college and typed out an amazing paper and then the computer crashes and I forgot to save.