TLL Feature: Check them out!

We love, love LOVED all your striped looks for the November edition of The Lovely Lookbook! Y'all always make it so hard for us to choose a few to feature. Keep up the great work! :)

Today, be sure to check out:

• Fashionably Employed's post behind this look. She showed 8 super cute ways to wear a striped skirt;
• And Tabler Party of Two's adorable pattern mix. Stripes + dots? We think we're in love. Add some tights, boots, and a scarf to make this look work during the colder months.

Thanks to every single one of you ladies for sharing your look with us! Grab a friend and share your winter go-to looks (and gain some outfit inspo!) tomorrow through December 14th. Happy weekend!

Love, Sarah & Caitlin :)  

WIWW: Winter Staples + Link Up

Instead of getting out of my comfy clothes to take decent pictures, I decided I would just remind all of you about the perfect winter necessities that you need this holiday season.

Everyone has been raving about these turtle necks (top and bottom left). Seriously, they are the softest, stretchiest, best top you can buy this season. I have three: the grey one, burgundy one, and the striped one. They are on repeat so much Chris has even noticed. If you own one, you know what I'm talking about.

The vest: the underrated article of clothing that I didn't think was a good investment until I bought two in one day and have worn them too many times since then. This quilted one (pictured bottom left) is so cozy. That's the only way I can describe it. It is soft and fluffy and fleece lined. It is perfect for Texans because our weather doesn't require a jacket, just a vest.

The olive green vest (pictured top left) goes with everything. I love that the hood is removable! It is not as fluffy as the quilted one, but equally as warm. It is one of my favorite pieces I own right now!

 Saturday is 'Small Business Saturday' where everyone is encouraged to shop small businesses. The monogrammed fleece I am wearing in the top right is from Shop Tin Roof Designs. You can find them on Etsy. These fleeces make the perfect gifts! Who doesn't love a comfy sweater?! Get your orders in before December 16th in order to have them here by Christmas! (As I type I am in my fleece...which hasn't come off in five days)

And lastly, but certainly not least, the classic jean jacket. If you don't have one, you need one. This one from Old Navy that I have (bottom right picture) is so easy to move around in and is great if you don't need a heavy coat.

So there you have it; some items that I stand behind as key pieces to your winter wardrobe. Most of my items come from Old Navy. I didn't shop at Old Navy for years, but I have recently discovered how much cute stuff they have for such an affordable price. Plus, they have sales all the time, so you really get a lot for you money.

PS: Don't forget to come back Monday to link up with Caitlin and I for The Lovely Lookbook featuring your go-to winter look!

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Now for the link up!

- All I ask is you link back to my blog and link to a specific post.

- Write about something fashion related!

Thanks for linking up and to see other WIWW posts, click here.

Linking up with Because Shanna Said So, Get Your Pretty On, The Pleated Poppy.

The Perfect Monogrammed Fleece

Sometimes as a blogger you get contacted by companies and you know right away the collaboration will be a home-run. That's how I felt when Bailee from Tin Roof Designs contacted me. 

She is a local DFW girl and her and her mother-in-law started up this awesome Etsy shop last spring. Here is a little bit about TRD written by Bailee:

Tin Roof Designs is a shop that my mother-in-law and I dreamt up and decided to open! We have only been open since the spring of 2014 and operate out of Fort Worth, Texas. We currently offer personalized embroidery items as well as unique screen printed designs. After a few months of being open we decided to invite the other sister-in-laws to join in and we have made this little venture a family fun project. Shop Tin Roof is made up of a handful of ladies bound together by love for the Lord, family, sports, and southern hospitality. 

I mean come on here. Ladies who love The Lord, family, and sports? Hello, that is me to a tee.

I had no idea what Bailee was sending me, but when this 1/2 zip fleece showed up on my doorstep, I was instantly in sweater heaven. Anyone who knows me knows this is my daily look when I'm not at school. I have worn this sweater everyday since I received it. Chris even asked today, "are you going to wash that?" Oops.

This fleece is a medium. It is a tad big, but that's how I like my sweaters. I hate feeling confined and I am able to wear a t-shirt under this without feeling like I'm crammed in my clothes like a little sausage. I usuall wear a small size shirt and a medium in jackets and coats, for size reference...in case you want to order one for Christmas, or for someone else!

Bailee also sent me the cutest monogrammed baseball cap, but the wind was blowing too hard and it kept flying off. Hopefully I'll get around to showing that off soon!!

If you'd like to shop Tin Roof Designs and support Bailee and the ladies in her family, visit her Esty shop 'Shop Tin Roof Designs.' They have the cutest t-shirts and sweaters. Go check them out before the Christmas rush is in full swing.

Here are a few of my favorite things from their shop:

here

here

here

Tin Roof Designs Etsy shop can be found here.

Find TRD on Instagram @shoptinroof and use the hashtag #shoptinroof so they can see where their products are throughout the nation! 

Scary

That is the only word I can find to describe Friday afternoon. 

Friday morning I woke up, got ready for school, and noticed Bailey was acting really strange. She hates going outside in the mornings, especially when it is raining. Unlike normal, she went outside in the drizzle and would not come back in. I text Chris a picture of her with the caption, "she REFUSES to come in." It was so out of the ordinary that it called for a special text message.

I finally got her inside, packed up, and went to school. I noticed she didn't eat her breaskfast, which is unusual as well.

That afternoon when I got home I let her and Wrigley out in the front yard like normal. They ran straight for the bushes to check for the rabbits and I went straight to the mailbox.

All of a sudden I hear yelping, and I look over, and Bailey is laying on the sidewalk shaking, yelping, and going to the restroom all over herself.

I FREAK out. Seriously, freak out. I start screaming her name and continue to freak out. Our neighbors just happen to pull up at the same time and they came running over. I ask if they will watch her while I put Wrigley inside so I can rush her to the vet.

When I come back out Bailey is up, but looks so pitiful. I thank the neighbors and I take her inside to clean her up a bit and call the vet. I also call Chris bawling and he has that panicked, 'ahhhh what do I need to do' voice.

We head to her appointment at 5:15pm and I can tell something is up. She is totally not herself and I am a wreck.

Chris decides to rush home from work, but I decided to leave without him because I didn't want to wait for him to get home. He agreed that it was best to get her there asap.

We get to the vet and her temperature is really low. They check her out and determine that she probably had a seizure, but there was nothing they could do about it at that moment unless I wanted to pay tons of money to have her scanned and get a full evaluation. Call me cheap, but the vet made it clear she wasn't dying, so I opted not to have her all checked out. Before we left he wanted to make sure she ate, since she hadn't eaten all day. She ate the medicated food he gave her, so he sent us on our way.

On the way home she was still pretty out of it. I stopped to pick up a pizza across the street from our neighborhood and left her in the car for literally five minutes. While I was inside Domino's she threw up all over my car. Yes, it was just as gross as you can imagine, but I started freaking out again because I wanted to know what was wrong with her.

I called the vet back and asked if it was normal that she throw up the medicated food and he said no and I should bring her back first thing in the morning.

I got home and was bawling again because I'm her mother and I guess that's what mothers do?! I had Chris take her inside and I cleaned my car. Chris is a wimp when it comes to puke, so I took one for the team.

The rest of Friday night I laid with and cuddled. She slept right by me so I could make sure I would hear her if anything happened.

Saturday morning we woke up and I could tell she was hungry. I fed her a little bit and she scarfed it down. I let her have her normal portion and she ate every last bite.

We called the vet before our appointment and they said if she was eating then we could just monitor her.

All day Saturday she was pretty pitiful. She was just lethargic and not her normal self. It crushed me every time I saw her sad eyes.

Sunday was like a brand new day and we finally got glimpse of our girl back. She had more spunk and was willing to play with Wrigley. She ate and went to the restroom like normal. I finally had some relief that she was on the mend.

Thanks to all of you who text and sent your well wishes on IG. The prayers were heard and my girl is back to her old silly self now! But, Bailey, let's not pull those shenanigans anymore, okay? Your Mom almost had a heart attack!

Has this ever happened to your pup?

Linking up with Leann and Kimberlee!

10 Signs You Married Your Best Friend

1. You can do everything in front of that person and not feel one ounce of embarrassment.

2. When something happens, big or small, they are the first person you think to call.

3. You have so many inside jokes that you can basically speak in code. Chris and I have a lot of acronyms that we use on a daily basis and it is quite amusing getting looks from our family like, "What in the heck are they talking about?!"

4. You can fight and make up because you can't hold a grudge against your best friend, duh.

5. Laughter is constant, and almost to the point of tears, over absolutely nothing.

6. When you think about having a great day, that person is always included in your plans. Unless that great day is at the spa. In that case, Chris would probably drive me nuts :)

7. For most occasions you try to surprise them in any way you can.

8. You get giddy when they're happy.

9. You feel mostly partially responsible for their successes.

10. You pray for them constantly. There isn't a night that goes by that I don't pray for Chris and our relationship. His happiness is my happiness, so even on my worst days, if he is happy, I'm happy....as cheesy as that sounds. If he is in a bad mood, well, then we're screwed hah!

How do you know you married your best friend?!

PS: Don't forget to link up to yesterday's WIWW post!

WIWW: Olive Green Vest & Blanket Scarf + Link Up

Does this post even need words? I mean come on...this scarf, this vest. Does it get any more "this is my winter go-to look" than this? This vest does come with a removable fur hood, but I thought that was a little much for church. 

Speaking of church...we were standing there worshiping on Sunday when all of a sudden the teenage boy in front of us collapsed. I instantly starting shoving my sister-in-law towards the scene (she is an RN) being that she deals with this kind of stuff on a daily basis. This teacher, on the other hand, was relieved to know the boy just got too hot and had most likely locked his knees and fainted. Whew! I will admit that it was extremely hot. Texans think that, because it is 20 outside, we need to make it 80 inside. Wrong. 

Anyways, back to the scarf and vest. I already ordered two more of these scarves for Christmas presents and I have another vest on order for my SIL (she already knows, so I'm not ruining the surprise). These Old Navy vests (like the one I posted about yesterday!) are just too good to pass up.

Lastly, can we talk about this turtleneck? I wore the same one in burgundy yesterday, and I'm sure the striped one I bought will be making an appearance soon. These are THE BEST and most comfortable long-sleeved shirts I have ever worn. They are stretchy and so soft. I have worn all of them twice and I've only had them for eight days. And here is another secret....they didn't have my size in the burgundy and striped, so I ended up getting a large because I wanted them so bad. So, I have one small and two larges and I love how all of them fit. I am most likely going to order the red striped one here pretty soon. They're amazing. The grey is a small and the burgundy from yesterday's post is a large. You can slightly tell the size difference, but it doesn't matter to me! 

Now for the link up!

- All I ask is you link back to my blog and link to a specific post.

- Write about something fashion related!

Thanks for linking up and to see other WIWW posts, click here.

Linking up with Because Shanna Said So, Get Your Pretty On, The Pleated Poppy.

I was so, so wrong.

The perfect puffer has never been on my want list. I get hot easily and I never saw the use for one. I always thought, "Why don't you just wear a jacket?"

Oh, Sarah, how naive you are. 

As I was Christmas shopping for others a couple weekends ago, I quickly realized the shopping had become more for me than anyone else. Oops, don't ya hate when that happens? Oh well!

J. Crew had a vest similar (as in pretty much exactly) to this one that was the rage last year, but I never joined in on the fun. 

This year, I was pa-rousing Old Navy when I spotted the perfect puffer. It actually keeps me warm, but does not make me start sweating. It was under $30. And, it is soft and basically goes with everything I own. 

You, or a woman in your life (Christmas gift for mom, sister, aunt!), should join in on the puffer fun as well. Get the puffers while they're hot!

Weekend Recap: Thanksgiving Round 1

vest // top

Since most of Chris's family is from out of town, and everyone gets pulled in a million different directions during the holidays, we have decided to start doing Thanksgiving a couple weeks early to ensure that everyone can make it.

This girl isn't complaining. It is like we get two Thanksgivings every year! Holla!

Even though Chris's parents only live 45 minutes away, we packed up Friday night and headed over there for the weekend. We played cards and watched movies and ate until we couldn't eat anymore. Wrigley and Bailey got loved on and we got to spend quality time with family that we don't get to see very often.

It was just the type of weekend I needed and I'm ready to do it again in two weeks with my family!

Do you get two Thanksgivings? It is the best!

PS: December's topic for The Lovely Lookbook is: Winter go-to look! Get ready to link up on December 1st!

Linking up with Leann and Kimberlee!

Friday Favorites: Work it Out

With the holidays approaching, everyone gears up for their New Year's resolution. The number one ranked New Year's resolution is consistently to lose weight. 

If you ask any female what the thing is that gets them motivated to workout, nine times out of ten it has nothing to do with their actual weight; its all about workout clothes.

Nothing motivates someone more than fresh new running shoes or workout clothes. Let's be real, most people wear these items to a lot of places other than the gym, but at least putting the workout clothes on is a step in the right direction.

jacket
new balance
beanie
crop pants
headband
nike tennis shoes
checkered pants
headphones

WIWW: It's time to shop! + link up

Before I start, I wanted to let you know that Gap, Old Navy, and Banana Republic all have FREE 2-DAY SHIPPING today!! Plus, 30-40% off!

I'll take a swift ole pat on the back for the fact that I have already checked several people off my Christmas list. Last year I remember feeling overwhelmed and I hated thinking that I bought gifts just to buy gifts, instead of taking the time to get people gifts they really would enjoy.

This year I am bound and determined to get all this shopping hoopla out of the way, so I can spend my holidays curled up in my pj's watching Lifetime movies instead of fighting the crazies at the mall.

If you're in the online shopping mood, you can click on the 'shop' tab at the top of my blog. There you'll find some of my favorite items to browse through!

Today I have for you just a few of my favorite things; aka things that, if they showed up under the Christmas tree, I wouldn't be sad.

Now for the link up!

- All I ask is you link back to my blog and link to a specific post.

- Write about something fashion related!

Thanks for linking up and to see other WIWW posts, click here.

PS: If you're wearing stripes, come link up over here with The Lovely Lookbook!

Linking up with Because Shanna Said So, Get Your Pretty On, The Pleated Poppy.

20 Things About Me

1. Three Things I Love

I figure that Chris, our family, our life, and our dogs are a given, so I'll say coffee ice cream, tennis shoes, and summer break.

2. Something I really, really want.

A Range Rover. Not even kidding. I'm taking donations now :)

3. One thing I've lied about.

I always tell my kids I know the answer to a question when I really have to go back to my desk and Google it...is that lying, or just really strategic teaching?

4. Something I'm good at.

Giving honest opinions. I don't have a poker face, at all.

5. How I feel right now.

Squished. I've got one dog's face on my lap, the other dog smashed up against me, and a husband weaseled in between all of us. My throat is also really scratchy and one of my kids went home today complaining of their throat hurting and another teacher just got over strep, sooo...fingers and toes crossed.

6. Three things that annoy me.

When people don't text/call you back, but they've posted on their social media 500 times. 

When you think a meal is going to turn out great and blah.

One uppers. Okay, you win, your horse is bigger.

7. My favorite photo. Engagement story here.

8. What would you do if you won the lottery?

Buy that Range Rover I've been wanting, pay off Chris's truck, pay off our house (possibly a new one), buy both our parent's houses/pay them off, invest a bunch, and travel.

9. Where would your dream holiday be?

Thanksgiving - At the Macy's Day Parade.

Christmas - NYC, ice skating at Rockefeller Plaza.

10. Baths or showers?

Showers, always. I get way to hot in the bath. Plus, it's so boring just laying there. 

11. The longest I've gone without sleep is...

The night I graduated high school when we had Project Graduation. My whole grade went to my parent's bowling alley (that they owned at the time) and there were tons of activities set up for us. I was up for about 20 hours straight. Weak sauce, I know.

12. Favorite birthday I can remember...

Probably all the years I went to the Magic Time Machine and every year my friends and I would dress up like princesses. 

13. Have you every accidentally injured someone?

Yup! I accidentally broke my best friend's toe.

14. Can you do 10 revolutions of a hula hoop?

Nope. Not a chance in h-e-double hockey sticks. My hips don't lie...they don't move that well.

15. At what age did you find out Santa wasn't real?

At whatever age I got sick on Christmas Eve (maybe 7?) and ran to the bathroom throwing up and then saw my parents eating Santa's cookies. 

16. Do you know any identical twins?

Yes! We have four sets of twins in 5th grade right now and one set I can't tell apart for the life of me. Literally, I mix them up everyday. 

17. The last time I went to the beach was...

The summer of 2013 when we went to Gulf Shores.

18. Have you ever starred in a school play?

Yup, and it was awful. I had a singing part (I can't sing) and the girl I sung with decided she would get her extensive dental work done that day. Yes, you're thinking right, I had to sing both parts. So embarrassing. 

19. Have you ever bought a present for someone that they hated?

I once bought Chris a cardigan. Fail.

20. How did you get your name?

It was my great-grandmother's name and my middle name, Elizabeth (original!), is my aunt's name. 

Maroon Out

I'm not really an Aggie fan, but the title seemed fitting for these pants. And the fact that the Aggies won this weekend.

Any-who, I think I'm going to start a petition for mandatory three day weekends. Anyone with me? I need two full days to actually relax and then one full day to prepare for the week.

Saturday was spent with one of my best friends to celebrate her at her bridal shower. I took zero picture because sometimes I just like to be in the moment. It was themed "Fall in Love" and so, obviously, the theme was fall. Her mom and sister are the party planning queens, so everything was perfection.

After the shower I stuck around so we ccould chit chat. We go way back into our boy chasing days in college and it is fun to think about all the silly times we've had.

When I got home Saturday, my sweet hubby had cleaned the whole house and was working on the mound of laundry that was still waiting to get done since our NY trip last week. He had a candle lit and all the clothes folded. It was precious.

Saturday night we went out to eat with our neighbors who are, sadly, moving to California in two weeks. We will miss them dearly! After dinner we went shopping for their six year old little girl. I had so much fun picking out little girl clothes!

Sunday we woke up and watched our church sermon on the computer. I hadn't had a chance to sleep in since who knows when, so it was sweet of Chris to have coffee and muffins waiting in the man cave when I woke up.

Around noon I headed out to Christmas shop with our neighbor. I was able to cross a couple people off the list, so that's a plus! I might have gotten some things for myself that I'm super excited to share with y'all!

Chris went grocery shopping and even made us a Crock-Pot meal. I didn't even know he knew how to use that thing! And he surprised me with Trader Joe's Cookie Butter. Something has gooten into my sweet man this weekend!

Now it is Sunday night and I am pooped again. These weeks are tough. My school schedule is pretty exhausting and I get approximately no minutes to myself at all during the day. To say I am ready for Thanksgiving break summer would be an understatement.

Here is just a hint at some things I got this weekend:

This vest,
And this vest...
This plaid top,
and this sweater.

That's all the hints you get :)

Happy Monday!

Linking up with Leann and Kimberlee!