My Little Life

Well hello, my long lost blog! Once upon a time, back in August, I had "committed" to posting a day-by-day update of our family trip to the Black Hills...here we are on December 30th, with no "Day 2" update in sight. Whoa. Also, once upon a time, I used to blog EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Like, EVERY DAY. Sometimes more than once a day and now I go for nearly 5 months without so much as a photo or a "hello" or anything?! Ugh. Here is the Cliffs Notes version of our Black Hills trip: Wildlife loop, Crazy Horse, Rushmore at night. Rushmore at night? AMAZING. Must do. Bring Kleenex. Wildlife loop was a highlight...we saw buffalo fighting near the road. Fun (and a bit frightening) to watch! Another highlight, Cosmos...just a cool, freaky, slighly nauseating place to be! We toured Jewel Cave (super cool) and discovered our fun little waterfall find from our last trip (Thunderhead Falls) was closed. Bizarre...and kind of creepy. Stayed at Rushmore Shadows again...

As y'all know from my last post, we recently spent some time in the Black Hills. What you might not know, is that while we were there, I realized that blogging is such a great way to document memories! So, while this may bore you a bit, for posterity's sake, here goes my "journaling" of our time in the Black Hills. After we drove for what felt like 13 thousand hours, we FINALLY arrived in the Badlands...at approximately the hottest minute of the hottest hour of the hottest day in FOREVER. 102 degrees.  Can I tell you a little something about being in the Badlands on a 102 degree day?  IT'S LIKE BEING IN A BRICK OVEN. So. Freaking. Hot. I think I might have actually been melting at one point. Let me tell you a little something else...after driving for 13 thousand hours and arriving in brick oven set at a bajillion degrees, one does not feel much like strolling around, taking in the scenes. The badlands sight seeing went something like this: Family: ...

Well, hello my long lost blog...how've you been?! I've missed you...and apparently, so has my family! We just returned from a vacation to the Black Hills, during which my Baby Girl said, "Mama, you should blog again." How the heck can I deny that?! ;) While I'm getting warmed up with my blogging skills again, let's start with a couple of pictures from our vacation. (Oh! And, I Instagrammed a bunch of pics also, with the hashtag #blackhillssecondedition, if you wanna check it out!) Here we are, all packed up and about to take off...we JUST missed a big thunderstorm, which (thankfully) held off so kindly until we had finished packing and were pulling out of the driveway! We did the quarter trick again this time (see details here ) and I love that one of my boys snapped this picture with my iPad from the back seat. This was the temperature when we reached the Badlands. Good golly...let me tell you that when the temperature reaches this and there is no wind...

Long time no see, eh?! So, let's talk Stitch Fix. I was IN LOVE with it when I put it on hold back in November. I dreamed of my next fix and the beauties I would receive, so when I was faced with a wardrobe debacle for an event I was helping to plan, I did what any good and level headed woman would do...I moved up my "Birthday Fix" to accommodate my need for something to wear to the "Big Event". I asked for "cute and trendy" and as soon as I got that email that sends thrills to every Stitch Fix addict ("Your Stitch Fix is On Its Way!") I peeked at what was coming as quickly as I could...and was met with a deep and painful disappointment. BUT, I tried keeping an open mind, knowing that some fixes look disappointing on paper but turn out to be pretty amazing in person. Well, let's just say my disappointment was warranted. That fix was a total bust (I mean, c'mon...how can a sweater named "Klyde" ever have a chance?!). I do...

So...Lesson 2. Remember my " Life Lesson " that I learned from when our Christmas Tree fell over? How, if a wet wood floor was the biggest of my problems then: life is pretty dang good? Yeah...I do still feel that way. (And was able to keep that perspective when a drain in our basement backed up/rusted out and created a wet, sloppy mess in one of our bedrooms. Ugh.) But today, my friends, I'm here to tell you about Lesson Numero Dos that I learned from our fallen over Christmas tree. I mentioned before that I was pretty hesitant to put a live Christmas tree on our brand new wood floors last year (well, it wasn't so much the tree as it was the gallons of water that go into keeping said tree alive for a few weeks inside of a house...) but the year came and went without (thank goodness) incident and so this year, when those thoughts crept into my mind I was all, "Well...sure. There's a risk. But LOOK!! Last year went so well!". I shoulda listened ...

As most of you know, about a year and a half ago we "completed" (in quotes because, let's be honest...it's STILL not completely finished!) a big remodel of our upper level (and, of yet I have to post a "finished product" post on). I am a DIE HARD Christmas fan and to me, if you have an artificial tree, you are akin to Scrooge. Or the Grinch. Or Satan himself, or something. So, while I was leery about putting a real Christmas tree (with which we've had mishaps before ) on my wood floor last year, shockingly, the season passed without incident and I was able to enjoy my tree in all it's pine scented glory. This year, while still having those same leery feelings, we schlepped out to get our tree from an incredibly fun and festive, but ridiculously over-priced tree farm, and set the bad boy up. We decorated it TO THE HILT with the oodles of ornaments we have and I mentioned to my husband that he should probably tie up the tree...but then he got busy ...

You know what is more exciting than seeing that your latest Stitch Fix has shipped? Nothing. Absolutely nothing is more exciting...so, when I saw on Monday that my fix had already shipped I, of course, was ecstatic and immediately peeked at my order. (How do you peek, you say? Well, you "go to checkout" and voila, there are the contents of the fix that is on its way to you! Just make sure you don't actually "checkout" yet...) As I compulsively checked the tracking information and then saw my fix was arriving one day early...then TWO days early I was giddy!! And then..."Package could not be delivered in a secure place." WHAAAAAAAAA? Quickly remedied by a phone call to the P.O. Phew. Crisis averted! Without further ado...following is the super quality fashion show of my latest fix. First up...this outfit. The Liverpool Reagan Skinny Pants were ADORABLE. Buuuuuut, kinda trendy? And for nearly $100 (well, okay, $88), I was getting cold feet about...