katiehigg – Page 12

04/21

Weekend Round-Up

Is it is really Monday already? We had a 3-day weekend, but it sure didn’t feel like it. I wrapped up birthday festivities, went to 3 different grocery stores stocking up to change the way we eat (more on that later) and then spent Easter Sunday with the family.

Friday was my first day out with my birthday present from my hubs. I already shared via Instagram & FB so it seems kinda redundant, but it’s too good not to share one last time, so in case you haven’t met him yet.

Internet meet “Louis”…

“This is Louis’ seat”

“Don’t put your feet on Louis”

“I remembered Louis, but forgot my phone!”

“Louis has my camera”

(all things that actually came out of my mouth over the weekend)

I woke up worried about Louis because I thought I left him in the car (garaged & locked) overnight.

I know, it’s a sickness. I’m sure it will wear off at some point, but for now, Louis is the newest family member and will be treated as such. 😛

And while we’re discussing birthday presents, I’ve worn the present from my awesome SIL & BIL, 3 out of the 4 days since it arrived.

I LOVE it!

On Easter we headed over to my mom’s house for good eats and an egg hunt. The kids always enjoy hunting for eggs, but we inevitably lose a few due to the adults hiding them a little TOO well.

Hope your weekend was great!

Here’s to a productive week and starting the countdown to Friday!

4 days to go…

posted by katiehigg 3 Comments
Filed Under: My life

04/16

One Spark Jacksonville!

For 5 days, our downtown was HOPPIN’! It was what a big city downtown should be, dangit! And it was all thanks to One Spark.

One Spark was born here in Jax. It’s a 5 day crowdfunding festival for creators…artists, entrepreneurs, innovators…to get their project in front of thousands and possibly take it from an idea to real life. This year (second annual event) they gave out $310,000 to the lucky winners!

Last Tuesday, while everyone was setting up their booths, the excitement in the air downtown was palpable. Creators were getting ready to pitch their ideas to anyone and everyone who would listen.

One of the things I got silly excited about during One Spark, was riding our downtown skyway. We’ve had a small monorail skyway system for several years and I’m embarrassed to say that I had never ridden it before now. In my defense, it’s only open during the week and seeing as I don’t work downtown, I never had a reason to ride it. The kids thought it was pretty awesome too.

I was volunteering at the Do Something Great Today booth for part of One Spark and then on Sunday, I took the kids down there to experience a bit of the festivities.

the Pajama Monster was adorable! Made me wish I had smaller kids!

This huge teepee was awesome. When One Spark was open, you could go inside and explore. Super cool.

The food village was a huge hit with us. 😉

a few more pics of the sights at One Spark…

Last year I am sad to say, I didn’t make it downtown once to check it out, but this year, I made up for it by being down there every day and I’ll definitely be there next year!

posted by katiehigg 1 Comment
Filed Under: My life Tagged: do something great today, one spark 2014, one spark jacksonville

04/15

Go shorty, It’s my birfday…

We’re gonna party like, it’s my birfday….gonna sip bacardi like it’s my birfday…

Just kiddin’

In actuality…

I’m going to make plans with my SIL for breakfast, but remember while I’m showering that I have a dermatologist appointment.

Then, I’m going to get to said dermatology appointment, only to find out that I didn’t pay enough attention to what time it was scheduled for and realize that I missed it by an hour. *sigh*

After I feel sorry for myself because sadly, this is NOT the first time this has happened, I take a fresh faced selfie…

and decide that I didn’t want to go to that fracken appointment anyways, so I head to eat something for breakfast

After breakfast, Target is going to call my name. I will take an ungodly amount of time browsing around, but will find an adorable rain jacket that I can’t pass up. I mean…hello…it is my birthday!

Then I’ll find these three goodies…

elephant earrings :: new polish :: midi rings

And my SIL will text me a picture of my present…spoiler…it’s awesome!

Happy Birthday to me!!

Then the kids will come home from school. The teen will decide today is the day to be Ms. Grumpy Pants. We’ll exchange words and I’ll let her know she may not be pissy to me on MY birthday.

Then I’ll drive across town and sit at Jui-Jitsu for an hour before heading to pick up take out from Outback.

When I get home, I will eat my delicious dinner…in my pj’s…from the comfort of my home and afterwards I may or may not have dessert because I’ve already “treated” myself way too much today with 2 lattes and biscuits & gravy!

Did I mention it’s been rainy all day? No worries here though. I’ve got my polka dots and rain boots to brighten my day! 😉

UPDATE: after dinner my hubby told me he’s taking me shopping for my present at a very specific store!! Can’t wait to share when I finally have it in my hot little hands!

posted by katiehigg 3 Comments
Filed Under: My life Tagged: my birthday

04/14

Stitch Fix Review #3

Yay! Stitch Fix time! I was super excited to get my 3rd fix this past week. I scheduled it a week before my birthday so it would be like an early birthday gift to myself if I decided to keep one (or two or three) pieces from it.

Unfortunately, that extra funds allocation won’t be necessary this time. :'( They aren’t bad pieces per se, just nothing that excites me or that I need/want. Possibly partly my fault. I haven’t been very vocal beforehand about what I want/don’t want. Partially because I don’t want to miss out on a great piece because I said I don’t want *insert random clothing piece* in my box and partially because I don’t want to be a PITA. Live and learn I suppose!

<<<<< >>>>>

41Hawthorn Bindy Fit and Flare Ponte Dress, $78

Thoughts: Not loving the thicker material and long sleeves seeing as it’s 80 degrees outside right now. It fits nicely though. Better than I expected actually and the color is beautiful. But, I don’t wear a ton of dresses and it’s pretty hot and humid here 8 months out of the year, I would be sweating like crazy in this!

Ultimately: Sent back. I’m looking forward to summer and wearing flowy, lightweight dresses/skirts.

<<<<< >>>>>

41Hawthorn Toshi Contrast Detail Longsleeve Blazer, $88

Thoughts: I wasn’t too excited about this one since I already have a black blazer in my closet and the fact that I don’t wear blazers that often in the summer. Surprisingly it fit pretty nicely and the polka dots on the lining are adorable!

Ultimately: Sent back. I might have been tempted to replace my current blazer with this one, but the inside lining seemed to stick to my clothing a little and get discombobulated so I had to pass.

<<<<< >>>>>

Kensie Jeans Sophia Distressed Skinny Jean, $88

Thoughts: I would have died for these not too long ago, but I just bought a pair of deconstructed denim a few months back. I tried them on anyways and while they weren’t bad, the fit was a little tight and they were too long.

Ultimately: Sent back. I like the Old Navy rockstars I just bought better.

<<<<< >>>>>

Kut From The Kloth Marquis Slub Knit Dolman Sweater, $48

Thoughts: It’s not amazing, but I like that it’s lightweight and loose fitting. I could see myself wearing it over my bathing suit maybe with a pair of shorts. But it’s still a sweater..in Florida..in April.

Ultimately: Kept. The top 3 items were definite no’s and seeing that I didn’t want to forfeit my $20 box fee, it was between the sweater or the necklace below for the piece I kept.

<<<<< >>>>>

Bay to Baubles Toby Gem Stone Statement Necklace, $36

Thoughts: The gold is kinda brassy, but the colors are pretty and it’s different from anything I have in my jewelry box.

Ultimately: Sent back. I don’t see myself wearing it. Plus, I let my husband choose which one I should keep between the necklace and the sweater above…he chose the sweater. 😉

<<<<< >>>>>

So, there you have it. Now you understand what I meant when I said they weren’t bad pieces, just not for me. I’m not hatin’. I still love Stitch Fix. I just think I need to tweak my profile for next time. I’ll probably request no more jeans and maybe no more workwear/business pieces.

You can check out my previous fixes here…

Stitch Fix Review #1

Stitch Fix Review #2

So, tell me…Have you tried Stitch Fix? What has your experience been like? Do you request the same stylist? Are you vocal with what you want/don’t want?

If you haven’t tried it…

Sign up and fill out your online profile/questionnaire
Schedule your Fix ($20)
Wait (impatiently) for your personal style selections to arrive
Play dress up in the privacy of your own home
Decide what you want to keep/send back
Check out! (your $20 Fix fee gets applied to anything you purchase)

posted by katiehigg 5 Comments
Filed Under: Fashion, review Tagged: 41Hawthorn, april 2014, bay to baubles necklace, kensie jeans, kut from the kloth, marquis slub knit dolman sweater, sophia distressed skinny jean, stitch fix april review, stitch fix review

04/07

On a roll

Woot! I’m now 3 books closer to my 2014 book goal! I’ve read 10 out of 14 for the year. Maybe I should up my goal. At this point, 14 books doesn’t seem like much of a challenge. 😛

I already told you how much I loved Me Before You. Seriously, if you haven’t read it yet, put it on your list!

After that though, I needed some excitement and mystery. Enter…The Weight of Blood. This book covers not one, but TWO murders…one from the present and one from the past. I liked that the narration jumped back and forth from a 17yo girl in the present to her mother in the past (who disappeared when the daughter was only 1 and no one had heard from her since). Excellent read! I tore through it pretty quickly.

Still Alice has been on my “to-read” list for awhile and I finally got around to it. I have no rhyme or reason for picking which book I read next. It just depends on my mood and which sample pulls me in enough to continue reading. Still Alice is about a successful 50yo woman who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimers. It was sad and draining and made me paranoid, but it was a great read.

I just finished Still Alice last night, so I’m reading a few samples to try and figure out which book I want to read next. I currently have samples of Where’d You Go Bernadette, Attachments, Gone Girl, Veronica Mars, Orphan Train and Shotgun Lovesongs on my kindle. We’ll see which one makes the cut? 😉

posted by katiehigg 1 Comment
Filed Under: bookworm Tagged: 2014 book goal, freckled latte book club, still alice, the weight of blood

04/03

Lusting after…

Tory Burch // Halogen // Madewell // Sam & Libby //Manolo Blahnik

I’m completely digging the d’orsay style flat lately. The Tory Burch ones are my absolute favorite so far. I think I’ll have to find the right one for my foot (size 10’s don’t look good in everything), but I’m on a mission to find the perfect one!

posted by katiehigg Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Fashion Tagged: d'orsay flat, Target Sam & Libby, tory burch

04/01

Comin’ at ya…

with my weekend recap and some randomness…on a Tuesday.

Say whaaaa?!

I know, right. Randomness should be my middle name. 😛

So, this past weekend I travelled to Atlanta with a pack of middle schoolers. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not the greatest traveler. Once I get to my destination I’m usually okay (sometimes even great!), but the preparation sends me into a tailspin of anxiety and stress. I was super cranky on Thursday because 1. I didn’t want to go (bussing it for several hours when I can’t do anything but stare out the window + going to a theme park isn’t my idea of a good weekend) and 2. I was anxious about the bus ride (please don’t let me get sick, please don’t let me get sick). I hem-hawed until the very last minute, but ultimately, decided just to drive myself because my stomach was completely jacked before we even got on the bus. We left out Friday morning, had a whirlwind of a weekend involving a concert at a church, vocal competition and TWO trips to Six Flags, then back home by Sunday night! Shew! Then I spent Monday catching up on my ZZZ’s and my daughter got sick. Fun, right?!

[the obligatory selfie, rides that Caitlin went on and cherry blossoms!]

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I’ve had my eye on the Project Life products for several months now and I’m finally getting around to getting the supplies to get started. I used to love scrapbooking, but it got to be more about the design of the pages and less about the photos. Not to mention that it took too long to drag out all my materials and then put them away again. There are definitely PL pages that are super scrapbook-y, but I don’t plan on doing more than sticking some photos in the page inserts along with a few cute pre-cut papers and a little journaling.

[my first album!]

Now to order pictures so I can start filling the pages!

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I saw this Louis Vuitton bag on a blog post last week (then crazily enough, also in person on my trip to Atlanta), and it’s officially on my lust list!

Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM

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And, just because it’s late and I’m snacky, and despite the fact that I’m getting back on the healthy train and back in the gym VERY soon, I want this cake batter puppy chow something terrible right now! YUMMMMM!

posted by katiehigg 2 Comments
Filed Under: on my mind, Randoms, Uncategorized

03/21

Yo.

Last weekend was filled with birthday parties (three to be exact), then it was spring break so the kids went to their grandparents for a few days while it rained cats & dogs and hubby and I vegged out in the house (okay, okay, I vegged, hubby worked :P). The kids came back, we watched Frozen (best Disney movie evah!), the boys went away for the night while the teen had a friend sleepover and now it’s Friday once again. Oy vey!

But, I’m not going to dwell on how fast my week went by. Instead, I’m gonna share the internet goodness I found while surfing this week…

Umm, a digital mixtape with all the vintage-y goodness of an old school mixtape? Yes please!

My hubs is constantly telling me I need to get my clutter piles under control. I found this on the818.com which conveniently starts today!! I think the universe is trying to tell me something.

I’m kinda in LOVE with Ashley Bell’s latest outfit! Firstly, I DIE for that skirt and secondly, denim + sequins? I die…twice!

This NYC runner looks like she was having a blast during her recent half marathon. Maybe I should try this fun game to keep me distracted during my first half this year.

Like the idea of boyfriend jeans, but not sure how to wear them? Confessions of a Product Junkie posted 5 ways to wear boyfriend jeans and they’re all awesome!

Is it just me or does Grey’s Anatomy have the best songs? They are the reason that Ingrid Michaelson is my favorite singer ever. Last night I was catching up on the last few weeks of shows when I had to immediately look up who sang the cover of Time After Time at the end of last weeks episode. FYI, it was by The Wind + The Wave.

I know St. Patty’s day just passed and we all had green on the brain, but I don’t need a holiday, I always have green on the brain! When I was looking for interesting links to share I checked out my Pinterest to see if I had pinned anything good…my last eight pins all have one thing in common…green!!

K, that’s all I can think of for now. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

posted by katiehigg Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Five things, on my mind

03/19

The Happy Wanderer

I’m kinda jealous of the people who have wanderlust coursing through their veins.

I have to admit…I have the happy-where-i’m-safe-and-comfortable-lust coursing through mine.

But, then I think about getting to the end of my days without traveling, seeing new places, trying new foods, having new experiences and I know that I don’t want that for myself. Maybe if I wasn’t with someone who pushes me out of my comfort zones, I wouldn’t be aware of that fact, but I am.

So, while I may an anxious wanderer…a scared wanderer…a sometimes reluctant wanderer…a happy-to-be-home-at-the-end-of-the-day wanderer…

I WILL be a wanderer dangit!

The Daily Post asked this question today…
What’s your travel style? Are you itinerary and schedule driven, needing to have every step mapped out in advance or are you content to arrive without a plan and let happenstance be your guide?

I’d say I’m in between these two extremes. I do like to know where I’m going, what kind of options we have once we get there and plan a few things. But while I like to have a few things planned, I don’t like having every single minute of my trip accounted for. I like to leave room to hang out and explore the area without somewhere specific to be.

When we went to Maui a few years ago, I planned something for every day we were there, but that something may have just been a luau for dinner so we had the rest of the day to do whatever we liked. My husband is an adventurer so he was quite disappointed that we weren’t having an amazing adventure everyday, but I was content to hang out by the pool or just drive around the island and explore. Which we did and it was amazing!

I’m usually pretty excited to travel and try new things. For the most part, I do really enjoy being somewhere new for a little while and would definitely say I’m a happy wanderer.

Even if I’m also happy at the end of the trip to come back home.

(except when I was in France. I missed my husband and son, but I wasn’t ready to come home after only 8 days! There was so much more I wanted to see and do!)

posted by katiehigg 9 Comments
Filed Under: Travel, wanderlust wannabe Tagged: daily post prompt, happy wanderer

03/19

Devoured

Devoured would be a good word to describe what I did to the book I just read. Since I finished Eleanor and Park, I was having difficulty getting into a new book. I started a few, but none quite peaked my interest enough to keep reading. I was worried I was going to lose the momentum I had built up and fall into a lull. And then, I found Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

One reviewer said it had a slow start, but being one who needs a book that pulls me in immediately, I didn’t feel like that was the case. I was hooked right from the start with the sample I downloaded to my kindle. I tore through the sample, downloaded the rest of the book and read 20% the first night I started it. I finished the rest of it over the next 2 days!

You only get one life. It’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible. – Me Before You

The story is pretty simple. Plain, ordinary girl finds herself as the caretaker of a quadriplegic man even though she has no experience doing so. They are both from extremely different lives, but they (albeit reluctantly at first) bond with each other like no one else they’ve met before. The story is about their 6 months together and how they change each other for the better. It’s a funny, sweet, moving story that kept me interested the whole way through. **warning** It is SAD so prepare yourself and have some tissues within reach!

Have you read Me Before You? What did you think?

posted by katiehigg 1 Comment
Filed Under: bookworm, Personal Tagged: me before you, review