Is It October Yet?

The answer to that is yes, although here in Texas it does not feel like it. I love October and always look forward to it. I love breaking out my fall clothes. I love boots, leggings, sweaters and leggings with tights. Although I’m still waiting for cooler temps (below ninety, please), I have some fall outfits already planned out. In fact, I have a whole work week’s worth of fall outfits planned.

These Old Navy Pixie Chino pants are my favorite. The fit works perfectly with these booties. I love the studs and they make me feel just a little edgy. Also, this tank that I scored at TJ Maxx makes me think of pumpkins because of the color and I love the way it looks with this black sweater. I styled this outfit with this Charming Charlie tassel necklace and earring set.

I got these boot during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale at a great price and have looked forward to wearing them since they got delivered. I think they work perfectly with this sweater I got from one of the vendors that come to my building. It’s long enough to wear with leggings and still be appropriate for my office. My favorite part of this sweater is the lace insets. The owl necklace and silver leaf earrings worked perfectly without distracting from the lace insets.

My stepmom bought me this maxi skirt for our beach trip in August, but it is perfect for fall. I have been longing to to wear it with Old Navy cowl neck sweater with it. I love it when  I add a piece to my wardrobe that is multi-seasonal. I love wearing long necklaces with a cowl neck and this necklace has pearls (my favorite) to tie with the bracelet. Although I love boots, this outfit works better with my LC Lauren Conrad black lace flats from last year’s runway collection.

This dress just makes me so happy. I love the flouncy bottom on this. It was another building vendor find. It works perfectly with brown tights and my tall leather boots. This knit kimono works well with it, but I’m really hoping to find a brown cardigan to go with it . I love the way my gold Kendra Scott earrings go with this. The necklace I actually found at Charming Charlie just to match my earrings.

My last outfit is for Fridays. We get to wear jeans to the office and these Old Navy Curvy Skinnies are awesome. I love the way they fit and I always feel more confident in them. I put them with a Target sweater I got a few years ago that ties in my heeled black boots. The gunmetal with the blue in the necklace keep the color scheme working.

So small side note about the owl necklace. I got this necklace six years ago when Michael and I dated the first time. When we broke up,  I stopped wearing and only found it again recently and started wearing it again. I love this owl and it always makes me think of all the things that Michael and I have been through together even when we weren’t a couple.

What are some of the clothes items you are looking forward to styling for fall?

 

Monday Musings Vol. 6: 9/19/16

I’m so exhausted and my body is so sore, but Michael is pretty much moved to his new place.

On The Blog:

• I got my first sponsored post up on Friday! Check it out here.
• I’m hoping to do a post on what I wear to work for business casual.

Love & Life:

• My mom went home from the hospital on Friday. It will be a while before she is back to her old self, but this is a good step on the road to recovery.
• This weekend was pretty much all packing and moving, but Michael is happy with the new place.
• My small group at church started back up. I love doing life with this group of people.
• We took a break from moving on Saturday night and went to Oktoberfest in Addison. Michael talked me into riding one of the rides. I had my eyes closed the whole time.

Professional:

• I had my first Terry Advisory Board meeting. It was interesting to see another side of the Terry Foundation.

Recently Purchased:

• I got some cute pieces from one of the vendors that comes to my office building. They are both going to be great when it hits fall temperatures, plus who can resist a 2 for $25 deal.

Crafting:

• I started on my second of seven projects this week!

Now Streaming:

• Podcast: I missed seeing the ladies from Stuff You Missed in History Class live when they came to Dallas, but I still got to listen to the episode!
• Music: Loving The Script right now.
• TV: I changed thing up a bit at the beginning of this week and watched MasterChef Junior at the beginning of this week. ( The only time I had to watch TV.)

Reading:

• I just started The Unbroken Line of the Moon (The Valhalla Series Book 1) by  Johanne Hildebrandt. I’m like two chapters in, but so far so good.

Hockey:

• I didn’t get to watch any of the games, but I kept track of the games. Team Canada won their game, but Team USA did not which was sad.

Looking Forward To:

• World Cup of Hockey Team Canada versus Team USA game
• Time to relax (maybe?)

Link Love:

• I am definitely going to look up the plants in Kate’s Safe for Cats post. I could use some greenery inside that is Mouse friendly.
• Lauren had some great tips about transitioning your closet. I need to ask some of these questions!
• Loved Meg’s post about choosing to be happy and not comparing all the time.

Monday Musings Vol. 3: 8/22/16

So I pretty much skipped a week of blogging. It turns out the condo on the beach had really crappy internet so I couldn’t get a blog post out last Monday. Also, my phone broke on the trip, so all my pictures are on it.

On The Blog:

• Once my phone is fixed, I’ll do a beach trip recap.

Love & Life:

• The beach trip was definitely full of much needed relaxation.
• Michael was on a motorcycle trip while I was at the beach. I got back into town a few days before him. I missed him most those days that I was back and he wasn’t.

Professional:

• I’ve started my third Real Estate License class. I am hoping to get it done pretty quickly because it will mark the half way point.
• I accepted a position on the Terry Scholars Advisory Board. It is a big honor.

Recently Purchased:

• I got a couple new tops from TJ Maxx while on vacation because they were a good deal.
• I paid the deposit on my phone screen to replace my broken on, does that count?

Crafting:

• I am putting the finishing touches on the baby hat and diaper cover. Just need to do the ears.

Now Streaming:

• Podcast: I love that my church releases podcasts of the sermons. I was able to catch up on our new series since I missed for Quakecon and beach time.
• Music: Really been into Cake lately.
• TV: Michael and I finished up a mini series called Ascension. It’s a Sci-Fi thriller. I really liked it.
• Gaming: I haven’t done much gaming lately.

Reading:

• I’m reading Timebound by Rysa Walker. I’m not sure how I feel about it yet.

Looking Forward To:

• Getting back into a routine.

Link Love:

• I have not had a chance to really look at blogs lately.

 

Monday Musings Vol. 2: 8/8/16

This week has been spent mostly at Quakecon, so I don’t have that much to say for my Monday Musings, but here it is anyway.

On The Blog:

• What I Packed for Quakecon went up last week.
• Look for my first August H54F post on Friday.

Love & Life:

• I spent the entire Weekend at a hotel for Quakecon. It was a lot of fun,but a little stressful at times.
• I had my first facial on Saturday. Michael surprised me with a couple spa treatments at the hotel which was really sweet.

Career:

• Today is going to be so busy since I am catching up on the two days I was off last week.

Recently Purchased:

• I haven’t really bought anything this week other than food. Yay!

Crafting:

• I’m still working on the baby hat and diaper cover. I got the diaper cover pretty much done though!

Now Streaming:

• Podcast: I’m loving Stuff You Missed in History Class.
• Music: I haven’t really listened to very much music this week.
• TV: Michael and I marathoned Stranger Things on Netflix yesterday. So good.
• Gaming: I got this new Fallout Shelter game while at Quakecon. It’s a mobile game that can be played on PC.

Reading:

• I finished The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison this weekend. It is a very good thriller. I just kept reading and reading until the end.
• Trying to pick out my next read. Suggestions welcome.

Looking Forward To:

• Going to sleep early tonight.
• I’m going to the beach with my family next week. We leave on Sunday!

Link Love:

• Going to consider these books on Neely’s list.
• I liked getting Paula’s perspective on what to save and splurge on as far as make-up goes.
• I’ve enjoyed following Caroline’s Take One, Pass It On this week.

Quakecon 2016: What I Packed

First, let me warn you that I am an over-packer! I’m leaving for the Hilton right after work and will be back Sunday and yet I packed 12 shirts. If you are looking for a small compact packing list then just move along because I’m pretty sure I am not able to pack lightly.

I guess I should explain a bit about what Quakecon is before I show you everything that I packed. You can read all about it on their website (linked above). Basically, it is a giant LAN party inside of a video game convention. The exhibit floor and talks are free and open to anyone, but if you want to Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) to set up and play as part of the LAN party, you have to pay for a seat. In the past, I have come for a day to hang out with Michael and see the exhibits, but this year I actually have BYOC seat. It takes place in downtown Dallas at the Hilton Anatole and even though I could stay at my place and drive to and from everyday, it would be inconvenient so instead I am staying in a hotel with a group of friends. Our group of 10 is sharing two hotel rooms so it should be interesting.

Now to talk about what I actually packed last night.

Bottoms:

As you can tell, I packed lots of jeans. You would think August in Dallas = shorts, but that’s not true for Quakecon. They keep it pretty cold in the BYOC area, since there are thousands of computers in there. I did pack a couple pairs of shorts, since usually sometime is spent outside. I also packed some comfy work-out capris and tights for those long nights of gaming.

Tops:

This is where I get into trouble. I have so many tops and I really don’t ever know what I will want to wear on what date. I packed 5 nice tops (2 sleaveless, 2 three-quarter sleeve & 1 long-sleeve) , 5 t-shirts & 2 tank tops. Like I said at the top, I tend to over pack. I like to have options, plus I may want to look cute on some days and really not care on others.

Dresses & Skirts:

I’m packing one cotton dress and then my maxi skirt with a tank. These are incase we go out somewhere nicer. Probably won’t go out for two nights, but you really never know these things. Plus the long maxi can be worn in the BYOC if I am just feeling cute one day.

Other Clothes:

The Anatole opened a new water park area this year so of course I had to bring a swim suit. I don’t think they let you swim-up to the pool bars without one.

As mentioned before, the BYOC gets pretty cold so I brought a variety of hoodies and sweaters to keep me warm.

Make-Up& Hair:

I’m bringing my everyday make-up stuff. I really like the Gwen Stefani x UD palette because I can go natural or not depending on how I feel/ what we are doing. You will notice most of the face stuff has sunscreen, since I am super prone to burning. I’m also pretty excited to try Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof mascara. I’ve read varying reviews so I’m glad to have a sample to try.

My hair routine is pretty basic, so not too much to pack as far as that goes. I do have really thick hair so I bring my own hair dryer on all trips even if the hotel has a dryer in the room.

I’m also bringing the normal toiletries. I am bring my own shampoo, conditioner and body wash since I will be sharing a bathroom and small hotel provided toiletries with 4 other people.

So that’s what I’m bringing to Quakecon. If you have any questions about anything specific you see here, feel free to ask! It would have been too much I think to list every single thing so I just went with the highlights.

Also, I was planning to put most of my Quakecon stuff on Snapchat and then adding a once a day pic to Instagram, but now Instagram has a story feature, so I’m trying to figure that out. What do you think? Snapchat does have pretty filters! Follow me on both to see what I decide. (Snapchat: bekahm21 | Instagram: pinkpearlsandhockeyskates).

H54F: Poutine, Wedding Colors & Headsets

I always get so excited about Fridays and I think that is totally normal! As always, here is my weekly recap with Tif, Della & Katie.

This is the yummiest!

Post B-day Dinner

Last weekend was packed full of family. Friday night, we went to my birthday dinner with my Dad, Step-mom, older sister, Jacquie & my little brother, William. We went to a Canadian restaurant hear in Dallas called Maple Leaf Diner. I just wanted to go because they have my favorite food in the world: POUTINE! I got to see the rest of the family (Mom, Step-dad, 2 step-brothers, step-sister and little sister) on Saturday. My sisters stayed over at my place Saturday night so we could all go out to Arlington for Fathers’ Day the next day.

I love everything about this headset.

Monday, my new and improved headset came in. My dad gave me a gift card that would cover it and Michael was totally okay with returning the other one (turns out the cord was really short anyway). I did not get to try it that night though because I had to cook meals for the week followed by my church small group.

Our paint swatch wedding party

Tuesday, I got asked to be a bridesmaid in one of my good friends’ wedding. I also got to help the bride pick out her wedding colors. We made little people out of the paint swatches she picked out. I’m pretty excited to be part of this. Plus, it looks like Michael is going to be a groomsman.

#NHLAwards

CC Haul

Wednesday, Michael and I worked out as usual. I was really proud of pushing myself hard on the treadmill, until a bruise appeared on my leg that is most likely blood vessels bursting from over excursion. I guess I need to slow down. We, also, watched the NHL Awards. In case you haven’t heard, the NHL is expanding to Las Vegas. I am so excited to see an expansion draft. I, also, went shopping on my lunch break and got an awesome haul from Charming Charlie using my birthday gift card.

I play to win! – D. Va

Last night, I finally got to use my new headset. Michael and I spent 30 minutes getting it working and then an hour or so playing Overwatch. The noise cancelling is so good! I can’t hear Mouse crying because he is not getting all my attention.

I’m looking forward to a calm weekend. I only have one thing planned for the entire weekend, so I should have plenty of time to relax.

What are your plans for the weekend?

26 Before 26

Yesterday was my birthday and it started way too early. I flew into Houston for some training at our corporate headquarters. I was scheduled on a 8am flight which got cancelled so we were switched to a 7:30am flight only to have that delayed to 8:15am. Training was short so got back to the airport and on a plane by 5pm. It was a long day of travel. The good news, I got to spend the end of the day with  Michael. We got some wings and watched Broadchurch after picking up my birthday gift (a new headset for my computer.

Now that my rant is over, let’s talk about what this post is really about. I came up with 26 things I want to do in the next year. Here they are:

1. Read 26 Books
2. Go 1 Week without TV
3. Bake 5 Things from Scratch
4. Try 25 New Recipes
5. Finish 1 Crochet Project and 1 Knitting Project
6. Get a Blowout
7. Learn a New Hairstyle
8. Buy Flowers for the Apartment 10 Times
9. Redecorate Room
10. Throw a Party
11. Go On a Trip with Michael
12. See Sydney
13. Go Camping
14. Go Somewhere I have Never Been
15. Go to the Beach
16. Go to Quakecon
17. Go to a Concert
18. Go on 3 Double Dates
19. Run a 5K
20. Exercise 5x a week for 35% of the Year
21. Call Grandparents Monthly
22. Get to 100 Blog Posts
23. Take At Least 1 Picture a Day
24. Budget for Random Small Gifts
25. Have No Debt (but my car loan)
26. Finish my Real Estate License Classes

So those are the 26 things I am going to try to accomplish in the next 365days/52 weeks/1 year!

Currently in June

Here is what is Currently going on in my life! (I’m a little late I know).

Planning: Birthday Dinners! It’s my birthday month and between two sets of parents, six siblings and a boyfriends, it takes some planning to see everyone. I think I am going to have two birthday dinners this year on the Fridays around my birthday. Now to get the restaurants decided on.

Enjoying: Overwatch!  Last Friday, Michael got me Overwatch, the video game I wanted, as an early birthday present. I’ve already played like 3 hours. It’s so much fun and has short rounds so I can play a couple rounds and still have plenty of time to do everything I want to do.

Buying: RuMe Bag! I picked up a Large Tote & 2Cool Bundle from RuMe last Friday. It has been sold out for a while so as soon as I got the email saying that it was back in stock, I ordered one. I love using my RuMe totes for the grocery store and the 2Cool addition will keep my cold stuff cold in the Texas summer. It is supposed to be delivered today!

Craving: Chocolate! Enough said!

Pinning: Bedroom Inspiration! I have been wanting to redo my room. I just renewed my apartment lease and want to make my room look better now. I pretty much just put stuff in it when I moved in 10 months ago. I’ve been pinning stuff to help me get inspired.

Check out Anne’s and Jenna’s pages for what is going on with them and others!

H54F: Gruene and Austin BFF Trip

I am so happy to get back to writing H54F posts with Katie, Della & Tif. I am doing a recap of my recent BFF trip with obviously my BFF.

A little background, Sydney and I have been friends for 11 years now.  While I have stayed in the DFW area, she has been going around the country. Our first year of college, she went to PITT. She moved back to DFW for a couple years, but then she moved to California, Maryland and now she is in Georgia, specifically Atlanta. Since we don’t get to see each other much, we make sure to get regular BFF trips. This year we decided to go to Gruene and Austin.

 

Mouse Post Bath

1. First thing that needed to be done before the trip was clean the apartment and Mouse. Sydney is allergic to cats so my whole evening on Tuesday was spent cleaning the apartment and then bathing Mouse! He has taken baths since he was a kitten so he doesn’t like it, but he deals.

   

   Unhealthy Lunch on the Trip Down

   

   

   Super Comfy Bed

   

   Spiral Stairs

   

   Clawfoot Tub

   

   
2. Wednesday, we left for Gruene. It was about a four hour drive, but it seemed shorter since we had so much catching up to do. We checked into our awesome bed and breakfast. I loved the spiral staircase until I had to go down them at night. The bed was super comfy. I highly recommend the Gruene Mansion Inn if you are in the area.
   

   
   

   
3. Our activites in Gruene included the Stars and Stripes Drive-In, tubing the Comal River, eating Chicken Fried Steak and Jack Daniel’s Pecan Pie at the Gristmill and Gruene Hall. All lots of fun.
   

   
4. We took a detour on the way to the Austin and went to the LBJ ranch. It was a great educational experience. Plus I loved seeing the cows and goats as well as learning about LBJ.
5. Austin was great. We stayed with friends and went shopping. I bought my first pair of Kendra Scott earrings as an early birthday gift to myself. I forgot to take pictures though. 😦

I had a blast last weekend. We did and saw so much! The best part was just getting to hang out with my best friend again!

June Small Goals

Can’t believe it is already June aka my birthday month! I’m going to be a quarter of a century old! I took a short break from blogging in May because work was getting really busy and I took a BFF trip which will be covered in tomorrow’s H54F. This post though is about goals for June.

Let’s recap May real quick!

1. Editorial Calendar: Done!! I am keeping track of posts in my planner right now. I have stuff planned for the next week and I have days planned to post. I’m pretty proud of myself for getting organized
2. Start Using my Planner Again: Also, done! I wasn’t as consistent as I would have liked with this, but I did start using it again and continuing that into June.
3. Decide on Self-Hosting: Tic Tac Toe, Three in a Row! I made the decision not to self-host yet. I need to be writing a lot more consistently before I put the money into self-hosting. I will revisit this decision in a few months.
4. Write a Hockey Post: This one did not happen. The Stars are out of the playoffs and I have not kept up with everything very well since then. I’ll write one before too long though.
5. Stay on Budget: I actually did this one. It was helpful that I had a separate budget for the trip at the end of the month.

Achieved 4 out of 5! Moving right on to June!

1. Complete the Everyday Unicorn Challenge: This is an Instagram challenge started by Valery Brennan. I am so excited to take part in this. This will help me take at least 30 pictures this month and it will be a fun way to do it.
2. 26 Before 26 List: I want to make a list of 26 things to do before I’m 26. I started one before I turned 24, but did not get very far with it. Seeing Nicole’s list helped rekindle my desire for this.
3. Read 3 Books: I have 2 already started and I want to finish both as well as finish one more. I am trying to read more so this is a good starting point.
4. Get and Play Overwatch: This is the new Blizzard game. I played a bit on my trip and it was lots of fun. I asked for the game for my birthday as well as a new headset for my computer. I’m hoping for both! If I do not get it as a gift, I am going to use some birthday money to buy the game. By the way, if you are a gamer, find me on Steam: Habs31 or bekmal.
5. Have an Awesome Birthday: This one should be easy to achieve.

As always, I am going to be  part of Writes Like a Girl’s monthly link-up.