Thankful on Thursday

The Weather:

 I've been feeling super stressed lately, mostly because I've been working so much. One thing I like to do when I feel anxious is to remind myself about the good things in my life. We have been having wonderful weather the last couple weeks, giving Lila and me lots of time to get out and get some fresh air. 

 Simple pleasures like this: a grilled tuna salad sandwich, carrot sticks and a glass (or two) of wine... they say white wine  goes with fish, right? I have been really into this sandwich lately, and I am on a mission to perfect the recipe. I will definitely share it with you when I have it perfect!

This Face:

Pretty Nails

I'm also thankful for the fact that I can wear nail polish at work! You have no idea how much this brightens my day.

This Little Girl:

and all the wonderful joys that come with being a mother.

What are you thankful for this week?

Just in case you forgot...

I love this board and I wish I had pretty handwriting to make something like for my future apartment. I wrote about beliefs and behaviors in this post and I think this image sums it up nicely. 

I often come into conflict with myself because of this idea. I wish that my lifestyle wasn't so tied up in material things and everyone around me was more aware of the world around us. That sounds like a horrible excuse, doesn't it?

The point is, I know that my behavior could be better. Towards other people, towards the earth, and towards myself. I have pretty solid beliefs about the way things should be. But I don't always act on those beliefs. I don't always go out of my way to help someone in need. I don't always treat others the way I expect to be treated.

I am not as environmentally conscious as I would like to be.

I don't always put healthy things in my body. I don't get enough exercise, and I could take better care of my mental health.

I consider myself a good person, but there is definitely room for improvement. However I think this is part of the beauty of life; the fact that we are constantly evolving and always improving. I tend to avoid people who are single-minded and unable to see a different point of view, because I firmly believe in keeping an open mind, my opinions and beliefs are constantly changing and growing.

A friend of mine once said "I will never buy a bumper sticker because my ideas are not as permanent as a bumper sticker."

I love the thought that our beliefs and ideas are constantly evolving. I am proud of who I am, and I get inspiration from the fact that I can always change who I am and I will always have the opportunity to learn and do new things.

So if your beliefs and your behavior do not line up exactly all the time, its okay. You are allowed some slack from time to time. 

Say Positive,

~Liz

My City: Sunrises on the Lake

These photos were all taken on different days in February and March, before daylight savings, on my way to work. (I stopped and got out of the car to take them... don't worry I wasn't photographing while driving!).

Now that daylight savings has happened, I no longer get to see the sun rise on my way to work. The sky is just starting to get light when I get to work (7am). But the bright (pun intended) side is that soon again I will get to see the sun rise and get the chance to photograph it all over again!

I love chronicling changes as they happen throughout my city. One of the best features of Madison is all of the lovely lakes. They are beautiful and I am so glad I get to drive past this one on my way to and from work. I love seeing the changes as the weather gets warmer and the snow melts...

Isn't Mama Nature amazing?

Wardrobe Art: Winter Fading

Winter is finally faded and no, I am not sad about it at all! We got a couple good snowfalls and that is enough for me. The day these photos were taken was the first really "warm" day (low 60s) and it came on so suddenly that there was still snow on the ground!

I rushed home from work, planning my outfit on the way, jumped into the shower and swept outside with Lila to get these photos while the light was still good! Lila just loved it. She stopped every few feet to pick up leaves and explore the ground.

Lila also loves being outside just so she can walk up and down the sidewalk. We live on a slight hill so she quickly learned that walking uphill is easier than down hill. She walked about two blocks by herself!

 

How has the weather been where you are? How are you celebrating?

Happy Friday! Today a coworker offered to work half of my shift today, so I got to sleep in! Yay! I really love waking up with Lila, rather than leaving the house before she is even awake. 

These are some things I fell in love with this week:

VIA: Pinterest

via: doe-c-doe

 via: modcloth

via: packer creek pottery

via: epiclol

via: victoria trading company

Have a great weekend!!

Cute Spring Jackets

It is officially early spring in my world. This means it is time to shop for an early spring coat. I love an early spring coat with a classic design and a flattering, eye-catching color. My ideal coat also requires a unique, feminine flourish. I love the details and colors of each of these coats! Which is your favorite?

image 1 // modcloth

image 2 // polyvore

image 3 // modcloth

image 4 // modcloth

image 5 // pinterest

image 6 // anthropologie

image 7 // poshposh

image 8 // pinterest

Just Smile

We lost an hour on the clock today. It feels like 4:30 in morning and I have to drive to work in the dark. So today is all about smiling. This post is designed for you to play the video while you read the post and look at the pictures. Enjoy!

Video of Celtic Woman singing "Smile" as part of their "Believe" concert shot live at the Fabulous Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia

Smiling doesn't equal happiness, nor does it cause sadness to go away. But the philosophy of this song and these words are that by smiling you are rejecting the negative thoughts that are trying to take over. By smiling you are choosing to think positive. You are loving yourself. You are declaring to the universe that you want to be happy, that you deserve to be happy, and you know it!

 

Original Image Location Unknown

Another great thing about smiling is that is often causes others to smile back at you. Sometimes a smile from a stranger can turn my mood from melancholy to optimistic. I do not know why they are smiling at me, but I imagine it is because they are happy to see me, and wishing me well. That is generally what I am thinking when I smile at someone!

 Original Image Location Unknown

Smiling also makes you look and feel more attractive. You've heard the expression "A smile is the best makeup a girl can wear." and its true! I certainly feel like my smile is one of my best assets, and I always notice people who smile a lot. I feel more comfortable around people who smile more. 

image via: coolpics

Sometimes there is nothing you can do about your problem right at this moment. Take a minute to smile. Walk around the house, school, work, grocery store, or wherever you go, and smile. Try smiling at strangers, and see what they do. 

Let me know how it works out for you!

image via: happily ever after

Wardrobe Art: Winter Colors

So I am breaking one of the rules of outfit photos with this one; all the clutter! But honestly, Lila was occupied and it would have totally distracted her to clean up the room. So oh well, I hope it doesn't offend you too much!

 The necklace is authentic vintage: it used to be my Mom's! I actually used to have it in my "dress up" box when I was a kid. The shirt was thrifted, the skirt is very old from American Apparel. I actually wore this skirt a lot when I was pregnant because of the elastic waist.

 The tights are from We Love Colors and the boots are from Delia's. I love the combination of olive green, grey, mustard yellow, and brown for midwinter. 

While I was doing that, Lila was busy doing this:

In case you can't tell, she's sitting in the windowsill reading books!

:)

Hi! Happy Friday! I have to work this weekend, so today is basically my weekend. I hope you all have a great Friday!

Last week I shared an adorable spring coat, and this week I just have to share another one with you! I love the color and the shape of this coat, and I would love to experiment with different ways of wearing this!

via: romwe

This dress is just plain awesome. It looks pretty basic from afar, but up close you can see the funky map detail and it really has character!

via: modcloth

These shoes are so elegant and feminine. I adore them and I think they would look good with distressed denim, pastel dresses, or a pretty spring coat like the one above. I just love lace, don't you?

via: topshop

I am just in love with this manicure done by Makeup Savvy, based off of Zooey Deschanel's new style. Be sure to check out Makeup Savvy's 30 days of nails project if you like nail polish! I think this one will be perfect for spring.

 via: makeup savvy

Everything about this photo... the fresh flowers, the floral pillowcases and the fact that they are mismatched, the insanely beautiful quilt, and the neutral white background.

 via: Cosias de Orlas

This is my favorite photo of Phoebe Gazel's home on Design Sponge. But all of the photos are amazing and inspiring. I think looking at pictures of the interior of people's homes is my favorite thing ever.

via: Design Sponge

What are you loving this week?

My City

This new feature will be primarily about.. you guessed it! The city I live in. Madison is such a wonderful city and I am very excited to pay homage to it. If you have ever been here you know that it is beautiful, and the people are lovely.

(image source)

I love Madison for so many reasons, one reason I have really grown to love this city is because of its size. It is just the perfect size. It is a big enough city to call myself a city girl, but small enough to feel like a beautiful community of culture and families.

(image source)
I can't wait till spring and summer roll around so I can go out on the town with Lila. Madison has so many awesome events during the summer. Sometimes I like to go just so I can people watch!

 (image source)
Have you ever been to Madison? What was your favorite part?