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8.21.2014

Jeans, Jeans the Magical Fruit



[Shop my look on and other #ootd posts on Instagram: @blaineashley]

There's just something about a great pair of jeans that can make any girl feel like a million bucks. The chic-ness of basic denim is sometimes forgotten. And then you see a pic of someone like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley or Miranda Kerr in a tee and basic skinny jean and you drool over the simplicity because it looks so perfect. No matter your body type, we can all agree that finding that perfect pair of jeans is kind of like winning the lottery. But let's be honest here, how many of us have actually found that go-to pair that checks off all of our denim must-haves? 

"OK, so it fits around the waist like I want it to, but what's up with this weird length?"
"OK so they fit great now, but are these going to stretch out after 10 minutes of wear?"
"Man I wish my butt was bigger so that it would fit in these jeans like it's supposed to.."

Alright, so maybe that last one isn't something you typically find yourself asking, but I do. The tiny-bottom struggle is real, y'all.

These are all questions that I have found myself asking as I stare at myself in dressing room mirrors. I'm sure you can all relate in some shape or form! 

SO, I have the answer for you jean-searching frustrated gals out there. Or guys, whatever. Guys wearing girls' jeans is apparently a thing now.

 There is a pair that meets all of your fit needs. Squeezes the leg through the ankle, comfortable and forgiving through the waist, lifts the rear end, pockets in all the right spots and angles...

Familiarize yourself with PAIGE Denim, you guys. PAIGE DENIM.
THE. BEST.  EVER.

They run a bit on the pricey side, but I have found that investing in a great fitting pair of jeans is worth it. Good quality denim makes all the difference in how a pair fits and holds together after a long day of wear! And they last forever. Say no more to those $19 jeans that will fit for the next two months and then stretch out and warp and get all catawampus before you have a chance to even enjoy them. Invest in one staple pair that you can wear with everything and enjoy for a very long time!

And, if you're lucky, you have a bomb diggity local TJMaxx that always has a few pairs hanging amongst the racks. That's where I found mine. For $45. Game. Set. Match. Win.

Shop my favorite PAIGE denim below:





8.20.2014

Life Lately



Just know before you read this that there's really not any point to this post. If that's OK with you, then proceed...


So, I'm back in the swing of somewhat normalcy around here. So I'll be back to running this blog consistently. Normal aside from the fact that I have a tiny human being that now leans on me for all sources of her tiny little 10-week-old life. I didn't have that before, obvs. Well, before 10 weeks ago. Actually, before about 50 weeks ago, because that was the last time I wasn't with child in any way, shape or form. It's weird to think that it's been almost a year since I got pregnant. Yes, I know the exact date. No, I won't tell you the deets. That's gross and creepy and totally weird since I know my mom and other family members read this. But you know, now that I am no longer with child but now with child (that makes sense in my head, ok?) I have gotten into a new swing of normalcy and it's been it's own kind of fun. I had to go back to work last week. Booooo. I know. Some people are worker bees, some people are I-wanna-stay-at-home mama bees. I'm somewhere in between. Like maybe I want to find a job that pays decent money for me to stay at home with my baby but there's also a nanny there just in case I need a gym break or help cleaning the house or something. You know? That would be a good gig. Unfortunately though, that job doesn't exist in my world. So, I had to go back to work. Lucky for me, my sister and her husband are currently living with us, so baby girl is at home with her Auntie for the time being. Going back to work is a little easier when you know the babe is in good hands with your pediatric nurse, kid-lover of a sister. I do feel a little sorry for my parents now, though. I'm pretty sure living with us and our newborn has convinced my sister and brother-in-law that they do not want a child any time soon. Oh well. One day our little baby G will have a cousin on this side of the family.

This brings me to my next topic. If you're ever faced with the decision of moving into a new house and you think that doing it one week post-partum is a good idea? Reconsider. If you're ever faced with the decision of whether or not you can house your sister and her husband and all their gear for a couple of months in said brand new house? Totes do it. It's like college dorm meets The Real World meets Christmas with the fam all rolled into one gigantic bowl of fun. Ideal? Maybe not. Especially when your sister is 5'10 and her husband is 6'5 and maybe the only spare bed you have for them to sleep on is your old Full-sized mattress you had in college and it sits on a janky yellow metal frame that is one stub of the toe away from giving you Tetanus. But hey, they're good Christian folks who don't have a complaining bone in their bodies, so they're making it work. It's so great. My brother-in-law leaves the house around 6 AM for the day, husband leaves around 7, I leave around 7:30 and my sister and baby do their thing until we all get home and have family dinners and watch good television like Hard Knocks, Criminal Minds or Botched. The house shuts down around 10:30 and we all get a good night's rest (some of us probably more than others due to aforementioned tiny bed problem) and then we're back at it again the next day! This includes baby because she's already sleeping at night from 10 pm-6am.SCORE! So fun. I'll be sad when the day comes and they move out into their own place. Coincidentally, there are several houses that have recently gone up for rent on our street and I'm doing my best to convince them to consider them. If we can't wake up and have coffee together piled onto a $100 Ikea couch, at least we could wake up and stand on our front porch and wave to them as they're also having their coffee on their front porch three doors down. I can already see Gracen in a few years running down to Aunt CeCe and Unkie D's house for that cup of sugar I need for the cookies I'm baking. Just kidding, I don't bake. Oh, and did I mention that one of our roommates is also a current badass rookie QB for the Dallas Cowboys? Sorry I said badass, mom. But you know, he is. Yes, it's my brother-in-law in case you were confused on which of my roommates I was referring to. It's not my sister, although she CAN throw a mean spiral, so sign her up. But yes, he's out there all day everyday doing great things and well on his way to being the next franchise quarterback in a few years. Just pursuing his dreams. So happy for him. I will get you an autograph if you ask nicely.

What else? Oh, my husband started football again, so you know....football wins. It always does. The school year hasn't even started and he's gone from 7 am to 8 or 9 pm each day. What is there possibly to be doing for that long every single day that pertains to high school football, you ask? I don't know, either. I quit asking. It's all OK though, because having a husband who gets to wake up everyday and do something he is passionate about is totally worth any crazy schedule in my book. It's a good thing I love football, too. So I'm not complaining. Don't take this as as a gripe, here. He's also now in a school district with seven high schools and two more coming in the next two years. SO this year will be a little different, considering the last two years were spent at small-town, single high school school districts. The school he's at now has fancy things like an indoor practice field and windows in all the classrooms. I think we have arrived, y'all. No more driving an hour to his Friday night games, either! All of the schools play each other and all games are located at one of two stadiums. Both of which are like, six miles from our house. I mean...seriously. We have arrived. He's happy, I'm happy. His new school colors include navy blue and I love navy blue, so I'm double the happy. It's a good sitch for us to be in. He's so great at what he does and I couldn't be more proud of him. Life is good.

Outside of our little bubble, I have a sister starting her senior year of high school. WHAT!? She's so great. Can't believe she's going to college next year. I swear it was just yesterday that she was sitting on my lap at my desk when I moved into my freshman dorm. She's going to go play Division I volleyball at Wichita State next year, and they're a top 25 team, so ya'll be on the lookout for her on ESPN in a few years....;) I have a brother that is going to be a sophomore and will be getting his driver's license in a few months...that can't be true, can it? And my youngest sister is going to be a big, bad 8th grader. Running Four Points Middle School, that one is. I have another brother-in-law and sister-in-law that recently moved to Bryan/College Station because he got a fab job at a new high school there. Yes, you guessed it. Coaching football. I told you, football runs our family. They have a precious 5-month-old daughter, too. There's just so much greatness happening in our family right now. SO thankful.

I don't really have a way of wrapping this up in some all-encompassing statement because, like I said, there's not much of a point other than to talk about what's going on in my little world these days. So, like Selena says in the movie Selena, "I want pizza."

Which is exactly what I'm off to go get.

Have a happy Wednesday. And don't write me some hate mail complaining that you just wasted your time reading this. I warned you.

8.19.2014

Birks are Back


In case you haven't heard... Those old ugly sandals that were all the rage 25 years ago are totes back with a vengeance. Maybe I was skeptical at first, because hey, maybe they're the glorified, bulky, sandal version of Crocs. And while Crocs might be like walking on a rubber cloud, they don't exactly scream attractive. And up until now, the ole Birkies didn't either. However, the brand has kept their traditional shoe alive in different colors, but they've also added more styles and prints for our liking. So, I've been seeing them everywhere these days, and the more I see, the more I approve. They give any look a laid back I-don't-care-but-I-really-do cool girl type vibe. Not to mention, they're all sorts of luxurious on the foot comfort thing. So, I'm a big fan. Big. Huge!

... I just said that in my head like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman...you know you did too.

So, what I'm saying is, if you're looking at your closet and you're like mannn...I wish I had a super comfy shoe that maybe isn't super attractive but is trendy so it's kind of cute for the time being and I'm always in a rush and super busy it has to be something that I could slip on quickly and wear everywhere I go, resist the urge to invest in crocs. Grab a pair of Birks. You'll thank me later.

Here are a few snazzy little pairs that I have my eye on...click the pic to shop!



8.18.2014

Brand Spotlight: SHOWPO


I recently stumbled upon this super swanky little online brand, SHOWPO. They have a variety of styles of dresses, sweaters and skirts that I just fell in love with! A little somethin' for every gal out there. I thought I would share with y'all because well, who doesn't love discovering a great new place to pick up some new pieces for your wardrobe? Not to mention it's Monday and shopping makes every Monday better. 

I've done the honors of selecting a few of my favorite items for you to scroll through -- check them out below!

PS - Everything I selected is under $70. I meannn...score!



Happy Shopping!



8.05.2014

Bliss



Every once in a while you have a moment that stops you in your tracks. An aha! moment that reminds you what life is about...a moment that makes all of your stress, struggles, demons - whatever they may be - disappear.

Tonight was one of those moments for me. Pretty sunset light coming through our bedroom windows...handsome husband...baby dozing in and out of sleep...pure bliss.

Love watching my man and my baby girl together. They already have a precious bond that is so evident every time he holds her and she gazes at him. Her eyes constantly follow him around the room and she always manages to quickly nuzzle down and fall asleep against him.

My exhausting days tending to her and the nights of no sleep are all forgotten when I sit back and take in the love between this daddy and his girl. 

Ain't no better feelin', y'all. Ain't no better feelin'.