Shabby chic.

YOU GUYS. I have stumbled upon a true gem. You could all know about this little treasure already, but I just found it today and I am IN LOVE.

Let me introduce you to Shabby Apple.

The owners started the company because they were tired of buying dresses which required another piece of clothing to be wearable. And not only have they built up a selection of stand alone dresses, they have incredibly unique and beautiful pieces which I am literally drooling over. They have a great, user friendly Web site and really great, eye catching graphics and photos.

Here are some of my favorites (images courtesy of shabbyapple.com):

Bette D.

Bugle Boy.

Madison Ave.

Slate.

Jitterbug.

Well, what are you waiting for? Go check it out!

*This review/promotion (whatever) was not compensated in any way. Although, Shabby Apple, if you need a spokesperson, you just let me know:)!

2009-2010.

Well hello there friends. Happy New Year (almost).

Lots of bloggers are posting either 2009 "in review" posts or 2010 resolution type posts, so I figured I'd hop aboard that bandwagon and point out a few highlights of the past year and also some aspirations for the next.

*Also, look around! It's pink! What do we think? The brightness makes me feel all happy and able to cope with saying goodbye to Christmas.

2009
I got a new job. We moved. I started to struggle with anxiety. We joined a new church. We built and bought a house. Taylor got involved with a group at church. I dyed my hair for the very first time. We went to Klamath Falls with the Martins. We celebrated our first wedding anniversary. I went 5-6 months without really working out. I missed my friends. I fell in love with Bones. I started BSF. Taylor reached his recruiting goals at work. I transitioned from here to here! I attended BlogHer in Chicago. I missed my family. We had a fantastic trip to the lake. We watched a whole handful of friends tie the knot this summer. I started an Etsy shop. I fell even more in love with Anthropologie. We both turned 23. I missed my friends. I watched A LOT of TV on DVD. I missed my family. We celebrated Christmas like nobody's business (and we're still not done). I learned A LOT about myself. And the last couple months I have managed to find some peace.

And now, some goals for 2010, in no particular order.

2010:
Workout 3 days a week (minimum). Eat out only 1-2 nights a week, 1-2 days a week (lunch). Read 20 books. Not bite my husband's head off. Have cookies/snacks for my brother at every game (in Oregon). Not miss BSF unless I cannot avoid it. Keep my beautiful new house clean, but also not stress about it. Be better about tithing. Build up my Etsy shop and boost blog design sales. Learn how to build a Web site (CSS). Save money so we can travel. Visit my family in Montana. Keep up with filing/organization at work. Save up money in general. Help Taylor figure out his next steps. Be a better friend. Put up a fashion post at least once a week. Craft 2 nights a week. Call my brothers more. Add to my fashion sketches. Take better Working Closet photos. Take better photos in general. Grow my hair out. Be a better wife. Be more emotionally accessible. Tone up. Wear sunscreen.

What are you working on this year? What do you want out of 2010?

And while we're on the New Year's theme, if you haven't heard this version of the "New Year's song," I really love it! It's on the Sex & The City Movie soundtrack and it's all kinds of awesome. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Christmas recap.

We just got home last night from a wonderful trip to Spokane. I apologize in advance for that fact that I literally took NO photos (I'm a terrible person), so all of the photos in this post are borrowed.

We started out the trip with a visit to my parents' trainer, who caused the two "young bucks" (us) to almost pass out and puke all at the same time. See also: I'm not a college athlete anymore, although I like to think I am. Reality check.

Mid-torture session.

Here we are out for dinner at PF Changs and off to see Avatar (which was SO amazing, go see it!).

Christmas Eve after church.

The "kids" acting weird.

How were your holidays? I've missed you!

Christmas in Krameyland.

Well Taylor and I spent our weekend celebrating the holidays with his family, and tomorrow night we head up to spend it with mine, so we decided to have "our" Christmas last night. We didn't want to haul our gifts on the airplane or wait until we get home, so we ripped the wrapping paper off our packages, and dove into the goods!

Presents!

Anthro top!

Taylor's cute butt, I mean...new William Rast jeans and hoodie.

Arrrgh.

More casual clothes!

Opening the jeans.

He got me a sewing machine carry case!

His new Blu-Rays!

Beautiful Anthro Jacket.

Can you tell how I felt about it?

Like I said, we'll be leaving tomorrow for my parent's house, so I'm not sure how much I'll be around these parts, so Merry Christmas for now! Hope you have a blessed holiday with family and friends! Ciao!

On friendship.

There are transitions in life that are just plain hard. Things that cause us pain that we can't really avoid.

While it is so wonderful being married to and living with Taylor, who has pretty much been my "best friend" by all definitions for the last however long we've been together, I still feel very lonely and often like I'm lacking a whole lot of friends. We were sort of the first to really "move away," although it's only forty minutes or so, it feels like a long way away.

I miss the fifteen girls I spent everyday with in college (my teammates). I miss the van rides where sometimes you cracked jokes and sometimes you shared your secrets. I miss going into the room next door and knowing one of my very best friends will be in there. I miss having them ask me what to wear. I miss doing every one's hair for big events. I miss knowing that if I really needed to talk about something only a female would understand, there was someone there to listen. I miss commiserating about our bodily aches and pains.

I know our friendships were far from perfect, but they just felt so much closer than they do now, before 40 miles of I-5 separated us.

I've always struggled with female friendships. I grew up with brothers and I have a hard time relating to my female peers. I feel like I've never been a particularly great friend. I don't share well. I doubt that I appear emotionally accessible. I never did the dishes. Sometimes I think other people don't want to share things with me because I pretend like I'm perfect and have it all together. I usually don't tell people close to me the intimate details of my life unless I'm having a crisis. I have a very difficult time expressing how I really feel about people, I'm not a great small talker and I'm not the best at just going along with whatever everyone else is doing.

But I also think I have a lot to offer as a friend. I'm loyal to a fault, I care deeply about the people in my life, I'm a good gift-giver, a great shopping buddy and I love to work on projects. I REALLY want to connect to other people, I just have a hard time doing it. I've always wanted a bosom friend, for all you Anne of Green Gables fans out there, and though I have lots people I get along with smashingly, since I was little (hi Rach!) there's never been that one friend I could truly believe was "best." While I realize the idea of a "best" friend might be just as unrealistic as a "one true love," I still wish for it.

I really hope this post comes out right, and doesn't put blame on anyone, because I don't think that there is blame to place. I just want to express how hard it is when important relationships in your life transition and you don't know what to do with it. When you want to feel close to people and be in their lives, but you just don't know how.

Loungewear is my kryptonite.

When it comes to getting dressed, I like to consider myself able to put a decent outfit together. Sometimes even a great outfit. I feel confident in what I"m wearing probably 4-5 days a week and (in case you didn't already know) I LOVE to shop.

Well, everyone has a weakness. Something they are completely unable to put together/wear/shop for, etc. For me, it's cute loungewear. And honestly, I can't really decided if this is all that important to me. No one sees me except my poor husband (perhaps that's reason enough to improve) and especially when I work out in the evenings, I just have no motivation to sport some super cute lounge-y outfit. I mean we're supposed to be comfortable at home, right? My days of big baggy sweat suits in college have carried over into my "grown-up" life.

Here's what I'm usually wearing on a weeknight:

A t-shirt, sweats and slippers from Grandma. These are my "cute" sweats by the way.

Or maybe something like this:

College bball t-shirt, shorty sweats (I have like 5 pairs) and if I'm working out, running shoes.

Well, if I've learned anything from Stacey and Clinton, it's that you can be comfortable and stylish at the same time! I'm not talking about running shorts, etc. for actual working out, because people I'm not compromising there, but on a week night/weekend when I'm just hanging out at home doing chores or something of the like.

So, here are some cute, comfy ideas that would help me class up my loungewear wardrobe.

These sweatshirt/tops from Target are warm, comfy and loose fitting, but still tailored enough to provide a more put-together look. Black or grey, take your pick!

Target, $29.99.

Target, $29.99.

Next, I found these glorious lounge pants at Anthropologie (are we sensing a theme in my life lately?). They look almost like a pair of chinos, but are a cotton/spandex blend. I feel relaxed just looking at them.

Anthropologie, $48.00.

Although I've been known to wear my leggings as pants every now and then, I usually pair them with a longer shirt or sweater. However, if it was just around the house, I might feel more confident wearing these leggings on their own with a tank and zip-up maybe?

Gap Body, $29.50.

And last but not least, I've been dying for some men's pajamas ever since I saw Coco Before Chanel with Miss Whit. Aren't these ones adorable?

J.Crew, $69.50.

What do y'all wear around the house? Do you dress like a bum, or are you casual chic?

Finding the positives.

Sometimes you just have a BLAH day. On days like these, I have a tendency to have minor crisis' and reevaluate my entire life, resulting in a string of days where I feel lost, inadequate and disappointed. So, instead of going through all that hullabaloo today, I decided it was just how I was feeling and if I focused on some positive things, got some stuff done when I got home and tried to remember to breathe, I'd be just fine.

Here are some of the pretty little things that helped brighten my day.

Latte bowls from Anthro.

Letter mugs from Anthro.

Laundry sign (which will be hung over the laundry room door) from Anthro.

New stripy sweater from Anthro, because it's FREEZING and apparently I threw out all my winter clothes over the summer. I'm sure there was a good reason...

This is what I would look like if I were a shirt. Green happiness brought to you by Anthropologie.

Okay, who are we kidding, this entire post brought to you by Anthropologie.

How were your weekends loves? Are you ready for Christmas!? It's ALMOST here!

Magazine Snap Shot: Lucky- January 2010

So I received my January issue of Lucky in the mail the other day, and as I picked it up, noticed it was on the thin side. Upon browsing through the first couple pages, I noticed it was also looking rather CRAPPY. Pardon my harsh critique, but they usually do such a great job of picking out both affordable and higher-end pieces and putting together enviable looks, but January Lucky, you have let me down!

Lucky Magazine: January 2010

First things first, although corduroy and I have been in a fight since Middle School (regarding an ugly incident of THE AWKWARDS), I could not deny the loveliness of this coat:

Boden, $99.00.

I can't really wear this color, and I'm not a big fan of corduroy, but even I could not deny the draw of this lovely yellow trench.

The only other thing I found that was interesting was a feature on one of the bloggers I read everyday! It seems the lovely Cupcakes and Cashmere did a feature for Luckymag.com December 7-11. While I knew this was going on, since I read her site, it was quite a surprise to see her familiar face pop up in the pages of my magazine.

Oh, and you should go check her out because she is oh-so-awesome.

Well, that's all for now, hope you are having a restful Sunday! Ciao lovelies!

Magazine Snap Shot: People StyleWatch- December/January 2009/2010

Well I'm home sick today, thanks a lot husband!, so I decided I'd FINALLY finish this month's magazine snapshot.

People StyleWatch Magazine: December/January 2009-2010

(For whatever reason I can't find this month's cover, so sorry!)

So, the first thing I spotted out of this issue was these lovelies. They showed the emerald colored ones in the magazine (far right) and I couldn't take my eyes off them. They are $65 from Roberta Chiarella, but Forever 21 has some similar styles right now for like 1/16 of that price if you too can't take your eyes off of them.

The next piece I liked was an article (if you can call it that) on red shoes. I'm a big fan of wearing black, and a great way to get away with wearing it head to toe, is to add a bright, rich red shoe. The most affordable examples were:

Chinese Laundry, $89.

Dolce Vita, $85.49.

Moving right along, next up was an outfit gleaned from one of Hayden Panettiere's, but I actually liked the "Look for Less" outfit better. Some of the pieces were sold out when I went to look them up for this post, but this white blazer (pardon the nudity) is a trend that I've had my eye on. What do you think about white/cream blazers?

Victoria's Secret, $108.

Another white/cream blazer option:

White House Black Market, $148.

The final thing that really caught my eye was some of the hairstyles. Usually this section bores me to tears because there are only so many ways to do your hair, but this time they included some really pretty options that I can't wait to test out. Like this one:

Shenae Grimes.

I think my selections would all go pretty well together, don't you? All I'd need is a sparkly black dress with the white blazer, gemstone earrings, red heels and I'd be good to go. You know, if I had somewhere to go.

A girl can dream.

Happy Wednesday to those of you not trapped in your house with a box of kleenex.

Christmas Letter: 2009

So I suppose now that I've sent out almost all of my Christmas cards, I'd better actually write the Christmas letter that is promised on the back of said cards. This year, to save on the cost of sending a card, envelope and letter, I decided to send photo postcards and put the link to this here blog on the back, telling friends and family to come here! and read the Christmas letter digitally. Aren't I brilliant?:) So, from now until January-ish, a little button will be in the right sidebar for all Christmas letter visitors!

***

Dearest friends and family,

Merry Christmas! I've put off writing this as long as I could because there is just no way to describe the kind of year Taylor and I have had. Last year this time you were getting the thank-you's from our wedding (hopefully). We were living in an apartment near Portland, I was working at a tourism association and Taylor had just landed his Admissions Counselor job at George Fox.

Since, we have moved south, I've gotten an awesome new job in communications (PR, reporting, photography, graphic design) and we PURCHASED A HOME. I know right? Craziness. So crazy that we are still trying to understand how we got here, and so fast. But we are so thankful at the same time.

Taylor has done incredibly well at his job, recruiting students all over the Willamette Valley and Colorado to come to Fox and has really enjoyed his co-workers and office environment. He still plays basketball once a week with some of his former Fox teammates and has recently traded in his Wii for an X-Box 360, much to my chagrin, and is enjoying playing his brother Andrew and other friends over the Internet. He is also participating in a special prayer group for one of the pastors at the church we attend in Salem, and really enjoying it. He is, as always, such an incredible reminder of God's presence and faithfulness in my life. Our first year together has been fun, difficult, happy, stressful, challenging and easy all at the same time. He is not sure when or what his next steps will be, but he is actively seeking his path and I am so excited to see where it takes him.

What have I been up to? Well, aside from work- which I tend to live and breathe being the *ahem* driven individual I am- I spend most of my free time reading, watching movies, doing custom blog designs, conducting research (looking at fashion magazines and online shopping) for this here blog and squeezing in what time I can with family and friends. I've also started participating in Monday night Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), which my Mom has done for years. It's so awesome to call her on my way home every week and chat about the lessons. In July, I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago for a social media conference, BlogHer, and hang out with a bunch of blogger friends. Believe it or not, I have made some really incredible friends through this site in the last two years and it was so much fun to have a girl's weekend in Chicago.

I've also really enjoyed getting back into crafting and have even opened an Etsy shop. I'm still unsure of the plan for my life and where it will take me, but for now I'm content to sit back in this gorgeous house and see that plan come together.

As usual, we don't see enough of my family and are so excited to watch my brother Chase play in Oregon several times this coming basketball season. He is playing at Whitworth University and has done really well so far. We often commiserate on the joys of college basketball: blisters, aches and pains and occasional verbal abuse.:) Cole is starting his junior season at NWC and I'm so excited to see him play as well, he has really come into his own in the last year and I adore spending time with the both of them. My parents are handling the gradual flight of their baby birds from the nest pretty well and have made the trip down to see us several times this year. My Dad came down to give his stamp of builder approval on the new house and if I succeed in decorating it half as beautifully as my Mom has decorated their home, I'll be in business.

We are so blessed to be even closer to Taylor's family since we moved south and I cannot tell you what a gift it is to be able to have spur of the moment, weeknight dinners with the entire extended family. It is such a special crew and they have really taken me in as their own. This year they opened up a retail store at their berry plant which has blown the community away with it's success. I proudly sport my t-shirt as often as possible and lecture all of my co-workers about heading out there to buy fruit, pies, cobbler and anything else I can think of. Check your local grocery for Willamette Valley Fruit Company products! They're even in Montana! Some of the family members read this site faithfully and even consult me with their fashion quandaries every now and then.:)

A few other highlights of the year were traveling to my long-time friend Melody's wedding in Port Gamble, Washington in August, staying at The Nines hotel and attending Wicked for Taylor's birthday, our annual trip to Priest Lake, a weekend in Klamath Falls with the Martin/Roth crew and of course, building a brand new, beautiful house!

I hope that you have all had blessed years, and that everyone knows how much we love and appreciate your presence and support in our lives.

We hope you have a fantastic Christmas and very happy New Year! Ciao!

Love,

Taylor and Kali

Homeownership: Part 1

Well, the waiting is over. We are moved in, decorated for Christmas (tree, stocking, cookie jars, nativity set) and we are both so exhausted we don't know what to do with ourselves. But we are also feeling VERY VERY blessed, thankful and amazed that we are living in this beautiful, brand spanking new home. It makes me giddy every time I walk through the door.

Such a big fat THANK YOU to Taylor's family, who showed up Saturday morning when he was sick and stuck in bed and helped us finish up the move in about an hour. I love you Roth/Martins!

So, without further ado, here are some photos! I didn't take full room shots because the rooms are FAR from done, but I captured some of my favorite details so far!

Fridge (Hi Rach! And Roth kids!)

PB card holder, LOVE!

Snowman and Santa cookie jars, just like my Mom has always had. They remind me of home.:)

I LOVE having two sinks!!

The tree!

New furniture!

My treadmill! Best purchase of all time.

Bedroom sneak peak! More to come!

French bathroom details.

Some of my office decor.

What do we think so far? I'm so excited to keep decorating!:) More photos on my Flickr page.

How were your weekends?