.skol vikings.

Over here in the Roberts household we are big football fans. Every Sunday (that I have off) you will find me donned with my Vikings gear watching the football game, cheering on my team.

Today is a special Sunday because Dave and I BOTH have it off...this has only happened one other time this season! ANNNNNDDDD to add to the sweetness the Vikings are playing the Greenbay Packers.  We are arch rivals. If you are a true Minnesotan you do not like the Packers...AT ALLL!!!!

Dave put Maggie in one of his t-shirts so we all could cheer on the Vikings

Today is a BIG game for the Vikings. If we lose we are done of the season, if we win we get to move on to the playoffs.  So cross your fingers for the Vikings we may need some extra help today!

SKOOOOOOOLLLLL  VIKINGS!!!!!!!

.happy holidays.

Us here at the Roberts household wish you and your family a happy, happy holiday!!! I hope you have a great few days with family and friends. We will be taking some family traditions and creating them in our own little way!!! 

.family tradition.

As a kid every Christmas my mom would bake Christmas Cookies, we would be able to cut out the dough and then decorate the cookies. I always looked forward to sitting at the table filled with bowls of icing and sprinkle containers. These cookies are delicious and we only have them once a year, which makes me look forward to them even more. It's been about 4 years since I have had a Christmas cookie, so I HAD to make them myself this year.

When preparing to decorate the cookies....I found something out that shocked me. Dave has NEVER EVER decorated cookies before!!! I couldn't believe it so I told him to pull up a chair cause he was gonna decorate some cookies!

We had a great time sitting at the table, chatting away while expressing our artistic abilities on Christmas cookies. Dave, he LOOOOOVVVEEED decorating cookies, he was putting sprinkles upon sprinkles upon sprinkles on his cookies. We decided that this was going to be a tradition that we continue as a family. I look forward to years ahead when my own kids will sit down and decorate Christmas cookies with us. 

What is a tradition you have during the holiday season?

WIW: wedding dress shopping

One of my best friends is getting married and I have privilege of being her matron of honor!!  (I am soooo excited about this!!!)  When she was going dress shopping with her mom she asked me to come along and give my opinion.  Since I watch a lot of wedding based shows, and one being  Say Yes To The Dress ,  I was prepared and ready to go.

So this is what I wore when my friend found THE DRESS (eeeepppppp):

The last WIW (What I Wore) also featured these green pants, what can I say...I love them! 

This leopard top is one of my favorite tops in my wardrobe. It's a top that I can dress up or down, it doesn't cling but isn't baggy...its just perfect. ANNNNDDD let's all admit it, it looks good with green pants! I thought I loved it before but I love it now even more with my green grandma pants!

.the details.

top & cardigan: Old Navy

pants: Marshalls

shoes: Target

and one silly picture....

.apartment holiday decorations.

Since I have done a few posts on diy holiday decorations, I thought I would share a few pictures of the rest of our decorations. We don't have to many decorations, since we have a small apartment and not to many areas to decorate.

One of our main areas of decorations is our entertainment center. The theme for our holiday decorations is more rustic/natural decorations with the color scheme in white, reds, and grays. The newest editions to these decorations are the reindeer and bird ornaments! Aren't they darling? I got them at Target for $3 each...a bit pricey for me, but I do love them and will use them for years to come.  I also LOVE the cardboard "R" that I made this year! I have wanted to make a cardboard letter for so long and finally got around to it! *post on it will be around soon!*

An easy way to decorate is by using old Christmas cards sent to you from friends an family as decorations. All you need to do is frame and ta da...cute decoration! These ones above we have had for a few years.The little bird one is the last Christmas card we got from Dave's Dad before he passed away, I'm soooo happy we kept it. Now it will always be part of our decorations! 

During the holiday season you may receive lots of cards and pictures wishing you a merry season. It's always a great idea to display these items to see all the people who love you and are thinking of you during this time. A simple way is to hang some twine/rope and hang the cards with clothespins.  This way it's a cute display adding color to your home and not some cluttered pile on your kitchen table. 

Also around the few rooms in our apartment we have our families old decorations from our childhood. It's always nice to see a little something that makes you smile and think about Christmas when you were a kid. I'm very happy to be able to keep this items and share them with our future children. 

What are some ways you are decorating this year?

  

.diy holiday wreath.

I'm gonna admit it, I love a good holiday wreath. I never have had a wreath before but I have admired hundreds upon hundreds of them. They truly make me feel more like in the holiday spirit. So this holiday I knew I was going to try and make a wreath of my own for our little home. I searched pintrest for a wreath that was cute and simple to make...more on the simple part and then crossing my fingers it would be cute!  I found one that I loved, a marshmallow wreath!!! (i have always had a love for marshmallows)

This wreath was super simple to make. All you need is: a wreath form, a ribbon, marshmallows, and a hot glue gun.  I glued three sizes of marshmallows to the form. Starting with the JUMBO size in random places, then filled in the form with medium sized, and finished with filling all the little spaces with mini marshmallows. I cut the jumbo size ones in half and placed around the sides of the wreath to insure it was completely covered. After I was done I put it in the fridge for 30 min. to set the marshmallows. I love how the marshmallows give the wreath depth and dimension!

When making the wreath I kept sneaking marshmallows for myself. I think I got a little sick from eating so many! After making my wreath I found another (maybe easier) way to make a marshmallow wreath. All you need to do is put about 100 or so toothpicks in the form and then place the marshmallows on the toothpicks! Finally ending with letting it set in the fridge..ta da done.  Either way takes about 30 min. it all depends on what you want to do.

Now this yummy, pretty wreath sits on our door to welcome in the holiday season. I love this wreath and I think I'm going to keep it up during all winter since it also reminds me of snow. Plus the winter here lasts SOOOOO much longer than the holiday season and I really don't want to take it down. haa haaaa.

.November Books.

Bright Lights, Big Ass: Jen Lancaster  Funny, delightful memoir about how living in the city can kind of suck. Especially when you have fallen from your high financial class and now are working temp jobs trying to survive. This wasn't my favorite of hers but it wasn't horrible either. I know that I will always get a laugh out of her antics, like calling the police on her neighbors.

My Fair Lazy: Jen Lancaster  Jen finds her addicted to reality t.v. self not to be as cultured as those around her. After a few times of having a hard time talking with others about things not associated with reality t.v. or pop culture she decides to go Fair Lady on herself. With the help of her friends she begins her movement to become more cultured and refined. It's was fun to be along for the ride....as well as knowing that she never gives up her reality t.v. addiction but just handles it in smaller doses!

* I also think it's fun to read Jen Lancaster books because it was my sister's name before she got remarried.  I never knew my sister would be an author..haa *

Evil Genius: Catherine Jinx  First off, Jinx is an Australian author therefore the book takes place in Sydney and that made my heart very happy! I love reading and being like "OOHHHH...I know that place!!!"  It makes me feel proud and a tad bit special. Evil Genius is the first of a trilogy about Cadel Piggot. Cadel is a super genius, hacking into computers from a young age and graduating high school at 14 year olds. He is now attending Axis Institute that teaches people about world domination with classes like infiltration, hacking, embezzlement, ect. The book is interesting and a thriller. You feel for Cadel during the whole book and find yourself cheering for him when he begins to find himself. 

Genius Squad: Catherine Jinx  The Axis Institute was been blown up and Prosper English is in jail. Cadel finds himself in a lousy foster home until he mets a team of teenage hackers that offer him a place on the Genius Squad. The Genius Squad is formed to find information on GenoMe, a business associated with Prosper English.  Finally Cadel feels safe and useful again, but those feelings don't last to long. 

                                      

Goal Update:

43/50 books

eeekkk...I have to read 7 books in Dec. 

I better get to a reading if I want to reach my goal!!!

.hanging up the stockings.

If you are wondering.....yes, I will be posting the decorations of my apartment up. Why? Because I think they are cute, they may inspire someone else, and mostly because I can!

After taking my Christmas decorations out of their Christmas storage tub, I knew that I needed to rethink my decorations. I guess my former self thought I would end up being a glitzy holiday person because I kept buying silver and purple ornaments, and anything that shined during Christmas clearance sales. I however did not turn into this type of person and have now donated said decorations to the Goodwill.  I hope that someone who is fancy and likes a good deal finds them!

So over the next few days I will share with you some of my decorations as I come up with new things to replace the old ones. Most of the items will be DIY with a few new items thrown in.

This year we purchased new stockings for ourselves. In the past years we have used mine and my moms stocking from my childhood. We decided that it was about time we have our own Shoave stockings and use the old ones for decoration. I found these cute ones at Target for $10 each. Maggie's doggie stocking was given to us by a friend, and it is just darling! I'm excited to put a little treat in it for her on Christmas morning!

The "give thanks" sign was left over from Thanksgiving and I didn't have the heart to throw it out! I made it using recycled book pages and it makes for a cute, easy, decoration. So after Thanksgiving it found a new home with our stockings.

I'm can't lie I really like how all the elements work together. We hung our stockings in an area that usually doesn't get much love, but now it has become one of my favorite little areas to look at. The little Christmas Bear you see in the corner of the photo was made from one of my mom's holiday sweatshirts.  My mom LOVED holiday turtlenecks and sweatshirts, she was always wearing one when she could! When I see/hold the teddy bear I can picture my mom perfectly and feel her love. 

.diy christmas tree.

 Over the last year a lot of things have changed for Dave and I. One of the biggest changes for us is not having one of us working on salary, bringing home the bacon. We now both work lower end wage jobs, therefore we don't have the income we once did before moving to Australia. Since we are now in a different financial range we are making lots of changes. One of these changes is how we approach the holiday season. My goal is to make almost all my gifts and holiday decorations. 

This year I took a whole different approach to a Christmas tree. Since we live in an apartment and don't have much space to store a tree, I decided to make one.  

It's not big or grand but it does bring the Christmas tree shape and spirit! What I did was take some gift tags, write the dates of the December on them, add some rope from another craft project, and tape them up! Yep...it really is that easy!!

I also wrote on the back of each tag something that Dave and I can do to help us reconnect or get into the holiday spirit. We have really enjoyed doing the items on the back of the tags, they have relaxed us a lot during a crazy time of the year. 

Some of the things we have done so far this month is: listen to Christmas music, turn off the tv and read a book, play a fun game, drink yummy hot chocolate, and make a meal together. I always look forward to turning over the next card to see what we have in store for the next two days! 

Our tree may be unconventional, but it is great for us. Not only do we have our spot to put presents under the Christmas tree  but it also makes sure that we are stay connected and relaxed as a family unit. It's easy to lose track of what Christmas means with the fast pace of shopping, parties, and baking. The daily reminders and activities we do help us cherish our time together and reflect on what the holiday season means to us. 

.WIW: grandma style.

A while back we joined our friend for a tour of Schell's Brewery located in Southern Minnesota. I had recently purchased a new pair of pants and was eager to wear them out and about. When I was in line to get tickets for a tour, ahead of me was a gaggle of older woman dressed as grandma's do.  I looked down at my outfit and it hit me, I do look pretty cute BUT I also kinda look like a grandma!

SOOOOO Here is my take on grandma style with a hip twist:

.the details.

shirt: TJMAXX // cardigan: Old Navy

pants: TJMAXX // shoes: Target

necklace & brooch: Forever 21

I'm not going to lie, I am in love with this outfit! I love the color of the pants, I think they are bright, fun, and a little out there. Oh the shoes...oh the shoes...they are perfect and go soooo well with green. It took awhile for me to break them in, but now they feel great on my feet.
Even though I think this an outfit my grandma would have rocked, I will still rock this outfit when I get a chance. I even recently wore it to an interview meet and greet at a bar for LivingSocial. I think it shows the perfect combination of fun, trendy, and a little professional.

I wasn't sure if you could see the line on the pants in the front,  I think it's a fun little touch!

.go vote.

I voted by absentee ballot last week ...

and I was super pumped when I sent it in!!

It doesn't matter who you vote for...

JUST GO VOTE!!!

This is such a huge deal and we are privileged to be able to vote, 

please express your opinions and voice by voting!

.october books.

Just so you know...I ROCKED it this month in the reading department!! I'm pretty excited to share with you the books that I read. Now that it's getting colder outside and I don't have to train for any races I'm taking the time to snuggle under a blanket and keep company with a good book.

Let's get on with it....drum roll please....HERE THEY AAARRRREEEEE:

Geek Love: Katherine Dunn   I have tried to describe this book many times to friends, but I just can't seem to do it justice! It's about a carny family (who created their own side-show children), growing up, loving who you are, and family values. I really loved this book, I found it interesting and continuously intriguing. I highly recommend it!

Source 

Jemima J: A Novel About Ugly Ducklings and Swans Jane Green  Story about Jemima Jones falling in love with herself and then with the man of her dreams. Jemima Jones has low self esteem, she is overweight and feels invisible. She meets a guy over the internet (late 1990s) and send him a picture of her that has been photoshopped to show her about 100lbs. slimmer. She falls for the guy online and then pushes herself to lose the weight for when she flys across the world to meet him. Things happen, happiness and sadness occur, and then in the end she gets her happy ending! YAY for love stories. This was a good, quick, easy read. I enjoyed it. 

Source

Mostly True: Brian Andreas   Short little poems and pictures. Read it and then donated it. Not a keeper.

A Wrinkle In Time: Madeleine L'Engle  I picked this up at the airport because I was looking for a cheaper book (yay Young Adult) that would grab my attention. This is a book I feel like EVERYONE (yep..everyone) read when they were younger, but nope that me. The story follows a young girl and her little brother as they travel in space/time to rescue their father. L'Engle discusses themes of conformity, individuality, conquering your fear, and having faith in the unknown. This was a good book (and my first sci-fi one!). I have it saved to give to my niece next time I see her!

Source

On The Bright Side, I'm Now The Girlfriend of a Sex God: Louise Rennison  Follows Georgia, a 14 yr. old British girl, while she tries to win back a good looking, older boy. The book is in form of her diary in which is complains and loves like most 14 year old girls who are in looooovvveeeee.  This is just one in a series...and the series was recommended to me...I think reading just this one was good for me. If I had a boy crazy teenage niece I would give her these books. 

Source

Edgar Allan: John Newfeld  This was a quick, touching read. A white family adopts a young black boy. The town becomes upset and threatens the family, telling them to to return the child. The family makes a hard, heart tearing decision that affects each member differently. 

Source

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children: Ransom Riggs  This book was great! I read it within a few days because I couldn't put it down!! The story follows Jacob as he tries to figure out his grandpa's last words. He finds himself learning more about himself as he discovers his grandpa's past, his peculiar friends, and their way of living. Jacob becomes a hero that he never thought he would or could be.  I highly recommend this book to everyone!

goal update: 

39/50 books

I'm getting closer and closer to my goal! 

It's finally starting to feel like I can accomplish it.

Currently reading:

What are you reading?

.WIW: Halloween.

Happy Halloween Everyone!  

I'm on a quick break from work and wanted to share with you my halloween costume. I work at a used bookstore and was excited to be able to dress up (as well as see other dress up!).  My first outfit idea was to be Mickey Mouse, but I feel asleep at 7p.m. last night and didn't get my ears. So I woke up this morning and had to figure out a quick outfit! This is what I got from my closet:

1950s Housewife:

.the details. 

shirt: Lane Bryant // skirt: Mossimo

apron: grandma's //  shoes: Mossimo

pearl earrings and necklace: grandma's

dishgloves and dishrag in apron pocket 

Not to shabby for a quick morning decision!

Tonight I plan on watching Rocky Horror Picture Show, 

what are your plans?

.what i'm watching now.

I gotta be honest with ya...I watch probably a little to much t.v., especially on Monday's. I have had a few Monday's off now and instead of being productive, I find myself with my booty on the couch for a few hours. Don't worry...I still get my stuff done just not in that "I'm Gonna Conquer The Day Way".  Dave and I only get basic cable but we pay a little extra to have On Demand Boost, so I can watch shows from channels that we don't get regularly. Now almost all my t.v. watching is from On Demand..and I'm okay with that!

These are the shows I'm a little obsessed about right now (all of these take place on Sunday night...that is why on Monday's I laze around watching tv):

The Walking Dead: 

I started watching this show on Netflix when I was sick this fall...I wondered what all they hype was about it. Then I got hooked, finished the first season and then went straight to On Demand to watch the second season. Now everyone Monday I watch last nights episode of Season Three. It is one of the show's I look forward to, I wish we had AMC so I could watch it when it is on the first time.

Dexter:

Oh, Dexter...how I do love thee. I have watched over the years and will probably watch until the end. This season is not as good as the prior ones but it has finally started picking up. At the beginning of the season Deb found out he was a serial killer and tried to basically put him into a rehab for it. But it's really only good when Dexter is on the hunt, which finally his is! Dave and I have Showtime just so we could catch up on Dexter and now we keep it for Dexter and.....

Homeland:

This was another show that we started on our Showtime Preview and got obsessed with. Homeland is one of the best shows out there right now. It is thrilling, has you asking questions, and wondering what is going to happen next. This is the one show that on Sunday nights I HAVE to watch! I then tell Dave, " OH MY GOD...YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT!" and then I rewatch it with him sometime during the week. 

And because I'm a maid of honor next year in a wedding I feel like it is my duty to watch these shows as well:

These are my guilty guilty pleasures that I watch while doing other things around the house. As the great maid of honor I am I have to see what decorations are being used, how to diffuse a crazy bride, etc.

What are you watching?

What show is one that you can't miss?