Fall Closet Preview

By this time of year, I am so ready for the weather to cool down and to break out cardigans and boots. Truth be told, I've already lit a pumpkin candle or two and started preparations for my housewarming party in October, more on that later.... The weather here has been so awful and the fires burning right now have been absolutely crushing, burning thousands upon thousands of acres of land, homes, animals, etc. For more information on the fires and to find out how you can support those affected, please click here. That said, it's been hard to enjoy the last few weeks of summer and all I can wish for is cooler temperatures!

On a lighter note, I finally went school shopping for the coming year, which I haven't done in years! I purchased a bunch of great items for even better prices. I've been working all summer long so it felt good to be able to indulge a little. Since fall's color scheme changes so drastically from the bright summer colors, I felt I needed to get some more variety in my closet to be able to survive the upcoming school year without having to tear my closet apart every morning looking for something to wear.
You can view my Fall Outfit Inspiration board on Pinterest or I have attached some of my favorite looks in my closet for this season below. These are my versions of how you can where these outfits for less. I had such a fun time creating these looks in my closet and also on Polyvore. You can view my account here.

   

Hat:Target - Leopard Scarf:Burlington - Striped Scarf:Gordmans - Shirt:Ross 

Watch:Charming Charlie - Leggings:Rue21 - Boots:Gordmans

         

Hat:Target - Cardigan:Shopko - Shirt:Gordmans - Necklace:Ross 

Bracelets:Vanity - Jeans: JCPenney - Boots:Target 

 

Headband: Rue21- Shirt: JCPenney- Necklace:Ross - Belt:Gordmans - Skirt:Ross 

    

Shirt: Ross - Glasses:Forever21 - Tank:Gordmans - Leggings:H&M - Boots:Gordmans

                              

Photos by Barefoot in Boise Photography

Progress Update

I have been beyond busy with work, work, and more work so I'm taking a few minutes to slab together a progress post of the current yard work I'm doing. When I bought this house, I knew I was going to need to do a lot on the outside before I could really enjoy it. 

This is exactly the way I bought it. (The unfinished INTERIOR door was fully painted when purchased)  *FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERS* Please, please, please bring one of those silly printable checklists with you. I saw many of them and thought, "Eh, I'll see anything major, no need for a list." WRONG. It's easy to fall in love and get excited by the good stuff that you can look right over some major flaws. The doors on my home were both interior and not exterior doors, so in the Fall when the temperatures cooled and it rained and eventually when it started to snow, the door swelled and I could not open my front door for months. How awesome is that? 

My boyfriend bought a tiller and tilled the entire front and back yards. It was a process that lasted more than a month. As you can imagine, the dust was beyond control. I felt like a dust bunny in a dust bowl that would never end! Oh yeah, and add two dogs to that mix. Well, as of yesterday, I had the yards hydro-seeded and I cannot wait to see the results. Don't mind the mess in the front yard. You'll notice we kind of got caught tearing out the wooden walkways and were up until 2:00 am trying to rush the night before to get it all done in time. So just picture some perfectly lush grass, fun plants and rock lining the sidewalk and me plopped in a lawn chair in the backyard with 4,000 square feet of freshly mowed grass beneath my bare feet sipping on an ice cold drink! I'm even thinking of adding a volleyball net in the back. :) If you want to see what ideas I have brewing for my yard, you can view and follow my Pinterest Yard and Garden Board here.

   

                           
               

                      

I Chose Happy

My life has been pretty crazy, busy these last few months. I posed on Facebook a while back when this all happened, but for those who only follow my blog, I will share it in more detail. I had been pretty unhappy at my job for the last six months or so I was there and I was just very unsettled with where I was at and what I was doing. I had a great co-worker who helped me get through everything and I can't thank her enough! Back in December I applied for a job with the school district. It was a shot in the dark but the timing couldn't have been more perfect! I could hardly believe that at the time that I was ready, it was very likely I was going to get an out! After days of anxiously waiting, I got a call back that they offered it to someone who had had previous experience in this field. I was crushed, but I felt like it was too good to be true so I decided to put my head down and just go to work and not take it personally. 

About two months later, another position opened up and I jumped all over it. My current boss, at the time, found out I was looking for other work and instantly reduced my pay and hours until he could find a replacement. That's the kind of environment I knew I had to get away from. That very day, I got a call from the school district saying they wanted to offer me the job for the first position I had initially applied for. I was ecstatic to say the least! The next day I showed up to work ready to quit my job and leave it all behind me and never look back. It was the BEST feeling knowing that I was getting out of that place. It was so toxic, I cannot even begin to explain.... 

On a bright, shiny, cheery note, since having taken this new job, my life has changed so much for the better. I remember crying every night because I hated my job. Now, I laugh 100 times a day, I work with an amazing staff, and I get to work with kids! I seriously thank my lucky stars and count my blessings because I am in such a better place. 

I have been very independent my entire life and always battle when life gets tough. Going from employers who would tell an absolute lie to save their own back, deal dishonestly and have no loyalty or appreciation for your hard work is not easy, but it has shown me a lot about myself. I realize that I am smart, desirable and deserving. I am strong enough to leave and do not have to stay anywhere that I'm not appreciated and where the environment isn't healthy and fulfilling. 

So, if you're in the same shoes, my advice to you is leave. I used to think about how good the money was and that that would be reason enough to stay. How wrong I was. There are still good people out there who will pay good money and will be respectful and want to have you around. This is no fairytale, of course, as everything in life has a villain, or a rain cloud that pops by every once in a while. But all the good outweighs the bad and I couldn't be more grateful for the place I am at and the people who support me through it all.

DIY Pols Potten Pineapple

One of my favorite and most simple DIY's from a few months ago. I was thrift shopping and ran across this gem. While it was already perfect (I LOVE pineapple) I had a vision for it the minute I saw it sitting on the dusty shelf. I debated whether it was a necessary $6.00 but as you can see, the end product proves to be well worth the money! 

This Pols Potten decorative piece retails for $75.00! I could never imagine ever needing to spend that kind of money, so when I saw this, my mind-bulb illuminated and I got to work. I headed to Home Depot to get some spray paint. The range is vast there and I had a hard time deciding between the colors but for this particular project, I chose Rust-oleum Metallic Gold. I think the cost was around $5.00 making the total cost around $10.00 - 11.00.

Before....

After!

I seriously die over how good it turned out. I like the color of this paint more than some of the gold colored pieces I have in my home now so I'll most likely be changing them with this amazing spray paint! As always, make sure to leave drying time in between coats of paint. Other than that, literally the EASIEST project I've done! 

Happy 2015!!

I don't know about you, but I totally get sucked into the New Year's resolutions trend. I think it is a great time to clean your slate, try new things, expand your palate and make a fresh start. Forget about all the Christmas junk you ate last month, officially get over that loser ex-boyfriend and work towards something new.

Last year was pretty successful for me. I received two raises at work,  traveled a bit, changed my hair color, made it to the three year mark in my relationship and bought my very first home! I am pretty pleased with 2014 but I am looking to make some changes this year and can't wait to get started!

I posted on Instagram (@taytayaa) last night that yes, I am indeed one of those annoying gym goers that shows up on January 1st, but guess what, who cares! I have been totally annoyed with myself and my body for the last year and a half and I can't take another minute of it. While I know every body is different, I need to get moving and get to the point where I can say I love my body. Until then, I plan to be sweating it out in the gym. Santa brought me a new set of Tupperware so that I can meal prep weekly and more closely monitor portions. I have never pushed my body on my own before without a coach or teammates so I am excited to see what type of transformation lies ahead!

I am also going to try to start and stick to a savings plan and by setting an elected amount aside from each paycheck. Pinterest has a lot of good ideas to help you if you may need some ideas on how to get started. You can use this to help you save up for a trip, for a new purchase or just to help you keep some money in the bank. I will probably be using this for all!

I am so in love with my little house! I find myself thinking about it and DIY and decorating ideas ALL the time! It is so much fun to be able to have accomplished purchasing my own home and now I get to release the beast and pour out my creativity all over the place. My house goals for 2015 are to start the yard and garden landscape and then add my personal touches to every room! I have a few ideas brewing but since they all involve lots of money..... I will post pictures once they come to life!

I love to travel and once I plan a trip, it is all I can think about. I have been pretty fortunate to be able to do quite a bit of traveling. No matter where you're at in life, it's necessary to take a break and escape for a bit. It's ok if you can't take an elaborate vaca to Greece or Spain. Load up the car and get out of town for the weekend! 

   

Lastly, I just want to be truly happy. When I take a step back, I have everything I need to do so. I stress over lots of things and it's caused me nothing but loss of sleep and happiness. Every hour wasted with anxiety, negativity and stress is time we will never have back. Make a dart board with your bosses face or look for a different job, buy the shoes - no regrets, be a better person, apologize when necessary and move on! In case you haven't noticed, you can't control it all. Leave it to God, accept that you can only control yourself and let that be enough. Along with lots of prayers for strength, I plan to try yoga and positive meditation a few times a week to let go of stress and negativity and also to live more carefree!

Give Thanks

There was this cutest idea I saw on Pinterest and I decided to kind of make it my own. Now that Halloween has come and gone, I wanted to get my decorations packed up and put away and set the new ones out. I bought the big white pumpkin a few weeks ago and have been dying to be able to put it out. For this craft, I only had to spend $8.00 out of pocket!

Leaves - Dollar Tree: $1.00
Wreath Inserts - Hobby Lobby: $1.25
Sharpie - anywhere - $1.25
Bucket - Dollar Tree: $1.00
White Pumpkin - Michaels: $7.00
Hot Glue & Gun - Walmart: $12.00

I started by writing the phrase "GIVE THANKS" on my pumpkin then going back and tracing a thicker frame on each letter. It can be tricky to get the letters just the way you want since there are grooves but take your time and let it dry in between coats of tracing. 

Then I put the pumpkin in the bucket and hot glued the flowers, leaves and wreath inserts around the pumpkin's base. I found a white insert (not pictured) that I liked better with the colors of leaves and flowers so I used that instead. I found the white insert at Deseret Industries about three years ago!

The final product looks like this and I must say, the lettering turned out better than I thought it would! Happy Crafting :)