Bucket List: Spring and Summer into Fall 2018

Well, I'm a few days late, but happy beginning of fall!  I meant to post my fall bucket list to link-up with with Leslie's crew last week, but life got a little bit too busy.  Speaking of busy, I never posted my spring bucket list update or even created a summer bucket list!  That's okay, it was kind of nice having two seasons to check-off my intended-for-spring activities.  And here we are with a fresh, fall start!

Before I post my fall to-dos, let's take a look at what I accomplished this spring and summer!

1.  Plant something. You know what, I JUST did this a couple of weekends ago.  We bought a beautiful, burgundy mum bush at our local farmer's market and planted it just in time for fall!

2.  Go for one walk a week.  Nope, I think we did this a total of twice.  Oh well, I feel like Justin and I are pretty active and we weren't just sitting around being bums for two straight seasons.

3.  Try a new top ten Grand Rapids restaurant each month (a continuation from my winter bucket list).  YES!  We have been having so much fun trying new-to-us restaurants.  One of our favorites from this list might even be the venue where we hold our rehearsal dinner!

4.  Visit the zoo.  We had so much fun attending a Rock, Roar and Pour event at the Grand Rapids zoo.  This event was adults-only and you could carry alcoholic beverages around the zoo with you while viewing the animals.  There was also a live band and great food to enjoy.  I definitely want to go to another one of these in the future!

5.  Spontaneously get donuts some weekend morning.  It might not have been super-spontaneous, but after running a 5k, a group of friends and I got HARRY POTTER THEMED DONUTS as a reward.  Yep, a local donut joint had a special Harry Potter day.  We waited in line for about an hour but those donuts were totally worth it!

6.  Run a 10k.  YES YES YES!  I ran (no walking) my first 10k and finished under my goal time!  It helped that Justin had proposed along the race course (overlooking a beautiful bay) the night before.  I almost didn't notice how tired I was when I passed that special lookout.

7.  Make or buy a spring wreath.  Oh goodness, this feels like so long ago, but yes, my best friend and I spent an afternoon crafting and that yellow floral wreath hung on our front door until this weekend.

8.  Go-out for ice cream.  Justin and I checked this off the list a few times.

9.  Read something outside of the box.  I read Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett.  My dad and I actually read this at the same time (it's right up his alley) and had our own little book club to discuss it.  Despite not usually reading books in this genre (espionage/war thriller), I really enjoyed it and the book moved along really quickly.

10.  Start the Star Wars series.  So, I might just not be a Star Wars fan.  We watched one half of the first movie.  That's it for two whole seasons!  Ha!  But you know what, it's a start!

9 outta 10 ain't bad, even if it took double the amount of time I intended!  And now it's time for fall!  Here's what I plan to accomplish.

1.  Go for one outdoor run (I usually run at the gym).

2.  Purchase some gear to wear to a local high school's football game.

3.  Send-in some clothes to ThredUp.

4.  Watch all of the Halloween movie franchise in preparation for the new movie coming-out.

5.  Do 30 days of at-home yoga.

6.  Make something pumpkin flavored.

7.  Attend Art Prize (a big-time art festival in Grand Rapids).

8.  Try a new top ten Grand Rapids restaurant each month (a continuation).

9.  Taste each of Sweetland's (a local coffee joint) special fall drinks.

10.  Go wedding dress shopping!

Gingham and Rose

Ahh, it's finally feeling like fall around here!  And while I'm brushing the dust off of my scarves and ankle books, I'm saying goodbye to some of my favorite outfits of the summer...and this is one of them!

I love pairing feminine dresses with a classic pair of Converse.  Pink Converse that match my pink Nickel and Suede earrings solidified this outfit's position at the top of my list.  But do you know what really made this outfit number one in my book?!

The first time I wore it, Justin proposed!  Yep, my beautiful, rose gold engagement ring completed this look.  And now, every time I wear this combination, I think back to that happy moment in May.

And with that, my friends, it's time to head into fall fashion!  Over at The Blended Blog we're celebrating all things plaid.  Make sure to link-up your best plaid looks below.  By the way, gingham counts as plaid, right?!

J'adore 9.14.18

Welcome to J'adore, my weekly space for sharing what makes me happy lately.

1.  Canned Rosé.  Hi, I'm Whitney, and I'm basic.  Yep, I'm totally on board the rosé bandwagon.   Justin on the other hand, not so much.  It's not that he dislikes the wine, it's just that he would prefer a beer (preferably a craft beer brewed in our home town).  For this reason, I'm loving canned rosé.  I can enjoy my wine without having to open an entire bottle.  And I've found a few kinds that I really like: House Wine, Eufloria, and Bollincini.

2.  Lore.  I've got another podcast recommendation for you!  I'm only a few episodes in but I'm really enjoying Lore, a podcast during which the host tells spooky tales about classic scary archetypes like vampires and werewolves...but with a historical twist.  You get the facts behind the characters that have been haunting us for centuries!  Plus, the podcast was just turned into a series on Amazon Prime.

3.  Bath and Body Works Customer Service.  Okay, this one is a bit odd.  But I had the best customer service from Bath and Body Works this past week.  I mentioned in this post that I ordered all the fall scented things from BaBW.  I was so excited for my goodies to arrive but was then a bit disappointed when one of my candles arrived shattered.  I e-mailed BaBW customer service at about 9:00pm asking what to do and if I could get a replacement.  By the time I woke-up at 5:30, I had received an e-mail saying that I didn't need to do a thing and that a replacement candle had been ordered for me.  What service!  Not to mention I'm loving my fall smells, particularly this candle and this lotion.

Falling in Love with Camo

Oh my gosh, does it feel good to be getting back into the swing of blogging!  I've missed "visiting" with my blogging friends through reading your posts and commenting back and forth to each other.

Speaking of blogging friends, over at The Blended Blog we've just begun our Fall Fashion Frenzy series.  Each Wednesday, we would love for you to post an outfit following our weekly prompts and link-up with us!

This week, we are showing our love for camo, which is shaping-up to be a pretty popular print this fall.  Admittedly, I haven't always been into camo.  I've liked it on others but it hasn't felt very me.  I've found, though, camo with a touch of femininity is something I can be on board with!

I grabbed this super-soft, camo sweatshirt during a recent American Eagle sale and was so excited to wear it that I chose it for our very first cool-weather day!  I love that it's in pinky, soft hues instead of the typical green camo (it comes in blue as well).  If you are a traditional, green camo-lover, they also have this comfy-looking sweatshirt!

What I'm Wearing:
Sweathsirt: American Eagle (exact)
Vest: Eddie Bauer (similar)
Leggings: Fabletics (similar)
Sneakers: Keds (exact)

Where I'm Linking-Up

Ana Luisa Jewelry Review

Well hello there, and happy Monday!  Did you have a nice weekend?  Up here in Grand Rapids, Michigan we enjoyed our first taste of fall weather.  Justin and I enjoyed the crisp air while wandering our local farmer's market (my new favorite Saturday morning activity).  We even purchased a couple of squashes, a sure sign that autumn is here!

For my first style post after my summer hiatus, I have a little something special to share!  A few months ago, Ana Luisa Jewelry reached-out and offered to send me a couple pieces of jewelry to review.  I'm so excited to show you what I picked today!

Before I tell you about the specific pieces, I want to share a bit more about Ana Luisa.  Ana Luisa Jewelry creates individually hand-crafted, designer pieces.  The aspect that I find most intriguing about their collections are that they are released in limited quantities.  The jewelry that you choose will truly be a special and unique piece that you won't see anyone else wearing.  How cool!

As soon as I saw the Julia Disc Earrings, I knew that I wanted to add them to my earring collection.  I'm not into huge, heavy earrings, but I do love a pair that make a statement.  These are perfect!  The neutral pallet make them easy to pair with just about everything and they earrings really add a pop when paired with your classic basics.

The second piece I chose is the beautiful Carmen Cuff Bracelet.  I think this is a timeless piece that will never go out of style.  It's simple enough to wear every day but also has a bit of sparkle that would add to a more formal look.

If you love these pieces as much as I do, make sure to sign-up (it's free) with Ana Luisa so that you have access to all of their limited-release collections!  I also have a coupon code for you.  Use WHITNEY15 to get $15 off of your order!  I've just taken a look at their New Release section and am pretty much in love with these earrings.

If you could have any piece from the collection, what would you choose?

J'adore 9.7.18

Welcome to J'adore, my weekly space for sharing what makes me happy lately.

1.  Someone Knows Something.  I mentioned on Wednesday that I love a good true crime podcast (or book, or tv show).  If you're into that sort of thing, I recommend Someone Knows Something.  Each season, the host investigates a cold case in hopes of jogging the memory of someone close to the victim.  I just finished season 2, about a woman from Canada who went missing a few days after being proposed to on live television.

2.  Elder Millennial.  Iliza Shlesinger is one of my favorite stand-up comedians.  Perhaps it's because we are approximately the same age so I can relate to a lot of her humor.  That or she's just plain funny!  In either case, I highly recommend her most recent Netflix special, Elder Millennial.  If you watch it, you'll have to let me know what you think!

3.  Healthy Choice Simply Steamers.  Normally I get the summers off from having to think about packing a lunch every day.  Since I didn't get that breather this year, I've really been struggling with thinking of health and EASY meals to take to work with me.  Recently I found the Simply Steamers line by Healthy Choice.  The meals are quite tasty considering they come from the freezer and I appreciate the simple ingredients and low number of calories.  If you are looking for a lunch refresher, give these a try!

Currently: September 2018

starting: another MSU football season!  For the first time since I sat in the student section, I have my very own season tickets!  I'll be cheering-on the Spartans in seats next to my parents, fiancé and a great family friend for every.single.game.  Go GREEN!

buying: all of the fall-scented things.  Yep, I went to town on a Bath and Body Works order the other evening.  I stocked-up on soaps for all of our sinks, lotions, body wash and candles for every single room!  I'll keep you posted in regards to which scents I love the most.

sharing: my favorite true crime podcasts.  I've realized lately that every time a friend asks for a podcast recommendation, my favorites are all crime-related.  Does that make me a weird?!  I just love my murder mysteries!

reading: Sunburn, which was actually a recommendation of Anne's!  This novel is totally up my alley since I love a good psychological thriller.  Although, like Anne (if I'm remembering her review correctly), I'm not loving (or trusting) the main character.  I always like books a little less when I can't root for the lead character.  Still a worth-while read, though!

recording: my training runs.  Friends, I've really slacked in my running for the last month or so.  I love that my new work schedule allows for me to run in the morning, but I keep saying yes to more sleep instead of to the gym.  But I have a couple of races coming up and I really want to get back to it!  

Linking-up with Anne.

TBB Asks: All Things Cozy

Hey, y'all!  Happy Labor Day!  What are you doing to celebrate?  My handsome fiancé and I are sleeping-in, heading to a local hot dog joint, and then spending the rest of the day relaxing. 

As I'm easing back into blogging this month, I thought it would be fun (and easy) to participate in this months TBB Asks which is about All Things Cozy.  And I'm happy to talk about this topic because I'm one of those girls that's ready to switch to everything fall as soon as September begins!

1.  Slippers? Yes!  I'm not a big fan of socks so I love having cozy slippers to wear around the house.  My favorite pair feature a grey cat that looks just like my little guy, Izzo!

2.  What is your favorite blanket?  Favorite blanket?!  How about ALL the blankets?!  I suppose my favorite is whichever is closest when I'm feeling chilly or like napping...even during the summer!

3.  Thin or thick pillow? Two medium pillows stacked together, to be exact.

4.  Favorite warm beverage? A vanilla latte with oat milk from Sweetland, a Grand Rapids coffee (and candy) shop!

5.  Robe?  Not really.  I like the idea of robes but usually end-up reaching for cozy cardigans or big sweatshirts instead.

6.  Favorite comfort snack or food?  A bowl of chili with some cornbread!

7.  Movies or TV series binge?  TV series binges all the way!  Justin and I just finished reading Ordeal By Innocence by my favorite author, Agatha Christie, so we're ready to binge the mini-series on Prime!

8.  Actual PJs or leggings?  I like leggings for hanging around the house but I do prefer some big, comfy pajamas for sleeping.

9.  Do you cozy-up on the couch or a chair?  Couch all the way!  We recently purchased a new couch with a section called a cuddler.  Need I say more?!

10.  Hoodie, t-shirt or sweater?  Most definitely a Michigan State hoodie!'