Currently: February 2019

anticipating: wedding registry shopping!  In a couple of week's Justin and I will hit our local Macy's to start creating our wedding registry.  You better believe I've been enjoying some online window shopping in preparation.  For those married ladies and gentlemen out there, what is your favorite gift you received from your registry?  We'll have to add it to ours.

going: on a two-year anniversary getaway with Justin!  Since this is the last "dating anniversary" that we will celebrate before we get married, we're planning a weekend trip to East Lansing (the town where I was living when we met and where we went on our first date).  We will be staying warm and cozy at this adorable bed and breakfast.  Our only planned outings are for meals at some of our favorite restaurants in mid-Michigan.

making: lots of comfort foods.  With winter in full-swing around here, all I want to do is read a book under my heated blanket and cook warm, satisfying meals.  I love all of the variations of bubble-up biscuit casseroles from the blog Emily Bites.  Her Bubble Up Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Bake did not disappoint!  Justin gave it two thumbs up as well.

watching: The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, the fun and slightly creepier remake of one of my childhood favorites, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (Melissa Joan Hart 4ever).  It's always a bit nerve-wracking when one of your favorite shows comes back (please don't ruin it!) but the new version is just different enough that I feel I can enjoy both the new and the old shows.  Check-out Chilling Adventures on Netflix!

wearing: some new workout wear!  I've now committed to a half-marathon training program and I've rewarded myself with a couple new exercise pieces from the Gap.  I'm particularly pumped about this tank and legging combination.

Who I Am with Brand Squawk

Are you a fan of graphic tees?  I definitely am!  I think they are a fun (and sometimes cheeky) way to share who you are with the world.  When Collette, the mastermind behind Brand Squawk, gave The Blended Bloggers an opportunity to showcase a graphic tee, I was super excited to pick a new one.

But which one to choose?!  So many of Collette's long-sleeve tees, short-sleeve shirts and sweatshirts called to me.  But first wine could be my evening mantra.  But then, adventure awaits expresses my wanderlust.  And I totally love the message on this sweatshirt!

Ultimately I chose this baseball tee.  Running has been a bit part of my life lately!  This will be the year that I train for and run my first half marathon.  And the more I do it, the more I find that it really does ease my anxiety and put me in a better mood.  Running truly is cheaper than therapy!

So tell me, which graphic tee from Brand Squawk would you choose?  If you find the perfect tee for you, use my code whitney20 for 20% off your order!

What I'm Wearing:
Tee: Brand Squawk (exact)
Jeans: American Eagle (exact)
Boots: Sorel (exact)

J'adore 2.1.19 Polar Vortex Edition

Welcome to J'adore, my weekly space for sharing what makes me happy lately.  If you live anywhere near the Midwest or have turned-on the news lately, you may know that a large part of the country is experiencing a polar vortex.  Temperatures below zero plus lots and lots of snow have dominated the week around these parts.  In true Michgander fashion, I'm loving the snow and the excuse to cuddle-up under a blanket with a good book.  I've even gotten a few snow days off from work (who knew this could happen to non-teachers?!).  For today's J'adore post, I want to share with you three favorites in my polar vortex survival kit.

1.  SOREL Explorer Joan Boots: After coming to terms with the fact that cute winter footwear is worth a splurge when you live in the state of Michigan, I purchased these boots.  And let me tell you, they are worth every penny!  They are cute enough to wear out-and-about but are still totally warm and practical.  I love them so much that I've decided to save my money to purchase a dressier pair of SOREL boots next winer.

2.  Sweet Bee Knits Hat: So my mom's cousin's daughter (I'm not sure what that makes her in relation to me, but she feels like a cousin) started her own Etsy shop full of adorable, handmade hats, headbands and scarves.  I ordered custom, Michigan State colored hats for my sister and me this fall and the hats are perfect!  So warm and well-made!  If you are looking for a unique winter piece, check-out her shop.

3.  The Ted Bundy Tapes: If you're a true crime fan, you must check-out the new documentary about Ted Bundy on Netflix.  I knew the general story about Ted Bundy's serial killings but there are so many creepy details I'm learning about for the first. time.  Definitely worth a binge watch during a blizzard!

J'adore 1.11.18- Aerie Try-On Edition

Welcome to J'adore, my weekly space for sharing what makes me happy lately.  This week I'm doing things a little differently.  You see, yesterday I had some American Eagle/Aerie reward money to spend, so I popped-over to the mall after work for a little try-on session.  Here are three of the softest sweaters that I fell in love with and want to share with you!

After all of the yellows and oranges of the fall then the reds and greens of the holidays, I'm ready for some fresh colors in January  The beautiful fuschia color of this sweater caught my eye immediately!  I don't typically think of a ribbed knit as being soft, but this one is!  It fits true to size (I'm wearing a medium) if you are going for an over-sized look.

Now this is the sweater I was looking for when I headed to Aerie.  The color and little bobbles on front drew me in.  Unfortunately, it's rather see-through.  I know myself and I won't wear a tank top underneath so this sweater did not come home with me.  But if you're willing to layer, this is a beauty!  This is my typical size medium.

Ladies and gentlemen (if there are any gentlemen who read this blog), here is the sweater that I will be wearing for the next three months!  Yep!  This is the one that came home from me.  My typical medium fits super slouchy, which I love and the knit is so so soft!

A couple of final thoughts.  All of these sweaters are machine washable (I don't know about you, but I'm trying to be more conscious of picking garments that will be easy to care for).  Also, it seems that all American Eagle sweaters are on sale right now.  Happy shopping and happy Friday, friends!

Wedding Planning: Engagement Photos

I am just so excited to share this post with you!  In December, Justin and I took engagement pictures with the lovely Abby Fox Photography.  The morning of our photos, we woke-up to a blanket of freshly fallen snow -- the perfect backdrop for our Christmas tree farm setting.

I couldn't be more pleased with our pictures.  Everything is just perfect, from Justin's handsome smile, to the outfits we chose and our time spent with Abby.  I think the pictures are magical!

For our first outfits, I wanted something a bit glamorous.  I have actually owned this sequined dress for about five years but I had never worn it before.  I loved it so much that I wanted to save it for something special.  I had already decided to debut it for our rehearsal dinner but thought that it's so beautiful, I might as well wear it for the dinner and our engagement pictures!

I wanted a more "everyday" look for our second outfits at the Christmas tree farm.  We each picked a couple of our favorite sweaters to choose from when we realized that these are the exact outfits we wore on our first date!  That made these looks the obvious choice.

Call us crazy cat people, but Izzo and Hemi are an important part of our family and we wanted them to be in a few of our engagement pictures.  That kind of sparked the idea of doing some cozy, Christmas pajama photos.

I couldn't finish this post without a few pictures of this sparkler!  The second photo includes a my Great Grandma Winnie's engagement ring box that just used when he proposed.  And I just adore the pictures of the ring with the original due in my life, Izzo!

Again, I just couldn't love these pictures more!  If you are in the West Michigan area, I highly recommend Abby Fox Photography.  We can't wait for her to take our wedding pictures!

J'adore 1.4.19

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

1.  Our Wedding Website: A couple of Sundays ago, I spent about five hours (yes, five hours) working on our wedding website.  The most time-consuming part was our page of Grand Rapids recommendations for our guests.  Despite the time spent working on the website, I had a lot of fun doing it and I'm really happy with how it's turned-out!

2.  Drinkwell Mini Pet Fountain: For Christmas, Justin and I bought this drinking fountain for Hemi and Izzo.  Izzo loves to have his water bowl refreshed so this constantly refreshing fountain is perfect.  It also has filters to trap the cat fur that inevitably ends-up floating in a regular bowl.  It might make Justin and me happier than it does the cats!

3.  Land's End Winter Coat: I purchased a new everyday coat last week after a careful search for exactly what I wanted, and I absolutely love it!  Unfortunately, the pretty green color I ordered is sold-out but there are still a couple of colors available.  The coat is super warm and super comfortable.  I recommend sizing-up for a roomier, I-can-fit-a-sweater-underneath fit.  

Currently: January 2019

choosing: a wedding gown!  I went dress shopping at BHLDN in Chicago last month and I may have found the one!  I have another bridal gown shopping date on Saturday with my mom and best friend, Nicole, to make sure there isn't a better dress out there for me.  I plan to make my decision this weekend!

tidying: umm, everything!  A busy fall of Michigan State football games seemed to flow directly into a crazy holiday schedule, and our house reflects the chaos.  I'm ready for a slower season so that Justin and I can get everything back in order.  Further, we're looking to really clean-out our office and to convert our basement into a guest bedroom.  Lots of fun and organizing to be had! (Photo credit)

resolving: to eat healthier and get back to running.  I know these seem like cliché resolutions, but for me, these are goals that follow the holidays pretty naturally.  Christmas food is delicious but I'm so over stuffing my face and am ready to get back to healthier eating.  Plus, I'm going to start training for the half marathon (!!!) I'm running in May.

exploring: wedding invitation options.  Now that we have less than a year until we say "I do," it's time for Justin and I to start actually making decisions about wedding details.  Our first step is to pick stationery.  We are looking forward to meeting with Katie Makes for some custom paper goods ideas!

refreshing: my reading list.  With a slower January, I'm looking forward to having more time for books.  What was the best book you read in 2018?  I'll add it to my Goodread's list!  (Photo credit goes to one of my favorite bookstagram accounts).

Linking-up with Anne.