Christmas came early

It's below freezing today but I got some sunshine with these fab new pieces from the Stella & Dot spring collection.  This is a preview of what's to come but 3 (necklace, earrings and bracelet) of these items are available to purchase now - shop {here}!  How great is that?  Certainly brightens up this otherwise grey winter day.  Tell me which is your favorite?

Wonderful time of the year

This is my favorite time of year, well besides summer.  The holidays are the only thing that makes the cold worth it.  

I am starting to deck my halls and will hopefully get a tree next weekend.  I like to get a real tree, makes the house smell great.  Oh and I need to put up the outside lights but I hoping it is a little warmer one day this week.  Check back and hopefully I can get a whole house tour up!

Thankful

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough." ~ Oprah Winfrey

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Family

The last few days have been very much about family.  We lost a family member last week and said goodbye to her Thursday and Friday.  It's in these times that you see how strong the bonds of family are - blood or not.  

Last night I went to a benefit for a family friend - 27 years old and just diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer.  The amount of people that showed up to support her and her family not only by being there but by donating items for auctions and raffles and then buying the tickets and such to win them.  It was utterly amazing - over 800 people!

Going into Thanksgiving week, I feel very lucky to have such great people in my life.  Both those I am related to by blood and those that have become my family over the years!

New to me App

So I'm know I'm late to the game with Polyvore but now that I have a different need with my Stella & Dot business I have it a whirl. I put together the look is like to go with for my own thanksgiving look. Accessories all S & D of course. So tell me what do you think?

I had an open house today. Made some muffins, got some cookies and wine. And then no one came :(  I'm trying to hot a goal on my first month and I'm 4 days and $200 away. 

If you want to get a jump start on your holiday shopping please visit my site - www.stelladot.com/debbieoddi 

Right Now

So things at work are crazy right now.  I'm not really sure why, there is just a lot going on all of a sudden.  Ugh...

Here some things that are making me smile

We get an extra hour of sleep this weekend!!  Don't forget to change your clocks!  How cute is this picture I borrowed from {7th house on the left}?

I really, really want the Buttercup blow dryer from the DryBar.  The Twin ordered this set from QVC and it just shipped today.  Maybe I will let her test it out.  I am thinking its just as much the hairdryer as the fab person using it (at the drybar) that makes it so great.  I don't know that I will make the cut as the operator. (sorry for crappy screen shot pic)

I booked a trip to Steamboat Springs over new years last night!  My aunt, uncle and cousins will be there.  Can't wait to ring in 2014 on the slopes.

image via {here}

T.G.I.F.

Twinning

The pics of the Twin an I from my trip to TX are finally ready!  Here are some of my favs below.  Happy Friday!

Weekend Fun ~ BFF

Sometimes you just need a weekend with your BFF & then all things are right in the world again.  She doesn't live close enough, but 2 hours isn't that bad. I spent the weekend with my best friend from college.  (truth:  there are 4 with the title of BFF in my life)  It was a semi low key weekend but I was ok with that.  Our time together is what I was most looking forward to. At the moment we find ourselves both 32 and single...Cupid get off your ass would you.  We are waiting!  I am going to skip the play-by-play this time and just give you the pics.  Can't wait to see you again!

With a $10 donation for Breast Cancer Research we will both sport some pink locks until the end of the month.  Pretty cool.

New Stylist Alert

I am now a Independent Stylist for Stella & Dot and I am kinda excited about it!  I love their stuff and have been thinking about this for a while and finally pulled the trigger yesterday.  So far I have been very impressed with the company as a whole.  I will keep you posted, the inside scoop if you will.

I am looking forward to having fun and meeting all sorts of new people. And all the challenges and opportunities this will bring.  Don't be surprised if some jewel related posts show up now and then.  Who doesn't like looking at pretty things?  I mean come on, look at the boxes even!

I should get lots of these boxes in the mail later this week.  Oh the fun that is coming!  It will be like Christmas over here.

Warning - sales girl here :) - please check out my new website below and like my Facebook page.  Give-a-ways and specials coming soon!

w: www.stelladot.com/debbieoddi
fb: https://www.facebook.com/dream.sparkle.shine

Living Style

I am always changing thing in my house because my decisions never seem to make sense after the fact. I like something for a while and then it just doesn't work anymore.  Not with everything but with a lot of things.  I have a full vision for both my master suite and kitchen and know exactly what I want those rooms, more on that at some point.  But that will take time and money.  So that is on the back burner for now.  My shared living and dining space has been a struggle since I have moved in (3+ yrs ago).  

This is what my living room looks like now via my iPhone. The pillows are from Target and the art is a picture I took down the shore that was put on to canvas.  It was hung there as a surprise for me and I just never moved it.  It's too small for above the couch on its own.  This whole set up isn't terrible but isn't me either.  It's kinda funny since I bought this house I have been figuring out my style and I can see some sort of evolution of style if you can call it that.  I'll go back and find the pics from move in day.  And the pillows before these were country floral.  

And then I came across this image on {Pinterest} today from {the life styled} and a light bulb went off in my brain.  Why am I trying to be someone I'm not in my "house style"  Neutrals rule my wardrobe - black, white, grey, tan and then my accessories - gold and silver.  Why should my house be any different.  

While the sequins may be a little much for me, the overall look makes total sense.  So I will make a short list and look at what I already have to refresh my living room.  Here's hoping this is a look that will stick around.  

I love this bar

The Dry Bar that is... Oh I can only hope they open one near me soon.  And I am sure there are others but the peeps at the one in Houston made me a believer!  From the decor, to the champs to the awesome hair I left with it was amazing from start to finish.  I have always had stick straight hair and on the thin side.  It has really never looked this good.  Would I be nuts to drive to DC or NYC just for a blowout?

Happy

image via {here}

Mine...Mine...Mine

I am thinking of the seagulls in Finding Nemo...haha

Anyway I made the final payment on my Explorer this week.  Yip-eee.  That's one less payment every month now.  I have plans for some of the extra cash in the next few months but ultimately it will go to savings.  I feel like a grown up.  This is the first new car I ever purchased!

Weekend Fun ~ Houston style

I had a great long weekend with the Twin.  I left Friday and got home last night.  We did a lot of shopping and a lot of eating so I will spare you most of those pics! haha.  I finally went to the Drybar.  The one in Houston opened just in time for my visit. I will do a entire post just on that I loved it so much!

After Twin got home from her 10 mi run on Saturday morning we went to brunch at Max's Wine Dive.  The food was good - so good that I didn't notice my picture of my awesome Creme Brûlée French Toast didn't save until I was done eating.  <---fat girl!  We sat at the bar right in front of the giant ass containers of mimosas...heaven

The weather was kinda crappy (it hadn't rained in Houston in 3 months and of course there was big storm Friday and Saturday).  So we went shopping and had a nice relaxing night. She looks good in this chair at Crate and Barrel.  

 It was good to just hang in with her since we don't get to see each other all the time.  

Sunday was the biggest day of the weekend - I had my first breakfast taco but I guess this wasn't a good representation of the taco my sis loves so much.  I think she may have a bit of a problem but the place she normally goes had a 30 min wait for a $2 taco.  I said I thought we could go somewhere else. 

Oh and apparently breakfast tacos also mean breakfast beer tubs!  Whoo-hoo!

After that we walked around a bit until it was time for our appotinments at the Drybar!  I was so excited, I have read about it and seen pics of friends that have gone and couldn't wait to see what all the fuss was about.  More to come on this later in the week.  Yes, I will do a whole post on the experience there.  I was a happy girl :)

Once we had fabulous hair we went to the mall to do some shopping. We have a family wedding in a less then 2 weeks and we both need something to wear.  I got shoes and a t-shirt haha.  Not quite wedding attire but I will keep looking.  We had a photo session scheduled for 6:30 that night.  Some of the pics are for Mom and some just for us for no other reason then we wanted to!  Twin is almost on first name basis with the girl at the Bobbi Brown counter in Nordstrom so we got made up while we were there.  I don't wear a ton of makeup ever and Melanie nailed it for me.  Just enough to make my eyes stand out but not enough I didn't feel like me. 

We had our photos done in the park, Discovery Green, it was a great park.  The lady was a bit odd but hopefully she got some great shots.  We won't know until about 4 weeks.  I will let you know.  

Dinner on Sunday was at another one of the Twin's favorite Houston hotspots - Chuy's.  More Mexican!  She loves herself some Mexican and it is much better in Texas then it is in PA.  

The sun was out on Monday morning so we got our lazy butts off the couch and went to the pool so I can try and keep this tan for the wedding.  It was hot so I didn't last long.  I am not used to the Texas heat.  The state is mush closer to the Equator you know.  Plus they had added some extra chemicals to the pool because of all the rain so we weren't allowed to swim (cool off) at all.

A quick stop at Sprinkles on the way to the airport to bring home some sweet treats for the family and then it was time to say goodbye.   

 It was a great weekend and I'm glad she will be home in 2 weeks.