How to Wear: A Herringbone Vest

I've had my Herringbone vest for a couple of years and I've worn it like crazy! It's hard to believe this is it's third year of popularity, but JCrew Factory is still selling them like crazy! Today I thought I'd share some inspiration on how to wear this vest from my archives.

Poncho Love

Ponchos are definitely one of my favorite trends right now and this one comes from of all places, Costco.  It's super comfy and cute and was only $15. Brian raised his eye brow as I put it in the cart, but I've already worn it a handful of times.  I'd be lying if I said I was wearing anything besides leggings these days, but I think this would be cute with jeans too, regardless this will definitely be on repeat all season!

Also, I'm loving these earrings from Nickel and Suede!  I got to meet Kilee at a blog conference a few years back and since then have really enjoyed following her blog and seeing Nickel and Suede really launch into a huge business!  I normally wear a simple diamond stud, but made a point of visiting a store where she has pieces for sale while I was in K.C. recently.  They are light as a feather and so perfect!  I'm asking for another pair for Christmas!

Ready for Christmas

I love when the house is decorated for Christmas! Today I thought I'd share it with you all. 

Our tree is artificial, but I love the faux berries and pine cones on it.  Most of the ornaments have come from a gift shop in my home town....along with a lot of the other decorations.  They seriously have such a great day for a country/vintage style!

Five Things to do Before Hannah Gets Here:

I made this list a few weeks ago and thought it would be fun to share in a post today.  Our life is really going to be changing soon, so I really wanted to be ready!

1.  Go do one more fun activity with Grant, just the two of us. Grant is so excited for Hannah to get here and I mentioned to him the other day how Grandma will come for a few days once Hannah here to go do fun things with him, so he doesn't get bored being at home.  He replied, that Hannah was going to come along with him and Grandma.  I love how excited he is for his sister, but I know it'll be an adjustment, so I want to do one more special thing with him before she gets here.

Status: Done! Grant and I went and saw The Good Dinosaur and it was sooo good!  We actually planned to see The Peanuts Movie, but they were having technical issues, so we got a free upgrade to The Good Dinosaur in 3D.  This was our first one and it was so cool!

38 Week Bumpdate

Weeks along: 38 weeks 

Size of the baby: 6.8 lbs and 19 1/2 inches

Must haves: I still haven't really had cravings, I am drinking a ton of water, though.

Sleep: I'm actually sleeping pretty well!

Baby Movement: Hannah is all over the place, I don't remember Grant moving like this, but it was five years ago...

Gender: It's a girl!

Name: Hannah Elizabeth

Weight Gain: 22 pounds

Challenges: I think being patient is the hardest part, we are so ready for her to be here!  

 Best moment of the week: Grant picked up a Christmas present for Hannah, her first dolly.  It was really sweet.  When I told him that he'd probably have to help her open her presents, he said he'd let her try on her own first, then help if she needed it.  That kid is a hoot!

Be Still

With two weeks until my due date, I feel like my head is just spinning with things to do. I'm a planner and I like to have things ready to go, and with navigating plans at school and home, as well as Christmas shopping, I feel like my brain just keeps going!  Can anyone else relate?  On top of that I still want to keep up with this space in blogland, but as I sat down today I had not idea what to write about.  Then I was reminded to "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10).  The holidays can be such a crazy time of year anyway, but this year is extra crazy for me. I let out a big sigh of relief when these words came to me.  God has it covered and everything that needs to be done will, and me rushing around and stressing won't do any good.  I feel like this reminder could do us all some good.  Let's reflect on what matters most this holiday season. For me that's my family, friends, and my faith. Everything else is secondary and will take care of itself.

 I just recently got this tribal jacket from Shein.  The price is great and I'm really happy with the quality too. For reference, this is a large, which I think will be just fine (once I'm not pregnant), but I'd say if you're larger than a size 8, I'd probably pass on this.  A lot of maternity clothes have been really casual, so I really like getting to dress up with this maternity blouse and jacket to feel put together for these last couple of weeks of pregnancy.

The Grownup

I'm a big fan of Gillian Flynn, so when Goodreads notified me that The Grownup was coming out, I got my rear to the library to get my name on the list to read it.  Somehow I lucked out and got it first.  I was surprised to find it was actually a short story, not a novel and it took me all of one whole pedicure to read it.  

Like Flynn's other books, there is definitely some shock and vulgarity added into the story line, so if that's not something you can handle in books you read, this book probably isn't for you. Our narrator, who remains nameless, has a less than appropriate job in the back of a palm reading shop, then due to an injury becomes a palm reader.  She's always been good at reading people and she and her mom had a racket growing up where they pretended to be homeless in order to beg on the streets, very successfully, to be exact.  This ability to read people on the streets would come in handy with her new job.

Things change when a wealthy lady comes in with worries that her house in haunted.  Thinking only of the money, our narrator decides to "cleanse" the house of any evil spirit that might be there.  Things don't really turn out as she would expect though, and people might not be who they really seem to be.  If you're looking for a quick, but intense read, this book is for you. Check out The Grownup for the full scoop!