Black Saturday??!!

I knew I'd start Saturday off with my family & by the end of the day end up at my in-laws. I needed an ensemble that was cute enough to spend a "girls day" with my mom and Codi & comfortable enough to watch football on the couch.

Cream & black leopard tunic:::: Karlie (purchased at M Elly's Amarillo)

Black leggings::: BP, Nordstroms

Cobra thigh high black boots:::: Jessica Simpson

Mom, Codi & I ended up seeing Due Date, which was pretty hilarious. There were definitely moments where it got a little umm... stupid, but other parts were flippin hilarious. After my girl time I joined the Joneses for steaks, beer & football. Together we watched our Cowboys get defeated during the Bedlam game (heartbreak). Now the waiting begins... which bowl game will we get?!? I had high hopes for the Cotton Bowl, but the stupid Aggies got it.

&&& I love my husband because you can find him sporting his OSU button up each & every game day.

Girl Meets Gown.

Or in our cause "Girl was introduced to gowns, but isn't quite sure she found the right one, yet so we are definitely going to need another wedding dress shopping trip soon. Vegas?"

Ash, her mom Debbie & her sister Brandi came to Dallas this weekend to shop for Ashlee's perfect dress. Welp, she didn't find her perfect dress, but we had fun in the process. She went to Stardust (the shop for TLC's Girl Meets Gown) & loved the experience. She went to Lulus, a bridal shop in uptown, & hated the experience. She also went to Bridal Boutique Lewisville & was indifferent.

So the search is still on... She wants something with bling, flowers, not a sweetheart neckline & fit & flare. We're thinking that Priscilla of Boston's Melissa Sweet collection might be just what she's searching for. I got my dress at POB & fell in love with many, many dresses in their collection. They are such couture wedding gowns.

We did manage to get in some shopping this weekend. I found this adorable Betsey Johnson leopard cape, but decided to go home & think about it before I purchased. After thinking for 48 hours, I'm pretty sure this cape is meant to be mine.&&& I love my husband because I came home on Saturday night to a clean apartment. Dishes were done & everything. He knows the key to my heart is a clean home.

Fall Finds

This cooler weather has made shopping for fall clothes so much fun. I love when the seasons change & it's time for new items in my wardrobe.

I'm loving the Trouve items at Nordstrom's. They are basic, comfortable pieces at an affordable price. I got this grey sweater & another black tunic/dress.

Old Navy coats are the best. I bought a beautiful green pea coat from there several years ago & I love love love it. They had this one in several colors, but I had to go with the orange. Added bonus::: This one was a whoppin' $29.99

Spanx makes tights? Please & Thanks. These were a little pricey at $28, but as much as I wear tights they were worth the price.

Vince Camuto "Misty" heels. Not the most comfortable shoes in the world, but they were too cute to pass up. I got these at Dillards (Northpark Dillards has an awesome shoe department) in nude. I've been wanting a pair of nude heels, so these were just perfection.

&&& I love my husband because he described my grey Trouve sweater as a "blanket sweater." He has no clue about women's fashion.

Why the Neiman Marcus dress department makes me happy

Seriously. It is my "happy place."

I can't pin point what it is that make me love it so much, but I do. I love trying on all the beautiful dresses. I love finding a dress I've been crushing on sale. I love the element of customer service that Neiman Marcus offers (minus the fact that they do not take Visa). I love that all of my shower & honeymoon dresses came for there. I love that mom & I spent a whole afternoon in the Dallas Neiman's dressing room picking out the perfect dresses for all of those events.

With all of the events we have next summer (Chris's graduation, Jones Family Cruise, Europe & Ashlee's wedding festivities) I have a feeling I am going to need an excessive amount of summer dresses. Jackpot!!

I cannot recall the designer of this white dress, but I am love love loving it. I'm hoping to recreate Eva Mendez's Oscars 2009 look by adding turquoise jewelry.

This sassy red & purple number is Phoebe Couture... old faithful for me.

&&& I love my husband because he doesn't necessarily agree with me on the whole "Neimans is fabulous" thing, but he doesn't put up a fight.

I'm on a Roll

3 times in 1 week? Go Shannie, go Shannie!

I'm ready for fall. I'm bored with all of my summer clothes & I am itching to bust out sweaters, scarves, and Ugg boots. I have yet to get my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season. I'm waiting for the perfect "fall like" day.

Sooo here's my favorite fashion purchases for fall:

• Over the knee boots
Clogs
Long skirts








• Denim vests


• Fur vests

• Jeggings

So there you have it; A preview into my closet for fall 2010. Some of these items (clogs/jeggings) were way out of my fashion comfort zone, but once I wore them I kinda fell in love. I pretty much live in my jeggings. No joke, I wear them almost every day.

&&& I love my husband because he doesn't question my wardrobe decisions... most of the time. He realizes that men do not get an opinion on women's fashion.

Michele... My Bell?

So I am debating purchasing a Michele watch. I've been wanting one for a very long time & the opportunity just kinda presented itself. Whitney texted me last night to tell me that she's purchasing a Deco Diamond 18mm Michele. Jealous! Here's the catch... she's getting it for 65% off. 65!! Her friend Jessica, whose bachelorette party I attended in Dallas this January, works for a company that gets this huge discount.

I'm torn... iPad or Michele? I'm not really a gadget girl, but the iPad did look pretty neat. And I think I'd really love having the iPad during work or on trips. But the watch is something I will wear for years & years to come. So I am debating burchasing the Urban Mini Diamond 2 Tone Bracelet.

&&& I love my husband because he didn't even hesitate when I asked if I could buy this watch. He is too good to me.

In other news...

Sooo I guess it's about time for something other than paradise. When we got home from Hawaii we hit the ground running. Our flight landed at 7:05 AM on Sunday & we went back to work at 8:30 AM Monday morning. We left ourselves no time to do laundry, grocery shop, or catch up on sleep. It's. Been. Tough.

The Thursday we got back from Hawaii Mom & Codi came to Dallas. I guess they missed me that much. Since Derek was in town playing baseball I definitely watched more games than I have in my entire life. All the baseball watching reaffirmed that I am not a "baseball girl." Mom and Codi ended up staying through Sunday, which was great, but left us no time to get back in our groove before another work week.

This past Friday, the 25th, I took off work a little early to head to Austin/San Marcos with the lovely Jones women. I look forward to this trip every year, not just for the shopping, but for the opportunity to bond with my sister-in-laws. I feel like each year we grow closer & closer.

So the shopping trip was very successful. We started off Friday night at the Round Rock Outlets. We piddled around for a while & purchased a couple small ticket items, basically killing time before meeting Sarah in Austin. On our way out I spotted the Burberry outlet. I had to go in. One thing lead to another & I left Round Rock with a brand new Burberry bag.

Saturday we went to the outlets in San Marcos. Holy overwhelming. I'd forgotten how many stores there are. When we drove up Ellen said, "It's like Heaven on Earth."

Once we finished shopping Sarah took us to a great Mexican food place in Austin, which just happened to be near a Nordstrom's Rack. Jackpot. After "round 2" of shopping we were ready for dessert, specifically gelato. Ellen & the Joneses love gelato. I like it fine, but I'm not completely sold on the idea of cold pudding-ish ice cream. Never-the-less we went searching for a gelato place. It took us a while to find one that was actually open. First we went to Whole Foods, which usually has gelato, but not in Austin. The second place we tried was shut down. We finally found a neat little place in the Hyde Park area of Austin. It was like a coffee bar with outside seating. Very neat. I was adventurous and had the Mexican Chocolate, which was ok, but not my favorite. It had a weird cinnamon twang to it.

Sunday morning we went to Terryton Methodist Church to meet up with the Adam Joneses. We arrived a little late leaving Ellen worrying about finding a pew to fit all 11 of us. Adam's response was, "I doubt we have a problem finding a seat this morning. You see, during the summer church is optional for Methodists."

&&& I love my husband because he's the reason I have these wonderful Jones family members. They are pretty great.

Reason #415 that My Parents Rock.

So this weekend was Mother's Day & in honor of the holiday here's a shout out to Juju. I am so thankful to have such a close relationship with my mom. She really is my best friend. She's my best shopping companion. She loves silly girlie movies and will watch them 10 times over with me. She loves her family so much and would do anything for us. For her I am truly grateful. So all I can think about recently is Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii... When I get bored at work I plan my vacation wardrobe. I have searched high and low online to find the cutest vacation apparel. My only problem is that we don't have tons of disposable income this month. Yes, I make a decent income, but May happens to be really tight for us; Mothers Day + Mom's Birthday + Chris's birthday= not very much spending money for my wardrobe.

Juju and Dr. D to the rescue. Just when I am down-and-out thinking I'm going to be frumpy and un-stylish on vacation they come through and give me some "fun money." Seriously, best. parents. ever. It's not like I need new clothes for Hawaii, but it's so fun to have vacation clothes.

My 2 best purchases:

So now am all fixed up and ready for the Hoodlums to go Hawaiian. We leave in exactly 27 days... Not that I'm counting down or anything.

&&& I love my husband because he helped me shop for Hawaii. I think anything sounded better than sitting in the library studying the law.

All is Well

I'm better. Much better. I have worked myself out of my funk and am fully committed to enjoying this weekend. The weather here has been beautiful; mid 60's, sunny, and not a cloud in the sky. My favorite! In honor of the fabulous weather I got motivated to switch out my closet from Winter to Spring. I love doing this. It's like going shopping in my own closet.

So I started this little project on Wednesday. Chris had night class, there was nothing great on TV & our suitcases had yet to be unpacked from our Mexico trip. Thus far all I have done is transform my bathroom into a disaster zone. It's covered in boots, scarves, and jackets that I want OUT of my closet. My goal for the weekend is to transport these winter items to my downstairs "overflow" closet and bring my favorite Spring clothes upstairs.

When we moved into this new apartment I was overjoyed with the size of my new closet. It is seriously huge. Our newest apartment also gave us 2 linen closets, a coat closet, a patio closet and another bedroom closet. I have no Earthly idea how, but I have managed to fill all of these. It's a bit embarrassing. Soo my other goal for the weekend is to downsize my wardrobe. I'm not a pack rat & I don't mind getting rid of things, but I hate finding a new home for my clothes. I've tried Plato's Closet, but it's a rip off. I give Liz stuff plenty often, but I worry that she gets annoyed with me always pawning off my old stuff. So I'm thinking this time might be a good time to donate to Good Will.

&&& I love my husband because he lets me have way more than me fair share of closet space.

Invasion of the Joneses

For the first time since I can remember the ENTIRE Jones clan (all 10 of us) were able to get together in Dallas. The Amarillo bunch flew in around 1 on Saturday while Mitch's clan drove in from Azle a little later in the afternoon.

The mission: To find the perfect Symphony Ball dress. We hit the ground running the moment we left the airport. We shopped for 4 full hours on Saturday and I found nothing that I loved. I was bummed. After church on Sunday we went out again with high hopes. After trying on an awesome Betsey Johnson dress at Nordstrom's it hit me... We HAD to go to the Betsey Johnson store. Victory! Liz & I both found the perfect dresses at BJ. We tried on about 15 each (all of which were awesome) and narrowed it down to our faves.

Other than our dress mission we managed to get some quality time with the whole fam. at Hector's, play hours of Beatles Rockband with Liz & Eric, and love on our sweet little nephews. &&& I love my husband because... he has such an awesome family. I can't imagine a more perfect fit for my in-laws!

Visitors!

Codi & Mom came to Dallas this week to start looking for prom dresses.. .that is so weird to me. My baby sister is old enough to go to prom. Here's some pictures of my favorite dresses.

It was great to have them here, as always. We got to eat, see movies, and relax. We went and saw 2 really hilarious movies: Did you hear about the Morgans & It's complicated. I also found a dress for Symphony Ball (I think). Neiman Marcus had their dresses on sale plus and additional 30% off, so I got a realllly nice dress for a great price. I was pleased as punch!

Today is NYE... and I am working. The good news is that Chris & I are celebrating our anniversary tonight. Hector's on Henderson! Whoot whoot!

&&& I love my husband because.... he welcomes my family into our home with open arms and a smile on his face.

The Holidays are here again!

Tree up, check.

Gifts purchased, check.

Vacations planned, check.

Radio tuned to Christmas station, check.

Presents wrapped, check.

Christmas cards in the mail, almost check.... workin' on that one.

We are ready for Christmas at the Jones household. It feels great to have all of our gifts purchased by December 8. This year I did the majority of my Christmas shopping online, which has worked out great. This time of year most stores are offering free shipping with a qualifying order, so I took advantage. I will say it was quite embarassing to have a note on our mailbox stating we had 5 packages to be picked up in the apartment office.

My favorite person I've shopped for this year was Beatriz, our 3 year old Angel Tree girl. She wrote on her info card that she loved Dora the Explorer, so I might have gone a little overboard (pj's, houseshoes, 3 toys, a tent... ALL Dora). It was fun buying for a little girl... I NEED A NIECE!!

I went to Canyon last weekend since Chris is in the big middle of finals.

I am in love with this time of year.. it's the best.

&&& I love my husband because he is so dedicated to his studies. 4 exams, 2 weeks, 12 textbooks, 1000 + hours studied. I couldn't do it.

Jones Women do Dallas/Demeres/Father's Day

This weekend was the annual Jones Women shopping weekend. Since Lacey is 8 months pregnant we stayed in Dallas instead of going to our usual spot, San Marcos. Ellen and Liz were scheduled to land at 7:00 PM on Friday with Sarah landing shortly after. After all of the delays and rescheduled flights (thank you Southwest) it was 9 before we left Love field. What's the likelihood of flights from Amarillo AND Houston being delayed? Big UGH....

Ok so Saturday Morning we were up and ready by 9--ready to shop! We went to DSW, Allen Outlets, and the Galleria and were finished by 5. After we had done our damage we went to Houston's to eat and to see The Proposal. I absolutely loved this movie. It was such a feel good romantic comedy.

So before and after the Jones women shopping extravaganza the Demeres were her. Codi and Molly had plans to attend the Jonas Brothers concert in Dallas, so they flew up on Thursday to spend the night with us. After I picked them up on from the airport we went to Sprinkles for red velvet cupcakes. Dellllish. Friday I was off of work, so we went to Six Flags. I was very skeptical and somewhat negative at first, but it turned out to be sooo much fun (other than me getting kicked off of Mr. Freeze-- a whole other story). I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the girls.

Sunday after I was finished with the Joneses I got to go to brunch with my daddy at Texas de Brazil, his favorite. He flew up for the day since it was father's day. I am so thankful for him. He is the best daddy I could ever ask for and I am forever grateful for his love and support.

Jonesin' It.

The Joneses arrived in Azle on Thursday... However, Chris and I didn't head over until late Friday afternoon. Friday night we grilled out and played a game, a very typical night with this family.

Saturday the boys had an 8:40 AM tee-time. After the guys headed off to golf Ellen, Liz, and I took Carter shopping for an Easter outfit. We then headed to the mall to shop around and kill some time. Liz and I ended up getting dresses for Vintage Amarillo (The Amarillo Symphony Guild's fundraiser in May).

Later that evening Liz, Eric, Chris and I headed back to Dallas for a fun night out. We had sushi at Kona and then went to some fun little places within walking distance of our apartment. Such a fun night with a great couple.

Sunday the ENTIRE Jones family invaded our Engaged/Newly Married class at church. ha. Sunday afternoon was very uneventful for us... naps, cleaning, and preparing for the week ahead. Oh, and a venture to PF Chang's for some dynamite shrimp :)

I'm heading to Canyon at 8:30 tonight. I am very excited to be at home for a couple days!