giveaway: outfit additions

it is giveaway time folks! a generous $30 gift certificate to outfit additions will go to one lucky reader out there :)

all you need to do is follow these easy steps:

you have to be a legal US resident at least 18 years or older with a valid US shipping address. 

for your main entry:
visit outfit additions and leave a comment on this post letting us know which item you like best + follow The Forge via GFC (you have to do both to be eligible to win!) 

this will unlock a bunch of other ways you can enter for a higher chance of winning :) 

also, the 25% off code has been extended through the end of the giveaway :)) use code FORGE25 at checkout! 

good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway




terms&conditions

it that shall not be named

jacket: jcrew, shirt: ae, denim: ae, boots: ralph lauren

you may be asking yourself if you've possibly seen me wear this before. maybe.

no? great :) 

yes? well, I guess that would have been as part of a post I did for lovestitched last week. 

unfortunately the "nasty sickness I don't really want to remember or experience ever again" bug hit us all over the past weekend and as much as I have been dreaming about actually getting dressed and trying to look decent, it just hasn't happened yet. 

i am so glad that chubby little babe of mine ended up with the lightest case of the unspeakable because mama and dada where in no good shape to take care of his recuperated and fully energized little self properly. not kidding - i couldn't stand up for more than a minute at a time on sunday. 

it's times like these I am truly thankful for a mother in law that braved the threat of contamination to come over and give us the much needed break we needed. 

thank you j's mom, we love you!!! 

ps: the 25% off coupon code for outfit additions FORGE25 ends at midnight EST tonight so don't miss out on this great offer :)) 

outfit additions - we all need them!

links: bead bracelet, drop earrings, spike necklace, hoop earrings, turquoise bangle, pink bangle, ivory bangle, color drop necklace

so, I don't know about you, but whenever I find a pretty piece of sparkly jewelry that is simple, versatile, the perfect addition to my outfit and on top of that affordable I feel like doing a happy dance.
usually I will just do that happy dance once I get home though, you know, just to keep the stares to a minimum.

however, with my newest sponsor outfit additions I can shop for all of that pretty and sparkly jewelry right from my computer, which means all the happy dances I want and maybe a few stares from my guys or the dogs... i can handle that!

outfit additions is a fairly new business which offers a large but not huge and overwhelming selection of jewelry as well as gorgeous silk belts and wallets. their pieces are simple and very versatile, which is important to me when it comes to jewelry. a lot of their necklaces can be layered and you won't have a hard time finding matching earrings or bracelets. as you can tell I am very much into gold these days and they didn't let me down with their selection either.

earrings start at only $9 ($6.75 with the discount!) and most everything else is well under $50.

shipping and returns are always free and they offer a 45 day no hassle money back guarantee!
whenever I shop online I catch myself changing my mind on a purchase a lot when I realize shipping isn't free, so free shipping and returns is a big plus in my book :)

check out my favorites and take advantage of the generous 25% discount code outfit additions is offering for the next 48 hours.

simply use code FORGE25 at checkout :) happy shopping!

niagara falls

last sunday we embarked on a very spontaneous trip to toronto, canada. 

sometimes when you get in the mood to go somewhere and see something new, you just have to give into it. so we packed up most of our things, since traveling with a toddler requires lots of things, and off we went on a 6.5 hour road trip north. 

on our way we stopped in erie, pa where it was unseasonably warm and sunny, to let logan run for a while and then again once we go to niagara falls. he did pretty great in the car and enjoyed playing with his lego duplos, showing off his mad puzzle skills and watching a little horton hears a who. 

at niagara falls we ate at the worst, most overpriced romano's macaroni grill where my 9 mushroom ravioli ($23) had the most disgustingly sweet marsala sauce i've ever tasted. our waiter kept hovering and almost ripped our plates away from us before we were even close to being done. overall, not a good experience! 

once we got to toronto and checked into the hotel (we stayed at the westin harbour castle) we were all pretty tired but decided to go back out to explore the city a little bit. we ended up just grabbing street meat for dinner since we had (that gross) lunch kind of late. 

and because there are way too many pictures for one post i'll be posting more throughout the week. yup, because isn't that what a blog is for? 

have you ever been to niagara falls or toronto? 

yeah, you kinda do! really.

it's true. you guys deserve to hear it and I don't say it enough but thank you so much for reading this blog and all of your sweet comments. when i started blogging I never thought I'd end up here one day and I am so happy to have a faithful readership who is interested in our lives and comes back for more.

as i am quickly approaching the 500 follower mark I am planning a big giveaway for you all to say thank you. i've already lined up a few blogs and businesses who will be offering some pretty awesome prizes :)) but there is always room for a few more. this is a great way to gain new followers and exposure for your blog or shop.

sooooo, if you would like to be a part of this with your blog or shop or have a question, just send me an email at askforge@gmail.com
don't wait too long since this giveaway will go live once we get to 500.

and just fyi: all giveaways will have their own rafflecopter set-up(on the same day), so no one gets lost in the crowd.

sweater weather

sweater: gap, jeans: ae, shirt: ae, belt: h&m, socks: sockdreams.com, boots: timberland 

yes, you guessed it: i wore this picking out pumpkins at the farm.

i was happy to get out these boots from last year and get them a tad more worn in. i love nicely worn in boots but it always takes forever to get them to that point. 

the weather was also just the right temperature to wear a thick wool sweater instead of a coat. 

it's like that part of fall always seems to come to an end much faster than i'd like and then it's back to covering up with several layers and a heavy coat on top. 

we are back from toronto tonight and I can't wait to share all about the trip :) 

the truth about pumpkins

no, that picture did not get in there accidentally...
this is the truth about pumpkin picking and trying to get one decent looking picture with my son.
i swear it is impossible!

but yes, we went to pick out a few pumpkins last week. lovely, bright orange, overpriced pumpkins in virtually any size imaginable.
we always go to a local farm that also has weekend festivities throughout the fall. to avoid the crowds and because we had nothing better to do on a wednesday night we put on our warmest sweaters and off we went.

logan wasn't really interested in the pumpkins but rather fond of a bright red, antique tractor. this kid has and will be around tractors all of his life. if it has a motor he's gonna go check it out. if it can be steered he will steer it.

so yeah, instead of the pictures I had imagined of him carrying around his pumpkins I got him riding the tractor, steering the cart and of course picking through rocks and mulch. oh well, I'll take it!

finally, i have to admit that seeing my two guys walking together, wearing the same shoes gave me the warm fuzzies infinitely more than any display of pumpkin affection could ever have.