uniform

Skinny Cords: JCrew, Jacket: F21, Scarf: Target, Shoes: Converse One Star from Target

How is your Monday going so far? We came back from Florida on Friday afternoon and ever since then I feel like we've been going at 250 mph. The mountain of laundry was (and still is) out of control.
Instead of getting caught up on my blogging I decided to get started with Spring cleaning (then I woke up to snow again this morning, will it ever end?) and finally trying to redo our master bedroom. I'll be posting some pictures of that once I get around to it.
We ended up inheriting an old dresser that belonged to Jason's grandma and grandpa which I will attempt to make-over at some point as well.

Pretty much what is happening is what happens every year around this time: Jason goes back to working and traveling starting with opening day (April 1st) and I am trying to cram as much as I can into those last few days that we have together.

So today we are off to Lowes and some other fun places like that.
I promise to carve out some time to answer all your emails, return comments and definitely set up some posts for the rest of the week :)

Winner of the Petunia Pickle Bottom prize pack is Ashveen. Congrats and you have been contacted :)

comfy casual

i'm wearing: sweater: fruit of the loom w/shoulder patches by me, shirt: american eagle, jeans: loft, shoes: converse one star, hat: f21

Who else is ready for less coats and more sunshine? I know i am repeating myself but come on Spring, we've been waiting long enough... We've all come down with a serious case of the cabin fever over here so it feels good when the sun does come out and we get to cuddle up in the window seat with the puppies and sunbathe for a little while. 

I get the worst winter depression every year and once March rolls around and I am looking forward to Jason going back to working 12-14 hour days, pretty much every day for the next 6 months, well, I am also walking that very thin line between losing my mind or regaining control. It's all up to you Spring, it's all up to you!             

Petunia Pickle Bottom Giveaway

image sources: here, here and here

Today I have a special treat for you guys. Let me introduce you to those two cuties down there, Candice and James. I met Candice through Instagram and since our little boys are the same age and she is such a sweetheart we hit it off right away :) It really is such a shame that I meet all these amazing ladies and they live so terribly far away. In this case Candice and James live out in sunny California where they make me quite envious with their lovely weather and frequent trips to Disneyland ;)

Candice recently started a little blog called DAILY JAMES where she documents life with James and especially all of his cute outfits. If you need some inspiration for dressing your own little guy, make sure to take a look :)

Candice is a total Petunia Pickle Bottom fanatic. Just ask her and she will attest to it. That woman has more Petunia in her closet than anyone I've ever met.

Because she is such a sweetheart, Candice is giving away a Petunia prize pack valued at just over $50 today. You definitely don't have to be a mom to be able to put these goodies to use.

Included are the following:

Powder room case in Misted Marseille

I belong to tag in Evening in Innsbruck 

Shopper Tote in Sunlight Stokholm

To enter simply do the following:

Follow DAILY JAMES via GFC (Google Friend Connect)

Follow The Forge via GFC 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends 3/18 at 12 am EST. Giveaway open to US residents 18 years or older. Winner will be announced on this post and contacted via email. Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or another winner will be drawn. Check you spam folders!! Good Luck!

giveaway link-up 6 and life lately

obsessed with nemo / precious moments that are all too rare lately / best buds / still an avid reader / soup on cold and dreary winter days / obsession no.2: nugget / saying our last goodbyes to a great grandfather who will be painfully missed / wearing comfy layers / giving in to "the white one"who can say no to those eyes? 

out to buy his very first potty / smile / no luck yet! / comfortable ankle boots / waiting in the car with a sleeping babe / mixing some patterns / shopping / "just because" flowers from my man / two in hats

after a nap / detecting pee in the bath, j/k / my favorite weenie ;) / peeking / favorite outfits / new to us chairs for the dining room / never ending snow and coffee / progress on the instagram wall front / sharing the bed with his girlfriend ;) 

Happy Friday everyone! Time to link up all of your fabulous giveaways :)

Thanks for linking up, have fun and make sure to enter a few as well. 

Giveaway Link-Up 5

- Please only link up giveaways, you may link up giveaways that are not yours because you think they are just so rad and need to be shared!

- Link up as many as you'd like from the current week.

- Come back next Friday to link up again.

- Please, please, please link back to me from your giveaway post or sidebar, or share in some other way.

Enter a few giveaways :)

Thank you!  

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Disclaimer: The Forge is not responsible for content linked in this widget or prize distribution. This link-up is simply a collection of third party giveaways which are not in any way affiliated with or sponsored by The Forge. 

not going on a pilgrimage but still wearing that hat!!

Pants: Drykorn, Shirt: Old Navy Men's, Sweater: Gap, Jacket: Target, Boots: Sorel, Hat: Gap, Bag: Fossil  

As much as I've had enough of this snow, I can't seem to get enough of this lovely hat. I just wish that I could wear it to shade me from the sun instead of protect my hair from that darn snow.

Anyway, because everyone is doing it these days, and I've been tagged to do it on Instagram so many times, I thought I'd finally jump on the "5 things" bandwagon.

So here are 5 things you may not know about me:

1. I hate small talk. I am probably the most awkward person when it comes to small talk. I don't know why but I am just not good at it at all. I love to talk, don't get me wrong ;) but the whole bla bla just isn't for me. I get all flustered and start looking around the room instead of at the person I am talking to. Horrible, I know...
2. When I get nervous, stressed or extremely bored, I start picking at my fingernails. I don't bite them but I peel away at the layers until they get so thin they eventually break off. If I use nail polish I am much better at not picking at them but I barely ever wear nail polish to begin with. 
3. I have a tiny little butterfly tattoo in a very inconspicuous place on my body. I got it when I was 18 and I don't feel any connection to it whatsoever. Jason actually got one of his nipples pierced at the same time which is probably the most ridiculous thing he's ever done in his entire life. If you knew him you'd totally understand. He has since removed that sucker and we do not miss it either ;) I don't hate my tattoo but I sure don't love it either. It's kinda just there. For years now I've been thinking about getting "so close no matter how far" tattooed because it speaks to me on so many levels and perfectly applies to my life. I love hearing the stories behind people's tattoos. So, I may do it one day or I may not...
4. When I was a little girl I did ballet for about 5 years. I hear I was pretty good at it too. I still regret that I quit and I'd love to try the Barre work-out. Unfortunately I live about 45 minutes from the closest studio. 
5. I am way more productive when my husband is out of town for work. When he's home all I want to do is hang out with him and watch movies, run errands together or take Logan somewhere. I'm kind of addicted to that guy :) 

And another random fact is that I am the worst at coming up with random facts about myself. It's probably because I don't really find myself particularly interesting. 

It's almost the weekend!! What are your plans? 

$1000 Visa Gift Card St. Patrick's Day Giveaway

35 bloggers have joined forces to bring you this AMAZING giveaway...one lucky winner will be receiving a $1,000 Visa Gift card!  Yes, you read that right...$1,000 to spend on clothes, bills, a vacation, or whatever else your little heart desires!

I know I have a few ideas about what I would do with that money but since I can't win it myself I am curious to find out what you would do with it??

Make sure to visit all of these amazing blogs and get as many entries as you can. I think I'd pee my pants if I won that much money ;)

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!

 Chioma's Evolution of Style // Plane Pretty // The Serena Saga

Glitter and Gloss // More Modern Modesty // Sandy a la Mode

Ava Grace's Closet // Wild Ruffle // The Other Side of Gray

  Marionberry Style // A's Fashion Files // Moiology

Knocked Up Fabulous // GBO Fashion // Always Maylee

Katie Did What // Thrift & Shout // Glow Kouture

Crazy Style Love // Delusions of Grandeur // Along Abbey Road

Not Dressed As Lamb // fashion-a-holic // Shannon Heart's

Jessica Who? // House of Tong // Fashionista Next Door

Kelsey Bang // Gentri Lee // It's Not That Deep

 The Haute Cookie // Coffee Beans and Bobby Pins // The Forge

 Bella // A Night Owl

Please be honest and follow the rules. Winner will be verified. Thank you :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget above. The giveaway will run through March 17th. To be eligible, you must be 18 years of age or over and a U.S. resident. Prize is valued at $1000.

Giveaway: Gage Huntley Designs $75 Peruvian Bangles

If you've been reading my blog for a while you will already know about the amazing jewelry 

from Gage Huntley Designs. Amanda creates one of a kind pieces of jewelry that truly speak to everyone's taste because there is such great variety. I also love having her on my Instagram feed and getting to see all the new pieces she puts out on a regular basis. Plus, it helps me stay in the loop for sales and special offers. 

Her one of a kind pieces sell super fast and I've unfortunately found myself missing out on a few of them because I waited too long :(

Check out the Gage Huntley Designs shop right here. 

Amanda is once again so kind to give one of you lucky readers out there a set of 5 of her best-selling Peruvian bangles. That is a $75 value, folks!!!

She is currently trying to get to 1000 Instagram followers and will be hosting an amazing giveaway once that milestone has been reached :) Let's help her reach that goal!

To enter to win this super cute set of bangles, all you need to do is the following:

Be a GFC (google friend connect) follower of The Forge.

Follow Gage Huntley Designs (@amandalovesgage) on Instagram. 

If you don't have Instagram please make sure to follow on Facebook instead. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway is open to all US and Canada residents. Giveaway ends at 12 am EST March 8th. Winner will be announced on this post and contaced via email. Winner has 48 hours to claim prize before another winner will be picked. Prize will be provided by Gage Huntley Designs.