a casual outfit and a few recent purchases

pants: target (mossimo), t-shirt: husband's, denim jacket: f21, sandals: thrifted in Germany, necklace: aerie

So of course after yesterday's post, things quickly turned around today and Logan decided to be a true toddler again... Oh well, the peace couldn't last forever and I was kind of jinxing it anyway by writing about it, wasn't I? 

On a different note, I finally found a pair of pants at Target that actually fit me nicely. So far I've never had real luck with their pants so I couldn't resist getting these dark blue ones from Mossimo.

It's been so warm and kind of humid here this week that I actually turned the a/c on last night. I know it's way to early for those kinds of shenanigans but as much as I hate the cold and snow, I also have the hardest time going to sleep when it's hot and humid in the house. Luckily for our electric bill the temperatures are supposed to go back down into the 50's by the weekend.

Now that's enough weather talk for one day. 

Moving on to this...

find it here

find it here

The couple of things that I just ordered from my wonderful new sponsor Brika, which you may have noticed looking pretty in the sidebar up there. 

They are a brand new shopping site, featuring a curated and limited selection of modern handcraft items. What sets them apart however, is that they also put an emphasis on sharing the stories behind the objects by introducing you to the makers and their design process. 

It's an all around, beautifully designed shopping experience and the selection is so much more limited than Etsy for example, where I get so overwhelmed most of the time... 

The prices are also discounted compared to purchasing directly from the different shops. 

When you sign up here, you will receive a coupon code for $15 off your first purchase (you betcha I used mine) and you're automatically entered to win one of two $100 Brika gift cards. If you order by April 15th, shipping is free on all orders over $50 as well. 

I ended up ordering one of these cute necklaces from Jackie and Lauren over at Voz Collective for myself and this t-shirt from Daniella and Sandrine at Monorail, for Jason. The print on that shirt just fits him perfectly ;) 

So, if you're like me and love unique and modern handcrafted goods make sure to take a look at what Brika has to offer :) 

As always, thank you for supporting my lovely sponsors and thereby supporting this blog of mine. You rock! 

evil knievel brings bliss

Let's talk about this guy today. This little blue eyed, chubby cheeked, recently turned Mr. Evil Knievel, who has seriously been the biggest sweetheart lately. I really think he knew his Mama was having a hard time transitioning back to Papa constantly being away for road games, and just like that he decided to turn into quite the little angel. He's been making me smile more than ever (if that was even possible) and always finds new ways to get a good laugh out of his mama. As I am typing this he just woke up from his nap and is making kissing sounds over there in the crib... 

You know what I mean? Total bliss over here lately. 

The beautiful, warm weather we've been getting may also play just a teeny, tiny role in the sudden mood change around these parts. I'll take it Spring, you with all your sunshine and chirping birds every morning when I wake up, have officially wrapped me around your finger. Now just stick around, will ya? 

10 ways to wear a leather jacket and why you should own at least one

brown leather jacket: mango ($90) , black pleather jacket: target ($40)

The reason you should have at least one short, fitted leather jacket in your closet is easy: It goes with just about anything! 

Pair it with a soft and feminine skirt for some edge or to bring together a mix of different patterns. Keep a look cohesive by coordinating different leather pieces or throw on a belt at the waist for more definition. 

Now that it looks like Spring has finally decided to stick around, a leather jacket will come in handy as we transition from freezing temperatures to the summer heat. 

I usually throw mine on whenever I need that one extra layer to keep me comfortable during the Spring and Fall. I have also made it work in the Winter with thick wool sweaters and tons of layering or when I didn't have to spend too much time outdoors. In the Summer a cute leather jacket will come in handy on a cool night or even during an open air concert.

What to look for:

Real vs. Fake - It's totally a preference thing. I love my brown (genuine leather) jacket from Mango. The leather is soft and after 5 years of heavy wear it still looks amazing! A real leather jacket will usually start just around $100 but you may be able to get an even better deal by shopping the clearance, or by checking on Ebay and at thrift stores.

The black pleather jacket came from Target just a few months ago and I am equally in love with it. One thing to look for with pleather is how real does it actually look? If it's too shiny and lacks any sort of texture or grain, it's a no-go. You don't want to wear something that looks like a shiny plastic sack.
These jackets will save you at least 50% compared to a real leather jacket and are a great option if you just don't want to invest yet.

Fit - Fit is obviously the most important thing when it comes to buying all clothes. With a leather jacket I like to have it be just fitted enough that I don't loose my shape but am still able to have a few layers on underneath. If it's a real leather jacket it will most likely get softer and a little looser over the years.

Style: I say, keep it basic and plain. Of course there are lots of leather jackets out there with a ton of embellishments and they can look really cute too, but you are limiting yourself in the ways you will be able to wear that jacket.

Do you own a (pl)leather jacket already?

$25 Forever 21 Giveaway with Becky from Two in Love

You know I like this girl simply for the fact that she's wearing my favorite sweater in that picture up there ;) Of course that's not the only reason I like her so let me introduce you to Becky. She is the author of a blog called Two in Love, where she not only shares that amazing smile of hers but also her love for fashion and life's everyday adventures with the man by her side. She's got a great sense of style and such a sweet spirit, you'll definitely want to add her to your daily blog roll.

Becky has only been blogging for a few months, so let's all head on over there and show her some support. I know you'll fall in love with her blog design right away :)

Because she is a sweetheart and because she knows how badly you want that tribal sweater now, Becky is giving away a $25 gift card to Forever 21 this week. Make sure to enter through the rafflecopter widget below.

Now here is Becky in her own words:

"Hello, my name is Becky over at Two in Love blog. I am outgoing, an avid thrifter, a full time student, lover of all things fashion, and I have a slight obsession with pillows. I started my blog as a way to document the adventures and love I share with my boyfriend. I have also always had a love for fashion and wanted a way to share my style with the blogging world! I hope you will join me through my adventures. I would love to have you along!" 

$25 Gift Card Giveaway

Enter as many ways as you'd like to improve your chances at winning. We would both love for you to add our blogs to your bloglovin or favorite blog reader since Google reader will be shutting down soon. Thanks and Good Luck everyone! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway ends 4/12 at 12 am EST. Giveaway open to US residents 18 years or older. Prize will be provided directly by the giveaway sponsor (Two in Love) and not The Forge blog. 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!

why following fancy schmancy egg cooking instructions will bite you in the b

I'm a little late with my Easter recap but here it is after all. We had the most gorgeous weather on Saturday and knowing things wouldn't look as pretty on Sunday, we got up early (for our standards) and took a scenic drive to the farm. 

I just couldn't soak up this sun fast enough after so many cold and dreary months. Taking in the stunning scenery all around you sometimes gives you the most extraordinary feelings about life and such. Oh what a little bit of sunshine will do to your heart!

So we petted ALL the animals and had a hard time leaving that miniature pig behind (how cute), literally got down and dirty during the most pathetic Easter egg hunt known to man, and of course the day wouldn't have been perfect without a little meltdown... Oh toddlers!

We also somehow managed to exclude papa from most of the pictures. 

On the way home we stopped for some frozen yogurt treats which were a definite hit.

In the afternoon I decided to dye the eggs I had cooked the day before, according to some very fancy schmanzy and convincing instructions I found on the interwebs. 

Well, let me tell you if you ever find fancy schmancy instructions that try to make you believe those eggs would much rather like to spend 20 minutes just soaking in some "water you just removed from a boil and covered with a lid", do NOT believe them!! 

I dyed all my eggs, gave them my undivided attention for about an hour and a half while Jason took Logan to the park and ended up realizing they were nowhere close to being hard boiled....

So I took a few pictures, cooked the eggs for a few more minutes in BOILING water, and made egg salad for 10 people. 

That's the story folks!! Epic egg dyeing fail of 2013. 

Jason had to work on Sunday so Logan and I went to church with the rest of the family and spent the afternoon at gram and gramps' house. J made it back for a delicious Easter dinner and an indoor Easter egg hunt that included plastic eggs instead of real ones. 

Another successful Easter according to family standards ;)

click those heels three times

Pants: Jbrand, Tee: JunkFood, Sweater: F21, Denim Jacket: F21, Boots: Zara, Bracelets: Gage Huntley Designs, Watch: Vintage Timex, Earrings: F21

"Are you gonna click your heels three times and say: there's no place like home?" is what the man said when I walked out in these fantastic boots one day last week. 

I think they are pretty amazing actually. Definitely something very different in my closet and so fun. Sometimes all you need is a pair of bright red shoes to make an otherwise plain outfit stand out and make you feel like a million bucks ;) 

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter (if you do celebrate it). Jason had to work for most of the day on Sunday since it's the season opener tomorrow but we got a chance to take Logan out for an Easter egg hunt and other fun stuff on that beautiful Saturday. I'll have some pictures from that sometime this week. 

Happy Monday!

sunny days and baseball

If you follow me on Instagram you may already know that we took a little trip to Florida earlier this month. Jason worked a couple of baseball games over the weekend and so Logan and I took a Saturday evening flight to Tampa and joined him for some family time in the sun.

It's become somewhat of a tradition for us over the years, to go down there, and while it almost didn't happen this Spring, I am sure glad we made it work.

Usually, we stay right in Bradenton but this time we used a few award nights at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater Beach. When we first got to the area I was a little worried seeing all the high rise hotels and the hustle and bustle reminded me too much of Myrtle Beach (not a fan). I was extremely relieved when we crossed one last bridge to get to Sand Key and away from all of that crazy business.

The hotel was great, family friendly, nice clean room and newly renovated. 

The first few days were nice and warm so we went to the beach where Logan decided that all of the sand had to be returned to the sea and then adopted a few faded, little matchbox cars that had been long forgotten by another little boy. 

Naps were either a family thing, taken with the bright, early afternoon sun peeking through the curtains and enticing us to come back outside to play, or of course during many a car ride.

We ate pizza, creamy Italian gelato, pancakes, grouper sandwiches, shrimp salads, amazing mexican food and too many other delicious things to count. On a rainy morning we went to see Winter the dolphin and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, 10 minutes from the hotel. We drove all the way to Bradenton to see our Buccos play and then out to Anna Maria Island to take a stroll, dream about living right on the beach and indulge in some of Two Scoops' famous Almond Joy ice cream. Delicious I tell ya!

We even got to visit old friends, see their new house and barbecue while doing a little catching up. 

The last couple of days were sunny but breezy and quite chilly with just around 68 degrees. We did some more exploring of the area by car, stopped at playgrounds, watched dolphins and admired the manatees who were enjoying the warm waters of the bayous. 

We weren't ready to come home yet, especially not to this awful Winter weather during what is supposed to be Spring. However, it is always so therapeutic for my soul to get away from it all, relax and just enjoy spending time with my two guys. I really needed this and I am thankful and blessed that we could make it happen once again. 

Now please Spring, let me box up those heavy coats, boots and thick sweaters, won't cha? I'm kind begging you here...