Gimme This: Anthropologie

Pilcro Stet Slim Straight

Ethereal Pointelle Sweater



Open Arms Dress

Curved Stripes Dolman

I realized I have not given love to Anthropologie in a while... So here are some items I would love to own...

What are your favorite places to drool over clothes?

February: Eliminate Dairy

So, first thing I wanted to say is.... I am officially coffee free! So as far as I am concerned... it looks like this focus by month resolution guideline has been working for me! I am really excited because I am no longer getting the 2pm slump or the withdrawal headaches when I don't have time to grab coffee in the morning. And I have to say... no headaches=happier more productive Shannon. So yay!

Next, Beginning in a VERY VERY short time.. it looks like I am going to have to give up dairy. My doctor has told me before that I am lactose intolerant.. and I just couldn't handle it. I mean... no cheese!? I am ok with no milk.. i do not drink it already (and sadly I am allergic to soy milk too)... But. Cheese is a totally different story. I LOVE cheese. It makes me so sad to know that I am not going to be able to eat it anymore. I do have to say... I WILL occasionally eat pizza. I just cannot give it up forever. It is just going to be only once a month at the most. I think this whole process will help me to realize that i feel much better without it.. and IF I feel a ton better.. maybe I will give it up completely. But I do not want to be unrealistic and say that I will never ever eat cheese ever again. But I am going to try to limit it to the smallest amount possible.

Also, I wanted to give a little update... I am realizing that as I feel better.. there is a chance I will add next month's goal into this month as well. If i am feeling better all the time.. I am going to try to do the working out thing starting this month too.. then I will just have to move everything up a month. BUT... we will see!

Wish me luck!

fill in the blank friday!

1. My favorite place I've ever traveled to is.. I don't really know if I can answer this with a single place. I have loved most of the trips I have gone on. But I think the trip that had the most impact on me in my life was the trip I took to Italy with my family the summer after freshman year of college. I was going through so many changes then and it was just very life changing. I think that was the first trip I ever went on that I felt anonymous. it was amazing to get to be whoever I wanted to be. Plus, Italy is beautiful and my family is AMAZING!

2. Islands in Greece or Australia is somewhere I'd love to go someday.

3. I pass the time on a plane (or bus, or car ride or train) by usually reading, sleeping, and listening to music while looking out the window.

4. My three must-haves when I travel are a good book, sunscreen, and someone to share the adventure with!

5. My favorite travel companion is this is a hard one! I love traveling with my husband, siblings, and parents. I wish everyone could be there on every trip! :)

6. The craziest thing that ever happened to me while traveling is probably the time that my brother accidentally had a firework in his pocket when he went through security at the Detroit airport... they ended up not finding it (which in itself is kinda scary) but just the look on his face when he realized it... after going through the "explosives checker" and not having it find it... priceless.

7. The most exotic food I've ever tried while traveling is rattlesnake! I think we were in Arizona.. Jess, Katie? Remember where we were??

8. If I could live anywhere else, I'd live in ... Europe! I would really like to spend a year in Italy, Ireland, or on the southern coast of France. I would also like to move to the South in the US for a few months/years to check it out. It is such a different culture.. i am just so curious about the adventure of it!

9. I have been to 17 (Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Washington DC -dunno if that counts, Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, Virginia) states in the U.S.

New Year's Resolutions!

Hi All-

So I realized that I never wrote about my new year's resolutions. Usually every year I think of a ton of resolutions and usually either forget about them or give up before February is even here. So, after talking to people about it and hearing suggestions, I decided instead to take my friend Ashley's advice and instead dedicate each month to something in particular. That way... after doing it for 30 days... it hopefully becomes a habit and therefore easier to do.

So...

January: This month I have been focusing on cutting down on coffee.. for the first week.. I was having headaches and gave in and drank coffee on the weekend. But, since that one day that I gave in, I have not let myself do it again. So.. I have been coffee free for over two weeks now! And the headaches have stopped! I have not given up caffeine completly but I am certainly on my way!

February: In February I am going to try to cut down dramatically on my diary intake... I have been told I am lactose intolerant but it is hard to give up pizza! So.. in january I have already started to give up cheese and other dairy products in meals that cheese is just an added ingrediant and not a main item. It has actually made me feel a lot better and is making me think that maybe pizza will be my only dairy food that I will ever eat! :)

March: In March I am going to make it my mission to work out at least three days a week. Now, if you know me well.. you know that I HATE working out. I really do not enjoy going to the gym, not because I don't like to work out but because I never know what to do and I get really bored doing the same things over and over again. So... My plan in march is to create a dynamic work out regimine so I will stay interested in get fit for spring/summer!

April: In April I plan on starting a jounral, right now... every single thing I think, I feel like I have to tell my husband, so I am constantly barraging him with text messages and emails. Or talking his ear off when he is trying to study/sleep/watch tv/ drive... you name it.. i am bugging him during it. SO.. I will need to start a jounral to talk get the senseless stuff out and to be able to gather my thoughts by myself.

May: In May, I want to start a daily yoga practice. I think that with the habit formed of daily jounraling, it will be easier to fit this time into my day, maybe before or after writing. I want to be able to stretch and center myself before I start a day of work and I think it will also help me with my stress levels.

June: In June I want to take more pictures! I am taking a photography class this month (january) with Erik and hopefully I will take the advanced class after I finish the beginners. So, by June, I hope I will be more skilled and learn how to take better pictures so I can document our lives. In addition to this... I want to make photo albums of all the pictures we already have. It is so funny to look back and see picutres of Erik and I when we first started dating.. we looked so young.. and I want to keep them safe and in a chronological order so some day I can show my babies.

July: In July, I want to start training for a marathon with Erik. Little steps, but hopefully by July, I will be in better shape because I have been working out three days a week since March! I want to train to be able to run a 5k or 10k by December! Erik is such a great runner and I just have suc a mental block against it. SO I want to capture that fear and instead use it as fuel. I can do this!!

August: In August, I want to try convince myself to cook 3-5 nights a week. I think summertime is some of the best times to get creative in the kitchen and release your inner chef! I want to make berry salads and bbq and fish dishes! I cannot wait to walk up and down the aisles at the farmers market and just get creative with dinner.

September: September is our wedding anniversary month! So this month I want to work with Erik to start a tradition for our anniversary. My parents go on vacation every year for theirs and while I know that we do not have enough money for that, I know we could figure out a tradition of our own. Now, while that will not take an entire month.. I also want to use this month to get to know my husband even better. If its question game or just long walks or finding a new hobby togther (like he does want to start brewing our own beer...), I just want to spend my time focused on him and our life together.

October: In October I want to get more in touch with the world. I want to read the newspaper everyday, watch the news, brush up on the economist (hopefully my dad will let me read his subscription when he is done), check out finance magazines and read nonfiction about our political and economic climate. I think it is very important to be in touch with what is going on around you and I have let that passion slip for the last couple of years.



I need more time to think about November and December... for some reason nothing else is coming to me! So... I must think about it some more and then update the list as it becomes more clear to me. Maybe it will be something that comes up over the next couple of months after I get through a few of these resolutions!

What are you new year's resolutions!?

TGIF!

1. The last thing I ate was... Last night I had a burrito for dinner. I need to get some breakfast in me!

2. The last song I listened to was "Beautiful Mess" by Diamond Rio. Such a cute love song! It is so nice to be able to listen to music loudly when I work at home not quietly in my headphones.

3. Using the letters in my name I can spell {Shannon}, ummm on? Not a whole lot of anything... Can you think of any more??

4. If I had to dress in one color for the rest of my life I would pick... I am going to have to go with blue, Becauseeee blue jeans are blue, it is one of my fave colors, and my eyes are blue.. so it usually looks pretty good on me ;)

5. If you were to look in my bag right now you'd find.. my wallet, chap stick, recepits, 5 dollars, my glasses, gift cards, anddd usually at least one pair of discarded earrings.

6. When I finish filling in the blanks... I am going to eat some breakfast! I am hungry
.
7. My all time favorite song to dance to is "All my Life" by K-Ci and JoJO andddd "Pocket Full of Sunshine" by Natasha Bedingfield. All Stress leaves your body when you jump around to pocket full of sunshine!

For the love of Tea...

So, one of my new years resolutions was to try and quit coffee addiction. While I love the taste of coffee, I have decided that the amount in excess that I was drinking is just not good for my body... especially my teeth.

So.. I made the resolution that I should only drink coffee on the weekends, because it was at work that I was over doing it.

I have switched to Tea!

And I am realzing a new world out there...

tea is so good and it is so fun to try different kinds, and I have realized that it actually makes me feel more energized and I do not crash after it wears off.. So, Does anyone have any suggestions about teas they love??

I am going to try loose leaf tea next! I'll let you know how it goes!