weekend tidbits

- I finally treated myself to a manicure & pedicure on Friday, and picked OPI Gargantuan Green Grape... new fave, for sure. it's a lot lighter and more pastel than it looks in the picture from OPI's website - it would probably take a million coats to achieve that! 

via OPI

- we ran errands on Saturday and did some serious shopping for house stuff.

• we bought tons of random things at Target that we've been meaning to get... like a garlic press, a tiered shelf for spices, and a new bath rug. 
• and then we hit Home Depot for even more randomness... potting soil & new planters, a raised garden bed (for veggies, which was on SALE for about $40), a quart of paint, and a door knob. 
• finally, we ended our day at a lighting store, where I stumbled upon the coolest lamp ever. the only one in stock was the display, so I snatched that sucker up. I LOVE it. it really brings a good amount of light to our living room, and it's got that funk factor I've been looking for. 

- we have big plans for the landscaping at Casa de Quinn this year. this week we're going to pay my brother to come in and tear out all the ugly bushes that surround the house (and subsequently hide it) so we can plant flowers and put in our raised garden bed. AND he'll be completely demolishing our existing deck so that we can install pavers in it's place. I'll be getting outside after work today to take some "before" pictures to show you all, although it's slightly embarrassing. 

- since we picked up potting soil at HD, I finally planted the herbs I bought to go in these planters (which I mentioned here). I'm pretty excited, considering it's my first planting adventure.

- I wrote a 1500 word paper yesterday comparing Nora from A Doll's House to Daisy Buchanan from The Great Gatsby, discussing their abilities to exert power as women. I have one more paper to write this evening for my final exam and then I am done with my English class. I CANNOT WAIT to be done, but I'm thrilled to take new classes in the fall.

- I just finished reading Love The One You're With by Emily Giffin and was utterly disappointed in it. I guess I shouldn't have expected much, since I'd heard that her books got progressively worse as they went on, but I was hoping that it'd be a least worth a 4 star rating. it wasn't terrible, but it was way slow in the beginning and I felt like the ending was rushed and cleaned up a little too nicely for my tastes. 

- this is what I wore out and about on the gorgeous day we had here on Friday. not pictured are khaki capris and white flip flops. I love my mustache necklace, which I got as a birthday gift from Kaley.

- running and working out has unfortunately taken a back seat in favor for school work and house work the past couple days, but I hope to get back into the swing of things this week! 

Happy Monday!

weekend recap (shopping goods included)

the hubs and I had to drop the Tundra off for 

regular maintenance on Saturday... so instead 

of waiting in the service center for hours 

(yes, hours... it took them FIVE hours to perform 

the scheduled maintenance,  

even though we had an appointment... 

don't even get me started on how pissed I am with them), 

we decided to do a little shopping.

first stop? Buckle, of course! 

to be honest, I wasn't impressed with the majority of the items in the store. 

luckily, on my way out of the store, I realized I had 

missed an entire rack right in the front, 

which held all of the things I ended up purchasing. 

here's what I got:

 

Daytrip Babydoll Dress

I thought this was a top until I tried it on and realized how long it was. it could definitely be worn as a dress (but I'd only feel comfortable doing so with leggings because of my height), so I plan on wearing it as a top. it's really flattering and the chiffon overlay makes it more interesting than just a plain grey top. 

_________________________________

Daytrip Drop Waist Dress

I was nervous about this one, because it's a basic rayon and spandex blend, which means that it hugs just a little bit, but it's still got that stretch. surprisingly, probably because of the drop waist, it fit well and was actually pretty flattering to my body type. I love the vibrant color too - it can be dressed up nicely with the right jewelry and shoes! 

and bonus... it has pockets. I love pockets on dresses.

_______________________________

Rusty Peyote Strappy Dress

perfect summer dress. it has a bit of black embroidery at the top, which gives it just a little more detail than the basic black dress. the elastic waist allows for a little give and slack so that it doesn't have to be worn skin tight, which I love. and again, it has pockets, which made it an instant win. 

______________________________

the last top I got was impossible to find on the Buckle website, but it looks exactly like this:

super small photo from this ebay listing

yep, it's mustard. surprised?

____________________________

I also made a stop at Victoria's Secret, because I desperately needed new bras that actually fit me properly. I bought one of the Bio Fit bras in a black/nude lace, which is amazingly comfortable. I also purchased two cotton push up bras (which were on sale - 2 for $45) - one is navy blue with white polka dots, and the other is a basic heather grey. VS was having a major pantie sale as well, so I picked up 7 pairs of cotton underwear for $25. 

___________________________________

other than our impromptu shopping trip, we had a pretty low key weekend in the FoFandee household. I did literally a million loads of laundry, went grocery shopping, did a little cleaning and we caught up on some DVR'd shows. did anyone else catch the Shameless finale last night? I'm so hooked on that show - cannot WAIT for next season! I also did a bit of cuddling with the Bear cub yesterday between loads of laundry. 

___________________________

oh, and I started reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak last week - I can't really get into it. I'm not sure if it's the format of the writing or if I'm just burned out on fast reads. has anyone read this book? most reviews on GoodReads are raves, but I'm just not feeling it. I'm going to give it another good effort before I decide to put it down... after all, I'm only about 50 pages in, so it could definitely just be a slow start. 

Happy Monday, ya'll!

fine. a. lee.

holy crap. 

I have been waiting for this moment for almost a year. a whole year. shortly after I started The Bear Naked Truth, I mentioned that I was on the lookout for a look-a-like to the Samantha Bench from Pottery Barn.  

I even found a great option at Target, but they were sold out in the Espresso finish. I even asked for help from readers to find me a similar bench. this is how obsessed I've been with this bench.

luckily, my cute and thoughtful husband knows I've been WAITING for this bench to complete our entryway (which has a brand new stained door and tile entry, by the way... that post is coming soon), and he found this beaut on Amazon. 

according to Amazon, the product actually came from Target, and low and behold, there it is at Target, for the SAME marked down price as Amazon, which is weird to me, because I thought Amazon was supposed to be cheaper. guess not.

even better? Target is having a promotion where you get 10% off of your order if you spend $100 (expires 1/29/11) and another promotion of free shipping on orders over $50. 

so to sum things up, I got my dream bench for less than the cost of the original mark down. with the original price and cost of shipping and tax, I would have paid approximately $270 for it, and I got it for $160.27. 

Wednesday = WINSday.

weekend recap!

I hope everyone had an amazing Halloween weekend! we don't get trick-or-treaters where we live, so I saved my thighs by not consuming 10lbs of candy. hallelujah! 

FRIDAY

Friday evening, Sean and I went up to the mall to see a movie. we grabbed some Chick Fil A in the food court, and because we had time to kill before the movie started, we browsed around a little bit. since I'm not allowed to buy anything for myself until Christmas, it kinda sucked to walk into various stores and have to walk right out... especially after seeing these boots! va-va-voom!

despite our strict shopping ban, we decided to go into one of our favorite stores, Buckle. I made a Buckle wish list not too long ago, remember? well I went to send that very wish list to my mother-in-law last week, and to my disappointment, almost all of the items had sold out already. 

I mentioned this to the sales associate, and she informed me that if I ever see an item sold out online, I can just call or visit the store to see if they can find it at another location. again, HALLELUJAH, I say. I asked her to look up this sweater for me, and there it was, in another store. so this baby is now en route to mi casa, along with a pair of shoes that Sean was coveting. 

after we broke our shopping ban, we went in to see Paranormal Activity 2. holy crap. scared the piss out of me... I was seriously, TERRIFIED. I liked it though - much like the first one in the beginning, but got creepier and creepier as it went. I did NOT like that we were literally the oldest people in the theater and that we had to listen to stupid tweens/teenagers talking and laughing the whole time. I actually yelled "shut up" twice to those kids.

SATURDAY

Saturday morning, I got up semi-early and headed back up to Annapolis to run some errands and get my hair done (finally). it's been months since I've had my hair cut and dyed, so it was well overdue. I decided to stay away from dying it red again, because it ALWAYS fades super fast and I find myself disappointed when it turns to copper within a few weeks. instead, I did my normal black all-over dye job, along with caramel colored highlights. 

I also got it trimmed (I'm trying to grow it out), and made a super huge change - BANGS. I was nervous at first, since I haven't had bangs since middle school, but I love them! I think they look chic and sophisticated, and it definitely adds a little more dimension to my otherwise plain jane haircut.

when I got home from the hair salon, I laid around the house for a bit before packing a bag for the night. we packed the truck with our overnight bags, Halloween costumes, and the cooler and headed down to meet our friends at the hotel we booked for the night. 

to my surprise, my friend Kaycie walked in, not dressed like her normal self (or as a pirate as I thought she would be), but as ME. she applied temporary tattoos to her left arm, her neck, and her foot, and even bought a fake nose and lip ring! it was HILARIOUS. I think that she played a better Mandee than I do.

from the hotel, we met up with Kaley and her family at Red Robin for dinner before heading out to the party. we stopped at the liquor store on the way back to the hotel to get changed. after getting all ready in my Cleopatra get up, we hung out in the hotel and pre-gamed for a little bit. we consumed some beverages and then hit the road. 

this is the only picture I have of my costume so far, and it was taken in my mirror at home on Friday night, when I decided it would probably be a good idea to try my costume on.

the party was a blast! I'll have pictures tomorrow (hopefully) of everyone's costumes. we played flip cup, sang lots of tunes, took pictures, and devoured Joey's mom's homemade rice krispy treats. we took a cab back to the hotel at the end of the night, and then crashed as soon as we got home. well, Adam and I stayed up talking about god knows what. he was drunk and I was on Ambien, so I'm sure it was an interesting conversation. the night was full of one-liners that we'll always remember, that's for sure! 

SUNDAY

yesterday morning, we struggled to get up and get ourselves ready to check out. the four of us stopped for breakfast and then went our separate ways. I was pretty much laid out on the couch all day, dozing off between football games (boo Lions!). 

Sean snapped this picture of me on his cell phone. please note that I am surrounded by ALL four cats... Mama Cat sleeping on my chest, Bear on my legs, Lily & Pheobe on the couch behind my head. folks, this is my life. 

NOTE 

Kaycie's "Mandee-isms" of the evening included:

- "I love my cats! they're so cute!"

- "ugh, I have to meet with my trainer tomorrow."

- "FUCK YOU, SEAN!" 

it's scary how well she knows me! 

Happy Monday!

Barberry & Lace = LOVE

two weeks ago, I realized that my best friend Kaley's birthday was right around the corner, so I started to think about what I wanted to get her for her birthday. 

of course, I turned to Etsy right away. Leigh Ashley, who posts Wee Bit Wednesdays every week, has an Etsy shop called Barberry & Lace - she's always posting about her new items, so I immediately went to check it out to find the perfect gift.

Kaley's been LOVING owls lately (as you can see from her blog), so I was clearly drawn to the wise old owl necklace that Leigh Ashley sells. it's dainty and pretty, and the chain length was perfect for a mama owl who doesn't want her 16 month old ripping it from her neck! haha! 

after I put the wise old owl in my cart, I continued to browse through Leigh's shop and decided to buy a little somethin' somethin' for myself as well. I decided to buy myself the uncaged necklace (unfortunately, it looks like I purchased the last one). I've always considered myself to be a free spirit, so I thought this piece suited me well. 

both necklaces arrived last Thursday, which was perfect timing, because Kaley & her husband were coming over to check out the house and have dinner with us at our favorite restaurant. 

I'm fairly certain that Kaley loves her birthday present, and I love my "just because" present to myself as well. in fact, I've been wearing it every single day since it arrived last week!

Christmas is right around the corner, so if you're trying to think of the perfect gift for a special woman in your life, I think you'll find what you're looking for over at Leigh Ashley's shop!

disclaimer: I have not been compensated or gifted anything by Barberry & Lace for reviewing their product. this is just my honest opinion.

everyone needs a pair of red shoes

I mentioned earlier this week that while Sean was away gambling in Atlantic City, I took advantage of a major sale going on at Charlotte Russe. I got a lot of goods, and almost everything was on sale. I used promotion code SEPTSHIP for free shipping (for orders over $35).

my package arrived yesterday, and I'm already sporting some of my new clothes! I'll tell you what I'm wearing at the end of this post. alright, enough rambling... onto the pretties!

Ribbed Scoop Neck Tank 

originally $6.50 - paid $1.49 (x 3 - black, brown & dark olive)

Scoop Neck Basic Tank 

originally $6.50 - paid $1.49 (in heather grey, but it's not available online anymore)

Solid Lace Trim Cami  

originally $7.50 - paid $3.75

Faceted Rose Trio Set

paid $4.00 

Woven Striped Sleep Pant 

originally $16.50 - paid $8.25

Marbled Hoodie 

originally $22.50 - paid $11.25

Flannel Robe

originally $24.50 - paid $12.25

Floral Pearl Studded Top

paid $18.00

Ruched Canvas Tote

originally $19.50 - paid $9.75

Patent Rouched-Toe Flats

originally $22.50 - paid $10.00

Open Front Ruffle Sweater 

originally $24.00 - paid $12.00

Slouchy Suede Flat Boots

paid $30.00

Vintage Locket Necklace

paid $10.50

Studded Strap Belt 

paid $9.50

so what do you think? my grand total, including all discounts and promotions was $153.93. I think I made out pretty well, only paid full price for a handful of things, and got some sweet pieces too. right now, I'm wearing the Floral Pearl Studded Top, the Open Front Ruffle Sweater, and the Vintage Locket Necklace. loving this outfit, especially with my Ruffle Suede Sandals from F21! I also tried my new robe on last night after my post-workout shower, and it was super comfy. I really can't wait to pair those boots with some skinnys & a tee or leggings & a tunic/dress. this little shopping spree has me excited for fall! 

Happy Thursday, folks!

hello, my pretty.

god, I love Etsy. I just bought a gorgeous camera strap cover for the new Canon for $13 including shipping. I've searched high and low for the perfect strap cover, and I think I found it thanks to masonjarholding's shop on Etsy. I just wanted something a little modern that WASN'T damask. I don't know about you, but I am sick of seeing fucking damask everywhere. not only was it only $10, but it's made with Amy Butler cotton fabric. who doesn't love a little designer fabric thrown in with their Walmart budget? 

Mellow Yellow Camera Strap Slipcover 

is anyone humming to the song? 

"they call me Mellow Yellooooooow"

no? just me? alrighty then. 

I hope everyone is having a fabulous week! I've been SO swamped at work this week. I've been working extra hours so that I can take off early tomorrow afternoon to head out and see The Offspring, 311, and Pepper in concert. I can't wait... it should be an awesome show! 

Happy Thursday!

Forever 21 = LOVE.

I've mentioned before that I'm not a very fashionable lady. normally, I wear a tee shirt, jeans, and flip flops. occasionally, I throw on a cute pair of earrings for good measure, but until recently, I never really gave a shit about what I wore. I've started to pick up more trendy and fashionable items, but also some things that will last me a long time. 

normally, I wear a lot of black and grey, but I've been trying to find some colorful pieces to add to my wardrobe, and I always have my jewelry selection in the back of my mind when finding tops and shoes to coordinate. 

to add to my recent purchases I made back in May, I did a little online shopping at Forever 21 last week, so I thought I'd share my purchases. also, I got free shipping for spending over $75, but I'm not sure if they're still running that promotion. anyway, on to the loot!

 Satin Sequin Top - $22.80

I love the colors and print, and it'll look great paired with straight jeans or leggings. 

Jersey Lotus Top - $17.80

again, I love the colors and the pattern, but I especially love the back of this top. 

Striped Ribbed Tank - $4.50

nothing special, just something to wear around the house or under a cardigan.

Mock Two Piece Tunic - $22.80

now I know I didn't stray from the black on this one, but I love the thick stripe and the changing from vertical to horizontal. and the belt is pretty cute too. 

Ruffled Suedette Thong Sandals - $18.80

I cannot tell you how much I love these sandals. I love the ruffle and the slight heel, and the color is the perfect neutral to wear with just about anything. 

Sydney Sandals - $16.80

I've never owned a pair of yellow sandals before, so these should be interesting. luckily, I have quite a few tops with bits of yellow, so I'll have plenty to pair them with.

Cutout Woven Belt - $6.80

I can't remember the last time I wore a belt, but I love this one and think it would look great over a loose tank or tunic.

Chain Maille Ring - $3.80

I don't wear rings too often, but I couldn't pass this one up. I love the shimmer and the links!

so there you have it - my new clothes and accessories that are sitting inside my entryway as we speak (err... type). I saw them there this morning and cussed Sean for not telling me they arrived yesterday! I love the tops I picked up, and can't wait to wear them! they'll look even better when I lose this weight and can fit into my old size 7 jeans that I loved so much. and yes, I'm still holding on to them in hopes that my ass will grace them once again in the future.

Happy Wednesday!