Awkward & Awesome (in photos).

I always call these Awkward and Awesome but they're really just awkward... to match the rest of me.

Is this a snarl?

Cat fight...

This isn't scary...

Gunner clearly loves taking photos with me...

In other news:

we didn't get the house.

Long story short:

Our first inspector (recommended by the realtor) turned out to be a scammer and not everything was fine and dandy like he said it was. 

We got a second inspection and found all sorts of problems with the darn thing that the seller wasn't willing to fix nor were we.

I'm not sure why I'm not that sad about it. Probably because the last week has been really annoying and I was ready to let go. I'm sure we'll find another, I'm just not sure when we'll get a chance to go back out there and look! 

Cheers to house hunting for the third time! 

five places in twenty-five days.

Sweater: Thrifted, Tank: Fashion 123, Necklace: Burlington, Shorts: borrowed from sister, Tights: Burlington, Shoes: Trouve from Nordstrom.

The pace is picking up again and I'm already trying to catch my breath. 

I'm not even home from Colorado yet, but two days after I get back I'm heading to Sunriver for a Pastor's Retreat with the rest of the P.W.'s and our husbands. The day after we get home from Sunriver Ian and I plan to drive to Spokane to see his grandparents for a couple days.

Three days after that we leave for a beach getaway with a bunch of college-people from church.

We'll be home with just enough time to close on our house before we head to Cabo!

All good stuff. Just a lot. 

What are you looking forward to most this Spring/Summer?

graduation.

Sunglasses: Nordstrom borrowed from sister, Sweater: Thrifted, Jeans: Rewind, Shoes: UrbanOG.com

Yesterday was the graduation and it was really fun! 

The weather here is so wild that it was gorgeous when we walked into the arena and then it was cloudy, windy, and SNOWY when we walked out! 

It was kind of fun.

Also, she graduated from Air Academy High so we were on the Air Force base which means heightened security. Despite the fact that they confiscated my snacks when I walked through security, I felt safe having uniformed men parol the premises.

And I saw a guy wearing a Blazer hat so that made me feel right at home too.

P.S. I put up a new post on my other blog! 

airports.

I'm sitting at the airport about to board a plane to Colorado. Actually, it's stopping in Seattle first. Then on to Colorado. I'm going there to celebrate my little cousin's sister's high school graduation.

Don't you think we could be sisters? I mean I call her my sister and stuff and she let's me borrow her clothes when I come over. Plus, I know you're still looking at this pic trying to figure out which on is me... I'm on the right. So from now on I will refer to her as my little sister. (Her name is Anneliese but I call her Ansalee.)

Anywho, here I am alone at the airport.  

I always feel awkward (I could just end the sentence there) traveling alone. There's no one to chit chat with while I redress myself and repack my bags after security. I sit by myself picking at my gourmet airport food. The rolling sound my mini suitcase makes on the breaks between tile embarrasses me. Trying to fit belongings to last a week in a tiny rolling duffle is one thing, but trying to carry it, roll it, and balance it on the escalator is another. I'm nervous to lift it into the overhead compartment and then down again. Twice because of the plane change. At first I was worried I'd forget to take my bag off the plane with me because this is the first time I'm not checking it in, but now I'm so worried about how the heck I'm gonna get that thing up and down that there's no way I'm gonna forget it. 

I need someone to dull these thoughts!

Reading this makes me feel like a spaz, but the truth is... I am.

and I'll feel crazy until I'm in bed tonight.

Boy I'm gonna sleep well.

inspector.

Blazer: Thrifted, Necklace: Burlington, Shirt and Jeans: f21, Shoes: Burlington, Bag: Urban Outfitters

Here is me in [what will be] our new front yard (looks like a tropical garden in these pics).


Our inspection was today and it was pretty much all good news! The only concern is this major caved-in hole in the driveway. Hopefully the seller will fix that for us, otherwise our FHA appraiser may not follow through with the loan. 

hooray.


Ian is taking me on a mall date tonight so that I can get the swimsuit I've been talking about since I tried it on yesterday. I'd like to think he's taking me because he wants to spoil me and give me everything I ever want, but it's probably just so that I'll shut up. 
But hey, we'll both benefit.

criminal!

Coat: Urban Outfitters, Jeans: H&M, Shoes: Urban Outfitters

Today I was informed that I have a something criminal on my record.

Whatever my "record" is.

Apparently, I'm on the run trying to get out of paying off my credit card or something wacko.

So, I don't get to put my name on the loan papers for our house.

I kept signing all the papers with our realtor, but our lender kept removing my signature from the documents. 

Today he came by to go over the final papers with us but awkwardly nodded me out of the room. Not gonna lie...

I kinda felt left out.

Once he left, Ian told me that the lender told him why I couldn't be on the loan and that it was because of my criminal credit record. And he didn't want me in the room because he wanted to tell Ian about my past without it being awkward...

yikes.

This isn't just some random stranger that I'll never see again. He's a friend from church and I am soooooo embarrassed that he's been carrying around this perception of me for the last two months! 

"Hi, I'm Sarah, Pastor Ian's wife. I'm in bunches of debt/frauding people and I'm still on the run so if you could please keep it hush-hush thanks."

I. Am. Humiliated. 

But it's also kinda funny.

(And obviously a big mistake that we'll have to look into.)

On top of that he told Ian that he has not just good credit, but outstanding credit. 

I always thought I had outstanding credit too, but apparently it's so bad that I can't even scribble my name on papers for a house I'm buying with my spouse. 

1-800 bank number, we'll be calling you, pronto!

Tomorrow is our home inspection so, as long as there is nothing major and the seller doesn't back out between now and closing, THE HOUSE IS OURS! I will show pictures after closing in June. Believes it.

Max-Out Your Wardrobe Not Your Credit Cards.

Jacket: H&M, Jeans: F21, Boots: Kohl's, Sweatshirt: thrifted

What the heck, blogger?! I already posted this two days ago but then POOF it disappears! 

Anywho, if you miss this, this is my list of budget friendly shopping tips!

Pace Yourself: Buy what you need when you need it. Like a diet, when you deprive yourself of any shopping, the next time you get a taste you will overindulge and overspend. Which leads to buyer’s remorse (after the initial high). Hint: If you don’t get to shop often, make a list of items that you’ve wanted to try on and once you finally hit the mall hunt for those and those alone.

Know Your Limit: Have a cap on what amount you will spend on a specific item. For instance, I personally wouldn’t pay more than $60 for a single pair of shoes unless they were an investment piece to my wardrobe. A good way to set a realistic budget is to calculate the CPW, or the Cost Per Wear. By dividing the dollar amount of the garment by the number of times you will wear it yields your CPW. If the numbers don’t even-out, the item costs too much and isn’t worth it. Hint: If your CPW isn’t low enough, there is always a better deal waiting for you!

Shop Around Online: ShopStyle.com is my favorite shopping buddy and I almost always consult her before I hit the mall. When I’m looking for a specific item I type it into the search box and sort by color, price, size, and more. Then it lists all my options. If ShopStyle.com doesn’t have what you are looking for, the rest of the world wide web will, so try the same thing with Google.com and click on the “Shopping” tab.  Hint: If you can, buy it at the store to skip shipping fees and feed your need of instant gratification (I blame that on our culture)!

Hit the Sale Racks First: When searching for quality investment pieces sort through the sale racks at the department stores first. I almost always find what I’m looking for at a much lower cost. And despite what you might think, the sale racks still carry items that are in season.  

Don’t be Afraid of Thrifting: I’m still sorting through what I will and will not purchase second-hand, but when I do, I save so much money. Plus, I can scratch my itch to shop more frequently because I’m not spending as much! Hint: Thrift stores are organized by type of garment, size, and then color. Know what you are looking for and ignore everything else.

Mix it Up: You can wear the same item multiple times in multiple ways. Mix, match, and layer to get more use and develop different looks out of the items in your wardrobe. If you’re in a rut, find some fashion bloggers that have similar style to you and mix their inspiration with items that you already have in your closet. Hint: When you have a piece you don’t know how to style, just type it into google and add “street style” at the end and scroll through the image archives until you find a look that fits your taste.

Host a Swap Meet: Invite your friends over to set up a little table/pile of their old clothes and trade with you! My friends and I shared similar sizes in high school and whenever we got sick of our own clothes, we’d bring them in our big black trash bags and swap each other. It was super fun and not as scary as a thrift store because you knew where these clothes were coming from and that the person wearing them before you [hopefully] had good hygiene. Hint: To keep it organized, have designated stations for each girlfriend to display her clothes. Also have a full-length mirror and a place to try-on!

a much needed getaway.

Scarf: Thifted, Sweater, Shirt, & Jeans: F21, Shoes: Trouve via Nordstrom Rack

It has been a looooong couple of weeks.

Every time I cross something off on my list of events, another one pops up. 

One of my very best friends got married on Saturday so the three days leading up to it were packed full with showers, parties, dinners, and rehearsals. 

With all that is coming up these next few months, I was feeling the need for a mini vacay. Our Cabo trip in June just seems too far away!

On Sunday night Ian told me to book a room at the coast for Monday night (last night). I got all shaky and like "wait, what?!" because I am not usually comfortable with such spontaneous decisions. 

That's why I like him.

(well, one of the reasons.)

We ran home after work and packed up our duffles--off to the beach we went.

We stayed at The Ocean Lodge in Canon Beach and it was absolutely gorgeous! 

The getaway was exactly what we needed.

Except, now that we're home I'm getting all crazy again. I tried to run it off, but I probably need to eat something.

copy cat.

 Sweater: Thrifted, Tank: random, Necklace: f21, Pants: Nordstrom, Shoes: Nordstrom Rack

This may make me sound really dumb, but I have to be honest.

I think it may come from the fact that my cute little cousin used to copy everything I did. Lit. 

{one time I spilled orange soda on my pale pink Gap outfit and 2.5 seconds later she spilled her orange soda on her matching pale pink Gap outfit... that was the most extreme it ever got}.

My mom always told me that I should be flattered that she liked me so much : )

Nowadays it doesn't really bother me, but because it used to, I now cannot stand copying other people. 

But I did it anyway.

I sat by my friend Tammy at church on Easter and couldn't stop staring at her shoes (in black). I told her I liked them and went home to track them down on l'internet. No luck. Saw her again that night and asked where from? She said Nordstrom.

I go to Nordstrom the next day.

They don't have them.

I call Nordstrom Rack and they have them.

I stop by Krispy Kreme on the way.

I eat two donuts.

I buy the shoes.

I wear them [almost] every day.

Thank you for letting me copy you Tams! I usually don't do things like this!

anybody?

Honeymoon 2009

I'm looking for a hotel in Cabo for our Summa vacation.

What is the difference between The Corridor, San Jose del Cabo, and plain ol' Cabo San Lucas? Which is the best place to stay for swimmable beaches and delicious mexican foods?

Oh yeah, and which is the safest?

i'msoconfused.