thought on tuesday

glasses- Tommy Bahama, shirt- Target, skirt- Rouche.com, tight- J. Crew, shoes- Frye Melissa Boot 

To do list:
ugh.. laundry
organize our office
spend some reward dollars:)
get our couch delivered 
catch up on Grey's Anatomy 
be motivated 


The bad and the good:
the bad: smacking my head on the railing while doing Tuesdays pictures {ha ha ha, I'm not graceful enough to swing around a pole and look lovely at the same time}. Getting dressed in the morning only to realize Camden and I are matching {wearing the same colors}.
the good: I got a new bright striped sweater from Camden and our couch is getting delivered today! My contacts and glasses came so I can see extra crisp. Eating a big chocolate Dunford donut for lunch {I realize not the most healthiest of choices but delicious}. 

just in case you wanted to know

I love these shirts...

sweater - J. Crew, pants - J. Crew, shoes - Dolce Vita 

This is what I wore to a work party of my husbands. 

I was going for an Audrey Hepburn look. . . 

How were your weekends?!

fashion spotlight - anthropologie must haves

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Anthropologie has my current outfit obsession. I love the vintage whimsy of the floral pants mixed with the loose modern fit of the sweater. Tie it all together with some gold and black accents and you have one cute outfit on your hands. Now if I can only talk my husband in to letting me get it. 

my five favorite things from our humble abode

1 Anthropologie bowls 

{They were the first thing we bought for our home together}

2 the four blankets that cover our cozy bed  

3 fabric backed bookshelves 

4 a chair from my childhood recovered in bright white

5 a fun printed rug bought for a bargain 

thought on tuesday

jacket - J. Crew, shirt - Crew Cuts, scarf - J. Crew, pants - Madewell, shoes - Steven by Steve Madden 

To do list:

fold two loads of laundry 

get to the grocery store

clean out my purse

walk Kramer

catch up on: The Bachelor

The bad and the good:

The bad,

My lip bleeding in the the grocery store and having no idea until I get back to the car and see red smeared all over my lips. Having to keep telling my dog to stop licking his behind {cause I'm sure you all wanted to know that}. Taking a shower then getting out 20 mins later only to realize I have not done anything but stand there.

The good,

Although my lips were covered with blood, the checkout lady at the grocery store still managed to tell me "What pretty brown eyes you have", made my day!

Going out to dinner with Camden and having a mini date night.  

Coming home to a clean house with a pleasant scent in the air. 

Seeing the rain slowly turn in to snow and watching everything get dusted with white!

Hope you all have a marvelous Tuesday! 

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congratulation Shane, your the winner of the Flutterfly bag giveaway! send me an Email

{winner chosen by: awesomly awkward blog}

Thanks to all who entered and stay tuned for another giveaway very soon!

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a weekend of discoveries

As far as lazy weekends go, this one took the cake {at least for Kramer's and mine!} Saturday I sadly didn't change out of my pj's the entire day. However this did give me some time to do some much needed cleaning and a chance to find lost treasures. This included an un-opened Christmas package and much more importantly some old photographs of my Grandmothers. The lady on the left is my Great Great Grandmother {not living}, mother to my Great Grandmother who just turned 109 in December {and is still living}. The lovely lady on the right is my Grandma who just turned 80 this past week {also living}. This picture was taken when she was 17 years old. I think she looks so elegant for someone so young. I will be lucky if I one day have as many wonderful stories told about me as their adventurous lives have told about them. I love old photographs, they tell many stories and have so much history behind them. One can't help to treasure them, along with the people they hold locked in time. So although I can't say I got much accomplished, I can say not all was lost. You never know what you will find stuffed away in the back of a dusty closet. {especially if you are as forgetful as me}

Kramer spent his weekend curled up by the fire. He has found much joy from its warmth since his hair cut. Camden spent his working on Saturday and lazy with us on Sunday {although he did drag us out from our cave for a much needed walk in the sunshine.}

-How were your weekends?

lipstick & glasses

I remember being young and my parents would wear huge round glasses, except for back then they were "so out of style". When I got my first pair of glasses they were tiny little rectangles {I didn't want to be dated and feel nerdy in big round ones}. Well, I guess the jokes on me with my oversized glasses and of course bright pink lipstick. It's like a retro flashback, and I love it! I am obsessed with oversized glasses {I have bought 3 in the last six months} and of course lipstick. I have always been obsessed with shiny lips. When I was really young I would fall asleep with mounds of Chapstick in my hands with flavors like kiwi and Dr. Pepper. Not too much has changed from my yonder years but instead of kiwi, I am in love with Nars Heat Wave and Maybelline Pink Me Up. One day I'm sure my kids will make fun of me for my bright lips and big specs, and so the cycle continues.

genevieve gorder - thursday at homes

chic diy- valentine decor

Tools needed: traceable heart shape - google images, candy hearts - any grocer, hot glue gun - craft stores, shadow box frame - Target 9$ {I used 12x12 size}, thumb tacks - craft stores/most grocers, card stock {same size as shadow box} - craft stores

1. Trace your heart image {I printed one off google images} onto your card stock.

2. Starting along the outside, glue your candy hearts until you reach the middle. {I put a hidden message under my hearts which is totally optional}

3. Once your heart shape is complete, secure the candied card stock to the back of the shadow box with the thumb tacks. {you may need to press hard depending on thickness of the back of your shadow box}

4. If needed, use needle nose pliers to bend down the sharp remainders of the thumb tacks.

5. Hang and enjoy!

thought on tuesday - flutterfly bag giveaway {closed}

clothing: hat - J. Crew, shirt - J. Crew, pants - Old Navy, shoes - Dolce Vita, bag - Flutterfly 

Ok you guys, I'm really excited about this giveaway! This is a handmade original Flutterfly bag by Tessa. I got the privilege to help hand pick the fabrics and style of this bag {literally nothing else like it}. These bags are only sold at the Paisley Pomegranate or by request, so they are hard to come by. This bag would retail for 80$ and yeah, I WANT IT!  

To enter for a chance to win this magnificent bag you must: 1. Follow or become a follower of this blog {Not sure you're a follower? Click "join this site" located on the left side of this blog, sign in and become one.} 2. Share this post with your friends and family via blogger, facebook, twitter, pinterest, etc. and then 3. Let me know where you shared! The winner will be announced next tuesday so Good Luck to all ya! {I am officially jealous!}

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congratulation Shane, your the winner of the Flutterfly bag giveaway! send me an Email

{winner chosen by: awesomly awkward blog}

Thanks to all who entered and stay tuned for another giveaway very soon!
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weekend update - a first time for everything

We started off the weekend with me finally convincing my husband to go skiing. I have skied for over 10 years and my husband, who I have been with for almost 5 years now has never gone with me, or even been. With much persuasion I finally got him to agree to come with. He kept saying how nervous he was {this is strange for Camden because he's usually the adventure seeking, sports engaging one in our relationship} I kept telling him he would be surprised and that he would have fun! On the way up the lift on the first run he was totally freaking out but he mastered his fear and made it down to the bottom alive where he turned to me and said "WHO ARE YOU?" "I didn't know you could really ski!" {you would be right to guess that at most sports I am a bit awkward and this is why my "skiing skills" took him by surprise} We ended up skiing for a couple of hours stopping about half way through to grab some lunch and a much needed cup of hot chocolate .

Later in the weekend I colored my sisters hair. She saw the post on Melted Hair Color and decided that it would fit her style. I think she was right. {she's so cute anything would fit her style!}

We finished are weekend with root bear floats, which was just one of my many cravings this weekend, and watching multiple episodes of the English car talk show Top Gear{it's my husband's favorite!}. Our weekend was properly good and that said I can't wait until the next!

fashion spotlight - alexa chung

The model / TV host / fashion icon , Alexa Chung has a style that is all her own worthy of a fashion spotlight. With her never ending legs and boyish flare, Alexa is one of my favorite fashion go-to's when I need a little inspiration. She makes clothes look easy and messy hair look done. {notice the melted hair color she rocks so fabulously!} She shows that throwing just about anything together can work as long as you wear it well. I also love that she isn't afraid to wear the same thing twice. {lets be honest who can say they haven't?} Keep an eye on this fashion guru, only great things to come!

4 inspiring ways to decorate your book shelves

chic diy - surf spray

Surf Spray gives you that craved beach hair look with just a couple of sprays. However it can get a bit pricey, so I thought why not just make your own. It works just as well for only pennies, plus you will have more than enough ingredients left over to whip up another batch. Try it out and see what you think! {Make sure to shake every time you use}

thought on tuesday - comfy cozy

clothing: shirt sweater - Nordstrom Rack, cotton striped shirt - Husbands A&E Shirt, necklace - J. Crew, pants - J. Crew lounge pants, shoes - Dolce Vita the Mickey{Nordstrom}

To do List 

good old work

do some hair cuts

make arrangements for couch to be delivered

go to the grocery store

put gas in my car

hang out with some friends
clean a hiding space
shred some papers 

think kindly - talk sweetly

Thought on Tuesday - The Happiness Project

"Aristotle declared happiness to be the summum bonum, the chief good; people desire other things, such as power or wealth or losing ten pounds, because they believe they will lead to happiness, but their real goal is happiness. Blaise Pascal argued, "All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end." One study showed that, all over the world, when asked what they want most from life-and what they want most for their children-people answered happiness. Even people who can't agree on what in means to be "happy" can agree that most people can be "happier," according to their own particular definition." - The Happiness Project 

giveaway - ad space

Hello & Welcome to the Chalk White Arrow Blog! Whether you are a first time visitor from one of my favorite blogs, Lets Talk Trunk, or just back for more you will love what Chalk White Arrow has to offer you. Here you will find everything from design, to fashion, to DIY, to just some funky life. 

The Giveaway is a free Sponsor ad on the top right of this blog so become a follower then enter, enter, Enter and don't forget to check out the post on Lets Talk Trunk , where the winner will be announced, to see all about it. Good Luck and stay tuned for another giveaway announced next Tuesday the 17th! 

weekend update - let it snow

This weekend it finally snowed a little!

it seemed promising {but it still melted by the end of the weekend} 

we took some pictures of Kramers last days being a fluffy dude  

maybe even a lot of pictures

 ok, we took OODLES of pictures of the furry guy

then he got shaved and once again shocked us on how small he really is   

we played some good old Phase Ten {my competitive husband beat me every time}

and made a large dent on our Christmas candy

I can't say we got too much accomplished{who says I don't prefer it that way}

madewell look-book - fashion spotlight

With a more urban feel than there sister J.Crew, Madewell has everything a girls got to have this year. I'm absolutely crazy for their 2012 look which is good for them and bad for my pocket book. Take a look and see what you think. 

{anyone think braids are in this year?}Click HERE to view/shop their website. 

mood board - thursday at homes

From top left to right: pillow Dwell Studio, rug Dwell Studio, head Anthropologie, flowers Etsy, wood, candle Dwell Studio, blanket Dwell Studio, pillow- orange Ikea, couch Restoration Hardware, light Ikea, door Ikea-then painted, fabric, pillow- grey and yellow Dwell Studio

You may or may not have picked up on the fact that I have wanted a new couch for some time. After a long, long time of going back and forth between which couch would be lucky enough to join us, we have finally come to a conclusion. Coming soon to our humble abode is the Restoration Hardware Regency couch along with its soon to be friend, the Dwell Studio Zig Zag Lapis rug. 

Whenever welcoming a new piece into our home or designing for someone else I always make a mood board to see how all of the pieces will look together. I can then get all the cooky ideas from my head onto something I can see visually and make sure everyone is friends. I think they all play together rather well don't you? 

{as soon as they arrive I will show you how it turns out}

chic diy - instagram for photoshop

Photoshop can be daunting to say the least. Layering photos to achieve the same affect over and over can take a lot of time and be draining. I found a life saving download for Instagarm actions on the CS5 version of Photoshop. Instagram is an app that changes the affect of photos on your phone. Now you can get the same effects on your computer which makes getting that vintage look that I love on my photos a trillion times easier. I don't know this guy but I love his site and this download has made me a very happy lady! Click HERE to go to his page and get the download for Instagram on Photoshop.

thought on tuesday - happiness

clothing: glasses Bonlook Flanagan, scarf Urban Outfitters, dress H&M, jeans Madewell High-Riser, boots Frye Melissa

To Do List 

need to still groom Kramer {he is so cute all furry}

wash my car

order a rug:) {I officially will not be in trouble for this one!} 

not do the laundry - Thats right people I'm all caught up on laundry!

Though on Tuesday - first new years quote 

"I'd always vaguely expected to outgrow my limitations. One day, I'd stop twisting my hair, and wearing running shoes all the time, and eating exactly the same food every day. I'd remember my friends' birthdays, I'd learn Photoshop, I wouldn't let my daughter watch TV during breakfast. I'd read Shakespeare . I'd spend more time laughing and having fun, I'd be more polite, I'd visit museums more often, I wouldn't be scared to drive." - The Happiness Project

the happiness project - weekend update

Every year when New Years is just around the corner, the brain storming starts and the planning begins on how this year will differ from all the rest. Yes, the New Year resolutions. I can say, and maybe you can also, that every year about two weeks in the resolutions are long forgotten and most of the time never accomplished. Well this year it will be different, I tell you, because there is only one tiny thing on my list this year that really sums up every goal in its entirety. That is to be happy. You may think that by my saying this it means I am a depressed, sad person which in any case is not true. However if you really think about every goal you have ever set, it is usually to achieve some sort of happiness in the end.

 

I received the book The Happiness Project as an unexpected but much loved Christmas present this year. It reads on the front: The Happiness Project Or, why I spent a year trying to sing in the morning, clean my closets, fight right, read Aristotle, and generally have more fun. So I thought why not make this year a year of happiness and positivity while reading this book for insights and positive affirmations along the way. I will share what I learn as I go and hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I hope to. I know I probably don't know what I am getting my self into but I'm up for the challenge! May all your 2012's be filled with happiness and as for now Happy New Year!