Hot Coupons, What I'm Wearing, and a Prayer Request

I had to share this coupon deal with you!

I visit Hip2Save on a weekly basis and she always posts amazing coupons and deals. Yesterday, she posted about Kraft coupons and Target deals and it was like hitting the jackpot! In addition to the items I bought with the coupons, I also snagged a few other coupons that allowed me to get even more for less.

The best part of the whole thing? I needed all of these items for Thanksgiving!

I bought EVERYTHING in the picture for a little over $10. When each item is usually around $2 or $3 at regular price, I found this to be a steal! I just used the Kraft coupons and combined them with the online Target coupons to do this.

Shredded cheese - 80 cents each ($1/2 Target; $1/2 Kraft)
cream cheese bricks - 44 cents each ($0.50/2 Target; $1/2 Kraft)
Nabisco crackers - $1 each ($1/2 Target; $1/2 Kraft)
Ranch dressing - $1.39 ($0.50/1 Target)
Crescent Rolls - $1.41 each ($0.50/2 Target)
Pie Crust - $1.99 (in store promotion of $0.55/1)

This shopping trip saved me $9.55 off of my total price. Amazing what you can do with a little coupon clipping!

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And on a completely different note, my Wardrobe Wednesday outfit!

It is COLD here (we're talking 50's here, people) so I've been sticking to my typical cold weather gear - leggings, boots, sweaters, and scarves. This outfit is incredibly boring, but I do love the pashmina I'm wearing. I got it when my family and I were vacationing in Rome over Thanksgiving, 7 years ago this week. The pashmina is varying shades of orange and gold. It's warm, soft, and it reminds me of one of my favorite family trips.

On a family note, my mom is in the hospital for some tests to check her heart, and I'd appreciate any prayers for her. I'm very worried, and it stinks to be stuck so far away, feeling like I can't do anything to help/comfort her.

Top 5 Tuesday

Top 5 Things that are Currently Making me Smile:

1. Three cheers for a short work week!


2. A new haircut! My last haircut was over 6 months ago so it was looking pretty tragic. I was wearing it up in a ponytail 24/7 because I couldn't do anything with it otherwise. Enter my fantastic (sam's) stylist, Marian, and I now have a cute cut again...and my side bangs are back!

3. 50% off all clearance at Old Navy last weekend! Hello, deals! I snagged a really cute plaid top that I can't seem to find online and two tanks for less than $14 total :)

4. My recent discovery of the famous "airline cookie" available in my local grocery store! I'm not kidding you, I was jumping up and down in the middle of the store. Now I can finally enjoy these without having to pay $350 for a Delta flight!


5. Having 4 days to catch up on sleep, work on my school project, go to the movies (I'm dying to see Harry Potter this weekend), take naps, and spend time with C! I may even sneak in a Black Friday shopping trip if I gather up the courage to fight the crowds...I'm still undecided!

I won't be blogging again until after Thanksgiving, but I hope all of you have a wonderful time with your loved ones. I'm thankful for all of my readers and the friendships I have with many of you!

lovely

I was browsing we heart it the other day, and came across these beautiful images posted by romantique. They are perfectly girly and all together lovely...I knew that I had to share them with you.











Aren't they wonderful? Wishing you a bright and happy Monday!

Wardrobe Wednesday

I actually got a picture of myself for today's post!

The temperature is in the low 70's so it's perfect sweater weather.


All of these pieces have been in my closet for at least two years (with the exception of my Lauren Conrad jeggings). I love re-discovering pieces that have been packed away for summer, like the mustard colored sweater I'm wearing! It's from Goodwill, but the brand is Old Navy. I love, love, love when I find quality pieces at the thrift store!! Living in Los Angeles, it's not surprising to see top name-brand, barely worn items at the local thrift stores so I always make sure to stop in every once in a while.

I'm wearing a Weston Wear ruffled top that I found in the sale section of Anthropologie many, many moons ago. It was a great buy and one of my favorite pieces in my closet.

And these shoes...I can't even tell you how many compliments I get on these boots. Want to know a secret? They are from Famous Footwear, and they are the most comfortable, longest lasting pair of boots that I have owned. I bought this pair in 2007, and they are just now wearing out (and that's probably because I never store them properly). But, when I was posting this, I went to the FF website, and am so happy to see that they still sell this particular style!! I plan on buying a new pair this weekend. I highly recommend these if you are looking for an inexpensive (but good quality) boot option.

Top 5 Tuesday

Thought I'd try to stick with a theme here so here are my top 5 picks for holiday party dresses!

Our company's holiday party, which is in a little over two weeks, will be held at Fleming's this year...so excited! Every girl loves an excuse to get dressed up, drink free wine, and have a yummy steak for lunch :)

I have always worn a black dress for the holiday party so I'm thinking about changing it up a little this year.

Anthropologie
Silver Cloud Dress

Kohl's
Suite 7 Iridescent Taffeta Dress

Kohl's
Suite 7 Pleated Empire Dress

Forever 21
Love 21 Sleeveless Silk Bow Dress

Kohl's
Jessica Howard Mixed Media Ruffle Dress

I'm intrigued by the Anthropologie dress, but it would definitely be too fancy for this type of work party. Looks like I'll be making a trip to Kohl's to pick out a dress as I really like all three of the above options! The prices are reasonable and they usually always have some sort of additional % off coupon available.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Partyyyyyyyy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, C!

Thank you for being born!
(really, I guess I should thank your parents)

Tonight, we hang out with friends,
drink good drinks, and eat cake!

This weekend, a trip to San Diego...
I hope you have a fantastic birthday!

Thankful Thursday

Two weeks until Thanksgiving?!

Time flies...whether you're having fun or not :)

I will miss my family this holiday, but I haven't been home for a Thanksgiving in 3 years. We are going to a friend's house where his annual get-together is talk of the town for weeks. It should be fun, but no doubt, family will be on my mind.

I'm thankful for all that I've been blessed with in my life. I've said it before, but if it weren't for God's plan, I would most likely be dead or would have grown up an orphan. Instead, I've been blessed with a loving family, the chance to receive education, the comfort of knowing that if I'm ever in trouble I have someone to turn to...it breaks my heart that there are so many children out there who have grown up (or are now) without these blessings.

So today, like every day, I really do thank God for all the blessings in my life.

I'm also thankful for people like my grandfather, my own father, and my older brother for serving in the Army, protecting this country alongside countless other soldiers. May all those veterans get the love and respect they deserve, on this day and always.

left - my dad as a young officer in Vietnam;
right - in Saudi Arabia

my brother being promoted to Major

Wardrobe Wednesday

Wednesday is here again! I like it because the week is half over and it gives me a jolt of energy to get through the next two days of work.

I'm finding it so much easier to get ready in the morning since I reorganized my closet. I had planned on picking out all of the week's outfits and taking pictures of them, but then the lazy took over and I never got around to it. I have been going to bed with an outfit in mind so it's cut down my "getting ready" time in the morning by at least 20 minutes.

I thought I'd show you what I'm wearing today:

Metallic Striped Tunic


Lauren Conrad Denim Leggings


Brown Platform Heels
via Target (maybe 2007?)

I wasn't too sure about the "jeggings" trend, but I have to admit that I really like the style and comfort of this LC pair. They're very wearable and look great with boots, heels, and flats. I'm pretty short so finding a pair of jeans that I like in a length that works for me is really hard to do.

One of these days I'll take a picture of myself in the mirror, but today you can just use your imagination!

Top 5 Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!

Have you ever noticed that when the time changes, you can't get a good night's sleep? I toss and turn until I have to get up, completely negating the fact that I had the extra hour to begin with.

The big news of the weekend is that I finally won my battle with AT&T and was rewarded with the iPhone 4, after paying for it of course! So far, I'm having so much fun with it!

Please let me know which apps you like to use. I'm still trying to find a good photography one...I wanted to download Polarize, but it keeps saying it's unavailable. Also, for those that have the iPhone, what app do you use to post to Blogger? The only one I've found is BlogPress and it has mixed reviews so I'm not sure I want to pay for it.

I've had fun browsing the App Store, and so far these are my favorites.

1. Angry Birds - Oh man, this game is so fun! C downloaded it to his Droid X so we sit on the couch and play it, trading strategy tips and hints. It's really addicting, and that's saying a lot because neither of us are really "game" players. This is the only app I've actually paid for!

2. Netflix - Seriously? There are thousands of movies and tv episodes available to watch instantly. We have a Netflix account and usually use the PS3 to watch instantly, but how awesome is it that I can now watch on my phone, wherever I may be?! Poor C, so jealous :)


3. Pandora - I look at my new phone as motivation to head to the gym. This app lets me listen to crazy, upbeat workout music and the time just flies by!


4. E! Online - We all know I love my celebrities! I frequent the website a lot at work, so why not have it on my phone, too?


5. All Recipes - This is my go-to website to find recipes (I like it much more than Food Network) so it's awesome that I can have it on my phone! I have a bad habit of going into the grocery store after work and wandering around aimlessly, trying to put dinner together. Now I have this handy app and it has already helped me out so much.

Please share with me any tips or tricks
about the iPhone 4!

And, what are your favorite apps??

Return of Fall

Completely cleaned out my closet today! I'm so excited to be reunited with my fall/winter clothes :)

ps - I don't have a lot of space so I decided to display one shoe and keep its partner below. This way I know what shoes I have at a glance, instead of digging through a big mess!

pps - I'm using the pictureshow iphone app to do this post...I hope it works!

advice on buying a food processor

My mom recently asked what I would like for Christmas. The only thing I can think of really needing is a good food processor. There are so many times that I bookmark a recipe, only to realize that it requires a food processor to do some part of the recipe.

Yes, I've used a rolling pin and ziploc bag to pulverize cookies into itty bitty pieces, but I would love to be able to make things like homemade pesto and tomatillo salsa or this amazing hazelnut cream, using a processor.

In looking for one that would do the job, I thought of CSN. I see many of my fellow bloggers reviewing items and hosting giveaways featuring CSN so I knew it would be a good place to start.

My only requirements:

- processor must be regular size, no mini's!
- cost less than $200
- be a neutral color (white, stainless steel, black; no red)

CSN seemed to have a number of good options, but a few of the styles I'm interested in are currently out of stock. I've still posted those here in case any of you have opinions about them.

cuisinart custom 14 cup food processor

kitchenaid 9 cup food processor

kalorik food processor

hamilton beach 10 cup food processor

These are all in different ranges as far as price goes, but I am curious to know if any of you have a Kalorik brand processor. There are no reviews for it, but the price is right at $99. However, I don't want to skimp on price only to be disappointed in power and efficiency. There's a reason that the Cuisinart and KitchenAid options are more expensive. I am leaning towards KitchenAid since I absolutely love my stand mixer.

I know this is a boring topic*, but I want to make sure that I get something I will be able to use easily and that will fit my needs.

Do any of you own one of these and would you recommend it?
Or do you own a different kind that you would recommend?

*thanks in advance for your help!