Colorful Friday.

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By the time this posts, I will have been at work for a few hours servicing all of the crazies that have been shopping since they put away their dinner plates from Thanksgiving.

Working retail has put a whole new perspective on Black Friday and all that it entails. While my company does not refer to the day after Thanksgiving as Black Friday, but Colorful Friday, sometimes, it certainly feels Black. Almost like these people are mourning the start of the holiday season. The shoppers are rude, only looking for the best deals (I'm sorry, Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, Lilly Pulitzer, and Lululemon are not going to have doorbuster sales), and it seems as though everyone who walks through the door is miserable.

I have to ask the question; if you are so miserable, why are you out shopping? Shouldn't you be spending time with family and friends, watching football, and stuffing your belly full of delicious leftovers? I know that I am lucky that my store is not open on Thanksgiving, but plenty are. If we as consumers stopped going to these stores at ridiculous hours, they would certainly not be open. The deals may seem appealing, but is a new television more important than an extra day with family? I certainly don't think so!

Black Friday shoppers are probably my least favorite of them all. Throughout the holidays, I'll have my fair share of miserable people, but nothing beats sleep-deprived, deal-hoarding customers.

So, I have to ask, what are you shopping for today?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!

And remember, Eat More Ham!

Thanksgiving Traditions.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays in the world. The traditions, the family, and of course the food just make me smile. On a typical Thanksgiving, we've got 20+ family members smushed into the dining room fighting over a seat at the kid's table. This year, only 8 of us will gather around the table and stuff our bellies full, but I am sure that it will be just as amazing.

It will start tonight with cleaning the house, having a dance party, and probably a few pizzas. With everyone home from school, work, etc., there will be no lack of noise in this house. Tomorrow morning we'll watch the parade, make some breakfast cocktails, and get cooking in the kitchen. With football in the background, and the turkey in the oven, this has got to be one of my favorite parts of the day. The part right before true chaos ensues, and I have to look presentable to the family (leggings were the greatest thing to ever happen to Thanksgiving).

The family will arrive, the beer pong tournament will begin, and so will the feast. Maybe some Christmas pictures will be snapped, but there will definitely be an abundance of laughter. The night will end early for me seeing that I'll be at work by 7 on Friday, but that will certainly not stop me from having one last slice of Pumpkin Pie before I hit the hay!

What are your favorite Thanksgiving traditions?

The Blog Baton!

I am thrilled to be holding the Blog Baton today!

Join me on instagram as I share my day with everyone in the blogosphere!

Sound like fun? Head over to Mason's blog to sign yourself up!

Thanksgiving Outfit Inspiration.

With Thanksgiving approaching at an alarming rate (I'm really not complaining, it just really snuck up on me), I am making a scramble on what to wear. Comfort is a must, but since tons of pictures will certainly be taken, it must be somewhat cute.

Enter, Lilly Pulitzer's Travel Pant.

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With an elastic waist, and pajama feel, these babies are the perfect pant for Thanksgiving (and let's be honest, also to wear everyday). I purchased my first pair earlier this fall (after being stubborn last year and not buying a single pair), and then another, and another, and now I probably have one pair for each day of the week and I'm not even ashamed to admit that I probably wear them 5/7 days a week. They have a seam in the front and back which also make them look way dressier than they probably should be. Can we all be in agreement that leggings were the best thing to happen to Thanksgiving? Okay, great.

Now that the pants situation is figured out, I'm thinking that I'll throw on a cozy sweater and a tartan scarf to make this cozy cute outfit complete!

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What are you wearing for Thanksgiving!?

Miscellany Monday.

Guys, I had the weirdest weekend ever.

Like, I am still laughing at what an epic disaster it was.

Okay, maybe Friday was really what killed me, but I went from having a jam-packed two days, to literally zero plans whatsoever.

It all started Friday morning when I put my pants on backwards. At 6:30 in the morning. I knew that my day was headed nowhere fast, but I finished getting ready and headed on my merry way. I was working in our Greenwich store (again) and had to meet one of the managers to pick up a key to the store at a nearby hotel. It took me an hour and a half to get to the hotel, which already put me a half hour late for work. The pouring rain and freezing temps didn't help much either.

By the time I finally reached the Avenue, parked, and walked up to the store, I already felt defeated. Little did I know that one of the other managers had given me the wrong alarm code for the store. Basically by 10am I had set off the alarm and the cops were trotting through the front door trying to figure out why I was breaking in.

Fantastic.

I also decided that it was a great idea to wear my Tory Burch Revas for a 2nd day that week, which I never do. By 6pm, my feet were bleeding, swollen, and I was just so cranky that I needed to get home ASAP. Thank goodness I had the weekend off.

Half of my plans ended up falling through for Saturday and Sunday (which ended up being a blessing in disguise). I had a leisurely lunch with Kristen to celebrate her birthday, and passing the NY BAR exam, and then treated myself to a mani/pedi with my Momma (and finally getting After School Boy Blazer). We made dinner, and I snuggled on the couch by the fire to read Catching Fire for the second time.

Yesterday I slept in until after 10:30 (I never do that anymore), and was utterly worthless for the remainder of the day. I don't think I got off of the couch for any extended period of time except to make meals, poke the fire, or walk the dog. I finished Catching Fire, got a little early Christmas shopping done, and finally relaxed. I certainly needed a low-key weekend like this, and I'm thankful that I could get some rest heading into a very busy week at work!

Please tell me that y'all had a more exciting (in a good way!) weekend than me!

5 on Friday

SO many things have made me happy this week!

|| one ||

I have been on a kick of calling my friends who live super far away on my way home from work. I always forget that a 40 minute commute is the perfect amount of time to make a phone call and catch up on life. They make me wish that I could live in multiple place at once so I wouldn't have to go so long without catching up!

|| two ||

We celebrated my Dad's birthday at Red Robin! It had just opened at our mall, and we were so excited to try it out! Neither one of my parents had ever experienced the deliciousness of endless steak fries and yummy burgers, so that was surely a treat. We topped off the night with cupcakes from Crumbs!

|| three ||

I have the next 2 weekends off.

What?

I work retail and I have two weekends surrounding Black COLORFUL Friday FREE! I have a jam packed Saturday catching up with friends, and I plan on getting a head start on holiday planning on Sunday. I don't even know what to do with myself with so much free time!

|| four ||

We got a new foster pup this week!

Meet Olivia the Basset Hound.

I think a more appropriate name is Penelope, but a name change isn't really possible at this point. She is a little stinky, but her face just melts my heart.

|| five ||

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This marks Monograms & Margarita's 100th Post!

Almost missed it, but noticed it this morning as I was typing this baby up!

What are YOU loving this Friday!?

Link up with April & friends to share!

Words of Wisdom on Wednesday.

I don't know why this week feels like it is just dragging by.

Maybe it is because there is so much on my schedule, or maybe it is because when I'm not at work, I am not even close to motivated to want to do a single thing. My to-do list seems endless and it almost just seems easier to avoid it all, than start crossing things off. I am hoping that with the next two weekends off (wait, what? I work retail and have not one but two weekends off in a row? Yeah, I don't know how that happened either), I'll be able to make a serious dent in getting ready for the holidays.

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And, since it is Wednesday...

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Happy Hump Day!
What do you do to stay motivated to get through the week?

Oh, and Happy Birthday to my wonderful Daddy!

Travel Tuesday: #cfr2013

It's only been a month since I went to Florida, but this is better late than never, right? Right.

This weekend has to be one of my favorites all year. Everyone gets so excited, and I love being able to kick back and catch up with everyone. We all have such busy lives, and this is the rare opportunity to all be in one place together.

This year was even more special, because it was the first time that the babies had been to Florida. The first time they saw the beach, got to play in the pool, and met half of the family that hadn't been out to visit them yet!

The parentals and I flew out on Wednesday, quickly got our bags, and headed to the island. My absolute favorite part of the drive to Popop's is crossing the bridge to Sanibel. Somehow, the water, trees, and sunshine just melt all of my problems away.

 Perfection.

We had a low key first night, picking up chicken from Costco and catching up. It really is so awesome that so many family members can get together at once!

On Thursday we were up bright and early to bring Charlotte to the beach! We made a quick stop at the pool in the morning, and I quickly learned how much work goes into playing with a two year old in a huge body of water. I don't even want to know how many times we filled up the bucket, and dumped it back out again...

Thursday night we headed to a little restaurant down the street from Popop's called The Sandbar. Charlotte and I had matching dresses, but we weren't quick enough to snap a twins picture. Toddlers are quick.

Friday my Mom, Aunt and I had the responsibility of watching Charlotte in the morning while her Daddy did a little fishing. We frolicked at the beach and took a dip in the pool before naptime. Bird chasing was just too much fun for this little one.

In the afternoon, more family arrived, including Charlotte's little brother. We had a few cocktails before dinner and headed down to the beach to watch the infamous Sanibel Sunset.

We headed to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Matzalunas. While the Italian food isn't near what it is around here, they do have a killer garlic spread that could keep away vampires for DAYS.

(yes, that is me, NOT in a Lilly dress!)

Saturday morning my brother finally arrived. Now the whole family (okay, minus two) was together, and the party could really begin. We spent all morning at the beach with the babies, and I was even able to sneak a few quiet minutes at the pool before they caught up to me.

We found that the best way to keep a handle on little E-man was to dig a big hole and just put him right in there. It took him a while to get out, and he could eat as much sand as he wanted. He even managed to throw a little bit at his sister, and gnaw on a few buckets. I think it was deemed a success.

Afternoon naps were certainly in order before dinner. This time, we headed to the mainland and ate at The Lighthouse Restaurant in Fort Myers.

And maybe after a few cocktails, we let Charlotte eat some lemons. Her little face was just too cute!

Sunday was filled with more of the same. Beach, pool, naptime. I really don't see why we should ever do anything else! We even squeezed in lunch out (sans babies) to watch a little football. The ladies then headed to the shopping center and let Char try on a few things.

Sunday night was the last night for much of the family, and we went to dinner at Cip's Place. I love this restaurant, and it is fairly new on the island. They hand cut all of their french fries/potato chips, and are cooked to perfection. The kids were so well behaved, and we had such a great night laughing together.

Monday, a few family members left, and we ended up having a quiet day/night at Popops. We watched old family videos, ate way too much, and drank even more. Everyone was sad that our vacation was coming to an end, but we called it an early night since we all had busy days on Tuesday.

Luckily, my flight wasn't until 7pm that night, and I was able to get in some last minute sun and sand before we had to pack up and head home. Mom and I were so not ready to leave, that we ended up booking flights for my birthday weekend in January to come back and visit. I am so grateful that we have this place to come visit whenever we want, and obviously the best host in Popop!

I cannot wait to be back in January!

Manicure Monday: Favorite Fall Colors

Once I returned from Florida, I realized that neon pink and bright oranges were just not cutting it on my nails anymore. While my summer clothes have yet to be packed away (hoping for a heat wave, anyone?), I have had to transition my nail polish to colors more appropriate for the season.

For my fingers;

After Schoolboy Blazer by Essie
(purchase here)

or

Bordeaux by Essie
(purchase here)

And my toes;

Wicked by Essie
(purchase here)

or

Really Red by Essie
(purchase here)

I always dread the transition from summer until these rich colors hit my nails. Somehow pairing them with cozy sweaters, riding boots, and leggings makes the changing of the seasons a little bit easier.

What are your favorite polish colors for fall?

5 on Friday!

Linking up with April and friends for Five on Friday!

|| one ||

Guys, it snowed this week. Snowed enough to make it stick to my back deck, and my car. And it was cold. It is always this time of year, before the holidays, but nearing the end of college football season that things just start to get yucky. These days are so short and chilly, and the snow at the beginning of the week certainly did not make matters any better! I'm thinking the remedy for this icky weather is a permanent large cup of Pumpkin coffee attached to my hand. I hope this heat wave comes soon!

|| two ||
I have caught up with so many of my college friends this week. These girls mean the world to me and I hate that I don't reach out to them as often as I should. The amazing part? We pick up right where we left off as if no time had passed. Weeks like these make me wish that I lived closer to all of them, or that we weren't spread all over the country! I definitely see some spring trips in the making! Memphis, DC, or Richmond, anyone!?

|| three ||
I am in desperate need of new pajamas. I've picked up a few here and there, but so many have gotten so old and ripped. Why oh why do the cute ones cost SO much money!? I'm lusting over these ah-dorable sets;

These J. Crew Jammies would be so perfect with a bright red monogram, right!? Maybe I'll add them to my Christmas list... (Hi, Mom!)

I just love these polka dot ones from Gap!

Okay, and these are just outrageous with a $1,200 price tag... I literally just laughed. I'm sorry, in what world is this acceptable!?


|| four ||
Peppermint Mocha Lattes have saved my butt this week. Maybe I have even added an extra shot every day. Maybe I have gotten two on occasion. Maybe I am just sleep deprived and need to get to bed earlier. I'm sure my bank account will thank me for that.

|| five ||

The Empire State Building was lit up the other night in Christmas colors. I'm not sure why so early, but it was so nice to stop and be reminded that the holidays really are right around the corner. I even walked by Lord & Taylor on 5th Avenue and noticed that they already have their windows decorated for the holidays. I LOVE Christmas in NYC!

Baked: Toasted Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Bars.

I have finally gotten the urge to bake back (maybe it's not so great for my waist line), and after perusing my faaaaaaaavorite foodie blog (Annie's Eats), I came across this recipe that looked absolutely perfect to make on a Sunday afternoon.

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Toasted Marshmallow Cookie Bars.

I mean, do these not scream FALL COMFORT FOOD!?

The recipe I used was adapted from Annie's Eats, but I did make a few changes.

Here is my adapted recipe;

Ingredients:

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 sticks butter (16 tbs) at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

3 tsp vanilla extract

How to make them;

Preheat oven to 375 and grease an 8x8 inch baking dish.

In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients (including marshmallows & chocolate chips).

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter & sugar, and mix until light and airy.

Mix in the egg and vanilla.

Slowly add the dry ingredients until they are combined. Dough will be sticky, and the consistency of a sugar cookie.

Press dough into baking dish until evenly distributed.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and when inserted, a toothpick comes out clean.

Let sit for a few hours before cutting and serving (if you can wait)!!

What are your favorite fall sweet recipes!?

Wishlist Wednesday: Vineyard Vines Fall Collection

The Fall (Resort?) Vineyard Vines catalog showed up in my mailbox the other day.

Sometimes, I get a little jaded, considering that I work for one of their competitors, but I have to say that their holiday collection is perfect.

Literally, every single item is better than the last.

While I wish that I could have it all, here is what is on my wishlist this Wednesday...

Is this tartan skirt not perfect for Christmas Eve?

..or for a more casual holiday, this Shep Shirt?

I can see myself layering this sweater (oversized of course) with leggings and a chunky scarf.

And, if this doesn't scream "I love New England in the fall," then I don't know what does.

I'm willing to bet that this hair bow matches perfectly with my Vicker's Bow Bracelet.

Of course, this classic print on an iPhone cover that I can finally find for the 5!

What is on your Vineyard Vines wishlist!?

Save or Splurge: Riding Boots.

Last year I invested in a pair of Frye boots that I had been lusting over for months. Probably one of the best purchases that I have ever made! I wear them at least 3 times per week from October through March, and based on that, the "price per wear" has definitely been worth it.

In the months leading up to finally biting the bullet, I bought a pair of look-alikes from Target. They were under $50 and I figured that if I never wore them, then I certainly would never wear a pair 6x the price. After running them into the ground (literally, the bottoms were falling apart), I realized that the investment would be worth it. Oh, I also have a really rough time finding boots that fit my wide calves. Its a problem.

This year, I am on the hunt for black riding boots.

Most of (and by most of, I really mean all of) my outfits have matched perfectly with my cognac colored Fryes. I'm pretty partial to them, and am not 100% positive that I will wear the black ones and love them just as much. I've thought about these pairs as "trial pairs" before I invest in the real deal;

Kasia Boot, $75

Sookie Riding Boot, $139

Callipoe Riding Boot, $99

If I find myself in the same situation as last year where I am alternating these black ones with my brown ones on a daily basis, I would love to invest in one of these pairs;

Fulton Harness Boot, $295

Melissa Button Back Zip, $368

Bristol Riding Boot, $495

Anyone else have super wide calves? I also want a pair of cowboy boots, but those are really really really hard to find in New York!!