2014 Outfits in Review

Striped Pants 2 Ways

 Stay Home And Snuggle // Silly Poses and Comfy Sweaters

Cozy Night In // Snip, Snip

Pizza Babe // Black Shirts and Flower Crowns

90's Kid // Hello Spring

Win Some Lose Some // Dreaming Of Picnics

Boldly Going // Purple Hair For Dayz

Rubber Ducky // Bright Cardigans

Fall Fashion // Coat Days

Casual Holiday Outfit

Last year I did an outfit review and had such a blast going back through all of the outfits I documented throughout the year. While I didn't take nearly as many outfits photos this year, I love all of the ones I did share. 2014 was a crazy year for us, we bought a little place and are fixing it up in Arizona, bought a first little Scamp, wrecked the said Scamp, then bought our second little Scamp. We had some super high highs and some super low lows but I wouldn't change it for the world, it made us stronger. 

You know, looking at these photos I think this year was the year of hair changes for me. From bangs, to short, and then short and purple. I cannot wait to see what 2015 will bring for my hair, I'm thinking more colors, hehe. As for New Year's Eve I'm still feeling under the weather so I think we will just be relaxing at home with a movie and some popcorn, which is kind of my perfect night even if I wasn't sick. 

Did you guys do a kind of year in review post, or just have some posts that you really loved from 2014? If so leave the link in the comments, I would love to check them out! 

x's and o's

Pajama Time

Christmas this year, though I felt like I was going to die due to sickness, was a lot of fun. All week we watched our nephew Reid (who I am pretty sure was the "gifter" of my illness, haha), so there was lots of playing with toys, singing, and little to no work getting done. When we were kids Mom and Dad gave us PJs the night before, so on Christmas Eve I decided to reignite the tradition again. The whole family opened up the PJ bottoms you see above, and it was a big hit.

I guess there are pluses to being sick and unable to move from the couch.

A photo posted by Amanda (@littleladylittlecity) on Dec 12, 2014 at 10:40am PST

Christmas day we opened our gifts, went to family friends for brunch, and then just when we were about to go out to dinner, I began to crash. Out of nowhere I suddenly had a sore throat, body aches, and a headache, which forced me to stay home while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Bleh, it was no fun. The entire next day I spent my time cuddled up with the kitties in bed "watching" Alias. Truthfully, I think I probably slept through more episodes than I actually watched. However, I have started to turn the corner, and now my only symptom is sounding like a boy going through puberty. As a treat to myself once my throat felt better, Will and I went to In n Out, and I'm pretty sure the kids working there really had keep from laughing at me while I ordered, haha. 

The rest of the weekend has been pretty lazy, lots of tea drinking, and Gilmore Girls watching. It's been kind of the best. Speaking of Gilmore Girls I completely forgot they were trying to make a Jess spin off about him and his estranged father in Venice Beach, CA. They did kind of an in-show pilot to set it up towards the end of season 3. I found this little clip from that aborted pilot, and it's pretty meh, so maybe it's a good thing it didn't move forward?

Anyways, despite getting sick over Christmas it was a great deal of fun being with family and having a good time. What did you all do for Christmas? 

x's and o's

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everybody! 

Mulled Wine Recipe

Hi, I'm Johanna, and I blog over at Our Joyful Home! I'm super excited to be here talking to all of Amanda's awesome peeps, so I'm bringing something special: Mulled wine. 

I had actually never heard of mulled wine until I met my husband, who is from Manchester, England. The first time he told me about Christmas at home he talked about the Manchester Christmas Markets, and how they would go there and get mulled wine from a little booth, all surrounded by music and holiday revelry. He described it so magically, and I'm such a sucker for any type of special Christmas item, that I was dying to try it. 

Over the years I've tried out a few different versions and finally settled on my own little twist on a very classic recipe. This always serves to make our Christmas a little more merry, and I hope it will do the same for you! 

Ingredients:

1 bottle red wine, I usually use Merlot 

3 cups unsweetened apple juice

1/4 cup honey 

The zest and juice from one large orange

2 cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves 

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a very light simmer for 10 minutes, then strain into mugs and enjoy! I love to garnish each mug with a cinnamon stick, it looks so pretty that way. 

A note about the alcohol content: Simmering it this way means that there is almost no alcohol left. This really doesn't bother me, but if you want it to have a little more kick you can simmer all of the ingredients except the wine, and add the wine just a couple of minutes before serving, just letting it get hot. And if you're really feeling adventurous, you can add a quarter cup of brandy in with the wine at the end. 

Cheers to a beautiful holiday, everyone! 

Follow along all of Johanna's adventures

Blog // Twitter // Instagram

I don't know about you guys but I am going to get all of these ingredients and whip up a batch for Christmas Eve, because com'n that looks and sounds amazing! Thank you again Johanna for putting together such a great guest post. 

x's and o's

Santa Claws Is Coming To Town

Santa Claws is coming to town! 🎅😸🎄

A video posted by Amanda (@littleladylittlecity) on Dec 12, 2014 at 10:30am PST

If you haven't already figured it out yet I'm one of those very nutty cat ladies, haha. I can't help it, my cat love started at a very early age as evidenced by an old home movie in which I ask Santa for a 'big fat kitty'. Unfortunately, the dream of owning my own cat didn't come true until two years ago when we got Wigs. Both my mother and brother were/are horrifically allergic to cats, and then after college my roommate already had two cats. Therefore, because it took me 28 years to get my own cat, I go all out with these silly little guys, especially during the holidays.

I swear they both love their outfits, bwhaha

We put the tree up last week and less than an our later the cats both decided they needed to become ornaments, haha. Those two can get into so much trouble, but usually all I can do is laugh at them and take a picture. Do you guys do anything silly with your pets? And if you have pictures please share the link, I'd love to see them!

x's and o's

Holiday Pet Gift Guide

1. Cat Grass - I don't know about your cats but both Wigs and Sylvester lose it for this stuff. There have been several times when I've found them sleeping on it haha. Not only do they love this stuff but it's also good for their bellies so it's a win win. 

2. Deshedding Tool - My brother has this for their dog, Brooklyn and it is INCREDIBLE! Seriously, with the amount of hair that comes off him I could make a whole other dog, it's crazy. And as an added bonus Brooklyn loves being brushed.

3. Treats - If all else fails you can never go wrong with treats! (Temptations, Dog Bone) 

4. Shark Bed - I feel like this one is pretty self explanatory because, honestly, how could you go wrong with a freaking shark bed for your cat/dog?! 

5. Toys - Sylvester loses his little mind with the GoCat Feather Toy. It has become a tradition that when we get up in the morning Will runs around the house with the feather toy while he chases. I'm talking about Sylvester doing some parkour style moves trying to catch the feather, it's quite the show. (Frisbee, Midnight Crazies)

6. COSTUMES! - I am a firm believer that you should dress up your pets, which is why I dress up Wigs and Sylvester in holiday related costumes. Usually when buying and outfit the sales people say 'Oh, are you dressing up your dog?' I quickly respond with 'Nope my cats' and they return with 'Oh well ok.' Yup, I'm one of those nutty ladies dressing up her cats and I don't care who knows haha! (Santa, Elf)

7. Bark Box and Kitnip Box - While I have personally never used either of these services I have heard nothing but glowing recommendations and absolutely love the idea! Sometimes it can get a little overwhelming when you go to Petsmart with the amount of pet toys they have, so it seems like it would be really nice to get a box once a month filled with new treats for your pets to try out. 

I know everyone and their mother are sharing posts about what to buy for the guys and gals in your life (I might even be sharing one or two later) but I, for one, wanted to share a little of the holiday love with my cats. I'm pretty sure I love giving the gifts to them more than they appreciate receiving them, but whatevers haha. Do you guys do anything special for your pets? 

x's and o's   

Silly Christmas Gifts Are Silly

Every year for as long as I can remember my mom had a weekly lunch with an incredibly strong and funny group of women. From this weekly tradition came the holiday tradition of 'The Ladies who Lunch Brunch." As a kid it was this magical time when mom would be gone for several hours one Sunday only to come back with wonderfully fun and creative gifts. When my mom got sick and eventually passed away this group of amazing ladies invited me to take part in this magical tradition.

Each year someone hosts the brunch and comes up with a theme of some sorts. Though they say the gifts don't have to correlate with the theme we always seem to make it happen, even if you are cursing under your breathe as you walk down the aisle of a target trying to find something that works. For me, this year the cursing was greater than usual. Will and I made it back to Arizona from West Virginia only two days prior to the brunch, and the month leading up to our departure was filled with a crazy stupid amount of roto work. Driving the hour + distance from our mountain to the closest store just wasn't in the cards, either. Therefore, pretty much the day before the brunch I was at Target trying desperately to find something music related that wouldn't just be a waste of money or something these ladies would have no use for. I was getting ready to just give up and leave with some wonderfully scented candles for everyone when I saw an adorable nativity set and Will had a stroke of genius. He suggested that I make little instruments for each of the characters and place them on each candle. Haha!

I am so happy with how these little guys turned out and they seemed to be a pretty big hit with all the ladies, so double yay! What was your favorite silly gift to make or give away?

x's and o's

Holiday Outfit with Zappos

In partnership with Zappos I styled my new Paige jeans and Freebird boots with what I consider to be my perfect holiday outfit. While to I absolutely love getting all gussied up for a fancy holiday party, probably my favorite holiday parties are a little more casual. In my opinion these Paige jeans and Freebird boots are perfect for those occasions. 

I am so in love with just how wonderfully comfy Paige jeans are, they pride themselves in making "live-in jeans" and let me attest to how true that is. I am such a fan of wonderfully comfy jeans that look really sharp and can be both dressed up and down. Pairing them with vintage Americana inspired Freebirds boots that are hand crafted really takes them up a notch as well. 

Zappos is one of my favorite online retailers because they have a wide selection of shoes, clothing, accessories, and more. Living in the middle of nowhere for half the year can make it a little difficult to find the perfect outfit for any occasion, but with their killer selection and amazing 365 return policy you don't have to worry about something not working. Heck, even when we are in Arizona during the winter you can find me ordering from Zappos rather than shlepping over to the local mall. 

Now that I have my perfect outfit all ready I just need to prepare my stomach for all the wonderfully amazing foods I know I will be eating so very soon!! 

x's and o's

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Cruising Down the Road

1. Woke up from our first night of camping to a winter wonderland. Driving in snow is no fun, especially when towing a camper.
2. So happy we only had to drive a couple of hours in the snow until we were out of it.
3. The kikis in the parked camper enjoying sleep while not driving down bumpy roads.
4. Sylvester using Will's hip as a stool to help him see out the window better.
5. Enjoy all the Christmas lights outside a restaurant in Dallas. They sure know how to decorate their trees.

We made it safe and sound to Dallas where we are getting a couple days of relaxation/eating way too much delicious food/running around with five girls all under the age of ten, before heading out on the last leg of our journey back to Phoenix. I always have so much fun hanging out with my extended family during the Thanksgiving week. What did you all do over Thanksgiving? 

x's and o's

You can follow along on Instagram @littleladylittlecity