absofreakinglutely

Yesterday, I said I really wanted this ring.

Leave it to SSBF to go and get me this one instead...

(cue: jumping up and down and screaming)

It's all still a little surreal since I wasn't expecting anything like this for at least another year but I couldn't be happier.

The dialogue went a little something like this:

SSBF: "Babycake, will you marry me?

Grace: "Are you serious? Are you effing serious? Oh my god. Yes."

 I didn't even see it coming! SSBF had been quietly stashing money in his own accout for over a year to save for this! There is only one problem...  what the heck am I going to call SSBF now? SSFH (Super-saving future husband)? It just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Oh, and then there is all those other questions like when, where, who, how much, and chicken or beef?

His, Mine, and Ours

SSBF and I talk about money. A lot. Surprising? Probably not. Our plans with money tend to change often depending on what is important to us at the time. After setting some financial goals for myself last week I decided to turn the tables to couple Grace & SSBF (as opposed Grace and SSBF?). While we are not yet married, we are just one joint checking account away from combined finances so I thought it would be a good time to make sure our financial goals we're heading in the same direction.

Using 3x5 cards (I love 3x5 cards!) we each wrote down what we wanted us to accomplish in the next 5-years, mostly financially.



As you can see we have some pretty similar goals. I can probably thank lots of open communication for that. SSBF included some of his personal goals. That was my fault for trying to do this on a Sunday while he set his fantasy football team.

Anyway, next  we went through the individual lists and picked the five goals that were most important to us and put them on a third index card.

Viola, a quick and easy 5-year plan for the financially lazy. Myself included.

We haven't yet put together an action plan on how we expect to achieve these goals. That will be for the next rainy day.

For all those readers that are attached, have you ever tried something like this with your significant other? Did you not because you were afraid your weren't going to see eye-to-eye? (I was a little worried about that). Any ideas for getting your boyfriend to pay attention to you for just 10 minutes on a Sunday?

Risk Taker

jacket-Gap circa 03, dress-Old Navy, sandals-Old Navy, ring c/o Janeys Jewels

For my 26th birthday I decided to live on the wild side: I let SSBF pick out my outfit. Ok, well-- he picked out the dress, I picked out the jacket, the sandals were basically a given since they seem to be super glued to my feet as of late (I love them), and the ring is my new favorite accessory. Janey, from Janey's Jewels was nice enough to custom make this ring for me and it is amazing. The "rose petal" cut makes it glimmer in the light. I couldn't stop admiring it all day. Other things I love include shopping, food, and slots. Some how, SSBF managed to squeeze all three of them into one day of birthday goodness. God I love him.

Food:
The day started with a lovely french toast breakfast, lunch at California Pizza Kitchen, and dinner at our new favorite restaurant: The Diamondback Tavern.

Shopping:
In between french toast and pizza SSBF took me shopping at what is now my new favorite shopping destination. I went there mainly to pick up some new workout gear at the Under Armour store but picked up a few other goodies along the way. (Without so much as a disdainful peep from SSBF) I also (finally) got to check out a Zara, and to be honest, I wasn't that impressed (I realize I may have just committed blogger suicide by saying that). It reminded me of a more expensive H&M. SSBF did find some shoes he liked, which is an amazing feat because he is picky.

Slots:
Then between lunch and dinner we drove out to the casino in Charles Town, WV. The last time I was there it was only slots, but now they have table games galore. I freaking love casino's. Maybe because I am a sucker that falls for the "maybe I'll hit big" allure, whatever it is, it's fun. SSBF had all the luck, he walked away with $100!

Mother Nature was even cooperating by bestowing on us 70 degree temperatures after it was 90 degrees the entire week before. Despite what appears to be a grimace in the first picture it was a great day. The rest of 26 has a lot to live up to.

ps. yes, I am wearing silly bands.
In response to that, it's my birthday, I'll do what I want :)

A Love Story.

Once upon a time, in a land far far away there lived a Princess Blogger. The Princess blogger lived in cozy little townhouse with Prince SSBF and their three little kitties. The Princess Blogger loved her Prince so much but there was tension in the home because Prince SSBF thought the Princess spent too much money on clothes.

One day while the Princess was shopping and buying everything in sight an evil, wicked even, witch came and cast a spell on the Princess Blogger's credit cards rendering them useless for 30 days! The Princess Blogger was crushed. She had never gone a day without her credit cards since her 18th birthday and would now have to go 30!  

Later that same week something even worse happened, the Princess Blogger found the love dress of her life but she had no means to buy it. She told Prince SSBF about the dress but he only nodded his head with slight interest and continued his fantasy football research, his life's work. The Princess Blogger was heartbroken. She knew that the website only had limited quantities and a dress so grand would sell out in mere days.

After an entire week of pining the Princess Blogger gave up hope.

"There will be other dresses to love" SSBF said. But the Princess Blogger knew in her heart that was "the one". In an attempt to console her Prince SSBF took the Princess on a wonderful vacation and when they returned the Princess was feeling a little better. Upon their arrival home there was a gift, beautifully wrapped, waiting on their dresser.

The Princess Blogger's eyes widened and the Prince smiled with amusement. She went over to the dresser and inspected the gift. On it was a note that read:

"Do not open until your 26th Birthday."

"But that is still three weeks away!" the Princess Blogger exclaimed.

Prince SSBF responded "You won't have any presents to open then if you open this now".

"I know, I prefer early Birthday presents anyway" replied the Princess Blogger.

Prince SSBF resigned to the Princess and said she could open it only if she read the card first.

The Princess then tore through the delicate wrapping to reveal the most wonderful early birthday present she could ever imagine, the one and only dress she ever longed for. Over dinner SSBF recanted the tale of how he battled dragons, and defeated troll mind games just to get the Princess her dress.

Prince SSBF, Princess Blogger, and her dress lived happily ever after!

 "A Bird in the Hand Dress" -Modcloth, Sweater-Gap Outlet, Sandals-Old Navy

Hehehe. Our 4 year anniversary, or "yeariversary" as we call it,  was on Sunday and I could not resist a fairy tale. Maybe that's not exactly how it happened, but it makes a good story.

P.S.This dress is kind of scandalous in the front, but I love it so much I will take the risk of flashing some bystander my undies for it. (Sorry SSBF)

Northern Beaches

"We should live, until we die"

A lyric from a Fun. song that has been resonating with both me and SSBF lately. You see, we tend to get caught up in thinking about the future and material things like money and clothes instead of making the most of what we have. Life should be about the places you go, the people you meet, and the things you see--not what you are wearing or how much you spend to do it.

With that being said we had decided long before vacation that we were going to have an experience while we were here. We decided to take a guided tour of the Northern Beaches and the Spanish Mustang Reserve. In addition to being a fabulous beach locale, the Outer Banks has a rich colonial history. It is home to Roanoke Island the "Lost Colony" and is where many explorers came ashore in the "New Land". Spanish explorers are thought to be responsible for bringing the original horses here that now roam freely in the Northern Beaches.

The area where the horses now live is accessible only by 4WD vehicles by means of a "road" which is actually just the sand on the beach. While the land is mostly animal refuge there are two small communities of beach front houses, Swan Beach and Carova. The houses are beautiful, naturally, and the area is so isolated it is like having a private beach. I've already decided that this is where SSBF and I will be getting married. He laughs and rolls his eyes because we're not engaged yet and I have basically planned our wedding, but I know he wants it too (right ssbf?). Anyway, after about a 40 minute drive across the beach we pulled into Carova and rode our rented off-road Segways around trails and were lucky enough to spot some horses.

I never rode a Segway before so at first I was uncomfortable and made terribly jerky turns and movements.  It was hard to enjoy the sights when I was spending so much time trying not to fall off. As time went on though I got more comfortable with it and enjoyed zooming around checking everything out. We spent $115 dollars each for the tour but it was well worth it. Being out there was amazing, and is a part of the Outer Banks I would have never seen if we hadn't decided to do it. It will definitely be hard next year to visit somewhere else when I feel like there is so much more I could do here.

SSBF's Second Attempt

Top-J.Crew, Cardigan-NY&Co., Skirt-Target, Shoes-Aldo, Ring-Forever 21

You know what I love about this outfit? It’s simple, yet completely stylish. Guys like simple. There’s something to be said about a woman who can look good and be stylish without trying too hard. To be frank, it’s very attractive.

One thing I’ve noticed is a trend of over-accessorizing. I don’t mind ostentatious belts, or showy hats, or elaborate necklaces, or colorful scarves, etc., but when you combine so many of these things into one outfit, it makes the outfit feel too overdone and contrived. Not only that, but with an overabundance of accessories the focus is taken away from the actual outfit itself. Less is more; keep it simple.

And as a guy, that’s what we want. Looking good and looking fashionable, to us, is about creating a look that emphasizes who you are as a person, without all the cover-up.

So what do you think of Grace’s outfit? What do you think of the accessorizing of her outfit? Would you add more, or remove anything? And what are your thoughts on “keeping it simple”?  And Grace, did I do a better job of getting some "shoe shots" in?

~SSBF

My (SSBF's) First Post on Fashion

(This post written by SSBF) 

How fun is this? I get the opportunity to publicly comment on my girlfriend’s outfit without any repercussions! For once I have a say, some control, and am no longer just the penny-pinching, behind-the-scenes, cameraman/boyfriend. I can give a male’s perspective on fashion, albeit a fairly uneducated one, but a male perspective nonetheless.

The best part of having control of Grace’s outfit shoots is getting to decide when to take pictures and of what outfit. Grace has been going crazy not knowing when she is going to be photographed, and it’s only been four days since she’s relinquished control to me. But that’s part of the fun. Any day, any outfit... it may be picture day!

Today was a picture day. Grace had this on, and I loved it:

Maxi Dress(as skirt) seen here-Gap, Belt-Express, Shirt-Old Navy

Notice the “skirt” Grace is wearing? If you look at the left side of the blog at Grace’s “Weardrobe” photo, you’ll notice that the dress she wore is the skirt in today’s photos. I like that creativity. If there’s one thing that Grace has taught me about fashion it’s that it’s not about the clothes you have, it’s about what you are able to do with them and how you wear them.

And speaking as a guy who is constantly on a budget (seriously, Grace is an expensive gal), I can appreciate taking one piece and using it in multiple, stylish outfits. There doesn’t have to a new outfit for every day of the week in order to stay fashionable. I’m sure all of you have a closet full of great clothes (that’s probably overwhelming your boyfriend’s side) - I challenge you to try something new, to take a risk, with something old, with something used. Create a “new-old” outfit the next time you’re in the mood to shop-till-you-drop. Save a few bucks and look good doing it.

So what do you think of my first post?  Do you like the outfit I chose to photograph Grace in? Are you going to try to get creative with your wardrobe, if you haven’t already? And is it weird having a guy write about girl fashion???  Yeah, I thought so. 

Until next outfit,

SSBF

SSBF is taking over

doesn't he look evil?

Yeah, you read that correctly. As of um, yesterday technically, SSBF will be calling the shots around here for an undetermined amount of time.

Let me explain-

On Monday at work I started thinking about outfit posts. They are slightly contrived no? I mean, maybe not for the ladies that take pictures everyday, but for people like me that only do them a couple days of week, well they get a little extra planning. I have the ability to pick and choose the day I want the picture and more importantly what I have on in the picture. I have final editorial say, which isn't nessecarily a bad thing, but is a little censored. 

Since there is no possible way for me to have impartiality in the decision to take or not take pictures I've relinquished complete control over my outfit posts to SSBF. From what day they are taken (I can't object), to where they are taken, and most importantly which ones end up here. Which means anything I wear is possibly subject to being photographed. This could get interesting.

Stay tuned...

O's game

embellished tank & scarf-J.Crew, cutoffs-diyed also seen here, button-down-f21 also seen here, hat-Eugenia Kim for Target, shoes-Old Navy

Ahh baseball. SSBF and I are huge baseball fans. We are those people that want to visit all the baseball stadiums before we die. He is a Detroit Tiger's fan and I of course am an obnoxious Phillies fan. Living in Baltimore we've adopted the Orioles as our own. Well, SSBF actually started as an Orioles fan. We have plenty of paraphernalia to prove it (including a video from 1989 titled "Worst to Almost First"). I mainly feel sorry for the Orioles and like to cheer for them because hardly anyone else does. When the Yankee's and Red Sox are in town their fans generally out number the hometown crowd. It drives me crazy. I also love this stadium. I think just ascetically it's one of the best. It has such unique features like the warehouse that runs the length of it (background) and center field opening to the skyline. SSBF reminds me all the time how most modern parks in the last 15 years have been designed based off of Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

So I told you guys yesterday I picked this hat up at Target. What I left out is that SSBF didn't want me to get it. He said he didn't like it and he didn't like "hats on girls". Silly boys (almost) never understand fashion. I ignored him of course. I love this hat. It was the perfect accessory and paired with this linen scarf, jewelry was basically unnecessary. It attracted a lot of attention though. Like an obscene amount. I guess I'm not surprised. Baltimore is hardly a fashion capital. I'm going to have to get used it, I can feel myself living in this hat for the remainder of the summer. Truth be told, I've wore it eveytime I left the house Saturday and Sunday, including a trip to the grocery store. Hehe.

A baseball game coupled with no homework to do (and a speedy sale of my textbook on half.com)....
I'd say it was a pretty good weekend.

"stuff we haven't done in forever"

It has been hot as hell around here lately. Seriously. I'm hardly surprised, its pretty typical for us Mid-Atlantic states to get hit with a brutally hot summer after a ridiculously snowy winter. I've been mentally preparing myself for this since our second major snowstorm.

I think if I had to give Saturday a theme it would be " stuff we haven't done in forever." As of that morning SSBF and I had nothing really planned for the day but it all just kind of figured itself out. First SSBF wanted to go play putt putt which we haven't done in a lifetime so I was easily swayed. We found this golf park down by the airport that had a nice little course plus a driving range and batting cages. It was literally across from the runways so as we were playing planes were zooming over our heads. I've never been that close to a landing plane before, it was awesome. Then on the way home we stopped and got Slurpees from 7-11 (something we haven't done in forever). I think I actually forgot how delicious Slurpee's were. Is that possible? I'm not even much of a soda drinker but I think I could have a cherry & coke Slurpee everyday of my life. Later we went out for dinner to Champs and rented the movie (something we haven't done in forever)  "Remember Me". Have you seen it? I was a little skeptical of it because it starred Robert Pattinson and I've never seen him outside of his Twilight role but its reeeally good. You must see it.

What do you guys think of the romper and button up combo? I have been using my button down shirts as pseudo-cardigans lately. It's much lighter than a sweater which is great in sweltering heat. I like how the combination felt really beach-y. It was like being there, without actually being there.

One other quick thing I would like your opinion on, I want to know what you guys thought of my "Spending Diary" feature. I know I haven't done one in awhile but I was thinking about bringing it back, and was hoping to get some more reader submissions and participation. What do you guys think? Yay or Nay?

finally....

I have been searching what feels like everywhere for a striped maxi dress. I've exhausted myself looking at a billion different places online for just a simple striped dress. Then on Wednesday I went to the mall to order my aforementioned J.Crew bikini and mosied on into Gap which was right across the way and there it was. It was hanging so innocently in the store, as if it was just waiting for me to come along.  I've considered the possiblity that I have a shopping addicition since I knew immediately that I was not leaving the store without it. I'm not going worry until I start hiding bills in places like my freezer.

On another note SSBF went out to dinner this weekend to Olive Garden. It's one of SSBF's favorites and we used to go all the time in Michigan but not so much snce we moved to Maryland. I can honestly say I think it was the worst experience I've ever had at Olive Garden. When our name was called the hostess that was seating us didn't even say a word, she just started walking toward the dining area. We didn't know we were supposed to follow her until one of the other hostesses told us to. Then I didn't realize until we sat down that we weren't even given proper menus. I tried 3 times to get someone's attention but they kept walking right by. Finally, our waiter came to take our drink order and had to find us menus. When we did get a menu they were completely trashed, SSBF's was practically ripped in two. Not to mention the floors were filthy.

It was awful. Luckily the food was still delicious.  

ps. How cute is SSBF? I will never know why he doesn't let me take pictures of him!

Dress, Gap $49.50

Sandals, Target $9.99

Scarf, Old Navy $10