we’re just going to call this maintenance weekend. tomorrow i have not one but three appointments -one with my nutritionist, one with my dentist, and one with the hair salon to get primed and primped from the inside out. i must say, all parties are in desperate need of some TLC so i’m pretty pumped for a day of day of pampering (yes, my day of pampering includes the dentist, i LOVE teeth-cleaning). speaking of pretty pumped, here are the things that have me pumped this week, so enjoy and have a great weekend!

one || new year, new choreography. it’s hard to believe it, but we’ve already finished another quarter’s worth of studio barre choreography and the new warm-up (and subsequent new thigh, seat, and ab sequences) launched on monday. i have taught a total of three classes thus far with the new material and am loving having some fresh moves in my repertoire. sure, it feels a little like i’m back in high school, drawing up index cards with the appropriate number of tucks, squeezes, and pulses on them, and then cramming the material in during my lunch breaks and while half-watching vanderpump rules, but i think that’s one of the things i enjoy most about my studio barre instructor gig -the opportunity to keep my mind (semi) nimble by learning new choreo every three months. the other thing i love most is then using said learned choreo to torture tone all of my clients. come tuck with me! tuesdays 5:30 p.m. & 6:35 p.m., wednesday 6:35 p.m. or saturday 9:35 a.m. & 10:45 a.m. first class is free!

 

 

two || must see (tuesday) TV. two of my favorite shows returned this week –fixer upper and the challenge. they may be on complete opposite sides of the spectrum, but life is about balance, right? chip and jo jo returned for another season of fixing-up charming homes in the great city of waco, tx and tj lavin and the usual suspects have traveled to panama for this season of battle of the exes II. between these shows, the real housewives of beverly hills and the 30th (yes 30th!) installment of the real world: skeletons, tuesdays have totally replaced thursdays as the night for must see tv.

 

 

three || protein PERFECTion. while i do my best to get in three square meals a day, sometimes in the craziness of my daily schedule, i don’t always have that luxury. so to ward off the hanger demons, i have found a viable hearty “snack” to carry around in my purse in pinch –the perfect bar. not only are they gluten-free, but they contain 20+ super foods, have an average of 15 grams of protein and come in a wide variety of flavors, including my two current fave -carob chip and almond butter. you can find them in the refrigerated section at sprouts or in a recent discovery, at costco!

 

 

four || style resolutions. like kendi, i’m not one for resolutions. which is why i haven’t really made any for 2015. but on tuesday the fashion blogger penned a list of style resolutions and somehow keeping her aspirations within the sartorial realm made them seem less daunting, more achievable, and fun. so i’m making a few of my own (as they pertain to daily outfit posts as well as the weekend ensemble-wearing that goes on behind the blog). this year i resolve to:

focus on quality not quantity. the older i get, the less i want to buy disposable clothing, which is a good thing, i think. i used to be more concerned with having a ton of options over having a select few quality pieces that i could mix and match season after season. so i have one really great pair of jeans instead of four ill-fitting or unflattering ones. two higher quality fabric sweaters (have yet to invest in a cashmere) over five that feel like being hugged by an itchy sock and pill after a half-dozen wears. you get my point. i’d like to continue this year with the mantra in mind that maybe less really is more. as long as the “less” are items that can withstand the test of time. and the thing with having less in your closet means you just have to get more creative with creating ensembles. which leads me to my next point…

put my pins to work. i have a zillion pinned outfits on various style boards (pssst, feel free to follow me). outfits saved for a rainy day or as inspiration for those moments i find myself standing in my closet yelling the typical female plea: “i have nothing to wear!” but most images don’t make it past the virtual pining stage. so before i start resenting my closet for everything it’s not, i want to remind myself to turn to pinterest for ensemble inspiration.

really make a point at taking professional-looking photos. i say it all the time, but now that S and i have begun using the professional camera for documenting our kitchen endeavors, there’s really no excuse. we just need to make it a priority. and then hold ourselves accountable. there’s no reason we can’t squeeze a mini photo shoot in on a saturday afternoon, i just need to buck-up and put on make-up on the weekends.

post non-work ensembles. speaking of weekends, i’ve wondered if people (rather you, my lovely reader) would be interested in seeing what i wear outside of the office. think the daily outfit: casual style edition. so i’m going to make a point to post a weekend ensemble every now and then just to mix things up. because sometimes i wear jeans and that should be documented.

 

 

five || hair guitar. b coops was on jimmy fallon again this past week (this time promoting american sniper) and as a gift for his 40th birthday which bradley celebrated on monday, jimmy gifted him yet another wig-attached chapeau. which really added to the whole experience when bradley decided to show off his amazing air guitar skills to neil young’s “down by the river.”

 

 

six || tina, amy & the golden globes. you guys! forget christmas (just kidding, we love christmas), NOW is the most wonderful time of the year because it’s the beginning of awards season and that means awkward red carpet interviews and fashion moments and long acceptance speeches by people you’ve never heard of! that’s right, the first of many awards shows kicks off this sunday and after the oscars, the golden globes are probably my second favorite. it’s the awards show where celebrities sit at round tables and enjoy food and (a lot of) drink while hosts tina fey and amy poehler kill it with their witty quips and hilarious bits and the occasional make-out session with george clooney. so basically it’s the best. i can’t wait!

 

 

i’ll probably have a list of my favorite gowns up next week, but in the meantime, have a lovely weekender!

image via: the effortless chic

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