Flirting with Fall

Hey guys heyyy!!! I'm back and I have a TON of reading and catching up to do I know. So many great and wonderful things have been happening...like FALL and margaritas the size of my head. I don't know if any of you have ever been to a Texas Roadhouse, but once it opened a little while ago close to where I live, EVERYONE flocks there. And now I know why. They have margaritas the size of your face and steak to die for.

I also officially started to pull out my Under Armour for these cold, morning runs. And guess what guys? This girl has some new kicks too. Helllloooo New Balance. To quote Rihanna, I found love in a hopeless place. Well not so much hopeless, the Internet has endless possibilities. Check out my new babies! Swoon.

I've been a Brooks girl for the longest time, but ya know what? These all terrain running shoes were just screaming my name and they just-so-happened to arrive at my door Friday night. Just in time for my long distance, weekend runs. AMAZING support and couldn't believe I was overspending all this time. I'm a New Balance girl from now on I think.

My parents also met up with my aunts and uncles this weekend to sort out some of my grandmother's things that weren't in the will. Now I really didn't expect anything, however when I was little I was always drawn to this little glass cat. Out of all of the expensive statues, Lladros and paintings her and my grandfather had collected from their world travels, I always associated that chubby little glass cat with her place. And I couldn't help but tear up when my dad made sure that I got to have that little chubby cat. The little things right? My grandmother also ALWAYS wore a classic Burberry scarf during the colder months and I was honored to inherit that as well. It's definitely replacing my own. 

Other happenings this weekend included my niece's homecoming from the hospital! Lily made her debut on September 11th and she's happy, healthy and has a full head of hair! And of course the second I held her, my mother-in-law couldn't help but pointing out that I was a "natural." I never really understood this expression other than to mean that Josh and I need to work on giving her even more grandkids. SIGH. She's relentless.

We celebrated by going to the best Hibachi grill restaurant in town where we stuffed our faces full of the most amazing food. Earlier in the week, Josh also bought me The Sims 4. Man I love that guy. Hours upon hours have already been spent in build mode making the perfect house. I'll never grow out of this game. Never. Can't stop, won't stop.

Also, for those of you who haven't discovered Dunkin' Donuts' pumpkin coffee. Don't walk, RUN to your closest location and get one. It's only $2 and pretty much the most amazing thing you'll ever have without feeling like you need to spend a couple of extra hours at the gym to get rid of those extra cals. Move on over PSL....less cals AND less $$?? I think it's time we break up...at least for now...yes it's you and not me. Peace out. America and now Em runs on Dunkin.

Fall Into Insanity

So now that I've blown off blogging since late July, it is now my favorite time of the year...FALL. No, it's not just the pumpkin everythingness (pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin patches the Great Pumpkin etc.) it is the weather, layered clothing, the beautiful trees around my house changing colors and it also means that the holidays are just around the corner. Oh and that my wedding is now seven months away instead of two years from now. Since my engagement, I know of four other people who got engaged and married so it's safe to say that I'm ready to fricken get hitched already! Of course having said that, I feel like my world is upside down as I go through all of these major life changes all at once.

They say that the three most stressful things you can experience in your life include moving, changing jobs and your relationship status. I am now experiencing ALL of those things at once since Josh and I need to look for a house, we're planning our wedding and he's now in the middle of gaining a great opportunity for himself regarding his career path. I'm surprised I'm not on a million anxiety meds right now to calm me down. I mean really, this is a lot for one person to handle and sometimes I'm on the brink of a psychotic break.

Right now it feels like my life is at a point where everything is in limbo, but I do like to think I have my shit together to a certain degree. I mean, I've gotten through months of serious wedding planning and haven't severely injured my mother yet so that's got to count for something. I am also reminded that dealing with one like mine should be considered an Olympic sport (it really should). Move the hell over Michael Phelps, I have 25 gold medals that should be coming my way.

I am also reminded that I really should be grateful for where I'm at with my career right now and mind you, I am. Things can get pretty crazy, but I can honestly say that I LOVE what I do for a living and that's the best feeling. Succeeding in my career is one of the most important factors in my life and having done that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I frequently reward myself with pumpkin spice lattes (very dangerous when my wedding dress should be ready for alterations soon). Crap.

Since my blogging hiatus, I've finished some more races including the Chicago Women Rock 5k, 10k and Half Marathon. I ran the 10k course with some friends and my mom and Josh's mom walked the 5k. I was SO proud of them considering my mom is approaching the big 6-0 this week. To motivate everyone toward the finish line, they had a bunch of hard bodies handing us our medals.

 The race benefited charities dedicated to women and this was by far one of the most fun races I've done. You even got to celebrate with champagne afterward. Because everyone feels like consuming alcohol after a race right? Well yes, that's what I did. Two glasses. Like a boss.

 

 My mom thought she couldn't do it and was starting to make excuses to get out of it, BUT she rocked it just like I knew she would. Now I have my Perfect 10 race at Navy Pier to look forward to in November. This one is especially very dear to my heart since it benefits cancer research.

 

One of the best things about fall is that it provides perfect weather to run in and it makes me feel better about my pumpkin spice latte consumption. Until next time...

Free Falling

So my favorite season is just around the corner...okay as far as I'm concerned, IT'S HERE. Why? There are a number of signs that signal the premiere of fall.

1.) Starbucks has unleashed its seasonal drink...THE pumpkin spice latte. It's heaven in a cup and I definitely overdosed on it the first week. Forget how many liquid calories I was consuming, if this liquefied pumpkin pie tasty treat wanted to cling to my thighs and/or abs...so be it. I'm willing to suffer the consequences and put in the extra leg work (literally) in order to indulge a little.

2. Once I need to grab a light jacket for my morning commute...YEP summer is over. I love pairing a chic jacket with a cute fall outfit. Burberry trench anyone?

3. Another fall element is the realization that "hey it's cool enough to wear boots." I love these booties that can be paired with anything from skinny jeans to a sweater dress. It's not fall without boots!

 

4. My sweater dresses are also making their way to the forefront of my closet as well. A cowl neck sweater dress is great for pretty much any occasion.

5. Breaking out the sweaters! There is nothing better than coming home from work and finding your way into a cozy sweater with a glass of wine and a good read. This wool blend poncho sweater is one of my fav fall pieces.

6. Getting ready for Halloween!!! I love decorating my office with cute holiday things and Halloween jump starts the seasonal decor. Nothing is more awesome than a glittery haunted house with some bat ornaments.

7. Of course last but not least, the leaves are starting to change into beautiful colors. What's not so fun is raking all of them up when they fall...but it definitely makes running throughout my neighborhood more beautiful and serene.

I'll soon have to breakout the winter running wear too for those chilly mornings. Although I love my comfy sweaters and boots, adjusting my lungs to the colder weather is another story. I have two short weeks until my first half marathon and after blowing off training last week due to prepping for my cousin's wedding, this afternoon's run was painful even though the sun was out.