This (Work) Week in Clothes {pt.2}

Inauguration Day /// Shirt: Modcloth // Cardigan: Totally unknown - my mom insists it's mine and I wanted it so I didn't really argue // Beanie: Jake's, so I have no idea where from // Jeans: Kut From The Kloth via StitchFix (and my SOL, Jillian) // Shoes: Fossil

Blazer: Cabi // Pants: StitchFix // Shoes: Fossill // T-Shirt: J Crew 

Puppy Fever

GUYS - my parents just adopted a puppy.

😱💕

Those emojis have literally been me all weekend. Really, since I found out they were adopting a puppy. My parents got to take little Dash home this weekend, and my little brother and I got to meet him over Skype. I literally cried when I saw him. He's that cute - not that you need me to tell you.

Because J and I have two cats, people always assume I'm a "cat person." Honestly, I'm not. I'm an animal person. Cats are just easier to take care of than most animals while still having very strong personalities, which I like. As a kid, I was all about that dog life. I wanted a dog sooo bad. I researched everything I could about breeds, about training, about how to care for them - I wanted to show my parents that I was responsible. They got me a cat instead, which turned out incredible; but when Tabby died when I was fourteen, we adopted a Bichon puppy who we named Kichon, and who lived with us until she passed away this January. My parents let me train her, but it became clear pretty early on that she was attached to my mom, so she became my parent's dog more than mine.

Now that I'm an "adult," I don't want a dog any less. You know that scene in "Baby Mama" where Tina Fey keeps seeing babies everywhere? Like, every time she sees one on the street, she gets all heart-eyed, and suddenly she's hyper aware of every baby? That's literally me with dogs right now. Denver is a very dog-friendly city, at least in the area we're in right now, so it feels like I see dogs everywhere I go. I want to pet every single one. I went for a walk a few days ago and I was actually bummed that no one offered to let me pet their dog. Like, strangers. I'm a freak, I know.

J and I are trying not to get a dog until we have a house, which, at this point, who knows how long that will be. The market sucks for buyers right now and we're getting really discouraged. We could technically get a dog if we move into a new apartment (3 pet max), but it's probably not the responsible thing to do. *Sigh*

When we are ready to adopt a dog, we're pretty set on adopting from a shelter. Both our cats are from shelters in Iowa, and it's generally the route I think is best. We talked about adopting a husky for a while, and if we did, we'd pretty much have to buy a puppy from a breeder, because there's no conceivable way husky puppies are just sitting around in shelters. Huskies and Malamutes have a very high prey instinct because they're the least domesticated dogs (the most like wolves), which means they'll chase it and try to kill it as long as "it" is small, runs, and is furry. Cats very much fit that description, so if we decided to go with a husky, we'd pretty much have to get a puppy to ensure that the cats could "train" it before it got big enough to kill them, haha. We still would love a husky, but I think at this point, it's more important to us to adopt from a shelter than to get the breed of dog we want.

As far as other breeds, I know J would love to adopt a French Bulldog or a Pug. I wouldn't be against it, but I would love to have a bigger dog that could go on runs with us. I want a dog that can play fetch and run on the beach when we go to Hilton Head - not that a pug can't do that (and for the record, I love Pugs), but they're not exactly athletic dogs, haha. I'm also all in favor of a medium-sized herding dog, like an Australian Shephard or a Heeler, which I know J would be on board with. We both really love pit bulls and bully-mixes, but there are so many breed bans that it makes it almost impossible to rent and adopt a pit bull... I assume we'll end up adopting some kind of mixed breed dog - it's just a matter of size and type.

I won't even let myself look on Denver shelter websites right now, because the temptation is too much... I'll have to satisfy my puppy fever through kind strangers that let me pet their dog at the park. For now.

Life Lately {vol. 59}

I've been getting really good at roasting chicken! // Sometimes our runs rock and sometimes they don't - but at least I'm running! // I loved my birthday outfit at work! // Birthday drinks for the birthday girl - I got to spend my birthday with J and friends

I love meeting my friend, Rachel, for morning coffee to catch up! // I've been trying to document my outfits when I feel cute (and partially for my "homework" for The Curated Closet). // Inauguration Day // My friends and I marched in the Women's March on Denver! Best day ever. 💗

Home Inspiration

If you follow me on Facebook (@Girl Named Fiddy), you've probably heard that J and I are currently looking to buy a home in Denver! Our lease is up at the end of April, so we're *hoping* to find and buy a place before then. That's like, 90 days away. Totally terrifying!

It's no joke that the housing market sucks right now. There aren't a lot of homes on the market, and the ones that are super expensive for what you're getting. Just doing a quick search on Trulia, I found a house in Des Moines, IA that had eight bedrooms and over 3000 square feet for $200,000. Here in Denver, I'm struggling to find a two-bedroom house above 1000 square feet for under $400,000. As I said, it's no joke. In fact, it's kind of a nightmare. But we're looking, and we're hopeful that we're going to find something small that works for us. 

The best part about our home search is that it doesn't matter if the home is outdated or not an ideal aesthetic, because my dad actually renovates homes for a living! He'll be able to change just about anything we want, so we're looking more for the area of town we want to live in and the "bones" of a home. All those hours of watching "Fixer Upper" are finally paying off, haha!

2017 Goals: January Recap

One way I'm trying to remain accountable to my goals for 2017 is to recap each month and discuss how I'm doing! So, let's see where I'm at:

1. Read 12 new books this year
So far, I've finished one book and started on my second! I read The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory, a book J got me a year or so ago that I've (obviously) been wanting to read since then but couldn't find the time. 

Part of the reason I've been doing this reading project for over three years (!!!) is because I love to read and people, rightfully so, get me a zillion books for every holiday and occasion. It takes me so much longer now than it did in high school because I have so many more responsibilities! My ultimate goal is to finish every book I own. 😱

Right now, I'm reading The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees - kind of like with The Life-Changing Art of Tidying Up, I'm hoping this book will help me organize and create my particular fashion style, and by doing so, I'll be able to downsize my closet quite a bit! As I've said before, I really struggle with professional clothes, so my main goal is to figure out what kind of work clothes are "appropriate" while still actually liking them.

Law School Nostogia

UNH Visit: Part One: This was the very first trip J and I took to visit Concord and my law school for a kind of new admittee day to see if I liked the school and wanted to move there. When I was picking out posts for this post, J really loved looking back through these pictures with me, so I knew I had to include it. I loved exploring Boston with my guy - as much as I love my solitude, I'm such a city girl. It's also really fun for me to look back on what my initial thoughts were on my law school since I've now graduted, taken the bar exam, and am an attorney in two states!