Lounging in Pink Comfort and Style

I know, I am late!  Sorry friends.  The weekend kind of got away from me and even though I had these photos I just didn't get around to it.  Truth be told, going into the weekend I was feeling kind of down and having to deal with some disappointment and self doubt.  I don't want to get into it but it had me down in the dumps and I was really working on surrounding myself with people that lift me up and doing things that I love, and I succeeded in that.  I am feeling much better and have reset,  so here I am.  

We were supposed to head to the cabin for the weekend but things with the kids and schedules got complicated so we decided to stay at home.  I love the cabin.  It's a slower pace.  There are are few expectations other than reading, having coffee, playing games, enjoying nature and eating good food.  If I could spend Valentine's Day there with Logan, that would be perfect.  We love the quite and the simple, just as much as we love to host and gathering with large groups of friends.  This year Valentines Day is midweek and we will likely just enjoy a glass of good wine together, kick back, watch a show and be thankful to be together.   I'll be chilling in this ever so comfortable matching lounge set that I received for Christmas.  I literally live in it on the weekends when at home, and it's also super cute to run around town to do some basic mom/adult errands.  Through on your favorite pair of white sneaks, a belt bag and grab your to go coffee mug and you are SET!  

Do you do Valentines Day gifts?  We don't do gifts  or cards, or really anything, BUT this year I did see a local small business making these little Date Night tokens, see page here if you are from Saskatoon, that I am going to purchase for Logan and I to enjoy.  Most of them seem simple enough but I think having to pull something out and then commit to making it special will be kind of fun.  

Whatever your jam is, I hope you have a great week ahead.  If you need some cute Valentines Day inspiration check out these posts; office style, casual,  date night, and comfort!

Shop This Post:

Old Navy Joggers 

Old Navy Sweatshirt

Etsy Gold Layered Necklace

Emerald Green Jumpsuit

Hello.  the weather turned nasty cold around these parts this weekend and it's here to stay for about a week.  Needless to say it's all about cozy comfort when that happens.  A few years ago I invested in my first Smash and Tess Jumpsuit, burgundy velvet, see here, and ever since I've been keeping my eyes peeled for the same one but in emerald green.  As I was scouring our FB Marketplace I found one nearby, in my size, BNWT, at a fraction of the price. Since they no longer carry them, I would of paid full price if they still did, I jumped on it right away.  I love the comfort it provides but it's definitely elevated because of the velvet fabric and the rich color.  Both colors are ideal for holiday comfort but also can totally be worn anytime.  While we hosted some friends at the lake for appies, drinks and game,  I decided to ware it, and also for Anya's family birthday party. Its dressy but also completely casual, and I was cozy all night long.  For me this is the best combination for an outfit, but I can easily dress it up with some accessories, such as this gorgeous layered necklace that I got for Christmas this year, black heels and a white blazer.  In fact, I think that's just what I am going to wear this week to work.  

Have a great week ahead friends!  What's your favorite casual/comfy winter outfit combination?

Shop This Post:

Smash & Tess Jumpsuit (old)

Layered Gold Necklace

Ageless Style: Midnight Lace

Welcome to  the Ageless Style link-up, which happens every third Thursday or the month.  This months prompt is "scrumptious fabrics"  created by Leslie of  Once Upon A Time & Happily Ever After. Next month, on Thursday, Feb. 16th we will be showcasing our version and sentiments of what it means to be kind, as February is Kindness month.  

I love a lot of scrumptious fabrics from velvet, tulle, shimmery and shiny fabrics, to lace.  I stumbled upon this gorgeous midnight black top right before Christmas and I was instantly drawn to the lacey fabric.  I absolutely fell in love with two of the features in this top, the neckline that's not all the way square but has a fairly blunt neckline.  The second and my favorite is the lacey back.  It's so sexy without ever actually revealing anything.  Don't you just love how some clothing has a sense of mystery and sexiness without actually revealing anything at all.  Now, when I wear this top to work, I wear a black cami underneath but other than work I just sport my black bra underneath and feel completely confident with that decision.  I decided to style this top for three different occasions including date night, office and casual street style.  

Date Night:  Talk about a full outfit of scrumptious fabric.  This shimmery, pleated skirt elevates any outfit all on its own, don't you agree?

Office Style:  Black on black on black is just classic.   Adding gold jewelry is the perfect way to accessories and keep it classic.

Casual Style:  This is exactly why I still keep my skinny jeans around.  They create a beautiful, curvy silhouette  and I am here for celebrating and accepting my curves.  

Now it's time to link-up your own posts and check out all the other ladies of Ageless Style.  

Leslie ~ Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After

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Marsha~ Marsha in the Middle
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Bo ~ Bo's Bodacious Blog

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Amy ~ Amy’s Creative Pursuits
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Joanna ~ My Slice of Life

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Mireille ~ Chez Mireille Fashion Travel Mom

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Rosemary ~ Distinctly Southern Style

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Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style

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You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Looking Forward to 2023

Now that we are firmly planted in 2023, I've been pondering what/how I want to focus my energy in 2023.  This year I decided to divide my goals, or ideas of focus, into categories to see which ones spoke to me the most.  Upon looking at a variety of different organizers online and various caterigoies the below are the ones that spoke to me the most.  Some years I have a list or goals, other years I've let a word guide me, and this year I really wanted to look at the different categories of my life to figure out where I want to put my energy the most.  So let's take a peek below and don't forget to leave a comment below with your own aspiration, hopes, goals, or your word for the year.

Personal 

• Reading is still one of my goals.  I've upped my goal to 24 books for this next year because I've found a groove in listening to audiobooks with more success.  I am also aiming to make 2 of these books, in print, be non-fiction and related my work in education and/or leadership.
• Try out some new skin care products and introduce Retinol to my routine to meet the needs of my skin at in this new decade of life.  PLEASE send me your must try products for 40+ sensitive skin.

Health

• Joining up races in 2023 is something on the top of my priority list, a duathlon, 10km or maybe even I could train for a half-marathon.  
• Start lifting  or incorporating weights 2x/week. 
• Dry Needling and Chiropractor appointments on a consistent rotation. It's been a long road to having my back and right hip feel like it could do that again, but I've had so much success with dry needling in the past 18 months that I feel like I am very much in a healthy maintenance stage.  
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Family/Relationships

• Kids:  As the girls are getting older, Logan and I both are excited to enjoy a family trip to Disney World this year in April and then we are hoping to do a family night/day date every 4-6 weeks.  We kicked off the New Year with a day of snowboarding/skiing at our local hill and everyone ended up having a good time.  Some other possibilities is a movie night, a hike, dinners out (we don't do that a lot), maybe an escape room, etc.  Give me your teenage suggestions!
• Parents/Grandma:  As my grandma continues to get older, 92, I am feeling my time with her also limited so I want to make seeing her a major commitment and make time to call her weekly and visit her in person bi-weekly.  I also want to have a sit down meal with my parents monthly.
• Friends:  We want to make seeing friends and hanging out with them happen monthly.  Our friends are so important to us and they make us feel alive and we are always laughing those big belly laughs.  
• Logan and I feel like we are in a really good place and we are finding lots of ways to spend time together on a regular basis through out regular evening walks with Oreo and by hanging out lots over the weekends.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Career

• Photography:  I wan to continue to grow my photography side business this year.   2022 brought lots of new clients, and fall was especially busy. I am hoping to increase my cliental and interaction on IG this year by doing a few giveaways and also by posting twice a week.  I also want to enroll in a coarse or a webinar to keep learning and growing my knowledge base, specifically incorporating and trying new prompts and poses for family photography.
• Teaching:  I really want to attend a conference on leadership, early learning or literacy in 2022, like a bigger, in person conference.  I want to be INSPIRED.

Finance

• Monitor spending.  I wanted to dive into our finances in 2022 and failed miserably.  In 2023 I'd like to monitor these three things:  #1 how much I spend on clothing, #2 do a deep dive in our overall spending 2x/month and #3 track how much money I make from my photography side gig.  

My plan/hope is to evaluate, reflect and adjust these goals in each quarter of the year.  Next time I'll have a post update on them will be Monday, March 27th.  

Best of 2022

Hello friends.  Before I dive completely into 2023, I wanted to look back on 2022 and reflect on some of the happenings over the past year in my personal life.   2022 was a breath of fresh air after the previous couple of years were so loaded with uncertainty and worry.  Here are some personal highlights from 2022:

• Both my husband and I turned 40 and we were able to celebrate with so many of our friends in early summer!
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• My dad turned 65 but then chose not to retire yet.  Maybe in 2023, but nonetheless we were so excited to celebrate this milestone with him at the start of the year. 
  
  
  
• We went on a adult only trip to Italy, exploring Rome, Lake Como & Milan.  This was an incredible opportunity for us and something we are extremely grateful for.  Part of the trip was just the two of us and the other part was with my sister and BIL.
  
  
  
• Anya turned 13 and officially became a teen and now our home no longer has little girls.  This was bittersweet for this mama.
• Family time at the lake is always treasured and this summer was extra special when all of the Dautbegovic family could come together.  It's the BEST thing that happened in 2022!
  
  
  
• Halie continued to explore her love of horse riding and entered and won a jumping show!
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Anya continued to fall more in love with dance and was thrilled to get back onto a stage and enjoy competitions with her dance group.
  
  
  
• I continue to enjoy my job as a vice-principal and early childhood educator and you can follow along with my teaching adventure at bosprek on IG.  
• Logan is still working fulltime from home and loves it!  He plays ball hockey once a week and has gotten into working out with the Peloton app.
• A&H Snapshots had lots of growth in 2022 and I am excited to continue to learn and grow my photography skills and side business in 2023.  Please follow along ahsnapshots on IG.

Since Mondays are my fashion blog post, I am also including the top 10 most popular outfits from the blog, in no particular order.  As I went through my stats I realized many of the posts came from the Ageless Style Link-up parties that happen every third Thursday of the month.  One of my 2022 goals was to collaborate and connect with more bloggers so I am thrilled that a few ladies reached out and I was able to do that.  Finding community online has been the best part of my blogging journey and I hope to continue to grow friendships and build community in 2023. 

 #1 Winter White with a Splash of Periwinkle

#2 Ponchos, Puppies & Sweater Dresses

#3 Sweater Weather

#4 Pink Power Suit

#5 Dancing in the Rain

#6 Sleeves vs. Sleeveless

#7 White Tops & Linen Shorts

#8 The Bikini

#9 Day to Night: Leather Pants

#10 Thanksgiving 2022

It's your turn now!  Tell me a few  of your personal highlights from 2022.

Thanks for stopping by and following along.  

Holiday Outfit: Tinsel, Shimmer & Shine

Hello, hello!  Thanks for stopping by for the first blog post of 2023! Welcome and I hope you feel as festive and rested as I am feeling after taking a couple of weeks off from social media just to be fully immersed in the season with friends and family.  Our holiday festivities were all wonderful.  We enjoyed two Christmas's with family, visiting and catching up with numerous friends from out of town and in town, and ringing in the New Year with some of our closest friends at the lake.  Overall it's been a fantastic couple of weeks and I am ready to slowly return to routine, although I have a few more days before returning to school/work on Monday.  Speaking of Mondays, I will continue to post regularly on Mondays and every third Thursday of the month will the the Ageless Style Link-Up party that you are invited to join. Speaking of which, this post is coming to you on a Friday, instead of Monday, because my friend and fellow blogger Mireille from Chez Mireille Fashion Travel Blog asked me to join her for a holiday outfit round-up so make sure to check her post out for some inspiration.

I am one of those girls that looks for any opportunity to dress up.  We don't go to fancy galas or events, so I usually do dress up for any special occasion because it makes me feel pretty.  This little matching outfit is ADORBS and although I am not one to wear a crop top much, this was just too cute and my BFF was so convinced that I should have it, so I did.  Even my teen was impressed that I was going to show a little mid-riff saying, "my mom in a crop top.  That's cool."  This is such a warm and fuzzy outfit with the tinsel thread, shimmering and throwing off a light glow especially under the glowing lights of a Christmas Tree.  I wore it on several occasions through the holiday season including for our staff party, Christmas dinner, drinks out, and I plan to wear the skirt to work paired with sweaters and a new lace top that I got.  I am not sure if I'll get much use of the top on its own but sometimes you treat yourself to something knowing that it's not going to be worn as much as other pieces in your closet but it makes you feel so good when you do put it on, and that's enough.  Not that this outfit needs any more sparkle and shine, but I did pair it up with some rose gold jewelry because can you really have to much sparkle during the holiday season.  

Thanks for stopping by, following along and always supporting me.  Happy New Year to you all and know that I wish you health, happiness and new adventures.  

Shop This Post:

Guess Skirt & Top

Jewelry by Hillberg & Berk