the one with the {sneak-er} attack

Four days ago, we were celebrating the warmest winter ever with lighter jackets and (gasp) NOT boots. We were basking in the whole "Punxsuatawney Phil did not see his shadow" situation and the promise of a speedy spring arrival. Turns out Ol' Punxsuawtawney Phil totally Punx'd us (groan-worthy pun intended). We've had two snowstorms in the last four days and the weather is going to be absolutely frigid for the rest of the week. But honestly, I'm not even that upset about it. I savored this year's unseasonable warmth with every fiber of my Southern being, but I still wanted just a few snuggly, cozy snow days. And now, I've experienced the best of both worlds! I'm still hoping for an early spring, but in the meantime, I'm counting down to wearing my new favorite accessories again - the comfiest, coolest, most Dad-basic shoes on the planet - New Balance sneakers. Last year, I pinned (and drooled over) a bunch of wintery outfits with trendy sneakers while Snowmageddon 2015 piled 8 feet of snow outside my door. But this year, my sister-in-law and her husband (actual sneaker experts) bought me a pair of New Balances for my birthday in January - and surprise of ALL surprises - I was actually able to wear them before April! So for all of you out there wondering how to style your cute, adorable sneakers BEFORE Phil cashes in on his spring promises, here ya go. And for those of you stuck in an igloo - I listed some other links to adorable sneakers for your consideration and future buying pleasure. Because honestly, sneakers are the new flats. And no, I'm not taking that back.

 Purse & Scarf: Old Navy

Jeans: Banana Republic Outlet

Sweater: Gap

Shoes: New Balance 696 Lakeview

Other Cute Sneaker Options for your Tuesday:

New Balance 574 - Ahhh these colors, though!! Literally my kitchen - but on a shoe. I could look at all of the different vintage-feeling New Balances for hours and still want more!

Nike Elite Shinsen - So old school it's insane

Nike Air Max 1 Ultra - Available in a bajillion colors but I'm especially digging the plum. It just reminds me of something delightfully 80s and super girly all at once. 

Nike Juvenate - These have turquoise polka-dots on them. This is not a drill.

Happy Sneaker-Hunting!
xoxo
A+J

the one with the {never-ending winter}

You guys. It's been so long since I've posted. Sorry!!

This blog consists of our daily adventures, my fashion finds, spiritual insights, and even the occasional cooking/baking exploit. But this winter, well, life's been a tad repetitive.  You might have heard that we received a lot of snow up here in Boston - 110.3 inches to be exact. Yep, we broke a record! To be honest, I just wasn't sure what else to write about after the third blizzard. I mean, do you really, REALLY want to know what we did for the millionth day we got stuck inside?

Allow me to summarize the average A+J Winter 2015 Week:

Monday: Snow. CANCEL ALL THE THINGS. Bake. Sleep. Netflix. FaceTime warm relatives. 

Tuesday: Ok but really, it's still snowing. Read Job 37:6-7. Again.

Wednesday: Burn 1,000 calories shoveling (or watch your husband do so), leave house fully bundled with 7 layers of pants on, discuss battle stories with fellow snowmageddon survivors.

Thursday: Slush, slide, slip down the side walk. Try to see over snow mound. Get stuck in a plow pile.  

Friday: "Hey, did you hear there's another storm coming?" Shiver. Laugh. Cry.

Saturday: Listen to weather report all day. Attempt normal schedule. Stock up on ice melt. Wonder if this is how polar bears feel.

Sunday: Watch the first flakes fall. Plan which movie to rent from Amazon Instant Video Watcher. Find relevant snow GIFs from 101 Dalmatians. Send to friends. Also, consider moving in with parents in Florida.

My winter fashion look can be summed up in two words: 

Snow Boots. 

Baking/Cooking Adventures: 

Chili

Chili with Turkey Meat

Cookies

LOTS OF COOKIES

So clearly, it's been thrilling! But really, it's been a little bit of a weird winter. And although I'm being a little silly about the snow -- some cool things did happen! 

We spent time with my family over Christmas and New Year's:

We visited two of our best friends in LA before the semester began:

Carly, my maid of honor / college roommate, SURPRISED me for my 27th Birthday:

Jesse was appointed as an Evangelist and Amber and I were recognized as Women's Ministry Leaders in our local congregation: 

All in all, it's been a solid, albeit snowy beginning to 2015. I have some over-due posts I'll be sharing with you over the next week! So stay tuned!

Love from Narnia,

A+J

the one where winter never ended

They tell me that today is the first day of spring. I think Boston forgot. For one thing - there are piles of fresh snow on the ground. For another, my spring-like outfit is obstructed by my puffy coat, scarf and hat.

I considered posting today about all the things I dislike about the month of March (all of which are weather related) but remembered that God tells us not to complain. Which I desperately need to remember. Then I thought about posting about all the things I love about March - but that felt artificial. 

So I finally decided to post this: Today is the first day of spring. 

Here is what I wanted to wear: 

This is how it turned out:

Here is what I actually wore:

Here are the very old boots that are tired of being worn:

So there you have it folks. A southern girl choosing to make the best of a never-ending winter. Because at the end of the day - we all have a lot to be grateful for:)

Shirt: JCrew Factory
Sweater: Wallace (via gift)
Jeans: Old Navy
Bracelets: Alix & Ani/Anthro
Boots: Urban
Hat: Target

the one where we found nemo

I've been as giddy as a little girl ALL week - SNOW!!! My excitement, anticipation, and sheer faith in the white fluffy stuff has given me away as a true Southern girl. For example, Friday I was actually shrieking with glee as the snow began (Jesse pretended to be above my childish reaction but I could tell that he was amused). And then yesterday, I was texting some friends about the snow and realized that I said the same thing in regards to snow/our current situation twice - "Woo hoo!" Yep - I'm definitely not from around these parts:) 

As the storm drew closer to New England, we chose to brave the storm with some of our best friends. We slept over with Jay and Alex (another A+J couple I might add) for two nights and made pizzas, watched movies, played Scrabble, and enjoyed some midnight sledding during peak blizzard hours. 

Nemo turned my husband into Jack Frost

On Saturday we woke up to even MORE snow - totaling about 2 feet and honestly, we didn't event think about digging out. Instead, Alex and I took a prayer walk (well, a prayer-trudge) through our buried city and later we convinced the boys to go sledding with us.

Allie let me borrow her fur hat...and it was awesome.

We made it back to our own apartment a couple of minutes ago - Alex and I are hanging together here (we desperately needed a location change) while Jay and Jesse head out to play snow football with some guys in our neighborhood. We came home to a completely snow-covered car and I'm convinced it is the most buried car I've seen during the entirety of this ordeal. The snow drift on top of it is taller than me! But even so, that can all wait - cause we have hot chocolate in the house, a bunch of college students coming over for chili, and much relaxing left to do. I love you, snow:) 

Sunset in Boston after the blizzard:)

And one last thought to leave you with...another reason to love the snow:) 

He directs the snow to fall on the earth
    and tells the rain to pour down.
 Then everyone stops working
    so they can watch his power.

- Job 37:6-7 NLT

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