Old navy lust list

On the way home from work yesterday I ducked into Old Navy just out of curiosity and was thrilled to find some of their recent rollouts included a bunch of nautical items. Above are some of the ones that particularly struck my fancy. A lot of them remind me of some older J Crew rollouts and this time around Old Navy has them for a much affordable price!

Are there any items that you've seen lately that has been added to your must have list?

Vermont & NYC in the snow

The past weekend I had the amazing opportunity to travel up to Vermont and to NYC. I think I get a little spoiled living in California with our mild weather so I'm pretty sure this was the coldest I've ever been in my life. But hey, the snow is gorgeous!

Vermont is just so charming. The state itself is gorgeous and with the snow falling it just added more to it. We stayed in Stowe at the Stowe Mountain Lodge (which I highly recommend). They have two mountains for skiing and snowboarding, and you are able to take a lift right from the lodge up (...not that I actually skied, but I did ride a gondola!).

View from the hotel 

Super excited to have found a Jackelope

Stowe Church

Snow!

River running under the gondola 

7 degrees and freezing cold in Burlington

Church St in Burlington

We ate, danced, played laser tag, read, indulged in the spa, and just watched the snow fall. Vermont is amazing and I'd really like to go back in the summer because Stowe has an alpine slide. I also got to see some of Burlington and the city is so quaint! I got a plaid shirt from the Vermont Flannel Company, some maple syrup, and greatly enjoyed the fact that many signs appear in English and French.

Monday we flew back to NYC and I got to enjoy the snow fall all day Tuesday and into the night on Wednesday. It was just simply breathtaking, although it is really hard to walk in. And I had an excuse to wear my uggs. Central Park with a fresh blanket of power was something I've always wanted to see and it did not disappoint.

Around 9PM Tuesday night - tons of snow! 

Central Park

Snow piled up on benches

And today is the last day that I will be at my current company and Monday starts a new job and new opportunities. I'm excited, a little scared, nervous, but really thrilled.

If you go..

Vermont:
Stowe Mountain Lodge - Gorgeous lodgings with the ability to ski on and off the mountain
The Vermont Flannel Company - Flannel and plaid all handmade in Vermont
Syrup - Awesome local Vermont goodies
Leunig's - Delicious French food in a cozy bistro environment
Vermont Ale House - Live music with lots of local beers on tap

Life changes + that one time my sister got married

The past 5 days have been a complete blur/whirlwind. Not only did I get a new job offer that I accepted, but my little sister got married this weekend and she made a gorgeous bride. I successfully didn't trip walking down the aisle, delivered my matron of honor speech, and am still sore from getting down on the dance floor.

Just a few phone/photobooth photos of us. :)

My mom and I. Convinced I look just like her (and she looks an awful lot like my grandma..)

Photobooth madness and DH jumped in

My sister the gorgeous bride (both dresses - David's Bridal)

With my Dad. :)

On January 27th I will be starting a new job at a new organization. I'm super excited, nervous, and really really thrilled. I'm going to a non-profit organization which is a brand new venture for me. I've primarily worked for private companies for the past 7 years so this will be a change. It was a hard decision, but ultimately I couldn't say no. And so far, every coworker that I've told has been so incredibly happy so it makes me feel even more confident in the choice I've made.

Heading to Vermont (!) and NYC for the long weekend and to say goodbye to my NY office. I may or may not freeze in Vermont but I have been wanting to see snow.

When you've left a job in the past... what are some ways that helped you to transition smoothly?

Local Edition: Lands End Trail to Baker Beach & the Golden Gate Bridge

Due to the fact that we've had some abnormal weather the past several weeks DH and I have had the ability to spend more time outside wandering our city. One of our favorite weekend activities is to just start walking and see where we end up, sometimes stopping for a bite along the way.

This past Saturday we took the 38L to the last stop at Lands End and decided to trek to the Golden Gate bridge. Along the way we found a labyrinth, took in stunning views of the ocean and the coast, and enjoyed the sunshine. And the best part? Aside from the bus fare our trek was completely free.

The Lands End trail starts near the Sutro bath ruins, which are a sight to be seen themselves. Once used as a private bath house until it burned down in 1966 offer great views of the Pacific.

We started the trail and from there encountered Eagle Point and the labyrinth and watched a cargo boat on on the horizon get closer and closer until it passed under the Golden Gate.

From there, we kept on the trail until we cut over at the Legion of Honor and through Sea Cliff (amazing houses with even better views!) until finally reaching Baker Beach - a place I've been wanting to go to. We watched crabbers and fishermen, tourists playing in the sun, and walked the length of the beach before continuing to the Golden Gate.

And once we reached the bridge itself, we crossed to almost the first tower before we stopped to watch the sunset go down.

Yeah, so I might be a little obsessed with how photogenic the bridge is, especially around twilight. We finished our trek off with a burger dinner (we thought we deserved it) at one of our favorite burger spots, Barneys Burgers.

If you go: 

Easy access to Lands End & it's the trail, Sutro baths, and the Cliffhouse via the 38L Geary bus.

Barneys Burgers Marina: 3344 Steiner St between Lombard and Chestnut.

December Budget

Also known as why I'm banned through at least February. I went waaaaayyy over budget this month - something I haven't done since April and I'm actually a bit embarrassed. But... I did get Christmas money and I have separate savings set aside so I'm trying to not beat myself up too badly.

But I've also been working this week on cleaning out my wardrobe. I have a bunch of items listed on ebay and am donating some items as well. It feels good to have a more organized wardrobe, too. I'm hoping with the new boots and flats that I have some solid footwear in my wardrobe that will last. And I'm torn on if I should keep both pairs of boots or return one. Thoughts?

Not pictured: 
Fleece lined leggings via groopdealz, 19.00
Funnel fleece from J Crew Factory: 30
Peplum dress from J Crew Factory: 27
Flannel V neck from J Crew Factory: 8
Varina flats from Feragamo: 285
Skier sweater from J Crew: 41
Schoolboy blazer in green wool from J Crew: 41

Total: I'm too scared to type it out. Oh my god, I need shopping rehab.

So...anyone else banned for a portion of the year? ;)

Linking up with Fran!