Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Jonathan Adler + JCP: Happy Chic

Happy Wednesday everyone!

As I've mentioned recently, I'm redecorating my room at home. Mostly this is just me purging my room of years upon years of junk, but I am also trying to update the look of my room so it's chic and pretty to look at. I've recently scored a gray textured comforter and have my eyes on some mint sheets, but while I'm hunting for those I have also been looking for some accessible and affordable updates to use right now in my room. Enter JCPenney.

This spring I came across a new line in the JCPenney home section of their website: Happy Chic by Jonathan Adler. I was familiar with Jonathan Adler but had mostly resolved myself to his fabulous line being far out of my price range. I was clicking through the pages and found myself liking everything. The prices? Not too shabby - a bit out of my college student budget in most cases, but I could see myself purchasing some of the more inexpensive items, waiting for items to go on sale, or saving up for a fabulous splurge! I've spent many hours looking at the items online and when I was able to hit up the mall on my visits home this summer, I made sure to stop by my local JCPenney to look at the line. The Happy Chic line is presented so stylishly within my store, really creating the feel of a Jonathan Adler pop up shop. The designs stay true to his original line and the quality seems to be excellent!

On a recent visit I picked up the gray pillow and white frame featured below for my room update - I can't wait to get them in place and styled just how I want them! In a dream world I would also own the gorgeous chair below (love the nailhead detailing), the elephant stool, and the lotus lamp, but for now I am keeping an eye on the pouf ottomans and thinking about a new pair of bookends!

Jonathan Adler + JCP: Happy Chic

Be sure to check out the line, especially if you need an update of your own! The line includes bedding, bath, home decor, furniture, and kitchen ware, so you will be sure to find something fabulous for your home. 
xx, Amy
Find me on Pinterest // Instagram // Tumblr // Polyvore

Monday, September 16, 2013

Blogger/Life Help: What Do You Do?

Hi everyone!

Sorry again for my long, long absence. I was honestly on a roll last week with things at home and while I was getting all of my things cleaned up, my brain has just been getting more and more cluttered! I'm hoping to really crank things out in the middle of this week so I can sit down and really let myself pick through my own brain, if that makes any sense...

The good news is that all of my stuff at home is looking way, way more tidy! I have donated so much stuff to charity and have put aside tons of stuff to sell on Poshmark and through my "Shop My Closet" page at the top of my blog. There's just so much more space in my room now, and I am loving it. BUT! That isn't even the best news!

I got a..... JOB!

Well, not a full time 9-5 job, but a job working part time at a particular store that is a favorite of mine ;)

Anyways, I'm really excited about it. I worked yesterday and it was amazing to be back. It's nice to have a clean slate and only be working with a few people that I've worked with in the past. I miss my old coworkers but I am excited to get to know the new staff. Plus I was super close to hitting my sales goal yesterday in the three hours that I was on the sales floor so I am feeling pretty great about that! I'm also enjoying the challenge of not buying everything I want because I "want" it or because it's a crazy good deal with my discount. I am really focusing on what will work in my wardrobe and what I will get a lot of use out of so I am sticking to a very curated list of items as my wishlist. Being in the store only reaffirmed those items, but I did see some jewels not featured online that I am loving. Must.... resist...

Also, I'm hoping to be more regular about posting my work outfits! I can't promise I will wear anything interesting if I'm not going to work, but maybe I'll get into a regular outfit posting schedule too (which was my original plan for this blog.... can you tell my brain is full??)!

The less great news is that I'm missing my boyfriend and I know he's missing me too. We're now going to be about seven hours apart - he got a new job that moves him farther up north. He's really excited about it (I am excited too!) but we are really going to have to figure out a schedule to see each other so the "long distance" isn't as rough. So if anyone has any advice on the subject of long distance, I would love to hear it! (Note: We are hoping for the situation to be temporary, only a few months apart, but anything to make it pass more quickly is greatly appreciated!)

LAST THING: 

If you are reading this, no matter who you are (subscriber or someone who happened across my page via a Google search), please help me out! I am wondering how my fellow bloggers have their social media set up. What platforms do you have separate (blog vs. personal, etc)? I am mostly concerned with my Google + page - it is currently linked to my full name, but I kind of want to change it to a blog page (if it's even possible? I wanted a new Blogger account for my blog email but I'm just sort of confused on how to keep things separate... ugh) or revert back to a Blogger account. I'm just kind of wondering what people do and how they do it because I feel like I'm wandering and not being very cohesive. HELP!

That's it for now - please help me out by letting me know how you organize your social media!

xx, Amy

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Happy Birthday Brian (and also, my Dad!)!

Happy 25th, Brian!!!



I hope you have a wonderful day and you get to do everything you hoped. I love you and getting to spend the past eleven months with you has been nothing but the absolute best. Thank you for supporting me and loving me ever since I plucked that Miller Lite out of your hand.

Also, Happy Birthday to my Dad! I'm sad I can't be in two places at once to celebrate but you did encourage me to spend the weekend with Brian so that had better not come back to bite me in the butt...

And yes, my father and my boyfriend have the same birthday. So. Weird. Let's not overthink it.

Have a great weekend!
xx, Amy

Friday, September 6, 2013

FRIDAY!!!

Hi everyone!

Happy, happy, happy Friday! I am so excited for today - not only have I gotten a lot done this week, but I get to head up to my alma mater to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday and go to a Badger game! Pinch me, because I am pretty much still convinced that I am dreaming.

Plans for the weekend: dinner with his best friends, hitting the bars, waking up bright and early to dress ourselves in RED and tailgate before the game, heading back to Camp Randall for the game, and then dinner, just him and I, followed by a birthday cake baked and frosted by me. Oh, and his present, which I am all sorts of excited for! Not sure that it's anything "special", but I like getting to buy things for the people I love so I'm excited just to give him his gift.

I am so excited for this weekend. I feel like it is the cap on a productive and fun week for me. This week has just seemed so sunny. Maybe it's because I've been in a good mood, eating well, and getting things done, or maybe because it's cooled off enough to turn off the AC and open the windows! I am savoring every last bit of summer that I can - windows down on a sunny day, walking outside barefoot, iced coffee that is not flavored with pumpkin, and light perfumes. I think being in the moment and enjoying the now has really helped me be productive this week. It's kind of like why not go out and get a cup of coffee (um, it's only $1 at Dunkin! How can I pass that up?) and drive around with the windows down? Or why not clean up this drawer I've been meaning to get to for the past four years (because I certainly have the time now)? I'm not sure what it is but I need to a) take advantage of it while it lasts or b) make it a permanent state of mind.

(However, it's a bit ironic that after getting so much cleaning and organizing done this week, I'm leaving piles of stuff that needs to be put away out since I am leaving town and won't be around this weekend. Oh well.)

Also - I have officially signed up for my first race! I am running a 5K in November (my mom is running the 15K... maybe one day we will actually be running together) and I'm kind of excited. I've never been a runner and recently not very physically active so I need to get my booty in training. Stay tuned for progress...

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

xx, Amy

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Four Favorites: Leopard

Hi everyone!

I have returned (for now) from blogging silence. Like I have mentioned in the past few posts, my life has been a little bit chaotic and I haven't been able to sit down and read blogs or write (!) anything for a while. Part of it has been because yes, I have been busy but the other part of it is that I have just been trying to work on making myself happy and that has required a bit of a blogging break.

Since I've moved home, I've been feeling very... off? from myself and who I am and what I want. I have really been trying to remove material garbage from my life (magazine tear outs from 2007, clothes that I hate or do not fit, accumulated junk from when I was in college) as well as purge my mental archives as well (iPhone photos/apps, cleaning up my laptop desktop/files, removing negative influences). Over the past few days I've really tried to avoid junky foods or anything overly processed and even after a couple of days I feel so much better! So cheesy, but I am really tired of feeling like a slow moving slob so I have to keep myself on track. Clean room, clean(ish) eating, clear mind - that is what I am aiming for! 

I sat down last night to catch up on some a lot of blog reading, and I came across this week's Four Favorites link up - leopard print! Um, hello, my blog's title is leopardspot, you might be able to guess that I love anything leopard print! It's kind of my thing. So, without further adieu, here are my current leopard lusts.

Four Favorites: Leopard



I am obsessed with the leopard hat! I saw it on Instagram a few weeks ago and had a vague inkling that it might be J.Crew and then I saw it on the website. Ugh. Guys. I died. If I owned this hat, I would be sporting it with a gray crewneck, an army jacket, jeans, and a little bit of sparkle. And longer hair, ideally - I love baseball hats but I have not enjoyed wearing them since I cut my hair! My inspiration for looking fab in this hat comes from Alicia of Cheetah is the New Black, one of my favorite blogs. 







What are you loving in leopard print lately? I can't wait to break out my leopard scarf when the weather cools off!

xx, Amy

Bloglovin' // Twitter // Instagram // Polyvore // Tumblr