Game Day Garb for TickPick

Hi there and Happy Playoffs!!

If you've known me for more than a few minutes and/or if you've read my blog for a while, you know that I'm a lifelong Steelers fan. My parents are from Pittsburgh, so I grew up loving the team. Depending on who you ask you may hear that I'm a little obnoxious while watching games. I'd say I'm spirited and devoted more than obnoxious, but everyone is entitled their own opinion ;)

I'm so excited that they won their first playoff game and I hope they keep this good going!

When TickPick asked me to write a post about what I wear for game days I giggled but decided to oblige. TickPick is a site where you can find cheap NFL tickets, as well as tickets to see all of your favorite teams and concerts. Gotta love that!

Anyway, back to the fashion. It's not like I go to bars and look cute for games anymore, hence the giggling at the offer. If you remember, I met Andrew at the DC Steelers bar, so I'm definitely familiar and a fan of watching with Steelers Nation. Chicago has quite a few places to view the games with Steelers fans, too! However, usually I wear some form of Steelers clothing and sit on my couch for the games. Thanks to an awesome TV and NFL Sunday Ticket, there isn't much need to go to a bar to watch the games.

Nevertheless, when the game is later in the day, as it was this past Saturday, I generally wear Steelers gear throughout the day to support my team. I especially love to wear Steelers stuff in a Bears town! 

Here's a glimpse of my game day garb:

Andrew surprised me with this scarf the day before the game! I was so excited to sport it all day!
The hat was a gift from my in-laws for Christmas last year!

 Then for game time I switched to comfier clothing: a jersey, some sweatpants and, of course, my Terrible Towel!

 

Here is an outtake of Teddy photobombing!

What do you wear on game day?

GO STEELERS!!!!

Happy Friday...but, uh, is it Sunday Yet?!?!

SO I'm really excited it's Friday for many reasons:

1) It's Friday. I mean, duh.

2) Andrew got a new job! We celebrated last night and plan to keep the party going all weekend!

3) Our friends are hosting a party for the MSU/Oregon game and we are stoked! I'm making Spartan helmet cookies! (Hey, I know I'm from Ohio but I married into a MSU family! I still like Ohio State, but since I didn't go there I never really followed the team until I left Columbus...and I followed them because I wanted something to talk about with my Columbus friends!)

4) STEELERS SUNDAY!!!!!!!!

So, college football is awesome. I truly do love waking up later on Saturdays, eating breakfast during College Game Day and watching football all day. It's awesome!

But Sundays? Oh boy.
Sundays to me are meant for three things: Mass, family and Steelers.
Go to Mass, hang out with the fam and watch the game/yell at the TV. Sundays are the best!
Seriously, I always WELCOME the end of summer because that means it's football season!!!

OK and here I go being even more obnoxious!

(all photos are sourced on my Pinterest board)

So, I ask again - is it Sunday yet?!?!

Weekend Update: I Watch a Lot of Sports

 (Linking up with Leeann, Dana, and Sami!)

This weekend was pretty intense.

And by intense I mean that I watched a LOT of sports.

We watched the Steelers lose on Thursday amid incredibly exciting Nats and Tigers victories.

I still don't want to talk about the Nats loss on Friday night. I've never been that upset about a game.

Very few hours later we watched MSU lose.

Needless to say, after watching two frustrating losses so close to each other it was time for a break from sports for a little bit. 

So we went to Nordstrom (more on that when my beautiful Frye boots arrive!!) and afterward to see Argo, which was an incredible and suspenseful movie. I am not exaggerating: I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! Go see it!!

Then we caught up on more amazing college football (Go Bucks!) and watched the Tigers almost lose in another intense game.

Then on Sunday we watched the Lions win in OT. Of course it went to overtime, right? Oy.

During the Lions game we held our breath while Felix broke the freefall record...it was the craziest thing I have ever seen.

{via}

 

And then we watched a tense Tigers victory!

 

Quick recap: game after crazy game after crazy game, a ridiculously intense movie, and a dude jumping from about 24 miles up in the air. Phew.

 

Thankfully the rest of Sunday we relaxed, went to Mass, I gave myself a mani/pedi, and wore sweatpants. Yay for low-key and cheap weekends!

 

 

I got the polish in my September Birchbox, so I thought I should give it a whirl. I love the shiny fall color and the polish seems really durable. I didn't think I would like it since it's not Essie or OPI, but this Color Club "Status Update" color is becoming a new favorite shade!

(P.S. I highly recommend subscribing to Birchbox. It's fun to get beauty samples every month!)

Even though we saw some of our teams lose the past couple of days, it was an awesome weekend overall. I'm very grateful we had the time to relax and watch so many games together!

How were your weekends? Any intense games? Did you watch Felix fall?

Friday's Fancies: Game Day!

Happy Friday, party people!

I am so excited for the Game Day Friday's Fancies theme at long distance loving today.

By now you all know of my love for the Steelers, so obviously that's the team I am going with for today's post.

OK if you didn't know I love the Steelers here's why: my parents are from Pittsburgh and raised us fans. We visit there often since my family is huge and it's a pretty city. Honestly one of my first memories is sitting in the basement with my family on my dad's lap while he yelled at the Steelers on TV. I've been a fan my whole life, through good times and bad times, Super Bowls and losing seasons. It's fun to cheer for them every week even though most of their games give me heart attacks!

It's OK if you don't like the Steelers. Most of my friends truly hate them. It doesn't bother me. Living in Ohio my Browns and Bengals friends always gave me grief and living in DC (close proximity to those gross Ravens in Baltimore) I got my fair share of jeers. Whatever, we can all agree that football is awesome, so that's all that matters!

Here's my game day garb and an inspired look. What? Black and gold is an awesome color combo! I couldn't resist!

Friday's Fancies Game Day by mkrulia featuring clip on earrings

Let's break it down.

I love a good jersey. I always get the Male Youth Large and it fits perfectly. You will never see me in a pink jersey. I just can't get behind them. I don't have a Polamalu jersey (like the one pictured) but I do have Ward and Bradshaw, which I love. I actually do have Terrible Towel earrings. Flats are key for me because if I'm at the bar I'm standing (and jumping, and yelling, and dancing). Oh and the Yuengling reminds me of the Steelers Bar in DC, so that's my drink of choice during the games. By the way, it sucks you can't get it in Chicago!

I thought it would be fun to do a game day-inspired look as well. I classed it up with some hot boots, gold clutch and a Dark & Stormy. Throw in some simple baubles, paint my nails red, and boom. Ready for a night out.

What's your favorite team or teams?

Have a happy weekend!

Weekend Update!

Hey there! How was your weekend? Mine certainly wasn't long enough, but it was full of football and relaxing so I can't complain.

Before I link up with the girls today, I have to promote my best friend's giveaway! Callie from Be Here Now is hosting THE BEST giveaway to celebrate her birthday. Go check it out!

Now for the weekend!

While I watched football and baked, I have to highlight two things from my weekend, one athletic and the other fabulous.

First, the athletic: in August I changed up my workout routine to a much tougher regimen. I'm finally seeing results but my knees have taken quite a beating. My knees have always been finicky but in the last few weeks they have just plain hurt. No bueno. Andrew suggested that I go to a sports medicine clinic to get them checked out. Who knows, you know?

Well, Angela at Athletico certainly knows.

Within miniutes of moving around, stretching, etc., Angela told me that I have Patellar Tendinitis in both knees, the worst of which is in the left knee. Not too big of a deal, but I have to tell my trainer, boot camp instructor, and class instructor that I need to cool it on a few movements for two weeks. Then, and this is the coolest part, she printed out an injury-specific sheet of exercises and stretches. It has the pictures, reps, and instructions. So helpful! I'm going back tonight to pick up a foam roller and stretchy band. Oh and I forgot to mention...

...it was FREE!

Yep! Athletico saw me for a free consultation. If my knees aren't better in two weeks I will go back and they will refer me to a doctor. So yeah! Worth it! If you are in the Chicago area there are quite a few locations. If you go to the Madison Ave. location, ask for Angela! She's wonderful!

Now for the fabulous portion of the weekend!

After my appointment at Athletico I passed the sweetest little vintage-inspired boutique on Madison called Decollage. Since it was a small and beautiful space, I suspected the boutique was like many others I have entered...meaning the clothing is out of my price range, but I walk in to drool anyway. Drool I did, but not only over the beautiful clothes, I drooled over the prices! I couldn't believe how affordable everything was at Decollage. I picked up a new shirt, chatted with the sweet lady working, and left very happy. I can't wait to go back!

Look how pretty the store is!

The rest of the weekend was full of football and fun!

After work on Friday I went and had a very relaxing mani/pedi. I came home to Andrew, a glass of delicious Traverse City, Michigan whiskey, and the Rat Pack blaring through the apartment. I just love nights like that!

Yesterday I baked Betty Crocker's Touchdown Brownies. I used the low-fat mix and made them small, so it's kind of guilt-free, right? 
Good tip: line the pan with foil and spray with cooking spray (I use spray butter). Then when it's cool, place wax paper on a flat surface, flip the brownies on the wax paper so the foil is on top, and peel off the foil. That way the brownies don't stick! Sorry if you already knew that tip, but I was very thankful someone wrote that in the comments for the recipe.

Whew, long post! Thanks for hanging in there with me! Tell me about your weekend!

Way Back {When}sday!

I am so excited it's already the middle of the week. Today I'm linking up with Rachel from Can't Google Everything for a little throwback. It's my ode to football season.

Here's my first NFL experience, at a Redskins v. Steelers pre-season game in 2007. It was amazing. Until me and my girlfriends got lost after the game and couldn't find the Metro. Meh, details.

Here I am at my first Big 10 game, wearing Andrew's hat, cheering on the Spartans. 

(Yes, I'm from Ohio and have never been to an OSU game for fun. Just fundraisers for Theta Nu. The tickets are expensive.)

Here's my first Lions game with Andrew and our buddy, Kim. They grew up Lions fans and introduced me to the frustration that entails. 

Here I am at my first Steelers game at Hines Field in the 'burgh. Gosh it was so amazing I can't even describe it!!! 

(Plus, look how freaking cute Andrew is!!)

Annnnnd now I just want to kick back on the couch, throw back a few beers, and cheer on our teams! 

Are you ready for some football?

Halftime = Blog Time

Happy Sunday, readers!

I hope all of you had fun Thanksgiving weekends. I don't know about you, but I'm not ready for it to end...or to get out of my stretchy pants!

I am devoting this halftime post to winter nail polish colors. I am aware that you can't go wrong with deep red colors, but I am curious if other seasonal shades should stuff my stocking this year.

One article said bright! Another, earthy and nude. Then the average metallic and red and everything I already thought about doing myself. Yawn. Sure I only looked at the first few articles in a Google search, but c'mon. Halftime is only a few minutes. Priorities, ladies.

OK so the aforementioned sites were I guess helpful, but nothing made me say "Wow!" like the new Essie collection and two pictures from my Pinterest. Dear Santa...

{via}

Source: steffels.blogspot.com via Mary on Pinterest

Source: lyndarthemerciless.blogspot.com via Megan on Pinterest

Now that's what I'm talking about.

Go Steelers!!!!!

Halftime = Blog Time

Hey everyone!

I hope your weekend was fun and/or relaxing. Mine was thankfully both! First and foremost, my sister, her husband, and their daughter Lady Lizzie are in town! We met up for a yummy breakfast, went to my brother-in-law's sister's baby shower, Andrew and I babysat Lizzie, went to Mass and brunch today, and they're going to visit me for lunch tomorrow before heading back to California. It's been fantastic! It is incredible how quickly Lizzie has grown since I saw her in May - she is now walking and talking! Her favorite statement? "Happy day!" Yep. She's a happy baby and it's awesome. Enjoy a few pics and Go Steelers!!!

OK fine this is from two weeks ago, but c'mon - that's an amazing trick-or-treat outfit!

Lizzie all dressed up for her future cousin's baby shower!

This one is going in a frame. Andrew and I loved babysitting her!

Elizabeth knows how to use a cell phone! lol

Lizzie Lamb!

My Lazy Sunday in Pictures

Happy Sunday, everyone!

{via 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.}

Week 5

This week included a holiday so I knew it would be tough. What holiday you ask? Well Super Bowl Steelers Sunday of course!! Even though we lost I had a great time hanging out at a friend's party. It was better (and cheaper!) than hanging out at the Steelers bar all day on Sunday, and I made sure to be productive all day so that I wouldn't go nuts waiting for the game to start!

Weekly recap:
Well it was another crazy Friday night for my bf and I. We went grocery shopping! So wild, I know. We bought essentials that will last a while (aka freezer-friendly!). Plus, my hair deserves quality shampoo, which was on sale, so of course I bought two. Anyway, we were delighted to see that most of the Weight Watchers products had updated point values to reflect the new system. One product was even updated - for the better! Okay, so, there was a one-point tiny carrot cake that I craved when I was on the program in college. NOW it's a creme carrot cake - meaning, that for two points this carrot cake is now twinkified! That's right! YUM!

Our second exciting find was a new product by Lean Cuisine. The Market Creations are entrees that you leave in the bag to steam in the microwave. I was very excited to try the Asiago Cheese Tortelloni! It's 7 points and is a decent portion size. I had it today for lunch and it's tasty! Word of warning: know the wattage of your microwave. Let me explain. So, the bag directions say to cook for either 5 minutes or 8 minutes, depending. Well, I chose to do 7 minutes...but I think next time I'll try for 6...or I could investigate my microwave wattage. Decisions, decisions.

Saturday night the bf and I tried Gina's Arroz Con Pollo. This is SO insanely delicious. Look at this picture - that is one serving! It was only 8 points, too! From start to finish it took about 1 1/2 hours - but the last half hour is completely hands-off and is the hardest part because it smells so incredible!
I ended the day with 8 points remaining, so do you know what that means?!?! Dessert! We found Edy's Slow Churned No Sugar Added Vanilla Ice Cream, which is 2 points per 1/2 cup, and with Diet Root Beer, a root beer float was such a fantastic way to satisfy my sweet tooth...and a way to keep me under my point limit for the day!

Sunday for the big game we decided to contribute to the yummy spread by serving a light Buffalo Chicken Dip, also by Gina. We served it with reduced fat crackers, carrots, and celery. It is supposed to be served warm, so we let it simmer in our awesome crock pot for the entire game. I should have promoted it more or put up a sign to say what it was because we have a lot left - oh well, at 3 points per half cup I'm happy we have leftovers! Next time we'll try it without bleu cheese and possibly less hot sauce.

Weight loss:
Unfortunately I didn't lose weight this week. I ate my feelings after the Steelers lost (aka 2 cookies - oops) and then didn't really eat well this week. What I mean by that is that I barely ate anything all day, worked out, and then ate most of my remaining points after 6pm. That isn't healthy, even though what I was eating was healthy. I gained .5 pounds, which isn't much, and I like to think it's muscle - I worked out 4 times - three days worth of crazy boxing class plus one day of running! Sure it's muscle, right? Right. Besides, no matter what the scale says, I feel really great!

Total weight loss: 8.3 pounds

Pounds remaining to reach goal weight: 31.5 pounds

Overall mood this week:
It's been an up and down week with the Steelers losing, not hearing back about the incredible internship that I REALLY want, gaining, medical issues, etc. BUT overall, this week was nice! I did some online shopping, caught up on 30 Rock, and had so much fun cooking with the bf. Plus, classes went well and I'm getting some confidence in myself.

Worked out:
Four times! Go me!

Yummy finds:
Food finds are discussed above in the weekly recap!

For some non-related food finds, ladies please check out the dress selection on lulus.com. TOO CUTE! I like a few of their shoes, but the ones I like have 5 inch heels, which does not work for me haha - I'm a 3.5 inch girl or lower! I walk too much and too far for the fun shoes! I'm not a huge fan of their accessories and in my opinion the tops are not worth the prices, but I think the dresses are pretty unique and at good prices! Thanks to some great advice from some friends and fellow bloggers, I chose two of the dresses (and not all 6 that I liked haha), and one new coat which is also super cute. Maybe I'll post them when I get them if they fit? We shall see.

Also, I hope you are familiar with Etsy, the online flea market. I LOVE THIS SITE! My best friend from home has her own shop and has made some really cute things for it (she made them for me for Christmas!). I did need a new computer sleeve and found this gem:

And I have seen cute coffee cup sleeves in coffee shops and found AMAZING ones on Etsy for much cheaper. Check out my new one!

Finally, I thought this magnet was too cute...and crazy cheap...yes, I spent more to have it shipped. Whatever. :)
Have a good week, everyone!

Week 4

Hello Readers!

This week I feel great but I figured before weighing in this morning that I wouldn't lose weight. I have a few examples of why I felt this way!

First, my parents came to visit, so I knew I would be eating more. When we went to a delicious brunch at one of my favorite spots, though, I made smart decisions: I got two eggs and a bowl of pretty fruit with homemade whip cream. I REALLY wanted the french toast, but I obviously had to abstain. Take a look at Belga's menu and you will understand how difficult it was to eat healthy. I left the restaurant feeling full, though, and the eggs there are THE.BEST.EGGS.EVER. I'm not exaggerating. They really are. :)

Second, my bf and I threw our make-up holiday party. He was sick in December when we were going to throw our Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, so we rescheduled it (theme and all!) for this past Saturday. While we did plan our day in a healthy manner and made two amazing Weight Watchers-friendly appetizers for the party, I did indulge in some alcohol. I haven't had much to drink in a while, and I had a lovely time with my friends and parents drinking socially and sampling the snacks. While I did have fun, I did not go overboard. I am proud of that. Instead of holding court at the snack table, I mingled. Instead of drinking heavily, I drank steadily and always had a drink in my hand. Sure I had a little bit too much, but it's my party and I'll drink if I want to! :)

Third, the bf and I had a LivingSocial coupon for Chima Brazilian Steakhouse and decided to go to dinner there on Sunday. To save money and points, however, we decided to choose the meatless option. I know that sounds crazy to go to a steakhouse and not eat, you know, anything that previously mooed, but we did and we left very full and satisfied! We each had many points left for the day, giving us almost free reign of the AMAZING salad bar, including creamy veggie soup, black beans, rice, cheese and prosciutto! Mmm! We had a great time and laughed remembering the last time we went to a steakhouse and felt so full that we thought we'd burst.

So, there you go. Before Weight Watchers this weekend would have been a pig out fest, but instead I made good decisions and it paid off!

Weight loss: 2.1 pounds! :)

Total weight loss: 8.8!!

Pounds remaining to reach goal weight: 31

Overall mood this week:
The week was interesting because I had two papers due, my parents were here, and it was the first week without working. There were highs and lows, but today I feel happy because I had a great networking meeting, AMAZING workout (I love boxing!), and I got an interview lined up for tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Worked out:

Only twice, but they were tough!

Yummy finds:

We served two incredible appetizers at our party that were Weight Watchers friendly. First, we made Skinny Taco Dip by Gina. Gina is so amazing! This dip was a huge hit - it was absolutely gone by the end of the night and I didn't feel guilty sampling it throughout the evening. Second, we made Creamy Parmesean Spinach Dip by Gina. I was shocked by how much this tasted like something I would eat in a restaurant. It was fun to see all of my friends enjoying healthy food at the party and I especially loved telling them that they were Weight Watchers recipes! We might make one of these dips for the Super Bowl this Sunday! HERE WE GO STEELERS HERE WE GO!!!!