A Dose of Boots on a Budget...

I'm sure I'm not the only one who is anxiously awaiting Fall weather. And my favorite part of a new season? The shoes of course! Currently, I have a major obsession with ankle boots. Like, realistically, I do.not.need.anymore.shoes. Buuuut, there are just so many cute options out there that I can't help myself. So I figured if I put together a list of budget friendly picks, then I (and you) wouldn't feel as guilty when bringing home multiple pairs. See how helpful I am!? :)
I may have already added these to my closet. I just couldn't help jumping the gun. They are even cuter in person! Which ones are your fave?

(Click on the photo for links.)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I'll be busy celebrating birthdays and planning weddings! 
You can follow all the fun on IG @doseoflou

Would You? Wednesday...

Hello gals! Happy Wednesday to you all. It's been a while since I last checked in but I'm back with a great WYW for you! I've spotted this trend slowly making it's way back and at first I wasn't sure I wanted to re-visit my grungy 90's self, but these ladies are making me think otherwise. They are taking this look from grunge to major glam! And hey, the 90's weren't all that bad right? You know I'd take some combat boots, overalls and backpacks..but please, keep the baggy denim and butterfly clips where they belong, in old family photo albums #nevertobeseenagain!

Now what about you, would you?

1,2,3,4,5

A Dose of "Best Wishes"...

Two weeks ago my best friend got engaged while vacationing in Turks and Caicos! Amazing right? We had a hunch he would be proposing so of course I was soooo anxious the entire weekend waiting for the good news! I'm so extremely happy for them!

 The ring suits her perfectly and is even more gorgeous in person!

Obviously a celebration was in order. The following weekend we enjoyed dinner and drinks at Olive and Ivy. If you've never been, I recommend visiting when the weather is nice. They have a gorgeous patio overlooking the Scottsdale waterfront.

 

Love these ladies!

Because they knew we were celebrating, the waitress brought us some delicious desserts. She told us about a lil old wives tale that goes something like this...You always say to a bride-to-be, "best wishes", never congrats, because congrats is used for when you win something, and he's already won you. Can I get an awwww!? So cute huh? Have any of you ever heard that saying before?

I love you Erica! I can't wait for all the exciting planning to start!!

Would You Wednesday?

For me, these days it's about dressing as cool and comfortable as possible. Enter, palazzo pants! They're light, they're airy and closely resemble pajamas.. so I'd say they are just about perfect! My problem is finding a pair long enough to wear with a cute wedge. :( So I'm still searching! What about you? Are you a fan of palazzo pants?

Here are a few of my favorite ways to wear palazzo pants for summer:

 Pair them with black and a chic tote for a more work appropriate look.

 Or a simple white tee for the weekends.

 How about some killer heels and a bold necklace for a girls night out?

Or try adding another trend, a crop top. This is perfect for a vacation getaway!

Hope these ideas tempt you to give palazzo pants a try! Have a wonderful week ladies!

all images via

A Dose of Red, White and Blue...

Happy (early) 4th of July gals! Have any of you gotten a chance to check out the FEED collection for Target yet? I mean, how stylish right? And you're benefiting a great cause. It's a win, win! These are a few of my favorite items. All perfectly festive for the upcoming holiday!

Crossbody bag $25 = 20 meals
Burlap reuseable market bag $10 = 8 meals
Stackable bracelets $15 = 12 meals
Kitchen towels $10 = 6 meals
Throw blanket $30 = 24 meals
Bakeware $25 = 20 meals
Polka dot scarf $18 = 14 meals
Necklace $18 = 14 meals
Sleeveless chambray top $25 = 20 meals

What do you have your eye on?
Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

A Dose of Bikram Yoga...

Ok, so for the last two weeks I've taken a slight break from running and decided to give Bikram Yoga a try. Now before I give you my thoughts on the matter I wanted to share the following, a real Craigslist ad that was posted in Seattle. If you've never experienced hot yoga you may not find this as hilarious as I did...or you may not have sense of humor. :) Either way..

Originally Posted: Tue, 13 Sep 22:32 PDT

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$1 Yoga mat for sale. Used once.

Yoga mat for sale. Used once at lunch hour class in December 2009. Usage timeline as follows:

11:45a
Register for hot yoga class. Infinite wisdom tells me to commit to 5 class package and purchase a yoga mat. I pay $89.74. Money well spent, I smugly confirm to myself.

11:55a
Open door to yoga room. A gush of hot dry air rushes through and past me. It smells of breath, sweat and hot. Take spot on floor in back of room next to cute blonde. We will date.

11:57a
I feel the need to be as near to naked as possible. This is a problem because of the hot blonde to my left and our pending courtship. She will not be pleased to learn that I need to lose 30 pounds before I propose to her.

11:58a
The shirt and sweats have to come off. I throw caution to the wind and decide to rely on my wit and conditioning to overcome any weight issues my fiance may take issue with. This will take a lot of wit and conditioning.

11:59a
Begin small talk with my bride to be. She pretends to ignore me but I know how she can be. I allow her to concentrate and stare straight ahead and continue to pretend that I don't exist. As we finish sharing our special moment, I am suddenly aware of a sweat moustache that has formed below my nose. This must be from the all the whispering between us.

12:00p
Instructor enters the room and ascends her special podium at the front of the room. She is a slight, agitated Chinese woman. She introduces me to the class and everyone turns around to greet me just as I decide to aggressively adjust my penis and testes packed in my Under Armor. My bride is notably unfazed.

12:02p
Since I do have experience with Hot Yoga (4 sessions just 5 short years ago) I fully consider that I may be so outstanding and skilled that my instructor may call me out and ask me to guide the class. My wife will look on with a sparkle in her eye. We will make love after class.

12:10p
It is now up to 95 degrees in the room. We have been practicing deep breathing exercises for the last 8 minutes. This would not be a problem if we were all breathing actual, you know, oxygen. Instead, we are breathing each other's body odor, expelled carbon dioxide and other unmentionables. (Don't worry, I'll mention them later.)

12:26p
It is now 100 degrees and I take notice of the humidity, which is hovering at about 90%. I feel the familiar adorning stare of my bride and decide to look back at her. She appears to be nauseated. I then realize that I forgot to brush my teeth prior to attending this class. We bond.

12:33p
It is now 110 degrees and 95% humidity. I am now balancing on one leg with the other leg crossed over the other. My arms are intertwined and I am squatting. The last time I was in this position was 44 years ago in the womb, but I'm in this for the long haul. My wife looks slightly weathered dripping sweat and her eyeliner is streaming down her face. Well, "for better or worse" is what we committed to so we press on.

12:40p
The overweight Hispanic man two spots over has sweat running down his legs. At least I think its sweat. He is holding every position and has not had a sip of water since we walked in. He is making me look bad and I hate him.

12:44p
I consider that if anyone in this room farted that we would all certainly perish.

12:52p
It is now 140 degrees and 100% humidity. I am covered from head to toe in sweat. There is not a square millimeter on my body that is not slippery and sweaty. I am so slimy that I feel like a sea lion or a maybe sea eel. Not even a bear trap could hold me. The sweat is stinging my eyeballs and I can no longer see.

12:55p
This room stinks of asparagus, cloves, tuna and tacos. There is no food in the room. I realize that this is an amalgamation of the body odors of 30 people in a 140 degree room for the last 55 minutes. Seriously, enough with the asparagus, ok?

1:01p
140 degrees and 130% humidity. Look, bitch, I need my space here so don't get all pissy with me if I accidentally sprayed you with sweat as I flipped over. Seriously, is that where this relationship is going? Get over yourself. We need counseling and she needs to be medicated. Stat!

1:09p
150 degrees and cloudy. And hot. I can no longer move my limbs on my own. I have given up on attempting any of the commands this Chinese chick is yelling out at us. I will lay sedentary until the aid unit arrives. I will buy this building and then have it destroyed.
I lose consciousness.

1:15p
I have a headache and my wife is being a selfish bitch. I can't really breathe. All I can think about is holding a cup worth of hot sand in my mouth. I cannot remember what an ice cube is and cannot remember what snow looks like. I consider that my only escape might be a crab walk across 15 bodies and then out of the room. I am paralyzed, and may never walk again so the whole crab walk thing is pretty much out.

1:17p
I cannot move at all and cannot reach my water. Is breathing voluntary or involuntary? If it's voluntary, I am screwed. I stopped participating in the class 20 minutes ago. Hey, lady! I paid for this frickin class, ok?! You work for me! Stop yelling at everyone and just tell us a story or something. It's like juice and cracker time, ok?

1:20p
It is now 165 degrees and moisture is dripping from the ceiling. The towel that I am laying on is no longer providing any wicking or drying properties. It is actually placing additional sweat on me as I touch it. My towel reeks. I cannot identify the smell but no way can it be from me. Did someone spray some stank on my towel or something?

1:30p
Torture session is over. I wish hateful things upon the instructor. She graciously allows us to stay and 'cool down' in the room. It is 175 degrees. Who cools down in 175 degrees? A Komodo Dragon? My wife has left the room. Probably to throw up.

1:34p
My opportunity to escape has arrived. I roll over to my stomach and press up to my knees. It is warmer as I rise up from ground level - probably by 15 degrees. So let's conservatively say it's 190. I muster my final energy and slowly rise. One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other. Towards the door. Towards the door.

1:37p
The temperature in the lobby is 72 degrees. Both nipples stiffen to diamond strength and my penis begins to retract into my abdomen from the 100 degree temp swing. I can once again breathe though so I am pleased. I spot my future ex wife in the lobby. We had such a good thing going but I know that no measure of counseling will be able to unravel the day's turmoil and mental scaring.

1:47p
Arrive at Emerald City Smoothie and proceed to order a 32 oz beverage. 402 calories, 0 fat and 14 grams of protein -- effectively negating any caloric burn or benefit from the last 90 minutes. I finish it in 3 minutes and spend the next 2 hours writing this memoir.

3:47p
Create Craigslist ad while burning final 2 grams of protein from Smoothie and before the "shakes" consume my body.

4:29p
Note to self - check car for missing wet yoga towel in am.

• Location: Bellevue
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Yeah, so this pretty much sums up my experience. Kidding, only slightly. Maybe just the first 3 sessions. :) In all seriousness, I had no idea what I was in for! I have never taken any sort of yoga or hot yoga class before and had no clue how intense it really is! My tips for you if I haven't scared you off from the idea yet..

1. Drink tons of water in the days before! Proper hydration is necessary.

2. The less clothing, the better. No need for modesty.

3. Go makeup free cuz that sweat in your eyes mixed with makeup is painful!

4. Concentrate on your breathing. As a newbie there is a lot to take in...executing the pose, keeping your balance, sweat dripping in your eyes, room is spinning, you get the idea...but after the first few classes I found the more I focused on my breathing the better I did.

5. It's about 90% mental. Your body is completely uncomfortable and you will wanna quit but pushing through and completing each pose to the best of your ability is really gratifying. I guess that's kinda the appeal for me. 

6. Bring a change of clothes! I've never sweat so much in my entire life!

Now that my trial period is up I won't be purchasing a membership. But that doesn't mean I hated it. I actually wouldn't be opposed to going once a week or so but I could never make it a regular routine. It just wasn't my cup of tea I guess. But it was a positive experience overall. I actually noticed my flexibility/poses improving after only the first week and all that sweating, it's like a facial for your skin! Plus, yoga gear is really cute. :)

So who wants to give it try!? No..?

Are you a fan of hot yoga? What has been your experience been like?

A Dose of Summer...

Today marks the official first day of summer! Yay! (Arizona likes to get an unnecessary jump start on things but whatever.) Annnd we are kickin' off the weekend..two reasons to smile today! So of course it only seems appropriate that I share my list of summer musts with you. Let's take a look!

I always love to start summer with a new suit. This season it's all about the fashionable one-piece as well as suits with a retro vibe! Check out this post for some cute high-waisted options.

Before getting into a suit after a long winter you may want to give sunless tanner a go. If you've never tried it before go here for tips! She's a pro!

There is nothing more summer feeling than a shirt dress. It can be worn on it's own or make for a perfect cover-up. So fresh and classic.

Of course this list has to include some hip shades. Love the white trim on these Ray Bans.

Protect those gorgeous locks from damaging rays with a cute floppy sun hat! This one is a steal!

Another beauty must is sunscreen!! Duh. This powder is easy and mess free so there's really no excuse not to protect that gorgeous face!

Now I know some of you may not be near a beach (myself included) but we can fake those salty waves with this! Visit The Beauty Department for a great list of brands tailored to your hair type.

I don't know about you, but my mood shifts come summer and a new play list is always in order. Right now I'm loving "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke and Pharrell. You must download asap!

Hopefully a summer vacation can give you some time to catch up on a good book. Check out LC's summer reading list for suggestions!

Lastly, you'll need a fashionable tote to store all this in. How cute and on-trend is this Sperry Top-Sider tote!?


Now I'd love to know,
What are your summer necessities?
What's on your summer playlist?
What are you reading right now?

Have an amazing weekend all! xoxo

A Dose of Bloglovin...

I'm sure most of you have heard by now but starting July 1st Google Friend Connect will no longer be available! Have no fear, I'm here to help! You don't wanna lose access to all your favorite blogs right?! All you have to do is open a Bloglovin' account (if you haven't already)! It's a great format for keeping track of all your favorite reads. And the best part, it will allow you to import all your blogs from GFC in a matter of minutes! Super easy peasy! After you've started an account just follow the link below!

http://www.bloglovin.com/import

If you already have a Bloglovin' account make sure to follow me by clicking the yellow button up top! Hope this helps folks!

Would You? Wednesday...

Happy Wednesday everyone! Hope you're all having a wonderful week and are managing to keep cool! I on the other hand, decided it would be a good idea to go running the other night...in 102 degrees! Obviously that run was cut short and left me thinking, how in the world did I just run 13 miles last weekend!? Ha. So in order to feel less like a lazy bum with all this heat I decided to move my workout indoors...and then I signed up for Bikram Yoga! I know, my thinking is a little deranged! I thought my goal was to escape the heat? I've never tried it before so I'll let you know my thoughts next week.

Anyways on to WYW! Today I'm featuring one of my favorite summer sandal styles, huaraches! They leave me with a craving for a Mexican vacation! Right!? I think I may have decided on these! What do you think, would you? 

Other options I love:

DSW Love this color! $49.95

 UO $39
 UO $39

Not sure if these qualify as Huaraches but regardless, Asos $47.52
F21 $24.80

Now let's take a minute and admire how cute Dani looks in hers.

Sí? Ok, now go get yourself a pair! ¡ándale! Hope you have a great week! 

A Dose of San Diego...

Here are a few pictures of some of our post-race fun!

On Sunday after the race we all enjoyed lunch by the water at Tower 23 Hotel. There may have been some pomegranate mimosas involved. :) We also a did a bit of shopping and then a much needed nap of course.

That evening we decided to celebrate with sushi at a local spot in OB, The Joint. Oh so yummy!! And then we got caught by a waitress taking selfies in the bathroom mirror. Busted! She laughed, we laughed, and we carried on.

 So thankful for this girl! If it wasn't for her convincing me to sign up for the race, I probably never would have done it. Thanks Meg.

Meg and Lindsey (aka LG) 

 We ended our last day there with breakfast Cafe 976. It's an adorable old house with a perfect outdoor seating area and some amazing specialty coffee drinks. Perfect after a night of too much sake err, sushi.

 Afterwards we met my family at Seaport Village. Brinley experienced her first "pony ride". She wasn't sure about it at first. I think it made her a lil dizzy. But it was the cutest thing.

 We did some more shopping and Brinley found a cute sock monkey she couldn't part with. So of course Grandma had to buy it for her. And then she wouldn't let it go the entire day!

My mom, sister and Brinley (and sock monkey). 

 My favorite girls.

 So in awe with the baby ducklings.

 And finally, see that adorable little face up there. ^That cutie turns 1 today and I can hardly believe it!? She has made me the happiest auntie ever! I'm so in love with her sweet, sensitive, girly, curious, silly, smart, sometimes shy and sassy personality. Happy Birthday Brinley! I love you. You were such a sweetheart the entire trip! xoxo

A Dose of a Race Recap (Rock N' Roll San Diego)...

I did it! I finished my first half marathon! And it was the best.feeling.ever!

We arrived in San Diego on Friday afternoon and Saturday we headed to the San Diego Convention Center to check out the race expo and pick up our race packets. We arrived around 12/1 pm and didn't have any problems waiting in lines or dealing with traffic. With over 30,000 participants you can imagine the crowds but we seemed to luck out! We checked out some vendors, did a lil shopping, snagged some free samples and picked up our parking pass. Since we were staying in Ocean Beach (not downtown where the race start was) I was really glad we purchased a parking pass to avoid road closures and the early morning parking issues. The rest of the afternoon was spent having lunch by the ocean, relaxing, and ordering some Italian take-out. 

 Race Expo

 Carb loading with a view.

Race morning was finally here! Strangely I wasn't nervous or anxious at all. Just really excited that it was finally happening! My family arrived at 3:45 in the morning (ouch) to pick us up. I was so happy that my mom, sister and niece were able to make the trip for the race. We arrived downtown at about 4 am and made our way to the shuttles. We had to wait in line about 10 or 15 mins and it was kinda chilly. Poor Meg didn't bring any sort of jacket or throw away shirt. :( But after the sun came up it was so nice out and slightly overcast. We made it to the start line with plenty of time to relax, stretch, and use the bathrooms. I was so worried with such an early start time that we may be cutting it close but everything went so smoothly! My family managed to find us among the masses of people and we took some pictures and then at 6:45 am we were off!!

Nike Free's, Nike shorts, Adidas top (with a handy side zipper pocket!), Pro Compression socks, and Sweaty Bands headband.

Waiting in line for the shuttle.

4 am and we're ready to Rock N' Roll!

Brinley was such a lil trooper!

 Ready to cheer on Auntie Lou Lou!

Meg and I decided beforehand that we would start in the same corral together and then each run our own race. My plan was to start slow and hopefully increase my pace as the race went on. Miles 1-3 were slow (maybe too slow) but I was so happy in the beginning that I actually had to tell myself to knock it off cuz I was already getting emotional about the whole thing! ha! Oh I'm such a sap! But before I knew it, miles were flying by. We made our way through some cute little neighborhoods and through Balboa Park and then ended downtown. The course wasn't as scenic as I'd hoped but I was barely paying attention to my surroundings anyways. There were a few unexpected hills (mile 8 and 11 I remember) but nothing too horrible. I actually was surprised at how awesome I felt the entire time! I took some water at mile 4 and 8...and ate a couple Honey Stingers chews at mile 7 and half a GU gel at mile 8 but never stopped. The end was mostly downhill which was awesome but it was crowded! It was difficult trying to run hard the last couple miles while dodging people. I made it to the finish line feeling fantastic! 

2:13:26

I was secretly hoping for 2:10 but since it's my first race I'm happy with how everything turned out. Even though looking back I think I ran it maybe too conservatively. I know I had more in me! But I guess being a newbie you don't really know what to expect. Meg and my sister even teased me at the end, saying it looked like I didn't even break a sweat. It was a learning experience for sure but so much fun! I'm just so happy that I did it. I stuck to my training for 12 weeks, never missed an early Saturday morning run and proved to myself that I could do something I never thought possible a year ago! I'm already looking forward to my next race! 

 Meg also had an awesome race finishing in 2:01:??

My Nike app splits.

That mile 11 hill screwed up my negative splits. ha.

I gotta thank my best friend Nick for all his help with training and being such a great motivator. I felt so well prepared because of him. I definitely wouldn't have been able to do it without him. He was the reason I started running in the first place! And my family of course for making the drive, waking up at ungodly hours and being just as excited as I was about the whole thing! :) Love them!

So congrats if you made it through this entire post! :) Check back later for more to come about our post race fun!

Tell me, have you ever ran a half or full marathon?? Will you do it again?

P.S. Happy National Running Day! 

A Dose of To-Do's (Summer Edition)...

Summer To-Do List 2013

Run Rock N' Roll San Diego

I've mentioned this a few times now but it's finnnnally here! This Friday I'll be headed to San Diego with two of my girlfriends to run my first half marathon! I'm so excited. The nerves haven't really kicked in yet..I'm sure Sunday morning will be a different story. But I'm actually feeling quite confident and well prepared. Wish me luck. I'll be posting a recap sometime next week and of course, Instagramming like crazy! :)

Go Stand Up Paddle Boarding

Last summer my list included wakeboarding (which I finally conquered!) and this year I want to attempt SUP. I've heard it's so much fun and a great workout! 

Attend a summer concert..or two.

 Concerts are always on my to-do list come summertime. Next week I'll be seeing the amazingly talented Mumford and Sons. Can't wait! 

Attempt some healthy summer dishes

With all this running I've definitely noticed some positive changes when it comes to my body. Now if only I could get my diet on the right track! So I want to make an effort to cook more healthy dishes and this summer salad looks too de-lish to pass up! But let's face it, I'm never giving up my love for Mexican food! :)

Escape the heat

When the temps are over 100 here summer can really seem to drag on and on!  So I'll be looking forward to hitting the road, hopefully to the nearest beach or mountain! I guess I'll actually be checking two items off my list this weekend!

 Now what about you guys? 

Do you run? Any races coming up?

Have you ever tried stand up paddle boarding?

Any fun concerts on your calendar?

Do you have any summer recipes you wanna share?

Vacation plans?

Do share! I'd love to hear it!

Would You? Wednesday...

Hello ladies! I hope everyone is having an awesome week so far. Hopefully it's a short one considering the holiday! Mine will be really short since I'll be leaving for San Diego on Friday! Yay! Can't wait! More on that later though. So, today's WYW trend up for discussion is the glorified "fanny pack". Or as they're calling them now, the "belt bag". :) I've seen a few stylish bloggers rocking this accessory and I imagine it would be great for traveling or sightseeing in some fabulous European destination! However, I really don't see myself ever wearing this on any typical day. What about you? Have you spotted this trend around your town yet? And more importantly, would you?

via