Whole Hearted

Six years ago, I was a freshman in college. (Drops dead from realization of getting old)

On a Friday in April of 2006, one of my very best friends had a dream come true. She, with the help of a bunch of other freshmen who had no clue what we were doing, founded the Dance Marathon at our school (Saint Mary's College).


Dance Marathon is a philanthropic organization by and for college students to raise money for Children's Miracle Network. It hit close to home for me because I was a patient at our local CMN hospital - Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

I was born with a hole in my heart. It wasn't detected until my checkup at a couple days old. I was sent from my doctor's office to Riley Hospital in Indianapolis, the only place in the state that had a a cardiac unit devoted specifically to children.

It ended up that I was just fine. A tiny baby with a broken heart, but essentially fine. I will never forget my yearly visits to Riley - me, an essentially healthy child, in a hospital with children who were definitely not fine. I'll never forget my mom crying in the car once on the way home.

"Mom, why are you crying?"

"You won't understand."

Pouts and glares from preteen Sarah.

"Ok, fine. I'm crying because you're ok. Because you're just fine and all those kids back there, the ones attached to wagons and IV drips and hospital beds - they don't get to leave. They're sick and you're well. It's just a lot to be thankful for."

Fast forward to college.

We were a bunch of girls with a dream... and basically, there was no one to tell us no. A bunch of girls with canning buckets and no free time raised $21,000 for Riley Hospital in a year.

Month by month we added to our fundraising ideas. We sent thousands of letters to friends and family across the United States asking for money. I sealed at least a thousand letters myself.

We met lots of families, too. Families whose lives were forever changed by the amazing doctors at Riley.
Year by year we raised more money and were touched by the stories of more families. In the game of life, I felt like I'd won the lottery.

You see, I came into the world with a broken heart. A heart that wasn't whole.

Dance Marathon gave me the opportunity to give back in a way that I had never really understood before. The chance to give away pieces of my heart to help give kids healthy tomorrows.

This weekend is the 6th Annual Dance Marathon at Saint Mary's College. It will be completely surreal to me to see what was once only a dream continue to be a living, breathing organization. A life force all its own.

Katie was once a committee member on my Public Relations committee, way back when I was a sophomore in college. Now she's the President of what I believe might turn out to be the biggest Marathon to date. Two years ago I was in her shoes... and right now is probably the most nerve-wracking few hours of her life. The stress before everything goes into motion.

Katie, I am so incredibly proud of you for taking hold of the Marathon and keeping it alive in the way we intended for it way back in 2006.

Full of hearts, broken and unbroken.
FTK. (For the Kids.)

That's where I'll be this weekend. Taking a stand for those who can't.

(And if you feel so inclined to donate, click here.)

Any other Dance Marathoners out there??

Come and Get Your Answers!

So many questions, so little time!!  I've been SO busy with work and trying to fit in everything this week... so my desire to blog is making me craaazy.

I love the Fourth of July (so so much!) but I have to work today... so for me, it's just another day.  Fortunately, it's a good year to be working on the Fourth because there will be very few fireworks shot off in Indiana  today.  In fact, last night, I was driving home from Mr. RH's apartment (8 miles away) and passed a 3 alarm fire (ok, I technically don't think it was a 3 alarm fire by definition - but there WERE three trucks from different fire stations) AND then a second firetruck heading another direction.  It's scary stuff!!

Happy Fourth!!  Hope you're enjoying everything that makes America awesome today. Eat some yummy food for me, I'll be eating cheese slices at work.  Yay.  Not.

Cori asked...

What is Mr. RH's sexiest feature?

Ahh, this one is tough!!  Can I pick one from his face and one from his body??

The obvious face answer is his hair, but for me it's EYES EYES all day long.  He catches me staring at him a lot - not because I'm looking at anything particularly, but because he has the most beautiful eyes and eye lashes.  Wish I could find a way to capture them perfectly in a picture!

 As for his body, I love his height.  I've never dated anyone much taller than me - so I love it.  But it's alllll about the shoulders.  He has nice, broad shoulders... I imagine often that they carry the weight of the world for me.  Even if it's usually emotionally.

Leigh asked…

Gosh, I am trying to think of a good question that could be awkward. When was your first kiss? What has been the most awkward/funny moment between you and Mr. RH?


My first kiss... gosh, it was clearly UN-memorable.  Seriously.  I barely remember.  I know that I had my first big girl kiss with my first high school boyfriend... on the front porch of my family's house.  I was 14, maybe 15.  We had just stopped at Taco Bell with his friends after the Friday night football game.  He was a junior and had a car. 

I didn't eat any tacos, FYI.  And it was extremely PG for someone (him) with his reputation.  Just sayin!  He was a perfect, absolute gentleman to me.  I've always wondered about that.

As for the awkward thing... that moment is going to have its own post.  Stay tuned!

Samantha said…

Personal...hmmm...how long will you make it after your wedding before you two take off to do the do?
And a little less scandalous, what do you consider your biggest accomplishment outside of meeting the love of your life, graduating, etc?

She took my request for personal questions seriously!!  I truly believe that Mr. RH would agree with me (maybe I'm wrong?) that we spend absolutely as much time as possible at the wedding.  Since I know the day will be a whirlwind anyway, I doubt we will rush off - especially with so much far-flung family in town.  So, not rushing off at all.  Plus, after toting around a dress all day and probably not sleeping the day before... and after probably 23 rounds of the nervous poops... do people really have sex on their wedding night??  I'm sorry, that's probably TMI.


As for my biggest accomplishment, Dance Marathon - hands down.  It is the single most defining accomplishment of my life. 

Long-story-short:  in college, a couple of my best friends started a branch of an organization called Dance Marathon - a fundraising effort by college students to raise money for Children's Miracle Network hospitals.  We lived and ate and slept Dance Marathon. 


In our four years, we raised $250,000 for Riley Hospital in Indianapolis.  A quarter-of-a-million DOLLARS!  To have the money go to a hospital that I personally recieved treatment from as a child - it was, quite literally, priceless.



The experience of a lifetime, for sure. 


California Wife asked…

This is an odd list of questions... What is your dream job? If you could live anywhere, where would it be? What is your all-time favorite movie?



My dream job for a long time has been to be the editor of Glamour magazine.  Or any magazine, really - but I love me some Glamour.  No clue why, I don't really consider myself a great writer.  How does one become an editor, anyway?

If I could live anywhere.... gosh, I really don't have an answer.  I do NOT hate Indiana, which I'm sure seems unfathomable to many people.  It's affordable, easy to drive around (usually)... I have no complaints.  Of course, I'd also love to live near a lake.  Indiana doesn't really have any of those.



Can I plead the fifth on that question??

Favorite movie is probably When Harry Met Sally or Pretty Woman.  Both instant classics in my book.


Happy Fourth, Friends!!  Drink some booze and eat some foods for me... I will be at work.  :)

For the Kids

As a college student, I have had some very unique and special opportunities. Dozens, in fact. But there is one that truly stands out from the rest.

Dance Marathon. What is Dance Marathon? It is a fundraiser like no other. For this fundraisers, students from a particular college or university make a pledge to stay on their feet for a certain length of time in order to secure sponsorships from family, friends, businesses, whoever!

This year, as a member of the Executive Council for our Third Annual Dance Marathon, I was bowled over that we raised $85,296.33. This us up from last year's $47,000. Not bad, eh?

As a Executive Council member, I have spent literally hundreds of hours planning and fundraising for this event. Never would I have imagined that I would be able to help pass on a check to the hospital that helped to save my life.

$85,296.33 to Riley Hospital for Children... the very idea makes me cry with happiness. I have been so, so blessed the the opportunity to help others in this way. Now, I am under the pressure: by this time next year, we've got to raise $100,000 - just to prove we can. Let the good times roll.

Until All The Nos Become Meaningless....

This week's quote of the week is from a Nike ad. I have loved this quote for years - mostly because it makes me tear up when I read it.

"All your life you are told the things you cannot do. All your life they will say you're not good enough or strong enough or talented enough; they will say you're the wrong height or the wrong weight or the wrong type to play this or be this or achieve this. They will tell you no, a thousand times no, until all the no's become meaningless. All your life they will tell you no, quite firmly and very quickly. And you will tell them yes."
I wrote this post a long time ago about Dance Marathon. The organization is a year-round event raising money and awareness for critically and terminally ill children (and their families) who are treated at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

Having been treated at the hospital myself as a child, I would do anything (and I mean anything) for this cause.

This year, I have taken over as the Overall Chairwoman for our Dance Marathon. That's right, they let me be in charge (no, I don't know what they were thinking). I'm completely overwhelmed and awestruck that so many people think I can do this job - it's overwhelming.

This quote represents my freshman year when the Marathon was just being established. I remember clearly being told that our target fundraising goal was $3,000. We made $21,047.42 that year.

Last year, we raised $85,296.33. (This is the Executive Council from last year's Marathon. I'm squeezed in on the very right - I was the Public Relations Chair. I also had to set up the photo so I ended up not having a spot - go figure!)

Any guesses on the fundraising goal for this year?




C'mon....







Just guess....








$100,000 !!

Holy crap, I can't believe I just typed that - out here, for the whole world to see.

Happy Tuesday!

love,

Success!

First of all, thank you to everyone who left such nice comments on my last post about Dance Marathon. They just made my heart burst with pride and thankfulness.

This weekend was an absolute whirlwind but so great.

The Marathon was a huge huge success and so much fun. It was amazing to reconnect with some families from the hospital that we have known since day 1.

In other news, this weekend highlighted the fact that I needed to learn how to use my new camera. (New is a loose term here since I believe I bought it in July of last year. Hehe.)

Of course I ended up going on stage and speaking on behalf of the founders of the Marathon (which I am really not, although I have been there since the beginning). Suffice it to say that you should all be thankful there is no video or pictures because I am so ridiculous. I believe I complimented the crowd on how classy they are.

My favorite tradition at Dance Marathon during the closing... everyone celebrating during the song Angels Among Us. Not a dry eye in the house.

The girls raised an amazing $63,000 dollars to bring the six-year total for the event to around $400,000. For a school that has under 1500 students each year that's pretty damn amazing.

It just goes to show what anyone can accomplish if they put their minds to it.

Now if I could only accomplish that in my own personal life...

Starting with learning how to use my camera.

More Info Than You Ever Needed to Know

Allison, Ms. Minneapolis, Jenn, and KLC all had questions about college and careers.

I'm just going to start at the beginning on this one. First of all, I was born and raised in Indiana. When I applied to college, the guidance counselor at my high school told me I was definitely not smart enough for a small, private college so she pushed me to apply to a very large Indiana school (Go Hoosiers!). And then she got my SAT scores and told me I could probably go to the small (all women's, Catholic) school that I wanted to go to. (Insert rant about horrible high school guidance counselors here. I mean seriously, discouraging a student to even aim high?).

I ended up at the Catholic, all-female school. Definitely not something I had envisioned for myself (I looved me some boys), but it ended up being perfect.

At school, I was a business major who has a concentration in Marketing. I love it - marketing, advertising, PR - it's totally up my alley. I compose pitches of products without even knowing it. If anybody has a job for a slogan creator - I'd knock their socks off.

At a pre-graduation ceremony, I was picked as the Marketing student of the class of 2009, so that was kind of a big deal. Even though my college was really small, it was super competitive.

But despite being very dedicated to the whole marketing thing, I had something else that was much more important to me. During my freshman year, a few of my friends started a program called Dance Marathon. This year-round fundraiser raised both financial and emotional support in the community for our local Children's Miracle Network hospital.

In our first year (my freshman year of college), we blew everyone out of the water and raised $21,047.42. My sophomore year, I took over fundraising and we raised $47,129.60. Junior year, I took over Public Relations and we made $85,296.33.

My senior year, I stepped into the role of President. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. I literally worked night and day for this organization. School completely fell by the wayside, but I was ok with it. Because of the economy, this year was extremely difficult; however, we raised $91,538.24. Still amazing, but just short of the $100,000 I really really wanted to raise.

So... how's that for a long story?? But I have a point, I swear.

All of this work with nonprofit fundraising has planted a love of service in my heart. Soo... to answer the question...

I really want to work in nonprofits. I would love to do nonprofit marketing, but I could probably do fundraising as well. I feel like I definitely have at least 2 years where I worked for Dance Marathon in a full-time capacity, so I feel like I have the experience.

Shifting that experience into a job... well, that's a different story.

On the other hand, I would love to work as a buyer for a clothing chain - I feel like I have a fabulous eye for clothes and fabrics. I don't really have any experience there, though, unless you count my closet.

Ok, I think I've beaten that topic into the ground.

Tamara B. wanted to know how many hours a day I spend on the computer.

This is definitely variable. There are days when I probably spend 12 hours on the computer, usually in a combination of blogging/reading/twittering and job hunting/researching.

There are other days that I don't touch a computer all day long. Admittedly, recently, those days seem few and far between. However, tomorrow (Nordstrom Sale Day!) will probably be one of those days. Go figure.

Julie wanted to know if I have a new favorite handbag designer.

To be honest, I still haven't bought a new purse. In fact, one of my friends loaned me a purse I had been admiring for a while so I've been carrying that for a while.

At this point in my life (read: broke college grad who is unemployed), I haven't really explored all the fancy brands I'd really like to explore. But I do have to say that I have always loved Franco Sarto bags - they aren't super expensive and they are still very cute. In my opinion.

So, I believe I have answered most of the questions you guys have asked me. If you still have any burning questions, go ahead and ask! (And also I need a post idea for tomorrow so ask away!!)

Remember, every comment you leave this week enters you to win some fabulous spa products!

I'm off to get a Dunkin Donut... they put a new little shop in not too far away a while back and I still have never had a Dunkin Donut. That's about to change.

Happy Thursday!

Musings of a Job Applicant

So today I got up at 6 AM (omg, I am on 'break' and getting up at 6 am. SHOOT ME!) to begin to write up my application to an e-marketing firm I am extremely interested in. I spoke to one of the recruiters (who happened to be an alum from my college) and she told me to gush and be excited - they love enthusiasm.

Without further ado, please enjoy this brilliantly hand-crafted cover letter, courtesy of moi. Please, don't laugh - it crushes the ego.

October 24, 2008

To the the XXX Steering Committee:
I am a senior at XX College and would like to be considered for a position in the XXX Program at XXX. I was introduced to XXX but Sally Johnson through a short presentation at my College and instantly felt a connection to the unique culture she presented. I am interested in being considered for a position at XXX because I have an entrepreneurial spirit and I am tireless in pursuing my goals.
The experience that has prepared me for a career at XXX is Dance Marathon. Started in my freshman year in college, the organization seeks to raise emotional and financial support for the children of Riley Hospital and their families. In three short years, I have helped to raise over $153,000 for the Hospital and have made life-changing connections with many families. In only our third year, our Marathon’s leadership was recognized as the most innovative in the country with the Incentive Award from Children’s Miracle Network. In short, I have no trouble thinking outside the box, breaking the mold, and am not afraid to build from the ground up.
My interest in the XXX program stems from my belief that XXX is a company where one person can truly develop their skills and become a member of a team that understands their clients and helps them succeed. I think the skills I could gain at XXX are dynamic and unique to the Company. The opportunity to be considered for a position at a company where treating people well is as important as the tasks we complete is one I don’t take lightly.
I would like to ask for your sincere consideration for an interview for the XXX Program. Thank you for your consideration and I hope to have the opportunity to meet you soon.

Sincerely,
Sarah

Why in the heck is anybody going to hire me? I rest my case.

Happy Friday!! I'll be off NOT thinking about applying for jobs but instead shopping in Indianapolis. You knew there had to be a good reason for me to get up at 6 AM and work on this, right?

love,

2011 in Classy & Fabulous

It was quite a fun year here at Classy & Fabulous.  I posted 144 times, which feels like a LOT when I look at it now - but at the time, I felt like I barely posted at all.   And I didn't, especially as the year wore on.  I was a wee bit distracted.

And now, a recap of some of my favorite posts of the year.  Some of them are sentimental, some just random, and some I just love.  Can't wait for another exciting year here!  It's going to be one for the record books, don't you think?

January – 14 posts

o   I started off the year being scary sick.  

o   Carbs and Butter.  Enough said. 

·         February – 16 posts

o   Went to Chicago with some of my BFFs.

o   Posted about junk food a lot.  Let’s avoid that trap in 2012, eh?  (No, I won't link to them.  I don't think we need to relive those.)

·         March- 17 posts

o   I wrote about Dance Marathon – an organization thathas a huge hold on my heart.  

o   I had a dream about a celebrity and also of ablog friend.  Most vivid dream I’ve had all year.  

o   Got a Fancy New Camera Lens, too bad it didn’t come with a how-to manual.  Oh wait, yes it did.  I just didn’t read it. 

o   I Took Off My Underwear at Work.

o   Celebrated 3 Years of Classy & Fabulous 

·         April – 13 posts

o   Went to Chicago for a Bachelorette Party 

o   Decided What to Wear to the Royal Wedding.  Hypothetically. Literally.

·         May – 14 posts

o   My Baby Brother Graduated from College.  I wept.  

·         June  – 15 posts

o   On the 1st, I posted that I mighthypothetically be ready to start dating again.  It was just a thought in my head that maybe I was ready.  This was my most-commented post of the year, besides my 3^rd Birthday Post Giveaway.

o   On June 14th, I posted about the mostinsane sunburn EVER.  And hinted that some personal changes were upcoming.  I met Mr. RH (for real) on June 9^th.

o   Had a first date on June 17^th. 

o   Had a perfect last First Kiss.

·         July – 9 posts

o   I found vagina humor on drugstore.com.  It’s still funny to me. 

o   Met Mr. RH’s parents and fell in love.  

o   I started running and actually kept up with itfor 2 months.  And then I fell off the bandwagon.  Goal for 2012, anyone? 

o   I was SO nervous to introduce you all to Mr.RH.  And now I can’t imagine having kept him a secret any longer.  And I still can't get over how RH he is.

·         August – 11 - posts

o   I recapped my July trip to Hawaii in 3 posts here and here and here. 

o   Talked about My Good Girl.  Yes, that one. Still haven’t done anything but talk about it.

o   Officially and For Sure Fell in Love 

o   Found a lump, got scared, held his hand.  Found out it was nothing.  

o   Went to my first wedding with Mr. RH.  A fun experience, especially since we had only been dating for a very short time.  

·         September – 7 posts

o   Mourned my parents 30th weddinganniversary 

o   Let my boyfriend find my blog.  Was embarrassed, then proud. 

o   Talked about marriage with Mr. RH.  3 months into our relationship.  Deeeep breaths.  

·         October – 9 posts

o   Chopped my hair off.  It was ugly long but it’s worse now that it’s shorter.  NO WIN SITUATION. 

o   Celebrated 24 Years of my Life…. Ok, 25: 

o   Had Halloween fun with Mr. RH.  I love how much he enjoys holidays with me. 

·         November – 11 posts

o   Missed My Mom, Again

o   Started my own OCCUPY movement

o   Got the flu for the first time in about… 7 years 

·         December – 8 posts

o   Cut down a tree with my love 

o   Celebrated 6 Months with My Love

o   Sucked at Christmas… but loved it just the same 

                 o   Posted my annual book recap.  Fell way behind in reading.  I blame Mr. RH. 

2011 was quite a year.  I feel very blessed by all the ways life has surprised me this year... can't wait to see what's in store for 2012!  


Happy New Year!!

You Don't Look a Day Over 285...

Well well well... Happy 300th Post, Classy & Fabulous! Who knew we'd ever make it this far together? Certainly not me!

So I know that a bunch of you are new around here so I thought the best way to celebrate number 300 was to re-introduce myself.

So here we go.

Hi there! My name is Sarah. I grew up in a small town in Indiana and I actually still live there.

I grew up in a hilarious family - my mom, dad, brother and I.

I had a fabulous childhood characterized by tons of freedom - I biked and played and generally ran free. Basically, it was awesome.

I discovered at an early age that I didn't have any particular artistic or athletic or musical talents. It didn't bother me much.

A good combination of genes made sure that school wasn't too difficult for me, and I loved it. High school was a fun time for me, and I met some of my very closest friends during that time. We are close to this day.

Also in high school, I met The Boy. We were that couple that everyone was kind of puzzled by. I was the sassy but smart blonde... he was the football player who was also in the top of our class.

I think everyone wondered what we had in common... after all, shopping and sports rarely mix.

We stayed close and ended up heading to college together.

The only place I was interested in going to school was a private, Catholic, all-women's college. (No, I don't know what I was thinking, either. Other than the fact that I already had a boyfriend so what did I need boys for?)

He went to a rather prominent Catholic College that happen to be right across the street. (Notre L@me, anybody? I'm sorry, that was uncalled for.)

College was not all how I expected it to be. It was fun, it was exhausting, but even more than that - it changed me.

I learned a lot about many subjects, but for me - it was so much more than that.

During my freshman year, I got involved with an organization called Dance Marathon. At my small school, no large fundraiser like this had ever been attempted. The fundraiser, which raised money for Children's Miracle Network, was started by two of my best friends.

During our freshman year, professionals at CMN guessed we'd raise around $3,000 - if that.

We blew them away and raised over $21,000.

The next year? $47,000. After that? $85,000.

(I painted that banner. Who says I'm not crafty?)

And this past year, when I took the reigns of this organization, we raised $91,538.24.

Being involved with a Riley Hospital for Children (in Indianapolis) has brought so much hope into my life. Watching little children overcome illness and adversity has taught me that people are inherently resillent. And, most of all, this experience has taught me that we can achieve so much more than we can even dream of.

In the fall of 2006, my mom was diagnosed with colon cancer. Her father had died a few weeks earlier after a several-year battle with the same disease. My paternal grandmother had died a year earlier from lung cancer. Needless to say, it had been a few rough years for my family.

In short, the cancer was just too advanced by the time she was diagnosed. She had been to the meergency room countless times, been to multiple doctors... the doctors just didn't see people her age with colon cancer.

My mom died on November 4, 2007. I was a junior in college. They had found out on Friday that there was nothing more the doctors could do. She died on Sunday. In my heart I know she surrendered to the disease because she didn't want my dad, brother, and I to suffer.

(Basically the worst picture ever, but one of the last we have together. Taken June 2007.)

After her death, I did my best to pull my boys together. I went back to college, my brother went back to college, and my dad went back to work. We didn't fall apart, but we are forever changed. My mom was very much the glue that made us work together... without her, we just aren't the same.

I started this blog in March of 2008. I started this blog because I was lonely. I missed having my mom to talk to, to vent to. In the beginning, I mostly read mommy blogs. They comforted me and made me feel safe.

Since then, I feel like my life has been on fast-forward.

I threw myself into my College life. I met so many amazing women -and I am forever changed.

Though we are all very different, my college friends have seen me through a lot. We cover just about every end of the personality spectrum... and yet we make up one crazy, chaotic bunch. I love them.

In May, I graduated from college. It was probably the happiest and saddest day of my life. I was so glad to be done, but so so sad to leave.

(The sign out in front of my College. This is me hugging it.)

In June, The Boy and I broke up. We had just come home from a friend's wedding. The wedding was amazing and I, being me, caught the bouquet.

(Not a pic from the wedding. A pic of us at my College's Senior Prom.)

I could say it was a mutual decision and we're both happier now... but that just isn't true. I spent 6 years giving him my love, my energy, and my time. I/We had picked out engagement rings.

The truth is - he wanted to move on. And he has. He moved away to the East Coast to start his new life and new job. The last time we "spoke" was via a 2-line e-mail in late July.

I go back and forth about the situation. Basically, I think I'm in denial about the whole situation. I feel like any day now he's going to show up at the front door or on my phone and we'll go right back to where we were.

I just don't know.

In July, my dad sold our family home. In August he and I (my brother is at college) moved into the formerly-dumpiest house in the whole wide world.

And today? Let's just say I'm having a failure to launch. (That's one of my favorite posts so go read it, ok?)

I'm unemployed, single for the first time in 6 years, no longer living in my fabulous home... so I'm not quite sure who I am.

Times, they are a changing...

But one thing I do know is this: I feel so blessed and happy to have found this little home on the internet. I love reading your posts and I love hearing what you have to say about my life. I truly do consider all of you friends.

Thanks for sticking around.

There you have it, approximately 1200 words on me and my life.

Tell me something about you. Or ask me a question. Did I leave anything out? Cause I feel like I went on and on and on...

Happy 300th, Classy & Fabulous! Here's to a million many more!

Hiiiii.

So it's been 12 days since I've posted here, and I'm gonna be honest - it feels like a lot longer.

I've missed this blog and I've missed all of you.  There's something about a daily blog "conversation" that tweeting and facebook and life just can't substitute.

Since I last posted here I've:

• Helped Mr. RH move into a new apartment.
• Gone on a major crafting spree.
• Had my first weekend off work since February 5th.
• Got to see Mr. RH's family for an evening (which I haven't done since CHRISTMAS).
• Spring has sprung in Indiana which has me making big plans for my flower pots. 
• Notice I said plans and not actual planting.  That would require a big shopping trip to Lowes.
• Returned a jacket from Express.  Then bought it a week later in a bigger size.  That I now want to return.
• Baked delicious lemon bars.  Zomg.
• Started "running" again, complete with lots of shiny new workout gear and motivation.
• Missed Dance Marathon at my alma mater.  They raised over $80k which totally blew me away.  And made me cry.
• Drained my kindle fire battery several times lately reading All The Books.  I love reading, especially when it's warm and drowsy and nice.

So... I've missed you all.  What have you been up to?

Stress Shopping.

(Since it's Lent I feel compelled to start with a prayer. Dear Lord, Thank you for Forever 21. Because without it this blog would have gone defunct lo so many years ago. Thanks for everything. xo, Sarah)

A couple of weeks ago, in the midst of stressing and whatnot, I felt the pull towards my forever-frenemy, Forever21.

And I am not one to ignore the call of shopping.

First I had to order a bunch of basics because they were on sale... and good basics are hard to find.

Five long sleeve tees.
Five short sleeve tees.
Wow, this post reeks of excitement.

Next up, this fun little top with weird bat wings. I believe the correct term is "dolman" sleeves. Or some such spelling.

Also pictured are new cheap skinny jeans. I'm obsessed. This is maybe my 4th pair. $9.50. CHEAP!

New necklace that I will probably never wear.

New blue necklace that I will definitely never wear.

New earrings. I will definitely wear the blue pair with all my boring black clothes. It will be cute.

Skinny belts that are way too long to cinch in my waist.

I think I'll start wearing belts like this. Very chic, no?

And last but not least, this cute dress. I wasn't going to keep it, but then I wore it to Dance Marathon last weekend over jeans and with a blazer. Tres chic. (Looks like it's sold out now.. although it is the header picture on this page of Love21. I'm so cool!)

Then I went on an actual in-store shopping spree. So weird.

I bought this black and white dress at Francesca's.
I think the black/white dress trend is kinda over... but I didn't participate when it was really in so I'm joining late. Also, this dress is way too short-looking for my taste. I shall definitely be wearing tights if I ever wear it.

These metallic Nine West flats were purchased to replace an old pair I have been wearing to death...But I'm not so sure I like them. They rub in all the wrong places, of course. But I do like metallic flats.

Unfortunately I'm nowhere near a Nine West store or I'd probably return them. I have since found a pair I like better online. They're even less expensive and have a bit more support to them.

And then I found my most favorite purchase. An uber-comfy pair of flats. The lone pair on clearance at my favorite DSW store.
And of course it looks like this style was a trial by Bandolino for a line of comfort-flats and work-wear shoes (called B-Flexible). It doesn't seem to exist anywhere on the internet... except for this pair of shoes.

Although I won't stop looking until I find more pairs. Preferably a black leather and red patent leather pair, please and thank you.

Also purchased on this trip but not pictured: a thin leopard-print belt and light leopard-print scarf. Clearly, someone's obsessed.

And just so we're clear, this marks a landmark F21 order for me: I spent around $140 on all the F21 stuff pictured above and I don't think I'm returning anything.

Although I believe the jury's still out on the ugly sunglasses.

(Also titled: this is why I crop my face out when I post outfit pictures. Cause I've usually rolled out of bed without washing my face. Although on this day I had sense enough to add earrings.)

Anybody else feeling their spring-fever shopping impulses coming to life? Do share.