Shabby Apple Giveaway

I am excited to be hosting this giveaway for a

$50 gift card 

to Shabby Apple.

Have you visited their website?  They have some great stuff.  You can choose any item in their store with your gift card.

Mandatory Entries:

Visit and "like" Shabby Apple on Facebook

"Follow" Then I Got To Thinking through Google Friend Connect

Extra entries:

"Like" Then I Got To Thinking on Facebook (2 entries)

Follow me on twitter: @tracyzlesh (2 entries)

Blog about this giveaway with a link back to this post (5 entries)

Leave a comment saying what you would purchase if you win the gift card!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry and please include your email address in at least one of your comments.

*Contestants need to have USA shipping address to be eligible


Here are a few things I have found on their website that I love...

Good Luck!

A winner will be randomly selected on June 7th.

 **If you don't win, everyone can use this discount code for 10% off your order:
thenigottothinking10off

Sports Themed Pub Crawl

I have two very close friends with Birthdays on the same day.  Jenny has been my best friend since high school.  We've lived hundreds of miles apart, lived in the same town, and now live about 40 minutes from each other... but we've always managed to stay close.  We get each other.  We have a very close friendship, and I am so lucky to have her.  I love her to pieces.

My other friend, Adrianna, is one of my best friends from college.  We've been close for years - and this girl is very close to my heart.  She's a true friend, and someone I cherish so much.  Last year, I spent Memorial Day Weekend with her to celebrate her Birthday.

This year... I stayed close to home to celebrate Jenny and a friend named Brock.  We did a pub crawl in Sacramento, starting out at DeVere's Pub in Sacramento (love that place!)  It was a game, with rules, trivia, etc... but by the 3rd bar, it just turned into a big mess of scores and a good time.  She hung with the crowd, even with everyone buying her drinks.  It was very nice to see so many people from high school that I haven't seen in years.

The gang (minus TL) at DeVere's

 Jenny and her boyfriend Wil - he planned the whole thing!

 My cousin Lo, Natalie, and me.

 Blue Team (see wristbands)

 Orange Team

 Great Girls

 Then Jenny got a hold of the face paint

 Love them!

 TL and Jenny at the last stop!

Jenny riding the BULL!

 The Birthday Kids

Me and my BFF... Happy Birthday Jenny!! xoxo

Hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend.

The Hawk Family

Since we moved into our house, we've always had a large nest just outside of our balcony in one of the trees.  Sometimes birds will come and go - but about 6 months ago (or so), a family of hawks moved in.

A baby hawk was born recently, and it's been interesting to look out the window and see it grow.  I think they are pretty cute.

Yesterday, while I was working, I looked out the window and saw the parent hawk fly in with a snake in her mouth!!  Yuck - but I am glad she is helping me control the snake population around our house. :)

 Mom and dad hawks (I think) watching the nest.

 Baby hawk!

 Baby hawk watching the nest.

This was taken through the window screen, so it's blurry.  This is mama bird feeding the baby the fresh snake she just brought in for lunch.

I'm kind of geeky, but I thought this was so cool.

Happy Thursday!

Concert in the Park

We had our first concert in the park in our community last Friday... it means summer is making it's debut!!

The concerts in the park are fun.  Last year we started going with my group of girls from Bunco, and it's just a time to relax, hang out and chat over some yummy snacks and a few drinks.

It's always fun to see the families out, vendors in their tents, the kids going crazy in the bounce houses and everyone having a good time.  It reminds me how lucky I am to get outside and just enjoy!

 Part of the spread - cheese, crackers, meats - and brownies 

 Mega bounce houses... and lots of people!

TL and a couple girls... oh geeze.

 Little Avery in her summery tutu

 The girls!

The stage... and setting sun.

Our spread!

Already looking forward to the next concert in a couple weeks.

Hope you're having a great week!

Necklace Obsession

Since college, I have had an obsession with big necklaces.

When I was a freshman, I went with a friend I met in the dorms to NYC and we did some serious shopping at a street fairs with inexpensive big, chunky necklaces.

This was one of the first necklaces I bought - it was $9, and it sparked my love.

I remember wearing this thing all the time.  I still wear it, and I will keep it forever.

Since then, I have made a habit of collecting unique, colorful, and fun pieces when I see them.

I get asked a lot where I buy them, and the answer is: everywhere!

Most often: street vendors, small stores, brass plum, banana republic, anywhere I see them. 

(including my MIL's closest - she's very generous )

 {my girlfriends got me this Kate Spade beauty for my bday}

My mom also feeds my obsession - she loves buying fun necklaces when she sees them.

And, I can't talk about jewelry & necklaces with out mentioning my MIL, who has contributed greatly to my collection, and loves big, fun necklaces just as much as I do.  (I am wearing her's in this pic)

It's always neat to see all of the fun pieces she's collected over the years.

My newest favorite necklace came from The Red Dress Boutique: {I want one in every color}

Cheers!

What are your fashion obsessions?

Juju's Birthday at The Wine Affaire

My sister and I started planning her Birthday celebrations more than a month ago.  She's got a great group of fun girlfriends, and any excuse to get together with them is always welcome for me.  Because she lives in a town more than an hour away, and most of her friends live closer to me, we decided to have the little party at our house.

Because of Mother's Day, a big event was going on in the Town Center.  It's called the Art & Wine Affaire, and it was pretty good.  Lots of wineries and several local artists and jewelry, furniture, and sculpture artists.  It was sunny and hot... so we shade hopped and stopped for a bottle of wine and refreshing drinks inside a cute little cafe right in the center of the action.

I think she had a fun Birthday - I know I had fun celebrating ;)

Happy 28th, Juju - I love you!

 I made sure we had plenty of snacks to start out the day... kept us going!

 This was half of the exhibits...

 Our little break inside at the cafe... lucky we found a table big enough for us all!

 Posing in the shade for a group shot

 Juju some of her fabulous girlfriends!

 It was so hot!!

 Girl shot!

 Me and my crazy guy.

 Matty, Juju, Tim, and me - seriously, these two boys together = trouble!!!

 My sister and her man.  Love them... perfect fit together!

 We parked in area "G".  We thought this was hilarious...

 Make a wish!!

The day ended with a few games and hanging out on the patio!

It was a beautiful afternoon.  I love this girl - and was so happy we got to celebrate her with a few of her close friends.  She's such a special person with a big beautiful heart and soul.  So lucky to have her as my sister!