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Friday, March 30, 2012

Come Visit Me at A Little Etsy Love!

Come visit me at A Little Etsy Love!  This week I wrote about some super cute, cute shops....


{giddy up and grow}


{CM handmade}

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

This guy...




...is a brilliant teacher, an amazing father, my best friend, and the love of my life. 

{happy birthday, chris}

Monday, March 26, 2012

Hello Monday

Hello, Monday!  I can't believe you are here...again...so soon!  This week is packed with fun {I can tell already!}.

Hello new spring watch!  {target}


Hello, fabulous new Lisa Leonard necklace!



Hello sweet boy that can't get enough of watching Looney Tunes and Casper on our phones!


Hello to my first e-book!  (I'll let you know what I think later this week!)


Hello to new arrangement in the studio and yowza! what a messy, desk that needs to be cleaned (badly!)



Hello to an Ike & Co Giveaway {here!}!

Hello to Book Fair Week!

Hello to Chris's birthday this week!

Hello to Easter Egg Hunts and little girl playdates!

Hello to hot weather and pollen in the South!  {sheesh!}

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Random

I don't know where the tail end of my week went.  Clearly, I missed a few days.  I do hate it when that happens.  {And believe me, my mom lets me know when I've missed a few days...even though I talk to her everyday.}  The girls had dance on Thursday and then I had book fair set up on Friday and then I was, well, pretty stinkin tired.  Book fair does that.

Here's some fun stuff that I've failed to post...

  • On the way into Athens this morning we saw cows in a pasture.  Not at all unusual.  What was unusual was this...
Quinn:  Hey!  Look!  There are the cows!
Chan:  Yes.  And what do cows make?
Quinn:  Cows make milk!
Chan:  Yes, they do.  When you squeeze on their gutters the milk comes out.

Yep.  She said gutters.  And she had no idea that they weren't gutters.  Clearly someone wasn't paying attention when she went on the field trip to Mayfield Dairy.  Clearly.

  • We drove into Athens this morning so that Chan could sing the National Anthem before a race...and then she ran the race!  She sang with 4 other students (she felt successful, no one laughed at her) and then ran the 5K and came in 3rd.  I was a complete dork cheering for her at the finish line.  Dork = proud mama.   Sadly though, I didn't take any pictures.  Ugh.  I hate it when I do that.
  • Footloose was on sale for super cheap at Target a couple of weeks ago so I bought it.  Oh how I loved that movie as a child.  And it's rated PG so I figured we could have a Footloose bonding night with the girls last night.  Um, yeah, so that was a fail on my part.  Especially the parts about drinking, smoking pot, teenage sex and dancing being a sin.  We had a lot of explaining to do.  
But Chris and I both really loved this line from the movie...

Roger:  Doesn't take much time for corruption to take root.
Shaw:  How long is that, Roger?  About as long as it takes compassion to die?

Which makes me wonder, which would be worse, corruption to take root or compassion to die?  I think compassion dying would be worse.  In my opinion.  Although I am sure there is a good argument for corruption too.  

Tomorrow, Friends, will be a jewelry day.  I hope to get lots {and LOTS} accomplished!


Wednesday, March 21, 2012

What I Wore Wednesday

Linking up with Lindsey!

We've been on Spring Break {hooray!} and I lived in a bathing suit the majority of last week.  But I didn't take pictures those days.  Believe me, no one really wants to see that.  Better to just stick with the jeans...like these jeans {which were clearly working overtime this past week} 

 striped t-shirt - banana republic outlet
cuffed jeans - gap outlet
sneakers - simple 
earrings - ike and co 

striped shirt - old navy 
cuffed jeans - gap outlet
green moccasins - old navy (a few years ago)

I've been wanting the cuffed jeans for awhile...and I followed this advice from Lisa Leonard...and found the perfect jeans to cuff while in NC...at the gap outlet for $20.  I bought a 2nd pair at the gap outlet in Commerce for $25...and then had a 30% off coupon!  Yay!  So I am telling you, run, don't walk, and pick yourself up a pair of these jeans.  I bought the curvy straight (which seems like an oxymoron, doesn't it?) and they are perfect!

And you thought I was kidding about the jeans working overtime...I wasn't :) ...

 yellow scooped neck t - banana republic outlet
cuffed jeans - gap outlet
yellow ballet flats - loft 
teardrop earrings - ike and co {more on the way!}

Momma Go Round




Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The Pioneer Woman...


I bought the new cookbook this weekend.  And {no surprise here} I want to eat one of everything.  Some things I already know that I want seconds and thirds of...like the macaroni and cheese...and the apple dumplings {according to Chris, I love all things that are wrapped in a crescent roll...to that I reply, who doesn't???}.

We looked through it multiple times and then it fell open to the front page...the one that is a picture of her...a still from one of her food network episodes...


...and LOOK {omg!} It's a pair of my earrings!!!  Inside the book!  The book, people!  

I almost fell out of my chair.  I don't know how I missed it the first 12 times that I flipped through the book. 

Totally made my day.

Not that my day wasn't already made - it was beautiful outside, I had a successful shoe shopping trip with all 3 kids {by myself and Q did not run away or pitch a fit} and purchased shoes for all 3 kids, errands to Target and Barnes and Noble.  Jewelry made and packaged and a ton of swag ready to be shipped to this fabulous lady...

So, really, finding this picture, icing on the cake.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Dear Spring Break, I miss you.

Today it is back to the grind for us. 

And I think we all miss Spring Break.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Accomplishment {New!}

In January I started dreaming of this collection of earrings.  But I made myself wait.  And then I was swamped...and now it is the middle of March and FINALLY {finally} I have put dreams into reality...it feels like quite an accomplishment...


and of course, a few more lovelies for those of you that may not be buying into all the brights this season {and trust me, I love these earrings lots too!}...


The B Word

No, not that B word.

Busy.  

That one. 

Someone (I can't remember who) shared this blog post on facebook awhile back (can't quite remember when) but what I do know is that it has stuck with me. 

Truly.  We are ALL busy people and more often than not we choose different things to busy ourselves with and then it is like comparing apples and oranges of busyness.

It's just like once you make the effort to accept that everyone is struggling with something at some level, it makes you look at the world differently.

So, I am going to (seriously) attempt to eradicate the word "busy" from my vocabulary.  I think it is something that is understood.  When asks me how I am, I am not going to reply with "busy."

Friday, March 16, 2012

Dear Spring Break, I don't want you to end.

We took the kids to the Great Wolf Lodge in Charlotte, NC, this week for a little Spring Break getaway.

I will be the first to tell you that I am not a fan of vacations.  I always think of the money and what I would rather do with it at home.  I think about the things I should be doing.  I usually suffer from some type of boredom.  Being in a hotel room with my family with no escape for days on end kind of frightens me.  (That's my only child syndrome.  I like to be alone.  I like quiet.  Too much togetherness is often just too much for me.)

Vacations tend to stress me out.

They did even when I was a child.

But this week?  No joke.  The. BEST. week. ever.  Seriously.

Here's my list of why I loved this vacation...

1.  It was inside.  I'm not sure if you know this or not, but we are VERY fair skinned people.  Think Powder.  We burn.  Easily.  Eyelids.  Tops of ears.  Toes.  There was no burning on this vacation.

2.  Because it was inside, I did not have to lather sunscreen on my children every two hours. (A feeble attempt at protection from the burning.)

3.  It is March.  Not your typical Spring Break time, and therefore, not at all crowded.  I do hate crowds.

4.  There was water.  There was not sand.

5.   I spent my time in shorts, t-shirts, bathing suits, and I was not cold once.  They kept the park at a balmy 78 - 80 degrees.

6.  Quinn having a meltdown?  We could just walk back to our room...on the same floor as the water park.

7.  Did we have to pack everyone up to go to the water?  Nope.  Our room key was chipped into our plastic band bracelets.  They had towels at the park...they even have life vests there in a variety of sizes.  We literally put on our suits, cover ups, flip flops and walked the length of a football field and were there.  No packing of snacks, towels, toys, etc.  Just go.  Perfect.

8.  All children were equally entertained.  Not such an easy feat for 2 ten year olds and a three year old.

9.  We were NOT out in the middle of nowhere.  Even though I felt like it was a little cheesy to be getting off at a mall exit, it worked out beautifully to be able to eat at places that we liked to eat at.

10.  Our hotel room was twice the size of the economy room that we had at Disney.  Huge, really.  Two queen size beds and a pull out couch...and we had the cheap room.


Originally we were going to drive up Tuesday morning and drive home Wednesday night...spending one night in the hotel room.  Then we decided to drive up at dinner time on Monday, leave on Wednesday...but when they slipped the bill under the door Wednesday morning with an offer we couldn't refuse for another night's stay...well, we all agreed that it would be nice to stay one more night...drive home on Thursday.

All of our kids love the water and so it really wasn't a huge surprise how addicted they were to the water slides.  I was surprised though by how much Quinn loved the intermediate slides.  Like, he would ride them 20 times in a row.  He wore me out just watching him walk up the stairs to ride again.


I don't know when my baby became such a big boy.  He had absolutely no fear.  None.

I, on the other hand, rode the orange one Monday night when we got there...I scraped my elbow and I'm quite sure that I may have dislocated my hip.  So then I decided to just ride the one where you sit in an innertube.  Less chance for injury that way.

Look at this splash thing!  The kids would lay on the floor under it (even Quinn!) while it all dumped out on top of them!


On Tuesday we spent a few hours at the waterpark in the morning and then drove over to the Dave and Buster's {this place is right next to a Mills Outlet Mall} for lunch and some bowling.


Quinn won.  I'm not really sure what that says about the rest of us, but I'm sure that it says something.

We came back to the room, had some quiet time and a snack, then to the arcade, back to the water park, then dinner and story time in the lobby.  Can you find all of the wolves?


On Wednesday we started our day at the water park again and then played a little miniature golf (where Q got a hole in one) before heading back over to the mall for lunch {and Quinn spent some time at the Build-A-Bear}.  Then rest time, and back to the water park.



I may have lost a little bit of my mind at the Lodge...I let the girls get the streaks of color put in their hair.  Secretly, I may be a little be jealous.  ;)


This is the first family vacation that we have had all five of us and well, I think we'll do it again.  Of course, only if we're coming back to the Lodge.  :)

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Dying to try this...

OMG.  Can I first just say that I love Andrea from Four Flights of Fancy and now her NEW style blog, For the Love of???  She is spectacular!  And this, my friends, is a spectacular DIY necklace!  She amazes me...and I think you should pay her a visit {or two or three or perhaps just subscribe} because she just posted ANOTHER fabulous DIY!

From Andrea....


Sometimes I’m inspired by an image or a piece and I go on the hunt for the necessary items to make a DIY project happen.  And then sometimes items just find me and I’m struck with inspiration on the spot.  While searching for seed beads for this project last month, I came across these amazingly cool geometric wood beads in bright saturated colors and I knew they’d make the perfect statement necklace.
Now I normally only try to share DIY projects with you guys where readily available supplies can be found, but I love how these necklaces came out so much I just had to share. Perhaps you may not find the exact same beads near you, but may these serve as a bit of inspiration to find something similar (or different!).



Supplies – Wooden beads in bright colors and a neutral color to offset, natural colored twine/cording, 2 jump rings & a lobster claw closure & scissors



Begin by attaching a jump ring to one end of your cording with a double knot.



Measure down about 5-6 inches and tie another double knot to help keep your beads in place.



Begin stringing your beads.  For this necklace I alternated a large colored bead with a single neutral bead, but as you can see below, I created a couple of different patterns.  It’s really up to you.



Once you’re done stringing your pattern of beads, tie another double knot at the end to keep beads in place.



Go about 5-6 inches to line up evenly with your jump ring, and attach your lobster claw closure.


Trim your ends with scissors, and you’re done!



I love how the three colors looked stacked together for a bold look, or a single strand for a simple statement.  Either way, these necklaces took less than 10 minutes each and provide a fun punch to an otherwise simple outfit.  Enjoy and have fun!  Let me know if you have any questions.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

No Brainer Wardrobe


{I thought it would be fitting (ha, ha) to post about a wardrobe book on my usual What I Wore Wednesday, because, well, you know, all about clothes...)

So I met Hayley Morgan from The Tiny Twig at Blissdom, and I must say, she is super nice {and cute} in person.  Easy to talk to, genuine, and REAL.  So, this weekend {since it's Spring Break, ya know} I bought her e-book, The No Brainer Wardrobe

It is no secret that I have been having some wardrobe issues these days...mainly the fitting kind of issues...like I foolishly tried on the shorts that I bought in August to replace the shorts that I bought in May {because they no longer fit}...and the August shorts no longer fit either.  But that's what almost forty pounds does. 

But I digress.

Regardless of those woes, what I am trying to say is that the style I had when I was smaller is not what I like on this size of me.  And so I am feeling the need to evaluate my wardrobe and where I need to go with it. 

And I am hoping this book will help...at least get the wheels turning...point me in the right direction.  I got started with it on Sunday and I must say...I. am. impressed.  Truly. 

Sunday night I cleaned out my closet.  I was smart about it this time and packed up all the smaller sized clothes that I still like and am hopeful that one day I can return to.  {Snicker, if you want.}  But clothes that I have hung onto and not wore for 5 or 6 years {without sentimental value}, I got rid of.  T-shirts that no longer fit and are in colors that I no longer like or are pilled, I got rid of.  Trendy pieces that are, well, no longer trendy, but more so out dated, I got rid of those. 

And so now my closet is a more realistic picture of what my clothing choices actually are.  I can't stand in there, staring at the clothes, thinking I would like to wear you, but you won't go up over my thighs.  Or worse yet, putting something on and then finding out that it doesn't fit.  So that I have to choose something else.  And then I am pouty.  And then getting dressed takes twice as long. 

So, back to this book...I have read the beginning (great introduction and background of the evolution of a woman's wardrobe) and have gone through the closet purge.  I think the biggest help was having to look at my clothes with the question of, "Do I love it and feel great in it?"  Getting my closet down to those pieces will be an immense help.

And now I think I am able to working on Building my Wardrobe {love all of the pictures!}...not necessarily buying new things, but taking a look at what I can put together with what I already have and building the potential outfits.

Whew!

I really can't wait to take charge of my closet with these action steps!  And I'll be more than happy to share with you along the way!

Thank you, Hayley, for this little gem of an e-book!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

New!



{new items...HERE}

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Dear Spring Break, I love you.

We are on Spring Break this week.  Woohoo!  Even though it is the middle of March, which seems ridiculously early for a spring break, I'll take it.  Happily. 

We are gearing up for a busy week ahead...

On Monday we are volunteering here.  It is always a humbling experience to be able to serve others.

We are also heading here this week for a quick little vacay.  And just so you know, this is HUGE on my part...I haven't put on a bathing suit in a good three years.  I haven't been to a water park since, um, well, maybe 1987...the summer that the wave pool and slides opened at Lake Lanier.  I've never been to White Water.  Why?  Because I think they are gross.  Schkeevy, if you will. 

But, this is a pretty good alternative to the beach.  Because we all know that trip is just not going to happen.

So I now have to pack for 4 out of the 5 of us.  (I think one other person in this house might be able to pack themselves.  But I'm not naming any names.  It could be a surprise which one it is.) 

I also have to shave my legs, paint my toe nails and look into purchasing some kind of cover up. 

I have a TON of new things in the works for the shop.  Yay!

I have packed up 3 bags of clothes from the kids that need to go to Goodwill.  Hooray!

I hoping that this week will both productive and relaxing.  It might be a tall order, but I am hopeful.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Visit Me at a Little Etsy Love

This week I've posted about one of my favorite ladies from Blissdom - Lisa Lehmann - from Studio Jewel.  Amazing artisan, amazing person!  Seriously... and here's a really bad picture of us together...


Here's some of her amazing work...




And there's a giveaway for this most delightful shop - High Tea For Alice...



So, head on over to Little Etsy Love!