Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Coming Soon!



 

I'm going to be very cliche about this whole post, so if you want to back out now, here's your chance.

First I'm going to start by saying, "Where did the year go?"  But in reality, I'm totally meaning it.

It seems like we were just celebrating Christmas 2013 and then the polar vortex hit.  At this time last year, we were snowed completely in.  Today, there isn't even a flake of snow on the ground. 

We have an 8th grader and freshman in the house, and that is flying past so rapidly I don't know how to handle it. 

In 2015, Grace will start drivers ed, and Evan will graduate to high school after May is over.

My word.  I will have TWO high schoolers.  I am NOT that old, am I?

So, as I do every year at this time, I make a mental list.  I don't usually write it down, I just KNOW.  You know what I mean?

I make resolutions.  Things to make myself better for the coming year.

I don't usually share them out loud, I keep them inside.

But today, I've decided to go for it.  Maybe it will keep me more accountable.

Here is my list for 2015.

1.  Take MORE pictures.  (As I sat down to catch up on the kid's school scrapbooks, I found out I hardly had ANY pictures, other than sports to put in their books.  I didn't have any pictures of their friends and them, just their sport, and some 4-H pictures.  THAT IS SAD.  So, I got into Grace's phone and took some of her pictures of her and her friends, and printed them out today.  I need more pictures.)

2.  Pray more.  Pray BETTER.  Worry less.  (If possible.  Remember, I'll have two high schoolers by the end of this new year.)

3.  Get rid of unnecessary STUFF.  Do I really need to keep it around if I haven't used it in years.  Probably not. 

4.  Lose weight.  (I mean it.  I need to do SOMETHING.)

5.  Be better at meal planning.  (Our lives aren't getting any less busy, and planning meals is a pain.  I just make the same thing over and over.  I need some variety.)

6.  Try something new at least once.  (A new food, a new place, a new something.)

7.  Save more money so we can finish the basement.  (Our kids aren't getting any smaller, and neither are their friends, and frankly, I'm tired of "disappearing" upstairs when their friends come over.)

8.  Take a great vacation. 

9.  Take/Make more time for our friends.  We try to get together with our great friends at least once a month.  Sometimes that is hard.  We need to make it a PRIORITY.

AND...

10.  ENJOY this time in my life.  (My kids ages, MY age (yuck), our busyness, our quiet times, my husband, my job, our friends, and our status in life. 

Basically this:


Sunday, December 14, 2014

What a girl wants

What a girl wants...

I think that was a movie title a long, long time ago.

Speaking of movies, Grace and I just watched a heart wrenching one...If I Stay.

Oh my, my eyes are still puffy.

Couldn't help myself.  And I'm an ugly, ugly crier.  Runs in the family.

So...

On the lighter side....how are your husbands in the gift buying area?

Good?  Bad?  Ugly?

Or maybe a little like mine...dare I say, Lazy?

It wasn't always like this.  When we were first married, and had small kids, he ROCKED.

I got a diamond necklace, earrings, clothes.

The problem was, the longer we were married, he told me he thought it was a challenge to buy me clothes, and just ask the salesperson what they wore, as long as I got the thrill of taking it back, cause wasn't that the point, the thrill of me getting a better deal?  A better after Christmas score, and more clothes in the long run anyway?

Are. You. Kidding. Me.?

Then it just came down to giving me money in a box, wrapped by Grace.  So I could spend it the way I wanted.

Does he NOT REMEMBER that my love language (from all those 18 years ago in pre-marital counseling) is GIFTS?  I LOVE to give them, and LOVE to get them.

So, this year, I got something I wanted, then gave Grace money, and she got me the rest, cause AT LEAST SHE KNOWS WHAT I LIKE, and I wanted SOME of my gift to be a surprise.

Yes, I could make a list, but I don't know if he'd even know what some of the things are...

If I DID make a list...it would look like this, and anything on it would be a good gift.

I would choose this perfume (which I did, and Grace wrapped it.  I can't wait!)

 I would wear these boots while I was also wearing the above perfume. 



and I bet they'd be SUPER COMFY as all my Toms shoes are.

I would bling it up a little with any of these bracelets from the Buckle.  Cause I'm into a lot of bling lately.




After putting on these colors...


I would head on over to get a creme brulee latte, or a while chocolate mocha, or even a valencia orange refresher from this place.

After returning home, I would light this baby in either the geranium scent, or cranberry, or even lemon verbenna, because these are GOOD candles.

Either way, ANY of these gifts from my hubby would be good ones.

Even if he isn't a good gift giver, I AM, and I like getting everyone gifts that they enjoy.

What would be on your list?


Saturday, December 6, 2014

Insta Month

It's that time of year.

I almost got road rage INSIDE the store today.  I was just trying to do some regular shopping amidst all the angry, fast Christmas shoppers.

I should know better than to hit the stores on a Saturday, but sometimes it must be done.

The past two weeks have flown by, and I'm not sure where they went.

The kids have only 2 more weeks of school till Christmas Break, and finals are only a week away.

I worry about making sure they have all the secret santa/white elephant gifts they for all their parties, all the while attending boys and girls basketball games that Grace is cheering at.

Whew.  No wonder this WHOLE MONTH has flown by.

Here it is in a blur of instagram...


I think Grace might be the only happy one in this pic!

Admiring the colors on this house and wondering why we don't have a red home...

Jake's first snow.


Bowling and supper with the best of friends!

Computer desk companion...EVERY TIME.

A cozy evening with glowing Christmas lights.

A first...freshman and sophomore semi formal.

Grace looked beautiful!

That about sums it up.  November...where oh where did you go?


Sunday, November 23, 2014

Christmas Cards

We all get them every year.

Sometimes we don't know what to do with them.

Do you put them in a basket?

Hang them up around the doorframes?

Attach them to your Kitchen cupboards?

I've done ALL of the above.

A couple years ago, I made this embroidery frame card holder that I modeled after a Martha Stewart one.


I like it, and still use it, but I also created something else last year.

After Christmas was over, I used to scrapbook the cards we got every year, but that took up a lot of pages in my scrapbooks, so I decided to do something that was more compact, and that I could flip through every year if I wanted to.

I saw the idea on either Pinterest or in an Etsy shop, I can't even remember, but once I saw it, I was on a mission.

First, I needed a Christmas golden book.

You remember those golden books we had growing up...well, I needed one, so I headed to Goodwill where I knew they would be the cheapest if I could find one.

I did.

I took off the binding, and punched holes (with my crocodile punch) through both covers and all the pages.  I wanted to keep the pages intact as well, to mix in with the cards I would be getting.

I made a title page first...

Then interspersed the cards we got from friends and family.



It's not too bulky, and it is great to sit on the coffee table from year to year.

The kids like to go through it, and I like to see the changes in our friends and their families from year to year.

I even picked up another golden book for this year...

It serves my love of vintage books and my love of friends and family to a T.

Easy as pie.

Friday, November 14, 2014

A Dusting.

It's Nov. 14, and last night we got our first "dusting" of snow for the year.

(Neighbor's house)
It's pretty.  It looks serene, but it's chilly outside.  Obviously.

It's also Jake's FIRST snow.  Ever.  He's only 6 months old.

He's just like our last lab, Rudy.

He LOVES the snow. 
So far.

Notice the dusting of snow on his nose.  Crazy boy, wondering what all this white stuff is!

I'm glad he doesn't seem to mind the cold.  He's leaping around like he doesn't know what to make of it.

Of course, I feel bad about him possibly being cold, so at Goodwill, I buy him the fleece blankets for $3.  The ugly ones no one wants. 

And what does he do instead of snuggle with them in his house?

Drags them all around the yard like he's Linus from Charlie Brown!

And if you so much as try to remove it from his mouth and put it back inside his house, he leaps at you till he retrieves it!

Crazy, crazy dog.  Are you part human by the way?

He also struck both these poses when I told him to sit.  He'll be great for Christmas card pictures this year!


We love you Jake, you silly, silly dog!

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Tuesday Shout Out #13 Plus Christmas Ideas!

6 more weekends till Christmas.

You heard me.

Better get a move on with your shopping if you haven't started already.  I'm happy to say I'm mostly finished, save for the Black Friday run Grace, her friend, Maddie, and I will make Thanksgiving night.

Soooo, considering there is limited time till Christmas, I thought this week's version of my etsy shout out will include some GREAT ideas for teens/adults.

#1.  Wifeysinger.

Hannah is my favorite.  I've given a shout out to her before, and she deserves it!  I've purchased some great earrings from her, and ordered two more pairs just today.
She makes colorful, beautiful jewelry for everyday.


She makes it EXTREMELY hard for me to choose because her prices are to die for, and her jewelry is all things I would wear all the time!



Very simple, but very pretty with the color combinations she has chosen to put together. 
Her shop is the best!

#2  UpTownGirl.

Kristy's shop is a new one I've giving a shout out to.
Right now Grace and I are very into the embellished boot socks, boot cuffs, and legwarmers.

But this shop has all of those, plus headwarmers and scarves.




Her colors are the best too.  What pretty, pretty products. 
One of everything please!

#3  EmilyBeauty.

Emily's shop has great pillows, but what I like about her, is that she also has some things for boys. 
It's VERY hard to buy for teenage boys if you want to get them something other than electronics or clothes.

Right now Evan is very into all the comic stuff like Iron Man, Captain America, Spiderman, etc.  He loves to draw them, and all around his room are large comic posters. 

These pillows would fit right in.


He's always lounging in his room, so any of these would be perfect.

But the shop also has great pillows that I like for me!

Very cute and one of a kind.

#4  Plum Paper
Because of our busy lifestyle, I NEED to keep our calendars current.  I have a large one at home in the kitchen where anyone can look, and I carry a planner in my purse.

I need to be able to physically write it down, and put it in my memory.

This store sells beautiful planners. 
I don't know how I would ever choose.



Monogrammed, personalized, etc. 
I would feel great pulling one of these out of my purse to write down my next appointment.

#5  My Geek Posters

 Marcus' store has got it goin' on.  Evan would love ALL of these.
But especially any of his favorite characters.




Are they not the coolest!

I will be visiting Marcus again, and I added him to my favorites.

And lastly...

This store doesn't necessarily sell gifts, but I guess they could be if you wanted.  Julie sells the most beautiful vintage favors, millinery items, and much, much more.  The colors and originality of all the products are wonderful.

#6  Vintage Handmade
Narrowing it down to which pictures I would choose to display was the hardest part.  I have never seen a more beautiful shop.

I'm pretty sure opening the package for your purchase would be almost as exciting as the purchase itself.

Just look at these beautiful things...




So vintage, and so pretty.

Well, I hope you've found something in my list you can buy for someone you love be it a friend, teacher, or loved one, OR maybe even something for yourself.

To check out my other favorite shops, just head over here and browse through them all.

Happy shopping!