Author: Elizabeth Norman

I'm a home grown Alabamian who ventured away for a while, but now I'm back! Follow along with me on my journey living the Norman life.

Movie Set Monday- Something’s Gotta Give

MOVIE SET MONDAY 

Last week on Instagram I posted two different posts about movie set homes that stopped me in my tracks. It got my wheels turning, and I decided to start a new series on my blog called Movie Set Monday. I get so much inspiration from movies, magazines, and of course, Pinterest, so I’m very excited to get this series started. I hope you enjoy it too!

Something’s Gotta Give

I’m starting with the great Nancy Meyers film, Something’s Gotta Give. (Just a heads up- there’s going to be a lot of her movies in this series.)

Erica’s house is in the Hamptons, and how positively perfect is this home? I love the color and the shingles, the giant porch and all those windows. It’s so beautiful on the outside, but the inside is my favorite.

Now, coastal style is not always my thing, but how can you not think this is stunning? I like when I can look at a style I don’t particularly feel drawn to and can still appreciate it for what it is and find it beautiful.

The windows get me the most. One of the things I look for in a home is how much natural light comes in. There’s no shortage of that in this house. Throwing open those three sets of French doors would be great when entertaining. I’d probably open them up when not entertaining to hear the ocean and let that salty air come inside.

More French doors and more windows. I love interior French doors. I think they add so much character. And what a great way to add privacy but still let natural light be able to bounce around the house. And that beadboard on the built-in is a perfect coastal design touch.

Yes, Yes, Yes. Everything about this kitchen is right up my alley. I love a white kitchen. And with black and white being my favorite color combination, it’s no surprise that I love the black countertops and hardware. And more windows…there’s just never enough in my opinion. I think a bright kitchen in the mornings is delightful. The kitchen in our apartment is full of natural light every morning, and I love that. That island is what dreams are made of. Look at all the storage and space. I’d love for my cookbooks to actually live in the kitchen like they do here.

I’ve never thought too much about needing a big space for a master bedroom. I’ve really only had a bedroom big enough to sleep in. You know, bed, nightstands, dresser, and that’s really it. The master we have now is probably the biggest one we’ve had as a married couple, but I have still managed to fill it up with stuff to keep it from having a sitting area or any room at all it feels like. (But that’s a whole other topic for another day-How to quit your hoarding habit. Stay tuned. Haha.)

Anyway, this room made so much sense to me. There’s a place to sit and enjoy a book, a place to work-again with the windows-perfection, and a place to sleep. I loved that Erica retreated to her room to work on her play. Why wouldn’t she? She had the dreamiest setup. I feel like when you’re a creative person you need a work space that inspires you. I think that view of the ocean is pretty inspiring, and I see why the set decorator thought to put her desk in that window.

Overview

First, if you’ve not seen this movie, please do so immediately! It’s available on HBO Now if you subscribe, and if not, I bet the library has a copy. Or head over to Amazon to get a DVD copy for eight bucks. You’ll be happy you did so you can see what I’m talking about with this beautiful house.

Second, let’s give it up to the set decorator of this film. Beth Rubino is a talented lady who helped Meyers’ ideas come to life. I think the house perfectly represents Erica with her clean, bright style and easy-going personality. The mostly white canvas of the house is exactly what I’d expect from that character, and the splashes of light blue and pale yellow are perfect coastal accents without being to “beachy”. 

Come back next Monday for another round of Movie Set Monday. And tell me what you think of this house. Is it your style? Do you like all those windows? Are you a fan of white kitchens? I’d love to hear it all. Just leave me a comment.

Have a great week, y’all!

Bathroom Makeover- Before

BATHROOM MAKEOVER- BEFORE

Photo: Nathan Kirkman

I wrote a Thursday Thoughts post yesterday saying how I couldn’t believe that we’ve been living in our apartment for almost a year and a half. I also mentioned that I’ve got some big and fresh ideas for our apartment to make it more functional for us. It seems to be my pattern to need to live in a space for almost a year before I really know what I want to do in it. If I want to change anything, paint anything, add anything, etc. I have come up with some ways to help make our bathrooms a little prettier and use the space we have to be super efficient.

I have always just known when a house or apartment was right for us. When we bought our house in Louisiana, I went to see it without Paul and knew right away that it was our house. I told him I thought it was the one, he came back for a second visit with me, and we just knew it was right. I sort of felt that with our apartment now, but it was in a different way. I knew we were going to move in to this apartment when we decided to move. It was a bit of a site unseen situation, but I knew I had to trust that it was going to be alright. When I finally did see it (just before we moved), I knew that it was right. It was smaller than what we were used to, but it was going to work for us.

Front Bathroom

I’ve had a tough time figuring out what to do in this space. Part of that was because I didn’t know how long we’d be here, and I didn’t know if it would make sense for me to do anything to it. If I wasn’t going to be here long enough to enjoy it, I’d probably not want to invest the time, money, and effort into making the changes. But as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I am feeling quite happy here in this apartment. It seems to be the right time to customize the things we can and want to do, because we don’t plan to leave anytime soon.

The previous tenant had the bathroom walls repainted, but the job wasn’t up to my standards. I know that makes me sound like a snob, but there were paint brush hairs stuck to the wall. Nothing wrong with wanting to fix that. Also, I really wanted it to be bright and white. The beige color is a bit warm for my liking, so at the cost of a gallon of paint, I could really make this space over.

You can see some of the imperfections in this photo. The white mark under the towel bar is an imperfection in the paint job.

The Plan

Photo: Google Images

I want to first say that there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong with this bathroom. Everything works perfectly. I just wanted to make some changes that make it a little bit easier on the eyes…well, my eyes and that would make it function in the best way possible.

Here’s what I’m planning to do:

  1. Paint the walls, baseboards, and door bright white
  2. Paint the vanity black
  3. Change hardware on cabinet doors
  4. Add shelving above the toilet for extra storage
  5. Rug or runner

Things I’m keeping:

  1. Light fixture
  2. Faucet
  3. Shower curtain
  4. Flooring
  5. Shower/Tub insert

This will in no way be a gut-job. It’ll be a little mini-makeover. Like getting your hair and makeup done. 🙂

Here’s the inspirational photo that most accurately shows what I could do in my bathroom.

Photo: theeverygirl.com

I’ll keep you updated on the progress. The colder temps deter me a little from painting because it doesn’t dry as well. I’m hoping it’ll be a quick weekend project, though. I’m looking forward to putting this in motion and showing you the results.

Have any of you done a mini makeover? How did it go for you? Let me know in the comments.

Have a great weekend, y’all!

Thursday Thoughts: This is Me

THURSDAY THOUGHTS: THIS IS ME

I’ve been thinking a lot about where I live. More specifically what I live in.

It hit me today that we’ve been living in our apartment for almost a year and a half. It’s not necessarily where I thought I’d be at this point in my life, but if I’m being honest, I have no idea where I thought I’d actually be. I suppose if you’d have asked me three years ago where I thought I’d be, I would have probably said in our house in Louisiana. We had no intention to move back or any reason to really. But when we got word that it was looking like we both had jobs and a place to live here, well, how could we not at least consider it?

Fast forward to now. We’ve moved to our hometown, we’re still in the apartment we moved into, and we have no real prospects as far as a house goes. Yes, my grandparents’ house is still available, but it just doesn’t feel right. I’ve always felt something when we were looking for a place to live. I just kind of know when it’s the right one, and I feel like someone else is meant to have that house.

That being said. I don’t feel like our time in this apartment is over. I suppose tomorrow someone could show me a house I know we’re meant to have, but today, right now, I don’t think we’re supposed to go anywhere just yet. This little place was meant for us during this season of life, and I’m kind of happy about that. 

I wrote a blog post that hasn’t been published yet about my plans to give our guest bathroom a facelift. I started it off talking about living here in Greenville and in this apartment, and when Paul read it he said that it sounded like I was miserable. Like living in the apartment was something I didn’t like. The truth is, it couldn’t be farther from the truth. I actually really like living here. Sure I’d like to have more space, more square footage, really like a pantry, but I don’t need it. The beauty of this apartment is that it’s the home we moved into when we decided to start this chapter of our lives. We came back home. We might not stay here forever. We might not stay here another year. We have no idea what the future holds for us, but the thing I do know and am learning to accept each day is that I have to be authentically me. And if that means living here in a small apartment that I’ve grown to love, why would I do anything but that?

If you’ll allow me to get a little deep here…doesn’t that always happen in Thursday Thoughts posts? Sorry. Well, actually I’m not sorry. And here’s why…I’ve been reading and seeing and hearing a lot of things lately that keep telling me to be me. Be who I am and not who everyone else thinks I should be. And be proud of it. I am finding that to be one of the most difficult things about growing up (I’m a people pleaser.) and one of the most liberating. 

I have a family member, well probably a few, that think we need to get out of Greenville. We need to get out of this apartment and move on to a place with more opportunity. So, I bought into that idea initially. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always said I’d never come back to Greenville. I’d never live here again, never raise my kids here. There’s a great big world out there and I haven’t seen enough of it. I need to leave the small town life, move to the big city and not come back.

Never say never. Because here I am. I’ve moved back to the very town I said I’d never come back to. I’m not currently raising any children, but I hope to be one day soon.  And it’s looking like I’ll be raising them right here-maybe even in this very apartment. I’ve seen a bit of the world. Louisiana was a whole different world than Greenville, Alabama. It may not have been a big city, but I can get my way around the popular parts of New Orleans, and that’s a pretty decent sized city in my opinion. 

My point is that living here in this town and in this apartment is exactly where I want to be right now. And technically I live “in the city”. I live downtown…in a loft apartment. Sounds pretty “city” to me. I can walk to the post office. I can walk to stores to shop. Heck, I’ve done both of those things. I like living here. Sure, there are certain careers that wouldn’t do well here. I can’t shop at certain stores because they aren’t here. I can’t eat at certain restaurants because we don’t have them. But does that really matter when I’m trying to be authentically me? When I know that my husband is happy and wants to be here? When I know that being close to our parents is one of the greatest things because we’ve been away from them for so long? Call me crazy, but what’s so wrong with any of that? 

In an effort to just be me and be proud of it, I’m embracing this apartment like never before. I am looking at it with new eyes and fresh ideas, and lucky for me (and you) it should make for some good blog content. Starting with that bathroom makeover. Look for that post in the next few days. I’m just so thankful to be in a place that is unique and fun and in a town that is spectacular and historic and special. Here’s a peek at the before of the bathroom.

The song below is what has triggered this thinking. I’ve yet to see this movie, but I cannot get enough of the music. The first time I heard any of the music was from this particular video, and I was in tears. I’m not a greatly oppressed person. I know people are way worse off than I am, but we all have our struggles and our issues, and this song was like a wake up call saying, “Get over the things that make you feel like you’re less than or weird. You are who you are. Change the things you can make better. And accept the things that you cant. God will take care of those. Be yourself and be proud of it.” So that’s what I’d like to do. And that’s what I hope you do too. Life’s too short to be anyone but you. Live where you want to live and be who you want to be. Don’t let anyone bring you down or tell you otherwise.

As if the video wasn’t enough, I’ll leave you with one last thing. Perhaps my favorite quote of all time. “The things that make you strange are the things that make you powerful.”- Ben Platt.

You do you, boo. 🙂

 

 

Currently Loving- December 2017

CURRENTLY LOVING- DECEMBER 2017

Better late than never, right? I know we’ve gotten through half of January now, but I came across a few things that I just couldn’t not share with you.

Before we get into all that, I hope y’all had a great holiday season. I enjoyed a much needed break and spent some quality time with family and with myself. 🙂 I know so many people lost loved ones and dealt with family members in the hospital, but I still hope there were a few moments of wonder and joy that you were able to find during the holidays.

Oh, Christmas Tree

My Christmas tree was my favorite thing about my Christmas decor. It was so twinkly and magical.  It went through a few phases (One and Two), and I miss it. I can’t wait until November to put it back up and see what kind of inspiration strikes me then.

Winter Skin Savers

This winter has brought some very cold temperatures. I know we have a winter every year, but this winter seems a little extra cold to me. I’m not complaining. Winter is my favorite season and cold weather is delightful to me, but my skin doesn’t love the cold temps with the heat on inside all the time. Thankfully I’ve got a great skin care regimen that helps keep my skin moisturized. I shared them in a post here. And if you want any of these products, you can shop them here.

Christmas Break

I have always loved Christmas Break. It comes at a much needed time when children’s excitement is at an all-time high. And I’m a bit of a procrastinator, so I’m always grateful for the time to finish my shopping during the week instead of on crazy, busy weekends. But I also manage to spend a lot of time doing this…

Hallmark movies are on loop, I get to sleep in a bit, and then there’s lots of time spent with family and friends. I know most teachers would agree with me that Christmas Break is one of the great perks of the job.

And with the Break Comes the TV

It’s no surprise that I’ve found another show to watch. If you’ve been around for a while, you know that I love movies and television. I love to be entertained, and I almost always have a favorite show or movie on in the background. I recently discovered The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Amazon. Y’all….it’s one of the funniest shows I’ve watched in a really long time. Rachel Brosnahan is brilliant and deserved the Golden Globe and Critic’s Choice awards for her portrayal of Midge Maisel. Trust me, you’ll laugh out loud and want to watch it all over again. (I did!) 

I also rediscovered Sex and the City again. It was on E! for a mini marathon one night. I started watching it and kept going all the way through to the end (finished on Amazon).  Sometimes it’s nice to “revisit old friends”. I love when I go back to old shows and watch them through more grown up eyes.

Auburn Basketball

Over the Christmas break I went to a basketball game in Auburn.  We got general admission tickets, so we got there really early and got floor seats. It was a great view, and we were even on TV! 🙂 Auburn’s doing really well right now. If you’re a fan, you should watch on TV or even go to a game! It’s pretty inexpensive and is always a great time. 

Reading

Breaks from school always allow time for reading. I finished a great book, Behind Closed Doors, over the holiday and wrote a little review about it here. It was exciting, scary, and thought-provoking. I highly recommend this one.

Snow Day

This was such a great day! I love snow and cold weather. And when we get it in Alabama, I’m the happiest girl. I think I’d do just fine in Chicago or NYC. The pups didn’t love it so much, though. And neither did Paul. But I sure did!

Have a great week, y’all!

XO,

Elizabeth

 

 

Beautycounter: Winter Must-Haves

BEAUTYCOUNTER: WINTER MUST-HAVES

This cold weather in wreaking havoc on my skin. I’m itchy all the time. And because it’s so cold I take really hot showers which only perpetuates the vicious cycle. I know we’re all guilty of this, and we head straight for the lotion afterwards to help combat the dryness.

Luckily, I’ve discovered some of the best products from Beautycounter that work wonders on dry skin.

Hydrating Body Lotion 

This is seriously the best lotion I’ve ever used. I have used countless lotion, as I’m sure you have, but I’ve never used a lotion that actually absorbs completely into your skin the way this one does. You know when you put skinny jeans on after you’ve put lotion on your legs and they just won’t slide over your skin because the lotion makes them stick to you? And then you’re so uncomfortable in the jeans all day? Yeah, this doesn’t happen with this lotion! Trust me. I’ve tested it!

The Citrus Mimosa scent is so fresh and bright yet subtle and understated. I really enjoy it. This is the scent of most Beautycounter body products. I love that I can go from the body wash (one of my faves) to the lotion and not have separate scents competing with one another.

The price tag is $24, and I can’t stress enough that a little bit goes a long way with our products. It is a fantastic product that will last you much longer than you thought and keep your legs (and entire body) moisturized and happy in and out of your skinny jeans. 🙂

Body Butter

Two words: Game Changer

I have been using this on my hands pretty regularly and before it got cold, I was using it on my dry heels. Sandal season can be awful on our poor feet, but when I used a thicker layer of the body butter on my feet and put them directly into socks, they were noticeably better after two nights of that. I did this routine right before getting into bed. Seriously, two nights!

But now that it’s cold, I’m using it on my upper body. My shoulders, the backs of my arms, and my upper back are all very dry during the winter, and this brutal one is no exception. I get very itchy from the dryness in these particular areas, and I’ve found that the Body Butter works a little better for me there than the lotion does.

The Body Butter is also quick-absorbing and has the lovely Citrus Mimosa scent. The price is $39, and again, a little goes a long way. This is a top-notch product at Beautycounter, and though it may seem a little indulgent to spend $39 on a body butter, it will make your winter skin feel smooth and hydrated throughout the entire year. You won’t be sorry you made this purchase.

A Few More

This lip conditioner with a cooling, peppermint scent will help keep your dry lips hydrated and feeling great throughout winter. It goes in my purse with me everywhere. $20.

This body oil is a step up in the hydration game. I can really tell a difference when I use this on the extra dry spots where I typically use the body butter. It’s not overly oily and doesn’t leave you feeling greasy. It actually absorbs pretty quickly into my skin and smells yummy. I love the smell of rosemary, so I’m a little biased. At $73 it’s the most expensive moisturizer of my must-haves, but it’s truly delightful and most importantly, IT WORKS!

Safer Beauty

So yes, all of these things are great and wonderful in hydrating your dry, winter skin, but these products are taken a step further with their safe ingredients. It’s amazing how well they absorb into my skin and how well they do their job. But the most amazing thing is that I feel good that a super absorbing, hydrating, moisturizing line of products is actually safe for me to use. I don’t have to worry that what’s going into the biggest organ of my body (my skin) is going to cause long-term harm from toxic ingredients that are in them. Because they aren’t there. Thanks to our Never List, these products are always safe for us to use.

If you’ve never heard of Beautycounter, I’d love for you to read this. And then you can find out why I decided to join this great company. And if you’re ever in the mood for more info, you can join my Facebook group. You can also visit my Beautycounter website and shop, research products, learn about the company, and even learn how to sign up as a consultant with me.

Want to Try My Winter Must-Haves?

If you’re interested in trying any of these products let me know. I know some people that can help you out if you’re in Louisiana, And if you’re here, I’ve got all of these products that I’d love for you to try out for yourself. Let’s make 2018 a year of Safer Beauty.

I hope y’all have a Happy Friday and a great weekend!

XO,

Elizabeth

 

 

Thursday Thoughts and a Book Review- Behind Closed Doors

BOOK REVIEW- BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

I love to read. One of my favorite things to do is get lost in a book. I have been in a real reading slump recently. I didn’t read much more than blog posts and a few magazines since summer. I was going to read The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne, but it’s about 150,000,000 pages. That was a tad intimidating to me with a new job that has proven to be time consuming and leaving me no time to read for pleasure. Boyne’s book will be on my summer reading list for sure.

So when my Aunt Sharon told me she was bringing a book for me to read, I was excited but not very hopeful I’d get around to it anytime soon. I read a chapter or two during Thanksgiving break and put it aside during the next few weeks of school until Christmas break. Well, Christmas break was all I needed. Two late nights and I was finished. It was a hook, line, and sinker plot making me not want to put it down. The plot thickened so heartily that I couldn’t have stopped reading had I wanted to.

The book is called Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris. It is a psychological thriller and one of the best ones I’ve ever read. And believe it or not, it’s her debut novel.

I knew fairly early on that something was off with Grace and Jack, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Once the first layer was revealed (pretty early in the story), I was able to understand a bit more what was happening, but I was honestly guessing the rest all the way to the end. Paris writes with just enough mystery to keep you guessing to the very last page.

Behind Closed Doors is a story about a marriage of a seemingly perfect couple, madly in love, newlyweds, successful, living in a dream home, taking extravagant vacations. Jack and Grace truly seem perfect. When things start to take a turn, we learn how Grace can never meet her friends for coffee, even when she doesn’t have a job. Or why she never carries anything in her purse, not even a pen.

After I read this book I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I was so mad at the characters for a while. I couldn’t understand why they would do the things they were doing. How could someone do that? Could this really be how some people live?

Then I started thinking about what it’s like behind our own closed doors. Sometimes we put on a front around others. We do this because we’re insecure, we’re ashamed, we’re scared, we’re too worried what other people will think of us. Sure, there are things that should be kept private, but are we really acting like completely different people in public than we are in the comfort of our own homes?

I think this bothered me so much because I’m totally guilty. We all are to a degree. Maybe we had a crappy day at work, but we have to serve in the nursery at church on Wednesday nights. We put on our big girl pants and walk into that nursery and love on those babies anyway. We show up at those birthday parties with our kiddos when we’ve got 1,000 things to do and our husband ticked us off right before we walked out the door. We go to work even though we’ve got a sick parent who needs round-the-clock care, but in order to afford that care, we have to go to work. We go to baby shower after baby shower with a precious gift even though we’re having trouble getting pregnant ourselves. We RSVP yes (minus a plus one) to yet another wedding because we’re still single. And we do it all with a smile and happy disposition because we don’t want people to see our flaws, our hurts, our disappointments, our shortcomings.

And yes, most of this stuff always stays behind closed doors. Stays in our homes, in the closet, so even if people come over they can’t see it there either. Just like Grace and Jack having dinner parties. There were lots of things going one with them, but when people came over (their friends), no one was the wiser. We do the same thing. Hopefully none of us are experiencing Jack’s and Grace’s troubles (you’ll have to read the book to find out what’s actually going on), but we hide our “crazy” and welcome in our friends to our lovely, seemingly normal homes for a fabulous dinner that nearly drove us mad to cook, in a clean house that just actually got cleaned for the first time in a month because dang it, it’s hard to keep a clean house sometimes. And everything always goes well and our friends leave thinking, how do they do it? How is their life so put together and so perfect? How did she pull off that meal with three kids and 4 dogs and a husband who travels for work? And how did she make it look so dang effortless?

I guess the point is that we all have our secrets behind closed doors. We all have things we’re ashamed to show people in our homes. (I ain’t letting you in my guest room if you come over unexpectedly. I’m going to close the door and you’ll not get permission to enter under any circumstances. Because 9 times out of 10, it’s in total disarray and I’d be mortified if you saw it.) But I’ll put a smile on my face, light my favorite candle, and invite you in like that room was spick and span and perfectly decorated even though I’m not going to open that door for you to go into that room. I’ll hide my secret.

I don’t know if it’s the hope of a new year and the fun of making resolutions, but in an effort to be more authentic, maybe we don’t have to hide our crazy. Maybe some of these flaws or shortcomings can be shared with others. Maybe we have a friend we can trust to actually open up to about the real stuff in our lives. Invite your friend over for coffee or wine and DON’T SHUT THE DOOR! (I’m speaking to myself.) Maybe we tell our friend that comes over that we almost ordered Pizza Hut because the salmon we cooked nearly sent us over the edge.

Things aren’t always what they seem, y’all. And that’s OKAY! We aren’t perfect. No one is. And that’s kind of the best thing about this whole rabbit hole my brain has gone down. When I see a “perfect couple”, eat a “perfect meal” prepared by my friend, or attend a “perfect party”, I know that it’s not actually perfect. It’s actually peppered with imperfections because that’s real life.

So here’s to being perfectly imperfect in 2018. Happily embracing those imperfections and forgiving ourselves and others for not being those perfect people. Because it ain’t ever gonna happen. Real talk, y’all.

Also, here’s to reading more books in 2018. 🙂 Especially those that make us think and reflect on our lives to help make us better people. Don’t forget to pick up Behind Closed Doors. You’ll enjoy the thrilling ride it’ll send you on.

XO,

Elizabeth

 

Favorites of 2017

FAVORITES OF 2017

Happy New Year, y’all! I’m pretty excited about the year 2018. I don’t normally get very excited about the new year, but there’s something in my soul about this year. I have a real sense of hope in my heart, and I believe that just means the best is yet to come.

But before we look ahead, let’s reminisce. Here’s a look at some of my favorite posts from 2017.

The First Post

Home Again– This was my first ever blog post. I was terrified to post it and put myself out there, but I have enjoyed so much of this journey of blogging. This will forever be one of the most special posts I’ve ever written. Even with all the non-decorating of the apartment. It’s fun to go back and see how far we’ve come from those first few months in our little loft.

Earrings

Crafty Earring DIY– I’ve never had a pair of earrings be so popular. And when people who don’t know I have a blog find out that I made them, they always want a pair. I wish I could make them for everyone. They are still so cute and fun to wear.

Mothers

Happy Mother’s Day– These two ladies are so special to Paul and me. We couldn’t do life without them. Like I said in the post, “Mother’s are extraordinary beings.”

Home Improvements

There were two really fun posts to share about decor changes in our apartment. When we first moved in I was still so in love with our blue ikat rug (still am), but it really didn’t fit, so I was thrilled when it dawned on me to swap the rug for the other one I loved that we had before the blue one. (Thanks to a little inspiration from none other than Joanna Gaines.) You can read about it the post entitled New(ish) Rug.

You can see even more of the rug in the Leopard Curtains post. Man was I proud to have made those myself, and I still love them. I realize they aren’t for everyone, but I definitely am not tired of them yet.

Celebrating 17, er, 7 Years of Marriage

That’s a joke between Paul and myself. We hit the 7 year mark in 2017, but we joked that it felt like 17 years together. That picture up there shows we were already acting 7 years married on our wedding day when we had a little tiff taking pictures in the 100° July heat. Despite a wedding day spat, we are still in love and still happily married. I was able to share a very photo-filled post about our wedding and how we were doing 7 years in.

New Job = New Classroom

Classroom Reveal– I got a new job this year teaching 3rd grade. I was fortunate enough to paint and make this room a space that I enjoy being in. It makes a difference when your environment is pleasing to you. This was one of the more popular posts and one of my top 10 Instagram posts of the year. Thank you for loving my classroom makeover as much as I did.

Beautycounter

2017 marked the beginning of my journey with Beautycounter. If you’re unfamiliar with Beautycounter go here to learn more about it. I signed on in October to be a consultant to help spread the mission of safer beauty. I’m happy to be Leaving My Beauty Mark.

Changes

Changes– I really poured out a bit of my heart in this one. It was a little deep. I know that isn’t for everyone, so I understand that a lot of people didn’t read it. But for me it still rings true. I am still not sure why I feel a season of change is in store for me, but I know that I feel hope now, so I’m expectant and in a good way and feeling like I might not actually be having a quarter-life crisis anymore. And doesn’t John Mayer just speak straight to your soul? I just love him.

Christmas Home Tours 1 & 2

Round 1– I was so excited to decorate for Christmas this year. With my need for change, I did things a little differently this year and couldn’t have been happier with how things played out in the decor department. 

Round 2– I found that amazing ribbon for my tree that took it up another notch, and I can’t believe I actually took it down already. I’m sitting here writing this wishing I could glance up and see it. Thank God for pictures.

Thank You

Thank you so much for following along with me this year. I am so blessed to have this little corner of the internet, and the fact that y’all visit me here every now and then means the world to me. I am so thankful for the support from you guys, and I hope you’ll stick around for the fun we’ll have in 2018. I can feel that it’s going to be a good one!

XO,

Elizabeth

How To Set Goals For The New Year

HOW TO SET GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR

I mentioned here that I was a goal setter for each new year. I have been making my list and wanted to share my process in case anyone needed help determining a list of goals.

Categories

First, I make a list of categories or areas of my life where I’d like to set and attain goals. For example:

Business

Finances

Personal Life

Health

Work

Hobby

Marriage

Faith/Spiritual Life

Multiple Goals

In each of these categories I set multiple goals. I like to set goals that are easily attainable and goals that are a little harder to reach and take a little more work.

This doesn’t mean that I’ll reach all of these goals by year’s end, but I’ll have a list of things I’d like to achieve and can reference the list throughout the year. For example: Two goals I would set for the area of marriage would be to say thank you more often and then to take a trip somewhere we’ve never been. That second goal goes into the finances category as well, but it would be a goal I would have for our marriage because we don’t travel often or take many trips.

Also, if you have a goal in mind for an especially tough area, like health, start with a very attainable goal. If you want to work out but don’t do it that often presently, then make your first goal to do a workout once or twice a week. It doesn’t have to be a crazy hard workout like P90X either. You can just take a walk twice a week. Hey, we all have to start somewhere, right?

Write It Down

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Get a notebook or journal you can reference or use easily and often. I always write down my goals for each year. Sometimes I’m discouraged when I go back to see the goals I didn’t achieve. But there are those times I’m pleased with the fact that I did meet my goal.

I am a journaler and have been for years now, so writing is not a new concept for me. I write almost every morning in a prayer journal, and one of my goals this year is to write in a gratitude journal before I go to bed every night. I find that writing things down helps me out and means something to me. I can easily go back and reference the things I’ve written down to see how I’m doing with my goals.

I do recommend starting with a fresh notebook or journal. Write these goals in the front so that you know exactly where the goals are written.

Make A Vision Board

I’ll admit I’ve never done one of these before, but I plan to. My mother-in-law was cleaning out an old closet and found a bulletin board that she didn’t need. I told her I’d love to have it, and she kindly gave it to me. I’ve been wanting to make a vision board out of it for the new year. I’ll share it when I’ve got it all set up.

And I think that you should put it where you can regularly see it and be reminded of what you’ve set out to do. Mine will go in front of my makeshift vanity so I can see it every morning while I’m getting ready.

Don’t Be Afraid To Fail

Let’s be real…chances are, we aren’t going to achieve every goal we set for ourselves. At least not on the first try. And maybe one of your goals is a long-term one that will take several years to achieve. Financial and business  goals are often that way. But we know there will be goals that we set that we just won’t make happen. I’ve been there plenty of times. And every year I set those same goals anyway. But this year really give it a chance. For example: I am a Beautycounter consultant. I’ve not put forth much effort this holiday season because I work a full-time job, and it’s super hard to hustle on the side when your full-time job requires so much of you. I’d really like to put forth effort to achieve the goal of making a little extra cash during 2018. I’d like to learn more about the company and figure out how I can spread the mission of safer beauty to the people of Greenville. That’s a tough goal, but it’s something that can be attained throughout the year. However, I’m also realistic in knowing that I may not be successful right off the bat. I might fail, but I can always reevaluate and try again. Don’t be afraid to fail! Just get back up, dust off your pants, and try another way.

How do you set goals? Do you write them down like I do?

Happy New Year!

Elizabeth

New Year, New You

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

Do you do resolutions? Those mostly unattainable goals that you give up on a week or two into it? Maybe you even make it to February then crash and burn.

I’ve been known to set an unattainable goal and fail miserably…on more than one occasion. But last year I set a goal, and I actually accomplished it in February. That goal was to start a blog. I knew that I needed something different in my life, something new. I needed a creative outlet.

I’m one of those cliches that takes a step back and looks at her life from the past year when the calendar year is coming to an end. I like to set goals, but I don’t usually put too much pressure on myself. Some of them are simple things I could do everyday like drink more water, and some are bigger goals like save money for a downpayment on a house or pay off student loan debt. And then there are those you know you need to do but also know you’re not really going to do it like cutting sugar completely out of your diet or working out every single day.

I’m still working on my list of goals for the new year, but I hope I get them finalized before January 1st. (Not procrastinating so much is one of those goals.) 🙂

So, do you make resolutions or set goals? Do you stick with them? Have you ever set a really big one and seen it through? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.

I hope y’all had a great Christmas!

XO,

Elizabeth

The Best Hot Cocoa Recipe Ever

THE BEST HOT COCOA RECIPE EVER

Every year that I’ve taught (I think-maybe I missed one or two of the early years) I’ve made homemade hot cocoa for my students. It’s usually during a week full of super fun Christmas crafts, movies, programs, and excitement. But this year I am teaching 3rd grade and the festivities were a bit different than they have been in the past. However, I still wanted to make them hot cocoa that didn’t come in powder form in a packet. (Not knocking that stuff either. It’s not so bad!)

Planning Ahead

I have 42 students that I had to prepare for, so I doubled the recipe I used. Turns out doubling the recipe is too much liquid to fit into my slow cooker. So, I used a large pot and made it on the stove the night before. It cooled a bit and I funneled it into a gallon jug and a 64 oz. Hydroflask. (These things are seriously so wonderful. I use the 32 oz. bottle for water every single day.)

When I got to school I immediately put some in the slow cooker and somehow ended up looking like this…Yep, wore the chocolate splatter all day from before 7:30am until about 4:30pm.

I serve it to the students in these small styrofoam cups with marshmallows. This size cup is really big enough for them. The cocoa is pretty rich, and they are always satisfied with a small amount as opposed to a full mug. I ended up with a little left over and was able to enjoy a few cups at home. That full mug at the top of the post was WAY too much. I think I made it through half before I had to pour out the rest. It’s very rich and sweet.

I reheat it either on the stove, stirring regularly or in the microwave in 30 second increments. It still tastes pretty delicious a few days later.

The Recipe

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups milk chocolate chips

6 cups of whole milk

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker (or a pot on the stove on low heat). Stir together and cook on low until chocolate is melted. Stir often to help dissolve the chocolate chips and prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the slow cooker. Ladle the finished product into your favorite mug, top with marshmallows, wait to cool a bit, then enjoy!

*You can just use 1.5 cups heavy cream and a 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk to make it a tad richer if you’d like. Yum!

It’s so delightful and sure to be a crowd pleaser  with your family this Christmas.

Cheers, y’all!

Elizabeth