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Recent Home Updates

RECENT HOME UPDATES

After I completed my leopard living room curtains, I kept feeling the itch to check more things off of my summer to-do list. I decided to start with the kitchen curtains.

Breaking Out the Sewing Machine

For these curtains you’ll remember that I was planning to use this fabric.

Waverly Sun-n-Shade fabric “Seeing Spots”

I am not very well-versed in the use of a sewing machine, but I got one for Christmas a few years back and busted it out for this project. I have to read the directions every time I get it out, and sometimes I have to search a YouTube video or two. I thought I was ready to go so I took my picture expecting my next one to be of something complete. And then something just didn’t seem to be going right and here’s what I managed to accomplish: Oh boy…..

So, I regrouped, reread my instruction guide, and tried again. I also put my camera away at this point and decided to just focus.

New Curtains

I sewed the curtains, hung them on a tension rod and hated them. They were gathering like Granny’s old kitchen curtains, and I didn’t like it. I didn’t like the gather at all. My original plan was to hang them from hooks like I did the leopard curtains, but I did not like the look I was getting. The fabric, to me, looked better when it was flat. I decided to cut them to fit the width of the window and hung them on small tension rods. They just add a little bit of accessory to the white kitchen. I have enjoyed having them up. And enjoyed even more that I didn’t have to ask my mom to make them for me. 🙂 She was probably glad too.

I just love this fabric, and I recently saw it in black as upholstery on a chair. It was beautiful. The above picture doesn’t do it justice. My camera and editing skills are not up to par at all, but you get the general idea. I think it’s better than the before that you can see below.

Another Rug Switcheroo

I also switched a few more rugs around this week. You can see in the picture above the old orange rug I’ve had for way too long. It doesn’t really “go” anymore and, honestly, needed to be retired.

I think I have enough room for a runner along this stretch of cabinets, but I just can’t pull the trigger so quickly on rugs/runners. Plus, “shopping” my house is much easier on the pocketbook, so that’s exactly what I did.

If you remember my first post that shows the entry foyer to our building you’ll see that I had a rug at our door. Since we don’t use this door much anymore, I decided I would bring this rug inside and put it at the back door. I took the rug I was using at the back door and put it in front of the sink to replace the old orange one.

Not a major transformation, but something different to enjoy. Always shop your house first! You’d be surprised at what you actually have that works in new ways and in new places.

I Tried to Better the Painting

A few posts ago I showed you an abstract painting that I did to go in our dining space. But if you remember, I didn’t love it. So I decided to add a bit of gold brush strokes around the edges to help it look a bit more like it was “framed”. I didn’t want it to be perfect like I was trying to actually frame it, but I just kept thinking it needed something. I am still deciding if I like the changes. I like it better than before, but I’m still not sure if I love it.

BeforeAfterLike I said, I don’t know if I love it, but I definitely like it better than before.

Anyone else crafting or having fun playing in your homes this summer? Share them with me in the comments.

Sometimes I think something as simple as switching a piece of furniture with another from a different room or rearranging your bedroom furniture is just as much fun as a full on room overhaul/makeover. I encourage you to do that! Especially for your kids. I was always asking to rearrange my furniture when I was little. Putting my bed on a different wall or in a corner. It gets your creative juices flowing and inspires you to make your home a place you truly love. And bonus to you moms who find it keeps your little ones occupied in their rooms while you get some downtime. 🙂

As always, my point here on this blog is to encourage you to make your house a home, a place that you loved to be, a space to express your creativity, and a safe haven for you to be yourself and make mistakes along the way. That’s part of the fun. Lord knows I’m making plenty of them, especially in the way of decorating, but I’m definitely having fun doing it.

Thursday Thoughts- Movie Reviews

MOVIE REVIEWS

Welcome back to Thursday Thoughts. I should welcome myself back; I haven’t written a TT post in a while. One thing I have done is watch a lot of movies, and I wanted to share my thoughts on two of them.

La La Land

I remember reading something when this movie was coming to theaters by Tom Hanks that said this is what movies are all about. Someone else told me it was so beautiful and would change your life.

Then, I never made it to the theaters to see it. (womp womp)

I knew that seeing this movie was going on my summer to-do list. So when I stumbled across it at our local library, I picked it up and decided I would watch it that night since Paul was at poker night. (He’s not so much into the musicals.)

It immediately made you feel like you were watching an old movie just because of the way it was shot. The opening musical number set the tone for the film in that there were several song and dance sequences. All were beautiful, and all of them sucked you right into the story and swallowed you whole. I tend to get very lost in musicals. I get caught up in the emotion and the talent and the feeling. There’s nothing like that feeling. It was truly a moving film and deserved every award and nomination it received.

Ryan Gossling and Emma Stone have so much chemistry together on screen. People have compared them to Fred and Ginger and Bergman and Bogart. Theirs is a believable romance and relationship. There is a scene when they go to the movies, and it is the very beginning of their relationship. They are stealing glances at each other and inching their fingers closer and closer until they are holding hands. It so accurately depicts that new, butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling you get when you’re about to enter that territory with someone new that you really like. I was smiling the whole time from the nostalgia that crept up inside because you know you’ve been there too. Those early, excited feelings with your significant other. That thrill it is to touch their skin in such an intimate yet innocent way for the first time. Like I said, they’ve got chemistry.

I can’t end this review without talking about the music. The songs are beautiful. Ryan Gossling and Emma Stone have great voices and then they threw in John Legend. So…yeah…winner in my book! And it’s not just the singing that is great, but there’s some amazing piano music, mostly jazz, that is all throughout the movie. Gossling plays a jazz pianist trying to make it, and the piano playing is a huge part of the movie.

I realize musicals are not for everyone. But I feel that even if it’s not really your speed that you’ll enjoy it. It’s definitely not something being done regularly in Hollywood, and I love that.

Hidden Figures

I realize I’m much too late to this party, but this was one movie I will not soon forget. I was left completely moved by this film.

These three women were looked over time and time again. They were the best at what they did, so unbelievably smart, witty, strong, and determined. I knew a little about the story just from all of the publicity it got when it came out and during awards season, but I didn’t know everything. I have to say I was truly inspired by this story, by all three women, and by the portrayal of these women by the actresses who played them: Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, and Taraji P. Henson.

One of my favorite things about the movie was the backstory they told on all the women. Mary Jackson, played by Janelle Monae, was such a spitfire! There’s a scene where she puts her husband in his place at a church picnic, and I laughed out loud at her assertiveness and how he closed his mouth so fast. And she stayed like that the whole movie. I loved her outspokenness and her determination to never give up and to get into a course she needed even when it wasn’t geared toward women and certainly not African American women. She was smart and capable, and she knew it.

Dorothy Vaughn, played by Octavia Spencer, was a genius. She got the IBM computer for the space mission up and running correctly and effectively and was later put in charge of that. Another victory for women and African American women. And in the movie she was portrayed as being self-taught in programming. That just blows my mind! I know we live in a digital age and it’s almost expected that each new generation be more technologically inclined, but in the 60s? I was so impressed and inspired by her drive and mental capacity. Smart girls are awesome!

Katherine Johnson was a math wiz. Taraji P. Henson played her flawlessly. She was a widow with three young daughters trying to make a living. Then she got sent up to the land of white men and had to fight her way to prove that she was worthy of that desk and that her math skills were up to par and even better than they ever expected. She played an integral part in putting John Glenn into space. She is a true roll model for girls of all ages.

I cried watching this movie. It moved me in ways that made me proud to be a woman. It broke my heart to see how they were degraded for being women and for being black. It didn’t matter that they were wearing skirts or using a “colored restroom”; they were the smartest, most capable people for the jobs at hand. And they proved themselves to be successful and perfect for their jobs. In this modern day wave of women’s liberation, it’s stories like this that make me proud to be a woman. And stories like this one that inspire me to go after what I want and not back down because I may not have the skills or be qualified. It inspires me to take the opportunity to educate myself and acquire those skills to be successful in whatever I want to do. Isn’t there a meme that says, “In a world of Kardashians be a ___________________”? Well, in a world of Kardashians, be a Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughn, or Mary Jackson. Because these are the women you should strive to be.

Thanks for sticking around for my long post. I get so passionate about movies and entertainment. I hope you have a fabulous rest of your week and a wonderful weekend. Hope to see you back on Sunday for more home decor projects. I’m off to work on more curtains! 🙂

Happy Thursday, y’all!

Leopard Curtains

LEOPARD CURTAINS ARE FINALLY UP

This past week I decided now was as good a time as any to start dressing my naked windows. I knew that these would most likely be the most labor intensive since I was going to have to hem them by hand. This is how that worked out before I got into the groove of stitching…

I have family members actually cringing at this photo. Haha! Anyway, I quickly realized this was not going to work, so I cut out these stitches and started again. Those stitches aren’t perfect either, but they hang by clips and hang up pretty high, so hopefully no one notices that those aren’t straight or very pretty. You can kind of see them in this picture.

Lucky for me I was able to binge watch more shows on Netflix while I was sewing. Let me just switch gears really quickly to tell you about my two, okay three, new obsessions. If you’re wondering what to watch since summer prime time television is less than desirable, here you go.

The OA

Holy crap! I can’t even begin to explain it. It starts weird and gets weirder and then in the last episode you’ll be left with chills all over your body wishing there were more than eight episodes.

Riverdale

Did you ever read Archie comics? You know, with Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica? Well, this is a dark and twisted spin on these characters. There’s been a murder in the town of Riverdale, and these four main characters just might have something to do with it. It’s really great! They even incorporated Josie and the Pussycats, and I remember watching that cartoon as a kid. The acting is amazing, and all those teen/young adult actors of the 80s and 90s (Molly Ringwald, Skeet Ulrich, and Luke Perry) are all parents in this one. It’s really very cool and very well done.

And last but not least- Gossip Girl

I know. I know. Shallow, lame, teen-geared television. This was popular when I was in college, but it is so fun. I only got into it toward the end of the series when it was being aired originally, so I am catching up and refreshing this go round. It’s a mystery as to who Gossip Girl really is, so it’s interesting to have that knowledge and watch from the beginning. Mindless entertainment, for sure, but fun.

These shows helped me through the sewing! Hope they are good suggestions for you if you’re in any summer TV slump. Any other suggestions are appreciated! Leave them in the comments!

BACK TO BUSINESS

So, after sewing and measuring and cutting and sewing some more, I finally have curtains hanging. I will say that I knew I wanted leopard print, but I wasn’t sure how it would look. As it turns out, I really like them and think they are quite fun. And why not? It makes me happy and Paul likes them too.

I like that they’re shear and don’t block out the natural light that I so love about this apartment. It’s filled with natural light all the time, and I didn’t want that to be covered up in the living room.

The curtain rod is not the original rod I was going to use. I had a smaller one that was a silver color. I knew I didn’t want silver, so I spray painted it black, hung it up on the wall, and it was too small and just didn’t work. Luckily, I didn’t get rid of my old curtain rods, so I tried this one, and it worked! (Sometimes it pays to keep things.)

I also like how it pairs with the rug. I think that since both are neutral colors that they don’t compete with one another. And again, they make me happy. That’s what’s important when it comes to decorating your home.

Jack wouldn’t move out of the shot, so I just told him to sit. At least he’s obedient.

Thanks for stopping by today. What are your thoughts on leopard print curtains or anything leopard print for that matter? I’m kind of in love with it and hope to one day have a leopard rug and, of course, a few leopard throw pillows. 🙂 Let me know in the comments. I hope y’all have a great week!

New(ish) Rug

Hi, friends! Remember those summertime projects I said I had planned in my last post? Well, I got started on them. I showed this picture and was very excited to get this all started, but the more I thought about these curtains in my living room the more I began to second guess myself. I am all for mixing patterns, and I love bold fabrics paired with even bolder fabrics, but I couldn’t seem to make the leopard print work with this rug. I just felt like it was too much. The rug is huge and so are the windows, so there’s going to be a lot of fabric up there. And I just wasn’t feeling too good about it. CRAP!

But Wait….I Think I May Have A Solution!

In our Louisiana house I was dipping my toes into the rug world for the first time, and I went with this one.(Forgive the screenshot; I didn’t have an actual picture on my phone or computer.)I don’t remember where I found it. I think somewhere online like Overstock or Wayfair. But after learning more about the “rules” (that don’t really matter, y’all) to certain areas of home decor, I decided it was time for a bigger rug for our pretty-large living room. Enter the blue ikat rug that allowed my furniture to “float” like it’s supposed to. (It did look better, so that’s one rule I did decide to follow.)

Then We Moved

I moved in to this apartment naturally wanting to use the blue rug, so I just put it down in the pretty-much 8×10 living space and placed all of my furniture on top of it. (Side note: You know, I don’t know all the rules, nor do I really care about them, but I probably shouldn’t have done that. I’m guessing it didn’t adhere to the “rule”. Oh well…whatcha gonna do?)

Then The Light Bulb Turned On

So one day this week I was reading The Magnolia Story that I mentioned on Instagram. And I don’t know if I was just feeling inspired or what, but out of no where I thought, “Your blue rug does not fit in your living room, but you still have that old one, and you should totally try it because those leopard curtains are going to look way better with that rug.”

Ha! I was so happy! I could keep the curtains and not spend any money on a new rug!! That’s a win/win in my book.

Because all of my furniture sits completely on top of the rug and doesn’t just “float” on top of it, I knew I’d have to enlist some help to lift the furniture and pull the rug at the same time. Paul happened to be in a golf tournament this weekend, so my parents came to help me out. Those two were the biggest help! I definitely couldn’t have done it without them! They even vacuumed and helped me shake out the blue rug and roll it up and reset my furniture, and so much more. Thanks, Mom and Dad! You’re the best!

The New(ish) Results

Don’t look too hard back there at my stack of dishes.

So here’s where those rules come back in. Not one piece of furniture floats on this rug. BUT, I feel like the space is brighter and is definitely a better fit for those leopard curtains.

I like it, and ultimately, that’s all that matters. And just to affirm my decision, when Paul came home, he immediately said how much better he thought everything looked. 🙂 Score one for me. So, rules or no rules, I think this is a better fit, and I’m happy with the outcome.

Even Jack And Bernie Approve

I can’t wait to get the rest of this project (the curtains) going so that I can be one step closer to an actual complete area in our home. Have a great week everyone!

Currently Loving- May 2017

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

I can’t believe that May is almost over! But if that means anything, it means that summer vacation has officially begun.

So, obviously, summer is one of my favorite things about May. Teachers work hard during the nine months we are in school, and when May 25th rolled around for me, I sure was happy to welcome some “me time”.

I’ve got some projects already on the agenda for summer. First is to make and hang my curtains for the living room. I played around with them the other day just to see how I felt about them. I think I’m gonna like it!

That’s right! Some leopard print curtains are possibly making their grand entrance to the living room. I won’t know how I’ll like them until I get them up there, but I think that if I don’t like them in the living room, they just might work perfectly in the bedroom.

Then- I’m still working on how I want them to hang (inside the window as a make-shift roman shade or outside the window as a valence), but I’m hoping to get the kitchen curtains done too! I talked about it a bit here in my kitchen post a bit, and here’s the fabric I’ll be using.

I also hope to fix this painting. I still think it needs something.

Another thing I’m planning to do is finish the, oh, FIVE books I’ve started reading at once. I’m shaking my head at myself as I type. I usually knock out a lot of books in the summer. Last summer was pretty awesome in the book department with some of my favorites being The Nightingale, Me Before You, and Baby Proof. Here’s hoping I finish the five I’m currently reading plus a few more!

A few products I’ve been into lately are dry shampoo and self tanner. Now, it’s not that I’ve just recently in my life discovered these things, it’s just that I would like to share that I’ve found some pretty good options at a great price point.

Dry Shampoo from Dove

I have used both of these and like both of them a lot. I have very oily skin and an oily scalp, so growing up, I had to wash my hair every single day. Had I known about dry shampoo in college……I don’t even want to talk about it. My life would have been so much easier. I usually wash my hair one morning and style it, then I spray in the dry shampoo before I go to bed (when my hair tends to get the oiliest). The next day I only need a few more spritzes when I’m styling my hair. I can usually go two to three days without washing my hair when using the dry shampoo. This stuff is only around $5-$6 at Walmart, so it definitely doesn’t break the bank.

Jergens Self Tanner

I’m as pasty white and pale as they come. I just am. I’ve always been told to just embrace it, but it’s one of those things that annoys me about myself, so I use sunless tanner. Now most people know Jergens for their self tanning lotion. And when they first came out with the lotion, it was a gradual building thing, so you had to use it several days to build up a color. But this mousse stuff is great!

While I was living in Louisiana I was introduced to my still-favorite self tanner by St. Tropez.

I had never used a mousse before, and the formula is SO GOOD. But at $42 a bottle and a $7 mitt to apply it, I always felt guilty about spending so much money on it. I use it a lot in the summer, so I went through it kind of quickly. Then one night it was on QVC and THAT I did not feel bad about! 🙂 But that has been used up, of course, so I was on the look out for something a little easier on the pocketbook. That’s when I found this post by Cassie from Hi Sugarplum. I decided at around $13 a bottle (most mousses aren’t much cheaper than that), I knew I wanted to try it. Then one day I was walking down the clearance aisle at Walmart and found these for $2!

It makes the application so much easier and also keeps your palms from staining. I am very happy with the Jergens mousse, even though the St. Tropez is still my favorite. I don’t feel orange unless I really over apply the tanner (three coats in three days- I don’t recommend that). And it lasts! I last tanned on Monday, and I still have a nice glow today (Sunday).

Some Netflix shows I’ve binge watched this month have been:

13 Reasons Why– Holy heavy stuff! I knew there was a lot of controversy around this show, but someone I worked with told me it was actually really good. I decided to give it a try as I put my students’ scrapbooks together, and I couldn’t stop watching. It’s based off of the book by the same title, but I had never been interested in reading the book. It was a very well-acted show. It was a show full of heavy, intense, graphic content. When it was over, I couldn’t stop talking about it to Paul. Critics said that it glorified suicide. I absolutely did not get that vibe. I did, however, immediately say that I’m not sure I would want my teenager to watch it. Certainly not without my viewing it before they did and maybe even only watching it together. It had several teachable moments, but it was very, very heavy. I keep saying that word. I can’t think of a better one to describe it, though. It was hard to get caught up in it and only think about high school and that age-range. But in all honesty, adults and young children have suicidal thoughts that go unnoticed or ignored. I think if I had to come away with something so heavy in concept and content, I would say that it taught me to be more aware. More aware of the people around me-friends or not. You never know what people are going through, but mostly because you never ask and they don’t tell. Ask. Be a friend. Help them if they need it. Being there for someone can mean so much to someone. Even if it’s a text at the end of the day to see how they’re doing. Just care and be kind to people.

Anne with an E– Okay, let’s lighten things up, shall we? Anne with an E is based on Anne of Green Gables. I did not read this book or the series when I was younger, but as an adult I’ve heard so many people say how wonderful the books were and how great Anne is. I read that this series is a grittier version of the book and previous series and movie. I have never seen those either, so this is my first encounter with Anne Shirley. And she is absolutely delightful! I love the way they talk, and I love how strong she is. It is very women-positive and girl power. Just because you’re a girl doesn’t mean you can’t do anything you want to do. It’s a wonderful story, and I hope they continue with more seasons.

Girlboss– This show got horrible reviews, but I thought the character of Sophia seemed spunky, and she started an internet business, so I was interested. It’s inspired by the book, #Girlboss, and the life of it’s author, Sophie Amoruso. I bought the book at a thrift store not too long ago, but haven’t read it yet. So, the series seemed like a fun way to get introduced to the Girlboss world. It was just that-fun. It wasn’t fantastic, but I enjoyed it. She’s a tough chick that doesn’t take any crap from anybody and works her tail off to achieve her goals. That was my takeaway from the show- work hard and it’ll pay off.

Okay, one last favorite.

I am a long-time lover of HGTV and especially Fixer Upper, but when this one came on the map, I knew I wanted to give it a go. I’ll be honest and say I thought it was going to be a worse version of Chip and Jo, because how does it get better than those two? But, y’all, I am so glad I did! I think these two are such a sweet couple, and dang is he a talented wood worker. I need a piece of furniture built by Ben and a painting by Erin ASAP! I don’t think I share exactly the same style as Erin when it comes to interior design, but that’s what makes the world go ’round, right? She has a great eye and sees things I could never see. She talked about a green roof with green trim on one house they did a few episodes ago, and I thought, ew! And then the reveal happened, and it was one of my favorites. That’s talent, y’all. I know most people are watching this already, but I just wanted to give it a shout out. If you’re not, check out HGTV on Tuesday nights at 9:00. And DVR those old episodes to see what else they’ve done. You won’t be disappointed!

Oh wait! I know I said that was the last one, but just one more! Paul turned 30 this month!!! He didn’t really want too much by way of birthday parties or huge celebrations or anything, but I couldn’t let his birthday happen without making his feel a bit special, so I woke up extra early and blew up 30 balloons to cover the living room floor. I hung streamers on the bedroom door frame so that when he opened the door when he woke up, he’d get a surprise. I baked him brownies for breakfast, and I put a 30 pack of beer in the fridge with more balloons. He sent me this Snap Chat after he woke up.

Happy 30th again, babe! I love you, and you were totally worth the almost passing out from blowing up 30 balloons. 🙂

Thanks for sticking around with me and this long post. I’ve had lots of favorite things about the month of May. Here’s hoping you had a marvelous May and that June is even better!

Painting DIY Fail

I have been getting really tired with my blank walls. And with summer break a mere five days away, I’ve been planning some ways to spruce up my home.

I always start with Pinterest when I’m looking for inspiration for home decor, and this time was no different. I have been wanting to put something on the walls in the dining area of the apartment.

I searched for something that would “go” if I decided to do a piece on each wall. Something that would match but wouldn’t be too matchy matchy. I didn’t have much luck searching for something like that, but I did find one piece I like.

I tend to gravitate toward abstract art, so while searching Pinterest I found this one.

Well it just so happens that I already own two square canvases that I got when Paul and I got married. They were one of those mass-produced canvases that came from Bed Bath and Beyond. Well, when we were living in our house in Louisiana, I decided I didn’t like them anymore, and I decided to paint over them. I decided to not use them as a set so I painted different things on each one. I was a little obsessed with the dalmatian print that I was seeing all over Pinterest. I saw it as art, bedding, and lots of fabrics. I still see things upholstered in that print all the time. It’s quite beautiful and maybe even better in blue and also in pink. 🙂 So, this was one. And the other one……….

Yeah….so….if you’ll let me, I’ll tell you the story behind this. When Paul and I got married, his brother, Ben, wrote us a song. Composed the music and wrote the lyrics-the whole 9. I love it, and it is so special and personal and the coolest thing to have your very own song! But y’all, this was a terrible idea to think that I could free hand anything pretty onto something that would hang on wall, especially not the lyrics to our song. I should never have done it, and it’s definitely the one that got used for this current paint fail. Maybe it’s the canvas. Not the girl who has ZERO experience in painting. Ha!

I mentioned here that I was working on a painting project that I had hoped to share with you before Mother’s Day. But, of course, other things got in the way and the canvas sat half-way painted on this table for (shamefully) weeks. Once I set my mind to it, though, I finished it. Here’s the end result.

Womp womp.

Before I rip it to shreds I’ll say this: I like the way the blue turned out. I like the way it’s darker in some places than others. (Is that what artists call dimension? Or depth? Or just that I need to add another coat?) But I feel like it needs something. Paul said I need to put a word in it, but we see how that turned out in the picture of the song lyrics. Nope.

Another thing I liked about the one I found on Pinterest was the gold frame. I decided instead of a frame I would just paint the sides of the canvas gold. I really like this part, but I wish you could see the gold more head on.

Another thing I’m not sure that I like is the amount of blue in this space. Blue is definitely one of my favorite colors. Probably my most favorite color if I had to choose, but perhaps there really can be too much of a good thing.

I’m living with it for now to see if it grows on me or if I’m inspired by what I’d like to add to it.

I guess it’s not a total fail. It is a completed project, after all. I’m not sure what I’ll add to the other wall of this little nook. I originally wanted to do two similar abstracts, but now I’m not so sure.

If you’re like me and like to try your hand at new things, I hope this is encouraging in some weird way. Even if you mess up a little or fail miserably, don’t give up! I may not be satisfied with what I’ve turned out, but I did it, and I can fix it. And let’s face it, if I can’t fix it, there are always local artists or Etsy shops or my current favorite store, At Home, that can come to the rescue.

So, of course, I want to know what you think. What should I add? Is it fine as it is? Let me know in the comments. Have a great week, everyone!

Thursday Thoughts- End of School Thoughts

It’s the end of the school year for us teachers and students. I can feel the excitement and the energy absolutely radiating off of the kids. This meme I posted to my Instagram this time last year:

Yep, still true.

Happy Thursday, folks!

Happy Mother’s Day

Mothers are extraordinary beings. I’ve never quite figured it out. Probably because I’m not one. I know that I want to be a mother one day, but the very idea of it has been known to send a shock of panic through me.

I used to just think about there being a baby that I had to care for, but then one day I started thinking about the fact that those little babies grow up, drive cars, date people, and eventually leave you to go to college. I had a major aversion to motherhood the day I had those thoughts. How could someone subject themselves to that kind of panic and lack of control over something else? How could someone afford another car payment and college tuition and then maybe even a wedding? How could someone give up a part of their heart like that? These women are crazy!

But if you think about it a little bit, they actually aren’t crazy. They are kind, giving, selfless, patient, believing, trusting, sacrificing, teaching, and loving. Mothers are superstars. Mothers are amazing. Mothers are inspiring.

I have a mother who loved me, trusted me (even when I betrayed that trust), disciplined me, taught me, gave up things (so many things) for me, was patient with me, prayed for me, and believed in me. She still does all of these things.

I have a mother-in-law who loves me, trusts me, teaches me, gives up things for me, prays for me, believes in me, heck, she’s probably even disciplined me!

I’m one of the lucky ones. Not everyone gets a good mother. Not everyone gets a mother at all. I’ve got two really great ones in my life. I’ve had more. So many mother figures in my life in the form of friends’ mothers, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, and coworkers. Each one has shaped me into the person that I am today. Each has influenced me, whether good or bad, and for that I’m grateful.

Dads can be mothers too. Sometimes life deals you that hand, and to those dads pulling double duty, Happy Mother’s Day to you, too.

There are even mothers out there who haven’t had their babies yet, but they know that they are mothers deep down. The ones that maybe are struggling to get their family to take shape. The ones who are waiting for that phone call or email that says to come get your baby. The ones who are just waiting for the right time because they know now isn’t it.

I’m amazed all the time at mothers. The things they can handle. The things they can get through. The things they can do. The way they cook. They way they clean. The way they can multitask. The way everything always seems to get done. But most importantly, while doing all of those things (and more), it’s the way they love that gets me the most.

Mothers are extraordinary beings.

Happy Mother’s Day to all.

Porch- Before

It’s that time of year where I’m in the end-of-the-year teacher mode which, unfortunately, comes with other things that take precedence over projects for the house.

Case in point: I’ve started a painting project that is taking an unnecessarily long amount of time, but I’m hoping to put my nose to the grinder (or is it grindstone?) and get it done this week after school. Fingers crossed that that actually happens and that I’m sharing it with you next week!

I’ve also been scheming a design plan for my back porch. I’ve purchased two things already to be used for the “after”, but I haven’t quite gotten to putting any of it to use yet.

I’m showing you the before of the porch today. It’s a mess, and I’m almost embarrassed to show you just how bad it is, but I’m pretty real here on the blog, so here it is…pollen-caked table, dead ferns, and all. This bar cart was something my parents had on their back porch that wasn’t getting much use, so I happily took it off their hands. I had it inside at our house in Louisiana, but it lives outside here and clearly doesn’t do anything useful. That’ll be changing soon. We’ve had this table set for nearly seven years, so it needs some love and sprucing up.

Bernie just can’t help herself. She’s always getting in the shot.

Isn’t it a mess? Oh my goodness! *Insert face palm emoji.* You can see that it’s an area of our home that’s been pretty neglected. We spend a decent amount of time out here supervising the dogs so that they don’t run away when they have to do their business, but I’d like to spend even more time out here now that the weather is pretty warm. And once things look pretty, well why wouldn’t I be out here more? 🙂

So here’s a sneak peak at what started the design wheels turning in my head.

Isn’t it great? I am having quite the moment with pineapples; I totally jumped in head first on that trend. I also love pink, and let’s be honest, that is one pink doormat, but I knew I had to have it when I saw it and saw that it was on sale for $10!

I have a lot to do (and clean), but I really want to be able to enjoy this space this summer. So that’s where I’ll be for the rest of the month-cleaning up, organizing, planting, rearranging, etc. Can’t wait to share the “after” with y’all.

Currently Loving- April 2017

April has been a fun month. For starters, it’s my birthday month. I am not really a huge birthday celebrator. I tend to play the “birthday card” when it’s convenient for me. (Can we have pizza for dinner? Will you bring me a glass of wine? – Basically when I need something and feel too lazy to do it myself, I ask Paul to do it.) 🙂 But I never want a big party, and I don’t care what people give me. I don’t need presents. Like my dad has always said, it’s just another day. I still have to get up and go to work more often than not and go about my daily business. However, I am very blessed and have people in my life who love me and made me feel very special. I turned 31 and had a fabulous birthday weekend spent with family, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. All I wanted was cheese dip, tacos, and fruit pizza. And I’ll be danged if I didn’t get it!

School celebration for our joint birthday party

I even got peanut M&Ms from one student and a pair of earrings from another. How sweet were they? I even got two birthday dinners. (Tacos were lunch.) My family cooked for us on Saturday night a scrumptious dinner and that awesome fruit pizza. Then on Sunday, I got steak, a baked potato, and a chocolate pie. I felt very spoiled and very full. It truly was a great weekend. Thank you to my wonderful families and to my husband for always making me feel special not just on my birthday but everyday.

Switching gears to products- A few things I’m loving lately in the realm of beauty products is a new company I’ve discovered called Beauty Counter. Beauty Counter is a safer beauty company that doesn’t use harsh chemicals that are found in virtually all of our cosmetics and skin care. I am slowly (very slowly) but surely making the switch to these safer products, and so far, I’m in love. I purchased the Charcoal Bar for washing my face. I use it both in the morning when I wake up and at night. Some nights, if I’m extra lazy, I use it to remove my makeup and cleanse my face. But most nights I use coconut oil to remove my makeup and then wash with the Charcoal Bar.

When I bought the bar, I heard wonderful things about this Charcoal Mask. Now, it’s not like the scary charcoal masks you’ve seen all over Facebook that pull the blackheads out of your face and make you cry in the removal process, but it is a cleansing, detoxifying, smoothing mask that leaves my face (every single time) feeling smoother and softer than I’ve ever felt it. I have extremely oily skin, and I believe these two products were some of the best ones for my skin type in this company’s line of skin care.

There are so many products I’d like to try. They can be pricey, but they have nice incentives and a little goes a long way with all of their products. My consultant said she was on month 3 or something of the one bar of soap. That’s a long time for daily use of a bar of soap. I’ve had mine for about a month and have so much left. Also, I haven’t even put a dent in the mask. It’s going to last a while for sure.

I ordered their sunscreen this week during their special they were running for the best sellers. (I think it ended, but it’s worth popping over to see if it’s still going on.) Did y’all know about all the harmful chemicals in sunscreen? Whoa!

Beauty Counter Protective Allover Sunscreen

Because I ordered during the sale, I am receiving a full sized mascara with the purchase of my sunscreen. I can’t wait to use it!

If you are reading this and want to place an order, my consultant is a friend from Louisiana, and she is wonderful! She would love to help you. Her website is found here. She can also be found on Facebook. Feel free to message her for more details and info. Or if you want to know more from me about how my products are working out, let me know and I’ll hook you up with Kelly.

April, well actually March, brought on a serious battle with my allergies. I haven’t lived in Alabama for 8 years, so I’ve gotten used to the changing of seasons in Louisiana. Y’all, when I tell you I couldn’t breathe for two months, I’m not kidding. I take a daily allergy pill and have for several years now, but nothing, and I mean nothing, was stopping this! I even did the Netty Pot. (Perhaps the most unpleasant thing I’ve ever endured.) I’ve been known to be a little stubborn, so I finally went to see Dr. Slagley. He fixed me right up with a shot (miracle working stuff right there) and all the other meds I needed to get well. And within two days I could breathe through my nose again. I have thanked God so much for that since I’ve been able to do it. I will never take it for granted again. Thank you, Dr. Slagley. I’m sure I was the 1,000th patient of yours that came in with these same symptoms, but I’m well now.

Say hello to the countdown to summer. I’m so stoked! One of the perks of being a teacher is definitely having summers off. That doesn’t mean we don’t work hard during the school year. We totally earn our break. I do love the kids and will miss them, but this teacher loves her summers.

It was my first year being able to attend Putting on the Ritz, and I’m so happy I was able to. Putting on the Ritz is a local production featuring all local talent from top to bottom, on stage and behind the scenes, directors, costume designers, choreographers, everything. The talent here is just wonderful. There are so many talented children too. One little red head, in particular was stealing the show with his stellar dance moves. This year’s theme was An Evening of Pure Imagination and had a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory theme for many of the numbers. Other acts were tributes to those gone on before us like David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and Merle Haggard to name a few, The Beatles, there was a fun Vogue number, and even a performance by the youth featuring the song from Trolls, “I Will Get Back Up Again” (I love that song 🙂 ). Maybe my favorite one was Tom Jones. Those sparkly pants and wig! So fun! Mr. Tommy did an amazing job, and I laughed a lot.

My father-in-law was in a quintet with some very talented musicians doing the tribute and sang Merle Haggard’s, “Mama Tried” wonderfully.

There were two other performers that truly blew me away with their talent and that’s Joseph Longmire and LaTonya Johnson. Holy cow, y’all! I hope they are in the Putting on the Ritz for many years to come. He has such a smooth voice, and the boy can dance! And LaTonya is a powerhouse. She sang “You Don’t Own Me” and that’s the dang truth. Don’t nobody own her! She proved that when she belted at the end of the song. I was so into their performances that I didn’t get any video or pictures of them, but trust me, they are fabulous.

All of the people involved in getting this thing put together deserve so much praise. I mean, this was so fun to see local people come out to just have a good time and enjoy other local people putting their talent out there at our very own Ritz Theater. If you have never been, next year is a must. My first year was great!

Easter was this month. I always enjoy Easter. I was able to go to church with my parents. Paul is always working on Easter, it seems. When will golf courses learn to close on Easter Sundays? If you can close for Jesus’ birth, you can close for Jesus’ resurrection. Anyway…….I quite enjoyed the day with my parents and the day before we had our Easter celebration with Paul’s family. We dyed eggs and hid them for the children and ate a very yummy dinner. I’m so enjoying being able to spend this time with family. I’ve missed it these past 8 years. It’s so good to be home.

Our community has suffered a tremendous loss therefore making April one of the worst months of many people’s lives. But one of my other April favorites is the way our town, community, schools, churches, etc have come together to rally around a family and a group of teenagers that lost a friend and loved one much too soon. I’m not sure how I would have reacted if I had been in their shoes at such a young and impressionable age, but I know that there has been such an outpouring of love from them to each other and for them from the community. It’s still very early in the stages of grief for these young people and for this family, but I know that because they are such a close bunch, they will get through this. And they’ll get through it together. Their bond will forever be strong and deep-rooted. I hope they carry that with them for the rest of their lives and look back on the happy memories of their friend. I know the pain is indescribable, but I’m thankful for the people of this community who come together to take care of their own. It’s truly inspiring and a testament to how special this person was. Though I didn’t know him or his family personally, I’ll be praying for them and his friends, and I ask that if you’re reading this, you’ll say a prayer for them too.

On a happy note, spring is a time for new things. April brought lots of new things to my life. Every month seems new to me in this old/new town of mine. I look forward to what May has to bring, and I wish you a happy May as well.