Aimee's World

Ordinary People, Extraordinary God | Psalm 103:11-12

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sat, 21 Sep 2013 19:00:00 +0000

Hello again darlings!

The other day I posted about being a lamp. How I felt that God was calling me to shine in this world. I know that we are all called to shine, sometimes it just takes some of us longer to figure out how than it does for others.

The same day I wrote that post I had gotten up and gone to work at 7, around 10 that morning, a woman came in to ship a package. She had been visiting my town (I think her mother is in a nursing home here,) and was getting ready to fly home to Arizona. The nursing home had a book sale while she was here and she didn't have enough room in her bag to send what she bought home, so she came to ship the box back to her house. As I packaged up her box she had complimented me on a necklace I was wearing and I giggled and said it was from Forever21 and was probably about $5. She explained that she usually didn't spend a lot of money on jewelry or purses either but shoes were a different story, she told me she had worn heels in her younger years and that her feet had a high arch and were very narrow. I explained that I love heels but I only ever wear them to church because I work on my feet all day. She perked up pretty quick and asked about where I go to church and if I was raised in a Christian home. I told her that my home was not a Christian based home and she asked when and how I had become saved. I told her about high school and how I came to know Christ and in return she told me a little of her story. She had been married and divorced twice and both of her husbands had different viewpoints on Christianity, they were both Christians, but she just never felt right about it. She explained after her first husband had betrayed her with his secretary, she was just like I was in high school. All over the place and drank a lot. However, she had a strong Lutheran background. Then she told me that she was slowly trying to get back into her faith but she just hadn't found "the perfect church." Her story truly touched my heart and I could see that she was encouraged as she left. It gave me joy to know that my ordinary story touched someone so deeply.

This woman was probably in her late 60's or early 70's, it really reinstated for me that it is never to late to turn back to God. It's never too late to grab ahold of His hand and become a light for Him. I had explained to her that when the person who introduced me to Jesus was explaining salvation to me, I kept telling him that I was "too far gone" for God. I could tell she felt this way too.

Let me just say that we are never too far gone for God. There is no where that He cannot go. No depths He cannot reach. No darkness that He cannot bring light to. His love stretches over each and every one of us.

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions."

-Psalm 103:11-12

So wherever you are, whatever you're going through...just know that God is right there. Call upon Him if you need strength or love or just to cry. He is holding you in the palm of His hand. Also remember that you don't have to have a PhD to share your testimony, you can be an ordinary person goin throughout your day and an opportunity to help change someone's life can be placed right in front of you. Just introduce yourself and let God do the rest.

Here is a picture I did just to help remind me of Psalm 103...feel free to use it as a background on your phone or whatever you wish! Love to all y'all!

I Am a Lamp.

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 20:35:00 +0000

Hello darlings. I haven't wrote a blog post in months. I don't know why I am feeling called to blog today, but I know that God has put it on my heart to blog today. Maybe even more than just today. I hate to be that girl who is so sporadic, the one you can't depend on; but at the same time, what's the point in sharing your life and your feelings with the world if you aren't feelin' it?

Let me first say that over the last few months, God has done work in my life. Major work. Now, I was saved four years ago this December so I'm not saying He hasn't been working for all four years. But I have pushed away from Him, tried to hide in the darkness from His light. It doesn't work y'all. But these past few months have been phenomenal. I don't usually want to share my feelings and pour my emotions all over the internet, but I just feel like He is calling me to be vulnerable, to be bold. My thought process on this is that even if no one reads this post, it's out there. If someone comes searching, they might just find what they have been searching for.

I can't even explain the timeline of my life the last few months, I've bought a house, failed two classes, gone through a breakup, been betrayed, been lied to, been heartbroken, been used, gone back to church, dove in head first helping out with the youth, drank bottles of wine by myself, cried myself to sleep, but the most important thing that has happened since the beginning of 2013 is that I have found God again. I have rekindled the fire that burns in my heart, that fire that drives me to be as Christlike as possible. I have found that and I have vowed to never, ever let it go out again. My little light is going to shine.

I don't know when I will post, or what it will always be about. But I can tell you that I am a single girl, I'm a single Christian girl in a world of girls who are having babies at 16 and getting married at 19. In a world where girls lose every ounce of innocence they have before they ever step foot in high school. I am a Christian lady who was not raised in a Christian home. I am a Christian lady in a place full of evil, fleshy desires. And for the rest of you Christian girls out there, it's us against the world. So although I can't promise you when or how much I plan on blogging. I can promise that my light is going to shine. I am going to make every. single. day. worthwhile. And I am going to wholeheartedly serve each and every human being that I can, because Christ died so that I could truly live.

What I'm Doing Now!

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 16:26:00 +0000

Hi darlings! I have many, many things to share with you!!

1) I bought a house, WHAT?! Yes, about a week ago I signed my life away to the wonderful world of homeownership. Prepare yourselves for tons of DIY and renovation project pictures.

2) I've been struggling/slaving at school. Trying to get through this semester is like digging a hole to China, impossible.

3) I've been trying to cut down on social media and spend more time with The King. With Passover coming up I really need and want to get closer to Him. Isn't it funny how your walk with God is ALWAYS hard work, no matter how long you've been "walking?"

4) I signed up to be a Scentsy consultant. I'm really passionate about Scentsy and I LOVE my house to smell good. Seriously, I am a wax cube, Slatkin & Co., room spray HOARDER. Its disgusting, but then again, at least I don't hoard 17,215,261,164.45 bunny rabbits or somthing, that justifies it, right?! So anyways, if you would like some Scentsy products you can order directly from me here. Also, I wanted to point out that I love getting samples of things to test out, I will have an ongoing contact list and send you a sample of the scent of the month with a flyer if you would like. Just email me at aimeeguise@gmail.com and I will add you to my list!

P.S. Until March 31 you can get any of the Campus Warmers for 40% off...making them $21.00 +tax. Some teams are sold out but go check the website to see if your favorite is still in stock!

5) I'm seriously (for real) going to try to start blogging more. Even if it is only once a week or something. I need to document my life y'all!

I love y'all. Let me know if I can pray for you in anyway. XOXO

Literary Junkies Link Up #4

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 18:52:00 +0000

Hi my loves! I've been super MIA lately, again. School started and that has been a crazy house. Also, I'm in the process of purchasing a home. Lordy, that is some crazy stressful stuff to deal with. When I get the house I will for sure be doing before & after of the house since it is super outdated! I'm so excited.

Okay, on to the real business, today is Tuesday which means it's Literary Junkies day! I'm linking up with Taylor and Lesley for the monthly Literary Junkies link up. If you like to read you really need to join us! We read a new book every month :)
Okay...here are this month's questions...

1) What are you reading right now? Tell us about it.

I'm reading a couple of books right now. The first one is When God Writes Your Love Story by Eric & Leslie Ludy. This book is all about handing the pen over to God instead of following your own plan. Yes, it is about finding love but it also is about just handing the pen over to God in general. I've only got maybe three or four chapters in but I'm trying to absorb what I'm reading rather than rush through it. I really like it and I would definitely recommend it for any singles out there or if you have high school aged kids, I feel like my generation could greatly benefit from this.

The second book I'm reading is part of the Bridal Quartet by Nora Roberts, I'm on book two which is, Bed of Roses. I've only got through a few pages on this book. The first book from the quartet, Vision in White, I flew through but I haven't had any time to read lately! It's depressing.

2) Give us the recipe for a good book.
This is actually kinda tough to answer! I feel like all the books I read are all along the same lines. Most of what I read is for fun so it's all chick-lit. Other than that you can pretty much forget me reading a book!

3) Tell us things you've learned from a book recently. Did you learn anything about history? Did you take away a deep and profound realization about the world around you? Or maybe even a beauty tip?
The most recent thing I've learned has probably come from When God Writes Your Love Story. It really opens your eyes to the kind of relationships God can provide, romantically or not. It's very encouraging to strengthen the relationships in your life that struggle.

4) What was your favorite book as a child?

My favorite book as a kid was probably The Old Black Witch. I made my grandma read this to me all the time! So cute. My copy that I have was my Mom's when she was little so it's literally falling apart and has been duct taped together!

Hope y'all enjoyed this! What was your favorite book as a child?

Testimony Tuesday #1

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:06:00 +0000

Hey y'all! I'm really excited today because I'm re-sharing my testimony of faith with you. I posted this a few months ago but I'm hoping you will join me in this journey! I would really love to start a series on this blog with testimonies from any of my Christian friends who want to share how they started their walk with God (and how their walk is going of course.) You don't have to have a blog to be a part of Testimony Tuesday, just email me and I will post it. I'm really hoping that this will inspire people who are down and uplift people who are struggling. Everyone deserves to know their Saviour loves them!

---------------------------------------------

On to my personal testimony....(Repost from August 5, 2012)

Weeeeell, I hope you have some coffee, a glass of wine, or my personal recommendation some sweet tea cause you're in for a long post.

I can remember when I was young going to church with my mama every so often. I never remember us having a set church or a real church family. We never went to church on Christmas, but usually went on Easter. Our family never had big dinners after church on Sunday. We never read the Bible together. I never knew what exactly God's love was. I had absolutely no idea what prayer was and why we used it.

When I got to high school I started partying, the usual. Then my junior year something terrible happened, to this day only a select few of my very closest friends know what happened. So I drank. Drank to forget, drank to have fun, drank to get through the day. I was 17 and drunk at school. My senior year came and I of course was still drinking. My best friend had moved in with me and found me at home in my bed after work, drinking tequila. This was a frequent happening. I would take alcohol to school in water bottles and drink during class. My parents never knew. I never got caught. Richard and I had just started talking and he was NOT havin' that habit. I remember we weren't even dating and he would yell at me to stop, tell me not to drive home. He wasn't being mean, even though I thought he was, he was just protecting me from myself. Then one day just after Christmas break had started a kid on the newspaper staff messaged me on facebook. I was the editor-in-chief of the yearbook my senior year so we had worked together a lot. He asked my why I was always drinking. He asked why I was in fact drinking that night. He asked how long of life I wanted to live. He asked where I thought I was going when I died. And then he told me something that shocked me, he said, "You drink so much you don't know if tomorrow will be here or not. You could kill someone driving. You could get alcohol poisoning. If you die, do you want to go to Hell?" Shoot, I didn't even believe in heaven and hell then. I thought that was a joke and that everyone went to Heaven. I was almost 18 years old and I didn't realize Heaven and Hell were real!

We continued this conversation well into the morning, probably until four or so. He told me at the end of the conversation that I should ask forgiveness for all my sins. I told him that would be impossible. How was I supposed to remember everything I supposedly did bad and ask God to forgive me? God didn't even want to forgive me. I was a drinking, slutty, 18-year-old, who didn't really care where life took me. Now why on earth would He want me to go to heaven when I died? Was this kid joking? I ended up telling him that I wasn't asking forgiveness, I wasn't wasting God's time when He should save room for people who really matter. Yeah, I was obviously not in a good place that year. Then he said, "Okay," and gave me a prayer to pray if I felt the need to change my mind. Yeah right, that wasn't going to happen in a million years. I was going to Hell.

Sure enough, I stayed sober the next couple days and really thought about what he said. Maybe there was enough room up there for one more sinner. Maybe I still had a shot. A couple days before Christmas I decided to tell him that I was ready. I wanted to ask for forgiveness.

So, I messaged my friend and told him I was ready. He told me the things I needed to say, guided me through the life changing prayer and I was re-born. I cannot explain exactly how I felt after I prayed. All I can tell you is that my life felt much less heavy. I didn't feel like I was a failure. I didn't feel so weighed down with emotions and pain. I felt new. Then he told me I needed to try out some churches and recommended the church that he (and many other friends I went to school with) went to. I freaked out. Oh no, I can't go to church. Everyone is going to think I'm worthless and dirty. Then I'm just going to end up back at square one. Here we go, I thought, I'm just a sinner again, waiting to go to Hell. The pastor from his church came to my house on Christmas Eve, introduced himself to my family, and gave me a Bible he wrote some advice in. It was the prettiest Bible I've ever seen. I thought all Bibles had to be brown and boring, but this one was so pretty and new.

At the time I was working at the hospital in the food service department delivering food to sick patients and new moms. A girl I worked with was the step-daughter of a pastor and had been a believer all her life. Her life was based around Christ. I told her what I had done and that I couldn't go to church. I was terrified to be judged. More terrified than dying and going to Hell. She convinced me after a very long talk that I should come to church with her the first Sunday after the new year. I told her I had nothing to wear but short dresses. So we took a trip to the mall so I'd feel more comfortable in a longer dress. I headed off to church that Sunday and then we had lunch at our favorite restaurant after. It wasn't so bad, there were a lot of older people instead of so many young kids. The next week I decided I would go to the other church.

So, that next Sunday I got up, got dressed, and headed to church. Let me tell you this church is GIGANTIC. Not an understatement. I was terrified. I had no idea where to go. Finally, the pastor asked me if I was coming to the youth room and told him yes. I found a seat and settled in. That day I felt like the message (it was about New Year's Revolutions instead of New Year's Resolutions,) really spoke to me. However, after church got out the drinking didn't stop. I still had the urge to drink.

For the next few months I continued going to church most Sundays. Then our pastor mentioned the bi-annual baptisms were coming up. Oh lanta, when was all this church stuff gonna stop. How much do I have to do here? Of course, they talked me into it. I went to a little meeting about what baptism means, blah blah blah. The morning of my baptism I was just different. I felt different. We had to write our testimony out for the assistant pastor to read before we got baptized and I remember all my family being there. Most of my friends came too. The pastor asked a couple questions and then dipped me underwater. I have never felt so clean and new in my life.

The guy that helped me come to see Jesus actually had his parents video tape us being baptized one after the other and they gave me a copy. I cry every time I watch it. I would never change anything I've gone through, although I know I've made plenty of mistakes, it all led me right here. Being able to share this all with you, in hopes I will inspire someone to take that leap of faith. I look back and see that my life is no where near perfect today but at least I don't have to be scared of where I'm going on judgement day. I love being in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

If you've made it through I really want to thank you for reading my whole testimony. I hope we can become siblings in Christ! If there is anything you need prayer for feel free to leave a comment or email me, I would absolutely love to have you as part of this amazing family! Literally, if you need ANYTHING please don't hesitate to email me at aimeeguise@gmail.com I want to hear from you, I want to pray for you, I want to talk to you about where God is leading you. It inspires me to continue pouring my life out to uplift others.

If you'd like your testimony posted (I would love to have you!) just email it to me at aimeeguise@gmail.com you can include a photo and any social media, your email address, blog, etc. where someone can find you and encourage you if you'd like, if not I can just post your name and keep it as simple as that. I really hope that I can have a continuous amount of testimonies to help people so spread the word!

Thank you again for reading!

My Memories Suite {Giveaway}

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:18:00 +0000

Hey lovelies, today I'm bringing you a pretty awesome review & giveaway. This is for all of you creative dolls out there, especially if you like to preserve your memories through scrapbooks and photo books!

Now, as a student who works full time there is no way I have the time to scrapbook. I LOVE scrapbooks because they are so personalized and it's such a nice way to preserve memories and milestones. I hope when I have my own babies I have the time because I just love them! My Memories Suite makes it SO easy to put scrapbooks and memory books together! Everything is digitalized which means it is literally so easy to make a gorgeous book! They have pre-designed templates and calendars or you can download individual papers, embellishments, frames, and word art to personalize your own pages. When you download the individualized files you can also print one photo with a pretty paper background and just frame it instead of a scrap booked page. This software is SO versatile.

Here is a page I created in under an hour, yes, under an hour! It's really plain and doesn't have too much detail but I really like the look of this page if you just wanted something to frame rather than create an entire book.

This is a senior picture of mine so I just added the Senior 2010 text with Prima Ballerina at the top. I could easily print this off for my family for a gift or for myself to put out as a decoration.

My Memories has an amazing array of templates and packages to choose from. They have a TON of free sets and most of the other sets & embellishments are going to be between $0.75 and $4.99. Seriously amazing.

In honor of Valentine's Day coming up here is an example of an entire set, including, paper and embellishments, for $2.99. As you can see there are words, hearts, bows, and papers (20 to be exact!)

This is honestly the best scrapbooking software I have ever come accross. I would gladly create my own photo books and layouts to have professionally printed. I'm actually really excited to be able to start creating layouts and actually doing something with my pictures from high school and some of my adventures! Especially when I start having my own babies!

I'm so excited to make some more layouts and share them with you. In the mean time you can enter the giveaway to win a full version of My Memories Suite software (a $39.97 value!) Please just follow the rafflecopter below for all the possible entries.

**If you would like to purchase the software you can use the code STMMMS30182 for $10 off the software and a $10 coupon to the MyMemories.com store. Go here to get your very own digital download.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by MyMemories.com.

Literary Junkies #3

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 01:11:00 +0000

Hey darlins! This post is two days late, eeeek. But I have an excuse, my birthday was Tuesday so I didn't put a post together, oops. Annnnd the celebrations continued through, well, right now?...Ha!

Anywho, I'm linking up with Taylor and Lesley for our third Literary Junkies party. If you're into reading you should really check out the party and book club. Go to Taylor's blog for more information! it's super fun, we even have twitter parties!

1. Which book could you read over and over? Why?
I adore all the Emily Griffin books. My favorite is probably Something Borrowed just because it's the first one and leads to so many other books. I love her style of writing and how everything is fiction but it could also happen in real life. I also love that almost all of her books are intertwined somehow. I don't like books that are fantasy and sci-fi. I actually think they are the most ridiculous things in the world, not to offend anyone who loves them!

2. If you could be any character from any book you've read, who would you be?
I probably can't even answer this question but I'll try ha! I haven't read a whole lot of books just because I often don't get into them. I'm one of those people who if I'm not hooked by the tenth page you might as well forget it. If I had to choose though, I would probably be someone out of a Nicholas Sparks book. I'm a hopeless romantic and I adore all of his books!

3. Do you ever put a book down because you just can't get into it? Or do you stick it out to the bitter end? Any examples?

As I just mentioned, I will put a book down ASAP if it doesn't appeal to me. Especially if I feel like I've read quite a bit and it's just dragging out. The one I have most recently put down was our Bookclub book for this month, The Casual Vacancy. I read the first 95 pages and it was draaaaaagging. I finally gave up and decided to put it down. J.K. Rowling has never appealed to me. I don't like Harry Potter but I figured I would like this book because it was a totally different direction. I'm just not a fan of her work unfortunately.

4. Show us your book shelves! Do you have one designated spot in your house for all your books? Do you scatter them around?
I don't have my own house so I have limited space for books. I keep most of them in my small entertainment center with my DVDs and VHS tapes. All my other "to be read" books are in my closet and I swap them out as I wish. I really like Paperbackswap.com for swapping books because I usually don't hold on to a book that didn't really appeal to me or I don't think I will read again. It allows me to continue reading new books without having the old ones lay around!

I also get some books on my kindle, this semester I actually bought a couple of textbooks on my Kindle so I didn't have to make space for the huge things!

Thanks for stoppin' by y'all! Have an amazing day/weekend. Tomorrow is FRIDAY!

P.S. Tomorrow is the last day to enter my CampusBookRentals giveaway!

Low Cost College Textbooks {Giveaway}

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 05:28:00 +0000

Hey y'all!

Today I have a really exciting post for all my fellow students out there. If you have gone to college lately or are currently enrolled we don't even need to talk about the cost of a textbook. It seems like each semester I'm in school and add up how much my books are going to be the cost just goes up and up. Sometimes I cringe thinking if I didn't have to pay for all those books I could probably put a down payment on a decent used car!

My other pet peeve with textbooks is the fact that if you buy your books (especially from the bookstore) you've got a good 600 page book at the end of the semester that is going to collect dust. I have never actually used a book after semester ended, ~~but I'm a bad student and usually never use them during school anyways~~!

Well, lately a lot of rental sites have been popping up and I have been loving them. You get a book in really good condition for a term and then you can send it back for a fraction of the cost to buy it! We all know you aren't gonna get half of what you paid for that book back out of it, especially if you're a highlighter.

One of my personal favorite websites to rent from is CampusBookRentals. I rented my French textbook (click here for the link to the French textbook) from them last semester and it was so easy. SO. EASY. I literally ordered the book, had it shipped to my door, they give you a bubble mailer AND return label, and when you're done you ship it back. Along with being literally the easiest rental site I have ever used, they allow you to highlight the text. Now, I'm not a highlighter but some people are definitely visual!

This is the price I would have paid if I would have got the book from my bookstore.

This is what it costs to rent the book from Campus Book Rentals. Obviously it's over $100 cheaper to even rent it from the bookstore!

What are some other perks you ask? Well, if at any point you need to extend your rental you can just log in to your account and voila, there is a little button and you type the due back date you'd like, pay for the extension, and you're done. If you honestly would like to buy the book because you think you'll use it in the future, you can pay them the difference and it's yours, free and clear! If for some reason you need to return your book they will let you return it for a full refund within 30 days. Like seriously, can it get any better?

Whenever you do rent a textbook from them, a portion of the sales gets donated to Operation Smile, which is an organization that does cleft reconstructive surgeries. I find this amazing considering my cousin has had 22 years of cleft lip and palate surgeries. That topic really hits home with me!

And guess what I have for y'all today?! A giveaway! CampusBookRentals so graciously offered to giveaway a $25 gift code to one of you lucky ducks to put towards your books! Follow the rafflecopter below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

MIA Much?

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 04:10:00 +0000

Hey y'all! I know, long time, no blog. I'm a loser. Anyways, I had a free moment to blog and I seriously did not notice how bad I missed blogging. I feel like y'all are my best of friends and I'm being reunited after six years or something. Wow.

I'm really hoping when school starts this semester I won't have such a hard time adjusting and I'll be able to blog way more often. It's a goal I have for the New Year: be able to blog regularly!

Speaking of goals for this year I have a few that I wanted to share with you. I asked on twitter the other day if anyone has everyone "monthly resolutions" as opposed to a New Year's resolution and if that was easier to accomplish than doing an entire year of a resolution. I think I'm going to try doing something along those lines. So for instance my "goal/resolution/no-buy" for the month is not eating any fast food! Yes, that will be tough, I always turn to McDonald's in a time of doubt, not any longer! Plus, think of how much money I'm saving.

At the beginning of the week I started TurboFire, which is a program similar to P90X, Insanity, ChaLean Extreme, etc. It's one of the Beachbody workouts and I've tried it before but I just wasn't into it and the DVD's have been sitting around for about two years now. I figured since I paid over $100 for them I should at least either use them or sell them and I decided I would try them again, I have to say in the week I've been doing it I'm actually having a lot of fun. The workouts are really intense because the workouts are mostly based around high intensity interval training. I'm tellin' you my booty, legs, abs, arms, ribcage, thighs, everything hurts. It hurts to hand people their clothes at work and even to sit down!

Source: dangshefine.stockphotosweb.com via Aimee on Pinterest

So, I have a few questions/requests for y'all!
1) Do you have any link-ups/accountability parties on your blogs (or do you know of any) relating to eating clean and getting fit? If you personally host one on your blog I would LOVE to check it out! Leave the link in the comment section or you can e-mail me if that's easier.
aimeeguise {at} gmail {dot} com
2) Do you have a board on Pinterest that is based on healthy recipes and getting fit. I think the exercises on Pinterest are some of the best and most effective for doing at home and I find new ones all the time!

If you have any other information to pass along I'd love to hear it. Also, if your goal for the year is to get fit let me know so I can come see your progress and encourage you! Thanks for stoppin' by and have a fabulous day :)

I Feel Like a Hamster

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:38:00 +0000

Hey y'all. Long time no blog! Whoa, I don't think I've posted anything during the month of November at all. Worst Blogger Award.

If you wanna know what I've been up to this month I've spent most of my time at the hospital with my grandmothers. I think they run a competition to see who can beat the other at everything they do! One was in the hospital for two weeks and a few days later the other went to the hospital. What a mess I tell ya.

Okay anyways, other than that I really feel like my life is chaos. I feel like I'm on one of those hamster wheels and it just keeps spinning faster and faster. Blahhhh!

My sanity right now comes from books. I have found a new love of reading. Right now I'm buried in 66 Love Letters. If you're a Christian you NEED to read this book. I want to do a review on it when I'm finished but I''m trying not to rush through it. I want to read it slowly so I can really think on it. I've also joined a book club, Literary Junkies, which is real cool. I'm going to pick up probably on the next book. I joined a little late and then things went chaos so I had to miss out on their first book.

Anyways, I'm going to probably continue being a bad blogger for a while. If you haven't noticed I don't have my sponsor page up and I'm trying not to make any blogging commitments for a while so I can get back to normal. Hopefully over Christmas break things will settle down! I appreciate everyone who has been praying and uplifting me. It really does help more than you'll ever know! Love y'all!

Blog Angels Octoberrrrr

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 03:49:00 +0000

Hey y'all! Ahhh, I think I've literally posted like five times this month. Holy cow. Why must I be so busy?!

Anywho, I've got to let y'all know about this month's Blog Angels experience...

As I told y'all during the middle of the month (the reveal post) I was Angel to Kim. She is such a sweetheart and I feel awful. I'm going to try doing some "angel" activities through November because I didn't do a whole heck of a lot for her in October. If I would have known I was going to be THIS busy all month I wouldn't have signed up.

I know I said in the reveal post that I really liked praying for the blogger I was working with and this month I definitely did extra of that. Kim lives in New York so I've been trying to keep in touch with her and pray for her safety. As far as I know she is safe and sound but it sounds like a lot of NYC is just a mess. I cannot imagine.

A few of the other things I did this month for Kim was putting her button on my sidebar, tweeting one of her giveaways, entering her giveaways, commenting on her blog, and tweeting at her a few times. I feel like I've done an okay job at helping her out but I definitely want to extend my hand out to her this next month and get to know her more! She has been so sweet all month.

I didn't think I would like the "reveal" being mid-month but I actually think I like it better, if we wouldn't have done the reveal I think I would have struggled so much more than what I am right now. Plus, I liked finding out who my angel was so early on. My lovely angel was Jessica, the biggest sweetheart around. She went above and beyond being my angel, bless her heart. I hope we can continue staying in touch in blogland! Thank you for all you've done and if there is anything I can do for you let me know!

P.S. Jessica has a Pinterest link up on Thursdays that you should go join! Her most recent Pinterest post was all about Halloween, check it out here! She is a pin hoarder like me :)

Pinterest Crushes {Halloween Edition}

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 05:44:00 +0000

Hey y'all! I seriously cannot believe Halloween is three days away! Where did October go!? Since it's so close and I didn't even decorate my dang house this year (obviously slacking over here!) I decided to link up with my girl Jessica for her Pinterest Thursdays. I know I'm like three days late but better late than never!

Jessica is my blog angel for the month and I'm so happy for everything she's done! She is such a doll :)

Okay so...I'm not even dressing up this year. I didn't decorate. The most I've done is change my Scentsy scents for fall and I plan on wearing a black shirt and orange scarf Wednesday. I've never really been into Halloween to be totally honest. When I was about four I told my parents I did not want to go trick or treating and I made my mom go buy color crayons and coloring books and we delivered them to the kids in the hospital. And I'm pretty sure I was a witch for like eight years in a row...because my favorite movie is Hocus Pocus, duh!

If I ever do get the chance to dress up here are some things I want to be...

If I wasn't a ginger and a princess I would be Ursula. I think this costume is legit. Source.

Which means I obviously have to be Ariel. Duh. I don't think I could ever just wear a bra though... Source.

Believe me I want to gag because Kim K. went as Poison Ivy but this was the most unique costume I found on Pinterest. If I ever am her I'll make my own for sure. Source.

Some decorations I really like include...

I think this subway inspired sign would be so cute with some hay bales and pumpkins on the porch! Source.

This is so cute for when you have kids and a two story house! Source.

Cutest way to line the driveway! Inexpensive and could be a project with the whole family!

I adore this. I believe you can purchase one similar on Etsy if you don't have time/aren't creative enough to make it! Source.

Well, there ya have it! All the most adorable Halloween ideas that I'll probably never make. I'm such a pin hoarder. I honestly have made probably less than five things I've ever pinned! One day....one day. Kiss kiss loves!

P.S. GO check out Jessica's blog. It's darling and she is the SWEETEST!

Fall Swap Reveal

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 16:58:00 +0000

Hey y'all! I am so excited to share some goodies with you :)

A few weeks ago I signed up for a Fall Swap with Neely, Erin, and Tracy. My swap ended up being a little wonky because my first partner was in the middle of some moving and didn't get back to me right away so I emailed Neely and asked what I should do. They assigned me a new partner and then my first partner got back to me. I was lucky to have two amazing swap buddies!

It actually worked out perfectly too because they both asked for basically the same things but with different style. I got each of them a scarf, three mini candles from Bath & Body Works, and a candle sleeve. Their scarves were so different but both were gorgeous! I actually went out and bought one for myself afterwards because they were beautiful. I was truly blessed.

On to my goodies....

My original partner was Christy. Girlfriend is like a running fanatic, too bad I detest running. BUUUUT she sent me some amazing things!

First, she sent me candles. Oh how I love candles. I believe these are from Target (and let me tell you I ADORE Target candles!) They are Autumn Harvest and the one in the candle sleeve is Heritage Pumpkin, which is currently being burned in my bathroom. They are such cozy scents and I really like how scented Target's candles are. I have a few of the large ones from summer.

She also got me an ELF beauty book which has the cute snake print all over the outside. I love ELF products and this book of shadows is perfect for travel. There is such an array of colors including matte, shimmer, satin, and full on glitter finishes. The picture really washes out the colors, they are much more pigmented that what they show on camera. I'm really excited for the purple and royal/navy blue toned shadows for the next few months!

Girlfriend also sent me an ELF nail polish. I haven't had the chance to use it and I've never used an ELF polish before so I'm not sure what it'll be like but it is a beautiful fall color! I'm loving neutral nails for the season.

My second swap partner was Jessica who was a total doll. I am in love with everything she sent :)

First up she sent me this adorable mug. I'm so into coffee now that I have to get up at 5:45 in the morning and this will make my day every morning. It says "You Go Girl." Definitely the encouragement I needed!

She also got me a gorgeous scarf. It's definitely not something I would have picked out for myself considering I have red hair and I never thought this color would look good with my hair but it's perfect for fall! It's like a burnt orange color and has gorgeous fringe! She also sent a cute little note and two adorable Halloween signs to set out! This "Boo" one is perfect, Boo is my nickname! The other sign reads "Beware" with a cute little bat!

I absolutely adore everything my lovely partners sent me! I'm sorry it took so long to get my reveal post up! I hope everyone has a happy fall!

Blog Angels: Halfway Point!

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 17:31:00 +0000

Hey loves! I've been MIA again....

Anyways, it's October 15 and that means it's the halfway link up for Blog Angels! This month there was 100 blogs and it is a little different. Usually halfway through, we still are secret blog helpers! But this month Rosie at Craftbotic Q decided that we should reveal who we were at the halfway mark.

I feel really awful about how I've been for Blog Angels this month. I've been so super busy and I cannot believe it's already the 15th! I really kept thinking "I'll have plenty done by the 15!" Uhh, hello where has this month gone?!

Anyways, the blogger I've been helping is Kim from Singledou[b]t. I've commented a few times and her button is in my sponsor part of my sidebar. I will be doing a "sponsor post" here shortly before the end of the month but other than that I've sucked :( Sorry Kim! To be totally honest I haven't even been able to make it over to her blog everyday. But I know now that we have revealed ourselves I should be able to help her a little more!
What I really love about Blog Angels is being able to connect with someone and focus totally on uplifting them and helping them out. I pray for the blogger I'm helping each month to find wisdom and reach out to other bloggers. I feel like I can help on more than just the strict blogger level. In the future I plan to do some shoutouts for Kim and help with anything else she needs on her blog!

I feel really bad that I haven't provided anything for my Blog Angel to work with, I'm excited to find out who she is and give her some material to work with :)

{Giveaway} Yours Truly 1,000 Followers!

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Hi Dolls! I have some real exciting things for you today :) I have donated a couple gift cards to Yours Truly for her exciting 1,000 follower giveaway! This giveaway is huge y'all, so many things to win. I hope you just enter your little hearts out!

I also wanted to let you know I'm going to be in Tulsa for the next four days so I won't be posting! I've been on twitter lots lately if you want to follow me on there @aimeeguise I hope y'all have a fabulous weekend!

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I don't know if I can guarantee that this is the biggest giveaway you've ever seen... but if it isn't it must be pretty dang close. So many of my blogging friends are here to help celebrate my 1,000 follower milestone with a massive amount of prizes for YOU! There will be SIX winners as there are six different packages with either 10 or 11 prizes in them. I did my best to evenly distribute the prizes within the packages so there isn't one "really awesome" package...they're just ALL really awesome. Thank you so much to the sponsors of this giveaway! Now let's have some fun!

Rules: You MUST be a follower of Yours Truly via GFC.

All entries will be verified since you're winning some pretty SWEET packages.

If an item has shipping restrictions (only a couple do) and you are outside

the shipping area then that individual prize will be drawn for someone else.

NOTE THAT THERE IS ONE RAFFLECOPTER FOR EACH PACKAGE.

You can enter for ALL of the packages!

Sponsors are most definitely free to enter as well for packages they haven't donated to.

Package One:

Custom blog planner from lalaLists, 3 months featured ad space from Only Impossible Until Done,

1 month medium ad space and $10 to Starbucks from My Favorite Finds, 2 Pure Ice nailpolishes (red & gold crackle) from aunieSAUCE, 1 month ad space and $20 shop credit from Sassy Lemonade, 250x250 featured ad space from Craftbotic, your choice of print from Livy Love Designs, $10 to place of your choice from The Jersey Flower, 1 month medium ad space from The Chiffon Diary, set of mustache mugs from Mrs. Bonn Bonn (US only), custom about me/welcome design from KV Confessions

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Package Two:

$25 shop credit from Anna Delores Photography, 1 month large 200x300 ad space from Mom2MemphisAndRuby, $15 to Amazon from The Vintage Apple, silver feather ring from Kelly Stahley Art and Design, 1 month 200x200 ad space and $10 to Amazon from Life Feels Good In Portbail Beach, 2 months medium ad space from The Songs On The Way, $10 to Starbucks from Love, Laughter and Lipstick, 1 month featured ad space and sampler pack of handmade cards from Stop! She's Got a Camera, 2 nailpolishes and ombre necklace from Beauty By T, 1 month 200x200 ad space from All Things Lovely

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Package Three:

Set of 10 4x6" cards from Loverly She, 1 month large ad space from Ninth Street Notions, 300x145 ad space and $10 to Amazon from Sweet Tart Beauty, venti ad space and item from jewelry sale from Pointing Up, gift pack (hand lotion, nail care kit, jewelery holder, bracelet, earrings, 2 soaps and candle) from Dreams And Colour, 2 months medium ad space from The Intentional Momma, $10 to Starbucks and $10 to Target from Aimee's World, medium ad space from The Grant Life, $10 to Barnes and Noble from And Here's To You, Mrs. Robinson, Gryffindor Halloween onesie from Rae Gun Wear

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Package Four:

$20 shop credit and 3 months ad space from Crafty Confessions, Park Avenue ad space from Jennifer Leigh's Blog, $10 to Starbucks from The Crafty Side of Sarcasm, $25 shop credit from Products of 47, 2 months of 150x150 ad space from Juggling Act Mama, $10 shop credit from Sweet Bella Roos, $10 to Target and 1 month small ad space from Delightful Deets, 1 month 300x300 ad space from Like Ordinary Life, 1 month medium ad space from Living In Yellow, 2 months 200x100 ad space from Monkeys and Tutus

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Package Five:

Snow white stretchy headband from Diary of a Brown Eyed Girl, $20 to Forever 21 from Two Smuppies, $20 shop credit from Imprintalish, Scentsy travel tin from A Muse In Purple, 2 months small ad space and $10 Starbucks from Free Spirit Reigns, 1 month large ad space from Lipgloss and Crayons, mug rug and coffee cozy set from Finding My Way In Texas, custom blog design from God's Little Designer, 1 month 300x300 ad space from Coming From a Place of YES and Everything In Between, 1 month 200x200 ad space from The Funny Thing of It Is, 1 month 200x200 ad space and $10 to Amazon from Pretty Living PDX

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Package Six: Zoya NYFW gloss sampler from Glossy Blonde, 1 month De Luxe ad space from To Sew With Love, $10 to Amazon from Three Peas in My Little Pod, 1 month large ad space and digital print from Live Laugh Love, set of dish cloths (2 cloths and 2 scrubbies) from Impractical Composition, 2 months fabulous ad space from Sinead In The Sun, $10 to Starbucks from Sippy Cups and Pearls, 1 pack fold over elastic hair ties, fold over elastic headband, vinyl wall decal and customized scrabble tile pendant necklace from Adventures of Brad and Kendra, any 8x10 print and 1 month ad space from The Charming, $10 to Maurice's and 1 month 200x150 ad space from Girl Booklet a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finished Up Products {& Will I Repurchase?}

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 01:08:00 +0000

Hello dolls! I always LOVE watching finished up product videos on YouTube and sometimes I'll catch blog posts about them but I have been saving up some empty bottles to do a post and I feel like I've got enough to do a post! There are a few products I threw in that have maybe one or two uses left in them that I will use up but I put them in this post because I didn't want to have to save them after they're used up!

I'm going to have to do a part one and a part two because I've got about 20 products. So for part one I'm going to do haircare and body care!

I know these have different names but I'm pretty sure they are the same formula. If not it's similar enough that I love both. Obviously I've repurchased because there are four empty bottles here and I have more that I'm working on. I feel like this is a very moisturizing shampoo and it doesn't weigh down my head of curls! Repurchase.

These conditioners are so amazing. I love the way they smell and if I had to choose one I'd say I like the Daily Moisture better. I've got an Intensive Repair in my shower now and they really make your hair so soft. They cost around $3.00 at Walmart I believe so a very good deal for the money Repurchased.

This conditioner doesn't really do much for me. I love the smell but since my hair is so curly it gets super frizzy and dried out. When I use a conditioner I really need it to moisturize so I can have soft, bouncy curls. Will not repurchase.

For as much hype I hear about this line I was majorly disappointed in this product. The actual product itself is thin and almost a chunky consistency and once I put it in my hair it didn't seem to moisturize at all. The smell isn't too appealing either. It must be personal preference with this product because my momma swears by it. Will not repurchase.

I'm not 100% sure if they still sell this product or not. I had a bunch of these sample sizes that came with conditioner and shampoo from quite a while ago. I really like this product and the smell is amazing. It truly moisturizes and "repairs" my hair. I probably would repurchase if I didn't have another product that I love better. Might repurchase.

This is what I've found that I like better. If you don't own this you need to go buy it now. It's less than $4.00 at Walmart and will last quite a while. My hair is so much more manageable now that I use this. Plus it smells like coconut heaven, I would honestly use this just for the smell that lingers in my hair. Repurchase.

This is probably my absolute favorite product in this whole post and a must have. If you've got curly hair - buy it now. Seriously I can spray this through my hair and walk out the door and unless I've ran my fingers through my hair, which if you have curls don't do it, I can go all day without frizz and with the most defined curls ever. I can spray it in at night before bed on wet hair and let it air dry and sleep on it and it looks nice the next morning too. For the price of this product it is fabulous! Repurchase.

This is my all time favorite body wash for the spring and summer months. During the fall and winter I use a moisturizing body wash but during the summer this always keeps my skin really clear even on the hottest days where you just sweat like crazy. I don't think it has the same effect as the face washes in the fact that it doesn't just wake you up but I still really love it. The blue one has a couple uses left and I do have a couple bottles left over that I didn't get the chance to use before fall. I honestly can't even pick favorite scent out of these because they are all amazing! Repurchase.

I use this after every shower on my stomach to lighten my stretch marks. I've used it for about six months and I have noticed a difference. I hear vitamin E oil is supposed to work faster so I actually picked up a bottle of that and a huge container of the Palmer's just to see. I would recommend using this during your pregnancy to help with stretch marks, I hear it does wonders! Repurchase.

I know this isn't hair or body care but I wanted to share with you what I do with the candle jars when I'm finished with them. First off as you can see there is about a half inch of wax left in the bottom of that candle, however I can't burn the rest of it. These candles have a safety feature that once the wax is so low the wicks won't light so the glass doesn't get too hot and shatter. Smart thinking on their part but for a $20.00 candle it is kind of irritating that it isn't completely gone! So when I finished this one today I stuck it in the freezer once the wax was hardened and cooled down. I left it in there for about a half hour and when I pulled it out the wax was cracked in about four places. I just took a butter knife and broke the rest of it up. As you can see in the bottom left corner of the picture I used the remaining wax in a tart warmer and then peeled the sticker off the candle and cleaned the jar. I'm going to use the jars to organize things because I think they are so classy.

Alright y'all that's all I've got for you today as far as finished products go! Most of them I like and would repurchase, a couple just didn't work for me but might work for someone else :) Have a happy weekend y'all!

I'm A Terrible Blogger.

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 03:21:00 +0000

Oh, hello blog babies. It's been like 10 years since we last spoke! Do you remember me, the ginger? Well if not let me tell you that the past month has been absolutely craaaay.

I'm just going to update y'all on my life...if you care you can stick around, if not...see ya! Jokes, guys. Jokes.

Okay...where do I even begin?...

First off let's just get it out of the way so there are no questions. I'm not posting about this topic because I want a pity party...I'm letting you know because I have blogged about it before. The ~~beau~~ ex-beau. Richard. Yes, we decided to part ways for a while. It might be a break, it might be permanent. Anyways, just so you know why I'm not talking about him as much. If you must know a reason we are just trying to figure some personal things out and wanted time apart. That's that.

On to the next topic! Y'all I'm headed to Tulsa next weekend. FOUR days of vacation. FOUR! I'm so excited to have that many days off in a row I could scream :) I'm headed down to see Kelly and my Goddaughter Rella. Prepare yourselves for some pictures...or 500. I also plan on doing some major shopping and getting a head start on Christmas shopping. My goal this year is to have everything bought and wrapped before December first! I hope I can do some sort of haul of things I buy (obviously not the presents) when I return!

Also, the whole reason I have been slacking so bad lately is school and work. Girlfriend has had so much homework. Plus, I've been adjusting to management, which is interesting to say the least! I really wanted to try to do a post about staying organized for online classes. I'll try to get one up before the next semester starts!

Okay, finally. This is really something that is important and as amazing and supportive as all of you are I would really appreciate the encouragement. Over the last three years I've struggled to keep my heart in line with Christ and since I've got a little more me time I would really love to focus on really living for Him now. I know one of my main problems is not going to church every week. I always sleep in or make an excuse not to go and I really need encouragement in that category! I also really need to get back into scripture. I want to make time to sit down and read every day...I know the time is there I just have to find it. This is where you lovelies come in. If you have any advice let me know! I want to know some of your favorite scripture to help really see that God's plan is the best thing for my life. Songs, scripture, quotes, reading, articles, websites, anything y'all have send them my way! Also, if you're willing I would appreciate so much your prayers and uplifting. I know we're all sisters in Christ so if you need me to be praying for you don't hesitate to ask!

You can e-mail me at aimeeguise@gmail.com or tweet at me or leave a comment, whatever you're comfortable with if you have a request. I love praying for people and adding them to my prayer list.

I really hope this post wasn't terribly long and boring for you and I'm going to try very hard to get on a schedule! I love you all so dearly!

Blog Angel October Sign Up!

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sat, 15 Sep 2012 14:15:00 +0000

Y'all! I told ya I would post about this when the sign up went live and it is! Go sign up to be a Blog Angel in the month of October. The sign up is only open to the first 100 bloggers so get ya buns over there!

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You might have heard the name 'Blog Angels' popping up all over your social media over the last few months and wondered, what ARE they going on about?

Blog Angels is run by Rosie at Craftbotic. Every two months 100 bloggers get the opportunity to help each other out, build friendships and community in the Blogosphere.

The principle is easy. By signing up to be a Blog Angel you are promising to help another blogger for a whole month. The least you need to do is comment twice a week on their blog, but the possibilities to do more is endless.

In the first two rounds of Blog Angels we had people commenting, guest-posting, giving social media shout outs, new blog design features and warm words of encouragement. Some people swapped addresses and sent little packages. The choices are endless.

So what's the catch? Well, it's all done in secret. For this round, things are changing slightly. Here are all of the details:

1. Sign up is on 15th September. The form you fill in can be found at Rosie's, but also on these sites:

A Little Piece of Me

The Houtz House Party

Lipgloss and Crayons

White Lights on Wednesdays

2. The form is slightly more detailed to help with the matching process. It still takes less than 5 minutes to complete though.

3. The project will start on 1st October and will be secret for the first two weeks. This will allow you to get to know your blogger, build up a relationship and start to act to help them. You would need to as a minimum comment twice a week on their blog.

4. After two weeks you link up a 'reveal' post at Craftbotic on 15th October.

5. You can then communicate with your blogger and give them more specific help, build friendships and develop your role. This is the newest part of the project and came out of a long conversation with the angel regulars.

6. On the 31st October you write a 'reflection' post reviewing your experience of Blog Angels and what you achieved with your Blog Angel.

It's pretty simple. These small steps will help you to be part of growing community of bloggers who care.

On a serious note, there is always a 'drop off' of Blog Angels. Those folk who get busy and disappear. Apart from being incredibly uncool, it is completely unnecessary. Please make sure you have time to help out in October BEFORE signing up. If life gets crazy you just need to email and let Rosie know. Orphaned bloggers can then be reassigned. In Blog Angels the only thing you are guaranteed is the opportunity to help some-one else.

What an amazing opportunity that is! The first 100 people to sign-up before 25th September will be taking part. We all hope that it will include you!

Crushin' For Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 03:47:00 +0000

Hey beauties! Over the past couple of days I've been having a real itch to get going through my closet and get rid of some clothes that I don't want, need, or can't fit into. I really feel like every girl should do this with each season. So with going through my closet and cleaning out clothes I don't need, I also like to add a few items to my wardrobe each season.

By a few items I'm talking restocking/replacing my basics as well as picking up a few inexpensive trendy items. I know right now that I'm in dire need of white camis. Dire. We're talking I need one at least for every day of the week. A good one. Without holes. I probably have like two right now. Along with white camis, I believe every girl needs a nude cami. They are amazing.

So with talking about what I'd like to add to my closet I'd like to show you some things I want to add and some wonderful inspiration from my BFF pinterest!

source

I'm in love with oversized denim shirts. I'm still on the hunt for a nice denim shirt and I can't decide if I want one this color or a light wash one. I'm thinking Goodwill, Salvation Army, or the DAV is going to be my best bet!

source

Oversized sweaters. I don't think I need to say much else. It gets really cold where I work and what better than a huge comfy sweater to warm ya up!

source

Since it is getting colder and it's a little more difficult to wear lace I think these flats/loafers are real cute. I've been needing a new pair of flats anyways!

source

The color mustard. Ahhh, I'm so in love. Since I have red hair this color looks gorgeous on my skin tone and with my hair (its rare a ginger gets to say that!) I'm looking for anything and everything mustard!

That's all I have for you ladies today. If you have any recommendations on things I should check out send them my way :) I'm trying to get back to regular posting but this last week I've worked 10+ hours a day and I've had a ton of homework. I'm just so exhausted! I love y'all very much!

Sunday Social : All about Bloggin'

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 17:00:00 +0000

It's time for Sunday Social! I hope all of you had an amazing weekend...where the heck did it go?!

1. What is the name of your blog and how did you come up with it? The name of my blog is Aimee's World and I came up with that just because I knew I wanted this blog to just be about my life, my experiences, and just me...so it literally is Aimee's World!

2. What do you love the most about blogging? I love meeting new people and building relationships with other bloggers. I feel like some of my future best friends can come from blogging and I feel like a lot of us keep the drama at bay for the most part so I'm not getting sucked into it like my real life friends a lot of the time.

3. What are your 2 favorite posts you've written?

1. My Testimony

2. 21 in 21

4. What is something you'd want to tell someone just starting out in blog world? Considering I'm new to the blogging world I would say keep your head up. Don't let a nasty comment keep you from blogging just keep pushing through and ignore them. Blogging is like therapy and the beauty of it is you will make a ton of blogging friends, just not over night. Along with that I would have to say reach out to other bloggers. Big or small. Just step out on a limb and get to know people!

5. Biggest blogging learning experience you've had? To really be kind to other bloggers and encourage them. I think I learned this most through the Blog Angel program. Encouragement is like gold to other bloggers!

6. Give us 3 blogs we NEED to be following that you love.
1. AunieSauce <--- Love her blog. She's got so much inspiration over there and her engagement story made me cry this morning. GO READ IT!
2. From Mrs to Mama <--- Girlfriend is the cutest pregnant woman ever. I love Becky...all her posts are so grounded and really relatable. And I really love how honest she is and how much she talks about real life.
3. I Heart Organizing <---If you're into organizing or you're on a kick to get organized visit this blog. It has some great projects and inspiration.

It's Ok Thursday : My Absence

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 02:50:00 +0000

Blaaaaaaahhh. First I was to apologize for being MIA for like a week and a half. Richard surprised me and came home Friday so I totally devoted a ton of time to hanging out with him since I haven't seen him in a month! Plus, we had three days off work so I just took a break from everything to relax. You have a fair warning that this post may be whiney and bitchy!
It's okay that I have watched two and a half seasons of Friday Night Lights in a week and a half. I'm addicted.
It's okay that I've already bought a Pumpkin Spice Latte...I was trying to hold out for closer to October.
It's okay that I've really struggled waking up at 5:30 every morning for work, just last week I was sleeping in until 9:00. Those were the days!
It's okay that I've been burning a Cotton Candy candle for the last three weeks. Ahh, it smells divine. They were part of the TargetShops at Target and went on clearance...yummmmmyyy.
It's okay that I haven't painted my nails in a week. They're a chipped wreck.
I'm sorry it's so short today. I really hope I can get back up on a blogging schedule and a schedule with everything else! I'm going to work on it this weekend. Have a happy Thursday y'all!

Blog Angel Reveal

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 22:50:00 +0000

Hello lovelies! I'm so happy today is Fridaaaay! Plus, I get to share with you who I was a blog angel for! The blog angel was a program that Rosie from Craftbotic put together for bloggers to help each other gain bigger followings, improve their blogs, writing, etc. The catch though is your had to help your blogger out anonymously without them finding out who was helping!

The blog I was an angel for was Life of a Sports Wife written by Jessa. When I first found out who I was helping out I thought I would never be able to help. Our blogs are about two totally different things and since she mostly writes about sports I couldn't ever relate. However, when I started frequently reading I realized she writes about her faith, posts weekly scriptures, and ended up talking lots about her move from Oklahoma to Arizona!

Since Jessa was so busy this month she didn't get a whole ton of time to post which means I didn't get a whole lot of chances to leave her comments without giving up my identity! I commented as much as I could, especially on posts with scripture that really touched me. Then, about a week into the month her and I managed to swap buttons without her realizing who I was so I was able to include her in my sponsor feature for the month. I also followed Jessa on twitter and retweeted her a few times as well as put some shout outs about her blog so people could go check her out. I'm not sure I did too much to help her blog grow but I know I gave her some love. I also made her a signature for the bottom of her blog about midway through the month.

I've really enjoyed helping Jessa out and staying up with her blog but trying to keep unnoticed! It feels really great to know that someone is stalking you and giving you love so I'm glad I had the chance to do it for her! Check out some of my favorite posts of hers below!

Read about Jessa's Move to Arizona! Check out one of my new favorite verses Jessa featured. Also check out her thoughts on the All Star Game compared to her husbands thoughts.

I'll be sure to tweet and put a blog post up about the next round of blog angels. Sign ups with go live September 15! Have a happy weekend :)

A Night Owl Birthday Bash {Giveaway}

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 05:45:00 +0000

Hey y'all! I'm so terribly sorry I've been a huge slacker this week. I've been trying to get homework done so I don't have a ton over Labor Day weekend and I'm pretty sure I didn't accomplish that goal. I've also been at work a lot more preparing to take over as of Tuesday. Last night we had a meeting that lasted for an hour and a half after the store closed and I was just so sleepy! I feel so drained. Hopefully I can catch up on blogging and sleep over the three day weekend!

I'm real excited for this weekend! Richard comes home. I get to reveal my Blog Angel today! Today is paaaaayday! And I have three days off. What is a girl to do?!

Anyways, my usual Friday Favorites probably won't happen this weekend because Kimberly from A Night Owl is hosting her Birthday Bash giveaway! I'm guest hosting it along with some amazing other bloggers. Go check out all the amazing prizes! I'd be down just for the Starbucks giftcard :)

Welcome to the Birthday Bash Favorite Things Giveaway!

Hosted by A Night Owl.

It's Kimberly of A Night Owl's birthday, and YOU get the presents! Today we're giving away a few of her favorite things: a Cupcake Diamond Candle, $25 to Starbucks, $25 to Anthropologie, and a Julep Maven Nail Polish! You KNOW you want to win! ONE winner takes all!

Open in the USA and Canada.

Ends at 11:59pm EST on September 7th, 2012.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

His & Her's

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 02:26:00 +0000

I did this link up last Sunday and it was so fun. I know I've done two today (Sunday Social and this one ) but they are so much fun. Plus, the His and Her link up gives me a chance to make Richard sit down and answer questions even though he's busy at school today! Head on over to Tab and Love, the Grows to link up and check out other answers!

What is something weird your spouse does while asleep? *we've only ever spent the night together once so it was somewhat hard to answer this!

His: She steals covers and is all over the place at night!

Hers: He snores really loud.

Which of the 7 deadly sins are you? (anger, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony)

His: Pride

Hers: Sadly, probably envy.

What was your favorite hiding place as a kid?

His: Trees. (Why is he so boring)

Hers: In the back of my parents closet! or I would crawl up the shelf in the bathroom and hide on the top shelf so I my parents couldn't yell at me!

What music artist do you love that your other half hates listening to?

His: Eminem! <--- I definitely hate him!

Hers: George Strait!! Richard hates twangy country!

What has your other half recently done that made you love them more?

His: She calls me all the time.

Hers: He made time for a skype date last week!

What is your favorite hole-in-the-wall place to eat?

His: Hickory Hut BBQ

Hers: Oh Lanta, he would eat there every day if he could. He literally does eat there everyday when he comes home on break. My favorite place is Grandma Max's...we have a special booth there :)

What do you admire most about your significant other?

His: Her caringness for others and her red hair ;)

Hers: He's always so determined to get things accomplished. No matter how mean I am about having him go to school so far away he still continues to go so that he can provide for our family once we reach that point. I really admire his drive and compassion for getting something finished!

Ideally, where would you like to be five years from now?

His: Working in an exercise science program as a trainer at a University somewhere. Oh, and happily married...

Hers: He's such a butt! Definitely married and living happily together, hopefully still in Kansas!

Who wears the pants?

His: I do.

Hers: He thinks he does!

What is your favorite/go-to YouTube video? (embed for all of us to watch.)

His: Wrestling highlights or something at a car show.

Hers: The landlord with Will Ferrell!!

Sunday Social : All About the Internet

noreply@blogger.com (Aimee) — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 18:10:00 +0000

Hey y'all! Can anyone believe how fast the weekend went? Seriously, tomorrow is Monday and then it's back to work. Anyways, I'm linking up with Neely and Ashley again today for Sunday Social! Go link up too! I love reading Sunday Social posts!
1. What is the first website you log on to each day? Swagbucks, which is a website that you can search from and earn "swagbucks" to redeem for prizes such as Amazon gift cards and Paypal cash. Then probably Gmail!

2. Give us some funny websites you visit that we need to know about... I don't usually even go to funny website cause a lot of the times I don't have the time to sit on them for four hours! But when I do I really love these two!
-Damn You Autocorrect
-Some Ecards

3. Pinterest or Facebook? Why? Pinterest most definitely! Facebook anymore is just a drama house and I just have a personal facebook. I don't have a facebook for my blog and I usually don't like other bloggers facebook pages because it just fills up my newsfeed with things I already read on their blogs! I
like Pinterest because it lets me be creative and imaginative :)

4. Twitter or Instagram? Why? I honestly like both. I really like Instagram to keep up with my family long distance but twitter is nice to just read little blurbs about whats going on here and there!

5. Favorite youtube video...post it! Beware it has a few cuss words in it! But whenever I'm having a bad day I ALWAYS watch this and it makes my day so much better! I even have a shirt with this little girl on it that says "Where's the Rent?!"

6. Biggest online pet peeve? I'm sure half the people who link up to Sunday Social today will probably say this but it's definitely talking about people behind their back over the internet. Whether you do it as yourself or whether you make a fake name to do it. Just don't. If y'all really have something to say about someone do it one on one to their face. It just disgusts me what online bullying has come to these days!