naturallyestes

Farewell Dear Friend...

2012-03-05T14:43:00.000-06:00

Last week the Estes family, particularly Paisley, said good bye to a dear friend.

A few days before we sent paci away, we talked to Paisley about it. Because if we would have just sent it away, the poor girl might not have survived! ha! Thursday night Sam brought home a huge Cinderella balloon and we tied paci to it. Paisley decided that she wanted her paci sent to Gma (in Arkansas) so that is where we told the balloon to go. (too bad balloons don't take directions very well) ;) After we went outside we let Paisley have one last suck on her paci and she was supposed to decide when she wanted to let it go...

Unfortunately that night was VERY windy and after about 5 minutes the wind caught the balloon, popped the paci right out of her mouth, and blew away. As simple as that, the balloon and paci was gone...

Trying to console a saddened little girl, we told her that since she was now officially a big girl she could have a cupcake!

SCORE!!

As Paisley was eating her cupcake Sam and I had a bad feeling about the balloon's departure because of how windy it was. The moment we opened our front door our worst fears were realized. The paci and Cinderella was stuck on the telephone wire right IN FRONT of our house! Like I could have almost jumped up and touched the dad-gum balloon!!

I began to panic!

What were we supposed to do?!?! If we couldn't get it down Paisley was surely going to see the poor lifeless Cinderella dangling from the wire stuck by her beloved paci. And that might be more trauma than this little girl (or her momma) could handle. But getting the paci down wasn't a simple task! Sam said we would have to call the electric company to come over and fix our little issue. How embarrassing!!!

I could just imagine:

"Um ma'am, how did this balloon and paci come to be attached to this wire??"

"Well sir, I was just trying to get my daughter to stop sucking on her paci."

"So you thought placing it high enough that she couldn't reach was the answer? You know telephone wires are nothing to play around.."

"Yes sir...I won't do it again."

This was just simply not happening! Why could nothing be easy for our family???

After we put the kids to bed that night...Paisley crying for her paci...me traumatized by our parenting fail...I called my mom and sister to show her what happened. But when I stepped outside to let her see the crime see where Paisley's paci was clearly dead...it wasn't there. Thank you Jesus!!! Somehow it was released and sent on its merry way! I was no longer needed for me to shamefully deal with the electric company, and my family had been spared of this humiliation come dawn!

It's funny to laugh about now, but I seriously thought I was going die! ha! So the moral of the story is...don't let the paci toting balloons go on a windy day or near any telephone wires!

Simple enough, right!?

Little Miss Diva!

2012-02-24T10:47:00.000-06:00

I CANNOT believe that Paisley went from this:

To this:

In two short years!

Man I love this girl and all of her "girly-ness"!

I am SO blessed to be her mommy and I am excited to see who this little girl becomes.

(cue tears...)

We've got a tone of partying to do this weekend!!

Check in!

2012-02-23T15:32:00.000-06:00

My goodness, once I announced my weight...in awesomeness, and my desire to lose a little, I felt like the eyes of the world were on me. This is creepy, scary, and oh-so-great (in an accountability kind of way) all at the same time. Have y'all ever seen the tv show "Ruby"; yeah, I am SO the blog equivalent, haha! Now I feel like if I eat a piece of cake Big Brother is watching and I'm going to be in TROUBLE, ha! There is just something about making your goals public that helps you actually achieve them! And for this I am grateful.

But the reality is I'm ~~fat~~ overweight and there's a reason for that. So this weight loss gig I've got going on right now is and will be a down right battle. I LOVE to eat...and I LOVE to eat sloppy, greasy, fatty foods! (this is really making me want some BBQ ribs right now) Truthfully I'll eat almost anything, because I'm a convenience eater...and an emotional eater...and a bored eater. Oh yeah baby, I'm a triple threat! ha!! This is why, for the most part, I am in my current condition.

Hi, My name is Brittany and I am a high maintenance weight loss gal. (first step is admitting) ;)

After going to the gym for two weeks straight, trying to eat right, and following my trainer's work out regime I am down:

YAY!!!

Let's celebrate!

But I've got to keep it real with you. For the past two days I haven't made it to the gym, I've eaten cake, AND my "Five minutes in Hell" (may not be the official name, ha!) look a little like this:

Paisley tried her best to work out with me!

Things ALWAYS seem to pop up when I need to work out. The kids need a drink, Penelope needs fed, Sam gets home late for work, the kids beat me up while I try to work out, church, etc.

Granted these aren't bad, but I told you, I'm a high maintenance weight loss kind of gal. So if there is anything that hinders or messes up my plan...I'm over it. Because right now working out sucks.

It does.

It just plain sucks. If you were to watch me work out (and oh my word, please don't, ha!), I look like a hot jiggly mess! Seriously, if you get too close while I'm working out you may be hit by a fat roll. But I keep telling myself it's all for the better. Every time I run, I can't look at the fact I need to run until I burn 400 calories (which for an out of shape lady is hard!). I run until I hit 200, and then I want to quit, so I pep talk myself into running until I burn 250 calories. When I reach 250, I want to quit, so I pep talk myself into 300 calories. And the cycle continues all the way until 400. ha!

But when I do burn all I need to or complete a work out like I should, I ~~limp~~ walk out of the gym with my head held high. Because for that moment I am no longer the 211 pound hot mess. Instead I'm the girl who making a change in her life, and she quite frankly is unstoppable.

So my encouragement to you (and me!) is to not give up...it's okay to admit your a high maintenance weight loss gal (or guy), but don't let that be your only title. Let's keep deciding to make a change...because the one thing propelling me to continue? The fact that I'm going to be weighing in and photographing myself next week! I've so got to redeem myself some from the atrocity you gazed upon last week! ha!

Without My Permission...

2012-02-22T15:00:00.000-06:00

...this little lady turned SIX MONTHS OLD today!

(sorry the picture is blurry)

Seriously y'all, she is the best.baby.ever!

Penelope loves to smile, laugh, and talk...especially early in the morning when I bring her into bed with us.

Such a Chatty Kathy!

Pretty sure she started saying "da-da" the other day, and she is trying SO hard to crawl. Makes me sad to see our little Nelope grow so fast!

All of her siblings love her to death! Especially Miss Priss! After nap time everyday, Paisley asks to go see Penelope and say hi. So we head over to her crib and one of two things happen.

One - Paisley wants to climb in bed with Penelope

Two - Paisley wants to hold/rock Penelope in the rocking chair!

It really is SO precious!

Such sweet sisters!

Paisley has a big day coming up on Friday....tear.

Just A Whole Lot of...

2012-02-20T19:03:00.001-06:00

...RANDOM!

There has been SO much going on lately around my house, not like that is new, ha! Nothing really big enough to blog about (...except one, which you'll know when you read it!), but I decided to share anyways. Hence the reason this post is entirely RANDOM!

* I have had such a GREAT response to my Bloggy Biggest Loser post. Many of you thought I was brave, and I can only assume it's because I posted my fat pics. It's not bravery...just stupidity. Haha! No, really I don't regret showing them, because it is all the more incentive to actually LOSE the weight. (told you I need severe accountability!) For all of you ladies wanting to join me, are you willing to log your stats and show your progress with me? It's no fun being the ONLY one. ;) C'mon, I challenge you to be honest with yourself, get comfortable with who you are, you don't have to LEAVE yourself at the undesired weight, but you should DEFINITELY love the body God gave you. Let's work together. ;)

* Also on the topic of weight loss, I realized the other day that I need/want to lose about 70 pounds total! Y'all that is a second grader! But, let's get it done!

* Sam had the day off from work (Yay for President's Day...banks are closed!) and he told me that I could have the day off too! What a blessing! I spent a good amount of time at the gym, worked on orders, and tonight I get feel pretty! (See next bullet point) ;) I am so thankful that I have such a sweet husband who acknowledges my hard work and let's me take a day off! Go Sam!

* Tonight I am getting my hurr did! It is about TIME! Awhile back a friend of mine turned my hair color from bleach blonde to brown. This was only supposed to be a transition into a red, so when a week later I added the red...my hair did not respond so well. I seriously look like a calico cat with shades of red, brown, blonde, and purple. Purple?!?! Yeah, it was no good, and my hair has permanently been fixed in a ponytail. ha! Thank the Lord that will no longer be the case!! Hallelujah!!!

* My business cards came in today, and they are FABULOUS!!! One side has different pictures of my products and the other has my business information. I'll have to post up a picture later!

* Did you notice that the blog is now naturallyestes.com instead of naturallyestes.blogspot.com?!?! Movin' on up! haha!

* Lastly, I was accepted into this exclusive group called The Artisan Group. Basically businesses who are accepted into the group get to gift celebrities their items. As a matter of fact, The Artisan group will be taking 100 swag bags to the Oscars and not only do the celebrities GET your items, but they take pictures WITH your items!!!!! What great publicity!!!! I didn't apply/get accepted until it was too late for the oscars...hopefully next year! Anyway, the other day we found out about an opportunity to do a swag bag for an A-List celebrity and his family....and I was CHOSEN!!!!!! So I get to make a custom headband for this celeb's daughter:

(via)

SURI CRUISE!!!!! Can you believe it?!?! I almost can't, and I am SO excited to make something fabulous...that she will wear everyday...and get photographed in...and appear in People magazine. (deep breaths, deep breaths) This is such a HUGE opportunity for Peas & Carrots, and I am so honored. After I make little miss Suri's headband, I will make other similar to it for y'all to buy! That way you can say that you have the same headband as Suri Cruise! SO COOL!!

...that about does it, I am heading out the door to be pampered!

Living on the Wild Side

2012-02-18T17:34:00.000-06:00

Last night our Sunday School class had a little get together! It was SUCH a blast, and I enjoy spending time with them outside of class. It is SO important to have friends and feel plugged in at a church. ;)

Of course I had to get pictures of everyone...well I think I missed a few people, opps! For some reason our group got a little segregated at one point with all the women on one side and the men on the other. It's okay though, the girls TOTALLY had more fun chatting.

P.S. I am pretty sure that I am only wearing black until I lose the first 20 lbs. Black is slimming and I need all the help I can get, ha!

For our ladies group picture I made Lucy (the lady next to me) trade plates with me, because I didn't want my heaping plate of food sitting in front of me. Especially since I'm supposed to be on a diet! She laughed and sweetly obliged...not that I really gave her any choice, ha!

When it was time for cake I about died! That warm, gooey, chocolatey goodness NEEDED to be mine.

GET IN MY BELLY!

But this is all I got. :(

And if anyone tells you other wise They.Are.Ly-ing! ;)

After we ate...and ate...and ate, then we adults did the only natural thing next.

Play ROCK BAND!

But the best singer of the night was BY FAR Matt. And I have the video to prove it! (Man I LOVE iPhones!)

Good food, great memories, and a little bit of blackmail sprinkled in, makes for a fun night!

Bloggy Biggest Loser!

2012-02-16T16:19:00.000-06:00

Okay, I recently reached a point in my life where I am just tired of always feeling HUGE and insecure about myself. Literally I would probably complain to Sam about how I felt like a cow almost everyday...while eating cookie dough. ha! It was easy to blame all the weight gain on having four kids in 5 years, and while those little bundles of joy may have done a number on my body...the current state it is in, is all my bad!

With that said, Sam bought me a gym membership. I was a LOT a bit mad that he would spend our limited income on something so silly like that. But he knew as well as I did that my guilt about him using the money for me, would drive me to actually USE the gym. Ha! The man is a GENIUS! Thus began this ~~LONG~~ journey to taking back my body!

I am someone who needs SEVERE accountability when it comes to eating right, going to the gym, and actually doing something productive at the gym. Taking a tour of the facilities and stretching doesn't count...or so I've been told. ;) Anyway, hubby thought I needed a more of a nudge in the right direction...which led me to my ~~drill sergeant~~ personal trainer. My first meeting with him, I knew would be rough, instead of leaving feeling better about myself because I worked out, I would inevitably feel worse because my current state was so bad! So I decided I needed SOMETHING to make me feel better about all of this...

P.S. It didn't help. ha!!

My trainer made me weigh myself, which was a shock to me, because up to this point I only guessed at what that pretty number would be. Now that I know, I think I like the guessing better, ha! After he saw my number he jokingly said,

"Well we could wait a couple of days for your assessment and your weight would be the date."

I about went all Waterboy on that guy!

The dude is tough. He definitely does NOT let me get away with anything! I have even tried to pull the, but I JUST had four kids bit. Nope, not working.

And to help my accountability further I decided to blog about this journey. I'm partially crazy at the moment for posting these pictures, but I'm gonna do it anyway.

Here is what I'm working with right now:

That equates to:

But in this one case I'd like to be a ~~little~~ lot less awesome!

Listen, if you know me in real life, there is to be NO mention of this number, got it! haha!

....................................................

I know that there are other men and women out there in blog-land that would love a reason to start claiming their bodies back. Why don't you join me??

Every two weeks let's post updates, encourage each other, and hold each other accountable. This should be a no judgement time! I am working on adding a link up section at the bottom of the post as well as "Bloggy Biggest Loser" button for you to add to your blog!

For Pete's sake don't leave me hanging!

Let's to it together!

There is strength in numbers!

The Day of Lurve...

2012-02-15T10:10:00.000-06:00

Gotta tell you, I really wasn't expecting much from Valentine's Day. Not because I have a slacker husband, but we really haven't ever made a big deal out of the day. But when Sam told me that he had plans for us I got a little excited. How was he going to make this happen especially since we had four kids in tow?!? Ha!

But the man DID have a plan, and a great one at that!!! After the kids went to bed Sam made me get all dressed up as he went and got dinner he had pre-ordered. The man came home, set the table up all romantical (so not a word, but I like it!), and put on a suit jacket. He then escorted me to the dining room and began to explain why he chose our dinner to be Olive Garden.

"I was thinking about the best date we ever had, and I'd have to say it was that one time we went to Olive Garden. When we ate and talked for 4 hours. I was hoping to recreate that."

*SWOON*

Back off ladies...he's all mine. ;)

We then spent the next couple of hours eating some good food, talking (I actually printed off a set of questions to ask your spouse I found on pinterest!), and enjoying each other.

What a great night we had!

..........................................................

And now that I've made you read my mushy night-o-love story, here are the winners of my last two giveaways!

If you didn't win...take it up with the boys...they drew the names! haha!

Winners, please get ahold of me by Friday, Feb. 19th to claim your prize! If not I pick new winners. ;)

The (in)RL Conference

2012-02-15T08:54:00.000-06:00

Have you heard of (in)courage?

It's a great online community for Christian women!

But what gets me excited is that (in)courage will be hosting a conference in April!!

Not just any conference, you get to attend it in your own cities and communities.

How great is that?!?!
Wouldn't you like to meet ladies in your own community...not just on you blog?!?!
Let the sisterhood begin....
...and I'll be there!
Will you? (find out more info!!!)

HAPPY VALENTINE"S DAY!!!

2012-02-14T07:47:00.000-06:00

How "I" Became "We"

2012-02-09T09:41:00.002-06:00

Today I am linking up with From Mrs. to Mama and sharing my Love story!

(At the Cotton Bowl...you know, the game the Razorbacks won!!!)

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?
Well, we started dating in April 2003. Holy Cow! That is 9 years, y'all really hadn't thought about it too much! We were both juniors in high school, and I was TOTALLY smitten with good looks! (I'm so shallow...haha!)

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}
Our love story is funny...well at least to me, ha! When I was in fourth grade my family moved to NWA (Northwest Arkansas). On my first day of school I was so nervous, timid, and a little embarrassed (I was LATE on my first day!)...so I was thrilled when the teacher pulled me to the front of the class and introduced me to everyone. As soon as she said, "Class this is Brittany Sears (yeah, the Britney Spears jokes didn't come until later), and she's a new student." the entire class started laughing. I.WAS.MORTIFIED. Why were they laughing at me??? Sam (you know, hubby sam) piped up and said they were laughing because now there was 2 Brittanys in their class. Oh the humor of fourth graders. He, sure did not start off on the right foot. Can I get an amen?!?! We grew up going to the same schools, but never really talked until our junior year of high school when I spotted a hottie in one of my classes. We (mainly me) shamelessly flirted for a bit, but the dude never asked for ~~a date, a kiss,~~ my number. So a sister was desperate...and y'all I am not to proud of this next part, ha! *blushing* One day Sam and I were talking about his track practice later that day and I told him that I, myself was a fast sprinter. (was I....NO!) Then somehow it progressed into a bet that I would beat him running, and further into meeting him THAT afternoon to actually race him. After my fate was sealed I began to panic! How was I supposed to beat him? Thankfully the story doesn't end there, I went to the track to race him, the punk talked me up to a lot of the guys on the track team, they all stood watching as we raced, and I made a blessed FOOL of myself. BUT Sam then knew I really liked and BOOM he asked for my digits! HALLELUJAH!!

(So not the professional pics...notice the lovely videographer in the background, ha!)

3. If married, how long have you been married?
We have been married for almost 7 years...July 30, 2005! I cannot believe how close to TEN years we are. It seems so surreal, but I'm thankful to have married such great, godly man!

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding?
Our wedding was in Fort Worth, TX and I'd say it was medium sized. My family had just moved down to Texas the year before so not everyone we knew could make it. Though I was SO grateful for all those that did travel far and wide to come. Now as far as decorations went, my wedding was pimped.out. No lie. Imagine a modern day Steel Magnolias...oh yeah, it was greatness!

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!
Not really. We are just too mature for mushy nicknames...ha! Actually, more times then not, I call sam Daddy, and he calls me Mommy...just because that's what the kids say.

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.
I love how he such a provider for our family. He works, and he works hard to make sure our little family came survive. He is also a fantastic father. Seriously, the kids and I are quite blessed beyond measure! Sam is such a big support to me. I truly love that, especially since I'm a big, dumb, emotional girl sometimes.

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?
One night in college he told me that we were going out on a date and he came by to pick me up at my dorm. He then proceeded to make me put on a blindfold and drove me around until I clearly had no clue where we were. At a local park, he had made a cute little picnic for us, and began sharing all the things he loved about me. He even said he wanted to spend the rest of his life "romantizing me" (which is so not a word, but it's SO Sam!). As he asked me to be his wife, he slid the ring on my finger and told me I had to answer him before I could look at it! Ha! Of course I said YES!!!

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?
Not really either...but if I had to choose one, I'd say a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy.

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?
The reality is we do more of the latter...and frankly I enjoy it, because it's quiet time with my love and no kids! BUT with that said, I really do want to escape the house after being there all day! So an adventure with a sunset dinner on the beach sounds FAB!

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?
I would LOVE to go travel around Europe with him, BUT our one true DREAM trip would be to take an Alaskan cruise! To.Die.For. Unfortunately with the recent cruise tragedy headlines, it might actually end in a "to die for" scenario...so no thanks!

(At my sister's graduation)

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.
Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Oh yeah, we are hopeless romantics, can't you tell?!?

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?
Not really, but I'd love a new pair of black shoes, another James Avery charm, trainer for the gym. ha!

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.
Stick it out. Marriage is not gum drops and lollipops, but it is also not something that you can just throw to the side and quit when you get frustrated. You need to be selfless, yes, you heard me correctly, put your partner's needs before your own. (I am bad at this myself) You need to constantly nurture your relationship. It's like if you buy a brand new car, but never get a tune up, change the oil, air the tires, etc. it will fall apart. (sad thing is many people show their car more love than their relationship.) The same is true with your marriage...show it some love. ;)

14. Show us a picture of what love means to you.

(Sam and I with our 4 children!)

Want to Win a $100 VISA gift card?!?!

2012-02-04T12:55:00.003-06:00

-------UPDATE!!!!--------

Okay, because I'm feeling a little generous, AND I am SO excited about all my new product photos (which y'all seem to LOVE too!!)...I thought I'd throw a little giveaway!!

~~TODAY ONLY~~ UNTIL FRIDAY (FEB. 10th!!)

I am giving away a $100 VISA gift card!!!

Do I have your attention now?!?!

So, here it is!!!!

How to enter:

* For every $20 you spend at Peas & Carrots (other coupon codes not valid) you will be entered in the drawing for the $100 gift card!!!

* In the comments section during check out be sure to say that you are entering the $100 VISA gift card giveaway...and the person's name who referred you (if applicable).

* The person with the most purchases with their name as the referral (can't say your own name) gets a special prize as well!!

* Your order has to be in/paid for by midnight (CST) and special/custom orders/sale items also count!!

* In order for the gift card to be up for grabs there has to be at least 10 entries!

* AND if there are 20 entries...I'll giveaway TWO $100 gift cards!!!

So the more you enter the greater your chance is of winning ONE or TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS!!!!

Who's excited now?!?!?

*disclaimer: this is not a sponsored post...I am just having the giveaway out of the goodness of my heart!*

Seriously want to cry..

2012-02-03T14:31:00.000-06:00

As I was going through pictures on my computer I came across this little photo of Paisley:

And now, just a year later, she looks like this:

How can that even be???

Makes me just want to cry!!

(that and freeze my kids in this stage forever, ha!)

Holy Cheez-Its!!!!

2012-02-01T21:19:00.000-06:00

Last week I had a product photo shoot Peas & Carrots with the lovely Kelly, Isabelle (her adorable daughter), and Paisley!

To tell you these pictures turned out great is an understatement! I'll leave you with a little sneak peak with some of the FABULOUS photo collages!!

NEW PRODUCTS!!!!

The Paisley Covered Button Earrings!!

The Lucy Headband!!

The Tabby!!

The Eloise Multi-Rosette Necklace!!

The Ruby Headband!!

The Hadley!!!

(the headband I'm wearing is The Penelope!!)

and....

The Capri Tuxedo Bow!!!

These are of course just a few of the fun pictures she took!!!
And I can't wait to show you the rest!!!

Thanks again Kelly, you're simply the best!!

It's just SO hard...

2012-01-31T14:15:00.001-06:00

...hanging out with this kid!!

NOT!

Here is a little impromptu photo shoot with Sweet Penelope from the other day. She was in SUCH a good mood, but really, she's always seems to be in a good mood!

THANK THE LORD!

I just LOVE this little girl!!!

Penelope is mostly call Nelope...because when she was first born that is how Titus would say her name! It was/is the cutest thing and it just stuck! haha!

Our sweet Nelope Kaye!

Even though she is a petite baby (I don't even know what to do with little babies, haha!) she doesn't really look like it. Penelope is also one tough little cookie though...she hats to sit, always wants to stand, and you can NEVER lay her in one spot and expect her to be there when you walk back into the room! She will most-likely be halfway across said room...she LOVES to roll!

Really, where has my baby gone?!?!

These days are SO precious with her and I couldn't be more thankful that God gave her to us!

And just because I know you want another Nelope fix...here she is!!

You're welcome!

To the Man...

2012-01-27T15:23:00.000-06:00

...With Huge Hands...

just

want

say

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I just wish you wouldn't be so serious all the time...geez! haha!

We Love you Gpops!!

Hit that Line, Hit that Line...

2012-01-25T15:05:00.002-06:00

Since I'm playing catch up on the blog, I thought I'd start with my Christmas present!!!

(via)

I CANNOT tell you how excited I was to get to go!!! I mean, it seriously was meant to be since we live in DFW and our Razorbacks made it to the Cotton Bowl.

How could I miss it?!?!?

Sam and I before the game!

(I was already declaring victory, ha!!)

So excited to see that Tusk made it to the game!

I follow "tusk_IV" on twitter...obviously not the real Tusk, but I like to think it is, because that guy is HI-LAR-IOUS!!!

In my book, I just took a picture with a celebrity!

Oh yeah, Felix Jones spoke to the AR crowd!!!

As well as JERRY JONES...you know, the OWNER of the Cowboys!!

OH.EM.GEE!!

I saw this little Arkansas crazed boy and I HAD to take a picture with him!

When I asked the dad if it was okay, he responded,

"Well you can take a picture of him, if you'll take one WITH him also."

Haha!!!

The dad was SO trying to hook his son up!

Now, here is the important part...especially to us southern ladies.

The attire.

Clearly, there were some hits and misses.

I'll let you be the judge.

The break down:

1. LOVED this shirt "If you call them, They will come." It's a play off of the movie "Field of Dreams"

2. This girl had on the CUTEST sweater with a sequined Razorback!

3. umm...okay. Sprayed red hair, cut off shirt, daisy dukes with black spandex underneath, and high tops.

4. & 5. This man had red dress pants on with white razorbacks...kinda digging that!

6. Back to the redneck AR fans...this man's shirt "If you don't bleed Hog Wild red then take you B*$%#H A$$ home." Oh-so-classy.

7. Here is the khaki version of number 4...and I REALLY like these!!

8. & 9. Not only did each piece of this lady's attire have a different red, BUT she was crazy drunk even before the game started!!! (per picture 9) Hog hat, sequin top, tight red jeans, and sequin Ugg boots. TACKY!

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But now onto the game!!!

I LOVED being able to cheer on my hogs in person!!!

Especially since WE WON!!!!!!!!

(via)

What a GREAT way to end our 2011 season and all I can say is,

BRING IT ON 2012!!!

Whatcha think?!?!

2012-01-24T14:14:00.002-06:00

So ummm....

It's been awhile since I've made it back to my little slice of the internet.

For good reason! I've been BUSY!

But what else is new, right?!? Haha!

Anyway, I PROMISE to update you on all the fun/crazy/unbelievable things going on in the Estes world, BUT I first wanted to see what you thought about my new blog design?!?!

I. Am. In. Love.

Seriously, the bright colors, fonts, and how can you go wrong with family pictures?!?! (You SO need to click around and see all the new features!!)

The FABULOUS Jessi Connolly from Naptime Diaries is to thank for this yummy blog greatness! She owns an Etsy shop where she specializes in scripture prints. (P.S. I totally ordered like 15 of her prints...no lie!) But she couldn't pigeon hole her talent so she expanded into blog and business design!!!

Did ya notice my business has a new look!!!

HOLLA!!!!

(Don't forget to grab my *new* blog and shop button for your blog!!...they are over on the sidebar!)

Please, do yourself a favor and check her out!!!

Also, how could I NOT thank the lady behind my amazing family pictures?!?! Kelly, you REALLY are the BEST!!!!!

Christmas Recap in Pictures!

2012-01-03T09:45:00.001-06:00

Because I am SO far behind on actually posting about Christmas, I figured I'd just let the pictures speak for themselves!

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The weekend before Christmas, Penelope had her acting debut as baby Jesus!

(Mary and Joseph happened to be my parents, haha!)

And here is our tree on Christmas Eve...

Presents on the left our for our "little" family of six, and the presents on the right were for when the rest of my family came over on Christmas!

Big difference, huh?!?!

Let's just say we were all blessed by an abundance of gifts! ;)

Gifts from Santa...using their new stockings I made!!

(P.S. I didn't get them all the way finished...and the kids didn't care, ha!)

Now for presents!

I forgot to take pictures of Penelope's gifts, probably because I was the one to open them, ha!

But here is some of our little cutie!

Sam pulled off the surprise of a lifetime with his gift!!!

He is well known for not being able to keep gifts a secret...but this year he held out!

Great job honey!

This is what I received:

(Though he is SO sweet, and I love his effort on creativity...I don't think he'll be opening an Etsy store for his artwork andy time soon! ;))

It reads:

"There once was a Princess with heart.

(A Christmas card for Brittany Estes)

She made beautiful works of art,

Loved the 'backs & her family.

Even her sister who doesn't fart.

*Side Note: I'll let you guess which sister, haha!*

Her family loved her,

Especially her lover."

"Even to the point of doing things under cover,

Planning, saving, doing everything they could

Because she always seemed to put them above her.

So they came up with something GREAT!

Planning since November,

And setting the bait.

Making it just right,

They are ready to reveal the Date..."

(the number part of this kinda confused me, basically 1 + 6 + 12 = 19...1 - 6 - 2012)

"If you add the numbers together you'll get 19.

Minus off twelve (the year) you'll be thinking keen.

Just seven left, now you're thinking right?

Your final hint:

Not our mattress,

Or box spring...

But in between.

GO..."

And this is what I found:

We're going to the COTTON BOWL!!!!!

Does my man know me or what?!?!

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We had a great Christmas and were immensely blessed with gifts, but the greatest gift of all was the one long ago. The birth of Christ our Savior!

*More posts to come as I play catch up!*

All I Want For Christmas....

2011-12-28T21:29:00.003-06:00

...is my ~~two front teeth.~~ front tooth.

A little over a year ago we (I mean Ethan), had a little mishap.

Since then we have monitored his teeth, making sure they weren't loose (he's not supposed to lose them yet), discolored, or forming abscesses on the gums.

So for the past year this hypochondriac mother OBSESSED over those little suckers...we even took a trip back to the dentist a week after his accident because I noticed one of his teeth were getting darker. (We were told that could mean the tooth was dying.)

I had visions of him losing both front teeth and being a walking redneck joke, ha! Or paying out the wazoo to have a root canal done with implants that would ultimately be taken out when his big teeth needed to come in.

Both sounded like nauseating options to me!

The dentist said it only looked like his tooth was bruised, but we wouldn't know for sure until up to a year. However, the tooth would always stay dark...yuck! (he looked oh so classy!)

As the year passed, we thought his teeth were in the clear....until last week when I noticed a pimple like abscess on his gums.

My heart sank...

...and I called the dentist. He was so great to get us in on the Thursday before Christmas. But because of scheduling both Sam and I couldn't go with Ethan...so I decided Sam should go. It ripped my heart in two to not be there with him, but I thought Sam would be more level headed and really grasp what the dentist was saying, as well as make the right decision if needed.

After an x-ray it was clear we had lost the battle with one tooth. (I know, it's such a dramatic thing..."lost the battle", haha!) That meant he would need it pulled......and they did it that day. Sam text me and told me the decision and I started to panic, sweat, cry, freak out. I was a HOT MESS!! (Obviously it was a good thing I wasn't there, ha!)

Here is my brave boy moments before ~~they ripped his tooth out of his mouth~~ he lost a tooth.

Sam said he wasn't nervous at all, partially because Sam coached him on this being a possible outcome. (The dentist was even impressed with how calm and knowledgable Ethan was about all of this, ha!)

What a good daddy!

Apparently Sam had to sign a waver saying the he wouldn't take photos during the procedure...so he snuck some quick pics right after!

That's my man!

For what I hear it only lasted a few minutes, but being at home waiting to hear what was going on seemed like HOURS!!

Ethan never cried once, as a matter of fact he was watching cartoons while the dentist was doing his thing. He actually asked the dentist to move because he was blocking his view, ha!! And after it was all said and done, Ethan was insistent that I posted about his tooth on his blog...yep, that's my kid!

And this is what my FIVE year old looks like now.

Yeah, you may be thinking what I'm thinking,

"I thought the dark tooth would have been the goner."

Nope, we weren't so lucky...that tooth is still hanging on.

For now!

So not only does this huge hole in his mouth where a tooth should be draw attention, but after that shock wears off you're drawn to the nasty dark tooth beside the hole.

Precious.

Really, I'm destined to live in a trailer park, in rural Arkansas, with dead animals as decorations.

I pray it will at least be a double wide, thank-you-very-much!

A Picture Is Worth a THOUSAND Words!

2011-12-19T21:18:00.003-06:00

Really.

When you think about it, if you don't take the time to photograph loved ones, events, etc. then you will NEVER remember it the same way! Slowly but surely all the details will fade away and be lost.

Just like our trip to this local farm last month. Even though I didn't have the time to blog about our trip and share pictures...I sure did take some! We had a blast, and here are a few of the MANY pictures I took:

I love looking back on these pictures and laughing at all the fun we had, embarrassing moments, and sadly the stressful outbursts I had. Oops! But the point is, I remember it all...because I took pictures.

And for a ~~crazy, I-don't-know-what-I'm-doing point and shoot girl~~ photographer like myself it's nice to have a camera that can take great pictures. One that I don't have to be a pro to work, but makes me feel much more talented then I really am, ha!

Olympus recently came out with a camera that does just that!

(via)

And, I'd have to say that my favorite part is how compact it is...I'm a ~~bag lady~~ mom, so I carry lots of things with me. I don't need a ten pound camera to whip out at each adorable, embarrassing, unbelievable thing my children do. But I don't want a small camera that will force me to sacrifice quality either.

I need both!

So to show how easy it is for everyday people to take amazing pictures, Olympus gave over 1,000 people a new Olympus PEN® E-PM1. It's all part of The PEN Ready Project—more than 1,000 cameras, over 1,000 people, 6 cities. To see what they shot, go to http://penready.com.

(This post is sponsored by Olympus)

What Matters?

2011-12-14T08:38:00.003-06:00

This past weekend I took a trip up to Poplar Bluff, Missouri...the land of no Starbucks and Targets.

Lord help me.

The trip came about really fast actually. Wednesday afternoon my mom text my sisters and myself informing us on my grandma's condition. I don't know whether I just chose not to really sit and let myself comprehend what was going on or if I just really understand the weight of what my mother told us...but honestly, as I read through her text I felt like I was reading a "terms of agreement" clause. They usually list the facts you're required to agree to in order to proceed on with whatever it is you're trying to do. If you're like me, then you really just skim the terms, hurry and "agree", because what you want to do is pending on the agreement.

So here were the terms:
* her cancer had spread a finger's length
* they wanted to start chemo today
* my mom and her siblings didn't feel my grandma would survive chemo

There they were...laid out right in front of me. All I had to do was "agree" with them and move on. Because let's face it, this is a busy time of year. I have a house to decorate, Christmas presents to shop for, Cards to send out, and a business to keep afloat. Ha! I just laugh at myself even typing this, but it was true...and oh so easy to get caught up in. So you know what I did? What most people do when reading a "terms of agreement"; just skim it and accept.

Don't lie...you do it too! haha!

So whether I liked it or was ready to deal with it didn't matter, I had to accept it. So I pretended to so I could move on about my busy schedule.

My mom however, focused on what really mattered...her mother. When things finally started to set in about her mom's condition she wasn't okay with just continuing on about her day. So somehow we all dropped everything we were doing, all the work, decorating, and shopping, and went where we really need to be...with my grandma. For one last time.

Our weekend consisted of little sleep, crazy kids, laughter, and tears...many tears, but I wouldn't change a moment of it at all.

When you or someone close to you is facing their last days on Earth, you realize what really matters. I spent a lot of time soaking up everything about my grandma. Her smile, sarcastic comments, the pictures she displayed, our shared memories. And as I walked in her room I noticed a few pictures on her dresser. First, I took a picture of the photos to use as blackmail on my mom (ha!), but then I studied them. These were significant to her...she had them up for a purpose.

Like this one:

When she looks at herself sitting on the steps smiling down at her four children (at the time), does she remember inevitable sibling fighting, punching, setting hair on fire (oh yes, it happened) that occurred amongst these kids? Does she remember how fast she wished that year would pass with all these crazy little kids? No, she remembers how sweet, ornery, and little they were.

This picture here:

I wonder, how many times did it take to get everyone smiling and not blinking at the same time. I can imagine frustrations were high at the end of that photo session, and I could see myself thinking of how next year's picture would be better. But what my grandma didn't know is that her time with my grandpa was limited. How was she to know that he would die so suddenly? So when she looks on this year, this picture she remembers her life with him...and not without.

Oh goodness:

I really wish I had some deep thoughts on this picture, but I don't. Unless my grandma knew that years later this photo would make great blackmail, ha!

*disclaimer: somehow I missed taking a picture of my Aunt Chalisa (she was born much later then the other sibings)...so here she is.*

Those pictures made me want to live my moments with my grandma in that fashion. So what if everyone was looking for a picture, if I hadn't showered, or if my kids stayed in pj's all day. We were there to enjoy each other and that is what we did.

Though the cancer may be robbing her of future years and birthdays...we still have these moments. Moments that I'll always treasure. Because this trip was her first time to meet three out of four of my babies. And boy was I proud to introduce them to her, and my heart was full of joy to see her enthralled with them.

She was weak and easily tired, so went over to her house in shifts. My mom pretty much stayed over there the whole time. At one point my mom could tell my grandma needed to rest so she told her to go take a nap and my grandma responded,

"No. I can always sleep later, but you're here now."

She knew how precious this time was as well. Nothing was going to stop her from soaking it all in as well.

This last picture makes me bawl like a baby. It didn't at the time I took it; I just thought Paisley looked so cute staring out the window...but now it has a deeper meaning.

On the last night we all said our "goodbyes". That was definitely one of the hardest, surreal moments of my life. How do you hug your grandma goodbye and walk away knowing that is the last time you will ever see her on Earth again? As I hugged her, clinging to the years we shared, memories I cherish, and living just for one more minute in her presence, I quickly let go and turned to shield her from my tears. My mom told me to go ahead an head out and she would meet me in a minute. She spent her last minutes with her mother then it was time for her to say goodbye. My fragile grandma, got up out of her chair, stood at the door, and watched as my mom waked down the side walk.......up the hill......until she couldn't see her any more.

She savored those very last seconds to carry with her forever.

.........................................................

So grandma,

Here's an early Happy Birthday celebration in your honor...just one last time.

*This post is sponsored by American Cancer Society*

Game on, Santa

2011-12-06T14:53:00.001-06:00

One of my favorite things about the Holiday season is the commercials.
C'mon, you know you like them too!

A lot of times they are cheesy, but I like to see what each company comes up with to try and "sell you" on their store and product. In years past I have ALWAYS loved the Target lady...quite frankly I want to BE the Target Lady. Let's be honest, we all know I'd do a stellar job! haha!!!

So with all of her greatness, I didn't think there could ever be a commercial that came close to beating it.
Well, this year Best Buy had their game faces on and came up with a series of commercials called "Game on, Santa". Seriously...they make me laugh SO hard!!

I know, right?!?!

Do you have any favorite commercials??
Which ones are they?

Makes My Heart Go Pitter Patter!

2011-12-05T18:00:00.005-06:00

The other day I got new fabric for the shop in the mail!

When I ripped open the package, I immediately fell. in. love!

I figured my lovely customers and blog readers would as well!!!

Frankly how could you not?!?!

It's pretty FABULOUS!

So in honor of the GREATEST fabric around I am offering a deal to you tonight!!!

..................................................

FIRST DEAL:

and you pick what fabric

for only $10 (FREE SHIPPING!)

Go HERE to take advantage! (use coupon FREESHIP to get your shipping free)

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SECOND DEAL:

You get this

and pick two of these!

(one headband and one clip...all options can be made in both!)

Plus you have your fabric options!

for only $25 (FREE SHIPPING!)

Go HERE to take advantage! (use coupon FREESHIP to get your shipping free)

So jump on these deals FAST, because they WILL be gone soon!!!

*Plus, ALL orders tonight WILL ship on WEDNESDAY!!!*

**(Free Shipping coupon is ONLY good for these two deals. Also only good for the United States. Thanks!)**

Taking Care of Business...

2011-12-05T13:54:00.001-06:00

Okay, last week I announced the winners of my Thanksgiving Giveaway Galore...but I had a few people not respond back.

Sad, sad day...for them...but not the NEW winners!

YAY for the NEW WINNERS!!!

So could Tina, and Nicole email me please!!!

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Also, we have a Shutterfly giveaway to attend to!

and the two winners are:

Tiffany from No Faint Hearts

and

Shannon from Finding Church

So if you ladies would email me at naturallyestes(at)hotmail(dot)com I will hook you up with your prizes!!

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And on a separate note, I just got NEW fabric in for the shop that I am SO excited about!!! So in honor of that I am having a Kick Off sale tonight!! So be sure to check back on my blog around 6 pm (CST) to take advantage of the deal!!!