Creating Balance

Bloglovin

2013-03-20T12:48:00.001-05:00

Prepping for doomsday...you know, when you can't read your fave blogs the way you have been used to for the past few years.

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Liebster Blog Award + A Winner

2013-03-20T10:53:00.001-05:00

Yeah, so I'm that blogger who has a give-a-way, then forgets to post a winner. So don't worry peeps, I won't do that to you again. I got caught up in all my new fashion bloggy friends, but working full-time again, and this pregnancy is kicking my boo-tay.

So without further adue, the winner is precious Colleen from Parties and Cardis!

Which is kinda crazy that I received the Liebster Blog Award from Colleen this week. Thanks girl! I've been blogging for a few years now, but have never heard of a Liebster Award.

What’s a Liebster Award you ask?

Liebster is a German word meaning dearest, and the award is given to up-and-coming bloggers with less than 200 followers who deserve some recognition and support to keep on blogging. It's also a great way to discover new blogs!

Here are the rules:

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter and link back to their blog.

2. Share 11 things about yourself and answer the questions given to you.

3. Nominate 5 blogs that you enjoy to receive the award who have less than 200 followers, and provide them with questions to answer about themselves.

4. Inform them of their nomination by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here we go....

11 Things About Me...

1. I hate clowns. All kinds, especially Ronald McDonald.

2. I hate it when guys tuck in their shirts, but don't wear a belt. ugh.

3. I shopped thrift stores in high school, when thrifting wasn't cool.

4. I danced on stage with Sir Mix-a-Lot in college.

5. I am NOT a morning person, and I'm extra cranky without my Diet Coke in the morning.

6. I drink Peppermint White Mocha all year long.

7. My husband and I met at Dillard's Wolfchase. I worked the Men's Fragrance counter part-time. He worked Security part-time. He would watch me on the cameras. But I stalked him, too. I would come in and pretend to shop if he was working.

8. I prefer to dance on elevated surfaces.

9. I still want to be a back-up dancer for Tina Turner. I'm hoping she will come out of retirement.

10. Sometimes my kids' teeth don't get brushed everyday.

11. I'm a recovering compulsive shopper.

Questions from Colleen:

Do you have a day job and what is it? Recruiter for Methodist Healthcare...currently staffing the entire new Olive Branch hospital. Very exciting. Hence the lack of blogging lateley.

What inspired you to start blogging? IDK...started to journal for my kids. But it turned into a modality to share my love of DIY, thrifting, and spray painting.

What would be your tip for new bloggers? Don't start unless you really have time to be consistent. Blog about what you love. Be you.

Lemonade or Sweet Tea? Both please. I love an Arnold Palmer.

What is your favorite workout? bwahahahaha. Not really into working out when I'm prego. BUT I do love LiveFit Bootcamp in Arlington. I miss it.

What is your dream vacation? Desserted beach. No kids. Adult beverages.

Who is your first phone call after a bad day and why? hmmmm...my friend Julie or my friend Susan...They let me vent with no judgement.

If you had to choose just one beauty product what would it be? I'm a simple girl. I'm not a product junkie, but I can't live without Illegal Lengths mascara from Maybelline.

Three adjectives to describe you..go! Random. Sporadic. Cheerleader.

Lipstick or lip gloss? Gloss

What celebrity would play you in a movie? Reese Witherspoon

So here are my 5 nominations...

Emily @ Life in the Fishbowl

Courtney @ Casa One.Five.One

Leigh Anne @ There's No Place Like Memphis Mama

Stacey @ Hayes Family of Six

Erin @ Little Diva Diaries

Happy Hump Day!

Jewelry Always Fits--a Give-a-way Weekend!

2013-02-28T09:27:00.002-06:00

Happy Thursday!

I haven't done a give-a-way in a while.

No time like the present, right?

On of my favorite sayings is that Jewelry Always Fits! Thank goodness since I'm rocking the maternity wardrobe lately. And nothing can make my day brighter and a little happier is a new piece of costume jewelry.

Since I order wholesale for The Southern Owl, sometimes I can't help myself and have to get a few extra non-owl things ~~every once in a while~~ every time I order. Like this bib necklace.

Nothing says spring like this bright hot pink (or fuschia) oversized multi-layerd bib, with faceted tear-drop beads. It's 18" long, wth a turquoise ribbon tie.

If you like big, chunky statement pieces, this one is for you! Just in time for your perfect Easter outfit.

To enter into the drawing for this necklace, simply comment below. For an extra entry, share this little giveaway on your blog, then comment and let me know. And of course it would be great if you were a follower. Easy peasy. I'll draw a winner on Monday.

Ready...Set...Accessorize!

Eating Memphis

2013-02-27T12:06:00.000-06:00

This week I have perusing some new blogs I have discovered through our new little Memphis Blogger FB group and meet-up we had last weekend.

Saturday night I met Colleen, from Parties & Cardis. Such a sweetie! And gorgeous! And tall!  We sat by each other at dinner, and sadly, did not get our picture made together!

Colleen and her hubby are from Conneticut, who recently moved to Memphis. As I was looking through her blog, I discovered her Eating Memphis page, and the 100 Things to Eat in Memphis. Alyssa from Ten Feet of Beale is a Jersey Girl here in Memphis.  She is conquering the same list.

I'm still in shock over this. And also a little embarrassed. I'm a native Memphian, and have never seen this before! Check out this list:

1. Tuna sandwich from Chinese Sub Shop

~~2. BBQ plate from Germantown Commissary~~ (yummy)

3. Fried chicken breast from Gus's

4. Soul Burger from Earnestine and Hazel's

5. Peach cheesecake from Cheesecake Corner

6. Chorizo tortuga from Las Tortugas

7. Sea bass at Tsunami

8. Ribeye from Folk's Folly

9. John Deere snow cone from Jerry's (I have spend a lot of time and $$ at Jerry's but never had the John Deere?!)

10. Joyce roll from Sakura

11. Dry rub ribs from Bar-B-Que Shop

12. San Diegan from Brother Juniper's

13. Guacamole from Las Delicias

14. Homeroom Chicken and Grits from Lunchbox Eats

15. Red velvet donuts from Gibson's

16. Greek burger from Alex's Tavern

17. Gas station sushi

18. Uptown burger from Roxie's Grocery

19. Muffaletta from Kwik Chek

20. Gyro from Castle

21. Key Lime Pie ice cream from La Michoacana

22. Twice-baked potato salad from One and Only BBQ

23. Cheesesteak from Yang's

24. Shrimp and grits from Sweet Grass

25. Buffalo tenderloin from Erling Jensen

~~26.~~ ~~Barbecue pizza from Coletta's~~ (our family eats at Coletta's A LOT)

27. Cornish game hen from Cozy Corner

28. Grilled cabbage from Deja Vu

29. Bulgogi from Du Won Jong

30. Roast duck from New Asia

31. Rib tips from Tom's Barbecue

32. Capote cupcake from Muddy's Bakeshop

33. Barbecue tofu nachos from R.P. Tracks

34. Chips (aka fries) from Brass Door Tavern

35. Ravioli from Vanelli's Deli

36. Mac'n'cheese from Mollie Fontaine Lounge

37. Voodoo Chocolate Passion Cake at King's Palace

38. Banana pudding from Cozy Corner

39. Turkey leg from a vendor outside of a Melrose High football game (ummmm....)

40. Salmon Cakes from Elegant Farmer

41. Almond croissants from Off the Square Catering

42. Crazy noodle bowl from Bhan Thai

43. Banana pudding from Germantown Commissary

44. Tiger Bleu Chips from Brookhaven Pub

45. Barbecue nachos from Central BBQ

46. Blueberry donuts from Gibson's

47. Hot wings from Ching's

48. Pimento cheese stuffed okra from Restaurant Iris

~~49. Shrimp salad from Bogie's~~ (I worked at Bogie's Mendenhall on college breaks. I had to clean the shrimp every Wednesday/Thursday for Shrimp Salad on Friday. Good times.)

50. Chilean sea bass from McEwan's

51. Wedding cake supreme snow cone from Jerry's

52. Hummus and falafel from Casablanca

53. Chicken salad sandwich from Young Ave. Deli

~~54. French fries / sweet potato fries from Young Ave. Deli~~

55. Pineapple shake from Shanghai

56. Coconut cake from Beauty Shop

57. Spicy crab soup from Ryu

58. Goat taco from La Guadalupana

59. Turkey and dressing from the Four Way

60. Reuben from Trolley Stop Market

61. Thai Gumbo from Tao

62. Honey gold wings from All-Star

63. BLT from Links of Galloway

64. Pan-fried dumplings from Panda Garden

65. Hot wing rolls from Blue Monkey

66. Barbecue pizza from Pete and Sam's

67. Mussels from Bari

68. Ribs from A&R Barbecue

69. Salsa Tayde from Las Tortugas

70. Baklava from Cafe Med

~~71. Pickled green tomatoes from Soul Fish~~ (love--I have been craving these lately)

72. Vegan Memphis barbecue sandwich from Imagine Vegan Cafe

73. Lentil tacos from Fuel Food Truck

74. Brussels sprouts from South of Beale (SOB's Grilled Cheese is to die for, too)

75. Bi Bim Bop from Kwik Check

76. Ribs from Central Barbecue

77. Wings from Molly's La Casita

~~78. Burger from Huey's~~

79. Cheese grits from Republic Coffee

80. Homemade chips from Pop's Deli

81. Nachos from Interstate Barbecue

82. Steak sandwich from Jack Pirtle's (I could drink Jack Pirtle's brown gravy. no joke)

83. Pork chop sandwich from Tom's BBQ

84. Stone Hero hoagie from Skunx Chef's Pub

85. Meat-stuffed pizza at Little Italy

86. Chocolate milkshake from Wiles-Smith

87. Breakfast sampler from Bryant's

88. Crab eggs benedict from Sweet Grass

89. All-in-one from Las Delicias

~~90. Pronto Pup~~

91. Lobster roll from Slider Inn

~~92. Nuts and chocolate from Peanut Shoppe~~

93. Lunch buffet from Pho Hoa Binh

94. Self-serve frozen yogurt from Yolo

95. Dirty Fries from Revival Food Truck

96. Island Club from Bardog Tavern

97. Lobster pronto pup from Rizzo's Diner

98. Monte Cristo from Half Shell

99. High tea from Chez Philippe

100. Chili pineapple paleta from La Michoacana

Wow. Apparently I need to get out more! I mean, what is a better project for the prego girl than a food list?? So if any Memphis girls are up for some field trips, count me in!   (Except for the Melrose game) lol.

The Lovely Cupboard

2013-02-26T13:21:00.000-06:00

I want to share one of my favorite blogs with you today!

Meet my friend Heather from The Lovely Cupboard.

Heather and I went to church together for a couple of years back in the day. We went to the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska together for a mission trip back in '96. Oh the stories from that trip. I won't tell you what kind of characters we played in a performance. That's another blog post for another day. I'm still waiting on our Oscar.

Heather and I are FB friends, but I actually stumbled across her 'lovely' blog a while back when she was featured on Knock-off Decor. Don't you love it when you discover other people you know who blog?

Heather is a legit blogger. From her DIY projects, her parties, and her recipes, you can spend a few hours on her site. And not to mention her photography. Amazing.

One day I will tackle her DIY Ombre Paint-chip art.

So easy and so beautiul.

Check out her stencil wall in her dining room...done by paint pen!

Hello?

Doesn't this Avocado Hummus look delicious?

So easy.

I'm a hummus addict here lately. I can't wait to make this.

Heather is beautiful and talented in so many ways. She also just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Gemma. Enjoy checking out her site. I promise you can lose some hours in the day! Happy Tuesday!

Memphis Blogger Meet-up

2013-02-25T16:33:00.001-06:00

On Saturday night I attended a local Memphis blogger meet-up. The fabulous Laura from Walking in Memphis in High Heels organized the event at the Local Gastropub on Madison. If you are local and haven't tried this place, it is a must. Such a fun atmosphere. Hubby would like it, too.

Now I know I haven't been consistent, but I wanted to go for 3 reasons:

1. I thought that attending the blogger meet-up would definitely energize me in this area. It kinda adds a little bit of accountability to post.

2. My Nana taught us that you should make a new friend everyday. Well Saturday, I made eleven new friends....make that 9. I already knew 2. But who is counting.

3. I rsvp'd for the event way back in December for a to enjoy a GNO with some adult bevs. But in the meantime, our little GameChanger happened, and well...no adult bevs for me, but definitely a fun and different GNO.

We arrived to our table with the cutest decorations contributed by

Bekah from Matters of MerryMaking.

And what's a blogger meet-up without some SWAG?!

And something sweet...Thanks Jaime for the awesome cake!

Meet Terri from Peace, Love, & Applsauce.

We've "known" each other a little over a year now. But this is only our second time hanging out together. Our first time hanging out, I introduced her to her boyfriend. Awwwww.

And special shout-out to Terri for sending me all these pics since my ancient 3GS doesn't have a flash. #bloggerprobs

This is Misty from Handbags & Handguns with me and Terri.

Misty and I went to high school together. We cheered together, and sported our denim overalls and timberlands together back in the 90's.

see?

I ordered the Fish & Grits. That's right. Not fish & CHIPS.

FISH & GRITS, y'all!

#yummo

Of course I couldn't participate in some adult bevs.

But I did have a non-alcoholic St. Pauli's Girl.

Much better than O'Duls. This will be stocked in my fridge for the next 6 months.

Pseudo Beer + Cupcakes = one happy mama

Here is the crew:

Front Row:

Natalie @ My Crazy Busy Life

Alyssa @ Ten Feet Off Beale

Misty @ Handbags & Handguns

Terri @ Peace Love & Applesauce

Jennifer @ Mrs. in Memphis

Jaime @ Mommy On A Mission

Laura @ Walking in Memphis in High Heels

Jen-Marie @ Southern Belle

Back Row:

Colleen @ Parties & Cardis

Bekah @ Matters of Merrymaking

Rach @ This Italian Family

It was a fun night with lots of convo, and instagram posts.

Check out #MEMBLOGS on Instagram for more pics.

Loved meeting everyone, and can't wait to hang out again!

#instafriday

2013-02-22T16:38:00.000-06:00

matching valentine tattoos

fashion designer

first baby gift for our little gamechanger

monster truck trance

myfave

Catching Up, and a Game Changer

2013-02-22T15:33:00.002-06:00

Hellloooo!

Seeing as though I will be attending a blogger meet-up Saturday night with some other Memphis bloggers, I feel like I need to at least post something here, to be somewhat legit.

So, I don't know about you, but 2012 was definitely a blur for me. I thought I would post a year in review in a few pictures to get caught up a bit. This is definitely the edited version.

In January, I launched my new business, The Southern Owl.

I actually did blog about it here. It's a fun little business, combining my love of jewelry, and the niche of owls. If you love owls & skull, this store is for you! I can't retire yet, but the business is steady. Hence, some of the reason for not-so-frequent posts.

In April, Tyler turned 17. Craziness. Isn't he handsome? #proudstepmonster

Meredith graduated from Pre-school in May. My little graduate.

Will turned 4 in June.

In August, Meredith started Kindergarten.

Tyler started his senior year.

Fall Fun

December was pure craziness.

It seemed as though we had something every night. The most wonderful time of the year was not an enjoyable month for me. Part of it, I was dreading turning 35. I don't know why, but I was a little depressed about this number.

And to add to all the crazy festivities, I was sick. At night. Nauseous for weeks. And the fatigue. OMG the fatique. I kept telling Mike, "something is not right with me...I am not right."

But as Sweet Brown says, 'Ain't nobody got time for that!' and so I kept plugging on through the craziness & nausea.

Happy New Year!

In January, I kept gaining weight. I was buying clothes one size up. I couldn't figure out why my Adderall was not working! lol. I even bought Zumba Core for Wii to start working out at home.

A friend told me to take a pregnancy test. But there was no way I was wasting $15 on a test, when my husband had a vasectomy 4 years ago. He was checked, and cleared by the doctor. But I caved and headed to Walgreens, mostly to prove her wrong.

And what do you know? That plus sign on the test showed up within seconds. NO WAY. I googled false positive. Hmmm...a tumor..it could be a tumor. The odds of a vasectomy baby are 1/2000. I called my doctor for an appointment.

My motto was 'Two and Through'. I quit my full-time job in June, because we were done, and so close to no more daycare bills! It can't be a baby. It has to be a tumor.

But, the doctor confirmed, (in my best Arnold Schwarzenegger voice) - It's not a tumor.

God has a sense of humor, and definitley has other plans for us, and this baby, as we now refer to GameChanger McGee.

GC McGee

12 weeks

We've laughed and cried. But what do you do? As Mike says, 'it is what it is'. The shock has finally worn off, and now we are excited. Mike isn't so excited that he will be 63 when this baby graduates high school. But I remind him he shouldn't have married a younger trophy wife. Ha!

We are praying for a healthy baby. But of course Meredith is praying for a girl, and Will is praying for a boy. And Tyler is just ready to get the heck out of dodge! Bless his heart.

So plenty of blog fodder to come in 2013. I didn't complete many home projects or any DIY in 2012, so I'm hoping for a more productive year. I'm craving to paint some furniture! I'll have to put my nesting energy to good use.

Happy Weekend!! Looking forward to meeting other Memphis bloggers tomorrow night!

GIT R DONE

2012-06-15T11:09:00.000-05:00

Since launching my little side business The Southern Owl, my dining room has become a pseudo office, and pseudo storeroom for my inventory. It's a ~~little bit~~ LOT out of control. Right now, product is stored in two plastic dressers in the dining room. Functional. But not cute.

Back in March, (yes--March) I bought a new (to me) dining room set from Salvation Army. No picture of the table/chairs..but that is for another post.

My current china cabinet is petite and narrow, and mostly for display. I was looking for a buffet and found this mamma jamma with great lines, awesome hardware, and she has 9 drawers for storage.

She has been sitting in the garage going on 3 months. And now...it's time to GIT R DONE.

I've been pinning for color inspiration. I want to do something different...

Do I play it safe?

via

Or take a little risk?

via

Or go a little crazy?

via

hmmmm....what do you think?

Mother's Day 2012

2012-05-14T14:47:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day weekend!

The kids and hubby suprised me with a new pretty yellow bench for the front patio. The front patio will soon be a post in itself, seeing as though it never existed until a couple of weeks ago...But here is a sneak peek. It's not complete yet...but almost.

Now I have a place to sit to watch the kids play in the front yard!

The day started out with a big brunch with the in-laws... (and by the way if you need me this summer I'll be at my sis-in-law's pool!!)

We left brunch and went straight to lunch with my family at Spaghetti Warehouse downtown. (I didn't eat much! Too full from brunch!) From there, we went on a Trolley ride downtown.

After our downtown excursion, I went and did some shopping by myself. I was finally hungry again by 7pm, so I brought home some chinese take-out. That was some 'cooking' I didn't mind doing on Mother's day! ;)

After dinner the kids and I did a pinterest project to commerate the special day.

It was a great day!

Blessed beyond measure!

Covington Wilmington Pillows

2012-05-14T14:10:00.001-05:00

It's been almost 2 years and I'm still in love with my Covington Wilmington curtains in my kitchen. That says a lot, since I like to change window treatments so often.

So I was excited to find these little beauties for my dining room at the Maxx last week.

For all you Memphis girlies, as of yesterday they still have 2 more in stock at the Wolfchase TJ Maxx. $12.99 each.

New Hair

2012-05-08T15:52:00.002-05:00

I have to say, that I think the best thing about being a girl, is being able to change our look. Whether it's a change in nail polish, a change in clothes, or, in this case, a change of hair...it is good for our soul. (ok, maybe not that deep, but you know what I mean)

I've been trying to grow my hair out for a few years now. I've worn it short the majority of my 'adult' life. (ha!) Granted, long hair for me is a little past the shoulders. But 've enjoyed my 'long' hair, and especially my pony-tails every other day. (Carla is grossing out right now) I love my dry shampoo!

Growing my hair was also part of me rebelling from adulthood. You know, that unspoken rule that women should not have long hair after 40. (Ok...most women, not all....my sis-in-laws Vickie & Debbie are an exception. They have great hair!) Although I'm a few years from 40, I sometimes feel this impending doom. (no offense to those over 40)

But who am I kidding. I'll never have hair like the girls in the Pantene commercials.

And it was time. You know that feeling when you decide on a change, and it has to happen RIGHT THEN! Yeah. I woke up one day, and it was like, the hair has to GO! I couldn't get to the beauty shop fast enough.

I went back to my old tried and true 'do'. The 'Inverted Stack'.

**About the Feather: I went to the American Heart Association's 'Girls Night Out' event, and a booth was putting feathers in everyone's hair. When in Rome....even if the trend is so 1 year ago. The feather is gone now :)**

So what about you, what's your favorite 'go-to' hair-do?

Spring Pics

2012-05-08T15:11:00.000-05:00

Like always, I'm a little slow on the draw. It seems as though everyone had Easter pics done, complete with live chicks, and easter eggs as props. And like most holidays lately, Easter snuck up on me, so no chicks for my kiddos. They are so deprived. (read: sarcasm)

But I finally booked a spring mini-session with my friend Brandi from Daisy Lu Photography. For you Memphis girls, she is great, and prices are great, too. Go 'like' her FB page. She does great work. And she is used to chasing around toddlers since she has lots of practice with her own. This is important to me, since most of the pics I can get of the Moose is his back-side, because he runs from the camera. (Ok, who am I kidding, the kid RUNS 24/7)

We went to City Hall Park in Bartlett. This is where me and my kids hang out a lot, so I knew they would be comfortable there and could do their thing.

Perfect world would be family pics, with the teenager and the hubby included. But the boys are still traumatized from our last family session in the sunflowers. in 110 degree weather. with 110 percent humidity. And we brought the dog. It was horrible.

So I'm saving the 'family' pic until the fall in the cotton. I'll be using Daisy Lu again for the teenager's senior pics very soon anyway. (omg I can't believe I just typed that...Senior??)

Here are some shots from the session...

LOVE.

Kindergarten Shots

2012-04-25T16:40:00.000-05:00

Before I start this post....can we take a moment to walk down memory lane?....

Where did the time go?

Where did my baby go?

(and my we have come a long way in photography options in 5 years. These JCP and Target pics make me cringe)

M starts Kindergarten in August. So it was time for kindergarten shots.

My crazy girl was actually excited about it. Here she is posing.

Dr. Z and the nurses made a big to-do about it, and made her feel special. She peed in the cup like a pro, thought the needle prick in her thumb was cool, and only cringed when she got her 3 shots.

Later she said, 'that nurse poked holes in me!'

But instead of offering a treat at McDonald's or Sonic afterwards, I got ahead of myself and promised a trip to the mall, and to Build-a-Bear for being a big girl.

She snuck in a dress, shoes, and jewelry at Children's Place, too, that she wore out of the mall.

If you would have seen me walking in the mall, with little priss in her new outfit, and pushing that stroller, it had Guilty Working Mom written across my forehead. :)

Oh well. She's totally worth it.

The Southern Owl

2012-03-01T13:52:00.000-06:00

Hi friends! Again, here I am with another sporatic post. I really wish I could be more consistent in some areas of my life, with blogging being one of those areas. (I think I say that everytime I post) Anyway, but it seems like I'm set on survival mode most days. I stalk you every now and then, but lately been working on the plan to get OUT of survival mode. I finally quit thinking about the plan, and put the plan in action.

You might ask, 'what plan are you talking about'? To which I would reply, you know, the plan to "create balance" between raising kids, working, finding myself, being a wife, yada, yada, yada. Everyone has those plans in their head. Not a plan to become a millionaire, but a plan to get out of the corporate hustle and still buy some groceries, and maybe pay a car note while chasing some toddlers around at home. I have like 50 million business plans running around in my head at all times, and finally took a step to execute one.

I've been working on it a few months now. I haven't broadcast it to too many people. But this week, my logo came in, which makes me feel 2 legit to quit! (I know you know the hand motions, don't lie)

So without further adue, I would like to share with you....

I hope you like it! If you know someone who loves owls, please share with them! And of course we are socially connected on FaceBook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Please like, follow, and share!

And to add even more legitness (I made that word up), I am now a sponsor on one of my fave blogs I follow- My Owl Barn.

I'll be doing a blogger give-a-way very soon! And now that the logo is here, I am planning phase two of the business. Stay tuned. And say some prayers! I'm excited but scared to death at the same time.

Till next time,
Southern Owl love and mine

A 'Berry' Special Birthday

2011-12-10T18:35:00.000-06:00

I can't believe how fast 5 years can go by.

Since M's birthday actually fell on Thanksgiving this year, we had her party at the beginning of November at our local pumpkin patch.

M wanted a costume birthday party along with the Strawberry Shortcake theme. (hence why some of the kiddos are in costume) The day was filled with lots of friends and family, a train ride, a hay ride out to the pumpkin patch, a pinata filled with candy, and of course cake and presents. The guests got to take home yummy strawberry shaped cookies as favors.

On her actual birthday on Thanksgiving, M woke up to birthday donuts!

(no, my kids don't wear pajamas)

And of course she was spoiled at each of the grandparents' house as we made our thanksgiving rounds.

No words can express or describe the love I have for this baby girl.

Christmas Wreath

2011-12-10T16:57:00.000-06:00

Happy December everyone! I hope everyone is getting into the Christmas spirit!

We had a great fall....I started several posts the past couple of months, but never finished them (obviously). Like everyone, we have been busy, busy.

As far as our holiday decor goes this year, our christmas tree went up the weekend before Thanksgiving, and I have been piddling around the house with other decor when I get the chance. M is my mini-me-decorator and has helped a lot!

Our front door christmas wreath has left much to be desired the past couple of years. By the time I make new ones for other people, I don't have the gumption to make a new one for us. Until this year.

I was inspired by these two wreaths I saw on Pinterest a few months ago...

source

I had bought the oval grapevine back in the fall, and everything else was leftover remnants from other wreaths and arrangements I have made in the past. I love it when things come together so easy (and cheap)!

Merry Merry!

Bootcamp

2011-11-02T15:28:00.003-05:00

Like any girl, I've always been up and down in my weight. In high school, you really take for granted that thing called metabolism. In college, I discovered beer. (sorry Mom) After graduation, I quit drinking beer every night and lost some of that weight. I got skinny for my wedding, then put on some pounds after.

Then came kids. With both pregnancies, I gained 60lbs each time.  After Moose, I went back down a little, and I was about 25lbs overweight when I started taking adderall for my shopping compulsions.  The adderall definitely helped with the eating compulsions as well, and helped with portion control, and I got back down to my wedding weight.

I have worked out a few times in the 3 years since Moose has been around. I joined a 24hr. gym after he was born, and would work out at 10pm. That didn't last very long. So I basically have done nothing for almost 5 years, since the Princess has been born.

My only form of exercise lately has been climbing 4 flights of stairs in the garage when I leave work. I am reminded each day that even though I may look skinny, I am probably the most unhealthy and out-of-shape 'skinny' you could be.  When I get to the top of that 4th flight, my heart is beating out of my chest, and I am out of breath for the next 10 minutes.  Sad. Very sad.

And on top of that, I have just felt like crap, and haven't felt good in my own skin. I have been proud of my 'moose pouch', but lately, I can't say that the pouch is from the Moose, it's from not moving! I know what gets rid of 'the pouch'. I hear and see Dr. Oz on an Oprah show in head, holding up pounds of fat, saying, "Cardio, cardio, cardio!"  ewww.

Mentally I have also felt 'blah', and I hear Elle Woods (Legally Blonde) in the courtroom scene in my head, "Exercise gives you endorphins! Endorphines make you happy!"

In the back of my head, I knew that it's time to do something. But when? I work full-time, and don't want to do any classes that interfere with the 3-4 hours I have with the kids. And lord knows that a 10pm workout isn't going to cut it right now.

So what is the obvious choice? A 5am workout? Um, as Whitney Houston would say, 'Hell to the no!' (excuse my french)

I have never been a morning person. I am known to snooze at least 10 times in my sleep before I even hear the alarm. I was late for high school almost every day. I even had a t-shirt that looked just like this:

So what I have I done? I've signed up for a 5:15am bootcamp, for 5 weeks, on MWFs.

Yep. I know. I'm crazy.  But it's the only choice I have.

I set my phone alarm for 4:30am and leave it in the kitchen. So I have to get up and turn it off. I keep my clothes in the den, so I have no reason to walk back into the bedroom. Once I change my clothes, I am ok.

This is my 2nd week. The bootcamp is great, in that it is different everyday, and I get an awesome workout before my brain and body comprehends what is going on. There are about 20 women in my class, which is like peer pressure in a positive way. I push myself a lot more than I would working out by myself.  I'm not sure I could do what we do at 7pm at night, when my brain and body are already tired. To say that I am sore is an understatement. But even after 3 work-outs, I can see my body changing. And I've even thought about signing up for a 5k.  WTH?

Our 'drill sergeant', Adina, is motivating in a nice way. I have 'planked' more in 3 sessions than I have ever dreamed about planking. It's hard to explain what we do...a lot of circuit training for sure. I will tell you I do a lot of cussing in my head during that 1 hour (sorry again Mom).  It's horrible, but great at the same time.

I missed this morning's session. I went to bed too late, and 4:30am came really early. I went back to bed, but have regretted it all day. Adina sent me an email to see when I was coming back. I definitely need the accountability, for sure.

Don't worry, you won't hear me talk about this bootcamp stuff a lot. Who wants to hear about a girl exercising to get healthy and feel good for grins & giggles, and not really to lose weight? Not me for sure. But I'll let you know how it goes at the end of the 5 weeks.

Happy bootcamping!

Friday Mommy Guilt

2011-09-16T11:15:00.000-05:00

Today the MOPs group at church is having a Kid Day Out at My Big Backyard in Botanic Gardens. My Big Backyard is my favorite place to take the kids to let them run around, and I can relax just being outside and watching them play.  I would love to be with the other mommies today, but I'm at work.

Could I have taken the day off? Sure. Do I have enough PTO time to take off? Um, a little. I only have 20-ish hours in my bank. But with the holidays coming up, I need to use my time off sparingly. This time of year, when the weather is perfect, REALLY makes it hard to come to work. I just want to play hooky and be outside with the kids. But I can't.

Although all moms are working moms, and we all have our share of mommy guilts, I think that us moms who work outside the home have it tougher, and have more guilt.

It sucks. I know I am providing for them, but I can't help but think what I'm NOT providing them. Be it time with them, or more hugs, more trips to the zoo, etc. But I know that the time I DO have with them from 6pm-9pm on weekdays, and the weekends is my time to make it count, and spoil the heck out of them with hugs and kisses.

I had a conversation recently with my Dad about raising kids. All my life he worked the night shift at the main Post Office downtown...11pm-7am. I can't tell you how many times in my life I heard my mom say, "Shhhh...Daddy is sleeping!" I guess he still has his share of Daddy guilt, too, even though we are all grown.

He apologized to me for not being around. I started crying and told him not to feel that way, because I felt just the opposite!   Even though he did work the night shift, he was always at the football games and basketball games watching me cheer. He was always at church on Sunday mornings, even though he worked the night before. Sure, sometimes with his eyes closed during the sermon ;) But he was THERE. I told him that I admired him for that. I knew that he was exhausted sometimes, but he was there.  I have no memory of anything he might have missed.

My friend posted this interview with Sarah Jessica Parker about the upcoming movie 'I Don't Know How She Does It' and it was just the little nugget of encouragement I needed for the day. We put a lot of (un-needed) pressure on ourselves. And we have to remember that kids remember things different than we do.

Anyhoo...didn't mean to get all heavy on a Friday.

I can't wait to go see the movie. A lot of people say the same thing to me: 'How do you do it?'  My unashamed answer to them? Medication! God bless Adderall. (not forever. just for now ;)

Funky Fall Wreath

2011-09-08T00:30:00.003-05:00

I am loving all the modern wreaths everyone is making now. There are a ton out there on Pinterest.

source

But I really haven't thought about doing one because 1) it's called a modern wreath. I'm a traditional girl. I think the word 'modern' scares me; and 2) those felt flowers. Sure, they are way cute. But I'm not so much a craft girl, to sit down and cut out circles to make those felt flowers. Not going to happen.

But last week I saw Decor Chick's new yarn wreath, and it all came together in my head.

Rewind to 3 weeks ago: I bought some things to make to make a new fall wreath, along with a grapevine wreath like I ususally use. I REALLY went out of my comfort zone and even bought an OVAL grapevine wreath, instead of a round one. (am I a rebel, or what?!) I was going to copy this one I saw on Pinterest. But make it oval, instead of round. Yeah. I'm a rebel.

source

But for some reason, the grapevine wreath wasn't working for me this time. I think I was having a wreath-block, if there is such a thing. A creative block for sure. My flowers and wreath have been sitting on my dining room table for almost a month. But after I saw Decor Chick incorporate silk on her modern wreath, it clicked, and I decided to give it a go. (geez I think about things way too much).

I went to Michaels's to get another wreath, plus some yarn. While walking around, looking at the yarn in my basket, I got to thinking.... (there I go again) thinking about my attention span, and if I really had the patience to wrap a wreath in yarn. Yeah, I'm thinking no.

Keep in mind, it's late on Labor Day, and Hobby Lobby and the other fabric stores are closed. My choices were limited, and I wanted to finish this wreath that night! My thoughts shifted gears, and I thought about wrapping the wreath in a feather boa, but would need several. At $9 a pop at Michaels, I thought the dollar store would have some boas in the kids section.

Off to the dollar store, and of course, negative on the black boas. BUT, I did come across this stuff...Creepy Cloth. I bought 3. I'm down with 3 bucks.

Before I wrapped, I spray painted the wreath black...

then wrapped the wreath...

I kinda like the creepy cloth. It's basically black gauze, which gives it some texture, and a little funk?

Ok...enough talky...

Here is my modern, funky, fall wreath. I love it.

(Forgive my night-time pics.)

(don't look too close at my M. It's a Monet...it looks good from a distance, but close up, it's a mess. I painted it with M's crayola craft paint :)

I'll probably add another green feather at the top.

And I'm sure an owl will find his way in there, too.

But for now, I'm so stinkin excited that I finished a project!!!

Linking up to:

Tatertots and Jello

Keeping it Simple

Diary of a Working Mom {August Edition}

2011-09-07T10:58:00.001-05:00

As with many other areas of my life, I have not been consistent with my Diary of a Working Mom posts. My last one was in February.

I talked about being in a rut---a chicken nugget rut, that is. I re-read that post, and said that my mission in March was to break the picky eater out of her habits.

Um, well....I remember starting it. I think we made progress for a week. It doesn't take much to get off a schedule in our house. And I haven't returned to fighting that battle. Sigh.

I know I need to. And don't get me wrong--I want to. It drives me nuts. But with our schedule, I can't do everything, and I have to let some things go. And right now, that is just one of those things. And I refuse to beat myself up about it.

On the subject of the Princess, I did enroll her in gymnastics once a week. We did dance at school last year, but it ended up being a fight on dance day mornings. M is more of a free-style girl...she likes to do her own thing. She wasn't really excited about the idea of soccer, but perked up at the mention of gymnastics. She likes to 'put on shows', and dance and flip around and make up routines to music. The gymnastic center offers a trial lesson, so we tried it, and she was hooked.

Unfortunately, gymnastics has made her a little bit too brave on our swingset!

She is my little artist. She would go through a ream of paper in a week if she could. When I pick her up everyday, she hands me a stack of drawings. I keep her paints out on the kitchen table. One day I found this painting...

Ummm...looks like mommy has let someone play angry birds a little too much!

Moose on the other hand, doesn't really care about art. He's not into that. He's my engineer. And my good eater. Moose loves him some tomatoes!!! (sorry for the cell phone pic)

We are pretty much potty-trained, as it relates to going #1. But I need some help on training on this #2 business. And that's all I'm going to say about that. Ugh, boys!

And speaking of boys.....The teenager started his junior year. And he got a car. I was leary of him driving at first. But after a few times out on his own, I'm loving the idea now. Especially with theatre rehearsals coming up. woo hoo!

As far as 'creating balance' goes, I had several chances in August to break out of my mommy role, and revert to my high school days! A new honky tonk has opened up, so I've gotten a chance to put on my boots and go dancing!

There are several things on my 'What makes me happy' list. 1. Jesus. 2. Family. 3. Dancing.

Growing up, there weren't many opportunities to dance. I went to a private Christian high school, so dances were not allowed. Dancing was taboo. (note to parents: when things are taboo, kids/teenagers want to do them even more. just sayin) We had a Jr./Sr. Banquet. The after the banquet, there was a 'parent-sponsored' dance.

During high school we frequented a family friendly place called Casper Creek to country line dance. No alcohol was served....just line dancing all night. It was an easy sell to the parents---even my Nana and her husband C.D. went to Casper Creek!

Around 16 or 17, a few of us got fake IDs so we could go to the real country club called Neon Moon. (sorry mom & dad) Not to drink. Because I was a good girl. But to line dance! Watermelon Crawl, Tennesee Twister, Flying 8, Cotton-eye Joe, Shottis...you name it. And of course I would dart out at 11:50pm to be home at midnight!

In short, college could be summed up as a dance party several nights a week at whatever frat house had a party. The ATO and Pike house were next door to each other. So if both were having a party, me and my other sorority sisters would go 'up and down the hill' all night. If you didn't like a song at the ATO house, you could just run up the hill to the Pike house and join another group of sisters on the dancefloor. Not a whole lot of 'line dancing' going on, per se. Unless they played '7' by Prince, then all the Chi O's rushed the floor for the Chi Omega line dance. Good times.

But fast-forward 11 years into the real world, and not a whole lot of dancing opportunities are had anymore. No more bachelorette parties at the clubs, and no more wedding receptions.

But thank goodness Electric Cowboy has come to town! For years, a lot of the honky tonks were not in very good areas of town. And there hasn't really been a country bar in town for a while. But EC is just 7 minutes away, next door to the Bass Pro.

I've been a few times now. It's fun to reach back to those line dances stored way back in the memory bank. It's like riding a bike. This old married momma has still got it! And I just learned 'the Wobble'. Apparently it's been around for about a year, but I'm just now learning it? Obviously I need to get out more. Watch this video and learn. Then you can be a cool mommy, too. I can't wait to put my boots on and go again.

And on another random, but related note....since I've posted about some "celebrity" encounters the past couple of weeks, I thought I would post of picture of another local and national celebrity that was at EC the other night-- Jerry 'The King' Lawler.

I love wrestling. Growing up, we would watch Jerry 'The King' wrestle every Saturday Morning Wrestling on Channel 5. And guess who was the announcer for Saturday morning wrestling? My Dave Brown.

August was a fun and busy month! It seems as though the heat spell is broken, and fall is here! I'm so ready to bust out the jeans and boots! I love this weather!

September is shaping up to be a busy month...plenty of blog fodder to be had.

Hope everyone has a great short week!

Sunflower Family Pics

2011-08-26T11:02:00.001-05:00

I have always loved the idea of getting family pictures made while the sunflowers are in bloom. A photographer I have used in the past, Southern Style Photography, was doing mini-sessions in the sunflower fields at the Agricenter a few weeks ago. The 20 minute mini-session was $55, and we got a CD of about 60 edited pics. I love that I get the CD, and I can print wherever I want, and how many I want, in whatever size I want. I also love that I get the CD of pics, and I can play with them on Picasa, too.

Of course, the day of the photo session, the heat index was 110 degrees with the humidity of 50%. I really thought it wouldn't be too bad---it was only 20 minutes. But OMG. It was ridiculous.

We got a few shots...only one good family shot. Take a look-see...

You may notice that there are no pictures of Will. Of course he got a summer cold that week, and was not a happy camper and pretty much cried the whole time. And the heat did not help matters. Also in attendance was Wriggly. The heat was too much for him, too, so no good family pics with the dog.

I think the heat was affecting our photographer, too, bless her heart. I wish we could have done more family poses, and wish we were directed more. But it was so stinkin hot, you couldn't even think straight.

Oh well....dont' tell hubby and the teenager, but we will try again in the fall. :)

Up in here

2011-08-24T00:02:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a ho-hum kind of day. Until I got home.

There was a package for me that came in the mail. I thought, omg, I don't remember ordering anything. But lately, it wouldn't be a surprise if I had ordered something, and didn't remember.

I opened the package, and laughed the rest of the night.

If you frequent Pinterest, you have probably seen this. It's pinned on my 'Word Up' board. My sister from another mother, Kate, sent this to me. It's now hanging over my kitchen sink.

Amanda Jean makes these embroidered rap lyrics. Here is the link to her etsy shop. Warning: most pieces include some adult language from rap lyrics. Be sure and click on the Sold items, to see other pieces she has made.

I'm really having to hold myself back from creating a gallery wall of embroidered rap lyrics. Seriously.

the Carlton Dance

2011-08-23T23:03:00.001-05:00

I was in a meeting today, and Carlton's twin walked in. He introduced himself. His name was Carlyle. omg. Then I couldn't concentrate on the meeting. But I remained professional and did not make any Carlton reference. But in my head, I was doing the Carlton dance.

Enjoy.

Elvis & Hee-Haw

2011-08-23T22:47:00.004-05:00

If you are from the South, you may remember the show Hee Haw. If you do not know what Hee Haw is, you don't know what you missed from 1969-1997. It's a classic.

Growing up, our family watched Hee-Haw every Saturday night at 6:00pm on Channel 3. The show was filled with comedy sketches, and the latest country music singer who had a #1 hit that week. It was like Saturday Night Live--but instead of New York City, it was Nashville. SNL gone country! Like, backwoods country. It was awesome.

Skits like "The Cornfield," "Pickin’ and Grinnin’," "Pfft You Was Gone," and "Gloom, Despair and Agony On Me" were performed. Some of my favorites were "Lulu's Truck Stop", "The Culhanes", and "the Gossip Girls". (If you want to catch up on your Hee Haw skits, click here)

So you may be wondering where I may be going with this.

If you frequent here, you know that I reside in Memphis, TN. But if you want to get technical, and if you ask hubby, we live in a suburb OUTSIDE of Memphis. (whatev) I'm a Memphis girl and proud of it.

When people hear the word Memphis, you may immediately think of Graceland. Do you know that I have never stepped foot in Elvis' mansion? Nope. Never been to Graceland. Been here all my life. I'm not sure why. My mom has lived here all her life, and never been either. When I get the gumption to go, usually the prices of tours puts me off. It's kinda expensive for this thrifty girl. I'm ok to drive down Elvis Presley Blvd. and see the mansion and gates, and the Lisa Marie airplane from my car.

Graceland is particularly busy two times a year: Elvis' Birthday Week, and Elvis' Death Week, which was a few weeks ago. I never even realized just how many events that go on during these weeks until recently.

If you know about Elvis, he loved gospel music. So every year they have a Southern Gospel Singin' with the Imperials as the headliner quartet. My cousin sings in a quartet called Soul City, which opened for the Imperials, so we headed down to 'have church' at Graceland.

I may be a little biased, but Soul City rocked it out. I personally think they were better than the Imperials.

We were pretty close to the front, but there was this woman on the front row who caught my attention. (and I'm sure a lot of other people's attention). Being Elvis' death week and all, it's a great place to people watch, to say the least.

After the concert, I noticed my cousin Corey talking to this woman. As I walked up, they were singing a Hee-Haw song. Immediately my interest peaked. Then she introduced herself as Nurse Goodbody from Hee-Haw.

OMG! How cool is that?! So we stood there for a few minutes singing Hee-Haw songs and she was telling us some behind the scenes stories. And of course we got our picture made with her! Me and Corey were on cloud 9 the rest of the day.

A couple of days later, someone asked what her name was. Then I thought, hmmm...IDK. She never said her name...she just introduced herself to us as Nurse Goodbody.

So I start the search.

After searching for Nurse Goodbody on google, I have found that the real Nurse Goodbody is actually Gunilla Hunton who was on the show from '69 till '97. Here is Gunilla now.

We met Wendy Lynn Adams. Here is the link to her and her husband's website.

I emailed a hee-haw expert that I found while searching, to ask her. She responded that Gunilla was the only Nurse Goodbody. Hee Haw's 1st episode was in June of 1969. Gunilla first appeared in episode 13, in December of '69. I checked the IMDB website, and there is no Wendy Lynn listed in any of the first 12 epiodes.

Ms. Adams' website says she was inducted into the Celebrity Hall of Fame in 1998. There is no such thing as a Celebrity Hall of Fame.

I found only one other reference to this Wendy Adams as Nurse Goodbody on this site where it says that she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1998. But there were only four 1998 inductees. Two of them included Tammy Wynette and Elvis Presley. And I'm pretty sure we did not meet Tammy Wynette on Sunday.

This site also gave a quote where Wendy claimed to be Elvis' "prayer partner". Um, ok. I'll give her that one.

I have honestly spent hours on this. I can compare the feelings on this to when I found out there wasn't a Santa Claus, and when I found out Delilah was not in Memphis, but a syndicated show out of California. (I'm still not over that one)

What I can't get over, is that she visited my home church several times during that week, introducing herself as Nurse Goodbody. So this wasn't a one-time introduction, or encounter with her at Graceland. She made this statement to a lot of people.

Maybe she was a stand-in? Maybe she was a back-up singer? IDK.

I know our Hee-Haw bubble was busted. Corey and I feel a little bit of anger for falling for it. Why would she let us go on and on, seeing how excited we were?

I'm sure she is a very nice lady. And it seems that she does a lot of work with the homeless in her hometown in California.

But gloom, despair and agony on us. We met another, and PHFFFT, she is gone!