Somebody Pinch Me

Seriously...

I cannot stop looking at it.

Partly because it's just so shiny.. and partly because I want to make sure this is ACTUALLY happening.

Times They Are A Changin'

Mrs. James? 

Yes, please. 

Home For Christmas

I'll be home for Christmas again this year. 

Christmas Eve will be the same as all the years before. We'll spend the evening eating Mom's homemade fried chicken while we watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Christmas Vacation.  

On Christmas morning, we'll all wake up early, sit in our pajamas, and sleepily take turns opening our gifts (youngest to oldest, of course). 

We might take an early nap, but eventually we'll make our way to Christmas lunch at Nanny's house. We'll pass out all the gifts. We'll rip and tear until the room is covered with ribbons and paper. Dad will take charge when it's time to clean up, then we'll quickly make our way to the kitchen for firsts, seconds, and maybe thirds. This Christmas will be exactly the same as the one before, except for one thing. 

You can't be here this year. No one will say anything because it seems like it was only yesterday.

Someone else will be the first to greet us. 

Someone else will comment on the basketball game. 

Someone else will sit in your chair. 

It won't be the same without you. 

But we have each other, and we'll try our best to keep going. 

We love you.

All That Twinkles Is Gold

Christmas lights.

Nail polish.

This dress.

And this dress.

Gift wrap.

Flats.

If it twinkles...if it glitters... I'm in.

7 days 'til Christmas! 

(photo source.)

Friday Favorites

Today has been the longest day ever. I cannot believe it's only 7:15. 

At least the week went by relatively quickly. 

Tomorrow is Saturday and that means I get to have my Frank 

all to myself for TWO WHOLE DAYS!! Am I lucky or what?

Also, did I tell you he bought a super awesome camera? Well, he did! I know you're looking forward to seeing some of his beautiful pictures, so I'll try to throw some of them in here soon.

While you're vegging out in celebration of the weekend,
take a second to check out my favorite links of the week.

1. Must try this hair tutorial.

2. Let's replace that ugly mirror with this sign!

3. Keiko is so beautiful it makes me uncomfortable.

4. Love, love, LOVE all of these 2012 calendars.

5. Beautiful pictures, sketchy situation.

Weekend Update

I could never become a paid blogger. My posts are completely erratic and nonsensical. 

Good thing I don't have sponsors...

Anyway... I have been in a fantastic mood today. 

I can't really explain it, but I feel great.

Maybe it's the weather. Maybe it's the exercise.
Maybe it's the sudden onset of the holiday season.

Who cares what it is. I feel phenomenal. 

So, I'm going to spend the last hours of my weekend drinking coffee, watching The Walking Dead, and doing a late night workout. I'll leave you with a few of my favorite finds from this week. 

1. One of my favorite blogs made a how-to post for dressing like a princess.

2. I posted this quote on my Tumblr and Mister responded with "I am pretty hot, huh?"

3. Are these earrings gorgeous or WHAT?

4. LOVE this "rich bitch" look.

5. My son will only use pacifiers like this. ONLY.

Enjoy and Happy Weekend!

Friday Favorites

1. This tumblr will help you get in the mood for fall.

2. Something to read over and over...and over again.

3. Motivation... for 30 Day Shred.

4. A Classy Clash for a little outfit inspiration.

5. Photos of a precious couple on their special day.

No Excuses

Holy cow, it's November 3rd already. What is happening? 

It's also cold and rainy outside, and I woke up with an extra dose of the sniffles. 

Laundry day? I think so.

So, I had this conversation with my journal on Tuesday, and have yet to clue you in. 

Remember when I made a declaration for the month of October?

Good, because I made a declaration for November, too.

No Excuse November

What's funny is it's really working for me. It's applicable in every single area of my life. I have done a pretty good job of reminding myself of my proclamation. The phrase is always dangling in the back of my thoughts. 

"I need to do laundry, but it's raining." NO EXCUSES

"I haven't exercised today, but it's SO late." NO EXCUSES

"I have nothing to do tomorrow, so the dishes can wait." NO EXCUSES

"It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, 

for which we are accountable." Moliere

November

November is here.

The weather has been cooler. My Earl Grey is fully stocked. The leaves are beautiful.

It was actually cool enough for a scarf last week! ...but the high for today is 70.

I guess that's Autumn in Alabama. Regardless of the temperature schizophrenia, Autumn is quickly becoming my favorite season. 

Now excuse me while I rake my leaves in my thigh highs...

Headache

When I woke up at 7am, I had a headache. So, I went back to sleep.

I woke up again at 9:15 and the headache was still there.

I visited Frank, I bought a few groceries, drank lots of Diet Mt. Dew and took a few pills.

At 4:10pm my dull, annoying ache is still here.

I have to be at work at 5:30. Until then, I will continue to ingest pills and caffeine 

and pray that this obnoxious aching decides to leave.

Friday Favorites

Here are just a few of my favorite links I found this week.

1. These boys are adorable. Not much else needs to be said. 

2. Take a second to check out this adorable blog. 

She's a first time mommy-to-be and her 

"Awkward and Awesome Thursday" posts are the best.

3. I am all about one-of-a-kind engagement rings! 

These vintage rings are gorgeous and amazingly cheap!

4. Three words: Chocolate Chip Cookies.

5. I am way too excited about this manicure. 

Happy Friday, Y'all!

Thankful Thursday

Just a moment ago I was enjoying my alone time in my comfy chair and I came up with a blogging idea for each Thursday!

So, welcome to the first official "Thankful Thursday" post.

1. Warm kitty tummies on cold hands and feet.

2. Meet Joe Black on Netflix

3. Coffee

4. Pinterest (Where I found these cute photos.)

5. Random ideas

So Good To See You

Mission Laundry: Conquered

Behind every working woman is an enormous pile of unwashed laundry. 

Barbara Dale 

How Lucky

As you probably saw in my previous post, I've been really struggling with the idea of loss lately. My family is still suffering through grief and sadness. That grief has really taken a toll on my thoughts. I consistently have nightmares about losing my loved ones. My head is full of "What will I do without her?" ... "I cannot live without him"  and "What if there was an accident?"  As I mentioned before, sometimes I think life would be better if I could just be alone. Better, easier, simpler. A life without "goodbye" sounds pretty perfect, right? Yeah. Part of me really wanted to believe that, but tonight I found this quote...

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

— A.A. Milne Winnie the Pooh

How beautiful. Honestly, I struggled to hold back my tears. I don't believe a single quote has ever been so close to my heart. Life alone would be free of goodbyes, but it would also be free of love.

How lucky.  

How blessed.  

How thankful. 

It Happens

I woke up in a fantastic mood this morning. It seems as though my body is just happy to not be hungover/sick anymore. Around 10am I ventured out for a jog on Vulcan Trail which has a beautiful view of the city and is conveniently located right outside my door. The weather in Alabama has been perfect lately and I feel obligated to take advantage of the temperatures. Our summers and winters can be a little frustrating, so you have to learn to be grateful for any and every glimpse of autumn or spring. 

My weight has been sturdily bound to the 120s club for the past few months and I couldn't be happier! Seeing that number on my scale gives me even more motivation to keep pushing forward. Yesterday, I used my Facebook status to issue a decree. I will be using the month of October to better myself...to clean up the mess that is my life.

So, there you have it. It's time to get my shit together. Time to put my big girl panties on and gather myself financially, professionally, physically, and emotionally. No one's going to hand me a job. No one's going to hold my hand while I search for a job. No one's going to stop me from putting that deep fried Oreo in my mouth. 

I have to do it. 

Ready. Set. Go.

Anything You Can Get Away With

I am no photographer, that's for sure. I have extreme photo envy while stalking my favorite lady bloggers. My talent and knowledge are definitely lacking when it comes to photography.  That being said, I truly love taking pictures and saving these little permanent memories. So, talent or no talent, I will continue to post my sad little photos for everyone to make fun of enjoy.

"Art is anything you can get away with." Andy Warhol

When I Sorrow Most

September is gone. Good riddance. 

Today was absolutely beautiful, and I happily spent most of the day watching three children. Afterwards, I did a little shopping! The weather was a little on the chilly side, so I decided to celebrate by visiting Frank at work...and new boots

While all of that was fun, my favorite part of the day was speaking to my family for the first time in nearly a month. I've really missed them, but I just wasn't ready to talk. Every morning I check my phone to make sure no one else is gone... I knew if I didn't call, I could make up an imaginary world where everything was normal and everyone was safe.  I cannot handle any more loss. 

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about loss. Why are we such dependent creatures?  Why are we capable of loving something that's perishable? We end up loving someone more than we love ourselves only to lose them along the way. I have nightmares about losing Frank. 

For a while, I thought maybe it would be better to be alone. That way you'd never have to say goodbye. Never mourn and grieve. But then I realized I would miss all those memories that I cherish so much. Like Poppy's endless loop of stories or Indy's adorable rollover trick. 

So, I suppose Tennyson was right. 

"Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."

Can't Quit You

Here in Alabama, it's a crisp 82 degrees on this lovely autumn afternoon. 

Apparently, summer was all like "Alabama, I just can't quit you."  

Anywho, in honor/lust of ACTUAL fall weather, here are some boots I'm drooling over.

I'm way too lazy to type everything out, so click here for the name and price of each boot!

Afire

Due to inspiration from A CUP OF JO, I would like to invite you into the world of things that annoy me. I will spare you the entire list mostly because I don't want you to know how crazy I actually am. So, here's the abridged version of my list of "Things To Set Afire." 

1. Hiccups.

Hiccups and I have been mortal enemies for as long as I can remember. Nothing can cure them and they last for what seems like forever. One day I'll conquer you, hiccups. One day.

2. Facebook complaints.

If you don't like it, don't use it. Okay? Okay. 

3. Dirt Under My Fingernails.

This is a recently developed pet peeve due to my long gone habit of biting my nails. I make sure to keep something in my purse to get rid of the dirt.

4. Chain emails, texts, statuses.

These deserve extra gasoline (you know, for the burning...) why they begin/end with "If you really love Jesus..." etc.

5. Waving me on at a 4-way stop.

If you got there first, you move first. That's the rule... AND the law.

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

The list goes on, but that's all for now.

When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder

I will never forget riding on the back of your ponies as you guided us through the pasture...

Or the way the gravel road crunched beneath your boots. 

I will never forget the way you measured our height by the buttons on your shirt...

 

Or how proud you were to work in your garden.

On Sunday, you decided it was time to rest. No more work. No more suffering. No more pain.

We said our goodbyes and reminded each other of your favorite stories. 

Home just won't be the same without you.

Nanny misses you so much. She even said she wanted to go with you. 

It's going to be really hard without you, but soon she'll be able to look back and enjoy her memories.

Goodbye, Pawpaw Dan. I love you and miss you so much.

"When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more,

And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;

When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,

And the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there."

Best Of Cheer

Can you believe September is here? That means fall is only 22 days away! September 23rd is the first official day of autumn. Mark your calendars and break out the cider!

I spent my first day of September doing laundry and watching I Love You Phillip Morris. 

If you haven't seen it, you definitely need to! It's streaming on Netflix right now. 

(After you watch, take a second to Google Steven Russell.)

Oh, I also painted my nails orange! Oh yeah. I'm a wild one.

By all these lovely tokens 

September days are here,
With summer's best of weather 

And autumn's best of cheer.
-Helen Hunt Jackson

There Beneath The Blue Suburban Skies

Penny Lane

Four!

I hate golf...

But I love him.

Before You Know It

It seems like Fall is so closet, yet so far away!! I don't remember being this excited in previous years, but I absolutely cannot wait to break out my cardigans! And the scarves... Oh, the scarves! I decided to make a set of all the items I want need for Fall.



For a list of all the items in the picture, just follow my Polyvore.

I already own the leopard clutch, Ginger lipgloss, and Miss Dior Cherie. My next project may be to find the green vest. The one pictured is from Gap; hopefully they still have it in the store! I have seen so many cute ways to wear it.
Like this...

(lost my source...sorry)

Or this...

(source)

I've also been pretty obsessed with vertical stripes (less than ideal for my...soft figure, I know) and I love Black Currant Vanilla from Bath and Body Works. I'll definitely be filling my apartment with some of those candles! Oh, Fall! I can't wait to see you again!


"Summer is like the ultimate one-night stand: Hot as hell, totally thrilling, and gone before you know it." -Unknown