I Love Hobby Lobby (and HL Sales...)

Nothing makes this girl happier than visiting a craft store (okay, maybe a few other things....).  So when I got the opportunity to go to Hobby Lobby this weekend, I was pumped.  I get a strange high from being around that many canvases, fabric spools and brilliant home decor ideas.  Just being there makes me happy.  So you can imagine how I feel when I'm in the craft store and I score a ridiculously awesome deal.  Meet my new clock.

Gahhhh!!!  It's gigantic (seriously--the picture doesn't do it justice...it's at least 20 inches across--if not more), it's covered in burlap and it's antique looking.  Could it be any more perfect?  Actually yes.  Yes, it could.

That sucker was originally $60 and I picked it up for $12 on clearance.  The clock works, but the hands stick and cause them to move when they're not supposed to, but that's just fine with me. Again, it's giant, it's covered in burlap and it's antique-y.   Even if it doesn't keep time, it's PERFECT for my house.  And I've been on the hunt for a statement piece for our living room.

Now, put on your imagination goggles with me for a second.  There's a super long wall spanning from my dining room into my living room that has two double doors along the wall going out to the screened in porch, but there's still a long wall that was devoid of any decorations whatsoever.  The previous homeowner (aka my aunt) had her TV on that wall with the furniture facing it.  When we moved in, I looked at that wall for our TV, but realized, because of the placement of the room, I wouldn't be able to center my couch with the TV if we did that...BIG problem for my OCD.  So we switched the room around and left this wall alone.  Here's where the imagination goggles need to be on.  (FYI, I apologize for this terrible picture.  I was trying to take it in between Avery's "I hold you!" whines).

You ready for my plans?  My mom has an old white wooden mantle in her basement that I'm going to steal  borrow with permission from her.  It needs a new top and probably a fresh coat of paint.  I'm going to tell ask Marty sweetly if he and his cousin (who is a whiz with wood and silly projects I hope to accomplish) will mount it centered on the wall.  I'm picturing two small printed chairs on each side and beautiful decorations on top.  Finally, I'm going to take a scrap piece of plywood, cover it in chalkboard paint and put it in the "fireplace."

via

Saw this idea in one of my mom's magazines last year around Christmas (Country Living? BHG?) and fell in love and have been obsessing over the idea ever since.

If I can get everything to work out (mom letting me have it, husband painting and mounting it...), I hope to have after pictures soon!!

My Behind-the-Scenes

Someone told me once that when they read my blog, they imagined that my house was perfectly clean, organized and decorated.  Hoo boy.  I'm here to tell you.  That's 100% wrong.  Dead wrong, in fact.

I've made the mistake before of reading a blog and imagining that the writer was completely perfect.  Spotless house, perfect kids, doting husband, the works.  I found myself comparing my life to theirs quite often and always falling short.

So, for the sake of being completely honest with you guys....wanna see my house?  Just to prove that this blogger isn't perfect and (is currently) a terrible housekeeper?

I was in a wedding last weekend.  I came home, threw my suitcase in this chair and have been digging stuff out of it ever since.

Also, can I get a shoutout from anyone else that MUST try on every article of clothing in their closet when they're going somewhere important?  Thus, all the clothes on the back of the chair.  I had to dress up (something I've obviously forgotten how to do) and literally tried on every possible outfit combination I owned.  These are the castoffs.

A giant load of towels that was taking over my bathroom floor, so I moved them to the bedroom.

I took a quick trip back to the FFA Convention yesterday and had to throw on some makeup and clothes.  I didn't have time to put anything back.....and that's why my bathroom looks like this.
Note:  right after taking this picture, I had a panic attack over it and cleaned everything off the countertop.  The floor, however?  Looks exactly the same.

See y'all?  And this is just MY room.  You haven't even seen the rest of my house!!  Just because I blog about the good stuff I do (because who wants to hear about the crappy stuff???) doesn't mean that my house (or myself!!) is perfect.  Far from it.  I heard a perfect quote once that helped me stop comparing myself to all those "perfect" bloggers I follow:

"Stop comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else's highlight reel."

A blog is just that.  Me, talking about my highlight reels.  Talking about a DIY project I was proud of or sharing the details of my daughter's birthday party I planned.  I don't come on my blog and talk about the fight my husband and I got into the night before or the fact that my kid spilled milk on the kitchen floor that left a sticky spot that stayed there for 2 weeks before I finally cleaned it up.  That's my behind-the-scenes.  I screw up (quite often).  I yell at my kid too much or I get on my husband for doing something when I shouldn't.  I mess up dinner and my family eats a bowl of cereal that night.  I run through a drive through and pick up lunch when I know my daughter should be eating healthier.  I'm not perfect...by any stretch of the imagination.  When you see a blogger bragging about the things she's doing....remember:  it's her highlight reel.  We all have behind-the-scenes stuff that make our lives not so pretty....but they also make our lives REAL.  And that's perfect enough for me. 

Just a Simple Thank You.

Today, I had the chance to return to the Kentucky FFA State Convention as a contest judge. I always love going back to convention. I'm surrounded by national blue and corn gold corduroy jackets. I see wide-eyed youth, on fire for the FFA. I feel their nerves as they prepare to compete. I notice their excitement as they try to take in all that the convention has to offer. I know this because I was once a young FFA member experiencing my very own first state convention. First as a regular member, then as a team competitor, then as a prepared public speaker, next as a State Officer Candidate and finally, as a Kentucky FFA State Officer. To try to describe to you the impact the the National FFA Organization has had on my life would be impossible. There aren't enough words to properly express how much love I have for the FFA. Or what it did for me. Or how passionate I feel about youth getting involved in the FFA.

When I first came back to convention as a Past State Officer, I was overwhelmed with sadness. I was no longer allowed to sport my official dress down the hallways. I couldn't blend in with the members in my blue corduroy that became so familiar it almost felt like a second skin. Instead, I was in dress pants and a blouse...the official dress of a "has-been." I looked at the fresh faces of the new state officers and wanted to trade places with them. It was an emotion so strong, I physically hurt from missing the FFA.

After the next few trips back, it got easier to see the new batch of state officers. Instead of jealousy, I felt excitement for them. Glad they were getting to live out their moment and experience something few members get the chance to. Instead, I looked at my friends from the FFA...people that were members the same time I was...that were now the FFA advisors. The ones that got a front row seat every day to watch their students fall in love with agriculture. I began to feel a different kind of jealousy. One where I felt like my friends were getting to live out the ultimate dream job, while I just came to convention as an outsider--only to return back to whatever job that was waiting for me at home. I'd look at my friends and wonder if I'd made a terrible decision. I'd wonder if I, too, should be in their shoes and should have followed the path of an ag teacher.

Finally, I returned to convention again today. I waited for the pang of jealousy or the realization I hadn't made the right decisions to hit....but that feeling never came. Instead, I looked at my friends, leading their groups of students around, and just felt proud. I am so proud to know people that have truly found their calling in life. People that just KNEW they wanted to be ag teachers and are doing a fantastic job doing just that. When I look at my friends and hear them talk about their plans for their programs and their students, their excitement is contagious. I'm genuinely happy for them. They're living out their dream...it's just not one that was made for me. I know that I'll find my true calling one day (I hope, I hope...), but for now, I'm content coming back to convention in my current role: as a proud FFA Alum that's deeply, gratefully, humbly thankful for having the chance to learn so much from just a simple school organization. Thank you, Kentucky FFA.

Pooh Pooh.

Yooooouuuuu guyyyysss.... (I've got my whiny voice on....can you tell??)

I'm having the hardest time EVER finding a cute outfit for Avery's birthday party.  First, let me start by saying that I know she doesn't have to have a new outfit for every birthday.  But I like the idea of making it a tradition.  My sister and I always got a new dress on Easter and Christmas.  Why not let Avery get a new outfit for her birthdays that make her feel special and party-ready?  Also, when I come up with a party theme, I see it to fruition.  I want it to be Pooh everywhere, even down to the outfit.  Back to the mission....

I've decided that Avery's 2nd birthday will be Winnie the Pooh themed.  She's into everything from Mickey to Sofia the First to Lady and the Tramp to Tangled.  The girl loves a different movie every day of the week. So coming up with a theme for this year was fairly difficult.  Back in March, Avery went through a pretty epic Winnie the Pooh phase.  We watched the Pooh movie every single day on repeat, we read Pooh books, we talked about Pooh, we slept with a Pooh blanket.  That's when I started looking on Pinterest at Pooh themed parties.  And I FELL IN LOVE.   I won't share any details because I don't want to ruin it, but holy cow...I'm pumped about this party.  Slowly after that, though, Avery started watching a different movie every week and has kind of gone away from the Pooh obsession.  This momma says too bad though, because we're going to have a rockin' Pooh party.  Avery obsessed, or not.

I've decided on invitations, food, decorations and favors.....which leaves the birthday outfit.

Let me be the first to say that I LOVE all things Disney.  I live for the day that my husband says we're going back to Disney World and can quote Disney movies like it's my job.  I do not, however, love Disney themed children's clothes.  They're just kind of tacky in my opinion.  So, when I was searching for Pooh outfit and came up with options like these below, I felt a little discouraged.

If you loved these items, don't get your feathers ruffled...they're just not my style AT ALL.

And I'm kind of over the whole "birthday-number-applique-on-a-tshirt" phase.

Again, if your child is sporting one of these at their upcoming party, don't get your panties in a wad.  My kid wore one for her first birthday party:

It's just one of those "been there, done that" kind of things.  I want something new.  I want something different than I'm seeing on Pinterest and every Winnie the Pooh party themed blog I've come across.  It's like I have a vision in my mind, but I'm just not sure what it is.  I feel like when I see it, I'll just know.   But for now, I'm feeling super frustrated that I'm just going to end up sticking my kid in a Pooh t-shirt from Walmart.  Help?

Color Jumble.

I need advice on colors to paint the exterior of a house.

No, I'm not painting the vinyl siding on my house (yet...).

Instead, I'm painting this bad boy for Avery's birthday (inspired by: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/a-little-tikes-house-gets-a-pr-155572 ).

And I honestly have no idea where to start. My creative brain is yelling a hundred different ideas at me and I'm having trouble concentrating.

I DO know that I want to paint the house one color, the shutters another and the bay window on the front another. I'm thinking something like house--navy blue, shutters and roof--black, bay window--white. But I'm just not sure.

Let the opinions fly!!

One of Those Days.

Do you guys ever just have one of those days?  You know the kind....

...when your kid gets up at 3:45, 4:30 from apparent night terrors/bad dreams/growing pains/just being spoiled and knowing mommy will come running if she screams your name.

...when your kid keeps you up until 5:30 and you know your alarm is going off in 45 minutes....and it takes you every bit of 20+ minutes to fall back asleep.

....when you turn your alarm off and immediately fall back asleep....only to wake 45 minutes later in a total panic.

...when you're frantically throwing makeup on your face and your husband comes in and informs you that he's been throwing up.

....when you rush around in the morning, trying to get to the sitter and work on time, all while having that nagging feeling that you're forgetting something.

...when you drop your child off at the sitters and promptly inform them that your child has not had breakfast, has not peed in the potty yet, is still wearing a Pull-Up when she should have training pants on....finally, hand them a giant bag of wet baby-sized underwear that you'd planned to dry that morning for your toddler to wear today, but didn't because you fell back asleep when your alarm went off.

....when you get to work and you haven't been there 10 minutes when you give yourself a nasty paper cut that draws blood and requires a band-aid.

....when you are listening to your "Matchbox 20" Pandora station in an attempt to wake yourself from the sleep-deprived haze you're in and the phone rings...when you walk towards the phone, your headphones tangle and pull your phone off your desk and hurls it face down on the tile floor.

....when you get home and decide to attempt to shake off the crappy day and make a homemade dinner.  You decide to make cauliflower crust pizza, because you're gluten intolerant and you haven't had pizza in practically forever and you miss it, dang it!

.....when the recipe calls for "riced cauliflower" to be cooked in a microwave for 8 minutes.  You cook it, making your entire kitchen smell like fish and causes your husband to complain and open the kitchen window.

....when you continue making the pizza, thinking it looks promising when it comes out of the oven, even though it made your kitchen smell like rotten sea animals.

....when you bite into the pizza, which was extremely crispy on the edges, and discover that the bottom is almost raw and completely soggy.

...when you toss the entire thing into the garbage and pour yourself a large bowl of Fruity Pebbles.

...when your child climbs into your lap and demands multiple bites of your cereal because she can't just give you 3 minutes to enjoy a childhood sugary cereal without interruption.

...when you get on your laptop to blog about your crappy day and your laptop is completely screwed up and will not connect to the Internet, so you have to blog from your ipad, which gives you finger cramps.

Have you ever had one of these exact days?  I thought so.

Manage iPod nano 7G without iTunes

iTunes alternative now fully compatible with iPod nano 7G and iPod nano 6G

With the free iTunes alternative tool called CopyTrans Manager it is easy to manage your iPod nano 7G and iPod nano 6G. CopyTrans Manager now provides full compatibility with all Apple iPod nano devices.

Simply run CopyTrans Manager and connect your iPod nano 7G to you PC. Use the following page to get the iTunes alternative for your iPod nano 6G/7G:

• iPod nano 7G without iTunes

You can add, remove, or edit songs to and on your iPod nano using this free iTunes replacement.