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Thursday, January 31, 2019

Confessions {1.31.2019}

It has been months since I had a good ol’ confession sesh here on the blog, so I thought this might be a fun way to close out the first month of the new year!  Here we go!

I confess…

… that Olivia still mispronounces certain words and uses the wrong words when she is speaking in past tense and I never correct her because it’s so adorable... I secretly never want her to stop.  For example, she says “goed” instead of “went.”  “Hey Mommy, I goed to school today!”  I mean, is that not the stinking cutest thing ever?!  I know she has to learn one day, but for now I'm just going to keep enjoying the cuteness.  #BadMommy

… that I used to spend so much time planning that I never actually had the time to get the things done that I was planning.  I mentioned this a couple of weeks ago in this post, and I’m happy to report that now that I’m using my new method of planning, I have become a million times more productive because I have way more time to get things done.  #FeelsSoGood

… that now that I have repainted my home office, it’s making me want to redecorate all the things!  Unfortunately I have champagne taste and a beer budget, so if some brands aren’t willing to collaborate with me then it’ll take years to afford all of the stuff I want.  #BrandsPleasePullThrough

… that B granted my wish for white kitchen cabinets and I’m about to pee my pants with excitement waiting for that week to get here!  The company we’re using is super popular so you have to book them months in advance.  Our week is getting closer and closer by the minute and I cannot wait to see the transformation.  #ComeOnFirstWeekOfFebruary

… that, of course, since we’re repainting the cabinets it’s also making me want to add a new backsplash, add some new lighting under the countertops, get some barstools, and repaint the entire first level of our house.  #KeepDreaming #AddMoreItemsToTheMasterToDoList

… that I am a BOSS at painting, but the thought of painting that massive space does not sound like a good time.  If any professional local painters read this blog and you want to collaborate let me know!  Haha.  #WishfulThinking

… that I am still sore from painting my office a whole week ago.  Yep, I had muscle aches in places I didn’t even know I had muscles and my entire body pretty much felt like Jello after all that work.  #ApparentlyImNoLongerASpringChicken

… that I was so crushed that we didn’t get any snow on Tuesday, but I was secretly thankful that they didn’t have to close school for ice.  I mean, I love a good snow day at home with the kids, but who wants to stay home just for ice?!  If the kids are staying home unexpectedly it better be for the fluffy white stuff.  #MommaHasStuffToDo

Happy Thursday, y’all!






Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Home Office Refresh

*This post may contain affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through or make a purchase.

Well, I had a different post planned for today, but I repainted my office last week and now I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of all things office décor.  With that said, I decided to scrap my original post for now and post about some ideas and things on my wish list for my home office.  But first, a little back story…

We moved in our house almost ten years ago and I knew going in that I would be able to have a room all to myself.  I had always, always wanted a hot pink room with black furniture.  While I have enjoyed my hot pink walls these last ten years, I never actually really enjoyed the black furniture.  I honestly don’t even know what I was thinking putting it in there.  All of the black bookshelves and the black desk made for such a dark space. 

So over the last 6-7 years I’ve been sloooowly replacing the black furniture with my first and one true love – white furniture.  I painted my desk white years and years ago and that was the first step to brightening up my office.  Then, maybe four years ago I ditched the black bookshelves (PRAISE!) and purchased four of the Billy Bookshelves from IKEA.  BEST.  DECISION.  EVER.  I could not love my bookcases more, y’all!  They completely transformed the entire room!!  After that change, I have been pretty content with my room ever since, but these last few months I have been toying with the idea of painting the room a lighter pink – a nice blush color – to brighten it up even more.  I only have one window in my office and it faces north, so it really doesn’t get much sun. 

This past week, I decided to take the plunge and paint it.  I ultimately decided on “Little Piggy” by Benjamin Moore for the wall color, and now that the office is painted, I’ve decided that I want to redecorate all the things!!  Well, not all the things, but more of the things.  (I can see Brian rolling his eyes now as he reads this.)  Obviously we are on a very tight budget now that I’m not working at a corporate job, so I’m hoping to collaborate with some brands that I love to get the office completed.  If that doesn’t happen, then I will obviously have to purchase all of the items so that would make it a very sloooow process. 

So today, I’m going to share a few items I have already purchased for the space and I’m also going to share a few items on my wish list. 

COLOR PALETTE

Before we get started, I thought I would share a general color palette with you so you can see what I’m going for.  Obviously the primary color in the room will be the blush pink walls.  The second most used color will be white because of the doors, trim, and furniture.  Then I am going to continue to decorate with lots of gold/tan accents – curtain hardware, picture frames, throw pillows, baskets, and other knick-knacks.  I already have most of the gold accents so we do have that going for us.  The next color that I want to use is bright pops of different colors.  I recently rainbowtized my bookshelf and fell head over heels in love with it and it inspired me to add more pops of color to the room.  Lastly, there will be tiny bits of black in the office, too.  My computer, printer, and TV are all black, and several of my storage boxes are white with black dots.  I love black and white as long as the black isn’t so overpowering. 


Now that you know what I’m going for, it’s time to share the items that I either have or want for the room.

BLUSH PINK



Since the wall color is the blush pink, I probably won’t be decorating with too much pink.  Maybe some pink flowers here and there, but other than that, the walls should do it!

WHITE



While I have a desk for my office, I’m actually looking for something about 15 inches wider than my current desk because I want it to fill in the gap so the side will be flush with the wall.  My current desk is pretty small and I have a giant monitor that takes up the majority of the space.  I found this desk and it would fit in my space perfectly.  I also love that it has shelves on both sides.  This would allow me to put my printer on a shelf down below so it won’t be in such a prominent place.  Printers are such an eyesore!!



I am accessorizing with these white curtains from IKEA.  
And I'm also accessorizing with this cozy pom-pom blanket from Amazon.  I’m always freezing so a nice blanket is a must for my home office.



GOLD/TAN


Now for the fun part, the golden and tan hues!  My current office chair is positively awful and cheap.  I’ve had it for ten years and it has been uncomfortable since day one.  I would love something similar to this office chair from Pottery Barn.  It’s gorgeous and sleek and looks much more comfy than the hunk of junk I have right now!


I currently have a white and gray chevron chest under my window and I could kick myself for buying a piece of furniture with such a trendy pattern on it.  Sigh.  I’m completely over the chevron, so it’s on my long-term list to eventually get a light tan linen storage ottoman to put under the window.  I love this one!  Anybody know how to recover these?  That would be way cheaper!


I got some spending money from my grandmother for Christmas, so I bought this basket from Target because of its lovely golden hue.  I’m using it to store my pom pom blanket when it’s not in use.  :o)


I also love this tobacco basket from Hobby Lobby.  Don’t know where I would even put it in my office, but it would make for a beautiful tray if I had a space for it.


I currently have a cheap white curtain rod in my office and would love to eventually replace it with something nicer.  This one from Amazon is absolutely GORG!


It’s no secret that I’m a HUGE fan of Emily Ley’s and her pineapple pen cup is also on my wish list.  So cute!


I purchased these gold and white dot bins from Target when I was decluttering and reorganizing my office last year and I love them so much.  They hold all of my old diaries, scrapbooks, yearbooks, etc. and they make my shelves look so much tidier and cleaner than when the books were there!


Technically this chandelier isn’t gold, but it does have bronze accents and it needs to appear in my office immediately!!  I currently have an ugly ceiling fan in there now, and I want it OUT since I never use the fan in my office.  Don’t get me wrong… I will always have a fan over my bed to sleep, but I don’t need one in my office.


Finally, THIS PIN BOARD from Pottery Barn, y’all!!!!  It is stunning!!  I would LOOOOVE to have this over my desk!



RAINBOW


My best friend and I used to rainbowtize all the things way back in high school so I have proof that I have always been obsessed with all things rainbow.  I recently rainbowtized my bookshelf in my office, and I’ll never go back to alphabetical order after seeing how happy that corner of my office now looks. 

I think that may be why I’m so attracted to Emily Ley’s Simplified brand… because all of her stuff is just so happy.  I recently bought her Happy Stripe Daily planner as well as a Happy Stripe calendar so those will be displayed prominently somewhere in my office.



In addition to rainbowtizing my books and having a happy planner and calendar, I also just want to incorporate other little pops of happy colors around the room.  I’ll primarily do this when I decorate my pin board.  It would be nice if it was the fancy Pottery Barn one, but it’ll probably end up being one that I make myself.  Ha!

BLACK


Finally, as I said before, my computer, printer, and TV are black, and I also have a few other pops of black and white around the office.  I have one of these boxes from Hobby Lobby as well as a few other 12x12 boxes that are similar to this pattern and they look SO CUTE!  The black accents are now few and far between, but they are still there!


Well, who knew I could ramble on and on about colors like this?  Let me know your thoughts on everything!  I plan to do an office reveal eventually, but like I said, it will be slow going since we’re on a budget.  In the meantime, you can always follow along with the refresh on Instagram Stories.  I’ve posted lots of behind-the-scenes stuff on there and even done a few polls, so be sure to follow along!


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*Linking up with The Pleated Poppy for What I What I Wore, Pumps & Push Ups for Oh, Hey Girl! Link-Up, The Mummy ChroniclesTucker UpShopping My Closet for Style Me Wednesday, Classy Yet Trendy for Trendy Wednesday Link-Up, The Blended Blog and Jessi's Design and Going the Distance for What's Hap-"Pinning" Wednesday.







Monday, January 28, 2019

Our Weekend - The One with the Ball

*This post may contain affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through or make a purchase.

Happy Monday, y’all!  There is the slightest most remote chance for snow here tomorrow and I’m just as excited as the kids.  To say that my hopes are high is an understatement and it sure would be nice not to be let down for once.  Anyway, we had a blast of a weekend so let’s get down to the recap!

Friday evening we decided to stay home and get Carrabba’s take-out for dinner.  It was cold and blustery and I think everyone was exhausted after a long week, so it was the perfect way to relax.  We put a fire in the fireplace, B and I opened a bottle of wine, and we spent the evening snuggling the babies while we watched Despicable Me 3 for the second time.  I may or may not have dozed off a little because I was just so darn cozy and happy and warm.  


After the babies went to bed, B and I watched the last episode of the new season of Friends from College and now I’m dyyyying for more.  I LOVE that show and, sadly, the seasons are only eight episodes that are only 30 minutes each.  If you’re looking for a great show that will make you laugh, but you don’t have time to commit to a billion seasons of hour-long episodes, this one is perfect for you.  I’m praying they do a third season because I love it so much and it always leaves me wanting more!

Saturday morning after breakfast I got right down to business and finished painting my office.  I had gotten three walls completely done on Friday so I just had one wall left.  You may remember that the walls were hot pink in there before, and now they are the perfect shade of blush.  I went with Little Piggy by Benjamin Moore and I am thrilled with the way it turned out.  I always get so worried when choosing paint colors, but this one ended up being perfection.  I’m working on a whole office refresh and I’ll share the finished product once it’s done.  In the meantime, you can always follow along with me on Insta-Stories… I’ve been posting a lot there lately about decluttering, organizing, and refreshing my office, so if you’re into that kind of thing, you might enjoy.



Saturday evening was the ball that we attend every year.  It benefits Catholic schools in our area so our church and school friends and family are always in attendance.  This year it was held at a museum so it was a change of scenery from years past.




The evening started with a cocktail hour which gave everyone a chance to get our coats checked in, get some drinks, take some pictures in front of the step and repeat, and chat with friends.  At seven we headed down to the main ballroom for dinner followed by a presentation by the bishop.  B and I sat with four of our couple friends who also have kids in Jacob’s class, one of whom also happens to be Olivia’s current teacher. 
The best chef in town always prepares the food for the event and this year we had a spinach salad with fried onions for the first course, filet and chicken over fresh green beans and mashed potatoes in some kind of sauce for the main course, and some kind of cake for dessert.  It was delicious. 


After the dinner and presentation it was time to head back upstairs for the best part of the evening… dancing and listening to the band!  We all grabbed some beers, some of us kicked off our shoes, and we danced the rest of the night away.  I was sweaty and exhausted and oh so happy by the time we closed the place down around 11:30.  We’ve been attending this ball for around 10-11 years and it just keeps getting better and better.  I’ll have more pictures to share eventually once we get the pictures back from the professional photographer who photographed the event.  I was a terrible blogger and I barely took any pictures because I was just having too much fun so it will be nice to see what others captured!



When we got back in the car to head home, I had more DM notifications on Instagram than I’ve ever had and it was all people messaging me to ask me about and compliment me on my dress.  I have to say, I’ve worn a ball gown every year for the last 10-11 years and I think this was my favorite dress EVER.  It was absolute perfection, y’all, and apparently y’all thought so, too!  Tons of people requested the link, so you can find it here!  It’s from Amazon, and I kid you not, I only paid $35 for it!!!!  I noticed that the price has increased a tiny bit since I bought it, but not much.  I have to say, the dress fit like a glove and the quality was unbelievable.  It also comes in, like, 9 or 10 other colors.  I think I was complimented more times Saturday night at the ball than I’ve ever been in my life.  Oh, and the dress was so comfortable!  Not at all binding or itchy or anything.  I honestly didn’t want to take it off at the end of the night and I am already trying to figure out when I can wear it again! 

Now for some of the professional pictures that were taken...











Sunday B and I stayed in bed until almost 9 and I only got up because Olivia was practically dragging me out.  Haha.  We hung out in our PJs all morning and then headed to my MIL and step-FIL’s for lunch.  It was chilly again so we only got in a little bit of outdoor time, and then we headed back home for the afternoon.

Sunday evening my brother and sister-in-law had us over for Sunday dinner.  We hadn’t been to their new house yet, so it was nice to get to see it.  Their neighborhood is so cute and the house is great, and it was also a nice change of pace to have dinner somewhere different for a change. 

Well, y’all keep your fingers crossed for us that we get some of the white fluffy stuff tomorrow!  We would all be ecstatic!!  Happy Monday, y’all!

Don't forget to link up with HeatherJohannahTanya, and myself... just grab our new graphic for 2019 and link up below!


*Linking up with B Loved Boston for Weekending and HoHo Runs for Weekly Wrap.







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Friday, January 25, 2019

Five on Friday - Valentine’s Gift Guide + Other Faves

*This post may contain affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through or make a purchase.

Happy Friday, y’all!  It’s been another productive week and I’m just rolling right along and crossing things off of my Master To Do list right and left!  Such a great feeling!  Are y’all ready for some favorites from the week?  Here we go!

O N E – Valentine’s Day Gift Guide

We don’t go all out for Valentine’s Day.  B and I usually exchange cards and a tiny gift, and we always get cards and a tiny little something for the kids to put by their breakfast plates on Valentine’s morning, but that’s about it.  I thought I’d share a few cute little things that I’ve seen in case you’re looking.

For the Ladies:


ONE – I’m always looking for ways to help me get in my daily water intake, and a pretty thermos that keeps it cold all day is an excellent way to do that!  This one has been on my wish list for a long time!

TWO – I’ve had a sweater very similar to this one in grey for years, and I get complimented on it/asked where it’s from every single time I wear it.  Amazon has an assortment of different colors and it’s just perfect to wear on national LOVE day.  :o)

THREE – I’ve already raved about this O key ring once, and I’m going to do it again.  This would be the absolute perfect gift for couples who only exchange small things for Valentine’s Day.  And nothing says “I love you” like giving someone the gift of convenience.  Am I right?!

For the Men:




ONE – You can never go wrong with an external hard drive for a gift and this is why I include them on nearly every gift guide that I do.  As a matter of fact, we just recently filled up our last one, and I bought this exact one the other day!

TWO – I kept a gratitude journal last year and it really changed the way that I view things.  I came across this couples gratitude journal and thought that it was the coolest thing!  What a wonderful way to cultivate appreciation for your spouse on an on-going basis!

THREE – How adorable is this beer holder?!  B and I are super into craft beers these days and I always love to find new ones to give him for his birthday and different holidays, and this is just about the cutest way ever to present them!

For the Kids:




ONE – Our kids love Legos and this flower Lego set is the perfect little set to give as a gift on Valentine’s Day.  As a matter of fact, this exact set will be sitting next to Olivia’s breakfast plate on Valentine’s Day!  Shhhh, don’t tell her!  ;o)  

TWO – Our family is really into puzzles and the older they get, the more challenging the puzzles can be.  They’re not quite ready to do 1,000 piece puzzles on their own, but they do love to help B and I put them together!  It’s the perfect gift because it also promotes quality family time.

THREE – Another Lego set!  How darling is that little bumblebee?!  This one will be sitting next to Jacob’s breakfast plate on Valentine’s Day.  Shhhh.

For the Babies:




ONE – Bla Bla Dolls are all the rage right now and I can totally see why.  They’re handmade, they’re as big as your baby, and they’re absolutely darling.  They come in lots of different animals and colors, but this unicorn is my favorite!

TWO – This is one of my favorite children’s books of all time.  We’ve had it for our kids since Jacob was little and it’s one that I’ve read to both of them probably 50 times.  It teaches kids how love should feel (sweet, carefree, fun, “it let’s you be you and me be me”) and I think it gives kids a healthy idea of what love should and shouldn’t be at an early age.

THREE – A cute outfit is always a good idea for a baby, and this one is just precious.  Gosh, I miss dressing tiny little babies!

T W O – 100 Day at School

The kids celebrated 100 days at school last Thursday!  Jacob was asked to make something (not on a poster board or paper) with 100 items, so naturally, he chose Legos.  He created his own little Lego ship complete with a Lego person to drive it.

Olivia had to dress up like a 100 year old lady, so we found her best old lady dress, added an old lady cardigan, put on some white knee socks and some glasses, and put her hair in a bun.  Haha.  Her teachers dressed up like old ladies, too, complete with a wheel chair.  Lol.




T H R E E – Picture Recreation

My brother and sister-in-law and I are constantly discussing how crazy genetics are because all of our kids look so similar.  Well, Cheryl (my SIL), came across this old picture taken back in 2014 of my kids with our parents.  My Daddy is holding up baby Olivia while my Momma sits on the couch in the background with two year old Jacob.  Well, since my brother and I both had boys first followed by girls and they are spaced almost the exact same amount of time apart, Cheryl decided that we should recreate the picture with their kids… and it’s just freaky, y’all!!  Same living room, same couch and chair, same painting in the background, and basically the same kids!  Lolololol.  I mean, there is NO denying that those four babies are related!




F O U R – Facebook 10 Year Challenge

Everyone else is doing it, so I figured I might as well, too.  ;o)  Both of the pictures on the left are the old ones (from 2009) and the picture on the right is the recent one (although I realized the recent one is actually from a couple of years ago – whoops) but do I not look almost exactly the same?!  I feel like I have barely aged in 10 years and boy, does that make me happy!  Haha.  I definitely have more wrinkles around my eyes now, but other than that, I think I look about the same... probably because I never change my hair!  Haha.





If we want to see an ACTUAL 10 year difference, here's a picture of me in 2006 (on the left) and then my recent picture (that I think was taken in 2016 or 2017).



Oh, how I miss the tanning bed!!

F I V E – How to Double Your Closet Space in 30 Seconds for Just $10

Did you see my post on Wednesday??  I’m sharing my favorite little $10 invention that has been a complete game changer in our household this past year.  We went from the kids having closets with not enough hanging space and them not being able to reach their clothes:



To DOUBLING their hanging space and them being able to reach what they need when they need it:



And it only costs $10 and just 30 seconds of your time.  So good!

Finally, before I go, more funny memes that caught my eye this week. 


I laughed way too hard at this... those will be my kids.  Bahahaha.

When you're trying to collaborate with a brand and they respond by discussing ALL the exposure you'll get... yeah, because exposure pays the bills.  #Eyeroll



Happy Friday, y'all!


*Linking up with A Liz Adventures and Carolina Charm for Five on Friday, A Little Bit of Everything for Friday FavoritesMeet @ the Barre for Friday Favorites, and By BMG for High Five for Friday.