Happy Birthday, Little Blog

This blog is a year old now.  But let's face it...it's a little sad.  I am a little disappointed that I didn't post more in 2012, but I did do a lot of other things.   Like....

• Moved twice and then again right back to where we started.
• Went back to my old (and amazing) job at Emerson Academy as a Pre-K teacher...and all that entails, such as completely transforming the classroom.
• Read 50 Shades of Gray.  Meh...
• Learned to coupon...kind of.  Still working on that one.
• Started volunteering with my church's children's ministry.
• Realized I have some cooking/baking talent.
• Spent about $120 on Christmas gifts for 10 people which meant shopping cheap and making and/or customizing every gift.

Not to mention being an awesome friend and amazing wife. ; )

Turns out, if you add things to your to-do list, it doesn't add time to your day.  Who knew?

I have a lot of resolutions this year...just like I always do.  And I'm going to stick with them and not forget them...just like I always do.  I have a lot of ideas I'd like to implement on the blog, in my home, in the classroom, in my heart and head, in my marriage, etc.  

I will accomplish things this year!

2012...

We got a dog!  Duke. :)  But we had to send him to a better home when we moved back to Austin :(

Baked.

Saved!

Best. Wife. Ever. :)

My little sister got married.

And...We moved.  A lot.

Size matters?

I've never been small.

This is by far the hardest blog post I've ever written.  This is pushing me way out of my comfort zone, but I feel as though this should be said.

There have been a lot of bigger girls standing up for themselves and the whole un-tiny community. I am extremely inspired by these women. They have inspired me to raise my own voice.

I have always had body issues. I have been made fun of, stared at, and called names. You can hide a zit, you can pull your hair back when you're having a bad hair day, you can use makeup to cover blotchy skin. You can buy clothes, but it's pretty difficult to hide your size. As a child and teen, I wouldn't eat in front of people because I was worried about what they thought. I still won't buy those cute logo tees if they have a food logo on them because I "know" what people will think.

However, in the last month or so, I have really come to terms with who I am. I have internal and external changes to make, but I love me.  Even if the world doesn't.

Here are my tips to love your body, no matter the size or shape.

1. Realize that you are what you are. I, personally, believe that I am made in God's image, and that is enough for me. I do realize that not everyone believes that. If not, simply think, "this is me. And that's just fine." Nothing happens over night, so you might as well get comfortable.

2. Set goals and work to achieve them.  Don't beat up yourself for eating a bowl of ice cream, but just setting small goals, and meeting them, can do wonders for self esteem, even if you don't see any physical change.

3. Dress for your body. Big or small, short or tall,  just go shopping, have a ball! (Dr. Seuss/preschool teacher moment.) Make shopping fun. A size zero wouldn't go shopping at a Lane Bryant, and a size 18 wouldn't shop at Abercrombie. Try it on! Even if you "know" it won't look good, try it on! You never know... Just because you try it in, doesn't mean you'll buy it. Buy what makes you feel good.

4. Do those cheesy self-affirmations. No one has to hear them, so don't be embarrassed. Look in the mirror and focus on what you like.

5. Surround yourself with amazing people because you deserve nothing less than positive energy. I am forced to be around a super negative person all day, Monday through Friday. Most people who work have experienced this too. If that's the case, take breaks to read positive quotes/scriptures, call or text someone who loves you, and remember, they are who they are, too.

Beauty is everywhere, and I hope that society can start to accept the beautiful varieties that exist.

The next post is going to be on dressing for your body. I will spend this week writing and taking pictures. Woo! Stay tuned!  (The iPad autocorrected "tuned" to "toned." Really, Apple?!

A new start (again)

So, it's been a while, but have no fear. I am back to regular posting.  I realized a few things over the last few months, and a lot of things have changed. First and foremost, we were extremely unhappy in Waco. This explains my lack of posting. I had no interest in anything. We weren't unhappy with our marriage or life or anything super big like that; Waco just want for us. We missed our home. That house and Waco in general didn't feel like home. And boy, was a surprised when I realized that "home" was back in Austin! We couldn't wait to get back. We decided we wanted to come back in mid-July and were moving in August 25th. I couldn't wait to get back to Emerson Academy and away from that China Spring center. I deleted the adjective that described the center. Lets just say it wasn't for me. We are back at the exact same apartment complex and our apartment looks exactly the same as the last, except now we have a beautiful golf course view. Jonathan does security at Intel and I am a pre-k teacher. We have an amazing church family here that we've fallen in love with. Oh, and I have some new clothes that I need to show off! I'll be posting again soon, so stay tuned! But for now, it's time for work. Have a great day!

Finally, what you've been waiting for...

Can you believe that most people, including family, have not seen our house?  Well, I spent all weekend cleaning and working on the office.  Jonathan worked on the dining room.  So, I thought, it's as good of a time as any to post pics.  However, please keep in mind, this is NOT the finished product.  We still have a lot to get done, but until we have the money to do so, we've had to make it work with what we've got (and what's been given to us).  Also, because every wall in this house, except the living room, is white (blah), I had to do some instagramming to them.  The white walls do not provide awesome lighting.  We usually keep the lights off, and have soft lamps or natural light from all the windows.

Living Room

Living Room - Please ignore the curtain rod in the corner...oops. :)

Living Room

Office
My goal for this room was to have an inspirational, motivational place to relax, work, do homework, pray, etc.  The lights are on in these photos, and doesn't really show how I work in here.  Right now, lights are off, candles lit, lamp on.  Perfect.  By the way, in the picture below, the orange stuff on the couch is the curtain I am going to hang in there.  It's sheer, lightweight, and simple.  Oh, and the door in the corner has pictures hanging on it...it's a project I'm working on... :)

Office - a cozy place to sit and relax 

The photos are my favorite part of the room.  I will be adding more of mine and Jonathan's family soon.

Blurry, but photos of my grandmother and great grandparents.  The note is written by my grandmother...it reads, "Most of life's road blocks are man-made.  A good woman can find a way around them every time."  Inspiring?  Yes.

More old photos.  The oldest one I have right now is the picture of the baby.  That is my great grandfather!  Love this.

Dining Room

No picture of the table, but it's a simple, beautiful antique table that belonged to his great grandmother.  We also got the buffet and hutch from his grandmother.  I debating painting the buffet and the hutch.  We'll see what happens.

Bedroom #2
This will eventually be our guest bedroom, but since we have no furniture in here yet, we just call it "The Shoe Room."  Yes, you knew it would happen eventually...a room for nothing but shoes!  Well, we also use the closet and the weird storage unit thing for clothes and purses.  I'd like to tear that unit out, but I guess we'll keep it...at least for now. (Remember, we are only renting...)

Bathroom
Yes, it's the bathroom.

We switched out our contemporary shower curtain that we had in Austin.  It didn't really flow with the theme of the house.  Plus, it was dark, navy blue.  This white curtain really makes the bathroom seem bigger.  I was a little skeptical about the floral pattern at first, but I love it!  We kept the contemporary square, wooden hangers from the old curtain instead of the ugly flower ones that came with the curtain.  It really mixes our modern/country style well.  The curtain was a great Dollar Store find.

Thanks to my sister, Jennafer, for that jar!  She gave it to me for Christmas full of bath fizzers.  The fizzers are gone, and I loved it too much to throw it out.  I love this shelf from Target.  Also, we have no toilet paper roll holder.  There's not really room for one without it looking awkward, so we opted for a garage sale basket instead.

 Bedroom
Our goal in this room was for it to be relaxing, romantic, and spa like.  I love it.

We have 4 large windows that let in a lot of natural light. We love that, but the room gets hot and stays bright.  Jonathan sleeps during the day, so this just wouldn't work.  We got these navy blue Eclipse curtains that "block out 98% of light" and cool the room.  I wish they worked a little better, but they do work really well.

This is probably my favorite part of the room...the bedside table.  Those are vintage books I found at a garage sale (and my journal).  The plant is actually an outdoor plant I got a couple years ago from Kohl's for like $7...clearance!  The basket is another garage sale find.  I use it to hide my remotes, chap stick, and other misc. bedside items.

When the lights are off and that lamp is on, it is like a retreat...the lamps (one on dresser, one on nightstand), by the way, were $10/each at Walmart.  I love the look of them, and the lighting is soft, but bright enough to get stuff done.

Eventually, we will get a real bed with a headboard and frame that fits it and everything.  But, it works!

 One last weekend project:
This is the space above our washer and dryer...no doors on the cabinets leaves our junk out in the open.  Ugly, much?  So this is what I did...

Before.

After...bags are in the small basket, dog stuff in the larger basket.  I'd like them to both be the same size, but like I said...I didn't buy anything this weekend!  I'd also like a big green plant where those little planters are. 

But where did all my cleaning crap go?

We already kept the vacuum, broom, swiffer, Christmas stuff, tools, and other junk in this closet.  It only made sense to add this stuff too.  The spray bottles hung perfectly.  Everything that couldn't hang is on the shelf to the left.  I just threw the cleaning rags up there for easy access.  Shut the door and no one knows its there, but it's still just as convenient as having it out.

 So, we still need rugs and curtains and furniture, but all in all, I'm pretty satisfied.  I'll try to post a pic of the kitchen when I remember...oh and the outside of the house and the huge backyard. :)  Happy Sunday!

What's this? A day off?

Note:  This is not a typical post.  This is mainly for those people who need an update on my life, not really my decor.  You're more than welcome to read, but warning:  it may bore you.  :)

So, I've been feeling like this blog is a neglected, abandoned child.  I believe you at least need an explanation.  I mentioned in the last post that I have been crazy busy.  Now, I'm crazy busy, and maybe a little bit crazy.  My kids in my class love that I said [one time] "Oh, my.  I must be going crazy."  So now, they feel the need to remind me of that fact every time I forget to give them a napkin or give them a hug before quiet time.

Anyway, we have done a little around the house...finally got those mini blinds hung!  Our bedroom finally feels like a relaxing, romantic bedroom rather than a curtainless dorm room with big post-its on the window (the old tenants had those sticky blinds...they really are just over-sized post-its).  No huge changes though.

We have also realized that being in the country and having wooden floors throughout requires us to sweep every week.  Woo! ...

I was going to post this amazing recipe last week.  I found it on Pinterest.  Lemon Chicken with red potatoes and green beans.  I was so excited about it...until we ate it.  Hmmm, not so much.  Not blog worthy.  Not really even plate worthy.

I'm geared up for Summer at work.  I've moved classrooms and have spent the majority of my time doing lesson plans and creating a creative, pretty environment.  I also got new students, who have been testing me without any hesitation.  I'm also preparing to teach Pre-K in the Fall!

I started my first college class in two years Monday night.  I'm very excited to be back in school and actually learning something I'll actually use!  No offense to my horrid Brit Lit teacher I had a few years ago.

So, yes, I've been keeping busy.  I'm also contemplating starting another blog about childcare and teaching related topics.  I would keep this blog, however, I do like doing a simple posts updating distant family and friends about our life.  This blog may become a "catch all" blog.  We will see where it takes me.  I kinda just go with the flow of things lately.  It's much more freeing.

Now, I will spend my Thursday off going through my DVR and maybe some grocery shopping.  Happy Thursday!

Currently loving: Our Place: Resale for Rescue Thrift Store

Today, I did my usual hunting.  I hunted for change lying around the house, then I took my $1.15 to see what I could find on my way to Red Box.  The small town we've just moved to doesn't have much when it comes to shopping.  There's a couple of dollar stores, but that's about it.  And since I only journey into Waco once a week to go to the bank and grab some groceries, I like to see what I can hunt down out here.  I'm so glad I went out today, because otherwise, I may have missed this little gem that is right down the road from our house.  Here's what I found...

As I got out of the car, I wasn't sure what to expect.  I definitely didn't expect it to have as much as it did.  (It had A LOT.)  It was pretty much an antique shop meets garage sale at Goodwill prices.  Cool, right?  Yes.  They had six rooms, a hallway, outside area, and the checkout area filled with all kinds of nic-nacks, clothes, books, kitchen stuff, furniture, jewelry, linens, and even craft supplies.  Literally, floor to ceiling.  If you've ever shopped with me, you know I usually go through a store at least two or three times.  I think I took six trips around every inch of this place, and every time, I found something new.  I tend to only see things that are eye level, so my fifth and six trips were spent looking up and down.  I found many antiques, but also contemporary pieces, things I could use my own way, and just about everything had lots of character (and by character, I don't mean the Craigslist definition - scratches, cracks, and dents...it had a story behind it).  I fell in love.  And then, I got to speak with one of the owners...

Turns out, they also run an animal shelter for rescued pets, a boarding facility, grooming business, and animal adoption center (Pam's D.O.G. House - Depending On God).  100% of the proceeds from the thrift store go to fostering these projects, and 80-90% of the items in the store are donations.  Oh, and did I mention, they also have two storage lockers across the street full of stuff?  They were very sweet ladies, and not only do I love the store, I love their mission.  I also talked to them about volunteering a little bit at either the store or the shelter.

The store is open Fridays and Saturdays and they put out new things every week, so I'll be back next weekend.  They also change their sales weekly.  Today's sale was fill a large paper sack with all the clothing that will fit for $5 and shoes $1/pair.

Here are some of the cool things I found while shopping...

Tons of baskets!  That top one is my favorite.

The bench I've wanted for the last few weeks...

About 1/4 of the book room

Craft Supplies...this only shows a corner of it, but they had a lot!

I didn't actually know what this was until after I took the picture...I lifted it up, and on the other side of the gold circle, is a clock.

Charming.

Unique.

Love this vintage, camel, braided bag.

I like the contemporary vase in the middle.

Note:  If you'd like any information about the shop, donation to the shop, or pet adoption, leave a comment and I will get you their contact information.

To love...

So, I know I said I was back to posting semi-regularly, but things have been quite busy around here...

I have been working diligently to get my new classroom in order the way I  like it.  And yes, I tend to put the same amount of effort, creativity, and organization into my classroom as I do at home.  I have reorganized toys and resources, changed schedules, completed lesson plans, and attempted to brainwash thirteen three year olds into "turning on their listening ears" each morning.  (Side note:  I've been thinking about posting some of my school stuff on the blog as well - organization, lesson plan ideas, craft projects, classroom management, behavior help, etc.  If any moms or teachers are interested in this, please give me your opinion on this going on the blog.)

Meanwhile, at home, I have a six week old new puppy who is spoiled rotten, even though we've had him only a week.  We love him, even if that means holding him in one arm as I water the yard with the other.

I have started many projects, however, I am limited to what supplies I have at the house (which is dwindling) because of our strained finances during this transition.  So, I do what I can, and the rest can wait.  I will be posting pictures this week/weekend of some of our house.  I'm a little hesitant to show pictures until I can show before and after pictures.  But I can show you what we've done in the few weeks we've been here.

Until then, here are a few things I have come to love (and not-so-love) about our new space:

• Love: Our space doubled!
• Not-so-love:  Our space doubled...  We used to be able to deep clean every inch of our tiny apartment - from baseboards to ceiling fans - in a day and a half, max.  Now, not so much.  We pretty much stick to a room a day for each of us.  Plus, we're working on filling this house up!
• Love:  Huge yard!
• Not-so-love:  Huge yard!  I haven't personally mowed yet, but it looks awful!  :)
• Love:  It's a fixer-upper so we can make it ours and actually feel like we made a difference to it.
• Not-so-love:  It's a fixer-upper.  Lots of work, lots of projects, lots of fun?  (I think so...)
• Love:  Friendly community and close to work.
• Love:  It's ours!  Well, to rent, but it's a house and it's ours.  

So, overall, I'm happy.  Although, if I never hang another mini-blind in my life, it will be too soon.  That's a story for another post...

Weekend Projects

I spent the weekend going to garage sales and doing some projects around the house.  These projects are small and simple, but I'm so proud of them!  Oh, and did I mention between garage sales and the Dollar Tree, I spent exactly $20.  (Yes, exactly...I had a $20 bill to spend and that's it.)

This is what $20 gets me...

This (pictured above) is all from the Dollar Tree...2 little bowls/planters (don't know what I'll do with them yet, but they were cute!), 2 mason jars, 3 bottles of soap, a bouquet of fake flowers, hand sanitizer, and a newspaper (Did you get your Sunday paper coupons?).

This (pictured above) is all from garage sales.  BCBG boots (barely worn, and in my size - $3!), basket, old books that I will either set on a shelf to decorate or make into shelves, and a ceramic bird and bell for personal connections.

Oh, and I spent my last dollar on these cool candle holders that just need a little dusting.

Now, that we are changing our decor to a sophisticated shabby chic/country couture look, I finally made these awesome soap dispensers and vases from a mason jar for the bathroom and kitchen.  And yes, I know the flowers are fake and don't need water, but I think it just looks better.

Total cost of 2 soap dispensers: $4.33  (2 mason jars from Wal-Mart, 1 1/2 bottles of soap for each jar - they each could have used more soap and a longer pump, but that was the only kind they had at the Dollar Tree with a clear pump and the scent just happens to be my fav.)

Total cost of 2 vases with flowers:  $3.00 (2 mason jars from Dollar Tree and 1 bouquet of flowers split in half)

I'm Back!

Hello!  I know you may have thought that I fell off the edge of the earth, or at least off the blogging bandwagon, but I didn't!  I'm back and am excited to get back to this neglected blog!

For the last couple of months, we have been in transition...we decided to move closer to home and were staying with my mom until we got settled...somewhere.  Two dead animals, one bumper dent, countless hours of lost sleep, and one savings account later, we made it HOME.  After a month and a half of searching for jobs and houses/apartments, we finally found all 3 at once.

We are now living in a small town outside of Waco in a rental house...yes, that's right...a house!  We went from a 600 sq foot apartment to an 1100 (rough measurement) sq foot house.  It's a fixer-upper, but with a little love and creativity, it's going to be amazing.

Since our space has doubled in size, we are needing things to fill it up...  Our champagne taste on a beer budget is a little hard to take, but its never stopped me before.  Be prepared for all kinds of creative projects, home repair (attempts), and before and after shots.  Oh, and our transition (both personally and in our design style) to fit the age of the house (old) and the setting of the house (country).  We aren't in Austin anymore... This is so exciting!

Stay tuned!

A little beer, a little paint, and a lot of hot glue...

Decorative vases can be really expensive.  For a cheaper, and more unique look, try this craft...

I used beer bottles, but you could also use cheap glass vases or bowls (Wal-mart has them for $3-$10), drinking glasses, anything really.

I painted them using acrylic paint, and wrapped two with twine, hot gluing it as I went.  I used hot glue to write "love" and make dots on the black bottles, then painted over it once it dried.  I really like the textures I created.  My letters aren't great, but they'll do.  Don't worry if you make a mistake with the hot glue.  Once the glue dries, you can peel it off and try again.

To save money, use yarn instead of twine.  You could even use different color yarn to make stripes.  This is a simple, cheap project, and you can really get creative with it.  Use whatever colors you like and create whatever type of texture you want using the glue gun.

So easy. :)

Office Space

As many of you may know, a few months ago, I started a new job where I have the opportunity to work at home part-time.  The rest of the time, I go to the office where, up until yesterday when I got my own desk and office space, I shared an office with my boss.  I would often look over to see the stacks of paper work, the myriad of post-its, and the drawers that wouldn't close.  But, when you're running your own company, traveling in and out of the country, and dealing with every issue that arises, it's understandable.

When my boss jokingly suggested that I organize his desk, I excitedly said "Yes, please, oh please!"  (I'm such a dork when it comes to organizing.)  So, the next day, I got started!  Note:  I think his desk still looks a little cluttered, but when you're touching all of your bosses stuff, you don't want to be responsible for the company collapsing.  So, I left some things there, but I did what I could.

*****

All of the paperwork removed from his desk and sorted.

I got to thinking...I know a lot of people probably don't have the time, energy, or know-how to organize their office space.  Your office is where work is done (or should be...).  It reflects who you are as a professional.  It should look good!  Here are the tips I used for my boss' office and my home office/area.  Where do you start?

My special post-it place, important stuff place, and paperclips in their own space.

I want a book shelf to put my file box and printer.

My keyboard tray

• Start with one section at a time.  I have the habit of working on one section, but I'll take a paperclip to another area and then start working there.  Don't do that!  That's hard!  Focus on one section at a time! That way, if you have to stop and do something else, it's a controlled mess...not total chaos.
• Throw away anything you don't need!  If you look through a stack of papers and forgot you had something, it obviously did not affect you enough for you to keep it.  TRASH IT!
• File anything you need.  This also applies to computer documents.  Sort through all your paper work, creating stacks that are separated by type (bill, tax info, contact info, etc.).  If you do this as you sort through it, it will make it so much easier to throw in file folders when you're done.
• Check your mail as soon as you get it!  Ugh, built up stacks of mail are the worst!  I find it easier and less overwhelming to deal with 2 bills at a time, rather than 15 at a time later.  What a way to ruin a day!
• Dedicate a special spot for important stuff.  Don't just let it sit there and build up!  Set it there, and deal with it as soon as you can!
• Control the post-its!  I admit, I'm slightly addicted to note pads of all sorts.  When you're done with a post-it, throw it away.  If you absolutely need the 15 post-its, organize them in a stack or arrange them in an organized way, then throw them away when you're done.  If you use that many post-its in a day, consider switching to a larger notepad to reduce waste and clutter.
• Create a system that works for you.  This is something that someone can't really do for you.  You have to know what will work for you.  Some options are scanning files into the computer, have files easily accessible if you use them often, keep a personal drawer that only holds non-work related items (personal bills, snacks, etc.), and so on.
• Just because the store label calls it something, doesn't mean you have to.  I have a keyboard tray on my desk but no keyboard...so do I just leave it empty?  Uh, no.  It holds notepads, tape, stapler, etc.  Use small bowls or food containers to hold paperclips, rubber bands, etc..  I like these (found in the baby section of Dollar Tree for $1 for a 4-pack) and these.
• Why is blank paper less important than the files you just filed?  Put it up, people!  At home, I keep it in my file box in it's own file.  At work, I keep it in a desk drawer in front of files.
• Do you really need 17 pens that don't work?