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Thursday, November 27, 2014

Thanksgiving.

I always say the same thing every year. "This year I am so much more thankful than last year."

I learn so much from year to year, that I can't help but feel more thankful. I learned what it feels like to truly get your heartbroken, but I also learned what it's like when you feel those butterflies with someone new. I learned what it means to truly love someone. I learned who my real friends area and I am surrounded by those who constantly push me to grow, encourage me and challenge me to reach beyond what I thought I could do. I have the most amazing parents in the world. The older I get, the more I realize just how wonderful they are and just how hard it was for them to raise 3 wild kids... Me probably being the worst. But they did it, and they still love us and support us no matter what. They always have my back and they always tell me like it is. I need them. I have fallen in love with a new career and I learn something new everyday. I am so thankful for the people that have put in my path to teach me and guide me. 



I am thankful that I have my health. I am thankful that I am happy, growing, learning and changing. 
I don't know that I have every been more thankful. I am grateful for the opportunities I have been given and the life I get to live. I don't know if it gets any better than this.


Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours, I hope you are all doing wonderfully and I can't wait to catch up with you all very soon!


Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Getting It Together.

This sweet little blog of mine has been so neglected. I can't seem to figure out how so many of you manage your blogs, your relationships, your careers and parenting. It seems impossible. I have really struggled to find a happy medium while juggling everything. Thus, the reason for my absence. I am getting it together. Slowly but surely. 

I turned 27 in September and I have spent a lot of time reflecting on how much I have changed and all the things that I have learned in my 20's. It has been one hell of a ride so far. I have been up and down. Had my heart broken, broken a heart or two, made some life long friends, rid my life of toxic people and things and changed more than I could ever put into words. But what I have learned the last few weeks is that I am always growing. Constantly learning and changing. I'm not even the same person I was 6 months ago. And I think that's how it's supposed to be. If you aren't growing, what are you doing? How can you be a better version of yourself if nothing ever changes? 



I think we spend our whole lives getting it together without really ever having it together. And I am okay with that. I refuse to become complacent or settle for what I have in this moment. I have so much to offer this world and if I don't continue to grow, change and push myself, how will the world ever see that? I'm going to be honest and tell you that I have had some really bad days. But I have also had some really great days. I wouldn't change any of it. I am so thankful for the people who were placed in my life, even if only for a season. People can show you things about yourself that you can't see. I am thankful for those who have called me out, stood up to me, told me when I was wrong and held me when I cried. It's so important to have people who are so raw and real with you. The people in your lives can encourage change faster than anything else. I am focusing on being intentional. With my time, in my relationships, with work and even on this little blog. 

So here I am, spending my days getting it together. And I couldn't be happier. I'll talk to you soon, bloggy friends. 

Happy Tuesday!

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Much Needed Vacation.



I finally got a much needed mini vacation. We made it down to Blue Mountain Beach for four whole days. I can not even begin to tell you how much I needed these few days away. Between work, the way things have been at home, and trying to get myself organized I have been a little bit of a mess. Okay... A big mess. 

Breakfast at the Donut Hole, paddle boarding for the first time, play time with the baby, laying out, lots of cold snacks, catching up with one of my bests, beautiful sunsets and amazing food as always! I had a fantastic few days and I feel like a new person. Mind, body and spirit. A new burnt, itchy person, but still. It was well worth it.

True water baby. She loved her first real beach trip and I was so thankful for my yearly Donut Hole trip. If you are ever in the Destin, Florida area, or anywhere remotely close... You HAVE TO eat here.


One of my great friends moved to the beach and got married and I was so thankful to be able to spend a day with her on the beach! 


I am definitely not a pro at paddle boarding. The water was pretty choppy, but I managed to stand up twice. I was so proud of myself and my legs are still a little sore. But I absolutely can't wait to do it again!

  
And shes up! Haha!


Beautiful sunsets. Happy beach baby.


The weather could not have been more perfect!


Our usual Seaside trip on our last day. Beachside lunch at Bud & Alleys. The scenic drive home.


Are you new here? I want to get to know you! Leave a comment with a link to your blog so I can come visit and get to know you better!

The Hump Day Blog Hop

Happy Hump Day, Y'all!




Tuesday, August 5, 2014

DIY Dump.


Soooo, I have done lots of projects lately! I'm not going to take the time to write some huge post about each thing because there isn't much to any of them. Y'all, I spray paint everything. Okay, almost everything. Spray paint is my best friend. These are all the projects that we did to FINALLY finish our entryway and living room. There are still a few things that need to be done and moved around. We painted our tables... coffee table, side table, and entryway table, but I forgot to take good pictures of those. You can see the entry way table in one photo and you can kinda see the coffee table in another.

Antique mirror that belonged to a friends mother.
Spray painted with a Krylon metallic spray paint.





I spray painted all of this with a glossy black Krylon spray paint. The candle holders and star were from a Facebook yard sale site and the 3 frames were $3 dollars each at Target!!



I will get some better photos soon, but this is our finished living room! I will take some close ups of the three frames with the printable chalk prints.


 


And of course, no DIY day would be complete without a sweet new wreath!








Have you done any projects lately? I would love to see them! Leave me a link in the comments!
Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Bearded Men: A Poll.

I have a serious love for men with beards. I LOVE them. I think they are manly and sexy and refuse to look at/date/marry a man without the ability to grow one.








See what I'm saying? 

So I am interested to know who likes a man with a beard? Who doesn't? Why or why not? 


Monday, July 21, 2014

Monday Again.

It's Monday again. I have so much that I could talk to you about. My weekend was FULL of projects. We re-did everything in our apartment from our entry way to our living room. I'll  be sharing those with you later this week. 

Other than being super busy, I had a great weekend. I woke up feeling refreshed and renewed. I am excited that it's a new day and a new week. A fresh start. It's never too late to follow your dreams and today seems like a great day to start! I'm excited to conquer this week with new goals ahead of me!! 
Here are a few Monday Happies for you!!





Have a wonderful day, y'all!

P.S. Go follow me on Pinterest to see what I've been pinning!!


Saturday, July 19, 2014

Some Random Facts.

Since it has been so long since I started this little blog and I haven't been blogging much at all, I'm going to share some random facts about myself. A lot of things have changed for me in the last few years and I thought this would be a good way for y'all to get to know me a little better...again...

1. I am the most loyal person you will ever meet. I will fight for anyone, anywhere. Until you lie to me or steal from me. Then I'm done.

2. I am super organized and super scattered all at the same time. There is a method to my madness. Somehow things actually get done.

3. I am a totally different person than I was even a year ago. I am looking forward to what the rest of my twenties has to offer.

4. One of my biggest peeves is when people do not replace the empty toilet paper roll with a new one. Y'all know what I'm talking about.

5. I have seen Dirty Dancing hundreds of times. It's still my favorite.

6. I have a serious love for pasta. And bread. And chips. And anything else loaded with carbs. Okay, I just love food. All of it.

7. I am so excited about having my Real Estate license and building a business, but I am terrified of failing.

8. I'm obsessed with painting my nails and I refuse to pay 20 dollars for someone else to do it when I do a much better job.

9. I only write with one kind of pen. I have it in every color and I probably have almost a hundred of them hidden in all kinds of places.

10. I don't color my hair and I wear very little makeup. I keep it simple.

11. The way I feel about my body holds me back more than anything else.

12. I'm funny. Like, really funny. Kinda hilarious. I was born this way.

13. I live in the moment. All the time. Even if it means I say or do something hurtful. I always apologize for being hurtful, but never for being real in the moment.

14. I believe in real, true, magical, once in a lifetime kind of love.

15. I'm a lover of naps. Not power naps. Like, long afternoon naps with no alarm.

What are some random facts about yourself that you would like to share??

Happy Saturday, Y'all!

P.S. My Awesome roommate and personal stylist helped me with this! Be looking for a post about her blog that's coming soon! #EBIVY



Monday, July 14, 2014

Old Dresser turned Entertainment Center.

I have been dying to do this project for the longest time. I was always searching for the perfect dresser and I just hadn't found the right piece. Then this happened...
Yes, that is (WAS) our entertainment center.


I had to find something quick. I put out a desperate plea on Facebook asking if anyone had any kind of old dresser they would be willing to part with! A friend of mine responded and said that her neighbor had an old dresser she had been trying to get rid of. She only wanted $25 bucks for it. I said I would come get it! It was definitely not the nicest thing I had ever seen, but it had some great details. I loved the handles immediately and I already had a plan for it!

It is a huge piece. Almost 72 inches long.
Beautiful handles.


















I took the whole thing apart and cleaned it really well. I took the back off since it would make it easier for running cords and wires. I had already decided to take the top two drawers out so I could use those two areas for our cable box and DVD player. The spaces were uneven and I was worried about seeing the other drawers on the inside so I had some thin wood cut and boxed those two drawer spaces in. I used the wrong measurements when I went to home depot. Luckily, I have some wonderful friends who let me show up at their house at 10pm and re-cut my wood for me!




(Oh, I HATE sanding.) I don't sand anything unless its an imperfection. I know. Sounds crazy. But I have never sanded anything. I use this magic primer that works on any surface I have ever painted. You should try it on your next project. I used several coats of primer (3 I think). My original idea was white and grey. After painting the top grey, I didn't like it and decided to go with black instead.

I used Krylon glossy black spray paint to paint the handles. They turned out beautifully! The glossy black really popped against the white!











I use Olympic paint for everything. I live in an apartment and I paint inside most of the time. Olympic has the lowest odor compared to the other brands I've used, and it's super cheap.  I did about 3 coats of the white on the bottom part of the dresser and the drawers. (If you plan on doing something like this, I recommend having a couple of small paint brushes on hand to get all the crevices and details really well.) I chose the color "Snow Storm". 



 I let it dry overnight and I used painters tape to tape around the top. Olympic didn't have a black that was "black enough" so I bought a sample jar of black paint made by Behr. It was like $3 bucks and it was more than enough. I used "Jet Black". After letting it dry overnight again, she was almost ready to go! I put my handles back on the drawers and put her all back together! I was actually amazed at how awesome it looked! 


I could not be more pleased with how it turned out. I absolutely LOVE it. This is definitely my favorite project so far! The best part is that the whole project, including the dresser, was less than $50 dollars! 



Here's the before and after together...
I would love to see what y'all have been working on, too! I will be catching up soon!
P.S. The blog is getting a makeover this week. I apologize in advance if things are out of whack for a little while!

Happy Monday, Y'all!

Monday, June 23, 2014

FINALLY-An Announcement!



I know I have been gone forever. I had to shut my life down while I was studying for a huge exam. I am happy to say that I passed the Alabama Real Estate exam in May!! The last month has been super busy. I am trying to get everything organized and learn the business! I am so so excited to see where God takes me on this new journey! 
I am trying to get back to blogging here and there. I am working on an awesome project right now and I hope to be able to share it in the next few days!! I hope you are all doing well and I look forward to catching up with each of you!! 

Happy Monday, Y'all!
Love, Jen

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Patience.

Patience (or forbearing) is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the level of endurance one can take before negativity. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast.

Oh, patience. Have you ever prayed for patience? Yeah? And what happened? The bottom fell out. You had a wreck, got fired, caught someone lying, lost your wallet and your keys all in the same day? Welcome to God's funny sense of humor. That's His funny way of teaching you patience. 

But what about being patient while waiting? Anyone? Bueller? Bueeelller? 
wait verb\ˈwāt\: to stay in a place until an expected event happens, until someone arrives, until it is your turn to do something, etc. : to not do something until something else happens: to remain in a state in which you expect or hope that something will happen soon.

I have the hardest time waiting. For anything. A table at a restaurant, in line for the bathroom, my turn in a game, my turn to go at a four way stop, I just can't wait! I hate it. In this season of my life, God is truly teaching me the meaning of waiting and patience. 

I don't know if you noticed, but "wait" and "patient" go hand in hand.
"Patience is the level of endurance one can take before negativity"  That. I want what I want right.now. I desperately want whatever God has for me. But I want it now. So many times I feel like life is not fair. Everyone is married and having babies. Oh poor me. I want what they haveeeeee! I cry out to Him. Why can't I have that?!  He responds "Because you haven't been waiting patiently, my child."




I have been rushing Gods plan for my life since I could talk. I had it all figured out. Down to the wedding date. Well, that date has come and gone. 

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit -Ecclesiastes 7:8-

I have spent more time being angry with God than anything else. When things don't go my way, I'm immediately angry with Him. When things happen that I don't understand, I'm angry with Him. This is my season to learn to wait patiently. It ain't easy. But I want what he has for me. So I'm learning to wait patiently, and do so gracefully. And that's just what I'm going to do. More than anything, I want His plan for my life and if that means that I have to wait a little longer, then so be it. 



Happy Saturday, Y'all!


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Friday, February 21, 2014

Friday Five.


Friday is upon us again. Thank goodness. It's been an exhausting week so I'm still in my pajamas being incredibly lazy! Go visit The Sowell Life and link up for the Friday Five, And go visit The Good Life and like up for Five on Friday.





1. Ecards. 
This one especially. This week wasn't the best. Next week will be the week I come out of the program and go back to the gym. Haha. 

2. This.
It's time to stop putting things off. Everyday is a new day.

3. Pasta A La Passion. I saw this on Rachel Ray last week and I had to make it. Y'all. It was SO.GOOD.
I will be posting the original recipe next week along with the changes that I made!

4. Mexican food. Y'all, I have eaten Mexican food 5 times in the last week. YES. 5! That's a lot of cheese dip and fajitas. But, I didn't eat at the same Mexican place each time so it's okay.


5. Young Living Essential Oils. These oils seriously save my life. If for no other reason than they help me sleep. Like a rock. Or a baby. Or a puppy with a full belly. You get it. I sleep. I made my own sleepy time concoction and it's wonderful! The pain cream is just as wonderful. And the best part is that they are 100% natural and perfectly safe to use on everyone, including children and babies! You can replace everything over the counter and even prescription medication. I'm sure you have heard of them. If you haven't and you want to know more, send me an email. I would absolutely love to tell you ALL about them!!





Happy Friday, y'all! Enjoy your weekend!
Jen