My how things have changed.

What is it about that old sweatshirt? Somehow, it still makes me feel 19. And like I should be jumping in the car with 5 of my girlfriends at midnight because, hello, McDonald's is open 'til 2. And with a cute pair of yoga pants and big hoop earrings, like I'm really cute and casual...like I'm conveying to the world, "Yeah, I just rolled outta bed and threw this on. I do just outta bed well, right?" 

Now I put it on and dream of those days. Because do you KNOW what McDonald's would do to my stomach at midnight...or ever?! And I'm pretty sure I couldn't round up one of my girlfriends who is still awake at midnight. Heck, I can't remember the last time I was awake at midnight by choice. And if I wore this outfit in public, I would just look sloppy. Not cute. And I wouldn't be arrogant/naive enough to think that hoop earrings are capable of glamming anything up. And I would NEVER force the world to experience me just outta bed because, let's be honest, it's even less cute now than it actually was then.

Now I put it on and snuggle up at 8 pm with a cup of vanilla chamomile tea and my Hunk. We watch a few episodes of Parenthood and turn in no later than 10:30. And I wake up the next morning, rock the sweatshirt and yoga pants for the rest of the day...without the hoops, or a shower [sometimes]. Because my sweet little two year old really doesn't care what I look like as long as we can roll the ball and color and play "mommy" in her room with the whole baby doll/stuffed animal gang. It's nice, actually, most days.

Funny how an old sweatshirt can make you step back and say, "My how things have changed."

Do you have a clothing item that brings you back in time?

New York. Day 3 [Finally]

Auburn - like Kate Walsh not like the school

I walked into the hair salon in uppity Orlando and was pleasantly surprised by the down home feel of the place!  Love, love, loved my gal...we chatted it up like mad women the entire time...and none of it was gossip.  We talked about life and truth and the crazy world that is blogging [she wasn't very familiar with that part].  Of course you came up...I told her that I had to go auburn because we took a vote on my blog and auburn won by a landslide.  Thus the blogging conversation.  I said, "I want to go Auburn.  Like Kate Walsh Auburn."  She said, "Okay...have you ever been Auburn?"  "Yes."  "In Florida??"  "Yes.  Subtlety has never been my strength."  "Alright!  Auburn it is...I'm just glad you're not doing blond highlights.  I have ten of those today."  

So you know how people do What I Wore Wednesday?  And they take pics of themselves in the mirror?  I've always thought that was sorta awkward.  I mean, no judgement if you do it.  Obviously some people think it's fun, but it always just feels very, very awkward...especially when I do it.  But I needed a way to document the new hair color at the BEGINNING of the day...before I get all hot and sweaty and deflated.  This seemed like my only option.

See?  Awkward.  And the only full length we have in our house is most likely from 1973 because it is for real cloudy and distorted.  I promise my knees aren't different heights on my legs in real life.  So, I moved to the bathroom...

The attempt at a cute face just makes it feel more awkward, I think.  And the lighting is yellow.  Which means that you can't really tell WHAT color my hair is.  

And then we went to see my Fun Friend Tamara and her husband Mark for our yearly catch-up date during their vacation time and we took pictures.  Aren't they cute???  Adelle loved them...forced them to hold her hands as we strolled around their resort.  Demanded that Tamara share her croissant.  Coerced Mark into carrying her when she got tired.  She wanted no part of Mama and Daddy.  Tamara and Mark...they're where it's at.  It helped that they complied with her every wish....not exactly how Mama and Daddy roll.

So, these are at the end of the day.  In sweaty, Southern heat.  [Yes, I capitalize Southern.  It's a proper noun where I come from.]  

But you get the basic idea.  Auburn - like Kate Walsh not like the school.

Tomorrow or Saturday...tips for making your house more homey.  [Because I'm a pro and all...insert another eye roll.  I'm all about the sarcasm these days, it seems.]

Love y'all like crazy!

I Shall Return!

Sorry for the slow posts this week.  I know you are all tragically disappointed [insert eye roll].  I've had a nasty cold-ridden toddler on my hands, which leaves very little time or energy for fun post writing.  We've established this before though, right?

I do have a few things toppling around in the ole' noggin.  Some recipes that MUST be shared.  Some tips for making your house feel more homey.  AND some book reviews! Because do you know what's good to do when you're snuggling with your sweet sick baby, wearing snot all over every article of clothing, and watching Curios George 2 for the THIRD time in one day??  Catch up on your reading, that's what.  At first Miss Magnificent did not appreciate my not actively enjoying George's grunting with her, but when she realized that my will would outlast hers and in the meantime she was missing the best George grunts, she threw in the towel.

Victory.

Sooo...I'll be back next week in full force!  Sleep easy tonight, friends [insert another, more exaggerated eye roll].

Love y'all like crazy!  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!    

A Great, Full Weekend

Friday.  We basked in the sun.  Played in the sand.  And Miss M did some major fear overcomin'.  And we left the camera at home so we could be all caught up in the moment instead of worrying about catching it on film...errr, memory card?  And we had a smorgasbord of sorts with our fun neighbor friends.  Who says Italian and down home cookin' aren't a good match?!

Saturday.  We played in the dirt.  A lot.  And took one more step toward makin' this house our home.  I completed Day 4 of my Couch to 5K commitment in the midday sun.  I'm bakin' like a toasted cheeser!  The Hunk washed the cars and completed yet another woodworking project that I'm sure he'll tell you all about on his site.  And while he and Miss M head off to church tonight, I'll be attending a much needed girls night out.  TO-tally pumped!

It's been such a great, full weekend.  I just wanted to tell y'all about it because you should know that I have really good days, too ;)

Talk atcha on Monday!  You should prolly get your Mayhave Monday post read because it's returning in full force on its proper day this week :)  Love y'all like crazy!

A few of my favorite things...

Good food with fun friends and unforced laughter.

The CDs my sister bear made me - because she is the Queen of Music...all types.  And she knows me well enough to give them happy, Southern titles.

Bath and Body Works Carried Away scent.  I knew the moment I saw the bottle and read the title that we were meant to be.  The fantastically summer, happy scent confirmed it.  And who doesn't want to get carried away now and again?  I normally cannot seem to justify paying the big bucks just to smell exceptionally pretty, so I passed it by.  But then I stumbled upon a 3 for $10 sale on the travel sizes and figured a love rekindling cruise was as good a reason as any to spend $10 on being carried away.  I was right.  When these run out I will miss them terribly.  I'll try my best not to break down and buy the big sizes.  Yes I will.  Yes I will.  Yes I will.

The Voice.  Particularly Blake Shelton on The Voice.  Good glory...all I can say is, "Well done, Miranda.  Well done." ;)

The Lenox Emily china collection that my Gran started for me when I was young[er].  It's always lived at my Mama's house where she used it on occasion because I've either never had room for it or never had need for it.  I'm so glad it lives in my glass cabinets now.  Where I can look at it and think that I'm glad they named something so dainty Emily.  

HELLLOOOO-real-coffee-that-isn't-[quite]-as-expensive-as-Starbucks-AND-is-made-in-The Promised Land-AND-is-now-sold-at-a-Publix-near-ME!  

I don't know what to tell you about the Fig Newtons but I'm lovin' 'em right now.  That's weird, right?

Easy desserts with names like Angel Lush that people are amazed by but actually fall into the easiest dessert EVER category.  Give it a whirl.  They'll all think your baker of the century when really you just know how to throw stuff in a bowl and smear it on Angel Food cake.  

And last but certainly not least...

...the simple things.  They're my favorite of all :) 

What are a few of your favorite things right now?  Link up with your favorite things post below or just leave a comment!

Mayhave Monday: One Tree Hill 4-Eva

I MAY or MAY NOT still watch One Tree Hill.  Like on The CW.  I also may or may not laugh out loud at every episode.  Not even kidding.  I may or may not have particularly loved this episode and have secretly thought it would be HI-larious to do something so ridiculous with my besties.  

Maybe.

Your turn!  Share some truth with us!

Todays Ten Randoms

1. Miss M spent all morning in her PJs.  I'm still in mine.  It's 1:08 pm.
2. We had lunch in her tent and tied a large silk bow around her waist just for fun.  She wouldn't let me take it off.
3. I started to vacuum but the belt broke half way through.  I took at as a sign that I wasn't meant to do housework today.
4. I just attempted to start our crock pot dinner for tonight only to discover that I am without the cream of mushroom soup and the mushrooms - both of which are pretty much necessary for the meal.  And I have no substitutes.  It's the end of the month, people.  The cupboards are bare. Spaghetti it is.
5. My parents left today which is never an enjoyable part of the day.  Adelle asked for them for an hour after they left.
6. The mason jars are the landslide winners [which I'm TO-tally excited about]!  Now The Hunk and I have to decide whether to go with this look [thanks Stephanie!] or this look.  Decisions, decisions.
7. Fun Friend Friday's third installment will make you all kindsa shake ya tale feather.  Fo real.  Get excited.
8. I intend to spend the rest of my afternoon reading.  And watching Bones.  Please do not judge me.
9. Tonight I get to have coffee with a friend using my Starbuck's goody card from my Daddy...Happy Valentine's Day to me!
10. I feel guilty that it's so beautiful and we stayed indoors in our PJs all day.  Like real life guilty.  That's weird, right?

Random Thoughts on a Sunny Day

This is a compilation of actual thoughts I've had throughout this rather warm, sunny day.  They are in no certain order and they are as close to verbatim as could get them, what with my crazy mama brain and all.  Enjoy my crazies.

Why in the HECK doesn't Starbuck's deliver?

Dave Barnes, you are so good...err...musically speaking.  I like you[r] music more every time it comes floatin' across my Needtobreathe Pandora channel.  

What if I was as brave as Rahab the prostitute?  And as full of faith?

New yellow curtains in the dining room, you complement Perfect Taupe like a champ.  Thanks for that.

How long, Oh Lord, must I live with this unfulfilled ache?  How long?

The end.

Fall Feels...

It's finally Fall in Florida!  Well, at least for this weekend.  And WE. ARE. LOVING. it!  In honor of this momentous weekend and because it's been a while since we've had a fun, no good reason post....

Fall Feels...

• Frisky.  Not in a shady, TMI way [well a little in that way but that's not what I'm trying to convey to you] but more in a tall boot wearing, fluffy hair doing, windows down traveling, Miranda Lambert listening, good time having kinda way.
• Like The Hunk's and my relationship is new all over again...thus the friskiness that will not be discussed in depth here. I attribute this to the fact that the hand holding, gushy feelings started in the Fall.  11 years ago.  CA-razy!  
• Hopeful.  I'm not really sure what that's about - and I actually think I feel this way anytime the weather changes.  Because it indicates a new beginning, a change in seasons can have so many meanings you know?  
• Like there should be a Starbucks set up in my kitchen...or at least next door.  I actually indicated this to The Hunk last night as we were drifting off to sleep after far too much Prison Break.  I secretly hoped that since it was my day to sleep in [sweet husband that he is] I would wake up to a steaming Egg Nog Latte on my bedside table.  This was not my purpose in telling him about the Starbucks dream, of course, but a girl can always dream, right?  And only a dream it was.  Instead I woke up to a kitchen that was is still dirty after last night's dinner and same ole', same ole' Folgers.  That I made after I rolled out of bed.  To his credit, I did not do so until 10 a.m.  And sleeping 'til 10 a.m., well that counts for something!
• Like Nachitoches is calling.  A shopping day with the women of my family.  It's beckoning.  Beckon away, dear Nachitoches, I know not when we will be reunited.

K your turn!  One of these days I'm going to figure out how to do one of those linky things.  Until then...do your own post and leave the link in the comments section OR just leave a comment and complete this sentenece:

Fall Feels...

5 Things Challenge!

It's time to have a little fun!  A few years ago, I did a 5 Things Challenge and it was great fun.  Since my 5 Things have probably changed, and your's may have, too, I decided we should do it again.  So, for those of you who are new, here's how it works:

Tell us 5 things about yourself that are quirky or that few other people know.  Keep it real.  Don't be scurred!  Here are mine...

1. Music makes me move.  Any kind.  In church.  At my house.  In Macy's.  At the store.  In the car.  If I know the song, I HAVE to sing along.  And if it's at all possible, I have to move with it.  I'm a terrible singer and a mediocre dancer, but I don't care.  Music just moves me to move!
2. The smell of breath, good or bad, really sicks me out.  I don't want to smell your breath, and I DO NOT want you to smell mine.  Period.
3. I have to make myself work at things I'm not naturally good at.  My tendancy is to give up if I'm not immediately good at new things I try.  This is a very stupid, not good trait of mine.
4. I'm a big, fat scaredy cat.  Of so many things I cannot begin to list them.  And when I get startled, I usually say "Crap-face", except I use a dirtier form of crap.  I'm trying to mend this habit so that Adelle's first words are not, "Crap-face".
5. I think my husband is the sexiest man alive.  Like woah nelly, I'm gonna need to get as close to him as possible, good job, God - attraction.  He still makes my heart beat fast after more than 10 years of being together!

Alright, those are not the quirkiest things I could think of, but they are the first 5 things I thought of.  Your turn!  I really want to know!  And remember to keep it down and dirty!

Questions

1. Was it a sad day for anyone else when you realized that it was no longer appropriate to rock those seriously cute clothes in the junior section of Target?  Or wear a two piece - from any section of Target?
2. When you receive those small windows of opportunities to talk with people - like in the line at Target [we spend a lot of time there, obviously], how do you find the right words to tell them about Jesus?  I was intensely aware that I had approximately 2 minutes to converse with the woman in front of me - ever - and I couldn't find the words.  I genuinely want your opinion about this.
3. When your baby is awake from 3 to 5 a.m., do you think about drapery while waiting for her to wear herself out?  Because evidently I do.
4. Are you ever in the middle of doing something that you really enjoy when you are hit with weighty and tragic news that makes you feel like your fun thing is ridiculous?  That happened to me yesterday when I was looking for flowers in Michael's.  Adelle and I were strolling around having a big time when Josh called and let me know that the death count in Haiti was up to 100,000 and that some of our good friends had a medical scare.  I just stood there.  In the middle of one of those flower aisles.  Thinking 3 things to myself:  My heart aches to be there for our friends and The earth groans for its Savior and 100,000 people who may or may not have known Jesus are dead and I'm looking for fake flowers.  There's something really ridiculous about that.  So I stood there looking at those fake, red gerbera daisies praying that God would have mercy on the wounded and the hurting and most importantly, the lost and that He would make the health scare just that - a scare.
5. And to close it out on a much lighter note - I semi-secretly love really gaudy things.  Really.  If it was socially acceptable, I would wear a large hat with giant costume jewelry every day.  No question with this one.  Just something to let you know you are not alone if you have quirky semi-secrets.  

  Keep on keepin' it down and dirty.  Love ya'll like crazy!

To be Fifteen-ish Again

Me with my buds - at fifteen-ish.

I went to see New Moon this afternoon.  By myself.  After rewatching the first one, Josh decided that he definitely did not need to see the second one in theatres.  So off I went by myself (he, being the grand husband and daddy that he is, hung out with Adelle while I took some time off) for two hours of pure enjoyment.  Really and truly - I enjoyed every minute of it.  And I knew what was coming!  I must say that in the realm of books becoming movies, this was an excellent depiction of the real spirit of the book.  Go movie people!

I digress.

So back to the by myself part.  I was mildly saddened by the fact that I was going alone but only as I was buying my ticket.  There's just something sorta depressing about saying, "One for New Moon," and knowing that you are 26 and teeny-bopper movie watching girlfriend-less.  But I got over it.  Clearly.  When I walked in, there were actually zero teenage girls to be seen, which I was sort of glad about because teenage girls are not my specialty.  Funnily enough, I was at one time the epitomy of an annoying teenage girl.  Just before the movie started, though, in marched about eight 15-ish year old girls.  Still awkward, but not for long - you can see them now.  They were very giggly and clearly elated to be there.  And I surprised myself with a little smirk...because the spirit of that movie really isn't complete without the ooo's and ahhh's and giggles of 15-ish girls.

The movie began and I slipped into the world of vampires and werewolves and supernatural boys who are borderline crazy about regular old girls (I mean, she's beautiful but exceedingly insecure and doesn't smile very much).  They fight monsters and are willing to die to be with her.  I mean, does anyone wonder why girls (and women) love these books/movies so much?  We all want to be pursued, protected, and unabashedly loved by supernaturally spectacular men who are (let's be honest) fun to look at and our best friend at the same time.

After I left, I thought about those 15-ish girls, cheering for their respective teams - Edward or Jacob - and I couldn't help but be a little envious.  Because for a lot of them, that's the most important thing going on in their world.  And because some of them still believe that such a supernatural, awe-inspiring, monster-killing man exists.  Don't get me wrong...we "old ladies" love our men.  But they are human.  And they don't kill monsters.  And our relationship with them is hardly epicly romantic.

It would be nice to revisit that time when all your dreams could and would come true.

But here's what's great about where I am now:  I'm dreaming with my God rather than with myself.  And I'm raising a little girl who has her whole life to dream fantastically.  And although I did not marry an Edward or a Jacob, I did marry a Joseph (as in Mary's husband, Joseph).  And he is loving and kind and also fun to look at.  And real.  And there is definitely something supernatural about that!

Bumper Stickers: The Good, the Bad, and the Seriously

Lately I have noticed that LOADS of cars in Orlando are sporting Christian bumper stickers or decals of some sort. It's gotten me asking myself this question: "What exactly is the purpose of slapping one of those babies on your car?" Please hear me. I am NOT making fun of you if you have chosen to decorate your car with a Christian bumper sticker, or any bumper sticker for that matter. I just don't really get it.

• First of all, I think it's a kind of cowardly way to yell at people...Christian or otherwise. I mean, you know the people behind you are going to read it, and you want them to know what you think/believe about this or that, but chances are that you won't have to actually defend your stance on this or that. You won't have to deal with more than a honk or an unpleasant gesture.
• Second, do we really think that we're "making disciples" (Matthew 28:19-20]) by riding around with a sticker on our bumper that says, "Jesus loves you"? I really want your opinion here, if you'd like to give it. I just don't understand it.
• Third, some of them are extremely offensive and, were I not a believer, I would totally be turned off. Heck, I am a believer and I'm totally turned off by a lot of them! Thankfully, I know Jesus and know that He is much more loving AND intelligent than the sayings on some of those bumper stickers.

To be fair, Christians are not the only ones who participate in this seemingly odd practice. You see all kinds of bumper stickers preaching all sorts of things, but I do think that, as followers of Christ, we're held to a higher standard. Perhaps you would like to know what started this little rant. The car that did it for me. The one that merited a "Seriously?" Well get your best disgusted "Seriously?" ready. You're gonna need it.

I was waiting at the last red light before getting home, and I was tired. Real tired. And real grumpy. I had even turned the radio off - I just needed some quiet time. That's when I looked up at the very loud truck in front of me and saw two very "loud" window decals shouting at me from his/her back windshield. On the left side was this:

And I was thinking, "Well, there's another one." But then I looked to the right side and saw this:

And then I gave the dark windshield an exaggerated eye roll [probably not like Jesus, either, for the record, and exhaled with a disgusted "Seriously?" So there you have it. Now you know what I think about bumper stickers. I just don't really get them. I guess, in my opinion, they mostly fall in the "bad" or the "seriously" category. I can remember very few times when I gazed upon a bumper sticker and thought to myself, "Wow! I need to get one of those bad boys for the Corolla." I'm just sayin'.

Now, since you perservered through that entire rant, I think you need a treat. The following footage was taken at Disney's Night of Joy. Enjoy!