What I Wore Wednesday

Today I am linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy for her fabulous "What I Wore Wednesday" meme. This meme is designed to give women accountability and encourage them to get out of their daily sweats or pajamas or rut that they're in and document what they wore each day and post it to their blogs.

Wednesday
Blue/White polka dot sweater: Target, thrifted
White top under: Target
Jeans: Old Navy
Red plaid shoes: American Eagle, thrifted

Look at my hair in this picture. It looks as if a big brown spider just plopped itself down on my head. Or maybe a big brown crab. I think you should know that if a big spider or crab plops itself down on my head I will be gone, just gone. I will not pass Go and I will not collect $200 because I won't be stopping.

If a big spider plops itself down on your head I promise I will do the right thing and tell you. From far away. On the phone. While in another country. About a year later. And only because I felt guilty. Don't worry, I've got your back, just not your head. That's the kind of good friend I am, y'all.

Thursday
Green striped sweater: Sears, thrifted
Jeans: Calvin Klein
Slippers: Macy's, gifted

Looking at these pictures I realize I really need to step it up with accessories. I've said that before but apparently it doesn't mean what I think it means, because I haven't done a thing. Do slippers count as an accessory? Does a can of diet pepsi? Does a pimple count?

The dictionary says that an accessory is something you add to your outfit in order to make it more useful. If that is the case then I should be adding a fridge to my outfit, or maybe a microwave. How about a stove? That would make my outfit really useful.

Maybe I should add a washer and dryer. That way my outfit would really, truly be wash and wear.

Friday
Lilac tank: Costco?
Shorts: DKNY, thrifted

Same old outfit and picture from a few weeks ago. Why mess with perfection? *rolls eyes*

This is the day that I vacuumed and mopped my floors and my Dyson sucked a sock up. I always feel like Lucy whenever I vacuum with the hose. My Dyson is just so powerful and so "hungry" that it takes on a life of its own.

It has attacked curtains, bathroom towels, plastic garbage bags and small animals. Nothing is safe with that thing in the house. My hubby laughs at me and insists that it is operator error, but frankly, I blame the Dyson. I know it is alive. Frankly, I am afraid that someday it will take over the world. But if it does at least the world will be dust free, and maybe even free of small animals too.

Sunday
Black/Gray ruffle tank over: TJ Maxx
Black/Gray striped cardi: Costco
Black skirt: Target
Black leggings: Costco
Black boots: Target, thrifted

A gal at church asked me where I got my "mod outfit." She was so cute! I had to laugh and tell her I threw everything together and that it came from different places. I wore leggings with it because the skirt wasn't as long as I thought and so it did not cover the boots, so I wore black leggings to bridge the gap.

I wore my "new" buckle boots that day and later noticed that I forgot to cut the price tags off. One of my friends said "What's this?" and pointed out the tag which was attached toward the top of the boot. Then another friend noticed that there was also a price tag on the bottom sole.

Nothing says classy like wearing the tags. All in all, I was just thankful that I didn't have toilet paper hanging out somewhere. That says reallllly classy.

Here is a close-up of my boots. Love the buckles. Don't they look sort of creepy just standing there by themselves? It's like they're aliiiiiive! Maybe these boots really ARE for walkin'....

Monday
Black turtleneck: JCPenney
Black, tan, maroon & white plaid shirt: Erika & Co.
Black vest: Jennifer Moore, Macy's
Slippers: Macy's, gift
Jeans: 515 Bootcut

There's just something so cozy about Fall. I love being able to bundle up in long sleeved shirts and sweaters, hoodies and scarves.

I also love Fall because you don't have to shave your legs. Really, you don't and y'all know how I feel about the battle of the leg hair. Eventually the leg hair gets so long that you either shave 'em or braid 'em, mow 'em or grow 'em. I know you're all saying eeeewwww! but I'm just keeping it real folks.

This is what happens when you're standing in the bathroom snapping pictures of yourself (doesn't everybody?) and you hear a loud sound that startles you coming from the other room.

I heard the sound and my body was already in motion as my hand was snapping the pic. Rest assured all is well, my friends, but I can move fast when I need to!

Tuesday
Pink tank under: Disney
Brown hooded top: Target, thrifted
Jeans: Calvin Klein
Pink shoes: Converse, All Star; thrifted

I think I look really tired here but maybe that's because I'm not wearing makeup. So that must mean that not wearing makeup makes you tired. Wow, and to think I've wasted all that money on vitamins and protein when all I needed was to slap on some makeup. Who knew?

I don't know the brand of the top I am wearing here (I am still wearing it as I type this. I happen to like to wear clothes when I type, I'm weird that way. All the people in my old office job are weird that way too). I am too lazy to take it off so I went to the mirror and pulled on the top until I could see the brand label.

Then I read the tag backward in the mirror so that I could report it here for you all. I really hope you appreciate all the trouble I went to for you. Do you know how hard it is to read a label backwards in a mirror? .golb a no drawkcab gnihtemos gnitirw sa drah sa tsomla s'tI

˙uʍop ǝpısdn ƃuıʇıɹʍ uɐɥʇ ɹǝpɹɐɥ ʇoן ɐ ʎןǝʇıuıɟǝp sı ʇı puɐ

How do you hate me now?

Making Your Home Sing: It's the Little Things That Bring You Down

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?

It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.

Do you ever wonder why you live so long with something in your home that you don't like, and yet you don't do anything to change it? Many times it may take only an hour to change things, or even less, and yet every day you spend that hour doing something else.

Sometimes it's a bigger project, like changing a room color, or a railing that needs painting, or a storage area that needs decluttering. I once blogged that we lived with a bedroom color that we disliked for ten years. Even then, the only reason we repainted was because we were moving.

Sometimes it's a smaller thing, like a loose bolt on something that only needs tightening, a loose button, or a lightbulb that needs changing. Maybe the microwave needs a good cleaning, or there's a sticky spot on your floor.

Instead of taking care of it, though, you live with the irritant day in and day out.

Perhaps you have a room color, like we did, that you dislike. Maybe you have a home accessory or painting that you've never really liked and instead of bringing you beauty it makes you feel distaste every time you see it. Maybe all the lids to your plastic ware are warped so you can't use them to cover your food and the after dinner clean-up is a hassle.

Maybe your clothing drawers or your closet is overfull to the point where you are afraid to even open them, for fear of a disaster.

So, if it takes very little effort to accomplish something, or it takes more of an effort but the results would make you happy, then why don't you do it?

Maybe it's because it is not crucial and good enough is good enough.

Maybe it's because you can live with a little irritation in order to get a lot more pleasure out of doing something else with your time that yields greater rewards.

Maybe it's because you have trained yourself to accept the irritant to the point where you don't even really think of it as an irritant anymore, because now it has become the norm.

Think back a minute. What irritants have become so normal in your home that you hardly remember them? And if you hardly remember them, are they really an irritant?

I think that these "little" things can creep up on you, making doing something more stressful, making finding something more stressful, making getting dressed more stressful, making cooking or cleaning up after dinner more stressful, etc.

Sometimes it's the little things that bring you down.

The little things can and will add up to bigger things, to the point where you feel stressed or unhappy but can't quite put your finger on what is irritating you.

Find some of those little irritants this week and do what needs to be done to fix, change, clean, or get rid of them and make your home sing!

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! Please do not put your own "Making Your Home Sing Monday" Linky on your blog. As always, please don't forget to link to this post. Also, please don't forgot to leave me a comment!

If you want to use your blog header or profile picture, use the "from the web" button on your right (after you click to link up). If you want to use a picture from your computer use the button on your left (unless the picture is on your blog). Please let me know if you have any problems with linking up.

What I Wore Wednesday

Today I am linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy for her fabulous "What I Wore Wednesday" meme. This meme is designed to give women accountability and encourage them to get out of their daily sweats or pajamas or rut that they're in and document what they wore each day and post it to their blogs.

Wednesday
Black and white striped shirt: Walmart
Black & Gray cardi: Costco
Jeans: Levi 515 bootcut

So here I am "casually" leaning against the stove. With my foot crossed. Because I always casually lean against my stove in the kitchen and pose. Don't you? I think it's funny that I cross my feet in these WIWW posts, because I never do that "in real life" poses. I don't put my hand on my hip either, and I certainly don't pose next to my stove.

I'm not wearing contacts (duh, obviously since I'm wearing glasses!) and I'm not wearing makeup either. I had about five minutes to get dressed, and it was either no makeup or no clothes, and since I didn't want to be arrested.... The funny thing is I wasn't trying to coordinate. I just reached for both the top and the cardi because both are comfy and I knew I was going to be gone for awhile, but I liked them together.

Thursday
Blue top: Hand-me-down
Blue tank under: Costco
Blue striped scarf: ???
Jeans: Gap
Polka Dot Boots: Costo

I got these boots not to long ago at Costco for about $20 and couldn't resist. Since then I have been waiting for a rainy day to wear them. I think it rained about one or two drops today so I busted a move and got my boots out!

When I went to the store I noticed a couple of people glancing at my feet, no doubt in confusion wondering why I was wearing rain boots. Probably the exact same look I give certain people when I am bundled up because of the snow on the ground and they are wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Some people just don't know how to dress for the season, *cough*me*cough. Don't hate.


Here's a close up of the boots in all their polka dot glory! Hoo to the woo!

Friday

Navy top: Costco
Navy cardigan: VanHeusen, thrifted
Jeans: Hydraulic, thrifted

I got more hair bling Friday night. Can you tell? It's the same color as before, kind of a turquoise. We had a fellowship event for the gals from our church, and we all sat around and talked and laughed and ate and a friend of mine came and gave those of us who wanted it some hair flair!

Did you know that if you eat with other women the calories can't attack you? You see, they get confused because there are so many people around and they run 'round and 'round and don't know who to land on, so they don't land on anybody.

So, you can eat whatever you want whenever you want and not gain a pound, as long as you eat it with other women around. I know this is true because I got this from my mother's sister's husband's cousin's gardener's hair dresser's best friend. And everyone knows that a best friend would never lie to you about the calories in chocolate.

Saturday
Black tank under: Target
White shirt over: Target
Black vest: ???
Black belt: ???
Jeans: Hydraulic, thrifted
Black boots: Thrifted

We went to a surprise 50th birthday/Karaoke party on this day. I do not sing. I repeat, I do not sing. Well, not by myself anyway. I prefer an audience of hundreds singing with me and drowning me out.

Somehow I found myself grabbed from behind and wrestled over to sing "Dancing Queen" with a bunch of other women. There may or may not be a video.

Sunday
Black shirt: ???
Cobalt blue cardi: Sam's Club, recent
Jeans: Levis, 515 bootcut

This ruffly (is that a word?) sweater had me at hello. The cobalt blue color had me pole-vaulting over a slew of preschoolers and elbowing an elderly lady with a walker out of the way to get to the sweater table first. I grabbed somebody's cane to pole-vault with and managed to trip several small children as I executed my move. I may even have broken someone's glasses. I am nothing if not thorough.

When I commit to a color, I really commit. You won't find me longingly looking at other colors and thinking "what if...." No, when I see a color that is for me, I am faithful not to let anyone or anything get in my way as I pledge my heart and my pocketbook to it.

Monday
Green shirt: eShakti, thrifted
Jeans: Gap
Slippers: Macy's, gift

So I paused in my dinner preparations long enough to snap a picture. I purposely put the green shirt on, because I was making a tomato based casserole, and don't you think the red would have contrasted nicely with the green shirt? What, you don't coordinate your clothes with your food? What's the matter with you people?

Tuesday
Red/white striped shirt: Disney discount store
Disney hoodie: Disney, thrifted
Jeans: 515 bootcut
Slippers: Macy's, gift

I wore this in the morning and by the evening I was wearing a tank top and running shorts!

Making Your Home Sing: In The Fall

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?

It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.

It's beginning to look a lot like Fall, y'all! I finally broke out the Fall/Winter seasonal decorations to change things up around here.

Candles, plastic pumpkins (some spray painted white, some left orange), scarecrows, gourds, roosters, chickens, leaves, wooden fruit, and just whatever else says "it's fall, y'all" to me.

I grew up with this ceramic kitty. My mom painted her years ago and I named her Musette. She usually resides in the sunroom but I put her in the basket, added a couple of things, and brought her out into the living room to hang out by the fireplace for awhile. My husband's sister made the blanket for him when he was a kid. I think I may change out the blanket and use one that hubby's grandmother made, the colors are more muted.

Just a few Dollar store gourds and mini pumpkins, etc., thrift store plates, rooster, and scarecrow decorations and you're all set.

What says Thanksgiving more than little Pilgrims and Indians that represent the very first Thanksgiving?

Welcome to Fall!

Add a few chickens and roosters here and there......

......fill a jar or candle holder with some candy corn and plop a candle in it, or toss some wood fruit in a basket.

I didn't show you every "Fall" item that I have out, of course. This is not to everyone's "taste," but on my budget (or lack thereof), and with my love for fun and whimsy (not to mention my lack of decorating skills, lol!), it says Fall to me.

What says Fall to you? Can you bring some of it into your home and make your home sing this week?


(Edit: Somehow I accidentally deleted the original post, I think, because it disappeared. I managed to recreate it by copying it from my google reader and reattaching the linky. However, I could not recreate your comments and wanted you to know that I didn't delete them!)

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! Please do not put your own "Making Your Home Sing Monday" Linky on your blog. As always, please don't forget to link to this post. Also, please don't forgot to leave me a comment!

If you want to use your blog header or profile picture, use the "from the web" button on your right (after you click to link up). If you want to use a picture from your computer use the button on your left (unless the picture is on your blog). Please let me know if you have any problems with linking up.

Helping Kids Learn To Stand On Their Own

As a parent you want your children to be happy and life to be smooth, but their character is challenged and built, and their faith strengthened, when there are bumps in the road.

As we watch our kids grow up, make decisions and make mistakes, there is a fine line we walk. When do we, as parents, stand back and let them make mistakes and when do we step in and get involved?

Is there a parent with an elementary school child or teenager alive who hasn't wrestled with that question? Can I get an amen or at least an "uh huh?"

We want them to learn to make confident decisions on their own, but we also want them to learn that there are consequences to poor decisions. We want them to learn how to spread their wings and fly but we want them to do it with a safety net.

When is it a time for them to learn the ins and outs of dealing with people and situations and when is it time for mom and dad to step in? In many ways it's so much easier when they are toddlers and hitting each other over the head with a toy. That is a clear "no-no" with a clear consequence: the other toddler may hit back!

Obviously, there are times when a parent needs to intervene in order to protect their child, or say no or set boundaries that a child hasn't the wisdom to set, or intervene to prevent something from happening, etc. But there are other times when we just need to step back. Here are some suggestions of what worked for us:

Let them work things out themselves, if possible. As a rule, we didn't generally get involved in any disputes that our older children may have had over the years. When they were little and they transgressed we did speak with them, if necessary, and insist that they go over to the person and apologize for their part. We usually went with them to see that they did.

Encourage them to examine their part in any problem situation. As they got older and into their teens we tried not to get involved in any disputes that they might be having. If they discussed a situation with us we would also try and encourage them to see the other person's point of view as well. We also asked them to consider their part in the dispute. We might ask them "But what did you do? But what did you say?"

But did we call up the other kid and talk with them about the situation? No. Did we call the teenager's mother and talk to them about the problem? No. We let our teens handle it, whether it was hurt feelings, a misunderstanding, or a work situation. (Obviously, if there was a dangerous or life threatening situation we would have stepped in and protected our child.)

Don't get involved if you don't need to. If mom gets upset and calls the teen's mom, usually what will happen is that the teens will work everything out (by themselves) and be friends again. But the moms will still be struggling with anger or hurt feelings about the situation. The teens have resolved the issue but the moms still feel conflicted and have no resolution. This is one reason why it's better for moms not to get involved if at all possible.

Don't protect them from consequences that are necessary in order to learn from their mistakes. You probably have seen parents who time after time bail their children out and protect them from the consequences of their own actions. As tempting as that is to do, it isn't teaching the child the error of their ways. It's just teaching them that mom and dad will take care of things if they mess up.

If mom wakes up her older child for school or work every day, what happens when he/she moves away from home? Yup, he'll oversleep and be late a few times but he'll learn. There was a time when I woke my oldest child up for school, church, etc. because he was such a hard sleeper (still is) and I was afraid he would oversleep. Eventually I stopped that and let him be responsible for getting up himself. He missed his college class and was late for work once or twice (not to mention church) but he did learn to get up on his own.

Know when to step back and let them do it. If your child has a problem with his/her boss at work someday, are you going to call up the boss and intervene? If your child has a problem with a co-worker, are you going to call up their co-worker and try and work things out? If your child has a fight with their spouse, are you going to call up and smooth things over for them? Probably not, I assume.

At some point, the future goal is to help your child to stand on his/her own. To be able to make their own decisions, i.e. prayerfully and hopefully seeking wise council when necessary. To handle their friendships, their work relationships, their family and marital relationships, etc. To develop confidence and trust in their ability to make a decision, knowing that they can seek the Lord for guidance.

Decision making is something that they need to learn how to do. There have been times when our children have wished that we would make a decision for them that only they could make. But seeking wise counsel, talking it through with family, friends or adults that they respected, and praying for wisdom and direction is something that they will need to be doing throughout their lives, and we want to encourage them to do that.

Encourage them to fly, but let them rest in the nest when they need it. Some day they will be out on their own. You won't be able to protect them from their own inexperience forever. But you can protect them by giving them the grace and the opportunity to learn from their mistakes now, all the while providing them with love, encouragement, and a safety net. Give them the opportunity to practice standing on their own now while you are still there to "catch" them if they fall.

What I Wore Wednesday

Today I am linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy for her fabulous "What I Wore Wednesday" meme. This meme is designed to give women accountability and encourage them to get out of their daily sweats or pajamas or rut that they're in and document what they wore each day and post it to their blogs.

Wednesday
Lime green tank under: Costco
Orange tank over: Costco
Shorts: DKNY, thrifted
Plaid shirt: ???
Green flips: ???

I didn't crop the top off of this picture so that you could see my weird fly-away hair. You're welcome.

You know, I have to ask myself why I listed the plaid shirt or flips if I didn't remember where I got them. I mean, what's the point? For that matter, why do I list where I bought the clothes if I do remember? Do I think that you're going to rush right out and buy them?

I suppose it's just so that you realize that I am aware that I am wearing the clothes. If I didn't list it, you'd be all "Does she even know that she's wearing that plaid shirt?" and then your whole day would be consumed with worrying about me and you wouldn't be able to eat your dinner nor sleep that night, and eventually you'd be a malnourished insomniac. Don't even get me started on why I added three question marks after it.......

Thursday

White tank: ??
Jeans: Old Navy
Red/White polka dot hoodie: Old Navy, thrifted

I thought I'd freak you out and add two question marks above instead of three. Did you catch it? Did it freak you out? No? Never mind.

I am having a love affair with polka dots. First I was crushing on stripes, and I saw the polka dots and I was all "I'm sorry, I'm taken" but they kept being pushy and taunting me and before you knew it they had me at polka dot hello.

Friday:

Mint tank under: Costco
Floral mint top: Costco
Jeans: Gap

So I got confused and thought Friday was Saturday, and was all bummed because my weekend disappeared so fast and I didn't get to sleep in and didn't get all the stuff done that I wanted to, and tomorrow was my Sunday School class and I wasn't quite ready for it and how come the weekend went so fast anyway??????

This is why I need my own personal minion. Please submit your application with 5,238 business references, four plane tickets to Disney World, a box of chocolates and the number of your Swiss bank account. Please be patient.

I will get back to you as soon as I feel like it, if I ever do which I probably won't so don't hold your breath. Really, don't hold your breath. Unless, of course, the person next to you had chili for dinner. Then it's o.k.

Saturday:

White tank under: Costco
Pink tank over: Disney World
Plaid shorts: Aeropostle, thrifted

This day I had a diet pepsi with a friend and usually I buy caffeine-free pop when I have one. I think I overdosed on caffeine this day, seriously. My body was like "What on earth did you do?" and I was all "Sorry! Just trying to have lunch with my peeps."

So my body was all "Yeah, that's fine and all for you to say, you're not the one that has to live with it" and I was all "Um, excuse me, don't you take that tone of voice with me, missy. Who's the one that is feeling all jittery?"

Next time I have a diet pepsi I think I'll leave my body at home. We almost never have a good time together.

Sunday

White lace jacket: TJ Maxx, new
Black tank under: Target
Black cargo pants: Costco
Black sandals: thrifted

Just in case you really DO want to run out and buy it, I bought this white lace jacket a couple of days ago at TJ Maxx. On clearance. For $12. Boo-yah!

Tuesday

Hot Pink and Navy striped shirt: Old Navy
Navy cardi: Van Heusen, thrifted
Jeans: Calvin Klein
Plaid shoes: Kirra (thrifted)

Am I the only one that finds humor in wearing an Old Navy navy (and pink) shirt? If it was just plain navy, I'd be wearing an Old Navy navy shirt. And if I was in the Navy I'd be wearing a navy Old Navy in the Navy. Do you have a headache yet?

It's funny how you totally don't notice the background until you're cropping your picture. Then you start thinking that maybe it's time to clean up the clutter around the microwave, which you probably would never have noticed if I hadn't pointed it out to you. I'm smart like that.

Have a great day, y'all! Can you tell I'm typing with a southern accent?

What Is Your Home Saying About You Today?

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?

It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.

Stop and look around your home right now. If your home had feelings or a personality, what would it be? Happy? Sad? Angry? Confused? Cheery? Worn out and tired?

If it could talk, what would it say to you? Clean me? Organize me? Paint me? Tell me who I am?

Does your home mostly reflect one person, and if so, who would that person be? You, your husband, your children, your best friend or your parents who gave you their hand-me-downs?

Having family heirlooms and hand-me-down furniture or accessories are awesome. But have you made them your own?

When you walk into your home, does it feel like a reflection of you and your family's tastes, or someone else's who doesn't even live there? Are the colors ones that you prefer, or are they the leftover tastes of the previous owner? Have you put YOU in there somewhere?

I believe that our homes DO have a personality, and I believe that they can, in a way, talk. I think a home should reflect the interests, personality and priorities of those who live there. After all, it's your home, not someone elses. It can reflect warmth, fun, crazy, coldness, sterility, order, chaos, and more.

What is your home saying about YOU today?

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! Please do not put your own "Making Your Home Sing Monday" Linky on your blog. As always, please don't forget to link to this post. Also, please don't forgot to leave me a comment!

If you want to use your blog header or profile picture, use the "from the web" button on your right (after you click to link up). If you want to use a picture from your computer use the button on your left (unless the picture is on your blog). Please let me know if you have any problems with linking up.

Duh. That Would Be Weird.

Sometimes I wear my glasses and sometimes I wear contacts. Sometimes I wear both.

Well, not at the same time. Duh. That would be weird.

I mean sometimes both in the same day.

Glasses can be a pain because they get dirty, and you have to take 'em off and clean them. Sometimes I get stubborn and just try to ignore the spot on my glasses. It's easy at first, but then you forget about it.

Pretty soon you think you have a hole in your vision, and you're all "I'm going blind in one eye!" or "Things are getting blurry, I think I'm having a stroke" and you start to panic and frantically use Doctor Google.

You know you do that. Don't you? You type in "Blurry vision" or "Blind spot in eye" and pretty soon you've scared yourself half to death and have discovered you only have six minutes to live.

You madly try and decide what to do first. Should you call someone to say goodbye? Should you have one last bite of chocolate? What should you wear? Are there dishes in your sink? Why didn't you make a bucket list? What time is it anyway and where is your watch?

At which point you jump on the computer to get the correct time, start blog surfing and there goes your last six minutes, and you never did find out what time it was.

Which reminds me, was there ever a point where you thought I was talking about drinking glasses instead of eye glasses?

Because I don't wear drinking glasses on my eyes. It's hard to see through them and the milk keeps running down my face and ruining my shirt.

I hate it when that happens.

BTW, I know this post is stupid but it's late and it's all I have so just pretend I wrote this while in a chocolate induced coma. You wouldn't be too far wrong.

For those of you who are spelling impaired I wrote this while in a chocolate induced comma.

What I Wore Wednesday

Today I am linking up with Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy for her fabulous "What I Wore Wednesday" meme. This meme is designed to give women accountability and encourage them to get out of their daily sweats or pajamas or rut that they're in and document what they wore each day and post it to their blogs.

Wednesday

Gray/Black ruffle tank: TJ Maxx
Black tank under: Target
Black/Gray striped cardi: Costco
Jeans: Levis 515, bootcut
Flats: Isaac Mizrahi for Target, thrifted

No, I don't need to go to the bathroom, that is just how I posed. Why do you ask?

Today, while ironing the "floral" tank above, I noticed that it isn't covered with flowers. It has some black dots in patterns on it that look like a string of dna. Seriously, for realzzzzz. So from now on I'm calling it my dna shirt.

I think that makes me special, because how many people can say they have a dna shirt? I mean, anybody can say they have dna, but a dna SHIRT? Just me! Don't be hatin'.......

(And to think, all this time I thought they were flowers.)

I loved wearing three different patterns (shirt, cardi, shoes). Fun, fun, fun! My son came out and asked if his shirt matched o.k. with his hoodie and I was like "Seriously? Do you NOT see what I'm wearing???!!!"

I actually wore four patterns if you count the fact that I carried my Miche purse with me! Have you seen these purses yet? Awesome! You can change the outer shell to another style/color in less than 10 seconds. Love it! Change your mood, change your style or, better yet, change your style change your mood!

Thursday
Striped shirt: Target
Jeans: Hydraulic, thrifted
Purple sweater: Op

I love how I'm staring so seriously at the camera as if my life depended on it. I will let you in on a secret. I was practicing being a British Royal Guard and y'all know that they aren't supposed to move or smile. However, I did move right after this picture was taken so I think I flunked my first test.

I wore a necklace with this outfit, which I think makes the neckline look real busy, which is ridiculous because everyone knows that the neck has nothing better to do all day but just hang around there.

No Friday picture. I vacuumed the hardwoods and carpets, mopped the vinyl floors, cleaned bathrooms, did laundry, and maybe even discovered a cure for the common cold. Do you ever wonder why they call it the "common" cold? I mean is there a cold that's NOT common? And, if it's not common, then should we be honored if we get it? It's questions like these that keep me awake at night. You're welcome.

Saturday
Navy tank under: Target
Teal/Navy top: Ann Taylor, thrifted
Crops: Gap
Silver flips: ???

I am standing on a clean floor . Not that you can tell. But I know it's clean.

Later I threw on an old tee and shorts and spray painted my wicker furniture white. While spraying I knelt down on the protective plastic. Much later I noticed that I had white spray paint all over my knees. I may, or may not, have gone to the store that way to buy more spray paint and didn't even notice.......

Sunday
Brown/black/white floral top: Liz Claiborne
White tank under: Target
Brown capris: Gloria Vanderbilt
Leopard print flips: Walmart

I didn't take a picture this day, but this is the outfit I wore so I found an old picture and re-used it, lol!

Monday
Navy shirt: Costco
Jeans: Gap

The mornings are cool but the afternoons are in the 80's, so yay for Summer/Fall in one day! Works for me as I am getting tired of my summer clothes. I think we had about three minutes of summer this year but I am now officially over it.

Making Your Home Sing Monday: What Speaks Home To You?

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday meme! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing?

It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.

Take a moment right now and write down five of the most important things that speak HOME to you, and minister to your soul, so to speak. These are things that you want to feel or experience when you're there.

You might use words like Family, Light, Music, Airy, Cozy, Warmth, Roomy, Good Food, Colors, Laughter, Friends, Cool, Clean, Summery, Rest, Books, Flowers, etc.

Now, if you want to really have some fun, ask your family members to choose their five important words too.

Then walk around your home and really have a look at it. Does it reflect any of those things on your list?

If you chose Friends as one of your five words, do you ever have any of them over for a visit? Do you have any pictures of them around, or any gifts displayed that remind you of them?

If it's Laughter, are you making fun memories in those rooms, and are there little whimsical touches in your home that make you laugh when you see them?


Like this. I bought it at the thrift store, I have no idea why. My family calls this The Ugly Chicken (even though it's a rooster)....When I blogged about it, I got 31 comments, lol!

If you love lots of bright Colors, are you living in them, or are you living in a sterile, cold home devoid of color?

If you chose Family, is your family life reflected there? I don't mean reflected in a mess on the floor and toys everywhere. But would people even know that there are children living in your home? Have you ever framed a child's drawing or displayed a school project for all to see?

Are you making fun memories within the home, such as a picnic on the living room floor? Are there pictures around of your family members?

If you chose Cozy, are there chairs drawn up somewhere for an intimate little chat, or is the furniture placed as far apart as can be? If Books is one of your five, are there any lying around? Do you have a library corner, perhaps a comfy chair next to a basket or bookcase of books to encourage a long read?

If you chose Light, do you ever open the curtains? Are your windows clean? Is your wall color, curtains, wood furniture, and accessories all in dark and (to you) dreary colors?

Look at your home with an eye on your list of Five Important Words, and evaluate what you can do in your home to reflect that list.

After all, if those things speak Home to you, and are really important to you, shouldn't they be reflected in your home?

For many of us, God is a given, so we may or may not have added Him to the list, since it's sort of understood that He is first. However, if God is on that list, are you bringing Him into your home? Or are you leaving Him at church every Sunday?

Make your home sing this week by making it a reflection of the values that are important to you.

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! Please do not put your own "Making Your Home Sing Monday" Linky on your blog. As always, please don't forget to link to this post. Also, please don't forgot to leave me a comment!

If you want to use your blog header or profile picture, use the "from the web" button on your right (after you click to link up). If you want to use a picture from your computer use the button on your left (unless the picture is on your blog). Please let me know if you have any problems with linking up.

Life With Gangsta Nana

Gangsta Nana*: (At Costco) "Please keep an eye on my cart so that no one steals my sweater."

My 22 year old son: "Nana, nobody wants that sweater."

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Gangsta Nana: "Could you please leave the door open? It's so warm in here." (It's over 80 degrees outside, and she's sitting there in long pants and a long sleeve flannel shirt with a bathrobe over her lap)

Me: ??? "Mom, put on a short sleeve shirt and get that robe off your lap. No wonder you're hot!"

Gangsta Nana: "Oh!"

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Gangsta Nana: (At the bookstore) "I want to find some books on health and aging."

Me: (After awhile) "Mom, here's a book on healthy aging that you might be interested in."

Gangsta Nana: "Why would I want a book on healthy Asians?"


(Note: My kid's friends call my mom "Gangsta Nana." She is 87 years old and a bit hard of hearing. For those of you who think I am making fun of my mom or her age or abilities, just know that she has an awesome sense of humor and loves to laugh, especially if it's at herself. We all howled at these, especially her.)