Spring is HERE!!!

Well, at least its here in our house.  I spent my long weekend swapping out all our fall/winter decor for spring/summer pieces.  Im pretty happy with it.  There are still a few more things Im going to do, but for the most part Im loving how it looks right now!  Here are some pictures:

And here is a sneak peek at a project Im currently working on!!  Cant wait to have it finished and up on the wall!

A change is gonna come...

Last night while watching Lilly Scott perform a beautiful rendition of Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" on American Idol, I was moved by one verse of the song:

"There been times that I thought I wouldn't last for long
Now think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming but I know
A change gon' come, oh yes it will"

Although I have heard this song many times before, it meant something different to me last night. Perhaps it has to do with the change that is happening in my life right now. You see, today is my last day at the job I have had for over five years. I am moving on to what I think will be my career instead of just my "job". Its not only an opportunity that will benefit me, but one that will benefit my little family and our future to come. I am so excited for the possibilities. I cant wait to learn new things, meet new people, prove myself and GROW.

So why did that particular verse of that particular song affect me, you ask?? Well, I’m leaving a company that I plateaued at five years ago. I was never given the opportunity to learn and grow. I was never challenged. I was never treated as an asset. And for five years now, I have been in a rut...going about my daily routine with no excitement, no motivation and no encouragement (of course this only applies to my work life, not my personal life). Of course I have looked for other jobs along the way, but the state of the job market and economy didn’t seem to help matters. There have been times that I have wanted to quit or give up because of how unhappy my job made me. But where would that have gotten me?? And so I continued on in my mundane day to day routine, believing (hoping and praying) that one day, a change was going to come. And now it has...and I will carry on...and it will be amazing.

I’m not sure I could have kept believing things would get better if it wasn’t for my incredible friends and family, giving me the encouragement and positivity I wasn’t receiving at my job. I will be forever grateful for each of them. My parents for always telling me I deserve better and am worth more. My husband J.R. for pushing me to keep trying. My Aunt Vicki for sending me every job posting she came across. My friend Lauren for helping me prep the night before my interview. But I think most of all, my best friend Erica for believing in me enough to recommend me for the position. With people like this in your life, its hard not to be happy.

Just being me.

Over the past six months while decorating our new home, Ive really come to realize my sense of style.  What I like, dislike, lean towards and run away from.  I like classic, fresh and cozy.  Nothing too modern and nothing too antique.  I like natural and distressed over industrial and polished.  Dark wood, white washed knick knacks, flowering branches, and a few unexpected items thrown in here and there are my kind of thing.  In a nutshell:

This is me...

...and this is not.

But while shopping for new clothes for my new job, Ive realized those same adjectives I used to describe the style I like in our home applies to the style I wear on a daily basis.  No matter what trends are in, out, or on the verge of happening, I have always had the same sense of style.  Neutral, classic and simple.  Dont get me wrong, Ive tried the "in" trends and sometimes they work and sometimes they dont.  But I always seem to go back to what I have always liked.  My shoes are about the only things that I sometimes venture outside the box with.  Im perfectly comfortable wearing a cheetah print pump with a pair of dark jeans and a classic cardigan...in fact, I prefer it.  I like those unexpected items thrown into an otherwise classic ensemble.  Dark denim, girly tops, and peep-toe platform pumps are my staple. 

Im Banana Republic mixed with a dash of Ann Taylor and a sprinkle of Steve Madden:

    

As far as hair and makeup, I have always had the same preferences: Side swept bangs, brown eyeshadow, pink blush and plain ol' Chapstick.  No matter what new style or products I try, I always seem to go back to that.

So, while Ill continue to have fun trying new things in life, I will also have fun being me.  Its nice knowing that amongst all the hoopla and hype, I know who I am....and I happen to like who I am :o)

Spring is in the air...

Im not sure if its the above 30 degrees and sunny weather we have been having or the sunny disposition I have had this week, but I am really itching to swap out all my dark fall/winter decor for some fresh and light spring/summer decor.  I am in the mood for spring!!!!  I want white hydrangeas, fresh green plants, bird decor, reindeer moss topiaries, and sunlight streaming in our windows.  I want bright and cheery not dark and dreary.  And nothing has given me spring fever like this post from Rocky Bella touring Morning T's home.

Be still my beating heart...

Spring may still be a month away but I have a feeling our home may find itself being taken over by spring long before March 20th shows its face.

*** UPDATE:  It would figure that not 12 hours after I wrote about being excited for spring, we would get dumped on with snow, wouldnt it??  Expecting at least eight inches today...***

Things I'm loving at this very moment...

Goooood Morning!!  There really is no rhyme or reason to this entry...I just felt like listing the things I love all on one page so I can sit...stare...drool...dream...I hope you enjoy!!

Ann Taylor Loft Fabric Flower Belt

This outfit from Anthropologie

Biggby French Roast with caramel and half and half

Black Eyed Peas "The E.N.D."  and Lady Gaga "The Fame Monster"

Charlotte Russe Suede Bow Tie Platforms

Mark. Good Glowing Blush in After Glo  and  Mark. For Goodness Face Moisturizer

 

Ballard Designs Boxwood Topiaries

Jessica Biel's hair on the cover of Marie Claire

So those are just a few of my favorite things...some I already have, some I am counting down the days until I have.  As far as the fabric flower belt and the topiaries, I have a feeling I could recreate those myself.  Im feeling ambitious....perhaps that will be the subject of my next post??  Stay tuned...

Just one of those days...

Ever have one of those days where you feel at any second you might just lose it and punch someone or something in the face but you realize you cant because then you would probably be fired from your job and then all those bills that are piling up wouldnt get paid and then you would start to cry and then realize you cant stop crying because once the flood gates opened they wouldnt shut and then all your clothes would be ruined because of the big mess running off your face so you decide to drown your sorrows in tub after tub of ice cream and box after box of french fries and then not only are your clothes ruined but they dont fit anymore and you cant get a new job because you are a big crying mess with clothes that dont fit and ice cream in your hair and french fry grease on your hands and have a history of violence in the office??

Yeah, me too.

Happiness 101

I found this cute little mini survey over at Grey Umbrella and I just couldnt pass it up.  Typically, someone is supposed to give this blogging award to you, but since I am new to the blogging world and only have six followers (two of which are my husband and myself), I thought I would go ahead and give this award to myself.  So, here you go Erin.  {GASP!}Why thank you Erin!

Here is how this works:

1. List 10 things that make you happy.
2. Tag 10 bloggers you cant live without.
3. Thank the person who gave you this prestigous award.

Ten things that make me happy (in no particular order):

1. Biggby coffee with caramel and half and half.
2. My family
3. My cats (shut up Erica)
4. Girls nights....with all the laughs, wine, SOS's, stories, etc.
5. My husband...especially when he meows like a cat, really loudly...makes me laugh every time.
6. Getting into a craft zone where I dont even notice my hunched over back, multiple hot glue burns and spray painted fingernails.
7. Hobby Lobby....its like Disney World
8. Ric Hirsch....forever.
9. Feeling the sun sizzle on your skin when you get out of a pool/lake
10. Having a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and food in my belly.

Ok, I guess that was 12 things....sue me.

 Now onto my ten new best friends...that just dont know we are best friends yet...but I know it, oh yes I do! (Again, in no particular order)

1. Living with Lindsay
2. shanty2chic
3. A Soft Place to Land
4. Livin' the Simple Life
5. Thrifty Decor Chick
6. The Crafter's File Box
7. Little Birdie Secrets
8. Moody Girl Projects
9. Copy Cat Creations
10. aurajoon

So there you have it...my lists of 10.  I just want to thank you again Erin for giving me this award....I couldnt have done it without you.