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)