My mother the hero

May 12, 2013

(my mom is the beautiful one in the middle:))

I don’t believe I have ever officially introduced my mom here on the blog, but I talk of her often. Mainly because she is my standard of heroic motherhood to which I hope to stand even at waist length someday. She raised and is still raising eleven children. I was the second oldest, so in many ways, I saw her grow over the years. With each year, and each child, she gave more of herself…her heart, her time, her energy…..and each year I saw her become a better version of herself. I guess that’s how it works!

She cooked dinner every night for as long as I can remember.

She and my dad made many sacrifices of their own so that we each would have the right education scenario for our different needs.

She shared our joys and shared our sorrows.

She made my childhood an imaginative world, challenged me to be steadfast in my faith, encouraged me to be strong in those blurry high school years, and cheered proudly through every small accomplishment I ever achieved.

She is now a very best friend. I miss her each day, and sometimes wish I could go back to my happy childhood… with my sisters by my side, dancing to music or rollerskating in the basement (to records of course)….or as we got older…chat at the kitchen counter.

It is a beautiful thing to witness how she loves each of her children in their own way and all with her whole heart. I hope to carry this into my own life. I have much to learn, but what I know, I received from her.

Now I get to witness my own children come to know and love her, and I am thankful for that. Wishing away the miles in between us today!

Who is the strongest woman you know?

Here are some of the super sweet moments I found on instagram from those who took part in #mothersdaypostcard fun! Thanks for sharing them with us:
@thelilyfield // @dressupfiles // @oliviaainsworth15 // @camp_patton //
@daraschultz // @sarahunfiltered // @lifeinmod //@jessicoffey

Wishing you all a beautiful mothers day! Hope you get to spend it with loved ones.

Make//Hang .01 – Giant Corkboard Letters DIY

May 9, 2013

Supplies:
24” x 36” Cork Panel (Use their %40 off coupon)
Hand Saw (picked mine up at Lowe’s for $6 – just make sure its fine tooth)
Ruler and pen
Hammer and Nails
*If you are making smaller letters you can just buy the cork squares that should only require exacto knife to cut.

Giant letters are at antique markets everywhere these days, and I have seen cork letters in smaller sizes. Since they are easy to make, they are more affordable to do them yourself. I wanted a larger size so I used the large cork panel to cut the letters from. You could use a series of letters (A,B,C would be fun for a children’s room) or just a solo one, and even do shapes rather than letters. You can potentially make up to three letters with this size panel.

Instructions:
1) Using your ruler and pen, draw your letter.
2) Placing the board on its side on the floor, hand saw your way through the lines. The saw I use was very direct and stayed along the lines easily. It took a total of 15 minutes to saw the three sides of the L. The inside of the panel is a tougher material and the outside is cork.
3) Nail to the wall until the nail disappears in the cork or use a strong mounters tape.

Easy enough, right? Its a fun addition to a gallery wall and allows you to change things up from time to time.

Tried an IHOD project recently? Would love to see!

Bump Styled: Crop Top It!

May 6, 2013

Dress: c/o SheInside (non-maternity) // Top: F21 (Similar or loads of cute ones here) // Belt: H&M // Clutch: a mother’s day gift from Red Envelope! // Chain Bracelet: c/o Lisa Leonard // Rings: c/o Hello Fab

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Crop tops are everywhere right now. Its a Saved by the Bell meets Punky Brewster come back to life trend. However, I am not about to show my midriff, so I had a better idea. Use it as a layering piece. I put one over this maxi dress for a way to add some fun pattern to the rainy day that was before me.

And hey teachers….the ones who spend extra after hours and weekends working on your classrooms, tutoring your students, or grading papers,
The ones who teach life lessons through your actions and classroom environment,
The ones who give all those extra hugs, wipe away tears, and solve some pretty tough math problems,
The ones who put yourself in harms way to protect the children you are in charge of…
You know, those teachers we all knew and wouldn’t be here without. Thank you.
You are SO appreciated, your actions are not unseen, and your place in society is irreplaceable.
Just wanted to remind you!

~From a wife of a teacher who sees more than meets the eye;)

Hope your spoiled this teacher appreciation week!

One Truth: How I got out of a speeding ticket..

May 5, 2013

*photo from my instagram

This may not be the best info to publicly disclose on the www, but I will take my risks.

I recently got pulled over for speeding. It had been several years…(the majority of my driving mishaps happened in my teens-go figure). I will put the spoiler at the beginning. I got out of the ticket. How did I weasel out of it? The same way Reese Witherspoon just allegedly tried to get her husband out of a DUI here in the ATL.

A few months ago (I was about four months pregnant), driving home on the freeway after 9pm at night. I had to use the restroom, and when you are pregnant, the urgency is times ten. So, without realizing it I was lead footing it. Only a few exits from home and that is all I had on my mind. I caught myself at 80mph in a 65 and slowed down. Guess it wasn’t in time. A minute later I saw the cop lights behind me.

The copper said he had been trailing me for a few exits and caught me at 80mph in a 55. Oh snap. He asked me why I was speeding, to which I blurted out my honest reply, “Because I am pregnant and I gotta pee REAL bad.” I am so graceful I know. Luckily he must have detected I was being truthful (or didn’t want to see the pregnant lady have an urgent and awkward situation before his eyes) because he let me off with a warning and a scolding. “Next time just pull over at the nearest exit.” Lesson learned. I am now in the system so that excuse won’t fly a second time.

I am by no means proud of this mind you. It gave me a heart attack to get pulled over (my heart races whenever I see a police car no matter what, and I am that obvious driver who slams on the breaks) and almost cry every time. Can someone explain this? I can’t…

So there you have my somewhat embarassing and slightly humorous account of how I was spared a $150 speeding fine on the highways of Atlanta. Have you been spared of a ticket before? Do tell..

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!

Hello May.

May 3, 2013

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Here is a round up of noteworthy news and finds I have to share with my best peeps!:

Are you celebrating Cinco de Mayo? Lovely Indeed shared a fantastic DIY party prop.

Cameron Lyle is the type of news story we should hear about more often.

Soon to be Downton Abbey Clothing line? #imean

First listen to She & Him: Vol. 3 – loving the retro vibe.

My Catholic friends will appreciate that Pope JPII is going to be canonized. He is a personal hero of mine, so I am tempted to hop a plane to Rome in October to be a part of the history.

Suddenly I have an urgent need for PVC pipes.

Additional 25% off sale items at J.Crew. (Always wait for the sale on sale;))

Gabe and I are trying to get out to see this movie over the weekend. Will you be watching?

Em Henderson’s 5 Tips to a Timeless Childrens room.

Audrey Hepburn would have been 84 tomorrow. Stumbled across this image I hadn’t seen before:)

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Hope you enjoy your weekend friends! And hello May, you are one of my very faves.

Affirmation Bouquet for Mother’s Day – DIY Printable

May 2, 2013

I won’t have the gift of being with my mother this year on mother’s day, but I have some friends who are rockstar mothers who I will see throughout the week. This is an easy way to take that bouquet of flowers to the next level and personalizing it for a friend, sister, or your own mother. Our friends who are not yet mothers or who are unable to have children should receive one too! We all share that heart naturally drawn to love and service.

Customize your own bouquet by making it a personal affirmation tribute! Use a single floral bloom or gather a whole bunch:
1) Print off the free printable on kraft paper or any color paper you choose.
2) Cut into strips, and trim a bunting edge.
3) Wrap around the stem and use a glue stick to secure.
4) Wrap a quote around the center if you are doing a bouquet or add some nice ribbon to bind. *You an also wrap these printables around succulent pots for an alternative gift idea!
Choose from the list of words or quotes that remind you of that person best. (Thanks to all my facebook friends who helped me think of some good ones!)

How do you all celebrate Mother’s Day? Is it a small celebration or do you gather with the large family crowd?

Either way, I hope its an enjoyable one with the best of weather (that is my only request, next to a new non-stick frying pan;)).

Zoo Animal Birthday: What’s Inside a Boy + Girl Piñata

May 1, 2013

As the saying goes…

“Sugar and Spice and everything nice,
that’s what little girls are made of.
Snakes, snails, and puppy dog tails,
that’s what little boys are made of.”

Although I may beg to differ on that everything nice bit now that I have a wild girl of my own…

Everyone should have a piñata at their party at some point in their life, even if its for Cinco de Mayo! I mean, I could go for one on my next birthday without a problem. Since Gabriel and Veronica had their zoo animal birthday party together, I needed to stuff it full of things that they both would love (as well as the party goers) and that was preferrably sugar free. That is when I consulted the world of twitter….where all questions can be sent into the void in hopes of a returning wise answer. This time, there were some grand ones. So thanks friends for the fun ideas!

What we stuffed in Mr. Lion…
Boys:
Lizards, dinos, frog figures
Car Stickers
Mini baseballs for the pool
Squids for the pool
Bouncy balloons

Girls:
Bouncy Balloons
Bracelets
Bubbles
Toy Whistles

Additional ideas:
Mini Play-do packs
Mini crayon packs

Most of these were found at Target and the Dollar Tree. Lion piñata was purchased here.
Easy enough right? This was a big hit with the kids and it was fun for the adults to watch their little attempts to slay the poor lion..

Veronica’s favorite part of her party were the animal balloons…she didn’t want to put the pig down. Originally spotted these on pinterest from a UK company but found another version on Amazon. Unfortunately, the Animal Shaped Beach Balls I ordered to fill the yard with didn’t come in on time. We survived…;)

Happy Wednesday!

P.S. Winner of the Waiting on Martha Giveaway announced here!