The stork theory.

I didn't realize how long it had been since I wrote a blog post. Crazy!

A lot has happened since JULY when I last posted. But basically the biggest news is that we are expecting a baby boy! He should arrive this September.

We have been busy starting preparations and really just adjusting our minds to the fact that we are going to have sole responsibility over something that does not have fur (hopefully) and cannot be put in the yard because it has to go to the bathroom or is making to much noise (legally).

Complete unpredictability.

I haven't really been sick or anything, but from day 1 of finding out I was pregnant, I have been uncomfortable. It seemed like everything changed in a day, and I've got to admit, I don't love being pregnant.

Now before I begin my vent session about pregnancy, let me note. *I am very excited about the baby that's to come after this long ridiculous process of pregnancy, and I do agree that the creation of life from a sperm and an egg is a miracle that comes only from God.*

With that said.

I have many friends who have babies. Several of them are liars.

They go around raving about how great pregnancy is and how much they enjoyed those blissful 9 months followed by 5 short minutes of labor and slipping on those size 2 skinny jeans as they jog out of the hospital.

It's all lies.

Out growing your clothes, gaining weight, being sore, being tired, getting sick, not sleeping. None of those things are fun (though worth it, see note above!). Not to mention what all has to happen for the baby to come out of... you know where.

I've always been told (though I'm not really sure by who...maybe those people should be questioned and told to stop talking) that God made child bearing and child birth painful and women have a period because Eve ate the apple. This makes sense, though it sounds cruel and I'd rather not think that my God is that much of an evil mastermind.

So basically this means that before that day where Eve ate the apple, pregnancy was meant to blissful. It probably would have lasted about 2 hours, and then the baby slid out, completely clean and not disgusting, onto a bed of rose petals. Adam and Eve would have held hands after this with their non-crying child and non-sore undercarriage, and skipped off into a sunset.

Blame it on the woman.

Personally I'm a fan of the stork delivering bundles of joy to your doorstep...

High Five for Friday!

It's Friday again! Time to link up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk and high five.

Last week's high five was pretty lame, because we were on a mini-vacation in Orlando. We had a great time. It was so laid back. We kind of just went with the flow of things and did whatever we happened to want to do! Saturday our friends Josh and Brooke showed up and Otown and surprised us! It was totally random and so much fun! Owen coached a baseball tournament all weekend, my first major baseball experience... it wasn't awful.

So here it is! Let's High Five for FRiiiiiiday!

1. First, these awesome USA shirts that I can't wait to wear all Olympics long! (yes we got matching ones... semi-unintentionally.)

2. New Dooney and Bourke purse my awesome hubby bought me for being so well behave for sitting through two straight days of baseball in the scorching hot sun. (and some rain... with psycho, crazy baseball moms.)

3. My sister-in-law is having a baby boy in October, and I'm getting pretty obsessed with buying him clothes. Check out these cuties from the Polo outlet? How could I resist??

4. Owen's team WON the whole tournament! It was very exciting, and Owen was so excited he couldn't stand it. (he's on the top row, far right)

5. Chocolate stash at work. Everyone has to have one!

Have a fantastic weekend!

USA! USA! USA!

Mon-Days of Grace

It's been a CRAZY! But wonderful past few days so I'm very sorry for the late post. 


I had a great week off work and a fun getaway to Orlando with my love. I am feeling very thankful and very blessed for everything the Lord has given me!


This exercise has proven to be amazing. It's really shown me the small blessings in my life that I often overlook. I encourage you to take 10 minutes a day to write down 5 things you are grateful for and then link up with "Mon-days of Grace!"

July 16

Thank you Lord for answering prayers for my friend Amber. She's been waiting patiently to get a call about a teaching job. If anyone she deserves, she does. So grateful.

My wonderful husband for leaving work early to come take care of me after a traumatic event involving our psycho dog!

My mom for helping me get my house cleaned up so I didn't have to worry about it on my week off.

Neighbors who are nice!

Courage that only God can give.

July 17

The time to cook an actual dinner two nights in row and sit down and eat it at a table together!

Time to myself.

Time to complete projects and accomplish goals.

A husband who can handle crisis in a cool, calm and collected way!

Days where I never leave the house.

July 18

A whole day to work on and catch up on Miss Priss headbands.

My sister in law for being super helpful today and answering all kinds of crazy questions!

An entire day spent in my craft room having fun and not worrying about house chores.

That I have a soft heart for God's people and creatures. Even though sometimes its painful!

A laid back husband.

July 19

Alone time with my husband. The best time to laugh and enjoy each other.

The means to getaway on short trips.

Patience that has grown as I have matured.

Still learning something new about Owen everyday.

A great relationship with my parents, and the technology to enhance communication with them.

July 20

Never having to endure any great tragedy. 

A husband who braved the outlet mall with me!

Hugs of comfort.

Moments of clarity meant to bring change and motivation.

Late nights and early mornings.

July 21

The opportunity to support my husband.

  

A great surprise from friends!

My mom who is so helpful and loving.

Unscheduled days.

A phone call from an old friend.

July 22

The ability to praise our God anywhere we are.

Seeing my husband happy!

The values, morals and fistiness instilled in me by my parents.

A warm bed.

Pups that greet me excitedly no matter how long I've been gone.

Be a blessing to someone this week!

High Two for Friday!

Unfortunately I don't have a "High Five for Friday" post today because Owen and I are on a mini vacation to Orlando for the weekend. I am posting this from the Blogger app from my phone, which allows for pretty limited operation!

I did have a couple of awesome things I wanted to share from the Happiest Place on Earth (no, not the outlet mall, that's on the schedule for today), Walt Disney World of course!

1. Nutella Waffle Sandwich with Fruit (Magic Kingdom, Sleepy Hollow)- The best thing you could ever put in your mouth for any reason at any time of day. Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Snack.

2. Cobb Salad (Hollywood Studios, Brown Derby)- The Brown Derby is the replica of a famous old time Hollywood restaurant where the Cobb Salad originated. It's the perfect combo of ingredients. It's delish and very filling.

Notice a theme? It's no secret we go to Disney for the food... and for Haunted Mansion...

Have a magical weekend :)

Pallet Dog Bed

I've been meaning to post about this project for a while now! A few months ago, after browsing on Pinterest of course, I came up with the idea to make a dog bed out of a pallet. I searched the internet for tutorials on how to do so and found nothing that seemed reasonable for my skill level... i.e. requiring no form of carpentry or a sewing machine.

But then I found this tutorial on Pinterest. It's actually for making an outdoor couch, but with a few adjustments, I figured it would work, and it did!

She lists some pretty official materials needed in her tutorial (such as the blowtorch), and by all means, go for it. But here's what I used:

• Scrap pieces of foam cut to size... garage sale $2
• Wooden Pallet... free from a friend
• Large Needle... Joann's $2
• Upholstery Thread... Joann's $2.50
• Outdoor Fabric, 3 yards... Joann's $12 (on clearance plus an extra 50% off because it was Memorial Day)

For the sewing part... well I was pretty much shooting in the dark. I've never sewn anything in my life. It took me about 3 hours to sew this thing, but I was pretty proud of myself when it was finished, and it still hasn't fallen apart. So I consider it a success.

I followed the Pinterest tutorial to the T for the construction. You basically wrap the foam like a present and then sew the seams. See the picture below for how the ends should look.

When I was finished, it needed a little something so I stenciled a "T" with black paint right on the middle of the bed. (My dogs' names' are Tony and Troy.)

The pallet that I had was extra-large so the bed doesn't completely cover it, but I really like the look. The red on the ends of the pallet also matches the fabric I picked.

Of course Tony and Troy had to be posed for a picture...

Overall, the bed has been a huge hit! It's also a lot more attractive and much easier to keep clean than the rug they were using before. The outdoor fabric is easy to wipe off with a damp cloth or just shake off in the yard. 

And just in case you want proof that the bed is being used when no one's around... I snapped this one through the kitchen window... Tony in what we call the "dead puppy" position.

Etsy Shop Review

If you didn't know, I have an Etsy shop selling spirit headbands. I make them for all different NFL, college, MLB and several NBA teams. I started making the headbands because I wanted something cute to wear in my hair to Gator football games, and it just kind of grew from there.

It's a pretty fun and profitable hobby and over the last year has really caught on. I've even made headbands for several cheerleading squads and sold wholesale to a couple stores, without much advertising effort. Just my Etsy shop is really all I have time for right now.

Last week a product review blogger contacted me and was interested in reviewing one of my headbands on her blog, Mamalove. I jumped at the opportunity!

So here is the review! It made me feel pretty cool for about 10 minutes and then I went back to feeling normal... :)

Mon-Days of Grace

This week was a crazy, hectic and wonderful! It seemed to drag on forever between meetings at work, coaching a basketball camp, dinners with friends and lots... and lots... of chores around the house.

But, it was all a blessing!

I encourage you to take 10 minutes a day to write down 5 things you are grateful for and then link up with me here every Monday for "Mon-Days of Grace!"

July 9

My dads handyman skills to build me an awesome cabinet that saving us lots of money. 

Spur of the moment shopping trips with my mom and her help decorating my home.

Extreme business without stress! 

The opportunity to be surrounded by Christian people everyday at work who genuinely care about their job.

Being able to actually enjoy and look forward to a week of work meetings! 

July 10

A busy day at work that made the day go by super fast.

Time to exercise and just relax playing basketball.

Random texts from friends!

The Lord for allowing me to not become overwhelmed with all the tasks I have before me this week.

I never want for anything. Life comes too easy. I am so thankful for the blessings God pours out on our life everyday. 

July 11

A husband who prays openly for me and for God's guidance in our marriage.

Cereal for dinner.

A fun evening playing in the front yard with the pups.

My uncle for restoring my granny's old Hoosier cabinet and having the opportunity to put it in my own house.

Finally being able to enjoy a really lawn with real beautiful grass! 

July 12

A boss that has nothing but faith and confidence in my abilities.

A God that is with me during my most stressful times of the day. Bringing me back to reality and reminding me that he has it all under control.

A husband that is constantly trying to make me laugh, even when we're supposed to be serious!

Fun nights out with friends to just let loose and forget about that early morning wake up call for a few hours.

The wide and diverse circle of friends that we have that allows us to learn about a lot of different people and learn how to have fun with them too!

July 13

My friend Britney. One of the most loyal and caring people I know and so much fun. A blessing in my life!

God pulling me through a crazy, wild day!

Laughter as a tool of unity and healing.

90s music on an acoustic guitar!!

Owen for putting a band-aid on my razor cut, without having been asked.

July 14

People in my life who have faith in me when I have little or no faith in myself.

Wise people God has put in my life to go to for advice and guidance.

A fun shopping trip with my mom, even if it was just to Wal-Mart.

Energy!

The ability to go to the store and buy things as I need them or want them.

July 15

My AWESOME mom for helping me catch up on a lot of house cleaning.

A job that allows me so much time off in the Summer.

Holding hands with my husband in church.

Owen for constantly telling me I'm beautiful and perfect in every way... and knowing that he absolutely believes it. 

A husband that never, ever complains.

Be a blessing this week!