my eyelashes are starting their own blog

When life is going along without event {though it feels so good to have nothing going on or coming up} and March Madness turns into March SADness {oh UK... how you broke our hearts}, writer's block hits and you end up with a long overdue Q&A post.

I'll try not to bore you to tears but I just can't guarantee it.

Jumping right in:

LittleByrds asked: I have 2 more questions for you. 1) What color is your living room painted? and 2) is your bedskirt on your bed a set with the bedding or did you buy it separately and if so where?

I get more messages/emails about this one topic {the living room paint color} than any other questions combined.

Do you know how happy this makes me?!

Or how scared I was about choosing a blue, the right blue, for this room that took my mother-in-law and me days to paint? I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have been game for a re-paint if it came out wrong...

So yeah, I ended up liking it - but did anyone else like it?

{and no, I'm not confident enough to show off my living room that everyone thinks looks some crazy/hideous shade of blue, even if I love it, thankyouverymuch.}

The fact that people ask me for the color makes me do a happy dance in my blue room, with the assumption they're asking because OTHER PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIKE MY COLOR CHOICE(!) I try not to think about the possibility that they're asking because they want to avoid this look at all costs when choosing a blue for their own home...

I just wrote all of that for this one simple answer: It's Twilight Blue from Valspar.

Now that you know, you may paint away OR avoid the hideousness. 

Now for the question about Nick's my big, girly, extra ruffly bedskirt.

I did not make it, it's semi-homemade. Or more like a poor attempt at being a seamstress.

Or a seam ripper.

Or good at using scissors to rip through a perfectly nice bedskirt.

To the point: the bedskirt that came with the bedding was too short. It is the top "ruffle" seen below. I ask you this: how in the heck were we supposed to hide the dust bunnies and the hair tumbleweeds that blow through this house and under the bed when our bedskirt didn't kiss the ground?!

We couldn't. And I can't bend over to clean under the bed more than twice annually or it might get too clean and I wouldn't recognize my own house... I'd wind up wondering the streets, lost, until I found a house as dirty as mine to call home.

{don't pay attention to the poor bed making skills here - I'm not use to cleaning OR bedmaking - which explains the sadness of the droopy pillows and wrinkly sheets - just keep your eyes on the bedskirt...}

With my MIL's very helpful suggestion, I ran out to Target, *avoided homelessness*, got this Shabby Chic Collection bedskirt that was made for a Queen bed, cut it down the middle, and stuffed the ripped "mattress part" of the bedskirt under the original bedskirt until it hung where it could kiss the ground like a good, well mannered bedskirt should. I hope that all made sense.

Did you know a Queen bed is just as long as a King bed, just not as wide? With the footboard, I didn't need that portion of the bedskirt, thus I saved money by buying the Queen size instead of the King size - in case you were wondering about that comment.

Did I just say bedskirt like... a bajillion times??

Tess: I have to ask, where is your couch from? I absolutely love it. I've seen it in a friends living room before, and loved it then (but it looks even better in your room! ;-)

THANK YOU!

Again, a scary, expensive decision that we dreaded making. When you're use to handy-me-down furniture and never having to choose, it's tough to sign the credit slip on a big purchase that may or may not look good once it's in your home.

Good news though - we love it - and at least one other person does too. Or even a couple more since our friends bought the same couch in a different color for their home!

We got it at Haverty's, here's the link to the specific sectional for brand information. Besides being happy with the look, we're VERY happy it's micro-fiber and great for cleaning up the accidents that happen from dirty paws and two adults who have a strong need to eat in front of the TV.

 Pictured here pre-wall art, pre-coffee table, pre-giant beloved blue and brown pillows.

Times were hard back then ;)

Courtney asked: what make-up do you use for your foundation/bronzer/cover up and your mascara? Or do you just have the longest eye-lashes known to man naturally? (Cause they're GORGEOUS!!!!)

Okay... I have to admit that I'm getting to the last question for today, and if I were you, I'd be gagging by now. The questions are so sweet and complimentative (a real word?). BUT, I'm NOT you, I'm me. AND I LOVE COMPLIMENTS!!! and I loooooooooooove my readers who bless me with them!

In addition, for those of you that might love to hate me: this should be a great post to add to your collection of "why I can't stand that girl". Though so far, you haven't been vocal about your hatred and I am so thankful for that! Keep quietly sticking pins in my voo-doo doll and I'll keep on acting oblivious to how much I annoy you :)

Back to Courtney's question - I have wanted to do a make-up favorites post forever, but I'm 100% sure you would be totally unimpressed with what you found.

For the most part, I'm a Covergirl kind of a gal. Even more so, I'm the girl buying all of my war-paint from Wal-mart and CVS. I love it all - it works, and it's cheap. I don't splurge on make-up because I buy far too much of it. I'd love to shop all of my make-up at MAC or Sephora, but I cringe at the prices.

I'm cheap AND so lame.

ANYWAY, my foundation is Covergirl "Clean" foundation. My cover-up is Physicians Strength Concealer - which I love for the fabulous coverage without caking it on - I really recommend this stuff, especially for under eyes.

My mascara, which I have been using and loving since high school, is Loreal Voluminous. I've tried almost every other mascara and just keep on coming back to it. If you've seen me, there's no secret that I love mascara♥. Let me know when I reach the Tammy Faye Baker level.

But the real secret to my scary long eyelashes is Latisse - which I sort of get samples of from my friend who works in an optometrist office. Latisse is the same exact drug as Lumigan, an eyedrop for glaucoma. Latisse was manufactured after glaucoma patients started growing lovely long lashes.

Thus I don't pay for Latisse, I just luck in to samples of Lumigan! =)

Blurry, bad picture of us on a freezing "safari" in Disney's Animal Kingdom this past January - but it's the first pic I came to that showed off my spider lashes - just call me Tammy Faye, people. They could have crawled off my face and been they're own exhibit amongst the other wild animals that day.


*******


There you have it, everything you never wanted to know. I've got more questions stored and I foresee lots of writer's block in the future, so expect another Q&A post soon. Y’all should send me some more questions so I don’t feel the pressure to write anything on my own ;)


Much love,

bestill my heart: key lime cupcakes =)

 

Someone brought our family a key lime tri-layered cake a few weeks ago.

My taste-buds were beyond pleased =)=)=)

 

I knew I loved key lime pie, but BOY do I love key-lime CAKE!

 

I never got the recipe from the friend, but I did scour the internet for what looked like a recipe she may have used.

 

I wanted to make a cake for the birthday girl who introduced me to her love of key lime pie in the first place, my mother-in-law.

 

But she was only stopping by for the day and I had to be out of town for the next few days for a long weekend of work and a friend’s wedding… I knew we wouldn’t eat the whole cake in one day {not that I couldn’t eat it in one day – just showing some restraint} and I didn’t want the cake to sit and go to waste… but if I made cupcakes(!!) I could take them with me to work and eat all of them share with my co-workers!

I used this recipe from the internet which includes the steps to make key lime buttercream icing.

If I could marry an icing, key-lime buttercream would be my groom♥. Which is saying a lot, as I am a self-professed, icing connoisseur.

This recipe probably made enough to ice the tri-layer cake on which it was intended, but it made more than enough to heavily ice my 2 dozen cupcakes and still leave a big bowl of icing for me to dip into with a spoon every time I passed the fridge for the next 5 days.

{i.e. the perfect amount.}

Side story: My mother can attest to finding me in my room, hiding, eating a can of icing… which would be sooooooo funny if it had only happened once and I was a small child. That, unfortunately, was not the situation. I stopped off at the grocery store after school was out, in highschool, at least once a week to get my sugar high. My highschool boyfriend use to actually buy me icing and sprinkles as a gift. My favorite way to get high: funfetti icing. Suffice to say, I’d been getting high for years before my mom found me. She wasn’t happy – said I should quit – and told me I’d get diabetes.

I definitely don’t eat as much as I use to {yet, I weight about 20 pounds more??!} but when a situation like a big ol’ bowl of leftover icing arises, it’s beyond my willpower. Ya’ know what they say, once an addict, always an addict ;)

 

KK’s birthday cupcake!

 

I forgot to say that the key-lime cake that goes with the icing – ALSO delicious. I just get a little sidetracked with the icing…

The green cake would have been perfect for St. Patrick’s Day… too bad I didn’t post this earlier.

But now that you know, you can eat them the rest of the summer!

{or maybe I’ll be the only one doing that…}

Happy Baking!

5 years and the best present I’ve ever given him

 

5 years ago today, two dorky kids went on their first date together. Inseparable ever since, we’ve taken many, many dorky pictures together.

Enjoy a few from the first couple years.

We were awkward. We were desperately trying to be cool. But we were first and foremost, head over heels in love.

{Still are!♥}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I look at these pictures and smile, just remembering each occasion and the emotions that came with it.

I also look at these pictures and think of the poor little, extra fair skinned babies we will beget together.

{This, most likely, will not be our child. Ours would be more pale white all over instead of just on her tushie. Or perhaps this same picture, but with the tanned portion more of a sun-seared red. I mean, even our dog is white…}

 

Finally, on this anniversary, I did give Nick the very best present I have EVER given him.

EVER.

The gift of me… the mute version of me.

I’ll explain: Beautiful spring weather + crappy allergies to the world in bloom = full blown laryngitis

Yesterday, I could literally only whisper. Even my coughs were eerily quiet.

This made it very difficult to cheer on Kentucky to victory last night, but it looks like they didn’t need me anyway, what with our 30 point win… GO CATS!

{and can I say that I’m just LOVING that Obama picked Kansas to win over UK in the final game and they’re already out. hehehehe….}

Back to my “gift” - Nick has made several jokes about how much he’s enjoying all of this. I can’t spout off a sassy retort in return, but let me assure you, my ability to inflict pain is still fully intact ;)

 

 

I love you, baby! Happy 5 years of blessed togetherness!!

♥♥♥

up to speed

 

I have to send out a HUGE thank you to the many people who commented with their thoughts and prayers for my family and I during the passing of my grandmother. Your words were read and reread and comforted me with the kindness they sent with them.

The weather was beautiful the day my Granny went to heaven and continued to be so for many days afterwards. She was and still is our sunshine. How special it was to celebrate her life on those gorgeous March days. My sister and I went through many, many pictures of  our own and those provided to us by family members to make collage frames to be displayed at her visitations. Seeing her smiling in so many pictures, seeing her younger days, seeing her with each child and grandchild as they were added to her family – every picture and every memory were all so healing and heartwarming for me.

I am so grateful to those who came to visitations or the funeral to comfort the family – the respect that shows to her and us is immeasurable and admirable. To have company and friendship in a time of great hurt and loneliness is priceless.

I will treasure my time spent with my grandmother on this earth and think of her always with such love and admiration for the beautiful woman God allowed me to call my Granny. I am so THANKFUL to have spent the time I did with her in my life. May I someday live up to the woman she was!

♥♥♥♥♥

Since I’ve been absent for a while, I believe it’s finally time I make an appearance and bring you up to speed on what’s been going on in our little lives:

Life event #1 that I missed blogging about: I took a {sort of} new job… I accepted a position, still within CVS, as pharmacy manager or what we call PIC {pharmacist in charge}. All of this simply means I am no longer a “floating”, a.k.a. fill-in, pharmacist. I have one and only one store to report to each day for work and I will no longer be staying in hotels and traveling to far off destinations – HALLELUJAH!

But just so we don’t get too ahead of ourselves though, I must clarify… I do STILL work quite a distance from home, 1 hour and 15 minutes ONE WAY. {Yuck} Though I do still get paid for my mileage, I have a set schedule for once, and I only work 3 days a week for the most part. {Though they are 14 hour days with an added 2 and 1/2 hour roundtrip commute… can you tell I’m torn by the pros and cons of this job?!}

Anyway, there’s the update on the job front. It’s moving up in this world – if only the slightest, tiniest little bit.

Life event #2 that I missed blogging about: My roommate of 4 years {and 3 different colleges!!} got married this past weekend. Brittney was GORGEOUS and I’m still kicking myself that I only took pictures at the rehearsal and kind of forgot to on the wedding day. No fear! Like most normal people, she did not rely on the matron of honor to take her wedding photos and she had some AMAZING photographers there that day. I can’t wait to see the pictures! {The pictures I did take to be posted soon – and maybe I can share some of her amazing engagement pics too!}

Life event #3 that I missed blogging about: Nick is closing in on graduation day – June 5th!

This means several things… Firstly, Nick will be the proud recipient of a Masters in Business degree… oooooh, ahhhhhhhhh.

Secondly, the big man is now on the job hunt and we will soon {fingers crossed} be a household of TWO incomes… YIPPEE!!

Thirdly, it’s vacation time again, people!!! I decided all of his hard work should be rewarded with a big celebratory cruise of some type right after graduation. Not sure where just yet but we’re slowly figuring it out. Hawaii? Mexico? Aruba? Not sure – but there sure seems to be a tropical theme to the destinations we’re considering.

I believe that’s all for now… I didn’t promise exciting, just to bring you up to speed ;)

I’M BACK!

 

we loved her so

One of God’s most beautiful angels went to be with Him in heaven this morning. She was loved by so many and our hearts are broken to have lost her. Our granny, Charlene, was 77 years old, mother to four, grandmother to eight, and just celebrated her 60th wedding anniversary this past summer with my grandfather.

Granny was nothing if not opinionated, loving, selfless, and always smiling. She would do anything for anyone, but she was fiercely protective over her family. She was our precious jewel. She was genuine and funny. {Though sometimes we weren’t just laughing with her, but at her… don’t worry, even her hearing aid wasn’t strong enough to let her in on that secret ;)} She was the ultimate example of giving all for your family and your God. She was proud of all of us, quick to forgive our mistakes, always loving us in spite of our many faults.

We are so selfish to want her here while she was struggling, but that is our nature. She was the glue that held the family together, to go forward without her will be the biggest, continual struggle we’ve faced.

She will be missed with every fiber of our being. She will live on in our hearts, our memories, our pictures, our stories… because any story involving Granny is worth repeating at least 100 times over. Even though the world has lost such a magnificent woman, we always knew she was a better fit in God’s kingdom than she ever was on this old earth.

1 million times over and multiplied by infinity: we LOVE you, Granny.

“Her children arise and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things but you surpass them all,” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”

prayers STILL needed

My grandmother came through her surgery well on Thursday and had shown promising “numbers” on her various tests and levels until yesterday. The doctors decided to take her off of the ventilator yesterday afternoon. Her kidneys went into renal failure and her breaths were extremely labored. Standing with her and holding her hand while watching her in such great pain to take each and every breath was the greatest agony I have ever experienced. T

hey have now placed her back on the ventilator, giving her a little rest from the difficult task of breathing. Her kidneys have produced a very small amount of urine and as of now, bowel sounds are absent, causing much worry. The doctors specializing in each of her area are visiting with her today to try to help her situation. She is in critical, but stable, condition at this time. We are praying for her healing, her recovery, and most importantly, her peace. Please continue to pray with us. We are hoping she can take a turn for the better just as fast as she took this turn.

Thank you so much for your very sweet comments, thoughts, and most importantly, prayers at this time.