Calling All Bloggers!

We're having a Blogger Meet-up.  It'll be in Charlotte, NC in October, but it's not just for people who are from Charlotte.  I, for one, will be coming in from out of town.  =)    

And we'd love if you'd join us!  CLICK HERE to sign up for our team and to stay in the loop with all of the blogger meet up info!  Don't let the word "run" scare you off.  I promise, you don't have to run.  You won't even be able to run because it's impossible!  You can run, walk, skip, jump, or shimmy all the way.  Check out the post and join our team!  Please? 

Meanwhile...you guys remember The Blog Tap, right?  Well..turns out that I'm going to be joining in on the efforts to make it awesome.  So, lifestyle bloggers, we're looking for GUEST BLOGGERS!  Specifically, we need people who are willing to post next week.  It's simple.... just e-mail me at mynewwifelife@aol.com and we'll sort out all the details!  Love y'all!  

Am I Being Naive?

Yesterday, I went to the eye doctor with my dad to help him pick out glasses.  The lady who was measuring his face and processing his order for the frames mentioned that it was her first day back from maternity leave.  Someone asked her if this was her only child, and she responded with "My baby daddy has other children."  I noticed she wasn't wearing a ring.  She didn't refer to him as her boyfriend or fiance or husband, but as "my baby daddy."  
Some time passed, and I guess to make casual conversation, she told my dad that she felt like a bad mother because she forgot to put nipples in her baby's diaper bag when she left him at his grandma's house that morning.  She went on to say that her "baby daddy" was working and couldn't take the nipples to grandma's house either.  
I promptly updated my Facebook status.  It received some likes and comments.  Even Mr. Robinson commented!  :)  

Gina is my super-slut cousin.  Some history with her.  She dated this guy named Lane all throughout high school.  Her friends tried to get her to date other guys, she refused.  She was in love.  They got married shortly after they graduated.  Soon after that, she got pregnant and they had a daughter.  About a year later, she started working as a nurse's assistant at a doctor's office two towns over.  She started sleeping with a man who was 20 years old than her and had THREE children.  She left her husband, told him she didn't love him anymore, and had found somebody else.  He tried to change, to work on their marriage, etc.  She refused and told him that she hated him, never should have married him.  I still see him around, he's remained heartbroken for the past 15 years and has not dated or re-married.  He still loves her.  So, while I would typically side with her on the whole "never say never" thing, I was majorly offended by her comment.

To me, it felt like she implying that I (or my husband) would cheat.  So, screw you Gina, and you you can read what I commented beneath her snarky little comment on my status.  I was a little annoyed, but I went to bed thinking.. Well, that's the end of that.

I wake up this morning and see a comment from a dear friend of mine I used to wait tables with, who is going through some really difficult health problems, has three children, her husband has left her, & they are legally separated.  This was her comment:    

I never intended for this status to be controversial.
Before we got married, Mr. Robinson and I had a discussion about what we feel constitutes or justifies a divorce.  For any of you soon-to-be-Brides out there, I think it's important to have this conversation before the wedding.  It's always a good idea to know where your spouse stands on important issues, such as divorce.  So, Mr. Robinson and I were in agreement that we would get divorced under two circumstances:
(1) Infidelity(2) Extreme Abuse Over a Long Period of Time  
We feel like our beliefs are scripture based, and those are the ONLY two circumstances in which a divorce is acceptable in the eyes of God.  We didn't get married and promise FOREVER, but have our fingers crossed behind our backs.  We didn't say "For Better & For Worse, EXCEPT when you forget to take out the trash..."  We both took and take our vows very seriously and do everything we can to ensure our marriage is a success story.  God is at the center of our marriage, and to me, that's the single most important aspect of ANY marriage.  Marriage is not about TWO people.  It's about THREE.  Without God, I wouldn't be able to forgive my husband when he wrongs me, I wouldn't be able to be selfless, I wouldn't be a wife who had any chance of keeping her husband & going to heaven.  So, that's my soap box on divorce.  I kept it short, and you're welcome.
Back to the story.  I was in the process of commenting back to Cristine.  I typed up three different responses and nothing felt right.  I know that she is going through some really tough things right now and I truly do hurt for her.  I pray for her and their children, and even her husband.  Theirs was not a Christian marriage, and I honestly thing think that a lot of their problems stemmed from that.  
How do I respond to what feels like an attack on my beliefs & morals, without attacking her?  I never intended my status to step on toes or offend anyone.  It did occur to me that someone might get a little snappy with me, but that doesn't change the fact that I AM GLAD I won't have to call someone "my baby daddy."  Sure, maybe as a joke some day, but not seriously..  I don't know.  When I hear "my baby daddy" I automatically assume that the girl who is speaking HAS to call him that because they have no other relationship.  A man & a woman have a child.If they were dating, he'd be her BOYFRIEND.If they had dated, he'd be her EX.If they were engaged, he'd be her FIANCE.If they were married, he'd be her HUSBAND.If they were separated, he'd be her SOON-TO-BE EX.If they were divorced, he'd be her EX-HUSBAND.If they had hooked up one time, he'd be her BABY DADDY.If she didn't know who the dad was, he'd be her BABY DADDY.If they were "sex-friends" but had no relationship, he'd be her BABY DADDY.     And for the record, "The Father of My Child/ren" would work in any of those situations and be considered respectful.  
Maybe that's just my personal opinion of the definition of "baby daddy."  So I looked it up on Urban Dictionary, obviously.  Come to find out, my opinion on BABY DADDY's was completely correct.  So, at the bottom of the status I wrote...
This was in no way intended to be controversial or offensive. Instead of stepping on EVERYONE's toes by explaining what I meant, my opinion of divorce, or even clarifying what I meant by this status...if you have any further questions please refer to the following website.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Baby+Daddy
The first definition is about black men, and I really hope this status doesn't take me down that road.  I'm just so MAD at this situation!  I feel like my beliefs were attacked, my cousin tells me I'm going to cheat on my husband, and a dear friend of ours who was AT THE WEDDING things that I'm wrong for my happy marriage?  I know that misery loves company, and that people want to justify their own wrong actions by trying to bring other people down with them...I'm just upset.  The whole things begs the question, 
Am I naive for thinking this will never happen to me? 

Wish Out Loud {for the perfect, affordable closet}

Hey Y'all!  Today I'm linking up with some pretty cool ladies for Wish Out Loud.  It's a Blog Hop and you should go join in!  You have 5 more days to participate and you can do so at any of these three blogs:
Ashley at ChickadetteRobin at Fly Far. Fly Free.Krystina at Cup 'a Hot Chocolate
If I may encourage you in one more way, let me just tell you about my opinion in link parties.  I like them, but sometimes I get bored because I feel like you are forced to blog about one thing.  You'r post has to be about Pinterest or crafts or recipes or whatever...but this linky party blog hop is AWESOME because you are not limited at all.  Just write about something you wish for.  How easy is that?!  You can wish for something and shallow like a cup of hot chocolate, because it's cold outside and Krystina's blog title got you thinking about it.  Or you can wish for something deep and meaningful like Ashley does.  It's a lot of fun, and I hope you'll go do it because sometimes a fellow-blogger can help your wish come true.  So cool.  So go.  Go now! :)  But wait...read my post first.  

Yesterday I mentioned my walk-in closet plans and, like a spaz, I didn't link up when I said I did.  Silly wabbits.  Sorry about that, ladies.  So...here is the link.  For real this time.  Wait for it....
Click Here! 
Did you look?  Did you read?  I hope so, because this week I am wishing for some help.  I am horrible at making decisions.  My husband has decided that I can turn an extra room that we don't love into my dream closet.  The problem, though, with dreams is that they cost money.  Don't worry...I'm not going to ask for money.  Haha.  I would just like some input, some ideas, some suggestions.  And like 99% percent of the world, I've got to find a way to create & live a dream {closet} on a budget.  
I've created a Pin Board.  That's not really helping me out, though.  I have SO many ideas!  I have so many choices...
the choicesDo I want to (can I afford to) paint the walls first?There are a lot of nails in the walls, can I use them or am I going to have to pull them out?Can I pull the nails out without having to repaint? Do I want a more permanent hanging system, like wire racks?If I get a wire rack that is drilled into the wall, that room will always be a closet.  What if we have kids?  We won't have a room to use a down-stairs nursery.  Then we'd have to put our baby or toddler upstairs, alone, with the possibility of throwing him-or-herself down the stairs and dying.  Should I just go with a rolling rack then?Wouldn't I need several rolling racks?Or what about stationary racks?Can I display my wedding dress in my closet without spending 7 billion dollars?Should I put a vanity in my closet so that I can put my make-up on in the room?My make-up gets kind of messy...or I can get messy, rather.  Shouldn't I just leave my make-up station in the bathroom?What about my scarves - how can I store/display those?What should I do about my accessories?Where can I put my purses?Should I hang up everything - clothes, bathing suits, lingerie? I wish I knew what would work best without having to go through the whole trial-and-error thing.  It's hard to make all of these decisions with no prior experience to base my judgement on.  Oh, and calling in a professional is absolutely not in the budget.  So, if any of you have ever worked on a walk-in closet or a closet-room, or anything of the like, will you lend me your advice?  I'm a little scared.  And I know I'm over-analyzing and just making a huge, dramatic issue out of something I should just be THANKFUL for and happy about.  But, I'm a girl & I'm pretty sure all of you are girls.  So you get it, yes?  
Thanks your help in advance, beauties!

Saturday Snipit!

Good Morning!  I am SO pumped about today because my husband had to work a half-shift, which leave me home alone, which means I get to start working on my WALK-IN CLOSET ROOM EXTRAVAGANZA!  :)  Oh, you don't know what I'm talking about?  Click Here.
So, that's how I'll be spending my morning.  I am having SO much fun!
Later, a movie date with my Mother-In-Law.  We didn't start out on the best of terms, but I think things are getting better.  My husband was her only child.  Her husband worked and works a LOT of crazy hours.  So...it was just the two of them a good bit of the time.  She had a hard time accepting that she wasn't the leading lady in his life anymore.  I was, afterall, his first girl friend.  Anyway.  What-evs, we're going to see The Descendants.
ALSO...Ashley from Chickadette made a new  button & is looking for eager swappers.  Her new button is cu-u-ute!  I love her writing style.  She seems totally uninhibitied and awesome.  And she's tatted up.  I have mad respect for an inked-all-over momma.  So, she' cool and you should go check her out & consider swapping buttons with her.  K?  
<a href="http://chickadette.blogspot.com/" style="border:none;"><img alt="Chickadette" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgbwaLt_GVk3vh8kjP5uObqTXFu-0-VkD2WuGz7QRInkRYzNgxbqgvKh_rDvsih326GQ8jtII9MsoGSmyNaZkp_iIi8QsJKrUlSh0-nF9uYa3oAqcm2jt65fAuszTHcAlRzTHA7R5J2o/s144/click.png" style="width: 125px; height: 125px;"/></a>
Have a perfect Saturday, errybody! :)

Walk-In Closet

My husband I are blessed in the sense that we have somewhat stumbled upon a HUGE house!  We are living in the house my parents built in 1998.  It's enormous and we have plenty of room to grow.  However, I've already lived there.  I lived in a house that my mom decorated, so it's been really difficult for me to think outside the box she created.  I'm running into problems such as...
Books go here.No, the phone book goes in this drawer.That's not where cups and glasses go.This room is a tv room - not an office.
Do you understand why this has been so hard?  I am all about thinking outside the box.  Heck, I live outside the box.  I love everything odd and quirky and weird and different!  So why I am having such a hard time with this is beyond me!  
The closet in the Master Bedroom is amazing.  It's huge.  Hubby has one side, I have the other side, and we still have room for all of our suitcases and a huge gun safe.  But our bedroom just feels so TIGHT.  I hate it.  Beside the master bedroom is a a teeny-tiny bathroom.  Beside the teeny-tiny bathroom is what I have always called "The Den."  My parents used it as an extra TV room and had my dad's PlayStation hooked up in there.  Here's the basic floor plan.

Last night, we were laying in bed and I told my husband that we need to just get rid of the den and make our bedroom HUGE.  He said that would be a great idea.  OR I could just take over the den and make it a walk-in closet!  Famous last words, folks.  My brain immediately went into over drive!  I gave him the Husband of the Year award.  I kissed him.  I was so excited!  He drifted off to dream land and I laid in bed, wide away, for hours.  Day-dreaming and drooling over what I will soon make a reality.  I am SO excited!! It's an idea I never would have thought up on my own because, in my mind, that room is an extra TV room.  Do we use it?  Nope.  Will I now?  Ab-so-lutely.  
SO, I've been on Pinterest.  There are tons of amazing ideas there for walk-in closets.  They key will be finding ideas that I can use in the space I have.  Also, we have no money so we won't be calling in a construction crew to change the build or structure of the house.
Okay, enough yappin'!  Are you ready to see the pins?!?!
You are creating a dressing room for only one person... you. Let your imagination run wild and create the best possible room that is not only practical but suits your personality perfectly.
Wall Color = White

Source: houzz.com via Kristina on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Kristina on Pinterest

Can I pretty please frame my wedding dress & have it displayed in my dream closet?!

Source: ckeventspassionateforweddings.blogspot.com via Kristina on Pinterest

I'll also take a dress form and the biggest mirror ever, please.  :)

Source: restorationhardware.com via Kristina on Pinterest

A wire closet system would probably be my most affordable option.  

Source: google.com via Dana on Pinterest

After doing a ton of research, I think that this is the system that would best suit my room.  It's $99 and I would need two of them.  Click Here to see it on the ClosetMaid website.  

That will take up two of the four walls.  Then another wall will be used for the mirror & dress form.  And The fourth wall for my framed wedding dress or accessory storage?  Can't forget accessory storage!

Source: 6thstreetdesignschool.blogspot.com via Kristina on Pinterest

Source: shelterness.com via Kristina on Pinterest

Source: realsimple.com via Kristina on Pinterest

Source: thisbirdcansing.blogspot.com via Kristina on Pinterest

I also have a black cedar hope chest that I would move into my dressing room.  I would want a chair.  There is a built-in bookshelf type nook thing that I could use for shoe storage.  It current houses books, while I'm SO excited about moving into the living room!  My mom kept books in that little nook, so I put all of our books there.  However, books in the living room = a million times more me!  I'll of course want a chair or a bench in my dressing room.  
I've seen where some people create a vanity and make-up table in their dressing rooms.  I don't think I'll do that.  I make such a mess & our bathroom is huge.  I don't really need my own space for just makeup.  That would completely CLEAN OUT our bathroom.  Haha.  Besides,  I enjoy sharing space with my husband.  I just need more closet space.  We are good on bathroom space.  
SO, what do you think?!  Anybody have any pins or pointers they'd like to share?  Or just compliments?  You know I just looooooove a good compliment.  
Oh.  & I have a brand-new Pinterest board for my closet!  Check it out if you'd like!  
Oh, & I know that I already did a Pin-Party link up today.  I know.  I'm doing ANOTHER one.  This is a post full of pins.  You can't stop me from linking up.  ;)

Under Construction

My blog is a little over three months old.  I started it toward the end of October and if you don't mind me tooting my own horn for just a brief moment, I'll tell you that I've come a long way since MNWL first "went live."  Sounds official.  haha :)
My first header looked like this..

Horrible.  If you remember those days, I am so sorry.  But hey - thanks for sticking with me! 
Kitty from A Law Student's Journey and Randee from Randee's Organized Chaos had separate linky-parties that I participated in recently.  The parties were basically the same thing.  I linked up and once the link lists were closed, Kitty and Randee each e-mailed me two blogs to go check out and review.  So, I went and looked at 4 blogs and typed up a review for each of them.  I e-mailed my reviews back to Kitty and Randee, who then forwarded my thoughts/opinions anonymously to their respective blog owners.  Soon, I received anonymous blog reviews of my own!  So far, I've received 3 out of 4 reviews for MNWL (so I'm still waiting on my fourth one to come through).  Here's the feedback I received:
The Good

• Pretty header, nice colors
• Simple, colorful, easy-to-navigate layout and design
• The "Pages" bar is right under the header
• My pages are great and help you find what you are looking for
• "Our Story" is an easy and comfy read.  You like that I have it documented before I forget, and it's written so that you imagine me talking.
• My lay-out is easy to read, the middle column is wide and makes my posts easy to read
• 3 column layout evenly distributes all of my stuff 
• My side bars have a lot of "good stuff" in them and seem to be ranked in order of importance
• Big pictures!
• The posts are published in an easy-to-read font
• I write about a good variety of topics, so there is something for everybody
• My popular posts are fun to read and easy to see why they are popular.
• My Pinterest posts are "fabulous" in content, and are a great length.
• My stories are cute and personal. :)
• I'm open and honest in my posts, so people can relate to my well.  I'm not afraid to talk about the hard stuff - which people like, apparently.  Cool.  
• My "Coo-Coo-Kachoo" signature
• I come across as sweet.
• I share myself on my blog.
• It's very pretty :)

The Bad
I have crossed out the issues I've already corrected.  :)   Consider the remained bullet-ed points here to stay.  

• My header and buttons are too traditional for my funky personality
• The green-ish box around my header is too big for the image inside of the box
• I have a lot of "Pages" and could maybe combine a few to downsize
• The "About Me" in the right side-bar should be moved up to the top and my button should be moved down.
• My buttons tend to run together with the other info I have in my side bars
• The font in the "Pages" bar is hard to read.  Either change the font or increase the font size
• My craft and recipes photos should be larger
• I should consider making the Post Title font larger
• My posts seem too long & wordy, thus not grabbing the attention of potential new followers
• I should proofread better to weed out those pesky typos!
• I should consider making my middle column even wider
• Sometimes my content tends to be a share a little "TMI."  While it's important to stay true to myself, I should consider keeping some intimate things out of cyber-space.  
• Some of the pictures I post are small, so you have to squint to see them.  Bigger = Better!
• I have my blog set up so that 5 posts are on my first page.  This was noted as a problem because my posts get kind of life, so I need to consider reducing the number of first-page-posts.
• There was some confusion as to what my blog's purpose is - is it a journal?  it is for family/friends?  is it for the public?  Some of my posts get very long & are filled with details, which may not interest the general public.  So I need to do some major condensing or break up long posts into smaller stories.
• I really need to work on CONDENSING 

So...I'll be picking and choosing through these, trying to figure out what I can do to best improve my blog while staying true to the odd-ball locked inside of me.  If you have any suggestions you'd like to add to the above lists, go right ahead!  Leave them anonymously if you'd like or you can publish it as your actual self.  I don't mind, I'm not easily offended, and I will greatly appreciate the input or help you have to offer!  :)  
Happy Monday!  Have a great week.  And try not to be too critical of my blog because it is officially....

   

My First "Wish Out Loud" Link Up!

Happy Sunday-Funday! funny, that doesn't mean the same thing it meant to me when I was in college.I adore Sunday's now and what they mean - even though it's completely different.  
I decided to link-up with Wish Out Loud today (for the very first time) because this week, I actually have a wish.  And also because I'm blogging on a Sunday, which is unusual for me.  So, go join in on the fun if you also have a wish on your heart.  It's quite therapeutic.    

There was some confussion for me because I couldn't get the code to work...and then on some blog feedback I received, I learned that I should let y'all know if it is a blog hop or a link-up party.  I am still new at this and learning lots.  I didn't know there was a difference, so here is a link for this particularly amazing Blog Hop.  I hope you'll join in on the fun because you have ALL WEEK to write a WISH and link-up!  
*  
This morning at our church, the men took over the service.  It was Baptist Men's Day and I was so proud of my husband for participating.  He is really growing in his role as a husband and spiritual leader of our home and it just tickles my soul's fancy.  
We started a Bible study last week on Hearing God's Voice and knowing His will.  Each day, there is homework to be completed.  Well, we haven't done our homework every day and had to double up a few times.  Last night, one of the lessons we looked at was on making ourselves accessible to hearing God's voice.  It really clicked with me and got me super excited about all the things He is doing in my/our life.  
On of the little exercises was to check the ways God has spoken to you.  Through song?  sermon?  Christian conference?  mission workers?  small-group studies?  And the list went on and on.  I checked quite a few because, growing up, my parents forced/encouraged me to participate a lot.  So, logically, God has spoken to me - where I've felt that tiny, goosebump-y stir in my heart - in lots of different ways because I've watched the movies, read the books, gone to the activities, listened to the music, and so on.  I've been accessible and He showed up.  
There were, however, several boxes that I left un-checked.  While it good that the majority of my boxes had check marks in them, I wish I could have checked all of the boxes.  I wish I was more accessible.  
So, that's my wish.  
I wish that I could be more accessible to God so that He will speak to me and into me more.  
One would think that such a task would be so simple.  Ok, just do it!  Participate in more Jesus- stuff!  Right?  Not so much.  Sometimes, there's just not the money.  Sometimes it would feel financially irresponsible to claim about $200 of our money as my own so that I can go to a woman's Christian conference for a weekend.  Devoting an entire weekend and a big chunk-o-change to this feels a little selfish...and that's not what I want.  I don't want to be selfish.  So, situations like that make being more accessible to God a little more difficult than you or I would initially think.  Which is why, this Sunday, my wish is to be able to tell everyone what God has done for me and what He is doing for me right now and to go and participate in as much as I can, and be the Christian and person I should be.  
What's your wish?

I Heart Tattoos Link Up!

Today I'm linking up with Raven at A Momma's Desires and Pacifiers. 

 I am super excited about her starting this link-up and I hope to meet a lot of really awesome women with ink.  :)  I personally have four tattoos, and cannot - can.not. - wait to get more!  My husband can't go more than a few months without some fresh ink, so I know that I'll have to make a decision soon as to what tattoo comes next.  So anyway, here is what I have so far:

~.~

Age:  18

Location:  Inner Left Wrist

Meaning:

  It roughly means "beautiful person" and it was in honor of & is now in memory of my Aunt Lati who passed away from breast cancer in July of 2009.  She was diagnosed in October of 2005, battled stage four breast cancer for 45 months.  She was such an amazing person.  She left behind a husband and a 5 year old daughter.  If you care to read her story (she kept a blog) click here.  Grab a box of tissues.  It's been over two years and I can't go on the site without crying.  It's still too fresh.  She was too young and too good.  But anyway, my family did a lot of Susan G Komen walks/races.  Our team name is "Bella Person," which is a combination of my maiden name, Lati's maiden name, and her married name.  It means beautiful person because we were doing it for her..the most beautiful person any of us had ever met.  I have this tattoo because she has an amazing story full of inspiration and faith.  I wanted people to ask me because I wanted to do everything I could to share her story.  She was and is such a precious person to her family.  She was my favorite aunt.  I loved talking about her.  I still love talking about her.  A lot of people think cancer is for old people.  She was 34.  I'm going to start crying if I keep on, so moving on to the next tattoo... 

    

Age:  19

Location:  Right Hip/Thigh

Meaning:

none

Age:  22

Location:  Left Rib Cage

Meaning:

This tattoo is a fleur di lis.  It is French for lily and is a symbol of strength and excellence.  I got it because I really like the shape, and Mr. Robinson (who at that time was just my friend) drew it for me.  :)  We went and got tattoos together as friends.  Um...the design inside this tattoo is supposed to (subtly) resemble a marijuana plant.  The colors used are the Rastafarian colors, commonly associated with marijuana smokers.  I got the tattoo during a darker time in my life...and this tattoo no longer holds the same meaning it did when I first got it.  I had it done last January.  Now, it's a reminder of falling in love with "the one" and a reminder how far I've come in the past year. 

Age:  22

Location:  Right Rib Cage

Meaning:

 Finally, my fourth tattoo is a cross.  More specifically, it's a Unity Cross.  I did a post all about it not too long ago and you can read about it here.  My husband and I both got this tattoo, except his is on his forearm.  We put together a Unity Cross in our wedding ceremony, display the Unity Cross in our home, and have the tattoo on our bodies to remind us of our love for each other and for God.  The other post goes into more detail.  It's so much more than your typical cross tattoo.  

~.~

As for future tattoos...I want tons more!  :)  I love having a new tattoo.  I love doing the unexpected.  I love shocking people.  I love how expressive tattoos can be.  I particularly love the adrenaline rush.  Oh man, there's nothing like it.  Getting tattoos is incredibly addictive because it is incredibly fun.  Yeah, they hurt.  During the tattoo-getting-process, I always VOW to never again get another tattoo.  When it's healing and itching and driving me crazy, I SWEAR that I'll never go back!  Once it's healed and pretty and not hurting or itching anymore, I start planning my next one :)    
I love tattoos that are uniquely placed.
I love tattoos that collectively tell a story - like a sleeve.

That's my goal.  I eventually plan on having my entire back tattooed.  I love the idea of "sleeve" tattoos, or a tattoo that is made up of tons of smaller tattoos and all fit together perfectly and tell a story.  I love it.  I want a sleeve tattoo, but don't have the guts and would lose my job.  I want a sleeve tattoo on my back.  Does that make sense?  I want my back to tell a story of who I was and who I am.  I want my tattoos to symbolize where I have come from, how far I've come, how much I've grown, who I used to be, who I hope to be..

Can't wait to see everyone else's tattoos in the link-up!  :-D  If you have ink, go check out Raven's page.  She's pretty cool and you absolutely should link up and meet this girl.

Guest Post ~ Making a Christmas Ornament

Hello!

So there are two really exciting things about this post!  :)  The first exciting this is that this is my

.....wait for it..... 

One-hundredth post!  

So..thank you to all of my faithful readers & commenters & lovers for reading!  :)  

The second exciting thing is that today I am featuring a fellow blogger and this is her first guest post!  

How exciting?!  

I certainly hope that all of you follow the blog "My Beautiful, Crazy Life" because Breanna is just precious.  We've been e-mailing back and forth for a few days now and I just think she's great.  

{And I'm not the only one who thinks so!  She just won The Versatile Blogger award!  So yay Breanna!)

Anyway.

She has done a tutorial for all of us on making Christmas ornaments.  :)  So...here's Breanna.  

Wedding Cards

Even though my husband and I had a relatively small wedding, we still received a ton of wedding cards.  

So many cards.  

And they were all so beautiful.

Each card was full of love, hope, well-wishes, and promises of prayer.  All of the cards were beautiful and delicate and bridal, and I love them.  

However, I had no idea what to do with them all!

My Story...

Hello!  :)  If any of y'all read the love story that occured between my amazing husband and myself & if you are a lover of the LORD then head on over to Amber at The Pless Press.



She is featuring me today in a series she calls "Share Your Story."  She's been getting bloggers to write about what God has done in their lives and it's an amazing thing she's started.  And let me just say....that Amber is very sweet.  We e-mailed back and forth a few times and she offered some amazing encouragement when I really needed it.  She's sweet.  I like sweet people, don't you?  :)  So I hope you'll not only go read my story, but also go check out her entire blog!  

I am all about keeping it real and being honest and sharing God's amazing and precious Word.  Kudos to Amber for taking the initiative and starting this series!  Plus, this is my first time being featured and I'm so happy that it's for such a worthy cause.  Go check it out!  XO's!

Just click here.... 

"Our First Home" Christmas Tree Ornament

Last night I made a craft that was Pinterest-inspired.  Who would have guessed?  :) 

Source: inmyownstyle.com via Kristina on Pinterest

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I am loving that December will be here tomorrow = my birthday will be 28 days away!  I will be 23 and for some reason, that kind of depresses me and makes me feel old.  :-/  However, I am very excited to celebrate with my hubby!  He has something planned...but is keeping his lips sealed as to what!

I am loving my husband a lot right now and am learning to really encourage him and rely on him.  We are going through what could turn out to be some HUGE changes in our life, and it's teaching me a lot about marriage and myself.  Oh, and this picture reminds me...I'm loving that my hair is getting so long!  It's even longer now...this picture is from our honeymoon!

I am loving all of the fabulous Christmas presents I have picked out for my husband!

I am loving that Zombie gets to wear his new Christmas outfit!  :)  And in general, I'm just loving Zombie.

I am loving ADORING hearing so much Christmas music!  I don't know about y'all, but I listen to the old stuff!  Classic Christmas music from the 50's and 60's.

I am loving all of the fun crafts I've been working on!

I am loving decorating our FIRST home for our FIRST Christmas together in our FIRST year of marriage!  Did you know (I'm sure that you didn't..) that decorating for Christmas is the ONLY, yep - ONLY - thing we are doing together this year that we also did together last year.  It's pretty crazy.

I am loving that my brand-new-baby-blog is up to 9 followers!  Hooray!  I have really enjoyed getting involved in this amazing blog community.  I have been repeatedly pleasantly surprised at all of the CHRISTIAN women out there who blog.  I've enjoyed reading about your lives, marriages, and families.  Blogging is so much fun!

I am loving that since I'm doing an 8-part-mini-series about our love story, I get to relive every precious memory we've made in the past year.  I have had a lot of fun digging through our past.  :)  Love stories are the greatest, aren't they?

I am loving all of the scrap-booking I've been able to do lately!

I am, as always loving Pinterest.

I am loving that Christmas is right around the corner.  It's such a special time of year.  My birthday is right there on top of it all, but my anticipation is mostly about Christmas.  This will be the first Christmas in many years that I have considered myself a Christian.  I am so excited about watching God move in my life during this special season!  My husband and I are running a "bakery" for our church's Live Nativity we are putting on for the community.  I am very excited about participating in something so much bigger than me.  I hope God uses the LN to touch people who are long hardened by the world.  I am looking forward to celebrating this Christmas as a season of GIVING for the first time in a long time.  I used to regard it as a season of receiving.  I am looking forward to spending a very romantic Christmas under the mistletoe with the godly man my Lord has so generously blessed me with in the form of my husband.  I am loving all of the excitement in the air that comes with new traditions, old traditions, Christmas trees, and nativity scenese.  I am loving this season!

What are you loving?  Go visit littledaisymay.blogspot.com to link up!

McCormick Red Velvet Cupcakes

This photograph is from my kitchen, as I'm sure you could have guessed.  I know it's not glamorous or perfect, but this is life.  My kitchen is not always photoshoot-ready!  I felt like I should at least share a picture of my work since I am sharing the recipe.  :)  I made mini-cupcakes with some leftover batter I had.  I tried to do a cupcake-topped-cupcake.  It looks a little silly, but it's okay.  :) 

My husband loves red velvet cake.  I really wanted to make him some red velvet cupcakes, but I was a bit nervous.  Rumor has it, you see, that red velvet can be a little tricky to make.  With the baking soda and vinegar reacting together, I've heard of people failing miserably at making this delicious cake.  I decided to try it anyway, and BOY am I glad!  This recipe does not call for vinegar, to my surprise!  And so the baking soda does not have to react with anything, and the whole baking process was very smooth and uneventful!  :)  Well, other than the fact that this recipe produced absolutely perfect cupcakes.

So, here is a clickable link for you hungry devils.  McCormick Red Velvet Cupcakes.

Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday!

I am so happy that it is Wednesday again!  This week, though, I'm happy to see Wednesday for 2 reasons.  (1) The participate in this pinning party! and (2)  Today is my last day of work until Monday!  

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family, friends, and food!  None of my pins are Thanksgiving-themed and I hope that's okay!  Here yeee are, my favorite pins from the week!

DIY Chalk Container

As per the usual, I found something I liked on Pinterest and decided to make it myself!  :)  My favorite crafts are the ones that I can make without having to buy anything new.  So, here is my pinspiration!  :)  And after that is what I came up with for our home based on this picture.  

  

Source: reneweduponadream.blogspot.com via Amie on Pinterest

To make my own chalk canister, I started out with a tin can that once held canned tomatoes.  Am I the only one who obsessively saves all of the tin cans I could be throwing away?  I hope not!  They are so versatile and I encourage you all to start saving them!  (I'm such a pack rat..)  So anyway, the can I used is short and fat.  This shape works best for the type of chalk I have (which are also short & fat.  My adorable husband bought the wrong kind, but it's totally okay!)

    

I washed the can first.  I usually take the paper off of my cans, but I left the paper on this one so that I wouldn't have to use primer before painting with chalk.  Ultra sneaky.  :)  

I do not have spray paint chalkboard paint, but I do have the regular kind!  I love it!  I've used it a TON!  I painted the paper label with chalk paint by using a sponge.  :)  Two coats was all it took.    

I ordered some liquid chalk pins off Amazon.com and they are amazing!  I used them to write the word "chalk" on my can after letting it dry overnight.  *It's very important to let the chalk paint sit & dry COMPLETELY before writing on it!*

My chalk was once stored like this in a cabinet.  : /  It was very sad, messy, and pitiful.  It was also ugly and forced me to keep my chalk hidden!  How dreadful!  

BUT NOW...it is stored in this beautiful tin can!  :)  

I set it next to the HUGE chalkboard that's in our foyer.  You can find the Fancy Chalkboard Tutorial by clicking here!   It's my first tutorial, the first DIY project we completed for the new house, and it's also my FAVORITE thing in our house!  :)  I hope you'll check out that post because frankly, this picture is horrible. I apologize.  But you can see the little can at the bottom!  :)  

 As always, thank you for reading!  Have a great day!  :)