What I'm Loving Wednesday--the welcome back to blogging edition...

Okay...you know it's time to blog more when your friends very casually send texts to remind you that you have a blog! (thanks Mel!)...well, just so everyone knows, yes, I do know that I have a blog and, yes, I know that I have been avoiding it lately. My only excuse is that I have been in a very lazy odd mood and have only been wanting to do a few things (more on that later)...



I think that you will see what I've been up to in this edition of What I'm Loving Wednesday. Of course I know it's almost Thursday, but I figure better late than never, right?

1. One of the main things I am loving is following a few channels on YouTube. I have no clue how this obsession interest started, but I will say this: apparently I like being a voyeur and catching a glimpse of how others live. Two of my favorite channels to watch are My Housewife Life and Organized Like Jen. The channels belong to Jennifer Ross, a housewife in Chicago, and she videos her extremely organized home and shows various things she likes and buys. It helps that she has the most amazing home and fashions! I cannot get enough...I know, weird, right??

Even odder than that, though, is the other channels I follow. Apparently beauty gurus are extremely popular on YouTube, and I must admit that I follow a few. Let me preface these statements by saying this: yes, I know that I am 40 (!) and way too old to be watching these young girls and their makeup obsessions, but for some reason these videos are cathartic and relaxing...go figure....If you've never heard of Elle and Blair Fowler you must check them out. They are two normal girls from Tennessee who hit it big by simply getting on YouTube and talking about their life, fashion, and make-up. It's amazing how social media changed their lives. They are also very entertaining to watch--they have several channels that I subscribe to. I also watch Make-up by Tiffany D, too.



2. I am loving anything that has to do with organizing (thanks to Organized Like Jen, I'm sure)...I have been making serious progress all over the place, especially the kitchens and the bathrooms...the true test will come this spring, however, when it's time to organize the garage...ugghhhh....There are also several great organizing blogs that I follow. Two of my favorites are I Heart Organizing and A Bowl Full of Lemons.

I have recently made two--yes two!!--trips to The Container Store and made several Elfa purchases during their annual sale...one of my next posts will be about my pantry...I stayed up almost all night one night and redid it completely...it is an organizers dream (at least for right now!)...



Speaking of organizing, did you know that Martha Stewart released a home office line with Staples?  Love it!!



3. Like most women in America, I have fallen completely under the spell of Pinterest...I was reluctant to start it because all I heard people say was how addictive it is...after being on it for a week, I can say that they were absolutely right! I think that these "funnies" sum it up perfectly....:)






 4. Thanks to all the beauty gurus I watch, I have a few beauty products that I love (I use the word "beauty" lightly here!)...

Revlon's new Color Burst Lip Butter is AMAZING...if you can find it in stores, I highly recommend it. I got Pink Truffle, and it's perfect for me--they are long lasting and very nourishing.



I also love the EOS Lip Balm Sphere...I have them in my car, purse, and at work...they are great, too...

And last but not least, the Naked 2 Eye Make-up Palette from Urban Decay is (for lack of a better word) AMAZING! You will throw out all of your other eye shadows and replace them with this...




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I'm B..A..C..K...! :)

Can you believe it?  I'm finally back after a brief respite...okay, okay...let me correct that before everyone I know chokes with laughter...I'm back from an almost 2 month long blogging vacation. Trust me, I wanted to blog, but the stressful holiday season really got in the way...okay, okay...let me correct that before everyone I know chokes with laughter (again)...after being out of town for over 3 weeks (Hawaii! Florida!) and the chaos of the holiday season, I honestly didn't have time. I really enjoyed myself, but I would be lying if I didn't say that I am happy that everything is slowing down, and I'm finally getting the opportunity to get everything back in order.

While I probably should continue where I left off before the break, I think that I will begin blogging again with a completely pointless but fun post. I'll revisit the past few months in the coming weeks.

Instead, I'm going to start with a What's in My Purse post...I know, fun, right?





I'm linking up with Toni from A Bowl Full of Lemons for a What's in Your Purse Linky Party. I thought it was a cute idea. I began by taking a purse quiz which you can find here.

Here are my results:

You are concerned with how you appear. Projecting your high status is important to you. (somewhat true)

You tend to be relaxed throughout the day. You are naturally at peace. (hmmm...not so much...)

You are a high maintenance person. (uhhhh...yes and no)

You feel lost outside of your normal environment. (nope--I'm a travel diva, remember?)

You are open and comfortable with who you are. You don't hide anything. (no comment)

You are practical and down to earth. You tend to be a rather reserved and quiet person. (yep)

Luckily for me, I don't put too much faith in these types of quizzes, but they are fun to take. The part I enjoyed the most though was looking inside people's purses--I'm such a voyeur...

The purse I'm currently carrying is a new Longchamp that I received for Christmas (thanks Steph and Thomas!)...and by the way, that is a Christmas tree you see in the picture, and the date is January 6th! Remember--don't judge! :) I have several of these le Pliage bags because they are stylish and practical. I have one complaint with them though...like most large bags (which I LOVE, by the way), they tend to be like a black hole. Once something goes in, it gets lost in the middle, and I constantly have to fidget around to find anything. I'm somewhat of a bag snob though, so I understand that this is sometimes the price you have to pay for looking stylish! :)

In order to find things easier and because I tend to switch bags often, I keep most things corralled into smaller bags. That way everything doesn't get lost on the bottom. In case you can't tell, this bag holds a lot!

Contents from the top--clockwise:

1. I always have a journal with me. Vera Bradley makes some of the prettiest..the paper is high quality, as well.

2. I love small, mesh bags because you can see what's in them This one has markers, pens, and highlighters. Having them in a bag like this makes them easy to find and change from bag to bag.

3. This next Vera Bradley bag is what I call my "walking pharmacy" (I've been carrying one for years, but I stole the name from Organized Like Jen.) I have everything in here for those just-in-case moments. I have medicine, sweeteners, Shout wipes, antibacterial wipes, baby wipes, Kleenex, dental floss, tweezers, chap stick, lotion, hair bows, eye drops, my husband's inhaler, gum, and mints). I like to be prepared, and you would be surprised by how often I use it.

4. Bath and Body Works lotion and more antibacterial lotion.

5. My wallet. I've had this Vera Bradley wallet for years, and I-Adore-It!!  It is a zip-around, and it is my favorite type of wallet. I can store everything in there, and if I'm in a hurry at check-out, I can shove my receipts in and just go. I sort it out later at home. I've been eyeing a more expensive zip-around version at Coach, but in the mean time, this one is perfect! It was also a birthday gift from Steph many years ago.

6. This small red Vera Bradley change purse holds my gift cards and store customer cards. I do not like for my wallet to be too thick, so I think that these cards are easier to keep corralled in this small bag. I also took advice from other bloggers and put my key chain cards on a round hook--this way my key ring doesn't get overloaded and the cards will not break. Great idea!

7. One of my favorite things in the world that I always have near is my Erin Condren Life Planner. It has seriously helped me get my schedule in order. It is quite bulky but I cannot do without it.

8. I always carry a reusable shopping bag. This one is especially nice--it is made by Envirosax.

9. My Kindle is always with me...I can not stand to wait so if I ever have to, I pull this out.

10. (middle) This small, pink Longchamp bags holds coupons and store offers.

11. (not shown) My IPhone--I never go anywhere without it!

I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into my purse...back later for more blogging...:0)

Veteran's Day...

Growing up in a military community means that you are surrounded by heroes everyday. Thanks to everyone past and present who served our country...we are forever in your debt.

Randomness....

Just a little randomness from our lives...

Anyone who knows us will roll their eyes at this one. Thanks to Steph and her save-every-animal attitude, we have a new kitty. Last week she came home from the restaurant with a little surprise..a kitten. She found it wandering in the middle of the highway and decided that we had plenty of room for her (insert sarcasm here...) We kept her in the barn for a few days because we didn't want her to mix with our other kitties before getting checked out from the vet. I must admit that I was smitten with her from the beginning. To sum it up, after getting shots, "fixed," and declawed, we brought her home yesterday. She is very loving and cuddly, but let's just say that Baby and Rosie haven't quite adapted to her yet--they are a work in progress! :)

Stephanie named her Katniss...any literary fan will recognize the name from The Hunger Games...we both love the character Katniss.

Since I am talking about Steph and all her animals, her are two pictures from school....she gets to feed her love for all four-legged creatures there...just don't bring any more home! :)