Direction?

I've been thinking a lot about my lil' ol' blog lately. This June will be 5 years of blogging! 5 YEARS!!!!
When I first started this blog is was to document my busy crazy fun single life. And in that time, I bought a house, met my husband, got married, then had a baby. Oofta! (yes we really do say that in MN!)
Back in 2007 I had no idea what a blog was or where I wanted my blog to go. And really, I don't think many people did back then. I often wonder if I had started blogging and putting  myself out there, where my blog would be? But I just wanted to document all the fun I was having and I had no plans on going big or making money.
My first readers where a handful of friends & family and I loved all their comments and love towards my blog.
Did you know that my blog address used to be Puke Vs. Meow?!!! I'm totally not even kidding. And if you are reading this and remember that, you are awesome!  Puke vs. Meow was just a silly little inside joke that I won't even go into.
People that don't blog don't really get it, but I really enjoying blogging! It's a fun way to share what is going on in my life and what I am up to. Even if just a few people are reading, I don't mind, It's just a nice expression of who I am.
But I find now that I am a stay at home mom, I've kind of lost direction with this blog. For me it's not about growing my blog, although I always love new readers. And it's also not about making money, but it's fun to get a few $$ for what I do. It's really about having fun and writing and sharing what is going on in my life.
So I need a direction for my blog. I've been thinking about narrowing it down to a few things I really enjoy and blogging about those things.

1. Crafting\DIY Projects. I love creating and turning junk into awesome stuff! It's so fun to share the fun things I've made and hopefully inspire others to make their own projects. 
2. Cooking\Baking. If I wasn't a SAHM I would love to run a Bakery. I love cooking and baking. I used to blog once a week with a group of bloggers called Tuesday with Dorie. Every week I would bake some really yummy (and not so yummy) stuff along with some really awesome other bloggers. I miss posting the food I make. 
3. Mommy Stuff.. Since I am now a full time mommy, I really want to write about that... I am by no means an expert (not even close) but I just want to write some things on my heart. 

So I am thinking I am going to blog three times a week about those three things. That way I'll have some direction and I can hold myself accountable to get the piles of projects and recipes done that I have been meaning to tackle. And I can also write from the heart, which I used to do a lot of, but not so much anymore. I just want to keep it real. 

Alright... I've gone on too long. It's time to continue my party plans for a certain little boy who is turning ONE in week & a half! WHAT? Where has the time gone?!?!?!?!? 

Monday Monday!

Good Monday Morning Friends!!
I have been really lame about blogging lately, but I just haven't been feeling it. But I do have some fun blog posts up my sleeve for this week. Including some embarrassing photos I promised awhile back. whoo hoo!

But I leave you now with a video shared over at Design Mom. Do you read her blog? If not, you probably should head over there and check it out. She said this video was emotional and oh boy! was she right!! I love the Olympics so much. And this video combines the Olympics with the daily life of mothers and their children. Now that I am a mom, this video was a double whammy for me. Olympics + Motherhood = Waterworks!

Have a wonderful day!! 

To travel or not to travel...

Well Hello there!

This past week has just been one of those weeks where I wanted to cuddle my baby and not blog... or do much of anything else. I had a great time in Michigan last weekend, hanging out with my gal pals. But for some reason when I come back from a trip, I don't like to join the rest of the world for awhile. As I've grown older, I've turned into a homebody. And I get lonely for home when I'm away. When I was a kid and then all the way through college, I LOVED to go away! To camp, to Grandma & Grandpa's house, trips, adventures, world traveling, YES PLEASE! No homesickness for me!

But now, as much as I still like to see new places, or visit old friends, I like being home more. Sleeping in my own bed, having my own routine, and not living out of a suitcase (which BTW, mine still isn't unpacked and put away!)
Now don't get me wrong, I still think mommy time away is good. And maybe it's just hard because I only have one child and he is still a baby and very dependent on me. I'm also still pretty newly married, so I like being with my husband. (not to say I won't like being with him 10 years from now!! :) And so of course I miss him too.
I don't know... just some thoughts. Maybe marriage & motherhood has turned me into a homebody. But I love it and wouldn't trade it for anything.

It's like in the book of  Ecclesiastes,

There is a time for Everything,

and a Season for every activity

under the sun.

Have you found your travelling habits changed as you get older? Is this just me?

Prep for Spring's Busy Event Season

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/.


Ahh Spring! I so look forward to it after a long winter! Once Spring comes it seems like there is always a flurry of activities that pop up, and of course you want to look your best for them. Looking fresh for Spring doesn't have to break the bank either. Here are a few of my favorite beauty items that I picked up from Walgreens.

• Lotion 
• After a long winter my skin is always so dry and cracked. Using lotion instantly helps my skin hydrate and look instantly healthier. I love to use Jergen's Ultra Healing Lotion. It really penetrates deep down and gives my skin a nice soft glow. 
•  Eyeliner
•  I would highly recommend using an eyeliner in a fun color. Use it with a neutral eye shadow to give your eyes a pop of color. My favorite right now is Cover Girl's Smoothers Eyeliner in Violet. 
• Mascara
• If I had to pick one beauty item that makes you instantly look "made up" without wearing a lot of make-up, it would be mascara. Mascara opens your eyes, helping you look awake and pretty. I particularly love a mascara that helps my eyelashes look a mile long. And my personal favorite is L'OREAL's Voluminous Mascara in Black. 
• Lip Gloss
• There are so many pretty lip glosses out there that give your lips a pretty hint of color. And lip gloss is a simple way to add color to your face, especially if you aren't a fan of blush or eye shadow. I can't live without lip gloss and I have so many favorites. But I picked up Incolor by Jordana's Lip Shine in Watermelon Punch at Walgreens, and it's definitely my new favorite. A hint of color without too much stickiness!
• Nail Polish 
• During the winter I tend to wear darker nail polish colors. But once Spring hits, I like to wear lighter colors on my nails. Right now there are so many fun pastel nail polish colors out there right now. I am loving Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Mint Sorbet. It's pretty awesome!

Those are just a few of my favorite ways to look ready for spring's busy event season. And thanks to Walgreens, you can look great without spending a lot of cash! 

I would love to know what beauty items you can't live without? Do you change up your beauty regiment with the changing seasons? 

Easter Recap

I'm really losing my mind. I totally thought I blogged about our Easter weekend... but I guess I forgot! 

Last Easter I was 9 months pregnant, uncomfortable and ready to burst! So it was nice to not be heavy with child and actually watch my baby enjoy his first Easter. 

Saturday we went to a family Easter party with lots of little cousin kiddos. It was fun to have all the kids together. (Although we missed you Una!) We had a great brunch and a fun Easter Egg hunt set up by cousin Kelly. 

"They get Popsicles and  I get a Celery stick? Whatevs mom!"

Too much Toddler Excitement! 

Egg Hunter Extraordinaire 

Sunday we got up early (when don't we get up early) and Everett got to look through his Easter Basket. Probably the only year I can get away with organic baby food, a Bible & water bottle. 

We had our family over and it was a really nice day hanging out with the ones we love. On a day we are most thankful & grateful for a risen savior who brings us hope & peace! 

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! (even if this is a few days late!)

...

This Friday my friend Cindy & I are heading to Michigan to visit our pal Shannon. We've all been friends since high school. And Shannon & I have been friends since the 4th grade! It will be a quick trip and I'll be back home Sunday evening. This is the first time I'll be leaving Everett, so I know I will miss him so much, but I know he is in capable hands with his daddy.  Next week I'll be posting all about our weekend, and I hope you do come back because I will be posting some very old and embarrising photos of  the three of us from high school! eeek!!

Sabrina, Cindy & Shannon
Conjoined Triplets @ a Jason Mraz concert! 

11 Month Easter Greeting

Happy Easter!!! 

Ruffles!

I have a confession... Although I know how to sew fairly decently, I don't like to sew. I get impatient and don't always take my time. Sewing calls for neat and strait lines, with very little room for error.
Which reminds me of the episode of the Cosby Show, where Denise insists on making a "designer" shirt for Theo. Hilarious!
Start it at minute 4:58 :)

 

Although I've never messed up as bad as Denise, I have had some mishaps myself. So much to my surprise, when I learned how to make ruffles, I was in lazy sewing paradise. I don't know why it took me so long to learn how to make ruffles, there is a very easy way to do it and it's basically setting your tension to the highest setting and away I went.
I've seen a million ruffle totes all over Pinterest and I really wanted to make one. So I went over the top crazy and made this ruffle color bomb!

It's a little intense and the ruffles are messy, but now I know how to make ruffles! And life just got a bit more interesting with that knowledge!

Linked Up At:

Happy Hour Projects, House of Hepworths, Pincushion Creations, The Shabby Nest, Five Days, 5 Ways, Love Notes by Lauryn, Bubbly Nature Creations, Anything Goes @ Bacon Time, Tatertots and Jello, 52 Mantels, It's Overflowing, Itsy Bitsy Paper Blog, My 1929 Charmer Blog, Knick of Time, Very Merry Vintage Style, Taking a Time Out Thursday, Centsational Girl, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, My Romantic Home, six sisters' stuff, Design Dazzle,Skip to My Lou, Not Just a Housewife, Primitive & Proper

Burlap & Stencil Chair

Whenever I see a sad, ugly chair at a garage sale or thrift store, I scoop it up. I love a good underdog story and I'm determined with a little TLC to make these chair shine!

This chair had great bones, but just needed a fresh coat of paint and a serious fabric upgrade. It's not heinous, but it kind of screams Grandma's House.

I pulled off the old fabric and covered the chair with burlap. Then I made a stencil and added  one of my favorite numbers. Very simple and I loved how it turned out.

Linked Up At:

Happy Hour Projects, House of Hepworths, Pincushion Creations, The Shabby Nest, Five Days, 5 Ways, Love Notes by Lauryn, Bubbly Nature Creations, Anything Goes @ Bacon Time, Tatertots and Jello, 52 Mantels, It's Overflowing, Itsy Bitsy Paper Blog, My 1929 Charmer Blog, Knick of Time, Very Merry Vintage Style, Taking a Time Out Thursday, Centsational Girl, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, My Romantic Home, six sisters' stuff, Design Dazzle, Skip to My Lou, Not Just a Housewife, Primitive & Proper