Friday's Letters

via

Dear Organizher I fell in love with your stuff in this months issue of Better Homes and Gardens Storage magazine, especially the organizers for mail *pictured above aren't they to cute?!* !  I was so excited to purchase you...then I found out you are sold exclusively at target stores not online...so I have to drive an hour sometimes next week now to go get you.  That doesn't make me happy.  I'm 9 months pregnant so weird stuff like that is totally allowed to throw me off so completely.   

*My mommy on the left, obviously me in the middle, and my aunt Diana on the right at my baby shower*

Dear Pregnant body we've done super good not gaining a ton of weight this pregnancy haven't gained 25lbs yet!  And we only have 2 weeks and 2 days left till her due date!  I'd also like to thank you for not getting puffy until after my huge baby shower *is 65 people to much?  Not when it's all family except for 4 people* I don't like being puffy but I feel that you've now earned it.  So whatever go for it *but I am watching my salt intake like a maniac*

via

Dear Burt's Bees I've always loved your products and I even have some of your baby stuff then I found out you now sell/make baby clothes and I couldn't be more thrilled because they are so adorable *but seriously also sold at Target what is with me and Target lately? I've always been such a walmart girl!* !  Even though we're 99% sure we're having a girl I couldn't help but get a couple of your gender neutral things I love yellow, cream, and gray anyway so I have no probs putting my baby in them!  Though I did give in and get one girly outfit...how do you say no to that? ... ♥

*husband resting comfortably and feeling the baby move a few weeks ago...not even knowing the crazy puffy hormonal wife was riiight around the corner*

Dear Husband I know I am starting to nest and it's your first week back at work...life is just not fair for you.  Please remember that I love you and the crazy will be over soon!

via

Dear Pinterest you are seriously the root of my problem I know think everything has to be ridiculously organized and cute unfortunately it can sometimes be quite expensive to reach that happy medium.  What the heck.  Stop it.  I mean that.

*just the outside of our house at Christmas time back before it made me want to poke my eye out with a stick*

Dear Home you are bothering me so much it's ridiculous, I want you organized, clean, pretty, yeah OK so that's basically everything you are not right now.  I find myself really struggling to make sure everything I'm getting is cute and homey and pretty as well as functional *the functional aspect is kinda bringing me down not gonna lie it would be so much easier if I just had to worry about you being cute!* but I'm going to keep trying and hopefully with dad and husband working on some projects for me this weekend I can get you all straightened out Before the little one makes his/her appearance *because the closer the due date gets I'm realizing it is very possible Abby could be an Andrew* so this weekend is going to be full of balancing and figuring out money and trying to get everything we need to have for when the baby comes home, my hospital bag *oh my goodness I am that person that has not packed it yet!* and what we need to fix up the house a bit.

via

Dear Money please multiple...and I mean like rabbits!  Seriously we could use more of you at this particular point.  Of course some money we do have coming in his horrendously late so that is irritating and frustrating and a bit of everything negative and blah.  But I'm doing a fabulous job of not freaking out!...In my somewhat humble opinion anyway.

oh how Pinteresting

This is my first time linking up with Michelle for 'oh, how Pinteresting' and I'm super excited!

So these are some amazing pins I've pinned and have been seeing all over the place!  I actually hope to do some of these this week/weekend so we'll see!

 via

I absolutely love this 'wooden tree' I can't afford to buy one but maybe I could make something similar?  Now that our family is starting to grow I want to make sure we have the Lord in our Christmas and not just sparkly things gifts.  If I can talk my husband into cutting some wood for me when he gets home I may work on this tomorrow even!

 via

This will hopefully be our Christmas center piece this year!  I really love this and I even have an old wooden box that would work I think!  It's a bit lighter but beggars can't be choosers!  Or I may have a father or husband help make a little box for me.  We will see! 

  

 via

 And then there are these adorable little cork trees!  I have a ton of cork and I think I'll try and make a few of them, maybe 3 for my house and 1 or 2 for mom's! ...If the first one even works out right for me lol though I don't think I'll be painting or adding ribbon I kind of like the natural look of it.

via 

I really love these pretty cone trees!  I made one and wasn't crazy about it but I'm going to keep playing around with it!

via

I think 1 of these would look really nice on our bench on our porch!

via

Now when I first saw this on Lemonade Makin' Mama's blog I LOVED it and it looked super easy it's still beautiful but I'm thinking of going a more traditional route, but in any case there will be a wreath!

via

I love these flowers, the real ones and these cute little ones above.  They are one of my favorite parts of Christmas!  Now the tutorial said Easy I'm hoping that's true because I'd like to make a few to sprinkle around the house or even put on some gifts!  Wish me luck!

Friday's Letters

today I'm linking up with Ashley at Adventures of Newlyweds for Friday's Letters!

Dear Grandpa I'm so glad you're doing better!  They're just checking a couple more things and tomorrow if things are looking the same you'll be coming home soon and without surgery!  Dear Husband I love you working, you are SO happy.  It's really awesome.  I totally miss you, but it's amazing seeing you like this.  Love it.  Dear Blackwell family thank you for hiring my husband.  Words cannot express how grateful and thankful we are.  Dear Daddy I've had lots of hanging just having some one on one time with you the last few days.  Even when your hip hurts and my feet are swollen, I will forever be daddy's girl.  Dear Boppy Pregnancy Pillow I am sorry for not ordering you earlier and ever doubting your effectiveness you have changed my life for the better...please forgive me and never ever leave me, if we have to we can kick husband out.  Dear Thanksgiving you are creeping up on us and you need to stop and not be here for a couple more days...please...seriously...please.  Dear Pregnancy yay for not gaining to much weight and measuring where you should we're doing good!  I didn't like the flu shot but that's ok it's for the baby...though I am a little nervous about the whooping cough one I heard it hurts!  Dear God Thank you for providing work for my husband in the most unlikely of places, thank you for holding our family together, keeping your angels around my grandfather, and for all the new little lives you are blessing our family with.

Pay it forward

I saw this on the Lovely blog Taingamala who in turn got it from The K.O. Jewelry 

I love the idea of this!  Spreading a little happy, old school mail, *who doesn't love getting stuff in the mail that's not bills?!* and hopefully getting to know some other lovely bloggers!

The rules:

- Within a year, I'll create something unique to share with the first three people to comment on this post.
- In order to receive your present, you have to play along. Spread the love on your own blog!
- You get 72 hours (3 days) to re-post, or I'll have to move onto the next person.
- Please comment only if you are willing to pay it forward!

Do you want to be a part of spreading some positivity?!  And of course receiving some! 

A Big Blessing and a little thank you

I just want to say Thank you SO much to Janey and Elizabeth for their sweet comments the other day on This post.  It all did work out for the best, we came into a little extra money 

*the military doesn't ALWAYS screw you in the butt I guess* 

and we were able to get something we've been REALLY wanting, something my parents have been really Needing, and had a little thrift store fun at the same time!

*most of my purchases I'm going to keep hidden until Second Hand Sunday don't forget to Link up!*

This is a REALLY crappy picture sorry it was raining outside, we got this table at a thrift store it was PERFECT for what we want which is a potting table in our little shed/project/gardening area and in the summer we can move it onto the porch and eat there! I Love it!

Comfortable and Cute...I'm a happy girl lol

This is my new outfit the husband got for me *he spoiled me realllll good*

Here are the chairs we got my mom that came with the table! 

My mother has not had 4 matching chairs for her kitchen in YEARS.  These are solid wood, and dark which we really like!

And they have this super cute pear design on each one with the blossom on it!

A Few of My Favorite Things: 11 Facts and 11 Questions

A Few of My Favorite Things: 11 Facts and 11 Questions

I was tagged by the wonderful Janey! From what I know of her she's really cool, super nice, loves her man, is an awesome military wife (even if she doesn't have a fried chicken recipe to share ;) and is quite the crafter!

The Rules

1. You must post the rules. (and link up who tagged you)

2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.

4. Tag however many people you want

5. Let them know you've tagged them!

Eleven Facts About Me

1. I work the best under stress

2. My husband loves how I've embraced his southern-ness and my southern roots and am working it into our lives and it will be present in our children's as well (makes him feel at home ;)

3. I love to write short stories but I can only write them when I'm feeling a lot of emotion.

4. My middle name is 'Sunshine'

5. I am a pathological picture taker

6. I cannot resist someone in need no matter how much I dislike the person

7. When I'm in the kitchen my husband makes very loving attila the hun analogies

8. I'm a hard core conservative that used to have purple hair

9. cooking is my passion

10. My anger had a two second rebound rate

11. I was a virgin when I got married (dare to be different lmfao ;)

Eleven Questions:

1. What's your favorite beauty product? Clinique Cover up

2. Most romantic memory with your spouse/significant other? He asked me to marry him in Arkansas by the river when the moon was out on a perfect warm night

3. What's the best advice your mom ever gave you? Never have a headache
4. Favorite ice cream flavor? cookie dough
5. Would you rather be deserted on a desert island alone or with someone that could hinder your survival? Someone that could hinder my survival, if I get lucky I'll die and just go straight up to heaven and it wouldn't even have to be suicide!
6. When you were 6, what did you want to be when you grew up?A Baker like my great-aunt Pat
7. What's your favorite holiday and why? Christmas, EVERYTHING
8. If you could change anything about your spouse what would it be? His driving! bless his heart!
9. Are you a dreamer or a realist? Realist!
10. What is your favorite part of blogging? Feeling like I'm connecting to people
11. If money was no object, what would you want to do with the rest of your life?

 I'd open my own wedding planning buisness

Eleven New Questions

1. What's your favorite food?

2. If you could go anywhere, where would you go?

3. What's your favorite show?

4. Who do you talk to on the phone the most?

5. What is your fondest memory of an adult growing up?

6. What's your favorite hobby?

7. Do you like to DIY or hire others?

8. Do you enjoy cooking?

9. What is one major (but attainable) thing you want to change about yourself in 2012?

10. Do you really NEED facebook?

11. Are you usually the one that needs encouragment or the one who gives it?

I'm Tagging

Jasmine @ The Zickefoose Family

Sarah @ Each Day is a gift

Lisa @ Never Let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game

Janet @ Tattered 'n Worn

My 21st Birthday! All 3 parts!



So my 21st birthday was on December 8th.  I did no drinking on this day, at all.  Instead I had the house to myself and did a little pampering and primping!  My husband was out in the field shooting expert with something or other and I was pretty sad about not getting to talk to him on my birthday again (let alone ya know actually BEING with him on my birthday).  But then I got a surprise phone call and low and behold he got back on time to talk to me for a few minutes!  It deffinitely made my birthday!  After that I got stuff to make cookies and a cake (with my dad, its a tradition I have NEVER had a store bought cake ever we always make it together), then my family and I went and picked out a Christmas tree!  I opened some gifts (my favorite present was the COMFIEST pair of slippers I've ever put my feet into!) so all in all a GREAT birthday!

The next night (friday evening) I went with my mom and my aunt Dianna and had a girls night at a local casino with lots of adult beverages for myself!  By the time we finished I had a spectacular buzz (my mother would call it rip roaring drunk) and 55 dollars more than I had walked in with!  So we did what any 3 married women out on a friday night would do...we went to Dennys...at 4 AM.  And let me just say WAY to many people in Dennys...I had an excuse I wanted to know why on earth they were all there???  And I inquired...loudly...and they loved it...no big deal im like a Dennys rockstarrr!



So I though, awesome birthdays over now time for christmas...or is it over?!?!?

Nobody in my life has EVER been able to surprise me (I mean like surprise parties or gifts) partly because I'm nosey and paranoid and partly because I'm a genius (mostly the latter) well guess who finally surprised me???

THATS RIGHT!  My husband!!!!...and I know I know but sorry girls back off he's all mineee ;) lol but he did it with help from two of my bestfriends, my mother and my bestie Lauren!  On monday I had a one of a kind, wonderful surprise party!





It was amazing, I had a little tiara, balloons, my aunt and my grandma were there!  My favorite resturaunt, wine, sparkling wine (thank you Lauren), ROSES, a cake, and a couple presents from Juicy Couture!  But the most amazing thing was that fact that they all got together and did it FOR ME, I didn't have to plan it, pay for it, organize it, plant the seeds in anyones head, I did NOTHING.  My husband knows I get down around my birthday because i plan all my friends and families birthdays and they are always amazing!  But when it comes to my own I have to do it every year and it never turns out even remotely how I want it.  Always made me kinda sad I had to do it for myself.  Well the love of my life wasn't having it this year and got my bestfriend (who lives in OK now and is currently back visiting, YAY!) in contact and said something he wanted to make sure happened and voila!  A surprise Marie the world has never seen :) Lauren cried twice, I got a buzz, got to hang out with almost all of my favorite people, and eat my favorite italian food...what is not to love???

I loved it all, and I am so in love with my husband it's ridiculous!