Letters to my younger self...

I've seen many bloggers do this post, and most recently Whitney at I Wore Yoga Pants to Work. I've always wanted to do one, and thought today would be perfect. So many things that you think will just come easy,  often prove to be just the opposite, and these are some things I wish I would have known back when I was younger.

Letters to my younger self:

You've done pretty well sticking to your "30 day plan" with guys,  but one day a really funny guy, with incredible dimples will come along and he will steal your heart...you will date for a few years...and when it ends you may think you are going to die, but I promise, you wont! He will be your first love, and he will have a part of your heart for a very, very long time.

You think that getting to wear that crown to your senior homecoming will change your life, you were voted Princess, and you got your crown, but I promise it doesn't mean crap. 5 years from now when you're putting together your resume, believe me you will not be listing this as an achievement! 

Day Homecoming my Sr. year - 2004

You may think being a mean girl is cute...it's not...people just think you're a bitch. Cut it out, making peoples life miserable isn't a good hobby. 

You have some pretty special girls in your life, and a few will stick by your side for many years to come. The one person you think will be by your side until the end, wont, after 16 years of friendship things will change and you wont even know who she is anymore. On the bright side, one of those girls will...she will be by your side when you marry your true love, you will share many adventures together, and she is the definition of a true friend. Cherish her, many girls aren't lucky enough to have that in their life.   

Kyndall and & my Senior Prom.

Stop cutting last period with your previously mentioned boyfriend and his friends, one day you will get into a car with them and drive like a stupid over-confident teenager, and you will have an accident. You will all make it out ok, but it will scare you to death, and make you forever fearful in a vehicle. You'll always have a big ugly scar on your left hand to remind you of how different things could have been that day. 

Moving out at 17, and having your own apartment at sounds like a fabulous idea. Don't be stupid, and don't even think you're independent. Swiping Daddy's credit card isn't the definition of independence, and you'll move home, you wont be happy about it, but you do. You will finish school and get into a career you love. You will have a very long stable work history, and be fortunate enough to say you have a job you love!

Spend more time with your Papaw, he is an incredible man, and cherishes you more that you will ever know. You may think that helping in the fields, or feeding the cows is a pretty lame way to spend your time, but one day he will be gone, and you'd give anything to have those days back.

You'll meet a guy, again with incredible dimples...what's with the dimples? He will treat you like a QUEEN, you will think it's fabulous and you'll spend every waking second with him, and other relationships will suffer. You will date for a very short period of time, then decide marriage at 19 is a splendid idea. Your parents wont stop you, they just want their baby girl happy, and lets be honest, NO isn't a word you hear often. You will be married for a couple years, then life will set in. You have champagne tastes on a beer budget, and you will do what it takes to keep up with The Jones', whoever they may be. You and he will struggle, and you will learn you have an amazing family who will do anything to not let you fall, when in reality they probably should to teach you a lesson. He will become increasingly more controlling to the point that you feel like you can't breathe. People who have always known you, and have always seen a smile on your face wont even recognize you. After a few years you will let it go, you will give up, and it will be the best decision you ever made. You will have your life back...and although you will have hard times...you will be absolutely fine! 

One day you will finally grow up, you will learn what things you will tolerate, and things you will not. You will stop caring so much what other people think, and worry what those who matter the most think. You will have a wonderful career, amazing friends, and a wonderful husband, with no dimples! He will complete you and you will have an amazing relationship. Not to say life wont still hold the occasional struggle, but ultimately, you end up with everything you ever dreamed...no, no...not those stupid, unreasonable dreams that you have now...but real life, down home dreams! Your own version of Happy! 

 

Life Lately

I don't even really know where to start, it has been so long since I've blogged. So many exciting things have happened since my last post.

 

Kyndall and I threw Julianne an overnight Lingerie shower, we had a huge group of girls and it was an awesome time!

I celebrated the 1st anniversary of my 25th birthday with my favorite girls. 

I did makeup for Julianne's bridals and this is a teaser photo of the photographer in the cotton field. These pictures are ridiculous gorgeous and I can't wait to share some with y'all!

Nathan and I will be making an addition to our little family in about 5 weeks. Meet Berkley, our chocolate lab. 

I spent a weekend in New Orleans with Kyndall and Julianne.

And last but definitely not least...

Nathan and I are buying a house!

I haven't taken any pictures because the current renters will be in for a few more days, but I can't wait! It is a rent house that belongs to my grandma that we are buying and renovating! Paint colors have been picked, and I've dug through storage buildings and found tons of awesome furniture to redo. It is a home that was built in the 60's so fortunately we have beautiful hardwoods, on the flip side we have a pink toilet and tub. It will be a lot of work, but it will be worth it in the end. I will definitely share pictures of our progress and all of my furniture redo's! 

I hope you all are doing great!

Motivational Monday

 I'm joining Amber from Living in Moment for Motivational Monday! I could definitely use a little motivation after the weekend I had, I could also use another weekend to recover. 

I pinned this quote a few weeks ago, and loved everything about it. What an amazing way to live life! 

I hope you've all had a great Monday, go link up with Amber and share some motivation today!

100 Followers!

 

Well after a little over a year, I've reached 100 followers/readers!

I never imagined I would "meet" so many wonderful people through this journey that started as an outlet about my attempt to find things to do with my time other than shopping! 

Well, I'm not real sure if I've found many things I enjoy more than shopping, but blogging has definitely made it's way up the list :)

Thank you all so much for taking time out of your day to visit my little piece of the blog world, love you all! 

I think this calls for a giveaway, right?

Stay tuned for details! 

Pinteresting Wednesday!

My Hair is getting so long, and I'm so tempted to cut it off just like this!

Every.Single.Time

I'm obsessed with this cake! It fits me to a T

I'd love to crawl into this bed every night!

I can't wait to wear this outfit! Come on Fall!!!

I love this DIY Ottoman made from a pallet! Crazy cool!

Happy Wednesday Y'all!

Nail Polish Swap: Reveal Day!

 

Hey y'all, I came home to quite the surprise yesterday! My awesome swap partner tweeted last week that she had spoiled her swap partner, and she definitely wasn't joking! I just kept pulling things out of the box :)

 First off, I was super excited that it was from Ulta, I work at Sephora and I actually don't have an Ulta near me yet, so I was super excited to try out some of their products! 

I was paired up with Celia from UnSimply Celia and she did a great job of picking out some super fun colors, and also sent some great "extras" :) Thanks Celia!

Pop Nail Glam in Voiletta

Ulta Nail Polish in Sweetheart Pink

Ulta Carnivale Mini Nail Polish Set

 

I used the sweetheart pink on my nails last night, and added a gold Sephora glitter topcoat!

Thanks again Celia!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm Loving...That we have dinner plans this weekend with Nathan's sister Caroline, and her husband Patrick. One of the things I love most about marrying into a big family is now having "sisters" and "brothers", and lots of nieces and nephews!


I'm Loving...That I have a real 3 day weekend coming up! I'm looking forward to not setting an alarm for 3 days!


I'm Loving...These Tory Burch studs. They are definitely on my Birthday wish list! I love all things TB!

I'm Loving...The Hydralife BB Cream by Dior...of course I couldn't fall in love with the 15 other BB creams we sell at Sephora in the $20-$30 range...I have to love the one that's $56! But it really is awesome...it makes your skin look so healthy, and it has the perfect amount of coverage, without being a heavy foundation! I wear it during the week when I don't want to wear a full face of makeup.

I'm Loving...That our Disney Vacation is 108 days away! And yes, I'm counting! 

I hope y'all are having a great week, link up with Jamie and let us know what you're loving! 

Friday Favorites!

Today I'm linking up with Lindsey for Friday Favorites! 

Favorite YouTube Makeup Artists

The Pixiwoo Sisters

 Love them!

Favorite Manicure

Favorite Funny

Favorite Makeup Product

 I've become pretty obsessed with all things Bobbi Brown, and this blush is no exception! It's called Pale Pink, and that my friends it is not! It is a gorgeous bright pink blush, that if applied with a light hand give an awesome pop of color to your cheeks! Definitely my favorite blush!

Favorite Work Tote Bag

What a lame category, right? Definitely not! I have a ton of stuff that I have to carry back and forth to work with my everyday, and this bag has definitely been a lifesaver! It's the 31 Organizing Utility Tote, and the print I have is Lotsa Dots.

Happy Friday Y'all! I hope you guys have a great weekend!

Thursday Life Update

Well, it seems I've been the queen of link-ups lately...oops!

Life has been so busy I haven't had time to really sit down and think of anything to write about. Married life is wonderful, Nathan is finally off night shift, and it's nice being able to have dinner with him, and spend time with him after work again. 

I start back to work part time at Sephora this week and I'm actually pretty excited about it. I was in for a meeting last week and I got to peek in my "gratis box" and it was FULLLLLL of fun new stuff, so I'll definitely be doing some product reviews soon!

On the other hand I'm not so thrilled about our new "costume"...No I am not trying out for The Hunger Games, and no I'm not an extra on Star Trek

Unfortunately I have a few more "curves" than these ladies...this could be a hot mess!

Julianne's wedding festivities start up in a few weeks and I'm so excited, I love everything about planning parties, showers, and weddings! I swear in my next life I will be an event planner! My bridesmaid dress came in yesterday, and it's gorgeous! I can't wait to see it all come together!

I'm looking forward to the Bachelorette finale Sunday, I'm really hoping that Emily either decides she was an idiot, and gets Sean back, or they announce he will be the next Bachelor! I'm secretly hoping it's that he will be the next Bachelor...he is such a genuine guy, and I think he would make a great Bachelor...annnnd he's not bad looking ;)

A new Dave Ramsey FPU class is starting up in my area, and I'm seriously considering taking it again. First of all, it's free to take again, that's a huge plus. I definitely think I would do better in a group setting, with someone to hold me accountable, rather than trying to go at it own my own. I listen to podcasts and love hearing the stories of all the people he has helped become completely debt free, and I can't wait to be one of those stories!

 I was talking to my friend Amber from Living in the Moment earlier this week and she spilled the beans on her 200 follower giveaway! Believe me, it's a good one; if you haven't already, go visit Amber, she's just a few followers away!


And a little humor from Pinterest to make you giggle!

Story of my life!

Happy Thursday Y'all!

Blogger 411

1. How long have you been blogging? And what got you started on blogging? Has your blog changed?
I started blogging in April of 2011, I had come to a point in my life where I wanted something to occupy my time other than shopping. It started as a place to share my journey with Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University class, and to document the exciting things I was doing with my life, other than shopping :) I don't think my blog has changed too much, obviously I failed at Dave Ramsey, and I've failed at not shopping, but I'm still the same person I was when I started. I just need to find the motivation again to go back in the direction I was going!


2. Did you go to college? If so where, and what did you study? I went to a Technical College, I got a technical certificate in Dental Assisting, and honestly it was the best decision for me. I've been at my job for 7 years, I spent 4 1/2 years as an assistant, and for the last year and a half I've been the office manager. I absolutely LOVE my job!


3. Where have you traveled?  I've been to all of the states surrounding Arkansas several times. I've also been to Colorado, Florida, Philadelphia, New York, Hawaii, and Cozumel.

Jessica & I in Cozumel

Julianne & I in Times Square

4. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy? I would pay off everything we own, and buy a house!


5. What are your 3 biggest pet peeves? People who take advantage of government assistance, People who constantly complain about EVERYTHING!, and people who think that their opinion is the only one that counts!


6. What is your favorite movie? Sweet Home Alabama, I've watched it 100 times, and could watch it 100 more!


7. What is your drink of choice; wine, beer, or liquor. Or Water, Soda, Tea? Sweet Tea, Y'all!
 
8. What is something you enjoy to do when you have me time? Blog, Paint my nails, Watch Lifetime movies, Read...we have no kids, so I have a lot of me time!


9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be? Definitely Neiman Marcus,  they have a good mix of some of my favorite designers!
 
10. Share with us an embarrassing moment of your past? Or present. Bluggghhh I make a fool out of myself quite often...I can't think of anything that just stands out.
 
11. What day would you love to relive again? I'm supposed to say my wedding day, right? Sorry ladies, although I do love my sweet husband, and our wedding was a pretty perfect day...I'd much rather go back and relive one of the days that Julianne and I were in NYC on 5th Ave. and spent the $5,000 I had saved for the trip, instead of saving it...I can't wait to go back!
 
12. If your life was turned into a movie... what actor would play you? I'd say Jennifer Aniston, I frequently have Rachel moments,
 
13. What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years? My best job was working at the community pool during the summer, I had an awesome tan!  I also worked at GAP while in college.
 
14. Show us a picture from high school or college.

Some church trip from High School

Kyndall & I the night of my Senior Prom

15. If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go? Bora Bora, no question!

16. Show us the most current picture of you or you, or your family, or anything of meaning to you. 

This is from our wedding day, it's Nathan and I with my parents, his parents and 3 of his 9 siblings, brother in law, and nephew. All of these people are very special to me.

My most recent picture. Girls night out with my favorite girls!

17. Where do you see your life 5 years from now? 5 years from now I definitely want to be in a house I love, I would be absolutely fine with being at my current job, happily married to my Nate, and I'd love to be in the final stages of adoption from China.

Sunday Social

Best trip you've ever been on
I'd definitely say New York! Julianne and I had a blast, but the trip was definitely too short. That didn't stop us from doing it all. I can't wait to go back!

  
Best idea for a girls weekend trip

 I would love to go to Chicago with my girls! I know we would have the best time!

Best idea for a couples trip
  I'd definitely love to go to Hawaii with Nate. I spent a week in Hawaii in 2008, but it would definitely be an idea place to spend a week with your love :)

Best vacation on the cheap
  Either a weekend at the lake, or a quick trip to Hot Springs.

Place you most want to visit
 Bora Bora, for sure!

Vacation/Travel necessities

•  Definitely a good camera
• If you're going to be doing a lot of walking, definitely a comfortable pair of shoes.
• Sunglasses
• iPhone and backup battery
• iPad to entertain you on the way, and during downtime 
• A good tote bag and sling bag
• Magazines

Y'all go link up with Ashley & Neely for Sunday Social!