Nashville

 Proof-I finally got to wear the fox sweater. It looked great on me.

 Country Music Hall of Fame, y'all.

 Hatch Show print. (If you don't know what HSP is, google it. They are amazing and you'll love it. I'm so glad I finally made it!)

 Nashville Flea...to buy or not?

...I bought. 95.00.What can I say? They matched my cherry red Samsonite.

 Proof-I was pretty once.

 Lucky charm earrings, Serendipity, 30.

 On the road.

 YOU.

 MUST.

GO!

 Music City Suds. I got I Walk The Lime, but Stand By Your Mandarin was really tempting! (They are on etsy, check them out!)

 Iconic.

 Super Iconic.

Be-still-my-heart iconic. The Mother Church of Country Music, oh, I couldn't wait! I stood on the Ryman stage, just like all the greats!


Suffice, I love this place! It's down home but urban, modern but honors the past. Every where I went, I stepped where my heroes have been. I. Love. Nashville!

spring fever

 I've got it-do you? I can't stop myself!
     Sweater, Limited, 30. Jeans, Limited 35. Birkenstocks, eBay, 60. Scarf, vintage, .25 at a garage sale. I've had this since high school. Bracelet, on loan from my sister T.

Happy Irish Day!

      Dress, Trollied Dolly via Modcloth, around 80.00.

      Daffodil from Ava. Sterling and turquoise ring and lower bracelet from Rett, middle antique turquoise from my mom. (It was my great grandmas)

      I was busy before, so these are after party pictures. The party was SO FUN. We decided to have an impromptu dinner and bonfire to celebrate "Irish Day", as it's known around here. Totally worth it!

     And you know everyone loved this dress-and you know I love THAT!

Sunday Style - Rockabilly

     Skirt, H&M, 25. I've been looking for a flattering, basic black skirt for YEARS! And this one I love! Sweater, Old Navy, gift.

     Vintage sterling and turquoise studs, 2nd Street Antiques Mall, 15 (gift $$$)

     Glasses, Ralph Lauren.

     Denim jacket 9 (which I totally didn't need, because it was so warm!) Old Navy, 30. Tights, Old Navy, 6. Shoes, Guess via TJ Maxx, 60. (All from years ago. Jacket 3 years ago, tights, 4 years ago, shoes 5 years ago.)

Alive, Awake, and Free!

     Ugh. I have gotten to this point in life where I refuse to be fat and unhealthy. This is hard for me, because (as I've also gotten to the point where I realize how deep my food issues are) I always want to reward myself with food! Bad day? Pizza for dinner, Chocolate for dessert. Good day? Maybe just the chocolate. Stressed? Eat out, don't cook. Exhausted? Wine and cheese before bed. Birthday dinner for a friend? Cake and all sorts of treats...I could go on and on.

     Here's the bottom line: I was always thin until my early twenties, but never ate healthily. (And I always felt about 4 sizes too fat to be beautiful. That's a secret I have kept for the last 15 years. And another secret: Before I felt fat, I just felt ugly. I thought no one would ever really love me, because I was so ugly) When we were kids, treats didn't last long. If we got snack cakes, we would gorge on 3 or 4 before anyone else could. Baking cookies? Mom would have me make a double or triple batch. Brownies? 2 pans. Pudding? 4 times the recipe. Yes, there were 8 of us, but WOW! That is a lot of food! And like I said, it never lasted long.
     Sweets (my biggest weakness by far) aside, we just never ate healthy food or healthy portions unless my dad was home. Polar Pop and a Snickers bar were my typical college breakfast.

       Here are my truths:

       1) I am NOT my mother! I CAN break this cycle of craving food, BUT ONLY through Christ.
       2) I do NOT want my girls to see my eat this way and repeat my struggles.
       3) Being thin is no longer my biggest goal in this journey, being healthy is;
       4) I am going to have to maintain the eating plan I am striving to follow, long term.
       5) I am okay with that. Because I a) REFUSE to be fat, or b) unhealthy in my eating habits.

     I am not a slave to food, I AM FREE! I am not my mother, I am FREE! I am going to take care of myself...I AM ALIVE, I AM AWAKE, AND I AM FREE!

     So I have been doing yoga 2-3 times a week, and running 3-4 times a week. I feel great! I can see the results already...I feel FREE! I'm so close to my true Father, taking in his creation, using my body well, when I run. And so I just talk to him, and I feel his presence. Okay, and we listen to a lot of Tom Petty together. What can I say, He's a great Dad!

   

Wonderlab and Chic-Fil-A...

 ...It's a beautiful thing! our Wednesday tradition, we meet up with some girlfriends and have great fun!
      Fortunately it was super nice out. I broke out the leopard sandals from last year for the first (and only) time this year.
    Ray Ban Wayfarers, gift from Rett. Sweater, 30, H&M. Tee, American Eagle, 7, last summer. Jeans, Limited, 35. Lipstick, L'Oreal British Red. Sandals, Target, gift card.

Birthday tea

     Do you have a friend who's always doing for others? I do, and I was inspired to do for her this year. Her birthday was in January, and while I was soaking in a blissful bubble bath and washing away the day, I had an idea. A tea party to celebrate her... And no, I did NOT let her help!

     On me- Old navy leopard print sweater, gift. Limited skirt, 25 on sale after New Year's. Ancient gold Max Azria (via TJ Maxx)peep toes that I bought before I had kids. Then sold to my sister. Then took out of her Goodwill bag last year. And have been wearing ever since!
     On C, coat from a friend, 3. Boots, Old West, bought her for Christmas, 35.

     Well, I did borrow her heirloom Fostoria tea set...

     And my 4 year old made the doily flags for her (Kim is her godmother- a wise, wise choice on our parts! She is wonderful!)

Today

      Today: make breakfast, clean up breakfast. Clean up myself! dress kids, grocery, yoga, bake cake, make pizza for lunch (have on table by 11:35 for husband's 17 minute lunch break. Clean kitchen, do laundry, BLOG, put kids down for nap, read/take nap myself. Get up, get kids snack, make frosting, frost cake. Set table for a friend's birthday dinner. Cook! {Menu: From scratch mashed potatoes, Caesar salad with from scratch dressing, sirloins with from scratch red wine sauce. (I keep saying from scratch because 1; it's yummier and 2; it takes more time. But totally worth it!)}
Celebrate my dear "sis" Julie!
Clean kitchen, clean kids, spend time with my husband...

But at least I feel cute...and totally capable of tackling my list today.

Lipstick, L'Oreal Ruby Flame, 6. Earrings, Anthropologie (gift $$$) Sweater and top, H&M (gift $$$) Jeans, Limited, 35. Bag, Urban Outfitters, 29. Boots, Ariat, souvenir from Texas a few years ago. {Actually, I will just tell you: I had a miscarriage between A and C. I really wanted to get as far from home as I could for a few days. And my sweet husband listened to me and took me to Texas...and bought these boots for me. Maybe I will share that tale someday soon!}

New jeans and a big bun

      My new clothes from Limited-Jeans, 35 and sweater 30. Boots Ariat. Top, American Eagle, 29.
And then this charged in front of my mirror!!!

 ......proceeding to admire herself, then point to her boots to inquire if I had gotten them in the shot. I told I her yes.

 

Then I finished photographing my outfit, which just doesn't look that cute anymore. I mean, did you she the roll around her waist?!

Grey metallic cardigan

      My dear husband was so kind to let me hit after-Christmas sales at the mall on his day off. He didn't give me any limit, and didn't ask what I spent (scared?) It wasn't too bad, I only went to a few stores before I couldn't handle it and went home. The only sore I bought from was Limited, which was running a 40 percent off sale that day, in addition to the 15 military discount the offer all the time.

     So any way, I got this sweater there, for about 30.
Tee, American eagle, 9. The infamous 90 Mavi jeans. And prolific Ariat boots from Texas. Belt, Gap forever ago, 6.

Big and little

     I used to feel I must do great things. Growing up with a mother who felt trampled and unappreciated made me certain I did not want this same fate.
     I did what  I wanted when I felt like doing it, and no one was going to stop me. I painted, drew, created, made jewelry and wore mostly vintage clothes; 60's prom gowns, mink coats, Army boots and lots of costume jewelry. And then I worked really long hours to put myself through college, and rearranged my plans: I was going to open a vintage shop. I got a business degree and started selling old things I collected, locally and online. Really, I have done a lot of cool things.
     But the thing is this: I have come to be content with being a stay at home mom, and that's not small!
Really. I've seen that it's not the big things you'll be grateful you did-it's the small things. You know, the peanut butter sandwiches that look like hearts. The fourteenth time you read Olivia out loud today. The Halloween party, the Christmas Cookies, Candy Land, planting flowers, talking about heaven and hell and the big bad wolf (what, they all go together when you're 4!) The frilly pink stuff that you have to iron and they wear for two hours, but look so cute in.

    It's not the big things, its the little things done with great love that seem to make my life fulfilling these days.

Leopard print sweater

      Jeans, Mavi, 90. Top, Old Navy, gift from my mom and sister. Mocs, Minnetonka, gift from my husband. Bracelet, gift from my mom and sister. Belt, Gap about 8 years ago, 6.

     Lipstick, L'Oreal, British Red, 6. Note my ever-present assistant on the right. Leg.