Happy Fourth of July Weekend!

Organized Chaos.

Happy Fourth of July weekend, friends! I surely hope you get some time to celebrate your independence. If you have to work, I say to you- stay strong and steadfast friends! Celebrations are everywhere you look!

 There's something so magical about this time of year. Perhaps because it is exactly the halfway point between the beginning and the end of the year. Perhaps because it's full of the nostalgic feelings of freedom that children have running about with sparklers and Otter Pops and what-not. It stays in your marrow, even as an adult. I don't know- there's a certain sweet, heady, hot and twinkling...magic this time of year. There's no other word for it.

I hope you find some magic this weekend too, friends. And here's this week's list!

*Check it this weirdly interesting optical illusion dance recital.

*Smaller than I dream of, but a rad tiny house nonetheless. Loved the Beer Moth House too!

*My joy takes nothing from you. Love it.

*Proud Mama rents a billboard for her son's graduation. So sweet!

*Hahaha! Weird ways couples mess with each other. I know I've posted it before, but I spent an hour watching all of their videos over and over and I just want to be friends with them!

*Gilmore Girls Sports Bar? Where is Jess is more...

*Woah. Poignant and telling and...well check it out... Like A Girl.

*Cool!!! Blood donors in Sweden get a text when their donations save a life or helps someone! That's so damn neato I can hardly stand it! We as Americans are just narcissistic enough to find that really rewarding! Ha!

*Gloriously un-retouched thighs. Yes!

*24 Parents You Wish You Knew In Real Life...Hilarious and great, but my folks should be on there too!

*Waking up with Katia and Tilvie (the bunny). I just love the pictures and the artist's morning routines aren't too shabby either.

*#ProudtoLove. Oh, did it ever make me tear up!

*A 3 year old receives unbelievable bill for damaging neighbor's car!

*Gorgeous little farmhouse in...New York City...on the roof of a 6-story building. It even has a yard and garden!!

*How to attract fireflies to your backyard! (Try to ex-nay on collecting them though, their numbers are dwindling).

*Some extra fireworks fer ya!

I hope y'all have a groovy Fourth of July weekend. Take a few moments to send out some gratitude for your freedoms, liberties and those who have come before you to keep them. Ciao, friends!

Feliz Cindo de Mayo!

Hello friends! I hope your weekend was superb! Mine was busy, but I thoroughly enjoyed my day off. I know it's Tuesday, but I didn't recap anything on Monday because I was too sleepy.

Anyway, I am hosting a manager's meeting at my (tiny) house tonight and since it happens to be Cinco de Mayo, I thought I'd bring some delightful, fresh Mexican flavors to the dinner. Here's a few of the things I'm going to make!

Pineapple Salsa. A perfect blend of sweet, tangy and a little spicy. Yum!

I'll also be making a version of these skewers with a dipping sauce (or two). The only things un-Paleo are the corn chips and sour cream. Both of which I could live without (though I probably won't!).

Alls I have to figure out now is a dessert...I think I'll do something simple like these sweet, pan-fried bananas (or plantains if I can find some decent ones at the grocery store).

I love Cinco de Mayo, though it isn't a drinking holiday for me like it is for most who celebrate it as a time of drink specials at bars. It's an eating holiday for me and I like to pay a little tribute to Mexico and it's vibrant culture in my own small ways. What will you be doing to celebrate? I'd love to know!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

Happy May Day!

Great site for old photos of Florida.

I can't believe it's the first of May already (hope you remembered to say "Rabbit Rabbit"). April seemed like it flew by and also took forever. I'm happy to say though, that I welcome this new month and with it more fun experiments, maybe even a day trip to the beach if we're lucky too.

The hubs and I are spending a lot of time in the new house (the beach house as I've been referring to it) and trying to organize, tidy and all-round feather the nest. One thing I've learned so far, living in a tiny house- small refrigerators are the jam!

We bought a small fridge when we moved in partially because the landlord left us an enormous "normal house sized" fridge and it was just too huge for the space. But also, we had talked about getting a smaller fridge a few years ago because we were getting tired of losing food to the back "graveyard" of the fridge and wasting money on wasted food. So, we invested (a whopping $143) on an igloo (can't remember the exact cubic feet but something like 12-19) and we have loved it!

It makes you think before spending money at the grocery store and it's so nice to have everything right where you can see it. So, so far so good. We'll see how I'm feeling when it's time for Thanksgiving leftovers (because my freezer is about the size of a laptop).

Also, so far the window unit air conditioner is doing its job really well. However, it hasn't gotten over 90 yet- so a plan is in effect for that situation when/if need be. Adjusting to not having a shower is...interesting. It hasn't really been an issue yet, but like I said- it also hasn't gotten above 90 degrees yet so we'll see!

I'm surprised to admit that I'm enjoying my postage stamp of a kitchen. It was a real worry of mine when we were in the middle of moving because cooking is my little sanctuary. But I'm happy to say it's been pretty nice. It slopes on one side so that's been kind of a silly "pretend we're just on a house boat" kind of thing.

I did make some delicious Paleo-ish turkey meatballs in an Asian broth/sauce with sesame seeds. I don't really have a recipe for you because I totally made it up as I went, but I'll try to get it written down for you this week.

Anyway! Happy beginning of May and I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Clover image from Google.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, kiddos. It's always been a special one in my family and friends and I'm celebrating quietly this year. Y'all be safe whatever you do. 

XOXO

Gotta love Charlie in Always Sunny! NSFW.

Have a truly lucky day!

Friday Happies- Viva Nashvegas!!

Hey y'all! Well, we made it through the snow up to Nashville to visit our family up here. It's crisp and lovely out (though I'm sure they'd all prefer the North Florida sunshine!). I'll be Nashing it up all weekend, but here's this week's happies, pretties, funnies, interestings and what-nots to get you geared up fro your weekend! Here we go!

*My FAVORITE place to eat. Period. It just happens to be in Nash.

*I enjoyed this dad's ideas and tips for traveling as a family with an infant.

*Passionate multi-cultural conversations about clutter (and what to do- if anything- about it!). You know I love that!!

*Awesome apron. So chic, so simple!!

*Ooooh, wearable works of art, you say?

*THE 2015 COOKBOOK COOK OFF! Otherwise known as The Piglet! I'm so in!!

*Kids playing classic rock on xylophones?! Yes please!!

*Norm MacDonald's riveting look behind the scenes of the SNL anniversary. It explains a lot! 

*Button Box! A super interesting-seeming book of historical fiction set in New Orleans. What a great name (and so Southern) for a book! On the list!

*These guys wanted to report on the superhuman strength of pregnant women and moms. So they did something a little...bold! Dig. Pretty confident dudes, I think it's awesome. 

*The hubs adorably calls my romper a "rompy". I think this rompy is particularly ladylike!

*Well that's one heck of a grown up Easter basket!!

*I could use these this weekend! Or...all the time!

*Don't these look delicious?!

*This is one of my favorite shops in Tally, it's all about olive oils and balsamic vinegars! So yummy!

I hope y'all enjoy! Have a truly wonderful day!!

Year Out, Year In

Last year's hats.

Happy Tuesday, y'all! Can you believe the year is almost over? It's so strange how quickly this year has flown by. It went by so quickly it's hard to imagine that much has changed, and yet so much has!

*We didn't have Comodino this time last year and in a few weeks it will be his one year anniversary living with us. Aw! Sweet, silly goober of a dog.

*My husband found a job, got a new vehicle and went back to school! So proud!

*I started working part time to help my mom with her burgeoning art career.

*Two new babies joined my universe, Addy in June and Mannee in December.

*I gained about ten pounds (working on that though!).

Now that the New Year is just around the corner, I hope for more positive changes in my life in the upcoming year. Things like:

*A new (better) job for me.

*Getting our debt paid off (at least 50%).

*Finding a cheaper apartment that doesn't have mold and sheetrock holding up one wall of the kitchen. Ahem. And has a yard.

*Traveling more!

*Losing those ten bleeping pounds.

*Selling tons of prints, stationery and mugs for mom's online store.

*Getting better about writing and mailing notes and nothings to friends and loved ones.

*Getting better about wasting money. Everyone does it in one way or another, but I've got like seven ways I do it and no me gustaria mucho!

What changes would you like to see in your New Year? I'd love to know! More tomorrow, y'all!

Have a truly wonderful day!

P.S. A list of those we lost. Rest in peace. I had no idea that Shirley Temple had passed away!! Sad!

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, y'all! I hope it was filled with merriment and excellent food. Mine was lovely and low-key. I'm working all weekend and the hubs is visiting his family out of town (lonely girl!). I hope you have a nice peaceful weekend planned and here's a list of some funs, pretties & happies for you to enjoy as you stretch out those stretchy pants.

*What a stunning candle (above). It's honey tobacco scented!

*I'm not one for adding more tchotchkes to the house since I began the "great purge" a few weeks ago. However...these cheese knives are the prettiest I've seen and would make a beautiful addition to any table, any season.

*So moving! 101 year old Tennessean, Ruby Holt, sees the ocean for the first time!

*I like these gingham towels. They're so fancy yet rustic.

*What a cool gift for the men in your life, a copper love note for their wallet!

*That's the stuff right there!

*I'm going to be making a batch of this delicious soup this weekend.

*Oooh, me wanty!

*For those Harry Potter fans out there (ME!!!). It's getting to be my favorite time to re-watch the movies!

*Love this color palette for a living room or dining room. So pretty and a nice balance between masculine and feminine.

*Now I have to try this sometime! Apple Stack Cake!

*This made me giggle so much. P.S. Totally not safe for work or if anyone in your family is looking over your shoulder while you watch this (naughty language). Heh.

*I'm making this cocoa for my office's Black Friday potluck.

Have a great weekend!

Thoughts on Calm

Matisse.

I am an emotional sponge. If you are anywhere near me and are feeling wonky, even if you're excellent at covering it up, I'll feel it. I'll ask you one million times how you are feeling and if anything is wrong. It's super annoying, I'm aware. But to me, other people's feelings are amplified and visibly huge to me, like a drive-in movie screen is projecting over your head.

As humans, we all are like this though some people are excellent at deceiving themselves into thinking they are distracting themselves from it. Not true. There are a lot of mixed emotions flying around this time of year and if you don't deal with your stuff, it comes out in super weird and often grouchy ways.

Before you go out and about having contact with others, remember this: every person you speak to or are around has feelings too. Each person has their own crises and mixed emotions going on. Step outside of the chaos and snuggle into a cozy chair in your mind as you cross things off your to-do list. Be mindful of why you're doing it all, even if it seems a little overwhelming. Let mental armchair you guide you through your errands and chores and to-do lists instead of letting chaos, time-crunches, bitterness that your annoying <insert family member here> makes incessant comments of <insert loud and mostly fact-free ramblings on politics, religion or any other unnecessary table-talk here>, last-minute gifts, missing ingredients for the Thanksgiving meal etc. etc. etc. get the best of you.

I do this experiment regularly where I run an errand I don't particularly want to do. I make a point to do it with a (natural) smile on my face. Literally. If I'm having a hard time mustering one, I usually think of something like this. I am always amazed at how nicely people react to it. It begins a snowball of positivity. Helping an elderly person reach the so-and-so from the top shelf, letting someone with fewer items go ahead of you (what's the extra 2 minutes, really? No need to freak out about 2 frickin' minutes, y'all!), telling a harried mother that her kids are well-behaved or look nice in their outfits because she may be losing her damn mind at the moment but she did take the time to find purple mary-janes to match the girls' dresses, letting a manager know when you have a stellar customer service experience yadda yadda. You get my drift. Now try this while you're out doing your thing this week and leading up to your holidays and have it be proven to you. Taking a few extra seconds for others really changes you from the inside out and it's just as contagious as bad, angry, grouchy moods can be- only you look younger and feel better when you're smiling and making others smile too.

Go on with your badass selves, y'all! Spread the positivity everywhere you go. It's free! I guarantee it will come back to you tenfold.

Have a truly wonderful day!