Shabby Apple Give Away and winners of the Fashion & Beauty E-course.

I think Shabby Apple got wind of my last post 

where I confessed to being  a little perplexed about my fashion, as I head into my 40's.

Ummm. that would be NEXT WEEK that I turn 40.  Next.Week.

You'll be happy to know that I've come full circle with my fashion crisis.

I know my friends who have analyzed it with me are grateful.  

#thankyouverymuch #youknowwhoyouare #i{heart}analyzingthings

In my 20's I followed the crowd.  I wore what they wore, whether it looked good or not.

In my 30's, I started backing up from the crowd..wasn't ready to just walk away. 

 Instead, I backed up slowly, while looking at them and smiling the whole time.

Ever done that?

I've never been more "me" than I am right now at the close of my 30's.

Heading into my 40's feels exciting and liberating!  

No more slowly backing up...I'm turning and running from things that just don't work.

For example, if someone declares that boob-tubes are back in, I'm gonna peace out. 

 I'm going to just wear what I love and feel great in {duh}

...even if it means I'm not catering to the latest and greatest trends.

Though I do solemnly promise to only wear my yoga pants when I'm working out. ;)

According to the comments in that post, I'm not alone in my struggles.

Thankfully, Shabby Apple wants to help save the day for one of my USA readers.

Whether you like classic, vintage or modern styles, you'll love what they offer.

I perused their sight because I hadn't in a while, and I absolutely love their vintage style.

I found several things I'd like to add to my closet, and I know you will, too.

Btw.  They have tons of things on sale right now. 

Today is a lucky day for ONE of you because you'll win one of the dresses or skirts pictured.

Leave me a comment letting me know which one you like best.

**Don't forget to leave me your email address so I can contact you, if you win.**

*********************************************************

And.......drumroll please.

THREE of you won the mini e-course on Fashion & Beauty

that Paige is offering with Jeanne Oliver.

Congratulations to:::: 

Comment # 11 {Janet}

Comment # 22 {Brooke}

Comment #27 {katie}

I'll send your emails to Paige. :)

Summer Beauty & Fashion E-Course...3 FREE spots.

You know Paige, right?  

...four beautiful daughters and a love story that should be made into a lifetime movie.  

I met her for the very first time when she came to my house for a Noonday trunk show.

That was our first time meeting face to face, but we had talked on the phone several times.

We talked right after I moved back to Georgia, and if I'm not mistaken, I hid from my kids.

I started in the closet, but they found me, so I snuck outside to the garage.

I'm not the only one that does this, am I?

It was summer, and they're loud....really loud.  I was trying to make a good first impression.

You have to ease people into your "crazy" a little at a time. You know it's true.

Oh, I just adore her and her girls and her love story and her house and her dog and her style.

She and her girls are my style icons.  They're hip and fun and totally worthy of imitating. 

I'm so excited that Paige is doing a mini course on summer beauty & fashion with Jeanne Oliver.

No really.  I can hardly stand to even wait for it!!!!  

She has videos, interviews and tips on style "must haves" and tips for buying according to your size.

She'll also be sharing her favorite beauty products and her favorite accessories. Hello Noonday!

Remember, she's got four very "ooo-la-la she-she-she" stylish girls living in her house.

Ever see them on Instagram?  I do because I stalk for ideas on how to dress myself!

I've never really been in a funk over my own personal style before. 

I've always leaned toward a classic, casual look.  It's comfortable and works for me.

But, I am turning 40 in a couple of weeks, and while I'm not really freaking out about it,

it has had me a little more contemplative about my fashion choices.

Here's the thought process::

I don't really ever wanna be the chick in her 40's that is clearly trying way too hard,

but I also don't want to look like the aging mom who has given up trying at all.

I've been paying a little more attention to what makes women around me look fantastic.

The most beautiful women to me are definitely the ones whose beauty flows from the inside-out.

But also, a woman who is comfortable in her own skin is absolutely radiant.  Don't you think?

And, if I'm honest, a great sense of style can make a huge difference.

As shallow as it might sound, when we like what we're wearing, we feel better about ourselves.

So, I'm anticipating Paige's e-course that starts JUNE 24th, and I bet you are, too!

Is anybody else out there hoping she'll tell us to keep wearing those yoga pants?

Yeah, I bet she won't either. 

You can register for the course here..this part is free!

You will find the mini course along the left hand side of the site under COURSES.

Click on the course you want to register for and pay. ($10)

If you don't see the course you are looking for click "view all" under the courses for a complete list.

The beauty and fashion course is HERE.
And, if you've got a really busy summer, no worries! You've got up to 6 months to view the course!

Here's the great news!!!

Paige is offering THREE of you a FREE spot in the course, and I hope you'll enter to win!

Leave me a comment telling me your favorite current fashion trend. 

Don't forget...PLEASE leave me your email in the comment, if you don't blog, 

so I can pass it to Paige when you WIN.

I'll post the winners by Friday.

Summer Tour of Homes...the link up party!

 

 Gina had this amazing idea to have 25 bloggers do a summer tour of homes.

I've spent more time on the computer at night this week than I have this whole year.

It's been cool to see how every one of the bloggers have created their own unique spaces.

She has a link party going now for the rest of us to join in on the fun, so I decided to.

I took some current pictures and borrowed some from other posts that I've done.

Happy Saturday!

I made that burlap wreath months ago.  

I said it was the best ten dollars I've spent all year, and I wasn't playing around.

I dream of a long front porch lined with ginormous ferns, like the one I grew up sitting on, 

but for now, this stoop and it's lovely arch will do me just fine.

 This would be our entry way or foyer {pronounced Foyay}, 

if you're a country bumpkin southern woman, like myself.

What can I say...I like big clocks and I cannot lie.

The clock and half moon table are on the left and this big red chest is on the right in our foyer.
I'm still loving the mercury lamps from PB that I mixed with the yard sale mirror and tool box.
And, I think I've said it before, but the drawers in this chest could hold a small child.
{not that I've tried that or anything!}

This is our dining room...it's open to the foyer and the kitchen...it gets the best light all day long.
Our summer list is a tradition we've been doing for a few years now...
I know the idea of a list to accomplish during the summer bogs some of you down...
but it keeps me accountable to getting out of my pjs and getting my kids off technology.
Plus.  Take a look at it...it's all things that most of us do all summer anyway. I keep it easy and doable.

It's summer, and I'm having a case of the lazies, so this is an old shot of the family room.

Presently, the chair has been moved to our room, 

and you'll be happy to know that the gourds on the coffee table are long gone.

Oh look! I didn't even take time to fix the arm cover on the chair that's no longer there.

laaaaayzie.

We've lived in this house for a year, and I've finally figured out the mantle.

I started here and then added this here.

It's safe to say this is it's final look, but who can blame Andy for not believing me?

The kitchen/eating area and family room are open to one another, and I love it.  Most of the time.

It's only annoying when you're doing anything in the kitchen and your kids turn the tv volume to 72.

We added a planked wall a few months ago, and I love it.

The only thing left to do in there is add some distressed shutters to each side of the big window. 

The family rules sign came from our shop and the light fixture came from Pottery Barn.
The awesome city scape art came from my local friend, Jackie.

Have I ever mentioned our farm table? 

Andy had it made for my 30th birthday...ten years ago this month.

Ummmm yes.  You read that right.  

I'm turning 40 in about two weeks, and I'm not gonna go off the deep end.  

Do you think if I keep saying it, I'll believe it?

See how open the kitchen is to the family room?

Ps. I love hydrangeas.

Pss. I reeeaaaallly love that old milk can that belonged to my pawpaw.

Psss. I heart storing things in jars and baskets and boxes.

This is the bathroom that two of our kids share,

 but it's also the bathroom that all of our guests use, too.

On one hand I'm glad I don't have a half-bath because it's just one more for me to clean,

but on the other hand, I feel like I'm always handing out disclaimers to anyone who uses it.

My former self would have worked her can off to have the toothpaste out of the sink and to make sure the toilet is always clean and ummm flushed, but I've kissed that girl goodbye, for the most part.

While we're talking about this bathroom,

 let me just go on record sounding like a total spoiled brat...

I bought all those scraps of fabric and had the shower curtain made

 thinking I'd love the bright colors.

You guessed it.  I don't like it, not even a little bit.

I see all these dad-blasted colorful houses on Pinterest, and I want to pull it off so bad,

 but I just can't.  It's not me.  

So, take a good look at that bright shower curtain cause it's about to be outta here.  

This summer will be her final hour here, and then she'll have to find a home elsewhere.

I'm kicking her out.

This is Lydia's room...we added built-ins to both sides of the big window in her room.

They're beautiful and useful...you'd be amazed at all the stuff that's crammed behind those cabinets.

This is Seth's room, and he and his dad made his headboard out of reclaimed wood this year.

The bookcase came from an old shop in my hometown...best $50 spent ever.

The trunk was $5 a garage sale in Orlando.  

It's been just about everywhere in our house, but I think it's staying at the end of his bed for good.

We have one of those Live Pure signs in both of our boys' rooms...constant reminders.

The artwork was made locally and has a really cool story.   I cried.  Shocker.

This is our master bedroom...we're gonna be changing things up this next year.

Or at least that's our plan. :)

We've had the peace and calm (and girly look..as Andy puts it) for about 4 years now.

The lamps came from a yard sale..we made them into lamps.

The bedskirt is a drop cloth.  

The lady who made it asked me to never give her name out..she never plans to make another one.

 On that note, I think we'll keep the bedskirt no matter what changes we make!

The headboard is an old door that we got at a Habitat Restore.

That darling chippy wood chair was made by my grandfather.  Love it.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my home tour!
It gave me a chance to tidy up all of our spaces.
Well, almost all of them..
notice you didn't see our master bath or our laundry room or our teenage son's room.

Be sure to check out all the other bloggers who have linked up!

Rare Treasures: The Nursery

Erin and I connected when I first started blogging. 

Who knows how I stumbled upon her blog, but I'm so glad I did.

It's one of those blogs you'll get lost in.  

Rare and Beautiful Treasures

The pictures...their home...the renovations...her pregnancies..their story with God is truly beautiful.

When we first connected, 

she and her husband were living in what they thought was their dream home in suburbia.

In a matter of just a few years, they sold their big house, left their corporate jobs

 and followed after a God-sized dream that had been birthed in both of their hearts.

They are now self-employed and splitting time between an old beach cottage in the summers 

and a historic fixer-upper in the North Carolina countryside the rest of the year.

Oh!  They're also raising two of the most adorable little boys on the planet!!

Can you imagine how honored we were to have one of our signs in her sweet nursery?

I absolutely adore Erin's style.  She spares no detail in creating the spaces that make their house a home.

I thought I'd show you the finished project in pictures, but trust me! 

You'll want to pop over and read the story of how she put the room together.

 You'll also want to see part 2 of the nursery in her post today, where she'll show us a few more details!

You can take advantage of  a 10% discount in our store through the month of June.

Please visit her here to get your coupon code!

{ditto} DIY:: Going for GOLD.

There's a party goin' on right here
A celebration to last throughout the years
So bring your good times, and your laughter too
We gonna celebrate your party with you!

Who doesn't love a little Cool and the Gang every now and then?

So, are you wondering who's throwing the party?

Once a month ten very different bloggers are hosting a challenge for us to recreate in our own homes.

Every one of the challenges will be a project or design element inspired
 by a haute couture design.

You'll have to go see all the other projects they have featured!

This month the challenge was to GO FOR THE GOLD, 
and this was our inspiration picture.

I honestly don't even really understand what haute couture is,
 but my guess is that it's FANCY.

I looked around my house trying to come up with a spot that could use a little glitz, 

and I decided Lydia's room was gonna be my guinea pig.

If anybody in our crew leans toward fancy, it's her, for sure.

Can you spy my little ode to Gold in the picture below....
I'll give you a hint..it's up top!

I'm so glad I decided to take on the challenge.  It was an easy one!

The bird was purchased years ago at Michael's on clearance.

It was painted a chippy white, and honestly, it was kind of boring and unnoticed.
{Insert GOLD spray paint from Lowe's.}

WOW.  What a difference it made.  I swear the bird is happier now.
Just love me enough not to let me go and spray EVERYTHING gold now.
I've got a whole can of paint left, so stop me if I go overboard!!

Be sure to check out all the other projects that have been linked up!
Here are the bloggers who have joined forces to bring us this {ditto} DIY party each month.
I can't wait to see what the challenge is next month!

Darlene @ Fieldstone Hill Design
Ruth @ Living Well Spending Less
Cindy @ Skip to My Lou
Jen @ Balancing Beauty & Bedlam
Edie @ Life in Grace
Rachel @ Surviving the Stores
Karin @ Trophy Mom Diaries
Lauren @ I am THAT Lady 
Kelly @ View Along The Way
Melissa @ The Inspired Room

Visit Darlene to know what next month's challenge is....

And the awards go to.....

May is such a busy month for most everyone.  I didn't know whether I was coming or going.

There were two weeks somewhere near the middle that had my head nearly spinning.  

I know you can relate..
doesn't it feel good to somehow know we're not alone in the craziness?

Thank God all months aren't as crazy as some.

The whole month would be a complete blur were it not for dear & faithful Instagram.

I swear most of these mundane moments captured might be lost forever otherwise.

May is a beautiful month, even in her busy{ness}.

She marks the end of another school year, while ushering in summer for us.  

Our weather has been amazing...glorious really.

Spring in Georgia is tricky. It goes from winter to chilly for a week and then hot. the end.

Except, not this year.  We've had cool mornings & evenings and very bearable afternoons.

This weather was made for laying in a hammock, and we have taken full advantage of it.

Andy and I always try sneaking out alone, but our kids sniff us out within three minutes.

Do they make a hammock for five people?  

Oh, who am I kidding.  Hammocks with five people in them are not peaceful at all.

So, I've decided to hand out awards in a few categories to a few of my IG shots each month.

First category: Most humbling

Bathing suit shopping.

Note to self: Your body's changing.  Deal with it and don't take it too seriously.  Laugh a little.

Second category: Most Annoying

Andy texting me a picture of his scrumptious breakfast.

Note to self: Schedule a "working" breakfast at Mama's boy pronto.

Third category: Most Inspiring

 Lydia breaking out into a spontaneous dance in front of the mirrors at Macy's.

Note to self: Have more spontaneous fun.

Fourth Category: Most Fun
A great visit with my college roommate and a couple of her kiddos.
Note to Self: Keep surrounding yourself with only dear friends.

How was May for you?
Are you handing out awards to any of your mundane moments?

Summer time is GRILLING time.

I know you're wondering where the greens are.  

There was a salad.  I promise.

Why in the world it didn't land in the picture, I'll never know.

Apparently, we favor meet and potatoes over here.

{Let me introduce you to the men in our family!}

No.  I'll tell you what happened. 

We've got this rule.  We try HARD not to start eating before everyone is ready to eat.

Someone always breaks the rule, and it's usually me.

In my defense, I prefer to shove a piece of bread in my mouth before I sit down, 

that way, it doesn't count.  Right?!

I don't take pictures of our food very often, but when I do, 

my family nearly steps over to the dark side.

As was the case this particular night, when I was trying to snap some pictures for this post.

So, that's why my big, fat, colorful, healthy salad didn't make the picture.

If I'd pressed the issue, I might not be here today to tell you about that gorgonzola butter.

I'm no expert on grilling steaks, but a juicy ribeye is our all time favorite.

Random information:: I waitressed for about a year at Outback Steakhouse in college.

They taught me that the ribeye steak is the most flavorful of all steaks.  

Bet you're sooooo glad you stopped by today.

Summer makes cooking meals for our family so easy, doesn't it?

Grilled meat, a big salad or grilled veggies, and some bread or rice or potatoes.

{or bread AND rice or potatoes, if you live at our house!}

Okay...are you ready for that gorgonzola butter recipe?

Try it on your next steak...it literally melts all over the top and has potential to change your life.

I can't even begin to tell you how good it is!!!

Gorgonzola Butter:

4 tablespoons butter, softened

4 tablespoons Gorgonzola cheese (or more if you're me)

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped.

What are some of your favorite meals to cook during the summer months?

Spill it in the comments.  please and thank you.

Miscellany Monday and it's random goodness

I'm joining Carissa for her miscellany Monday post today...wanted to for forever.

Random is what summer is all about, as far as I'm concerned.

To start....none of these pictures were taken today.
I snapped a few of them last week at my parents' house. {the fence, the tree, and the barn door}
No matter how many times I go home, the feeling is always the same.
Memories of playing on that land swarm me.
I ran my legs off in those pastures.
My mom used to sit under that big tree with me...and now she sits under it with my children.
We pretended that barn was our house. That big door seemed enormous to my five year old self.
And the fence?  I used to sit on top of it {somehow} and watch my daddy bale hay.
so many memories.
There really is no place like home.

All the other pictures have been taken around our house..most of them at dusk.

Because I'm bonkers over dusk...I swear gratefulness bubbles up in me at sunset and spills out.

Do you have a favorite time of day?  ...a time that forces you to just stop and take it in.

We're just a few days into our summer break, and we're already so relaxed.

Andy and Luke took off to Florida this week..Andy is teaching at a youth camp.

You know what this means for me, don't you?

Easy meals, reading a couple of books, and lots of lounging at the pool.

Speaking of the pool...the younger two and I spent 4 hours there today.

This is our first year joining, and I won't regret a penny spent. 

Sanity is worth something, right?

They were occupied for hours with friends.

I talked with another mom and read half of my 2nd book this week...it was glorious.

The first book I finished this week wasn't originally on my reading list, but I read it anyway.
It's called Three weeks with my Brother by Nicholas Sparks.
It took about 4 hours for me to read...he tells a lot of his story in the book.  I {heart} stories.
Easy read.

I can't believe I've never read ANY of his other books, so after I finished that one,
 I started one of his fictional novels called At First Sight.  Also, not on my reading list.
I suppose there needs to be some spontaneous reading in the mix, so there you go.
I'll get to that list eventually.
Hey, I'm just happy to be reading again...more reading=less ding-dong tv shows.
I didn't say NO ding-dong tv shows...just less. :)
You know what I've never watched that I think I'm finally gonna watch?
Friday Night Lights.  Watched it?  Recommend it?
Everyone in my life thinks we need to start from the beginning and watch every season.
Supposedly, we'll love it..small town USA...that's my childhood, so I think it'll bring up memories.

Okay.  Two last things for you to have on your radar.
Jeanne Oliver is hosting a summer mini-series with several really cool bloggers.
My good friend Paige will be doing one of the series on fashion at every age.  I can't wait!

Also, STARTING TODAY, is the Santos Cage doll making class with Jenn Rizzo.
It's not too late to sign up to take the course, and remember, you'll have access to it for a full year.


What does your week look like?
Counting down the days 'til your summer break or already enjoying it?