Wordless Wednesday

Back to Basics!!!

I love creating personalized party invites and decorations!  It really is so much fun to do and has become a huge addictive creative outlet for me.  I decided to start working on a more basic and affordable type of party package for those who want all the WOW but without all the crazy cost.  So a new little section in my etsy shop was born....Back To Basics.  The idea is that these are designed and ready to email to you in less than 24 hours.  You fill in your invite and thank you cards.  I plan to make lots of different packs of these to offer. The best part about these is that they are cheap and you will be able to print as many as you want and/or need.  The invitations alone are only $5.  A party package that includes the invitation, thank you card, party favor tags and cupcake toppers is only $10.  I am very excited about creating a whole different section while still creating new personalized party invitations and decorations! 



Also, don't forget that if you haven't already found your perfect Christmas card design at least look through all of my Christmas cards that I have spent hours and hours creating:)  You can find a full list of them at Paper Pretty Designs.

Also become a fan of my Paper Pretty Facebook page for great deals, giveaways and freebies!

BLACK FRIDAY BEGINNER!

Wow!  That is all I can say about black Friday shopping!  I have never really went Black Friday shopping.  I'm not sure what made me decide to do it this year but I have to say that I LOVED it!  Crazy isn't it!!!  My sister got to my house around 8:45 and we headed out to meet two of my friends in Athens.
We were really stupid for deciding to head in to the thick of it at Walmart....but we did it anyways.  It was packed.  The worst part was that even though the sales didn't start until 10:00 and 12:00, they had already let people load up their carts with stuff but just not check out.  They had also given out all of the tickets for electronics by the time we got there.  I was on the hunt for a good deal on a big ticket item b/c that is on the top of my daughter's Christmas list.  Well...that idea was out the window once we walked in to Walmart.  But we didn't let the madness stop us.  We walked around and grabbed what we could.  Eventually we had to head to the laundry baskets to get them to use to carry our stuff b/c all the carts were being used....every single one of them.  We got some really good deals there, checked out quick and darted off for Target.  Target didn't open until 12 but when we got there the line was across the entire front of Target, all the way around the parking lot and down the driveway to the main highway.  We decided to get in line but it really wasn't that bad.  We stood there about 30 minutes but once they started letting people in, it took no time. Target was WONDERFUL compared to Walmart.  It was very organized and not all that crazy stuff going on in there.  Even though 100's of people went in before us, we were still all able to get our hands on pretty much everything we were going for.  The line to check out was super long but they had it all figured out and it took no time to get to check out and be on our way.  We headed to a couple of other places in Athens but there wasn't much luck.  Then my sister's phone started ringing at 3:00 AM.  When she got off the phone she said her daughter just told her that the Walmart in a near by town had about 36 of the electronics that had been sold out at the first Walmart we went to.  She said they were just sitting in the back near the layaway area.  We took off for Commerce.  Walked right in to a very dead Walmart and were able to get our hands on two of the awesome electronics that people had been waiting hours for earlier in the night.

One thing I learned is that there is no way you can go do this by yourself.  We would all mention a few things to each other that we wanted and we would try to grab it for each other.  We would all share one cart so that we weren't battling to get four carts through the crowd.  Teaming up is the only way to get your hands on the things you want.  The second biggest thing that I learned was that if Walmart is starting their sales at a certain time, I will go 3 to 4 hours later b/c when we walked in the dead Walmart at 4:00 AM it pretty much looked like lots of stuff had been restocked.  They said it was super crazy at that Walmart earlier but when we got there, they still had tons and tons of stuff.

I think I was to nice of a black Friday shopper b/c I would say excuse me, please and thank you but it made for a much better night for me!  I went on this little shopping trip with a positive outlook and didn't care if I got my hands on any of the things I had in mind. I refuse to fight over stuff.  Instead of being grumpy, I stayed happy and ended up getting exactly what I went for.  I am very excited and can't wait for next year!  This is my new tradition!  I will be dragging these ladies back out again next year but I may just sleep until 2:00 AM and then get a start....let the crowds go ahead and kill each other before I get in the mix:)

After shopping from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM....I was so tired but that won't stop me from looking forward to it next year!!!  Happy Black Friday!  I hope you are all in the Christmas spirit.  When shopping this holiday season don't be rude, grumpy and in poor spirits.  When you are positive and happy, you will enjoy it more and you might just get super good deals on exactly what you need or want!!! 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

I have been watching people on facebook count their blessings this whole month.  These days I am pretty much thankful for any and everything!  But most importantly I am thankful for my family....

I hope you all have a very blessed and full (in many ways) Thanksgiving with the ones you love!!!

Happy Turkey Week!!!!

I just love the holidays and to me Thanksgiving day is the big kick off.  The same old song and dance has been going on around here....we are running from one place to the other and never ever relaxing.  I was so looking forward to Thanksgiving week b/c it was suppose to mean that I would have 4 straight days off of work and be able to have some down time.  Um, not so much.  Thursday will be spent at cooking and going to one and hosting another Thanksgiving meal.  Then I will be heading out for a night full of shopping with two of my favorites....or as long as my preggo friend can make it:)  I'm sure she will last longer than my tired behind.  That means that Friday will consist of lots of sleeping and then I will be putting up the Christmas tree with the kiddos.  My husband usually just watches that part!  Then Saturday is a full day of photo sessions.  I will be starting at 9 and going through 3.  Then I have to rush home, fix more food and head over to my Mom's for our late Thanksgiving.  Then Sunday there is church, more pictures and hanging of the greens at church.  I am so tired just thinking about the next four days but I'm sure I will survive.  There are a whole lot worse things in life than being busy!!! 

This brings me to another point.  I have a friend that could really use lots of prayers right now.  She has been diagnosed with a terrifying disease just a few short weeks after delivering her third child.  Her and her family could really use lots of prayers and lots of lifting up during this time!!!!

I am looking forward to a great and healthy holiday with my family and my husband's family!  I haven't gotten to see all of my siblings and their little ones that much lately so I am ready for that.  I have lots to be thankful for and excited for all the things to come!!! 

Happy Turkey week to everyone!!!

This picture says it all....

This boy loves his Mama!

We had family pictures made today and I am so excited to see all of them.  The above picture was just my teaser along with two really awesome pictures of Rylee!  I can't wait to see them.  Oh and don't worry, I got a special picture made with Rylee also.  Although I am very excited about all the family pictures we took, I am most excited to see the pictures she did of just Paul and I.  She did several of us which isn't something we have really had done since our wedding day.  I will post more as soon as I get the CD with all of them on it!  She was so great and made the whole "picture process" so much better for my husband whom hates to have his picture made! 

Hope you guys are having a great November.  Time is just slipping away from me and I can't keep up.  I'm sorry, I promise to update more even if it is just short little post! 

This Little Girl of Mine...

My little girl is so sweet.  She is very different than most other 8, almost 9, year old kidsthat you will meet.  She is level headed, very compassionate to others and never gets in trouble.  This time last year she was having a rough time.  She seemed uncomfortable in her own skin.  She seemed a little lost and was terrified that something bad was going to happen.  She could see that she was losing her grip on a relationship with someone that she cherished.  More recently she went through a rough patch with some girls at school.  Her tender heart has a very hard time with what she feels like is rejection.  

But lately I have saw something different.  She is really growing up on me.  She is still the same levelheaded, tenderhearted, strong and compassionate girl as always but she seems to be learning how to appreciate her relationships.  For a while she seemed to blame a big change in her life on us, her parents but the reality is that we had nothing to do with it.  In the past month I have watched her realize that we are here and never ever going to leave her.  No one will ever step in front of her and Tegan.  She has stopped questioning us and started talking to us.  She tells us how much she appreciates us and the things we do for her.  She leaves little notes for us around the house all the time.   

I told her the other day to never stop doing this! Whether it be for me, her daddy, her brother, her future husband, her own children....  These little notes mean so much to me! 

She is comfortable with herself again but most importantly she knows that her and her brother will always be first in our lives and we will never let anyone take that away!  She has decided that if people don't want to be close to her then that is their loss and I couldn't agree more b/c this little girl is special.  She is going to do great things!!! 

Cheater, Cheater, Potato Soup Eater!!

Let me start by saying that if you are a self proclaimed kitchen queen (unlike myself), you may want to stop reading here. I have been trying for YEARS to make potato soup. I have been a huge failure at this over and over again. It is either too thick, too thin, nasty tasting, scorched the bottom of my pan, etc …..
Last week I was at the grocery store and I remembered my coworker talking about a crock pot potato soup that she had found on pinterest. I text her to get the ingredients while I was at the grocery store. As the text came through, the list seemed long and I could see so many ways that I would screw this up. Not to mention it was going to kill my shopping budget. I was standing on the soup isle and look up to see dry creamy potato soup in a bag. I was very very hesitant to buy it but at a little over $3, it was totally worth a try. I was definitely sold on it when I read that all I had to do was add water. I mean seriously, it would be very hard for me to screw this one up.
Tonight was the big night to try it. It totally helped that the same coworker that made the Crockpot soup and had raved about it, had been raving all morning about finding this soup in a bag and kept talking about how awesome it was!
I have to say that this one was a WINNER!!!! I will forever have a bag of this brand soup in my cabinet for those nights that I don’t feel like cooking a huge meal. It took 15 to 20 minutes at the most to make. I only had the one pot, a few bowls and a few spoons to clean afterward. This is my kind of meal.
I’m not sure if every grocery store carries it but I got mine at Ingles. It has to be this brand soup…

They also have other choices like chicken noodle, broccoli & cheddar, cheesy potato soup, and more that I plan to try. I didn’t get the cheesy b/c my dear husband isn’t crazy about a lot of cheese. So I thought I would just get the creamy kind and add my own shredded cheese to it once I had dipped up my bowl. I had some real bacon bit pieces in the refrigerator so I added those to my bowl of soup. Let me just say….I am in LOVE!

Here is the deal….you bring 8 cups of water to a boil, whisk in the soup, lower heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally. I had to stir mine pretty often b/c it kept getting a film over the top of it if I didn’t.
There is just nothing better than a super easy, super quick, super cheap and super yummy meal!  Enjoy!

My Newly Recovered Old Loveseat

My addiction to pinterest is a great one!  It is very inspiring and has me cooking different things, wearing different outfits and creating a few things also.  I saw a post on reupholstering a couch recently on pinterest and it totally inspired me to possibly do this for my own couch or love seat.   So I went to Home Depot and bought two big drop cloths at $10 each.  I came home and stood there scratching my head trying to figure out where to begin while my husband looked at me like I had gone crazy for attempting this project.  I dropped the whole staple gun idea and went back to my sewing roots.  After spending every free minute of my entire weekend, almost admitting defeat and having a near meltdown....I did it!  Let me just say that this wasn't easy at all.  It is very far from perfect ....very far!  But it makes me happy!  I still have to get some snaps to tighten up the back of the cushion covers but I wanted to go ahead and show a picture of the transformation.....

I left a flap on the couch cushions so that I could remove the covers and wash them if I need to but that is making them move around a little so I am going to get some snap closures to hold it tight on the back.  I just love it! 

At one time I had some very dark brown slipcovers on both the love seat and the couch.  Then I took the cover off of this love seat and just had it on the couch b/c my couch and love seat totally do not match.  Now I am able to finally get rid of the couch slipcover b/c it has the same cream colored base as my new drop cloth covered love seat! 

I don't think you can beat a $20 furniture makeover!!!