Target Stroll

I had a little time to peruse the Target aisles.  It is always one of my favorite things to do.  There was hardly anyone in the store and I really enjoyed myself. First, the Dollar Spot is super cute right now.  There are so many gardening things like little flower pots that make you want to plant something.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture but just drop by.....you will be glad you did.

Here are a few things I did get a few photos of

You know I am a wood fan.....these pretty glass decanters with the wooden ball stopper.  Too cute for words.

Then we should all run and get this basket tray

This thing is huge.  It is 2ft x2ft and 4 inches deep.  If you have a huge ottoman, this would be great.  If you have a nice island, this would be great.  If you have a belly button, this would be great.  I know that makes no sense except to real shoppers who understand that means we all need this.  At the Target on University it is marked down to 

Yes ma'am that is $14.98.

Now I specifically say the Target on University because each Target does their own clearance.  I find this to be a very annoying practice because you can't drive to another Target to buy another 10 of whatever you found.  Other Targets may have it but there is just not a guarantee.  If you can't find one near you.....call me :)

Then I saw this cute little bowling set

It is by Chip and Joanna and would be too fun to play in the drive way or the yard.

Just think if you are having people over for Easter it would be another fun thing to do after the Easter Egg Hunt........speaking of Easter Egg Hunts.....how much fun would this be

It is little yard signs for your Easter Egg Hunt.....there is a big START and FINISH sign but also some little signs to go in between.

I tried to zoom in so you can see them all

The others say things like hurry, keep going, look left.

Oh the other thing they have that I also forgot to take pictures of is indoor/outdoor rugs.  Actually the whole patio section was looking good.  Take some time to browse through.

Hope you have a great weekend and I hope you get a little Target time in.

Enjoy!!!!

Calendars and Kleenex

I need you to grab two things - your calendars and your Kleenex

Because

It is the 30th anniversary and they are back

Steel Magnolias is truly one of my favorite movies.  I can't watch it enough.  If I am flipping channels and run into it, my family will just get up and go elsewhere because they know I can't turn away from it.

Well on May 19th, 21st and 22nd they are back in theaters.  You absolutely have to mark your calendars and plan on seeing this with a group of good friends.

To find when and where it is showing near you click here and just enter your zip code.

Dolly/Truvy is my favorite in this movie.  She delivers the one liners like a pro....and there are lots of good one liners in this movie.

My absolute favorite scene is the Christmas Party when the pregnancy is announced and all of the friends gather around M'Lynn.  

That is what this movie is all about to me.....friends in good times .......friends in hard times.....friends in every time in between.

Grab some of your besties and plan this outing!  I totally think it should be a dress up event, big hair and all.

You could all dress up as the salon scene

The wedding scene

The wedding shower scene

These high waisted jeans have actually come back in style so the options are limitless.

I am totally excited about this.  Maybe I will see you in the theater!

Words....knuckle cut

Raise your hand if you have ever cut your knuckle on a box grater......or sliced your knuckle on anything else.  The other day I was just changing bed linen.  Apparently, I was very aggressively changing bed linen.  The sheet slipped out of my hand while I was trying to pull on the last corner of the fitted sheet and I banged my hand right into the corner of the nightstand.  You guessed it....right on the knuckle.  It was one of the pains that just made me grab and squeeze my hand until the pain subsided.  I thought I had just banged it,  maybe bruised it.  But, of course, since I hit the corner I actually took a little gash out of my knuckle and was bleeding.  Great.

Here is the thing, this little nick aggravated me all day.....when I washed my hands......when I went to pick up anything...when I pretty much did anything.  After all we bend our fingers a lot, right?  So I was slightly (or very) annoyed by this seemingly small injury.  I was reminded of it constantly through out the day. It just kept coming to mind over and over again.

So I was also harboring a bit of a nick out of my heart too.  Someone had said something.....a criticism, a little dig directed at me.  I couldn't shake it.  It kept circling back through my mind.  It just kept annoying me.  So here I was with my knuckle and my heart both nicked.

I think word injuries are just like knuckle cuts.  Harsh, abrasive, critical words cut the knuckle of our hearts. Why? Because we can't just bandage our emotions and put them away.  We can't just ice them or elevate them until they feel better.  No, we are constantly flexing our emotions, bending in and out of every situation.  So just like our knuckle cuts these word injuries pop back up all day and every day. Even the ones that are seemingly small.

Reminding myself and perhaps you to be careful with words.  They sting, they nick, they are not quick to heal.

If you have injured some one with your words remember

-  admitting you were wrong might be a great antibiotic ointment

- sincerely apologizing might be a good bandage

- thinking before we speak might be a good preventive measure

Here's to remembering our words can be worse than any box grater or nightstand corner.

Oh and by the way, both my knuckle and my heart are all better now.  It was a good lesson for me.....sometimes we take a little shove so we are reminded to not shove others.

Make it a great Monday and Have a great week.

It's our last week for praying our March focus prayer for Right Direction......finish strong!

Friday Retail

It is spring and no one could be happier than I.....but that doesn't mean I won't buy a good coat that is seriously marked down.  J. Crew does coats well, very well.  They are currently on Zulily and if you can think forward just a few months, you might just find one you like.  There is this one that comes in graphite and camel

Graphite Wool Blend Coat

and this lovely one

Wrap Coat

And my favorite hangers are on sale.....60 hangers for $17.49.....this is a deal.

Huggable Hangers

They have them in seven different color options.  How ever many you think you need .....order an extra set.

How cute is this from Lou & Grey

Chambray overalls

Do you have a wedding, a shower, a graduation or a church to go to?  This dress can just about go anywhere.

Vince Camuto Stripe Wrap Dress

Gotta go order more hangers.  I hope you have a great weekend full of sunshine.

See you back here on Monday.

Reset for Spring

While I am clearly not a fan of the whole springing forward thing, I am very much a fan of the freshness, the newness, the reset that seems to come about as the season changes over.  Nature alone will draw us in.....green is coming back.  The trees are getting newly decked out.  Sweet flowers are shooting from the earth....and it just feels inspiring.  A whole new energy comes with spring.  We want this fresh, aired out, buffed to shiny.  Hence the whole "spring cleaning"......

Do you have a spring cleaning plan or routine?  Well I don't have a set itemized list but here are some things that I plan on spiffying up over the next few weeks to kind of reset and feel new

1) Ceiling fans - I am totally about to hit every single ceiling fan in this house.  Here is the duster I use

Campanelli Microduster

 And I will get all the blinds too.....and probably anything else that is standing still. Once I get this thing in my hand I pretty much can't stop.  It has quite a long extension handle and I just find myself dusting everything I can reach.

2) Next up I am trying out the new

Mr. Clean has always been a faithful cleaning companion.  I love a magic eraser.  This cleanser has a fun little spray action.  So me and Mr. Clean are about to get some quality time in.

Then remember the Tablescape book I was gifted for Christmas.....well here's my next tablescape inspired from its pages.

   

I bought these blue melamine plates at Belk.  They are on clearance and an additional 50% off.  I can't find them on line so check your local store.  I bought the blue but they also had a green and a teal.

On the two end place settings we folded the napkins the long way

Then for the side place settings we folded the napkins in a square

And remember those napkins are the ones I made and posted about here.

In addition to spiffying up everything, you know what else we could use this spring.....the Right Direction

There are all kinds of decisions being made right now.  Join us in this month's prayer focus and pray for the Right Direction for kids making college decisions, marriage proposals, summer plans and trips, etc.

Happy Spring, Friends! Wishing you sunny days ahead.

What the world needs now.....

If you read the title of this post and finished by singing..... is love sweet love, I can't blame you.  That is a catchy song.  And I agree the world could totally use love, but I have a few other things that I think the world could use

1)

 

I wish I had a penny for every minute I have spent trying to remember someone's name.  The problem I have is I associate people with the place or situation from which I know them.  Every now and then someone I know very well is just in the wrong place.  If I know you from Church, I may not recall your name if I see you in the grocery store.  Likewise, Publix cashier, I may not recognize you when I am having dinner at Five Guys.  So if we could all just wear a constant name tag it sure would make things easier.

2) Book Ratings





Why can't I have a little insight into whether Winter in Lansing is about a family who is lost in a snow storm when they take a wrong turn OR a prostitute named Winter establishing a brothel in Lansing.  Oh, and I just totally made up that title.  Please don't go on Amazon trying to order it. But you see what I mean.  There is just no way to tell.  And I think some books, like cigarettes and alcohol, should not be sold to underage kids.  Honestly, some books should not be sold to 50 year old women who prefer a little less profanity and a little more developed plot.

3) Dress vs. Shirt

Do you all remember signs like this?


You know how we all had to shimmy up to these signs to see if we could go on some torturous ride at a fair or amusement park.  Well I think we still needs signs like this but with a little modification.

The sign should now read  - "If you are this tall, this is a shirt NOT a dress"

I see a lot of people walking around in dresses which I really think are shirts.  You guys know what I mean.  I am always in the store going is this a dress?  Or is this a shirt?  If there were a little sign people could stand next to, maybe it would help these poor misguided dears to stop wearing shirts as dresses.....and personally I think society as a whole would be thankful.

Now I agree the world could also use love so enjoy the video before you go

Have a great Monday!

Seeing Green

In honor of St. Patrick's Day coming up this Sunday here's a few green things for you

Gibson Floral Top

This top also comes in black, royal and yellow.

Layered Scallop Top

This one also comes in black, red and ivory.

Topshop Mini Adele

This cute little bag also comes in black.

Halogen Tapered Hoops

If you just want a little touch of green, I love this hoops.

I always cook corned beef and cabbage for the holiday too.  Yesterday I sliced two onions put them in the bottom of the crockpot, I put a 1.5 pound corned beef brisket on top of the onions and sprinkled in the spice pack that comes with it.  Then I peeled and sliced 4 carrots (2 inch slices) and cored a cabbage and cut it into eight wedges.  I put the carrots and cabbage around the corned beef, poured in about 2.5 cups of chicken broth and sprinkled in just a little dry mustard.  I cooked it on low all day (about 9 hours).  Keep all the veggies in larger pieces so they don't get to mushy as they cook all day.

My family enjoyed having this meal.  I enjoyed a bowl of sugar corn pops......because I am not a  cabbage fan, but if you are go for it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hallmark Spring Movies

Hallmark always gets me at Christmas and now they are reaching for me in the spring.  Starting this Saturday, Hallmark will premiere a new spring movie each Saturday night (8pm ET/7 Central)

Saturday, March 16th - Flip that Romance




In this movie a couple who are no longer together challenge each other to a design contest and learn some lessons about love.

Saturday, March 23rd - Love to the Rescue




A single mon and a single dad both promise their kids they can adopt a puppy.  They end up having joint custody of the same pup.  They may also end up falling in love.

Saturday March 30th - A Brush with Love



An Artist makes a vision board about all of her dreams.....but will the man of dreams be what she expected?


The last three don't have photos on the website yet.  I can't wait to see if the same stylist is in place for them.  Did you notice that all the men have their hair swooped back with lots of product and a neatly trimmed beard.  I understand, Hallmark, you find a formula, it works for you and you stick to it.  No worries, I will still tune in.  I am obsessed with the coats in the Christmas movies so we'll see what they hook me with in these spring movies.

Even though there are no photos yet, here is the schedule for the last 3 spring movies:

Saturday April 6th - True Love Blooms

Vicki wants to save her community garden from a real estate developer but maybe flowers aren't the only thing blooming. wink, wink

Saturday April 13th - Bottled with Love

After being stood up on a date, Abbey writes a letter, seals it in a bottle and tosses it into the water......but who might find it and then what will happen?

Saturday April 20th - Easter Under Wraps

Erin goes undercover to save her family's chocolate plant.....in the process she meets Bryan.

Enjoy Hallmark this spring......shorthly after these movies it will be time for the Christmas ones again.....I'm just saying :)


See you on Friday!

February Book Review

I only read three books in February but they were all good and quite a variety so hopefully you will find something you like.

First up



The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson.  Now this one was very interesting. Two people meet in the airport while waiting on their flight.  They chat, they agree to make it interesting by telling each other the complete truth. Well Ted talks about his unhappy marriage and jokingly says he would like to kill his wife.  Ok, maybe this happens a lot.  I don't know, but the difference is the lady he is speaking with replies that she would like to help him do just that.  From there just hang on.  This is very well written and will keep you guessing until the very end. If you enjoyed The Wife Between Us, Something in the Water and The Girl on the Train, I think you will enjoy this one!

Next up,



Small Town Rumors by Carolyn Brown. Sometimes after a psychological thriller I need a little brain cleanser which this book totally is.  A marriage falls apart, a girl returns home to her parents, her parents are rich and exclusive, she doesn't want to be.  You can guess the ending of this book when you read the back cover summary.  But sometimes you need that.  It is a sweet little predictable story.

And then the last one




Becoming by Michelle Obama.  You know I love a good memoir.  I usually read these and think - oh my I had no idea.  I didn't have that reaction with this book.  There weren't any big surprises or revelations for me but still interesting to hear her life in her own words.  I am fairly certain I will never be plunged into being the first lady and I gotta tell you.....thank goodness.  That is a tough gig for sure.

And here is why we only have three books this month.  I started this one



I made it to Chapter 3 and .......I RETURNED IT! Yep, not only did I not finish it, I wanted my money back.  I have always enjoyed Gabrielle.  I think she is pretty.  On Good Morning America she seems fun, pleasant, easy to chat with.  But oh my....Gabby,.....the language......the subject matter......the language.  I was actually shocked.  I just didn't see her like this.  At one point she says something about having a good publicist who helps her maintain a clean reputation......does your publicist know about this book????? Does your mother????? Maybe if you can push past the first 3 chapters it becomes insightful and entertaining.  I don't know.  I won't know. No ma'am, Ms. Gabrielle, no ma'am.

Surely I am not the only one who has ever returned a book gone wrong.

That's just my take.....hope you are reading some good stuff.  As always let me know.

Have a great week.

Spring Forward.....not my thing

So it is time to spring forward and I just have one reaction



Honestly, is this really necessary?

I am a firm believer in recognizing one's limitations.  Here's the short list of things I am very bad at:

1) Springing Forward
2) Dribbling a Basketball
3) Public Transportation

There's more.....much more....but oh that whole springing forward.  It will just about undo me.  I am going to have to take some special care with myself over the next 2.5 weeks.  I am going to have to allow myself a few extra treats just to minimize the stress.  I see a Krispy Kreme donut, a new pair of shoes, some fresh flowers and a definite stroll through JoAnnes Fabric in my near future.  I am going to need it.  I will deserve it.

Are you good at this whole time change thing?  I hear some people actually look forward to it.

For those of you in my category.....the let's just keep falling back club.....brace yourselves.  Here we go.
People always say you can't catch up on sleep....well can you get ahead? Like if I stockpile a few extra naps this weekend will I be less tired next week?  I am really willing to give it a try.


However you cope with these life changes maybe a little retail therapy will help.  Nordstrom will be rolling out a special Gibson collection today in honor of The Day of the International Woman. The collection involves 9 women of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds.  I think it should be a fun shopping experience.

Right now I am going to go take my first nap.....in preparation for this weekend.

Even though you are being robbed of a good hour of sleep.......I hope you have a great weekend.

Lent Begins Today

If you want to really get into Lent this year check out the following  video

Becky Kiser from Sacred Holidays explains how to use Lent candles in your home in this video

I bought some candles at The Dollar Tree which we use.  Some nights we are not home but when we are we light the candles and it is just a good reminder as we move about the house through the evening.

Staying focused is important.  Find something that works for you to help you stay tuned in.

I am definitely going to challenge myself during this period by adding something that I need to do more of and eliminating something that I do too much of.

Maybe you have a super balanced life and can't think of anything that fits these categories in your own life.....well I invite you to pray our focus prayer topic for the month of March.  Maybe you could pick a particular person each day and pray for them to know the Right Direction.  For more on our prayer focus and some inspirational verses click here.

if you did not give up shopping there are some super cute things on hautelook.com including Free People clothing and shoes plus Anthropologie Home where you can find some good prices on mugs like this one

Oscar Mug

And so many cute monogrammed hooks that would be great graduation gifts because they would totally rock a dorm room

Catchet Hook

Fringe Hook

See you back here on Friday.

Surrendering - A Year of Prayer March Edition

Welcome to our March prayer focus.  If you are just joining us, we are collectively praying by the following guide this year

if you would like to print the year long guide click here.

In March we will be focused on praying for Right Direction

Our inspirational verses for March are

If you would like to print this month's verses, click here.

Our God is so big but cares about every detail of our lives.  Join me in prayer this month for the right direction in absolutely every aspect of our lives.  And I am sure you also a know a few people who are desperately in need, whether they or know it or not, for His perfect guidance.

Thanks for joining us here as we collectively seek the right direction.

Meet you back here on Wednesday.

Spring Shoes

Who's ready for spring shoes? Well you are in luck because I have been searching about for us all.

Anyone else on the clog bandwagon.....

Here's a couple of low heel options

Earth Tiku Clog

This one also comes in black and a fun camo that I have not seen in other styles.

This Dansko is a little more sandally.....which I am sure is not a word but just go with it

Dansko Clog

Mia makes a slightly higher heel

Mia Abba

This one comes in black, tan and red....but how great would this navy be with all of your denim.

if clogs are not your thing, how about espadrilles

This first one if from Target

Agnes Espadrille

Several color options in this one: black, tan, yellow, blush and this blue.

Again, let's look at a mid heel option

Rockport Cobb

Color options here are black, metallic and taupe.  You can't go wrong with any of those.

And now here are my favorites

Gentle Souls

I wanted to show you this plum color because I think it is absolutely delicious. It comes in basics like black, cement and mushroom....and a couple of other fashion colors like turquoise and coral.  How fun is that one?!!

And lastly a good basic sandal

Ugg Kari

I am obviously craving color because I fell in love with this pink.  But it also comes in black, blue, natural and red.

And if you need something slightly dressier

Toms Poppy

Seven color options, so you are bound to find one you need.

Ok, girls, pedicure up.  We will be spring stepping before you know it.

Have a wonderful weekend!