Tuesday, October 30, 2012

money saving mom's e-book review: 21 days to a more disciplined life by crystal paine

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today i’m switching it up a bit and introducing you to one of favorite bloggers.  crystal from money saving mom has just released her e-book titled “21 days to a more disciplined life.”  i don’t know about y’all, but self discipline is something that i have major issues with.  at the end of the day, after supper’s done and braxton is in bed, it’s so tempting and so easy to just collapse on the couch and only get up to collapse in the bed.  i’ll admit, there are nights that i do just that.  but the morning after that happens i wake up feeling defeated before my day even begins because the living room is still cluttered with toys and the supper dishes are staring me in the face while i’m trying to make coffee. 

i was intrigued by the idea of training myself to become more disciplined.  i won’t say excited, because i’ve read plenty of self help books and none have been the magic fix.  but i was so pleasantly surprised that once i started reading, i had a hard time stopping.  let me tell you why i honestly love what crystal has done: 

1)      she’s realistic.  because she writes from experience, she knows it isn’t possible to create and practice every habit you desire for yourself overnight.  it takes patience and perseverance and she’s cool with that.
2)      she gives examples.  what’s one thing you could do differently today that could change your habits?  i had so many i didn’t know where to start.  so she gives examples like “hang your purse up in the same place every evening” or “sweep the floor after supper each night.”  those are both legitimate and simple.
3)      she looks at the big picture and the tiny details.  it takes steps to reach a goal, and she outlines those steps for you.  creative and so wonderful for my personality.
4)      it can apply to so many areas of your life.  i was telling a friend about it and she asked if it applies to spiritual discipline.  i realized that it really could.  each of these tactics and actions could just as easily be applied to organizing your home or mapping out time to spend with god each day.  i, personally, want to go back and re-read it and make it apply to different areas, one at a time. 


here’s an excerpt from the book that i loved:

Most of us crave more discipline in our lives even if we don’t know it or admit it. Why?
Well, we need order and peace so that our creativity can take off. We want to be
better managers of our time and life. We want to follow through with our good
intentions.
Despite my desire for more and better discipline, I’ve found that I usually try to force
myself into a more disciplined life through the wrong ways. I check out a book on living
an organized life from the library and think it will make all the difference. I download a
printable household organization planner and hope it will magically whip my house into
shape.
When the book on organized living or the printable household planner doesn’t
automatically give me the discipline I was hoping for, I’ve sometimes found myself
wistfully thinking that if my house or life or responsibilities were different, then I could
achieve a disciplined life.
Do you see what the problem is here?
Instead of addressing the root issue – my own, personal lack of self-discipline – I
convince myself that a fancy new system or a change in circumstances will fix the
problem.
But here’s the reality: A bad system is not the problem. My circumstances are not the
problem.
I am the problem.
Oh sure, every time I start to get a good routine going, life throws a curveball. There are
job losses, babies born, illnesses, moves, and never-ending projects that must be
completed or that I want to complete. But ultimately, whether or not I live a disciplined
life depends solely upon me and the choices I make on a daily basis.
Believe me, those are tough words to swallow. My life isn’t disciplined, and it’s my fault.
And I could wallow in frustration over my shortcomings and failures. But instead, I want
to let that frustration motivate me. I am the problem, but I am also the solution.


if you’d like to see what the book’s all about, here’s a link to purchase it.  if you’re in the market for a more disciplined lifestyle, i don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

Friday, October 26, 2012

h54f!

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welcome to the weekend!  anybody else high fiving for friday??  thank goodness it's here.  i live for the weekends. :)  here are a few of my favorites from the week:



my sister is a photographer and she took our fall pictures!  i'm ashamed to say that we haven't had any "real" pictures taken since braxton was ten days old.  where does the time go?! 


i scored some new essie polish at tj maxx for half price.  they just scream autumn and i love it. :)


playing in the leaves with my boy.  does it get any better than that?


i found this awesome pin for a diy pantry of sorts.  i have the perfect space for it!  can't wait to get going.


ahhh, my elephant necklace.  i'd been eyeing this baby forever.  it finally went on major sale at j. crew factory and i snagged it as soon as i could.  i've worn it, oh, say, ten times in the last couple weeks. :) 

hope you have a fantastic weekend!  it's gotten chilly here, so i'm hoping for some soup and sweats! 

Thursday, October 25, 2012

katie's master bedroom reveal

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over the past couple months i’ve blogged about several bedroom projects that i’ve worked on….  the hardwood, the burlap covered box spring, the dresser, and the old window.  i hadn’t done the final reveal because i wanted it to all be perfectly put together, but i just couldn’t find the time to get a few more little things done.  so, i still have two bare walls, but not for long.  i have plans for those walls and as soon as the plans come together, i’ll be blogging about it for all the world to see. J  sooo, without further adieu, here is our new-to-us bedroom!



i'm so in love with it!  the windows used to have mini blinds and some awful curtains that i bought in a hurry when we moved in.  i replaced the blinds with bamboo roll-up shades from lowes and bright white lined panels from jcp.  i love to mix different shades of neutrals. 

the bedding is an off white and came from kohl's.  i actually found it on overstock.com, but kohl's had it cheaper, and i had a coupon... :)  it's a duvet but we sleep with it because it isn't too heavy!



the rug is a printed cable knit that came from west elm.  i got it for a really good price, too!  i love how it adds a bit of pattern to the room.


the little pegboard i've had for a long time.  i can't remember where i got it--maybe tj maxx or gordman's?  i still love it, though!  and, another shade of neutral. :)  it fits perfectly on my husband's side of the bed.

here's my nightstand.  it was a part of my bedroom suit growing up.  the picture says:

i believe in You
no matter where you go in life,
no matter what you do,
please remember always,
i believe in you.

my mom and dad got it for me when i graudated.  the vase that's behind it is part of a set that was my great-grandmother's.  i love filling my home with the same things that filled her's! 


here's the beautiful dresser again.  i still love it.  our room is so, so small and it's hard to fit much of anything in it.  the dresser is on the opposite wall of the door, so it's what you see when you first walk in.  i like it being filled with pretty things like a giant canvas of an adorable toddler. :)


the mirror on the dresser belonged to a different great-grandmother.  gorgeous, huh?  the "g" i bought at michaels and covered in twine.  i made a little felt rosette and hot glued it on for a little chic touch.  i think it's so cute.


and don't forget about the window in all it's original glory! :)


the walls are painted in olympic's flagstone.  leshia and i painted it when the floors were done drying and we thought we'd surely have to do a couple coats.  but this paint covered so well we only had to do one!  i was so impressed.  i love the color.  it can have a bit of a purplish tint in artificial light, but that's not often and doesn't bother me.  i'd use it again!  if you have any questions about anything we did or where something came from, comment below and i'll get back with you!

i sure do hope you love it just as much as i do!







 
 
 
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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

style statement tuesday/what i wore wednesday

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today is style statement tuesday with jessica and tomorrow is what i wore wednesday with the pleated poppy! 

here’s an outfit i wore one afternoon after work when braxton and i were running some errands and stopping at my mom and dad's.

i love how comfy it is without being too casual or sloppy.  sometimes it’s good to feel presentable in your sweats! J

cardigan: j crew factory
shirt: banana republic factory (in stores only)
necklace: j crew factory
thick leggings or really tight pants: old navy (old)
boots: sears (old)
watch: target (in stores only)

Monday, October 22, 2012

leshia's master bedroom

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the idea for this post comes from thrifty décor chick.  she’s having a “show us your house” party featuring bedrooms.  make sure you go check out her master and her boys’ room.  amazing!

so, first thing’s first…..  this is the first room makeover that we’ve done since we moved in six years ago.  i can’t for the life of me find a before picture.  this re-do occurred before my journey in the blogging world, so i didn’t exactly have it in mind to take 874 pictures. J  it’s been almost a year since our bedroom makeover and i love it just as much now as i did then.  that’s a huge deal for me—i get bored with décor and i love change. 

let’s talk about why i love this room.
            *the lamp shades.  i got them at target.  is it just me or could you spend your life
            in that store, too?  i like how they’re contemporary without being too modern. 
            does that make sense?  the pattern on the inside is a pretty paisley and i loved it
            when i saw it in the store.  i did not, however, realize that i’d get to see it each
            time i turn the lamps on. J  love!

 
           
















*the mirror.  is it glam?  is it vintage?  i don’t know, but whatever it is, i’m
            diggin’ it.  i scored this baby for $12 at home goods.


            *my rocking chair & raggedy ann doll.  both of these pieces got passed down to
            me when my mom passed away.  ever since i can remember this chair & doll were
in my mom and dad’s house.  i can remember playing with raggedy ann and sitting in the chair when i was a little girl.  the chair squeaks when it rocks and it’s such a reminder of my home and my mama.








*the dresser.  i got this lovely piece at my favorite thrift store here in town called home again.  i visit this store at least once a week to see what new treasures they have.  i love the owners, too.  judy and lynn and their families are such wonderful people.  it’s always a good time stopping in there….especially when i run across something like this. J



















*my wedding picture.  this is one of the first things you see when you walk into our bedroom.  it’s a great reminder of a great day.  i love my husband!  especially when he lets me redecorate. J 


 i am still loving the wall colors, too.  the first wall you notice when you walk in is the navy accent wall.  the trellis bedding i got at target, and the yellow accents throughout really give it a splash of color.  i love how peaceful this room is.  the sheers also came from target.  i told you i love that place. 




















and what would a room post be without a couple things we maybe don’t like so much that could be a  potential future project…..?   the carpet.  my husband tried to convince me to go with all hardwood when we built our house, but i was insistent on the carpet in the  bedrooms.  it pains me to say this, but he was right.  and lastly, the ceiling fan.  i think with the rest of the décor a sparkly chandelier would just totally make this room complete.  i’m guessing that cb will go for the hardwood before the chandelier. J

thanks for taking the time to check out my little corner of the world!  here’s to pretty bedrooms and lots of naps! J








 
 
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Friday, October 19, 2012

h54f!

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woo hoo!  it's friday y'all!!
as always we are linking up with lauren at from my grey desk blog.



this is my eleven year old caleb on the merry-go-round at the local dollar store.  i love this kid! :)


here we have a picture from my father-in-laws deer cam.  this picture got me SO excited for opening muzzle loader this weekend.  i've got the fever!



at my visit to the physical therapist this week i noticed this quote on the wall.  very fitting for this time in my life.



anibal sanchez starting pitcher for the detroit tigers.  ok this one is not because i love the detroit tigers but because he is my most recent crush.  just ask my husband.  i'm sure he is tired of hearing about him, ha!



last but not least.  this outfit is from the one and only Katie.  she is definitely the fashionista out of the two of us for sure, but this shows her country style and i can not put into words how much i am in love with this!!  also notice the pretty fingernail polish :)