A Tiny Little Make-Over

This little place of mine will be under construction for a few more days while I am working away on it.
And when I say work, it's really just me following a whole lot of directions that are like another language altogether to me.
And I hate directions in general, I never really follow them until I have exhausted everything else.
Honestly, I feel like punching my computer when I am trying to figure this stuff out.
Sad, but true.
So just go ahead and enjoy that sweet little pink house here that I am in love with.
I will be sitting here cussing to myself and drinking margaritas and dreaming of throwing my laptop at the wall.

My plan is to be back here bright and early Monday morning with it all finished and pretty.
Until then.

Trying To Remember Not To Forget.....

So when I started this little blog of mine several(four? five?) years ago I had just stopped working and was staying home full time.
It was a time of big changes all the way around.
I was kind of searching for somewhere to focus my creative energy and wanted to have somewhere to put all of the pictures I was taking.
But the biggest reason for starting this little blog was just for documenting, for myself, not for far away family members to see pictures
of the kids regularly or anything like that... just for me.
My memory is not great and never has been and I really wanted a journal of sorts with pictures and stories and feelings...
just to remember
how it was  R  I  G  H  T    T  H  E  N.

Because after a while, things blur and we remember things differently... Right?
My little tag line on my blog, a long time ago, used to be :
"Trying to remember not to forget all the little things that make up these days"
And that's what I still want to do.
Remember.
Not forget.
I miss blogging regularly and documenting and recording... and sharing.
I want to make more time for it.
I think I'm going to.

Life is busy and hectic and chaotic and things are always changing.. and I want to remember these days.
A few words and pictures and stories will be so, so good to have one day.

Take care of all your memories. 

For you cannot relive them.

- Bob Dylan

////////

Follow Me To Bloglovin' + Vintage State Magnets

So... Google Reader is no longer as of July 1st?
Say whaaaat?
I mean, I really knew that was coming,  but I tend to procrastinate... so I am just now starting the process of following all of the blogs
I love to read over on Bloglovin'.

Since I am being forced to change,  I have to say I actually kind of like Bloglovin'... it's just a pain in
the butt to switch I suppose... Or maybe I'm just lazy?
Yeah, that's probably actually it.
Anyway, you should go follow me over on Bloglovin' and then click on the little thing that says "Similar Blogs" to explore and find some new
blogs you didn't even know you should be reading.
I do kinda love that.
OH- just click the button over on the bottom left-hand side to follow me on Bloglovin', it's that easy.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

But enough of that, let's talk about these super-cool Vintage State magnets, instead...

I'm doing a Shop Update Monday morning with some really cool stuff, including these awesome Vintage State magnets.
How cute are they, anyway?
I think I am kind of in love with them and might have considered hoarding them all for myself,  but then decided I would share the love instead.
I think these would make a great little gift... Maybe a friend that is moving to/from a new State?
Or the State magnet where you are from, your favorite vacation spot... or just somewhere you hope to visit one day.
I have to say, the illustrations and colors are just awesome and I am already on the hunt for MORE.
Don't forget to check these out, along with some other fun stuff, in my Shop --->Lucky13{the shop}, Monday morning.

Hope you all have a great weekend... any big plans?
We were hoping to spend some time at an outdoor Street Festival near our neighborhood tonight, then go see fireworks later on, but I'm afraid
the rain might put a damper on those plans. Darnit. I do hate it when the weather ruins outdoor plans.
Oh well, guess we will figure something out.
Happy Saturday, y'all!

A Million Stories

Do you ever feel like your story isn't all that important?

That you don't have anything super exciting to share... and you wonder if anyone really cares anyway?

That maybe because you don't have a hugely successful business, or you don't live abroad... 

or because you haven't been volunteering in an orphanage in another country that what you are

 doing isn't important or interesting?

I feel that way sometimes, but then I remember...

that ALL of our stories are important, all of them.

The big things, the little things, the important and not-so-important things...

all of these little stories make up our lives.

All these little moments, every day make up the story of our lives and become part of our history.

So my story might be boring... but I'm telling it anyway.

******

Happy Friday, friends.
Today is the 10th... I'm doing the Ten on Ten project again this month.
You should, too.

Instagram Withdrawal & Bloglovin

So,  I haven't been able to get on my Instagram account since Saturday and it's bugging me.
Like, really bugging me.
Probably a little too much if you want to know the truth.
Go ahead and try to look at my account, there is nothing there... NOTHING.
It's kinda funny how you get so used to being able to access whatever you want online and once you can't it's really, really frustrating.
End of the world? No, definitely not... But I am a little worried something is going to happen to all of my 3,000 pictures on there
though. Yikes. Yes, I said 3,000.
I hope it is resolved soon so I can stop sweating it though, I've got a life to live, people!!!

Have you had any of your Instagram pictures printed as fairly LARGE prints?
I'm thinking like 18 x 20 or bigger...?
I want this picture above printed large but I'm not sure how grainy it would look printed... I am seriously in love with this old
Motel sign. Sigh. Anyone? And if so, where have you printed them?

>>>>>>>>>>>>

In other news,  I guess Google Reader will no longer exist as of  July 1, 2013... I'm not even sure why.
I just registered my blog on Bloglovin' today so you can follow me over there. Follow my blog with Bloglovin .
How do you follow blogs/where do you read them anyway?
I think I'm going to follow all of the blogs I read in one place starting now soon so I am no longer following some via email, my
Blogger dashboard and Google Reader. That's pretty dumb. I am streamlining and going Bloglovin' all the way, baby.

Happy Monday, hope the digital world isn't screwing with your day today!

Back On My Soap Box /// Attack Of The Female Bloggers

So. I mentioned yesterday that I have had a bunch of posts hanging out in my head for the last few weeks but just
haven't been able to get them out for some reason.
Nothing earth-shattering or terribly important even, just stuff.
So instead I go for the lighter posts, the ones with more pictures and less talking... you know the on's' that require a little less
thinking and effort.

Anyway, one day last week I was looking at my stats on blogger- you know how many page views, where people
are visiting from, traffic sources, etc.
I don't even look at them that often because truthfully I'm just not that concerned with my stats...
they don't actually matter to me much at all.

But here's the part where I get annoyed.
Like SERIOUSLY annoyed.
When looking at what people search for online that brings them here(unless they are just searching for my blog by it's name)
is :  "Soule Mama annoying" and  "Kelle Hampton annoying".
Really?
Because reading that just kinda annoyed the hell out of me.

* (If you are having deja'vu right about now; Yes, you're right, I have talked about this before.
You can read that post here. And actually, you should because I talk about my real opinion
on Kelle Hampton as well as the Kelle Hampton's you might know in your real life).

////////

Anyway.
This is where I climb back up on my Soap Box and talk about how bloggers annoy me so much
with their judgment of other bloggers.
And when I say "bloggers" I mean those who blog, tweet, instagram...whatever.
Why on GOD'S GREEN EARTH are people spending so much of their time + energy worrying about
other people and how they live their lives?

Recently the criticism I have come across of Kelle Hampton, Stephanie Nielson(of the famed
NieNie Diaries) and James Bleubird of Bleubird Vintage has made me roll my eyes and wonder what is wrong with people... but has also
really made me a little sad + mad that other women(bloggers and non-bloggers) are so hard on other women.
Is it really just because as women it makes us feel better about our own lives and ourselves when we criticize + attack other women?

Why do we really care if--

someone throws tea parties in the woods and dresses their kids in cute matchy outfits every day?
what business is it of ours what someone elses religious beliefs?
if someone believes that one of their main jobs as a mother is to prepare their daughters to one day be mothers?
if some one's pre-teen boy is wearing a t-shirt we think is inappropriate?
if people only show the happy, glittery moments and not the rough, bad ones to the rest of the world?

My advice is this, not that anyone asked::
Live your OWN LIFE.... do what you think is best for you and your family.
Stop judging other's for their choices.
If what they are doing makes you feel bad about your life + what you are or are not doing,
then that is YOUR problem, not theirs.

My disclaimer is this ::
I am not claiming that I never, ever judged others... Sure I have.
In the online world if I don't like what someone is doing or saying, if I can't relate then I just wouldn't
read anymore.
What I don't and wouldn't do, is attack someone I have never met with mean comments + judgments while hiding behind a
computer/phone or an online persona.

How about giving encouragement, kind words or praise instead?
And if not? How about just keeping our mouths shut + our judgements to ourselves?
I think it is hard enough being a women and a mom... judging each other and feeling judged
just makes it that much harder.
Right?

///////////

Well, there's me on my Soap Box today.
I could really go on and on and on if I let myself... I won't do that to you though.
I hope everyone has a great day.
I have an open day today, nothing going on at all....so I am planning to clean, purge and organize until the kids get home form school.
Messy, junky, un-organized hoarder's house...here I come!!!

Check ME Out

So- I couldn't even wait until Coffee on Tuesday to show off what I did here on this little blog of mine.
Go ahead. Look----------->
See those three sweet little social media icons over there?
See em'?
I DID THAT.
And they work.
Go ahead and go click on them, please. Seriously, do it.

I know, I know.
I shouldn't be this excited and proud, these are not new... thousands of people have figured this out before me... I know all of this.
But I am pretty technology-challenged so I am super excited about this....
And nope, I am not even trying to play it cool... not even a little bit.
Let's not even talk about how long it took me to figure this out, k?
{That would be super embarrassing}

This little step-by-step tutorial here is the only way I ever could have figured this mess out.
Seriously, it's all like a foreign language to me but she makes it way easier for people like me.

..............

Okay, so I'm gonna go stare at my sidebar for a little bit longer if you don't mind.
Damn, I'm good.
Happy Monday,  friends.

Blogging For Dummies

I am not even going to admit to you how long I have been trying to figure out this whole picture
size thing with Blogger.
It's an embarrassingly long time.
Ridiculously long.
Like I know most 8-year olds could have figured it out way before me.
Way.

I thought I had it all figured out for a while; I would write a post, add my pictures, which I had made
larger in Photobucket, then publish my post.
When I would "preview" my post on Blogger the pictures would be the nice big size I wanted but
once it was published, I guess blogger would automatically re-adjust my pictures back down to the smaller size.
Ughhhhh...so irritating.

But here is the part that really confused me; sometimes they would stay the nice, big size I wanted.
What the $#*% ?
You would not want to hear my mouth when I am trying to figure out this kind of stuff,
the technical part of blogging is NOT my thing, I love the creative side of it, but that is all.
It's not pretty.
But it is mostly in my head or mumbled under my breath, I am not cussing like a sailor in front of
the kids, I promise.


*I followed this little tutorial to go in and adjust my picture size in blogger.
I know there are other ways and easier ways but this works for me, no cussing involved.

But that was only problem #1.
You know it couldn't be that easy for me, right?
Right.
My next issue is when they are this bigger size they look blurry to me-or just not nearly as clear
as they are at the smaller size.
Ughhhh.
That's all the complaining on this topic for now though.

My first rose from one of my rose bushes.
Love, love, love my rose bushes.
We had beautiful rose bushes at our old house that had been there forever.
My two rose bushes at this house were both Mother's Day gifts from Eric and the kids.
I guess I am not a big fan of store-bought roses, but home-grown roses are a different story.

We did lots of work in the back yard last week.
Charlotte and Eric planted basil, tomatoes and radishes.
Charlotte did most of the planting and has been responsible for the watering and "checking on her
garden" every day since.
We made our little garden markers with these unpainted birds from Michael's; she painted them and then I hot-glued them onto popsicle sticks.

Last week I also finally found some affordable seat cushions for my patio chairs at Kohl's.
Here's the thing: Some of the ones I liked were $30 and up and I am not paying over $120 for seat cushions for outside. I fully admit to being cheap-thrifty, frugal...whatever you wanna call it.
This is Illinois- wind, rain, hail, tornadoes, you name it....and I am not going to remember to bring
them inside every night, so I am not spending a lot of money on them.
Also, the table sits under a huge maple tree which means bird poop will end up on them a lot
if the umbrella is not up.
I got these on sale plus I used my Kohl's card and a 30% coupon and got them for around $11 each.
Mmmmm hmmmm, proud of that bargain!

Do you see my little 70's-green canister set back there on the shelf?
I got them at a thrift store for $3.
I keep bubbles, gardening gloves, chalk, etc in them.

*********

Soon our little back yard will be fenced in and I cannot wait.
Can.not.wait.
You have no idea.
Privacy, total privacy. I need it.
Eric is doing it himself and he already did one section a while back, I am hoping it will be done in the next month or so.
I might have bribed promised him something in order to get him motivated to get it finished....
we won't talk about what that might have been though.
And yes, I really did just type that out loud...no shame to my game, I am so
ready for this fence to be finished.

This week I am going to figure out what else we can plant in a yard that gets very little sun.
Time to hit the gardening books and websites I guess.
Hope everyone had a great weekend.
Happy Sunday.

{Royal Mail}

The Thankful Project :: Day 6 (i'm a little behind)
Surprise Packages From Far-Away Friends

Saturday morning we got a surprise at our door.
Royal Mail from my sweet friend, Melissa.
Don't you love getting a package in the mail?
I do.
It just makes your whole day a little brighter...a little better.
And the packages?
They were beautifully wrapped in that effortless oh-so-cool Miss Sew & So style.

And she didn't forget about the kids.
They got chocolates, English money.
They were so excited when I read the little card and they realized there was something
in there for them, too.

The package was thoughtful and just perfect for me but you know what is even better?
Knowing that I have a friend thousands of miles away in another country...that I have never met.
That knows me.
But you know, the topic of virtual friends is on my list of things to be thankful for this month,
so more on that later because I think it is worthy of a post all it's own.
Friendship and chocolates and thoughtfulness and sweet cards all wrapped up in one little box...
I am one lucky girl.

This Week...

I've got plans for this week.

It's the last week of Summer Vacation.

There are things I want to do with the kids, a book I want to start reading and things I need

 to get done around here.

I've got big plans, I'm telling ya.

I have seen so many people doing the August Break thing and I thought about it for half a second
 but decided to just do a week of scheduled posts instead.

So you might feel like I am still here and I will be popping in, I'm not gonna even pretend that
 I am going to be completely unplugged,
but I will be around a whole lot less, which will be a good thing for me.

This might sound kind of of sad (because a. i obviously spend too much tome on the computer and

 b. i take way too many pictures) BUT I have probably about 8 blog posts just waiting to be published.

 Like completely done and ready to go.

I know a lot of people talk about having nothing to say, not wanting to force themselves to
blog, etc. and I am sure one day I will feel that way too...but really? I hardly ever do.
Not in nearly two years.

I mean, I might not feel like it for a day or two, so I don't blog, but that's it.

Is that weird?

I feel like I always have something to say and pictures to share. 

Don't get it twisted though, 

I don't think I have much of any real importance to share or say,
but I do have something to say I guess and I feel better when I do.

And on the days I don't feel like it then I just don't blog, simple as that.

But, there are definitely days where I am working on a post about a lovely day away with the kids and fun family time full of wonderful pictures... you know, a "life-is-so-grand" post but in reality I am feeling grouchy and stressed and feeling like a bad mom so I just can't fake it by putting a super-happy post right out there in that moment. So I don't. Which is another reason for the stored-up blog posts.

But this blog is for me.

It is my outlet....it is a creative outlet, a social outlet and therapy for me.

It's just for me, I am doing this for no other reason other than I like it.

And I like having something just for me.

I think we all need something just for us.

So this week I am focusing on other things.

Like knocking a couple last things off our Summer List, having cousins sleep-over, 

celebrating my birthday, working on a few little projects and trying to get some good sleep in there.

And by the way, I truly appreciate all of the advice/ideas on my post about my dreadful sleeping issues.
 I am trying no tv right before bed and as soon as I remember to pick it up, I am going to try melatonin and I am NOT giving up on getting up early in the morning to exercise. Not yet anyway.

My goal is to exercise 4 days this week, morning, noon or night, I'm going to do it.

I hope everyone has a great week!

There will be no Virtual Coffee this week but I will be back next Tuesday,

 August 23 bright and early for coffee. See ya then!

PS-- Sunflowers make me really happy.
PPS- Time to sign off so I can watch Eat, Pray, Love. 

Note To Self :: Wear Shoes

So, check out the email I got yesterday regarding a picture I recently posted on this blog
 and on Flickr. (Picture here in case you didn't see it the other day).

Hi,

Your feet are beautiful and amazing!!!!!! 
I have got to ask 3 things:

May I please have a picture of the soles of your bare feet?

Are your feet ticklish?

Would you ever complete a Tickling survey I would mail you?

Thanks

**********

Ummm...really? Wait. Really?

Sometimes it's easy to forget our blogs and pictures and all of it is.... just totally public,
completely out there for anyone and everyone to see.

I mean, obviously I know it's public but sometimes I kinda forget that there are other people reading, looking and lurking that I don't know. That might be freaks. More than those who comment,
 the friends I have met and the little faces I see over on the sidebar following me.

Anyone can be looking. I kind of try not to think about that sometimes.

Note to self, no more bare feet pictures. Wait-that'll be hard...less bare feet pictures then.

Yeah, definitely less.

Now excuse me, but I have some pictures to take of the soles of my feet and a survey to fill out.

 I should probably just send him my home address instead of having him email me the
survey though, huh?

Have a great day y'all...and cover up those feet!

{blanketed}

we woke up yesterday morning to snow. lots of snow.

i know i complain like all the time about the winter and this weather and i was MAD when i heard the forecast, i'm not even gonna lie.

but this snow was perfect.

huge flakes, the soft and fluffy kind. so pretty.

movie snow, if you will.

and it's already melted off of the roads, so there's nothing to complain about.

now that's what i'm talking about.

i love when you go to bed and wake up to everything blanketed in snow.

there's really nothing else like it.

wyatt came in our room, looked out our bedroom window and yelled; "owl!" and ran downstairs
as fast as he could to tell his daddy and get his binoculars.
well, it was actually a morning dove, all puffed up to keep warm, not an owl, but still pretty cool.
and there was about five of them right there in that one tree.
this picture is from our window-through a screen,  dirty glass and all.

the snow is all melted already.

just a little reminder that there are pretty little things even in the winter, or especially in the winter, depending how you look at it. and i realize that although this may not be my favorite season,
i would miss the changing seasons of we didn't have them.

*thanks for all the comments on my last post.
they really made me laugh and reminded me not to take myself too seriously.
and because of this person, several new people were sent over my way, which means new blogs for me to check out and people to meet. gotta love that.
this blogging world/thing is so funny. i realized i blogged about being sick of myself and
in that very same post there were three pictures of..... me.
hahaha.
guess i wasn't as sick of myself as i thought, huh?
hope everyone has a happy sunday!
we are on Bathroom Demolition: Day 2. eeeek. more to come later this week.

Just When You Think No One Is Looking.....

Most of the time I do forget that people may actually be reading this. Like if I want to,  I can talk about people I actually know in real life or discuss things that are personal to me but-wait-people that know me may actually be reading this for all I know. Oh yeah.....it's that whole public blogging thing. Although I don't need the feedback to continue blogging, sometimes it is nice to get it and it is very much appreciated. I especially like it when I talk about something that really hits a chord with someone else (music, favorite tv shows, embarrasing moments with children), no matter how small of a thing it may be. Over the past month a couple of my Flickr photos were showcased on a couple of different photography blogs. A picture of the kids was picture of the day for the One Word Project at Shutter Sisters, you can see it here and a photo of my favorite vintage ornaments is here. These were all a big deal to me because I read these blogs and look at these photos myself and admire the talented people that took them. My favorite though was a picture of Charlotte wearing a dress Eric's grandma made (over 60+ years ago) that was chosen as Picture Of The Day here at The Maternal Lens. Wow. Just when you think no one is looking. And if they aren't looking? Well, that's okay too, because I would still be taking these same pictures but a kind word or compliment can sometimes just make this stay-at-home-mom-trying-to-hold-it-all-together's day.