Happy, Happy Birthday to My Love!

Tomorrow is my hunny's birthday! I'm pretty excited for him to turn the big 2-3! Partially because I'm 6 months older than him, so I feel even older when I'm 23 and he's only 22...Haha.

So, a little sneak peak on his birthday present... let's see how selfish I am.

Alex's absolute favorite show is Supernatural. Who else is a fan? He's pretty much got our entire group of friends addicted to the show... even my mom! Last year for Christmas, I made sure that he received all of the seasons on DVD.

I'm pretty sure he knows that he is getting this. He keeps saying things like "If you got it for me, you should just give it to me now so we can watch it." It was so hard, but I've stuck it out and haven't told him that I got it for him! It was even harder when him and a friend were talking about splitting the cost of the Season 6 Dvd's.

I will say though, I do really want to watch it, because I only saw a handful of episodes last year.

I also bought him an orbit sander. I am kind of surprised he wanted one. He had never even mentioned one before I talked about refinishing that ladder I talked about in my Barnfest post.

I picked one of up for him today, and I will say it was partially because I will need it to do the ladder. We also need to refinish his desk at some point as well. But I figured this would be a good gift that I could pick out myself, because some of the other tools he wants I'm afraid of buying the wrong thing.

Has anyone tried this sander? It was between this one and a Black & Decker one. This one had the pressure sensor and the canister to collect dust.

I hope I did good!

Perfect October Saturday Night

I don't know about the rest of the country, but I think that in Northwest Ohio, October finally arrived. I ran into a friend from high school yesterday evening, and she was home visiting from North Carolina. She was telling me how it was 80 degrees there when she left! Up here, it was cold, dark, and windy. Perfect fall weather. :)

Anyways, last night, the wonderful Mr. Alex, a friend of mine by the name of Andrew, and I decided to make Apple Pie (the drink, not the food). I think this is becoming a yearly tradition for us, as this is the second year that Alex and I have made it. We also carved one of our pumpkins last night as well.

 I used one of those pumpkin carving kits from the store to make this one. I think it is officially the best pumpkin I have ever carved! (Even though it is hard to see anything but the carving in the picture. It just didn't look as good inside!) The hardest part about the process was that the tools were so tiny, that my hand was cramping up, especially when I was etching the template onto the pumpkin. We have one more pumpkin to carve, and I'm really hoping we can do the Grim Reaper design! Maybe I'll do a post about it in the future...

Anyways... Apple Pie.

If you don't know what Apple Pie is (and I'm surprised by the number of people who have had no clue what I was talking about!), it is a delicious, extremely alcoholic drink that's perfect for fall. There are a lot of variations on the recipe, so here is the one that we use:

Apple Pie

• 2 Gallons Apple Cider
• 1 Quart Apple Juice
• 2 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar
• 7 Sticks of Cinnamon
• 1 Liter of Everclear

1. Simmer the Apple Cider, Apple Juice, Brown Sugar, and Cinnamon Sticks for about an hour. When the cinnamon sticks uncurl, then the mixture is finished. Make sure to stir often to help the sugar to dissolve. 
2. Let the pot cool. This part may take awhile. 
3. Stir in the Everclear.
4. Pour into canning jars. This mixture makes quite a bit, so make sure to have plenty of jars! Ours filled about 10 4-oz jars and 10 1-quart jars. Pint sized jars are perfect, as well. We left the cinnamon sticks in some of the larger jars, it is up to you.
5. Let sit for at least 2 weeks, the longer the better. The longer the jars are able to sit, the more the flavors will meld together making the flavor of the Everclear disappear. 

**You can use other types of liquor for this, especially since Everclear is not available in most states (We have to drive to Indiana to buy ours). Regular vodka would work, and a spiced rum would also taste delicious. 

 

Happy October!!

Ladder Decor

If you remember, I picked up a ladder when I went to Barnfest a couple weeks ago. I knew I had been wanting a ladder, but I had no idea what for. I was thinking something along the lines of using it in our future living room to hold blankets on (I am a blanket whore), or in the bathroom to hang decorative towels on.

Here are some pictures I found on Google to inspire me in my future ladder decorating ventures. Which one is your favorite?

Also, the one I got is covered in layers of paint that have mostly chipped off. So I'm trying to decide if I want to keep it as is, or if I want to repaint or stain it. Hmm....

15% Off + Free Shipping at Shabby Apple

Hey there everyone!

I just wanted to let you know about an exciting sale going on at Shabby Apple. Shabby Apple is an online boutique that I recently discovered, and they have some of the cutest clothes! They offer women's, maternity, and children's clothing!

To celebrate their new back-to-school line "Academia", they are offering 15% off their entire website + free shipping on standard domestic orders. Very exciting!

Their new line features feminine collegiate styles. Here is just a preview of what Academia offers, so make sure to check out their website for all of their styles plus some of their other lines.

Extra Credit; $82

Dorm Room Blouse; $38

Scholar Skirt; $48

To take advantage of their 15% off offer, use codeword "Ivy" during checkout! Remember: This offer is available for purchases on their entire website, not just the Academia line!

Barnfest

One of my favorite events held in my community this afternoon. Every year, we have an event call Barnfest/Fall Fest. Its basically a large craft show, to say the least. But the atmosphere of this event is great. I wish I would have taken some pictures. All of the volunteers dress very traditionally, in long dresses. Outside of the event, you can order homemade food. Every year, they sample a different soup, which they actually cook outside of in a very large kettle. This year was vegetable soup, and it was DELICIOUS!

Inside, there are a number of different vendors displaying their crafts. I picked up a few different purchases, which I'm super excited about! My first purchase was a 90 yard ball of alpaca/llama wool yarn, which is dyed brown and pink. I think I'm going to make a beautiful scarf out of it. My second purchase was a Corion cutting board. And then my third purchase was a ladder that, once we buy a house, I'll either use in the living to hang blankets on or in the bathroom for towels.

My #1 rule when walking around Barnfest is:

If I Can Make It Myself, Then I Won't I'm Not Allowed To Buy It

 I have some great inspiration now for some awesome projects! Oh, and there was a vendor selling Redneck Wineglasses. I make those! I'll have to do a tutorial on that particular project, because they are so super easy. Does anyone know the best glue to bond glass to glass? That's what I'm still trying to figure out.

There were two vendors selling one of my favorite creations! The one lady referred to them as Slub Wine Bottles, although when I tried to search for it to find y'all a picture, I didn't find what I was looking for. 

They are simply wine bottles that have been melted in a kiln. The reaction of each bottle is slightly different. They usually used as serving trays for cheese, but they have other uses as well. The best part is that my grandmother has a small kiln, so I'm thinking I can make these! I'm pretty excited. :)

My second favorite project was the lighted bottles that we found. 

They are simply empty bottles with a hole drilled through the back and Christmas lights stuffed inside the bottle. Some of the bottles we saw had a transparent paint, which was a super cool effect, and others were decorative liquor bottles. I'm really excited to make some of these as well, because I think they would look really neat, and give a nice effect in the evenings when you don't want the house all lit up.

One of the biggest projects being sold were fall wreaths. One of my favorites was decorated in black and white! I can't wait to make some wreaths. 

 Another project that you see all over the place were painted blocks of wood with cute quotes stenciled on. I bought one of these last year, and it looks really cute sitting on a table. A project like this would be really easy.

Maybe someday, I'll have enough projects to have my own stand at Barnfest!!

**please note that the pictures on this post were found via Google Images and were not taken by me at Barnfest.

Barn Wedding = Fabulous!

So, since I haven't been blogging recently, I haven't been able to tell you that me and my wonderful boyfriend are looking for a house. There is is this beautiful brick farm house that I am absolutely in love with. ... I'll get back to this in a minute.

I was on Facebook last night, and the clothing website Ruche had an article on their blog, something about barn weddings and a lightbulb went off .... FABULOUS! (And no, this is not an announcement that I'm getting married).

This old barn house that I really Really REALLY want us to buy has a barn! And its not one of those barns that are falling over either. I really wanted to get a cow, but I think it will have to wait until I can have a wedding reception in my barn. 

Here are some pictures I found on Google that can show you exactly what I'm talking about...

And the picture that started it all, straight from Ruche's blog...

 

A Blogging Community Happiness Project

So, I'm reading this new book called The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, and I'm really liking it so far (considering I've only read the first two chapters).

It's really kind of inspiring to read. Especially because... Who wouldn't benefit from being happier? This book isn't really designed for those who are depressed and entirely unhappy with their lives... its meant for those that have a lot to be greatful for, but could achieve so much more because they are just running through the motions of everything.

I think that in today's society, we're just so overloaded with all that we have going on in our lives, that its hard to really stop and appreciate everything. Our health is proof of that matter. How many people now-a-days have adrenal fatigue because their bodies are just exhausted from all the stress.

So here's what I propose...

A Blogging Community Happiness Project

How many of you would be interested in something like that? 

The author, Gretchen Rubin, came up with 12 resolutions (one for each month) that she felt would result in her being happier. We can do the same, and then every week, link up, and just talk about what we have done to achieve our goals. 

Each of our resolutions would be different. One of Gretchen's includes how to improve her life with her kids/family. I don't have kids yet, so that obviously wouldn't be one of mine. One of her's includes, her relationship with her husband, but not all of us have significant others. 

So basically, we come up with 12 resolutions, and then check in every week to talk about how our lives are improving and what we've done specifically to achieve our goals. This would give us advice for ourselves in our own goals, and offer some encouragement (although we shouldn't need encouragement for others!)

So how many of you would be interested in doing something like this? I haven't established my 12 resolutions yet, but I'm going to soon!

Teenage Years: Perfect Skin, Perfect Hair, and Perfect Body. Young 20s: Thin Hair, Acne, and Obesity. Does anyone else see a problem here?

I've been doing some thinking lately. And I really hate what the universe has done to me. During those awkward years, I was really actually blessed. I never really had a problem with acne, I had pretty long blonde hair, and a tiny little figure. Once I turned 20 years old, whatever higher powers there may be must have decided "You were too blessed, We're going to screw with you". And I'm really unhappy with this.

A few of the articles I have read have said that depression is a symptom of of PCOS. I think its only a symptom because of the evil things that are happening to the bodies of women who have this disease. Think about it. We no longer have a womanly figure, we have hair in places that hair has no business growing on a women, our faces have more bumps than the Rocky Mountains, among other things. The only benefit is the fact that we hardly ever have a period, and that's only a benefit until we decide we want to have children... then we're screwed there too.

I'm really praying to God that I will get some concrete solutions after I go to the doctor in a couple weeks. I don't know how much longer I can keep going on with this disease. I don't think I will ever be able to accept my body the way it is, especially when in the back of my mind, I keep telling myself that it is a result for my love of bread and pasta. And buying my clothes is just getting too hard. I would almost rather join a nudist colony.

A little update about my life

You all are probably wondering what has been going on in my life lately. Let me begin...

Before I took the break from blogging, you all know I was on the search for a new job. Well, my job had gotten to the point where it was unbearable. Thankfully... I was offered a position at a local jewelry store with a very high reputation in April. It couldn't have come at a better time, because I was seriously to the point where I just couldn't stand to go to work anymore. Its pretty sad to be put under that sort of pressure for the simple reason that your boss is a horrible person. That's all it was, and I'm not ashamed to say it. // So far, I really enjoy my job at the jewelry store. It makes it hard because I know that I need to move on and get a big girl job, but at least I can stand to go to work on a daily basis. And I'm getting paid more, and am able to work full-time and usually some overtime. It helps out A LOT.

So speaking of that big girl job, I graduated with my Associate's in Applied Business Management: Human Resources Management in May. When I chose HR as my major, never did I realize how hard it would be to get a job in the field! In order to get a job as an HR Assistant in my area, I don't even have the experience. Its hard to imagine that, because everyone needs to start somewhere! But then as just another little update, I'm going to start working on my Bachelor's in Accounting this fall. I still want a job in HR, but I'm really hoping this will help.

Alex & I at my Graduation.

I've moved a couple times since before. I have moved in with my infamous boyfriend Alex (I'm sure if you read my blog, you know who he is) and his family. I thank God that they allow me to stay with them until Alex and I can get on our feet. We've started to passively look at houses. The realtor called me today to let me know that she doesn't really have what we're looking for right now, unless we want to pay an arm and a leg (which we obviously cannot afford), but she'll keep an eye out. I've never bought a house before or have been around that process. Does anyone have any information they can provide?

 Oh, and I don't think I ever mentioned that we have a puppy! A pain in the butt, little lab-border collie mix. Hehe.

And last but not least... my health problems. I went to my family doctor a few weeks ago, and we both agreed that something is not right with my body. So, I went to do the pelvic ultrasound, and they found numerous cysts on both of my ovaries. I still need to go get the blood work, because its a matter of getting myself out of bed early, so I can go before work... But I've been unofficially diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I go to an OB doctor August 2nd to discuss this some more. I'm kind of hoping the OB doctor will end up forwarding me onto an Endocrinologist. I guess we'll see how it goes.

...I'm back!!

:)

It’s freakin’ friday; no. 10

 

Whoo-hoo! Last week was our biggest week yet with 61 blogs participating! That’s awesome, guys! I want to sincerely thank each and everyone of you for supporting my blog & this blog hop and I really hope for your continued participation!!

 

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This week’s featured blog is Our Life In A Click. Over there, you will be sure to find a tonnnnn of photographs, and they are awesome! My favorite part is that she also has tutorials and the pictures are so good, that she doesn’t really need that much description on what to do! Don’t forget to swing by!!

 

You must follow my blog in order to join the blog hop. It's like going to someone's house and eating their food, but you're not even friends with them! So please, follow me via GFC, when putting your link in the blog hop.

Provide the link to your main blog site. One of these days, I'll do a blog hop for more specific sorts of posts, but this one is a general blog hop for meeting new people around the blogging community.

You must put my blog hop button somewhere on your blog. If you're new to this, most people people put theirs in a specific post, but you can put it somewhere else if that's where you keep your blog hop buttons. It just has to be somewhere.

And if I feature a blog, please follow that blog as well. Its kind of like a giveaway by joining, and then reward is being featured. So this last one is not required, but its definitely greatly appreciated.

 

On a completely different note…

This is probably the coolest thing I have ever seen, and I totally want to recreate this!

30 day shred; day 2

Hey everyone! I just wanted to talk about 30 Day Shred a little more. There were some thing I wanted to discuss before, that I completely forgot about…And I wanted to discuss my progress just a little more.

Okay… so if you go back and review my post from Day 1, I went on-and-on about how amazingly hard it was. I would just like to say that today was much easier! I was pretty scared because it was so hard the first day, but I got onto Sparkpeople.com and read some reviews that real people posted. A lot of them said that they couldn’t get through the first day either, but by Day 4 or 5, they had no issue getting through. Whew! I feel much better now.

I will agree that Day 2 was even much easier, considering the fact that I’m still sore from Tuesday. I’ll probably be even more sore now, but that’s okay because that means I know it’s working. I can’t wait to see my progress once my muscles aren’t sore anymore! Maybe I’ll even move up to 5lb. weights in a week or so.

Okay, so some of the things I want to further discuss about the video.

There’s one spot that absolutely pisses me off. During the lunges, Jillian is going over the modified version, and if you look into the background and check out the chick doing the advanced version, she’s taking a break! She’s still living the weights, but she quits doing the lunges! Jillian goes on and on during the video about not taking any breaks, and then I see that. It’s just aggravating.

With that being said, I once again like the rest of the video.

Some of the reviews I’ve read, complain about Jillian not doing all of the exercises. This is my response to that. I don’t mind it because she’s with the two in the back explaining there moves. How many times have you watched a workout dvd and you’re just supposed to figure out how to copy the modified motions? She also takes a couple moments to demonstrate how not to do the exercise, which I find is also very helpful.

Okay… so I’m done talking now. If you’re looking for something to help  you get in shape, I’m hoping these reviews are helping and I definitely recommend that you go out and pick up this DVD. Its only about $5-$10 depending on where you get it. I picked mine up for $9 at Wal-Mart.

Now I’m going to sink in this chair, and never get up because my calf muscles are in a huge knot! Okay, just kidding… I’m going to try a warm shower and some muscle lotion… But I hope you all have a good day!

Apple & peach oatmeal

I was inspired by all the oatmeal circulating in the media lately. McDonald’s now offers their fruit & maple syrup oatmeal. I’ve seen lots of fruity oatmeal recipes in blogland. I’m watching The Martha Stewart show right now, and they’re talking about how you should eat oatmeal every morning to save your heart. Lots of oatmeal.

I went to the snow yesterday, before we got the worst of this stinkin’ blizzard, and purchased some of the necessary ingredients.

• 3/4 Cup Water
• 3/4 Cup Milk
• 3/4 Cup Oatmeal
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• Desired amount of maple syrup
• 1/4 Apple, chopped
• 1/4 Peach, chopped (I used frozen peaches, so I just took 2 slices and chopped those)
• Dash of salt
• Cinnamon, if desired

1.  Heat the water, milk, and salt to boiling.

2.  Add your oatmeal, and reduce heat to medium. Let sit, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and add all of your other ingredients. The heat of the oatmeal will soften your fruit.

4. Move to bowl and top with cinnamon.

5. Enjoy!

Look at that picture… I put on a little too much cinnamon. It was okay though! It was still delicious!

Now, I made my own brown sugar for this, because I was out. You can do this by putting granulated sugar in a bowl with a small amount of molasses, and mix with a fork. One website I found said about 1 teaspoon for 1 cup of sugar.

Oatmeal is a very healthy breakfast, but when I plugged this into Recipe Analyzer, it was kind of high in calories. Now, I like my oatmeal pretty sweet, so I couldn’t imagine taking out the brown sugar or maple syrup… but that’s an option if you’re looking to reduce calories. Also, make your oatmeal with 1-1/2 cups water instead of splitting the liquid into water and milk.

Southern banana pudding

What better thing to do on a snow day than make banana pudding, right? (I still need to make banana pancakes! I’m thinking breakfast!!) I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, especially because it was the first time I had ever made it. I used this website for guidance on this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk, 2% or higher
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2-3 large bananas
• desired amount of vanilla wafers

1.  Spray a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2.  In a medium sauce pan, whisk together milk, sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg, and egg yolk. Once well combined, set burner to medium. Heat, stirring slowly, until thick and bubbly.

3.  Remove pan from heat and add the butter and vanilla extract. Whisk until completely melted. Pour into a separate bowl and cover with plastic wrap to cool slightly.

4. In your casserole bowl, place a layer of sliced bananas and vanilla wafers. I crushed the vanilla wafers in my hands so there was crumbs and some larger chunks. Slice your bananas to their desired thickness. (don’t mine my casserole dish. It’s not dirty, its old and stained…)

5. Pour about half of your pudding mixture over the bananas, then lay down another wafer/banana layer topped with a second layer of pudding. Top with whipped cream if desired. Cover and refrigerate for about 4-5 hours.

6. ENJOY!!!

Looky at what I found yesterday!

I found the 30 Day Shred dvd that I wanted! Yay! And I just finished day 1. OMG! For being a 20 minute workout, it is tough! & I am definitely out of shape. More than I even thought. I haven’t watched The Biggest Loser, but if that’s how she works them, then I am surprised they don’t have heart attacks on the show! I stopped at one point because I was getting a tad dizzy. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t do it because it’ll make you pass out. I’m saying do what you feel comfortable with but it will definitely be a challenge.

Okay, so if you now nothing about this DVD… It’s about 20 minutes long, and split into 3 circuits consisting of 3 minutes strength training, 2 minutes cardio, and 1 minute of abs. You will need a set of weights, that are appropriate strength. You might even want to have a couple sets. I purchased a set of 3lb weights, but for one or two of the exercises, 1lb weights would have been ideal. It’s also set up into three levels. If you’re in decent shape,  you should probably go through the levels the way they are intended for 30 days… 10 days each. If you’re like me, you’ll want to just move on when you feel comfortable. They even have a lot of the exercises broken down into modified and challenging…. so I’ll do the modified exercises first…

PROS: I like that this workout contains classic exercises… jumping jacks, push-ups, crunches. It seems like a lot of workout dvd’s these days have all sorts of different moves that leave you think “WTF am I doing?! Does this even work?”. I also like that it is so challenging, so you feel like you’re getting a great workout. I was sweating, my muscles still feel weak (even though I finished about 15 minutes ago), and my heart rate was raised. Even after finishing this program, this dvd will still be useful when you’re short on time.

CONS: This is very challenging. I almost wish it had a level 0 for those of use who are extremely out of shape!

My super, amazing goodwill find

Since I’ve started blogging (and more importantly, reading all of your blogs), I have gained a new appreciation for thrifting and reusing. I like to cook (although, a few years ago, I was HORRIBLE), and I can already crochet/knit. I’m currently in the middle of a few projects, most of which are crochet projects. Eventually, I’ll have a pair of fingerless mittens to show you, and I want to show you the scarf I’m currently working on. In the near future, I plan on making an infinity scarf and a slouchy style hat. I’ve also made a can koozie, so I would really like to make another, so I can post the tutorial on here. Awhile back, on The Weekender, I featured some Book Boxes from another blog, and I’m currently working on one for myself. Lots of neat stuff coming up.

But, back to my original point (I do that a lot. You know, get off topic…)

On my last trip to Goodwill, I purchased the book for my book box (A Mother Teresa biography, I think. The title isn’t in English…) And an amazing set of dishes. I HATE current set. They’re just clear glass, nothing exciting. But this set was HUGE and has some personality! I bought 6 of each (except the cups and saucers, which I only bought 4 of because I know I won’t use those often) and paid a little more than $20. AWESOME!

Be jealous… be very jealous…

Don’t mind the price sticker still in the bowl. But do these look familiar to anyone? They’re stamped on the bottom, but its super faded, so I have no clue where they originally came from.

Music madness; no. 9

I’ve been on a music downloading frenzy lately. So, that means I have plenty to show you! Way back when, the last song that I posted was The Big Pink’s “A Brief History of Love”. Did you listen to some of their other songs? A truly amazing band! I <3 them. Anyways… going on my tradition to mix things up (because I would probably give you the same band every week! Haha.) I needed to find a song where the artist/title was somewhat related to the last one. This week, I would like to present to you “Big Bills” by Flosstradamus feat. Caroline Polachek.

OH! & I just wanted to let you know… We have a TON of bananas that are too ripe to look appealing for the breakfast bar in the hotel that I work at. I’m going to take a few of them home, and make some super yummy delicious food with them. Expect a bunch of banana recipes in the near future. I think I’m craving some banana pancakes tonight for dinner. ;) (Yes, I know… breakfast for dinner… but that’s what happens when you wake up at 5am!)

What a douche-er! (me, not ms. Jillian)

I went to Wal-Mart today with every intention to purchase Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. What kind of crap is it that Wal-Mart had the $20 kit that you’re recommended to buy with it, but not the dvd itself (and the dvd is not included in the kit). Maybe your Wal-Mart has it, but mine definitely doesn’t.

Anyways, I ended picking up Banish Fat Boost Metabolism. I still want to get the 30 day Shred, because its much better for beginners, but still super challenging. Shred is a 20 minute workout compared to BFBM’s 40 minute workout. I’m going to try the Wal-Mart in the town that I work in, and see if they have it.

Anyways, back to the funny little point I was trying to make by this post…

I’m standing in line with my workout dvd and kept thinking “Mmmm… Twix bar. I must buy you!” Haha! Then it finally hit me, “duh! Candy bars are part of the reason I’m in this predicament!” Silly me.

Anyways, I’ll keep you updated on my workout ventures. Has anyone else tried this? Or 30 Day Shred? I’m definitely planning on getting Skinny Diva up this week and I’ll put all my beginning measurements and what not. But anyways, I would love to have your input if you’ve tried this!

Sunday inspirations; no. 7

I decided to go ahead and do a Sunday Inspirations post. I FINALLY got caught up on reading through all of everyone’s posts on Google Reader…. It only took me about 3 days!

Anyways, today, I decided to go ahead and do this post on crochet inspired clothing..

Convertible Crochet Halter from Free People

 

 

Sweetshrub Blouse at Spool No. 72

 

 

Crocheted Short Sleeve Cardigan from American Eagle

 

 

Batwing Crochet Knit Dress by Candie's at Kohl's

 

 

Island Gypsy Bikini from Lucky Brand at South Moon Under

 

 

Double Layer Crochet Oblong Scarf from Pins and Needles at Urban Outfitters

 

 

Snowflake Sweater Bracelet from Anthropologie

 

 

3x5 Crochet Top Rug at Urban Outfitters

It’s freakin’ friday; no. 9

Real quick, before we get started with the blog hop stuff… I just wanted to give you a little update on my life. If you haven’t noticed, I haven’t blogged in a week. Last friday morning, I asked for everyone to pray because my grandfather had a heart attack. Unfortunately, less than 2 days later, and after a roller coaster of “we’ve got hope” & “there’s no hope”, he passed away at only 64 years old. This has devastated our family, because he was our rock. He was there for me, while my dad lived in another state. He took me to the Father/Daughter dance when I was young, and took me to catch my first fish. And even worse, my poor grandma is heart broken. They were high school sweethearts, together since they were 15… they 46th wedding anniversary was this upcoming April. So, I’m slowly going to begin blogging again, but I’m emotionally, physically, and mentally drained.

 

Also, I just wanted to make a note…

I try my hardest to individually comment and follow everyone new that links up to It’s Freakin’ Friday. The past couple weeks, due to various reasons, I just have not felt up to going through each individual blog. I apologize for this. So for all of you that stop by and link up, I will at least follow your blog, even if I don’t get a chance to leave you a comment. & If for some reason, I’ve missed your blog, just let me know.

 

Okay… now it’s Freakin’ Friday time…

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This week’s featured blog is All is Bright, and let me tell you, I am absolutely in love with her blog. It is a super cute blog about a little bit of everything, especially her family. Make sure to swing by and follow her!!

 

You must follow my blog in order to join the blog hop. It's like going to someone's house and eating their food, but you're not even friends with them! So please, follow me via GFC, when putting your link in the blog hop.

Provide the link to your main blog site. One of these days, I'll do a blog hop for more specific sorts of posts, but this one is a general blog hop for meeting new people around the blogging community.

You must put my blog hop button somewhere on your blog. If you're new to this, most people people put theirs in a specific post, but you can put it somewhere else if that's where you keep your blog hop buttons. It just has to be somewhere.

And if I feature a blog, please follow that blog as well. Its kind of like a giveaway by joining, and then reward is being featured. So this last one is not required, but its definitely greatly appreciated.