weekend festivities {sprouts & yard sales}

This weekend was busy and slow all at the same time.  Full of go, go, go... and forcing myself to slow, slow, slow.  A push/pull effect that I am very much accustomed to.  I start my new job today... so I did what any normal sane person would do the weekend before they start a new schedule and lifestyle... I had a yard sale.  A flippin' yard sale.  Seriously not sure what is wrong with me sometimes.  But never-the-less... it's over, I made some money (yay adoption savings!), I got rid of a bunch of crap, and it was successful enough that I will probably forget how much I hate yard sales and will do it all over again in a year.

Anyhow... back to the weekend festivities...

Kicked things off with Sonic on Thursday.  There's just something about Sonic and warm weather... they just go together, no?

We celebrated my friend Meagan's birthday at PF Chang's... which resulted in delicious weekend leftovers, thankyouverymuch.

And this was what Saturday looked like.  Yard salin' it up.  The yard sale started at 8:00am... I had people waiting on me at 7:15... crazy early birds.

And while I was doing the above, Lance was in Atlanta doing this...  Yeah.  To Lance's credit though, he helped me move every.single.thing before he left.  (Go Cards!!!)

Sunday was awesome.  I got to have a quick lunch with my old college roomie, Christy, and her beautiful family.  This was my first time meeting sweet little Phia... and let me just tell you, she is an absolute doll... Auntie Julia will definitely be visiting Wisconsin to take her shopping and give Phia her first sips of Dr. Pepper... her mama is so excited;)  

Little Cat helped me get my work week wardrobe together... well... actually he just got cat hair all over everything... but whatever.

Lance has planted several seeds this year... mostly beans and tomatoes.  And yesterday, our first little sprouts started making their appearance.  It's so crazy to me to watch this literally happen overnight.

And that was my weekend in a nutshell... how about yours?  Are you watching the game tonight??  GO LOUISVILLE CARDINALS!!   

thankful thursday {link up}

{Link up your own Thankful Thursday post below...}

This Thursday I am thankful for...

1) Supper club.  This past weekend we hosted our monthly supper club with a tasty low country boil.  We did shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn, and scallops.  It was great... Lance always pulls off an awesome low country.  But as always, my favorite part was the company:)

2) Duck burgers.  Is it sad how many of my Thankful Thursday items are food-related?  What can I say?  I like good food.  Lance's younger brother and his wife were in town visiting the past few days and we were able to try out a new restaurant in Louisville called Game.  So, so yummy.  They feature all kinds of wild game burgers (think Elk, Duck, Lamb, Kangaroo, etc...)  Crazy stuff, but crazy good.

3) Fresh flowers.  It's amazing how many smiles a vase of fresh flowers will bring.  I bought some yellow tulips over the weekend and they simply brighten up the whole house.  So cheery!

What are you thankful for this week? Grab the Thankful Thursday button from the right sidebar and link up your own post below. Be sure to visit the other Thankful Thursday participants and share the love!!

Also linking up with:

The Fontenot Four

embracing april {monthly goals}

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Retrying // last month's goals.

As you read yesterday, I didn't do so great with my March goals... so I'm deeming April a re-do month.  I'm not going to get all technical with my re-do rules... but I'm wanting to keep my focus on writing some letters and finishing my photography website.  Both are important to me and I'm hoping to find time for a little penmanship and web designing in April:)

Researching // adoption grants & fundraising.

We have (for the most part) made it through the home study process of our adoption... which now means we can start investigating adoption grants, loans, and fundraising options.  From what I can tell there are many organizations and foundations out there that have made it their sole purpose to assist families with the financial aspect of adoption... the only hard part??  You have to find them... oh- and get approved.  Which means more paperwork and more waiting.  We already have a list started, but can't technically apply until we have our finalized home study in hand.  If you have any suggestions on organizations that help with adoption assistance, I would love, love, love to hear about them.

Restoring // order & routine.

I start a new job next week.  Confession: this totally freaks me out a little.  With a new job comes new hours... new co-workers... new commute... new software... just all around new everything.  I'm a little bit anxious about all the newness.  I don't always welcome change well.  And while yes, I'm a little freaked out... I'm also excited.  I'm excited about the newness.  I'm excited about a little order and routine in my life.  I'm praying that I will transition well and that my body won't completely hate me when I start waking up at 6:00am again.

Remembering // to embrace.

This goal kind of goes along with the above mentioned goal.  Our life has been anything but routine lately... and I have realized (once again) that I do not handle chaos and uncertainty well... at.all.  This month I want to remember my "one little word" that I chose at the beginning of the year... embrace. There's a reason why I chose that word.  Because I know myself all too well.  When life gets a little frazzled my tendency is to protect... not embrace.  My walls go up all too quickly... and instead of embracing life... I'm missing it.  I want to change that this month... I want to create a habit of embracing life's little moments... all of them.

What about you?  What are you focusing on this month?

In case you're interested... January goals here... February goals here... March goals here...

march goal recap

Hmmm...  sooooo yeah... we can go ahead and classify this month as an epic fail in regards to my monthly goals.  Okay, okay... maybe not epic... but I'm definitely more on the fail side than the success side... and that's alright... because these are my goals and I can fail them however I want... so there.  I kind of did just a little bit of all of them... and a little bit is better than none at all, right?

Making over // the website.

I have started this one... just haven't gotten very far.  I love squarespace and will definitely be using them, I just need to make a final decision on my template (I'm not sold on the one above just yet) and I have quite a bit of tweaking to do. 

Mailing more // letters.

I have a list of a handful of people I've been wanting to write sitting on my desk... but that's about as far as I've gotten.  Unless you count birthday packages and adoption paperwork, not much else has made it out the door with a stamp on it lately.  This goal might very well be making a reappearance in April... just sayin'.

Minimizing all // our paper clutter.

I did a tiny-little-bit on this goal back in the very beginning of March... but the amount of paper clutter that exists in our house is absolutely ridiculous.  I feel like I have a plan in my head... I just need to tackle it.  I'm really wanting to do a big office-clean-out in the coming weeks, and I'm hoping paper clutter will be included.

Meditating on // the Psalms.

Okay... so this one wasn't a major fail... but I'm definitely still learning the importance of protecting my time in the Word.  If I don't protect this time and treat it like a priority, it simply will not happen.  Psalm 6 and Psalm 63 have been some favorites of mine this month.

So, there you have it... not my finest... but there's always next month:)

happy easter!

{image source}

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said! Come and see the place where he lay."

     -Matthew 28:6

thankful thursday {link up}

{Link up your own Thankful Thursday post below...}

This Thursday I am thankful for...

1) Completed projects.  I've been trying to finish up a few random projects over the past few days.  Slowly but surely, I'm making a dent in my pile.  (It's a big pile, people.)

2) Chickens.  I'll admit, I wasn't crazy about this whole chicken idea at first... but they're growing on me.  I'm trying to psyche myself up for the egg-stravaganza that is about to happen this summer... scrambled eggs, over easy, sunny side up, hardboiled, pickled, quiches, omelets... the possibilities are endless.

3) Truth.  I spent this past weekend in Cincinnati for a women's retreat with our church... and it was so good to just soak up Truth and be encouraged in God's word.  

What are you thankful for this week? Grab the Thankful Thursday button from the right sidebar and link up your own post below. Be sure to visit the other Thankful Thursday participants and share the love!!

Also linking up with:

The Fontenot Four

top 10 :: easter ideas

With Easter right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to do a little top ten post showcasing some favorite Easter ideas.  I think half of my list is egg-related... but who doesn't love a good egg project?  There are a few other fun ideas that made the cut as well.  As always, thanks to Pinterest for tons of fabulous inspiration.  Who knows... maybe I'll actually try a project of my own in the coming days?  Here are some of my favorites...

 1) gold leaf eggs

by she knows

2) egg decorating party

by design sponge

3) simple modern eggs 

by see jane blog

 4) moss spring banner

by a diamond in the stuff

5) easter table setting 

by our vintage home love

6) spring floral wreath

by un fiore di crila

7) moss bowl 

by migonis home

8) tie dye eggs

by housing a forest

9) spring flower arrangement

by mod vintage life

10) stamped eggs

by love grows wild

Now... if only the weather would cooperate and it would stop snowing and sleeting here... that would be great.  What about you?  Have you tried any new Easter/Spring projects lately?  Will you be dying eggs this year?  Dong anything special with them?  I'd love to hear...

Linking up with...
Michelle at The Vintage Apple
Angie at Many Little Blessings

the liebster eleven

Several weeks ago, the lovely Marcela of Tu Casa Blog presented me with the Liebster Award.  And although I was extremely honored and flattered, I couldn't help wonder "what the heck is a liebster?!?"

Apparently liebster means "dearest" in German... and from what I can tell, the origins of this award started back in 2010 by some German blogger... so I guess that would make sense.  Ideally, this is an award for the "little guys" ...bloggers with less than 200 followers.  And while I have a few more than 300 followers, Marcela was kind enough to nominate me anyways... which I haven't decided if that is because she a) genuinely likes my blog despite the rules... b) ran out of other blogs to nominate... or c) thinks I should probably really only have 200 followers and is trying to figure out where the other 100 people came from...  I'm going to go with (a).  Besides... with all of the rumors about Google Friend Connect disappearing from the Blogosphere, it's hard to be all particular about followers and such.

And because no blog award is without rules and stipulations... the Liebster Award comes with a few of it's own.  If you are nominated for the Liebster Award, you'll need to do the following...

Rule #1... Post 11 random facts about yourself.
Rule #2... Answer the 11 questions that the nominating blogger asked.
Rule #3... Create 11 new questions for the bloggers you intend to nominate.
Rule #4... Select 11 new bloggers (with less than 200 followers) to nominate for the award.
Rule #5... Visit their blog and let them know 11 times... just kidding... just let them know you gave them an award.

I have no idea what the deal is with the number 11 here... I mean, why not just 10??  But hey, I don't make the rules... I just follow them... well, kind of.  I'm skipping rule #1, because I mean, really... I don't want to bore you to tears.  (I only made it to random fact number 3 before I was bored myself).  Anyhow... let's get on with it shall we?


my answers to the 11 questions Marcela asked...

1) What motivated you to create your blog?
I created Black Tag Diaries a little over 4 years ago.  I thought blogging would be a fun way to document my craft projects and little life stories.  Many of my friends and family live out-of-state and the blog has proved to be a fun way for them to keep up with our life here in Louisville.

2) What's your favorite food?
Hmmm, tough call... chicken 'n' dumplings, maybe?  Or pretty much any kind of southern food... hmmm, or breakfast food... or ice cream...

3) If you had to pick a different country to live in, which one would it be?
I'm going to go with New Zealand... North or South island... I'm not picky.

4) Do you speak a second language?  Which one?
Nope.  Unless, "Hola, coma estas?" counts?

5) How long do you spend on the web looking at other blogs?
Probably 30 minutes to an hour... I have a few favorites that I make sure to check out daily.

6) What's the best advice you've got to grow your blog?
I try my best to actually comment on the blogs that I take time to read.  One of my favorite parts of blogging are the connections you make with other bloggers all over the world.

7) What's your favorite home decor magazine?
Country Living.

8) If you had a magic wand to change anything, what would it be?
I would make ice cream healthy.

9) What's your least favorite task at home?
Doing dishes... especially since we don't have a dishwasher.

10) What's your go-to outfit?
The layered roll-up look.

11) High heels or flats?
Flats.


my 11 questions for you...

1) What's your all-time favorite movie?

2) Mints or gum?

3) What types of blogs do you gravitate towards? (home decor, crafting, cooking, literature, style & fashion... etc??)

4) As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

5) How do you drink your tea?

6) What U.S. city is on your "must visit" list?

7) What do you never leave home without (besides your cell phone)?

8) What's your go-to ice cream flavor?

9) Beach or mountains? 

10) What was your favorite childhood toy?

11) What's the strangest thing in your purse right now?



the 11 blogs I'm nominating...

1) Jaimie @ Living in the Light
Jaimie is one of my favorite bloggy friends and just recently hit 100 followers... be sure to congratulate her!!

2) Hillary @ Homegrown in KY
My good friend Hillary just recently started blogging about her life and adventures as the wife of a med student... and they recently found out where they will be doing their upcoming residency... Greenville, SC!!

3) Chrystina @ Chrystina Noel
I always love reading up on Chrystina's blog... she was responsible for inspiring my "Christmas in July" party this past year :)  Brilliant.

4) Flossie @ Life on Flossie's Farm
A fellow Kentuckian... and another one of my favorite bloggy reads.  I always love her "cuppa joe" posts... honestly, it's like I am sitting across the table from her in a cozy coffee shop.

5) Angie @ Life of a Housewife
Angie is the most committed blogger I know... she is so diligent about her daily posts and she's even started doing daily pictures.  So consistent, I tell ya.

6) Christiana @ My Sixth Lens
Love, love, love checking out Christiana's daily outfits on instagram.  She is a gorgeous godly woman... with incredible fashion sense to boot:)

7) Ashlee @ The Kitchen is not my Office
This is a newer blog for me... and is definitely becoming one of my favorites.  Ashlee and her husband have 5 beautiful children, 2 of which are adopted from Uganda.  I have found several of her adoption-related posts to be incredibly helpful and encouraging.

8) Jenna @ Keep Caffeinated and Carry On
Jenna's blog always keeps me laughing with her hilarious photos and weekend shenanigans.

9) Kate @ A Journey in Style
I love following Kate's style adventures and seeing the fun outfits she puts together with her "neglected" wardrobe items.  She barely made the cut with 199 followers:)

10) Lani @ It's My Life
I'm always loving Lani's crafty creations... and lucky her, she is on a "craftcation" right now with her best friend... that sounds heavenly to me.  I'm definitely wanting to copy this and go on a craftcation of my own soon.

11) Morgan @ Confections from the Cody Kitchen
Morgan is actually one of my dear friends from Georgia... and be warned... if you head over to her blog you will want to eat EVERYTHING.  My mouth starts watering just thinking about those mint brownies... mmmm.

So.  There you have it.  My nominations for the Liebster Award... be expecting a trophy in the mail.  I would love to know if/when you do your own Liebster blog post, so I can be sure to read it:)

top 10 :: things i will miss about my job

Today is my last day of work at my current job.  Last.day.  So crazy to me.  I have been with this company for 5+ years... which is a pretty long time according to my resume.  I have been working for a German plastics manufacturing company... and before you roll your eyes and think about how utterly boring that must be... let me just say that I've had some pretty rad experiences over the past several years... not to mention, I've learned a lot about plastic.

And while I am super excited about my new job and what's in store for the future, there's definitely a lot I will miss about this job.  Such as...

1) Fro-yo lunch dates.

I mean, it's frozen yogurt... for lunch... with these girls.  What's not to miss?

2) My monthly mani/pedis.

I've created a habit of getting mani/pedis only when I'm in Atlanta traveling for work... mainly because I had nothing better to do besides sit at my hotel... and what better way to pass the time than to get pampered?

3) My boss and his wife.

I had a great working relationship with my boss.  He and his wife treated me more like family and I am very grateful for both of them.  I'm quite certain we will stay in touch.

4) Birthday lunches at Mambo Italiano.

Somewhere along the lines, birthday lunches at this favorite Italian restaurant became a tradition... a tradition that I will dearly miss.

5) This girl.

So grateful for this friendship... and so glad that her sales territory just happens to include Kentucky:)

6) This girl.

One of my very favorites.  Noticing a trend?  These girls are what I will miss most, no doubt.

7) The very serious work environment.
We laughed practically every single day at the office... some days it's what got me through to 5:00.

8) Trips to Germany and my awesome German co-workers.
I also made some really great friends across the pond.  My trips to Germany were always a blast because of the kind generosity of my German co-workers. 

9) Chipotle.
Need I say more?  Thank goodness they finally opened one here in Louisville.  They must have known I would soon be suffering from withdrawals. 

 10) This.

No further explanation needed.

Bye, bye to this chapter...  And hello, next chapter!!

thankful thursday {link up}

{Link up your own Thankful Thursday post below...}

This Thursday I am thankful for...

1) Some creative time.  My last day of work with my current job is tomorrow.  Tomorrow, people.  So weird.  But I am insanely excited to have a small chunk of recovery time before I start my new job.  I'm hoping to make time for some creative projects... catch up on some scrapbooking... prepare for a yard sale... and maybe even throw in a few home improvement projects?  No pressure for any of these things... just wanting to enjoy my time... I want to soak it up.

2) Weekend retreats.  Tomorrow night I'm heading to Cincinnati for our church's women's retreat.  I'm looking forward to getting some quality girl time with a few of my favorite people... but more than that, I'm longing to get some quality time with the Lord.  I'm excited about the speaker, and honestly, I'm excited about some time away from Louisville.  I know God is with me always... but sometimes it helps to have a change of scenery.  And this weekend is perfect timing.

3) My craftsman husband.  We are getting chickens.  Yes.  This is really happening.  I'll admit, I wasn't entirely on board in the beginning... but it's growing on me.  This whole chicken thing deserves a post all of it's own, so stay tuned for that.  Regardless of how I feel about the chickens, I am so impressed with my husband's chicken coop building skills.  He always amazes me when he starts building something.  He is able to envision something in his head... and then just create it.  Poof! Just like that.  So talented, that man.

What are you thankful for this week? Grab the Thankful Thursday button from the right sidebar and link up your own post below. Be sure to visit the other Thankful Thursday participants and share the love!!

Also linking up with:

The Fontenot Four