top 2 tuesday

This week's Top 2 Tuesday is things you collect...

1) Cards. Okay... so this one might boarder on hoarding rather than collecting... but I can't help it. I'm not quite sure what it is, but I have the hardest time throwing cards away... birthday cards, thank you cards, christmas cards, just because cards, even wedding invitations... I know... I might have a problem. Just last night I was talking to a girlfriend about this... we are thinking of starting a Card-Savers-Annonamous group. Anyone else have this problem? I think I might have a solution for my card hoarding, ahem, I mean collecting, more on that later though.

2) Stamps. Not like postage stamps... (although when I was little I did go through a postage stamp phase) but like rubber stamps. This is one of those things that I am really good at buying... but not really using. I just adore the way they look in my antique letter press drawer (compliments to my mother-in-law for the hand-me-down). And just in case that's not enough stamps for you, I have a wire basket overflowing with more. I know... it's boarder-line obsession.

Head on over to Taylor's blog at The Undomestic Momma to link up your own top 2 collections.

top 2 tuesday

This week's Top 2 Tuesday is your favorite drinks... That's an easy one... no problem...

1) Dr. Pepper. I sometimes think I would literally fall over and die if I don't have my daily Dr. Pepper. I can't help it... I'm addicted. I'm trying to cut back and just have 1 a day... but I mean, this is my morning coffee people... it's the caffeine I use to function and get through the morning. (Oh, and Diet Dr. Pepper is not a proper substitute... yuck.)

2) Dirty Martini. And when I say dirty martini, I mean a dirtaaaayy martini. Do not scrimp on the olive juice. Oh, and no cheap vodka either... give me the good stuff. And lots of olives too... preferably blue cheese stuffed olives... yum.

Head over to Taylor's blog, The Undomestic Momma and link up your top 2 favorite drinks.

top 2 tuesday

This week's theme is Top 2 Dream Rooms... ummmm, yes please...

1) Dream Craft Room. Ohhh... sigh. Isn't this just beautiful? I could craft for hours on end in here. I love the colors and the soft feminine feel in this room. That dresser is just to die for. And strangely, I even like the soft pink on the walls. I'm in love. Seriously.

2) Dream Bedroom. Isn't this room awesome? There is just something about exposed brick walls... it gets me every time. I love the bedding... the dark walnut floors, and that rustic chandelier. Just perfect.

What about you? What are your Top 2 Rooms? Head over to Taylor's blog at The Undomestic Momma and link up!

top 2 tuesday

It's been a while since I've joined in with Taylor and friends for a Top 2 Tuesday... This week is "Top 2 Random Facts About You"...

1) I have an obsession with books. Reading them... notsomuch. Really just buying them. I could spend hours and hours in a cozy bookstore. Don't get me wrong... I do read occassionally... just not nearly fast enough to keep up with my overflowing bookshelf.

2) I drink tomato juice on airplanes. Practically every flight. I'm not really sure why... I hardly ever drink it otherwise. But on plane, it's a staple... tomato juice, hold the ice. I think it's rather odd that they even offer tomato juice... but they do. Always an option. Right there along with coke and sprite. Strange, no?

What about you? What are your Top 2 Random Facts? Head on over to the Undomestic Momma and link up!

top 2 tuesday

This week's Top 2 Tuesday is things you've learned about blogging. Oh... where to begin?

1) Blog for you. I blog about things that are interesting to me. Sure... occasionally I think, "Is this blog-worthy?" or "Will anyone want to read this?" But ultimately, I want the things that I blog about to be real. Things that I am passionate about... that I aspire to do... that I enjoy... that are me. I feel like when we are writing/posting just to have something appear on our blog... it feels so empty... and it shows.

2) Beware of blog-envy. Avoid competition in Blogland. Seriously. People are perfect in the blogging world... mainly because we often choose to only write/post about the good things. We blog about those perfect cookies we made, that awesome picture we took, our amazing husband, our can-do-no-wrong-children, our perfectly clean home, that incredible vacation we just took... etc, etc. But in reality... we leave out the post about that dinner you charred last night, the blurry picture you took right before the perfect one, how much hard work marriage is, how the children just destroyed your perfectly clean home, and how you missed your flight before your incredible vacation. People are not perfect. And if you are blogging to keep up with everyone else in Blogland, you will absolutely exhaust yourself... which then brings me back to above mentioned point... Blog for you.

Head on over to The Undomestic Momma to link up and share your own top 2 things you've learned about blogging.

top 2 tuesday

I love that Taylor is doing a "Things You've Learned" series for the next few Tuesdays... what a fabulous segment for Top 2 Tuesdays! This week is the top 2 things you've learned about friendship...

1) You are never too old for friendship bracelets. Never. There is something so fabulous about the simplicity of those friendships we had when we were in 3rd grade... holding hands on the playground... signing notes as BFF... and sharing half of that little heart charm that either read, "BE FRI" or "ST ENDS." You know... the simple pleasures that expressed our committment to friendship. I think we should bring friendship bracelets back. What do you think?

2) Having one really-amazing-heart-friend is waaaaaaay better than having a thousand kinda-sorta-friends. As we have recently moved and I went through the struggle of friend-dating and finding new girlfriends in a new city... I have definitely learned to cherish my true-heart-friends. That is, these are the girlfriends that know me inside and out... they know my deepest thoughts... they know my hurts and pains... they know my joy and affection... simply, they know my heart.

Head over to Taylor's blog at The Undomestic Momma to link up and share what you've learned about friendship.

top 2 tuesday

This week's Top 2 Tuesday is your favorite looks for spring. And I, for one, am ready for spring.

I am loving the cuffed denim look... especially the cuffed boy-cut jeans. Ann Taylor Loft's spring collection is beyond perfect this year... I love the effortless look... yet all the florals and ruffles make it look like you care... at least a little.

I'm a big fan of layering this year. Cardigans, button-ups, tanks over long-sleeves... you get the picture. I feel like layering allows you to incorporate those favorite spring pieces a little early. I love the simplicity of J Crew's spring collection this year... a simple button-up, a simple cardigan, sunny yellow shorts... and you're good to go. Love it.

Head over to Taylor's blog at the Undomestic Momma to link up and share your favorite spring looks this season!

top 2 tuesday

This week's Top 2 Tuesday is Strange Addictions. Love it.

Have you seen the Strange Addictions show on TLC?? The show in-and-of itself is incredibly addicting... seriously. Could not stop watching last week, and eventually it sucked my husband and brother-in-law in too. Who would have thought that there are people out there that are addicted to eating toilet paper or sleeping with their hair dryer?!?!

So what are my strange addictions??

1) Sleeping with a fan. I didn't think this was strange... until I saw the episode about the girl that slept with her hair dryer on. However, sleeping with a fan is not hazardous to your health, and does not create third degree burns. I really just need to have some type of ambient noise. I'm not talking a ceiling fan... it has to be a fan that makes noise... right now it happens to be a huge old crappy box fan. I have been doing this since I was about 11 or 12... but I used to always set the fan up on a chair near the bottom corner of my bed... and then I would stick my feet out of the covers right in front of the fan. I quit this when I got to college, for fear that my new college roommates would think I was a weirdo.

2) Water on the bedside table. I must have a glass of water on my bedside table every night before I go to bed. It doesn't matter where I am. It doesn't even matter if I am thirsty. It just has to be there. Because... I mean, what if I wake up in the middle of the night completely thirst deprived?? It's good to know the water is there and available. I've been doing this one since I was 11 or 12 too. Apparently I developed all of my strange addictions during my adolescent years.

Link up with Taylor and share your own strange addictions...

top 2 tuesday

This week's Top 2 Tuesday is your favorite games... To be quite honest, I have never been much of a game person... I used to cringe when friends in college wanted to have "game night." I was a closet game-hater. However, this all changed when I discovered game #1...

1) THINGS. Best game ever. Hands down. It is hilarious. Straight laced people come up with the most outragous things. If you haven't played THINGS before, you really must try it... even if you're a game-hater. You will not be disappointed... but you might pee in your pants.

2) OPERATION. Second best game ever. I realize this game is meant for 7 year olds... but whatever. It still scares the crap out of me when that dang buzzer goes off. We typically pull this bad boy out on New Year's Eve (right before we play THINGS)... I'm pretty confident that I could perform surgery on any one of you in an emergency situation... I've been well-trained.

Head over to The Undomestic Momma to link up and share your own top 2 favorite games.

top 2 tuesday

This week's Top 2 Tuesday is your favorite Christmas ornaments.

1) My cheap plastic red ball ornaments. I'm pretty sure I bought these at Wal-Mart a few years back... nothing really spectacular about them. But for the past 2 years, theses are really the only ornaments that have made it out of storage and onto our tree. We have been in a different house the past 2 years, and this year I hardly know where all of our Christmas decorations are. Kind of sad, I know. But I have grown to love the simplicity of these ornaments... and they look fabulous on our little 3 foot tree:)

2) Our First Christmas ornament. Every year I try to find an ornament that is meaningful for me and Lance. Something simple that will remind us of that year together. This is obviously from our first Christmas together in 2004. This year I want to try documenting the meaning behind each ornament... something maybe to include in our December Daily:)

Visit Taylor's blog at The Undomestic Momma to link up and share your own favorite Christmas ornaments!

top 2 tuesday

This week's Top 2 Tuesday is your 2 favorite organizing tips & tricks. I am all over this one. I love being organized. I am one of those people that alphabetizes her spice rack and color coordinates her closet. I used to organize other people's houses when I was babysitting. Yep. I'm one of those. However... this has all faded over the past 6 1/2 years after I married one of the more unorganized men I have ever met... But I still love me a good organizing tip...

1) Baskets. Baskets, baskets, baskets. Right now I am obsessed with vintage wire baskets. I recently bought one at an antique fair that I am using to hold some of my stamp supplies. I love that you can see what is in them... but everything is still "put away." I use regular baskets for everything... and I mean everything. Cleaning supplies, shoes, ribbon, photo albums, books, hats, DVDs, games... told you... everything. (photo via French Garden House)

2) Go vertical. Just think how much table space you could have... I love the idea of floating shelves (hmmm, need to get some of those). And of course any type of basket/container that attaches directly to the wall, I'm a big fan of. How great would it be to have everything you need within reach... but still have a clean desk to work off of. This is something I'm definitely trying to do in my own tiny, little space right now... think up. (photo via Good Housekeeping)

Visit Taylor's blog at The Undomestic Momma to link up and share your own top 2 favorite organizing tips!

top 2 tuesday

This week's Top 2 Tuesday is your 2 favorite jobs.

1) My current job. I could not ask for any better. I am currently the Staff Accountant for a German manufacturing company... we produce plastic pellets. Exciting, I know. But really, I love this job... and I love this company. Through my current job I have... met some of my favorite people... traveled to Germany (twice)... traveled to Boston... learned so, so much in the accounting world... been given the opportunity to WORK FROM HOME so I could keep my job. I mean after a list like that... who wouldn't love plastic pellets?

2) My College job. Well, if you can call it that. My last semester at Troy, I was the Graduate Assistant to the Associate Athletic Director. I got paid in tuition fees and books... which as a graduate student, is a pretty sweet deal. This job was especially fabulous during football season, when my title changed to Assistant Game Day Director every Saturday. Through this job I was able to... fly with the football team to watch them play Kansas State (my parent's alma mater)... meet this incredible girl (now lifelong friend)... plan for my wedding... Fabulous, fabulous job.

Head on over to Taylor's blog at Undomestic Momma to link up and tell us about your top 2 favorite jobs!

top 2 tuesday

This week's Top 2 Tuesday is 2 things you are thankful for... Since you get to read my Thankful Thursday posts every week... sometimes serious, and sometimes not-so-much... I figured this Thankful Tuesday should be extra-thankful...

1) I am thankful for the undeserving and unconditional love of my heavenly Father. He covers me with grace and gives me the gift of eternal life through the death of His only Son.

2) I am thankful for so many different people that have come into my life. Some came and went quickly... and some have been a part of my life for years. Some have made lasting impressions on my heart that I will forever be grateful for.

Head on over to Taylor's blog at The Undomestic Momma to link up to your own Top 2 Tuesday...

top 2 tuesday

This week's Top 2 Tuesday is your top 2 favorite gifts you have received. My favorite gifts are from the favorite men in my life... my dad and my husband...

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1) Just a couple of weeks ago, I received a fun little package in the mail from The Black Bow. I thought to myself, "I didn't order anything... what in the world could this be?"

What do you know? It's the sweetest sterling silver heart necklace I've ever seen. The necklace has a simple inscription on the back... "Daughter, always a part of my heart."

It's a "just because" gift from my dad. For absolutely no reason at all he mailed one of these necklaces to both me and my sister... simply to tell us he loves us and was thinking about us. I love a good "just because" gift... so thoughtful and unconditional.

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2) It's funny... my favorite gifts from Lance are the simplest ones. I remember one year for our first Valentine's Day together he bought me a dozen long stemmed strawberries. Not roses... but strawberries. I loved it. It meant that he really liked me. You see, he had a strict "no flowers" policy, unless he really knew the girl was the one. So, those dozen long stemmed strawberries really meant so-much-more...

Lance also would win me one of those cheesy stuffed animals every time we passed one of those claw-pincher-games anywhere. Every stuffed animal seemed to represent a different time and period in our relationship. They were little reminders that I was being thought of... a little "just because" gift...

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Head on over to Taylor's blog over at The Undomestic Momma so you can link up to Top 2 Tuesday and show us your top 2 favorite gifts!

top 2 tuesday

This week's Top 2 Tuesday is your 2 favorite Halloween or Fall craft ideas. I'm all over this one...

1) How cute are these modern pink pumpkin lanterns?!?! I love that the inside is painted hot pink! So cute. I am definitely trying these out next year. But if you wanted to try them out this year, you can see more over at Making it Lovely.

2) Then, how about these beautiful handmade bittersweet wreaths? I must be on a wreath kick lately... because I would absolutely love to have one of these up for the remainder of fall... or at least until I replace it with my vintage book wreath for Christmas. Go to Jody's blog over at Everyday Beautiful to learn how to make your own bittersweet wreath.

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Head on over to Taylor's blog at the Undomestic Momma so you can link up to Top 2 Tuesday and show us your own favorite fall crafting ideas!

top 2 tuesday

This week's Top 2 Tuesday is choose your top 2 favorite old pictures... This was a tough one. I couldn't decide if I should go waaayyy back... back to the days of Keds and permed hair, or maybe just a few oldies from the college days... Hmmmm... let's see. I think we'll go with college days & such... as I don't have many older than that already scanned in to the computer.

1) Ha!! We'll start with this one. This one is from my sophomore year of college, about 10 years ago, at a conference in Atlanta. It was New Year's Eve, which obviously explains the massive feather boa I am sporting... duh. I love this photo because it's of me, my future husband (right) and my future brother-in-law (left)... but at the time, who knew? I love Bryan's hair in this pic. Speaking of hair... look how flippin' short mine is! And Lance actually has hair... crazy.

2) This photo was taken about 5 years ago at the NYC Hard Rock Cafe. My sister had her first college volleyball tournament there (New York, that is... not Hard Rock Cafe:), so I hopped on a flight to cheer her on. We of course found time for a little bit of sight seeing... and hard rocking....

Feel free to join in the Top 2 Tuesday fun and link up over on the Undomestic Momma's blog.

top 2 tuesday

My good friend over at Tales From the Fairy Dust has been participating in "Top 2 Tuesdays" (from the Undomestic Momma) for a few weeks now. Even though it's barely Tuesday anymore, I figured I'd jump in on this one... because it's show me your top 2 favorite places in your home!

Since our new place is literally the size of a small shoe box, picking out my 2 favorite spots wasn't too hard...

1) Our living room. (slash dining room, slash TV room, slash...) We really lucked out with the pretty blue paint color on the walls, as it was already up when we moved in. The rug was a great find from Lowes... The adorable bird pillow was from TJ Maxx... The black & white photos on the wall are pictures I took in a photography class in college... The mirrored coffee table was from some random furniture store in Birmingham, AL that I painted black.

2) My office. I figured I should probably really like my office set up, since I spend pretty much all flippin' day sitting at this desk. We even bought a fancy ergonomic office chair... nice huh? The office chair was purchased at Overstock.com... The desk is from IKEA, (it is actually 2 units, but we put both desks on one shelving unit and used the other set of shelves elsewhere)... The bulletin board is from TJ Maxx... and the awesome framed yellow quote can be found in Elise's shop. {don't mind the post-it notes and lint roller... oh, and how do you like Lance's desk chair? He got the shaft on that one for sure.}

So, welcome to Top 2 Tuesday! I think this might stick around...