tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37014921886933791072024-03-14T03:15:47.770-04:00The Striped FlamingoAprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07869367828651056627noreply@blogger.comBlogger1371125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-19470786671776231392021-07-26T14:09:00.005-04:002021-07-26T14:10:21.931-04:00Wanderlust<div class="separator"><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="person riding on canoe boat in between hill on body of water" class="oCCRx" height="426" sizes="(max-width: 767px) 100vw, (max-width: 532px) 500px, (max-height: 613px) 500px, (min-aspect-ratio: 2500/1662) calc((calc(100vh - 280px)) * 1.50421), calc(100vw - 32px)" src="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1476449312569-bcb0320e508a?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1000&q=80" srcset="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1476449312569-bcb0320e508a?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=753&q=80 753w, https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1476449312569-bcb0320e508a?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1053&q=80 1053w, https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1476449312569-bcb0320e508a?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1353&q=80 1353w, https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1476449312569-bcb0320e508a?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1506&q=80 1506w, https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1476449312569-bcb0320e508a?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1653&q=80 1653w, https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1476449312569-bcb0320e508a?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=1953&q=80 1953w, https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1476449312569-bcb0320e508a?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=2106&q=80 2106w, https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1476449312569-bcb0320e508a?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=2253&q=80 2253w, https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1476449312569-bcb0320e508a?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=2500&q=80 2500w" width="640" /></p></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>A photo I snapped on our 2016 trip to Banff.</b></p><p>Chalk it up to a "stay at home" 2020 to conjure up feelings of wanderlust in this homebody. I wouldn't necessarily consider myself to be well-traveled. But I am someone who enjoys traveling to specific places I want to go. I'm not one of those people who tags along on trips or goes to a place just to say I've been there. I'm very intentional with my travel...which is why my list of previous travel destinations is pretty short. </p><p>However, because I'm a selective traveler, my list of places I want to visit is also fairly short. To me, this is attainable in my lifetime pretty easily. </p><p><strike>Gulf Coast Beaches (Florida, USA)</strike></p><p>Grand Tetons/Sawtooth Mountains (Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, USA)</p><p>Scotland/Ireland (the motherland :) )</p><p>Switzerland (the fatherland :) )</p><p>Seoul (South Korea)</p><p>Alaska</p><p><strike>Banff (Alberta, Canada)</strike></p><p>Big Bend National Park (Texas, USA)</p><p><strike>The Caribbean (Ocho Rios, Jamaica)</strike></p><p>Norway</p><p>Iceland</p><p><br /></p><p>Since 5 of my remaining 8 are international, it sounds like I better start saving more! Where are some of your must-have travel locations? </p>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-63399748940032885432021-06-15T10:34:00.005-04:002021-06-15T10:34:35.144-04:00Summer Goals 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdx0VqYMuW31Qwyj7Nk3nmWM0J9GgMWB9JSFcXnrCDpKSFT5ipE6YhZCV10J9d8jWDEsWTAGkEcWsYO7OmN5QS1LqJmiAYNmUfA7Efp8O5Ex53H35KikHNs5HW7mREABgZGeFqW6YnzRi/s1024/Untitled-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdx0VqYMuW31Qwyj7Nk3nmWM0J9GgMWB9JSFcXnrCDpKSFT5ipE6YhZCV10J9d8jWDEsWTAGkEcWsYO7OmN5QS1LqJmiAYNmUfA7Efp8O5Ex53H35KikHNs5HW7mREABgZGeFqW6YnzRi/w640-h320/Untitled-21.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Ah yes, the temperatures have started climbing into the 90s and the humidity is in the 80s. It must be summer in the Carolinas. Every summer I typically have a few goals I try to achieve. Sometimes, I do achieve them. Most times I fail miserably. But hey, I wouldn't be a <a href="https://www.yourenneagramcoach.com/blog/the-hidden-struggle-is-real" target="_blank">true Enneagram 1</a> if I didn't set high standards for myself and then later berate myself for not living up to them...right? </p><p>Right. </p><p><b>One.</b> <i>Take one "unplugged" vacation</i>. I'm very busy at work...um all the time. Over the last 4 years in this role, I've taken on more responsibility and so, it's very difficult for me to truly get away from work for a vacation. My goal for this summer is to take a trip with M that will allow me to be off-grid and unreachable by work. I don't want to have the option to check email or answer messages so that my mind can relax and refresh. We've booked a trip in a farmhouse in late August that may just fit the bill. More on that later. </p><p><b>Two.</b> <i>Save enough money to have our kitchen cabinets painted.</i> This has been a goal of mine for a couple of years now. I want to use the summer as my time to save extra income so this can happen.</p><p><b>Three.</b> <i>Get better at piano. </i>I've long said that I'm a jack of all trades but master of none. Meaning, I'm a little good at a lot of things but I've never really taken time to get really good at many of them. I've known how to "play" the piano since I was a child but I stopped taking lessons and just never taught myself how to play accompaniment. This is an area that I think I could easily get much better at with more dedication and practice. So, I vow to beef up my piano accompaniment skills this summer.</p><p><b>Four.</b> <i>Perfect my sangria recipe.</i> For a few years I've had a basic recipe that I just kind of add to each year. This summer, I want to focus on perfecting it. My goal is July 4th. </p><p><b>Five.</b> <i>Finish our backyard landscaping.</i> This is a pretty lofty goal, to be honest. We are about halfway there but still have lots of mulch to spread, weeds to kill, plants to plant. Maybe this should be my fall goal too? :D </p><p><br /></p>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-36578971932453517082021-05-31T21:51:00.004-04:002021-05-31T21:51:54.076-04:00Flooring Update - Luxury Vinyl Plank<p>If 2020 taught us anything, it was that it's worth the time and money to invest in your home. We spent so much of our time last year inside these walls, so splurging on updating some of the things we didn't love about our home made a lot of sense. </p><p>From when we purchased the house, we knew we eventually wanted to update the flooring. The upstairs is carpet (yet to be updated) and the downstairs had hardwoods. While they weren't in terrible, they were a reddish wood stain and very, very shiny. They were also super soft and every scratch, ding, dropped fork and dog scratch showed on them. We wanted to invest in flooring that could withstand dropped utensils and dog claws and high heels AND match our style a little better. </p><p>Here are some before photos that show the flooring: </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEief1rJH2um9RCc_75CyPdPYiYrLDd56dDpGOES_KBgcGG217-5SObBa9lfGG8QM7PAMJIdIqL9zR0ztJ2cUsREMJIFBWIpXFuHodRwpc_751jdJ2Re5AmTkSOGU1ykzrzZKd044pMU0Q-o/s2048/IMG_5948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEief1rJH2um9RCc_75CyPdPYiYrLDd56dDpGOES_KBgcGG217-5SObBa9lfGG8QM7PAMJIdIqL9zR0ztJ2cUsREMJIFBWIpXFuHodRwpc_751jdJ2Re5AmTkSOGU1ykzrzZKd044pMU0Q-o/w640-h480/IMG_5948.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDadYwbDAnCG0gZfEw-ENbJSLCm3nDCyAt6rvTBdkE1yW6ZprKzie-S2LsHq01_MxKB7fbjZpSPVETOSFMePWgn6aTMKzpGCXToEfJMor1j1QwcJobpM-0-FMe6X78maB8aJuuy94t61F3/s2048/IMG_5950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDadYwbDAnCG0gZfEw-ENbJSLCm3nDCyAt6rvTBdkE1yW6ZprKzie-S2LsHq01_MxKB7fbjZpSPVETOSFMePWgn6aTMKzpGCXToEfJMor1j1QwcJobpM-0-FMe6X78maB8aJuuy94t61F3/w640-h480/IMG_5950.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>And now some of the after photos: <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS774dbxXaWg8so0R6uqH72XaL43Cv7wmsmUp8oRUmssOX8yeOAmcvfHIKrJ12DADzghiEqw6TwqOHwprCSgwsQtHzL0U8a8YiTKGQy7LtnnsvIeBC6tzrr7t3TtwU6Oi9AeHFEuGCNJvI/s1440/IMG_5947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS774dbxXaWg8so0R6uqH72XaL43Cv7wmsmUp8oRUmssOX8yeOAmcvfHIKrJ12DADzghiEqw6TwqOHwprCSgwsQtHzL0U8a8YiTKGQy7LtnnsvIeBC6tzrr7t3TtwU6Oi9AeHFEuGCNJvI/w640-h640/IMG_5947.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi114gthQWPjjwe9K4Thro0VUWJD3R0v-tLmsTSmecVgHr8sFxo8DsFDPB5oBrb5mm9nX5IVyFa73a_CX5bqdDRJHcDPiek4XwNebGxb_BoNQ0bxJVXbMdGjo20u8Y8NF4tUjmzOVcD4N0u/s2048/IMG_5946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi114gthQWPjjwe9K4Thro0VUWJD3R0v-tLmsTSmecVgHr8sFxo8DsFDPB5oBrb5mm9nX5IVyFa73a_CX5bqdDRJHcDPiek4XwNebGxb_BoNQ0bxJVXbMdGjo20u8Y8NF4tUjmzOVcD4N0u/w640-h480/IMG_5946.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQ2dCDs26ODDswEUW5PC-F0C1vsgF3ISQfzX-Y2xT1Hv_qG359pYXPtzU6vY_f1gCi0r84jRoJCQkFLUkwNQ6lbMcCMijRnG4oT2gjZr5UModJdonl5yW1mlN13uEOUa7GowGYWjlS7eE/s2048/IMG_5945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheQ2dCDs26ODDswEUW5PC-F0C1vsgF3ISQfzX-Y2xT1Hv_qG359pYXPtzU6vY_f1gCi0r84jRoJCQkFLUkwNQ6lbMcCMijRnG4oT2gjZr5UModJdonl5yW1mlN13uEOUa7GowGYWjlS7eE/w640-h480/IMG_5945.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We are so pleased with the flooring we chose for the downstairs. After many weeks of research and comparison, we decided on <a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Lifeproof-Choice-Oak-8-7-in-W-x-47-6-in-L-Luxury-Vinyl-Plank-Flooring-20-06-sq-ft-case-I966104L/300461637?mtc=SEM-VF-F_D23-G-D23-23_4_VINYL_FLOORING-NA-NA-NA-DSA-NA-NA-New_Engen&cm_mmc=SEM-VF-F_D23-G-D23-23_4_VINYL_FLOORING-NA-NA-NA-DSA-NA-NA-New_Engen-71700000077001104-58700006540962084-39700059328610044&gclid=CjwKCAiAxKv_BRBdEiwAyd40N6bK-kyyRMJ-kKM_eo60-F2C7QjAzcYa-TIVWA9NgTd9GCd7t_EURBoColMQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds" target="_blank">Lifeproof Luxury Vinyl Plank in Choice Oak</a>. I'm pretty sure it's a Home Depot exclusive. And no, this isn't a sponsored post in any way. We just heard such great things about Lifeproof flooring that we ended up choosing it. </div><div><br /></div><div>We've had these floors now for a few months and we are so happy we did it. It makes a huge difference in the look of the downstairs and I can drop a knife or plate and not worry about creating a huge gouge in the flooring. When Bear (who has a beard) drinks water and drips from his water bowl into the living room, I'm not worried about water stains. Lifeproof flooring is waterproof and scratch resistant. It's also Floorscore Certified, has low VOCs and is formaldehyde-free for air quality purposes. </div><div><br /></div><div>Have you done any home updates during the last year?</div>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-34226478946684872282021-05-24T11:36:00.001-04:002021-05-24T11:48:13.112-04:00On Grief and Love<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2d3fe7AxwdpMwIkd9a90EvpNdAttQZxZPCno2Pgzf9mT1O4KBwBbLTwB2g9tpR7RnBIZONylQMQlN00Ka_xp5flFPImEt0yevNKIDNBKmU7lXlLJJloQuBFpl0oddd__u_JZQszjpeLT0/s2048/Untitled_Artwork+17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2d3fe7AxwdpMwIkd9a90EvpNdAttQZxZPCno2Pgzf9mT1O4KBwBbLTwB2g9tpR7RnBIZONylQMQlN00Ka_xp5flFPImEt0yevNKIDNBKmU7lXlLJJloQuBFpl0oddd__u_JZQszjpeLT0/w480-h640/Untitled_Artwork+17.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't know if you have seen Wandavision yet on Disney Plus? It's a tv show and one of the more recent installments in the Marvel Comic Universe. If you haven't, I think you should. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's the deal, I am not a Marvel person. I've only seen a few of the movies but M convinced me to watch it and I'm glad I did. The entire plot centers around grief and it is SO GOOD. Seriously. It's so good. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't want to spoil anything if you haven't watched it, but there's a point when the main character (Wanda) is dealing with the fact that her husband/soul mate is dying and he said this quote. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At first when I heard it, it didn't register. But then I thought about it more and more and it completely rocked me. <b><a href="http://www.stripedflamingo.com/2018/04/thursday-thoughts-its-been-weird-10.html" target="_blank">I'm no stranger to grief.</a></b>..especially grief over someone I so dearly loved. So, I decided to make a simple quote graphic while doodling on my iPad. It reminds me that grief and love are entwined. They never truly go away...even when a person has. Sometimes grief is like a sucker-punch and other times it's a sweet memory. But in every way that grief resurfaces, it's continued proof that love endures and perseveres. </div><p></p>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-12309593898679269512021-05-10T16:26:00.012-04:002021-05-12T11:21:02.691-04:00Brands You Probably Forgot About, But Shouldn't Anymore<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBB8v7anX09wQSKMFCb6ktFXybku64060aIIb3hkYLk28uhNqmy2Xgr9HiZf1h_9KSX_LSqgHVHyfnJpYVYcJRuDhMyna0mOdXYlV6adguMTq1hNYug_aPHM_BFj5xsKvrPlVwSyHNv6Pm/s1920/Untitled-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBB8v7anX09wQSKMFCb6ktFXybku64060aIIb3hkYLk28uhNqmy2Xgr9HiZf1h_9KSX_LSqgHVHyfnJpYVYcJRuDhMyna0mOdXYlV6adguMTq1hNYug_aPHM_BFj5xsKvrPlVwSyHNv6Pm/w640-h360/Untitled-2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>I'm partially brand loyal.</p><p>I'd say maybe 70/30 non-loyal and loyal. </p><p>For most things, the brand isn't relevant or priority. I'll buy what I like or what is on sale. For other things, I'm a total brand snob. Some of my favorite brands are very mainstream (Diet Coke, Kate Spade, Apple, Chaco, Duke's Mayo, Cheerios, etc.) Some of my favorite brands...you might not have heard of...or you've at least not heard of them in awhile. </p><p><b>Time & Tru</b></p><p>This is a house brand from Walmart and it's only been around for a couple of years. Y'all, I am obsessed with so many things from this line including these <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Time-and-Tru-Women-s-Sleeveless-Knit-Dress/210246515" target="_blank">shift dresses</a>, these <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Time-and-Tru-Women-s-Studded-Gladiator-Sandals-Wide-Widths-Available/516196610" target="_blank">sandals</a> and these <a href="https://www.walmart.com/ip/Time-and-Tru-Women-s-Knit-Leggings-2-pack/510911133" target="_blank">leggings</a>.</p><p><b>Zenana</b></p><p>This is a brand I've only been able to find on Zulily, but it's affordable and a great place for basics like cardigans, leggings, tops, tunics and more. <a href="https://www.zulily.com/brand/zenana.html" target="_blank">See Zenana on Zulily</a>.</p><p><b>Cupshe</b></p><p>I have been singing Cupshe's praises for a few years now and have almost exclusively made my entire swimsuit wardrobe from this brand. The quality is excellent. (I've had many suits for multiple seasons.) The sizing is inclusive (HOORAY!) and the styles offer something for the more modest (like myself) or the more daring. I just bought my 5th Cupshe suit for this season. <a href="https://www.cupshe.com" target="_blank">See Cupshe</a>.</p><p><b>American Eagle</b></p><p>The caveat with this one is you've probably forgotten about American Eagle if you're a man or woman of a certain age. I used to shop at AE when I was a teenager and now as an established woman in her mid-30s it's not typically somewhere I'd look but they are killing it with a few things in general: denim, inclusive sizing and fits, basics and Aerie boyfriend tees. I'm obsessed with the <a href="https://www.ae.com/us/en/p/aerie/tops/t-shirts/aerie-distressed-v-neck-boyfriend-t-shirt/5494_1847_657?menu=cat4840006" target="_blank">boyfriend tees</a> and actually have 9 of them. :)</p><p>Are there any other brands you're loyal to but I might not know about?</p>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-2589593693485016262021-04-26T11:52:00.002-04:002021-04-26T11:52:29.316-04:00Things That Make Me Sneeze<div class="separator"></div><p>In my wildly popular (read: a handful of readers) "Things That Make Me..." series, I realized I never did one for sneezing. Why sneezing? Well, since pollen-mageddon is upon us, it feels...appropriate. </p><p>Also, can we talk about sneezing during the time of COVID? No one wants to sneeze in their mask...but also it feels wrong to pull down the mask to sneeze. So...I end up pulling my mask slightly down and doing the vampire sneeze...aka the dab as Mrs. Betty exhibits below. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt=" " height="332" src="https://media4.giphy.com/media/RYN8Ul5JbJHZC/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47nekudkh16kzoe4o85qwv5cvgdbcexejcy5jbfjho&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g" style="height: 249.23076923076925px; left: 0px; opacity: 1; top: 0px; width: 480px;" width="640" /></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><b>Pollen. Obvs. </b></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">We'll start this one out with the obvious. Pollen makes me sneeze. And if you live in the southeast, you know that it's not just "pollen season". It's hide ya kids and hide ya wife, wear a mask to walk the dog or your poop will be green, pollen season. This is why I want to retire in Canada. </p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">I also have a theory on why pollen is so bad this year and it's tied to COVID. Hear me out...last year COVID pretty much made the world come to a standstill. And nature benefitted from it. Water, air, soil and other environment pollutions were at an all time low. So, the plants became healthier. And now they are producing more growth...which creates more pollen. Yeah? No?</p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="honey boo boo sneezing GIF" src="https://media4.giphy.com/media/gPyzmbM1Hk26k/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47nekudkh16kzoe4o85qwv5cvgdbcexejcy5jbfjho&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g" style="height: 268.8px; left: 0px; opacity: 1; text-align: start; top: 0px; width: 480px;" /></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><b>Cats. </b></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">Still. Even after multiple years of allergy shots. But at least I can be in the same room with someone who owns them. </p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Will & Grace nbc makeup coke will and grace GIF" src="https://media3.giphy.com/media/xT39DeUCxGm2sOC3kI/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47w1yg4qa37i3o98z0gdv44hby082vc15g89itavif&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g" style="height: 320px; left: 0px; opacity: 1; text-align: start; top: 0px; width: 480px;" /></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><b>HVAC Switching</b></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">When the time of the year comes and we switch our heat to AC or vice-versa, it's about a week of sneezing. No matter how clean our filters are, it's just a mess. </p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="snow white and the seven dwarfs sneezing GIF by Disney" src="https://media3.giphy.com/media/cEFh8R2pNf0LC/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47nekudkh16kzoe4o85qwv5cvgdbcexejcy5jbfjho&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g" style="height: 271.54285714285714px; left: 0px; opacity: 1; text-align: start; top: 0px; width: 480px;" /></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><b>Yard Work</b></p><p style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">Any kind of outside yard work from spreading mulch to trimming hedges, rattles up my sinuses. I have to wear a mask or keep my tissues handy.</p></div><p><br /></p><p>What about you? Read the other "Things that make me..." posts here:</p><p><a href="http://www.stripedflamingo.com/2017/05/things-that-give-me-headaches.html" target="_blank">Things That Give Me Headaches</a></p><p><a href="http://www.stripedflamingo.com/2017/02/things-that-make-me-roll-my-eyes.html" target="_blank">Things That Make Me Roll My Eyes</a></p><p><a href="http://www.stripedflamingo.com/2016/07/things-that-make-me-rage-office-edition.html" target="_blank">Things That Make Me Rage (Office Edition)</a></p><p><a href="http://www.stripedflamingo.com/2016/08/things-that-make-me-rage-travel-edition.html" target="_blank">Things That Make Me Rage (Travel Edition)</a></p><p><a href="http://www.stripedflamingo.com/2016/02/things-that-make-me-panic.html" target="_blank">Things That Make Me Panic</a></p>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-34477731958922013862021-04-20T09:04:00.002-04:002021-04-20T09:04:46.006-04:00Anniversary Hiking Trip<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8y8IqzjOxdEdFT_k2UT2P-5cTlPUuXW4El5Aewe9VhimpQalgUBRQKoR1XI8gz-NFE7ZcNi3-Mk7q8PEMWVIDk6IO40O3MyF8PxsbR19O9np0KsG10yVQQMsNLpfPoBfbQfjd7Le43nc/s2048/2ED823E5-ACD5-4CDD-AA8D-93E106D4EA66.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8y8IqzjOxdEdFT_k2UT2P-5cTlPUuXW4El5Aewe9VhimpQalgUBRQKoR1XI8gz-NFE7ZcNi3-Mk7q8PEMWVIDk6IO40O3MyF8PxsbR19O9np0KsG10yVQQMsNLpfPoBfbQfjd7Le43nc/w640-h640/2ED823E5-ACD5-4CDD-AA8D-93E106D4EA66.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5VbjkbQTmJpWnaLBnfjWpOWRdPYIF0OBkrOsewbJBT57lQGyQySu-ey0xQS23kNM8dRXcfljCUrBJGiA2N0LshA8lcMyIPiRmLCP_najsbRLWozAyIpaWcEEwkbj2lgZ43mekZ1lqZ-p/s2048/E2E94FE7-0A8A-4956-BEED-DCCEA0D9E10B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5VbjkbQTmJpWnaLBnfjWpOWRdPYIF0OBkrOsewbJBT57lQGyQySu-ey0xQS23kNM8dRXcfljCUrBJGiA2N0LshA8lcMyIPiRmLCP_najsbRLWozAyIpaWcEEwkbj2lgZ43mekZ1lqZ-p/w640-h640/E2E94FE7-0A8A-4956-BEED-DCCEA0D9E10B.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p>Last week, Mark and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? <b><a href="http://www.stripedflamingo.com/p/wedding.html">It seems like it was just a year ago that we got married</a></b>. </p><p>With COVID and travel restrictions/concerns, we opted to stay local and explore some of the gorgeous scenery in our home state of South Carolina. Yes, you read that right...SC has mountains too! (It's not just full of barbecue and beaches. HA!) I planned some hikes for us and used the All Trails app to keep us on track. The pics above are some of the highlights, but the trails we used are listed below. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/south-carolina/oconee-station-station-cove-falls-trail">Station Cove Falls Trail</a> - Oconee State Park</li><li><a href="https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/south-carolina/yellow-branch-falls-trail">Yellow Branch Falls Trail</a> - Sumter National Forest</li><li><a href="https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/south-carolina/wildcat-wayside-nature-trail">Wildcat Wayside Nature Trail</a> - Cleveland, SC</li><li><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3701492188693379107/3447773195892201386">Caesars Head Overlook Trail</a> - Caesars Head State Park</li></ul><div>We also did some sightseeing at Lake Keowee, Lake Jocassee and a couple of other local sights. Due to timing and...well...being old, there were a number of hikes we didn't get to do. The great thing about vacationing in your own state is that we are only 2.5 hours away and can go back on a weekend day trip to do some. I'm looking at a few more waterfall trails for our next adventure! </div><div><br /></div><p></p><p><br /></p>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-75994327002598161512021-04-08T09:46:00.001-04:002021-04-08T09:46:00.256-04:00Don't Sleep on Amazon Fashion<p><b> It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman in search for a great fashion deal, will try Amazon. </b></p><p>And it is a truth that Amazon fashion can be a hit or a miss, but the thrill of not knowing is worth it. Ergo, I've lucked out with about 80% of my Amazon fashion adventures and want to share those with y'all! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziu8FFW9YNhqqlMO60DBKUYLNVGBRpWGcd-KYl4Ha2oXcdMHXTmDt73yFqYFYxzFpKjjSS96eWR7QpR_KpZ9wOKuwIhaGns59fX6vtb6L5zCxx0vfnThqD0wr5FYxjpHWs5ZyQBOk7TkY/s1920/1080p+HD+Video-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziu8FFW9YNhqqlMO60DBKUYLNVGBRpWGcd-KYl4Ha2oXcdMHXTmDt73yFqYFYxzFpKjjSS96eWR7QpR_KpZ9wOKuwIhaGns59fX6vtb6L5zCxx0vfnThqD0wr5FYxjpHWs5ZyQBOk7TkY/w640-h360/1080p+HD+Video-2.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Black-Cardigans-Button-Sleeve-Solid/dp/B07WJGP47N?ref_=ast_sto_dp" target="_blank">Long Mustard Cardigan</a> // <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PDZ9G83/ref=twister_B07FDG7CJ6?th=1" target="_blank">Gray, Black and White Cardigan </a>// <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072JY14BZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">No Show, No Slip Socks</a> // <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=daily+ritual+women%27s+clothing&gclid=CjwKCAjwjbCDBhAwEiwAiudBy9IAd6jgjnUkhB8JUdoebNtOYqFh35a9R6Kq_PglAlIlGxOOV0ihvBoCz4oQAvD_BwE&hvadid=326631044589&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9009994&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=15611330984048399826&hvtargid=kwd-648448375108&hydadcr=7464_9611828&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_1ww2f7hpc5_b" target="_blank">Amazon Daily Ritual</a> (the whole brand!) //<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08SKFFHCY/ref=twister_B078SSNX6Q?th=1" target="_blank"> Racerback Maxi Dress </a>(I have 3 of these!)</p>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-48565954230575471332021-04-06T09:39:00.005-04:002021-04-06T09:39:30.208-04:00Things That Are My Current Jam<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://media.giphy.com/media/JrepS1wJ2Jt081yAsn/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="480" height="360" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/JrepS1wJ2Jt081yAsn/giphy.gif" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Korean Dramas</b></p><p>I have a coworker to thank for getting me hooked on these. Yes, they are in Korean (English subtitles) and, YES, they are so good. If anyone needs any suggestions, let me know! </p><p><b>SC Waterfalls</b></p><p>Another friend added me to a Facebook group for South Carolina waterfalls. (I live in SC.) Every day, people post photos of waterfalls they find while hiking around in the state. Most of the waterfalls are located in the SC mountains. (Yes, non local people, South Carolina does have mountains.) M and I are taking a trip to the SC mountains next week for our anniversary and we will be doing lots of hiking. This group has been invaluable in helping me plan out our trail hikes. </p><p><b>Easter M&Ms</b></p><p>I understand that pastel colors do not make the M&Ms taste better, however, they do make me happier while I eat them. </p><p><b>Snowflakes & Cashmere</b></p><p>I've been chasing this elusive Bath and Body Works scent for years. They initially unveiled it at Christmas about 4 years ago and I got 2 bottles. It lasted me for a while but ultimately ran out. Then this PAST Christmas, they brought it back and I got 4 bottles. Now, the panic has started to set in because I'm down to 2.5 bottles now. Meh...</p><p>What sorts of things are tickling your fancy at the moment?</p>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-48784318763311898852021-03-31T14:07:00.004-04:002021-03-31T14:07:56.457-04:00The Great Three Year Catch-Up Post<p>Three years ago (almost 4!) I wrote a blog post never realizing it might be my last one for a long time. To be honest, I just got tired of it. I got busy. I had different priorities. </p><p>And then I kind of forgot about it. </p><p>But then today, I logged onto my blog looking for an old recipe and it just felt enticing again. It didn't feel like a chore to keep up and I felt excitement towards writing again! </p><p>So, here I am. And below is my pretty terrible attempt at quickly filling in the gaps over the last couple of years. Obvs, I'm just hitting the major high and low points. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTKa0m7qgKVfmvrM7DyMx7-_LGxj2GfVxWaEp_A_EVFREX9o66IGazS0yE9jJPpZ-O7dKv7yLaUAAtthg8nNj3XoF_6MxVOeP1aGRLQ1WCYXNUHQ4hfkQ2Cq2Y06UqgkkBPvqhpCAKfWB/s1920/1080p+HD+Video.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgTKa0m7qgKVfmvrM7DyMx7-_LGxj2GfVxWaEp_A_EVFREX9o66IGazS0yE9jJPpZ-O7dKv7yLaUAAtthg8nNj3XoF_6MxVOeP1aGRLQ1WCYXNUHQ4hfkQ2Cq2Y06UqgkkBPvqhpCAKfWB/w640-h360/1080p+HD+Video.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><b>2018</b>:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Said goodbye to my fur baby Hewitt.</li><li><a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheMenagerieStudio?ref=seller-platform-mcnav" target="_blank">Took up a hobby</a>. </li><li>Traveled to Puerto Rico.</li><li>Saw Hamilton!</li></ul><div><b>2019</b>:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Got my tattoo redrawn and refreshed.</li><li>Celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary in Longboat Key, Florida.</li><li>Adopted the sweetest angel baby named Bear from a local breed rescue.</li><li>Did a drastic side-shave on my hair.</li><li>Bought a car!</li></ul></div><div><b>2020</b>:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>LOL does 2020 even deserve a shout out? Just kidding...</li><li>Drowned my COVID sorrows with Animal Crossing.</li><li>Started venturing out later in the year, masked up...of course!</li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClmFZ05KdgmlsHu8f9eBTwg" target="_blank">M started a YouTube channel</a>.</li></ul></div><div><b>2021</b>: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Took a lot of puppy pics. (Can you blame me?)</li><li>Cut my hair. Again.</li><li>Welcomed my niece to the world!</li></ul><div><br /></div></div><div>Phew, that's quite a bit of happenings over the last little bit. I hope you've stayed safe and well during the pandemic! </div><p></p>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-34521379385613817242018-05-21T12:41:00.000-04:002018-05-21T12:42:45.840-04:00Our Current Favorite Low-Carb/Keto Meals<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzcJVrn4WFcBYaS9Pu1mYcIbJOUWZaNl9Yfj3iwtBRVKUDqGXeDFGZURN3R82UyeSJtJbMBC2Jp6Hk56ziJaxJGNaMYlo4pOns6wAHg3VcpL4pth3P2pe7glIX3wKgduiu8DyaQnmlhP7/s1600/keto+meals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzcJVrn4WFcBYaS9Pu1mYcIbJOUWZaNl9Yfj3iwtBRVKUDqGXeDFGZURN3R82UyeSJtJbMBC2Jp6Hk56ziJaxJGNaMYlo4pOns6wAHg3VcpL4pth3P2pe7glIX3wKgduiu8DyaQnmlhP7/s1600/keto+meals.jpg" /></a></div>
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M and I have been on a low-carb/keto (pronounced like key-toe) journey for a little over a month now. So far, we are really liking this lifestyle and think it could be pretty sustainable moving forward.<br />
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I have many thoughts and comments (and rebuttals) on the keto diet and can combine them all in a "why we chose to do keto" post if anyone is interested. However, for now, I'll just stick with the food. (duh!)<br />
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Even if you aren't following keto strictly (or as I like to call what we do "lazy keto") these meals might appeal to you!<br />
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-Steak with a veggie (broccoli, <a href="http://dontsweattherecipe.com/cauliflower-mac-cheese/">cauliflower mac & cheese</a>, green beans, brussels sprouts)<br />-Taco/burrito bowls (all the fixings in tacos without the shell)<br />-<a href="https://lowcarbyum.com/hamburger-beef-stroganoff/">Beef Stroganoff</a><br />-<a href="https://www.beyerbeware.net/2017/03/crock-pot-low-carb-taco-soup.html">Taco Soup</a><br />-<a href="https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/fat-head-pizza/">Fathead Pizza</a><br />-<a href="http://www.officiallyglutenfree.com/2018/04/keto-buffalo-chicken-taquitos/">Buffalo Chicken Taquitos</a><br />-Breakfast for dinner (sausage or bacon, scrambled eggs w/cheese)<br />-Mozzarella-stuffed meatballs w/sauce (we use Rao's marinara<br /><ul>
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Do you have any favorite low-carb meals you enjoy? I'd love to know!Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-80366495172629393202018-05-16T14:43:00.000-04:002018-05-16T14:43:37.455-04:008 Things I Don't Wear <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uZE4m5ReuzTHXLhknHoCGNpmkhlwyC5UHIt2iK4PMTzqFJBD_ImF_MVmQiSgoS9mk1VBIRF07hGwlD9dZQzDe4mOTKoEd8CqzgZokSlzgA35VR6QBeFDFa8C3Nlxt6wamFMHXyTSWMSk/s1600/blog_post_beach.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uZE4m5ReuzTHXLhknHoCGNpmkhlwyC5UHIt2iK4PMTzqFJBD_ImF_MVmQiSgoS9mk1VBIRF07hGwlD9dZQzDe4mOTKoEd8CqzgZokSlzgA35VR6QBeFDFa8C3Nlxt6wamFMHXyTSWMSk/s1600/blog_post_beach.png" /></a></div>
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<b>Primer.</b> I don't typically wear any sort of face or makeup primer. I think most of them are a waste of time and money. :) So I forgo them completely!<br />
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<b>White clothing.</b> In general I cannot be trusted to wear white (or really even light colored) clothing. It's literally a matter of hours until it is covered in stains.<br />
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<b>Bracelets.</b> I wish I could, because I always see pretty ones. However I have very freckly, fleshy forearms and I feel all bracelets just look weird.<br />
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<b>Watches.</b> For the same reasons above. Plus they always kind of hurt my wrist bone.<br />
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<b>Sleeveless shirts or dresses.</b> With the exception of poolside or beachside, you won't catch me with bare arms.<br />
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<b>Peasant shirts. </b>This style has never worked for me. So, I just avoid it.<br />
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<b>Dangly earrings. </b>I just love a good, large stud. :) Plus dangly earrings always get caught in my hair and make noise when I move.<br />
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<b>Sunscreenless skin.</b> Okay, okay I kind of cheated here. But seriously, you'll never catch me without any sunscreen on. NEVER!<br />
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<a href="http://www.lifeaccordingtosteph.com/2018/05/10-things-i-dont-wear.html?">Post idea from Life According to Steph</a><br />
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-24963816303503227942018-05-09T22:09:00.002-04:002018-05-09T22:12:45.973-04:00The FirstOddly enough the hullabaloo of Mother's Day hasn't brought on the shedding of tears and sadness that I anticipated. I realize that the actual day is nothing more than a "Hallmark Holiday" designed to make people spend money proving their relationships to other people. The sadness doesn't come with the buying of gifts or the Mother's Day commercials like I thought it might.<br />
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However...<br />
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There is an ache deep down that I know is probably grief. I grieve that at 32 years old, I had to watch my mother slowly deteriorate to the point that she was unable to use her arms or legs. I grieve for the months of mental anguish my mother had when she thought everyone was ignoring her and forgetting about her. (This wasn't the case the but the disease had started to rob her of her short-term memory and logical reasoning abilities.) I grieve for the trips my mother told me about longing to take as she lay in her hospital bed and let me feed her. I grieve for my future birthdays and Christmases and phone calls for advice that will never again be had with her.<br />
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I regret that we didn't spend more time celebrating the now. We had no idea that she'd die less than a year from her diagnosis. We had no idea that we didn't have more time with her. I would have done so many things differently. I would have focused more on the "now" and making good memories rather than always focusing on the future and when she would be over this cancer scare. I regret that I felt relieved after she passed away even though I know it's normal after an ordeal like the last few weeks of her life. I regret that I didn't do more.<br />
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I hate the disease that whittled a half-marathoner in the prime of her life down to someone who was completely reliant upon others for even the most mundane of tasks like scratching her nose or drinking. I hate the "treatments" that big Pharma recommends and the false hope they bring. I hate dealing with medical insurance people and healthcare financial people. I really freaking hate cancer.<br />
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It's therapeutic for me to write these words and I apologize if they are hard for you to read. I've been seeing a grief counselor since after she passed away and have been dealing with some of these things. However, some of these things take more than just counseling to get over. Some take time. Some take prayer. Some take all three.<br />
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One of the last lucid conversations I had with my mom was when she was talking to me about working hard all her life to save money so she could travel one day. That one day never came. She worked hard to save money for nothing. I've made this my resolve. I will continue to work hard but I will also take time NOW, while I am healthy, to travel. To see the places she wanted to see. To do the things she wanted to do. To make sure that some of her last words of advice to me won't fall on deaf ears.<br />
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All of this to say...if your mothers are still on Earth call them. Send them a card. Text them. Hug them if you can. If you can talk to your mother this Mother's Day, consider yourself blessed. And to all of you who are mothers, Happy Mother's Day.Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-79318155313147983402018-05-07T14:22:00.001-04:002018-05-07T14:22:20.033-04:00Updates and a Square Living RoomThis is a photo heavy post...so you've been warned. I feel good with the progress we've made in our house in the 5 weeks or so we've been there. I'm still struggling a bit with the living room. More on that below. First, I'll show you the dining room area as it is now.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYbx6gfoMTEsDLMRoIEMOgBBgrhLkYp_xWMEFgFSIAcgFoWmL26_KZpeFPEQnJjSnkaobBaAdzf-5YDa5L_K1OvpivcF7MVB3RsoR6ZFrPwqFAmAmDW5ATaqpaw9mUPKwyaIrzPO9PcuH/s1600/server-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYbx6gfoMTEsDLMRoIEMOgBBgrhLkYp_xWMEFgFSIAcgFoWmL26_KZpeFPEQnJjSnkaobBaAdzf-5YDa5L_K1OvpivcF7MVB3RsoR6ZFrPwqFAmAmDW5ATaqpaw9mUPKwyaIrzPO9PcuH/s1600/server-01.jpg" /></a></div>
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We want to add two chairs with arms to the ends of the dining table and a rug under it. But I haven't found the perfect one yet. Also, I will replace the rectangle mirror above the server with a round or oval one...but again, haven't found the perfect mirror yet.<br />
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I like this area even though we haven't really used it yet. :) I know that will come as we get closer to the holidays and start to do more entertaining.<br />
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And now for the problem child. (and I say that most lovingly) Our living room is off the kitchen (which we love) but it's one big square. The left side of the square is a bar into the kitchen. So it's virtually unusable from a furniture perspective. We will eventually put backed bar stools there but for now we don't have anything. The most logical place for our two couches and two accents chairs are on the walls and corners. It provides the maximum space free, tv visibility and best placement for traffic flow. Unfortunately, it also feels little sterile because we haven't figured out the coffee table/ottoman situation yet.<br />
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Let's think about these like a square. Bottom side of the square is the first couch with the gray and gold art. The right side of the square is the other couch with the art shelf above it. The top of the square is the fireplace/window/tv wall with the accent chairs. And the left side is the bar and kitchen entrance. You can get an idea of that area a little in this picture:<br />
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M and I tried moving our couches in a number of different configurations including away from the walls, flanking the fireplace, etc. and each way it inhibits traffic flow. It's important to us to have maximum seating (at least 8) in our living room for entertaining...so we don't want to just get rid of a couch.<br />
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So this is where you...both of my dedicated readers...can help. Any suggestions? Ideas? Pins that you think might give me ideas? I'm all ears!Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-31001316502760724412018-04-30T13:52:00.002-04:002018-05-02T16:00:28.323-04:00Slot Machines and Bicycle SeatsThis past weekend was a little insane. Well, for me at least. I typically have few plans on the weekends and I rarely travel a lot. However, this weekend included both. (I work Sunday through Thursday so my weekends are Friday and Saturday.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYM2DwpWRdkkfISCwQiq1NUlpTFa0cuJycizknZi-0hTxqfiB0Dl5J9e_ygQbkVjcuh1KkNFb8V14U2bqM7s6jPuAQFhOw4mB7bl1EutfZbek2xJyfT0npa6jEPMh0k8c97IkT7A8ho6F/s1600/hosta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYM2DwpWRdkkfISCwQiq1NUlpTFa0cuJycizknZi-0hTxqfiB0Dl5J9e_ygQbkVjcuh1KkNFb8V14U2bqM7s6jPuAQFhOw4mB7bl1EutfZbek2xJyfT0npa6jEPMh0k8c97IkT7A8ho6F/s1600/hosta.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Thursday night - Friday night</b></span><br />
M and I left Thursday evening (well more like afternoon) and drove 3 hours from SC into the NC mountains. The next 24 hours were spent eating, gambling, losing at gambling, shopping and walking around in the quaint little "downtown" area of Cherokee<br />
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<b>Best Parts </b>- eating carbs (M and I temporarily suspended our keto diets for this weekend)/being with my in-laws<br />
<b>Worst Part</b> - gambling (it's just not my scene and it's smoky and loud and gross)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Saturday</b></span><br />
I got up early Saturday and drove from NC to TN so that I could bike down the Virginia Creeper trail in VA. It was my best friend's birthday on Saturday and they were staying at a house just over the VA/TN line. I met them there and we rode to the trail together. The trail was a lot of fun but I haven't been on a bike in at least a decade. AT LEAST.<br />
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<b>Best Parts</b> - the scenery of the trail and being with my friends<br />
<b>Worst Part</b> - sore butt from the bike seat (it took us about 5 hours total to do the 17 mile trail including breaks and a lunch stop)<br />
<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-69169895532146916252018-04-23T08:58:00.000-04:002018-05-02T15:52:04.423-04:00Colourpop Makeup: Faves and FlopsOver the last year and a half or so I've really been getting into makeup. Well, starting to care more about makeup at least. Long ago, I discovered the power of lipstick and mascara for my fair skin and blonde eyelashes...however...I never really experimented or played with anything beyond the basics before.<br />
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In 2017 a coworker introduced me to Colourpop and thus my obsession with makeup was born. I know my last post talked about me not wanting to fake tan because I was doing it FOR OTHER PEOPLE. (and actually hated doing it) This is the opposite because I love makeup. I love trying new things and failing at them. Or trying new things and mastering a technique I never thought I could.<br />
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Anyway, that's your long-winded intro into my post about Colourpop. What is Colourpop? Well, despite the Euro spelling of the word "color" it's an American-made brand produced in a lab in California. It's cruelty free...which has become very important to me with makeup brands I purchase regularly. Also, it's REALLY inexpensive. But the quality is insanely good. So...let me recap: American-made, cruelty-free, inexpensive, excellent quality. Ummmm...why would I NOT love it? In the last year and or so I've purchased quite a bit of Colourpop makeup and in case you've never heard of it or are interested in trying some items...I've summarized my faves and my flops below. Keep in mind these are what worked and didn't work for ME. For the record my skin is fair, sensitive and combination-but-leans-towards-dry. :)<br />
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<a href="https://colourpop.com/products/alyssa">Alyssa Ultra Satin Lip</a> || <a href="https://colourpop.com/products/dopey">Dopey Ultra Satin Lip</a> || <a href="https://colourpop.com/products/nillionaire">Nillionaire Super Shock Shadow</a> || <a href="https://colourpop.com/products/set-to-stun">Set to Stun Super Shock Shadow</a> || <a href="https://colourpop.com/products/snake-eyes">Snake Eyes Pressed Powder Shadow</a> || <a href="https://colourpop.com/products/sea-stars">Sea Stars Pressed Powder Shadow</a> || <a href="https://colourpop.com/products/glass-bull">Glass Bull Pressed Powder Shadow</a> || <a href="https://colourpop.com/products/you-had-me-at-hello">You Had Me At Hello Palette</a><br />
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Alyssa and Dopey are the Ultra Satin liquid lipsticks I've purchased more than once in a year or so. That should tell you something. I found I much preferred the Ultra Satin Lip formula over the Ultra Matte Lip formula since it's less drying. I also found that for the Super Shock Shadows (which are a cream shadow texture) I prefer the glitter or metallic. Nillionaire and Set to Stun are amazing alone or over other shadows to give it a shimmery effect. Sea Stars and Snake Eyes are pretty much my go-to everyday eyeshadows. I can blend Sea Stars in the crease and Snake Eyes on the mobile lid and it's just beautiful. Glass Bull is probably my absolute favorite single shadow of all time. I'm not being dramatic. It's the most unique, interesting shadow ever. It's beautiful on it's own but adds a gorgeous green/teal/blue shimmer to the top of any other shadow with a brown or amber flip. I wear this just by itself and it's amazing! I have a few CP eyeshadow palettes but hands-done the You Had Me At Hello palette is my favorite. I've used every single color in it...which is a big deal!<br />
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<a href="https://colourpop.com/products/viper">Viper Ultra Matte Lip</a> || <a href="https://colourpop.com/products/split">Split Ultra Blotted Lip</a> || <a href="https://colourpop.com/products/co-pilot">Co-Pilot Super Shock Shadow</a> || <a href="https://colourpop.com/products/no-promises">No Promises Super Shock Shadow</a> || <a href="https://colourpop.com/products/sideline">Sideline Pressed Powder Shadow</a> || <a href="https://colourpop.com/products/tea-garden">Tea Garden Pressed Powder Shadow</a> || <a href="https://colourpop.com/products/dragonfly">Dragonfly Pressed Powder Shadow</a> || <a href="https://colourpop.com/products/mothership">Mothership Supernova Shadow</a><br />
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As I mentioned previously, I do not love the Ultra Matte or Ultra Blotted Lip formulas. The UML is too drying and they all dry incredibly dark. The UBL is just weird. It's patchy and strange. Not a fan. I've blogged about Co-Pilot before but it's not pink on my eyelids...but a whitish pink wash. I was hoping for more of a pale pink but it also could be because my skin is sort of pale pink. :) I don't like the Super Shock Shadows in the matte formula. They just don't stay on well for me. The two green pressed shadows are beautiful in the pan but look gross on me. Sideline is basically just a weird gray and Tea Garden looks almost exactly like another CP eyeshadow I already have. It's basically an amber/brown with a pale green duo-chrome and it's just not the beautiful green I was hoping for. Dragonfly comes off more brown than purple so it looks a little dead when worn by itself. However I can use it as a base for a more vibrant purple and it's nice. Lastly, Mothership was a disaster. It's a liquid eyeshadow and until I got a different brand to try in a Boxycharm subscription box, this made me swear off of ALL liquid eyeshadows. It's streaky, chunky and not at all what I wanted. Sigh...maybe I should just cool it with green eye things huh?<br />
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Have you tried Colourpop products? If so which ones do you like?Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-48744747844039187002018-04-18T09:17:00.000-04:002018-05-02T15:53:46.408-04:00Skin Wars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BVAGnZLn5hDSTyhBkEZk2aa5JAThWR9_De_iiiorCqwzICglC-O1-LRBrrcWgvjb1K11saDVxRtRsjClIxG47Fe1qk-9xPKgls14GpmRoduZitGmY-sZ-mxkF8x_ivBixJfqLl5x5SSW/s1600/skinwars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="131" data-original-width="655" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8BVAGnZLn5hDSTyhBkEZk2aa5JAThWR9_De_iiiorCqwzICglC-O1-LRBrrcWgvjb1K11saDVxRtRsjClIxG47Fe1qk-9xPKgls14GpmRoduZitGmY-sZ-mxkF8x_ivBixJfqLl5x5SSW/s1600/skinwars.jpg" /></a></div>
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There's a clear double standard in beauty today. We all know this. We've lashed out at brands for not being inclusive in their shade ranges...cough Tarte...cough Loreal...cough IT Cosmetics. We've sought out influencers who are ethnically diverse and unique. And we've come a long way in the beauty industry at being more thoughtful about the thousands upon thousands of different skin tones that the human race has.<br />
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But a clear double standard remains. (And no, I'm not talking about the fair vs. deep debate. I, rarely, if ever, am able to use drugstore foundations because their shade ranges don't go light enough to accommodate my fair skin. However...this is NOT the same as brands just blatantly excluding an entire end of the spectrum. That's a whole other debate for another time and place.)<br />
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The double standard I speak of is how our society places value in both light and deep skin tones depending on what your ethnicity is. Why is it not the same? Let me elaborate...<br />
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If you are <b>caucasian</b>. Our society emphasizes the tanner (or darker) your skin is, the healthier and more attractive you are.<br />
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But that's not the case if you are a <b>person of color</b>. Instead, the same "society" says that the lighter complexion and skin tone you have, it's more acceptable and revered and beautiful.<br />
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So basically, if you sit at the fair caucasian side of the spectrum or the deep person of color end of the spectrum you are not an ideal beauty.<br />
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WUT?<br />
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In my mind that sounds so crazy. I would never play into that. All skin tones are equally accepted and beautiful.<br />
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And then I go and slather myself with stinky, disgusting and messy orange self-tanner so that I don't "blind" people when I have more skin exposed. I spend lots of money on leg makeup and self-tanner and tanning booths and bronzing lotions and other junk to alter my complexion color.<br />
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What is wrong with me? I'm literally playing right into this idea that the skin tone I was born with isn't okay. I've had this huge revelation over the last few months as I ruined yet another set of sheets because my self-tanner transfers when I sweat. Or as I dreaded the long and arduous routine of exfoliation, shave, tanner, let it dry, don't shower for a day, worry about staining clothes, etc that happens when the weather turns warm. Or as I envied the women who only have to worry about shaving their legs when they wear a dress. Not whether or not they have applied enough self-tanner or Sally Hansen leg makeup to be considered an acceptable shade of tan to venture into society.<br />
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And then I got mad. It's not fair (pun intended) that I have to make myself look like someone else's standard of "pretty". EFF THAT.<br />
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And to be quite frank, my time is better spent on other things than the entire self-tanner routine. So, this spring and summer season I think I'm going to embrace my true skin tone and just go natural. No tanner. No stinky orange streaky mess.<br />
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And I dare a heaux to ever make a comment about my white legs again :)Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-21085038270529994372018-04-11T11:15:00.000-04:002018-04-19T10:46:31.201-04:00A Reminder That Sometimes Bad Things Are Actually Not BadI mentioned in my previous post that we are in the process of furnishing our new house. One of the bigger purchases we needed to make was a dining room table. I originally found one at World Market that I loved. Coincidentally it was an outdoor dining table but I didn't care! I purchased the table online and anxiously awaited delivery. I didn't purchase any chairs...I figured I'd buy chairs later after the table was in place. I wanted to do mixed chairs anyway. (a few different styles) So, said dining table was to be delivered last Friday.<br />
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The day came and the delivery drivers got to the door and when I answered they said..."Um, you need to come see this."<br />
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"This" turned out to be this:<br />
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The table was heavily damaged. Not only was the box chewed up but the table itself had pretty significant damage. I could honestly have dealt with a ding or a chip or a scratch but the middle of table was splintered. I did something I've never done in my life...I refused a delivery.<br />
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Side note: You need to know I'm just THAT person usually. I never send food back. I never return clothes. I never speak up for myself. (I'm working on this...trust me.) So for me to refuse a delivery and not just "deal with it" is a big deal. Coincidentally I'm doing the same thing for one of our new couches that squeaks. I would have just dealt with it but I spoke up and they are sending a replacement. Anywho...<br />
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After the delivery truck rolled away with my beautiful new, albeit damaged, table I was majorly bummed. I was waiting on that piece to make things feel homey. My design was sort of hinging on that table. And now I had nothing.<br />
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And then I got mad. How dare they put something like that onto the truck. Clearly it was beaten up and yet they still tried to deliver it to me? NO MA'AM.<br />
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Fast forward to Saturday when M and I were out and about attempting to look at other furniture and we walked into Ashley Furniture and found THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DINING TABLE AND CHAIRS AND BUFFET/SERVER THAT WAS EVEN BETTER THAN BEFORE. Photo proof below:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp99bl28tCd5KS3Hlw-M4yXCbfCTIKPN8E1nuIPRiVo17bcw7eyyYfMrOsu-Hmjjcef5FHt3UgO_LF6toTHsDZuIZuEYk4XW2xtTgzoVHHLLuAHUBzuWN5_QTsqdwKlcAGC9bq4DaG6ZbH/s1600/dining+furniture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="655" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp99bl28tCd5KS3Hlw-M4yXCbfCTIKPN8E1nuIPRiVo17bcw7eyyYfMrOsu-Hmjjcef5FHt3UgO_LF6toTHsDZuIZuEYk4XW2xtTgzoVHHLLuAHUBzuWN5_QTsqdwKlcAGC9bq4DaG6ZbH/s1600/dining+furniture.jpg" /></a></div>
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And so now, here is my mildly existential take on the whole situation. Sometimes, bad things that we think are really bad are actually not. Sometimes they are uncomfortable and annoying or even depressing, but really they are a blessing. Not that I didn't love my World Market table but I love this stuff even more. Plus we got incredible deals on it and we don't have to put it together. (can I get an amen for that?!?!) This is so beautiful and farmhouse-y but timeless. I simply cannot wait for it to be delivered.Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-82810194278793787222018-04-05T11:18:00.000-04:002018-04-19T10:46:42.574-04:00Thursday Thoughts (It's Been a Weird 10 Months) <br />
No, you're reading this right. It's a blog post from me.<br />
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So, you may have noticed that I took about <strike>2 months </strike>um... a long time off from blogging. A lot has happened over this period of time. LIKE A LOT. I thought I would be done with blogging for good. But lately, I've had that itch again. I just have things to talk about and what better audience than those that are still around in the blogosphere?<br />
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Let's catch up quickly over the last 10 months...<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Mom</span></b><br />
The biggest life change is that my precious mother passed away on July 29th. Things are so different now. I honestly feel so strange about it. I am still a little in shock and don't remember that she's no longer alive sometimes. She was diagnosed with brain cancer (anaplastic astrocytoma) on August 1st of 2016. Her funeral was 364 days after she was diagnosed.<br />
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Honestly, I question the "science" of medicine. I question our healthcare system. I question advice that people give me. I sometimes question God. So many "if-onlys" and "what-ifs"...it's hard to really process this. Sometimes grief comes to sucker punch me to the gut and remind me of something random. Grief is such a strange thing. So far, we've been through what was her birthday, my birthday, Christmas and Easter without her. Not yet a full year has gone by and it seems so fresh sometimes. And I fully realize that many people have already walked this walk and been there but I haven't...so this is new for me.<br />
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I cannot control when grief decides to visit, but I can choose to remember the fond things and the good times with my mom. I don't want to remember her in pain or agitated or sad. I want to remember her when she was teaching me how to sing or when we would go to museums or on vacation. I want to remember her teaching me how to make Mississippi Mud Cake and how to throw a football.<br />
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If you care to read her obituary, it is <a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/charlotte/obituary.aspx?n=marianne-mccoy-geiger&pid=186230206&fhid=4361">here</a>.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">House</span></b><br />
M and I purchased a home in an adjacent city/county to where we were living. We closed on the new house March 16th and have been in a little less than 3 weeks. We absolutely ADORE this new home and the new location. It's got everything we wanted and more. It's a single family home (vs. the townhouse we were in before) and it's more than double the size of our old place. Honestly, we got two couches delivered yesterday that I ordered and that is the first piece of actual furniture I have in the entire downstairs of the house. We brought our bedroom furniture and such and our living room furniture from the townhouse went into the loft living area upstairs in the new house. So...we need end tables, accent chairs, dining room chairs (table was ordered and will be delivered this week), a kitchen table and chairs and bar stools. I keep reminding myself that I don't have to buy it all at once but it's hard not to be overwhelmed with everything we still need to purchase! Here are a few pics. I hope that now since I (maybe? perhaps?) might start blogging a little more I can document the furniture purchase and decorating process.<br />
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We listed our townhouse for sale and it had an offer within and hour and under contract within 4 hours. The housing market in the Charlotte area is insane right now. INSANE!<br />
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Well, I guess those are the only two big changes since my last post. But those are big enough to warrant my "a lot has happened" comment in the beginning. I hope to keep up with this a bit more frequently but probably not nearly as regularly as before. Stay tuned! Or check back! Or something! :)<br />
<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-19761738177473911132017-06-19T09:47:00.000-04:002017-06-19T09:47:02.229-04:00Beach Vacation RecapLast Sunday after church, M and I headed down to North Myrtle Beach to spend the week with his parents. The vacation was very much needed and anticipated!<br />
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<b>Highlights: </b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Finishing four books in 6 days! I never have a chance to just sit and read anymore so this was such a pleasure. </li>
<li>Not getting badly sunburned. Yes, I got some sun...but mostly it was just freckling and not a lot of burn. </li>
<li>Outlet shopping (specifically Kate Spade outlet shopping!).</li>
<li>Eating lots of ice cream. </li>
<li>Catching some pretty sunrise/sunset shots from the condo balcony.</li>
<li>Spending time with M's family. </li>
<li>Relaxing in the pool. </li>
<li>Riding the "Skywheel" Ferris wheel type thing. This was definitely out of my comfort zone but I survived! </li>
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Here are a few shots from the week! </div>
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And on this neon coverup...I'm kind of obsessed with neon colors now. I feel like it makes me look tan...well tanner than I normally am. And I love it. Commence searching The Internets for all things neon for summer. </div>
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And finally, I'm feeling pulled to stop blogging for a while. Or at least as frequently. I still enjoy reading blog posts but have found I've grown tired of creating my own. I'm not really sure where this leaves me...but for now, I'll keep my blog up and blog whenever the itch hits...but not nearly as frequently as I used to. I just think between work and family stuff my creative juices have dried up. I've been doing this bloggy thing for almost 10 years now. That's a long time in blog land.</div>
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Maybe this will change but for now, I won't be bringing you riveting recap posts like this (HAHA) quite as often...but will still read other people's posts daily. </div>
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Have a wonderful week! </div>
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<br />Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-87564430375825937912017-06-01T08:38:00.001-04:002017-06-01T08:38:09.744-04:00The May Edit: Hits and HitsI'm only doing my "hits" for May since I really didn't have any misses. I'm keeping this one short and simple!<br />
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I ordered some makeup brushes from e.l.f. (love their brushes!) and I got a free gift with purchase. Normally this stuff gets passed on because it never works for my extremely pale skin. However, there were two hits in this free gift. The first is the <a href="http://www.elfcosmetics.com/p/contouring-blush-and-bronzing-powder?dept=face-facebronzers&color_id=10420"><b>Contouring Blush and Bronzer in St. Lucia</b></a>. This bronzer is surprisingly not too dark for me and the blush...though warm toned...is really nice. It actually could function as a nice summer dupe for a well-known <a href="http://www.narscosmetics.com/USA/orgasm-limited-edition-orgasm-blush/0607845040699.html">Nars blush.</a> Plus it has a bit of shimmer which is perfect for this season! <br />
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The second hit in the free gift from e.l.f. was this <a href="http://www.elfcosmetics.com/p/clay-eyeshadow-palette?dept=eye-sets-palettes"><b>Clay Eyeshadow Palette in Necessary Nudes</b></a>. It comes with a plastic cover that has the words on it for where you're supposed to put everything (lid, crease, highlight, etc.) but I can't adhere to that. I've found that the highlight shade is a good base for me and the base shade is great for a crease/transition color. I was pleasantly surprised with this and have found myself gravitating to it a lot over the last couple of weeks.<br />
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I found this <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01NCV22S5/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1"><b>Sherosa Floral Chiffon Kimono Cardigan</b></a> on Amazon and I bought it originally to use as a beach cover up. However, on a whim, I wore it over a tank and jeans to work and it worked perfectly! I'm a big fan of these types of kimono shawls/kimono cardigans this summer because they are lighter than my normal cardigan but still provide some coverage. I do recommend sizing up one or two sizes since it runs small.<br />
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Lastly, another big hit for me came in late May but I'm still loving it...and it's a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BUpp6Fxhw8D/?taken-by=thestripedflamingo"><b>short, blunt haircut</b></a>. I love my extensions but they are hot and heavy in the summer so my sis gave me a blunt hair cut and I've been in love with how thick it makes my baby fine hair look. I can style it straight or wavy and it's so summery!<br />
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Those are my May hits! Have you tried any of these?Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-23230164615726832122017-05-26T11:28:00.001-04:002017-05-26T11:28:29.243-04:00For Those That Won't Come Home <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Monday, we'll honor those that fought for our freedom and gave the ultimate sacrifice...their life. We are so blessed to live in a country that is free. We are free and it's because of the countless men and women serving every day to protect us. Our country is indebted to those that gave their lives for the cause of our liberty.<br />
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While we should always be thankful and grateful to those that serve, Memorial Day is when we honor those that died in service. Those that won't come home.<br />
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So to all those parents, spouses, children, grandparents, brothers and sisters who live on...know we are eternally thankful for what your family member did. We are a grateful nation.Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-81294751570893366262017-05-23T10:37:00.000-04:002017-05-23T10:37:35.374-04:00Things That Give Me HeadachesIt's been a hot minute since I've done a "things that make me" post. (Links to the others at the bottom of this post.) I'm sitting here writing this post with a headache so it got me to thinking...what else gives me headaches? For the sake of this post and given my current physical condition I'm talking literal and proverbial headaches.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Things That Give Me Headaches</span></b><br />
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<b>Rain</b><br />
This one is a literal reason for headaches and most likely the culprit for today's headache. When it's been dry for a few weeks and rains for days I get bad headaches. It never fails. I know it's allergy related because I'm allergic to...life...so it's the norm for me!<br />
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<b>Dumb Drivers</b><br />
Since my job change my commute has been drastically reduced...which is awesome...but that doesn't mean I don't encounter traffic. I work in the largest city in my state and the city with the second worst traffic in the southeast. (Second only to Hotlanta.) So traffic is a given. However congestion is different from bad drivers. Nothing irritates me more than people not obeying traffic laws and trying to merge in at the last moment from a lane that's ending. And don't even get me started on people that don't drive the appropriate speed limit. Proverbial headache though I'm sure it may have resulted in an actual one.<br />
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<b>Dealing with Insurance People</b><br />
Dealing with insurance people in any capacity is something I'd never wish on my worst enemy. Whether it be health insurance, home insurance, car insurance...they are generally a group of people I try to always avoid. No offense if you work in insurance and you're normal...unfortunately all the rest of your counterparts have sullied your reputation.<br />
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<b>Cats</b><br />
Sorry cat lovers...but I just can't deal. I'm highly allergic to them and they give me major headaches along with the typical sneezing, watery eyes, coughing, congestion, etc. But they make for really cute memes and gifs.<br />
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//<a href="http://www.stripedflamingo.com/2017/02/things-that-make-me-roll-my-eyes.html">Things That Make Me Roll My Eyes</a><br />
//<a href="http://www.stripedflamingo.com/2016/07/things-that-make-me-rage-office-edition.html">Things That Make Me Rage (Office Edition)</a><br />
//<a href="http://www.stripedflamingo.com/2016/08/things-that-make-me-rage-travel-edition.html">Things That Make Me Rage (Travel Edition)</a><br />
//<a href="http://www.stripedflamingo.com/2016/02/things-that-make-me-panic.html">Things That Make Me Panic</a>Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-49245260068355427372017-05-22T10:42:00.001-04:002017-05-22T10:43:02.207-04:00Showered in Love<div>
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I recently posted about <a href="http://www.stripedflamingo.com/2017/04/surprise.html">my sister's wedding back</a> in April. This weekend, we had her bridal shower and the theme was a mash-up of "Southern", "Rustic" and "Casual". My sister is NOT the typical Southern belle that's into monograms and pearls and seersucker (BUT I AM! WE ARE SO DIFFERENT!) so I wanted to emphasize casual.<br />
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The Southern Elements<br />
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<ul>
<li>Cheerwine punch</li>
<li>Chicken & waffles</li>
<li>Bojangles biscuits and seasoned fries</li>
<li>Grits buffet</li>
<li>Mason jars</li>
<li>Pimento cheese</li>
<li>Cotton blossoms</li>
</ul>
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The Casual Elements</div>
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<ul>
<li>Farmer's market flowers (instead of arranged bouquets)</li>
<li>Sangria! (Although any excuse for sangria is good enough for me!)</li>
<li>Mini doughnuts</li>
<li>Location (small, modern local art gallery) </li>
<li>No monograms! </li>
<li>Buffet style food and no assigned seating</li>
</ul>
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The Rustic Elements</div>
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<ul>
<li>Metal/galvanized decor and serving ware</li>
<li>Wood accents including handmade food description card holders </li>
</ul>
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Here are some photos. I'm pleased with how everything turned out and it was a great way to celebrate the bride with some of her closest friends and family.</div>
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Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3701492188693379107.post-24346847426015139322017-05-17T11:43:00.001-04:002017-05-17T11:43:49.303-04:00The Summer Swimsuit Trend I'm Obsessed WithThere's a women's swimwear trend I'm really, REALLY into and I'll tell you why.<br />
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1) It's modest (which is something I'm a huge fan of)<br />
2) It's supportive (duh!)<br />
3) It's CUTE<br />
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The trend is the halter or high-neck swimsuit. I've seen these in both one and two-piece sets. Many of them are tribal printed or crochet/macrame material which just adds to the overall fun and trendy vibe. Not only are halter necks better for actual swimming (because they are supportive and keep everything tamed!) but they are mega cute and the neckline shows off your shoulders! Now you don't have to worry so much about a big wave robbing you of your swim top and your dignity. (Tell me I'm not the only one this has happened to...)<br />
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I've long been a fan of a halter neck anything and this trend is just right up my alley. I've put together some of my favorites below with links if they are available. I actually just purchased the crochet tankini top for a beach trip next month!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBG_j9FOfRQCc_EN4RltVHx70vmcg7vfYK4xb3zg9eOkudKD7NWv_pnYKCayFt0Rf_Uuk5B_fX7n9zPLYbfQvqx6_fIOlY42yYf4n0VQCBx63DZR5BCuunl8hHj45PeX35QNGynID0XNVd/s1600/halter+neck.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBG_j9FOfRQCc_EN4RltVHx70vmcg7vfYK4xb3zg9eOkudKD7NWv_pnYKCayFt0Rf_Uuk5B_fX7n9zPLYbfQvqx6_fIOlY42yYf4n0VQCBx63DZR5BCuunl8hHj45PeX35QNGynID0XNVd/s1600/halter+neck.png" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.swimsuitsforall.com/Black-Macram-HighNeck-Tankini#rrec=true">Black Macrame High Neck Tankini</a> // <a href="http://www.target.com/p/women-s-crochet-high-neck-one-piece-aqua-green-174/-/A-51984141?lnk=rec|adaptpdph1|related_prods_vv|adaptpdph1|51984141|3">Crochet High Neck One-Piece</a> // <a href="https://www.ae.com/aerie-crop-hi-neck-swim-top-true-black/aerie/s-prod/2758_9413_073?cm=sUS-cUSD&catId=cat7720284&cid=AE_PLA_3370156&ip=off&pup_e=1&pup_ptid=291230951986&pup_kw=&pup_c=pla&pup_cid=16964&pup_id=0025017781&gclid=CjwKEAjw6e_IBRDvorfv2Ku79jMSJAAuiv9Y2PReo7X_0gYUq5asTVXI4xr9cCvgYMiyB9qwfH1_PxoCy5Tw_wcB">Cropped High Neck Swim Top</a> // <a href="http://www.target.com/p/women-s-crochet-high-neck-bikini-top-xhilaration-153/-/A-51266619">Crochet High Neck Bikini Top</a> // <a href="http://www.swimsuitsforall.com/Black-Jewel-Mesh-HighNeck-Swimsuit">Black Jewel Mesh High Neck Swimsuit</a><br />
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How do you feel about halter/high neck swimsuits like these? Would you wear?Aprilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11274306444310696264noreply@blogger.com1