Favorite Farmhouse Decor Sources

If you weren't already a Farmhouse style lover, then you might have been persuaded to join the barracks with the entrance of Chip and Joanna Gaines' Fixer Upper. At any rate, Farmhouse style is very in right now and often pairs well with an array of other design styles as well, making it easy to incorporate some of the elements into your home without having to completely start over with your decor. 

Today, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite sources for beautiful Farmhouse style. Whether you lean more toward Modern Farmhouse or Traditional Farmhouse, these sites will definitely have something for you. This isn't a sponsored post, just sites that I love and have ordered from and I wanted to pass along to you! 

Decor Steals

Decor Steals is a daily deals site featuring a new Farmhouse find every day. This is probably one of my favorite sites and I check it (ahem) daily to see what today's steal is. You really can score some great deals here and shipping is a reasonable $5 flat fee. I've ordered a few times from this site and haven't been disappointed. I like it because they often have unique items that are hard to find locally. 

In addition to the one daily steal, Decor Steals will often offer extended steals. This will vary from day to day. Sometimes there will be six extended offers, and sometimes only a couple. As with everything on this site, buy it quick because items often sell out quickly. 


Painted Fox Home

Painted Fox Home has an array of gorgeous Farmhouse finds! Lots and lots of beautiful and unique items! I love to browse through this site.

A neat feature on Painted Fox Home is the Collections. They are curated by home and diy bloggers and often include items that are in their own homes. It cool to see how they use the items at home to give you an idea of how to style your purchases.


Magnolia Market

Obviously, I had to include the site that's run by the queen of Farmhouse style, Joanna Gaines. Her site has such cute items for your home, including decor featured on Fixer Upper. You can't go wrong purchasing from here if that Farmhouse Style is what you're after. 

Have you found a Farmhouse style source other than these? I'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment below!

Dear Fellow Car Line Mom

I just want to apologize for the lack of fashion prowess on my behalf during the morning car line drop off at school. It's not pretty at all and I subject you with it on a daily basis. For this I am truly sorry.

For the lack of proper day-time attire. I'm sorry. Pajama pants and hoodies do just fine in my book to get my kids to school. But Heaven forbid something happen and I have to step outside of my vehicle in said attire. It would scare everyone. (Maybe I should put forth a little more effort to dressing myself for the car line. Nah. Who am I kidding? I'll take my chances.)

For the unbrushed coif of bed head, I'm sorry. It likes to do its own thing after being slept on for a few hours and I don't have it in me to fight with it that early in the morning. I just don't.

For the don't-cross-me-I-haven't-had-my-coffee-yet look on my face, I truly apologize. I don't mean to look like a death row inmate staring down the rival prison gang leader, but my face doesn't relax until cup of coffee number one has been consumed and that usually doesn't happen until after morning car line.

 Please don't take it to heart if I don't wave at you when you pass. I'm not dissing you or trying to hurt your feelings, but it's taking all I can do not to merely grunt out one syllable words to my offspring, much less coordinate my ungainly limbs into wordless gestures of acknowledgment in your direction.

Seriously, guys. I am really, really sorry. I wish I were a morning person, but I'm not. AT ALL.

To the poor teachers and faculty who have to see me up close and personal when I drop off my two littles, bless you. You get a closer glimpse of She Who Should've Gotten Dressed and I implore you not to hold it against me. And I promise not to hold it against you when I run into you at Grocery Outlet on the weekend and you're sans makeup and in yoga pants. It'll be our little secret.

What Healthy Will Look Like For Me

Guys, I'm having a really bad day. I woke up (once again for the bazillionth time) with a horrible headache. I missed my morning workout, had zero energy, and reached for carbs for breakfast for an energy boost (in the form of a chocolate chip muffin). Not a great start to my day. 

I've been eating low carb for the past month and the last three or four days have been really hard. I've been very, very tempted to go off plan. What am I saying? I have gone off plan. Today, waking up not feeling well, missing my workout, then eating what is a no-no for me just completely put me in a funk. I'm so tired of not feeling well, tired of the constant lack of energy, the incessant headaches. When my head hurts like it does now, I really, really just want to chug a 20 ounce Mountain Dew just to get a little relief. Right now, I'm itching so bad to go the a convenience store to get that Mt. Dew that I feel like a junkie wanting a hit. Ugh!!!! I don't like feeling like this, like a beverage or a food can control me. 

Right now, I'm putting my foot down. I'm not going to let this spiral out of control like I've done in the past (i.e. eating to make myself feel better, then feeling so much guilt that I ate something bad for me, then eating again to make myself feel better from the guilt that I just had for eating to feel good the first time, then guilt again.....you get the picture.)I'm going to combat this. I'm going to war on the offensive, not the defensive. 

Making a lifestyle change over the long haul means breaking habits and making new ones. It means stopping the cycle and facing things head on. So instead of going and getting that Mt. Dew and letting the rest of my day be ruined and my choices spiraling out of control, I'm simply making this list of reasons I want to get healthy, to lose the weight I need to be at optimum health. And then I'm going to go for a walk. 

What Being at a Healthy Weight Will Look Like For Me:

1. No longer being too large to ride a roller coaster.
2. Not having to worry about knocking things over with my rear end.
3. Having the energy to play and be active with my children. 
4. Not feeling like poo every day.
5. Not being self-conscious about "being in other people's space" all the time.
6. Being able to buy clothes from any store or brand that I wish.
7. No longer paying an exorbitant amount of money on over-priced, plus-sized clothing. (I call it fat people extortion.)
8. Being able to cross my legs easily.
9. Not being embarrassed to wear a swimsuit to the beach or pool.
10. Taking more trips to the beach since I'm no longer too embarrassed to wear a swimsuit.
11. Being in the best physical shape of my life. 
12. Not snoring anymore and therefore sleeping better.
13. Having energy to accomplish my goals. (daily and long-term)
14. Being a good example to my girls.
15. Not feeling the need to wear shapewear all. the. time.
16. Being proud of myself for reaching a goal.
17. Not cringing away from physical contact because I'm embarrassed of my body.
18. No longer having the mentally draining sparring matches with my body's stupid food cravings.
19. Regular sized towel. Enough said.
20. Being comfortable in my own skin. 

Are you on a weigh loss, get-healthy journey, too? What are the things you look forward to after accomplish your goal? What will healthy look like for you? Comment below!

Class Valentines The Easy Way

Valentines for my children's classes this year took me sooo much effort. I mean, I had to park my car and walk half the length of the parking lot into Target. I had to walk from the front of Target to the opposite rear side and locate the Valentine's Day aisles. I had to spend a whole three minutes deciding which pre-made candy Valentines to choose. Then, as if all that wasn't enough, I had to walk back to the front of the store and pay. Whew! Wasn't that just so hard?

The dawn of Pinterest ushered in a massive barrage of "cutesy" ideas, projects, and plans for perfect everything. Perfect homes, perfect parties, perfect tablescapes, perfect teacher gifts, and perfect class Valentines. A great majority of us, myself included, bought into it. We decided that we needed to do everything little thing up to the standard of the magazine editorial's and full-time blogger's spreads. I mean, I have friends who try to craft and DIY every class party and get so anxious when they can't make it just how they want it or how they saw it on Pinterest.

What happened to the simple birthday parties of pre-Pinterest years? You know the ones I'm talking about. They consisted of cake, ice cream, chips and dip, and something to drink. You might have had balloons and streamers and a matching tablecloth, all bought in a themed package for your convenience. Kids just played together, ate, opened gifts, played a little more, and that was it. Piece of cake. Clean up was a breeze and you hadn't spent hundreds of dollars and hours and hours of time preparing for a two hour party.

I'm not saying that putting in extra time and effort on a party or class Valentines is wrong or bad. Not at all. I love to make things with my hands, to be creative and put something special together. What I am saying is that it's still okay NOT to do these things. That to put so much pressure on ourselves to make everything perfect and cutesy is not healthy. When you're getting anxious and stressing out about what you're sending to school with your child for their Valentine's Day party, or any other occasion for that matter, it's time to take a step back and simplify.

Sometimes, maybe you really don't have the extra time to devote to DIYing everything. Maybe mentally and emotionally you just don't have it in you spend so much time on a project. Maybe financially, you need to find ways to save money. Or maybe it's just not your thing. IT IS OKAY! Stop putting so much pressure on yourself.

My girls ready to bring their store-bought treats and Valentines to their classmates and I'm not even stressing. Ha!

In years past, I've made DIY Valentines for my kids' classes. I've made special treats for them to eat. But this year, I decided to simplify, to give myself a break. I need a break from the Pinterest-DIY-perfection-is-everything mindset. I'm a blogger who shares ideas to inspire others and I straight up bought pre-made Valentine's from Target. And the treats for their class parties? I bought....wait for it....something from the bakery at a local grocery store!

It's okay to give yourself a break from cutesy and perfect.

It's okay to buy pre-made items.

It's okay to not spend tons of time crafting DIY everything. 

It's okay to simplify. 

This is just a friendly reminder to cut yourself some slack sometimes. 

It's okay!

5 Things to Avoid When Trying to Lose Weight

Losing weight ain't no joke and it definitely isn't for the faint of heart. It's hard, it's tedious, and unfortunately, easy to derail with bad decisions. I've been contemplating the things that I try to avoid, the things that can influence me to make bad decisions when it comes to what I put in my mouth.(Note: Some of these may be a bit tongue in cheek.)

1. Those cute little signs that say "eat."

They're everywhere. In magazines, on Pinterest, blogs. I don't know why, but every time I've seen one of those "eat" signs or letters spelling it out, I've retracted from it like it was the bubonic plague. That's my gut-level reaction to them. I don't need a reminder to eat hanging in my kitchen. I just don't. I do quite well with that all on my own. Ya'll can keep your cute sign. I prefer not to hang subliminal messages on my kitchen wall.


2. The Food Network

Who doesn't like to watch The Food Network and find a new dish to try? Too bad that most of the dishes are hardly ones allowed on a diet. I just have to turn the channel. 

3. In particular, The Pioneer Woman

I love the Pioneer Woman. Love her! But, I can't watch her show without wanting to cook one of her dishes for supper. And they aren't diet approved, either. I don't know how she and her family aren't big as houses. I just have to turn the channel. It's torture to keep watching while dieting.

4. Going to a party hungry

Yep. This is definitely a way to derail all of your hard work. For example, this past Sunday night after church, my Sunday school class watched the Superbowl together. And there was food. Lots and lots of food with lots and lots of carbs. Yes, I baked a batch of maple bacon cookies to take with no plans of eating any myself, but I also brought a veggie tray and hummus for healthier snacking. Anyway, I literally had anxiety about walking in and facing all of that food. There was pizza (I love pizza), various dips with chips and crackers, and tons of deserts. Ugh!!! I'm so glad I wasn't starving when I walked in because all of my self-control would've flown out the window. I was able to eat fruit, veggies, hummus, salad (many thanks the blessed soul who brought the salad), and a chicken dip without any of the crackers or chips. Not terrible for a Super Bowl party. I had one bite-size cookie for desert. (Literally one bite). 

5. Grocery shopping while hungry

Going shopping while hungry is a definite no-no. Your cart will go from looking like this....

....to this. For real. True story. When I know that I'll be shopping for a while, I always try to take a bottle of water and a diet-approved snack with me to keep from becoming ravenous. If not, my shopping cart reflects my body's longing for carbs. 


Do you have any other things you try to avoid while trying to eat healthy? I'm sure it's different for everyone. I'd love to hear from you! 

Playroom Table Makeover

There's nothing like finding a piece of furniture that is less than desirable and bringing it back to life with a little paint and TLC. I found this small round table for a client's playroom at a local flea market. It was at an affordable price point and was the perfect size and shape for the room. We decided to go for it, knowing that I could transform it into a fun piece for the space.

I started with an older laminate table that had seen better days. Nothing a little elbow grease and paint can't remedy. I cleaned it up and painted it with Waverly Chalk Paint in Plaster. (Ya'll pay no mind to my much used drop cloth.)

Once it was painted and dried, I added painter's tape in geometric shapes so that I could put a fun design on the top of the table.

To seal the tape and to make sure we have nice, crisp lines, I painted the edges with the same chalk paint and let dry completely before moving forward.

This is after only one coat of paint. I chose colors that we were using in other areas of the room, making sure the gray was the main color and then adding the pops of color. The gray was Southern Belle Chalk Paint. It was the first time that I'd used that brand and I really liked the coverage and the color saturation. The other colors were just latex craft paint. After a second coat and time to fully dry, I removed the painter's tape and sealed with a clear wax.

I'll be sharing the finished product soon so be sure to stop back by and follow along on Facebook and Instagram for post updates.