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We Paid off All Our Debt! How living on a budget helped define my design style

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw that as of this week, we officially paid off all of my student loans and other consumer debt. It was a big deal for us. I went to a private christian university that was very expensive. At eighteen years old I did not have the forethought to consider how the loans would affect me entering my adult life. There are a lot of things I would have done differently given the opportunity to do it all again. Coulda shoulda woulda. I figured in case anyone was interested, I would share a bit about our story in general, how we did it, some tips/tricks, and since you all are here for house content, how living on a budget affected my design style.

For some context, I got married six months after college at age 22. So from the moment I had to start paying on my loans, I was working with a (albeit fairly small) dual income. Unfortunately, I have no experience with being a young single professional trying to pay off debt, but I think a lot of the same principles can apply. We loosely followed Dave Ramsey’s Baby Steps. I say loosely because he advises not purchasing a home (if you don’t already own one) until your debt is paid off. We obviously did not do that. But we had almost 100k in a small credit card, one car loan, medical bills, and a majority student loans. It took us six years. That’s a long freaking time.

One thing we did was set a very intentional budget each month. We designated an amount for every expense we had. This form is a really helpful starting point. (By the way, none of this is sponsored, this is just what helped us!) The most important thing was deciding what was important and spending our dollars there. That might be different for everyone. If spending quality time out with friends is important to you, set aside an amount you’re willing to spend on that, and write it in the budget! Then, boom. You get to spend guilt-free money going out! Just don’t overspend in that category, and you have nothing to worry about.

One thing that helped us make sure we didn’t overspend in different categories was using a cash envelope system. In my wallet I have an envelope with cash for groceries, household items, entertainment, and personal spending money. This helped me make sure I wasn’t blowing my budget because I could clearly see how much money was left for the month. Personal spending money was vitally important because I never felt guilty about roaming Target as long as I had cash in my envelope. And you can bet your bottom dollar that if I had extra grocery money on my last grocery shopping trip for the month, I was going to spend $20 on a cookie cake. It’s not about depriving yourself, it’s about having a plan.

When we were writing our budget, everything extra on top of all of our normal expenditures went toward debt. There were months (before kids lol) that we would make an $2,000 payment toward our debt. Now, that’s not to say every month was perfect. There were long periods of time when things were really hard or we had to put a pause on things. We needed a new truck, so we saved up cash for a few months and didn’t pay anything extra on loans. We needed medical intervention to start a family. That cost us a lot of money. When we actually had our first child, those medical expenses were high (don’t get me started on the the high cost of healthcare in this country). We experienced a job loss and lived on one income for about a year and were just barely making it. There were normal highs and lows, but that’s part of the reason it took so long. We had to stay motivated through long periods of lows, and it was really freaking hard. I stay at home now, but for the first 18 months of my son’s life I was teaching full time and had a pretty high daycare bill. It ate quite a bit into our budget to be honest. But it all came down to the budget. We wrote in line items for formula, diapers, baby clothes, all of it. Kids are expensive, no way around it.

It was hard to stay motivated at times, I’ll be honest. Six years is such a long time. But we constantly reminded ourselves of how much easier life would be without these extra payments lying around. Once our kids were born, we knew it would be so much better for them growing up to grow up in a household where money isn’t a stressful topic. That’s what kept us going.

At the risk of making this the longest post I’ve ever written, I did promise to discuss how living this way has affected my design style, so I wanted to touch on that. Every month I would spend my “spending cash” on house stuff. But I wanted to stretch my spending money as far as it would go, hence the love of thrift stores, estate sales, and flea markets. Why would I pay $200 for a dining chair at Target when I could buy a whole set of higher quality dining chairs at a thrift store with a little patience and persistence for $40? (That is a real example, by the way.) And shopping secondhand made me appreciate classic, traditional pieces that were different from what was trending at the big box store. I had to practice a lot of patience and be content with what I had in the interim, but I’m grateful for the forced exercise in self control.

Does any of that make sense? I feel like I both rambled on and on and also barely scratched the surface. If you have questions, let me know. That’s all for today, friends! Have a fabulous day!

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WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!

Yup. You read that right. If you’ve been here for any amount of time, you know that for the last several years, we’ve been renting. We’ve always wanted to buy a house that needs work, and work on making improvements on it together. For four years since we’ve been married, we’ve saved money, paid off tons of debt, and waited patiently for this dream to become a reality. Being patient hasn’t always been easy, and we’ve been super frustrated in our rental homes.

But now, finally, we have our own house! I’ll be sharing some interior before pictures soon, but I wanted to share with you guys the story of this house with you guys. Our original plan was to purchase a “starter home,” make improvements to it, and sell it within a few years. We ended up finding this house that we thought we might be looking for in about ten years. It’s on a historic street where we live, with lots of beautiful homes. Picture the kind of street you drive down when you go look at Christmas lights. It’s actually the street that the local Christmas and 4th of July parade go down. It’s a little slice of americana, if you will. Many of the homes on this street have been re-done already (read: expensive), and this is one of the last ones that still need work. It was built in 1895 if you can believe it!

There was no way we should have been able to get this house. When it first came on the market, it was well out of our price range. We noticed it when it came on the market, but didn’t want to go look at it because it was just too high for us. It sat for a while, slowly dropping in price, but still beyond what we wanted to pay. Finally, it dropped in price again, this time somewhere in the range of where we were thinking, but still just a bit more than we were hoping to spend.

We called our realtor and asked about going to look at it and possibly putting in a low offer. He obliged us, even though we may have been crazy for wanting to put in a lower offer. We looked at it, absolutely loved it, but weren’t sure if the sellers would consider a lower offer, especially after having lowered the price already. We didn’t want to get our hopes up, but we really loved it, so that was difficult to say the least. Our realtor contacted the listing agent and asked if they would be willing to consider the amount we were hoping to get it for. They came back with a number that was still higher than we were hoping, so we thought it was going to be over.

But then, the next day, the listing agent called back and said that the sellers agreed to come all the way down to the price we were wanting! There is absolutely no way that should have happened. It was totally a God thing.

But if that wasn’t enough, we had another crazy God moment when we went to the 4th of July parade. On the 4th, we had already put in an offer and it had been accepted. We decided to go to the parade (remember, the parade route goes right down the street this house sits on), and set up our chairs in front of the house that we would soon be buying. We noticed that there was a family sitting on the front steps, and I curiously wondered if they were the owners (the house was empty when we looked at it). I decided to introduce myself just because and ask them if they were the owners. It turns out that they weren’t, but they had lived in it for over twenty years from the 80’s until the mid 2000’s. They had done many updates and knew a ton of historic information about it. They were so kind and so excited that we were going to be purchasing the house.

They were so sweet they even insisted we take this picture which is such a treasure! We met Paula, and her daughter, who grew up in the house. They had such fond memories of their time in this house, and we’re excited to honor this historic home and continue the long legacy it has.

I know this post has been incredibly lengthy already, so I’ll wrap it up. We are so excited to roll up our sleeves and get to work on this thing! And obviously there will be lots to share here, so stay tuned. That’s all for today, friends. Have a fabulous day!

 

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Life Update: Where in the World Have I Been?

You guys. Every time I have updated on here in the last year, it has started off with, “So it has been forever since I’ve posted…” and I suppose today is no different! In the last year, I have only posted about five times, and the last time was all the way back in January! I have been slacking to say the least. Things around here have been a little crazy and unpredictable, so I thought I might give a little quick recap of the last year or so.

First, if you follow me on Instagram, you know that we are expecting our first baby this fall. So that alone is enough to have me freaking out. I was feeling pretty sick for a while, and just generally not like myself. I’m feeling much better, and I’ve been able to get back into running and not having to slowly eat pretzels in bed before standing up. 🙂 Now all I can think about is the fact that I am totally and completely unprepared for all of this!

Secondly, because of the baby coming this fall, I won’t be able to do any fall shows. For the last two or so years, I have done several shows per season, while working my full time job. I’ll be taking the fall season off, and after that, I’m not too sure what the future holds. Having a baby will definitely make doing shows a much bigger endeavor, so we will have to see how things go. Meanwhile, I have been selling most of my inventory that I’ve had from my booth, so if you’re local to the North Texas area, shoot me an email or IG message and you can come shop my workshop!

Third, since I’m taking a temporary step back from doing shows, I’ve got my etsy shop back up and running. These hymnal pages have always been my top selling item at my shows and events. I’ve listed them on etsy, because I’ll easily be able to work on them from home, even when I’m home with a newborn. These are my absolute favorite things to decorate with, and they are also my go-to baby and wedding shower gift garnish. If you’d like to check out the shop, click here. 

And, lastly, the thing that has me in the biggest slump is our current living situation. Let me give you the most up to date info. So, we’ve lived in our current rental for just under two years. In fact, our lease ends in just a couple weeks. Since early this year, we have been looking to purchase a home. Our first home! So exciting! Well, it was. And then we found out we were pregnant, and it was even more exciting. We started looking and looking, and well, maybe you need a little backstory. The area we live in is rapidly growing. Which means one thing: the housing market is. out. of. control.

There are so many historic homes in our area, and we would absolutely love to purchase an older home that needs work and slowly bring it back to life. But here’s the thing. Houses sell within a few days. The area is growing faster than homes can be built, and so most homes have multiple offers within a few days, driving up the prices. We’ve lost out on a few houses that we’ve had our hopes set on, because the sellers have chosen other offers.

So, what started as an exciting time has quickly become stressful and disappointing as we loom closer and closer to the end of our lease, and the baby’s due date. I can only plan in theory what the nursery is going to look like because I have literally no idea what the room is going to look like. And I’m a planner. So, it has been incredibly hard not to start working on nursery projects.

Knowing that we’re going to be moving “soonish” but not knowing any type of time frame has put me in a creative slump in our current house. All I’ve been doing is purging, organizing, and throwing things out. I haven’t been doing projects or working on decorating certain areas in new ways because I’ve just been viewing it all as temporary. When we do finally move into our new house, I plan on bringing you all along for the ride! Of course, I’ll still be sharing small decorating DIY projects, but for a while, I’ll be focused on large, full scale projects. I’ll finally be able to do things like paint! I have been waiting SO. LONG.

So, all that to say, who knows what may change before the next time we chat. I’ll try to keep you posted. That’s all for today, friends! Have a fabulous day!

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Five Things I’ve Learned Running a Vintage Booth

Hey y’all! I am just coming out of a great weekend, and while it’s fresh on my mind, I wanted to share with you everything! This weekend I had a show with Vintage Market Days, which is my favorite event, both as a shopper and as a vendor. This was my second show with VMD, and I have continued to learn so much now that I have two shows under my booth. I still would consider myself a novice by all means, but I’d love to share the top five things I’ve learned, should you ever consider running a booth yourself!

Style the booth like a room. 

The first thing you want to do is think about your booth as a room. You don’t want to just randomly place furniture around a room in your house and call it a day. You think carefully about walkways, flow, and how you decorate. Think carefully about how to piece things together. I added walls to the back of my booth, a portable faux shiplap backdrop that I could hang things on. This created not only the feeling of being in a defined space, but also gave me vertical space to display things on. That is huge! Your house has walls where you hang things, so should your booth! You may be placed up to a wall, but chances are, you’ll be backed up against another booth or an ugly wall. Put something up so you can make your booth look homey! The shiplap walls were a big hit, and I am so impressed with how Ethan made these!

Think big! (But also small.) I would consider myself to run a redesigned furniture booth. However, not everyone who walks into a market is going to be in the market for (or have money for) a large furniture piece. I don’t know how many times people walked by my booth to admire my farmhouse table but walked away saying but I don’t need a table. People won’t usually spontaneously purchase a large furniture piece, but they will buy something small. Have items at all price points! I had pieces ranging from three to five hundred dollars. Make your items mass appeal. This doesn’t mean you have to offer things that aren’t true to your style, but bring things in that can match anyone’s price point. Even though I have furniture in my booth, I made most of my sales on small items.

Constantly rearrange. 

Things will sell. Even if you have your booth perfectly styled before the market starts, things will sell and leave gaping holes in your booth. You have to be quick on your feet and be able to move things around to constantly make the booth presentable. Another vendor gave me some great advice this weekend and told me not to be afraid to rearrange during the show. It will make shoppers less intimidated to come in and check things out, plus it brings different items to the attention of shoppers if they walk by more than once. Someone may think they’ve seen everything, but when you rearrange, they may notice something they haven’t seen the first time around. They’re much more likely to stop and shop!

Make friends with other vendors! 

Other vendors are a wealth of knowledge. Everyone has different experiences and expertise, and they all have something to offer. And the best part is that if you’re warm and friendly, they’ll be warm and friendly in return! As someone just starting out, this is huge! They are so generous with advice and tips, especially those who have been doing things for a while. You never know who you’re going to be set up next to, so make sure you learn everything you can from those around you!

Be mindful of logistics. 

Lastly, don’t forget about the logistics. Bring canvas dropcloths if you’re on a dirt floor. Bring change for cash buyers. Be prepared for shoppers to pay with card. Bring tools, because something will invariably go wrong. Bring chairs for sitting during the show. Have a plan for load in and load out, whether that means a truck, trailer, or strong muscles. Make a list and check it more than once, because you’ll always forget something.

These are just some of the things I’ve learned, but I feel like I’m way more experienced than I was before! Each show is a learning experience, and I am so thankful to have the opportunity to continue to grow this little side business I have. It’s exhausting, exhilarating, and exciting at the same time. Creating the pieces for these shows and seeing my ideas come to life is an indescribable feeling. Have you ever thought about becoming a vendor at a craft fair or antique market? I hope these tips help you out!

Well, that’s all for today friends! Have a fabulous day!

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We Didn’t Watch TV for a Month!

Yes, you read that correctly. If you’re new here, don’t quit reading on me. This blog is typically about my house and how I decorate on a budget, but this post is more personal. Bear with me.

For the month of January we decided not to watch TV at the house at all. It wasn’t really a new year’s fast thing, it was just something I thought would be fun to try. Sometimes I (and most Americans probably) can get sucked into sitting on the couch for hours on end. Which is totally fine. I work really hard during the week and sometimes I just need to do nothing.

The problem is that when I sit around doing nothing for multiple hours, I just feel unproductive and gross. So when I brought up the possibility of not watching anything for a whole month, Ethan was on board. He may have been a little bit reluctant, but if he was, he didn’t let on. I wanted to see what it would be like without it in the house. And let me tell you: it was awesome. Here’s what happened.

First, I just did more. More of everything. I worked on projects more frequently. I actually got off my butt and got into the garage to get stuff done. I painted more, finished a lot of things that had been in my garage for months, and got ahead on pieces for my upcoming spring shows. That alone would have been enough to call it a success, but there was so many other benefits.

I read more books. On a normal weeknight, when I would normally be watching my shows, I was reading books. I frequented the library much more often, and read four books this month. Which is a lot for me. I have always enjoyed reading, but I’m not what you might consider an avid reader. I have always used the excuse that I didn’t have time. Which wasn’t really true. I had the same amount of time, I just didn’t prioritize well.

I also felt more rested. Somehow even though I was getting more accomplished, I just felt better. I had more energy, and I wasn’t a total zombie when it came to the end of the day. Teaching can sometimes drain your energy, and so when you’re teaching all day you tend to be exhausted. And there were those days. But overall, I wasn’t super drained. I felt all around good. I cooked at home more and even baked some too! At first I thought that we would spend more money because we would be bored at home, but honestly I think we spent less money than we normally do because I was so much more productive and energetic.

There were things I thought I’d miss, and I’ll be honest, it was hard not tuning in to the newest episode of Fixer Upper each week when everyone else was posting and sharing photos of the great episodes, but there were other things I didn’t even miss (cough* The Bachelor *cough). As the month went on, it seemed like the feeling of missing out on things kind of passed.

Overall, it was a month of rest and rejuvenation. It was the perfect way to start the year off right, and it set the tone for what’s to come this year. I think it might be a good tradition to continue into the years to come, but we’ll see. Ethan may not quite agree. 🙂 Either way, I’d recommend it! I enjoyed this month, and I think if you gave it a try, you’d be surprised at how it turns out! That’s all for today, friends. Have a fabulous day!

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2017: My Word for the Year

Hello all! Can you believe that Christmas has already passed? It seems like the season moves more quickly with each passing year. I saw someone post on social media the other day about the time between Christmas and New Years being “a week of not knowing what day it is or what you’re doing with your life.” It’s funny, but it’s so true! Especially for me because I’m a teacher, I don’t have to work on the in between week, and so I’m at a total loss. Every day is leisurely and wonderful.

It is always a time for reflection though, and I love to use this time to reset before the new year. Last year I wrote a quick reflection on the year, and you can read that here . I was reading over it, and it is so awesome to see what this year has held for us, even when I didn’t know it. God is funny that way, isn’t He? Always knowing what’s ahead even when we’re doubting the plan.

This year rather than making any official resolutions, I am choosing one single word to represent my outlook for this upcoming year.

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I’ve never done this before, but it’s an alternative approach to resolutions. One with lower stakes. I’m not one for making make or break resolutions, but I can get on board with one single word. So for this next year, my word is:

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grow. 

It seems simple, but for me, it has so much meaning. This past year, we moved into a new rental house, I continued blogging, and we had our first successful show as a vendor at a vintage market.

This upcoming year, all I want is to grow. I want to continue to grow this blog, and grow more relationships with the people who read this blog or are in my so called “community.”

I want to grow my little business (it’s literally a family joke that I am technically a small business owner, because I had to get a tax license to be a vendor at a certain event). I want to grow my little side business into an actual side business. Something that is continually bringing in a side income while allowing me to be creatively fulfilled. I was able to get my feet wet a little bit this year, but I really want to dive in this next year.

I want to grow professionally as well. Teaching is no easy career, and there’s always areas of improvement. I want to continue to grow in that area.

And of course, there’s always room for spiritual growth. That’s something that almost seems silly to include, because it’s a no brainer for me, and it’s nothing new this year, but still an important facet to my word this year.

And that’s it! Do you make resolutions? Do you choose a word for yourself each year? I’d love to hear what you’ve chosen!

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Weekend Recap: Vintage Market Days

This weekend was nothing short of awesome. I could leave it at that and it would be enough. Seriously. This weekend I had a booth at Vintage Market Days in Waxahachie, TX. This was my first time with a booth at a reputable event. I did a local show once last year, but it was really not something that I wanted to pursue due to a few different factors. This weekend however, was different. I left this weekend feeling refreshed and inspired and ready to try something new.

So here’s the deal. I’ve known about Vintage Market Days for a long time. I have always kind of wondered if I could do something like that, but for whatever reason, never put myself out there. This summer, I was trying to focus on what I wanted to do with this little hobby I have of decorating/antiquing/painting furniture. I thought about getting a booth at a local store, and for several reasons that too fell through. So over the summer I thought, well, I might as well apply for VMD and just see what happens. The worst that can happen is I don’t get in. And if I do get in, it’s only a three day commitment. I can do this. So I hit this apply button and got on with my day. When I found out that I was accepted into the event, I was surprised more than anything. Me? I just have this little hobby that’s not even a big deal.

As the event got closer, I was busy in my garage painting, sanding, creating. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen some videos projects I’ve been working on in my garage. I staged a mock booth setup in my garage by taping a 10×10 square on the floor like I had any idea what the heck I was doing.

I set my booth up the night before the event, and realized I didn’t have enough stuff at all. So after I went home that evening I finished a few things in my garage and brought them to my booth the morning of the show. Now, let me tell you a little about my booth. I was clearly a newbie. The other vendors around me had tents and beautiful backdrops to stage their booths with. These weren’t even things that had been on my radar. I felt super nervous and inexperienced compared to everyone around me.

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But you know what? It didn’t even matter. I had the most amazing weekend. Everyone was so kind and accommodating, I sold some of my pieces, which felt awesome. I received a lot of affirmation from customers and other vendors about what I was doing, despite the fact that I felt totally inexperienced. I got so many complements on my booth, the styling, the furniture pieces. It was exactly what I needed to confirm the possibility of wanting to pursue this more frequently.

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People were constantly asking if I had a storefront, or if I had a card. Both of the answers to those were no. I kept telling people that this was the first thing I had done, and I was just getting started. The fact that people thought that about my few little projects though was incredibly humbling. At some point I realized, wow. I actually can do this.

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I learned so much this weekend. So much. I think the most important thing I realized was that number one, I am actually able to do this,  and number two, this is something I enjoy. As we were leaving after the weekend was over, I kept telling Ethan I just really like this. It feels so good to put yourself out there not knowing what the result is going to be, and then to feel so accomplished and humbled at the same time. Y’all, I have no idea what this weekend means for me. I teach full time, and I have this little hobby of making my house a home. Those are two very distinct parts of me, that I love. I have no idea what I’m going to do next, but I can assure you, I want to pursue whatever this is.

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So guys, I’ll let you know when my next event is. That’s all for today. Have a fabulous day, friends!

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WE’RE MOVING!!!

I have been waiting approximately 1.9 years to say those words. We have been married for two years, and for just about all of those two years I have been waiting to move. No joke. You’ve heard me complain on and on about this little house of ours and how terrible it is. It is the epitome of young married couples’ first homes. Old, dingy, and unlevel are just a few words to describe it.

Well friends, this week is officially the week… we are finally moving into our second house! It has been a crazy six or so months for us. We have desperately wanted to move, feeling like we’ve paid our dues in the crappy first place together, but still wanting to be financially wise. We went back and forth trying to decide whether to rent or to buy.

We fell in love with a historic home on a huge lot in town…and it closed before we could put in an offer. We went through the process of getting pre-approved for a loan (all the super fun stuff of house hunting…not). We looked at home listings multiple times per day. The cost of rental properties kept climbing higher and higher, and the housing market is in a huge boom right now. We saved all our pennies and we were ready for a change. We just couldn’t find anything.

So when a rental house came up that was actually decent AND in our price range, we just felt like it was the right thing for us right now. Now, we want to buy a home. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think there is another couple who is as excited to tackle home ownership as we are…but #studentloans and #responsibility. We made a goal when we first got married that we would pay off my student loans before purchasing our first house. And I know that choice isn’t for everyone, but for us, buying a home right now knowing we still have that student loan hanging out there felt like we were cheating ourselves.

So, we’ll be moving into our second rental. And you know what? I could not be more excited. Our new house is miles above what our old house was, and I can’t wait to show you. For one, there isn’t a dark gray dingy wall to wall carpeting. So that’s a win right there. For the blog, you can expect more room posts from now on, as well as larger projects instead of just small DIYs. We’re moving down a little bit in sqare footage, but the layout is much more efficient and won’t feel like we’re moving down at all. I am super excited about our fresh start, and for a blank canvas to decorate.

I have loved making our first house a home. I have discovered a passion I didn’t know was in me, and we have learned and grown so much in this ugly little house. I will forever be thankful for the time we have had here…but for now, we are on to a new adventure! That’s all for today friends, have a fabulous day!

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Six Ways to Work More Creatively

I have now been on summer break for about a month. I had some serious plans of working on a ton of projects, blogging a bunch, and being generally productive. I laugh in the face of my plans. Because, let’s be honest. I have done absolutely nothing thus far this summer. Unless you count Netflix binges, in which case, I have been super productive.

I’ve been struggling this past month or so, because I haven’t been able to work creatively on just about anything. I’ve felt pretty unsuccessful because I haven’t done anything new, and the longer it has gone, the more of a creative rut I feel myself slip into. I realize this sounds pretty dramatic. All I mean is that I have been unable to create or make things. We are working toward a pretty big financial goal, and so for the the past few months we have been intentionally super tight. Which is fine, because we’re really excited about future possibilities, but there hasn’t really been any extra cash for house/decor projects.

So I thought it might be a good idea to share with you guys some ways (simple ones) that I have found helpful to get some creative juices flowing.

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One.

Go for a walk. If you are like me, and it’s a bajillion degrees during the day, you might want to do this in the evening. But a simple walk around the neighborhood can do a body good. I love to walk and look at homes around the neighborhood, admire people’s gardens, and wave at the older woman who lives down the street. It just feels good.

Two.

Clean things up around the house, and move things around. The classic “shop your home” strategy to make new vignettes by moving things from your home and moving them around. I love doing this because it’s free, but also because it forces me to get up and think outside the box.

Three.

Go outside and water the plants. Or grass if you don’t have any plants. I kid you not, there have been a few days this summer when the only thing I have done in the day is go out to the front yard and water my hydrangeas. (The bush is growing, but the flowers are all dead. I’m not sure what that means, but hopefully it’ll bloom next year.) Standing there with the hose makes me feel like I’m doing something.

Four.

Pick some flowers. Pull some branches from a tree. Whatever. Get some alive thing, and put it in a vase. I feel better with fresh flowers around. It helps me think, and it doesn’t hurt that it looks pretty too.

Five.

Slice up some lemons and put them in a glass of water. I think I’m a little overly obsessed with lemons right now (blame summer), but for me, there is something soothing about slicing lemons. Put in a glass of water, combined with a long sit on the porch, and it’s just perfection.

Six.

And this is the one I’m still telling myself. Turn off the dang TV and do something else. Anything else. I have wasted so much time this summer sitting on the couch watching mindless shows. Now there’s nothing wrong a little R’n’R, but I just feel so unproductive when I’m not doing something. So this is definitely a goal of mine for now.

So I’m feeling a little bit more creative and ready to get to work! Have you ever felt like you’re in a creative rut? What did you do to get through it? I’d love to hear about it! Well, that’s all for today, friends! Have a fabulous day!

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Twenty Four Things

Hey y’all! I hope you’re having a great day! Today is my twenty fourth birthday, and although I normally don’t like to advertise that it’s my birthday (it may be my introverted side that doesn’t like to call attention to myself), I thought it might be a good time to share a few things you might not know about me! I love when bloggers share more personal things about themselves on their platforms, and so I’d like to share twenty four things you may not know about me (on my twenty fourth birthday)!

One. I am really short. I’m only 5’2, and Ethan is a foot taller than me, making me feel even shorter. I’m always the shortest person in the group picture…sigh.

Two. I love watching documentaries. I know that they’re usually made to persuade an audience, but I don’t even care. I’m persuaded.

Three. We are working our way through Dave Ramsey’s financial baby steps. Au revoir, student loans, you’re getting out of here! (Seriously though, trying to pay off students loans as quickly as possible has caused so many of our lifestyle choices. I love talking about it, but hate to be too pushy. 😉 )

Four. Most of my wardrobe has some form of blue in it. What can I say? I guess it’s my color.

Five. Interior design/home decor is something I never knew I was interested in until I was an adult. Oops.

Six. Chocolate is most definitely a food group. I consume more candy regularly than a six year old on Halloween.

Seven. Coffee is not my thing. No matter what, I just can’t get on that train. I like about one flavor of tea, and that’s about it in the cafe drink selection. Don’t invite me to a coffee house. I’ll be like a fish out of water.

Eight. I teach first grade, and sometimes my teacher voice comes out a little too embarrassingly in non-school settings.

Nine. I am completely introverted. ISFJ for life! I’m a total homebody, and enjoy spending time at home.

Ten. I am what I’d call a yo-yo runner. Meaning I do it for a while and then lose interest. Then I quit. Then a month or two later I have to start all over again. Several years ago, I did complete several lengthy races, but I’m afraid those days are long over!

Eleven. I’m the biggest Julie Andrews fan. I have seen The Sound of Music only about nine million times. I’m obsessed with her.

Twelve. I can’t wait to buy a house. I’ve got house fever real bad. But, patience is a virtue, my friends. Eventually, we’d like to purchase a historic home in our neighborhood and restore it, but for now it’s just a dream.

Thirteen. I love to bake. But cooking dinner is a chore. This might just be due to the fact that I love sweets, but I do love to bake! My mom is a really great baker, and I’m slowly improving on my skills. I hate thinking about coming home after a long day at work though and cooking. I have to be in a certain mood to bake, but when it hits, it hits!

Fourteen. Flea markets are my jam. I’m always on the lookout for something I won’t be able to find anywhere else. Recently I’ve been trying to collect vintage Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks. You know, the classic red and white gingham pattern? So far I have about five or six different editions, and I hope to have all of them someday. It’s the cookbook I grew up on, and it has the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Fifteen. I hope to someday travel to France. It’s been a dream of mine since I started taking French classes. Seven years of useless French class that led me to living in Texas. Reeeeal helpful. Ha!

Sixteen. I drink everything without ice. The perfect drink temperature is room temperature. My perfect drink order is a Coke, no ice, with a straw.

Seventeen. I have a serious lead foot. Thankfully we have speed limits of 75 here in Texas, but it’s still not fast enough for this girl. It’s a serious problem for this girl.

Eighteen. Hair and makeup is not really my thing. I always tell myself I’ll get better at it when I’m older, but I guess that’s probably not true. I try, but good grief, some of y’all are like real makeup artists and I’m just trying to figure out which eyeshadow won’t make me look twelve.

Nineteen. My favorite restaurant to eat at is Cracker Barrel. I love their store and their food. We even have their rocking chairs on our front porch.

Twenty. When I was a kid, I was given free reign over decorating my bedroom. Which led to a lot of bright colors. Now, I’d be happy to rock some plain ol’ white.

Twenty One. I really want to get into canning vegetables and fruit. Maybe someday!

Twenty Two. I have an iPhone, but otherwise, I’m PC for life.

Twenty Three. We are about to celebrate our second anniversary. Our wedding was basically one big huge DIY project for me, and piqued my interest in decorating and design.

Twenty Four. The 4th of July will always be my favorite holiday. We’re pretty patriotic people, so it doesn’t get much better than that.

Thanks for sticking around and reading through all of my silly ramblings. I appreciate the time you take out of your day to visit my little blog. That’s all for today, friends. Have a fabulous day!