5 Things Thursday: My husband

Today’s is my husband’s 33rd birthday. I’ve been teasing him for a while now about being an “old man,” but I think now that I’ve hit the big 3-0 myself, I’m going to have to tone that down.

I mean, sure, he has a little silver around his temples, and I don’t have a single gray hair to speak of (at least, now that I pulled out that one long one from a couple of months ago that was a 3 part combo of black, blonde, and white…with the white originating from the root, unfortunately). But gray hair is okay in a guy. It just means he’s distinguished, right? Right.

In any case, I thought I might make today’s post all about Shaun since it’s kind of his big day and all. Because you deserve to know my husband a little better. Everybody does, actually, but since I don’t have security clearance to use the worldwide megaphone I’m sure they have locked away somewhere in a United Nations vault, I’ll start with you guys.

Sorry, girls. He’s all mine.

1.

My husband is good.

Now, if you’re a fellow Christian, then you may be thinking, “Whoa. Hold up there, chickie. The Bible says ‘there is no one good, not even one.’” (Romans 3:10).

And I totally get that. We all sin. We are all selfish. We all have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).  But Shaun is as close to a naturally good person as I have ever met. If you read our “Love Story” series from last summer, then you know that he was only barely a Christian when we began dating. Which so should not have been kosher with me, since I’d been a believer since the tender age of five.  But Shaun grew and matured in Christ at incredible leaps and bounds—both because he had grown up with Bible stories and godly knowledge and principles and also because he had a heart poised towards doing right already.  He loves honesty and fairness and doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.

I have seen his relationship with Jesus affect his life tangibly—especially in the areas of self-sacrificial leadership, patience, and joy—as he has studied God’s word. It has been such a pleasure to see. And it is such a privilege to be married to a man in whose judgment I can so safely place my trust.

2.

My husband is funny.

But then, if you saw my birthday post from last fall, you already know this. 

I cannot tell you how much I love that Shaun (or “Alby,” as I always call him…it feels weird typing “Shaun” over and over) and I share the same sense of humor. He makes me laugh out loud pretty much every single day with his wit and clever quips. One of my greatest regrets from our dating years is that, when one of our computers crashed, it took a huge chunk of our “courtship emails” with it. Yes, they were full of cheesy love notes, but there was some comedic gold there too, y’all.

3.

My husband is Daddy.

He truly embodies that word. He works from home, and his office is upstairs in the remotest corner of the house. And that is where he stays 90% of most workdays. But if he ever does come down and and spots one of the twins lying on the bed or couch or her swing, he will inevitably end up with at least one armful (often two) of baby and spend the next five minutes rocking and cooing to them.

And if, during that love-fest, he catches a whiff of something rotten in the state of Denmark, he will always change that stinky diaper.

He gets all bright-eyed and excited when Della hasn’t gotten up yet in the mornings because that means he “gets” to go get her.

And the boys just adore him.

For good reason, obviously.

4.

My husband is thoughtful.

This is the breakfast sandwich he sent with me when I took the boys to school the other day.

He always gives the best gifts because he keeps a running list of things he hears me mention or say I like throughout the year. He comes running to help me get the kids out of the car when we come home in the evenings from the gym. And he even does my grocery-shopping for me sometimes.

5.

My husband is talented.

He BUILT this, y’all!

He won a state competition in Literary Criticism in high school (where he was the valedictorian of his graduating class…of 14). He creates entire software programs using complicated programming code that he taught himself. He designed and built our entire house pretty much singlehandedly.  He is athletic. He can play a mean game of Words with Friends (as much as it pains me to admit it, I, the English major, lose to my husband, the Computer Geek, more often that not). He can even follow a recipe! And the list could go on and on.

In the words of the inimitable Inigo Montoya:

“Ees too much. Lemme sum up.”

My husband is God’s perfect mate for me, and I am over-the-moon thrilled that he is mine.

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Wardrobe Wednesday: Schizo-chic

I have amply documented my love of polka dots, but just in case you weren’t convinced, today’s post (combined with last week’s) should help sway you.

I don’t really know how I would label my style.

It’s too preppy to be bohemian and too eclectic to be posh.

I like putting things together that strike me in a certain way, but I couldn’t really define what that certain way is. I can remember loooooooving the prim and proper high-collared blouses and long, bustled skirts from the Anne of Green Gables movies growing up. But I’m also extremely drawn to the hippie-chic looks that Anthro does so well.

Which is why I don’t know what to call what I like. Schizo-chic? Yeah. Let’s go with that. That sounds totally normal.

What I do know is this: I know when I love something. And I love polka dots.

Thanks to Amanda from Royal Daughter Designs for snapping a few cell phone pics in the Chuy’s parking lot.

{Top: Marshall’s, $10, Skirt: J. Crew/Goodwill, $3, Jacket: Abercrombie/Ebay, $23, Shoes: Marshall’s, $35}

See?

I wore this outfit to a fun lunch with these fabulous ladies:

I stole this pic from my friend, Kelli’s, blog post about the meet-up, and I agree with everything she said—namely that blogging is so much fun because it allows for so many relationships that we wouldn’t normally get to have.

I mean, just think, without this blog, you and I wouldn’t “know” each other, even in a virtual sense. And that would just be a crying shame.

Although we did very little “blog-talk,” Amanda, Kelli, Skye (and her extremely patient husband; seriously? lunch with a bunch of talkative women? that’s a good man), and I all managed to yammer away for quite some time before we finally reached our refill limit (our poor waiter was probably ready to pour that last glassful down the front of our shirts!).

(Fun tidbit, Skye and her husband, Chris, are from West Monroe and regularly encounter the colorful characters of Duck Dynasty in the grocery store and elsewhere around the community).

And just in case you need further proof of my deep and abiding love polka dots, here’s what I wore to church last Sunday.

I blame my camera-man for not noticing the former burn-pile site featuring prominently in the background. Fortunately, he’s really handsome, and I’m married to him, which makes him very easy to forgive.

{Top: Old Navy, $6, Jeans: GAP outlet—old—$15, Cardigan: Beall’s, $11, Shoes: Beall’s $0.88—yes, you read that right…less than one dollar}

 

I’m beginning to notice a trend in quite a few of my outfits (besides the polka dots).

Primary colors. Either they’re very in, and they’re what I’m buying since they’re available. Or I’m suddenly drawn to blocks of red, blue, green, and, yes, yellow.

So…do you have a word to describe your style? Do you find yourself dressing a certain way only to notice that you’ve been seeing it in all the store windows and only thought you were being original?

Is there a word that comes to mind for my style? (“Schizo-chic” might scare some people).

Are any of these questions at all important in the grand scheme of life? Um, not even a little bit.

But they’re as existential as a post about polka dots and primary colors is going to get, so I’ve got to work within my limits.

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy.

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Try-it Tuesday: I ♥ Little People {Embellished Tee}

Disclaimer: this post is late because of the Little People in my life. And, yes, there were times I was tempted to say, “Hey! Mama’s trying to write a blog post about how much she loves you! Can you be quiet and quit climbing on me, already?”

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For last week’s Wardrobe Wednesday, I showed you the end result of an idea that I’ve had in the back of my mind for a while now.

I started with a long-sleeved tee from Old Navy, which I found on the clearance rack for $1.

It’s nothing fancy. In fact, it was practically begging to be fancied up a bit.

A little while ago, we had a fun discussion on Facebook about what we would put on a t-shirt as the answers for the (often comical and wildly inappropriate) FAQs we get asked as mothers of small children.

Mine were:

1. Yes, they're twins. Girl, girl. Yes, they’re identical. Yes, we have twins in our family, but with identical twins, that doesn’t matter. They are a happy and unique blessing from the Lord. (Remember, this is what the t-shirt would say—not what I always manage to get out of my mouth).
2. Yes, they're all mine.
3. Yes, I know how this keeps happening.

But as I read all your responses, the idea of a TRULY preemptive t-shirt began to take shape in my mind—one that would, in a perfect world, head all of those pesky (if, at times, hilarious) questions off at the pass by a simple declaration of my love for my (many) children.

And this is what I came up with:

It’s a super simple project that can be customized however you choose and could definitely be a no-sew job if you wanted.

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

• A t-shirt
• Various fabric scraps
• Sequin fabric (mine came from a tank top that I never wear)
• Decorative ribbon (at least 1”—preferably wider)
• Scissors
• Pins
• Glue gun (not pictured)
• Sewing Machine (optional)
• Heart template (I just did a Google search for “heart outline”)

And here’s what you’ll do:

::STEP 1::

Fold your various scraps of fabric in half (you may have to press them to get them to stay folded) and trace a half outline of a “little person” silhouette, just like you used to do in kindergarten when you made paper doll chains. I am no artist, folks, so I just eye-balled and played around with various shapes until I got one I liked.

Since I wanted 4 different sizes (yes, I have 5 children, but the twins are the same, obviously), I started with the biggest version and then used it as a guide to scaling each little figure down a little. I didn’t worry about perfect proportions—just an overall impression.

{Don’t forget to press them flat again after you cut them out}

::STEP 2::

Cut out the sequined heart.

::STEP 3::

Cut ribbon for the letter “I” and play with various layouts. This part is important because, as you can see from the pic of the finished product, I didn’t end up with this layout you see below.

::STEP 4::

Glue the very centers of your little people figures with a dab or two of hot glue. This will keep them from sliding around as you stitch them in place.

{Alternatively, if you’re doing a no-sew version, you could anchor everything in place with hot glue or fabric glue}

  

It’s very important to keep the hot glue away from the edges if you’re planning on stitching the outline. Dried, hard hot glue + sewing machine needles = broken needles.

(Or so I’ve heard).

::STEP 5::

Pin everything else in place and stitch around the outline of the letter “I,” the heart, and the little people figures. Yes, this project can be no-sew, but I’m not going to lie: the stitching contrast definitely classes it up a bit.

::STEP 6::

Pin more ribbon along the hem of the shirt and around the cuffs of the sleeves, and then stitch that in place as well. This was an especially nice touch to my tee because I found it in the little girls’ section, and it was just a smidge short in the torso and the sleeves.

 

Note: You will either need to allow for more ribbon than you think is absolutely necessary at the hem of the shirt or, as I did, cut little vents at the sides, since ribbon does not stretch, and you don’t want the hem of your cute new shirt stuck somewhere around your love handles lower waist instead of resting at your hips.

::STEP 7::

Put your “I ♥ Little People” tee on and wear it proudly on your next grocery run. Then, when that well-meaning little old lady comes up and says something like, “Oh my goodness, honey. Look at all those children! Don’t you have a TV in your home?”…you can just smile, point to your t-shirt, and keep on walking (okay, so maybe not the walking off part; that would be rude).

    

Of course, the best part is that we all love our little people, no matter how many we have at home, so an “I ♥ my Little Person” tee would be an awesome way of letting the world know how happy you are to be a mama too!

I guarantee your kid(s) will notice. My 5-year-old is still a beginning reader, but he knows exactly what my shirt says, and he and Ezra (the 6 1/2-year-old) kept saying over and over, “Look, Mama! Your shirt says you love US!” and then pointing to each little figure and saying, “That’s Ezra, that’s Simon, that’s Della…”

Oh, and if you’re looking for a fantastic new blog to read, you should totally head on over to Five in Tow. I stumbled across Kristen’s blog when someone shared her “How to Get Your Toddler to Eat Anything” post (HILARIOUS!), and I’ve since gotten completely hooked—and not just because she has 5 children too (with the 4th and the 5th being twins boys!).

I mention her because she’s worth adding to your daily blog-roll but also because she has a t-shirt list of her own, which made me laugh out loud. (#10 was my favorite—“I think they’re crying because we’ve stopped moving”—classic).

So, what do you think? Would you be willing to sport a “I ♥ Little People” t-shirt in public?

Or, perhaps, you’d prefer this version:

{I’m fighting the urge to correct the grammar}

And, if you’d rather go the most direct route (since gentle sarcasm is lost on some), what top 3 answers would your t-shirt have to the most common questions you’re asked when you are (or were in the past) out with small child(ren)?

My friend, Angela, (who guest-posted this hilarious story for me a while a back) gave the most priceless response I’ve heard yet:  “Yes, they are a very happy handful. (Which, when you think about it would make a pretty darn funny T-shirt!)”

(Just think about it for a minute outside the context of children and imagine the jaws dropping as you bee-bop your way through the fresh produce section)

Happy Tuesday, folks! Don’t forget to hug on your little people today!

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Move-it Monday: Fitness updates + a Question for you!

Today is BODYCOMBAT launch. It’s the day we look forward to every 3 months or so when everybody on the BODYCOMBAT team at our gym can have a real, live, grown-up excuse to buying new, matching fitness gear and punch, kick, and yell to our hearts’ delight.

Got a load of laundry you don’t want to face?

Come to BODYCOMBAT instead and picture that stinky pile of clothes as you back-kick your stress into the next zip code.

Potty-training driving you crazy?

Come to BODYCOMBAT! It’s non-contact, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t imagine karate-chopping your way through those dirty diapers! (Just wear proper protective gear).

Seriously?

I mean it when I say I’d probably be a lot meaner person without BODYCOMBAT.

Some people do yoga (which I like it). Some people watch TV (and I’ve been known to do that too). Some people go shopping (you know I love me some shopping).

But for stress relief, nothing quite tops the exhilaration of beating the air to a pulp with my fists for me. Pure. Adrenaline. Rush.

(We’re going to wear purple, in case you were wondering).

Here’s our BODYPUMP team from last week’s launch (and yes, the tall, beautiful girl in the center did used to be a beauty queen and totally has the pose down; we all try to emulate it, but nobody does it like Tiffany…especially not me).

Anyhoo.

So, why all the fitness talk?

Well…

If you’re a long time 5D5W reader, then you probably remember when Move-it Monday was exclusively dedicated to feats of fitness…okay so not much “feats” (I just used that for the alliteration) as fitness tutorials, suggestions, and various other (hopefully) inspirational tidbits about working out and whatnot.

And then I got pregnant with twins.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I did not stop exercising. Oh no. I dragged my expanding self up to the gym over and over again, ad nauseum (sometimes literally) until those two little girls in that huge belly finally came out.

And I’m glad I did. It never failed that, no matter how little motivation I felt going into my workout, I always came out revived and invigorated, not to mention considerably smellier. And I have no doubt that my home delivery went considerably more smoothly because I had maintained my fitness level (if not my shape).

But at a certain point, it seemed a little bit ridiculous to be doing fitness vlogs and photo tutorials when I couldn’t see my toes, and I had a habit of turning around in the kitchen and knocking down some small child or another with my girth.

So, Move-it Monday broadened its scope and began to include other topics such as home decor tweaking and, every so often, even a completed project or two.

And I’m sure some of you breathed a big sigh of relief and starting reading my blog on Monday again. : )  And I get that.

But still.  This is January—AKA: National I’m-Actually-Going-to-Make-Fitness-a-Priority-NO-I-Really-Mean-it-This-Time Month.

And I’m well aware that going to an actual gym is not necessary to be successful in a fitness regime.

So, here’s my question for you:

If I were to begin working in Move-it Monday fitness posts every so often again, what would you like to see?

Home exercises? A focus on toning? Printables? Fitness logs? Technology?

I’d love some feedback so that I can better know whether I’d just be annoying you with fitness talk, and, if not, what would best suit your needs as you work towards a healthier lifestyle/body.

Make sense?

Hope so!

So…fire away. And wish me luck tonight (or come join in on the fun if you’re local!)

I’m ready to kick it!

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Feature Friday FREE-FOR-ALL {#51} + A Nursery Swap with 52 Mantels

Well, I have been doing something that sort of, kind of resembles my absolute best (my best + lots of diaper-changing anyway!) to getting the twins’ nursery pics taken to show you guys. But so far, I have failed miserably. 

So, in lieu of that reveal, I’d love for you to get an eyeful of the nursery that Emily from 52 Mantels put together for her little sweetie who is the same age as Della. (I’m also sharing Della’s old nursery over at her place today!)

Emily is such a crazy-talented blogger (in case you’re wondering about her blog name—she creates a new mantel every.single.Monday, and they’re all fantastic!) and such a kind blog friend, and I hope you guys will really go love on her and enjoy her site because there is no end of creativity to be found there!

Take it away, Emily!

P.S. The link to this week’s party will be at the end of Emily’s post (don’t forget to grab a Feature Friday FREE-FOR-ALL button and follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest to keep up with all the fun!).

P.P.S. Today is your last day to enter to win our $50 Target Gift Card Giveaway! Don’t miss out!

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Hi, I'm Emily from 52 Mantels and I am SO excited to be here sharing my daughter's aqua, pink and orange birdie nursery with you! I just love Abbie's style and I adore her sweet Della's beautiful nursery. I love it so much, Abbie and I have decided to swap blogs today & share our respective daughter's nurseries. Fun, huh?!

We began the nursery prep by painting the walls a dreamy, pale aqua. The exact color is called Valley Mist by Behr and was the starting point to the colors we chose: aqua, pink and orange. Girly, but not overly pink...just what I wanted! After picking a color scheme, I headed to etsy to pick the perfect bedding. I ended up with a custom set from a shop called Isla Corinne.

To make a statement on the main wall, my father-in-law helped me make and install two large birds, cut from MDF. I used a projector to trace two bird shapes onto MDF and then he jigsawed the shapes. After painting the sides with my wall color, I decoupaged paper onto each bird using pretty paper from Paper Source.

The nursery was actually finished before I started blogging, therefor I have no tutorials to share with you. Bummer, I know! But, I did add lots of crafted and DIY projects to make her room extra special. The bird mobile was made from a lamp shade and paper birds, that are hung from the shade with fishing line. This ended up being a totally inexpensive project!

I also added a fun gallery wall around her changing table and rocking chair. At Christmas, I like to fill her shadowbox with small, colorful ornaments (which I shared here).

My daughter is now 2 years old (time flies!), so I've made a few little changes to allow for her growing collection of toys. Be sure and check out the post on how I jazzed up a cube storage unit!

Thanks for letting me share my daughter's sweet nursery with you!

52 Mantels is a blog about all things home including weekly mantel makeovers, easy DIY projects, seasonal crafts and simple recipes! I'm blessed to be the stay-at-home mother to one adorable little girl and the lucky wife to an ever-supportive hubby (who puts up with my endless projects!).

 

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Isn’t that just the cutest nursery? And the color scheme just makes me swoon!

And now it’s time make me downright dizzy with all your amazing creativity! Even more swoon-worthy projects?

Yes, please

Link up…

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5 Things Thursday: Snapshots

I had an entirely different post planned for you today, but life (and the weather) are just not cooperating, so how about we take a look at a few things going on around these parts instead?

1.

I made a carrot cake…just because.

{Pssst! You would already know this fascinating tidbit if you were following along on Instagram}

I used this recipe, and I do believe it’s the most dangerously delicious carrot cake I’ve ever tasted, and my husband, who is not really that into cake, concurs.

(I did substitute applesauce for 1/2 a cup of the oil since the reviews said it was a little on the oily side, added in some more spices—nutmeg, allspice, cloves…I just sort of eyeballed it—and added in a cup of walnuts, with some sprinkled on top for good measure).

It’s perfectly moist, flavorful—simply divine.

So much so that this was my breakfast:

2.

I’ve been crafting up a storm…

…obviously.

Here’s a peek at the finished product:

3.

I had a pretty good haul a the Family Dollar this morning, where I scored something for everybody but Daddy.

All that for $25. It’s not quite Goodwill prices, but at least it’s all new…plus, the chances of finding everything I needed (all three of the older kids are due for new tennies) in the sizes I needed (especially when it comes to matching clothes for the twins) are about 1 in 347,895,783,578,957. So, it was a good compromise.

4.

A new park opened up within 12 minutes of our house (that’s close for us). We drive by it every time we go to/from school, and the boys ask me if we can stop every.single.time. I think we’re going to have to try it out tomorrow if the weather’s good.

Della’s been practicing her pebble-tossing in anticipation.

{Yes, this photo is recent; I realize she’s not wearing a shirt; it was 76 degrees out; crazyTexasweather!}

5.

OH, and last, but certainly not least, the twins have something they want you to know:

I’m not exactly sure how it can be possible that it’s been 4 whole months since these little girls joined our party of 5, but I’m completely serious when I say that 7 is so much more fun (and crazy, tiring, frustrating, and loud). Sometimes I have to be careful I don’t squeeeeeeeze them too hard because they’re just so darn cute, and they make me so darn happy!

So, what about you guys? How’s your Thursday shaping up?

P.S. Don’t forget to enter our $50 Target Gift Card giveaway (entries close tomorrow night)!

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Wardrobe Wednesday: Then I went to Walmart, obviously…

So, I mentioned last week that I was feeling a bit “blah” in the wardrobe department. And several of you responded that you liked Outfit #2 just fine (poor Outfit #1), and you wondered what I was complaining about anyway since I was, after all, dressed, and that was way better than yoga pants or my birthday suit (indeed), etc., etc.

And I totally agree.

It’s just that, I really like putting outfits together when I’ve got something to put them together for. It’s fun for me to pair pieces and build an ensemble that I end up feeling really good about. And not even caring either way kind of makes me sad. Not that I do it every day. Oh no. The vast majority of the time I wear a tank top and p.j. bottoms right up until the point that I change into workout clothes to go to the gym. Or, if I’m feeling especially fancy, I substitute jeans for the pajamas….and then change into workout clothes. Either way, the only time I really actually “get dressed,” with accessories and layers and all the other good stuff is if I’m going somewhere particular like church or a date or a night out with the girls (can’t think of when either one of those last two happened last; note to self: must remedy that), or—if I get really motivated—the grocery store.

After all, I’d hate for this to happen.

This is an actual message from one of our instructor threads on FB. Obviously, we always stay on topic and are extremely professional. I hope none of you found that too offensive because I am convulsively laughing on the couch (and I’ve read that message at least 5 times already), and that means we probably can’t be friends.

(After all, I will probably find myself at Walmart later on today).

ANYhoo…

I got my groove—which I am simply defining as a renewed love of outfit-procuring—back, thanks to a trip to Old Navy, to purchase that very top that Sara had left at the gym. While there. I also found some fun polka dot skinnies on the clearance rack. They had one last pair in my size, and they didn’t make my legs look like overstuffed sausages (which is more than can be said of that polka dot pair I tried on in Target a while back).

And then I started doing what I always do when I’m putting together an outfit I really like—I paired different textures in basic hues with pops (and I mean pops) of color.

(Pants: Old Navy, $8, Top: Talbot’s/Goodwill, $3, Tank: ON, $2, Jacket: ON (girl’s sections), $8, Shoes: ON, $12)

And then, just to prove my love for color and fun details (as if you needed more)…here’s a shot of my “running around” outfit from yesterday.

   

I got the tee at Old Navy (good grief! I sound like a walking ON advertisement!) over a year ago for $1 from the girls’ section and intended all along to embellish it somehow. Here’s what I came up with.

(Tee: ON, $1, Jeans, GAP {old}, $20, Shoes: GW, $3)

A tutorial on the embellished tee is coming up next Try-it Tuesday.

Until then, stay FAR away from stretchy-waist pants!

Oh, and don’t forget to go enter our $50 Target Gift Card giveaway. You’ve still got a few days to enter (and spread the news for extra entries if you’re so inclined!).

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