vacation does a body good.

Well, normally it does.  This time around it took about 3 days just to blow the stink off and then once we got good and relaxed, it was time to leave.  Nevertheless, it was a much needed week on the beach with my lovely family {minus a sister}.  I didn't feel refreshed when I left, and to me that's a sign that one week is too short, which we say every.single.year.

The Alabama/Florida gulf coast is one of the most relaxing, beautiful, and comfortable places I've ever been.  We have been vacationing here for about 20 years, so naturally it's like my home away from home, even though it's a good 12 hour car ride.

Speaking of car rides, that's always the most fun part for me because we all pile into a big SUV, leave about midnite, snooze here and there while switching drivers, and just enjoy everything about it.  This time however, we took 2 different cars which worked out pretty well, especially since I had about 1/2 the gas cost as my sister in her big gas guzzler.

Once we got there we were so beat that we didn't even go to the Shrimp Festival to listen to Eddie freaking Money.  So sad I missed it, but none of us could bring ourselves to party that nite.  Actually, several of the nites we didn't feel like getting all gussied up, so we came in from the pool, got cleaned up, and chilled at the condo.  When I go to an all-inclusive, I'm all about the free drinks, going out til the wee hours of the morning, and living it up, but coming down here is always so much different.  I like it though because it can be such a slower change of pace.

Day in and day out we would watch the dolphins dance and play in the water as we sipped our tea & coffee in the mornings.  We had no agenda except to relax and keep our plans to a minimum.

Most days we went down to the pool and the beach, and other days we went sightseeing or shopping.  They have the best outlet mall that's always a major excitement factor in the trip.  I got a few things from Kenneth Cole, some new Toms, Gap, Eddie Bauer, and Fossil.  My bank account was crippled and told me I didn't need to go back another day.  

It was an awesome vacation, but like all, it went way too fast and I'm already planning my next getaway.
I have said it many times before, but the beach is the only place in the world that makes me feel 100% at peace and happy.  There is just something about the saltwater, sweet ocean air, and the glowing atmosphere.
I must move to the south one day.  I would just be a happier person all around! 

indian summer outfit and a dream pendant.

Yesterday was probably the last warm, beautiful day we are going to have until, oh, maybe April.  I sure wish it wasn't true, but 85 for the end of October is pretty sweet.

Luckily I had the day off so we were able to enjoy most of the day.  Eric and I ate lunch together at Panera and then headed to Target for groceries.  While we were there, Eric found a necklace he thought I needed.  Since dream is a word that portrays so much of my life, I needed to add another piece to the collection, ha!  The necklace is simple, yet it just has this power that I love.  I love the small moon combined with the purple.
The card it came on had a great quote about dreams.

Shoot for the moon.  Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.

I also am not a fashion blogger by any means, but I have my own sense of unique style. While it's not always trendy or something you'd find in Vogue, it works. 

Even in the summer I wear jeans and rarely will I be in shorts.  I almost wore shorts yesterday because I wanted the last warm day to go out with a bang, however I couldn't bring myself to do it and opted for capris.  Tanks are a staple in my wardrobe and most days you can find me in one.  They are by far my favorite top, period.

 Tanks: Target 

Capris: Levi's jeans I cut off

Shoes: flowered Toms

Sunnies: Ray Ban

Bracelets: handmade by me

Well, that was kind of fun.  I may have to do another ootd when I'm not wearing scrubs the whole week!

Indian summers can't last forever I know, but this summer girl is definitely going to miss the sun + warm temps when they're gone.  People think I'm crazy when I tell them my plan is to move to Florida, but the thought of shivering for months on end does not appeal to me.

Until next time,
Enjoy the warmth if you've got it. 

back to real life.

I can't say that I'm glad to be home from vacation because I am definitely not, but I enjoyed sleeping in my own king bed, having my water pressure back, and laying on my own couch watching Lost last nite.

Unfortunately I came home with the feeling that I am not refreshed, as one should after a vacation, and I need to go back for more.  Since that is not going to happen, I am currently sitting here eating my waffles and detoxing my face with a mask that I have become completely obsessed with.

For some reason, a spot thunderstorm popped up so now I will unpack a few more things before going to get my babies at the kennel. 

I will be back to recap a bit of my getaway, but today I will get everything in order so my suitcase doesn't sit in my room until our next vacation, and I can get things squared away before I head back to work tomorrow.  It doesn't sound exciting, but I'm so thankful I have this day off to recoup.

The picture above is one that we took on the last nite at the beach as the sun was setting.  It was a beautiful evening and everything about the setting was peaceful and beautiful.  I miss that place so very much.

Did you happen to catch all the bloggers who wrote in my place last week?  I hope so, but if not, please check out what they had to say and pay them a visit.  I appreciate them very much and love that I can call them friends.

Happy Monday!

sunflowers + twine: a diy from my soul is the sky!

I have loved Melissa's blog from day one. We are a lot alike in that that we both love anything beauty related, yummy recipes, our sweet husbands, and our cute pooches.

I can't wait to create this diy she is about to show you!  It will make a perfect addition to my Thanksgiving collection.

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Hey!

I'm Melissa from My Soul is the Sky

I heart all things hair, clothes, smile-inspiring, laugh-inducing, and AJ and Goochie related.
If you haven't seen my blog yet come check it out.

Here's a quick craft idea for your Fall decorating needs!

Thanks for reading! I hope you found it useful!

Thanks Lesley for having me!

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  Come see more over at My Soul is the Sky!

is allison really anti-pinterest? let's change her views!

My friend, Allison, is one of a kind.  She has the best sense of humor and her blog is filled with all sorts of real life scenarios and fun stuff that I love.  I want to hang out with this girl in real life!

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Hey ya'll, my name is Allison and I blog over at Live Simply-Live Well, and I am so excited to have been asked to do a guest post for Lesley. I think I actually squeeled and sent her an email with way to many !!!!! points. Lesley is so creative and inspires me with her tips and advice! Thanks Lesley for giving me the chance to write over here!

What is it about Fall that bring out the creative side in us? Does the cool weather beacon us to get out the ribbon, fabric, and glue guns? I know that every single blog I read everyone has headed over to Pinterest and gotten their creative on. Have you?

For me, I am fighting the urge to make anything I see on Pinterest. I love Pinterest and spend way too many hours on that flippin site. The problem is, I have no creative bones in my body, and every time I have attempted to make something I have seen on Pintrest has ended in an utter failure. Scratch that, anything creative that I have ever tried has ended up in an utter failure. I have burned my skin off while trying to redo furniture. After many many days of work, many many dollars spent on paint, brushes, and knobs, the piece actually looked worse than when I got it. I ended up giving it to one of my super crafty friends, and she turned it into this FABULOUS piece that I secretly want back.

 I have ended up with super glue in my hair when trying to create a craft board. , and I have ended up with sprinkles in every place on my body when trying to bake a cake I saw on Pinterest. By the way, that cake was as hard as a rock. None of those projects turned out well for me.

Please tell me I am not the only Pinterest failure. What have you tried on Pinterest that was not a success? As much as I love arts and crafts, I don't have the patience or skill to actually see a project to completion. I may or may not have called in "arts and craps" in a fit of rage one day.

Is there a gene that I am missing or something? I think there must be. Every pin on Pinterest says "its so easy", "anyone can do it", "you only need two products" "fail proof project that will complete your home and life and make you a better person and all of your friends will be jealous of your creative talents and it will be so good that people will want to buy your goods and you can quit your job and do this full time and it will be super great." You know what I am talking about right?  And I fall for it every time. I always rush to the store, buy the 2 items that  need to complete this fabulous product that will bring glory, honor, and fame to my family, and when I get home I start the project. Two steps in I know I am doomed. I stand up walk away and leave a disaster on the floor. My husband comes in, encourages me to take my time, finish, and tells me it will be great. So I go back, finish my crap, I mean craft, and show it to him. Most often, my 5 year old nephew could have done a better job.

Another perfect example would be the sewing machine that my mom gave to me a few years ago for my birthday. I wanted to sew blankets for the homeless. I could not even figure out how to thread the machine. I was telling my husband that the machine was defunct and broken. He looked at me with kindness in his eyes and asked " Is it the machine or is it really operator error?" The machine is still in the box in my closet gathering dust. My mom has actually won awards for sewing, and she just does it for fun in her spare time. So, this leads me to believe that the creative gene has skipped a generation.

I am creatively doomed, and for the rest of my life I will be banished to the fabulous female club because I can't do anything creative.

This fall, I am going to try my hardest to avoid attempting any projects from Pinterest. I will just sit on the couch and watch football instead. Because that is the same thing....  I will leave the creative stuff to you guys and drool over all of your fabulous creations instead.

Please tell me I am not the only one with this condition. Are there any other Pinterest failures out there other than me? Lets bond and form our own anti creative sorority instead, mmK.  Share your Pinterest catastrophes with me.

diy: holiday table runner by lindsey @ sensible nonsense.

Lindsey has one of those blogs that if you need any kind of craft inspiration, idea, or want to see some very creative stuff, you can go there.  She is so talented in all of her crafts.  Definitely go check out what she creates!

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Hello Dream Tree readers! I am so excited to be guest posting for Lesley today. She is one of my favorite reads and I was so excited when she asked me to share one of my crafts with you!

Since we are now entering into the Holiday Season (yay!) I thought I'd share a little project that is so simple and easy, cheap and will last you through Halloween, Thanksgiving AND Christmas....

What more could you ask for right??

When I was getting ready to update my dining room table for Halloween, I gathered all the materials I wanted to use, but the things I grabbed just kind of came up lacking. They needed something to tie them all together.... So, I thought... Table runner DUH! But I didn't have one that would really match the look I was going for.

I started digging in my craft closet and came up with this stuff...

It's jute webbing that I got to make silverware holders (Now they match the runner!)

Anyway... I had just enough for three long strips. You can get this stuff at JoAnne's really cheap, like $.79/yd.

I cut it into three equal lengths...

Then I used the largest zigzag stitch setting on my sewing machine to stitch them together side by side. Don't overlap or you will wind up with a big bump. This stuff is thick so it's not hard to keep it from overlapping...

After that, I did a regular stitch across both ends to keep them from fraying.

I pulled the threads above the stitches so that the ends would be frayed a little bit.

And voila! A table runner in less than 30 minutes.

You can always use varying thread colors, I liked the look of the white thread adding another stripe to the mix, but you could use tan to match or even red or green if you wanted to use it for Christmas!

What I love about it is that I can leave this on my table from now till new years and just change what is on it!

I hope you enjoyed my little tutorial! Stop by and see what the final Halloween table setting looks like at Sensible Nonsense Crafts!

Have a GREAT day!

blog-spiration with 2 cats & chloe.

Susan is one of the first blogging friends that I made.  We totally connected right from the beginning and I feel like I've known her my whole life.  This girl is super cool and I just love her.  She's also got the cutest Chloe dog I've ever seen. 
She's here to talk to you about some inspiration, which I'm sure we can all use every now & again.

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Hellllooooo!  My name is Susan from 2 cats & chloe.  I am so incredibly thrilled to be guest posting for Lesley!  I not-so-secretly, absolutely, positively adore her. It feels like we are long lost friends who haven't seen each other in years.  The kicker though?  We've never met.  But I'm pretty sure that one day she may get an invite to my wedding.  Yep, I like her that much.  :)

A little about myself and my blog before I get into this post... I have been blogging for several years.  But recently, due to life, I had to take a blogging siesta.  A month ago Lesley asked me if I could guest post for her while she left for vacay.  I pondered.  And pondered.  And pondered a bit more until she hunted me down on facebook and asked again.  Oh how I miss blogging, but oh how the thought of getting back into it is just slightly pull-your-hair-out overwhelming.  

But because she is so terrific, I decided that last week had to be the end of my hiatus.  So I started writing.  One post at a time.  

I know that I can't be the only one who runs into blogging brain farts.  Have you ever felt that sitting down at your computer is on your to-do list just below a root canal and spending the afternoon at the DMV?  It's not because we don't love blogging.  Because we do.  It's just life.    

So I decided it may behoove all of us if I made a list of blog-spiration.  Yep, I totally invented that word.  Need a definition? 

blog-spiration:  noun - when one does something or sees something that provides him or her with blogging inspiration.  may require a little perspiration.  if done right, will not cause desperation.    

Anyway - here is my list of what to do when you brain is on blogging vacation and you don't have 3 months of guest bloggers lined up...

#1 - Jumping Jacks.  Because Burpees are out of the picture.  Eating healthy and acting healthy help your brain and keep you positive.  Positivity leads to fun.  Fun leads to creativity.  Creativity leads to blogging. 

#2 - Pinterest.  Need I say more?  Slightly obsessed doesn't even begin to describe how much I enjoy Pinterest.  Trust me, you can ALWAYS find something that will give you blog-spiration.

#3 - Take out your iPhone and snap some pics of your day.  Pictures make blog posts 100% more legendary.  And less wordy.  Therefore, easier to create. 

#4 - Mow the lawn, Walk the dog, or Take a Shower.  Random, I know.  But serious thinking occurs when all of these happen.  

#5 - Hop in Your Car and Immediately Drive to the Nearest Airport.  No, not to travel (although that is a terrific, yet costly, reason to get a girl back to blogging)  People watching!  Oh man, some serious people watching does nothing but inspire me.  If you don't have an airport next door, I am sure you can find a Walmart, Starbucks, or the tried and true Shopping Mall.   

#6 - Brew Hot Tea.  Or Drink Wine.  Both make me very happy and distract me from work.  Which may not directly lead to blog-spiration.  But I'm sure the wine will inspire you to do something!  Better yet, I highly recommend you do this activity with a friend. 

#7 - Blast N'sync, your Boy-Band-of-Choice, or "Call Me, Maybe" and Dance (like there's no tomorrow).  Why?  Honestly, I'm not really sure.  It just seemed appropriate following the wine.  

#8 - Read other blogs.  *cue my shameless blog plug*  You can start with mine if you would like.  It's not super current but hey, it's gotta be more enjoyable than cleaning your house!  (And you never know where you are going to find your blog-spiration!) 

So there you have it!  I hope this gets you off the couch, away from the television and back to your computer for some quality blogging.  I also hope you swing by my blog and share what YOU do for blog-spiration!  www.2catsandchloe.com

Thanks Lesley!  Let me know if you decide to swing by Virginia on your way back from Florida!  ;)  

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embracing fall through the eyes of janna @ perception is everything.

Janna's the kind of girl we all want for a best friend and her blog proves that.  Her blog is real and there are no holds barred.

  While I'm baking in the sun today, she's going to tell you why she's excited Fall is upon us.  I'd say her favorite reason is her last one and I couldn't be happier for her.

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Hola Chicas!
I'm Janna and I blog over at Perception Is Everything.
As you all know, Lesley has ditched us gone to Florida, so while the rest of us are in Fall mode, she's probably doing this: 

Let's agree to not be angry.

I mean, at least we will be able to live vicariously through her.

Instead, let's embrace Fall!

Now let me tell you why I am happy that the season is upon us:

#1 I am soooo ready for a wardrobe change.

{PS. I'm not now, nor will I ever, be a fashion blogger. I leave that to the pro's}

#2 My Birthday is HALLOWEEN!

Yep, I'm a Halloween baby.

Not this particular one, but you get the point.

Source: thechive.com via Yvonne on Pinterest

#3 Christmas is RIGHT around the corner.

Source: fificheek.blogspot.com via Janna on Pinterest

Aaaaaaand most importantly:

#4 My soldier comes home in NOVEMBER!

{Our wedding day Circa 2010}

In case you can't tell, I'm a weeee bit excited.
After nine months apart, he will return from Afghanistan, and I'm going to jump his bones on him!
One month, y'all, one month.

So what do you have to look forward to?
We'd love to hear, and come say hi over here ;D


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