Christmas Gifts!

I'm still trying to get stuff sold from my Etsy shop. Thank you so much to those who have purchased something or just helped me get the word out to others. It means a lot to me and I appreciate it SO much! I'm still trying to get things sold so that I have some money for Christmas gifts and traveling. Please continue to help me spread the word and take a peek in my shop would you? You might find something you like or something you know a friend or family member would love! I added new stuff yesterday and this morning, so their are lots of goodies waiting for you to snatch them up!

Merry Christmas & Thank you!

ETSY SHOP

10 Randoms

1. I'm so behind of this whole Christmas thing. I've bought 2 gifts. Yes, TWO. That's it. And I don't even have the motivation to go buy gifts for anyone. I hate buying gifts, not because I don't like giving, I love it but I have no idea what to get people especially on a very limited budget. It just gets annoying and I prefer to just not do anything except I feel obligated because people get me stuff. I'd rather us not get each other anything so we don't have to worry about it!

2. Gigi is sick. I feel like she's been sick none stop since she started school, it's just some times it's worse and then other times it settles a little bit. But she always has a sniffle or little cough or something. But now she's got a full blown chest cold and awful cough. I think we're going to skip dance today because she gets so emotional when she doesn't feel good. The least little thing will send her into fountains of tears. I was going to keep her home from school today but she didn't have a fever and she's already going to be missing a day this week.

3. We're headed to TN for our Christmas trip on Thursday after Gigi is out of school. I'm excited about it. Mainly just getting away and being in vacation mode. I'm hoping that all the unsettled feelings between various family members can be set aside at least for this occasion. I'm really excited about our cabin this year! It's gotten harder and harder to find a good cabin because we need so many rooms now. And it's like when you find enough rooms the actual living space is too small. But this time we've found the rooms and it's got a HUGE OPEN living space. And we got a great deal on it too. So I'm thrilled to see it in person!

4. My hubby has left Facebook. Yup. He's now one of those people who isn't on Facebook. It makes me sad and I don't know why. I liked leaving him sweet little messages on his Wall and tagging him in posts and pictures and now I can't do that. And now it just says I'm "married" not "married to Benjamin Carroll". He says he's going to get a Twitter and Instagram account soon. I hope he does.

5. I am seriously lacking the motivation to eat right lately. And I can totally tell. Even though I'm working out I still start slowly putting on a couple of pounds. I guess ever since Thanksgiving my brain has gone into Holiday/Christmas mode and I can't get myself to eat right. I just wanna eat sweets and junk.

6. I'm working hard to get my Etsy shop out there. I'm made two sales through the shop. I've sold most of my stuff through Facebook though. I just wish I could get things a little more consistent. It's like for a week I sell a good bit of stuff and then I may not sell anything else for a month or more. I was really hoping it would pick up a lot more than it has around Christmas.

7. I'm feeling up and down lately. I feel like there are so many things in my life making me SO happy right now. Gigi is such a sweet girl and for the most part is funny and well behaved & is really getting more and more independent which is nice. My husband is being the best he's ever been ( he's always been good but....), I feel like we are really in love and understanding each other better and better. But another part of me feels so unsettled and frustrated. I think I know what it is but it's something I just can't change or make happen at this moment but I want it SO bad. There is "reason" after "reason" why it can't happen and won't work and we just can't do it right now but I guess I just see it through more of an emotional eye then a logical one. So it really puts me in an up and down mood because I feel like I'm constantly fighting my own thoughts and feelings inside.

8. It's freaking me out that we have only 6 months (or less) to figure everything out about moving to Bama. I'm eager to know where we're going and how we're going to make it work. I'm nervous about finding a job that will work with the schedule I need and about Gigi starting a new school and having to learn new schedules, teachers and students all over again. But more than anything I'm looking forward to a SMALLER place. Yes! I know how crazy that sounds but I'm thrilled to be moving back into an apartment and having less to clean, less to keep up with and less furniture and stuff. I think my hubby's minimalist attitude is starting to rub off on me. Our power bills will be far less in an apartment then this big two story house. I'm sure there will be things I miss about having a lot of the room but for now I can't think of any! Not to mention being back in an actual city and not living in the middle of the country. SO EXCITED!

9. I've gotten where I hate watching movies at home. In fact there has been two movies lately that I've started and actually sent back without even finishing them because I just don't want to bother watching them. I love seeing movies at the movie theater but at home it just bores me. Even when I'm watching TV I'm doing something else or flipping the channels around.

10. I think I'm going to work on changing my handwriting. I do this every once in awhile. I find a font or handwriting I like and I start altering mine. I don't write often enough now and I can tell my handwriting is getting messy and I hate that. I love keeping it neat and pretty. I focused a lot of time on handwriting in high school. I write a lot like my mom who has really neat handwriting. But I recently found a font I'm obsessed with and I want to teach myself to write like that - so I'll do some practicing over the weekend while we're chillin' at the cabin!

HURRY HURRY, CHECK THIS OUT!!!

My Etsy shop has been updated with new items! I'm going to add a few more this evening....

But tonight ONLY if you order something by midnight you can get 25% off! Yes, 25%!

Use the coupon code MIDNIGHT25 for your discount!

Thank you in advance for your orders!

ETSY SHOP

Sunday Confessional V.3

21. Growing up I wasn't allowed to wear pants to church, ever. So now I sorta have this thing against wearing a dress to church! Lol! I guess it's a small rebellion. I don't really think about it but I find myself skipping a dress unless it's Easter!

22. My child looks nothing like. She may have my eye shape but that's overlooked most of the time. She looks more like my husband and a little like my sister. Most of the time when I'm out with Gi and my sister people will compliment my sister on her beautiful child and how she looks just like her! Lol! I always wondered if we would have had a second child if it would have gotten my dark hair and skin.

23. I'm terrified of heights - I panic and literally feel paralyzed. Last year my family rode the big Sky Tram up to Ober Gatlinburg in TN. It's basically a big glass cage a million feet up in the air on a little cable. And it swings and bumps around. I thought I was going to die - either the cable was going to break or I was just going to have a flippin' heart attack. I kept my eyes closed and just tried to breathe for the horribly long 20 minute ride.

24. Our Persian cat was a rescue. We got him right after we got married. I wanted a pet and B didn't but we went by Petsmart anyway and saw Gandalf. And after B realized he was already named after a Lord of the Rings character the deal was sealed! He ended up standing in line for him that evening. He was like 7 years old then so Oct. 1st of this year he turned the big 13! We have an old cat. lol!

25. B and I were married in the courthouse in Huntsville, AL. We of course wanted a wedding but my family wasn't really supportive of me marrying B or getting married at 18. So we started planning a small chapel wedding and I put $100 down on a beautiful dress. Then that wasn't working out either so we scratched it all and went to the courthouse and got married August 5th, two days after my parents anniversary (little side not - my parents, Beej and I and my sis and her husband were all married in August. And it wasn't really planned that way either.) So far neither my sis nor I had a real wedding. She was married on the beach - just her, her hubby, the minister and a photographer. My other sis I'm pretty sure will never get married.

26. My favorite cereal is Life cereal. Occasionally when I want a super sweet cereal I like Cinnamon Toast Crunch. I also like Frosted mini wheats but I can't just pour them into my bowl, I have to set each one frosted side up in the bowl!

27. I've never broken a bone. I've had a couple of pretty nasty cuts and I busted my nose open when I was a like 7 or 8. I was riding my bike down a wet, muddy, graveled hill and I was going to fast so I slammed on my brakes and flew over the front and busted my nose open on the front tire. I think I may have broken it then because now my nose is crooked but it was never proven broken!

28. My dream job would be naming people's kids. No joke! I love names, I love researching names origins and meanings, etc. I think a lot of people (no all) really don't put enough effort into finding a name for their child. They go with whatever they've heard recently.

29. I studied Cosmetology after highschool. I was licensed and worked as as a stylist for a year before we moved back to NC, I got pregnant and haven't been back to work since!

30. I used to eat my steaks well done. Then I met my husband and he taught me the right way to eat a steak and I can't believe all the years I missed out on eating a steak in it's best, juiciest form. I worked my way up to Medium and recently went to medium rare. YUM!

Help is needed!

I know it's the holidays and every one is bit strapped for cash - we find ourselves in that boat quite often. Right now I haven't been able to find a job and we are living on one income. For the time being I am doing my best to get my shop, Pretty Nods, up and going well. I sold some items but my Etsy shop hasn't done as well as I hoped it would.

I really need to get $150 worth of my items sold by Thursday. I know it sounds like a lot but if I had 15 people make a $10 purchase I'd be at my goal!!! So as you are shopping around for gifts for your family and friends and co-workers please take a peek in my shop. You'll be helping me out so much and you'll be getting a great item in return! I'm offering a 10% discount for this week as well. Use the coupon code CHRISTMAS10

Thank you and please pass on the word!

ETSY SHOP

POLL Time - I want your opinion!

I'm contemplating a new tattoo and I need to choose a font for it. I'm also trying to talk my hubby into getting a "matching" one with me. He still doesn't have any tattoos and I want him to get one because it would be SO hot! Maybe you ladies should leave him a few comments and tell him he'd be smokin' with a tat and he'll go get one with me!!! Hehe (No, for realz, leave him some "love"!). But #1 is at the top and then go down. Which one do you like best?

Christmas List

So everyone is putting up their Christmas wish lists. I usually don't make much of a list. My family just kinda gets me whatever they want whether I send a list or not. Which is totally fine by me, I have a hard time narrowing down what I want especially because you don't want to put stuff on the list that's too expensive or over the top, etc. But these are a few things on my "wish list" for now.

A new tattoo!!! I'm dying for some new ink! Trying to talk my hubby into

"matching" tattoos.....we'll see. Lol!

Women's size 6.5 Black Stone Washed Cord Women's Classics

This family tree hand stamped necklace. LOVE!

(http://www.etsy.com/listing/76308202/handstamped-family-tree-charm-necklace?ref=sr_73513caf3aee632ccc963481094152b834d421f0edf0c171b23ce161b2f46722_1323264738_14101878_handstampe_necklace)

A Houndstooth iPhone cover.

An HOUR long hot stone massage! Yes, please!

Christina Perri's Lovestrong album. Listened to it last night and there isn't one song

I didn't like!

The rest of the Twilight series books. I only own Eclipse.

Spandex work out pants