snot at the office

i saw this post over at express-o right before lunch.  she mentioned an artist names phillip toledano and a photo journal he did about his aging father.  it looked interesting so i figured i would read through it while eating my lunch.  she said that she "shed a tear or two over it" but i was not prepared!

i was a bit embarrassed to do the ugly cry {which includes snot} in front of my office mate, but i am so glad i took the time to read and look through this love story.  it is one of the most beautiful things i have come across in quite some time. 

so be forewarned, you will need tissues!!!

click HERE now {or later when you have some privacy}


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wise wednesday

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3 more days to enter my giveaway

my top 2012 oscar red carpet picks

i will admit that i did not watch the oscars.  husband and i do not watch tv like normal peeps.  we are not connected to cable or even the basic 5 channels.  but i am connected to the internet at all times so i still get to look thru the red carpet pictures and have an opinion. 

and here is my opinion of top 5 the most stunning ladies from the 2012 oscars.

kristen wiig

i heart almost everything about kristen wiig.  if i could share a meal with one person in show business right now, it would be her.  i think she is the bees knees and could not have found a more flattering dress. 



Berenice Bejo

  

sarah hyland




nancy o'dell



michelle williams
it was a toss up between michelle and emma stone but i dont think i could get past the bow.  it worked but it was kind of awkward.  however, this little number is so classy and really fun at the same time. 



so there you have it.  i was going to do a list of 5 people that looked like they need to eat a cheeseburger but i am trying to be a nicer version of myself.  plus, im sure you all could figure it out for yourselves.  i bet a hot dog vendor guy would make a killing on the red carpet with all those starving women.  i joke, but its really quite sad. 

dont forget to enter the giveaway!!!

how he loves

loving this song!!!!

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a unforseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way...

He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.via

best. day. ever. {giveaway}

welcome to best. day. ever.  

how do you like my new do?  a big "thanks" to jess over at i rock so what, for a great job on my new banner.  

its kind of an exciting time here at my little corner of the world wide web.   i am only a month away from my two year blogiversary and this here post is my 300th!!!  can you believe it?  thats a lot of nonsense coming from my fingers to your eyes.  i wanted to say "thanks" to the peeps that have been here for a while and give a big "HEY THERE" to the newcomers.

are you wondering why the change of name?  well, im glad you asked :)  when i started this blog, i was doing a lot of seeking.  

• i have found out a lot about myself on this journey and found a lot about God and how faithful He is to me even when i just flat out suck.  
• i have taken some photos that i am really proud of and found a great way to serve others with the pictures i take.  
• i have learned to be more creative with my style.
• i have realized how to better love and serve my amazing husband. 
• i have been reminded to not to take life so seriously.  
• i have been inspired to serve my community and a heart to inspire others. 

dont get me wrong, i will always be "seeking" ... but this space has turned into so much more.  i want to share the good, the bad and the ugly and always know that it is up to me to make every day the best day ever.  i would like to inspire others to find joy in the little things.  a bit cheesy but oh so true.  

so whats next?  what can you expect from this change?  not too much.  i will still blog about everyday life, sharing stories, memories and pictures of my pups.  i will still post a lot about my style, family, things that inspire me and my faith.  you can expect a lot of sarcasm and misspelled words with hardly any punctuation with a high dose of silliness.  i would like to encourage you all to interact with me and leave plenty of comments.  i heart meeting new people!  i love hearing/reading your stories and love telling people about what God is doing in my life!  

so, welcome to best. day. ever.  grab some coffee or tea and stay a while.  

.... and now for the good stuff.  in honor of my 300th post and my face lift, i have decided to do my 2nd ever giveaway.  for those of you that follow me on instagram, facebook or twitter, you know that i recently had a accident with a special hand warming coffee mug {a dear to me gift from tara}.  it was the best mug ever!  

i always got the most compliments when i took the mug on outings ... like a lot of compliments.  so, i figured it would be a really great giveaway item along with a $20 gift card for itunes.  how bout it?  

   
 

that little pocket is for your fingers.  its like you hug your mug and it hugs you back.  FUN!  

how to enter:  

• follow this here blog
• leave a comment below between now and friday {march 2nd}.    
• also include the following information:
• email address
• the color mug you like the best from the pics above
• are you right handed or left handed?
• the thing you are most looking forward to about spring. 
• extra entry:  blog about this giveway and leave an additional comment below telling me so.

winner will be chosen randomly and announced next monday {march 5th}

giveaway open to readers with a US shipping address.

GOOD LUCK!

wise wednesday




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etsy ecstasy: living room

i get easily bored and often dream of giving our living room a face lift.  when it comes down to it, i dont have the money or energy to make it happen all at once, but i love browsing through etsy to get some great ideas.  by the time i could afford to put all these items together, i know my taste would change completely. 

here are a few of my favorite pics from etsy that could easily spice up our living room (click the pics to shop)

i would start with this neutral, inexpensive area rug:

 Woven area rug in a Modern and Classy gray background
$109.95 at House of Henderson



add in some color with these throw pillows

(note: we have a sofa and love seat and both are a boring dark chocolate color)

  

Guatemalan Hand Woven Throw Pillow
14x14 for $43 at Tamarind Tree Boutique







Both Decorative Pillow Covers are from Turquoise Tumbleweed  ($59 and $42)



a vintage tray for the ottoman:

Vintage Silver Plate Tray for $25 at Hope and Joy Home

this throw would be perfect for cuddling up to read a good book:

Mustard Crocheted Throw Blanket for $95 at Joyce Buckley   

i cant decide on the curtains, but im thinking something simple:

Custom LARGE Horizontal Stripe Full Length Curtain Panels
for $160 at Tuft Love Fabric

this sweet print would be great for the bookshelf or to hang beside the front door:

   

Home Is Where the Heart Is Gold & Silver Print for $11 at Heart and Craft



 and frame this print that a friend gave me for christmas:

Art Print, Birds on Vintage Inspired Books at Contemporary Earth Art

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my total, not including tax, shipping or framing that last print, comes to $544.95 ... not too bad! 

to see what our living room kinda looks like now, click here.  it looks a lot different, but you can get the basic idea of what the furniture, bookcase and wall color looks like.   

flash back friday

today, i'll only be flashing back a few months. 

i had taken some photos of tara and her beautiful family for their christmas cards and never took the time to share them. 

that little guy is growing up so fast.  i can remember when he was just floating around it tara's belly.

wise wednesday



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overnight curls

jess, over at i rock so what did the no heat curl the other night and i was inspired.  at this point, i feel like, along with the blogger bun (which i have tried), the head-band-no-heat-overnight-curl is a must, if i want to call myself a real blogger.  

without further ado  

  

i must share with you that my hair does NOT curl well.  the initial act of curling is always so awkward and then after all that work, it doesnt hold for any significant amount of time.  this was different!  it was soooo easy to do and it stayed curled all day. 

once it feel out a bit, it ended up giving me a farrah fawcett look.  i guess i was/am completely ok with that though because i did it again today.

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 you can watch the paper mama's tutorial here

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here are a couple of pics from my valentine's day:

happy v-day

happy valentine's day to you and yours ...

... and to mine :)

wise wednesday



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pinterest: the valentine guide

if you have a pinterest account and you still have no idea what to do for valentines day, then lets face it, you are a hopeless case!  there are seriously some great ideas for you and your lover.  whether you are going out, staying in, taken or single ... pinterest has a lot to offer for the upcoming holiday. 

{click on the pics for original source}

spruce up your dinning room or bedroom with romantical homemade garland.



remind your valentine why you love them!



host a valentine day party for couples or your girlfriends



send a card to your valentine that really expresses how you feel.

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and just in case you need a little help getting in the mood to love ...




the creeping crud

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i am at home today with day 2 of the "creeping crud" {as my mother would say}.  but i think i am finally ready to shower and make the bed.

thank you robitussin!  you're super gross but you helped me a lot these past 40 hours.

flash back friday

here are a few february flash backs {in no particular order} 

february 2011 - cut my bangs and did my 2nd 30 for 30

february 2009 - my grandmother passed away.
i miss her!!!

february 2009 - my nephew was still little 

february 2011 - i had follower number 50 and offered my first giveaway
AND made a new friend

february 2011 - husband and some guys from church raised almost $3,500 for neighbor to neighbor with their facial hair.

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so, none of those things made much difference in your life, 
but what about this one: 

february 2004 - mark zuckerberg started facebook as a joke.
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