Out of My Comfort Zone

     A few months ago as I’m perusing my fave blogs, I stumble upon a post over at Living in Yellow where Erin talked about how social media can cause you to live a cooler life.  While I would have never thought of that (obv…since she wrote the post), she was/is so right.  I won’t go so far as to say that peer pressure is a good thing, but through this little thing called blogging, we have been opened up to so many fun new things.  I myself have been introduced to the wide world of accessorizing. 
     Enter eFoxcity…you may have heard me talk about them before (just a few times).  They have been instrumental in getting me out of my accessory comfort zone.  I have really been enjoying my last two goodies (seen here and here) and cannot wait to do more business with this fun company!

     I love that these two necklaces are so different.  I have gotten so much wear out of them and tons of compliments.  I’ve been looking at expanding my necklace collection (bracelets just seem to get in my way), and I have a feeling that this fun friend will be living in my jewelry drawer very soon…


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     I’ve seen these a few other places and now that I feel pretty comfortable with necklaces, I think something like this will be so fun!  I can definitely see myself wearing it a lot.  eFoxcity has such a broad selection, so if this isn’t your style, I can guarantee that you can find something that is!  The website is so full of great bargains…not just jewelry.  If you’re looking for prom dresses, wedding dresses, or any other wholesale clothing, this needs to be your first stop.  Happy shopping, friends!

*I was compensated for this post with my choice of one piece of jewelry from the selection at eFoxcity.  All opinions are my own and based on prior experiences.*

Fake It ‘til You Make It

     Today is my last day of summer…and also the last day of not being a real life grown-up.  Tomorrow morning I start inservice for my first  year of teaching, and I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I’m not even nervous.  Translation: I’ve been pretending not to be nervous for so long that I’ve convinced myself it’s true. 
     I am so  looking forward to this year, and even though I know that the nervousness will come in time (probably tomorrow), I also have an incredible peace about this.  I know that this is what I’m supposed to be doing, and I believe I’m in the right place right now.  I shared pictures of my classroom last week, but have done soooooo much more work since then (and managed not to take a single picture).  I’ll be sure to get a few when I’m done.
     I don’t have a lot to say today (I know, right?), but please please be in prayer for any teacher you know starting school and definitely for all the little kiddies who will be starting.  I know that God has planned my classroom just as it should be, but I know the nerves will set in soon…

Woop woop…found some pictures!
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My mountain of laminated stuff…

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Keith and I (mostly Keith) made six of these for my reading table!  They’re much cushier than they look…

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Moose and Friends for the door…I also got a big moose with seasonal antlers!

Updates

     I joined the iPhone army…I feel like such a yuppie.  On the plus side, it’s got a sassy hot pink case and doesn’t randomly turn itself on (when it’s already on) like my old phone.  Aaaaaaand I can now follow all of you ladies on Instagram (and you can follow right back)!  Before you pop over there to see for yourself, let me just give you a little insta-update with what’s been occupying me for the past ten days…other than arguing with the Verizon store.

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Fishing with my husband…that little monster flapped right toward me approximately 2 seconds after this picture.

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Creating organization out of chaos in my new classroom!

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Organization exhibit A.

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Loving on this $5 shirt from New Orleans (why are t-shirts and shorts not appropriate wear every day…so comfy?).

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Making this little pretty for my front door.

     I’m going to be crazy busy for the next few weeks finishing my classroom and trying to keep my head above water for the first few weeks of school.  I am so excited (and not nearly as nervous as I expected) to begin this part of my life, and I cannot wait to get started!

Remember That Time…

     Remember that time I told you I was going to tell you all about my honeymoon and wedding…and then I didn’t?  Wellllll…these things happen.  Better late than never I guess.
     Before the wedding, Keith and I weren’t even sure if we were going to take a honeymoon right away.  We weren’t too sure about his job, etc. and thought that we might wait until the fall and take a long weekend somewhere.  Enter my sister and brother-in-law who introduce us to Travelzoo.  They found a great deal for a trip to New Orleans (where I’ve been trying to convince Keith to go for awhile), so we decided to big, fat, copy cat and snag the same deal for ourselves.  We spent two nights in the Maison St. Charles hotel and three days wandering around eating everything in sight.
     If  you haven’t been…go now.  Walk around and eat and take pictures of everything.  The houses in the Garden District are incredible.  I wanted to knock on the door of every single one and ask for a tour, but according to Keith “that’s crazy.”

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I don’t have a ton of pictures of the two of us because Keith is not a picture fan…and is also not a fan of me just running onto the porches of random houses.

     The food…oh the food, where do I begin?  Go everywhere.  Eat twelve meals a day if you can, and then go back for more.  There are about a million and twelve places to eat, so there is no reason that you couldn’t find something that suits you.

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Clearly this was the most important part of the trip…
From top left: Muffalettas at Tracey’s; crawfish etouffe and grilled shrimp at Mulate’s; beignets and café au lait at Café du Monde; raw oysters, shrimp remoulade, and jambalaya pasta at Pier 424; gumbo, jambalaya, and crawfish pie at Remoulade.

     If you can move after eating everything in sight hightail it right to the French Quarter.  Eat some more and take pictures of everything.  (Noticing a theme here?)

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From top left:  Please get a cup of water to-go every time you leave a restaurant; take a picture of all the Blue Dogs you see; listen to live music (even if it’s in the middle of the road); walk through the French Market (avoid pigeons); and visit the St. Louis Cathedral.

     I’ve already told Keith we need to go back sometime in the fall…or now.  If you can’t tell from the extreme picture overload, we had the best time.  I promise (for real this time) that I’ll be back soon with the secret to newlywed life.  I hope you don’t think I’m serious (about the secret not about being back).