Self Proclaimed Junkie

I think I have found my true love. This on the eve of the eve of my 17th wedding anniversary, no less! Don't tell my husband, although, I'm sure he already knows, I LOVE junk! It's not really junk if you love it, right? 

I was over on the other side of town today...near Trussville. I called my sisters to see if they wanted me to bring lunch to them at The Spotted Zebra.......they weren't there, bummer! I decided to go by and see my friend, Barney at Stray Cats. I love Barney! He always has the coolest furniture and finds. I walked in and was in Heaven!! There was a swooning chair, a Coca-Cola sign and a sink that I HAD to have! I'm telling you...right inside the door!! I knew I was in trouble. Big Trouble! He knows me, too, he knew I was leaving there with something. So, I'm walking through and asking about everything. They build a lot of the stuff in there. They can custom build anything you want! I really need to stop in here more often......

So, do you want to see what I bought? I haven't unpacked it from the car, yet. So, these are temporary still in the car shots from the ole blackberry......

I love, love this old box. It's crate-ish. Seriously, it has two of my most favorite things on it....Chocolate and New York City....yes, I will take it!

This is a chandelier that Kim had in her house. It reminds me of one that I wanted forever at Southern Accents and it was sold a few weeks ago. I was so sad.....I couldn't let this one go!!

I love clocks. This one doesn't work, but it's so awesome!

This is the coca-cola sign.......it's too big to get a good photo from the back of the car...score!

I saw this and just loved the way it looked. It's printed on chipboard and it's signed. hello...I just found out the artist is a dear friend of my hero, Natalie Chanin! Agh, she posted a similar print on facebook about coffee.......so, this was meant to be and it was FREE!!! see why I love Barney? ;)

 This sink...seriously, who buys a sink? Apparently, I do. What am I going to do with this you ask? I have NO IDEA!! hahahaha. It's small and cast iron and heavy and I LOVE it! I sent a picture to my professional junker friend, Garlan up at Southern Accents and he wants it...which only makes me want it more!! Maybe I will sell it to him and make a little profit....hmmmmm..nah, I will do something with it!

 and this is the swooning chair that you can't see the fabulousness of.....I can't wait to get this baby out and add a few pillows and put it in my bedroom. This has to be the best find. This will be passed down through my family for years to come.

I can't explain to you the feeling I had when I left there. I was over the moon! I don't know if it's the high I get from just shopping and finding new things or if it's the thrill of digging and finding a treasure. I was meant for this. True Love!

Socially Acceptable

Jumping on the bandwagon. It's fun at first. I'm always a bandwagon NFL fan. I love the winning team. That one and which ever one Tom Brady is on. He's so cute, right? Mark Sanchez is easy on the eyes, too. That's not what this post is about..how did I get there? I'm about to be 40...Is it the cougar coming out of me? please laugh here....

So, jumping on the bandwagon. 3 years ago, I was trying not to get on the Facebook bandwagon. Seriously, I was on Twitter before that and I didn't even know what it was!! I thought Facebook was that silly place that my little sister would go to check up on her ex-boyfriend. (sorry N, if you are reading this! xo) Really, it was just something the college kids were doing. I had a few friends jumping on and they were having a little fun with it. Talking to high school friends...really? did I want to go there? Don't get me wrong, I love my high school and the friends from there, but all the drama that was from high school. I guess I expected it to be on Facebook!! Well, I was right about that part.....and not the high school friends!!

It is my life now. I am on Facebook for hours a day. I don't play games, I don't stalk people (wink) and I don't update my status every 5 seconds. If I have to pee, you don't have to know it. It's my network. It's how I find out who won the game, that a tornado touched down, that LSU 's busses can't leave the hotel because someone painted a 50 yard line in front of it! That's hilarious, you have to admit! I also make new friends and find old ones. I find people that live within 10 miles of me that I have SO much in common with. We pull together and do things to help each other. It's how I keep up with EVERYONE! If someone has a baby, I check Facebook to find out when. It's life events, the world around us and right next door. Someone will say, "I don't have time for it.". Ok, neither do I. I make time for it. I want to know how my friends are and seriously, there is a contest, I can win a new pair of jeans!! I did! On FACEBOOK! I got them and yes, they fit PERFECTLY! It's like the yellow pages with a friends recommendation. You need something? Ask for it on Facebook. You will find it!

I do a lot more with this social network, too. I help businesses find more customers. over 800 million people are on Facebook all over the world. It's the best marketing tool you can have. You have to utilize it in a way that benefits your business. There are no HARD-CORE numbers that prove the ROI, but when someone walks in your store almost every day and says, "you have a great Facebook page", it makes sense. You may even be lucky to have someone make a purchase and say, "The only reason I even came here was from your Facebook page." They probably won't, but you can't NOT be on there!

There are other social platforms out there. They may not all work for you. I love Pinterest and blogging. They fit with most of my clients. I am still learning everyday. I did get a likeable book today. It's all about social media and how it works. Not sure why I need that, but I'm sure I will get something out of it. If I do, I will share it with you. It is the reason I decided to write this post! 

BTW, I am still trying to take a photo a day. I've missed a few. I decided not to post here because after the 2nd day someone unsubscribed. It hurt my feelings and I stopped doing something for them. I guess that was the wrong decision. Maybe I will bring it back...or you can just keep up on my Facebook page!

One more thing.....Roll Tide! Congrats on the National Championship!

Pre-game with John Connor

 Post game with Emma!

January 2, 2012

Emma's New Year's resolution is to go to church every Sunday. It's the best I've heard. John Connor's was to save all of his money. He got some cash for Christmas and that boy LOVES money. It also burns a hole in his pocket pretty quickly. Emma decided she wants to make money....she's kinda like her momma, loves new clothes! uh-oh. She's started working on a list of things she can do to make money. Laundry is at the top of the list. She came home organized the laundry room and did 3 loads. Pretty good, I think! We will see how long it lasts. I gave her a $20 to go ice-skating today....she thought that wasn't a part of her laundry money.....oopsie! She's already spending faster than she's making it!!!

We did get to go to lunch with one of our favorites today. Somehow she has been living in New Orleans for 5 years. I don't know how that adds up...but, it does. We gave her a present. If you look toward the top of this photo......you should be able to pick out her gift! She LOVED it! Can you figure out who it is? haha!! #seniorportraits #eightieshair

January 1, 2012

I got a new camera for Christmas. The Nikon 1. It's so adorable! I got the white one. Yes, it's the Ashton Kutcher camera. Is that the reason I bought it, maybe? It's fun and easy to carry with me. Right now I have a tiny purse. The camera won't fit inside. That's kinda against the point of buying it....oh well (wink)! John Connor is sitting beside me on the couch. Glad to have them home from my Mom's. They always have the best time hanging out with Mimi and Ruru. Our cousins, Cooper and Libby were there, too. I snapped this photo. I'm going to try.....photo of the day, or something close to it!

It's a new year. A new beginning. Connor was sitting out by the pool Friday night. He said he was reflecting on the day....it was a bad one. I told him to reflect on the year. Last year at this time, things were not so great. It really picked up at the end of 2011. I'm hoping that's a good sign for 2012. He has a lot of great things to reflect on! We are so blessed. We started this new year off by going to church with his Grandmother, Momba. She has cancer and has been feeling well for a few days. She wanted everyone to join her this morning. That was a huge blessing. We were so glad to be there. So glad to share her joy in her church. So many blessings. I hope you had a great start to the new year. I know it's going to be GREAT!

~Cheers to 2012~

Oh Angel Tree, Oh Angel Tree

 

That's Papaw...he came to John Connor's choir performance....which has nothing to do with the following story! 

John Connor had a project at school. It was voluntary. I think about 60% of his class participated. They divided the kids into groups of 4 or 5 and gave them each an Angel from the Angel Tree. They all had to do chores at home for the money to buy for the Angel.

He asked every day what he could do. He helped his Dad in the yard one day, did the dishes, swept (kinda), cleaned the fishbowl (he usually does this without having to be paid), he helped me decorate the Christmas tree (you would think that wouldn't be a chore....believe me, it is!)

The parents were all invited to the class today for a Holiday Tea. Each group did a power point on what chores they did at home, what they bought their angel and why they enjoyed the project. They even came up with the words to a song they sang....usually to a Christmas tune.

John Connor's group was hilarious! At first, no one really wanted to talk and by the end, they were all talking over each other!! Then came the song......John Connor said that he wasn't going to sing.....then ended up being the only one to sing......the whole time! He was so off key and grinning the whole time! I was such a proud mama and he was loving every minute of it!! Such an entertainer!