Well DUH, Erin........

In April, I will have worked here at the lawnmower shop, with my handsome husband, for 4 years. In this day and age, that's nothing to sneeze at.

Before I came to work at Roush Worthington Lawnmowers, I had been a stay at home mama for 15 years. I LOVED it! At first, it was a little rough going, as I had always worked. I had a 2 yr old boy and had just been transplanted in Salinas, CA, where I knew no one. Thankfully, the adjustment period was brief, and I learned to make friends of other mamas and find activities for my kiddos. In fact, I even homeschooled for 5 years. Hardcore.

Anyway, when I was at home, even though it could be very hectic at times, I was always able to stay on a schedule and take care of not only my family and my home, but myself. My home wasn't perfect, but it was kept. That's what happens when you're the boss :P

Finances and the economy being what they are, in 2009 I found it necessary to go back to work. In my former working life, I had been a pharmacy tech, but the hours weren't conducive to being a part of my family's activities, and the pay was dismal, too. I had been praying for about a year, when the opportunity came up to help my husband run the front end of the repair shop. Yeah, I know.........if I had a dime for every woman who says to me, 'I could NEVER work with my husband,'......well, I could quit, basically. To my way of thinking, if we're gonna drive each other crazy, why not do it here at work? Plus, if I gotta make a run to the doctor and pick someone up from school, my boss is very flexible about allowing me to make the time up elsewhere.

It's a funny thing about having a job outside the house. Other things muscle in, and priorities shift. No longer could I make a big grocery shopping trip after dropping the kids off at school in the morning. My shopping had to be wedged into those chunks of free time here and there. I couldn't make time for a leisurely weekly lunch with my parents anymore (BIG sad face), and a lot had to be done on the weekend, instead of spread out during the week.
It's the life God gave me! I've been so fortunate to experience being at home, and now being out in the workforce.

As well as I've done being more organized in order to get stuff done, I had an epiphany today. I was overweight when I came to work at the lawnmower shop, and 4 years later, those pounds multiplied. There's no nice way to say it; I just haven't been too careful. Yes,it's harder to make time to sit down and have regular meals, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. I need to make the effort. So, it's back to meal planning and telling the kids that, instead of all of us throwing something down while we stand around the kitchen island, we're gonna have a set time for dinner and we're gonna sit down for it. We've still been spending time together and fellowshipping, and thankfully have kept the fast food consumption to the very minimum (Friday night is pizza night, either our treat or Brendan's)........but sitting down could SLOW us down and make a difference, weight wise. I have older kids now, with differing schedules that won't quit, but at least if they come home later, there will be a complete meal waiting for them to heat up, instead of instructions to 'fend for yourself.'

Another area that I've let slide is my bed time. I've always been a night owl, and can be found up until midnight some nights doing laundry and finishing up the kitchen. I don't have to tell you that late nights, combined with a 5:30am work day alarm, make for a very tired woman. My weekends are spent catching up on sleep, and that won't change, but I DO need to make a concentrated effort to shift things around so I can get to bed earlier. What brought this to a head was the stupid DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME. Argh. It gets harder as I get older. Plus, did you know if you don't get enough sleep, it can cause it to be harder to lose weight? True story. Ain't nobody got time for that.

So, starting today, there's more to be added to my Day Timer and IPhone schedule. The first few days of trying to form a new habit are ALWAYS rugged, and I will have to hang on by the skin of my teeth and my fingernails. The end result will be more than worth it, and should be second nature by the time Miss Claire becomes a senior next year, with the killer schedule I know is waiting......

A final note. Please, be nice to me. Don't read this and make a comment letting me know I'm a loser. I try to be transparent and share my life, with all it's equal parts glitter and zits, so that someone might learn something. I'd rather be a GOOD role model, but some of my best lessons were learned at the feet of those willing to share their mistakes. We can't all be perfect......even online ;)

NEWS FLASH!! I Won't Hate You If You Don't Thrift!

If you are new to my blog, then you have no clue I live to thrift shop. I live for the thrill of the hunt, the unspeakable joy of finding a true treasure, and the earthshaking blast of paying next to nothing for it. Yeah, it's how I roll.

Now, you may be a long time reader of my blog. You have read of my second hand jewelry, prom ensembles and home interior pieces. You probably have one of 3 reactions:

1.) COOL!! I want to do this, too! I want to save money, yet look chic. I want my kids to have top of the line clothing but not pay through the nose to do so. Plus, digging through all that second hand gold sounds like something that would really blow my skirt up.

2.) Well, good for Erin. She seems to be having a marvelous time thrifting. I like reading about it, and maybe sometime I'll actually enter a Goodwill. Or maybe I won't.

3.) EW, GROSS!! Why would ANYONE want to wear someone else's ANYTHING!! I want brand new! I want that crispy, new smell! I don't care if you can launder anything from the thrift store, I DON'T WANT TO!!

If your reaction is #1, congrats, you are my kindred spirit. We would have a BLAST thrifting together......the laughs are great, the deals are amazing, and you won't walk away wanting in the entertainment department. For reals.

If you are Lucky #2, well, I'm glad you enjoy my brain spill and off the cuff writing. Thanks for not making snarky comments about my photography skills. I am the original Photo Derp.

Now, if you are NUMBER THREE......well, I don't hate you. It's perfectly all right to not dig the thrifting scene. You should know by now I have a pretty open mind when it comes to other people's opinions.....unless it's hurting them (or me, HAHA) in some way.

Hurting you? How? Well, how about financially? What if you crave fashion and nice things but don't have the money for what you want? The way I see it, you can pay through the nose with money you don't have for brand new designer duds. Prepare to have a love affair with Ramen and popcorn. I'm not kidding.

Or, you can suck it up and go the route I do. Don't let your finances stand in your way! Develop a huge amount of patience and scour the second hand shops until you find EXACTLY what you want. It's there for the taking, but you must search and allow time. You have a big wedding in a year to attend and nothing to wear? Start looking now, don't procrastinate! You can put together a beautiful outfit for little $ doing it that way.

'But Erin,' you say, 'I have enough money to shop at the mall. I also have enough money to feed my family and pay for their health insurance. I can let my 16 yr old drive my car and not make them get a job to pay for their own insurance. And.......I REALLY don't want to thrift.'

Then don't! You don't have the need or desire! God blesses us with all levels of financial support. I speak for those (like myself) who must be creative in their acquisition of material possessions due to budget constraints, but also want to rock it like you do. I won't judge you if you don't judge me. No worries, however. I'm not a judger, and if someone is taking excellent care of their family's basic needs AND buying brand new, you have my eternal admiration.

Now, are we 'all good?' I don't want there to be ANY misconceptions. We have better things to do.......like shop oxoxoxo

Bangin' Bangle Friday 3/8: Ganging Up

My bracelet pairing today cost all of $13.00 plus tax :)

This is my faux Cartier Tank watch from Sears that I got for $9.99. Alone it looks great, but on a whim I decided to pop this cool $3 filigree bracelet from Goodwill with it. BAM! It looks GREAT!!

That's a lot of arm candy for long sleeves, but for some reason, it works. The bracelet is unique, I've never seen one like it before (which is one reason why I love thrift store jewelry!). Kind of a burnished, matte gold, with tiny cz chips placed here and there. It's actually a stretch bangle, that rests at that all important spot on my wrist. I want to rock my bracelets, but I also don't want to spend my day pulling them back down where they belong!

Speaking of my watch, I got a sweet message from one of my FB friends the other day, saying I had inspired her to go to Sears and check out their watch selection! She also came away a proud new watch owner. I LOVE to hear stuff like that! I am always learning new things from you guys, so it's nice to know I can return the favor every now and then :)

HAPPY FRIDAY FOLKS!!

The Highly Personal World of Interior Design

My mama raised me to have a very open mind as far as other people's style goes. She's an artist, and we all know art is subjective. When I would see a painting or piece of art that seemed highly simplistic to me, she would reply that we had no idea the level of skill or years of schooling that artist had completed in order to achieve that seemingly simple work.

She had a similar view on people's home decorating. When we would visit someone, she always found something to compliment in their home, whether she shared their decorating taste or not. Some people just don't get that. If they walk into a home and have a dissimilar view on decorating, they view the home with ridicule. We are all different people, why would we decorate the same way? My mama didn't realize it at the time, but she was giving me a valuable gift. To this day, I can view a room and appreciate the owner's taste, whether I share it or not.

Except for the stone geese you see on front porches. You know, the ones people like to dress? Sometimes for every holiday? Yeah, ain't nobody got time for that :X

Why have I told you all this? Because the above pictures are of MY decorating. Love it, hate it, it's mine.

Just as I find 99.9% of my wardrobe second hand, I also get most of my home accessories that way. In large part, my furniture was either bought new or are antiques from relatives. The rest? Fabulous thrift store finds. And, a couple 'curb side freebies.' Yep, I'm not too proud to say it. One man's trash, ya know.

The cross and picture combo rests atop a curio cabinet my darling husband bought before we were together. The gold cross was a superb Goodwill score at only $5. Gilt and very heavy, it's a perfect complement to our living room. Pictures of both sets of parents sit on either side, my folks in a thrift store leather frame, and his in a second hand stained glass number. Both were $1 apiece. If for nothing else, you really need to check out your local thrift store for picture frames. Those suckers are expensive new, but only between $1-$5 on average second hand. Most are new in boxes, too. Who can have too many picture frames? Certainly not me! Family photos are the perfect home accent to personalize your place!

The small front table is an antique I inherited from my beloved Grandma Lottie. It was painstakingly wrapped in plastic and carted across the country by my mama's best friend Sue. I LOVE having a table by the front door, for so many reasons. It's a great stop for our keys and other things we need to take with us; not only utilitarian, but also personal and beautiful. The small bowl we keep our keys in was made by Claire in her ceramics class last year. She threw it on a wheel, and I love the end result. Brushed with gold paint, it's rustic but pretty. The blue, brown and gold decorative plate was a Goodwill find at $5. Often you find tons of decorative plates second hand, but not the easels needed to display them. They can be found at Walmart or just about any dollar store for not much scratch. When I DO find them resale, they're only .50. I snap them up! The black and white picture of my kiddos was one of Brendan's senior pictures that I absolutely love, and again, found it's glory in a second hand, $1 frame. Who would know? The end result is very pleasing and makes me feel good about my home.

I don't hold myself up as an interior decorating expert. What I AM is someone who knows what she likes and buys it when she sees it at the thrift store. You would be amazed at how much I have in my home that's second hand.......because unless I told you, you'd never know :)

Mothers of Teenage Girls: Don't Blow It

Isn't Adele something? Her voice is like velvet, and all her Grammys several years ago were well deserved. Have you heard her singing on the soundtrack of the James Bond movie 'Skyfall?' Serious goosebumps.

I don't know much of Adele's back story, so I don't know if, when she was a teenager and a budding performer, she spent many nights sobbing in her room because people refused to see her talent and focused on her curves.

Yes, I said it.

Adele is a curvy girl. Big deal, right? She's absolutely gorgeous, has oodles of talent, and loves a good steak. Shouldn't matter one iota her measurements. We're so much more enlightened now! This is 2013!!

Well, I wish.

I know all the ladies reading this are doing their utmost best to instill positive body images in their daughters. They aren't harping on the numbers of a scale, or poking a protruding midsection. They are working hard to be role models as far as healthy eating, but make sure it's known a sweet splurge won't kill them. They make time to move. They don't shy away from having their pictures taken, and dress in a way that plays up their unique body features. They aren't hiding in bag like clothing.

Aren't they?

Let me tell you, it's never been more important to do so. Do you think the days of judging people on appearance are long gone? You're wrong. Teenage girls are still being made to feel as if they aren't good enough if they don't measure up to a certain physical standard. Size 0 is still a coveted number. Being a teenage girl is hard enough, but when they feel added pressure from adults to look a certain way, it can have devastating consequences. Eating disorders are alive and well.

Need proof we pay more attention to the physical on women than men? Think Hilary Clinton and a certain mental image forms of her hairstyle and pantsuits. Think Joe Biden and you'd be very hard pressed to remember his suit or tie. It's not fair but it's LIFE, and we mamas are in the trenches fighting a very bloody battle for the souls of our girls.

Ever watch 'Mike and Molly?' Melissa McCarthy is a HOOT. She is definitely plus sized, but her talent is unreal. Do you know she is STILL getting grilled for her size? When do critics do this to MEN? Who is noticing all this crap? OUR DAUGHTERS!!!

They need to learn their life lessons from their moms, NOT the media and not their peers. Not even their teachers. Our girls need to learn proper eating and moving, not binging and purging and hours of working out to appease a fickle public. They're not 70's supermodels, surviving on a head of lettuce and 2 packs of cigarettes a day to appear flawless in front of the camera. Our girls need health for the long haul. Looking good because we FEEL good and because we're taking care of ourselves should be what we strive for.

Who better to teach that than Mom?

The Joys of Antique Store Digging

Are you familiar with the series 'Breaking Bad?' If so, you know the first picture above is of Marie, the Princess of Purple. No, really. She even has a purple teakettle. Anyway, I posted her picture NOT for her purple passion, but for the disc necklace she wears in most episodes. The small, disc necklace is very popular with TV and movie actresses right now. Just tune into 'CSI' and see how the lab rats accessorize!


The second picture is of MY disc necklace, which I bought from an antique store for (I'm not kidding) $1! Pardon the 'golden' hue of the picture......it's very creamy in my downstairs bathroom, but the lighting's good.

After getting a sizer put in a new ring at Bargar's jewelry in downtown Delaware, I was walking back to my car and noticed DPS Antiques and Collectibles (17 N. Sandusky St.). I'd only been in there twice........once when Claire bought her fabulous silver spoon ring for $10. That thing looks incredible and must be real silver, as she wears it all the time and the silver hasn't worn off yet.

I decided to pop in and look at their jewelry. Right in front of the register, they have several shelves full of GOBS (only way to describe them!)of necklaces, earrings, bracelets, pins and rings. They weren't displayed neatly, but in piles. Was it worth it to dig? Yes, because most of the items were only $1.

I found this necklace, a set of two thin, blingy bangles, a tiny claddaugh pin (perfect for March!), an antique police whistle (I put it on my key chain), and two beautiful pins. I found one very gorgeous drop earring, but was having a hard time finding a mate. The salesclerk (wish I'd gotten her name, she was wonderful) saw I was having an issue and actually came over and helped me look! We didn't find it (sad face) but her willingness to help me spoke volumes. When she rang everything up, she packaged each individual piece in either a small, manilla envelope or a plastic ziplock bag. Everything was separated to prevent scratching. It didn't matter my haul came from the $1 racks and only cost a total of $9 and change.......she acted as if I'd bought a set of fine china and it needed to be packed properly.

The array of fabulous jewelry, the rock bottom prices, and the unheard of customer service make me want to frequent this shop WEEKLY. The store has not only jewelry, but anything else a antique store might carry. They're so friendly (NOT my experience with ALL antique dealers on Sandusky!), you can't help but have an enjoyable shopping experience. The only caveats are that 1.) street parking on Sandusky is ALWAYS sketchy and 2.)make sure you have enough time to DIG. The good stuff is there, you just need time and patience! Oh, and bring a friend. Digging together and exclaiming over your finds is so much fun. I'm gonna go back with Claire in a couple weeks when she has Spring Break. Maybe we can get Whit's Frozen Yogurt afterwards :)

Bangin' Bangle MONDAY 3/4: Shake Up Your Week

Yeah, yeah......I know. My bangle posts belong on Fridays. Well, I wasn't in the proper frame of mind to post anything fashion or otherwise blog related after last Tuesday. Family shakeups in January and February have really thrown me for a loop, but guess what? I'm back and stronger than ever.....and dealing with my anger issues. Thankfully, our pastor preached a wonderful sermon for how to Biblically handle anger. I will probably be praying through the steps he outlined on a minute by minute basis for a while.

ANYHOOO.

Don't you love these bracelets? They are brass and flow along my wrists like liquid gold. When I bought my mama's birthday presents at Closet Mentor, these marvelous pieces were only $5 for the set. Yeah, they were calling me. I actually walked around the store carrying them before purchasing. I do that a lot. I want to be absolutely certain, no matter HOW little the purchase price, before I buy. Since I'm trying to stream line my life, I don't need any impulse purchases that I don't wear cluttering my life. I am pleased to report that this way of buying is working for me! I don't look at my jewelry, clothing or shoes anymore and think, ugh, I don't wear this stuff. All that purging in 2012 really worked!

I can't wait for warmer weather anyway, but these bracelets will look fabulous with short sleeves. I could outfit myself in only v-necked t-shirts and jeans for all occasions and look perfect for anything with the right accessories, and these definitely fit the bill. I don't have to wait though, because these bracelets also hit at the right angle on my wrist to be seen under long sleeves without driving me batty. All weather bling? Yes, please!

How's your Monday going? I hope a little 'bracelet post' brightened things up.