Balanced

Do you ever need a little help keeping your life balanced?  I know that I do.  I'm a big list maker and I love crossing things off but I find that I get a little bummed out when there is still a long list at the end of the day.  Lately I've been using a free app that I found called Balanced.  I set it for all the things that I want to do, and how often I want to do them and it sends me little reminders if I haven't done them yet.  

It may be a little silly to get a little joy out of completing small things, but that's how I roll. 

Cheers to the freakin' weekend

This is pretty much my weekend, and I couldn't be happier. I didn't feel awesome so I spent a lot of it like this. You'll notice the leggings and cozy socks chilling next to my mason jar cup of sweet tea and my grocery list. Those are my buddies Rachel and Joey on the tv.  They're jokesters for real. We've been friends for a long time. (See what I did there.)

Dear 12 year old Stephanie

Your life is just about to start.  You don't know it yet, but you've already made a friend that you're going to keep for at least the next 15 years but I'm betting on forever. You're friends through another friend right now, but you'll soon realize that you two are made to be besties. 

You're about to start junior high and boy are you in for a wild ride.  You're going to love it for the good times but remember to let people see you for who you are.  Rock those bell bottom jeans and white eyeliner while you still can and I promise one day you'll learn how to use a blowdryer.

You're going to learn a lot from your church group. You'll look back on those lessons and the way they shaped you even when you go another direction. They'll help you define who you want to be and the values you learn will always be a part of you. 

You'll make another forever friend around the end of junior high. You'll bond over country music and the Little Mermaid but she will always be there for you. You'll be more alike than you understand right now and she'll always keep you grounded.

Your relationship with your dad is going to be tough for a few years, but after a close call you'll start to see just how much he really means to you. It'll be another ten years or so, but you'll start to notice all the things he did for you and how alike you really are.

High school will bring opportunities to branch out and meet new people.  You'll meet another friend who will join your group by happenstance but once she's there, you'll never be able to live without her.  She'll love you for you and never judge.

It won't all be easy.  You'll find your heart broken too much and your feelings hurt too often.  Girls will be girls and you'll lose friends and never be quite sure why.  Don't let those bad dates get you down too much.  It gets better.

You'll go through a trashy, experimental phase but you know what, it's a good thing.  It'll be fun and you'll learn a lot about yourself from it.  You'll learn the difference between love and lust and it's not going to hurt you to put yourself out there.

The man you fall for is going to scare the hell out of your friends and family.  Believe in him.  He'll grow with you and his past will have shaped him into a better man. You'll be truly loved by his family and the way he treats them will show you how great of a partner he will be.

Spend money on experiences instead of possessions. They'll be the things you'll remember the longest. Let your nerdy side out a little and don't be afraid to feel beautiful.

Seven things I just can't get enough of right now.

1. Uptown Funk.  That Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars combo sure knows how to get a girl singing from morning to night, don't they? Hot damn!

2. Raising My Rainbow. This is a blog written by a mother about her gender non-conforming son. I just love it because I know kids like this and it's refreshing to see a family who has been willing to change the way that they do things to make life comfortable for their son.  It's not for everyone, but I truly am grateful to have found it.

3. The weather. It was an amazing 67 degrees yesterday. In Utah. In February. This has been the most unseasonably warm winter that I can recall, but I'm definitely appreciating it while we have it.  It's probably going to snow in June and believe me, I'll be upset, and you'll hear about it, but I'm loving the sun now.

4. Eff Your Beauty Standards is a movement started by plus size model Tess Munster that's all about body positivity and loving the skin you're in.  I may not look like what the fashion industry calls beauty.  I may not be able to walk into any store and find something that's going to look good on me. I have extra weight hanging on to just about everywhere on my body but curves are beautiful too. I'm not saying that I don't want to be stronger and healthier, but I'm going to love myself along they way. Confidence is key and I'm learning all about that.

5. Harry Potter.  (Is this shocking to anyone?) I've always been a fan but I feel like as I've gotten older, my fan girl side has really emerged victorious. This story shaped my life and it's even better as an adult.  My niece gave me a henna deathly hallows tattoo last night.   I'm just too damn cool for my own good.

6. Baby stuff.  I'm not pregnant.  I'm not even sure I'm ready to be, but how do you know? Above all else I've always wanted to be a mother. I thought it would happen much earlier in my life, but life got in the way.  It just wasn't time. There is too much cute baby stuff around.  It tugs at your ovaries. I went to a baby shower for my friend's sister yesterday and all I could think was, "Is it my turn?"  Ugh.

7. Nail tutorials. I got a manicure a couple weeks ago and was too cheap to do shellac and it got all scuffed up in like three days.  I was so mad that I had spent money on it, when it would have probably stayed longer if I had done it myself. Since then, I've been on a mission to have cute nails for the low low cost of free.

Netflix or how I spend every minute of my free time.

Netflix addiction is real, folks. My current drug of choice is Criminal Minds. I just can't get enough! It's creeping me the hell out though. That's for sure!  Netflix gives you 15 seconds between episodes to decide if you plan on doing anything else with your day.  I'm going to be honest, if a new episode starts, I'm pretty much in for the long haul. 

Why is it that 

sounds so normal but 

is what it is really like? 

New Beginnings

It's been ages.  I know resolutions are just something you keep up for a few weeks, but I'm really going to make an effort to show up around here a bit more.  

Things around these parts have been a little crazy.  Work has been a challenge every day and I'm savoring every second of the weekends because of it. What I wouldn't give to win a bunch of money and be able to stay home. Who wouldn't, right?  Keep dreaming. 

My super cool husband got me the British version of the Harry Potter book series for Christmas and I've been having a great time reliving my teen years reading those again. I am such a fan.  I ship Potter. That's for sure! 

That's it for now. I'll be around soon. 

Feeling Ambitious

Kurt and I spent one ambitious {HOT!} Saturday under the carport working on this project that helped brighten up our dining room space. We're really enjoying the pop of color when we walk in the door. 

First, we had to take the topcoat off of the table.  We used a thick deglosser to pull out the moisture. We did a little sanding around the edges and a few spots that didn't take the deglosser as well. We wiped off the dust and then gave it a once over with mineral spirits to get it nice and clean. 

While that was drying we removed the seat cushions (notice this badass using the motorcycle as a work bench) and deglossed the middle portion of the chairs so they would be ready for staining. We stained them with Minwax Polyshades Espresso Gloss Stain and Poly in One. 

While that was drying, we went inside to cool down and while we were there we reupholstered the cushions with nothing more than a little {red tag clearanced!} fabric and a staple gun. 

We covered the stained portions with plastic and used Rustoleum Spray Filler Primer in Gray to prime everywhere we were going to paint. It took a little over two cans to prime the table and six chairs.  

I forgot to take pictures of the painting process! My dear friend Natalie came over and happily picked up a brush with us in the heat to help get it all complete. After a bit of cleanup and reassembling the chairs, our dining room looks like a whole different place! 

Next up is pulling up the carpet and refinishing the wood floors!