Zac Smith

I found myself in a "woe is me" attitude towards the end of my day, during my drive to the gym, while staring at myself in the mirror during spin class, and my entire drive home. I thought to myself "why can't this happen, why can't that happen, where did we go wrong, how do we get from a to b, how how how, why why why" . I felt really sorry for myself. I felt really sorry for us. I'm trying to learn how to dance in this rain...I really think I am. Or am I?? This storm is still my storm, but it could be filled with lightening and hail and become a flood. When I got home, I plopped down on the couch to take a load off, and began checking a blog or two with I can guarantee you- a frown upon my face. A frowned pair of lips and frowned wrinkles between my eyes. The first, and I mean very first blog I read today was a post today by another blog friend who had posted this on her blog.

At first I almost skipped watching this video. Actually, let me rewind {and this is how I know this video was meant for me to watch tonight}. When I clicked on this particular blog, I thought I was going to be reading a post about how her little girl is turning 11 months old. I was going to leave a comment about how I remember her post the night before leaving the hospital, and how I remember the first pictures etc etc...However when I clicked on the link for that post, somehow it's almost as if blogger messed up and that post was no longer available to read. Instead- the post that showed up as the most recent post on her blog was the post regarding the video I am about to post below.

I needed this today. I needed perspective. I needed to know that no matter what I am loved. No matter what, He holds my future, our future, my plan, our plan- and no matter the journey- He is Good.

Please don't do what I did and almost click away from my blog and this post. Please take the 4 minutes to regain some perspective.

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

Must.Have.It.Now....

So I figured since I didn't have anything too embarrassing, too sad, to thrilling or too boring to talk about, I would post up some of my loves, my favorites, my can't live withouts!.

*Warning* this post will be all over the place. No method to the madness..no rhythm to the beat. It's random, it's all over the place...its probably loony...much like it's author. However, listed below are some of my favorite, favorite things.

1) Baby Chandeliers

Why oh why do these precious babies {no pun intended} make my heart so happy?? I may not know quite when we are going to begin trying for little ones of our own {or maybe I do...and I just can't share yet...I'll never tell!!!} and I may not know the sex of our baby{s} and I may not know when or where they will be born or the color scheme of their nursery...but what I DO know is that the room where our sweet babe will one day lay his or her head will will be home to one of these amazing beauties. They are sweet, they are innocent, they are glamorous, they are low lighting, they are sparkles..they are dainty and sweet. Just one of my loves.

2) Diet Coke

Can't explain the love. It's just...there. It was love at first drink. It's become an addiction. I've tried to stop, and I can't. I stare at the can knowing it's filled with absolutely nothing with positive nutritional value and yet I can't wait to pop that top and feel the "carbon burn" as those first two, three, four gulps head down the hatch...ahhhh there's just nothing like it. Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall...Morning, Noon, Night...Sunday through Saturday..they are my lifeline. {my thighs lifeline too}

3) Mr Clean Magic Erasers

Ok, so I don't know WHAT the secret it to these bad boys {and please don't spoil my innocence and tell me the secret} but these things are seriously the bomb. Did I just say "the bomb" ??? Yes, I did as there is just no other saying to do them justice. Got kids?? They take off everything. Crayon off the walls...markers on the cabinets..they have you covered. I have loved these erasers for years and I use them all of the time when cleaning- but they SERIOUSLY peaked their awesomeness last weekend when I was tackling the shower. I don't know what it is about cleaning the bathroom but yall, I DREAD it. I will clean the ENTIRE rest of the house, walk the dogs, do the laundry, count the number of slats on the blinds before I will tackle the bathroom. So last weekend after I counted slats, stared at the ceiling, trimmed the dogs nails and cleaned out the pantry I decided I had no other option but to clean the stupid room. I did the sink, vanity, toilet, bathtub, floor, etc etc saving the BLASTED shower for last. UGHHH I hate cleaning the shower. Anyway...we have an ceramic tile/glass shower with the exception of the floorplan. Due to the placement of our shower, we were not "allowed" to tile the showerpan {whatever} so it had to be this horrid white showerpan. Well I don't care how well you clean your feet, over time the floorpan had become sort of discolored and just dirty looking. I had {in the past} risked ruining the acrylic on my freshly filled nails *gasp* using brushes, bleach, gloves, comet this and lysol that while on hands and knees trying to get the discoloration off to NO avail and leaving a pissed off Amy, who didn't want to clean the stupid room in the first place. Well this weekend I happened to be using one of the Magic Beauties on the tub and thought I would give it a whirl on the showerpan as I truly had nothing to lose. Scrub, scrub...scrub...scru- wait a minute...scrubscrubscrubscrub..oh my..scrscuscuscuscuscsubbbbb ITS COMING OFF!!!! Yes yall...the dreaded discoloration came off with the help with a little elbow grease and the magic eraser!!! I was sooo excited! I asked Rob to get up off the couch and come look at "something really neat"!!! He politely informed me he was happy where he was, and I said "No babe..really, you have GOT to come see this." So I'm sure he sighed and followed me in the bathroom where I said "SEE!! LOOK!!! I got it off!" He said.."What did you get off??" *Big Huff* "The dirt that was on the shower pan..remember??" He said "Oh..I guess" and smiled and said "great job!" Pssshhh, whatever dude! I was ecstatic. Go buy these yall.

4) Bobbi Brown Corrector & Concealer

Ok so one of the things I wish I didn't have {yet I feel they are hereditary to an extent} would be the dark circles. I have battled concealer after concealer to find one that truly takes the darkness away and as an end result actually has my under eyes looking BRIGHTER than the rest of my face (makeup tip #1). So I asked my sister being the experienced make-up artist/connoisseur that she is- which one she recommended. Trish, Laura Mercier, Mac, Bobbi, Nars...HELP ME!!! So without a moments hesitation she said "Bobbi Brown, hands down". So off to BB I went. Now let me say this..they will CUSTOMIZE colors for you. Mix and match a bottle specifically for you, my dear reader. So I went and got the corrector and concealer. You first apply the corrector (the lighter pod) in order to lighten up the surface so you the darkness is no longer and issue. Then the concealer is applied ontop to even out the skin tone and the creases. It's fantastic yall. The stuff works...it's not greasy and it lasts all day.

5) 409 Granite and Natural Stone Cleaner

Got granite? Does it streak with other cleaners? Get this..enough said. We have "Absolute Black" granite countertops in the kitchen per the Husband's request {ahem, the one who doesn't clean} and those things are a pain in the butt to keep clean! Water marks, drips, streaks...none of which are a problem with a little swipey swipe of a papertowel and a spray of this 409

6)Fekkai Smooth Hair

This stuff is amazing. You apply it to wet hair before drying it and it will leave it as smooth as silk yall!!! I purchased mine at Bath and Body Works. I have seen it at Target (in their professional hair care section) as well at my salon, but I noticed that B&BW has the best price on it (around $20). A bottle will last your forever! I will tell you this too, it makes your hear really really smooth- just super nice...so if you are planning on doing a tease job or a big poof..you might NOT want to use it for that particular style as you typically want your hair not so silky or it won't tease or poof as well! But on the days where I wear my hear down, you can bet your hairstrands that apply this!

7) Nutella

I want to bathe in this stuff. I want life to be made of Nutella. I want a constant fountain of Nutella {with a side of #2}

8) Hobby Lobby

Pretty much want everything in this store. Even the crap in the 80% off section that's broken, chipped and missing letters..I'll take it. I'll make it work. It will end up beautiful. Love the store..love the sales..love gift cards as well! HA!

9) MAC Studio Fix Mascara

I have been on a search since I began wearing mascara. I have wanted one that doesn't clump, that lengthens and separates. I mean, that's what most women are after in a Mascara, right??? Well I'm pretty sure I found it. MAC has a mascara that is pictured above that is called "Studio Fix". I love it. Absolutely love it. It's been rumored to be quite a competitor with it's opponent Christian Dior. What I can tell you is that it's a wonderful product. Great wand, easy to work with, lasts all day and is very easy to wash off with soap! And at a price of $14.50- seriously- that's awesome!

Ok yall...tell me. Tell me what you can't live without. What do I need?? What MUST I run out and get?!?! Tell me, tell me, tell me!!!!

Scent for Spring....

.....my choice in perfume this spring involves.....

I love love love this perfume. I actually am very {annoyingly} picky when it comes to perfumes- hence why I normally can find more body washes/creams/sprays that I like so will typically stick with those. However an unused giftcard presented itself {unused gift card?!?! GASP!!} and Rob told me sternly to go get myself something. So who was I to argue??? So I did. I went and purchased this jewel of a scent which I had been longing for, for a few months :) Just crisp enough, just citrusy enough, just clean enough, just right for this spring!!!

Hope Floats Votes!!!!

Hey Yall!!! I'm coming to ya live here...with a really fun favor!!!!! I'm not sure how many of yall read Kristy Bolte's Blog that can be found here (Waiting for Happy) ...but if there is a woman who I admire for strength, determination, a foundation with her Father who I long to have, and a heart like none other- It's Kristy.

For those not familiar with their story, the Bolte's have 2 sweet precious sons in Heaven, and 2 sons and one daughter here on Earth. After the loss of their first son Isaac, Kristy and Howard tried again. Luke was born as healthy as can be. They then were blessed to deliver a healthy spunk of a son in Benjamin. They became pregnant for the fourth time, and sweet Asher passed away after birth as well. They became pregnant for the fifth time (first time pregnant with a baby girl) and sweet Hope was born with the diagnosis of EB, but the Lord is protecting her from the trauma that this disease can cause as His hand is protecting her sweet body.

Kristy has entered Hope into a contest where the winner will receive a complimentary photo shoot, complimentary adorable Tutu, and $25 towards their portrait purchase. All it takes at ALL to vote is a simple email. That's it yall. No registering, no spam email...just one email.




Kristy and I were emailed recently about how special this opportunity is to her as a mother, because with the diagnosis Hope was given at Birth with EB...having a gorgeous photoshoot to represent the fact that diagnosis don't ultimately define you as a person or the plans that God has for your baby would be such a sweet symbol for this family.

I am asking you guys to do this....yall it's easy...

1) Send an email to this email address: katiemihalakcontests@gmail.com
2) In the subject write: Babies and One Year Olds
3) In the body of the email write: I would like to vote for Hope Bolte

THAT's IT!!!!! Easy as Pie!!!!!

You can vote until this Friday...and if you vote, will you please leave me a comment??? I might just have something up my sleeve for one of my commenters who votes, and leaves me a comment telling me so!!!

Seriously...you know this baby is p-r-e-c-i-o-u-s!! So VOTE!!! Will you?!?!?

{Don't Forget To Leave Me a Comment if you Vote...and you can vote once per email address...but if you have more than one email address..you can vote from all email addresses *wink*}

In the near future-

So my goal in the near future is to share with you guys the following {in no particular order}...

• More musings regarding the conversations/scenarios that I encounter at work
• Our current battle with our HOA regarding our flooded garage/gameroom closet and how I will fight 'til the death for them to cover ever penny of our loss...
• The renovation projects I have taken on in Rob's study, completely with some before/after photos and some "we are building this for in the room" photos as well
• My current love of a new blog involving lots 'o projects I have added to our "to do list"
• And anything else hilarious that happen between now and then....
  

I'll leave it for you to decide...

..I may or may not have eaten an entire box of Samoas in one sitting while reading my Fitness magazine....again- may or may not.