Friday Five {News}

Oh my goodness, where has the past week gone? I cannot believe I have not been in blog land in seven days. Once you read my Friday Five you might just understand a little better.

 

1. My mom's pathology report came back this week negative!! She also went for a check-up to see the progress on how her wound is healing and the doctor said she looks wonderful. The bad blogger in me hasn't been taking pictures, but I have been cooking lots of healthy food for her brain the past couple of weeks. She is up and about most of the day, still taking a few naps, but she felt up to showing her house this week to a lady who came to purchase a bench from me. I say she is back and better than ever!

2. We're moving!!!!!! I'm talking packing up and moving 24 hours across the country. I have been on pins and needles the past couple of weeks bursting with this exciting prospect. It all happened suddenly, with Bryan doing a phone interview in a hospital room the day after we learned about my mom's brain tumor. He flew out a week later, and he has now officially turned in his letter of resignation with his current company. After years of waiting, we are moving to the mountains, where there are bike trails and a trout stream out our back door.

 

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3. We have been desperately in need of rain here, and that is exactly what we have gotten. Luckily the storms haven't been too bad. It took me a while to dig through my closet, but my rain boots were in the back under all of my summer sandals.

 

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4. This southern girl might not know what she is getting herself into, but bring on the colder mountain weather and no humidity.

 

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5. What am I up to right now? Packing. Packing. Packing. Other than taking care of the patient I feel like that is all I have done for the past month. As of this morning, we are not sure about where we will actually be living in two weeks, but we do have a few possibilities. There are tons and tons of decisions that Bryan and I will be making in the next few days. All I can say is that the decorator in me is coming out in full force. I cannot stop thinking about all of the decor options!

 

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Needless to say, it has been a very big week for everyone around here!! Today my goal is to figure out all of the furniture that we will not be keeping and take pictures of it. I contemplated listing it on craigslist, but the lady who purchased the bench from me said she might want all of it--her daughter has a vintage resale store. The less headache for me the better. Hopefully Bryan and I can get a lot together this weekend, which will give us the next week and a half to relax and see friends. Have a great weekend and try not to get blown away in this storm!

TGIF

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Happy Friday, sweet friends! I had the craziest day watching the kiddos yesterday, but they have all sworn to have a wonderful day today before school starts next week. My margarita mix might have run out last night, so I'm thinking it might be a WOP night tonight. {Wine on Porch. Just read that this morning on a bloggy friend's blog.} WOP--I have now added that to my favorites list. Enjoy your weekend!



Coupon Code + Seeing Dots

Remember the monogrammed robe that I shared with you a couple of days ago? Stop Drop and Relax has offered my readers an additional 20% off the robe through August 25th. It is already on sale, and you will be getting it for a real steal. The coupon code is Hannah.

 

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I don't know about you, but I'm crazy about polka dots. Give them to me on a sweater or cut off jean shorts and I'm a happy girl. Sure, we've seen them all summer long, but there are tons of adorable polka dot skinny jeans and pants to wear as transition pieces into fall. Wear them with sandals or flats now and pair them with boots later when the temperature drops.

 

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A black and white combo is my favorite, but I'm all about cobalt blue with dots, too. And burgundy. And all fall colors. Here are a few of my pics that come in a wide variety of prices.
 

 

 

Little Things Make Me Happy

Good morning, friends! After the roller coaster of the past few weeks, I was able to relax and not do too much this past weekend. Thursday night Bryan and I went out to dinner with our small group for the first time since the beginning of the summer. It was also our first time in weeks to actually get to sit down at a restaurant and enjoy a meal. Our anniversary was while my mom was in the hospital, and though we left for a little while to go eat dinner at a local favorite restaurant, it was hard to relax and not contemplate all that was going going on at that point. I cannot believe that fall is right around the corner and there are still so many summer outfits in my closet that I haven't gotten to wear.

Last night I went out with some of the girls (and Nick) to celebrate Dr. Ash's birthday. We had a great dinner at a local restaurant; my tuna was perfection. It was nice getting in some girl time and celebrating with my sweet friend.

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As I've been going through boxes, unpacking and repacking, it has occurred to me that there are a few that I really like having for myself to use on a daily basis. You know, those things that make you feel special and girly, as simple as they might be.

Soap. This might seem odd to you, but there is something about good-smelling, special soap. Honestly, go buy yourself some sort of soap that makes you happy and you will always come away from washing your hands with a smile on your face. See, it's the little things in life that can add pleasure to your day. At Christmas I was given some NEST liquid hand soap and it is now among my favorites.

Skincare. When twenty-five hit and that first little wrinkle began to show I knew it was time to take the plunge and invest in a good skincare regimen. Why I didn't start it sooner I will never know. Lately I have gone through a number of products trying to find my favorite of each. Natura Bisse has the best eye creme I have used in a long time. The eye recovery balm is new, and I have been switching between it and the diamond eye extreme. Worth every penny, ladies. Do your self a favor and find something that works for your skin type. Your skin will thank you now and down the road, too.

Robes. In the summer I opt for a light-weight silk robe, in the winter I like something heavier that will keep me warm when I hop out of the shower or first wake up. My all-time favorite robe for using year-round is a waffle weaved robe that is monogrammed. Mine came from a local store, but I think the ones in this picture are the exact one I have plus they are on sale.

What things are part of your daily life that you enjoy but may not always think about?

Update

I cannot begin to express all of the thoughts and emotions that have flown through me over the past few weeks. All I can say is that we serve an amazing God, who loves us so very much. This morning I saw my mom pick up her new iPad and pull up my blog. She was overwhelmed with the outpouring of love by your comments alone, and was deeply touched by people she doesn't even know who have been praying for her during this difficult time.

My sister was able to fly in the day we found out about the tumor, and my dad was able to fly home the following Saturday. The surgery, last Tuesday, went extremely well.  By Thursday she was allowed to leave the hospital. Not only has she not suffered any side effects, but her memory has been restored to {even better than} normal! Bryan jokingly said to my dad that he has been given a "new" wife. My mom has been going 90-to-nothing ever since her arrival home. She does crash a couple of times a day, but it is extraordinary how quickly she has bounced back. Thank you, thank you for all of your prayers, sweet comments, messages, emails, texts and phone calls.

With all of that being said, there is still a lot going on around here. Please bear with me as I get though this phase. I will not be blogging every day, but will pop in and out for the next few weeks. Your love and support mean more than you will ever know.

Prayers Needed

They say everything in life goes along as planned until there is bump in the road. Well, we've hit a boulder. On Wednesday, we found out that my mom has a large brain tumor in her left frontal lobe. I don't want to share specifics, but surgery is planned for next Tuesday. Please, please keep her in your prayers as it is going to be very difficult for her and my daddy as they go through this ordeal. We know that God is in control and has his hand over the entire situation. So many of you have become close friends and I really wanted to share this with you.