Thankful Thursday V1

If you followed my previous blog, you will remember I did Thankful Thursday link ups every Thursday. I am happy to continue that tradition here, as I truly believe that a thankful heart is a happy heart! I am not hosting a link up yet this week because, well, quiet honestly, I am still trying to get my readership back up. When you go on a blogging hiatus for a year and a half, you kind of fall off the radar. But, the link up will be coming soon, once I get my button designed, likely next week. Now, without further ado...

This week I am thankful for:

These two cuties!

 

My 'nephew' turned 7 on Saturday and my 'niece' turned 4! Both of these precious babies have been through way more than anyone should ever have to go through, especially at such a young age.  "A" was born with VSD (Ventricular Sepal Defect) a congenital heart defect. He underwent open heart surgery just shy of him being 6 months old. He's a trooper! "B" lost her Daddy to a drunk driver in September 2012 when she was just 2 years old. Both of these kiddo's are so strong willed and I just love them to pieces and am so thankful to have them in my life. "A" no longer lives in Florida so I didn't get to see him on his special day, BUT, we had a big Princess party for Miss B and beyond us melting in the 100 degrees Florida sun, we all had a blast!

^^ B's family and friends dressed as princesses :)

I am also thankful for the way last Friday turned out. I had the option to go into work for overtime on my day off, or, host a yard sale while the weather guaranteed no rain (is it ever really a guarantee in Florida?!). I chose to host the yard sale because I normally due fairly well, and, needed to clear out some clutter. Well, sadly, even though I got up at 6:30 in the morning (not the norm for me!) and busted my butt at the yard sale, it just was not profitable this time around and I didn't make more than $25. Sadface! While I was upset that I missed out on all that OT at work, the bright spot in all of this was I got to see friends I hadn't seen in awhile. Michelle came over to help me run the yard sale, and sell some stuff of hers as well. Emily swung by on her lunch break to chat. Ashley came by to kill time before she had to go to work. And my room mate Kristie was off at the time, so we all got to hang out together for a bit. We actually ran up to a local taco stand (don't judge!) and got our food to go and enjoyed a picnic by the pool. I ordered a tostado and chicken quesadilla which I'd never ordered from this place before and they were pretty much amazing. Usually I just get tacos, or a torta. Now I will have to try it all. Yum!

On Monday some of my girlfriends came over and we relaxed by the pool for a few hours. We may or may not have had a few yummy drinks.

The week before last I got to enjoy pedi's and pizza with my good friend Joanna whom I rarely get to see. We went to a local favorite and I got a slice of BBQ pizza. I didn't regret my decision.

Last weekend I actually had a few days off, so, I brought my sweet pups over for a slumber party! They were so excited. The background on this is my house is not fenced in, so I left my dogs with my Dad when I bought my home as I don't want to disrupt their lifestyle and having free reign of his fenced yard with his two dogs that they adore.

After a long, long, week of overtime, and the end of a mentally exhausting almost 14 hour day, I came home and made myself a glass of COLD pink moscato and had a nice candlelit bubble bath. I am thankful for wine, candles, and epson salt to soak in.

This awesome shirt my boyfriend got me! Tapatio's! Need I say more?!

Homemade Guacamole. O-M-G. I used to always buy Wholly Guacamole until my boyfriend showed me just how simple and cheap it is to make. Now I make it weekly. Yum!

Those are just a few of the things I am thankful for. What about you?

I linked up with Katie Elizabeth / Make Me Up Mia / Carly Blogs Here /  The Strong Family

Army strong!

I know it's a day late but I didn't want to let Memorial Day go by without mentioning some of my family members whom I am so proud of for serving our great country. And besides, we should be remembering these brave men and women every day, not just once a year.

I have two cousins, an uncle and a brother in law who has all served.

My uncle served in the Army from 1990-1992 and was stationed in Germany (where one of his sons may or may not have been conceived) and also deployed to Desert storm.

Unfortunately I couldn't find any pictures of my uncle during his Army days, but that's him above, wearing glasses. 

I have two cousins (they are actually brothers) that both served in the Army and were deployed numerous times, including Afghanistan. "W" served 1984 to 2001. "A" served 1982 to 2001.

 

^^ that is them together!

 ^^ W

^^ A

My brother in law has served in the Army for 12 years now. He has been stationed in Korea and has been deployed 4 times, the latest being this past July, right after his marriage to my sister. Thankfully, he was home for the holidays!

 ^^ my sister and amazing brother in law on their wedding day...

 ^^ and him getting deployed a week later.

The sacrifices these men and women, and their families make is beyond selfless and amazing. I know many people say "well, that was their choice" YES! It was indeed their choice. An amazingly selfless choice that not all are willing to take. They deserve our respect. They deserve our prayers.

All gave some, but, some gave all.

Don't forget to thank the service men and women in your life. And the ones you pass in the streets. It's nice to know they are appreciated. You never know how far a simple smile and thank you can go.

Stray: Molly Ray

Today started out like a normal day. Well, actually, I woke up with a scratchy throat and worried that I was getting the funk that is going around the call center. But, I took some allergy medicine and went on with my day. I had planned to go to my Dad's to learn how to change the oil in my car. Is that bad that I don't know how?

Anyways, my day went from normal to how do these things always happen to me real quick. In transit I passed a beautiful Golden Retriever who came thisclose to being taken out by a semi truck. I was right behind the semi and promptly pulled over. As soon as I got out of my car and said "Come here beautiful" she looked at me and without hesitation she bounded to my car and jumped right in my passenger seat like hey, whats up?

"Here we go" was my immediate thought. This was a kink in my day, yes, but, I knew it was meant to be. So, off I went to my Vet's office to see if she had a microchip. Low and behold, she was chipped! YAY!

I was able to get one name, two telephone numbers, the dogs name (Molly Ray) and an address. The address was in Tampa which is a good 40 minute drive from the area she was found. And one of the phone numbers was actually either registered wrong or given to me wrong by my vet. They had our area code off by a number. I decided to try it with the correct area code, and the voicemail gave the same name as the lady that Miss Molly is registered to. Good signs!  I just hope that Molly is missed and that she wasn't dumped on the side of the road purposely.

I've done everything I can on my part to locate her owner. I posted a picture of her on facebook that has went viral in our general area, as well as many lost pets sites in the area... I've scoured craigslist. Ive made all sorts of attempts at contacting the owner she was registered to, and still nothing.

Unfortunately, I had to go into work and didn't have a place to keep her. She's a crafty ol' gal. At my Dad's she was trying to unlatch the fence (which may be how she escaped in the 1st place). I couldn't leave her in my screened pool area and risk the chance of her clawing her way out and running into the coyotes tonight. So, I ended up taking her to my local SPCA. I've served on the board of directors in the past for this shelter, so, I know she's in good hands.

Here's to hoping that Miss Molly can be reunited with her family, but, if not, my heart is happy because I saved her from a potential painful death on the road. It's the small things in life friends, and rescuing random dogs on the road is something small that brings me joy.

DIY Angry Bird Costume

** This is a repost from my previous blog. I am in the process of transferring over some DIY projects, recipes, etc. **

I have an annual Halloween Bonfire every year, and  I don't like spending a ton of money on a costume so I decided to do it myself. Half the costumes out there are $50+ and barely cover ANYTHING.

Sooo.. I decided to wing it and be an ANGRY BIRD!

I had quite a few compliments on the costume and even a friend asking if she could steal the idea. BY ALL MEANS! Go for it. It was fun, and best of all, cheap. 

MATERIALS(for my entire costume):

* Angry Bird shirt --- walmart $7.50

* Tulle in colors of your choice, I used black and red. Use coupons at craft stores to get a good deal

* Black Tights --- Walmart $5

* Red Head Band --- already had it

* Red Feathers --- bought a multicolored bag at Joanne's

* Red Flip Flops --- Old Navy $2.50

^^ these are all the items *I* used. Of course you could totally change it up.

My good friend Sara had the brilliant idea to make a tutu after she saw the easy DIY tutorial on Mammalicious Finds. The tutu really made the costume. Fulled out, it resembled birds feathers all fluffed out. Perfect!

getting measured for the tutu

hello, Sara Scissorhands

She also added feathers to a sparkly red headband that I already owned AND she made me feather earrings. Isn't she amazing? 

So yeah, the possibilities are endless..... and oh so CUTE! While we are on the topic of things rad and red, I DYED MY HAIR YESTERDAY! This is not a big deal in that I dyed it, that happens quite frequently. It IS a big deal because I did it myself. Usually my stylist does it. BUT, with this bright red I have in it, it fades way to quick to be going back every other week. SO, I bought a box of SPLAT (recommended by a friend) and said "Here goes nothing!!"

BUT, overall? Success... and I saved a ton of money!

LOTS of red, IF I pull it a certain way

All done :)

Finish This

This is my 1st link up that I've participated in since getting back into blogging.  One of my friends, Jen {The Arizona Russums} is a host so I figured I'd give it a shot this weekend. I have some free time today which means it's a great time for me to do a bit of networking. I can't wait to check out some of the other ladies who have linked up this week. Don't forget to stop by and say hey to the other co-hosts Nicole {Three 31}, Becky {The Java Mama} & Lisa {Coastlined}.

This weeks prompts were:

A lesson I learned from my Mom: One of the biggest lessons I took from my Mom was the act of selfless love. I have an older sister that my mother gave up for adoption 3 years before I was born. She didn't give her up because she didn't want her, she gave her up because she knew she couldn't provide for her and that my sister deserved a better life. That decision was an act of selflessness. It broke my Mother's heart, BUT, she knew it was best. I often remind myself of this lesson when I feel myself being selfish.


To burn calories, I: go to the gym or swim. I wish I could say I run, but, that is something I am slowly working on.


My best hair day was: I don't really get many awesome hair days. My hair is extremely thin and flat so any day that I have a bit of volume, I am happy! I think I look best with shorter hair as it keeps my hair healthier. I feel most beautiful when I have some chunks in my hair!

 
I am grateful for: my life. It has definitely been a roller coaster of highs and lows, but, I know God has a plan and I am grateful to be living it. I am blessed with an amazing boyfriend, 2 healthy, adorable step sons, a Dad who is beyond proud of me, my fur-babies and an amazing support system of great friends and family.

Prompts for next week:

My favorite recipe is...

I believe in...

I need to set boundaries...

I began living when...

The story of a yellow butterfly

If you've followed my previous blog, Brown Eyed Bell(e),  you may have read my story of a Yellow Butterfly before. It's a post that is important to me; so I want to share it again, and I figure what better time of the year than the day after Mother's Day. Speaking of, I hope all you mommies out there (biological, adoptive, step, and fur) have had a wonderfully blessed Mother's Day weekend.

***

Have you ever lost someone that you loved dearly, and then found something still here on earth that symbolizes them for you? So that every time you see that something, or hear that something, it takes you back to a time when they were with you?

For me, that is the yellow butterfly.

 Every time I see a yellow butterfly I remember my mommy and I feel like she is right here with me, fluttering by to remind me that though she is not physically with me anymore, she is always with me in spirit.

Sometimes I see a yellow butterfly and I know it's just my mom passing by, other times the yellow butterfly hits me hard and I know its my mom trying to tell me something! My mom passed in August 2001 and ever since then August has never been the same. I tend to get down and out on the anniversary of her death but in 2008 as I was driving (I must add I was actually speeding a bit) to work on that day in August, I actually HIT a HUGE yellow butterfly! I was DEVASTATED. I mean, I hit the butterfly HARD, it was even stuck in my wipers. I couldn't continue on to work with this HUGE yellow butterfly stuck on my windshield, so I pulled over and planned to gently remove it and bury it however I was ASTONISHED to see that when I lifted the wiper to free its wing that was caught, the butterfly started to move again and up in the air it went. I literally started crying right then and there. I know that was my mom stopping by to remind me yet again she is always there, and I also believe she was trying to tell me to slow down and not be so sad on the day of her death.

Since then, I started a tradition where every August me and some of my closest girlfriends go up to Anna Maria Island and stay for the weekend (the weekend that the anniversary falls on) so now, as I know my mom would want it, instead of dreading the day, I look forward to it, as I know I have not only my mother watching down and cheering me on, but the best friends ever that are willing to drop whatever is going on in their lives at that time to be with me in my time of need and keep me laughing and smiling. I truly am blessed.

 
The necklace above is precious to me.  It was found at a farmers market and is perfect as it symbolizes family for me. First of all it is a yellow butterfly which is beyond perfect for my Mom, but, even better is that the body is green which coincidentally is my Dad's favorite color.  I love wearing it because it puts something so symbolic to me so close to my heart. My parents. Whether we are near or far, they are always in my heart.

A birthday Chicago style

This past weekend we celebrated the birthday of one of my stepsons, Chicago style. We boarded a train from Michigan city and off we went to Chicago. It was such a fun filled family day, which obviously doesn't happen often enough with me in Florida and them in Michigan. [insert #1 reason I want to move to Michigan here]

It was our plan to head into the city for a Cinco De Mayo festival as we thought it'd be fitting to teach K about his heritage as we celebrated his birthday. He's still very young, but, it's never too early to learn more about his Mexican heritage.

Of course, since we are not from the Chicago area, we had no idea that Little Village which is where the festival was being held was actually a fairly bad area in Chicago. Oops! Even the taxi driver asked us why on earth we were heading out that way. That's always a red flag. We continued on though, and it was worth it. We enjoyed a day of tacos, churros, non alcoholic pina coladas, pony rides, fair rides and good music. One of the play area instructors may or may not have let K & E go on his "ride" repeatedly without taking their tickets. Score! Saving money is always fun. I also was forced to face my fear of heights and climb to the top of a huge slide because E wanted me to go on it with him. I thought I might have a heart attack, but, I made it!

^^ Birthday boy! ^^

We learned about a new taxi service app while we were there. It's called Uber and it's pretty amazing! It is cheaper than a regular taxi cab and puts you in contact with a driver at the touch of a button. You are always guaranteed a 2010 or newer model car and all the drivers have been pre-screened and qualified. On the way to little village we paid $24 for a taxi, on the way back, we went a longer route and only paid $16. It was awesome.

Once we made it back to the downtown area, a visit to Cloud Gate aka the Bean was a must!

After taking multiple photo's and roaming around for a bit we ventured off to find dinner as we had about an hour and a half to kill before the train ride home. We really wanted Giordano's but their wait was too long so we ended up at Sweetwater Tavern & Grille after a quick detour to a cupcake food truck. The service was fast at Sweetwater and the food was great. The boys had chicken fingers and Mi Amor and I split a Cesar salad and fiesta burger (aka a burger with spice and guac!).
 

 K representing the big FIVE! and his birthday cupcake that he was so excited about :)

Our travels pretty much took up our entire day and we were exhausted by the time we got home. Actually, I think Mi Amor and I were more exhausted than the boys. Unfortunately our amazing day came to a halt when all the excitement from the day finally caught up with K and he puked everywhere. I really don't think it was food poisoning (because we all ate the same thing) or a bug because he only had one puking spell, I truly think it was a combination of a busy exciting day and the motion from the train ride home. Either way, thankfully once he got it out of his system he was fine. We all went to sleep and he woke up 100% the next morning.