HelloCotton Blog Hop!

Welcome to Tuesday's Blog Hop - Let's Have Fun #2!!

Your Host:

The DIY Dreamer

This Week's Co-Hosts:

It's Overflowing 
Our Beautiful Blessings
The Life of a Not So Ordinary Wife
My Beautiful Crazy Life
Sneakers Over Stilettos
Chickadette
The Vintage Milk House

For those of you who do not know what Hellocotton is...

Hellocotton allows you to follow for free the most talented women bloggers out there. It is the easiest way to discover the latest on trends and to take on a daily dose of inspiration. Hellocotton also allows you to comment, vote and share it all with your friends.

Go and sign up to Hellocotton so that you can join in this Blog Hop.

RULES:

1- Follow your hosts.  

They are the first 8 in the linky and they will follow you back.

2- Link up your Hellocotton link (not your blog).

3- Check out the other blogs on the list and follow some.

4- Grab the button below and place it somewhere on your blog.

This is will help increase the success of this Blog Hop.

You can even Facebook or Tweet about it.

<div align="center"><a href="http://thediydreamer.blogspot.com" title="The DIY Dreamer"><img src="http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d189/lexieex/The%20DIY%20Dreamer/BlogHopFun1.png" alt="The DIY Dreamer" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

HAVE FUN with the Blog Hop!

Hartwell Dam + What I Wore

This is Hartwell Dam:

Hartwell Dam is really badass because you can walk across it. Like, all the way from one end to the other.

 The lake is on one side and this huuuuge drop and the Savannah River on the other side. 

It's pretty crazy being up there.

Brett had never been so while I was still (9 months) pregnant we drove to Hartwell and ventured out to walk across, hoping to encourage the baby to come. I climbed something similar to 3 flights of stairs and walked out nearly a mile to the middle of the dam. The baby didn't even bother moving but we got some pretty awesome photos!

See? Waaay down!

Eventually Karma Runs Out

"I think that when I die it will be from exhaustion of managing the constant struggle between fate and choice." -Me

Yet again I'm standing at the foot end of a project that once completed could be one of the most crowning achievements of my life. It is going to be so hard. Most people buy a house. I'm salvaging one. It's going to take a long time, a lot of elbow grease and so much blood, sweat, and tears I cringe at the thought of Summer 2012. I want it though, and I want it bad. But why, again, does it have to be so hard!? In a moment of weakness and exasperation Thursday I asked the following question:

"Why does it seem that everything I get or want I have to work ten times harder than most people? I don't mind really, but why can't I be one of those girls that just gets the things she wants?"

And then this was said:

"Eventually Karma runs out and you're given an opportunity to take an easier path."

Wait. What?

Really?

I haven't been able to stop thinking about that line for days. Have there been times like this that passed in my life? Times where an easier path was offered to me and yet I chose to take the harder one? It makes me sick to think that, or realize that, I deliberately chose to make my life more difficult. *Note here that I consider the life I've lived thus far to have been hard and I obviously don't feel as though anything has really been given to me. At least anything that I haven't squandered.

Perhaps it was the time I was offered the chance as a teenager to move in with my father and stepmother. I would have been catapulted from a strenuous stressful childhood into a comfortable life where I could have focused on myself and my goals and would have had people to help me and guide me and encourage me. I chose to stay behind because I felt an extreme need to be with my siblings, in an environment that left me no time to focus on myself.

Perhaps it was the time I was offered the chance to model for The Ford Agency. God only knows the opportunity that would have risen from such a once in a life time offer. Although it was decided for me, I did follow order and stay on the path that was laid out for me by well meaning grandparents. I was only 17 but I still regret not being strong enough to reach for the support of those who were offering to help me take control of my dreams.

Perhaps it was the time I was offered the chance to attend the University of Michigan... a school I no doubt would have had a greater chance of succeeding at considering there was significantly less distraction. I chose instead to follow a boy to the University of Georgia... we broke up three days before classes started. I majored in whiskey. I dropped out before the end of the year.

Perhaps it was the time I chose to abandon responsibility and float through the next 7 years without really making any hard decisions or putting any real effort into taking control of my life and forcing the direction I wanted to go. I basically floated downstream, without a paddle, working only to keep my head above the water.

This past year I've become stronger and more aware of what I expect from myself and my life. I have decided that through the past years I've worked so hard to fulfill goals and dreams and expectations that weren't mine. I've followed the leader down all of the paths that seemed right but actually were all wrong. If I redirect that energy and desire to please others into an energy and desire to please myself,  I'll succeed as a mother and a wife and get what I want for myself too. Then maybe I won't look back on these years and think of them as another hard road leading no where, but a hard road leading to exactly where I want it to.

I'm not going to give up on fate though. I think instead that I'll accept it, take control of it, and direct it rather than continue with the passive aggressive acceptance I've mastered.

Self + Declan

The Covert Robin Gift Exchange

I was lucky enough to get to be a part of The Covert Robin Gift Exchange for March! I think so far, I've gotten the BEST gift out there! I wish I had a picture of my face when I opened it. I was thrilled! Check it:

Hi Chickadette readers, Kristin here from Australia.  I blog over at pritty tings and was assigned Ashley to make my (not so covert now) gift for!!!  As I hadn't come across Ashley's blog before I immediately checked her out.  Hmm what to make for Ashley??? After a week or so pondering this and checking out her posts and pinterest boards, I received some purse frames that I had ordered from Etsy and that was that, I was going to make her (my very first) framed clutch!  I used this U-Handbag - Straight Edge Purse Frame as a reference for making the clutch.  However I wanted a different shape to the one in the tutorial so I drew out my own pattern as the tutorial suggests, using the frame I had.

 

Once I had the template, I cut all the pieces I needed.

I used drill (yellow), fusible fleece (not suggested in tutorial but I added it for a bit of protection, iron on heavy woven interfacing (sew-in is suggested but I only had iron on and it worked) and a fabric placemat for the lining (blue and white patterned) they were already stiff so I didn't use a second lot of interfacing.

For the VW beetle, I just drew the VW picture onto some baking paper, re-drew over the pencil with permanent marker on top of paper (as you look at it now), marked where I wanted the beetle to sit with pins in the fabric then flipped it over and positioned the picture between the pins (marker side to the fabric).  I ironed the paper, this caused the image to be transferred to the back of the fabric so I had a guide to follow when stitching the beetle on.

Once I had it stitched on, I simply (or not so simply when it came to the tight corners) followed the tutorial to sew it up and glue it in to the frame.

So that's it, I hope you like your gift Ashley and thanks for having me on your blog.

Kindest regards

Kristin

So there's this link up...

I was found by a chick named Natalie and so I visited her blog, like ya do, and it is awesome.

On her blog I found this pretty banging link up!

"3 Favorite Songs"

Are you flipping kidding me? How could I resist? Mama loves her tunes!

Fortunately/unfortunately I have a tight list of 50 Top 3 Favorite Songs categorized by genre and so on.

Here are 3 random 5 Star Rating ones chosen by my iTunes.

"Polite Dance Song" by The Bird and The Bee / Album: Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future

"I Would Do Anything For You" by Foster The People / Album: Torches

"Canopy Shade" by Trophy Wife / Album: Bruxism

Watch this video... for reals.

*Click the link up photo to join us!

Coo-Coo-Kachoo, Mrs. Robinson

Hey, you.  I'm Mrs. Robinson from My New Wife Life.

I'm so excited to be blogging for Ashley Marie while she's busy meeting someone who comes a result from a particular type of busyness.  ;)  Even though I am not a mom at this point in my life (unless you count our chihuahua, Zombie, as a child), I am so excited for Ashley and can't wait to see pictures of her wittle baby's cheeks!  Baby cheeks get me every time.  =)   Anywho..happy to be here!  I hope you'll stop by my blog and say hi sometime.  We already know we have one thing in common...we both think Ashley is awesome.

...

I was THIS close to sharing with y'all my "recipe" for homemade guacamole.  This close!  But...I really wanted to write about something that has a little more life.  Not to say that avocados don't have life.  They totally do.  I just...I felt like a guacamole recipe was a little vanilla.  Sorry if that's confusing....I don't put any vanilla in my guacamole dip.  Anyway.  I'm going to write about quirks.

One of the things that Ashley & I have in common is that we are two quirky gals raised in places with low quirk-tolerances. =)  So..today, I'm going to share some of my quirks with y'all.  I'd love to hear about your quirks, too!  

(1)  I raised in a place where tattoos, especially on women, are considered trashy. 

I have 5.

(2)  No matter what...I cannot park a car.  It will never be straight.  It will never be within the lines.  It's not in the cards for me.  

(3)  I'm a walking contradiction in more ways than not.  I love pickles, but hate vinegar.  I am a fan of egg salad sandwiches, but I don't like eggs.  The list goes on and on. 

(4)  I was raised in a place full of people who do not condone drinking.  

I love vodka and wine.  

(5)  My favorite joke (and I always use it to break the ice...even though it sometimes makes the ice a little harder) is:  "So there were two penguins on an iceberg.  One penguin says to the other penguin, "hey.  it looks like you're wearing a tuxedo."  And the second penguin says, "who says I'm not?"

(6)  I like to pop things.  Bubble wrap,  obviously.  Pimples.  Blackheads.  My husbands blackheads.  My daddy's bumps.  Chewing gum.  It's gross and I love it.  I could seriously mess with my face for hours.  

(7)  The password to our wifi is rubpeanutbutteronyourcactus.  Why?  Because I smoked too much pot back in the day and those are the types of things that pop into my head without warning or reason.  And obviously, I immediately send those one-liners to my hubby in a text.  Some of them stick, some of them don't.  This one stuck.  =) 

(8)  Being from a small, southern town I was taught to respect my elders, mind my manners, and hold my tongue.  Well....I only respect people who I find to be respectable.  I could care less how old they are.  Speaking of respectable people, they're the only ones who will ever witness my manners.  And if you visit my blog more than twice, you'll figure out plenty about how often I hold my tongue.  

(9)  I lose my cell phone several times each day.  It drives my husband crazy because he is always coming to the rescue.  He doesn't understand why I can't simply remember where I put my cell phone.  I can remember where I put almost everything...except the one thing I use the most.

...

What are your quirks?! 

What I Wore? My Baby!

Oh ma gosh, ya'll...

I HAVE THE BEST BABY EVER!

Only a few days old and such a dream we were able to take him out. Thanks to our Boba Baby Wrap it is super easy to do so! By far it has been the best gift I received from my baby wish list. It is comfy for me and my baby, stylish, and Brett can wear it too! My favorite thing about it, and why I love it more than the Baby Bjorn I wore with Aiden, is how securely Declan is strapped to me and how he is still able to bend his little noggin to look up at me. Seriously, I love this wrap. Go buy one!

So here I am, outside of Wal-Mart, getting my picture snapped.

I'm wearing a black tank top, a lace and ruffle vest, jeans, and my loafers.

I'm also wearing my Darling Declan baby! 

<3

Check back tomorrow for another guest post! I am totally smitten with Mrs. Robinson. This summer we're going to hang out and it's going to be awesome. She'll be guest posting tomorrow and you'll love it!

xoxo, Lena

Hey people & friends of Ashley's!

I'm so happy to be here guest posting on Chickadette while her & her little guy get acquainted! 

(Congrats girl!)
 

My name is Lena and I blog over at Mom2MemphisAndRuby.

I'm a working mom of 2... they're crazy cute and a total handful!

I love tattoos, nail polish, books, scary movies and meeting new friends through blogging!

One thing I've learned through blogging is how important it is to stay true to yourself.  In the blogging world this means blogging about what is important to you, and not worrying about numbers or if you'll ever fit into that ''popular blog clique.'' 

(blogging mimics real life guys... and it's not a bad thing to be in the popular group, just remember it's okay to NOT be in it too!)

In real life this can be even more challenging.

(Blog Me is way more confident!) 

You see, I grew up in a small town, and I moved away to the big city for a while and totally loved it... but guess what?  We're living the small town life again and that's okay.  Best place to raise our family, for sure!  BUT I always remind myself that just because I live in a small town doesn't mean I have to act like it! haha!

For my 32nd birthday, I was itching for something I'd been wanting for a long time.  What was it, you ask?

A nose piercing! Doesn't seem that crazy, does it?

Well, for years I kept thinking about what my boss, or my kids' teachers, or my co-workers or my MOM would say!  It really  annoyed me that I wasn't doing it because of what others *might* think.  That's not how I roll!  I enjoy being "unique"...

Enough was enough.  I figured all those people already knew the real me and accepted me for what I am (tattoos & all), so a nose piercing wouldn't be that big of a deal.

My sister teased me that I was '' TOO OLD'' to do something like get my nose pierced.  Say what!?  

So I had my doubts... again.
 But a trip to the city to visit my bestie convinced me to finally to do it!

 My sister was wrong!  

I LOVE it and have gotten tons of compliments on it... mostly from the people I was worried about in the first place, go figure!

A lady who works at the daycare my daughter attends, even told me she thought it was ''sexier'' that I had waited until I was older.  I loved that!  Yes, I'm a woman now.  I'm a mom, I work in an office.. but I'm more than that.  I'm confident, and I'm cool!  ;)

The ''point'' isn't my nose piercing.  For anyone following my blog you're probably totally sick of hearing about it... it's just the easiest way for me to explain my point...

That being true to you, is where it's at.  
My nose piercing is just one little thing that makes me... Me.
And I'm proud of that!
As a mom, there's not much I do just for "me" anymore.
And this was totally selfish, and totally for me.
And it made me really happy.

 What are some of the things that you've done just for YOU?  Are there things you haven't done because you're worried what others will say?  I'm here to say... go for it!

Come visit Mom2MemphisAndRuby sometimes,
it can be a pretty cool place to hangout!  ;)

I'M BACK! I HAD A BABY!

Remember the post about coming back with a vengeance? Well, here goes! 

I am thrilled to announce the birth of our Darling Declan.

I went to my check up on Thursday and they sent me to the hospital. 2 hours later, after 10 minutes of labor, he was here! I couldn't be more pleased with him. He is a dream baby. A textbook sleeper, eater, and snuggler.

I'm preparing my posts but be sure to stay tuned for some amazing guest posts from a few of my bloggy besties! First up, Lena from Mom2MemphisandRuby is sharing a post on my blog tomorrow!

<3
Mama Ashley Marie