The Importance Of Family

"You never know what you got 'till it's gone." I never realized when I was younger just how true that statement was. You know how children are. They typically think about the here and now. They only see as far ahead as tomorrow. They don't really think about other people's feelings and needs except for their own. As they get older and become more mature, the light inside of their head goes off and suddenly, "You never know what you got 'till it's gone," is as real to them as ever. They suddenly become aware of the people in their life. They become aware of their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and so on. They become more aware of other people's thoughts and feelings. They realize that their family isn't in their life to be there on every beck and call, but that they love them unconditionally.

I realized that everyone was not blessed with a good home life, but I took my own good home life for granted. When I got older, I realized that too. I became aware of just how blessed I was to grow up in the family that I have. It is often very easy to take those you love for granted. In your mind, you assume, that they'll always be there. The truth is, your family won't always be there. Things happen. Life is short, but it goes on. We have no clue what tomorrow will hold. So many things can happen in the blink of an eye.

I've always loved my family, but I didn't really know what it meant to fully appreciate them and spend time with them. I had always wanted to spend time with my friends instead. I'd go spend the night at my friend's house when my dad was off from work instead of spend time with him. 

How completely and utterly foolish I was. 

When I got older is when I realized that spending time with my family is one of the most important things that there is. I love my family more than anything and would do anything for them. They have done so much for me that I could never repay. No matter how much I may fuss and fight with my brother and sister, I love them so much! Besides God being number one, my family is the most important thing in my life. It's a change from when  I was younger, isn't it? Oh, if only I would have spent more time with my siblings, parents, grandparents, etc... 

The thought of family being important hit me again hard. Real hard. My granny passed away on July 19, 2013. It was heartbreaking. She was and still is the best woman that I have ever known. She was the definition of a Christ-like lady. She never once spoke a mean word about someone. She treated you like you were wonderful and special no matter who you were. Even if she didn't know you, she was the kind of person that made you feel loved. She was a prayer warrior. She was all of these things and much more. 

A while after she passed away, I learned even more things about her. She apparently used to keep journals filled with funny little things that we (her grandchildren) would say and little things like that. I've always been close to my granny and papaw. There were still so many things that I didn't know. 

When she still had her mind, she would tell me things about her siblings and things about people that she knew. She would take me in the bedroom and show me beautiful black and white photos of her family and people that she knew. Granny always LOVED photos. There isn't a room in the house that doesn't have a photo in it. Photos were special to her and she treasured them like gold. In fact, her exact words to us were always, "You are more precious than gold!" She loved her kids, grandkids and great grandkids so much. 

I was always shy, and I still am, but I'm so much better than I used to be. I wouldn't talk a whole lot and ask her many questions. If I knew then what I would know a while into the future, I would be talking to her as much as I could. I didn't realize how special and wonderful it was for Granny to have her mind. She would always remember to put a piece of cheese on my sandwich and she knew how I liked my food. She knew what I liked to play and what I liked to do. I took everything for granted. The thought of Granny one day not knowing who we were half of the time never crossed my mind. 

I feel sad to think of all those times that I did not sit there with her and appreciate her beauty more. She was always smiling, never judgmental, and always comforting. When you're a kid, you don't stop and appreciate things. It's heartbreaking, but you just don't.

All of these reasons are why family is so important. You may think that your parents will always be here and that you'd rather spend time anywhere but with them. Please don't think this way. One day, you will look back on all those times that you never got to know your parents. All those times that you never spent any time with them. All those times when they were excited about something and you could care less. You WILL look back on everything and feel sad when you realize that you had a great, wonderful thing. Too bad you didn't realize what you had 'till it's gone. 

So, do what you can with your loved ones. Appreciate them. Learn from them. Care about their feelings and needs. Talk to them. Love them, because life is short and nothing is promised.

Prints I'm Loving In 2014

I don't know about you, but I LOVE prints! I'm not one to go with trends all the time. If I like a trend, then I'll wear it. If I don't, I won't. I wear things that other people wouldn't feel that is "fashionable" or "trendy." You know what I say? I say wear what makes you feel good. If you like to wear overalls, wear 'em! If you like to wear chunky necklaces, then wear 'em! You don't have to wear something just because someone else likes it. Stay true to your own style. :) 

I know that prints are trendy. I still love them! Today, I'm going to share a few of my favorite prints with you. It always gives me fashion inspiration. There are various ways to wear prints as you'll see below. *Some of these photos are not mine. I always give the source of the photo if it does not belong to me.* 

1. Plaid: One of my all time favorite prints is plaid! I love it to death. I could just about wear a plaid button up every single day. Seriously. Don't judge me.

SOURCE: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/212584044885212173/

2. Polka dots: Who doesn't love polka dots? They're classic, yet playful and fun. I think that they are so adorable and can be dressed up or down. 

SOURCE: http://www.babble.com/contributor/merrick-white/

3. Camouflage: I have always loved camouflage! I can remember sporting it in my Middle School days. It's still something I really love. I feel like it's a staple for me because I can just throw my camo jacket and head out the door. It can sorta go with anything. Well...maybe not everything, but a lot of things.

SOURCE: http://www.dailylook.com

4. Chevron: I really wasn't a fan of the chevron print at first, but I'm really diggin' it. There's something fun and adorable about it! It's fun, bright and springy/summery.

SOURCE: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/18507048443055710/

5. Leopard: When I was younger, I never really got into leopard print, but I'm definitely a fan! There's just something about it that I really like. It's basically a neutral. You can pair leopard print with anything and it will jazz it up.

SOURCE: http://www.thesweetestthingblog.com

6. Stripes: I have always been very fond of stripes. Like leopard, stripes can pretty much be a neutral piece to add to your wardrobe. Stripes are just something so simple, but adds a little spice to a plain outfit.

SOURCE: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/212584044885212179/

6. Zebra: I have ALWAYS loved Zebra print. I've loved it for as long as I can remember. It's just so fun and out there and I'm definitely a fan! I can't really explain any method to my madness. ;)

SOURCE: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/271271577527053096/

7. Floral: I used to think that floral print looked like a sweet granny or something, but I really love it now. Sometimes, prints just grow on you. You won't like them at first, but when you try them, you become very fond of them. There are tons of floral prints out there. Just find one that you like! :)

SOURCE: http://citychiconline.com

What prints are you currently working? Let me know in the comments!

5 Ways To Relieve Stress

Stressing. It happens to the best of us. Everyone at some point in their life has been stressed about something. I know for me personally, that when I'm stressed out, I just feel plain bad. I come off a lot snappier than intended, I feel constantly ungrateful, I want to scream to the top of my lungs, I complain about every little thing, and all I want to do is be on a beach somewhere listening to the waves and smelling the crisp ocean air. Well, unfortunately, there is no way that I can transport to the beach since I'm not magical and all. Where's Wizards Of Waverly Place when you need them? 

Although stressing is a part of life, there are ways to relieve it. I am going to be telling you about the stress relievers that work for me. They're tested and tried. We're all different, so something that helps one person isn't necessarily going to help the other. This is just my 5 things that calm me down and relieve my stress. Here we go!

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1. Listen to music. I think that listening to your mp3 player while laying on your couch or bed is very relaxing. It helps to get your mind off of things and just drift away into the lyrics and music. You could listen to a song that describes the way you feel or one that is very peppy and makes you want to dance. It's all up to you. It is very therapeutic. Music definitely can change your mood from bad to good. 

2. Take a nap. Sometimes you are stressing out because your body is so tired. Taking a nap is a good thing to get yourself rejuvenated. You can sleep away from all the stress for a while and drift into subconsciousness. A lot of times, when I wake up, I'm relieved and feel ready to take charge of whatever it was that was bothering me.

3.  Watch a movie or T.V. show. When you're focused on watching your favorite movie or t.v show, you aren't thinking about how stressed you are. I recommend watching a comedy! It's very uplifting and gets your mind off of all your troubles. Any chance that you can get to laugh, take it! Laughing is a lot like medicine. Laughing sometimes keeps you sane. It really does help. Try it!

4.  Read a book. Just like watching a movie, reading is also very beneficial for stress relieving. It can take you to many places without leaving your room. There are so many good books out there. Find one that interests you so much that you'll be swept up in it and your stress will begin to fade. You'll forget all about it as you read chapter after chapter!

5. Last, but certainly not least, pray. It's hard to pray sometimes when you're stressed out, but do it. Tell Jesus about all the things bothering you. If you feel like you can't talk to anyone else about it, He always understands and listens. He always has time for you even when no one else does. Unlike most people, He wants to hear about your troubles so that He can help you. Trust me, I know what it feels like to not want to pray because of all of the stress, but it's one of the best times to pray. He loves you through the good times as well as the bad. He will help you. 

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

I hope these five little tips helped you! Do you do any of these things to relieve stress? What works for you? Let me know in the comments!

"Check Meowt" Birthday Card D.I.Y

If you didn't know already, I am a cat lover. Anything that has cats on it is pure weakness for me. What? It's just too adorable!! To go along with my cat loving self, I've created this tutorial for a "Check Meowt" card. It's a birthday card, but you can customize it to be anything you like as I've mentioned numerous times before.

 I wrote "Check Meowt. I'm..." with the intention of you writing their age on the inside of the card. I thought it would be cute. :)

Alright, enough rambling. On to the tutorial! 

What You'll Need:

- White plain paper

- orange, red, green, pink, purple, yellow, blue, and black markers

- Black Sharpie Thin marker

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Step 1: Draw a cat's head and two lines going down it for the body. Draw triangles for the inside of the ears. Draw the eyes, nose, mouth, and tongue. Draw triangles all over the cat. Draw a top hat on the cat's head. Draw a collar around the cat's neck. Color the cat's body orange and color the triangles yellow. Draw three black whiskers on each side of the cats face. Color the cat's tongue pink.

Step 2: With your black Sharpie Thin marker, draw flowers on the hat. Color the flowers pink. With your purple marker, color the bottom of the hat. Make polka dots between the flowers with your purple marker. Draw some feathers. *Like I've said before, you don't have to use the same colors that I do. Feel free to make it as different as you'd like. :) *

Step 3: Color the cat's collar and ears. With your orange marker, write the words, "Check Meowt. I'm..." so that it will be easier for you to outline it with your black Sharpie Thin later. Color in the blank spots.

Step 4: Using different colored markers, make dots and squiggly lines in the background so that it looks like confetti. 

You're Done!

"Owl Always Love You" Card D.I.Y

Today's tutorial is for an "Owl Always Love You" card. It is super cute and fairly easy! You can of course customize it how you would like or do it exactly the way that I have here. It would be an adorable card to give to your boyfriend, husband, or friend. You wouldn't have to make it all lovey dovey. It all depends on your preference. Wanna find out how to make it? Keep reading for the tutorial!

- Plain white paper

- Brown, orange, light pink, red, dark pink, blue, and green markers

- Brown and black Sharpie Thin marker

- Brown crayon

Step 1: With your brown marker, draw a tree branch coming from the edge of your card.

Step 2: Draw the face and body of the owls.

Step 3: Draw 2 large circles for the outer part of the eyes, the wings, and the feet.

Step 4:  Draw 2 circles inside the large circle. Color the pupil with the black Sharpie Thin. Make sure to leave a tiny white circle in the pupil. Color the wings and outline around the owl's stomachs brown. Draw noses and feet on the owls.

Step 5: Color the boy owl's stomach with a light blue marker. With a red marker, draw a heart on his stomach. Color the girl owl's stomach with a light pink marker. With a dark pink marker, make humps on the stomach to create the look of feathers. Draw a bow at the corner of her ear and color it light pink as well.

Step 6: Color the owls heads with a brown marker. Color their noses and feet orange.

Step 7: With a black Sharpie Thin marker, add 3 eyelashes on the edge of the girl owl's eyes. Color the branch with a brown crayon.

Step 8: Write "Owl Always Love You!" with a pink marker.

Step 9: With your brown Sharpie Thin marker, (I used brown to match the owls) outline the words that you just wrote.

Step 10: Color the blank spaces with your pink marker again. Draw 5 (it doesn't matter how many hearts you draw) hearts between your owls with brown sharpie and use the same pink marker to color them in.

Now, go give this adorable handmade card to your significant other and take pride in the fact that you didn't have to spend a single dime to make something special! In my opinion, it is extremely touching when you know that someone has given you something that they worked hard on. The whole time that they were making that gift for you, they were thinking of you. :)

Snow Cream Recipe

Not too long ago, it snowed quite a few inches here and we couldn't wait to go scoop up all that good snow and turn it into Snow Cream! I'm sure you guys know how to make snow cream especially if you live in the South like me. I thought that I'd share the recipe with you anyhow! :)

 I pulled this recipe from my dad's blog, Tug's Life. Give it a read! You won't be disappointed.  CLICK HERE for the direct link to the recipe. 

Ingredients:

1-can of cream (evaporated milk)

1-cup of sugar

1-tbs of vanilla extract

10-cups of clean snow from the hood of your car!

Directions:

Stir the cream, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Slowly stir in the snow a little at a time. Mix well until everything is nice and smooth and creamy, like ice cream. Then you may feel free to eat it all! :)

"I Miss You" Card D.I.Y

Let someone know how much you miss them with this adorable handmade card! Learn how to make it yourself! 

What You'll Need:

- Plain white paper

- Different shades of blue markers

- Gray marker

- Sharpie Thin

Step 1: Start with a plain white piece of paper and fold it in half.

Step 2: With a blue marker, draw clouds all over your card.

Step 3: Create "stitches" with your black Sharpie Thin marker over the outline of the clouds.

Step 4: Write a little message along the top of two clouds.

Step 5: Color in your clouds (except the edges) with different shades of blue markers.

Step 6: Draw raindrops between the clouds and color them with a blue marker.

Step 7: With a gray marker, draw a squiggly line between the raindrops. (optional)

You're done! You just created a cute but simple handmade "Miss You" card. 

You can write something on the inside, or just leave it blank so that you can write them a message. OR, you could do both! 

How To: Easy Braided Half-up, Half-down Hairstyle

Today's tutorial is a cute and easy half-up, half-down hairstyle that you can wear for any occasion. Like any hairstyle, you can dress it up or down. I personally feel like this is a cute one to wear to church. How fitting since today is the Lord's day! :) 

If you went to church this morning without any time to fix your hair, I am here to save the day in time for services for tonight! Just follow this simple tutorial. Go from meh to magnificent!

What You'll Need:

- Brush

- Bobby Pins

- Hair Elastics

- Hairspray (optional, but recommended)

Step 1: Take a section of hair starting from the top of the ear.

Step 2: Braid a regular 3 strand braid for both sections and tie off the ends with an elastic.

Step 3: Grab your bobby pins and pin one of your braids around your head. Make sure you hide the elastic at the end the best you can.

Step 4: Do the same thing for the other braid. Wrap the other one around your head as well, but directly under the first braid. Pin it securely with bobby pins.  Try the best you can to hide the bobby pins. Spray that gorge mane with hairspray and you're good to go!

Beautiful! Now, go to church tonight with a cute new hairstyle! ;)