love.

Miss Independent

Those of you that know me, probably know that I am not a girl who likes to readily admit that I need help. More specifically, a man's help. However, these last two days in my adventures of home decorating have shown me that perhaps I am not quite as fearlessly independent as I had hoped and imagined.

Let's start with curtains. I thought I could put up some yesterday afternoon, no prob. Ha. Well, I will blame my miserably failed attempt on either being blonde or the fact that my parents have helped me through every move-in. I didn't realize you had to drill holes in order to hang proper curtains. First bump in the road. Okay, I can handle that. I went next door (literally) to Lowe's and bought my very own little drill. Came back feeling awfully Rosie-the-Riveter'ish (the "We Can Do It!" girl), marked my holes and drilled. Guess what, the anchor does not fit in the hole. Don't know why, do not understand, but so tired of messing with it. My very uneducated guess is that my drill bit was not long enough for the anchors and screws that came with my curtain rod but what do I know? Oh also, I feel like I should add that while I am trying to do all this drilling and screwing, I am standing with one foot in the window sill and one on the bed... which means my feet are about 2 feet apart. Picture that and then think about how funny this must have been. It's okay to laugh, I am. So long story short- I still have no curtains, a mess of screws and anchors and curtain rod parts in my floor, and there is an interesting hole in the wall. Call me a big ol' baby, but I am going to wait for mom to come before I attempt curtains again. I need adult supervision.

Today brings with it another funny story involving me, a fight with a very large delivery box, and a sofa that comes to you 'assembly required'. Girls, let me just warn you right now: I know we like to think we are big and strong and can do all kinds of things on our own, but steer clear of those 'assembly required' purchases that exceed about 100 lbs. It's just not worth it and sometimes {as much as I hate to admit it} some things are just better left to a man.

I'll catch you up on the saga of the sofa later. I am going to go make one more attempt at putting the sucker together. Someone might want to make sure that I am alive and not trapped under a piece of furniture later... just sayin' :)

New purchase!

Just bought this today,

super excited about it!

It will be delivered on Monday, so in the meantime...

on the hunt for fabulous throw pillows!

Summertime & country music

I think country music was invented specifically for summertime. Yesss, it's great the rest of the year too, but seriously pairs perfectly with any summer day. Every year when May rolls around, my radio/iPod/Pandora stations cannot seem to get enough of that country twang. So, here are some of my favorites {old & new} that I turn up way too loud when they come on:

- First of all, any and all George Strait.

(That beautiful man can do no wrong.)

- Perfect Silence, Wade Bowen

- Take a Back Road, Rodney Atkins

- Dirt Road Anthem, Jason Aldean with Luda :)

- Trouble, Wade Bowen

- Interstate, Randy Rogers

- She's Like Texas, Josh Abbott Band

- Feet Don't Touch The Ground, Stoney LaRue

- I Love You This Big, Scotty McCreery

- Wagon Wheel, Old Crow Medicine Show

- She's In Love With The Boy, Trisha Yearwood

- Tonight's Not The Night, Randy Rogers

- Love, Roger Creager

- Strawberry Wine, Deana Carter

And the list could go on and on and on. I love it all. Summertime & country music, perfect pair!

Back to whaaat??

How is it time for this already!? I could have sworn I had just signed 22 daily folders and sent 3 kids home mad at me yesterday. It is simply not possible that 2 months has flown by and these horrible "back to school" ads are everywhere.

On that note, seriously, these stores need to CALM DOWN. Not everyone is pumped up about school starting back- in fact, I'm pretty sure the only people that are truly excited are the parents. I don't want to see flashing lights and signs and arrows when I walk into Target that point to the school aisle. I wish the school stuff was hidden. Honestly. Like in the back (back) room. And if you're wondering, yes, this is what {denial} looks like.

Don't get me wrong, I like my job. I am excited to get a whole new bunch of babies and actually surprisingly anxious to see my kiddos from last year... but right now I need to mourn the passing of my summer. Sigh.

So that trusty [and rude] internal clock now knows that it is August 1st and all I can think about is school. Who are my babies? Will they like my room and me, for that matter? What fun things can we do? What do I need to change from last year? What else do I need to buy? Ahhhh so much to think about, it's exhausting.

Thankfully, I am about to squeeze in some sweet friend time with some school time. Heading down to Nederland tomorrow to spend some time with my NEWLYWED BEST FRIEND, Mrs. Kristin Deitz, to help setup her new first grade classroom. Truth be told, I'm a teensy weensy bit jealous that she gets first grade babes. I love 'em.

Okay, that is more than enough whining from Miss Steel. I need to get it all out of my system while I can because pretty soon I am going to have 22 little monsters (term of endearment, I promise) whining to ME. Say your prayers, everybody:)

Remind Me

A little bit in love with this song & video.

Just like Guinevere

DIY Love

I have developed a new small obsession: Do-It-Yourself blogs. They are amazing! These people are taking all kinds of junk and turning into stuff you would pay big $$$ for at fancy schmancy places like Pottery Barn & Anthropologie but at a fraction of the cost.

My super crafty and creative bff, Amber, has tried several DIY projects this summer that have turned out great! My pieces so far have been a quick and easy makeover on an outdated Goodwill lamp and a rather unattractive pansy picture and frame turned earring holder. My next venture is patiently awaiting me in my parents' garage- a unique little side table for my living room, desperate for a new finish and new life. Just have to decide what to do to it.

So, I thought I would share some of the blog sites I frequent the most. Be warned, you can end up spending hours trolling through these creative and chic projects, it's so fun!

Centsational Girl

All Things Thrifty

Vintage Revivals

The DIY Showoff

Addicted 2 Decorating

Thrifty and Chic

Click on the blog titles and they will send you to the DIY blogs.

Have fun and enjoy!

Big time oops

One of the worst and definitely the

weirdest sunburn of my life.

Notice that lovely, perfectly shaped triangle in the picture? That would be burned and blistered skin. Weird, right? That is the only place that got a burn.

A few weeks ago, I went to the pool wearing a normal swim suit top. However, in preparation for Kristin's wedding, I recently started wearing a top that did not have straps so I wouldn't have those pesky tan lines in all of her wedding pictures. So, apparently this little triangle burn is the product of a wardrobe change- where the normal swim suit once was created a triangle shaped tan line, and sans straps, this is what I get.

It hurts. A lot. I have been attacking my poor little aloe vera plant hourly.

Sorry guys, I know this is a weird one, but I thought this geometric burn was too strange not to share. Big time oops.

Do as I say, not as I do.

Don't be a fool, wear sunscreen to the pool :)

Stories from Wal-Mart

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times- I am convinced that each and every horrible trip to Wal-Mart takes at least a year off of my life. I hate it. Unfortunately, a few things on my list today made a trip to Wal-Mart inevitable.

So, there were the usuals: rude shoppers, crying/screaming children, & understocked shelves, but a little out of the ordinary was the code call that came across the intercom.

"Code Adam" is the code that was given and it signals to workers and shoppers alike that there is a child missing. Today the little guy was a 10 year old wearing camo shorts and a lime green shirt. With this urgent announcement, you could see all the Wal-Mart employees become busy worker bees, looking for this child. Of course, my teacher instinct kicked in and I was looking for a little lime green shirt at every turn I made. I won't draw out the story to be some big dramatic thing, because it really wasn't. After a few "all-clear" calls over department walkie-talkies the kiddo was found in the, you guessed it, toy section. The main reason I wanted to share this story was not really about the saga of the lost kid, but because of something overheard directly after the incident.

In response to the happy announcement, most shoppers applauded and seemed relieved that the boy was safe... but then I heard the most honest words come from what could only be described as a truly Southern mama. As soon as the clapping ceased, this is what I heard come from one aisle over, "Glad that little stinker was found, but Lordy I would wear his bottom out. My kids woulda' got tore up over somethin' like that. Bust his butt."

I could not help but laugh! I am sure that is what my mom would have been thinking and what's scarier, I was thinking the same thing. I'll be honest- I'm glad some people still believe in the power of the spanking (within reason). I got a spanking almost every day of my life for about 2 or 3 years and I can tell you I am all the better for it. Thanks, Mom & Dad :)

Glad the kiddo was safely returned to his worried mom, but also hoping that he knows better from now on.

Bad summer blogger

I have come to the conclusion that I am worst at blogging in the summer months. This makes little sense, considering that I actually have more time to sit around and write meaningless nothings during my 3 month vacation. It may be due to the fact that the kids I teach are the story makers and without them my stuff just isn't that funny. Or it may be because I am lazy and spend my days shopping, falling in love with my new DVR (yes, I JUST joined the DVR civilization), or laying poolside. Whatever the reason, I apologize to my 3 (maybe 4) readers. I won't even bother to say I will try harder- because honestly, I probably won't :)

So anywho... I do plan on posting an enthralling life update at some point- but this would not be that point. I am still in the unpacking/decorating phase of my most recent move and would love to show pictures of my precious little apartment, but currently it looks like the home of a college boy. Not cute. I am working on it.

I can pretty much guarantee I won't be making any profound posts in the next few weeks, as my July is just about booked solid! A 4 day math conference, my best friend's wedding weekend, then doggy babysitting my favorite little Peanut for a week. Where is my summer going?!

They already have school supplies in Wal-Mart and Target. What a bummer. Want to depress a teacher during their summer break? Show them school supplies in JULY! Good grief. I resisted today and put back the 75 cent markers because I decided I am not making school purchases until August 1. We will see how long I can actually hold out. Don't laugh, some of those deals are friggin' steals.

So that's about enough of my rambling. Just wanted to do a quickie little post so they didn't kick my off of Blogger for being a delinquent. Stay tuned for that enthralling update, it's pretty sure to disappoint haha :)

Love y'all

7 in 6

In a few weeks I will be moving into my 7th residence in 6 years. Wow.

• Home
• Dorm
• College Station Condo
• College Station House
• Waco Apartment
• Huntsville Townhouse
• Conroe Apartment

However, this move is a little different because it is the first of 7 where I will be all by myself! I have loved every single one of my many, many roommates but I think it is important to live on your own at some point in your life. So, I am very excited, and admittedly a little overwhelmed. My head is spinning as I think of all the things I need/want to buy to set up. With that being said, if anybody knows of any great deals on couches, end tables, dining sets, or area rugs, let me know :)

Here are a couple of pictures from the apartments, however my actual apartment is quite different. I think this floor plan is a tad bigger than mine, the entry is on the opposite end, the built in is not as wide and is further to the right of that wall, and the kitchen is open at the other end... but you get the general idea!

Sucked in. Again.

Crap. I got sucked in again. Another season of dating drama courtesy of ABC and the Bachelorette. I didn't originally plan on watching Ashley's season because, to be honest, she wore on my nerves a little during Brad's Bachelor season. And yet, here I am, now creating a post to blab about my {personal opinions} on this complete stranger's dating life. Reality tv sucks me in. Every time.

So here we go... of the 25- these are the ones that might maybe probably stand out a little bit to me (like how vague that was?)...

Mr. William - He's just plain cute and I swear he could double for Josh Lucas. Don't really have any substantial reasons as to why I like him, just do. And he sort of sealed the deal, so to speak, when they showed all of his impressions at the end in the deleted stuff/bloopers reel. A boy that can make you laugh, is a keeper if you ask me... which Ashley didn't :)

Ryan P. - Sweet boy. He had a genuineness about him; sincerity. Real cute when he was explaining his business- not bragging and not boring blah blah blah, but he was excited about it! And I'm sorry, but it's just kind of cute when a guy gets tongue tied because of a girl. It's nice to see the tables turned a little bit. I like him.

JP - Not sure what it is about this guy, but for now he's a pretty strong contender on my list. I like that he was kind of loud for some reason. He's not overly groomed (not metro-sexualish). Just cute. He just seems like the guy that everybody wants to be friends with. But what do I know? I could be way off. Either way, I like him for now!

And Lucas - Bringing my total picks to 4 because you just always have to root for the home team. Mr. Odessa, Texas seems like 'a good ole' boy'. Sweet, southern, simple, and conservative. Pulling for him but not quite sure how far he will go.

So there it is... my completely unsolicited opinion. I know, it's not worth a dime, but hey, YOU are the one that read this far :)

Other personal thoughts - Ashley needs to GET RID OF BENTLEY. Total dbag, no question. And I get the motive, I understand the point, but mask-man is a little bit creepy. We get it, you didn't want to be judged by looks right off... but point made, move on. Take it off, Zorro.

Guess now I'll have to watch the season to see how on/off my predictions and opinions were. Oh reality tv.

Just because

Love you girls,

Could not stop reading

I made a quick trip to Tarjay last night to buy a new book to read. I had been hearing lots of talk about the book, Heaven is for Real, and had just had a recent talk with Amber about it, so I decided it would be a good one to grab. I didn't start it last night because it was getting close to my bedtime (haha laugh it up, yes my body is so used to it's normal bedtime routine) so I didn't want to get wrapped up in it and stay up. With only about 162 pages I figured it could definitely be read in a day, at least.

So, this morning I decided I could use a nice read, combined with a little dose of natural vitamin D. I took a chair outside and chose some good reading music on Pandora and started reading. Then kept reading. And kept reading. Long story short- I could not put the book down. Did not want to choose a stopping place and relocate so I just kept reading. Well, apparently I must not be a speed reader because I finished the book with a bit of a sunburn. Not sure how long it took me to read the thing cover-to-cover, but it was long enough for me to come out looking like this...

Needless to say, I HIGHLY recommend this book. It is a very short, very easy read but has the potential to change a LOT of lives. Regardless of your religious affiliations and beliefs, it is worth the read. It will challenge you. I also think that this story has the ability to renew a lot of faith in many people. But if nothing else, it should definitely make you think a little.

If you read a little faster than me, take it outside and enjoy the great outdoors that HE created... If you are more like me, might want to stick to the easy chair to read or you might turn out with one awesome tan line like I got! Either way, READ IT.

Good read

Loving this book

Cannot wait for this movie

Have I mentioned that I love music?

A few favorites as of late:

Give In To Me by Garrett Hedlund & Leighton Meester

Gone In The Morning by Newton Faulkner

Oh, Tonight by Josh Abbott Band with Kacey Musgraves

The Show Goes On by Lupe Fiasco

How Great Thou Art by Carrie Underwood

Dirt Road Anthem by Jason Aldean

Fly by Nicki Minaj & Rihanna

Honey Bee by Blake Shelton

Sweet Serendipity by Lee DeWyze

Say Hello by Rosie Thomas

Happy listening :)

Love,

Finally finished

Dear friends, if you are looking for a new book to read (and you have ample time to sit and become lost in your reading)
I strongly recommend The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.

Little bit of info:
The Forgotten Garden is a historical fiction mystery novel, that switches between three character perspectives and time periods {early 1900's, 1970's and 2000's}. I will admit, it is a whopping 549 pages, but well worth the time spent. The mystery unfolds with impeccable timing and flow and keeps you turning the page - on several occasions I caught myself still reading at 2am! It took some thought and effort to read, probably not something I would classify as an "easy read", but like I said, it's well worth it. I will be looking for her other books next, and The House at Riverton and The Distant Hours. I have been advised that all of her work is wonderful, but The Forgotten Garden has been the favorite according to my personal book consultant, cousin Sara :) Read it if you get the chance, I loved it!

Mr. Mayor

A few weeks ago the mayor came to visit our group of 2nd graders. He did a pretty good job with his little spiel; he talked about his daily duties and the job requirements and also about different community helpers. However, at the end of his speech he made a choice I might have advised him against (had he asked me). Yeah, you guessed it... he opened the floor to the hoard of questions coming from a group of 7 and 8 year olds. So I thought it would be nice to share of few of their little gems- from the mouth of babes.

When he asked them for their suggestions to help improve our community, responses include:

• Build grocery places for the homeless people
• Build hotels for people to live in that don't have no home
• Lower taxes (yes, that came straight from the mouth of a 7 year old girl)
• Lower gas prices
• Put in more stop signs

And this one was by far my favorite...

• "We need 'mo churches 'cuz people be bein' bad."

**Please note that all the atrocious grammar is not coming from me, but done to provide the words of the kiddos rather than my paraphrase.

Oh kids do say the darnedest things, don't they? And on that note, tomorrow's edition of "2nd grade crazy" includes a trip to see the movie, Rio, and an afternoon at the state park... I should have been in bed 2 hours ago. Say your prayers for us. :)

WHOOP

I am so proud to be an Aggie.

Such a deserving team,

a precious coach,

and a really great championship game.

Gig 'Em Aggies!

This has got to stop

Sooo I have this little girl in my class. She is an absolute hoot & bless her heart, she has no idea that I find her so funny. I am positive that if she knew that I was laughing so much on the inside, she would be irate. She obviously provides me with many funny teaching stories, so here is a pretty good one.

Last week I asked her to move her clip down one time because she was being disrespectful and was giving me loads of attitude. For those of you not familiar with "clips", allow me to explain - clip systems are often used for classroom management to enforce discipline on a daily basis. Clip charts are a teensy bit controversial at the moment because some people say they hinder a child's self esteem and do very little for classroom management. In order to use a clip chart in a not-so-embarrassing way, I came up with these clip levels: Super, Good, Okay, and Sad. So see, my clip chart really isn't so bad and I don't use colors, but instead really cute designed plates.

Okay, so back to my little friend. After the massive amounts of attitude {eye rolling, and exasperated groans every time I spoke- yes, this happens as early as SECOND GRADE}, I kindly asked her to move her clip from "Super" to "Good". Now, in most places and with most children, this would not be the end of the world... but she doesn't exactly go by the standards of "most kids". This is where things get interesting- while on her way to the clip chart, she makes a b-line for my desk. She approaches me with her finger pointing in my face and demands, "THIS has got to STOP." And if you are wondering, yes, I almost died from attempting to stifle a laugh. I tried to very quickly gain as much composure as possible and I made sure to use that all-powerful "teacher look" and simply told her, "You are right, this behavior does need to stop. And when it stops, I am sure your clip will not need to move." As you could imagine, she did not appreciate my answer but she figured out pretty fast that I was not going to budge. She starred me down for a good 30 seconds before marching, or stomping rather, over to the chart and dramatically snatching her clip and briefly holding it in the air (I guess as some sort of protest) then finally shoving it onto the correct level.

Now, if you have read this far I feel the profound need to apologize. I just realized that this story is probably not so interesting to anyone but me. It might be one of those "you have to know the kid" stories in order for you to get the full effect. Any who, I am sorry to you, my 3 readers. I will try to beef up the story selection next time. :)

This is the stuff

**Link to Francesca Battistelli

Bounce

I'll admit, I was skeptical and not so convinced that these dryer bars were worth the purchase, but let me just say...

Bought it.

Tried it.

LOVED it.

Just a couple of notes: First, I am pretty sure it will not last a full 2 months as advertised on the box, but that's okay. Second, the scent is nice, strong, and long lasting. And third, I have noticed a little bit less of that annoying static problem-o. Oh, and my personal preference is the Fresh Linen scent.

So, if you're looking for a new purchase to try out or your fabric softener isn't quite doing the trick, try this out! I love it :)

**Bounce Website

I dreamed of you

New obsession.

Cutest song ever.

Love it.

Need a boy like this, please :)

Spare change

Wishing I could find $145 worth of spare change right now...

Because these shoes want to live with me.

Why must I have champagne taste on a beer budget?

Michael Kors is proud of his things.

Unfortunately for me, his pride has a $145 price tag.

Stock Market Insider Tip

Dear friends,

You are in luck. I have such a fool-proof stock tip for you; can't fail. Ready for it? It's really simple. Start buying what you can in Burt's Bees, Inc.

Why, you ask? Because I can single handedly guarantee you that they are not going out of business anytime soon. Here is the explanation:

I don't know how it happened, I don't understand how it is possible, but I managed to lose 3 tubes of my precious Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil this week. A normal person probably would not fret or be adversely affected by this simple predicament... too bad I'm not normal. So after searching high and low for the first misplaced tube, I made what I thought was a smart purchase at good old Target and got the twin pack. Good thinking, right? One new one and one back up. Would have been wonderful if I hadn't lost #1 from the twin pack within two days. So now I am back where I started in this stupid cycle- one tube to rely on.

So you see, since this chapstick circle of life is bound to continue, I feel confident that I am capable of being solely responsible for the prosperity of Burt's Bees. Okay, now go sell your Apple and AT&T stock since I have been so generous to share this ingenious plan with you. Like I said, you can't fail. You're welcome:)

{Please note silliness and sarcasm in this post. I do not believe I am actually providing you with a worth while investment plan and in fact, have no great understanding of the stock market as a whole.}

Pioneer Woman

Another blissfully wonderful blog! This woman is just great- so entertaining and such good stuff on her site. Thanks to my sweet cousin Sara for letting me in on this little secret :) Check out,
The Pioneer Woman.

Happy Monday!
Love,

Thompson Square, so cute

Who doesn't love a bargain?

Just to share... here's a little gem I happily stumbled upon. It may be old news to some of you, but for those of you who haven't heard of it before, here is RetailMeNot.

Have fun exploring and searching through thousands of coupons codes and freebies! Personal fav: free Redbox codes! Enjoy :)

Love sought

Good people

Stumbled across this article tonight. Sweet story about how a large airline pilot stuck out his neck, compromised his flight schedule, and put himself in a position to deal with hundreds of disgruntled customers just to do what he thought was the right thing for a stranger. Another reason why I love to fly Southwest.

Take a few minutes, read the article.

Hero Pilot Pulls Out the Stops to Help Grandpa Reach Funeral.