Updates and a Few Personal Stories

Can you believe that August is nearly over?  It is almost fall!

Today’s post is the last post of the month, so I thought I would use this as an opportunity to catch you up on what is going on in my life.

What I am Reading:

I am an avid reader.  It is not uncommon to find me laying around with a book in hand on the weekends.  I am a fan of real books as opposed to using an e-reader.  Call me old fashioned (my husband does!)

The book that I finished this month is Jane Green’s Summer Secrets.  Oh. My. Goodness!  This book I started and finished in the same weekend.  It was that good!  The book was released in June 2015, so I am a little behind.  However, if you are looking for a great read, this is it!

The story is about Cat, a 30 something that is really struggling. She has lost so much: her husband, daughter, and job.  Will she be able to make amends with those that she has wronged?  You have to read to find out!

What I am Listening to:

There are three songs I just cannot get enough of hearing.  They each evoke strong emotions.  One makes me laugh, one makes me cry, and the other makes me feel strength.

1. The first is is Taylor Swift’s new song Look What You Made Me Do.  There are a lot of theories regarding the message behind this song.  There is no doubt that the song is reflective of her feelings about a few big name celebrities.  I also hear in the lyrics that she is a women that was forced to become less trusting of others, build walls as a defense, and as a result became a new person. I can relate.  I have had more than my fair share of friends lose my trust. It is evident that Taylor has had a few of these same issues. Interested in listening?  You can listen here.

2. A second song that I have playing on a loop is Kesha’s Praying.  This one makes the hair on my arms stand up when I hear it.  It just evokes so many emotions!  I swear it feels like she is singing my story!

Oh, sometimes I pray for you at night
Someday, maybe you’ll see the light
Oh, some say, in life, you’re gonna get what you give
But some things only God can forgive

Every time I hear this song I think if one person.  Let’s just say, I think Kesha was on to something. Interested in listening?  You can listen here.

3. The third song is Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato. She is unapologetic for doing just fine after a failed relationship.  There is really nothing better than looking unfazed after someone has done you wrong.  Interested in listening?  You can listen here.

Around the House:

Last month I shared that we started a raised garden. (You can read that post here.)  I also shared that we had managed to grow one piece of okra.  It has been a few more weeks and we have more okra! Look at these beauties.  The husband and I chopped, breaded, and fried them.  It wasn’t exactly a healthy choice for how to prepare them. But they were fabulous!

We have started updating our light bulbs. Last year we had additional recessed lighting added to our living room.  We also had recessed lighting added to our kitchen.  The contractor used these awesome LED lights in Daylight.  The light is so bright!

We live in a townhouse so that means we have windows only on the front and back of our house.  It also means that there are no windows in our dining room or our living room. We have changed out the lights and the rooms look super bright!

Ecosmart isn’t sponsoring this post; I bought these with my own money.  (That is true with everything I discuss on this blog unless otherwise noted.)  We have slowly started to add them around the entire house so each room with have the same bright feel.  The only downside is now I have about a dozen light bulbs that work fine, but make my rooms look dingy.

Getting Ready for Fall:

I am trying to not get ahead of myself because it is not quite fall.  Once it is fall, you know it will practically be Christmas.  By the way, Hobby Lobby and Michael’s already have Christmas decor up.  It drives me nuts!

I picked up a lovely Autumn Apple candle from Bath & Body Works.  As a side note: one will not be enough.  I just don’t want to freak my husband out by showing up with a dozen new candles all at once.  It is bad enough that I rescue pillows from HomeGoods.  Speaking of which…

I have also picked up some awesome new pillows for the living room.  They are a velvet mustard yellow, a color that is perfect for fall.  I may or may not have already put them on the sofa! I picked up these beauties from HomeGoods for about $17 each.

My pumpkin decor isn’t out yet.  I am going to wait until next weekend before I start putting them out.  What is out is this new sign I also got from HomeGoods.  It is going to hang in the entry way.  The best part? The arrow actually points outside!  This is good because my husband insists that hayrides will be hell on the hardwood floors!

My last two fabulists (you can see the first post here and you can see the second post here) have included some pretty wardrobe additions for fall.  Although I haven’t yet bought any of them, I have picked up these pretty ballet slippers from TJ Maxx.  They are Kate Spade ballet slippers in a light pink with a maroon detail and only set me back $50.  So pretty!

This past Saturday was national dog day.  I didn’t officially share a picture of my girls on Saturday.  So I am going to do it now.

This is Mimi and she is only half demonic.  Hence, the one red eye.  She enjoys killing her stuffed animals and giving kisses.

This is Laila.  She is my blonde beauty.  She enjoys getting facials and snuggling.

I hope you had a great August.  I will see you next month!