i'm alive... barely.

Well guys, I've managed to get walking pneumonia. 

I have no idea know how Jennifer Lawrence managed to walk down the red carpet at the SAG awards with this mess, I can barely walk from my couch to my bed. 

Jennifer Lawrence with walking pneumonia.

me with walking pneumonia

I missed work Monday and Tuesday, but came back today for half a day to try to answer one of my 158 emails and return 12 voicemails. 

So, be praying I kick this things booty, I promise to return when my life is under control again!

lower your hemlines!

Dear Fashion World:

Hi, I'm Lauren and I am 5'9. Yes, I realize that is not the "average" height, however I am also a paying costumer to too many several stores that do not makes dresses and skirt I can wear.

Why, you may ask?

Because while I enjoy showing off a beautiful dress or skirt, I do not enjoy showing off my booty and other business. Sadly, most of your skirts/dresses are so short that I wouldn't even be able to sneeze without sharing my bits with the whole world.

Therefore I beg you, please, please, please, please for the love of God lower your hemlines.

Guess what?! If they are a little too long for people they can be hemmed, but if they're too short for others it's not like we can add fabric to it.

Like this precious little polka-dotted number from Red Dress Boutique..

via Red Dress Boutique

And even my favorite Miss Lilly Pulitzer tends to leave little to the imagination when it comes to length..

via Lilly Pulitzer

and one of my favorite shops, Tobi...

via Tobi

And don't even get me started on Forever 21 dresses, woof.

And on that topic, can we discuss how some stores have gorgeous pants in tons of beautiful colors like teal, lime, maroon and red but don't offer any colors but gray, black and khaki in talls and petites (see it's not just about the taller people)?!

My beloved New York & Company with all its amazing work (and casual) clothes has beautiful pants in a wide variety of colors for the "average" costumer....

But wait... no "Ultimate Coral" or "Caribbean Blue" for you taller/smaller people!

So designers, let's think about the non-average people in the world when we start making things! k, thanks, bye.

Saw it, Pinned it, Did it #8

I am linking up with Katie @ Keep Calm &; Carry On and Steph @ Beautiful Mess Steph for "Saw it, Pinned it, Did it"!

I am the Relay for Life Coordinator for our school district and wanted to make a wreath to raffle off for the campaign.
Enter Pinterest.

I decided to combine two pins, one from Ashley @ It Is What You Make It of a lovely wreath with an initial and some hydrangeas arranged on a grape-vine form....

....and this great DIY moss-covered initial at First Lady of the House.

And I got this:

(obviously, I will change the "E" into whatever letter the person who win the wreath wants it to be)

Wreath Form
Moss Sheet
Wooden or Cardboard letter
Flora branch
Floral Wire
Loose flowers (of the larger variety)
Glue Gun
Scissors
Wire Cutter

also, I apologize for the blurry pictures someone forgot to charge her camera battery and has to use her phone...

1. Cut the long stems off your floral branch then arrange it around your wreath. The nice hydrangea branch I got from Hobby Lobby was 50% off so it was $10, cheaper than buy flowers and greenery to look like that. 

2. Using the floral wire, secure your branch to the wreath. The best part about using a grape vine wreath is that you can easily move the wire through the vines.

I used the wire to help manipulate the flowers better too, putting the certain parts of the petals where I wanted them and such.

2. Using the loose flowers, cover the spots where you wired down the branch. You might not have to do this, but I wanted to fill some of the gap-y places (and I have an abundance of white hydrangeas around my home from where I used them to make my wedding centerpieces in 2009).

I just cut the stems very short on the hydrangeas and bent the stem through the wreath, curving the ends to form, then adding some floral wire to keep them secure.

Now, this next step will be THE HARDEST part of this wreath. Making that moss-covered "E" was so messy. But I love the way it turned out. I got the wrong kind of moss because Hobby Lobby didn't have the sheet of mossy green stuff, all they had was a sheet of actual loose-ish moss.

3. Lay your sheet of moss with the green side down onto your counter. Make sure you put a towel underneath it A BIG ONE, trust me I learned this the hard way. Lay the front side of your letter down on the back side of the moss and cut around the letter leaving space enough to wrap the sides (about 1/2 an inch).

4. Hot glue the moss to the sides of your letter. Make sure the sides are pressed tight, trimming the stray pieces close to the letter (so it doesn't look like a big fuzzy mess).

5. Put your letter on your wreath using the floral wire.

Then hang it wherever your heart desires... or if you're like me, get sad because you realize you're raffling it off for charity not getting to keep it...

Now, go check out the other awesome crafts, recipes and etc. or link-up too!

JC Penney surprises me.

Have y'all been in JCPenney lately?! Usually the only time I see anything in the store is when I've parked on that side of the mall and have to walk through, but I was big-time surprised when I actually stopped to look at some of their clothes the other day. The best part was that none of the dresses/tops I liked were more than $50!

I saw several options for my Easter dress this year... just in case I can't convince husband that I absolutely need a new Lilly.

Sleeveless Colorblock Dress
via

(my favorite) Cap Sleeve Lace Dress
via

Lace Flounced Dress
via

I can't even talk about how happy I am that Fit & Flare and A-Line stuff is back in, as a girl with a major hip/hiney area I love when designers create things that flatter my shape better than a straight shift! Loving this dress by Nine & Co. for work in the Spring.

Nine & Co Jersey Swing Dress
via

I also really want this mint and gray sweater for the Spring, it'll go great with the mint skinnies I might have ordered last week from NY and Company...

Worthing 3/4 Sleeve Sweater in Gray & Mint
via

Stretch Ankle Legging Jean in Liberty Blue
via

Have you shopped anywhere unexpectedly awesome lately?

also, (even though I think it's pretty obvious that I'm not a big deal enough for this) I was not compensated for/asked to do this post by JC Penney.

my baby sister is 20.

Today, my little sister (and the coolest person I know) is turning 20. TWENTY. How did that happen?

Deanna and Sawyer blowing out candles Friday night for her birthday.

We are so much alike in so many ways from our taste in clothes and our ridiculous sense of humor to our clumsiness and of course, facial expressions.

She is truly my soul mate and the first call I make (after Josh) whenever something happens in my life - whether I need a shoulder to cry on, someone to (try to) keep me in check or a person to share something exciting with.

It's weird to look UP to your LITTLE sister, but I can truly say that I admire her devotion to the Lord more than just about anyone else's, her ability to face adversity while holding on to grace and her unfailing faith.

The only thing we don't share? Organizational skills. See below example of how Deanna lives while we're on vacation...

(we also share booty shape... just sayin')

I love you Dee, more than I can even say, thanks for being the best sissy there is. 

another great part about Dee? The fact that she brought John John into our family.

summers in Hilton Head, SC

my freshman year of college, you're welcome Dee for this picture. 

VINTAGE summers in Hilton Head, SC

obviously our fashion sense developed later in life

see?

in Aug. 2009 with our Mema Dean

Happy Birthday Deanna!

coming home.

I have been sitting on this post for awhile. Just letting it stay in the "draft" stage in my list of posts because I wasn't sure what my reason was for writing it. So when I saw that Becky @ From Mrs. to Mama was doing a link-up just to write, I decided it would be a perfect time for it.

I live in the county where I was born and raised. I went to college then came back home to work and start my family. And I am so extraordinarily blessed that this was a possibility for me.

my favorite picture from our wedding, in front of my hometown water tower

These pine trees that surround me once felt like prison bars when I was younger and I couldn't wait to escape them. But now? Now, they feel like arms holding me tight with my family and friends.

The back country roads that I once wanted to trade for bright lights and interstates are now my "get away" place. If gas were cheaper, I'd ride them until I couldn't, with my windows down and cherish that some times mine is the only car traveling down them.

Some might say "grow a pair and get out of there" or "don't you want to chase dreams in other places"?

And the answer to that last question is "yes". Of course I'd love to chase an amazing job in a big city where I'd get paid more for what I do and meet exciting people. I'd die to be able to eat in restaurants that aren't chains and eat foods I've never heard of.

But in the same breath... I don't think I'd want to go.

Don't get me wrong, I admire those who are brave enough to venture out there and I also understand that some times you just can't remain in your home town, that the jobs you want/need are in other places.

But I am excited that I get to raise my son, and maybe another son or daughter one day, in the shadows of those pine trees that I was raised under and I am so blessed that I met an amazing man who shares the same desire. And I am even more blessed that we both have jobs that have opportunities here in our home town.

Those big cities can't offer me the love and loyalty I have for my little, middle of nowhere town.

two cars in two weeks

....so I am not a good driver.

I have extreme road rage and I don't like to pay attention.

I admit it.

I have wrecked twice in the snow, crushed my grandma's car by backing into her in her driveway, and also been known to knock my car door into other people's car doors in parking lots (my bad).

But in the past two weeks, I have managed to have two minor fender benders. Two.

Last week, I backed into husband's prized possession (his jeep) in our driveway. He never parks behind me and I was running late so I threw my car in reverse and hit the gas without looking behind me. BAM, right into the jeep. His baby (and by baby I obviously mean the jeep, not his wife) is fine since has has a giant grill guard thing on the front. But my car, not so much....

Perfect indent of the grill bar thing.

Fast forward to Valentine's Day. Things were going well, husband surprised me with flowers (something he usually doesn't do) and lunch.

After leaving lunch (with a belly FULL of delicious mexican food) I got behind a little old lady and a young guy in a red truck at a stoplight.

After we stopped at the light and were about to go over railroad tracks a few feet ahead the little old lady SLAMMED on brakes. The guy in the red truck tried to swerve and miss her while slamming on brakes and I tried the same thing but BAM, I "tapped" his back bumper.

We pulled off the road onto the median in the middle of the road and I climbed out saying "oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" Luckily he was super nice (and kinda cute, not to mention named Mark which is my dad's name) and there wasn't any damage except some paint marks, but he still called the police.

Now, we live in a small, small town. So obviously everyone and their brother saw the cars and were all omg, are ya'll alright?! and my favorite "did you have an accident?!" to which I replied "um no, we just felt like hanging on the median here in the middle of lunch break traffic, no big deal."

Then I made the phone call I dreaded... the one to Josh. He couldn't believe I'd hit somebody else and said he was going to take back my valentine's day flowers and my keys too. Thankfully nobody was hurt, nobody got a ticket and the cars are fine, save for a few little scratches.

How's your driving?

Newlywed Game

I guess we aren't really newlyweds anymore since we've been married for almost four years, but I saw this over at Delightfully Dunn and thought it would be fun, so here we go.  

Also, when I emailed this to him he said “Are you trying to set me up for something?!” haha, husbands are silly #truestory. 

that's us by the way, and our 2-year-old Sawyer

Josh's answers are bolded, mine are regular... and my comments to his answers are in italics..

How long have you been married?

L: Almost four years

J:  3 years, 8 months, 1 day (you can tell which one of us is NOT good at math…)

Where was your first date?

L: First official date was at the movies, we went to see “Little Fockers”

J: Rocky Mount Movie Theater

Where was your first kiss?

L: Front yard at my parents’ house after the date

J: Her house in Pinetops (same thing)

Who first said, "I love you"?

L: Josh, read thispost about it, it was pretty funny

J: Me

What were your wedding colors?

L: Carolina blue and cream

J: Some kind of white and light blue

What is her most commonly used phrase?

L: Dude!

J: I Love you (he says I say it too often, I say there’s no such thing)

Who is her celebrity crush?

L: Oh, that changes constantly; Ryan Reynolds is a fav though

J: Channing Tatum (standard answer)

If she was ordering drinks for both of you what would you each get?

L: Coke for me (or water with lemon if I’m being good) and tea for Josh

J: Pepsi/Coke for her, Sweet tea for Me

What is the best meal she has ever cooked you?

L: Orange Chicken

J: Those bacon-chicken wraps with roasted potatoes

What is the worst meal she has ever cooked you?

L: Eh, I once tried to cook this lemon chicken in the crockpot and it was absolutely horrible and burnt.

J: Burnt chicken something

What is the most-played song on her iPod?

L: I don’t have an iPod, I use my phone but probably anything by Lil Wayne or “No Hands”… yes I know that’s horrible.

J: Anything Lil Wayne

What would she say is your most annoying habit?

L: it’s a tie between not answering me when I ask him something and leaving drinks all over the house

J: Leaving cans and cups around the house (this makes me wonder why he doesn’t fix this habit if he knows it bothers me…)

What is the last thing she does before she goes to bed?

L: Kiss Josh goodnight

J: Says her prayers (that too…)

If you could throw out one item of her clothing what would it be?

L: Probably one of my dresses that he finds too short

J: A too short purple and yellow dress (that dress is NOT too short!)

What would you say is your favorite thing about her?

L: My butt

J: No matter how much people try to bring her down she pushes through it (awww, I would of thought he’d go for the butt…)

What's her go-to drink at Starbucks?

L: Caramel Apple Spice

J: Caramel Apple Cider

What's her blog's name?!

L: On a lighter note…

J: Nothing is Better Left Unsaid (okay, I’ll give him points for this, because that is my URL when that was my original name)

now, go link up too and play the game!

Final 2nd Birthday Post

I promise this is the last post about Sawyer turning two! 

We had a small little get together with just our immediate families this year for Sawyer's 2nd birthday since we took the big trip to the circus (and last year was SO big). Here are a few pictures from the big day! The theme was (of course) purple and gold for our East Carolina Pirates!

little "Sawyer is 2!" banner I made for him

Josh's mom, grandma and grandpa watching him open gifts

looking through the "year" book my Dad made for him, full of pictures from his second year. 

"helping" open presents

more present opening

playing with his little tee-ball game we got him

singing happy birthday

Blowing out his candles!

eating at his new little table my parents got him...

...and discovering his love for cheetohs!

hanging out with his Mimi

his favorite gift? a vacuum cleaner, oh he'll make a wife very happy one day.

playing with his new ball

All in all it was a great, low-key birthday!

cheetoh tongue (he refuses to close his mouth...)