Last spring I decided it would be a good idea to repaint the shutters on our house.  They used to be blue, but sun and weather had faded them to a gray-like color.  Fast forward a whole year later, and our shutters still hung there looking sad as ever, and driving me nuts every time I looked at them.

I decided to paint the shutters black.  The front door was blue, which probably originally matched the shutters, so I decided to repaint the front door red.  I've always loved white houses with black shutters and red front doors.  I put off this project for a while longer because I really dislike home improvement projects that involve paint, and I'm also a little scared of change.  What if we painted everything and I hated it?

Here is a super old photo of the shutters long ago, before we even bought the house.  (I didn't take a photo of what they currently looked like.):

Enough stalling.  It was time to paint.  This whole project only took two days, and everything turned out great.




Our house looks like a brand new house.  It was literally like giving the house a face-lift.  This was probably the easiest home improvement we've done so far (and the least expensive).

It's that time again, that special time when I share with you what I'm loving this month.  Spring brings out the happy in us around here, so we were literally outside for most of last week.  On Saturday I took Katherine shopping for new summer clothes (after quickly using up all four of her summer outfits last week in the 80 degree weather).  Of course the minute I bought her a closet full of summer clothes, the temperatures dropped significantly and will stay below average for the next week.  Awesome.

So, one thing we were loving about April was the gorgeous weather that led us outside for every spare minute of our day for a whole week.  We even got Katherine a new sandbox to play in for the yard.  She couldn't have been happier.  Between that and a trip to the park, it was a great week for outside time.  Not to mention, playing outside wears.  Kids.  Out.  No fuss for naps or bedtime last week.  She was out in minutes.


April also marks the beginning of baseball season here in St. Louis, so of course we are loving Opening Day.  It's like a national holiday in this town.  No kidding.  People totally abandon their normal weekday obligations and head downtown or to a local sports bar to watch the Opening Day Ceremonies and game.  Welcome baseball season.

{Photo credit: MissouriNet.com}

Now that the temperatures have dropped, I've been staying inside doing a little spring cleaning.  There's something about spring renewal that makes people purge items from their house to make room for new things.  When I worked at a non-profit resale store, donations would come pouring in as soon as spring arrived.  I've been busy cleaning out closets and getting rid of items that aren't necessary anymore.  I love spring cleaning.  Unless I'm cleaning the basement.  Then I don't love spring cleaning.

I've started reading a new book called What Happens When Women Walk In Faith.  This book has been really insightful and the author, Lysa TerKeurst, is quickly becoming one of my favorite Christian authors.  If you want an inspiring book to read this summer I recommend this one.  It's full of encouragement and also Bible facts, which I love because doing a Bible study is more than just making yourself feel warm and fuzzy.  This book also helps you learn more about the Bible.

It's been a challenging week here at our house, so this book has really come in handy.

I'm so happy it's spring and I'm also hoping the warm weather returns soon.  I'm already busy planning fun spring/summer activities for Katherine.  All of them require warm weather.

As I've mentioned before, when it comes to handbags I'm very picky.  I'll spend months looking for the perfect handbag and not settling for anything less than exactly what I'm looking for.

I've been carrying my Better Life Bag for almost a year now, and while I love it, it was time to switch it up with a new bag.  I wanted something smaller than our current diaper bag, but bigger than my BLB.  After researching and shopping for weeks I found a Steve Madden tote (similar here) that has everything I was looking for: style, comfort, and affordability.

I carry a lot of stuff around with me, I always have, even before having Katherine.  Now however, I carry my stuff and Katherine's (and occasionally Jason's....you've had that moment when your husband/boyfriend/whoever is like "Here, can you put my wallet, sunglasses, keys, and Route 44 Sonic drink in your purse?").  

To keep things organized, I've placed certain items inside bags inside my big tote (that made sense right?).  One reason I picked this particular tote bag was because it came with an extra bag that clips into the tote.

So, here's what's in my new bag:
When it comes to Katherine's things I always have: wipes (I love the lavender scented ones from Target's Up & Up brand), Boogie Wipes, Katherine's glasses cleaner and case, diapers with changing cover, a smaller bag with her silverware and scissors that I use to cut her food up when you're away from home, sunblock, and a small Frozen coloring book with crayons and stickers.  On any given occasion we'll also have a snack and drink cup and whatever toy(s) she's decided to carry around with us.
I've put my own stuff inside the extra matching smaller bag so that I can easily remove it from the big bag if I'm going out without Katherine.  I have:  Kate Spade clutch (that serves as a wallet), iPhone, Peppermint Ginger Essential Oil (for stress relief on the go), The Honest Co. wipes, adult sunblock (I am married to a redhead after all), my Dess Handbags clutch that holds band-aids, Tide stain remover pen, and perfume roller (Marc Jacobs Lola), a notebook, pen, business cards, gun, tissues, and ear-buds.  And, don't forget the hand sanitizer that hangs out on the outside handle of the bag.

Everything fits neatly in this tote without it feeling overcrowded.

So, what's in your bag?  Do you carry it all or carry the minimal?  

Do you have that favorite piece of clothing that you've had forever and still wear?  Jason and I were recently discussing his love of a certain yellow sweater that he wears every time we go out on the town.  He's worn it to every special occasion since 2010.

He and I couldn't be more different when it comes to clothes.  He never shops and holds on to clothing he's had since high school and still wears some that he's had since before we were married.  I rarely keep anything over 3-4 years old, and each season purge half of my closet to make room for current styles.  I do however have a storage bin in the basement labeled "clothes to keep."  This bin holds all of my favorite clothing items over the years that I don't wear, but couldn't possibly part with.
One item of clothing I've had since college and still wear is my favorite green and white striped shirt.  I bought it in college from Victoria's Secret probably around 2005.  I still remember buying it.  I'm not an impulse buyer and I always over-think my purchases before actually making them.  I was browsing the newly established "PINK" line from Victoria's Secret one day when I noticed the striped shirts hanging among the other lounge wear.  It was priced higher than I usually spent on clothes, but I had to have it.  So, I bought it.

I originally wore it as a long top, since this was when the whole "wearing a dress with jeans" style was popular.

{College picnic in the park 2005}

{On Vacation.  Not sure about those pant cuffs.}

About a week after buying my new favorite shirt, it was featured in Seventeen magazine in the style section.  I saved the article and put it in my clip book, which was "pinning" before there was Pinterest.  

I literally wore my shirt all the time.  I've worn it as a shirt, as a dress, as a skirt with a top over it, as a swimsuit cover-up, and as pajamas.  Most recently I wear it to bed.  It's still just as comfortable as the day I bought it 10 years ago.

See Jason, I still wear the same things from 10 years ago too.  And I've been photographed in it more than once.  

What's your favorite clothing item from over the years?

I had every intention of having a very productive week last week, until the sickness fairy paid us a visit.  Everyone in our house had the sniffles all week, and thankfully Katherine was feeling better by Easter weekend.

On Saturday we headed to my brother's church for an Easter egg hunt and a visit with the Easter Bunny.  Despite the blank look on her face throughout the following photos, Katherine actually did have a great time.  She was actually really excited about seeing the Easter Bunny as well.  She probably would've sat there on his lap all day if we'd let her.  But no smiles for the camera.  At all.  The church had a small bounce house set up for little kids that Katherine loved.  We actually couldn't get her out of it.  Jason almost had to crawl in and get her.





At the end of the day, she couldn't stop talking about Easter eggs, the Easter Bunny, the bounce house, and seeing her Mimi, Grandpa, aunt, and uncle.

The Easter Bunny came Sunday morning and left Katherine lots of goodies.  Jason was working on Easter again this year, so our "family" Easter picture was just Katherine and I.  We headed off to church, where we met my mom and dad.  Afterwards we hosted Easter lunch at our house when Jason got home from work.





You may have noticed Katherine is now wearing glasses.  At her two year check up, the doctor noticed one of her eyes moving in when she focused on things up close.  She's now wearing glasses to try and correct the problem.  Trying to get a toddler to keep their glasses on is no easy task.  She's done surprisingly well so far.  She also gets lots of extra attention when we go out in public.  Toddlers in glasses are an attention getter.

I'm hoping we have a sickness free week this week with lots of productivity, as we recover from our Easter excitement.

This blog post has been in the works for a while and I'd hesitated even writing it because it's kind of personal.  I decided to go ahead and share it for all of those women out there who sometimes feel discouraged and resentful of their circumstances.  I love my life, but every now and then I get angry when I think about how difficult things are for us sometimes.  I literally have to take a step back and think about how I got here and how it was God's plan all along for me to be in this moment right now.
For most of my 20's, I wanted to be a career woman.  In fact, I wasn't even sure I wanted to have kids for a while, and if I did decide to have them I wanted to have a successful career in place first.  My mom was a working mom and I knew that's what I'd do eventually too once I had my ideal career and perfect circumstances.

My college graduation, wedding to Jason, and move to St. Louis all happened within a month's time.  Since I was coming off of a stressful last year of school on top of wedding planning, we (actually I) decided I would take about a month off before really hunting for a job.  When my month was up, I started researching what kind of jobs I was interested in and started applying.  I kept a very organized binder full of jobs I wanted to apply for, ones I had applied for, and ones that had responded back with a yes or no.  I started applying for jobs and sending out resumes and cover letters.

I was actually surprised when no one responded back.  It was literally like that movie Post Grad ("but I'm a college graduate!").  Before long, I started lowering my standards and applying for jobs that I didn't really want.  I got several interviews and a few second interviews.  All of my interviewers said the same thing, "We really like you, we'll call you this week with our final answer."  I never got another call from any of them and when I called them I was placed on hold.  Every.  Single.  Time.  I was beginning to think St. Louis was full of liars.  I started getting rejected for jobs I was over qualified for.  I was told I "wasn't ready" for jobs that were exactly what I had a degree in.  One popular and trendy retail store manager had all but officially handed me the paper work hiring me, when the general manager turned up her nose and told me I wasn't right for the job.

When my binder was too full to add any more papers in to it (all full on the rejection side), I threw the whole thing out and took another break.  It had been two years since I had graduated from college and not a single person in all of St. Louis wanted to hire me.  My self-esteem took a major blow that it took me a while to come back from.  I went through a phase where I would roll out of bed at noon, move to the couch, and not get up again until bedtime.  I watched daytime TV and thought about how pathetic I was.

After a while, I started applying for jobs again and was finally hired part-time at a local boutique, where it became clear I was never going to advance in my career.  I would always stay exactly where I was there.  Thankfully I landed a job at a non-profit company a couple of years later and left the boutique job.  I loved my current job and was hoping to advance in my career there, but that wasn't meant to be either.

I remember being pregnant and sobbing as I researched online for day care providers.  I wasn't sure I was going to be able to leave my baby somewhere while I went to work.  I knew people did it every day, but I felt like I hadn't even met my baby yet and I was already preparing to hand her over to someone I didn't know.  I was really having a hard time with the day care decision, when at about 7 months pregnant, I found out that budget cuts at work would lead to my hours being cut way back after the first of the year.  My hours were going to be cut so much, that it didn't make sense to even try to find child care or worry about making the drive to a job that I now knew for sure would never advance my career any further.  So, after I had Katherine I made the tough decision to leave that job behind.

Over the next year, I had an epiphany.  God knew all along that I would have a hard time leaving Katherine and going to work.  While I was preparing for my career, God was preparing me to be Katherine's mother.  He knew all along that I would stay home with her.  There was no reason for me working any of those jobs I applied for and thought I wanted because I was meant to do this.  Those first few years were so painful and full of rejection, but they had to happen to bring me to this point.

I don't know what the future holds and I don't know if or when I'll work again, or what I'll even do for work.  I do know that for the first time in my adult life, I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be right now.  I love being with Katherine each day, I love making scarves for customers on Etsy, and I love writing this blog.  We may not have the money we used to, but being home with Katherine makes me feel fulfilled in a way I never imagined.

I've learned that making your own plans and waiting on them to happen, could mean you're missing out on some of God's precious blessings.  I wasn't meant to be a career woman, at least not yet, but I was meant to be Katherine's mom.  And that's the best job I could have.