Blondie 'N' SC

Heels for Happiness~

I have been doing a lot of soul searching these past couple days. Wondering if the path i am going on is the correct one. The decisions I have to make soon are the right ones. If the choices I make will lead to regret?....soul searching can surely wear a girl out...

I am sure many of you can relate.

About 10 years ago I graduated college. I graduated with a degree in Communications. I graduated Magna Cum Laude. I graduated. Now what?  I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life after college, but here I was with this degree, and I was suppose to be someone, I was suppose to do something great. I mean I did all that work, studied hours on end, and worked my butt off...I needed to make something of myself....

  At least that is what I thought. I acquired a temp job in which the money was good at the time. I moved out and found an apartment on my own. The first time I actually lived by myself, on my own, paying my own bills. I had made it....a few weeks later, I went and got two kittens because I realized living by yourself wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. It was lonley. I worked, I did what I thought I was suppose to be doing. I had the start of a career, I paid my bills on time, and I followed the rules somewhat of being an adult.

Here I am 10 years later, sitting behind a computer desk, typing away on the keyboard in front of me as little words that make sentences creep up on the computer screen. I sit in a big office chair. I wear fancy work clothes. I go into meetings. I am accountable to someone higher up on the ladder so to speak. I make a good living. I can take care of myself. I made it.

Or so many would say.

Or would they?

Because deep down in this heart of mine, those fancy heels, the big pay check, the business card with my name and title that sit in front of me, all those things, they don't define who I really am.

Who I want to be. 

Where I want to go.

If I were younger, and had the knowledge I have today, I certainly would have done things different in many areas of my life. Do I regret the choices I made, career wise? Absolutely not, because as much I don't particularly like sitting here, while the pool man makes my children breakfast and takes my oldest punk to school, i have learned a whole lot about life. About being a grown up. About what it takes to make it in a male driven occupation. This job has allowed me to buy a house, provide for my children, and make adult choices. This job made me grow up.

However, these days, I look in the mirror and I see a very tired girl, who wished she had followed the desires that filled her heart when she was younger. A girl, who grew up, and put those dreams on the back burner. These days, I second guess myself on so many levels, mostly because I want to be someone my children look up to, I want them to always remember their mommy being true to who she is. I want them to use me as an example to follow their dreams. I want them to have a Mommy who was there for them, who mended broken hearts and scratched backs on request.

These days, all I think about is being "real", being true to myself, and ditching my heels for happiness.

So what am I getting at here?

In a round about way, what I am trying to say is, if you are just out of college wondering what type of job you should obtain, or a momma being pulled in two directions between work and children, or your children are now grown and you feel like you need to redifine who you are, or you are an 18 year old girl trying to decide between becoming an accountant like your daddy or following your dreams to go to beauty school...if you are any of those, lingering amongst so many choices and can't decide what you want to be, where you feel your next step should be taken...my advice is:

Follow your heart.

Follow your passion.

Trust yourself.

 Take a chance.

Take a risk.

I know typing this is easy, actually doing it is the hard part...it is a HUGE leap of faith!

However...

If you fail at least you can say you TRIED.

And damn it, there is something in TYRING, even if you fail.

The saying, "If you like what you do, you will never work a day in your life" rings through my mind constantly....watching those words hit the computer screen in front of me, motivates me...gives me strength to move forward and be the example I want my children to see. To run, jump and leap into that faith...those words give me the courage to ditch my heels for happiness...!

& get my grimy little hands on something more like this...

Yeehaw!!

Happy Friday lovelies....

{photo from my pinterest board}

p.s. I found a new desk for my loft/office/studio/grandma quarters...anything else you want to call it!

Hoping to have some photos soon...my house is a crazy mess right now...! 

Dust bunnies beware, this momma has Sunday off...you will be mine! All mine.....

muwah ha ha ha ha 

 

Pretties on Etsy~

I have quite a few items I have chosen as "Favorites" lingering in my Etsy account. Pretty little things, that I don't really need, but for some reason they just call out to me, I am resisting the urge to splurge! {that was pretty lame, sorry}

I have been giving some thought to selling again on Etsy, I find the shipping to be very time consuming. For some reason I am just not good at packing things up, it takes me F O R E V E R...but I have things in my booth that I thought would fly out like hot cakes, such as two kitchen scales, a postal scale, metal baskets, cameras, old glass bottles, old tins and toolboxes and they are just sitting..

So I am thinking I need to open my Etsy store back up and add a few things, see how it goes...can you tell I am talking out loud, or more or less typing out loud my thoughts....these are the things I think about on a daily basis as I sit behind this desk, with a keyboard in front of me that is missing letters because I type so much they have rubbed off, I also wonder how long it will take for my legs to fall asleep if I sit in the same position behind this desk....

But you came to see pretty things, huh? Off we go, here are a few things I have tagged lately:

{faded plains}

 

{lovintage finds}

 

{Vintage Junky}

How cool is this?

 

{vintage junky}

I got some of this vintage wall paper to finish lining my kitchen drawers...love it!

The deer is cute too~

{Olliebollen}

oh look that cute deer is following me...

 

{wesley asher}

My oldest punk stood on one of my hat boxes and smashed it, this one is calling my name as a replacement...love its shabbiness...



{gilly grey}

I am mildly obsessed with old pencil sharpeners as they remind me of elementary school...did I  just date myself?

{lovintage finds}

{rosie posies}

This little treasure just made me smile...very creative:

{post road vintage}

{sadie olive}

only mildly obsessed with old school chairs as well~

{old new house}

& in honor of Valentine's day...this sweet banner:

{my cherry tree}

I could keep going but my foot officially just fell to sleep!

There you have it, my favorites and my thoughts for the day...

After all this I think Etsy will be up and running around mid April {same time this momma will quit her big girl job, ekkkk}...unless I can figure out how to not sleep...which is a far cry from being possible, I heart sleep a lot...

Happy Thursday & thanks for listening! 

p.s. I am also mildly obsessed with this blog, she is so talented.

Pretties~

It was a busy weekend to say the least, and I still have one load of laundry in the washer, which will have to be rewashed, I still need to mop the floors and vacuum...it seems the house work just never ends.

 I am sitting at my big girl job this morning...reading a long list of work e-mails, thinking about the housework and how much I want to be at home to sneak in on my littlest as he sleeps and watch his chest rise and fall with the rhythm of his deep sleep...instead of being here....I also want to be the one to get the good morning hug from my oldest, he gives the best morning hugs...I love those hugs because it feels like a good way to start the day and I feel like anything I might have done wrong the day before got washed away with a good nights sleep and this hug, starts the day fresh and new...I need that today...but I don't get it, and instead of sitting here a'sulkin' I found some pretties for you!

Do you ever just look at a photo in a magazine, or on pinterest and something screams at you...like a great vintage sign, or a pretty baby blue ruffled table cloth, or an old weathered table you would know exactly where to place in your home if you could just find one like that? All of these photos have that "one" thing in it for me....If you feel like getting lost in these photos instead of doing your work, or thinking about the morning hugs you might be missing...I welcome you with open arms!

oh and I forgot to tell you....

He just wanted to pop in and say hello to you this morning...

And to see you if you wanted that morning hug?

{she snickers...}

 
 

 Happy Monday, whoops, I mean Tuesday {Ryan has me all flustered}!

 

xoxo~

p.s. I could also go for a day in bed watching "The Notebook", that movie gets my every.single.time.  

{all images {except the last one} from this sweet blog filled with eye candy}

 

My Younger Self~

As I drive to work in the wee hours of the morning, as the radio plays "Adele" in the background, I sometimes loose myself in thought as the cars zoom by me in the next lane. Lately thoughts of what I would tell my younger self linger through my mind.

Here are a few thoughts I would tell my younger self if I could....

1. Wear Sunscreen.

2. As much as you don't think so now, your parents are always right, and you might as well listen to them before you go and make a mistake.

3. Don't follow your heart when your mind is telling you that boy is not right. He probably isn't.

4. Ironing is a waste of time....

5. Feed your soul with good intentions.

6. Believe in Magic and the goodness of people.

7. Good friends are hard to find. Cherish their friendship & put work into them....those friendships will in turn last a lifetime.

8. When it is time to say goodbye to someone who is hurting you, don't delay because you are afraid. Saying goodbye will make you stronger and wiser in the long run.

9. Moderation is the key to life.

10. God doesn't open doors for you for no reason. Take chances, follow your dreams and if you fail at least you can say you tried.

11. Stay true to who you are...don't change for anyone. You are you, embrace that completely.

12. No one is perfect, why should you expect yourself to be.

13. People don't change. Don't get caught up in a relationship with intentions of changing someone. Find someone in which you can love without always wanting to change them.

14. Finish school. Find what really interests you. Acquire a job in which you love...you will never work a day in your life if you love what you do!

15. Love yourself...always.

{now she is a smart girl!}

If I had known most of these when I was 20 or so, I am sure I wouldn't have made so many mistakes in my life or wasted time ironing my favorite dress for work...sure I have learned many lessons, some really hard to swallow...but just knowing a few of these little gems would have made life a little easier...

And maybe I would be a little less "wrinkled" with life in the long run!

Happy weekend y'all!

 {image from here}

 p.s. hopefully we make it to the flea this weekend...a vintage desk for our loft is calling my name!

ye~ haw!

Coastal Details~

Good morning!

Most of you that read this silly old blog know that my parents live about 45 minutes from me and I try to take my boys down there as much as possible to visit them. They tore down an older exisiting home that sits a few feet from the canals in Long Beach, California a few years ago and rebuilt their dream home where on occasion you can smell the scent of the ocean as you walk out their front door.

I admire the work they have put into this home to make it feel as warm and inviting as possible. Over the summer when I had 5 months off of work for maternity leave, the boys and I would find ourselves spending a lot of time at their home, trekking to the beach, sitting on the porch for "happy hours" and gathering in their front room for movies and popcorn.

{I want these lazy summer days back....and, I really like this guy by the way!}

Lately, they have changed out a few things, and added a little more of a coastal feel to their home, so I snapped a few photos to show you some of the changes.

A new couch was purchased from Pottery Barn, and instead of spending boat loads of money on new throw pillows, my mom got to work on her sewing machine and made her own custom pillows for the sofa...

 Some black and white ticking stripes were added to a vintage chair...for some reason black and white ticking just screams beach to me...not sure why!



 In the bedroom I share with my niece when she comes to stay at grandma's they purchased a new bedspread also from pottery barn, but again instead of using the standard pillows that comes with the bedding, my mom sewed additional pillows to add some layers to the bed...I really like the cut little one with a starfish!

A few vintage coastal details:

uh, yeah it is....it calls me every morning on my way to work....{she sighs...}

Here are a few photos of their bed...light airy colors and pretty layers...

 

The Seaside Retreat pillow was purchased...but fits in perfectly with their coastal feel...the sweet kitty doesn't mind the smell of the ocean all that much either...

I don't think I have ever shown the floor of their master bathroom...I am in love with the tile & my boys are in love with taking baths in the tub!

 Although my oldest punk has a really hard time keeping water IN the tub!

  A few more photos of some of the coastal treasures you can find here and there throughout their home...

 ok, there you have it! A few coastal changes to a pretty cottage!

Thanks for poppin' in!

muwahh!

 p.s. I am thinking my loft/office area needs a revamp...I started a board on pinterest for Office/Loft inspiration and this little photo just screams pretty to me:

but so does this one...

& this one...

So as you can see I am totally confused on what I want...if you want to contribute to my confusion feel free to direct me to your own office inspiration pins!  

 

Vintage Settee~

 

I have a very rambunctious 4.5 year old.... Most of the items in my home aren't precious to me, which means if something breaks, I don't have a major melt down, usually I can move on. I do however, have my quarks, like dirty hands being run down the walls in the hallway, or climbing on the ledges in my house....or jumping on my couch, which happens to be one of my punks favorite past times.

I found this Vintage settee on Craigslist, and I fell madly in love with it. After a few text messages back and forth with the owner, I had cut a deal, and the settee was to be mine. I tried to get the best price for her, as I knew it would have to be recovered...and when I went to get her, there were a few minor cracks in the frame, and she was more beat up then I had thought...

I managed to get an even better deal for her....and as I loaded her in the back of the pool man's truck, he actually admitted to me that she was a purdy piece of furniture. This could have been a first for the pool man commenting on my vintage furniture...and probably a last!

The sette sat all through Christmas behind my dining table as a bench...it didn't get used and I actually, **gasp** forgot about her...until the other day, when I pulled her out to gaze at her beauty... the moment I took my camera out to take a few photos of her... out of no where comes my 4 year old...playing games with me while I tried to shoot photos...belly laughing cause he was being such a pistol...he is if nothing else, his own biggest fan and loves attention like a new puppy dog! Of course I indulged him for a bit...

A few minutes later, and some sorted smiles from me as my punk climbed over my furniture to get in some photos....I stood back and looked at her...trying to decide what fabric I should purchase to recover her and make her purdy again...and all of a sudden my punk jumps up on a piece of furniture that sits right where she would officially be going...he did some silly dance stomping all over my fluffy white pillows, and checked out the window to see if any of his neighbor friends were outside to play with...and it dawned on me...

In all her tattered, beat up glory, she is beautiful...she is perfect for my 4 year old rambunctious punk to climb on..and even though she isn't perfect, I think I am going to keep her in her raw state for a while...after all, she seems to feel comfortable just the way she is, and that....that is something I long for....

She went in her new spot today, and I look at her often as she is a good reminder that even though I am not perfect....I need to learn to be comfortable with who I am...comfortable in my own skin....tattered, raw and quarky.

She will make a good perch for my punk as he watches the rain fall out the front window and she adds so much personality to our front room! I think she is my favorite piece so far in our nest...but like always this momma has something else up her sleeve! {she snickers}

Cheers to learning to love what lies before you in the mirror...tattered and raw...not perfect but YOU! And Cheers, to rambunctious 4 year olds...who like to steal the show!

Before I go, have to say "Happy Birthday" to my momma, my best friend! Love you!

Muwahh...

 

Vintage Details~

Here are just a few more photos of the booth I thought I would share. I went in today to take some more photos and found out that I sold 4 treasures! I was so excited, now I know I have a long way to go, but it still made me feel like I had made some progress!

Two of the sweetest treasures sold before I could snap photos, I will remember to be better next time and take my camera more often! I also need to get better at taking photos in the akward lighting, sorry about all the yellow glare....!

Stella made her debut and all the ladies love her pettie coat...I have had more comments on the pettie coat then anything else...lots of "oh I remember when I used to wear one of these..."

I love to tell them, that I still do wear one of those with some of my dresses, the ladies get the biggest kick out of that!

Of course Stella had to adorn her own set of wings and I think it will be fun to see how many different ways I can doll her up!

Who can pass up little wings, tied to two vintage bibles {another obsession} and an old book?

The vintage mod 1960's tables were a gamble, but I think they could be very cool with the right decor....and I honestly love the vintage yellow color!

I am obsessed with butterflies and thought this old lampshade with swarms of butterflies would make a cute mobile above a vintage crib!

A couple vintage brownie cameras and old scales....I also folded a bunch of pages in some old books I had stashed away, I like the texture they bring to the table...

This is another lampshade, I love the shape and think it would be cool to somehow wire this for a single light bulb....perhaps a project for the pool man!

This dresser is really old, it has original casters and pretty lines. This was my first attempt at using Annie Sloan Chalk paint and I have to say I love it~

I also painted a pretty swirly pattern in grey on the top of the dresser and sanded it way down to give it a worn in feel. I think it compliments the sweet baby shoes pretty well...

I also think I need a little girl! {she grins...}

Well that's all folks, I have a lot more treasures to add to the booth. There are still two boxes sitting in the garage to unload, but I didn't want to clutter it up too much!

Thanks for stopping in, I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

I am off to rest my weary feet and get some beauty sleep...as I have an 8:00 am haircut I am in desparate need of!

Ta Ta for now~

p.s. I also found one my most favorite antiques a few weeks back that I hope to snap photos of as well and share with y'all....she needs some work, but fits perfectly into our nest!  prrrrr......

No. 24

Hello there!

Well it is officially a new year and with that new year, I decided it was time to take the plunge, so not only did I finally finish some furniture projects over the Christmas break, but I also went and got myself a Booth space at an antique store! This has been a dream of mine for quite some time, and I figured with two jobs, two kids and all the extra time I have on hand, I could muster up some more energy and become a shoppe keeper of sorts!

The space is very small, but I think it is manageable, and it is right down the street from my second job, so I can pop in and fluff here and there when need be. I spent basically all day on Tuesday setting up, and yesterday was my 1st official day as a booth owner! I loved every minute of the set up, playing with different scenarios, even tho I had the whole booth set up in my head before I set  foot in the store! I can't wait to change it up, if some of the furniture sells.

I have my fingers crossed this works, and I can make some extra money to support my family after I quit my big girl job! I think this would be a great way to keep my creativity going while raising my babies!

Here is just a sneak peek of my space. I have added a few things, but I keep forgetting to grab my camera when I leave the house in the morning. So I tied a ribbon around my finger and tomorrow I will not forget to take my camera and snap some better pictures to share!

If you are local and would like to visit my space, I am booth No. 24 at the :

The Landmark Antiques Store

28221 Marguerite Parkway

Mission Viejo, Ca 92692

I am blessed to be at this wonderful store, as all the girls who work there have been nothing but gracious and amazing to me as the quarky new girl....!

Come on by!

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and wishing you a blessed New Year. I hope to be back soon with some quality photos for ya!

Blessings from this shoppe keeper to you! {ekkk}

p.s. if you see something you can't live without and you aren't local.... just hollar at me {b l o n d i e n s c @ h o t m a i l.com}, I can always list things on etsy! **wink wink

Playhouse~

It has been a challenging week around our home, as our whole family got hit with the stomach flu starting last Friday.

One by one we each got it, and we even managed to pass it to my mom...ugh! Needless to say there has been sleepless nights, cranky kids and lots of well let's just say...cleaning up to do...not one of my favorite things especially when the cleaning up includes a seagreass rug...

 I saw this sweet little "playhouse" and besides thinking it is the cutest thing ever...I really just want to order it, set it up in the backyard {or the living room} and use it as an escape of sorts from the sickies that have invaded our house.

 I could fill it up with all things that bring me comfort and maybe just paint my toes, read a few magazines and perhaps daydream a bit.... I think this little tent would just make any ordinary day a wee bit better!

 After all, it has pom pom trim...which makes my heart pitter patter! I wonder if I could fit a tiny Chandelier in there as well? hmmm....

Hope your week is treating you well...and the sickies have managed to stay out of your Christmas homes!

I also wanted to say "thank you" for all the comments on our house dolled up for Christmas. I have to admit it can be a little nerve wracking putting yourself out there like that amongst so many talented women, but you all made me feel right at home! Thank you for that from the bottom of my heart!

Blessings,

Our Christmas House~

Hello and welcome to Our Christmas House as part of the Holiday House Walk graciously hosted by the ever talented Jennifer Rizzo.

Make sure to pay the stop before me, Anne Marie a visit as her home has been beautifully decorated for the season!  She never ceases to amaze & inspire me!

This year we have been blessed with a new member of the family and with a wee little one in the mix, decorating has been a bit challenging. This guy, as cute and sweet as he is feels that everything is basically "his"...and does not understand the word "no"...so my sights have been set a little higher {literally} & more on the simple side this year when it comes to decorating...

{he's a rascal I tell ya...}

Let's go on in and take a quick peek around, shall we....

{every year our oldest son gets to pick out a "charlie brown" tree to make his own...}

 Excuse the mess of baby toys, I try to persuade him with colorful things so he will stop grabbing the garland or the pretty bows...just watch your step please!

 I saw a photo years ago with angel wings on the back of each chair in the dining room and for the life of me couldn't get it out of my head. I decided this was the year I needed to add some whimsical sweetness to our dining room! {my husband thinks the wings are complete non-sense}

 {of Course Audrey needed to be a part of the festivities...}

I am a little obsessed with vintage trucks and what a better way to use them in decorating then by making them haul around little Christmas trees! Of course, little hands love to play with these and honestly I like it when they do...

Let's head into the kitchen, where you just happened to catch me right before a small gathering we had with friends...

Grab yourself a slice of cheesecake, a glass of wine and sit a spell...

From the kitchen table....

You can see our mantel with the stocking that were hung with care & adorned with candy canes by my 4 year old...

{little hands love these trees as well...I find them in the most peculiar places...}

uh oh I hear the boys a clattering upstairs, wanna see how we spread the cheer in their rooms? C'mon up....

 Why of course with these sweet little vintage "tootsie" trucks hauling Christmas trees! These cuties came from my friend Michelle~ Vintage Junky & they bring Christmas cheer to my boys rooms! 

Now I am sure you are wondering where are Christmas tree is...he is here...making the whole house smell of a fresh pine forest. I was going to rush home from work and get him all decked out in lights and add him to this post, but when my oldest punk in his no longer cute little baby voice that I miss so much, asked me to sit on the couch and snuggle with him this evening while we watched a Christmas movie... I just couldn't resist his big green eyes and coy smile...he often teaches me that sometimes you just need to slow down and really enjoy the moment...we enjoyed the moment snuggled together on our couch, just him and me....as our tree can stand another night without decorations.

He is so excited for Christmas this year as he finally understands what "Christmas" really means and his eagerness has made me enjoy this season to the fullest...afterall, Christmas through a child's eyes is nothing but magical!

Thanks for coming to our home, you are always welcome and please feel free to stay...we don't want to rush you out the door...perhaps you would like to help us decorate our tree! {she grins}

If you would like to visit the whole line up, click the image below:

The next stop is a "Surprise" and you are surely in for a wonderful treat...so head on over to the fabulous Tracey of French Larkspur!

I wish you a wonderful Holiday season, filled with warm surroundings, hot cocoa, fuzzy socks and beautiful memories with your families and friends!

Now if you will excuse me, I need to make sure the wee one doesn't pull the whole shebang off the fireplace, that little rascal has one strong grip! 

Happy Holidays from our family to yours~